What Does the Old Testament Say about the Trinity?
9 possible signs of the Trinity in the Old Testament.
But we discover Jesus and the Holy Spirit as distinct persons who are also God. Because of this New Testament revelation, Christian orthodoxy relies on an understanding of God as a Trinity—one living and true God who exists eternally as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In light of this revelation,... Continue Reading
5 Popular Misconceptions About the Christmas Story
We encounter the Christmas story so often we’re convinced we know all the details
“Another staple of modern nativity plays is the scene at the inn. Joseph and his wife, Mary—who is on the verge of giving birth—are cruelly turned away by the innkeeper who shows them no compassion. Here is another popular misconception. The Bible never mentions an innkeeper. In fact, it’s possible there was never even an... Continue Reading
Quagmires, Watergate, and the Bethlehem Infanticide
The media are reaching back into the past to find a narrative that everyone is familiar with in order to paint a similar, though not identical, picture of the future
Fast forward about 600 years and there’s another “fulfillment” of this prophecy. Matthew tells us that Herod ordered the Bethlehem infanticide in order to fulfill “what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they... Continue Reading
3 Reasons To Not Skip The “Boring” Parts Of The Bible
There are no unimportant words in Scripture. So let us delight in them and preach them all.
I think many of us come to the Bible and want to “get something out of it” — which is okay. However, it can create this idea that the Bible is only valuable if it proves to me how it fits into my life. So when we come across a genealogy and there are no... Continue Reading
Rehabilitating Mary
Scripture demands that we recognise her unique role in redemption’s story and her proper place in the presentation of the gospel
“For Mary, to take God at his word would prove unspeakably costly. It meant the stigma of becoming pregnant before she was married (in an age when chastity before marriage was still cherished). It would also mean deep perplexity, not just over the ensuing nine months, but also for the next 34 years and longer.”... Continue Reading
Answering Claims That the Bible Contains Errors, and Why It Matters That It Doesn’t
Without studying Scripture, countless believers embrace the claims of the Bible’s critics
“When you take the time to talk about their concerns, you can demonstrate that you have investigated it for yourself, that you’ve done your homework, and are convinced that when God says all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), He means that it is all accurate and reliable. Of course, if you haven’t actually done... Continue Reading
On Distinguishing The Jerusalem That Is Below From That Which Is Above
Both the Dispensational-inspired joy and the historically-informed despair are misplaced.
However different the two views may seem outwardly, they both share an undue affection for an earthly city, however historically and religiously important that city has been. Note the verb tense. For Christians the earthly city of Jerusalem has no religious significance. There is much consternation and joy about the announcement that the United... Continue Reading
Joseph of Nazareth vs Planned Parenthood
How can this obscure Middle Eastern laborer could show 21st-century Christians how to celebrate Christmas in a culture of death?
With full legal rights to abandon Mary and her unborn child — perhaps to a fate worse than death — Joseph obeyed the Father in becoming a father. When Herod — the Roman Empire’s precursor to “Planned Parenthood” — sought the destruction of the infants, Joseph shielded this child from the murderous rage of infanticide... Continue Reading
Prayer: The Closet
We have the example of our Lord, “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Along with Christ’s example, we also have his instruction; perhaps no clearer than that found in Matthew 6:6. “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Here is a clear directive for every Christian... Continue Reading
What Is the Mind?
The brain may be the seat of the mind, it may be the organ that the body uses to think, but there is a difference between the physical organ that does the thinking and the thinking itself.
So, we ask the question, “What is thought?” Is thought merely a biochemical, electrical impulse that can be measured in exclusively physical categories? Or is there something nonphysical or spiritual about thought that is basic to our existence as human beings? What is the mind? I remember one theologian who played a word game... Continue Reading