Quakers, Scripture, and Justification by Turning from Sin
I read everybody. For example, I was reading this blog on Scriptural authority from “Ramblings of a Country Preacher,” an independent Quaker minister. He is arguing that Quakers—and all Christians—must return to Scriptural authority. Overall, I agree with his position: The perfect standard or Scriptural teachings have over time been consumed by the secular liberal […]
God Is Omniscient: God’s Middle Knowledge
Imagine that Laura is a doctor. Laura chose to become a doctor because her mother developed Lou Gehrig’s disease, and she had to learn how to care for her mother. That sparked Laura’s passion for medicine. But what if Laura’s mother had never developed the disease? Would Laura still have become a doctor? And is […]
The Tree of Life: One Tree or Many? (Revelation 22:2)
Revelation 22:2 has a puzzling description of the tree of life: In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. The tree of […]
God Is Omniscient: God’s Foreknowledge
God knows everything that is possible to know. But one question that has been hotly debated—is it possible for God to know the future? That is, does God have foreknowledge? What does the Bible say? First, it says that God can make declarations about the future because He knows the goals that He wants to […]
God Is Omniscient: God Knows All That Is
God is all-knowing. But what, exactly, does that knowledge include? For one, God knows everything in the present. For example, God knows all about you and how you act, think, and speak. In fact, He knows what you’ll say before you even say it: You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted […]
God Is Omniscient: Introduction
In the last hundred years, human knowledge has exploded. Currently, it doubles every thirteen months, and it may soon double every twelve hours! We know more about the universe now than we ever have before, and a year from now we’ll know double that much! Long gone are the days of having “Renaissance” men like […]
Jesus’ Last Week in Light of Daniel 9:25-26
By Shawn Lazar After centuries of promising to send a Messiah, God finally gave a concrete timeline in Daniel 9:24-27 for when He would come. And vv 25-26 give us specific information about what would happen to Messiah at that time: “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore […]
How Can Faith Not Produce Good Works?
I was recently asked, “I am a little confused as to the relationship between faith and works in the Free Grace understanding. My own understanding is that faith naturally has a corresponding action. It’s not that the action proves or adds anything to salvation, but that grace-born trust in Jesus could not fail to be […]
Shepherd the Flock
Shepherd the Flock. By Donald Norbie. Port Colborne, CO: Gospel Folio Press, 2010. 38 pp. Paper, $1.59. This booklet summarizes the NT teaching about the roles of elders in the local church. Norbie has four chapters, “The Motivation,” “The Qualifications,” “The Work,” and “The Discipline of the Elders.” For the most part, Norbie’s observations are […]
The Hospitality Commands
The Hospitality Commands. By Alexander Strauch. Littleton, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1993. 64 pp. Paper, $6.99. What kinds of spiritual practices should Christians emphasize? In this short, but powerful, booklet, Alexander Strauch explores what the NT says about hospitality. Unlike popular spiritual disciplines that do not have clear Scriptural bases, Strauch shows that hospitality […]