1 Samuel 15 tells of the command of God to Saul that he should completely destroy a people called the Amalekites.
What are we to make of this?
Steve McAlpine tackles it as follows (this is a precis):
(a) From a philosophical perspective, the Christian apologist should refuse to allow the discussion to be framed by secular thinking. Such thinking demands that we not only prove that God exists, but that he/she/it is that kind of god we find believable. …
John Warwick Montgomery begins his article on ‘Inspiration and Inerrancy: a New Departure’ (Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol 8, No 2, Spring, 1965) by referring to James Orr’s The Progress of Dogma (4th edition, 1901).
Orr’s contention was that in each epoch of the Christian church has been characterised by focus on one particular doctrine that has proved crucial both for that day and subsequently.
…‘In the Patristic era, the issue was the relation of the persons of the Godhead, and particularly the Christological problem of Jesus’ character; the Ecumenical Creeds represent the success of Orthodox, Trinitarian theology over against numerous christological heresies, any one of which could have permanently destroyed the Christian faith.
Many years ago, I read and summarised John Wenham’s thoughts on this subject. I reproduce my notes here.
1. It is good that we are free agents, not machines. This freedom to accept or reject seems essential to a living, loving relationship with God, but comes with it the possibility of sin in all its horror.
2. It is good that sn is linked with suffering as a deterrant. It may well be true that all suffering is a result of sin (Gen 3:14-19). …
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: your child at death’s door.
There is a spark of faith; a tiny seed. And see what happens as this tiny seed engages with a mighty Saviour. Watch as it grows, flowers, and brings forth fruit.
(a) He comes, v47. He has heard that Jesus has been doing amazing things. He is in desperate need. So he comes. 17 miles. ‘Faith is the foot that runs to Christ, the hand that takes Christ, the eye that sees him.’…
In Issues Facing Christians Today, John Stott urges evangelicals to a greater commitment to the social implications of the gospel. This requires careful rethinking of our theology. Stott speaks:
First, of “a fuller doctrine of God” in which we recognize that God is not confined to the religious dimensions of life or concerned only with his covenant people. Citing prophetic oracles against the nations, Stott comments, “It is clear from these Old Testament passages that God hates injustice and oppression everywhere, and that he loves and promotes justice everywhere.”…
Chapter 5 – Word Made Flesh: The Christlike God
Jesus is the perfect representation of God; indeed, he is God incarnate (Jn 1:14).
In the Nicene Creed, the Church confesses:
‘We believe in one God, the Father almighty …and in one Lord, Jesus Christ. Light from Light, very God from very God …of one essence with the Father.’
This is consistent with Paul’s teaching in 1 Cor 8:6.
The NT writers insist that Jesus:
…‘was and is the exact image of God’s essence, the precise imprint of God’s being (Col.
(William Nicholson, “Pearls of Great Price!”):-
All of God’s glorious attributes and perfections are yours!
His mercy is yours . . .
to save you,
to remove your guilt, and
to sympathize with you in times of distress.
His wisdom is yours . . .
to provide for you,
to counsel you, and
to direct all things for your good.
His omnipotence is yours . . .
to guard and protect you in the hour of danger,
to support you in every conflicting scene, and
to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom.…
(Alexander Smellie, “The Secret Place” 1907):-
I have many agitations and misgivings. But when heart and flesh faint and fail, my Lord has three whispers for me that banish fear and alarm.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you!” Isaiah 43:1
My PAST brings me trouble . . .
the sins I have committed,
the duties I have neglected,
the guilt I am chargeable with,
the penalty I merit —
these make the retrospect of my days and years sad in the extreme.…
I confess that I have, until now, accepted without question the ‘traditional’ attribution of the Fourth Gospel to John the son of Zebedee.
But I have been considering the view of Richard Bauckham, that the author and ‘Beloved Disciple’ of the Fourth Gospel is not John the Apostle, son of Zebedee. He is, rather, another John (later called ‘John the Elder’) who was a Jerusalem-based disciple (but not one of the Twelve).
I summarise Bauckham’s argument in Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (2nd ed.).…
The topic of hell is difficult, yet necessary; painful, yet useful.
Sam Storms says that he cannot contemplate the horrors of hell without a deep agony of heart. At the same time, he says, he feels a profound gratitude to the God who so lovingly and willingly reaches out and plucks the sinner from the jaws of hell.
With such thoughts in mind, Storms outlines eight common myths about hell:
Myth #1. There is widespread belief among non-Christians that Hell is a place where they will be united with their unbelieving friends and drink beer all the time in an endless party.…
