Exodus 10 contains the first biblical references to locusts, and in that chapter the word is used 7 times. It’s enough to make one suspicious – suspicious that there’s a creation motif here, suspicious that the seven references might obliquely hint at the days of . . . . Continue Reading »
Yahweh’s opening speech in Exodus 10 is arranged as a parallel structure: A. Go; I have hardened Pharaoh’s heart B. That I may perform signs C. that you may tell to sons and sons of sons A’. I made a mockery of Egypt B’. I performed signs C’. that you may know I am Yahweh A . . . . Continue Reading »
Steven Wedgeworth writes: “You might want to be more skeptical of Torrance. You (and he) are right to sniff a problem, but the genealogy of that problem is a bit more complicated. Just one example. You blogged on visible and invisible and said that Torrance claimed later . . . . Continue Reading »
In his Beyond Greed , Brian Rosner makes the arresting claim that God is a contented God. The fact that God has created a world distinct from Himself Rosner takes as a kind of divine self-limitation. Put that to the side, we can still see the contentment of God in the creation account. . . . . Continue Reading »
Kevin Bywater of Summit Ministries adds this to my comments about Glenn Beck’s “9 principles”: “Beck, being nestled within the Mormon worldview, has no problem conjoining inspiration with imperfection. That is the Mormon understanding of the Bible, is it not? And the . . . . Continue Reading »
In the October 14 issue of TNR , Leon Wieseltier gives a curmudgeonly defense of publishing negative reviews, specifically of the negative review of Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom published in the same issue. It’s bracing: “A shabby treatment of a consequential subject or a . . . . Continue Reading »
The Bible has a lot to say about abuse and oppression of the poor. My question here is, Who are the oppressors? Scripture’s answer is non-discriminatory. All classes and categories of people, as well as institutions and nations, oppress the poor, the helpless, the powerless and . . . . Continue Reading »
A couple juicy nuggets from Jenson: “The speaking of the gospel is the event of predestination in that the gospel gives what it speaks about, but this eschatological efficacy of the gospel is the Spirit. We must parody Barth: the Holy Spirit is the choosing God.” And: . . . . Continue Reading »
Another old article by James Torrance (in the SJT ) runs through his standard criticisms of federal theology, and adds that it was responsible for producing “an unhappy if not false distinction between the Visible and Invisible Church, which lost sight of the passionate emphasis of the Scots . . . . Continue Reading »
Prophesying the restoration from exile (Isaiah 61), Isaiah says that at teh return the mourners in Zion will be comforted. That is filled out as a triple gift (v. 3): 1. Beauty for ashes 2. Oil of joy for mourning 3. Garments of praise for spirit of heaviness Several observations on these . . . . Continue Reading »
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