7
Oct
2022
The Problem(s) of Gambling
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Even though there has been a steady rise of in-person and online gambling over the last several years, few voices seem to be speaking out against this societal ill, a true threat to human flourishing. While some of the focus inevitably needs to deal with the role of government in either banning or promoting gambling,... Read More
28
Sep
2022
E3 Conference Invitation
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Friend and Fellow Servant of Jesus Christ, I hope that you are doing well and the work of Christ is prospering as you seek to honor Him. These are challenging days to be faithful followers of the Lord, but His grace is sufficient and His Word is powerful! On October 20-21, 2022, we are hosting... Read More
26
Sep
2022
“Read the Eternities”: A Brief Review of Jeffrey Bilbro’s “Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News”
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The quotation in the title of this blog post comes from Henry David Thoreau, who more broadly warns that “We should treat our minds, that is, ourselves, as innocent and ingenuous children, whose guardians we are, and be careful what objects and what subjects we thrust on their attention. Read not the times. Read the... Read More
22
Sep
2022
The Pastor’s Guide to Time Blocking
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Perhaps you (like me) have had grand plans of working steadily on projects or sermons only to find that it is Saturday night, and tomorrow is the deadline. Modern ministry is full of distractions. It is challenging, perhaps now more than ever, to keep the main thing the main thing. Many people spend time focused... Read More
16
Sep
2022
DBTS Journal New Release
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We are pleased to announce that the 2022 issue of the Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal has just been released. This year’s issue contains six articles and two dozen book reviews. The articles can be downloaded individually or the entire issue can be downloaded as a single pdf if you prefer. https://dbts.edu/journal/ Print copies of the journal will be available... Read More
29
Aug
2022
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence at the Intersection of Original Writing
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The other day Pastor Doran, Kyle Dunham, and I were discussing the advent of AI technology. Of course, AI has been around for some time, but its modern uses appear to be multiplying at an astonishing pace. One of the uses has me wondering how others think of the morality of using the technology. The... Read More
26
Aug
2022
Joseph as a Pattern of Rejected, Royal Rule and Its Implications for Dispensational Interpretation
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Lately, as a result of three factors I’ve been thinking a fair bit about the potential role Joseph plays in biblical typology. First, I recently read Samuel Emadi’s new book From Prisoner to Prince: The Joseph Story in Biblical Theology. Emadi makes a good case for Joseph as a “rejected, royal deliverer” who resolves the... Read More
18
Aug
2022
Dealing with a Difficult Passage: Samuel Speaks from the Dead in 1 Samuel 28
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Dealing with difficult passages requires that we keep four hermeneutical principles in mind: Principle #1: Interpreting difficult passages starts with understanding what the text says. Principle #2: Difficult passages must be interpreted in light the immediate context. Principle #3: Difficult passages must be interpreted in light of clearer passages. Principle #4: Difficult passages must be... Read More
12
Aug
2022
The Trouble with Being Reformed and Baptist
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The words Reformed and Baptist mean something and they are and always have been mutually exclusive. So begins one of Scott Clark’s several diatribes on the paradox of Reformed Baptists, the latest of which hit the fan a couple of weeks back with a provocative description of Reformed Baptists as “squatters in the Reformed house.” By making these statements, Clark is not discouraging... Read More
8
Aug
2022
Helpful Thoughts on Infant Baptism
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I recently came across a few interesting thoughts about infant baptism. The first is an excellent rejoinder by Jeff Straub to arguments that Baptist churches should allow those baptized as infants into membership. Some highlights: “The debate over baptism has raged in the church for millennia for many reasons. All sides argue passionately for their... Read More