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Christian Virtue Ethics
Stephen S. Bilynskyj’s essay “Christian Ethics and the Ethics of Virtue” champions virtue ethics as a superior approach to moral decision-making. Working from the writings of Stanley Hauervas, Bilynskyj insists that, for a Christian, ethical questions must be addressed within the redemptive narrative and the Christian’s identity with Jesus Christ. He puts it this way:…
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Seeking. Satisfied.
“O God, you are my God. I will seek you earnestly” (Psalm 63:1). What does it mean to seek God? It is not as if God is lost, or even that he hides himself. Indeed, “the heavens declare the glories of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19). We must seek…
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How the Congregation Benefits from Preaching that Honors Authorial Intent
In an earlier blog post, I discussed how a commitment to authorial intent drives the content and application of expository sermons. In this post, I discuss how this commitment benefits the congregation. First, preaching that honors authorial intent teaches the congregation what is truly important. A heavy diet of topical sermons can give the subtle…
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Is $241,080 Too Much to Raise One Kid?
Today’s breaking news line on the CNN homepage grabbed my attention: “A child born last year will cost a middle-income couple an estimated $241,080 to raise for 18 years.” There are three main reasons I couldn’t help but read the article: 1) my 3-year-old daughter, 2) my 1-year-old son, and 3) the baby Christa and…
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The Centrality of Authorial Intent in Expository Preaching
Because of my preparation for some classwork and upcoming preaching responsibilities, I’ve been thinking a lot about expository preaching, particularly the importance of authorial intent. The priority of authorial intent is something every preacher must come to grips with, particularly because of the strong temptation to skew a passage to make it fit the message.…
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“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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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