Each gospel records one instance in which Jesus was beaten just before His crucifixion, but it seems that a comparison of these accounts indicates that Jesus was beaten more than once. In trying to sort out the details, it is helpful to remember that a beating by the Romans could vary in intensity, and three… Continue Reading
The Scriptures teach us to pray for the things that God has promised. We often pray for things that we are unsure of. We often pray for health problems or for people to obtain employment or for a president to be of a certain political persuasions. This is good. We should continue to do this, for God… Continue Reading
We all say we’re against selfishness. But what is selfishness? And if God hates selfishness, why does our own happiness play such an important role in Biblical motivation? Some people think of selfishness as merely loving oneself, and that love for self is where the sin in selfishness lies. As you will see, I think we can… Continue Reading
In 1 Cor 10:17 Paul says, Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. For many Christians, Paul’s words in that verse do not make as much sense as they might otherwise, because they break the their Communion bread before they see it.1 While I… Continue Reading
What is Christian love like? Where does it come from? Should we desire that our love be utterly spontaneous? Should we seek to love naturally? Is it inauthentic to love in a way other than that which first comes to us? Should our affections be unaffected? The impulse to say that the way a believer… Continue Reading
I know this post is somewhat badly timed, but I wanted to provide a bit of help for those who are looking for good resurrection hymns, either for personal devotion, to teach to their families, or to teach to congregations.1 Sometimes I hear the lament that there aren’t that many good Easter hymns. There are probably more… Continue Reading
One of the impulses among the earliest New Evangelicalism was to make a name for themselves. E. J. Carnell was probably the most explicit: Carnell, a dour and troubled scholar, in 1952 complained to Carl Henry of the “lukewarm reception” given his largely unbought, unread, unreviewed, unnoticed A Philosophy of the Christian Religion. Carnell aspired to… Continue Reading
This setting of Psalm 100 to “Old Hundredth” was composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The conductor is Sir David WIllcocks and the organist is Stephen Krahn. Also featured are the Abendmusik Chorus and Plymouth Brass. Continue Reading
I am writing a series of posts on the meaning of 1 Cor 9:19-23, in particular his comment in verse 22, “I have become all things to all people.” The first post in the series looked at the broader context in chapters 8 and 9. Then I explored some interpretative principles in Paul’s greater writings that… Continue Reading
Before us are Paul’s words to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one… Continue Reading
The Christian faith is Trinitarian. We worship the one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One of the ways we rightly respond to the truth of the doctrine that God is one and three is that we as Christian congregations worship that Triune God. Indeed, our worship should be Trinitarian. Our worship should be Trinitarian… Continue Reading
There are several examples from Scripture that demonstrate the fact that congregations exercise authority over certain matters. For my own sake, I have divided a number of these examples into three categories. Here is the first of those categories with the passages that give it support.1 (1) The congregation chooses individuals for specific tasks, sends… Continue Reading
“What is an apostle?” This is an important question to answer because many people in Christendom claim that there are apostles for today or at least claim that some enjoy what is called the spiritual gift of apostleship. Over the course of my next couple posts or so, I hope to give a brief understanding… Continue Reading
This is a series to further explain the articles of “A Conservative Christian Declaration.” . We affirm that the worship of God is regulated through his Word. Innovation, however well-intentioned, is “will-worship” (Col. 2:23), violates the free consciences of individual Christians (Rom. 14:5, 23), and is therefore displeasing to God (Matt. 15:9). We affirm that the… Continue Reading
This is a series to further explain the articles of “A Conservative Christian Declaration.” . We affirm that manipulation of the visceral appetites is dangerous to rightly ordered worship and Christian piety (Phil. 3:19). We deny that the transmission of biblical truth can be rightly administered through the use of methods that appeal to the appetites.… Continue Reading
Any time we closely study Scripture, we come away learning God’s will, valuable lessons about Christian living, and new emphases we had not previously took seriously enough. I recently spent some time studying and teaching the book of 2 Peter, and I have found a valuable theme returning to my mind as I consider my own… Continue Reading
Martin Luther did not want to revolutionize completely the traditional worship of the Western church. He did, however, believe that preaching of the Word had been sorely neglected. In 1523, he published some instructions on the “Order of Public Worship,” and therein he identified three errors that were common in papal worship services: (1) the… Continue Reading
In the second book of The Marrow of Theology, William Ames’s (1576-1633) classic Post-Reformation work, Ames deals with a number of matters related to practical theology. The ninth chapter discusses prayer.1 As you will see, Ames’s approach to this topic is helpful from a historical and practical perspective. Prayer, Ames says, can be outward or inward–mental or audible.… Continue Reading
In considering a discussion of the Lord’s Day, it is helpful to do so in connection with the Old Testament Sabbath Day. This can help us establish a historical mindset regarding both the significance of the Jewish Sabbath, as well as the Lord’s Day. The principle of the Sabbath rest goes back to the Creation… Continue Reading
When addressing the question of the importance of the Lord’s Day, it is helpful to investigate other internal evidence within the New Testament, prior to Revelation 1, that would help us understand how the early church treated this day. In seeking out this information, we must begin by understanding the first century Jewish mindset, particularly… Continue Reading