22
May
2023
Christianity: It’s a Religion (Not Just a Relationship)
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You’ve heard the mantra a dozen times: “Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” This statement is quite wrong. Firstly, because it’s a false dichotomy (can’t it be both?), but secondly because if we have to choose, Christianity is more fundamentally a religion than it is a relationship. The trouble here is our definition of a religion.... Read More
15
May
2023
Summer Series: The Use and Misuse of Transcendental Arguments in Apologetics.
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On June 20, DBTS will host the seminar: “The Use and Misuse of Transcendental Arguments in Apologetics.” This seminar will be presented by Dr. Michael Riley, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Wakefield, MI. The seminar is built off of Dr. Riley’s Ph.D. dissertation at Westminster Theological Seminary. Many who hold to a presuppositional view... Read More
26
Apr
2023
The Future of Pro-Abortion Arguments
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A recent Wired article fascinated me. It began with the line, “One day, human wombs will no longer be necessary for bearing children.” It continued, highlighting the scientific advances that make it quite probable that there will be artificial wombs in factories within the foreseeable future. Of course, this is a fascinating topic on its... Read More
29
Mar
2023
Love Covers Sins
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As Peter considers the coming eschatological end of all things, he appeals to his readers to “above all have constant love for one another” (1 Pet 4:8). The statement, “above all” indicates that this is the most important principle out of those he provides in this context. The centrality of love is not surprising. Of... Read More
23
Mar
2023
Free and Informed Choices
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Each spring I teach a section in a third-year pastoral course aimed at helping aspiring pastors deal with change and conflict in churches. I have been doing it for years, but the escalating level of tension in our culture that is seeping into churches and ministries has given me an even greater sense of urgency... Read More
20
Mar
2023
Reviewing Bonhoeffer’s Seminary Vision
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I have not engaged substantially in the study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Most of the celebrity that Bonhoeffer has earned is in the spheres of ethics, piety, and courage (and he rightly merits our admiration on those counts); still, I have been concerned that unqualified celebration of these traits might unwittingly commend as well his theology,... Read More
8
Mar
2023
Assumptions Affect Interactions
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Please allow me to share three anecdotes before making some comments about how our assumptions can affect our interactions. All come from the early 1990s when I was working on a DMin at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). How Long Did It Take…? One day, during the lunch break of a day-long class, another student... Read More
1
Mar
2023
Learning from History, not Reacting to It
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It’s commonly said that hindsight is 20/20, but that simply isn’t the case. In fairness, most people use it not to claim that their interpretation of past events is perfect, but only that it is easier to see things more clearly after the fact. I agree with that. We should, though, be reflective in our... Read More
27
Feb
2023
The Evangelistic Power of Biblical Marriage
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In 1 Peter 2:11–12, Peter argues that believers should live “good lives among the pagans” with the goal that unbelievers would see the believers’ “good deeds and glorify God.” From 2:13–3:7, Peter lays out the various ways this can be accomplished: by citizens submitting to governing authorities (2:13–17), by slaves being submissive to their masters... Read More
17
Feb
2023
What Should We Make of the Events at Asbury?
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Evaluating the credibility of historical revivals is not a new exercise in the history of the Church. We are made aware that the multiplied “awakenings” of early American history are not all of a sort, and that some proved more credible than others. Iain Murray’s Revival and Revivalism is a particularly fine examination of these. Better known... Read More