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
What Every Christian Needs to Know About Evil and Suffering
whatever befalls us, God has a plan and has already figured out how he will weave the darker threads into a beautiful tapestry.
Many things that happen to us—like sickness, disease, prolonged battles of various kinds—are just the result of living in a fallen world. But these aren’t just random accidents. God never allows any trial that he hasn’t already figured out how to turn to our profit. Our ultimate good that Romans 8:28 is talking about is our salvation. ... Continue Reading
Doubting the Traditional Take on Thomas
The moniker “Doubting Thomas” is mostly unfair.
Thomas doubted the testimony of his peers, and really, who could blame him? None of them were expecting the resurrection. Why would Thomas put stock in the testimony of similarly exhausted, traumatized people like him? But even as we soften in our view of Thomas, we should not blunt the edge in the Lord’s correction... Continue Reading
Getting All the Good Things In
The Puritans on the Good Source, Effects, and Benefits of Holiness
One of the leading defenders of the Puritans, J. I. Packer, explains in A Quest for Godliness that the Puritans developed a holistic lifestyle that centered around holiness “not so much to keep bad things out as to make sure that they got all good and important things in” (24). Thus, one way the Puritans can help... Continue Reading
The Statement on SJ&G Explained: Article 6, Gospel
There is no greater marketing term in our day than the word gospel.
Some consider social justice a gospel issue while others would say that it’s something that is acutely affected and influenced by the gospel. This is why implications, applications, and illustrations must be handled with precision and care. In most cases, both groups (woke and non-woke) evangelicals would agree on the gospel, but the real controversy... Continue Reading
God Will Conquer All Your Sins
I prayed for more holiness, more faith, more love, but often, God seemed to answer by illuminating new corners of darkness in the cavern of my flesh.
I needed to remember what God had promised about my sins. I needed to remember that my holiness does not rest on my frail shoulders, but rather on God’s almighty resolve, from eternity past forever into the future, to make me blameless before him (Colossians 1:22). I didn’t know holiness would be so hard-won.... Continue Reading
Scripture: Our Inerrant and Infallible Authority
As the decades pass and generations come and go, God’s Word sadly recedes from the center of His people’s lives and from prominence in His congregation.
The Old Testament prophets spoke of a famine of the Word of God. As we look through the pages of the Bible and through church history, we find such times of famine. One of the severest of these times of famine came on the eve of the Reformation. It’s one of those moments we wish... Continue Reading
The Imago Dei in Man
What makes rats so trivial and toddlers so treasured?
The Judeo-Christian worldview teaches that human beings are different from animals not just in degree, but in kind. Animals are creatures, but humans are a special kind of creature, one that is uniquely created in the image of their Creator. Genesis 1:27 says it succinctly: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God... Continue Reading