A Brief Theology of Human Death
The Bible portrays death as the consequence of human sin. Death was the sanction that God tied to the Garden of Eden stipulation: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). And God’s expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden on account of their covenant breach and treason demonstrated that His threats were not empty. Death became the lot of Adam and his posterity. To borrow the apostle Paul’s language in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin [became] death.” Read more 
The Baptist Confession on the Gospel
This chapter on “the gospel” is not found in the Westminster Confession. The Congregationalists added this chapter to the Savoy Declaration, and the Baptists incorporated it into their Confession. The Congregationalists call attention to this addition in their preface to the Savoy Declaration: Read more
The Covenant Context of the Fall, Part 4: Elements of a Creation Covenant
Critical scholars posit at least two distinct sources behind the creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2 because certain events are repeated and the two accounts employ a variation of the divine name. However, ancient Hebrew literature frequently employs repetition in which the second narrative further elaborates upon a theme(s) or event(s) revealed in the first narrative. The “two accounts,” therefore, are complementary. The first narrative (1:1-2:3) describes God’s creation with panoramic sweep; the second (2:4-25) with a selective focus upon man and woman in the Garden of Eden. The question is whether these accounts contain elements of a “covenant.” Read more
The Covenant Context of the Fall, Part 3: Echoes of a Creation Covenant
Did God make a primordial covenant with Adam? The special term for “covenant” (בְּרִית; ḇᵉrît) is not used in either the creation narratives (Gen 1-2) or the Fall narrative (Gen 3). For this reason a number of Bible scholars answer the question negatively. “Covenant,” in their mind, is a uniquely redemptive provision. However, a careful study of the explicit references to divine-human covenants in later Old Testament narratives reveals certain characteristic motifs that seem to echo a primordial covenantal arrangement.
Beauty for Ashes: A Brief Theology of Isaiah
The book of Isaiah contains a theology of contrasts. Two sets of contrasts stand out in particular. The first set concerns the nature of God and man. God is absolutely holy; man is utterly sinful. These opposite realities become in turn the basis for the second set of contrasts, namely, judgment and salvation. These second two opposite themes prove to be complementary in the end—as judgment becomes the necessary prelude to salvation, and Zion receives “beauty for ashes” (61:3). Read more
Justification by Faith Alone: Paul versus James?
The apostle Paul teaches that sinners are justified by faith apart from works (Rom 3:20-21, 28; 4:6; Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). That is, we receive God’s forgiveness by simply trusting in the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ. This is what led Martin Luther to add the term “alone” (German: allein) in his translation of Romans 3:28: “Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith alone without the deeds of the law.” But how do we reconcile Paul’s teaching with that of the apostle James who asserts, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24)? Read more
Justification by Faith Alone: Nothing in My Hand I Bring
The Diet of Worms convened on April 18, 1521 to deal with one of the most pressing issues in the Holy Roman Empire: to deliberate what to do with a troublesome monk named Martin Luther. It had only been 3 ½ years since Luther had nailed his 95 theses to the church-door in Wittenburg. In that short time, he had sparked a great controversy within the Roman Catholic Church. Some of the most controversial of Luther’s theses were those in which he asserted that God justifies sinners based upon the merits of Jesus Christ alone and received by faith alone. Read more
Justification by Faith Alone: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
As noted in the previous post, “justification” is something that involves at a Judge, a defendant, and a verdict. Technically, the term does not refer to the defendant’s character or behavior as such, but more precisely, it refers to the judge’s verdict of the man’s character or behavior. It is a once-for-all legal act that takes place outside the sinner. That raises an important question: How can God justify sinners? Read more
Justification by Faith Alone: A Definitive Legal Declaration
In a previous post, we highlighted the vital importance of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Now we’ll begin to expound that doctrine. And defining terms is the place to start. What does the Bible mean by the term “to justify”? Below we’ll examine two key passages that illumine the significance of the term for the doctrine of justification. Read more
Justification by Faith Alone: Luther’s Quest and the Ultimate Question
What makes October 31st important to the Christian isn’t Halloween. Rather, this day commemorates the birthday of the Protestant Reformation. In light of this occasion, I’d like to initiate a series of posts on the great doctrine of justification. As we come to consider this doctrine, I’d commend to us the words of the Scottish theologian, James Buchanan: Read more
