Faith Archives - exegetical.tools

Greek Matters: Colossians 1:9-12 and Pleasing God

July 16, 2015

How can we please God? Colossians 1:9-12 is a complex passage with lots of participles and prepositional phrases. One could translate each clause and read it well enough, but analyzing the paragraph as a whole enables us to see what the major idea of the passage is and how Paul develops that idea. After Paul tells his readers that he always thanks God for their faith, hope, and love, he continues on that basis (Διὰ τοῦτο, “because of this”) to say that he never ceases praying and asking “that you might be filled” (ἵνα πληρωθῆτε) with the knowledge of God’s will….

Greek Matters: Colossians 1:3-5 and Christian Hope

July 9, 2015

Todd Scacewater

Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ θεῷ πατρὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι, ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχετε εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους 5 διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἣν προηκούσατε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
(Colossians 1:3-5)

In Colossians 1:3-5 we see Paul’s triad of faith, hope, and love. By sorting out what a particular prepositional phrase modifies, we discover something unique about Christian hope. The main idea of this section is the first verb, “We give thanks.” Paul then explains the reason why he and his co-workers give thanks: ἀκούσαντες (because we have heard) of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints….

Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller

June 10, 2015

Todd Scacewater

I first encountered Tim Keller in a recorded class that was put on iTunesU by WTS. It was called Preaching Christ in a Post-Modern Age. If you’re still able to find the class, it’s a great set of lectures. Ed Clowney confuses you (in a good way) by preaching parts of the OT climaxing in the cross (how did he do that?!) while Keller brings the practical advice on communicating to post-moderns. Keller’s experience from living in New York and intentionally mingling with non-Christians to understand them and better communicate to them is invaluable….

Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism, eds. Hays and Ansberry

June 9, 2015

Todd Scacewater

You should buy this book and read it. I don’t suggest that because I agree with the basic premise of each chapter, but because I disagree with it. This book takes various historical-critical conclusions and determines whether they can be squared with Evangelical (or even orthodox) dogma. The tension between Evangelicalism and historical criticism tension is perhaps felt more in Old Testament studies, with dating conclusions in constant flux….