How shall sin-inebriated idolaters become God-intoxicated worshipers? Jesus has given us the answer. It is by drinking the new wine contained in God’s Wineskin. It is by prayerfully entering into the New Covenant with God our Father, through faith in Jesus Christ, his divine Son.   Then the disciples of John came to him, saying,... Continue Reading

The universalist demands a choice: divine love or divine righteousness. But the dichotomy is fallacious. It is only on account of divine righteousness that God’s love can be so bold. By offering his own Son to bear the divine judgment we deserve, God delivers justification by means of his own justice. He is both just... Continue Reading

If you are a believer who is concerned about his or her productivity, you need more than just life hacks and apps. You need to labor to keep yourself sharp and ready for action. In as far as it is up to you, you need to take care of your body—not out of vanity or... Continue Reading

The announcement by a star of the promised Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem was a celestial event for the world to see. Matthew’s account of the visit of the Magi introduces several important themes that appear later in his gospel.   In the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the characters who bear the... Continue Reading

Understanding Biblical Theology as the theology of Scripture itself, in turn, requires a certain method, a particular way of reading Scripture (a hermeneutic). Think of it as a three-legged stool: we best use a method that is historical, inductive, and descriptive.   No, Biblical Theology is not just theology that is biblical. All theology should... Continue Reading

Many involved in ministry divide their day or week into sections with a certain percentage reserved for their own care, and a certain percentage reserved for the help of others. But Paul seems to view his whole life as being given for others, and ultimately for Christ. For Paul, “To live is Christ.” How did... Continue Reading

When we think we need to adapt our methods to our audience, we implicitly deny the sufficiency of the gospel to do what God intends it to do. It is as if we believe the Holy Spirit needs our help “getting in the door,” so to speak, and so we have to help the message... Continue Reading

What is it about Jesus that makes him speak like no other? Of course, there isn’t a single answer to this question. Countless volumes have been written, and Jesus’s uniqueness still hasn’t been exhausted.   “No one ever spoke like this man.” There is a brief, tense conversation recorded in John’s Gospel that encapsulates, in... Continue Reading

The judge said that as long as the other justice of the peace is available to perform same-sex weddings, she believes she is not violating queer couples’ constitutional rights and that she deserves a “religious exemption” because of her faith.   A Texas judge is standing her ground after being reprimanded by a state commission... Continue Reading

Christ affirms to us that you won’t find life by merely reading, studying, or memorizing the Bible any more than you’ll find treasure by merely reading, studying, or memorizing a map. You must actually travel the route the map reveals to you before you end up at its destination. Likewise, we must study the Scriptures... Continue Reading