Theological method follows its matter. In other words, sound theology does not merely imitate the scientific procedures of other disciplines, precisely because, unlike those other disciplines, theology seeks to know God, the holy and transcendent one of Israel, revealed as of late in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. While many common-sense protocols of intellectual endeavor may be shared between the student of divinity and the anthropologist, the deepest principles of each discipline will be quite distinct. continue

Jesus communicates or makes common those blessings he receives from his heavenly Father to those who are united to him by faith - that is the gospel message (so, e.g., Lk. 24:47; Acts 5:31). The Bible points to many such blessings, with communion with God being the highest and most fundamental. The creed reminds us, however, that there are other crucial facets to the many-splendored beneficence of Christ's work. The same glorified body enjoyed now by our incarnate and risen Lord shall be ours, for he is the first-fruits of that resurrection (e.g., Rom. 6:5; 1 Cor. 15:49). continue

Before we consider the end, we do well to pay attention to the beginning. The first creation account (Gen. 1:1-2:4) tells of many grand and glorious things: the division of the land and the seas, of day and night, and the many inventions of species and selves. It culminates not with production, however, but with presence: God dwells in the midst of his people, resting there on that seventh day. Recent commentators have helped us note the temple imagery present there in significant ways, showing that God is fashioning a world fit for his dwelling much like a temple will later be made as his home. And this is neither merely a feature of the creation account, nor the form of its telling; no, God's special presence with his people is the finale of the entire creation story. continue

Sometimes you can see a trend by noting the exception. In his well-regarded book How (Not) to Be Secular, the philosopher James K. A. Smith observes that the Reformation's celebration of the theological significance of the ordinary not only served as a remarkable element of lay renewal in Christianity but also was also "the camel's nose in the tent of enchantment -that somehow the Protestant Reformation opened the door to what would become, by a winding, contingent path, exclusive humanism" (p. 39). Throughout that book, Smith not only offers a brief and accessible genealogy for this trend toward an exclusive humanism but also prompts his readers to consider the need to think beyond the "immanent frame" and to keep in mind higher or greater ends. continue

It's been called the greatest hoax ever played on the classical music recording industry. Several years ago, a British pianist that hardly anyone had even heard of, and who had recently died, Joyce Hatto by name, had, so we were... continue

Historians now generally regard the 1900's as "the American Century." What do you suppose they will call the twenty-first century? Possibly "the Biotech Century," as new scientific discoveries enable the radical re-engineering of the human body [see Jeremy Rifkin,... continue

This summer, I have been greatly encouraged through reading the works of John Bunyan. In his work Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, John Bunyan concludes his Preface with the following thought: "My dear children - The milk... continue

This weekend we kickoff the 2018 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, meeting April 13-15 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our theme this year is The Spirit of the Age: The Age of the Spirit. I am excited to welcome Conrad... continue

Last night, I preached a sermon on Psalm 7--one of the lamentation Psalms of David, which he presumably wrote while hiding from Saul in the caves of Adullam.  A good portion of the Psalm is taken up with David crying... continue

On October 27, 1994, President Bill Clinton, while addressing the Knesset (i.e. the legislative assembly in Israel) cited one of his former pastors when he said, "If you abandon Israel, God will never forgive you...it is God's will that... continue

"We...will be caught up" (1 Thes. 4:17) Soon after I was converted at age 17 my dad gave me three books--a King James Bible and two by a local pastor I had yet to hear of: Hal Lindsey's The Late,... continue

As more and more is being written about ethnicity, I thought that I'd point our readers to the B.A.R. Podcast (Biblical And Reformed), hosted by my friend, Dawain Atkinson. Dawain has had some the most noted pastors and theologians on the... continue

As we make our way through the Gospel records, we quickly discover that Jesus needed the Holy Spirit at every step and in every stage of His life and ministry. While the human nature of Jesus was inseparably united to the Divine... continue

Henry van Dyke, an English literature professor at Princeton University in the 19th-20th centuries, wrote, "As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge." We, therefore, prize spontaneity. Many things... continue