Genesis 1 as a Proto-evangelium

In 1924 Dr Arie Noordtzij, 1871-1944, neo-Calvinist theologian and Professor at Leiden, published God’s Word and the Testimony of the Ages, which subsequently was deemed to inaugurate the so-called Framework Hypothesis. He did not, in fact, coin this term, but did advance a framework structure for Genesis 1 which was the basis of a novel … Read more

Rediscovering Eschatological Reward in 1 Corinthians 3:14–15

Paul’s references to eschatological loss and salvation “only as through fire” in 1 Corinthians 3:15 have long puzzled biblical scholars. The majority interpretation throughout history has understood the “suffering of loss” as receiving a lesser degree of eschatological rewards (e.g., Augustine, Schweitzer, Braun, Filson, Reicke, Sanders, Rosscup, Fuller, Ton, Piper). The phrase “but only as … Read more

Hope in the Dark: Lamentations 3:19-26 and Chronic Anxiety

Chronic anxiety, affecting over 40 million U.S. adults annually (National Institute of Mental Health), distorts worldview, convincing sufferers that hope is futile, suffering lacks purpose, and God is distant, leading to despair and isolation. Interventional methods, such as therapy and medication, aimed at regulating the body and calming neural patterns, cannot fully reorient these perceptions … Read more

The Shema and Creedal Christianity

Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema, is a key proclamation of the belief in one God in the Hebrew Bible: אֶחָֽד יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שְׁמַ֖ע. This verse captures the Jewish faith’s core by highlighting God’s oneness and uniqueness. It acts as a fundamental theological principle that sets Israelite beliefs apart from the polytheistic customs … Read more

A Simple Answer: The Historical Use of Divine Simplicity in Polemics and Apologetics

The doctrine of divine simplicity has been largely ignored, rejected, or redefined in the last one hundred years of scholarship until the recent resurgence of interest. Specifically, modern apologist theologians and philosophers have largely rejected this doctrine in discussing God’s attributes and the relations of the Trinitarian persons, believing it to be something to apologize … Read more

The Mixed Legacy of Nazianzus’s Elevation of Mary in his Defense of the Incarnation

Thesis statement: In clarifying the Incarnation after Nicaea, Gregory of Nazianzus’s defense of Mary as Theotokos also promoted extra-biblical teachings about the mother of Jesus that linger in Christian thought today. Nicaea’s creed proved insufficient to effectively squash Arian teachings. Between 325 and 381, scholars continued to clarify biblical Christology, declaring that, in his Incarnation, … Read more

J.B. Webster: An Introduction to His Early Works (1980–1986)

Studies of John Webster have consistently focused on tracing his approach to various doctrinal loci over the course of his career or interacting with particular sets of essays (most notably those collected in his later years in the titles Domain of the Word and God without Measure 1 and 2). Less attention has been given … Read more