An Encouragement to Study History

Some Evangelicals have a good grasp of the history of evangelical theology.  Unforunately, the majority is sadly deficient in historical knowledge.  Their theology tends to be ahistorical.  They lack a sense of the course of theological history which is their heritage.  They believe what they are taught here-and-now and have no awareness of the there-and-before.  [...]

Scripture & the Age of the Earth

In this panel discussion from Ligonier’s 2012 National Conference, R.C. Sproul and friends discuss the Christian’s approach to Scripture and the natural world, offering wise words regarding the importance of embracing both as infallible revelation from God.  In my opinion, R.C. Sproul (in the clip below) and Michael Horton (in the full recording, timestamp 69:30) offer the most helpful insights into [...]

Gospel Theater

In the two videos below, Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer outlines his creative and insightful theodramatic model for Christian theology.  For more on Vanhoozer’s fascinating thoughts on the nature of theodrama, see The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical Linguistic Approach to Christian Doctrine.

When the Building Collapses

Timely words for a generation of Christians that often associates God’s favor and grace exclusively with prosperity, comfort, material blessing, and worldly happiness: Job’s words [in Job 13:15] remind us of God’s sovereignty over all of life, including its pain and suffering. God is not the author of evil, of course, but he is sovereign [...]

Dust Off Your Crossbow

For various reasons, satire is studied today as something of a museum piece, in much the same way that a military historian might analyze a crossbow.  The learned and respectable among us have agreed to abandon the use of satire, leaving this particular form of abuse to the buffooneries of late night comedians.  Our academicized [...]

Misunderstanding the Mosaic Law

Hallowed theological tradition suggests at this point that we distinguish among various laws [within the Mosaic Law] by allocating them to one of three categories: moral, ceremonial, and civil.  The “moral” commandments, it is assumed, are eternally binding in the form in which they were originally given, while the ceremonial and the civil ones, finding [...]

Luther on God’s Hardening of Hearts

Somebody asked [Martin Luther], “Is the hardening of the heart in the Scriptures to be taken literally or figuratively?” [cf. Rom. 9:18] The doctor replied, “Literally, but not actively, because God doesn’t do anything that’s bad. Yet his omnipotence does everything, and as he finds man, so he acts on him. Pharaoh was by nature wicked; [...]

Book Review: Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament

In Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, Christopher J. H. Wright leads readers on an incredible journey through the rich history of Israel contained in the Old Testament, bringing to light the many streams of thought and practice that ultimately prepared the way for the advent of Jesus, Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. As Wright masterfully demonstrates, [...]