The Ridge or the Base For those who are aware of the issues, the above question is a significant one. For those who are not aware of the issues, let me summarize for you so that this essay makes some contribution to the next time you open the Bible and read. The issue raised by this question is the quandary of whether a man A) should read Scripture with interpretation in mind first, or B) whether he should disband the attempt to interpret until after he has done the work of exegesis. Or, in other words, should the Bible be… Read more: What Comes First: Hermeneutics or Exegesis?

One of the most enduring portions of the legacy that I can think of from John MacArthur’s life, as it relates to me and thousands of other graduates of The Master’s Seminary, is the very school that equipped us to shepherd the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-5). The effect of his leadership in the church cannot be known on earth. Only God can see the thousands of ways John shepherded the flock. The result of that has been the most beautiful, godly, devoted, and sincere Christians on the planet. But, it was the formation of an institution which attracted… Read more: My Tribute to John MacArthur

Luke 9:1–3 (LSB) 1And calling the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.  2And He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  3And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; nor have two tunics apiece. The Lord entered into His ministry with an immersion into the Jordan River. After that, He was tempted and tested for 40 days. After that He was reunited with disciples He made while at the Jordan and… Read more: The Lord’s Care For His Church

The following is an extreme summary of the teaching of Scripture regarding the role of Israel and end times (“eschatology”). A few working definitions are in order, however. • Israel means the twelve biological tribes who were sons of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.• The church means the group of people, men and women, of all nations (including Israel) who believe that Jesus Christ is the OT Messiah, the Son of God.• Jews means those who are biologically confined to the nation of Israel.• Eschatology means a study of the events revealed in the Bible that… Read more: What Is Israel And When Will The World End?

There Is A Difference John 13:34 (LSB)34“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Jesus gave a “new commandment,” the fundamental commandment of the New Covenant.  This “new” commandment seems to echo the OT commandment to do the same-love one another (Leviticus 19:18). In fact, this commandment is the very hinge of whether a Jew was truly obeying the Law or not (Matthew 22:40). Of course, they weren’t-they couldn’t.  However, the OT commandment to love your neighbor is not like the NT commandment to… Read more: The Commandment of Christ

I am in some discussion with a young man on Facebook. I am writing this for him, but also to specifically deal with a passage that is often quoted, misquoted, concerning the doctrine of the Active Obedience of Jesus Christ. I have dealt with this teaching in other posts before this, so I don’t want to hash that out here. However, the general summary of that teaching was repeated back to me by this gentleman, and it goes something like this: “You need both forgiveness of sins (the imputation of our sin to Christ) and the provision of righteousness (the imputation… Read more: Dialogue…