Debating Darwinism
Among Reformed theologians and scientists, the response to Darwin and evolution continues to be diverse.
From the 1960s until the present day, the debate over evolution in the U.S. has been fought primarily in school boardrooms and courtrooms. This has greatly affected many contemporary Christian responses to science in general and evolution in particular. The Intelligent Design (or ID) movement grew out of these controversies as a new response to... Continue Reading
Expressive Individualism: What Is It?
The highest good is individual freedom, happiness, self-definition, and self-expression.
Once we understand the term “expressive individualism” we get from Bellah and his fellow sociologists as well as the “Age of Authenticity” as defined by Taylor, we begin to see the elements of this worldview and how it affects life in Western societies today. This is where Australian church leader Mark Sayers helpfully sums up several... Continue Reading
The Last Mentioned Sin
The fact that Judas sold Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver shows just how great an injustice one will commit for the least profit.
From the catalogue of sins and injustices we hear about in our day, bribery is almost entirely absent. However, Scripture repeatedly sets out this evil–even to the supreme example of it in the betrayal of the Son of God. In our day, bribery in all its sophisticated and subtle forms may be the least mentioned... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about Studying the Bible
We study the Bible because it is God’s word to the world. We want to hear him.
You may read Ephesians 1:1-14 in thirty seconds, but you can study it for years. You may come to the end of reading the gospel of John in two hours. But you can never come to the end of searching its depths. This means we can expect a lifetime of happily moving deeper and deeper into... Continue Reading
Heaven on Earth?: Talking with Our Children about Death
For ourselves and our children, we need to be ready to give biblical answers and gospel encouragement when the time comes.
So, what should we tell our children about death? In my experience, children want answers to three basic questions. Why do people have to die? Are you/am I going to die? What happens when we die? These can be hard questions to answer. The good news is that God has given us answers in the Bible.... Continue Reading
Hypocrisy
Its Definition, Deceit, and Defeat
The Apostle Peter acted hypocritically when he refused to eat with the Gentiles (Gal. 2:13). Later, that same apostle would write to many: “Put away all malice and deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1). We must come to realize that even as Christians we are not immune to any sin.... Continue Reading
Breeding Familiarity: The Righteous Suffer
Suffering is too important, pivotal, and central to Christianity that when we think wrongly about it there's a lot at stake.
Whenever we begin to think of suffering in terms of what is or is not deserved, or are directed by some form of karma, or declare that what one reaps he has sown, or say that what goes around comes around, this logic begins to niggle its way into our hearts – the unrighteous suffer... Continue Reading
Terms for the Covenant
Given the importance of the biblical doctrine of covenant, all Christians should have at least a basic understanding of what the Bible means by the term covenant.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word we translate as “covenant” is berith, and it was used for centuries by the ancient Israelites. However, after Alexander the Great conquered the Eastern Mediterranean world and brought with him the Greek language, many Jews became more familiar with Greek than with Hebrew. Consequently, a Greek translation of the... Continue Reading
The Chaos-Cosmos Theme and the Gospel Narratives
“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
The original chaos was not evil; God created it. In fact, God called the “Seas” and even the “great sea monsters” “good” (Gen 1:10, 21). But after the fall into sin and God’s curse on creation, “chaos” took on evil connotations. God banished our ancestors from Paradise (cosmos) and sent them “east of Eden” where... Continue Reading
Heaven on Earth? The Beatific Vision
Pining for God is our calling, our chief end.
At the present, if you are alive that is, you see God by faith. At present we walk by faith and not by sight. What is more, our “vision” of God now, by faith, is only adequate and apprehensive because the finite is not able to grasp the infinite. However, there will come a day... Continue Reading
