Idolatry Reconsidered As believers in the one true God, we know that idolatry is wrong. We know God hates it. We know first two of the Ten Commandments explicitly demand exclusive worship of the one true God. We even know…
The Mandate to Godliness Writing the Pastoral Epistles, the Apostle Paul makes “godliness” (Greek, eusebeia) primary. Some have perceived here a theologically incompatible, and hardly “pastoral,” fixation. It might sound strange to hear the apostle of grace making such a…
Jesus’ teaching is not only piercing but it is also crystal clear. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, he gives four cases that illustrate the main point. 1. If an evil person strikes you on the cheek,…
Read Matthew 5:38-48 In these verses, we consider the last two illustrations in Jesus’ sermon, returning the Law to its original meaning. He is in the process of stripping away the Scribe’s and Pharisee’s oral tradition which had nearly squelched…
I just put down Robert Letham’s The Holy Trinity, and while I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it as an introduction to the history and development of the doctrine, there is one gripe I can’t seem to lay down. Throughout…
This article is the third part of an article called “On the Hermeneutics of Subscription.” Read part 1 and part 2. Scotland and Ireland Prior to the Adopting Act In the beginning of his treatment of the background of the…
Read: Lk 1:30-34; Is. 7:14; Luke 2:1-7, 10; Gal. 4:4 What if you received the same edition of a newspaper every day for a week? Or for a year? Or what would you call a website that had the same…
Promises, Promises Promises. We’ve received them, and we have made them. We have trusted others and been entrusted by others. We have suffered let downs; and we have let others down—probably more frequently than we would care to admit. With…
This article is a continuation of “On the Hermeneutics of Subscription.” England A moderately successful experiment in “presbyterianizing” was carried out in Northampton in 1571, with “prophesyings” (exposition of Scripture apart from liturgy) following from the precedent of 1 Corinthians…
Read Mt. 5:33-37 Christians, of all people, should be known as “eminent for fidelity” (Barclay) and that “whatever we say is firmer than an oath.” All of our language must have this character. Wasn’t our Lord’s speech and language like…
