Centuries passed before the time of the birth of Jesus Christ in the small hamlet of Bethlehem Judah around the Year 5-7 B.C.[1] Bethlehem was the place where David was born (1 Sam. 17:12), and also was the place where the Messiah would be born (Mic. 5:2). Yahweh had pinpointed Bethlehem so no other birthplace would be right for Jesus Christ. Not Jerusalem, not Rome, but tiny Bethlehem. God means what He says. And He would be born precisely at …
Category: Articles
I’m doing the boring chore of name and Scripture indices at the moment. Here’s an excerpt from the forthcoming book. First of all, we must dismiss this view, held by many pious men throughout history, that the Church is in the OT. The New covenant was not made in the OT, and I have shown the Church to be a New covenant institution. The NT records the making of the New covenant in Jesus’ blood (Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). This …
It may be help if I jot down what I believe to be the essence of my approach. I hasten to add that there is quite a bit more to it, but I would be satisfied if anyone studying my work were to characterize it under those five points. Everything else that I espouse is a direct result of these foundational tenets. …
Part Two Re-forming Reformed Evangelicalism. In the first article we surveyed some of the great heritage of English Christianity up until the death of Spurgeon. I also took notice of the burgeoning Liberalism of the 19th Century. The second article charted the progress of Liberal theology and the corresponding waning of the conservative cause until things picked up owing to the influence of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and others in the middle of the last century. Nevertheless, the muddy boots of the …
PART ONE Evangelicalism’s Fall and Rise (The 20th Century) In the first article I provided a condensed overview of the aspects of English Church History which were salient to my goal. I zeroed in on those persons and developments that shaped the backdrop to the present Evangelical landscape. Naturally, I am aware that in the last 40 years or so the band of churchgoers who have taken possession of the name has become broader (though not deeper). This group (e.g. …
I stumbled across this series of three posts while looking for something else. They were originally written about 20 years ago. but I don’t think the situation has changed for the better since then. The Importance of the Past: Wycliffe to Spurgeon. As an expatriate Englishman I was been asked to outline the state of British Evangelicalism for readers of a Newsletter. I suppose I could just charge in headlong and hope that you would perceive where I’m coming from, …
A Review of The Future Restoration of Israel: A Response to Supersessionism, edited by Stanley E. Porter and Alan E. Kurschner, Eugene, OR, Pickwick, 2023, 448 pages, pbk. I reviewed a book on supersessionism a few weeks ago, which you can read here. That book was a bit of a let down to say the least. This is a much bigger book. It is also a book written from a different perspective. All the contributors are premillennial, although not all …
This post interacts with a recent article published by The Friends of Israel ministry entitled “Stop Praying for Patience: Changing Our Perspective on the Fruit of the Spirit.” I don’t normally do this sort of thing, but I happened to click on the above essay by Sarah Fern, and as I have been teaching intensively on The Fruit of the Spirit at the Church I pastor I thought I would see what Mrs Fern had to say. It has to …
From the upcoming book ‘The Words of the Covenant: Volume Two, New Testament Continuation’ I think that one of the very first things we need to note about the book of Revelation is its decidedly Jewish tone. The book speaks of David, the throne, Jerusalem, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the twelve tribes of Israel, the two witnesses, the ark of the testimony, the commandments of Moses, and among things. References to Israel and hints at its promises …
From the forthcoming book The Words of the Covenant, Volume Two, New Testament Continuation As he begins his prophecy, John says that he is a fellow brother in the “tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). I think it is important to notice the word “kingdom” and ask whether it speaks of a kingdom that was present already in the first century A.D. or whether it refers to the future messianic Kingdom. It will not come as …
