People often talk about the Five Points of Calvinism, under the anacronym TULIP Total Depravity Unconditional Election Limited Atonement Irresistible Grace Perseverance of the Saints The Five points actually were put together some time after Calvin at the Synod of Dort, a council called by the Dutch Reformed Church to respond to Arminianism. There is… Continue reading Limited Atonement?
Category: Theology
Penal Substitution: Steve Chalke and the Lost Message of Jesus, 20 years on
In 2023, a little book by a prominent Christian communicator shook the evangelical world. Steve Chalke stated in “The Lost Message of Jesus” that the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement if true would amount to “cosmic child abuse.”[1] It’s important to be clear about what he wasn’t saying. Chalke did not claim that the atonement… Continue reading Penal Substitution: Steve Chalke and the Lost Message of Jesus, 20 years on
Arkeology
1 Chronicles 13 The Ark of the Covenant What was the Ark of the Covenant and why was it so important? (Exodus 25) Where was the ark and why (c.f. 1 Samuel 4-7) “Although the ark probably perished in Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem (c.f. Jer. 3:16), the Chronicler gives greater emphasis to it than the… Continue reading Arkeology
Zeal and righteousness
In Galatians 1:14, Paul describes his extreme zeal with regards to the Law (both written and oral traditions). Commentators associate this idea of zeal with a fascinating incident from the Old Testament.[1] The incident is referred to in Psalm 106:30-31 and described in Numbers 25:1-9. In Numbers 24, a prophet called Balaam had attempted to… Continue reading Zeal and righteousness
Everything a child needs to know about God?
I saw a book with this title the other day. Just to be clear up front, this article is not a review of the book itself which may well be a useful addition to your family library. I’ve not read the book itself so cannot comment on its content but I do have a few… Continue reading Everything a child needs to know about God?
The Law
A key thing to think about when studying Galatians is what it tells us about The Law or Torah. It seems at times that Paul is quite negative towards the Old Testament Law. Some Christians therefore will emphasise that we are not under Law but under Grace and can even speak and live as though… Continue reading The Law
The God who is near
I’ve just reviewed a book which is primarily testimony mixed in with pastoral advice about walking through difficult days (watch out later this week). What the book does well is it highlights God’s sovereignty. We can trust in the omnipotent, omniscient, God. I think different strands of Christianity help us get specific aspects of God… Continue reading The God who is near
What is justification all about?
One of the key themes that seems central to Paul’s argument in Galatians is that we are justified by faith.[1] In recent years, there’s been much discussion and dispute about what justification really means, especially since the emergence of the New Perspective. Whilst the reformed position since Luther and Calvin has been that justification is… Continue reading What is justification all about?
What is the Gospel?
Paul’s big concern for the Galatian church was that they risked being captured by a different Gospel. The other day, I wrote something about this and observed that if we are to avoid falling for different, false Gospels, then we need to know what the true Gospel is. Now, we might assume that the answer… Continue reading What is the Gospel?
A Biblical Theology of Race
From one man In Acts 17:26, Paul, speaking to the philosophers of Athens says about God. “From one man[f] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.” . A Biblical Theology of race must start with the truth that there is… Continue reading A Biblical Theology of Race
