My good pastor read this whole chapter from John Flavel's The Mystery of Providence to our congregation last night. I have never heard him read something to lengthy to us; he obviously felt it was important. You'll see why if you click! Flavel knows his Bible. It's...
Theology
Dempster on Samson
A perceptive observation from a book full of such insights into the Old Testament: Stephen Dempster: The structure of Judges shows that Israel gradually descends into a moral and political quagmire, and this is mirrored in the sequence of judges themselves, most of...
Unwitting Support to the Enemy?
In her book Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire, Jennifer Knust assumes that because the patriarch Judah committed immorality with a woman he supposed to be a prostitute, the Bible takes an ambiguous stance toward...
New Years Resolutions: Grace or Guilt?
Join the discussion over at Charlie Johnson's blog. Or turn it into a discussion, I guess! I think Charlie raises a great point—but then again, so does the first commenter! =)
Jesus Among Other Gods
I was thrilled and deeply encouraged by this testimony—and it is full of great sermon illustrations. HT: Gerald McDermott
Grudem on Selfishness
I think the following comments from Grudem's Systematic Theology are very insightful—and needful for preachers. It's easy to preach so hard against selfishness that one erases part of the image of God! Other definitions of the essential character of sin have been...
Truth and Beauty
Derek Kidner is a commentator who writes not just insightfully but beautifully. Don't miss his commentaries on Genesis, Psalms (vol. 1 and vol. 2), Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. They are gifts to the church. I'm not familiar with Stephen Motyer (a relation to J. Alec, I...
“God’s Purpose According to Election”
“Be not highminded, but fear” (Rom 11:20 KJV). That’s the verse I think of as I anticipate posting the following little thought that came to me as I studied Genesis for Bible Truths B, the 8th grade Bible textbook I’m now rewriting: If you think about it, God could...
Genesis 15 and 17
Do Genesis 15 and 17 constitute two related but distinct Abrahamic covenants? Yes Paul R. Williamson, in his very helpful and thorough NSBT volume Sealed with an Oath argues that Genesis 15 and 17 constitute separate (though obviously related) covenants. Here are his...
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
Craig Bartholomew offers some insightful comments on wisdom in Proverbs: There are no areas of life that wisdom does not reflect upon: leadership and royalty, wealth and poverty, economics and law, and justice, marriage, and developing sexuality—they are all here,...