Tag Archive

Why Are We Here?

In the past few weeks, I’ve been blessed to have had numerous occasions to reflect on the purpose and mission of Christian thought in general and the Ichthus in particular, and I wanted to take some time to share my perspective and engage with the rest of the community.  I think the issue of articulating… more »

Advent-Part III of IV: Come, Key of David

This is the third part of an ongoing series about what we’re waiting for during Advent.

O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust thy mighty power to save
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

The dream of immortality has haunted humanity for as… more »

Advent-Part II of IV: Come, Lord of Might

Christ is coming back. This much has been promised to us. The season of Advent is a time to remember this promise and to prepare—not because we ought not to prepare at other times, but because it is hard to hold all the facets of the Christian life in our minds and our hearts at… more »

Advent-Part I of IV: Come, Emmanuel

Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
This Sunday was the first day of the church year, and the first day of the season of Advent. Advent is celebrated the four weeks before Christmas, and is a time… more »

Do You Not Know?

A peculiar mark of many younger Christians in this current generation is the elevation of orthopraxy over orthodoxy.  Right practice is now typically celebrated–social justice, environmental issues, sensitive political awareness, and the like.  All of this I applaud and am deeply encouraged by.  It counters some blatant mistakes of the past.  However, along the way… more »

Must Christians be Pacifists?

You see a known murderer break into your neighbor’s house. Your neighbor and his entire family are sound asleep; the only people awake are you and the murderer. You grab your handgun from its hiding place and quietly follow him into the house. You enter to find the murderer poised over your neighbor’s children’s beds…. more »

The Function of Divine Election: Part 2

For my first post, see here.
The really surprising thing about divine election in the Bible is that it is consistently spoken of as if it were practical.  In our endlessly heated and stuffy academic debates about predestination, we easily forget that this doctrine is supposed to be useful–in a rugged, bottom-line kind of way–to those who are feebly… more »