Come out

Warren Gage presents a compelling case for the conclusion that the harlot of Revelation 17-18 becomes the bride of chapter 21, or at least that many escape from the city of the whore to inhabit the bride-city that comes from heaven. Gage rests a good bit of his case on a Joshua typology that runs . . . . Continue Reading »

John-Revelation Project

The John-Revelation project being developed by Knox Seminary professors Warren Gage and Fowler White (available on the Knox Seminary web site) offers many insights on Revelation. It is just as helpful on John’s gospel. In Study Paper #3, they chart the parallels between the gospel and . . . . Continue Reading »

Sermon outline, May 8

INTRODUCTION Ascension Day doesn?t have the cultural charge that Christmas and Easter do, but it?s equally important. Jesus?Eascension is one of the chief goals of His entire ministry, the day on which the Father installed His king on Zion to rule the nations with a rod of iron and to shatter them . . . . Continue Reading »

What the New Urbanists Forgot

In a fine article in the May 2 Weekly Standard , Joel Kotkin emphasizes the historical prominence of religion in urban life. He argues that “places like Fargo, a booming high-tech city on the Great Plains, are more in sync with ancient urban tradition than are supposed paragons of American . . . . Continue Reading »

Eucharistic meditation, May 1

And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; and I will offer in His tent sacrifices of shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh (Psalm 27:6). Chronicles gives us a guide for placing song in our liturgy. The liturgy of Israel moved from the purification . . . . Continue Reading »

Baptism meditation, May 1

Why do we baptize babies? This seems to many Christians, especially in America, like a strange tradition, a leftover of the formalism and nominal Christianity of the medieval Roman Catholic church. And even to many of us who believe we should baptize our babies, it seems like a somewhat extraneous . . . . Continue Reading »

Exhortation, May 1

Suppose I told you that Trinity Reformed Church had been asked to perform a choir concert this morning? Would you be prepared? Or would it be like one of those dreams where you find yourself taking a test without studying, or realizing suddenly that you?ve arrived at church in your pajamas? Would . . . . Continue Reading »

Romans 8, continued

CONTRASTING MINDSETS, Romans 8:5-13 Paul has announced that through the work of Father, Son and Spirit, we who are in Christ have been set free from Sin and Death, and are now capable of keeping the requirement of the Law. Torah aimed at giving life; but that purpose cannot not fulfilled by those . . . . Continue Reading »

Salome Factor

In the Spring issue of the American Scholar, William Deresiewicz discusses the sexualization of dance during the twelve years he write dance criticism for various publications: “For one thing, dancers have been wearing less and less. Sometimes they don’t wear anythng at all, though this . . . . Continue Reading »

Aquinas on justification

Notes on Thomas Aquinas on The Effects of Grace, ST I-II, q. 113. 1) Article 1: Justification of the ungodly consists in the remission of sins, Aquinas argues, over against the claim that justification must involve some movement toward justice and that the remission of sins is not a movement. . . . . Continue Reading »