In Matthew 2::14 -15, we are told that Mary and Joseph fleeing from Herod with the baby Jesus to Egypt and then returning from there to Nazareth, when Herod died fulfilled the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” Hosea 11 retells the story of the Exodus. It is God’s… Continue reading Out of Egypt I have called my son – Jesus as exile
Category: Theology
It’s not banishment when God sends
In the first 11 chapters of Genesis, we see several examples of exile when people are banished from the place of God’s manifest presence. Adam and Eve are banished from Eden. Cain, their son is literally banished from the ground meaning that he can no longer live off of its produce as he has done… Continue reading It’s not banishment when God sends
Homeward bound: More on a Biblical Theology of death as exile
Yesterday I wrote about the theme of death as exile. In the Old Testament, it is that theme of banishment and exile that most visibly shows the consequences of death for humanity. Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden Humanity are banished from the surface of the earth by the Flood The human race… Continue reading Homeward bound: More on a Biblical Theology of death as exile
Death as exile
What does God mean when he warns Adam and Eve that on the day that they eat from the forbidden tree that they will die? We know that they didn’t immediately die physically, they lived for many years after, although they would now experience, sickness and mortality. This is where our Biblical Theology theme of… Continue reading Death as exile
God’s Big Story – an introduction to Biblical Theology
This week’s podcast was all about God’s people dwelling in God’s place or presence. You can listen to the podcast: We were looking at Biblical Theology. If Systematic Theology is about taking the whole teaching of Scripture, synthesising and systematising it into specific teaching topics or doctrines, then summarising them, Biblical Theology is about tracing… Continue reading God’s Big Story – an introduction to Biblical Theology
“This is my body” … what exactly do we eat at communion?
I want to return to something we looked at a bit earlier this week. What was it that Jesus said at the last supper and what does this mean for when we take communion today? Mark 14:22-25 reports: 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave… Continue reading “This is my body” … what exactly do we eat at communion?
What does your pastor need to know?
Every so often I see comments about what pastors and church leaders need to have studied, to know and be reading now. At one end of the spectrum is the view that “all we need is the Bible” and we don’t need to make it complicated. At the other end of the spectrum is the… Continue reading What does your pastor need to know?
In his name
Quite a few worship songs talk about “the name of Jesus.” Classics include: “There is power in the name of Jesus” “There is a name, who reigns without contention …” “What a wonderful;/beautiful/powerful name it is.” “I speak Jesus” There is a risk with these kinds of song lyrics that they could be perceived superstitiously… Continue reading In his name
Not without hope
Genesis 11 paints a pretty hopeless picture. The new, post flood humanity have in effect squandered the blessings and privileges of the covenant with Noah. Their hubristic rebellion against God has been crushed, they are divided by language and scattered across the world of the day. However, at the end of the chapter, we are… Continue reading Not without hope
Theology and the church
The other day I saw this twitter comment about the place, or more accurately, absence of theology in the local church. There was also this additional commentary from Marcus Honeysett. I believe that the local church is the context where theology should primarily happen. There are a few reasons for this but it boils down… Continue reading Theology and the church
