On May 25, 2016, Professor John Webster, one of the world’s great contemporary theologians, suddenly and unexpectedly entered glory. Within hours memorials began to appear. Following his training at the Bradford Grammar School and the University of Cambridge (MA, PhD), Webster took his first teaching post at St. John’s College at the University of Durham.
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Was Jesus’ Resurrection Prophesied?
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus says: “O foolish and slow in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25–26 LEB). But what prophecy is Jesus referencing from “the prophets”? Most likely—the suffering servant in Isaiah.
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Set Your Mind on the Things of God
Ash Wednesday Confession: Psalm 51:1–4 Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loyal love. According to your abundant mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and from my sin cleanse me. For I myself know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, only you, I
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Paul’s Passionate Defense of the Gospel in Galatians
To journey into the book of Galatians is to venture into a hostile and confused mob, where outbursts of anger, jealousy, and bitterness are vented in a chaotic cacophony. One voice cuts through the bedlam—“Back to the gospel.” All stop to listen, but will all hear? That voice is Paul’s, and his announcement is broadcast
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One Small Change, One Big Difference
The Big Picture Surveys taken within the past decade show that three-fourths of Americans believe in the supernatural world of God and angels. Christians heartily embrace the concept of the supernatural, presuming that the Bible’s description of spirits, demons, and miracles must be true in order for Scripture to have any consistent meaning. However, we
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The Vast Historical Context of 1 & 2 Samuel
In the order of books in the Hebrew canon, 1–2 Samuel follows immediately the book of Judges, while in the order found in the LXX, the book of Ruth is inserted between them. But since the setting of the book of Ruth is also in the period of the judges, both arrangements make sense chronologically.
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Abraham Kuyper on the Beginning of John’s Gospel
John does not proceed like Mark, who, after first mentioning the Baptist, suddenly introduces the Christ. Nor does John proceed like Luke, who takes as his point of departure the expectation that lived among the God-fearing Jews. And John proceeds unlike Matthew, who goes back to Abraham, and then from Abraham via David to Mary
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God’s Love in the Midst of Our Darkness (An Advent Devotional)
Today’s guest post was written by Dan Bush, co-author with Noel Due of Embracing God as Father: Christian Identity in the Family of God and the upcoming Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians. To discuss this and other pieces Dan has written please join his group on Faithlife. Suggested readings: Romans 13:8–14 and Matthew
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Mark Alan Bowald on the Ethos, Logos & Pathos of Scripture
Contemporary hermeneutics, including biblical hermeneutics, are held hostage to the myths of principles and to a “text versus reader” framework. This is reinforced by lingering investments in distinctly modern notions of objectivity that emerge from and are dependent upon an essentially deistic worldview. The perceived gap between us and the source of meaning, the human
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Anticipating the Birth of Jesus
The following excerpts come from today’s reading in Anticipating His Arrival: A Family Guide through Advent and 300 Christmas Quotations and Prayers (both 50% off during Advent). Tuesday: Luke 1:68–79 (Part 2) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and has redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn
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