generic decline message
Josiah is the Judean king who sought God faithfully by cleansing the land, repairing some damaged part of the temple, and observing the Passover according to the Law. However, Josiah’s reform appeared to fail with the sudden death of Josiah, which resulted in Judah’s rapid returning to idolatry. In my judgement, however, even though superficially … Read more
The ontological argument has a long history of defenders and detractors by both Christians and non-Christians alike. First developed by Anselm of Canterbury, it postulates that a being than which none greater can be conceived is a concept that even the fool, in Anselm’s words, can understand. However, a being that only exists in the … Read more
This paper argues that Benjamin Keach’s view of the mystical union and communication of attributes between believers and Christ is theologically consistent with the teaching of the church fathers. Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) was ardently opposed to the Christological heresies that had become prevalent during his life. Groups such as the Caffynites and the Quakers, a … Read more
The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus 4-14 has been a debatable issue for a long time among biblical scholars and theologians. The challenge is to answer the question: did Pharaoh harden his heart, did God harden Pharaoh’s heart, or both? What is the relationship between the divine influence of God and the free will … Read more
The future of global evangelicalism depends largely upon the individual and institutional relationships of evangelicals across national boundaries and political divides. While we may assume a certain level of Christian solidarity, the reality is that the appropriate Christian response to the other—particularly foreigners, immigrants, and strangers—is a complex, perennial, and often heated debate. American evangelical … Read more
In the modern age, Western hermeneutics increasingly followed the historical-grammatical method. Allegorical, typological, spiritual, and theological readings of Scripture within Scripture were typically attributed to divine authority. As such, they were not commended to future, non-inspired readers of a closed canon. Such readings in pre-modern Christianity were often dismissed as the interpretive approach of a … Read more
The genealogy in Ruth 4:18-22 serves both as a key theological conclusion to the book of Ruth and a vital clue to the role of the book in the canon of Scripture. The introduction of the genealogy “Now these are the descendants of …” (וְאֵלֶּה תֹּולְדֹות) signals its similarity with the previous toledot structure in … Read more
The rise of Process Theology in the modern West—particularly in association with the ever-growing “deconstruction” movement—is an under-addressed concern among Evangelical Christians. Process Theology, a radically “open” theological system in which all beings, including God, are composed of ever-changing processes, is the Christian-identifying outgrowth of Alfred North Whitehead’s “Process Philosophy.” As articulated by process theists … Read more
The accepted understanding of John’s use of πᾶν ὃ in John 6:37 and 6:39 is that, in some way, πᾶν ὃ refers to the subsequent clause, either as depicting individuals (e.g., Schnackenburg) or the totality of believers (e.g., Bruce). This paper is an exploration of an alternative reading, where this combination refers to the antecedent … Read more
This paper investigates the use of Abraham in the Gospel of Luke. Multiple figures in the Gospel of Luke speak of the historical figure Abraham and interpret the coming of Jesus as Messiah in relation to God’s promises to Abraham. References to Abraham occur when Jesus teaches about faith and participation in His kingdom—an endeavor … Read more