Bart Ehrman on How Christianity Defeated Paganism
The combination of Christianity’s missionary heart and exclusive worship led to its eventual triumph
Ehrman argues that the emergence of Christianity as the victor over pagan religions in the ancient world was “the single greatest cultural transformation our world has ever seen.” And, consequently, there are few historical questions more important (and interesting) than how and why that happened. In recent years there’s been a resurgence of interest... Continue Reading
The Power of Biblical Thinking
There is something supremely biblical about thinking right thoughts
However, when you look at yourself through the biblical lens of God’s Law, you discover that, “you are a worse sinner than you ever dared imagine;” then, when you look at yourself through the lens of Christ, you realize that “you’re more loved than you ever dared hope.” Somewhat surprisingly, there has been a... Continue Reading
The Moment of Truth: Its Rejection
In this very generation in which we live, we hear this malignant mantra: “What is truth?”
Pilate, standing before the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truth incarnate, voices an age-old question. But it is not an honest question from one searching to know the truth. Rather, it is a defiant denunciation of the truth. It is spoken with a tone of derision. It is dismissive. It is spoken with contempt. This response... Continue Reading
Where Our Anger Comes From (And How to Fight)
I’m talking about that anger that erupts when our plans are frustrated or our teenager dents the car.
When we believe in Jesus, God gives us his Holy Spirit and causes us to be born again to a new life. We are no longer under the dominion of our fallen nature, but it still seeks to exert itself. And the “works” of our fallen nature include anger: “enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger,... Continue Reading
Braving Hard Passages: Baptism for the Dead
First, we should consider the context of a passage unclear to us.
Two principles that are worth remembering when you come to hard texts are (1) we must always let Scripture interpret Scripture; and (2) do not form an entire doctrine from one obscure and difficult text. This second principle really flows from the first. No major doctrine in Scripture entirely hangs on one text. The beauty... Continue Reading
The God Who Gives Life to the Dead: A Redemptive-Historical Reading of Romans 4:1-25
It is not the adherents of the Law who are the heirs, but those who share in the faith of Abraham, a faith that believes in the God “who gives life to the dead.”
Paul now sees another earlier typological fulfillment of the promise in Abraham when the Lord brings life from his body, “which was as good as dead,” and “the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (4:19). It was not Abraham’s doing that would bring forth life—such would be impossible for him as one residing under death’s influence—but believing in God alone who could do it.... Continue Reading
Practice Makes Perfect
The Hebrew word 'blameless' does not denote 'sinless' but rather it points to a mature Christian character, in which all graces were blended and balanced.
I rarely hear believers talking deeply about holiness today. Sin and worldliness seem to be missing words in Christian chit-chat. In our zeal to win the lost there appears to be more focus on being trendy – on conforming to expectations of the world so as to be as similar as possible. As I come to... Continue Reading
Braving Hard Passages and Godliness
When it comes to understanding Scripture, ignorance is not so much an aspect of intelligence, but rather an aspect of the heart.
Is this not what we see when Satan blinded all of humanity to God’s word? His temptation to Adam and Eve was to have them stand over and against God’s word, tempting them to know good and evil according to their own judgments, rather than submitting to God’s word. And in that fateful posture, what... Continue Reading
Basic Readings in Theology: Suggestions for the Beginner
The following suggestions are provided for those who want to learn more about the Bible and more about the basic doctrines of the Christian faith.
Most Christians learn what theology they know from the preaching and teaching of their pastors. For some churches in the Reformed tradition, this has been accomplished by expository preaching in the morning service and catechetical preaching in the evening service. Expository preaching moves through books of the Bible, explaining and applying the teaching of the... Continue Reading
The Power of Biblical Thinking
Somewhat surprisingly, there has been a resurgence of interest in Norman Vincent Peale's power of positive thinking in our day.
Every week, I stumble across memes and posts on social media in which someone expresses to someone else the idea that they are “wonderful,” “beautiful,” “special,” and “loved” (oftentimes, with the adverb “so” prefixed to the verb “loved”). When I read such sentiments, my mind immediately turns to the SNL sketch in which Stuart Smalley gives... Continue Reading