Category Archives: sovereignty

Romans 13 – Obedience to the Government

“Obedience … in the Lord”

The current public debate concerning events at the nation’s southern border, especially the separation of families and the detainment of small children, exposes the profound degree of Christian disunity regarding issues of church-state relations, ethics, and biblical interpretation. Unfortunately, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ citation of Romans 13 seems Continue reading Romans 13 – Obedience to the Government

A Series of Biblical Vignettes A Propos Pledging Allegiance

“Seek the welfare of the city” (Jer 29:7)

Christian proponents of a variety of doctrinal statements, ethical stances, and public policy positions often proclaim their viewpoints “biblical” either because they assume that the status quo ante must represent the divine will or because their position seems best to reflect a single biblical passage or a small grouping of passages. One could argue that, Continue reading A Series of Biblical Vignettes A Propos Pledging Allegiance

My Confession of Faith

For Now

In a few weeks, I begin my twentieth-eighth year teaching, my twentieth at BTSR.  The realization has given me occasion to reflect on a number of matters.  How has my thinking changed?  Has my faith deepened? Continue reading My Confession of Faith

Making Theological Trouble for Ourselves or Why I am not a Calvinist

Rom 8:28

I heard it again last week, the platitude people use in the face of tragedy:  “We do not know the mind of God.  What we see as bad may, in fact, be part of God’s mysterious plan.  God is in control.”  People seem to need either to comfort themselves over the fact that life is always uncertain and often painful, or to protect God, or their idea of God, from Continue reading Making Theological Trouble for Ourselves or Why I am not a Calvinist

There is a Wildness in God’s Mercy

Job 41:12

The results of the newly released Pew Research Center survey of the influence of religion on the everyday lives of Americans reveals that those who pray daily and worship weekly also participate in extended family life, engage in charitable giving or service, and report that they are “happy” in significantly greater degrees than the “non-religious” segment of Continue reading There is a Wildness in God’s Mercy

The Sovereignty of God and the Sears Catalog

On Genesis 17

Some years ago, Dennis came to my office to talk about how his study of the Bible had reshaped his understanding of God.  He related an episode in his life just a few years earlier involving the purchase of a swing set for his young daughter.  His church background had emphasized the sovereignty of God, including the notion that God’s

Continue reading The Sovereignty of God and the Sears Catalog