Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
The Blessing of the Father The narrative of the Exodus makes it clear that Yahweh is Israel’s Father. Moses is told to declare to Pharaoh that “Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me’” (Exodus 4:22-23). In contrast to…
When reading the Old Testament, the believer faces two dilemmas. First, there is a seemingly sharp discontinuity between the universal proclamation of the gospel to the whole earth and God’s singling out of the nation of Israel. Second, the New Testament says of Jesus that “there is no other name…
John 17 contains the longest prayer that we have from Jesus, and it shows us the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son in a way that few passages do. The prayer lays out the chiastic pattern noted by Athanasius (God became man so that man could become God),…
The following meditation on the incarnation is paraphrased and quoted from Karl Barth, The Doctrine of Reconciliation (Church Dogmatics, Vol. 4, Part 1) , pp. 185ff. In the incarnation, the eternal Son of God makes His way into a far country, and takes on the form of a servant. “But…
Peter says "baptism saves you" (1 Peter 3:21). Does the New Testament teach that "baptism justifies you"? I think the answer is Yes. That's a controversial answer, and demands some defense and explanation, but first some critical qualifications. No New Testament text states "baptism justifies you," so my argument will…
In his THI article “ Son of David, Son of Abraham ,” Peter Leithart notes that Matthew's genealogy “contains a summary of redemptive history.” This statement is only too true and one that deserves further elucidation. Biblos genese ō s. The first two words of Matthew's Gospel are usually translated…
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We don’t know what Henry V said to his troops before the battle of Agincourt. No doubt it was less eloquent and stirring than Shakespeare’s Crispin’s Day speech. But we do know how the English won the battle, and it’s vividly described in Gorgon Corrigan’s recent account of the Hundred…
Writers on ancient laughter often speak in the singular of the “ancient theory of laughter.” What they usually mean is Aristotle’s theory of laughter. Mary Beard ( Laughter in Ancient Rome ) doesn’t think either of these things exists - there was no single ancient theory, and what Aristotle said…
Brian Brock is one of the most unusual theologians and ethicists writing today, and the set of interviews newly published as Captive to Christ, Open to the World is an excellent introduction to Brock’s work. Early on, he explains why he uses the term ethos rather than character, virtue, or…
I reflect on the problems of using “nature” in Christian theology at the Trinity House site .
Jesus prays that His disciples “might be matured into one” ( osin teteleiomenoi eis hen , John 17:23). It’s a pregnant phrase. Unity requires maturity, the willingness to deal with those who differ, the willingness to face conflict without anxiety. Think of marriage. Maturity is nurtured by the difficult work…
The angels at the corners of the land hold back the winds that could harm the earth, sea, and trees. But they actually have authority to harm only over the first two: earth and sea (Revelation 7:2). The trees won’t be harmed by the wind in any case. When the…
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