At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision (Ex 4:24–26 (ESV). Continue reading →
For us Christians Bethlehem is a significant place because it is the birthplace of the Savior, Jesus, who shall save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21). For much of its history, however, it was a just an obscure city (Mic 5:2)1 . . . Continue reading →
Several years ago, I had the privilege of contributing an article to 9Marks. The point of my post there (and here) was not to argue the specifics of the paedobaptist (infant baptizing) case, but nevertheless, in response to that contribution, a correspondent . . . Continue reading →
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond . . . Continue reading →
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD‘S army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:13–15; ESV). Continue reading →
The Mosaic law itself did not originate the notion of personal obedience de novo, since it recapitulated a more fundamental creational principle of righteousness through obedience to the Creator’s covenant stipulations. Further, the Mosaic law did not introduce a new way of . . . Continue reading →
Despite how we know we should feel, even Christians who deeply love the Bible often feel a bit less than enthused if the preacher uses an obscure portion of the Old Testament as his sermon text. Some Old Testament books seem so . . . Continue reading →
Father Abraham “Father Abraham has many sons, many sons has father Abraham…”. Amen! How many American evangelicals have sung that youth-group chorus without appreciating the implications of what they were singing? The Apostle Paul writes, What then shall we say was gained . . . Continue reading →
During this season, which many Christians call “Holy Week,” I am perversely drawn to Saturday.
God the Son, the substance of the covenant of grace, was Continue reading
Dispensationalism describes a way of reading the Bible and a system of theology the nearest roots of which are in the 19th century. There have been premillennial (traditionally known as “chiliastic) movements, including some Reformed theologians, since the early church but most . . . Continue reading →
For many American evangelicals, faithfulness to the Bible means believing in a view of end times (eschatology) that teaches that says something like this: The book of the Revelation is to be read literally (including chapter 20) The formation of the nation . . . Continue reading →
“Biblical theology,” or “redemptive-historical” theology may be new terms or perhaps confusing. After all, is not Reformed theology supposed to be biblical? Yes, it is but in the history of theology there developed, in the 19th century, a movement that intended to . . . Continue reading →
But I see four men free, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God. Daniel 3:25
The use of the judicial, or civil laws, was, That they might contribute to the preservation of the Mosaic polity. That they might be types of the government of the church in the kingdom of Christ, inasmuch as the princes and kings . . . Continue reading →
The reason there was so much opposition to Jesus’ ministry is because his gospel got to the heart of matters. He wasn’t giving dry, muddled expositions. His goal wasn’t the dissemination of information, or simply create controversies about how to correct human . . . Continue reading →
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Continue reading →
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be . . . Continue reading →
In part 2 we looked at the covenant of grace. § The New Covenant With Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension the promise which God made to Adam and repeated to Abraham remains, but the circumstances have changed. We who live on this side . . . Continue reading →
In part 1 we began to look at the sort of kingdom Jesus brought. § Rather, Jesus came not to build an earthly Jewish kingdom now or later, but always and only his intention was to redeem all his people by his . . . Continue reading →