Archive for September 2019
Why Pastors Should Engage Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet was the first person to publish a book of poetry in America and the first female Puritan I encountered. One day at work I went into the stacks to quickly reference a set of her poems; an hour later, I found myself sitting on the floor of the aisle having read the entire…
Read MoreHow to Read Lamentations Theologically
What does the poet who composed the book of Lamentations think about God and his community’s relationship with him? In other words, what is the theology of Lamentations? Lamentations is a book composed of five separate poems written in response to a horrific community tragedy. That tragedy is never specified in the book, but very…
Read MoreIt Takes Theology to Lament
A few days after the stillbirth of our daughter, the phone rang. On the other end, a familiar voice brought me to tears. It was a mentor from seminary, a teacher whose classes elevated my view of God and leveled my pride. His love for God’s glory and the church often left me wanting to…
Read MoreWhat is the Westminster Confession?
What is the Westminster Confession? How is the Westminster Confession ecumenical and doxological? How did the early constructors use the Westminster Confession? Should the church today use the Westminster Confession? In this new Credo Video, Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn discusses the Westminster Confession, its purpose, and its use in the church today.
Read MoreNew Credo Video: What is the Westminster Confession?
What is the Westminster Confession? How is the Westminster Confession ecumenical and doxological? How did the early constructors use the Westminster Confession? Should the church today use the Westminster Confession? In this new Credo Video, Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn discusses the Westminster Confession, its purpose, and its use in the church today.
Read MoreLilias Trotter and Living by Dying
Christians are all called to live by dying. The call is “to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.”[1] This cross strips us of all our earthly gains and puts our shame, guilt, and fear on display for the world to see. We are called to forget ourselves, pick up the wooden beams,…
Read MoreDivine Aseity and Christian Apologetics
The latest issue of Credo Magazine focuses on The Aseity of God. The following is an excerpt from Thorvald Madsen’s column, Divine Aseity and Christian Apologetics: Why God’s self-existence matters for defending the faith. Thorvald B. Madsen (PhD, University of Aberdeen) has served at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary since 1999 and is currently Dean of Graduate Studies, PhD Program Director,…
Read MoreHow the Kingdom Arrives in Matthew’s Gospel
One of the most well-known truths in the Gospels is that Jesus’s message centers on the arrival of the kingdom of God. And one of the most well-known truths in Matthew is that he describes it as the “kingdom of heaven” rather than kingdom of God. Historically, the explanation has been that Matthew, because of…
Read MoreEchoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif
I am very grateful to the editors of Credo for inviting me to explain a little bit about the history of the development of my new book and some of the main ideas of my recently published book, Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif. Frankly, at the beginning of the book, I quote the…
Read MoreDoes God’s Immutability Need to Change?
Does God’s immutability need to change? What problems follow if we try to modify God’s unchanging nature? Why do some pit God as a living being and God as an immutable being against one another? Can God be immutable in his essence but mutable in his relationships? How does divine simplicity buttress our doctrine of…
Read MoreNew Credo Podcast: Does God’s Immutability Need to Change?
Does God’s immutability need to change? What problems follow if we try to modify God’s unchanging nature? Why do some pit God as a living being and God as an immutable being against one another? Can God be immutable in his essence but mutable in his relationships? How does divine simplicity buttress our doctrine of…
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