Sermon outline, June 12

INTRODUCTION Jehoram, the second son of Ahab to reign over Israel, was a somewhat more faithful king than his father (2:2). Unlike his brother, Ahaziah, he attempts to re-conquer Moab. He succeeds because Yahweh provides water miraculously. THE TEXT ?Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over . . . . Continue Reading »

Translation, 2 Kings 5

Now Na’aman chief of the host of the king of ‘Aram was a great man before the face of his master. And he lifted his faces for in him Yahweh gave salvation to ‘Aram. Now the man was a mighty-man of strength - struck-with-disease. Now ‘Aram, marauding-bands went out And they . . . . Continue Reading »

more on Hart, The Beauty of the infinite

Part II, I.1: Trinity ii. Divine Fellowship. In the previous section, Hart addressed one of the dangers of misreading Rahner?s rule, namely, the danger of dissolving the ontological Trinity into the economic. In this section, he discusses the opposite danger of forsaking ?the economic for the . . . . Continue Reading »

Hamann and Bible

John R. Betz continues his efforts to introduce contemporaries to the riches of the thought of Johann Georg Hamann in a fine article in Pro Ecclesia (14:2) about Hamann’s early London writings that reveal the core of his theological aesthetics or aesthetic theology and his approach to . . . . Continue Reading »

Translation, 2 Kings 4

Now a woman, one from the women of the sons of the prophets cried out to ‘Eliysha’ saying “Your servant my man is dead. Now you yourself know that your servant was fearing Yahweh And the creditor/forgetful-one has entered to take two of my children to himself as servants.” . . . . Continue Reading »

2 Kings 4

Random and inconclusive notes on 2 Kings 4:8ff. 1) The woman at Shunem has a husband, in contrast to the woman at the beginning of the story who was a widow. Both, though, need Elisha as a ?father?Ewho will give birth to/save their children. 2) The Shunammite speaks of Elisha as a ?holy?Eman (4:9), . . . . Continue Reading »

Elisha and the widow

The story of the widow and her sons moves from death to life: the dead man of verse 1 is exchanged for the ?live on the remainder?Ein verse 7. The story is also a Passover: Children are saved from slavery, and they are saved by being locked into a house (cf Ex 12:22). There are apparent . . . . Continue Reading »

Jenson has a say

Since I posted a lengthy summary of David Hart’s sharp critique of Robert Jenson, it’s only fair to note that Jenson disputes Hart’s account of his theology. In a review in Pro Ecclesia, Jenson claims that Hart “seriously misrepresents me,” though he adds that they . . . . Continue Reading »

Does God cause sin?

Aquinas de malo, Question 3, article 1: Does God cause sin? One can be a ?cause of sin?Ein two ways, first by sinning and second by causing another to sin. God does not cause sin in either sense. Regarding the first: Thomas describes sin as a failure to attain an end (?hamartia?E?Emissing the mark . . . . Continue Reading »