This particular Arminian error may be the most pernicious, since at first glance. it appears to come close to the truth, but nevertheless bases the ground of our salvation upon an act of the creature, not in the decree of God and . . . Continue reading →
Scripture
Johnson: The Act Of Eating Was A Spiritual Decision
As far back as the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolized a spiritual issue. Eating from it would bring death but not because the fruit was physically poisonous. Indeed, its fruit was “good for food” (Gen. . . . Continue reading →
Does Hebrews 11:1 Teach Blind Faith?
Before we take a deep dive into the meaning of Hebrews 11:1, there are two passages we should look at that push back against the idea of blind faith. The first is found in Matthew 15:14 in which Jesus refers to some of the Pharisees as “blind guides.” “If the blind lead the blind,” he says, “both will fall into a pit.” Continue reading →
Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg: The Pioneer-Protestant Missionary
In the wake of the Counter-Reformation and the increasing spread of the Jesuit missions movement, the King of Denmark, Fredrick IV (1671–1730), responded by launching the first Protestant mission. Franz Julius Lutkens, the chaplain to the king, founded the Danish Royal Mission . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: The Relation Between Types & Fulfillment Is Real
To be responsible to the Bible’s divine Author and credible to our hearers, our identification of typological similarities (as well as contrasts between type and antitype) must be warranted by evidence in the text of Scripture, not merely the product of our . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: The Relation Between Type And Fulfillment
Similarly, the Davidic lament of Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” belonged on Jesus’ lips (Matt. 27:46) not because the sufferings portrayed in the psalm had no referent in David’s own experience but because David himself—in his . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: Were The Apostles Irresponsible Interpreters Of Scripture?
Old Testament texts may both refer (even retrospectively) to an Old Testament event (type) and find fulfillment (prospectively) in a New Testament event (antitype). Matthew’s application of Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” to the sojourn of Joseph and . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: That Adam Was A Type of Christ Implies Federal Theology
Adam was a typos of the Coming One. This first example vividly illustrates the similarity and dissimilarity between type and fulfillment that characterizes biblical typology. The similarity between Adam and Christ is that each acts as a covenantal representative whose response to . . . Continue reading →
Bavinck Taught The Reformed Order Of Salvation
All the rich benefits which Christ gives to His believers on earth receive their fulfillment and their crown in the glorification which accrues to them in part upon death but only in its fulness after the day of judgment. But this benefit . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: We Need A Stance More Than A Method
In order to read and preach the Bible as Peter and Paul and the preacher to the Hebrews did, what we need is not a foolproof step-by-step procedure to follow; rather, it is a way of viewing the Scripture and its witness . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: We Can Learn To Interpret The Bible The Way The Apostles Did
The epistle to the Hebrews, our one New Testament example of apostolic preaching addressed to an established congregation, illustrates the integration of Christ-centered biblical interpretation with hearer-contoured communication and application. Its exhortation to enduring faith, expressed in the sacrifices of good deeds . . . Continue reading →
Dennis Johnson: Do Nothing Other Than Proclaim Christ
Yet, the apostolic affirmation rings true: in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Therefore, the apostolic resolve makes perfect sense: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Since No One Does So
When Paul says: “He who does them, etc.,” he is comparing the righteousness of the Law and that of faith, as he also does in Romans 10:5 ff. It is as though he were saying: “It would indeed be fine if someone . . . Continue reading →
What I Learned Reading Difficult Books Very Slowly
So what did my days as a student look like? Really, I spent hours and hours each day just… reading. For variety, I did some studying with fellow students, but most of the work was done alone. All Classics majors got a . . . Continue reading →
Augustine Contra The Postmodernists
In Augustinian thought, signs, then play a key role in bringing us into contact with the realities they signify. Drawing lines to the Christian life, Augustine argued that catechesis means explaining how “the signs of divine realities are visible, but the invisible . . . Continue reading →
Dennis Johnson: Two Truths Of Apostolic Preaching
The skillful and pastoral interweaving of theological discussion and exhortation, of doctrine and application, [as demonstrated in Hebrews] illustrates two truths about apostolic preaching that are often ignored in the polarized atmosphere of contemporary preaching. On the one hand, truly apostolic preaching . . . Continue reading →
Bavinck On The Old And New Man
True, we speak of an old and a new man in the believer, and so we give expression to the fact that in the new life the whole man has in principle been changed, and that nevertheless the power of sin continues . . . Continue reading →
Kim Riddlebarger on the Challenges of 2 Peter
…But from the moment we open this all-too often overlooked, but very important letter ascribed to the apostle Peter, it soon becomes apparent that there are a number of problems faced by anyone who attempts to exposit this letter, or treat it . . . Continue reading →
How To Find The Meaning Of Life
. . . One of the challenges we face when coming to this question of the meaning of life is the sheer magnitude of answers that people have put forward. In one sense, it’s understandable that so many feel bewildered by it. . . . Continue reading →
S. M. Baugh on “Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude”: Part 3 — Gratitude
If you do a search in the ESV for the word “grateful” you only get three hits in the whole Bible, two of which produce the word “ungrateful” (Luke 6:35; 2 Tim. 3:2), leaving only one place where the word “grateful” is . . . Continue reading →