Archive for December, 2007
Book Review: Altogether Lovely, by Jonathan Edwards
Sunday, December 30th, 2007Synopsis: The American Puritan Jonathan Edwards is well known for his keen insight into theological matters, his brilliant rational mind and the logical precision with which he explores every question he encounters in the text of scripture, and the flame of soul-deep passion and ardor which those minute biblical explorations fuel. These characteristics are seen […]
The Hidden Treasure (5 — Fashioning the Gold)
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007The reason for the surpassing value of gold is to be sought in a unique combination of its various qualities, including such things as its limited availability, imperviousness to corruption, usefulness for a wide array of applications, and not least of all, unrivalled beauty. This last quality is an unexceptional characteristic of valuable materials. In […]
How the Doctrine of the Trinity Shapes the Christian Mission
Friday, December 21st, 2007In any discussion of Christian theology, it is virtually axiomatic that the doctrine of the trinity is the foundational doctrine which distinguishes a peculiarly Christian theology from the theology of any other religion, especially of the other great monotheistic religions. Likewise, in any discussion of Christian missiology, it is virtually axiomatic that the core pursuit […]
The Hidden Treasure (4 — Refining the Gold)
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007As difficult and arduous as are the labors of bringing out the precious minerals from their hiding places in the depths of the earth, any miner will affirm that, once they have been so gathered up, his labor is not at all done. For the gold and silver to gleam with all their beauty and […]
Book Review: The Future of Justification, by John Piper
Friday, December 14th, 2007Synopsis: As unpleasant and heart-wrenching as controversy in the Church might be, it may nevertheless be put to very useful ends, when handled appropriately. The new ideas that become the subject of scrutiny may have some elements of truth by which to nuance more accurately the old, beloved doctrines. The refutation of all which rings […]
The Hidden Treasure (3 — Finding the Gold: C. A Survey of the Fields in Which it is to be Sought)
Thursday, December 13th, 2007In the art of prospecting for gold, it must ever be kept in mind that, according to the various natures of the fields in which one is searching, the nature of the processes employed must be adapted. When gold is sought from the flowing streams, a steady hand and discerning eye must be taken advantage […]
Knowing Our God (Updated)
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD… Jeremiah 9:23-24 Introduction Of all the possible […]
The Hidden Treasure (3 — Finding the Gold: B. In What Manner it is to be Sought)
Saturday, December 8th, 2007It is a necessary quality for our pursuit of spiritual riches, if we would be successful, that we understand what the treasure consists of, so that we might recognize it when we see it; and as we have observed, man’s true spiritual good is to be found only in the knowledge of Christ. He is […]
A Protestant Response to “Grace: What It Is and What It Does”
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007Recently, I was asked by a friend of mine, Chris Poteet, to give a response to this article, in which a Roman Catholic is arguing for his view of justification. Following is my response. From the outset, I must candidly confess that a thoroughgoing, point-by-point rebuttal of the positions argued for in the article above is […]
The Hidden Treasure (3 — Finding the Gold: A. Wherein it Consists)
Monday, December 3rd, 2007When news of the gold rush of 1849 began to spread from California, passing eastward on the lips of men who had made their fortune and could not contain their joy nor hold back the good news, many countless prospectors were encouraged by tales of great riches to be had for the taking, to leave […]