Jesus shocked His listeners by His seemingly ludicrous claim about righteousness. He argued that they needed a greater righteousness than the Scribes and Pharisees (S&P). I am not sure if Israel has crickets, but if so they could be heard after that bombshell....
Wayne Grudem’s continuationist theory of NT prophecy (i.e., that prophecy continues in the modern church, but that it differs from OT prophecy in terms of its accuracy and authority) has been with us now for three decades. After Grudem wrote his Gift of Prophecy in...
This year marks the seventieth anniversary of the inception of the modern state of Israel. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion announced from Tel Aviv the rebirth of the nation, and the United States, minutes after the announcement, became the first nation to officially...
Mark Ward, a personal friend, has written a very helpful book on the King James Bible debate. Initially, you might think that the horse has been sufficiently beaten. Surely there is nothing new under the sun, and in terms of this debate, what can Ward offer that...
Our reaction when sinners receive grace from God gives us a window into what we believe. So let me ask you: Do see the sin of others as a disease from which you have been inoculated? Do you despise sinners who repent because you think they don’t deserve God’s...
For nearly three decades the faculty of Detroit Baptist Seminary have released a triennial list of recommended commentaries for each book of the Bible and additional ranked lists of resources for a variety of other theological and other ministry topics. When I came to...
One of our students, Aaron Berry, recently wrote an article on avoiding hypocrisy. You can view the article here. Here is a little snippet to whet your appetite: "If you were raised in Christian circles like me, perhaps you experienced the temptation of using outward...
“I do not know this Man that you are talking about" (Peter in Mark 14:71). It’s easy for us to stand at a distance and throw stones at Peter for denying Christ, and to claim that we would do better than he. But have you ever squandered a clear opportunity to testify...
Earlier this week, I pointed out that we must be ready for the Lord's return (Luke 12:35-40). I showed that because we do not know the timing of His coming, we must always be ready. Then I argued that being ready means faithful service to Christ. Here, I want to give...
If your father was like mine, he would give you a job to do while he was away. He would say, “Your mom and I will be gone this evening, but when I come back, I want to see this kitchen 'spic and span' [whatever that meant].” In order to be ready for the return of my...
Brother or Sister in Christ, Every one of us must find our righteousness in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. He lived perfectly (the way we couldn’t) and died sacrificially (in our place) and rose victoriously! He is our hope for being made right with God, overcoming...
Based on some practical questions I received in response to my earlier post on transgenderism, I thought it would be helpful to give a follow-up post on the question, Should a Christian use a transgender person’s preferred pronoun? While I have not had to practically...
Earlier this week, I highlighted the experience of the wilderness generation, finding that their failure to enter the land was a product of their minimal view of God and their maximal view of their problems. I argued that two of the spies looked at the situation from...
Even after we have seen God work in clear and powerful ways, why do we find it so hard to trust Him the next time? Trusting in God seems so easy on paper. Yet when trials come, we are quick to seek our own way, and in doing so, we start down a dangerous path. In...
James 2 indicates that Abraham is justified by works (δικαιόω—Jas 2:21) when he presented Isaac on the altar (Gen 22). Paul indicates that Abraham was not justified by works (δικαιόω—Rom 4:2), but rather by faith when he believed God’s promises (Gen 15:6). Since both...
The title of my post reflects a recent article written by Tim Challies, the well-known and prolific Reformed evangelical blogger. Over more than a decade, Challies has offered a clear voice for certain segments of conservative evangelicalism. In this post Challies...
Former Olympian and gold medalist Bruce Jenner transitioned to Caitlyn Jenner. A once-decorated army soldier who leaked classified data, Bradley Manning transitioned to Chelsea Manning, who is again in the news for recently being offered a position at Harvard as a...
We are pleased to announce the release of the 2017 issue of the Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal, now in its 22nd year. This year features six articles, including “Divine Persons in Genesis: Theological Implications,” by Bill Barrick; “Nakedness & Coverings in...
No one starts down the pathway toward immorality thinking, “You know, I really want to destroy my marriage today. I would love it, if I could give the enemy an advantage on me, and bring immeasurable reproach on my family.” The fact that no one thinks like that and...
Anticipation abounds as we are about to embark on a new year of education here at DBTS. God has given us a wonderful new group of incoming MDiv students, and we are looking forward eagerly to the first classes tomorrow morning. At the beginning of each year, I am...
When we exegete a passage, three poles must always be in mind. First, there is a historical dimension to every text. This includes not only the historical facts a text may claim, but also includes the historical context under which the entire text is to be understood....
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself put things right, strengthen, empower, [and] secure [you]. 11To him be the dominion forever! Amen! I have enjoyed reading...
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). In part one, it was argued that while many take the preposition for (εἰς) in the verse above...
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Peter’s exhortation delivered at Pentecost has been the source of ongoing debate. Virtually...
In his Introduction to Systematic Theology, Cornelius Van Til asks and answers the age-old question, “What Is Truth?” His answer is a bit philosophical, but if one follows it carefully, a very satisfactory pattern for seminary study emerges. Van Til notes that there...
You casually hear another church member’s name in discussion and you realize, “I haven’t seen [that person] in ages.” You do a little Facebook stalking–but to no avail. Who posts about church on Facebook, anyway? (People post on Facebook in church, but not about being...
While most people know about the yearly Evangelical Theological Society Conference, perhaps less know is that there is also a smaller, yearly meeting for each geographical region. This year the Midwestern Region is meeting in Wheaton, Illinois, and I have the pleasure...
Music has been a controversial topic in nearly every generation since the beginning of the church. And while I don’t plan to solve anything with this post, I propose the following four principles as a baseline for what I think is acceptable music in a worship service:...
Check out the recent feature post from the Gospel Coalition about the East Africa Baptist School of Theology and its upcoming Proclaim Conference this coming May in Nairobi, Kenya. East Africa Baptist School of Theology is a ministry of Grace Baptist Mission, which is...
In this post I conclude a three-part series on intertextuality. I began by providing a brief history of the term and of the controversies surrounding its meaning. In the most recent post I examined the legitimacy and meaning of intertextuality in the context of...
Previously I began a series on intertextuality by providing a brief history of the term and of the controversies surrounding its meaning. In this post I begin to discuss intertextuality in the context of biblical studies. Three important questions loom over the...
Recent weeks have found me immersed in the study of intertextuality, a trendy and cherished buzzword in academe. Defining intertextuality has proved notoriously difficult, with nearly as many definitions as interpreters. Nevertheless, since its coinage in the late...
Each successful doctoral completion in biblical studies results in a niche scholar; that is, a scholar who knows massive amounts about a small corner of the biblical marketplace.[1] For instance, I completed my dissertation on John Frame and Vern Poythress’s...
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, a seminal figure in this religious renewal, posted his 95 theses in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. Years later, in a sermon reflecting on the power behind the movement,...
Jesus is our King–His mission is our mission. That means that proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, and planting churches are the goals we need to focus on and strive toward. The priority of the Great Commission should affect every choice you make, including where...
Is technology killing our sanctification? Recently I was excited to attend a sacred Christmas concert. Soaring Christmas music combined with splendid orchestration and lush decoration created a unique visual and auditory experience. Elegant Christmas programs are...
To be "Christian" is to be a disciple (learner, apprentice, understudy) of Jesus Christ. We watch, learn, and then imitate. Jesus' ministry was marked by the proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom of God. He called people everywhere to repent and believe, to be...
I think it's fair to say that art can reach the inner person quicker than an outline (though perhaps "art" is a strong word for my poem!). That is the thrust behind this attempt to summarize the storyline of the Bible. My goal was to produce something that would...
Last month my colleagues and I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (for more on the purpose and value, as well as the shortcomings of ETS, see Dr. Snoeberger’s recent blog post). Although I attend the conference for...
If you were to rate the importance of reading on a scale of 1-10, how would you rate it? Of course, as people of the Book, I trust you would rate it fairly high. If so, let me ask a second question, When was the last time you read a book about the skill of reading? If...
You're driving to church on a hurried Sunday morning and it hits you... You realize that you're going to have to see "that person." The wound from their careless words is still fresh and a chill hangs in the air between you. Your Sunday plans suddenly become a...
Over at the Gospel Coalition website, Justin Taylor just posted a short and incisive critique of abortion. In my opinion, his broad treatment of the issue is one of the best ways to converse with those who disagree. It takes a position that nearly everyone on the...
DBTS has a history of presenting papers at the Evangelical Theological Society. This year, I have the honor of presenting at the sister organization, the Evangelical Philosophical Society, a paper titled, "Perspectival Epistemology: John Frame’s Trinitarian Theology...
"I would like to buy about three dollars' worth of gospel, please. Not too much—just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted. I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust. I certainly don’t want so much that I...
I feel a bit inadequate to write on a topic on which so many with greater experience than I have written at length. I don’t purport to be an expert on writing homilies; only rarely have I had extended seasons of life where I have had to write a weekly (much less...
It’s finally here. Millions of Americans are turning out today to cast their vote in an election that many pundits are calling the most significant in a generation. I must confess that the arrival of election day brings mixed feelings: relief (that the election ads...
On this day 499 years ago, a monk named Martin Luther (1483–1546) approached a church door in Wittenberg, Germany and posted a list of topics for academic debate at the local university. With this relatively innocuous act Luther started a movement that developed into...
OK, so I told myself I was done talking about Christians and voting. But the events of the last week got to me. Not the Billy Bush video, but the evangelical reaction to it. Please don’t get me wrong—the video was awful and disgusting and demeaning and odious and...
The following post is part two of a two-part series. Part one may be found here. Last time we began a two-part series on the importance of Israel’s fall religious season by looking at the significance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We saw that these religious days...