Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
John twice alludes to Genesis 1:1—“In the beginning God”—to launch his own writing. In the fourth Gospel we find “In the beginning was the Word” and in 1 John 1 he starts with an almost identical reference “That which was from the beginning.” John, obviously, held this to be critical in orienting his readers to …
Read More In the BeginningChange is constant—there’s no escaping it. And our changes in life can range from profound to unsettling—though most land somewhere in between. Nothing we experience in a given moment will ever return in exactly the same way. Our bodies grow and then decline and finally give up. Our primary relationships emerge in the heyday of …
Read More Unchanging ChangeNot many of us want to be known as “low and despised.” And if a close friend calls us “foolish” and “weak” we’re not likely to be thrilled—right? So why was Paul so rough in writing to his friends in Corinth? Our best answer is that he was being honest. This young church, it seems, …
Read More Low and DespisedCurt sent me a link to a “nerdist” website that features a bicycle with a gear added to reverse the steering. When a rider turns right the front wheel turns left, and vice versa. So every instinct of the rider is wrong. The results are awkward: each effort to pedal ends in an instant upset. …
Read More Awkward FaithCan you recall a time when a friend or family member made a promise so weighty you had to stop and wonder? I remember one such case—when Steve offered to cover almost half the cost of my hoped-for studies in London. I had all but given up on the project when he made his promise, …
Read More Fully ConvincedA week ago a USA church denomination led by progressives changed its stance on a big social issue. In reading jubilant news responses I thought of God. Why is he so slow to change, even when visionaries offer to coach him? The question reaches back over many centuries. Some leaders in Genesis, for instance, realized …
Read More An Enigmatic GodHave you ever been in a conversation with someone who wants to push a topic you find tedious or awkward? You try to change the subject. That fails. You try silence. That fails! In fact your silence gives him twice the time to talk. Finally you sigh inwardly and say you have somewhere you need …
Read More Awkward EncountersHow do we present the gospel to a skeptical world? Let’s consider a few common approaches. Arguing is one option: God’s existence is affirmed by proofs such as Christ’s miraculous resurrection. The premise is that undeniable evidence for the supernatural—with the moral implications of the supernatural God in view—will stir a decision to believe. This …
Read More By Invitation OnlyThis post repeats an entry offered at the Cor Deo site: please offer any response there. Thanks! Sound hermeneutics—the principles of interpretation—are crucial to effective Bible study. Good interpretation offers a reliable grasp of the meaning of a given text and a proper sense of how to apply it. This interpretive work comes as part …
Read More Reading RightlyLet me come back once more to the late Heiko Oberman’s outstanding biography, Luther: Man between God and the Devil. In this work Oberman saw Luther’s reformation ambition for what it really was: an effort to correct the misportrayal of God that dominated the church in his era. Oberman summarized a representative question on Luther’s …
Read More Every Man a Philosopher