A Serious Challenge to the New Perspective on Paul
As most readers know, there has been a long scholarly debate over what is known as the New Perspective(s) on Paul (NPP). This approach argues that “justification” in Paul does not mean what many Christians (especially Reformed folks) have always believed.
In short, NPP advocates (e.g., N.T. Wright, James D.G. Dunn) argue that (a) first-century Judaism was not a works-oriented religion, and (b) “justification by faith” is not referring to the acquisition of a righteous status before God, but instead refers to the fact that membership in the covenant community can be obtained without the standard Jewish boundary markers laid out in the law of Moses (inset is a picture … Continue reading...
Apathetic about Your Apathy? Here is Why a Lukewarm Church is a Bigger Problem Than We Think
Laodicea.
Just the name of that church conjures up all sorts of images in our mind. It was a church that was tepid, bored, and apathetic–overconfident in their own spiritual condition. In short, they were lukewarm.
And, as we all know, Jesus told them plainly, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16).
Spiritually speaking, the Laodicean church could be summarized in a single word that (unfortunately) captures the ethos of our modern culture: “Whatever.”
The problem, of course, with being apathetic is that you can actually be apathetic about your apathy! Put simply an apathetic church does not … Continue reading...
Does God “Want” All to Be Saved? Probing into the Will of God
As many know, the last two years I have been teaching a weekly women’s Bible study at RTS Charlotte designed to reach the community outside the formal seminary classroom. Every Wednesday, 120 plus women gather together to study the book of Romans, and it has been a delight.
We made it to the beginning of Romans 11 before stopping for the winter break, and we will resume in the Spring. If you are interested in seeing the videos and getting the handouts, you can go here.
Of course, as everyone knows, one of the major themes in Romans 9-11 is the doctrine of election. In fact, in Rom 11:7-8 … Continue reading...
One of the Best (and Most Overlooked) Explanations of the Plan of Salvation
The critical question that every Christian must be able to answer is “How are people saved?” In the seminary context, the doctrine of salvation (soteriology) is a central feature in the curriculum. Preachers can’t preach a message of salvation if they don’t understand it themselves.
Of course, as an institution that bases its theology on the Reformation (the term “Reformed” is in our name!), Reformed Theological Seminary is committed to the doctrines of grace–the idea that people are sinners who cannot save themselves but desperately need God to save them. On a popular level, this is simply known as Calvinism.
But, of course, not all Christians agree with this Reformed … Continue reading...
Did the Earliest Christians Really Believe in Substitutionary Atonement (and Even Imputation)? One Important Example
In a prior article (here), I explored how the second-century work the Epistle to Diognetus clearly affirmed the full divinity of Jesus–a doctrine that some say did not come around until the fourth century. I continue this theme by exploring yet another doctrine that some suggest is a late invention: substitutionary atonement.
The average internet-level narrative goes something like this: the earliest Christians had no clear understanding for why Jesus died on the cross and what it accomplished. The idea of a substitutionary atonement is a late invention designed to retroactively explain the (otherwise embarrassing) death of Jesus. In fact, it was not until Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo … Continue reading...