Wyatt Graham

Faith | Books | Culture

Is the Gospel about Kingship or Salvation (Or both)?

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Greg Gilbert recently preached a sermon on the Gospel in which he contrasted his approach with that of Scot McKnight and Matthew Bates. 9Marks released the edited sermon notes shotly thereafter. In response, Bates said on April 17th that he was misrepresented and later wrote an article for Christianity Today. Scot McKnight also wrote a response article on the same day.  

So what is the conflict, and at the end of the day, what is the Gospel? Here are some thoughts.  [Read more…] about Is the Gospel about Kingship or Salvation (Or both)?

Does God Hate People?

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Jesus bore divine wrath at the cross for our sake (Isa 53:5), and so protected us from it. This act implies that God hates humans since he would have poured wrath upon humans if not for the work of Christ’s cross. Yet John says that God loved the world (John 3:16). So how can Scripture speak both of God’s wrath and his love for us? Does God hate us or love us? 

Of all people, it may be of some interest to see how John Calvin (1509–1564) answered this question because he, in the minds of many, was a theologian of God’s wrath. While he certainly emphasized divine wrath, he (against some modern expectations) prioritized God’s love for humanity before wrath—indeed, for Calvin, passages about God’s wrath aim to underscore divine love and mercy. [Read more…] about Does God Hate People?

How to Navigate Ethics in a COVID19 World

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Over the last month, many of us have experienced disbelief, worry, and finally numbness. Due to these concerns, we naturally have tried to define our situation and what we should do. How do we protect the vulnerable? How do we protect our economy? How do these two concerns mesh?

Many experts have put their shoulders to the plow to figure out these matters, and I will not (and cannot) add to these specific questions since I neither have the requisite skill nor the ability to review all the data. What I do have are faith and Christian ethics.

And through these, we can navigate the difficult ethical waters of the coming months with some confidence. [Read more…] about How to Navigate Ethics in a COVID19 World

Nine statements on divine impassibility and the cross

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Recently, I wrote an article on divine impassibility. In the article, I tried to show how only the suffering God can help us during times of crises. It was not an article “proving” the doctrine since divine impassibility is both creedal and confessional, although at some point I would like to write a scriptural-theological argument for the doctrine. 

One possible confusion with divine impassibility involves the cross since Christ suffers on the cross. I should note that the same problem exists for divine simplicity, immutability, and so on. The answers to these possible problems generally involve reflecting deeper on the doctrine of God and the Trinity as well as Christology. 

[Read more…] about Nine statements on divine impassibility and the cross

Why you should have virtual worship services because of our exceptional circumstances

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During the current pandemic, many places of worship cannot bring people together for a worship service. In place of that, churches have begun to offer virtual worship services. 

Not every church agrees. Some feel that virtualizing worship services is not appropriate even during our exceptional circumstances. Churches have the freedom to follow their consciouses, but I want to suggest one argument for why you should have virtual worship services in light of our exceptional circumstances.   [Read more…] about Why you should have virtual worship services because of our exceptional circumstances