Think Wink.

I came a cross an interesting post today from noted NT scholar, Ben Witherington III (BW3), entitled “For God so loved Himself?” Is God a Narcissist? In this post he critiques an unnamed NT theology book whose central thesis is that the theme of the NT is “God magnifying himself through Jesus Christ by means of the Holy Spirit.” I haven’t read this yet so I can’t offer any critiques of either this book or Witherington’s response. But BW3 argues in this post that this self-adulating the idea of God conflicts with God’s love. I strongly disagree with BW3’s position on the relationship between God’s love and glory. But before I could take the time to write up my own critique of BW3’s post, Dr. Denny Burk wrote a response entitled Witherington’s Critique of Schreiner’s NT Theology. I really liked the critique of BW3.

Some Thoughts From Isaiah 40-55

More Time with LDS

God’s Glory and BW3

When Jonathan Edwards was growing up, his parents prayed for three things for little Jonathan:

1.) That he be filled with the Holy Spirit;

2.) That he know the Holy Scriptures;

3.) That he be great in the sight of the Lord.

It is very evident looking at what he recorded during his life that he knew the Scriptures very well. Reading of the ministry of Edwards and the life that he lived, it is very evident that he was filled the Holy Spirit. By human eyes, Edwards was and is great. He was used by God in a great manner and greatly during the (First?) Great Awakening. As a fellow believer in Christ, he was great before God in that he was chosen by God before the foundations of the world for salvation in Christ Jesus and through grace he was given a heart to believe and through that faith he obtained the righteousness freely offered by Christ’s death. Thus in the eyes of God, Edwards is as great as Jesus who has so made him by virtue of His righteousness.

Moral of this snippet: God honors the prayers of praying parents. Parents pray for your children, God will hear and listen to you. You never know, your child might become the next Edwards or Calvin or Luther or Augustine or Spurgeon or Whitefield or Graham or Lewis.

Andreas J. Köstenberger on 1 Timothy 2:9-15

Another Tangent

Calvinism and Prayer

Over the next few days, I will be posting some quotes by the great Dr. John Owen. He was a 17th century puritan preacher and president of Oxford. I have been wanting to read Of the Mortification of Sin in the Believer for a couple of years and I am finally doing it now that I have found a copy. I have read his preface and opening chapter and here are two quotes that I have really been hit with:

The intendment of the apostle in this prescription of the duty mentioned is, — that the mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh is the constant duty of believers.

The vigour, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

Original Sin

More thoughts on “euaggelion.”

That was Paul’s Point!