In Exodus 32, Moses has gone up on Mount Sinai to talk to God. Almost immediately after he left, the Israelites fall into idolatry, worshiping a golden calf (Ex. 32:1-6). God is displeased, and says to Moses, “Go down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves” (Ex. 32:7). Moses responds… Continue reading The Father’s Two Sons: What the Prodigal Son Tells us About Divine Sonship
Tag: Bible
Numbering the Stars with a Fresh Pair of Eyes
The Gospel reading for this past Sunday is one of the more famous passages from the Book of Genesis. God tells Abram (a childless, 75-year-old man) to number the stars. When he can’t, God says, “And so shall your descendants be.” One of the things that makes this scene so captivating is that, for anyone… Continue reading Numbering the Stars with a Fresh Pair of Eyes
The Case for Calling Mary “Mother of God”
Modern Protestants often balk at Catholics referring to the Virgin Mary as “the Mother of God.” One Protestant apologetics website argues that “Mary most certainly isn’t the mother of God,” since “God is eternal, Mary was not.” The author concludes that calling Mary the Mother of God is thus “a serious blasphemy attacking the very… Continue reading The Case for Calling Mary “Mother of God”
Mormonism and the Martyrdom of St. Stephen
St. Stephen’s martyrdom, which we celebrate today, includes a valuable gem in discussing prayer with the LDS, better known as the Mormons. Mormons refuse to pray to Jesus, because they don’t see prayer to Him in the New Testament: So, it is abundantly clear in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount that we are instructed,… Continue reading Mormonism and the Martyrdom of St. Stephen
Is Marian Devotion Dangerous?
Scripture prophesies and prescribes Marian devotion, and a careful reading of the New and Old Testament together shows that Mary is given a pride of place rarely (if ever) found in Protestant denominations. But that is not the end of the story. Protestants examining this evidence will sometimes be intellectually convinced, but will encounter a… Continue reading Is Marian Devotion Dangerous?
Does the Real Presence Violate the Old Testament Law?
One of the arguments raised against the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is that it violates Genesis 9:4, which forbids eating anything with the blood still in it. So, for example, Roger Oakland makes the argument this way, in trying to explain away Christ’s Eucharistic discourse from John 6: Master of Sigena,Jesus Amongst the Doctors of… Continue reading Does the Real Presence Violate the Old Testament Law?
Why It’s Important that We Call Priests “Father”
Some Christians, based upon Matthew 23:9, are opposed to the practice of calling priests “fathers.” They’re mistaken in this opposition, and risk doing a disservice to God out of their misreading of this text. Now, we already know that the practice of referring to spiritual fathers as “father” is in found throughout the New Testament (e.g., Luke… Continue reading Why It’s Important that We Call Priests “Father”
Does Saint Jerome Endorse the Protestant Canon?
In response to last week’t two–part series on the canon of Scripture, my Lutheran friend Rev. Hans wrote: Guercino, St Jerome in the Wilderness (1650) I am curious about the view St. Jerome has on the Deuterocanonical books. I have read that he questioned these books and separated them from the Old Testament Canon. You brought… Continue reading Does Saint Jerome Endorse the Protestant Canon?
Why Not 66: Answering Brian Edwards’ Arguments for the Protestant Canon (Pt. II)
This is the second part of my response to Evangelical theologian Brian Edwards’ case for the 66-Book Protestant canon, “Why 66?” Yesterday, I answered three of Edwards’ major claims: that the Deuterocanon was rejected by the early Jews, by Jesus and the Apostles, and that the Septuagint at the time of Christ probably “did not include” the… Continue reading Why Not 66: Answering Brian Edwards’ Arguments for the Protestant Canon (Pt. II)
Why Not 66: Answering Brian Edwards’ Arguments for the Protestant Canon (Pt. I)
Brian Edwards In continuing my search for a principled basis for the Protestant canon of Scripture, I found what looked to be the perfect fit. It’s a talk called “Why 66?,” an hour long presentation by the Evangelical theologian Brian Edwards, which sought to answer, for a Protestant audience: (I, 6:37). “So what is the… Continue reading Why Not 66: Answering Brian Edwards’ Arguments for the Protestant Canon (Pt. I)