Nothing But The Truth
Nothing But the Truth In his Modern Man and his Categories of Thought, C S Lewis makes this perceptive observation: Man is becoming as narrowly ‘practical’ as the irrational animals. In lecturing to popular audiences, I have repeatedly found it almost impossible to make them understand that I recommended Christianity because I thought its affirmations to be objectively true. They are simply not interested in questions of truth or falsehood. They only want to know if it will be comforting,…
God Breathed – Part 4
God-Breathed Scripture –Part 4 Paul’s assertion that “All Scripture (graphē) is inspired by God” (2 Tim 3:16) follows his reminder to Timothy that he had known “the sacred writings” from “childhood” (2 Tim 3:15), so it is natural to understand graphē here as a reference to the Old Testament writings. Wesley reminds us that “These only were extant when Timothy was an infant”, and Wayne Grudem points out that graphē “occurs fifty-one times in the New Testament and…
God Breathed Part 3
God-Breathed Scripture Part 3 Best known for his defense of scripture against higher criticism and liberal theology, Princeton professor B B Warfield (1851–1921) would have agreed that 2 Timothy 3:16 “constitutes a ringing declaration of the Divine authorship of Scripture” (Part 1). In an article entitled Inspiration (ISBE 1915), Warfield discusses the term theópneustos, a compound word made up of theos (God) and, according to most language specialists, pneo (to breathe, breathe out, blow). Warfield argues that ‘The Greek word does…
God Breathed Part 2
God-Breathed Scripture Part 2 One of the “well-known difficulties” presented by 2 Timothy 3:16 (Part 1) has to do with the position of the adjective usually translated as “inspired by God” (NASB) or similar. Evidently, it is “grammatically permissible” for this word to be in “the attributive position or the predicate position” (H. Wayne House ‘Biblical Inspiration in 2 Timothy 3:16,’ Bibliotheca Sacra Jan 1980). Thankfully House explains what he means. He tells us…
God Breathed – Part 1
God-Breathed Scripture Part 1 …
Good and Evil – Who Decides? Part 2
Good and Evil – Who Decides? Part 2 Biblical theists like C S Lewis are not alone in recognising that if there is no God “all moral judgements (are) … statements about the speaker’s feelings” and nothing more (Part 1). In his influential 1979 essay Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law [Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law (duke.edu)] Yale Law School professor Arthur Allen Leff bluntly states: The so-called death of God turns out not to have been just His funeral; it also seems…
Good and Evil Who Decides Pt 1
Good and Evil – Who Decides? Pt. 1 In her 1969 counterculture anthem Woodstock, songwriter Joni Mitchell intones: “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden.” Of course, there is no getting ourselves back to the Garden. We live in a decaying universe which “groans and suffers” (Rom 8:22) because our first parents succumbed to temptation and disobeyed the LORD God when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and…
A Letter to Friends
A Letter to Friends In his “sweetheart” epistle to the church at Philippi, Paul writes to sympathetic, noble, loyal friends who have repeatedly demonstrated a concern for his wellbeing. The apostle appreciates their “participation in the gospel from the first day” (1:5) and is thankful for their ongoing support. The Philippians have “always obeyed” Paul, not just when he was present with them, but also in his “absence” (2:12). God had begun a good work in their lives and…
Despair or Faith?
Despair or Faith Isn’t it remarkable just how easily you and I can become absorbed in and entranced by the things of this world, even while knowing in our hearts that our citizenship is in the next (Phil 3:20)? We know that we are “aliens and strangers” upon the earth (1 Pet 2:11) and that our minds really should be set on the “things above” (Col 3:2) but still the world around us with its daily grind, its incessant demands…
On Keeping Accounts
On Keeping Accounts One of the few jokes that I can readily call to mind is about the elephant who, seemingly without provocation, kicked a defenseless turtle. When the indignant little reptile complained to his assailant, the elephant responded, “Turtle, you’ve obviously forgotten the fact that you insulted me 10 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten because I have turtle recall.” I’m not sure about turtle recall, but if like me you struggle to remember scriptural verses and anniversary dates, total…
What’s it All About – Pt 2
What’s it all about? – Part 2 As my friend was laid to rest, the sound system belted out Sinatra’s I Did It My Way, and as I listened to the self-aggrandizing lyrics I couldn’t help but think “This is the saddest part of all.” Sad but not unexpected. John had good reason to warn against “the boastful pride of life” (1 Jn 2:16). Our first parents believed an ego-massaging lie (you will be like God/gods [Gen 3:5])…
What’s It All About? – Part one
What’s It All About? A few years ago, the curtain went up on a play by Samuel Beckett which Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser describes “as an eloquent statement on modern man.” There are no human actors in the play and the scenery is quite simple – just a pile of junk. Only two sounds are heard throughout the play: the wail of a newborn baby off stage and then, after a period of silence, the groan of a dying…