Dr. McCabe of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary has a post about the DBTS Basic Library Booklist. It looks like the list was updated in 2008.
The Threefold Office of Christ – Part 15
In his epistles Paul also taught that Jesus is prophet, priest, and king.
In 2 Thessalonians he declared that Jesus will return a conquering king and a judge (1:7-10).
In 1 Corinthians he declared that Christ was sacrificed as a Passover lamb (5:7). He also declared that Christ will reign until he puts all his enemies, including death under his feet. Then he will deliver his kingdom up to the Father (15:24-28).
In Romans, Paul affirmed the Davidic rights of David (Rom 1:3). He sees these as integral to the gospel promised before by the prophets (1:2). He also recognized that Christ was the propitiatory sacrifice on behalf of men’s sins (3:25).
In Ephesians he referred to Christ’s resurrection and session as the time in which God granted the Son dominion over all things (1:20-23). Christ Jesus is the one who through his sacrifice invalidated the Old Covenant’s sacrificial ordinances (2:14).
In Philippians Paul connected the sacrifice of Christ on the cross with his exaltation (2:8-10).
Paul makes the same connection in Colossians (1:18). In the same context he refers to Christ’s sacrificial death (1:20). Later Paul returned to the exaltation and kingship themes (2:10; 3:1).
In his first letter to Timothy Paul called Christ “the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God” (1:17). In the second letter Paul spoke of believers reigning with Christ (1:11). This theme looks forward to a restoration of right dominion by mankind. Paul also looked forward to Christ returning as judge and establishing his kingdom on earth (4:1).
Machen, Love, and Controversy
Some years ago I was in a company of teachers of the Bible in the colleges and other educational institutions of America One of the most eminent theological professors in the country made and address. In it he admitted that there are unfortunate controversies about doctrine in the Epistles of Paul; but, said he in effect, the real essence of Paul’s teaching is found in the hymn to Christian love in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians; and we can avoid controversy today, if we will only devote the chief attention to that inspiring hymn.
In reply, I am bound to say that the example was singularly ill-chosen. That hymn to Christian love is in the midst of a great polemic passage; it would never have been written if Paul had been opposed to controversy with error in the Church. It was because his soul was stirred within him by a wrong use of the spiritual gifts that he was able to write that glorious hymn. So it is always in the Church. Every really great Christian utterance, it may almost be said, is born in controversy. It is when men have felt compelled to take a stand against error that they have risen to the really great heights in the celebration of the truth.
Machen, What is Christianity, 132-33 cited in Piper, Contending for Our All, 146.
Hamilton on Niehaus’ Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology
Jim Hamilton has a helpful post on Jeff Niehaus’ Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology.
According to Hamilton, Niehaus is challenging evangelicals to use ANE background material from a seriously Christian and Biblical basis. In other words, the ANE background material should not dictate how one understands the Bible. The Bible should dictate how one understands the ANE material.
The works by Niehaus that I’ve read and consulted before have all been very good. See especially his commentaries on Amos and Obadiah in the McComiskey set on the minor prophets.
The Emerging Church or Old Liberalism?
This temper of mind is hostile to precise definitions. Indeed nothing makes a man more unpopular in the controversies of the present day than an insistence upon definition of terms. . . . Men discourse very eloquently today upon such subjects as God, religion, Christianity, atonement, redemption, faith; but are greatly incensed when they are asked to tell in simple language what they mean by these terms
J. Gresham Machen, What is Faith? 13-14 cited in John Piper, Contending for our All, 135.
There are places here where I have gone out of my way to be provocative, mischievous, and unclear reflecting my belief that clarity is sometimes overrated, and that shock, obscurity, playfulness, and intrigue (carefully articulated) often stimulate more thought than clarity.
Brian MacLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy, 22-23.
Persecution in India
GetReligion.org noted today a must-read story in Monday’s Washington Post about the persecution of Christians in India.
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge
One of the Oswalt quotes noted last week demonstrates how unbelief can distort a scholar’s understanding of Scripture.
It is hard to understand how those who can assert that the theological function of this passage [Isa 36-37 / 2 Kings 18-19] is to claim that God acts in history can then assert with equal force that God did not act in this event (cf. Clements). If they do so to demonstrate that biblical theology is self-discredited, that is one thing. But to speak of the worth of the theology while denying its evidence is very odd indeed.
Oswalt, Isaiah, NICOT, 1:638, n.21
Other examples of this abound if one looks for them. Here are a few others.
In commenting on Ezekiel’s charge as a watchman, Zimmerli, Ezekiel, 2.185, speaks of ‘the complete irrationality of the divine activity.’ He refers to God’s first commissioning a foe against his people and then sending a watchman to warn them. ‘Such is the divine logic!’ says Zimmerli. This bold exclamation minimizes the justice of God in bringing judgment on the persistently wicked, the mercy of God in not taking pleasure in the death of the wicked (33:11), and the full responsibility of every human being for his own actions.
Robertson, Christ of the Prophets, 295, n. 30
Or note the contrast between the critical and evangelical commentators on Ecclesiastes 2:26:
Qohelet’s positive counsel rests under a cloud. The ability to enjoy life is not in anyone’s power, coming as a gift from God.
Crenshaw, Ecclesiastes, OTL, 89
The final verdict of ‘vanity’ refers to the arbitrary (from the human standpoint) action of God who does as he pleases.
Murphy, Ecclesiastes, WBC, 26-27
This verse does not present God as capricious but does relate to the biblical idea of the grace of God. To believe that one’s life is ruled by impersonal fate is intolerable; to believe that one’s life is controlled by a personal God is a comfort.
Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, NAC, 296
All these commentators are looking at the same data, but the evangelical sees God’s grace whereas the liberals see a capricious god.
The Court of the Tabernacle
The court of the Tabernacle was open to Jewish worshippers bringing their sacrifices. Again God’s presence with his people is highlighted. There is an area set aside where Israelites could gather before the dwelling place of God on earth to worship him.
The court also indicated the distance of God. The court was a fenced off area. Gentiles were not permitted. The wall of the courtyard thus symbolized a “dividing wall of hostility” made up of “the law of commandments expressed in ordinances” (Eph. 2:14-15).
Once again, the Tabernacle was blessed symbol of God’s presence, but it was also a reminder of the further progress that was needed to reconcile man to God.
ZPEB 2nd edition
The Zondervan catalog also says that they will release a revised ZPEB in 2009.
Three Views on the New Testament use of the Old Testament
And another interesting offering from Zondervan [catalog, p. 48]
Three prominent scholars — Darrell L. Bock, Walter C. Kaiser, and Peter Enns — detail their positions on how the Old Testament relates to the New Testament, a topic of significant interest today. This includes substantial discussion of instances where the New Testament authors discern the fulfillment of a prophetic element in the Old Testament text. The book also incorporates questions about the nature of fulfillment and typology as aspects of this seminal issue.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- …
- 82
- Next Page »