22
Jan
2024
Volition: A Function of Person or Nature?
/
As questions in the ongoing Trinitarian controversy become more refined, the “pieces” of the broader discussion are coming under greater scrutiny. One of these appurtenant issues is the locus of the will, that is, whether volition is seated in one’s substance (i.e., as a natural capacity) or in one’s subsistence (i.e., as a matter of... Read More
15
Jan
2024
Old Age, Death, or Something Else? The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 12:1–7
/
One of the many interpretive challenges in Ecclesiastes revolves around the meaning of the closing poem in 12:1–7. Interpreters have often read the poem as an allegory of old age. There are a number of problems with this view, however, including inconsistency in the meaning of the symbols and a tendency to impose the reader’s... Read More
8
Jan
2024
Does Matthew 24 Describe the Rapture of the Church? (Part 1)
/
The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25 is the longest prophetic section in the NT outside of the book of Revelation. If the next prophesied event that believers are looking forward to is their gathering to meet the Lord in the air, you might expect our Lord to refer to this event in his lengthy prophetic... Read More
1
Jan
2024
DBTS Th.M. Seminars Available Remotely
/
Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Consider working towards a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree at DBTS. As described in our catalog, the Th.M. is “offered for those desiring advanced training beyond the Master of Divinity level.” It is designed for both pastors seeking more advanced education and anyone planning to do Ph.D. work. The... Read More
25
Dec
2023
The Virgin Birth and the Immaculate Conception
/
This post originally appeared on December 25, 2013. During Christmas season each year, we read the accounts of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels (Matt 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38), and we are reminded once more of our Savior’s Virgin Birth. What exactly do we mean by the Virgin Birth of Christ? Maybe that’s obvious, but let’s start... Read More
22
Dec
2023
Analysis and Critique of the Federal Vision Teaching of Justification (Part 4)
/
Read Part 1 in this series here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Teaching Directly Related to Justification (cont.) The previous post in this series examined what FV has said about the imputation of Christ’s righteousness and the role of works in justification. This final post will examine what FV has taught regarding... Read More
18
Dec
2023
Analysis and Critique of the Federal Vision Teaching of Justification (Part 3)
/
Read Part 1 in this series here. Read Part 2 here. Teaching Directly Related to Justification While FV is not centered around soteriology, its proponents still address issues directly related to justification in their writings. Four specific issues directly related to justification occur within their teaching: the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, the role of works,... Read More
14
Dec
2023
The Descent of Christ (Part 2)
/
Read Part 1 of this series here. Christ descended in the incarnation on the first Christmas. He came to earth as a man forever binding himself to humanity. This much is certain. But did Christ descend into Sheol (ᾅδης/hades/inferos/inferna) after his death? I argue here that church tradition affirms the descent of Christ into Sheol.... Read More
11
Dec
2023
“With a View to the Administration of the Fullness of Times”: The Relationship of the Church to the Kingdom
/
While the dispensational community has rightly pointed out that NT never posits identity between the Christian Church and the Messianic Kingdom, the relationship of the Church to the Kingdom is sometimes murky in dispensational thought. Paul in Ephesians 1:10 tells us that the outworking of the “mystery” of the Church is always to be carried... Read More
7
Dec
2023
Analysis and Critique of the Federal Vision Teaching of Justification (Part 2)
/
Read Part 1 of this series here. Teaching Indirectly Related to Justification As was stated in my previous post, FV is not primarily concerned with soteriology, much less justification. However, some of their teaching in other areas helps to shape their understanding of justification. Three areas that indirectly relate to their teaching of justification will... Read More