This was originally published in Antithesis (Vol. II/No. 2), April/May 1991. Pride and Prejudice Before I came to understand and embrace the Biblical doctrine of resurrecting grace, I was kept away by a combination of factors. One reason, of course, was my own prejudices and ignorance. Certain truths tend to rub our theological fur the …
Understanding the Will
This was originally published in Antithesis, Vol. II, No. 4, July/Aug 1991 Free will. Who could be against it? But there is a better question than this to ask. Free will. What is it? Many of the staunchest advocates of “free will” encounter immediate difficulties when they are asked to explain what they defend — …
Covenant Evangelism
From Antithesis (Vol. II, No. 3) May/June 1991 To put it mildly, American Christianity is regrettably permeated with an individualism that stands in stark contrast to the biblical teaching of covenantal Christianity. But even Christians who believe in and emphasize covenantal thinking are still influenced by this individualism; they often exhibit a marked tendency to …
Apologetics and the Heart
This article was originally published in Antithesis (July/August 1990). I still agree with all of this, but I must say that reading stuff of mine that is over twenty years old gives me the feeling that I used to compose my prose with flattened cardboard boxes and tin snips. Just so you know. In preparing …
Old Dialog on Baptism
I was clearing out some files on my computer this evening, and came across a dialog on baptism I wrote eons ago. I don’t think it was ever published anywhere, but who knows? Because it seemed the easiest and most natural way to do this, I decided to place my answers to objections in the …
Indicatives and Imperatives
There is a basic difference between the indicative and the imperative. The indicative is simply a statement of fact. the imperative is a command. The indicative states, “The book is on the table.” The imperative commands, “Put the book on the table.” The former states what is; the latter attempts to control what will be. …
Against Tradition
A story is told of a woman who would cut the ends off the roast before cooking it. When asked for her reason for doing so, she replied that she did not know — she had learned the procedure from her mother. The mother was approached and asked also. She did not know either — …
Growth of the Kingdom
The growing kingdom fills the earth,With knowledge of the living Word.The saints proclaim their Savior’s worth,In every tribe their voice is heard. We do not see dominion yet,But Jesus reigns and He will letUs reign with Him ‘where’ere the sunDoes its succesive journeys run.” One of the temptations that goes with the study of eschatology …
As Somebody Somewhere Said . . .
Proper Bible study must always be preceded by thorough reading. Most mistakes in interpretation are caused because the context of the passage is neglected. In most cases, the context is neglected because it is not read. Often new Christians are introduced to certain “narrow” types of Bible study (memorization, Bible study guides, etc) without having …
The Authority of Servanthood
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit …