Paul does not write abstract theological disquisitions. His word is always a “word on target,” intended to address the needs of his readers at times in which he himself cannot be present with them. ((J. C. Beker, The Triumph of God: The Essence of Paul’s Thought (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990), 12.)) All of Paul’s letters…
The Glory of God in 2 Corinthians ((Matt wrote the bulk of the exegetical section, and Chris wrote most of the theological section.)) I cannot expect to understand the mysteries of God … If I understood God, He could not be the true God. A doctrine which I cannot fully grasp is a Truth of…
Καταργέω and the People of the Shining Face (2 Corinthians 3:7-18) ((This article is adapted from a presentation by the same title at the 2014 national meeting of The Evangelical Theological Society and the fuller commentary treatment of the passage in George H. Guthrie, 2 Corinthians (BECNT; Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 203-232.)) In…
Second Corinthians 3 is a hotly debated and difficult text. For example, Thomas Schreiner says 2 Corinthians 3 is “one of the most controverted texts in the Pauline corpus,” ((Thomas Schreiner, book review of Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel: The Letter/Spirit Contrast and the Argument from Scripture in 2 Corinthians 3, by Scott…
Introduction Evangelical Christians from various perspectives have wrestled with how the New Testament (NT) relates to the Old, and, more specifically, how the new covenant relates to the prior biblical covenants. Should the relationship primarily be cast in terms of continuity, such that the nature and structure of the new covenant are in essential continuity…
Living by faith means longing for more than this world.
Defending Substitution: An Essay on Atonement in Paul.By Simon Gathercole. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015. 128 pp., $19.99 Paperback. Simon Gathercole is senior lecturer in New Testament studies in the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Cambridge and Fellow and director of studies in theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He has published several books, such…
Sir Winston Churchill is widely regarded as the greatest leader of the 20th century. Born in the splendor of Blenheim Palace on Nov. 30, 1874, Churchill’s life would span the most decisive years of the transition into the modern world. Though faced with great adversity — and driven by a titanic self-confidence — he would…
Fifty years after his death, Winston Churchill remains the epitome of a bold and successful leader. Co-author of the recent God & Churchill, the British Prime Minister’s great-grandson Jonathan Sandys discusses the marks of Churchill’s leadership and why he provides hope for leaders today, especially those who fail. CS: What defined Churchill’s leadership? JS: When…
Winston Churchill is one of the most quoted leaders of all time, yet many modern citations put words in the lion’s mouth. You’ve probably heard this one: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen” (looking at you, RG3). As Churchill himself…
The unmistakable visage of Colonel Sanders has experienced a public resurgence courtesy of a new mass-media marketing campaign cooked up by the KFC fast food company. Recent commercials have raised the question as to whether the Colonel’s mantle can be carried adequately by a single actor, thus necessitating a group of famous comedians passing the…
Six months after his parents moved from California to Uruguay with the International Mission Board in 1990, Steven Kunkel stopped speaking. His parents first thought their one-year-old son had culture shock, but knew something else was wrong when Kunkel did not speak for nearly three years. When Kunkel was 4, his father took him to…
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below, Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Seminary, discusses his book Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification with Towers writer Andrew J.W. Smith. AJWS: As we approach the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, do you think the Lutheran understanding of justification “by faith alone” still holds…
Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification, Thomas R. Schreiner (Zondervan 2015, $19.99) Review by Andrew J.W. Smith The doctrine of justification is just as important in the 21st century as it was five centuries ago, writes Thomas R. Schreiner in his latest work, Faith Alone. The book explores salvation by grace through faith from a…
God & Churchill, Jonathan Sandys and Wallace Henley (Tyndale Momentum 2015, $26.99) Review by S. Craig Sanders Sir Winston Churchill is widely regarded as the greatest leader of the 20th century, but biographers have often struggled to identify what exactly set Churchill apart from his contemporaries besides his at times lone opposition to Adolf Hitler. In…
