Category Archives: People

Inspiration and incarnation

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On publication in 2005, Peter Enns’ book Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament caused quite a stir.  It led, eventually, to his departure from his post as professor at Westminster Theological Seminary.

What was the fuss all about?

The main thesis of the book is that evangelicals need to take more seriously the human aspects of Old Testament.  Enns identifies three areas for exploration.

The Old Testament and the literature of the Ancient Near East

We need, says Enns, to recognise that the literature of the Old Testament has much in common with other literature from the Ancient Near East.  …

The Code of Hammurabi and the Law of Moses

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Hammurabi was a Babylonian king who reigned in the 18th century BC.  His code of law was discovered by French archaeologists in 1901-2.

Among the 300-odd laws are many that are similar to those of the Mosaic law.  For example, some of the laws deal with the concept of ‘an eye for an eye’, and these are quite closely parallel to those contained in the so-called ‘book of the covenant’ (Exodus 21-23).

The following examples are cited by Peter Enns (Inspiration and Incarnation):-

[ezcol_1half]If a son has struck his father, they shall cut off his hand.…

The Nuzi tablets

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Nuzi tabletsA number of stone tablets have been discovered at the site of Nuzi (in present-day northern Iraq).  These date from the 14th and 15th centuries BC.  Although scholars think that the parallels between the customs and practices recorded on these tablets and those recorded in Genesis may have been over-stated, they do nevertheless provide some historical background to the world of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, and Jacob’s twelve sons.

According to Peter Enns (Inspiration and Incarnation) the commonly-agreed parallels would include the following:-

  1. In the story of Abraham, we read that he and his wife Sarah were childless.
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How God became Jesus

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In his recent book, How Jesus Became God, Bart Ehrman argues that belief in the divinity of Jesus developed gradually over several centuries, and was not believed or taught by the first apostles.

At the same time that Ehrman’s book was published, a multi-author response also came out.  The authors are Michael F. Bird, Craig A. Evans, Simon J. Gathercole, Charles E. Hill, and Chris Tilling, and the title is, How God Became Jesus: The real origins of belief in Jesus’ divine nature: A response to Bart Ehrman.…

‘Father, forgive them’

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A summary of ch. 30 of John Flavel’s The Fountain of Life

In Lk 23:34, says Flavel, we find the best of mercies desired for the worst of sinners.

Peter (Acts 3:17) and Paul (1 Cor 2:8) also stress the ignorance of those who crucified the Lord Jesus.  These people may have known many things, but they did not know that this was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.  This was because

  • though they had the Scriptures, they misunderstood them: they could not believe that the Messiah would arise out of Galilee (Jn 7:52), or that he would die (Jn 12:34; cf.
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‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’

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What is implied here?

1. That the soul outlives the body. The house in which it dwelt falls into ruins, and it seeks a new home with God.

2. That the soul’s true rest is in God. During this earthly pilgrimage, we long to be with God, Psa 73:25.

3. That the soul is of great value. We commit our dead bodies to our friends; let our living souls be kept safe by God.

4. That a great change comes upon us at death.…

The logic of penal substitution

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There are three principal ways in which Christ’s death has been understood in the church:-

First, there is the type of account which sees the cross as having its effects purely on us: it reveals God’s love to us; it tells us how much God hates sin; it sets us a supreme example of godliness; it blazes a trail to God, which we may now follow.  The cross motivates us to seek God and it opens up the flow of divine life.  …

Self-inquiry

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This is a summary of a paper written by J.C. Ryle, and published as the first chapter of his book Practical Religion.

Text: Acts 15:36

Introduction

We live in an age of peculiar spiritual privileges.  There is a great deal of interest in the Christian faith, and in the way of salvation.

We live in an age of peculiar spiritual danger.  There is a great deal of nominal or superficial Christianity.

Questions for self-inquiry

1.  …

To what does God adopt us?

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(1.) He adopts us to a state of excellence. It were much for God to take a clod of dust, and make it a star; it is more for him to take a piece of clay and sin, and adopt it for his heir.

(2.) God adopts us to a state of liberty. Adoption is a state of freedom; a slave being adopted is made a free man. ‘Thou art no more a servant but a son.’…

Love – the greatest thing

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‘The greatest of these,’ writes Paul, ‘is love.’ (1 Corinthians 13:13)

John Stott (The Contemporary Christian) poses the question, ‘What is the chief distinguishing mark of a Christian?’  Various answers might be given:-

1.  Truth.  Certainly, sound doctrine is vital to the health of the church.  See 1 Tim 6:12,20; 2 Thess 1:14; 2 Thess 2:15; Jude 1:3.  But ‘if I…can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,…but have not love, I am nothing’ (1 Cor 13:2).…