What angels know

One of the things we talked about in the Systematic Theology class a few weeks ago was angels, including what they are, how they function, and what they know and don’t know. Writing about good angels in today’s blog, John Piper notes that it is clear angels are not omniscient — that they are always […]

A few more thoughts about angels…again

I’ve still been mulling over our discussion the other day about angels. My thoughts have been centered around the old slogan created by Flip Wilson, “the Devil made me do it.” Now I don’t think that too many have problems with the idea that the devil might provoke and stimulate unbelievers to particular modes of […]

A few more thoughts about angels (and Jude 9)

Last night we digressed ever so briefly into a discussion about Michael, Satan, and Moses’ body. This morning, I consulted my favorite commentator, and he had this to say on the passage in question: “Michael,” whose name means “Who is like God?” is one of only two angels whose names the Bible reveals; the other […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/27/08)

One of the reasons there is so much confusion about the gospel is that we have misunderstood and misapplied the intent of the gospel. We (in the American church at large) have come to believe that the gospel is all about a decision instead of a lifestyle. Our efforts are predominantly decision-oriented. We encourage people […]

A few more thoughts about sin and salvation

A few years ago I came across the first addendum of sins that the Roman Catholic church added to its official list of sins compiled at the Council of Trent in 1545. Some of the new offenses? Failing to vote. Drunken driving. Forging checks. Charging unjust rents. Paying unfair salaries. Wasting resources (like pampering pets). […]

A few more thoughts about sin

As I was preparing for our study last night, I pulled my files on sin, and was going through the quotations and illustrations I have amassed over a number of years about sin and sinfulness. What I found was a large quantity of truths about sin said very succinctly and well. Since there was no […]

Baptism at the time of Christ

In response to a question Tuesday night about what the Jews at the time of Christ would have understood and believed about baptism, I did a little theological digging. Information is minimal, at best. The NT says nothing about the Jewish understanding of baptism directly, and the Greek translation of the OT (called the Septuagint) […]

A few more thoughts about the Holy Spirit

As we discussed the Holy Spirit last night, we gave just passing comments to the issue of how the Holy Spirit can be blasphemed. While I do not believe that particular sin can be replicated today, the Holy Spirit can still be grieved today. How is the Holy Spirit grieved? My favorite commentator answers: The […]

A few more thoughts on Christology

Last night we spent more time discussing issues related to the cross than I had intended. Our comments surfaced a number of questions and issues that relate to why I have been preaching the sermon series that I have been preaching for the past 3 months. In a simple sentence, the cross and the work […]

A few more thoughts on the Trinity

During class the other night, I was trying to reconstruct from memory the comments made by J. I. Packer in an interview I’d read earlier in the week. The interview is no longer available on the web, but here is part of what Packer said about trying to explain the Trinity. His comments are both […]

A few more thoughts about God and His holiness

As I reflected on last night’s study, along with the tension of covering much material far too quickly, I believe I left some confusion about the sovereignty of God. So let me attempt to un-muddy the waters for you. When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we are saying that God is in control, […]

A few more thoughts about God’s attributes

A couple more thoughts after last night’s study of the attributes of God — No, we didn’t get finished with the notes, but I’m okay with that, even if it means that we won’t be able to cover some other things in as much detail at the end of the summer. There is nothing more […]

A few more thoughts about the Bible

A few more thoughts (from people who said it better than me) about the Bible (these are “leftovers” from the theology Bible Institute class last night): “I am a Bible-bigot. I follow it in all things, both great and small.” [John Wesley.] “Contemporary evangelicalism has been beguiled and sabotaged by a ruinous lack of confidence […]