Fear of Death

Orthodox theologian John Romanides describes in The Ancestral Sin(162-3) how the fear of death leads to evil practices and habits: “Through the power of death and the devil, sin that reigns in men gives rise to fear and anxiety and to the general instinct of self-preservation or survival. . . . . Continue Reading »

Rectification

Joshua Davis gives a deft summary of J. Louis Martyn’s understanding of Pauline theology in the introduction to Apocalyptic and the Future of Theology: With and Beyond J. Louis Martyn, which Davis co-edited with Douglas Harinck.Building on but going beyond Kasemann, Martyn attempts to . . . . Continue Reading »

Saving God

Yahweh bares His arm so that the nations can see the “salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10; Heb. yeshu’at-elohenu). The genitive seems obviously to refer to the salvation that God brings. After all, what sense would it make to speak of God Himself being saved?But then Isaiah twice . . . . Continue Reading »

Christus Victor

The nations will be saved. They will come to the light (Isaiah 60:3). How? We can work backward through Isaiah.They come into the light that shines from Israel. That light is the light of Yahweh Himself dwelling among and shining through His translucent people.Israel becomes that light after Yahweh . . . . Continue Reading »

Christ the Head

In his contribution to From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, Henri Blocher suggests that emphasizing Christ’s role as the Head of a new humanity helps to meet the “truly biblical concerns” of different . . . . Continue Reading »

Atonement and church

The aim of Jesus’ death and resurrection is to form the church. Jesus’ death and resurrection establish the foundation for a people conformed by the Spirit to the crucified and risen Lord, freed from the powers, united in one new man.The church is the final cause of the atonement. . . . . Continue Reading »

Double justification?

Bucer’s teaching on justification is sometimes characterized as a doctrine of “double justification.” Brian Lugioyo thinks this is a misidentification ( Martin Bucer’s Doctrine of Justification: Reformation Theology and Early Modern Irenicism ): Double justification posits . . . . Continue Reading »