As we continue our study of historical optimism, a good thing to keep in mind is the need to constantly turn to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When we think through these issues carefully, we must recognize that the basic issue is really the view we have of …
The Olivet Discourse
The words of Christ in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew have caused far more consternation and confusion than they really should have. The key, as before, is to look at how the passages quoted from the Old Testament are used in the New Testament, and then at how the events of the first century actually …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XXVIII
INTRODUCTION: We come now to the question of “what headship is not.” It is not enough for us to use the biblical words and phrases, we must know what they mean in Scripture. THE TEXTS: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XXVII
INTRODUCTION: The usually cynical Ambrose Bierce defined a widow in this way: “A pathetic figure that the Christian world has agreed to take humorously, although Christ’s tenderness towards widows was one of the most marked features of his character.” James tells us that pure and undefiled religion involves visiting widows (Jas. 1:27), and a moment’s …
Faith is Exegetically Indefensible
Introduction: In all the various controversies we have seen recently, what is common to them all? The common theme is confusion with regard to the intersection between Scripture and the world, and the role faith plays in understanding this rightly. Suppose a precocious young boy, after his father has finished saying grace over the evening …
666
The gloomy old reprobate Ambrose Bierce said this about the book of Revelation: “A famous book in which St. John the Divine concealed all that he knew. The revealing is done by the commentators, who know nothing.” It is indeed unfortunate that we by our sloth have made a revelation into one of the most …
Let The New Testament Explain the Old
In this series of posts we have been presenting what is, for many, a very different way of looking at the Scriptures. We have been talking about historical optimism, as opposed to the rampant historical pessimism of the modern evangelical world. But we must be careful in using phrases like “way of looking at the …
Thy Kingdom Come
Many Christians want to avoid millennial wrangles, and in an important sense, they are quite right. It makes little sense to fight with one another about when the divine peace will come. But other Christians want to avoid debate on the subject because they believe it to be trivial or unimportant. “After all, is not …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XXVI
INTRODUCTION: One of the hardest lessons for an egalitarian age to learn is the necessary lesson of honor. But this honor must not be carnal—we are called to render honor as understood in a biblical and Christian way. This directly affects how husbands and wives are to grow old together. THE TEXTS: “Thou shalt rise …
The Authority of the Cross
Far too many Christians take a phrase from Luther without the faith of Luther. They do believe that this world is “with devils filled,” but have no knowledge of the “one little word” which fells the evil one. That one little word is cross. Christ is the Savior of the world, not only because He …