“Pro-Cultural” or “Counter-Cultural”? A Theology of Human Culture
How should Christians think about human culture? Should they be for it or against it? Before we can answer these questions, we have to define the term. The word “culture” doesn’t appear in most English Bibles. The English noun is related to the verb “to cultivate,” which in turn derives from the Latin verb colere. It was initially used in contexts primarily referring to farming or “agriculture.” Over time the term “culture” acquired a broader usage, referring not just to farming but also to all sorts of human endeavor. Read more 
What In the World Is “Worldliness”? Providing Some Biblical Clarity on a Misused Term
Sometimes it’s a compliment to be described as a “worldly” Christian. It may simply denote that you’re a very “down-to-earth” person who can enjoy the temporal blessings of this life, not as idols but as a gift from God. In this sense, a “worldly” believer is neither glum nor prudish nor ethereal. Instead, he holds a very robust view of life. Read more
“O Soulo Mio”: The Hebrew Word נפש (nephesh) and Its Significance for the Doctrine of Man
The Hebrew word נפש (nephesh) is important for the Old Testament (and biblical) doctrine of man. The term appears over 750 times in the OT and is translated in the Authorized Version most frequently as “soul,” “life,” “person,” “creature,” or “-self.” The word is found in all OT genres (narrative, poetry, prophecy, etc.) and may have either a literal or metaphorical sense. A נפש can be living or dead. It can be counted as an individual entity or distinguished from other individual entities. Read more
Man’s Royal Status as God’s Image and God’s Son
I believe the most important biblical concept for understanding the nature of man is found in the phrase, “image of God.” That phrase summarizes what it means to be human. It provides us with the true identity of man. But what does it mean to be created as God’s image? Throughout the history of the Christian church, theologians have offered various suggestions as to what constitutes “the image of God.” While all of these suggestions highlight important facets of man’s identity and uniqueness, I believe the primary idea conveyed through the metaphor “image of God” is that of visible replica and vicegerent. In this post, I’d like us to consider man’s royal status as God’s image and God’s son. Read more
The “Common Sense” of Thanksgiving
By the “common sense” of Thanksgiving, I’m not referring to the ability to make sound judgments, or to practical savvy upstairs, or to practical suggestions for cooking a turkey or decorating for the Thanksgiving holiday. Rather, I am referring to an intuitive awareness or an instinctive knowledge that is common to all men. Therefore, when I speak of “the common sense of thanksgiving,” I am referring to that intuitive sense possessed by all men of the ethical propriety of giving thanks. All men in their heart-of-hearts instinctively recognize the appropriateness of expressing gratitude to another for benefits received. Read more
Updating and Refining the 1689 Baptist Confession: Answers to Common Objections
It’s challenging to persuade people to modify their favored theological traditions even when the modifications suggested are intended to enhance the intelligibility and usefulness of the timeless truths embodied in those traditions. So I’d like to close this series on updating and refining the 1689 Baptist Confession by looking at some common objections that have been offered by some of my pastor friends and fellow believers. While I believe each of these objections is motivated by a concern to preserve biblical truth and the unity of the church, I haven’t found any of them sufficiently decisive or conclusive to preclude the framing of a new 21st century Reformed Baptist confession of faith upon the foundations of the old 1689. Read more
Does All Worship and No Play Make Jack a Holy Boy? Sabbath-keeping according to Isaiah 58:13
Those of us who view the Lord’s Day as a “Christian Sabbath” have to wrestle with the question of what is and what is not appropriate activity for the day. Historically, our tradition, as reflected in the Westminster Confession of Faith, has viewed Sunday as a time to devote almost exclusively to formal acts of public and private worship. Work or deeds of mercy that are deemed “necessary” are allowed. But all unnecessary secular employment is to cease. What’s more, recreation is forbidden. Indeed, one may not needlessly think or talk about his job or Saturday’s college football game. Thus, following this tradition, we might say, “All worship and no play on the Sabbath makes Jack a holy boy.” But is that really what the Bible teaches?
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Obstacles to Updating and Refining the 1689 Confession: Subtle Traditionalism
The New Testament speaks of inspired apostolic tradition, which is good, and non-inspired religious tradition, which is often bad. This data should make us wary of any non-inspired ecclesiastical tradition that competes with or invalidates the supreme authority of Scripture. In this post, I’ll note the tendency of becoming over-infatuated with a good tradition and the tendency of reacting to modern errors by relying more on one’s favorite tradition rather than Scripture. Both of these tendencies can make good people resistant to changes in their tradition that are biblically warranted. Moreover, they can subtly influence one’s hermeneutic so that the Bible is read through the lens of the tradition rather than the tradition through the lens of the Bible. Read more
Obstacles to Updating and Refining the 1689 Confession: Strict Subscription
In previous installments, we suggested several ways in which the 1689 Baptist Confession can be improved by updating its language and refining its teaching. We also offered three worthwhile reasons for such a revision. In the next posts, I’d like to identify two potential obstacles to revising the Confession. These “obstacles” can influence the way people view the Confession, making it difficult for them to be open to the prospect of updating and/or amending the Confession’s teaching. The first obstacle we’ll consider is “strict subscription.” Read more
Need a Christmas Gift? How about a Theological Commentary on the Book of Genesis
Where Sin Abounds is both a commentary and theology of the Book of Genesis. It demonstrates how the themes of the spread of sin and God’s curse permeate the whole narrative and form the backdrop against which God displays his amazing grace. Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke said,