• New Testament,  Theology

    Do Spiritual Gifts Exist Today? A Look at the Cascade Argument.

    There is a big division in the church today about whether or not miraculous spiritual gifts continue today. Many churches affirm that speaking in tongues, prophesying, healings, and the like continue today in like manner to their New Testament manifestation. These Christians are known as continuationists. On the other hand, a cessationist is a Christian who believes that although miracles still happen, God has ceased granting individuals the miraculous abilities mentioned in the New Testament (i.e., tongues, prophecy, healings, etc.). Do such miraculous spiritual gifts exist today? Although there are a variety of ways one can examine whether spiritual gifts exist today, I often point to what is known as the cascade argument. I was first introduced to the cascade argument by Sam Waldron in his book, To Be Continued? The cascade argument walks through the miraculous spiritual gifts showing that they are connected in purpose and function, and that…

  • New Testament,  Theology

    Do Jesus’s Kingdom Parables Support Postmillennialism?

    Postmillennialists often appeal to Jesus’s parables in Matthew 13 as clear evidence that the kingdom will increase from a small contingent to take over the whole world, so that most of the world becomes genuine believers in Christ. The two most common parables appealed to by Postmillennialists are the parable of the mustard seed which becomes a tree, and the leaven which leavens the whole lump. He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in…

  • Apologetics,  Christian Living,  Hermeneutics,  New Testament,  Theology

    Starting with Jesus is Terrible for Your Theology

    It is good that we recognize Jesus as the sovereign Lord. But is it justifiable to start with Jesus when it comes to forming theology? Many Christians assume that is the place to start. For example, I was once listening to a podcast and the subject was raised about how we formulate our theology. One speaker said something like, “We must get our theology from the life and person of Jesus who is God incarnate. If your theology does not match with who he is, then go back to him and start over.” This is such a popular idea, there is even a book available that is entitled, Let’s Start with Jesus: A New Way of Doing Theology. In the previously mentioned podcast, one of the reasons this particular individual wanted to start with Jesus was to circumvent the validity of other parts of Scripture that seem to be quite…

  • Church,  New Testament,  Theology

    The Historic Connection between Easter and Baptism

    Easter is one of the most significant celebrations for the Christian, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This celebration of Christ’s resurrection is arguably the centerpiece of the Christian life. After all, if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins (1 Cor 15:17). It is no wonder that Easter is one of the most joyous occasions of the Christian life! A lesser-known part of the Easter celebration is its historic connection to baptism. Traditionally, Easter was recognized as a prime time for the baptism of new coverts. The association between a believer’s baptism and Christ’s resurrection was viewed as central. But, it was not an issue that was without differing opinions. The Easter Baptism Debate in the Early Church Leo I was bishop of Rome from 440 to 461 AD. Also known as Leo the Great, Leo exercised…

  • Hermeneutics,  New Testament,  Theology

    Does Baptism Save You? Looking at Acts 2:38

    There are a few texts that seem to indicate that baptism saves an individual. A few churches even teach that baptism is the timing and place one receives God’s grace, meaning that without baptism, one cannot be saved. However, Christians recognize Ephesians 2:8-9 and that salvation is not dependent on works. This puts us in a bit of a quandry. Does baptism actually save us? Does everyone need to be saved to be baptized? In order to work through the apparent contradiction in Scripture, many will cross reference other texts to explain away the passages which speak of the link between baptism and salvation. Although a noble effort, I have mentioned in the past that we need to be careful reading one passage over another. There is potential danger in cross-referencing. It can be helpful and should be utilized. But the key to understanding Scripture is identifying authorial intent. The…

  • New Testament,  Old Testament,  Review,  Theology

    The Baptism Debate: Understanding and Evaluating Reformed Infant Baptism

    The majority of those who identify as Christians believe in infant baptism (also known as paedobaptism). Infant baptism is a major doctrinal belief for Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Reformed churches, such as Presbyterians. Yet, there is a strong contingent of Christians who reject infant baptism, arguing that only those who believe in Christ should be baptized (a position known as credobaptism). Given the fact that baptism is a core command within the church, this is an essential issue on which to have an opinion! This debate about baptism can sometimes get messy and confusing. Christians on both sides of the issue often do not understand their own position, let alone the opposing arguments. I wrote The Baptism Debate to help believers understand what baptism is and why infant baptism does not actually fulfill the biblical definition of baptism. Because Catholics and Lutherans have their own reasons for baptizing infants, I…

  • Church,  New Testament,  Theology

    Immersion in the Early Church Baptismal Practice

    Those who argue for infant baptism often appeal to church history as evidence that infant baptism was a regular church practice. Although infant baptism was indeed practiced by the time we get to the end of the 3rd century, prior to that time there are significant questions regarding the regularity of the practice. Furthermore, although modern paedobaptists will often appeal to church history for defense of paedobaptism, they often ignore the early church testimony on the regularity of immersion. In other words, the early church sources are clear that immersion was the regular mode of baptism for those in the church, and deviations from that practice were viewed as exceptional. Immersion in the Didache One of the earliest sources we have on baptism is from the Didache (7:1–4). Although a lot could be said about the Didache, here I want to emphasize that this early church source emphasizes immersion. Consider…

  • Law,  New Testament,  Old Testament

    Paul’s Use of Leviticus in 1 Corinthians

    Leviticus is notoriously the place where year-long Bible reading programs die. Many a well-intentioned Christian has struggled and ultimately failed to get through Leviticus. The laws in Leviticus just seem so strange to the modern reader! Laws about sacrifices, washings, menstruation, and leprosy. These are strange concepts for the Western reader to think about. Yet, we deprive ourselves of a valuable resource if we ignore Leviticus. Leviticus has always been viewed as a foundational book for the Jewish people, and it was used significantly by Jesus and the Apostles in giving instruction to the church. The Prevalence of Leviticus in the New Testament In support of the assertion that Jesus and the Apostles relied heavily on Leviticus it may interest the reader to know that, according to the Loci Citati Vel Allegati in the 28th edition of Nestle Aland’s Greek New Testament, there are at least ninety-four specific Leviticus passages…

  • Hermeneutics,  New Testament,  Scripture

    Are the Red Letters Special in the Bible?

    When it comes to the red letters of the Bible, as Christians we often revere and cherish those portions of the text more highly than others. After all, the red letters are the words of Jesus! Why shouldn’t we value what Jesus says higher than other parts of the Bible? It is certainly popular to value what Jesus says over and above other parts of Scripture. In fact, there is a whole group called, Red Letter Christians, who exist “to take Jesus seriously by endeavoring to live out His radical, counter-cultural teachings as set forth in Scripture, and especially embracing the lifestyle prescribed in the Sermon on the Mount” (quote from their stated purpose). Perhaps you are not a card-carrying member of the Red Letter Christians. But, I imagine you gravitate to the person of Jesus. I bet that you value him above anyone else who is mentioned in the…

  • Church,  Hermeneutics,  New Testament

    Is the Book of Acts a Template for the Church?

    Many readers struggle with the book of Acts because they assume that it has to be a model for us to follow. Reading through the book of Acts we might wonder why we don’t speak in tongues, perform miracles, or exercise control over demons. But even on the more practical level, some read the book of Acts as a pattern for church growth. Similarly, I once heard a well-known Christian speaker say that he was in the process of rethinking how his church operated because when he compared his church with the church of Acts, he didn’t see enough similarities. The problem with this view is that the book of Acts was not written to be a template for the church to follow. Rather, the book of Acts is a historical record of how the church developed. The Connection between Acts and Luke One of the ways we can tell…