For this reason I kneel before the Father… that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the […]
Each time I read the book of Deuteronomy, I am struck by the clearness of the commands given to the Israelites by Moses as to how they should live in light of their faith in God. One aspect of the life of faith in the Lord that Moses emphasizes toward the end of his last […]
Have you ever wondered what the year of jubilee has to do with the Christian life? I’m not talking about whether the jubilee presents a viable economic strategy for 21st-century America. We can save that discussion for another day. Instead, I want to know whether we, as Christians, can look to the jubilee for greater […]
For the January term, I had the privilege of teaching a poetry intensive course for the History of Ideas program at Bethlehem College & Seminary. As a class, we were prepared for the methodical and deliberate pace demanded by the poetry’s density. In our range of pieces from Caedmon to T.S. Eliot and a high […]
Today’s post is a preview of Calvin on Commerce, the public lecture that Dr. Hall will give at Bethlehem College & Seminary Downtown Campus on Wednesday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m. We hope you will join us. Any proper understanding of Calvin on the subjects of money, wealth, or business must accept that these are […]
Note: All quotes are from sources as noted. The only fictitious elements in this diary posts are to treat these thoughts as from John Calvin. I send greetings to all Protestants at the Inauguration of the 45th President of the US. Believe it or not, some of our tradition’s ideas have led you to this point. After a spirited campaign, […]
One way to think about the mission of Bethlehem College & Seminary is to think of watering a desert where a very old seed is planted. I allude to C.S. Lewis: Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. The task of the modern educator is […]
The Advent season has begun and what a glorious opportunity it presents for us to make much of Jesus Christ. Whether you’re single, married, married with young children, empty nesters, or grandparents, the opportunity is there. While the world around us goes commercial with new, “special” days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it just […]
In 1974, John Piper became what has turned out to be my most influential life-long mentor. He was my professor for 5 courses in Greek exegesis, which he taught while I was a student at Bethel College. I learned from him a way of reading the text, proposition by proposition, after having diagrammed the Greek […]
This time next week many of us will be gathered with family and friends to celebrate the things that we are thankful for. For Christians, this shouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary. We have been given eyes to see that God is the giver of all good gifts (James 1:16). God has given many […]