Having just finished rereading Genesis, I am struck once more by the life of Jacob. Although all the patriarchs were flawed, Jacob is incredibly so. He is a grasping man, always reaching for his own way whenever the opportunity presents itself. But this reading, I have also noticed Jacob's great fear. Of all the patriarchs, …
The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. Song of Songs 1:1 Song of Songs has a complicated place in church history. On one hand, God's people have treasured it as though it were a first among equals. Jewish Rabbi Akiva is famous for saying that all the ages are not worth the day that God …
Continue reading Rules for Reading the Greatest Song | Song of Songs 1:1
The simple and honest answer to the title's question is: as often as you do. When Christ held up the cup, He said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). In other words, there is no explicit command …
Continue reading How Often Should We Take the Lord’s Supper?
The opening line beautifully captures the heart of the resurrection: Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected. That final phrase physically resurrected is crucial. There are some who are fond of the Christ's teaching but deny the physical resurrection, saying instead that His resurrection was metaphorical. That is not the Christian confession. …
Continue reading Question 50: What Does Christ’s Resurrection Mean For Us?
Yesterday (February 1) marked the eleventh anniversary of my pastorate at Western Meadows Baptist Church. Here then are eleven thoughts from eleven years of pastoring. CLARITY FOSTERS UNITYTHICK SKIN; TENDER HEARTA SHEPHERD, NOT A CEOPASTORING TAKES TIMETEACH FIRST, AND MAKE BIG CHANGES SLOWLYORGANIZING SERMONS BY YEARTHE PRIMARY WORK IS LARGELY UNSEENREADING WIDELY AND DEEPLYLEARNING THE …
The ages before the birth of Christ are called BC, before Christ. The years after are called AD, which does not mean after death. Rather, it stands for a Latin phrase: anno Domini (the year of the Lord). We are now counting years since the arrival of Christ. And though He died, He did not …
This is not an easy question to answer, especially whenever we consider the church local or universal, visible or invisible. Thankfully, this answer applies to both. God chooses and preserves for himself a community elected for eternal life. Those opening words contain terms that can be uncomfortable for some Christians, but this is simply language …
Three things are too wonderful for me;Four I do not understand:The way of an eagle in the sky,The way of a serpent on a rock,The way of a ship on the high seas,And the way of a man with a virgin. Proverbs 30:18-9 ESV The text before us this morning is itself the embodiment of …
Continue reading The Way of a Man with a Virgin | Proverbs 30:18-19
AUTHOR The superscription for the whole book is Song of Songs 1:1: "The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's." That is why the book is often called the Song of Solomon. Indeed, most evangelical commentators argue for Solomon as the author. A popular speculation throughout church history is that Solomon wrote Song of Songs in …
This question builds on the previous one, which answered: What is the Lord's Supper? Now, just like with baptism, we have a clarifying follow-up. Baptism is a beautiful picture of our saving faith in Jesus Christ, but it does not wash away sin itself. Baptism is necessary for the Christian life but not for salvation. …
Continue reading Question 47: Does the Lord’s Supper Add Anything to Christ’s Atoning Work?
B. C. Newton 