The Hermeneutics of Continuationism, Part 1
Presented to the 2013 Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics as "Dispensationalism’s Feet of Iron Mixed With Clay: How We Arrived at an “Open-But-Cautious” View on Non-Cessationism." ABSTRACT We owe a tremendous debt to many traditional dispensationalists who labored...
9 Steps for Bible Exegesis and Exposition, Step #4: Identify Grammatical and Syntactical Keys
After (1) identifying the best reading and translation, (2) recognizing background and context, and (3) identifying the structural keys of the book, we need to (4) identify the grammatical and syntactical keys in the passage. First, we need to be able to distinguish...
Contending for the Faith Without Being Contentious
Paul’s words echo as if exclaimed from a canyon, yet we often fail to hear them. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom 12:18). At the same time if we listen closely, we can hear the resolve in Jude’s voice as he urges believers to...
“The most effective leadership, management, and efficiency models share traits common with each other, and traits that are ultimately traceable to the pages of the Bible. While these models are often not intentionally rooted in Biblical concepts by those that promote the models, the models illustrate how applying Biblical principles can set a trajectory of success in enterprise and in life. Led By a Lion is designed to introduce some of these leadership, management, and efficiency models, but goes a step further in identifying the Biblical genesis of many of the core traits that fuel the success of these models.”
Congressman Frank Wolf Challenges Christian Leaders to Action on Global Persecution
Below is a letter by Virginia Congressman, Frank Wolf, from earlier this year. In his letter, Wolf calls upon Christian leaders to speak out about the increasingly global persecution of Christians. It is even more relevant now than the day it was published: Dear...
How to Fail Well: A Warning to Pastors
As I stand in front of students at the beginning of a pastoral class, I write on a whiteboard four words in no particular order: children, God, church, and wife. I ask them a simple question: “Are any of you perfect?” My absurd question is met with the smirks and...
Forgiveness, Righteousness, and a New Walk
Our new position in Christ does not just include the removal of debits (forgiveness, Acts 10:43, Rom 4:7, Eph 1:7, Col 1:14, 1 Jn 1:9), but also the addition of credits (the righteousness of Christ, Rom 1:7, 3:22, 4:3-5, 5:17-19, 2 Cor 5:21). Both are required for a...
“This approach has the advantage of seeking to view all knowledge through the lens of Scripture, and to subject all knowledge to the authority of Scripture. It encourages science and research within the field of psychology. It offers a Biblical balance of description and prescription. Of course, if the Bible is unreliable, then the refractive power of Scripture is distortive rather than corrective, but the epistemological premise of this approach is that God’s word is authoritative and sufficient for our understanding, for our equipping, and for our practice. There are many extra-biblical resources that we can employ, but in seeking out how and when to do that, we mustn’t lose sight of the one reliable constant that God has provided for us – the Bible.” –Chapter 9
Where Does the Seminary Fit in Relation to the Local Church?
This article discusses the relationship of the seminary to the local church. Specifically it argues for tangible recognition on the part of seminaries that the local church is the Biblically designed co-center (along with the family) of Biblical education. I advocate...
10 Keys For Church Growth
It is amazing how feverishly we sometimes pursue things that aren’t real. Imagine a church growth conference for pastors in which there is more attention given to a Stanford economist than to the words of the Bible (really happened). Imagine a book outlining keys to...
Logical Errors of Affirming a Disjunct in John 10
The formal structure of a fallacious argument affirming a disjunct looks like this: A or B, A, Therefore not B. This is not a valid form of argument, yet it is a commonly utilized fallacy. Let’s look at two examples often inferred from John 10. John 10:11 reads, “I am...
“The Green Tree is an exceptional work…provides a vital tool for every Bible interpreter…Just as the root system is the foundation of a tree and directly impacts the health of a tree, hermeneutic method is at the root of one’s worldview. This illustration demonstrates that the hermeneutic method that an interpreter of the Bible employs will significantly affect the outcome. The tree will either be healthy, or it will not be healthy…The authors provide a unique examination of Revelation, Genesis, and Job that demonstrates that the LGH hermeneutic is derived from within Scripture, something that other hermeneutical methods fail to demonstrate. This is perhaps the most crucial principle demonstrated in The Green Tree, and it effectively demonstrates that the LGH hermeneutic is also the Biblical hermeneutic.” – Andrew Friend (Amazon Review)
Pope Francis: Belief in God Not Necessary?
On September 11, 2013, Pope Francis wrote a Letter to Those Who Do Not Believe, responding to Eugenio Scalfari, in answer to several questions, including whether or not God forgives and saves those who don’t believe in Him. Francis writes with admirable goals to...
Seth Godin, Star Trek, and the Meaning of Life
Seth Godin recently made the point that as more and more people have equipped themselves with cellphones and digital cameras, UFO’s have stopped visiting. His point is to illustrate that our increasing ability to debunk myth has had a somewhat rationalistic impact....
9 Steps For Bible Exegesis and Exposition Step #2: Understand Background and Context
Once we have established the boundaries of the passage we are studying, and are confident that we have the best reading, we can march ahead in our exegesis. In the second step, we seek to understand the background and context of the passage. First, we need to identify...
Paying God Back Is A Bad Idea
He was a man’s man. He was a fighter with a checkered past. He was kicked out of his family’s home by his half-brothers because he was not the son of their mother, and they wanted him to have no part in the family inheritance. He became a thug, associating with other...
What B.B. King Taught Me About Public Speaking
As an aspiring guitarist I would devour every bit of information I could get my hands on, and I listened to anyone who had skill beyond my own. I remember reading about an accomplished guitarist recounting how he had learned to tastefully play blues guitar. He...
9 Steps for Bible Exegesis and Exposition, Step #1: Verify Text and Translation
Once we understand the importance of Bible study, the role of prayer and personal application, and the centrality of interpretive method, we can embark on the exegetical journey. The 9 Steps for Bible exegesis and exposition are: (1) Verify Text and Translation (2)...
Q & A: John 3:15 and 14:12 – Promises available to everyone?
Q: Is the faith of Jn. 3:15 the same as that mentioned in 14:12, and are the results available to everyone? A: John 3:15 uses the word pisteuon, which is a participle form of the word believe, thus: "the believing one in Him has (present tense) eternal life." This is...
The Fear of the Lord: Simply an Old Testament Idea?
Interesting how we sometimes perceive that God in the Old Testament wants His followers to fear Him, while in the New Testament He simply wants us to love Him. In reality this is a very flawed perception, and not one based on the text. In fact there are more...
Bertrand Russell’s critique of Christ
The following is an excerpt from Bertrand Russell's "Why I am not a Christian." (lecture on March 6, 1927 to the National Secular Society, South London Branch, at Battersea Town Hall). Which are his strongest arguments? Which are his weakest? How would you handle...
Theistic Evolution and Cultism Are Not Our Only Options
Theistic Evolution and Cultism Are Not Our Only Options: On Bruce Waltke's Resignation and Charles Honey’s “Adamant on Adam” (CT, 5/25/2010) Christopher Cone, Th.D, Ph.D President, Tyndale Theological Seminary & Biblical Institute Recently, Charles Honey drew our...