Answering the question “Where can you get your Jesus?” is very important. Many of the divisions among Christians are actually a commentary on the relationship of the person of Jesus to various means of “accessing” or “localizing” Jesus. In other words, the question “Where is Jesus?” is an extremely important question and the claim toContinue reading “Where’s Jesus?: Thoughts On A Locally Available Christ”
Category Archives: Theologia
Witherington on Piper’s Theodicy
Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament at Asbury Seminary, joins the discussion on John Piper’s I-35 theodicy. Or think for a moment about the Beelzebul controversy in Mark 3. Jesus is accused of being in league with Satan. Now notice how Jesus responds to this charge. He doesn’t say, “I couldn’t do otherwise, becauseContinue reading “Witherington on Piper’s Theodicy”
God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (5- Providence in Tragedy)
Here’s the last in our “Lutheran Theology and God’s Sovereignty Series.” I appreciate all the work Josh put into this and the good comments from those of you involved in the discussion. How would Lutheran theology speak about God’s role in a tragedy like the I-35 Bridge collapse? Would you say God ordained it forContinue reading “God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (5- Providence in Tragedy)”
God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (4- Election and Salvation)
Good to know some reader thinks that after 7 years of basically reformed-leaning blogging, 4 Lutheran posts qualify as somehow unfair treatment of Calvinism. And the main complaint: “cheap shots.” If you could die from irony, we could really thin out the population on the blogosphere. When Josh is teaching, there’s a lot to learn.Continue reading “God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (4- Election and Salvation)”
God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (3- Assurance)
In this question, Josh deals with the sensitive subject of assurance. Can a believer know they are saved? This is bound to be controversial and informative. 3. Adam O’s piece on “Why I Am Not A Calvinist” centers on the issue of assurance. Can Calvinists know they are elect or are they in a similarContinue reading “God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (3- Assurance)”
God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (2- Pastoral Care)
How does Lutheranism present the sovereignty of God in pastoral care? 2. How would the difference between Lutheran and Reformed views of God’s sovereignty be evidenced pastorally? Since Calvin borrowed a lot from Luther, there are obviously going to be similarities. And since Calvinism is a pretty diverse tradition, I think that in some contexts,Continue reading “God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (2- Pastoral Care)”
God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (1)
UPDATE: Read Don Matzat’s excellent essay on “Martin Luther and Predestination.” A perpective on the Biblical view of God’s sovereignty that’s seldom heard- at least by me- is that of our Lutheran brothers. Lutheran blogger Josh Strodtbeck is a outstanding expounder of Lutheranism, so I’ve invited him to answer some questions. From the first timeContinue reading “God’s Sovereignty in Lutheranism: An Interview With Josh Strodtbeck (1)”
Why Isn’t The Gospel Front Page News?
For more than thirty years, I’ve been reading our state denominational newspaper. While I don’t read every word, I usually spend 15 minutes or so taking in whatever interests me. As I read that Baptist newspaper this week, I noticed something that strikes me as typical of how contemporary evangelicals see the Gospel and indicativeContinue reading “Why Isn’t The Gospel Front Page News?”
Mother Teresa and the Mystery of God’s Absence
UPDATE: I am not going to publish comments claiming that Roman Catholics are not Christians. Critics- atheistic, fundamentalist, truly reformed and those too correct to be labeled- will probably go completely bonkers with pleasure at the revelation that Mother Teresa struggled with the dark night of the soul much of her life and ministry. InContinue reading “Mother Teresa and the Mystery of God’s Absence”
The Eugene Peterson Book That Turned My World Upside Down
I’d read Eugene Peterson for a while in his IVP Old Testament books when I purchased and read a book on pastoral ministry called Working the Angles. Wow. No book in my library is more underlined. This is what I needed to hear in seminary. It’s what I needed to hear from older men inContinue reading “The Eugene Peterson Book That Turned My World Upside Down”
The Internet Monk Archives 