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 →
Piper Is Wrong. Luther Is Right.
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. John 6:47 One could preach a hundred thousand years about these words and emphasize them again and again. Yes, one can’t speak enough about these words. Here Christ explicitly promises eternal . . . 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: Reformation Basics—Good Works Follow Faith
Therefore we, being justified by faith, do good works, through which, as 2 Peter 1:10 says, our call and election are confirmed and made more certain day by day. But because we have only the first fruits of the Spirit and do . . . 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 →
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 →
Dennis Johnson On The Credibility Of Christ’s Gospel
Although Old Testament anticipation (whether in prophetic words or in “types,” those “incarnated prophecies” embedded in Israel’s concrete historical experience) and New Testament fulfillment are bound together by strands of similarity, the move from promise to fulfillment, from “shadow” to “reality” (in . . . Continue reading →
William Perkins: Grace Admits No Partner
The Galatians are removed not only from the doctrine of Paul, but also from the grace of God. And the reason is because they joined the works of the law with Christ and His grace in the cause of their justification and . . . Continue reading →
Dennis Johnson On Scripture As A Tapestry
Without ignoring the obvious fact that the Bible contains many stories, spanning thousands of years, with many participants, …the individual stories [are] threads woven into the pattern of a single tapestry: the Big Story of the Creator-King whose inscrutable wisdom, justice, and . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Christ The Physician
We, on the other hand, teach and comfort an afflicted sinner this way: “Brother, it is impossible for you to become so righteous in this life that your body is as clear and spotless as the sun. You still have spots and . . . Continue reading →
What A Confessional Presbyterian Learned from Luther
“What is a nice OPC minister like you doing constantly quoting Martin Luther on Twitter?” is the familiar refrain after people take a gander at my feed. Normally, I admit when I am guilty as charged, but there is no great guilt . . . Continue reading →
Grace for Parents Of Prodigals
I will be a God to you and to your children… The promise is for you and for your children… As a dad of a prodigal adult child, I would like to remind myself and anyone who cares to read of a . . . Continue reading →