In what may be the most highly contested passage of Ecclesiastes, the writer Qohelet((Given that the author of Ecclesiastes does not identify himself outside the nom de plume Qohelet (Heb. קֹהֶלֶת), I will use this nomenclature to designate him. ((Dr. Dunham is...
Judgment & Salvation: A Rhetorical-Critical Reading of Noah’s Flood in Genesis, by Dustin G. Burlet. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2022. xxxv + 268 pp. $40.00. As a corollary to debates about the age of the earth, discussions about Noah’s...
Postmillennial eschatology is on the rise. In contrast to premillennialism, which affirms a literal, thousand year kingdom of Christ following the second coming, and amillennialism, which asserts that the kingdom of Christ is a present spiritual reality and that there...
Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage,by Gavin Ortlund. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020. 163 pp. $17.99. This book, whose title blends two metaphors to create the image of urgency as applied to Bible doctrine, is the kind of a book that...
Biblical Theology: A Canonical, Thematic, and Ethical Approach, by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Greg Goswell. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023. 1,016 pages. $64.99. Greg Goswell is Academic Dean and Old Testament lecturer at Christ College in...
New Testament Theology, by Eckhard J. Schnabel. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023. 1,224 pp. $69.99. Eckhard Schnabel (PhD, The University of Aberdeen) is the Mary French Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Gordon...
Many theologians believe that there is an obvious connection between circumcision and baptism. ((Dr. Goeman is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary, NC. This article is adapted and abbreviated from the...
Phil Newton recently published an article on the 9Marks website entitled, “Fundamentalism May Feel Safe, But It’s Shortsighted.” Newton argues that, after his conversion, the “variety of fundamentalism” in which he found himself “began to squeeze the life and joy out...
For hundreds of years the word “book” has suggested a stack of printed pages bound together along one edge and filled with ideas in the form of ink. But this is quickly changing. Today we live in a world where the phrase “reading a book” no longer necessarily invokes...
Paul described how he ran with purpose, “Run in such a way as to get the prize….Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly….No…I make [my body] my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize“ (1 Cor...
If you are trying to read through the Bible this year there is a good chance you have recently finished the book of Exodus, are in the middle of it now, or will soon be starting it (depending on what kind of plan you use). When you read through the account of God's...
When we think of Jesus, what comes to mind? My thoughts immediately turn to His sacrificial love for me on the cross. I think of hymns and texts of Scripture that talk about Jesus being a friend. Hymns like: What a Friend we have in JesusJesus, Savior, blessed...
As a professor and occasional interim pastor, I routinely hear a question (or something like it): “Is __________ (fill in the blank with any popular author, radio/TV preacher, apologist, musician) a good guy or a bad guy?” Often the question is asked in passing with...
If you are a current pastor looking to strengthen your counseling ministry or are a church member not interested in vocational gospel ministry but would like to be better equipped and trained at helping others with God’s Word, consider pursuing the non-degree ACBC...
As we embark on a new decade, it can be helpful to consider what has occurred over the previous decade(s) to consider what we might expect in the coming one. I recently read a thought-provoking argument that may have some insight into apologetics efforts in the coming...
Note: This post, as well as future posts concerning the Septuagint, are rough drafts for a potential upcoming book on the Septuagint. Accordingly, these posts will be removed at a future date. In regard to this article, it is the first of two which seek to analyze and...
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...
Last Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo, a gorilla was killed to protect the life of a 4 year old boy who had fallen into the gorilla enclosure. The gorilla, named Harambe, was a member of an endangered species, with less than 175,000 western lowland gorillas worldwide....
Life in the Spirit is the fruit of the 2009 Wheaton Theology Conference, where numerous scholars presented on themes related to spiritual formation. The book does not follow the format of the conference; instead, the “volume emerged from the conference’s dialogue...
Choosing Hats (an apologetics site) has a lengthy article pointing out the fallacies of four common arguments given in support of Planned Parenthood and some suggestions for how you can push back against these arguments. I thought I’d provide a brief summary of the...
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Patrick (c. 389–c. 461). In response to that post, someone asked several questions about Patrick including whether or not he was Catholic. I offered a brief reply, and a colleague suggested that many people might have similar...
In honor of Reformation Day, here are a few resources you might want to check out. Ligonier Ministries has made a number of Reformation-related e-books and audio/video resources available to download for free (until 11:59 pm, Oct 31, 2014). Over on Amazon, several...
Last month a new book was released titled A Conservative Christian Declaration. Co-authored by six men (Kevin Bauder, Scott Aniol, David de Bruyn, Mike Riley, Ryan Martin, and Jason Parker) this fairly short volume (92 pp.) is intended to articulate “a fully orbed...
Michigan Cherry Coffee Sure, you can order it online. But only Michigan coffeehouses serve freshly brewed coffee made from cherries grown just a few hours to our north. If you like coffee but haven’t tried Michigan Cherry coffee, you need to. And if you don’t like...
It’s no secret that I have an abiding interest in the place and function of sanctification in the life of believers. The journey that began for me as a doctoral dissertation answering the Keswick model of sanctification that has historically punished dispensational...
For a number of years the Seminary faculty has produced the Basic Library Booklist. It is updated every few years, and you can find the 2014 edition here. The Booklist has been specifically designed to answer the question of which books are the best on a particular...
In recent weeks, I’ve posted a few suggested reading lists in the field of church history. These lists have included broad overviews of church history, books on the history of Christian doctrine, and books that discuss church history in specific areas of the world. In...
Within American history the names of Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr, and the Rosenbergs live on in infamy. These are people who rather notoriously tried to undermine the well-being of our nation for some kind of personal profit. We look back on such individuals with a...
Just a reminder that the Rice Lectures are now just two weeks away on Wednesday, March 19. Pastor Peter Hubbard, who is the teaching pastor at North Hills Community Church in Taylors, SC, will be presenting three lectures based on his new book Love Into Light: The...
If you have spent time counseling men in the areas of purity and pornography, you have probably, like me, struggled to find a resource that is biblical, straightforward, pastoral, and pure itself. In my opinion, Heath Lambert has written such a book, titled Finally...
Each year DBTS hosts the William R. Rice Lecture Series, named for the Seminary's founder and first president. We are pleased to announce that the speaker for this year's event on March 19, 2014, will be Pastor Peter Hubbard, who is the teaching pastor at North Hills...
Many college and seminary students are either preparing for another semester of school to start or have already begun working on classes. For some, this will be their final semester before graduation. Though some may have already determined the next step, others are...
The Student Global Impact national conference begins tomorrow, and I am presenting a workshop titled, "Give of Your Best to the Master: The Life and Lessons of Adoniram Judson, Missionary to Burma." I would highly recommend the reading of one of the many biographies...
One of the more troubling mis-translations in the history of English Bible translation (at least in terms of its popular acceptance and impact) is the King James rendering of Luke 2:14 as "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Despite...
I teach a seminary class entitled Biblical Creationism. One of the textbooks is Refuting Evolution (2nd ed., 2008) by Jonathan Sarfati of Creation Ministries International. This book is the largest-selling creation book of all time. Because of the importance of this...
For some reason it seems to have started earlier than usual this year. Naïvely perhaps, I’ve always thought “Black Friday” referred to the day after Thanksgiving (i.e., Friday). The reality is that we’ve all been receiving emails and seeing print ads about Black...
Each year DBTS hosts the William R. Rice Lecture Series, named for the Seminary's founder and first president. We are pleased to announce that the speaker for this year's event on March 14, 2012, will be Dr. Bryant G. Wood. His topic will be “Archaeology and the...
I just finished reading Samuel Miller’s book Thoughts on Public Prayer. As the title suggests, the book does not offer a cohesive treatise on the topic, but a governing thesis nonetheless emerges: since prayer rivals preaching as the most important of a pastor’s...
I prepared a biographical presentation on Adoniram Judson for our recent church family camp. As is usually the case, I get far more out of these preparations than I am sure the listeners do, and some of the best lessons are the things I am not looking to learn. One of...
If you’ve read anything about the history of the discipline of biblical theology, then you’ve come across the name J. P. Gabler and his now-programmatic lecture “On the Proper Distinction between Biblical and Dogmatic Theology....” The lecture, his inaugural duty for...
I’ve written in the past about a few websites that provide access to a wide range of electronic resources. When looking for academic resources sometimes you know exactly what you are looking for, and the most convenient way to find it is to search for a specific...
Sharia is Islamic law. However, it is not limited to the areas that Americans believe should be regulated by law but extends to the minute details of life. Sharia has two sources: (1) the Qur’an, which Muslims believe is divine revelation delivered by Muhammad, and...
In the latest ed. of the Master’s Seminary Journal (avail. free online), Michael Vlach of The Master’s Seminary reviews Wellum & Gentry’s biblical theology Kingdom through Covenant (KtC). It’s one of the more thorough reviews of the book I’ve seen lately (see...
Readers living within driving distance of Rockford, Illinois, will be interested in attending the annual Conference on the Church for God's Glory held there on May 20th of this year. This year's conference theme, "The Resolved Pastor," promises a careful reflection on...
Adoniram Judson, pioneer missionary to Burma, was not afraid to, and it changed his view and cost him dearly. I encourage, yes, challenge you—do not think you hold to a biblical mode of baptism that is not believer's baptism by immersion, unless you can read this...
I’ve never met a Bible teacher who wished they had not learned Greek. It’s only the guys who have let it slip and no longer use it for their sermon preparation who try to tell me that Greek doesn’t enhance their teaching—Con Campbell in Keep Your Greek: Strategies for...
Often reason and experience are pitted against each other in discussions of Christianity. Some Christians accuse others of merely intellectual Christianity, while others retort back about an overly emotional worship. Recently, I finished a classic work that, while...
This Tuesday, February 12, is best known as Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday). It is the day that precedes Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. In the Detroit area, the day is more commonly known as Pączki Day. A pączki (typically pronounced punch-key or...
I have been using photos of biblical locations in my teaching for a number of years and am often asked where does one find appropriate images. One helpful place is Holy Land Photos, the site of Dr. Carl Rasmussen, who is Professor of Biblical Studies at Bethel College...