Church History

 

I had the pleasure of teaching a church history course for our adult Sunday school last fall. It was a fun time highlighting bite size bits of events in church history.

Devo

While exercising the devotional approach to scripture, it is important to maintain healthy exegesis. Often the devotional method will parcel up scripture into small portions and the interpreter will plunge ahead looking for application without appreciation of the context or authorial intent. Remember the first rule of interpretation is context, context, context!

Bernard Ramm rightly points that we should approach the scriptures devotionally, but there are some dangers:

The devotional and practical emphasis in Bible teaching is absolutely necessary. The purpose of preaching is more than doctrinal communication or exposition of the meaning of Scripture. It must reach over into life and experience, and this is the function of the devotional teaching of Scripture. The vital, personal, and spiritual must be present in all the ministries of the Word.

There are two weaknesses of devotional interpretation:

(i). It/falls prey to allegorization especially in the use of the Old Testament. In the effort to find a spiritual truth or application of a passage of Scripture the literal and therefore primary meaning of the passage is obscured. If it is not a case of bald allegorizing it may be excessive typology. Given enough allegorical and typological rope one may prove a variety of contradictory propositions from the Old Testament. One may prove Calvinistic security (the central board in the wall of the Tabernacle) or Arminian probationalism (the failure of faith at Kadesh-Barnea). A Reformed expositor may prove that the soul feeds on Christ while discussing the sacrificial system, and a Catholic prove his doctrine of the mass. 

All sorts of distortions have been made of the historical records of the Old Testament (and occasionally the New) in order to derive a spiritual blessing or to make a devotional point.

(ii). Devotional interpretation may be a substitute for the requisite exegetical and doctrinal studies of the Bible. Strong doctrinal sinews and solid exegetical bones are necessary for spiritual health. If the emphasis is completely devotional the requisite doctrinal and expository truth of Scripture are denied God’s people.

Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids, Mich. Bake Book House, 1970), 62-63.

Lauren Baptism

Anulum Solis

We went to Sunriver, Oregon for the annular Solar eclipse that happened this morning. While we were in the area, we went to crater lake as well. It was a fun time, seeing the lake, bicycling around Sunriver, and hiking at the lake and also at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, and Benham falls.

Biblical Theology of Resurrection

 

Today I preached on the 'Light of life: A biblical theology of resurrection.' It was an opportunity to share some of the learning and research I've done on Biblical resurrection when doing my ThM thesis.

Biblical Theology of Shepherd

 

Had the opportunity to preach on short notice, and I got to deliver a sermon I've been working on for a while. A biblical theology of Shepherd. Was nice to present this.

Biblical Theology of Temple

Recently preached on a Biblical Theology of Temple. You can watch the video here. I was more concerned about accurately presenting Biblical Theology than extemporaneous presentation, so there was much reading. Next time should be on a Biblical Theology of Shepherd.

Sermon starts at 46:00

It is also available for download here.