Resources for Studying the Gospels

February 11, 2012

Resources for Studying the Gospels

Setting out on the journey of studying the Life of Christ in the Gospels in a very focused way can be exhilarating but also a bit daunting. I am by no means an “expert”, nor do I have the definitive opinion on helpful resources, but this is intended to offer some suggestions that I believe will […]

February 10, 2012

Politics and Preeminence

If one could somehow tally all of the minutes spent reading, writing, and talking about politics by all of the Christians throughout all of 2012, how would that compare with the same tally of all of the minutes spent reading, writing, and talking about Jesus by the same group of people over the same period […]

February 2, 2012

A Severe Truth and its Surprising Fruit

Something strange has happened to me enough times that I feel I can no longer rightly deem it strange. It occurs when in the midst of reading some rather severe or jarring presentation of the truth that God’s own glorification stands as the ultimate end of all that He does. By this I intend no […]

January 25, 2012

Ancient Zeal and Modern Apathy

Ancient Zeal and Modern Apathy

One of the things that I long to see take root in this generation is an ardent pursuit of sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3, Titus 2:1). Paul commands Titus to be an example of good deeds and to possess incorruptibility in his doctrine (Titus 2:7). The way some translations render this last phrase “teaching” is misleading. […]

January 5, 2012

The Gospels and Chronology

Recently a friend gave me what looks to be a fairly promising resource on Gospel studies. It comes from a sound, evangelical perspective that distances itself at the outset from the rationalism and historical-criticism that has been so influential in this area of scholarship since the 19th century. As I scanned the table of contents, […]

December 13, 2011

Pilgrimage and Possessions

One of the most startling and disruptive facts of the history of the Christian movement is that the Church had no corporate holdings until well into the 3rd century after the advent of Jesus. In other words, no group of believers owned a building. When this is compared to the contemporary landscape of the Church, […]

December 6, 2011

The Antidote of Gospel Meditation

Due to distance and dullness, our hearts seem to possess an invariable proclivity toward reducing Jesus to a mere concept. For some, this concept is very defined. For others, the idea of Jesus is much more vague and malleable. In either case, the danger is to have Jesus remain in our rhetoric (even impassioned rhetoric) […]

November 30, 2011

The True Knowledge of Jesus – Part 3

What is the true knowledge of Jesus that Peter spoke of? How do we find it and grow in it? The insipid answers of hollow sentimentality, subjective spirituality, arbitrary morality, and vague theology so common today all must be silent. Knowing Jesus is not an abstract, vague pursuit. Like Peter’s knowledge of Jesus, for us […]

November 29, 2011

The True Knowledge of Jesus – Part 2

To find a striking contrast to the condition sketched in the previous post, we need only to ponder what might have come to Peter’s mind when he penned those words, true knowledge . 2 Peter 1:16 says, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming […]

November 27, 2011

The True Knowledge of Jesus – Part 1

In light of the severity of the Day of the Lord and the danger of deception, Peter concludes his second epistle with the solemn charge to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” Twice in […]

November 22, 2011

Excited About Advent

The stage upon which our lives play out in this age is one of tension, delay, and angst. We live in between the comings of Jesus, and our hearts must somehow straddle the gap that yawns between them, ever balancing the acts of remembering and hoping upon the fulcrum of a heart of love for […]

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