A Biblical Perspective on the Use of Music: Knowing and Feeling in the Psalms
The Psalms are a helpful Biblical pattern for contemporary worship in song. Colossians 3:16 instructs us to instruct and admonish one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in our hearts to God. And there is no better example in...
Considering Some Biblical Goals for Teaching
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,...
Isaiah Overview
A downloadable synthetic overview of the Book of Isaiah.
“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.”
A Biblical Perspective on the Use of Music
What makes music good? Or bad? Is there indeed such a thing as good or bad music? Are there certain styles of music that are off limits for Christians? How about for use in the church? These questions underscore the odd reality that music – and especially music in the...
A Necessary Ingredient of Biblical Literacy
Knowing God’s word is a central responsibility and privilege for Christians. It is by His word that we get to know Him, and it is His word that equips us (2 Tim 3:16-17; Eph 4:12). His word protects us (Eph 6;11-17), guides us (Ps 119:11, 105), sustains us (Mt 4:4),...
Two Deficiencies of Reformed Epistemology: A Brief Commendation and Critique of Cornelius Van Til’s Epistemology
Here is why I argue that reformed epistemology isn't sufficient on its own, and that dispensational epistemology must be distinct from it: Cornelius Van Til is brilliant on what I would call the first three pillars of Biblical epistemology (#1: Biblical God exists,...
“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
Galatians Overview
A downloadable synthetic overview of Paul's Letter to the Galatians.
Biblical Organizational Principles Applied: Safeguarding the Organization
Can you safeguard the organization and guarantee it doesn’t depart from core values? The Biblical example of the church at Ephesus says “no.” The church at Ephesus apparently got its start during Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:21ff) and was influenced early...
Why I Am Not A Calvinist…Or an Arminian, Part 3
The Calvinism/Arminianism debate considers three essential issues: (1) The degree of God’s activity in human salvation, (2) the degree of human culpability, and (3) the degree of human activity in salvation. Historically Calvin placed strongest emphasis on God’s...
“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)
Why I Am Not a Calvinist…Or an Arminian, Part 1
I am often asked whether I am a Calvinist or an Arminian. Honestly, it is not a simple question because these are not simply defined theological categories that can be chosen as one would choose from a menu at a restaurant. I certainly understand the importance of the...
Epistemological Foundations for a Biblical Theology
or, Bob’s Crazy Day With The Dandelions Presented to the Chafer Theological Seminary Conference, March 12, 2014. (video link) Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It attempts to answer questions regarding the origin of human knowledge, and considers especially how...
Stepping Down As Tyndale’s President: Time To Pass The Baton
The following is the letter I presented to the Tyndale family on March 2nd, announcing my decision to step down as Tyndale's president. --- March 2, 2014 Dear Tyndale Family, Within the past year, my family and I have thoughtfully and prayerfully arrived at a very...
Does Every Believer Have a Spiritual Gift?
The phrase spiritual gift is only employed five times in the NASB New Testament, In Romans 1:11 (χάρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικὸν) it is in reference to something Paul wanted to impart to the entire church at Rome. In 1 Corinthians 12:1, Paul prefaces the entire discussion of...
9 Steps for Bible Exegesis and Exposition, Step #9: Development of Exposition
This is a step where we can easily derail. Even if we have done our first seven steps well – handling the text accurately and comprehensively – and even if our eighth step has helped us to have confidence that we have grasped the meaning of the passage, there is still...
Q&A: If Completed Canon Ends Prophecy, What About Revelation 11?
Question: If the perfect of 1 Corinthians 13:10 refers to the completion of God’s revelation to the church, and thus prophecy is done away with the completion of the canon, then how can it be that in Revelation 11 the two prophets are inarguably prophesying? ...
When We Don’t Agree
The insistence that all things are essential (for the purpose of God’s glory) should not be mistaken for an insistence that the believer is responsible for the agreement or disagreement of others. When Paul mandates in 1 Corinthians 1:10 that believers should agree...
What Are The Essentials?
Aristotle introduces his Nicomachean Ethics with these words: “Every skill and every inquiry, and similarly every action and rational choice, is thought to aim at some good; and so the good has been aptly described as that at which everything aims.” While Aristotle...
The Model for Discipline (Part 5 of 5)
In the previous four articles considering discipline (link to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4), I focused especially on principles of discipline gleaned from the book of Proverbs. This final installment considers the Biblical ideal, modeled by our Heavenly Father, and...
God’s Fellow Workers Are Forever
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul referred to himself and to Apollos as servants and God’s fellow workers. Even as he understood the role and responsibilities God gave him, Paul maintained humility, and he shared several important principles. First, he understood that “neither...