Think Wink.

In December I participated in a discussion on the text of Genesis 50:20. A response to my reading was posted that levied some serious objections that I never really responded to the way I wanted to because of my hectic December schedule. If I wasn’t downtown delivering packages I was a total vegetable. The biggest objection, one that is very serious in my estimation, is that God’s righteousness or justice is impugned by letting Joseph’s brothers off the hook. The implication of this is massive if God is to be fair to all men and women guilty of sin: God must let them off the hook as well, especially if he is utilizing them for his own redemptive purposes. Rapists and murderers and kidnappers all walk off free as a bird before God. Hitler and Stalin in all of the atrocities that they committed can’t be hold responsible by the divine creator. Read more

Justice and equality.

Edwards, Mercy, Fairness, and Predestination

Justice Mercy and Homework

One of the most important things I have learned in my studies of the Biblical languages is that one of the most dangerous persons on earth is one with a little knowledge of the languages. Here is a blog post that shows just how true that is when Rob Bell employs some Greek to shore up his point about anger. In the most simple terms I’ll explain what he does that is so wrong. Take the following sentence

I read the red book.

What Bell does is the same thing as calling “red” a past tense verb when it is clearly an adjective. Except what Bell does is call wrath an aorist verb when it is the object of an adverbial prepositional phrase that modifies an aorist verb in Mark 3:5,

After looking around [περιβλεψάμενος; nominative aorist middle participle] at them in anger [μετ' ὀργῆς; genetive singular feminine noun], grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Like I said, a little knowledge of Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic can kill a soul real fast. What is worse is that this kind of “exegesis” really undercuts the credibility and trustworthiness of the point Bell was making. I don’t watch Bell’s Nooma vids so I don’t know the point he made about anger. The blog post seems to look favorably on it and that is what hurts so much. A good point cut down by sloppy exegesis. Hopefully Bell can fix his misunderstanding of the languages and not undercut what he is saying.

The Post: Greek 101 with Rob Bell. This comment and this comment do a good job of putting out the nuance of the Greek in Mark 3:5 if your interested.

H/T: Ancient Hebrew Poetry

Movie Script Review of Green Lantern

Balancing the Argument

Spurgeon and Arminian Prayer

Dr. D. A. Carson of TEDS has got to be one of my top speakers/preachers in the whole world today. He is insightful, challenging, makes you think. At the same time he very pastoral and takes even the most “scholarly” statement and drives it home. The Gospel Coalition has thrown up on their website a ton of sermons and lectures by Dr. Carson. I am so excited to mine this treasure trove.

The Gospel Coalition Resources: D. A. Carson

A Dark Time In Our Time

About Think Wink

Three Requests

Here is a video interview of my favorite comic writer Ed Brubaker, author of my favorite comic Captain America, where he talks about Cap and Steve Roger’s old flame Sharon Carter (old flame and killer…weird but fun).

Brubaker on Cap #39

Cap #38 Interview

Captain America #38 Preview

How is this 288 page thesis for some light table read:

“Deuteronomic Re-presentation in a Word of Exhortation” An Assessment of the Paraenetic Function of Deuteronomy in the letter to the Hebrews

H/T: Polumeros kai Polutropos

Oh Crap, I’m Cyclops.

A Wonderful Non-Shocker.

My Theological Worldview

You know, a lot of people think that Captain America in his current incarnation is only going to last two more years tops before the original Cap returns for his shield. YOu know, you have to make the comics like the movie. Heaven forbid they make the movie reflect the comic, especially when Bucky taking the mantle was one of the best story arcs in Cap history (42 solid issues). What doesn’t make sense for such a temporary fix is why integrate him so fully into the Marvel U? He’s an Avenger and player in Dark Reign. Apparently he’s appearing in an Agent of Atlas comic. If his face is everywhere it doesn’t make sense to only have him around for a short time. My bet is for Bucky to be around as Captain America even if they bring Rogers back from the dead.

For a larger image of the Agents of Atlas #3 cover click here.

It Ends Here!

The New Captain America

Captain America vs. Captain America???

Dr. David Allen of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in this video argues for Lukan authorship of Hebrews, the same Luke who wrote Luke-Acts. Dr. Allan believes Luke is a Hellenistic Jew who is writing a sermon to a group of priests in Syrian-Antioch who fled Jerusalem because of persecution and are contemplating a return to Judaism and the Temple. He even argues that Theophilus, part of that group of priests, was the former High Priest that Herod Agrippa booted out of office in the 40s. Here is the video to summarize his arguments that I find to be a very strong case though I would need more of the actual evidence than presented to be convinced.

H/T: Polumeros kai Polutropos

Lectures on Hebrews

Luke 15 and Lostness

A Good Interview

Student: ‘Professor, what happens at the Rapture?’

Liberal Professor: ‘Well, at the Rapture you walk up to your window, look outside, see people floating up into the sky, and then you should say to yourself, “Well, I’ll be damned!”‘

H/T: Euangelion

Thoughts on the Rapture

Israel, John Hagee, and Eschatology

Full vs. Partial: Test Case in the Resurrection

Continuing in the theme of my previous posts over the last month or so, I return to the reformed doctrine of particular redemption, the L in TULIP. Last night my roommate was telling me about a friend of his, who never really like to discuss theology let alone soterioly and Calvinism and TULIP, had read R. C. Sproul’s Chosen By God. She and my roommate talked about the book and she asked him where he stood in relationship to Calvinism and the TULIP acronym. He said he believed in four of the five points found in TULIP, struggling to believe the L or Limited Atonement/Particular Redemption (LA/PR). Read more

Pure Enjoyment

Objections to Calvinism Part 8 of 5

The Pastoral Importance of Justification

One of the more favored proof-texts used by those who hold to general/universal redemption is Hebrews 2:9 (NET), “but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone [ὑπὲρ παντὸς].” The Greek prepositional phrase ὑπὲρ παντὸς is taken by general redemption advocates to mean all people without distinction. However one cannot read through the rest of the chapter with this understanding and escape universalism–the idea that all people will be saved. Just look at what the author of Hebrews calls this group in 2:10-18, “many sons [brought] to glory…the pioneer of their salvation…those being made holy…brothers and sisters…my brothers…the children God has given me” (emphasis mine). If one reads these terms in the same way as “everyone” in 2:9, one cannot escape universalism. Not to mention Jesus is said to propitiate wrath on their behalf. This text just does not affirm the general redemption that many look for it to make it. I would need to see textual warrant for understanding Hebrews 2:9 differently from Hebrews 2:10-18. However, because many of the terms used in this chapter to refer to the beneficiaries/recipients of Jesus work indicate particularity, I do see particular redemption.

Here is how James White puts it.

The Extent of the Atonement

Lectures on Hebrews

Total Depravity is Totally Biblical