Where in the Bible …is Poetry
Poetry is fundamental to the nature of man as a creature The representation of the transcendent realm of God within the immanent world of man is accomplished by means of metaphor, the most fundamental figure of speech. When the Bible describes God as a Father, or a Good Shepherd, or a Dove, it speaks metaphorically. When we hear about the windows of heaven opening up… Read more »
Who JESUS Is…
The heart of the Christian gospel is the penal, substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. As we should expect, this most salvific of all doctrines is taught throughout the Scriptures. It is pervasive, stated both propositionally and illustrated through many types and figures. This note considers a few examples of this foundational jurisprudential doctrine that C. S. Lewis so memorably describes as “deeper magic from before… Read more »
Where in the Bible …is the GOSPEL
Acts 6:8-7:60 Luke’s account of the death of Stephen is unmistakably patterned after the suffering and glory of Jesus. Stephen, like Jesus, was full of grace and power, working signs and wonders among the people (Acts 6:8). He charged the religious leaders of Jerusalem with killing God’s prophets (Acts 7:52), just as Jesus had done (Luke 11:47). As a result, the Jews were incensed against… Read more »
Where in the Bible …is Resurrection
(Genesis 2:18-24) We begin with Paul’s magnificent reading of Moses’ account of the creation of Eve. In his Ephesian letter Paul describes the privilege of the Christian husband to imitate Christ’s own sacrificial love in his relationship to his wife. “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25). The apostle derives his doctrine from the… Read more »
Where in the Bible …is the GOSPEL
If we assume the integrity of the longer ending of Mark’s Gospel, Christ’s answer in Mark 9:12-13 to the disciples’ Elijah question occupies a position almost precisely in the center of the book. The centrality of the Elijah question suggests that one purpose of the Gospel of Mark was to respond to the query that arose as a consequence of the scribal teaching (certainly based… Read more »