Basil of Caesarea: He Need Only Live the Gospel
He made the Scriptures the center of his life, and strove to live a life completely in accord with its teaching.
Living the gospel made Basil more sensitive to problems in the Church and in society and equipped him to make a contribution to their solution. Unlike many ascetics, Basil did not withdraw from the Church and the world but engaged them. Division in the Church, widespread doctrinal confusion and ignorance, a sometimes hostile government,... Continue Reading
Presenting God as He Defines Himself
What our world needs to hear is a biblically-based presentation of God in all His glory, majesty, and power.
In a postmodern world that rejects exclusive truth claims, let’s commit ourselves to be believers and teachers and preachers who place the spotlight of our preaching and teaching and living on the great God of the universe, as the Bible defines Him. The postmodern world is known for its rejection of exclusive truth claims.... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about Early Christology
The full deity of Christ is displayed again and again on the pages of Scripture.
There is clear need for solid teaching on how the Bible actually conveys not only the humanity of Jesus Christ—most laypersons “get” that aspect at some level—but also his full divinity. Here are ten things to know about early divine Christology as found in Scripture. Confessing Contradictions According to a 2019 study, roughly 97%... Continue Reading
Has our Boldness in Approaching God turned into Brazenness?
Have we become entitled about our place in the throne room?
Has our fear of God diminished into mere casualness? Has our confidence morphed into spiritual cockiness? Do we barge into His throne room like we’re checking off our to-do lists, like we’re pandering to God or doing Him a favour? Has our boldness in approaching God devolved into brazenness? Growing up in the eighties,... Continue Reading
Don’t Adjust Your Conscience to Fit the Culture
Our consciences are an aspect of God’s revelation to us
Here is the supreme irony and tragedy of sin: the more we repeat our sins, the greater the guilt we incur, but the less sensitive we become to the pangs of guilt in our consciences. Paul says that people store up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5). That’s objective guilt—they are... Continue Reading
Augustine’s “City of God”: The First Culture War
Augustine’s theology is also the first systematic form of cultural critique aimed at exposing the empty ideology and propaganda of altae moenia Romae
In “The City of God,” Augustine systematically lays bare the empty ideology of the city of man and the Roman empire in a breathtaking counter-narrative that remains remarkably modern and relevant for today. In contrast to the city of man, the City of Love, Augustine argues, is the godly city to which Christians belong and... Continue Reading
Biblical Hermeneutics and Postmodernism, Part 2
Christians need to understand what postmodernism is and how it affects hermeneutics
Postmodernism undercuts the very possibility of interpreting and applying the Bible. Throughout church history, followers of Christ have believed that the Bible is God’s Word—God’s revealed truth about Himself and His works in written form. Postmodernism destroys the concept of objective truth and undermines the interpretive process. The church needs vigilance to promote a high... Continue Reading
Jesus Is Our Righteous King
The Scriptures often speak of the importance of the Son sitting at the right hand of the Father, the place of highest authority and power.
Among the kings of Israel, none was so revered and exalted as David. However, Peter explained that there is a King who has done something that David never did—He ascended on high in order to pour out the promised Spirit on His people (Acts 2:32–34). The ascended Christ has secured and distributed the greatest blessings... Continue Reading
We’ve Been Here Before: Lessons from the Church’s Responses to the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919
“Unprecedented” will likely be the Merriam-Webster Dictionary ‘Word of the Year’ for 2020.
Playwright George Bernard Shaw commented that “We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.” In this precedented time, there are direct applications we can and should learn from the church’s response 100 years ago. While these times are truly unprecedented to us, a look back in history shows that in many ways... Continue Reading
The Place To Begin When Learning About Social Justice
The book of Proverbs is about training the mind in order to live a God-honoring life, for right living follows right thinking.
As Christians consider how to act righteously toward others, as we consider the right response to injustice, as we ponder matters of inequity, we have a book of the Bible that is meant to guide us. Or, if we step back farther, to even consider what defines righteousness and unrighteousness, what counts as justice and... Continue Reading