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...
In a previous post, I mentioned that 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. The best images (most appropriate and high quality) I have found come from...
So said Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:23. And so we must agree with him. Still, I wonder whether this verse can sustain all the freight that has been loaded onto it over the years. Does it mean, as John Piper suggested a few months ago, that Christians should not carry...
In perhaps John Lennon’s most famous song, “Imagine,” he calls people to envision a world that would be at peace—where “the world will be as one.” He views certain ideas or beliefs as currently standing in the way of this utopia, including countries, religion, and...
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...
*This article was originally posted in 2015. Its relevance has not lessened. Animal Farm, George Orwell’s satirical story criticizing Stalin and the Soviet Union, was first published in 1945. What may be surprising to some is the difficulty Orwell had in getting 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...
A common tactic used in discussions about God and His actions is to claim that the other person is limiting God. It comes up in questions about creation (“I don’t limit God to just six days for creation like you do. I think He could use evolutionary processes and take...
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...
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...
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood—Acts 20:28 What does Paul mean in his speech in Acts 20 when he says that God purchased the church with...
It is common today to hear people talk about a God of love, often connected with the idea that all religions teach about a God of love. In a recent panel Q&A, I was asked “Can we call Allah a God of love?” My brief answer was no, since he is not portrayed that way...
Among the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, there is a rather troubling document dated from the year 1 B.C. It’s a letter written by a husband to his wife. The husband is out of town, and the wife is apparently expecting to deliver a child in the near future. Here’s the text:...
This morning I scanned through an interesting book put out by Georgetown University that analyzes the value of 171 common college majors available today. By “value” the authors mean almost entirely fiscal value, or how much money a graduate can expect to make after...
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...
My wife and I are looking forward to enjoying our first Christmas as parents, even if our son is currently more interested in putting wrapping paper in his mouth than in any other part of Christmas. It’s still fun to discuss what traditions we want to establish as a...
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...
Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued two decisions on homosexual marriage that will likely shape the social structure of America moving forward. Even apart from the decisions of the Supreme Court, the acceptance of homosexuality appears to be a foregone conclusion. It...
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...
A few months ago I expressed some fairly strong reservations about a nefarious variation of “Gospel-Centered” sanctification that has captured the attention of a number of conservative evangelical luminaries—a preach-the-Gospel-to-yourself,...
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...
E&E: Church Revitalization 4 from DBTS. Dave Doran talks about some faulty options for church revitalization in the 4th talk on the subject. 00:10 It is crucial that church leaders root members' hearts in the mission statement of the church 1:16 Surface changes...
In my previous post I described the announcement of a papyrus fragment that Harvard professor Karen L. King titled "The Gospel of Jesus Wife" because it apparently contains the phrase "Jesus said to them, 'My wife....'" I suggested then some scholars had already...
The relationship between the Old and New Testaments has been debated (sometimes hotly) since the book of Acts! This makes sense since so much hangs in the balance of properly understanding this issue—What role does the Law have in a NT believer's life? Is the Church a...
If you ever take a tour of Jerusalem (or if you have already done so) with an evangelical group, you will undoubtedly stop at the Garden Tomb near Gordon's Calvary. Wayne Stiles has a helpful post entitled "The Garden Tomb-Contemplating the Resurrection of Jesus,"...
I did not eat at Chick-fil-A on August 1st. I've got a good excuse: they don't have Chick-fil-A's in Michigan, and Toledo is forty miles away. But honestly, I probably wouldn't have gone anyway, because I don't like fast food chicken (my refined fast food palate...
This is a new online journal that has apparently just become available with volume one, number one. The articles can be accessed on the home page as individual pdfs, or one can download the entire issue. Check it out here.
The Olympic Games are with us again. Of course, the ancient games originated in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece, and were held in honor of Zeus. Even the the Apostle Paul seems to reference Olympic sports in 1 Cor 9:24–26, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners...
The three main Bible software programs today are Logos, BibleWorks, and Accordance. Logos and BibleWorks are mainly for the PC (though Logos now has a Macintosh version), while Accordance is exclusively a Mac product. BibleWorks and Accordance are commonly known for...
Writing near the end of the 1950s, the renowned dispensational eschatologist and professor of Bible exposition, J. Dwight Pentecost (1915–2014), formulated the standard dispensational understanding of the afterlife in the Old Testament (OT). “[Sheol],” argued...
2007 William R. Rice Lecture Series Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2007Speaker: Dr. John WhitcombTheme: “Recent Trends in Creationism” Lectures:The Creation of the World – mp3The Origin of Man – mp3Dinosaurs and Men – mp3 About Our...
2008 William R. Rice Lecture Series Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2008Speaker: Dr. Andrew NaselliTheme: “Keswick Theology: A Survey and Analysis of the Doctrine of Sanctification in the Early Keswick Movement” – presentation – notes...
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...
Introduction Interpreters of the Levitical cult have long speculated over the rationale for and difference between Israel’s sin offering and guilt offering. ((Dr. Dunham is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.)) In spite of the...
As Paul closes out 2 Corinthians, he makes a rather startling command: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor 13:5).((Dr. Pratt is Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Plymouth, MN. Of Dr....
Facilitating Counseling Groups: A Leader’s Guide for Church-Based Counseling Ministry, by Brad Hambrick and John Chapman. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2023. 176 pp. $17.00. Brad Hambrick (ThM, EdD) serves as the Pastor of Counseling...
Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible, by Mark Ward. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017. 168 pp. $12.99. Do we need another book on the King James Bible debate? If you had asked me that question before reading this book, I would have responded, No....
Pastors and Their Critics: A Guide to Coping with Criticism in the Ministry, by Joel R. Beeke and Nick Thompson. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2020. 177 pp. $15.99 Seminary students often entertain romantic ideas about pastoral ministry. They imagine a future marked by...
Technically Connected: Navigating Distance on Virtual Teams, by Warren J. Janzen. Victoria, Canada: Friesen Press, 2020. xv + 167 pp. $17.99. The author, having served as International Director of the mission agency SEND International, has extensive experience working...
Always Reforming: Reflections on Martin Luther & Biblical Studies, edited by Channing L. Crisler and Robert L. Plummer. Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2021. 181 pp. $29.99. This book of essays on Martin Luther is a Festschrift in honor of Mark A. Seifrid, longtime...
Redeeming Productivity, by Reagan Rose. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2022. ix + 158 pp. $15.99. Reagan Rose is the founder of Redeeming Productivity, an online teaching ministry aimed at recapturing personal productivity for the sake...
The newest issue of the Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal is now available online. The 2024 issue contains six peer-reviewed articles and 68 pages of book reviews. This year's issue, along with all back issues of the DBSJ, can be downloaded for free from our seminary...
Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. In this series, we have been examining the arguments made by John Hart in Evidence for the Rapture that our Lord Jesus describes the pre-tribulation rapture of his church in Matthew 24:36–44. To review,...
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post titled “Parenting Advice from a Dead Guy.” In that post, I introduced Eastern church father John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) and noted some parenting advice found in his book An Address on Vainglory and the Right Way for Parents to Bring up...
I’ve seen several people recently discussing the issue of Federal Vision, a theological movement among Reformed churches that arose in 2002 and was both championed and condemned by various leaders within those churches. Some seem confused as to why some popular...
There are more reasons for pastors to visit the mission field than I’ve listed so far, but I’ll stop my list with the three I’ve given: understanding missions better, improving your leadership of the church’s missions efforts, and being a blessing to God’s servants on...
I love productivity. So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard about the 2023 E3 Pastor’s conference. This year’s theme is “Focused and Faithful: Dealing with Distractions and Demands in Ministry.” One of our guest speakers is Reagan Rose. He is working hard to...