Author Archives
Pastor for 30 years.
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Brokenhearted? The Lord is near!
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18) The term “brokenhearted” very graphically depicts the depth of pain we can experience when life disappoints us. It is actually a construction of… Read More ›
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Great C. S. Lewis quote about Culture
I am reading C. S. Lewis’s book The Weight of Glory and once again I realize why he is so popular 50 years after his death. He is addressing the fact that culture will always exist, even in times of… Read More ›
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The wonderful preposition ὑπέρ
I recently began a sermon series at our church on Galatians. As I worked through the first message on 1:1-5, I was again overwhelmed with the substitutional death of Christ that is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus… Read More ›
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Free of Charge by Miroslav Volf
I recently read the book Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace by Miroslav Volf. Volf is professor of theology at Yale Divinity School. Volf, interacting with the Scriptures, systematic theology, Luther, culture and personal experience, makes… Read More ›
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Where have I been?
OK, I know I have not posted since August 30. I have no excuse save one: In addition to being a pastor, I ended up teaching 4 courses last Fall (10 credits!). This semester I only have one course, a… Read More ›
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New Greek Grammar by Dr. Rod Decker
Dr. Rod Decker of Baptist Bible Seminary has recently announced that his first-year Greek grammar will be published by Baker in the near future. Titled Learning Koine Greek, this grammar will complement his intermediate grammar titled Koine Greek Reader, which has… Read More ›
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Colossians 1:14: A note on ἀπολύτρωσις
Students in my class were assigned to propose a short biblical theology defining redemption based solely on the content found in the book of Colossians. In other words, what is redemption based just on the epistle. It is a short… Read More ›
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ῥύομαι – That other word for saved!
The New Testament often employs the verb σῴζω to describe several things including the saving of the soul from eternal destruction as well as for denoting the rescue or deliverance out of other difficult physical or temporal circumstances. It is… Read More ›
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Pillar NT Commentary series: the difficulty in finishing a series first
This is a bit of a lament. I have found most of the volumes in the Pillar New Testament Commentary series to be very good. I have been accumulating them from day one. What has been frustrating has been how long… Read More ›
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ἐκπλήσσω – Being amazed at God and his word
We will be studying the Gospel of Matthew in Sunday school this fall and this morning I finished a major section when I wrote notes for the end of chapter 7. In 7:28-29, Matthew adds a conclusion to the Sermon… Read More ›
God Incarnate 