Q&A: Is Genesis 12:2-3 Actually a Covenant?
Question: Is Genesis 12:2-3 actually a covenant? Wouldn't it be more accurate to simply call these verses promises? Answer: If Genesis 12:1-3 is taken in a vacuum, then we might not consider it a covenant, simply because it is not specifically identified as a covenant...
AI “Seven-Year-Old Boy” Bot Granted Residency in Tokyo, Teaches Us About Our Creator
Shibuya Mirai is an AI chatbot designed to interact as a seven-year-old boy. Mirai was granted residency status in Tokyo, marking another milestone in the journey to the development of consciousness in machines. Cognitive scientists Dehaene, Lau, and Kouider suggest...
Forged From Reformation: How Dispensational Thought Advances the Reformed Legacy
Book Announcement: Forged From Reformation: How Dispensational Thought Advances the Reformed Legacy, from General Editors Dr. Christopher Cone and Dr. James Fazio. Southern California Seminary Press. Reviews: "With contributions from top scholars among leading...
“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.”
Two Views on Sanctification and Discipleship (Slides)
Jay Adams once said that, “What we do to another man and how we do it is tightly bound up in what we believe about that man.”[1] Indeed this is true in general, and it is certainly true in the process of discipleship. The first step in understanding how to disciple a...
Is it Wrong to Cuss?
In a society increasingly more free in its expression, it is natural to wonder whether or not it is actually wrong to cuss. After all, one might wonder about the origin of the list of "bad" words, and discover that list is quite subjective and even artificial. So is...
What’s Love Got To Do With It?
How we love our wives matters to God. He designed the marriage relationship to be mutually beneficial, and requires that husbands "love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25) – if we are not...
“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
An Open Letter to President Trump: On Sports, Words, and Unity
Dear Mr. President, First, I am appreciative of your presidency, and I am not ashamed to say that I voted for you. I advocated for you before the election, and this letter is not an expression of buyer’s remorse. In these turbulent early days of your presidency you...
Six Principles for Organizational Leadership
An organizational leadership researcher asked me these six questions. These brief answers are from a Biblical worldview, and are broadly applicable in any organizational leadership setting. I think they illustrate how helpful the Bible is for (among other reasons)...
Our Theological System Should Not Tell Us How to Exegete the Bible
A theological system ought to be the product of exegetical study of Scripture, not a preface to exegetical work. Hermeneutical principles are first observed in the Scriptures themselves, even in a cursory and casual reading. Those principles are then applied in actual...
“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)
Rain and Grace
What do rain and forgiveness have to do with each other?
Culinary Calvinism: Considering Jay Adams’ TULIPburger
Jay Adams has a way with words, and an excellent way of explaining the significance of the doctrine of limited atonement in the Reformed view.[1] He describes the T (total depravity) and P (perseverance of the saints) as the bun, holding the burger together, and the U...
Do I Really Need to Know the Bible?
Why everyone needs to know the Bible, and how it impacts life.
When Does Eternal Life Begin?
John 6:47 tells us about the timing of eternal life, and helps us think about two very important implications.
A Philosophy of Biblical Counseling
Dr. Cone discusses different approaches to counseling and discusses Calvary University's model for Biblical counseling and direction for the program at Calvary.
God Doesn’t Play Dice…But He Does Play Hide and Seek
On the one hand, we have Paul telling us how unfathomable and unsearchable are the ways of God (Rom 11:33), and on the other, he prays that believers will grow in their understanding, and that they will be receptive to the breadth, length, height, and depth of His...
A Worker’s Manifesto: Why Do Excellent Work?
I once heard a story – I don’t recall where – of a builder who was commissioned by his employer to build a house. The builder’s employer gave specific instructions regarding the quality of the house. He wanted it to be excellent, but the builder tried to save money...
How Can I Know God’s Will For My Life?
In a study addressing why millennials stay in church, the Barna group discovered that 65% of active church goers or those who believed their faith is very important to their life believed that the Bible contains everything a person needs to live a meaningful life,...
2016 SCS Commencement Address by Dr. Christopher Cone
GO FROM THIS MOMENT AND DO SMALL THINGS Commencement Address, Southern California Seminary, May 14, 2016 Christopher Cone, Th.D, Ph.D, Ph.D It is one of the great honors of my life to have been invited to share these precious moments with you today. I express my...
Time to Put the Gun Away? A Comment on the Auction of George Zimmerman’s Gun
Recently George Zimmerman has put up for auction the gun that he describes as a “piece of American history,” and which is notable for its role in the loss of Trayvon Martin’s life. The auction is currently being handled by the United Gun Group, owned by Todd Underwood...