Understand, Interpret, and Preach Apocalyptic
Don’t underestimate the power of a well-written introductory book to open up parts of Scripture to you that you formerly thought inaccessible….
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Learn to Observe, Interpret, and Apply the Bible
Learn to observe, interpret, and apply the Bible. That is one of the greatest goals of life.
Learn Syriac at Home: New User-Friendly Grammar with Workbook
As I worked on my dissertation on Ps 68 in Judaism and Paul’s epistles, I came across several articles that approached the problem of Ps 68:18 in Eph 4:8 from a text-tradition perspective. Paul changes Ps 68:18’s “you received” to “he gave” in Eph 4:8, so naturally an examination of early versions was a first step. But one of the early versions is the Peshitta, to which I had no linguistic access, but which was appealed to in several articles and commentaries. I quickly learned that Syriac was yet another language I needed to learn if I would study the New Testament….
Take Your Greek to the Next Level with the Septuagint
The best way to improve your Greek is to read lots of it. We all enjoy reading the New Testament in Greek, but Koine Greek is much broader than the NT. The two corpora we should turn to first to continue expanding our Greek horizons are the Apostolic Fathers and the Septuagint. The Greek of the latter is probably easier (overall) and is therefore a great place….
Is Jesus Christ Really God in the Flesh?
At the center of biblical and systematic theology is the doctrine of Christ. The early church hammered it out with treatises, councils, and creeds. Moderns have hammered it out with philosophical and theological developments. Christology is ever-developing, although one wonders whether any significant alterations to traditional Christology have been made….
A Guide to Use the Greek in Your Bible Software
Most students and pastors nowadays use some sort of Bible software, whether it’s the big 3 (BibleWorks, Accordance, or Logos) or one of the free programs (e-Sword, BibleSoft, WORDSearch, Blue Letter Bible, or an app). Yet, not all students and pastors have taken Greek or retained it. That means all the capabilities in this software to study the NT….
The Final Word on the Extent of the Atonement?
In 1647, John Owen published what some consider to be his most influential work, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, which defended the doctrine of limited atonement. Perhaps because of Owen’s work, many have assumed limited atonement to be the default position of most Reformed theologians (that and the well-known recent….
Craig Blomberg’s Comprehensive Study on the Reliability of the New Testament
Craig Blomberg has spent the span of his career studying the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first published book was his dissertation on the historical reliability of the Gospels. Since then he has written several other works on the same topic, covering John and other focused questions about the New Testament….
Word-Driven Discipleship through Christ-Centered Preaching
What is the best long-term strategy for discipling your congregation? Glitzy programs? Seeker-friendly services? One-on-one weekly meetings? I could go on, and many of these have their advantages. But when we think about a solid, sustainable, and long-term strategy for discipleship, the most central plan is word-driven discipleship through Christ-centered preaching. Many preaching books focus on different aspects of preaching. Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching is a step-by-step guide to preparing a sermon that includes a gospel message, no matter what passage you’re preaching…
Hearing the Voice of the Minor Prophets: Re-Acquaint Yourself with the Twelve
For some reason, I have always felt the least confident in the minor prophets. Perhaps it is the anthological structure of the books that makes it difficult to remember the contents of each book, the region and dates in which they ministered, and their theological themes. I generally devote some time each year to reading chapters in a new introduction to the minor….