“I am not unmindful of the promise by which I pledged myself to deliver a sermon to instruct you, who have just been baptized, on the Sacrament of the Lord’s table, which you now look upon and of which you partook last night. You ought to know what you have received, what you are going…
Category: Church Fathers
New SAET Article on Justification
Matthew Thomas recently published a new article on the doctrine of justification for the St. Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. You can read it here. Thomas offers a well-rounded overview of all the important questions (and controversies) that have accompanied the doctrine through the years. I’m fascinated by the subject. It’s interesting to reflect upon not…
Would ET existence undermine Christianity?
I just published a new article at Premier Christianity on the topic of UFOs and ET. A lot of people are talking about UFOs, now known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). And with the recent public hearing in the U.S. Congress, a lot of people will continue to do so. At the congressional hearing, testimony…
Reflections on Table, Time, and Church
When it comes to church, one thing I’ve learned is that “community” is important. In fact, the communal life is necessary. And by “community,” I mean more than a place for shop talk (as important as that is). I mean something along the lines of habitual participation, constant give-and-take, and sacramental union. I mean koinōnia. …
Interview on UFOs, Aliens, and Paranormal Experiences
I recently did an interview with Preston Sprinkle about UFOs, aliens, and paranormal experiences that people sometimes report. Preston is a great guy, and I had a lot of fun chatting with him about this topic.
Why you should read the Apocrypha
I’m once again opening up David DeSilva‘s excellent introduction to the Apocrypha as I gear up for my Jewish and Greco-Roman Backgrounds of the New Testament class at Eternity Bible College. Here’s a link to deSilva’s book, Introducing the Apocrypha. My hope is that we modern Christians (especially us Protestants) would become more like the…
Playing with Theological Explosives: A Second Interview with Matthew J. Thomas
I had the privilege to once again chat with Dr Matthew J. Thomas about Paul’s well-known phrase “works of the law.” When Paul says we are not justified by “works of the law” (see e.g., Gal 2:16), what does he mean? Is he saying good works are not necessary for salvation? Or by “works” is…
Quote: Epistle to Diognetus
In the Halsted house, we like to read. A lot. We especially value reading out loud to our kids. Whether it’s the Bible or Lewis or whatever, there’s something about hearing the spoken word that is so captivating—and relaxing, especially at the end of the day (the Bible is the best book to read out…