Samuel Rutherford was perhaps the most influential religious writer in post-Reformation Scotland. He is famous for his Letters but his theological writings have been strangely neglected. This diverse collection of essays examines the breadth of his theological contribution. Several extracts from his writings are also included.
The temptation to give up while running the race of faith is all too real. Despite our best attempts to be faithful witnesses of the gospel of Christ, we oftentimes feel overwhelmed by discouragement and doubt. Empowered by Joy is a devotional inspired by Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It focuses on how we can enjoy an endless stream of joy through our relationship with Christ and thus experience power to fulfill our calling to make known the good news of God!
Paul’s letter to Titus is one of the most neglected letters of the New Testament. Many have contended that it is an incoherent letter devoid of a theological message and purpose. This study proposes otherwise, presenting an entirely new structure for Titus that demonstrates how the theme “Exhort and Reprove to Commendable Works according to the Hope of Eternal Life” unfolds through the chiastic structures in the letter. Jeon not only demonstrates the unity of the letter but also invites the reader to explore other ways chiasms can be used to enhance New Testament interpretation. Any intrigued by Titus, and the Pastoral Letters as a whole, will discover herein a unique approach to the letter and a fresh and invigorating interpretation of its underlying message.
This reader from Karl Barth’s multi-volume Church Dogmatics offers an introduction to the whole work, key readings in reasonable portions with introductions and provides helpful hints at secondary material. An ideal textbook for all beginners studying the work of one of the most important theologians of the last century.
The Bible contains four Gospels which tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth. And yet, many more Gospels once existed. Who, then, determined which Gospels would, for the next two thousand years, serve as the main gateways to Jesus and his teaching?
Recent books and films have traced the decision to a series of fourth-century councils and powerful bishops. After achieving victory over their rivals for the Christian name, these key players, we are now told, conspired to ‘rewrite history’ to make it look like their version of Christianity was the original one preached by Jesus and his apostles: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John became the prime tools for their re-sculpting of the Christian story, leading to the destruction of previously treasured writings like the Gospels of Judas, Mary, and Thomas. Are the four canonical Gospels, then, in the Bible as the result of a great, ecclesiastical conspiracy? Or does this explanation itself represent another ‘rewriting of history’, this time by a group of modern academics?
Who Chose the Gospels? takes us to the scholarship behind the headlines, examining the great (and ongoing) controversy about how to look at ancient books about Jesus. How the four Biblical Gospels emerged into prominence among their competitors is a crucial question for everyone interested in understanding the historical Jesus and the development of the Christian church.
It is difficult today to discern much of a difference between Christians and non-Christians. The person who claims to be a Christian with saving faith seems no different from the one who claims otherwise. In this context, many are left wondering what true faith is. This brief study on Paul’s letter to Titus addresses the question of what it means to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. May this book challenge you to explore afresh the necessity of pursuing good works in view of God’s free gift of salvation!
This study of the New Testament canon and its authority looks deeper than the traditional surveys of councils and creeds, mining the biblical text itself for direction in understanding what the original authors and audiences believed the canon to be. Canon Revisited distinguishes itself by placing a substantial focus on the theology of canon as the context within which the historical evidence is evaluated and assessed. In effect, this work successfully unites both the theology and the historical development of the canon, ultimately serving as a practical defense for the authority of the New Testament books.
Many men have the skills to lead a church, but only some are called. Dave Harvey helps men considering pastoral ministry to see God’s active role in the process of discerning their calling.
God’s Word offers a clear framework for evaluating one’s call, especially within the context of community. Harvey offers six diagnostic questions to help prospective pastors process their calling, and what they should be doing now if they aren’t sure. Illustrated with personal and historical stories, Harvey explores biblical and practical principles for determining the pastoral call.
Over the past twenty-four years of ministry, Harvey has enjoyed assisting many men in discerning whether they are called into ministry. This book will guide you through that all-important process with wisdom and confidence in God’s faithfulness in your life.
It’s time to reclaim the core of our beliefs…
Important aspects of Christianity are in danger of being muddied or lost as relativism takes root in our churches today. What was historically agreed upon is now readily questioned and the very essentials of the Christian faith are in jeopardy. It’s time to reclaim the core of our beliefs.
To that end, D. A. Carson, Tim Keller, Kevin DeYoung, and other influential leaders have created this volume to defend the traditional gospel and to strengthen the church.
The Gospel as Center will help you join in the movement―the movement dedicated to a Scripture-based reformation of ministry practices and the centrality of the gospel―and stand united under the conviction that what holds us together is worth fighting for.
The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size compresses all the features of the award-winning ESV Study Bible into a smaller size for easier carrying. This Personal Size edition retains all of the original’s 20,000 study notes, 240 full-color maps and illustrations, charts, timelines, and introductions—more than 2 million words of Bible text, insightful explanation, teaching, and reference material. Enjoy the wide array of resources from the internationally best-selling ESV Study Bible, now in a convenient and portable smaller size.
The Christ’s Faith coheres with orthodox Christology and Reformation soteriology, and needs to be affirmed to properly confirm the true humanity of the incarnate Son. Without addressing the interpretation of the Pauline phrase pistis christou, this study offers a theological rationale for an exegetical possibility and enriches a dogmatic account of the humanity of the Christ.
The coherence of the Christ’s faith is shown in two ways. First, the objection of Thomas Aquinas is refuted by demonstrating that faith is fitting for the incarnate Son. Second, a theological ontology is offered which affirms divine perfection and transcendence in qualitative fashion, undergirding a Chalcedonian and Reformed Christology. Thus, the humanity of the Christ may be construed as a fallen human nature assumed by the person of the Word and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
The dogmatic location of The Christ’s Faith is sketched by suggesting its (potential) function within three influential theological systems: Thomas Aquinas, federal theology, and Karl Barth. Furthermore, the soteriological role of the doctrine is demonstrated by showing the theological necessity of faith for valid obedience before God.
The book of 1 Samuel is the story of Israel seeking a leader. After the failures of Eli, Samuel, and Saul to properly guide the people, God raises up David, the man after his own heart. This commentary gives a brief explanation of the text and then shows how these events, which took place thousands of years ago, have direct and profound application to our lives today, having been recorded ‘for our instruction’ (1 Cor. 10:11). It also reveals how every event pointed toward the coming of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27), the final and ultimate Leader of the people of God.
The burgeoning “theological interpretation of Scripture” movement has gained much notoriety, but it has yet to demonstrate consistently that dogmatic reflection both aids and flows from exegesis of biblical texts. This volume includes essays on critical passages related to a number of key doctrinal loci (e.g. Genesis 1, Exodus 3, Proverbs 8, John 1). It also intentionally offers examples of theological commentary on various genres of Scripture (on biblical narrative, poetry, wisdom, gospels, and epistles), showing how the whole Bible can be read theologically for the church. The volume includes essays by notable scholars conversing with the canon, the creed, and our contemporary culture: including Kevin Vanhoozer, Michael Horton, Henri Blocher, R. W. L. Moberly, and D. A. Carson.
What brings you to the book of Daniel? Is it the moral example of Daniel and his robust faith? Or is it because you want to dig further into the prophetic material that speaks of the end times? Primarily the book tells you about Daniel’s God. Lucas suggests rather than daring to be a Daniel, we should dare to trust in Daniel’s God. This book will help you as you learn more about Daniel’s God and why you too can trust him in every circumstance. Daniel was called to be a blessing even in exile and to avoid defilement in a pagan world. Such is God’s call to you today so that you may honor God and put him first in your heart and life.
This book is a critical analysis of a theological movement John Frame calls The Escondido Theology. The name is chosen because this movement developed mainly among faculty members of Westminster Seminary California which is located in the city of Escondido, California. Some members of this school of thought, such as Michael Horton, Meredith Kline, and Darryl Hart, are well-known to students of Reformed theology. But these figures have never before been discussed as composing a distinctive school of thought. More often they have been discussed as individual theologians, or simply as representatives of the orthodox Reformed theological tradition. But they are not simply Reformed; they hold views that are quite distinctive, unusual and controversial. In Dr. Frame s view, these positions are not standard Reformed theology. None of their distinctive positions is taught in any of the Reformed confessions. These positions are an idiosyncratic kind of teaching peculiar to the Escondido school. Those who teach them are a faction, even a sect. 1 Taken in the plain sense of the terms, their positions are all unbiblical. Dr. John Frame s The Escondido Theology is a needed corrective to the rapidly growing advocacy and acceptance of a two-kingdom approach to theology and culture. It is not only timely, considering the popularity of Two Kingdom Theology , but also because he is the right individual to address the issues, having previously served as a Professor at both Westminster in Philadelphia and then as a founding faculty member at Escondido. Dr. Frame personally witnessed the inception and development of this doctrinal view in Escondido. Dr. Frame s insight and analysis clearly represents my Christian World and Life View because it is historically rooted in Calvinistic theology.
There are many fine books available on the offices of church leadership. Few, if any, address for a contemporary audience the biblical foundations of the government of the church. But this should be a priority for us, because God emphasizes the government of his church throughout Scripture.
Why should we be church members? How do church officers reflect Jesus’ reign over us? Where do the church’s responsibilities begin and end? Where do ours? These, and other important questions, are answered in Guy Prentiss Water’s vital examination of How Jesus Runs the Church.
At a time when church authority is treated with contempt, it’s important that we honor God in our churches more than ever.