2 Cor 3:6 - "the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life." A verse that is frequently misused and misapplied to mean that we should focus on our feelings as a source of light superior to the Bible (here's one example). To my surprise, Calvin wrote about this almost 500 years ago - wish he... Continue Reading →
Holy books, wholly understandable
I try, every year, to read the scripture of some other faith. That is, read the books themselves, not just a second-hand analysis of them In 2016 it was the Koran, which I found well worth the read, if a little repetitious. It is about 4/5 the length of the New Testament. In 2017 I... Continue Reading →
Is the Nestle-Aland Bible against the deity of Christ? No!
It is the narrative in a few remote corners of Christendom that only the Textus receptus reflects the original text of the New Testament. Some would add a second chapter, that newer critical editions – which, in fact, are based on almost 6000 manuscripts, let alone ancient versions and church fathers – are part of... Continue Reading →
Bible study – a work of prayer!
This is a prayer of the great church father Augustine, which he was accustomed to use after his sermons and lectures. I have updated the version found in NPNF 1,8, p. 683. We now turn to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts we offer to him, so far as we can... Continue Reading →
“Eye has not seen” – or has it? [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
What does it mean when Paul (quoting Isaiah) says “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)? Is this a parallel to, for example, 1 Cor 13:12, “For now we see only a... Continue Reading →
Spirituality and intellect
Wish I had said this, but in no way can I improve on this quote: ...there are two common, but misguided, sentiments in some quarters of the Christian church regarding the relationship between spirituality and the academic or intellectual life. One is the belief that intellectual pursuits do not benefit the spiritual life and may even... Continue Reading →
Is the KJV a perfect translation? According to its translators, no
George Guthrie has an informative and edifying article on the King James Version. In particular, he explores how the translators themselves regarded what they were doing and how it stood in relation to other versions. They also expected the KJV to be later corrected and improved! By implication, they did not hold to the doctrine... Continue Reading →
Women in Ministry, according to F. F. Bruce
This is a topic which interests me very much, not just in theory, but because of my involvement of training both female and male soldiers for the kingdom of God. I hope to publish some thoughts of my own at some point, but for now I yield to the master, and his brief article from 1982.... Continue Reading →
Read the Hebrew Torah in 2015-2016!
Some friends and I are going to read through the books of Moses over the next year. We will be follow the liturgical cycle of the synagogue for the Jewish year 5776, with a set portion or parashah every week. This breaks down to a chapter-plus per day. I will be using Logos 6 with Stuttgartensia... Continue Reading →
“How do we know God is at work in us?” Part B [Sermon Notes on 1 Thessalonians, Week 3]
Paul has spoken about how he knows that the Thessalonians are genuine Christians: first of all, because they have the fruit of the Spirit. Words, yes, but also attitudes, actions, values that go beyond what we would expect from a human being, apart from Christ. You can’t see the Spirit, but you can see what... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 