Articles by Derek Thomas

If ever you find yourself lost for words, there is something you can do. Turn to the Lord's Prayer. It is a model given to us by our Lord Jesus to help us pray. True, we can use it "as is" and repeat its grand petitions. But we can also use it as a model and learn from its structure and proportion how we ought to pray. continue

A Baker's Dozen for 2010  It's that time of year when "the best of ... in 2010" gets written. I have been reflecting on some books that I've read this year, all of which rose to the top of pile of... continue

Today I received an e-mail from a friend known to many at First Presbyterian Church, Peter Jones. In it he recalled meeting Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) in the Vatican some twenty years ago. Peter related how he had... continue

esus was on his way to Calvary. He had made it increasingly a matter of conversation since the time he spoke with Peter at Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:27-38). In this, the last week of his life, he made trips each evening to Bethany, a small town a few miles away from Jerusalem. continue

Derek Thomas interviews Bartel Elshout on his translation of "The Christians Reasonable Service". continue

They met at well, Jacob's well. It is meant to bring to mind the fact that a courting ritual had taken place at this well. Jacob's father, Isaac, sent his servant Eleazer to find a bride for his son. He found her at a well. John (the author of the story) is telling us that a wooing of sorts is taking place here too: Jesus, the great Evangelist, is wooing this woman into the kingdom of God. continue

Nicodemus was Jerusalem's most outstanding Bible teacher and a member of the Jewish Ruling Council. Only the High Priest gained more recognition in the capital city than Nicodemus. Yet, despite all his learning and privileges, he did not know God. continue

For better or worse, I suppose I am commonly tempted to question arguments positions that can apparently claim a verse or two for support, or that simply relies on inherited tradition, without wrestling with the massive biblical themes that are relevant to the discussion. continue

It is really quite simple. Our culture is now in a postmodern mood. There is much that could be said about why this is, how it came about, and what its prospects are. But, leaving aside these larger questions, we can say that it has, despite its denials, produced a worldview--that is, a view of the world--which is relativistic. continue

I've lived a pretty peripatetic life (moving to St. Louis was my 12th major move; my wife and I have lived in 8 different addresses in nearly 15 years of marriage). Born outside of Philadelphia, I spent most of my growing up years moving up and down the I-95 corridor between New York City and Washington DC. continue