During Christmas time, we celebrate the fact that the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Word of God, permanently took on a human body. This means that the problem of the “material” as such has been solved. The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). But there are two problems to be …
Repentance Within
The accounts of the Lord’s behavior in the gospels tell us repeatedly that He would eat with outcasts. This included Gentiles outside the covenant of Israel, and we sometimes might assume that this was the point. But while Jesus did have “other sheep” that were not from the Jewish fold (John 10:16), He also would …
What Abraham Saw
“Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Christ, and he was glad in it. But Abraham did not just rejoice to see a Christ with no particular job description. He rejoiced to see the Christ who would be the fulfillment of God’s promise to him, the promise that Abraham was going to inherit the world” …
God as Shepherd
“The whole task of preaching is, after all has been said and done, His own personal affair . . . Preaching, it is evident, can be a pastoral function only if God, who speaks through the preacher, exercises pastoral care over His people. And this He most certainly does” (Volbeda, The Pastoral Genius of Preaching, …
Getting Good Back Into the Good News
[Concerning Gal. 3:8] “It says that he believed God. The gospel, as it was declared to Abraham, was that the heathen would all be converted. That is the gospel. That is what Abraham believed. That is what Abraham saw” (Heaven Misplaced, p. 32).
The Pastoral Relation
“Preaching is speaking to God’s people for Him through the administration to them of His written Word. We draw two conclusions from this finding. First, God must be pastorally related to His people; and second, the Scriptures must be a pastoral book” (Volbeda, The Pastoral Genius of Preaching, p. 60).
Pull, Don’t Push
Today’s happy news is that the next hard copy of Credenda is off to the printer this very day. This means that this is your second call to get yourself one. Go here to purchase this issue only. And, if you have not done so, go here to subscribe to Canon’s newsletters generally (look to …
Two Mistakes
“Of course, there are two mistakes to avoid. We are talking about a complete transformation — not a minor refurbishment. One mistake is that of thinking this creation will be burnt to a cinder and not replaced, or replaced by something completely unrelated. The other mistake is that of thinking that this creation will simply …
Prophetic Ministry Today
“The prophetic ministry is continued indefinitely until Christ returns. From the death of the apostles on, the ministers of the Word are the incumbents of this prophetic office, assisted by the elders and the deacons of the church . . .” (Volbeda, The Pastoral Genius of Preaching, p. 57).
Newt’s Three Laws of Motion
As I have been musing on the current Newt FEEnom, observing how many ostensible conservative pundits have all the principled stability of a well-greased weather vane on a gusty day, it occured to me to jot down a few thoughts on the underlying laws that are involved. These laws or principles are the result of …