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,...
“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.”
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...
“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
Which Comes First, Metaphysics or Epistemology?
Epistemology is the study of knowledge and seeks to answer the question of how we can have knowledge and certainty. Metaphysics is the study of reality and responds to questions regarding whether there is anything beyond the physical or natural. While I have often...
Is the Messiah Given to the Gentiles as a Covenant?
Question: In Isaiah 42:6, doesn’t the phrase “I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations” (NASB) indicate that the Messiah was given to the Gentiles as a covenant, and thus the New Covenant is also extended to the Gentiles and the church...
Why I Am Not a Calvinist…Or an Arminian, Part 2
The Remonstrance of 1610, by followers of Jacobus Arminius, counters five points of doctrine that were understood to be Calvinistic teachings. The Remonstrance first denies the five Calvinistic tenets, and then positively asserts five articles of doctrine that present...
“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)
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? ...
Wikipedia, the Meaning of Life, and How Philosophy Still Matters
“The unexamined life,” said Socrates, “isn’t worth living.” And apparently, Wikipedia proves that we still agree with his sentiment 2400 years later. The Epicurean Dealmaker performed an interesting experiment to demonstrate the intellectual proximity of philosophy to...
Thoughts on the Creation Evolution Debate Between Ken Ham and Bill Nye
I appreciated that both Ken Ham and Bill Nye were willing to engage in a dialogue, as I think such discussions – including this one – help to clarify and test positions. I personally found the two men enjoyable to listen to, and I thought both presented their cases...
Hopelessness, Drugs, and The Deceptive Promise of the Altered State
I haven’t seen many of his films, but even a small sampling shows Philip Seymour Hoffman to be an extraordinary actor with undeniable skill. Sadly, we learn that Hoffman is gone, apparently falling prey to a drug habit that he couldn’t shake. My deepest condolences to...
Book Announcement: Redacted Dominionism Now Available
"In response to charges that the Judeo-Christian worldview was to blame for the environmental crisis, Christian apologists responded with a stewardship environmental ethic. For reasons Cone explains in this book, that environmental ethic was not consistent with an...
What Is Speaking in Tongues? Part 2
There are four key Biblical concepts that give us insight into the perpetuation of the gift of tongues – specifically, that the gift has fulfilled its purpose and is no longer a factor for the church today. First is the nature, purpose, and scope of signs miracles and...
A Biblical Perspective of Demons and Deliverance Ministry
"Deliverance ministry" is enjoying increasing popularity in the church. Don Dickerman is a notable advocate, and teaches a “deliverance process.” For Dickerman, the basic thrust is as follows: Salvation is a first step to being free, but many Christians are oppressed...
What Is Speaking in Tongues? Part 1
Besides a mention in the disputed ending of Mark (16:17, in which Jesus describes tongues as a sign accompanying belief), we are first introduced to tongues (γλῶσσα) in the book of Acts, where we find three historical occurrences of people who spoke in tongues. In...