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This paper argues that John Thomson’s (c. 1690–1753) An Explication of the Shorter Catechism (1749) functioned not merely as doctrinal instruction, but also as a distinctly Old Side pastoral response to the ecclesial upheaval of the First Great Awakening. By rooting Christian identity in confessional and catechetical formation—together with his emphasis on “personal covenanting,” more … Read more
The qualifications for pastors and deacons in the Pastoral Epistles place significant emphasis on marriage and family. Three times, Paul uses the phrase μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα (1 Tim 3:2, 12; Tit 1:6), yet its precise meaning remains widely debated. Scholars primarily interpret the phrase in quantitative terms, focusing on the number of wives a man … Read more
This paper considers Francis Watson’s claim that no internal criteria can be identified which drove the canonization of the four canonical gospels as opposed to other “apocryphal” gospels. After reviewing Watson’s reconstruction for gospel canonization, I suggest that the four canonical gospels have something in common which no canonical “competitor” possesses, namely a missionary ideology. … Read more
Artificial intelligence, particularly large language models (LLMs), holds significant potential for advancing biblical studies. As these tools become more prevalent, scholars must address two questions: What are their most beneficial applications, and what best practices ensure reliable and meaningful results? This paper explores one specific application—using LLMs to detect intertextual connections in biblical texts—and evaluates … Read more
The Book of Job contains a remarkable array of lists that parallel both the lexical lists and thematic lists of knowledge employed in Mesopotamian and Syro-Levantine scribal training. Both the lists in Job and ancient Near Eastern scribal lists encompass animals, constellations, minerals, tools/weapons, and natural phenomena. In the ancient Near East, lists were more … Read more
There is a popular notion often seen in homiletics trade books that runs something like this: “We should use stories in our preaching and teaching in order to make the message clear. After all, Jesus often spoke in parables” (e.g., Robinson, 2014; Chapell, 2018). But this line is in tension with the straightforward reason Jesus … Read more
The paper will examine the Puritan understanding of Christian contentment and way anything else is a wickedness against God. Attention will be given to the practical arguments for contentment and the steps to achieving it from Burroughs and Watson. The Puritans produced a body of literature to rival any in church history. Much of what … Read more
Recent discourse on the beatific vision has centered around the specific object of the blessed hope. Is it a vision of God’s essence? Or is it a vision of Christ’s glory? The text of 1 John 3:2 is widely discussed in support of the overall doctrine, but salient features of the text’s grammar warrant further … Read more
It has frequently been stated that New Testament textual criticism is both an art and a science, but over the centuries it seems that the field has been primarily dominated by the “art” part, resulting in a large amount of subjectivity that has little to do with science. One group of scholars examines the evidence … Read more
Throughout the history of the church, the doctrine of divine simplicity has been seen as an essential component of theology proper. The post-Reformation orthodox theologians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are no exception in this recognition, however some are noted for omitting the doctrine as its own category in their doctrines of God. Included … Read more