St. Philip the Evangelist is best remembered for his witness to the Ethiopian eunuch, a conversion story recorded in Acts 8. But this is only one of the remarkable stories of Philip, who appears in the Book of Acts as a deacon, a preacher, a scholar, and a dad. In this article, I briefly survey…
Shame in the Psalms
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. Psalms 44:15-16 While some of the psalms exult in joy and praise, many others describe the more challenging aspects of the human experience—including shame….
We Believe: And His Kingdom Will Have No End
Old Testament Context This line from the Nicene Creed, “and his kingdom will have no end,” is a simple case of Old Testament continuity and fulfillment. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it…
The Four Mountains of Scripture’s Story
“Moses wanted more than anything else to see the face of God, but on Mount Sinai, God wouldn’t let him. But God granted Moses’ wish on Tabor when he saw Jesus face to face. If you believe in Jesus as Lord and God, you too will see the face of God just as Moses did…
We Believe: To Judge the Living and the Dead
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations.” Matthew 25:32 When the Lord Jesus returns to earth in glory, as discussed in our last reflection on the Nicene Creed, it will not…
We Believe: He Will Come Again in Glory
Up until this point in the Creed, we have confessed what Christ has done in the past. When we confess “He will come again,” our attention pivots rapidly from the past to the future: What our Lord Jesus Christ will do, in time to come. We lift our eyes to the horizon of time, and we see the finish…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Barnabas
On June 11th, we celebrate the Feast of St. Barnabas, a true pioneer of the early Church. St. Barnabas may not be as well known as Peter or Paul, but his faithfulness, generosity, and encouragement changed the course of the Church. He reminds us that sometimes the most powerful witness comes not from preaching, but…
We Believe: He Ascended into Heaven
After Jesus rose from the dead, many of his followers thought that he would soon bring about the end of history, a final judgment upon all evil and wickedness in the world, and a permanent restoration of Israel. But instead, Jesus commands his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, and he ascends into the…
We Believe: In Accordance with the Scriptures
At first glance, it’s easy to assume that the Nicene Creed’s phrase “in accordance with the Scriptures” refers to one or two Old Testament proof texts. After all, Paul uses this exact formula in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures … he was raised on the third day in accordance…
We Believe: On the Third Day He Rose Again
As with much of the Nicene Creed, the words call our attention to more than an abstract philosophical proposition. In the Creed, we claim historical fact: the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who was truly killed, thoroughly dead, and really buried, rose again into newness of life at a specific time (on the third day…
We Believe: He Suffered Death and Was Buried
In the Nicene Creed, we confess that Jesus “suffered death and was buried.” The one who created and sustains all things willingly submitted himself to the common death of man. The dark reality that we will all face, the separation of soul and body, is one that our Savior has already embraced and overcome. Through…
Book Review: ESV Expository Commentary
Over the last few years, Crossway has released a new Biblical commentary series called ESV Expository Commentary. Of course, with their publication, every new Bible commentary series must answer the same fundamental question: what—if anything—sets it apart? Do We Really Need Another Bible Commentary Series? Pastors, teachers, scholars, and lay readers all ask this whenever…