My dissertation chapter on joy argues that the article on joy from the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible is mistaken about much of the following. Joy. Positive human condition that can be either feeling or action. The Bible uses joy in both senses. Joy as Feeling. Joy...
Piety
Edwards on Church Music, the Ordinances, and our Affections
The “sacraments” or “ordinances” of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are, in part, little pieces of art: miniature dramas that highlight precious truths. They are parallel in a significant way to church music, as Jonathan Edwards explains in his classic book, The...
May 21, 2011
It's not clear to me exactly what Harold Camping is predicting, but it is very, very sad. And wrong—though I wish he were right. Mark 13 admonishes readers against attempts at constructing timetables and deciphering signs of the Parousia. Disciples are admonished to...
Why I Think the New Age is the Truly Hot Issue for the Christian Church, Or, Keeping Up with the Carsons
The crop of new theological books for 2011 is huge. The problem is that the cool people seem to read each one while I've only caught up to 1987 (Emergent what?—the New Age is the most pressing issue facing the Christian Church!). The cool people also seem to read all...
Should a Minister Be a “dumme dogge”?
When James I of Scotland acceded to the throne of England in 1603, the Puritans saw their chance to start anew. Ossified Queen Elizabeth was dead; perhaps James would complete the Reformation she did not allow to be finished. Perhaps Catholic accretions could finally...
Free Kindle Book
A Praying Life, free on Kindle. I know nothing about this book except that 1) it was well-reviewed when it came out and 2) one of my mentors used it in discipling a good friend. If that good friend wants to pipe up in the comments, he’s welcome!
Agape Love
One of the most popular linguistic and exegetical fallacies in modern times is that the Greek word for love, agapao, carries in it the implication of a divine love that is unconditional and comes to us in spite of our sin. That is not true. Context must decide if...
Four Encouragements for Those Who Sometimes Find Bible Reading Difficult
Do you ever stumble over the difficulty of some of the words of Scripture? It’s not just obscure places and people and practices in the OT; there are significant passages in the NT which are also quite difficult or ambiguous. Here are some points that might help you:...
Augustine on Love
Do not for the sake of reward love God; let Him be the reward. —Augustine (Philip Schaff, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Vol. VII, 25)
The Toolshed Quote
I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place....
John Newton’s Words of Wisdom on Controversy
A minister, about to write an article criticizing a fellow minister for his lack of orthodoxy, wrote to John Newton of his intention. Newton replied as follows (the text has been edited by IIIM Magazine for archaisms). Dear Sir, As you are likely to be engaged...
The Best BJU Chapel Message I Have Ever Heard
I have heard approximately 500 BJU chapel sermons in the last 10 years. Before that I heard about 100 each year for my four years of undergraduate training. I’m coming up on a thousand, and if you include Bible Conferences and two summer school sessions, I may be...