Jonathan M. Threlfall

Thoughts on Christian Theology and Pastoring

  • “I Didn’t Know Scripture Well Enough to Preach Christ.”

    “I Didn’t Know Scripture Well Enough to Preach Christ.”

    I recently listened to the panel discussion from TGC’s 2011 national conference, “They Testify about Me: Preaching Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament.” I was struck by something Tim Keller said about the early years of his preaching ministry: “I realized I didn’t know Scripture well enough to preach Christ.” This candid admission…

  • Nothing Could Have a Greater Effect

    Nothing Could Have a Greater Effect

    As I prepare to preach from Exodus 2 this Sunday, I am keeping in mind these words: So there is just one goal for a sermon–lift up Christ and his salvation. Christ likened himself to the serpent in the wilderness and spoke about his being “lifted up” (John 3:14-15). This vivid metaphor includes at least…

  • The New Perspective on Paul

    The New Perspective on Paul

    While taking Tom Schreiner’s class “Theology of the New Testament” and reading his excellent book New Testament Theology, I have given some thought to the “New Perspective on Paul.” In trying to wrap my mind around the New Perspective, I’ve done my best to distill its main tenets here and give what I believe is a…

  • Why Preachers Must Learn Biblical Theology

    Since I took the class New Testament Theology with Dr. Thomas Schreiner, I have been deeply impressed that a thorough grasp of biblical theology is essential for good preaching. Peter Adam has an excellent article in the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology on the relationship between good preaching and biblical theology. One sentence particularly grabbed…

  • Trusting in God’s Goodness in Life and Death

    Today I have the privilege of participating in the funeral ceremony of a dear lady in our church who passed away yesterday morning. Her favorite Bible character was Joseph, so I spent some time this morning reflecting on the life of Joseph and his courage and integrity despite cruel treatment. In the little amount of…

  • Are My Children Safe? A Christian Parent’s Response to the Boston Bombings

    We saw blood where it should not be–on the sidewalk and in a convenience store. But perhaps the most heart-wrenching piece of news was what I heard last night: an eight-year-old boy waiting to hug his dad was among the casualties. The horrific sidewalk scene sobered me in another way. Just two days prior, I…

  • How Is My Preaching? [Part 2]: Platform Mechanics and the Invitation

    “Did you not see that a gentleman came forward at the invitation?” Sitting in a Chinese buffet, my friend David and I were in the middle of a painful sermon evaluation session. The way he asked that question gave me the suspicion that there was no good answer. I broke some clumps of sticky rice…

  • How Is My Preaching? [Part 1] Why Preachers Need Feedback

    Feedback Can Be Scary! I was nervous. I had asked a friend, David Pinkley, to give me honest feedback about my preaching. On Sunday I preached in our church’s morning service, and the following Thursday David and I were sitting in a greasy Chinese buffet. I couldn’t tell whether my loss of appetite was due to the…

  • How Can We Teach Children About Worship?

    I’ve been reading Worship by the Book  (edited by D. A. Carson). This morning I came across a valuable insight for parents who wish to teach their children about true worship: Kids of that age [10-12 years, and presumably younger] do not absorb abstract ideas very easily unless they are lived out and identified. The Christian home,…

  • Divine Sovereignty in John’s Gospel

    John stresses the theme of divine sovereignty along three distinguishable, but closely related themes: divine sovereignty in salvation, divine sovereignty granted to the Son, and divine sovereignty in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Each theme carries a special significance. To summarize, The theme of divine sovereignty in salvation puts salvation completely out of the realm of…