@RTSCharlotte 2019 Year in Review
Well, it’s New Year’s Eve. It’s the time of the year to be inundated with “Best of” stories and “Year in Review” segments, dutifully cataloging everything that happened in pop culture or politics.
But, what if a “Year in Review” was about more than Donald Trump or Kim Kardashian? What if we did a year in review about what God had done in the prior year? Or, more to the point, about how God has been at work in our ministries this year?
Of course, God has been at work in countless ways around the globe this year, most of which I could never know about. But, I can speak … Continue reading...
A Tribute to Larry Hurtado: Scholar, Doktorvater, and Friend
I woke up today to the very sad news that my Doktorvater and friend, Larry Hurtado, had passed away after a long bout with cancer. So, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the impact he had on my life.
In the fall of 1999, I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to begin my Ph.D. work in New Testament and Early Christianity. My move was motivated in part by the great history of the divinity faculty at New College, but primarily by the desire to study with one particular scholar, Larry Hurtado.
Although I was already aware of Larry’s excellent scholarship (that’s why I came, after all), … Continue reading...
Off to San Diego for the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society
Next week, I head to beautiful San Diego for the 71st Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, the largest gathering of evangelical scholars in the world. The theme this year is “Christ in All Scripture.”
This year I will be delivering the presidential address at the Thursday night banquet. The title of my lecture is “2 Peter 3:2, the Apostolate and a Bi-Covenantal Canon.” Yes, I know. Not that exciting. But, that’s just what we scholars do…
For more exciting lectures, you may want to check out the three plenary speakers we have lined up: Greg Beale (Westminster Seminary), Jeannine Brown (Bethel Seminary), and Stephen Wellum (Southern Baptist … Continue reading...
How Dangerous is Money? A Great New Resource for Avoiding the Pitfalls
Ok, so we all know the main Bible verse about money: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil” (1 Tim 6:10). In fact, we know it so well that we rarely let it sink in.
If we ponder it for just a brief moment, we would realize that money, though it can be a blessing, can also be one of the most dangerous things in the world. If a person is not careful, it can shipwreck your life.
For this reason, I am very thankful for Jim Newheiser’s recent volume, Money: Seeking God’s Wisdom (P&R, 2019). Jim is director of the biblical counseling program here … Continue reading...
Is It a Waste of Time for Seminary Students (and Pastors) to Learn the Biblical Languages?
It’s that time of year again.
A few weeks ago, a new crop of seminary students began the grueling month-long experience of Summer Greek. And, like all seminary students before them, they will begin to ask the question of why studying these ancient languages even matters. After all, a few years after graduation all will be forgotten. In the midst of a busy pastoral life, who could possibly maintain proficiency in the languages?
As a result of these questions, some students decide (very early on) that the biblical languages are just something to be endured. They are like a hazing ritual at a college fraternity. No one likes it, but … Continue reading...