Women in Combat! A Response to New US Military Policy
Mark Chanski, who teaches hermeneutics for Reformed Baptist Seminary, responded to our government’s recent decision to remove the ban against women serving in combat roles in the military. He evaluates this new policy and highlights several concerns. With his permission I’ve posted this brief response below. Read more 
Confessing the Faith: the 1689 for the 21st Century
I’m a fan of the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. It’s basically a modest revision of the famous Westminster Confession of Faith and the Savoy Declaration. As such it serves as an excellent compendium of Reformed theology with a Baptist ecclesiology. But, as I’ve argued elsewhere, the Elizabethan English of these great 17th century confessions makes them less accessible to 21st Americans. For this reason, I’m happy to recommend a new update in Modern English. Read more
If It’s Not Missional, It’s Not Church
“When God set about his great project of world redemption in the wake of Genesis 12, he chose to do so not by whisking individuals off to heaven, but by calling into existence a community of blessing. Starting with one man and his barren wife, then miraculously transforming them into a large family within several generations, then into a nation called Israel, and then, through Christ, into a multinational community of believers from every nation–all through the story God has been moulding a people for himself. But also a people for others. ‘Through you … all nations.’” Read more
Is Cultural Conservatism the Same as Theological Conservatism?
Churches that are faithful to the apostolic gospel are sometimes also the ones that are loyal to a culture becoming increasingly passé. In such a situation cultural conservatism can easily be mistaken for theological conservatism, for theological orthodoxy. In an age of confusing empirical pluralism and frankly frightening philosophical pluralism, in an age that seems to be stealing from us the Judeo-Christian worldview that prevailed for so long, it is easy to suppose that retrenchment and conservative responses on every conceivable axis are the only responsible courses for those who want to remain faithful to the gospel. Read more
A New Beginning Spoiled by Sin: Noah’s Drunkenness, Ham’s Contempt, and Canaan’s Curse
God’s pained heart is soothed when he smells the aroma of the burnt offerings wafting from Noah’s altar (8:20–21a). In response, Yahweh pledges never again to destroy the world with a flood but to provide a stable environment wherein he may bring to fruition his redemptive plans for humanity (8:21b-22; 9:1–17). Yet, an ominous note sounds among an otherwise harmonious chorus of divine goodness. Yahweh’s covenant promise is made “even though [כי] every inclination of [man’s] heart is evil from childhood” (8:21b, NIV). This concessive clause indicates that though the Deluge washed away sinners, it failed to eradicate sin. Regrettably, Noah and his family imported the sin from the world-that-then-was to the world-that-now-is. That tragic reality quickly unfolds. Read more
Another One Bites the Dust: A Theology of the Seth-Noah Genealogy
For many Christians, biblical genealogies convey information but little theology. Consequently, believers can tend to read (or to skim over) them out of a sense of duty rather than to peruse them out of a desire to grow in their understanding of God’s Story. In the brief essay below, I examine the theology of the Seth-Noah genealogy of Genesis 5. While most scholars see Moses shifting from his focus on the spread of sin (Gen 3–4) to an emphasis on signs of grace (Gen 5), I argue that Moses is continuing to highlight the spread of sin and God’s curse even as he traces out the lineage of “the woman’s seed.” Read more
The City of Man: Cain’s Legacy of Human Hubris
In Genesis 4:17, Moses begins a new section highlighting several major developments in the human race that resulted from Cain’s exile from Eden. These advances in “civilization” bear witness both to the potency of common grace as well as to the escalation of human sin. Read more
My Book Where Sin Abounds Reviewed in JETS: Get Your Copy Now at 50% Discount
My theological commentary on Genesis, Where Sin Abounds, was recently reviewed in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS). The review, excerpts of which I’ll post below, was overall very positive. In addition, Westminster Theological Journal (WTJ) recently accepted an article I submitted, “Faults of Our Fathers,” that’s based on the thesis of the book. Since I’d like to make the book available to as many as are interested, I’m going to offer it for a limited time at the author’s discount (50% off) plus shipping. To learn more, keep reading. Read more
Snake or Seraph? The Identity of the Serpent in Genesis 3
Genesis 3:1 introduces a new character into the Eden narrative and signals a shift in the plot. He is introduced as “the serpent.” Initially, the reader may picture nothing more than a legless reptile (suborder: serpentes). The Hebrew term נחש is generally used to refer to a type of a reptile, usually a legless reptile such as a snake (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Ps 58:4; Prov 23:32; Isa 65:25; Jer 8:17; Amos 5:19; Mic 7:17). But additional information in the account suggests that this entity is more than a mere snake. 
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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,