“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12) During this advent season, my church has been preaching through Biblical texts that describe light. We have seen how light signifies revelation and purity, how […]
Have you ever emptied the gospel of its power? Did you know that it is possible to preach, teach, or share the gospel in a way which nullifies its power? Don’t take my word for it. Look at what the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to […]
This week is American Thanksgiving. This is the moment we eat turkey and pumpkin pie. We gather with family we don’t see often. And, of course, we watch football. Thanksgiving is when we pause to remember the opportunities, liberty, and privileges we enjoy. In essence, Thanksgiving is the moment we pause to remember. We intentionally […]
At Bethlehem, we aim at Christian maturity. This means that by God’s grace we want our graduates to build strong, stable, and happy families that reflect the gospel in the world. Here is an exhortation from Dr. Rigney to his congregation on aiming for the heart in raising our children. The banner that flies over […]
Pornography was the topic in my ethics class this week. The fourth-year Master of Divinity (M.Div.) students surveyed various approaches to ethics at the beginning of the semester, and since then we’ve been studying and discussing various issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, contraception, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, transgenderism, critical theory, ethnicity, war, […]
Exulting in the Biblical Languages As a third-year seminarian and aspiring pastor, if I had to name just one “habit of mind” for which I am most grateful to have learned at Bethlehem Seminary, I would say it is the ability to read the Bible in its original languages. It is no secret that Bethlehem […]
This semester, my intermediate Greek students have been working through the Greek text of the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 2, we noted how Mark grouped several stories together that have to do with Jesus and sinners. In these stories, we see the themes of forgiveness and faith surface—forgiveness on Jesus’ part and faith on […]
“True education means thinking by associating across the various disciplines, and not just being highly qualified in one field, as a technician might be.” So said Francis Schaeffer in his landmark book, The God Who Is There. Schaeffer aligns in this regard with Leonardo Da Vinci, who centuries earlier said, “A rule for developing a […]
The Apostle Paul exerted significant energy to proclaim Christ. And he did so with an end, or telos, in mind. He wanted to form mature followers of Jesus for God’s glory and the joy of all people. Consider Paul’s words to believers in Colossae: Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, […]
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:1–2) Throughout the course of human history, men and women have attempted to seek for immortality, to live forever without aging, pain, or […]