INTRODUCTION: One of the most familiar elements of the Christmas story is the star of Bethlehem. But at the same time, it remains one of the most unknown features of the story—because unlike the wise men, we don’t really look straight at it. THE TEXT: “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold …
Advertising and Flattery
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 158 “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin” (Pr 26:28).< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> One of the great problems of business is the strained relationship between truth …
Weak Sister Christianity
I have written on the distinction between jus ad bellum, conditions that justify going to war in the first place, and jus in bello, the standards required by God in the conduct of war. We have to keep these distinctions straight because, if we don’t, we are going to muddle just war theory hopelessly. But …
Vile Affections/Romans 5
INTRODUCTION: Recall that we have learned that the wrath of God is revealed in the world, and it is revealed as God “lets go”of a culture, allowing them to run headlong into various suicidal and fruitless practices. In this text, we find a deepening expansion of the point Paul has already made. THE TEXT: “For …
Vegetarianism Involves More Than Liking Your Veggies
Every Christian longs for the day when this sorry world will be put completely to rights. One of the features of that day will be the destruction of our weapons, their transformation to peaceful use, and we will shut down the Naval Academy and West Point, their services being no longer required. As I said, …
Forbear Threatening
We have already consider one word for threatening (apeileo), and we now come to another closely related one (apeile). As before, threatening is something the ungodly do. In one place, the two words are used together, for straitly and for threatening. “But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, …
The Glory of the Obvious/Romans 4
INTRODUCTION: God the Father is prominent in the first three chapters of Romans. God the Son figures largely from the middle of three to the end of five. And then the Holy Spirit is central from chapters five through eight. We have the wrath of the Father, the propitiation of the Son, and the liberating …
Don’t Force It . . .
Lane and I continue on. First, Lane says, “The instrumentality of obtaining the glorified state was works in the first covenant, and faith in the second covenant. This is non-negotiable.” Suppose I were to say something like this — would Lane find it acceptable or not? I am honestly asking. “The instrumentality of obtaining the …
Arguing High Theology with the Hot Dog Vendor
One of the testing points of wisdom is the matter of identifying what the real issue is. In ancient rhetoric, this is what stasis theory was about — what is really at issue? What is the hinge upon which all turns? Luther complimented Erasmus at the conclusion of The Bondage of the Will because he …
Principles and Methods
The Bible tells us to strive to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). The many aspects of this require much thought, study and work. One particularly important area is the important distinction between principles and methods. “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes …