Archive for December 2018
16 Commentaries (and Bibles) to help you study the Bible this new year
As you enter the new year, no doubt you are setting goals, making plans, and starting new resolutions. Reading the Bible should be one of them, but you should not read the Bible alone. Recruiting the help of those who have studied the Bible longer than you have is always wise. Whether you are a…
Read MoreAging and Finishing Well
On June 9, 2018, I turned 66. Age, I am discovering, can be a powerful tool in your hands. It can motivate you to be more than you ever were before. The past is simply the beginning of the process of becoming better and becoming more in Christ. The concept of “finishing well” has been…
Read MoreGod, Creation Ex Nihilo, and Immutability: Does God Change By Virtue of Creation?
The new issue of Credo Magazine is titled The Immutability of God. The following is an excerpt from Richard C. Barcellos’ article, God, Creation Ex Nihilo, and Immutability: Does God Change By Virtue of Creation? Richard Barcellos is Pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA, and Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary. He is the author…
Read MoreThe Credo Podcast: Looking Back on 2018, Looking Forward to 2019
Founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine and Associate Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Seminary, Matthew Barrett, is the host of The Credo Podcast, which launched in April of 2018. In each episode, Matthew Barrett talks with fellow theologians about the most important doctrines of the faith. The Credo podcast is available on Soundcloud as well as iTunes.…
Read MoreWhen God Became Human
When one grows up in the British Commonwealth (as I did), one feels a certain right to begin a paper like this with an illustration involving the Queen. There must be some tangible pay off from such an upbringing. So I will claim my right here, and start with such an illustration. The Queen of England…
Read MoreThe Sounding Joy: Four Reasons to Rejoice in Jesus’ Arrival
Luke’s infancy narratives provide the most detailed description of Jesus’ birth and its surrounding events. The Gospel writer records the angelic announcements of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah (1:5–25), then Jesus’ birth to Mary (1:26–38). Mary’s song of praise (1:46–56) and Zechariah’s prophecy (1:67–80) are wondrously recounted. The births of John the Baptist (1:57–66) and that…
Read MoreRevelation 16: Libations of God’s Wrath
The pouring of libations is an ancient, complex, and varied ceremonial act. Usually, it took the form of pouring a measure of wine (or olive oil, honey or some other liquid) in commemoration or remembrance of something or as an offering to a deity. Particular vessels were often set aside for ceremonial use in distinction…
Read MoreImmutability, the Promises of God, and the Christian Life
The new issue of Credo Magazine is titled The Immutability of God. The following is an excerpt from Peter Sanlon’s article, Immutability, the Promises of God, and the Christian Life. Peter Sanlon (PhD) is Director of Training for the Free Church of England. He holds theology degrees from Cambridge and Oxford University. His doctoral research has been published as Augustine’s Theology of Preaching.…
Read MoreBethlehem, the Nativity, and Matthew’s New Exodus
With Christmas season upon us, the eyes of Christians worldwide turn to Bethlehem, the city immortalized in Scripture, songs, and pageants as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Though it once was and still remains a relatively small city, its significance far outstrips its size. In ancient Israel, Bethlehem is recorded to be the nearby locale…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between “Son of Man” and “Son of God”? New Credo video with Stephen Wellum
Do the titles “Son of Man” and “Son of God” both carry divine and human overtones? In what way is Jesus’ whole identity bound up as the “Son of God”? What connections are there in the title “Son of Man” to Adam, the Messiah, and the Lord? In this new Credo video, Stephen Wellum speaks…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between “Son of Man” and “Son of God”?
Do the titles “Son of Man” and “Son of God” both carry divine and human overtones? In what way is Jesus’ whole identity bound up as the “Son of God”? What connections are there in the title “Son of Man” to Adam, the Messiah, and the Lord? In this new Credo video, Stephen Wellum speaks…
Read MoreDoes Jesus Know What It’s like to Be Us?
Does Jesus know what it’s like to be us? We want to believe that; but can we? After all, he was never married with six kids, as some of us are. He never lived past 33, as many of us do. He was a man, not a woman. He was Jewish, not some other ethnicity.…
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