Theology

Some Say Divine Simplicity Is Nonbiblical and Incoherent. Is it?

August 3, 2019 by wagraham 1 Comment

Christians across the ages have confessed God’s simplicity, and it also remains as a stalwart foundation for the reformed faith. The Belgic Confession (1561), for example, begins by affirming that God is “ single and simple spiritual being.” And Francis Turretin (1623–1687) remarks, “The orthodox have constantly taught that the essence of God is perfectly simple and free from all composition” (1992: 1:191).

Divine simplicity means that God has no parts or possibility. He is actually and always who he claims to be.

Yet some today reject divine simplicity as being nonbiblical and incoherent. Is it? [Read more…] about Some Say Divine Simplicity Is Nonbiblical and Incoherent. Is it?

Does Paul Forbid All Philosophy in Colossians 2?

July 30, 2019 by wagraham 1 Comment

When Paul warned the Colossians of philosophy (Col 2:8), did he forbid Christians from practising philosophy? That conclusion would complicate things for Christians since philosophy in Paul’s time included the right practice of running a city, judging legal cases, mathematics, as well as metaphysical questions like the essence of God.

So what does Paul mean here exactly? To answer that question, we must consider four things. [Read more…] about Does Paul Forbid All Philosophy in Colossians 2?

The Rock is Christ: How to Read Exodus

July 26, 2019 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Sometimes we under-appreciate Paul’s interpretation of the Old Testament. For instance, when he retells the Exodus story in 1 Corinthians 10, he sees the parting of the sea as a kind of baptism (Exod 14), the manna from heaven as spiritual food (Exod 16), the water as spiritual food (Exod 17) and the rock from which the water comes as Christ (Exod 17). In Paul’s words, “the Rock was Christ.”

Paul’s commentary on the Exodus teaches vital lessons about how to read Exodus and even the whole Old Testament. [Read more…] about The Rock is Christ: How to Read Exodus

How Scholasticism Helps Us to Understand Gender Roles, Orientation, and Transhumanism

July 22, 2019 by wagraham 1 Comment

Evangelical Christians face a threefold challenge concerning sex. First, many evangelicals have split over the issue of women in pastoral ministry. Second, gender identifies and gay marriage have challenged traditional evangelical understandings and caused yet another rift in the church. Lastly, transhumanism promises to soon create another theological chasm: ought Christians to remain in their natural bodies, or can they augment themselves via technology?

Are we stuck in schism and statemate? How might we address these questions? As strange as it might seem, we already have powerful answers to these potent challenges. Scholasticism, a method to understand the truth, has provided us with the framework to understand these challenges and overcome them. Before explaining why that it is, it is worth surveying how the above three challenges typically work out in the church. [Read more…] about How Scholasticism Helps Us to Understand Gender Roles, Orientation, and Transhumanism

Paul Went to the Third Heaven. What in the World Is He Talking About?

July 16, 2019 by wagraham 1 Comment

Somewhat apologetically, Paul describes himself as a man “in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2). What in the world is he talking about? Or better: what in heaven is he talking about?

Here are four textual clues that can help us answer this question. And I have to admit at the get-go, I am attempting to understand Paul’s experience myself. So please read this as an example of thoughts-in-process. With that caveat in place, here we go. [Read more…] about Paul Went to the Third Heaven. What in the World Is He Talking About?

What Did Thomas Aquinas Believe about Scripture?

July 15, 2019 by wagraham 1 Comment

Sometimes we think of church history as a pattern of discontinuity. First, the New Testament church births a pure church. Then it goes south. Then in 1518, Martin Luther and the rest return the church to its pristine form (or at least start a reform in that direction).

Yet many have pointed to key continuities between the medieval and the reformed churches (e.g., Richard Muller, Heiko Oberman). The reformed movement did not make a clean break from the medieval church. Instead, the reformed churches cleaned the pollutions of 15th century Romanism to restore the church to its biblical foundation.

And this biblical foundation finds continuity with much of the medieval (and the patristic) church. One such example of this is Thomas Aquinas’s view of Scripture. His view of Scripture has many continuities with the reformed faith and some discontinuities.