Jan
28
2012
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Cor. 12:13
On the BH forum, Michael Jones observed:
“If you look up the words for “drinking into” lexically (Strong’s), you come up with the idea of plants being irrigated and soaking up water through the roots. Is this somewhat valid? Are we like a bunch of trees around an oasis in the desert?” [1]
I believe that very often, the word choices of the biblical writers are hints to the literary structure — especially when their word choices are a little unexpected or ambiguous. This one isn’t unexpected, but perhaps that’s because we are so familiar with this passage. It really is an odd turn of phrase. Could the Bible Matrix shed any light on it?
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Comments Off | tags: Baptism, Covenant Theology, Exodus, Feasts, Galatians, Literary Structure, Paul, Systematic typology, Tabernacle, Veil | posted in Bible Matrix, Biblical Theology
Jan
27
2012
or Riffing on Moses
The Lord’s name might not be mentioned explicitly in the book of Esther (though some scholars see it hidden in the text), but as literature it is riddled with riffs on the patterns found in the Law and the Prophets. We don’t see it because we don’t interpret “musically,” that is, looking for recurring themes. [1]
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Comments Off | tags: Covenant Theology, Deuteronomy, Esther, Feasts, James Jordan, Literary Structure | posted in Bible Matrix, Biblical Theology, The Restoration Era
Jan
26
2012
Author Marilynne Robinson writes about the Bible in the New York Times:
The Bible is the model for and subject of more art and thought than those of us who live within its influence, consciously or unconsciously, will ever know.
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Comments Off | tags: Marilynne Robinson | posted in Quotes
Jan
24
2012
“Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
because men do not keep Your law.” Psalm 119:136
I might bag out [1] the Biblical Horizons crowd for their views on baptism, but otherwise they are giants. They have a hold on Scripture and history that enables them to understand the times.
Rich Blesdsoe recently made the observation that the unbelief which constantly confronts us Western Christians is quite a different animal to the demonism found in other cultures. We don’t suffer the full-scale “possessions” seen in pagan cultures. The rebellion is just as self-destructive, as crazed and zealous, and just as much a “nothing” as the idols of the pagans, but it is a different kind of nothing. What’s going on in our culture?
[This post has been refined and included in Sweet Counsel: Essays to Brighten the Eyes.]
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Comments Off | tags: Demons, Ecclesiology, Edwin Friedman, Islam, Postmillennialism, Reformers, Rich Bledsoe | posted in Biblical Theology, The Last Days, The Restoration Era
Jan
22
2012
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“If you’re really mad with somebody you don’t want to be in the same room with them, let alone sit down and eat with them. It’s just the way we’re made. You eat with people you’re comfortable with. When God is going to eat with us it means He’s comfortable with us.”
– James B. Jordan on Moses and Jethro, Studies in Exodus (lectures). Available from www.wordmp3.com
1 comment | posted in Biblical Theology, Quotes
Jan
20
2012
or Paedobaptism vs. Postmillennialism
The word regeneration is often used to describe conversion, but in Scripture it is understood as a process. God calls, cleanses, instructs, clothes, feeds and commissions us. I believe this fact is, however, abused by paedobaptists, who seem to me to be prone to throw the actual “watershed” of conversion out with their baby bath water.
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10 comments | tags: Baptism, Calvin, Federal Vision, Postmillennialism | posted in Bible Matrix, Biblical Theology
Jan
19
2012
Festivity and Transformation
Tim Gallant has a beautiful piece over at the BH blog:
One of the most beautiful promises of Scripture is Zephaniah 3.17: “Yahweh your God is in your midst; the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
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1 comment | tags: Tim Gallant | posted in Biblical Theology, Christian Life
Jan
16
2012
The word apocalypse does not denote the end of the world. It is literally a revelation, a revealing.
In his Pauline Theology paper, It’s the end of the flesh as we know it! A comparison of circumcision & apocalypse (2010), Steven Opp provides support for the identification of the book of Revelation as a Covenant lawsuit. Christ was circumcised, then Christ Himself was cut off. Israel was circumcised in Christ, then, in AD70, after decades of apostolic gospel witness, unbelieving Old Covenant Israel and its Temple worship, overseen by “the mutilation,” were cut off. On the final Day of Coverings, the flesh was exposed.
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Comments Off | tags: Circumcision, Covenant Theology, Galatians, James Jordan, Paul, Peter Leithart, Power of the Gospel, Revelation, Steven Opp | posted in Biblical Theology, Quotes, The Last Days
Jan
7
2012
Here’s a new amazon review of The Covenant Key by “the man with the cigar,” David Deutsch.
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Comments Off | tags: Covenant Theology, David Deutsch | posted in Bible Matrix, Quotes
Dec
24
2011
The Literary Structure of Luke 2
God loves architecture. He starts with a Garden, moves to stone, then to flesh. Should it surprise us that the Nativity and the events surrounding it follow the same patterns as the Tabernacle and the Creation week?
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Comments Off | tags: AD70, Christmas, Covenant Theology, Feasts, Literary Structure, Luke | posted in Bible Matrix, Biblical Theology