Grace for Good Works (2 Corinthians 8-9)
Within Free Grace theology, there is a great emphasis on the grace of God. One of the reasons for this is such a theology rightly sees that the eternal salvation of a person rests solely upon that grace. We receive eternal life as a free gift the moment we believe in Jesus Christ for it. […]
Philippians: Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament
Philippians: Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament. By Joseph H. Hellerman, Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishing Group, 2015. 297 pp. Paper, $29.99. The book of Philippians is of interest to readers of the JOTGES because of certain verses that are often taken to indicate that works are either necessary for eternal life or […]
Kept for Jesus: What the New Testament Really Teaches about Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security
Kept for Jesus: What the New Testament Really Teaches about Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security. By Sam Storms. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2015. 203 pp. Paper, $15.99. Storms is the senior pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, OK and holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also the […]
The Healing Of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), Part 1
I. INTRODUCTION In a recent article in this journal, I argued that when Jesus used spittle to heal a blind man in stages in Mark 8:22-26, it was a picture of the “blindness” of the disciples. They did not understand what following Jesus meant. The use of the spittle indicated that what Jesus was about […]
Getting Back to Basics (1 Timothy 1:15-17)
Where We Come From One day a seminary student saw his advanced Greek professor reading a book. He noticed that it was the textbook used by first-year Greek students. The professor was extremely knowledgeable in New Testament Greek, and the student was intrigued as to why he was reading it. When he asked the professor […]
The Power of Christ’s Obedience (Hebrews 10:5-7; Psalm 40)
When I study the New Testament, I like to see how it deals with Old Testament quotes. It is always interesting to go back and study the original context. For example, take Heb 10:5-7: Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have […]
Words of Life in John 6
In John 6:26ff, the Lord has an extended conversation with a large crowd of Jews. Some of the things Jesus says are easy to understand. He says that it is the will of the Father that all who believe in Him may have eternal life and that Jesus will raise the believer up on the […]
Part of the Team (Colossians 1:10,13)
Teambuilding As a sports fan, my favorite time of the year is the end of March. That is when the college basketball tournament, known as March Madness, takes place. Probably the major reason I enjoy it so much is it brings back to me memories of when I played on a high school basketball team. […]
Faith in His Name: Listening to the Gospel of John
Faith in His Name: Listening to the Gospel of John. By Zane C. Hodges. Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2015. 149 pp. Paper, $15.00. The author of this book, Zane Hodges, died in November 2008. He was in the process of writing this commentary on the Gospel of John. At the time of his death, […]
A Gospel of Doubt: The Legacy of John MacArthur’s “The Gospel According to Jesus”
A Gospel of Doubt: The Legacy of John MacArthur’s “The Gospel According to Jesus.” By Robert N. Wilkin. Corinth, TX: Grace Evangelical Society. 305 pp. Paper, $22.00. John MacArthur wrote The Gospel According to Jesus (TGAJ) in 1988. It has been very well received in the evangelical world. A new edition was published in 2008. […]