Teaching the Doctrine of Man & Sin in Colombia: A Report by Francisco Orozco
The main purpose for this trip was to participate in the Doctrine of Man & Sin module, the fourth in the Marrow of Theology series which Reformed Baptist Seminary together with Facultad Teologica Bautista (a ministry of Iglesia Bautista Gracia Soberana, Bogota Colombia) organize and offer to Colombian pastors and ministerial candidates. The modules have been taking place in a country estate located in Chinauta, about 2 hrs SW of Bogotá. Read more 
The Passionate Impassible God: Toward a Biblical View of Divine Emotions
May we ascribe genuine emotional capacity to God? We’ve examined the answer of classical theism (Part 1) and open theism (Part 2). While we side mostly with classical theism, we tend to agree with those theologians who insist that divine impassibility need not preclude an affirmation of divine emotivity (Part 3). It’s our conviction that a comprehensive view of the all the biblical data compels us to affirm that God has capacities that are analogous to human emotions. So in this final post, we’ll attempt to formulate a biblical doctrine of divine emotions.
Preaching & Teaching – 2012 Summer Module
On the week of August 20 thru 24, Reformed Baptist Seminary will offer a live module entitled “Preaching & Teaching.” Pastor Brian Borgman (D.Min.) will serve as the course instructor and primary lecturer while Pastors Robert Briggs (B.D.) and Robert Elliott (M.Div.) will serve as guest lecturers. The module will be hosted at Immanuel Baptist Church, Sacramento, California. Read more
“Come Over and Help Us!”: Another Macedonian Call from Indonesia
More than a year ago, I posted “A ‘Macedonian Call’ Comes from Indonesia.” It was basically a plea from Missionary Trevor Johnson not for money but for laborers. Soon after I received a call from Nate Reuther (son of Pastor John Reuther) who expressed interested in doing a summer internship under Trevor. I also soon learned that Andrew Thornquist, a seminary student, shared the same desire. After several months of praying and planning, those two young men joined Trevor and his family to spend the summer of 2011 learning about ministry among tribal peoples in the dense jungles of Papua Indonesia. Read more
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Fact or Fiction? Part 2
The New Testament presents the resurrection of Christ as historical fact. In the previous post, we examined two lines of evidence to support its historicity, and we sought to rebut common objections to Christ’s resurrection. Even so there are so-called Christian theologians who tell us that the literal, historical raising of Christ’s body from the dead is not essential to Christianity. According to these men, we can still have the Christian faith without the historical phenomenon of the resurrection! Listen to one of their prophets: Read more
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Fact or Fiction? Part 1
Few people dare deny the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth. Even Bible critics usually concede that Jesus lived and was crucified as an insurrectionist by Roman authorities at the instigation of Jewish religious leaders. Many people today, however, question the historicity of Jesus’ bodily resurrection—even so-called Christian scholars. Some say that we can never be sure whether Jesus rose from the dead. One modern historian, for example, writes, Read more
Biblical Balance: Affirming God’s Emotivity and His Impassibility
According to King Solomon, godly living requires balance: “It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes” (Eccl 7:18 NIV). What Solomon says about practical living is also relevant for doctrinal formulation. The notorious “pendulum swing” has often been the bane of good theology. I believe this is true with respect to the biblical teaching regarding God’s emotions. Read more
Palm Sunday: What Does It Mean?
Jesus begins His final week of ministry by entering Jerusalem amidst a jubilant celebration. Multitudes greet Him, shouting “Hosannas” and waving palm branches in their hands, as He enters the city. For this reason, Christian tradition refers to this day as “Palm Sunday”—the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry. The fact that Christians through the centuries have commemorated this day suggests that it’s a day of great importance and significance. Read more
“Wanted a Good Man, Never Bargained for You”: Is God “Dazed and Confused”?
Does God have emotions? In the first installment in this series, we focused on the classical view of “impassibility,” which seems to treat emotions ascribed to God as metaphors for divine action. Emotions ascribed to God are not actual but are phenomenological. In this post, we’ll look at a contrary view that doesn’t merely affirm divine emotions but interprets them as practically equivalent to human emotions. If the classical view seems to leave God inwardly “unaffected” by human sin and misery and, as it were, “comfortably numb” in his celestial repose, this view portrays God as “dazed and confused.” Read more
The OT and the Literature of the ANE: Is There a Difference?
Since the middle of the 19th century, the archaeologist’s spade has uncovered vast amounts of literary artifacts from the ancient Near East (ANE), the historical and cultural milieu of the Old Testament (OT). After studying the deciphered and translated portions of this ancient literature, Bible scholars have noted numerous literary, thematic, and conceptual similarities with the literature of the OT. Some of the parallels are so striking that some scholars have questioned whether the Old Testament is unique after all. In the video below, Read more
