Think Theology

Within the spectrum of Old Testament scholarship, the majority of non-evangelical scholars are advocates of the Documentary Hypothesis. This theory states that the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) was not written completely by Moses but by different post-Mosaic authors.  The theory suggests that these authors are determined by the usage of different Hebrew [...]

The Apostle Peter advised his readers that, in expectation for the eschatological, they should have “lives of holiness and godliness” (2 Pet. 3:11). Throughout the Scriptures, believers are to be marked by holiness (cf. Lev. 19:2; 20:26; 22:32-34; 1 Thess. 4:3-7; 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 4:20-24; Heb. 12:10, 14). Regardless of what culture has deemed [...]

“The hermeneutical enterprise also has three levels… We begin with a third-person approach, asking “what it meant” (exegesis), then passing to a first-person approach, querying “what it means for me” (devotional), and finally taking a second-person approach, seeking “how to share with you what it means to me” (sermonic). When we try only one and [...]

Last year at the Clarus conference—where Wayne Grudem and Randy Alcorn will be the keynotes at this year’s conference—Sam Storms and Ray Ortlund fielded a number of great questions from Pastor Ryan Kelly of Desert Springs Church in Albuquerque, NM. The links below take you to the YouTube videos for each question. Questions on Worship [...]

Here’s a humorous look at church that makes me ask the question: How much of our Christianity is real and how much of it is just a show? “Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

If you’ve been sleeping under a rock or just time warped from the Jurassic period you may be surprised to know that Page CXVI has just released their second album – Hymns II. It is fantastic. Last year they released Hymns I and I quickly became not only a huge fan of their music, but [...]

Bible Interpretation In a Nutshell. Patton has some very simple insights for properly interpreting the Bible. I love the subject. I like his methods. Check it out. There’s even the world famous Michael Patton charts!

I am the lucky brother of a wonderful sister who has down syndrome. I have also had friends and family who have lost infants. Lately I’ve had several people ask me about babies who die and people with developmental disabilities. What happens to them when they die? Well, this question is close to many of [...]

The subject of baptism has divided many Christians, which is unfortunate. But controversy is essential where truth is rejected or distorted (e.g., in matters related to Christology and the gospel). Controversy is also deadly to Christian fellowship when disagreeing about truth dominates magnifying truth. However, many Christians feel threatened when they are confronted with controversial [...]

John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion is considered a classic by most theologians. Regardless of whether one is Reformed or not, Calvin is one of the greatest theologians that the Reformation produced. His influence spans from the realm of theology to economics. When former President Bill Clinton was asked by CNN’s John Roberts, “Could [...]

There is a lot of discussion on the subject of revival within the Church. Depending upon your tradition, your perspective on what revival is and what it produces will be different. I have heard revival expressed in various ways throughout my life. Some suggest that revival will produce really good worship music. Others suggest that [...]

I just picked up Andreas J. Kostenberger’s A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters and I’m impressed. It, along with Carson’s Pillar commentary, is quickly becoming a must read for anyone interested in Johannine studies. At 656 pages, Kostenberger has provided a very interesting theology of John’s Gospel and three Epistles. I read the following [...]

I used to think of the stories of the first 12 chapters of Genesis as somehwat indepedent and unrelated except for God and a connected geneaology or two.  However in this study I’ve come to see a unified progressive story of redemption that culminates into the story of Abraham and the covenant God makes with [...]

Wow…the first few chapters of the Bible are packed with basic foundational theology that really undergirds everything we believe as Christians.  But I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising.  I think we just miss it many times because we take those truths for granted.  In our culture of science and empirical observation the main question that comes to us out [...]

Theological studies are generally broke down into categories such as Historical Theology, Biblical (exegetical) Theology, Practical Theology, Systematic Theology, Narrative Theology, etc. Each categories has a specific focus and a specific purpose. Some advocate one over the other and other people seem to dismiss all of them! I personally find great benefit from each of [...]

Sola Scriptura…one of the cornerstones of the Reformation that continues to be at the heart of most of the disagreements between the Protestant and Catholic/Orthodox churches even today.  But while most Protestants would argue vehemently for Sola Scriptura, how many truly live it day to day in their understanding of the faith and scriptures? One [...]

As many of you may know, I am a Christian Hedonist (defined here and here). My vision for “enjoying God” has been shaped greatly by Dr. John Piper, Dr. Sam Storms, and affectionately through the writings of Jonathan Edwards. So with great joy and boldness I declare that I believe with all of my heart [...]

Three days ago I preached one of the most difficult messages that I’ve ever tackled. It was not a difficult text, but a difficult subject. We are currently walking through Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and we arrived at 4:1-12. This passage strongly addresses the subject of “sexual immorality.”

This was posted over at Reclaiming the Mind, but it appears that there is permission to repeat. Dr. Dan Wallace is a leading NT Greek scholar, professor, and author. I’ve had the opportunity to read several of Dr. Wallace’s books and to listen to several superb lectures that he has provided. Each time I’ve heard [...]

About eight years ago I had the privilege of visiting and attending Bethlehem Baptist Church for a short time. BBC is where John Piper serves as Pastor of Preaching & Vision. I was an undergrad student at a Pentecostal University that had a significantly different theological position than that of Bethlehem. In fact, I was instructed by several to [...]

Perhaps no other Reformer has been more misunderstood and demonized than John Calvin, the great French theologian. Calvin more or less put Geneva’s young budding Protestant community on the map as he rubbed shoulders with or mentored the likes of Philipp Melanchthon, Heinrich Bullinger, John Knox, and Theodore Beza. These are all stalwart fathers of the Reformation.

Since our discussion on God’s Sovereignty has been so popular and somewhat controversial, I figured I could enhance the discussion by beginning another on a somewhat related subject. Perhaps the most interesting area of discussion was in regards to God’s Decrees. Well, here’s some homework for you folks. I realize not all of you are Reformed [...]

There are certain ways to hold a conversation about any given subject, along with certain rules that apply to having a discussion on a matter where two opposing people are attempting to interact on opposing ideas and opinions. The rules of logic are important for obvious reasons, but I’d like to suggest that there is another [...]

Tomorrow, as citizens of the United States of America, we have the opportunity to vote for the person(s) we believe to be best to lead our nation in the office of President (and vice-President). I’m convinced that the majority of Christians may underestimate the gravity of this God given privilege. Yet, I rest in the [...]

[Editor's note: I'm reposting this in order to stimulate further conversation, especially in light of how important this subject is] Several months ago we spent time working through 1 Corinthians 12-14. Within this “Early Church Worship Guide,” we clearly find the apostle Paul writing, “So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking [...]