PART TWO The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture is probably the most abused of all the doctrines of Biblical Christianity. As the Word of God, the only Word from outside the human realm, it ought to be cherished, adhered to and followed. But even within the borders of so-called “Chritendom” the Bible is hardly allowed a position of absolute authority. Seldom is it permitted the power of veto, particularly when, in our narcissitistic society, its truths and precepts go …
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PART ONE Early Christians Could Not Interpret The OT with the NT Because They Did Not Possess A Full NT It is all very well sitting back in our plush chairs with our laptops or tablets resting against our knees while sipping a latte and carelessly typing out the line, “the OT must be understood through the NT.” It’s easy to do. But a reality check is in order here. In our 21st Century world, where so many things are …
“Only Our Interpretations of the NT are Permitted” Among those who like to criticize Dispensational Premillennialism one encounters a popular mantra: It is that the OT needs to be interpreted by the NT. The logic appears straightforward enough. Since the NT introduces Jesus Christ, and the Apostolic writings unpack the doctrine of Christ, one must go back to the OT with the NT teaching in hand so as to unlock God’s meaning. This reasoning seems so self-eveident to its promoters …
I know I’m in danger of confusing everyone, but I want to announce that not only have I completed The Oaths of God: An Introduction to Biblical Covenantalism, but I am also basically done with the first draft of Deciphering Covenant Theology: A Critique. I thought you might like a look at the Table of Contents and maybe pray for the book. I realize that even though I’m a nobody, a book such as this will tick off covenant theologians. …
I have completed the entire first draft of The Oaths of God, which is a more compact (around 300 pages) edition of the two big volumes of The Words of the Covenant. Lord willing, we can get to publishing soon. THE OATHS OF GOD: An Introduction to Biblical Covenantalism Preface TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction: What’s so Remarkable About God’s Covenants? 1. What I Mean by “Biblical Covenantalism” 2. Before the Covenants 3. Why God’s Covenants Are More Important than Dispensations 4. The Noahic Covenant …
In Daniel 9:24, Gabriel’s words are absolutely essential for a correct interpretation of the Seventy Weeks’ prophecy; the location of the last week especially. Gabriel says the entire period involves Daniel’s people and Jerusalem, and these referents are not to be swapped out with ecclesial ones[1] There are then six particular things to be accomplished which are enumerated in the verse, things which are determined to occur.[2] These are arranged with three negatives followed by three positives: To finish the …
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. – 1 Peter 1:20 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. – Revelation 13:8 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. …
The forward leaning aspect of biblical theology is most apparent when the covenants are in view. But the eschatology and teleology began before anything was made. This goes back to the preparation of the Messiah. The Creation Project actually precedes the creation itself, as passages such as 1 Peter 1:20 inform us that Christ’s office of Savior was “pre-temporal.[1]” This forward movement in scriptural narrative is twinned with an inherent purpose or teleology. Neither the eschatology nor the teleology in …
I am not much for extracting motifs from Scripture. At the moment the motif de jour is jointly the Cosmic Temple motif, and the Second Exodus motif. Give it a few years and someone will discover a new motif in the Bible and academe will all hurry on over to it, and the up-to-date books will treat it like it’s an essential teaching without which the Bible cannot be fully understood. However, there is one clear motif (if I should …
Here’s a reposting of something I wrote about revelatory epistemology. It’s a section from a chapter in my dissertation written in 2006. A brother in Christ has criticized me for not understanding that “prolegomena is logically prior to Scripture.” Well, of course, that is a conclusion based on a method which proceeds on the premise that prolegomena is logically prior to Scripture. In other words, it contains circular reasoning. That is not a problem in itself so long as the …