Theology
If Christ Is Risen, Nothing Else Matters
The church historian Jaroslav Pelikan has said that “if Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.” This is my favorite quotation about Easter. All of human history revolves around whether Jesus Christ, the God-man, rose from the dead. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then we…
Read MoreSt. Patrick and the Missionary Mandate
By now your television screens, inboxes, and minds are flooded with news of coronavirus. It’s a harrowing hour to be sure. Instead of fretting at every bit of news that comes out, we can use this time to remember God’s faithfulness. God has a missionary heart and has been seeking and saving the lost from…
Read MoreLove – Advent 2018
Advent is a delicious thirst. We remember the Incarnation, when God became flesh to become one flesh with us—a mystery the fourth Gospel calls “abiding.” This love began in the Father (John 3:16) and was completed by the Son on the cross (13:1). John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” reclined on the chest of the…
Read MorePeace – Advent 2018
In his famous poem, “Christmas Bells,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow captures his despair and hope as he wrestles with “peace on earth” or the lack thereof in the final two stanzas: And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace…
Read MoreHope – Advent 2018
The church father Tertullian (fl. AD 200) once remarked, “Hope is patience with the lamp lit.” The reason hope requires patience is because we only hope for things we do not have. Paul made this point in Romans 5: “hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if…
Read MoreNew Book: Prayer, Middle Knowledge, and Divine-Human Interaction by Kyle DiRoberts
Dr. Kyle DiRoberts, Adjunct Professor at Phoenix Seminary, has recently graduated with the PhD degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a revision of his dissertation was published by Wipf & Stock Publishers. Below, Kyle tells us about his new book and why he wrote it. I wrote Prayer, Middle Knowledge, and Divine-Human Interaction out of…
Read MoreBrian Arnold on Justification in the Second Century
At Phoenix Seminary, we treasure the motto, Scholarship with a Shepherd’s Heart, and we teach, mentor, serve, and publish with it in mind. In this post, summarizing his recently published book on the topic, Dr. Brian Arnold clarifies the earliest history of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. We hope you find it helpful. Furthermore,…
Read MoreJohn Meade’s Recent Talks on the Canon of Scripture
Recently, Dr. John Meade spoke twice on the canon of scripture at Clearview Church. In the first video, he answers the question, “Why does our (Protestant) Bible have the Books it does?”, and in the second video, he sat down with Pastor Abidan Paul Shah to discuss his latest co-authored book on the Biblical Canon…
Read MoreThe Council of Nicaea and Biblical Canon
Ideas have consequences. The idea that the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), under the authority of Roman Emperor Constantine, established the Christian biblical canon attempted to show how the Bible originated from conspiracy and power play on the part of a relative few, elite bishops. That this idea persists today can be shown not only…
Read MoreWhat a pastor should know about developments in textual criticism. Part 3: New Resources
In this series, Dr. Peter Gurry explains recent developments in New Testament textual criticism. Read part 1 and part 2. We have been considering what a pastor should know about recent developments in textual criticism, a discipline that aims to recover the original words of the New Testament authors. The previous posts have considered new…
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