Category: Gospel

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CALLED Conference 2023 in Moscow, ID

So thrilled to teach and spend time with these students!

TWO WEEKS TO THE EARLY BIRD DEADLINE.

Register by Feb 1 for $620. https://nsa.edu/called-conference

We are excited for Pastor Uri to be our keynote speaker for Called Conference 2023. Read his full bio below.

“Rev. Dr. Uriesou Brito serves as the Senior Pastor of Providence Church and has been at Providence since 2009. Born in Northeastern Brazil, he has lived in the United States for over 25 years. He earned a B.A. in Pastoral Studies from Clearwater Christian College, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary/Orlando, and a D.Min. in Pastoral Theology from RTS/Orlando. Brito is the editor of The Church-Friendly Family, author of The Trinitarian Father, and co-author of commentaries on Ruth and Jonah published by Athanasius Press. He serves as a board member of the Theopolis Institute and is the Senior Fellow for Pastoral Theology for the Center of Cultural Leadership. He blogs at uribrito.com and kuyperian.com. Uri has been married for nineteen years to his lovely wife, Melinda, and is the proud father of Abigail, Ezekiel, Ephraim, Elijah, and Ezra.”

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How to read the Gospels?

To study the Gospels is to study the first-century context in its depth. To read the first four books that shape the main corpus of the story of Jesus is to inundate ourselves in a world that is foreign to our eyes, our ears, and our taste. We are called to experience the dusty days of Jerusalem and the rain of God’s mercies among stubborn people. When we read the Gospels in their fullness, we find our own lives ingrained in the doubts of the disciples, the victories of the kingdom, and the corporate undoing of Jesus’ antagonists.

This entire endeavor begins early as we consider the genealogy of Jesus. There, in that vast array of heroic characters, we are considering a long line from Abraham to Mary that connects the Scriptures in all its covenant unity. It traces the lineage of our forefathers with the precision of a scalpel surgically tuned to its purpose. Far from tedious, it reveals in vivid language the precipitous fall of every attempt to break the sacred line. The Scriptures stir the imagination to see the unfolding drama of the sacred violence of old and the new sacred peace far as the curse is found; the journey through the wilderness to the arrival at the promised mount of Calvary.

To read the Gospels is to witness the fulfillment of history, the impending doom of an old world that was ready to die to make room for a new world. This new world brings with it the entire glory of Old Covenant history to the forefront as the writers retrace the steps of Israel leading to her final days in the destruction of the Temple. Yet, in Israel’s final days, God’s saints are not left to wander again in the wilderness, but a new Israel steps in to relive Israel’s history and journey through the wilderness to triumph over every failure of Israel’s past. In Jesus, the old Israel gives way to a new Israel with a new Moses and a new kingdom.

The Gospels set the stage for the subversion of the present authority structures by a new-born King whose very presence rifled Satan’s fold and the Herodian throne. In his birth, he overthrows the principalities of the day and fulfills the promise to be a light to the Gentiles. Jesus’ Epiphany glory in his infancy provides the environment for everything else that unfolds in the New Covenant Scriptures. For in his birth, the Gentiles appear, the religious leaders sneer, the earthly powers jeer, and the angels cheer. Indeed, the life of Jesus’ birth signals the future ministry of Jesus bringing blessings to the Gentiles, conflicting with the religious leaders, provoking political figures to take a stand and to receive the ministry of angelic beings and the glorious saints.

The Gospels introduce us to a world that is perishing under the weight and burden of sin only to engulf us into a new world where righteousness and hope prevail. The kingship of Jesus becomes the Gospels’ exceedingly great project: to reveal Christ as Lord and to see his kingship confound worldly wisdom and bring salvation to the cosmos. 

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Introducing John the Baptizer

When John the Baptizer enters the scene, there was a tremendous expectation that he was the one promised in Malachi’s prophecy (4:5). The lengthy period between Malachi’s prophecy and the new age exacerbated the expectation for the Elijah-to-come. In many ways, when John comes, he becomes an immediate celebrity figure of the day. When he appears from the desert places dressed in prophetic attire, he enters as a promised leader who would turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents. The throngs of people sought out the prophetic Elijahian voice as the great unifier of the Jewish people, who would usher in the new age of Jewish life bringing justice and equity.

How shocking it must have been that the great hope of Israel, her first celebrity came promising judgment calling upon the very ones who viewed themselves as true descendants of Abraham to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The religious leaders quickly turned against the Elijah-figure by seeking to entrap him. And soon enough, John utters the words of prophecy taking us from Malachi to Isaiah (Is. 40) promising that Israel must turn away from their sins and prepare the way of the Lord. John is indeed the great unifier, but not of blessings to a fruitless generation, but he is a unifier of biblical prophecy combining the wisdom of Solomon, Isaiah, Malachi, and so many others into one transcendent turn in history as he presents to the world the one who entered in lowly estate and captured the ire of leaders low and high and who did not draw crowds initially, but stone-throwers and religious antagonists.

John’s celebrity status as a prophet, whose foot was planted in the Old and another in the New, brought all the attention to himself so that he could introduce Another greater than he whose sandal-straps he was not worthy to untie (Jn. 1:27). John’s initial attention was merely a sacred ploy to release a Jewish rabbi into the scene whose entire existence shaped and fulfilled the salvation-system of Israel and the entire cosmos.

In the end, John’s heralding ministry ended in decapitation, not as a sign of loss, but as a sign of victory. John succeeded in introducing the world to Messiah Jesus. For while the head of John was cut off by unjust rulers, the head of the Serpent was trampled by a just King. John’s decrease–his death–increased the life and ministry of Jesus. Behold, among women, no greater prophet has arisen than John.

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Introducing the Gospels, Part 2, SS at Providence

In this lesson, we covered some of the poor ways unbelieving and sometimes evangelicals scholars have read the Gospels. We focus particularly on the Gnostic tendencies and the dangers of removing the humanity of Jesus from our practical understanding of the Four Gospels.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Introducing the Gospels, Sunday School, Part 1

To study the Gospels is to study the first-century context in its depth. To read the first four books that shape the main corpus of the story of Jesus is to inundate ourselves in a world that is foreign to our eyes, our ears, and our taste. We are called to experience the dusty days of Jerusalem and the rain of God’s mercies among stubborn people.

When we consider the genealogy of Jesus, we are considering a long line of characters from Abraham to Mary that connects the Scriptures in all its covenant unity. It traces the lineage of our forefathers with the precision of a scalpel surgically tuned to its purpose. Far from tedious, it reveals in vivid language the precipitous fall of every attempt to break the sacred line. The Scriptures of Matthew stir the imagination to see the unfolding drama of the sacred violence of old and the new sacred peace far as the curse is found, the journey through the wilderness to the arrival at the promised mount of Calvary.

Posted on

Introducing the Gospels

To study the Gospels is to study the first-century context in its depth. To read the first four books that shape the main corpus of the story of Jesus is to inundate ourselves in a world that is foreign to our eyes, our ears, and our taste. We are called to experience the dusty days of Jerusalem and the rain of God’s mercies among stubborn people.

When we consider the genealogy of Jesus, we are considering a long line of characters from Abraham to Mary that connects the Scriptures in all its covenant unity. It traces the lineage of our forefathers with the precision of a scalpel surgically tuned to its purpose. Far from tedious, it reveals in vivid language the precipitous fall of every attempt to break the sacred line. The Scriptures of Matthew stir the imagination to see the unfolding drama of the sacred violence of old and the new sacred peace far as the curse is found; the journey through the wilderness to the arrival at the promised mount of Calvary.

To read the Gospels is to witness the fulfillment of history, the impending doom of an old world that was ready to die to make room for a new world. This new world brings with it the entire glory of Old Covenant history to the forefront as the writers retrace the steps of Israel leading to her final days in the destruction of the Temple. Yet, in Israel’s final days, God’s saints are not left to wander again in the wilderness, but a new Israel steps in to relive Israel’s history and journey through the wilderness to triumph over every failure of Israel’s past. In Jesus, the old Israel gives way to a new Israel with a new Moses and a new kingdom.

The Gospels set the stage for the subversion of the present authority structures by a new-born King whose very presence rifled Satan’s fold and the Herodian throne. In his birth, he overthrows the principalities of the day and fulfills the promise to be a light to the Gentiles. Jesus’ Epiphany glory in his infancy provides the environment for everything else that unfolds in the New Covenant Scriptures. For in his birth, the Gentiles appear, the religious leaders sneer, the earthly powers jeer, and the angels cheer. Indeed, the life of Jesus’ birth signals the future ministry of Jesus bringing blessings to the Gentiles, conflicting with the religious leaders, provoking political figures to take a stand and to receive the ministry of angelic beings and the glorious saints.

The Gospels introduce us to a world that is perishing under the weight and burden of sin only to engulf us into a new world where righteousness and hope prevail. The kingship of Jesus becomes the Gospels’ exceedingly great project: to reveal Christ as Lord and to see his kingship confound worldly wisdom and bring salvation to the cosmos.

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A Review of “Unstoppable” with Kirk Cameron

The thought of spending $12.50 on a movie frightens me. I am perfectly content watching my favorite latest series on Netflix. The thought of going to a movie theater no longer appeals to me as it did ten years ago. So what would compel me to visit the theater this time? I confess, I was intrigued. I have been following Kirk Cameron for some time now. Kirk’s rise to stardom occurred in the late 80’s with Growing Pains. Since then, Cameron has come to Jesus and turned his career toward the Christian movie industry. His official entrance into the evangelical scene came in the 2000 movie, Left Behind. In those days, Cameron had drunk deeply of Tim Lahaye’s best sellers. The Left Behind series became a sensation. The 16-part novels emphasized the rapture, a popular evangelical doctrine of the end-times. The “Rapture” occurs when Jesus calls His Church home. The vision of falling airplanes, tightly folded clothes, and millions of people disappearing has become more than fiction; to many, it is Christianity in its purest form. And Cameron’s movies became the face of it.

Fast forward several years. Cameron’s involvement in broad apologetic and evangelistic work with Ray Comfort has given him some notoriety. He has spoken courageously on a host of moral issues and has received the type of media persecution expected from those who are antagonistic to the exclusivity of Jesus.

Cameron’s personal journey led him to some interesting theological figures. His youthful appeal can be deceiving. Kirk has actually become a fine thinker. And the greatest proof of his ability to engage the world of the Bible intelligently is his latest movie entitled “Unstoppable.” Originally presented to an audience of 10,000 people at Liberty University, Cameron explores the traditional question of theodicy: “If God is sovereign, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?” a

A Case for Christian Activism

The theme song summarizes the basic thrust of the movie. There is a time to speak and that time is now. Cameron’s investigation provides an apologetic for Christian activism. The former Growing Pains star is now calling Christians everywhere to grow up. Speak for Christ. Defend Christ. The whole world has become a platform for the Christian vision.

This journey seeks to offer some answers to the broad questions of good and evil. Instead of entering into the philosophical arena, Kirk enters into the narrative of redemptive history. The drama of life is being enacted in this great stage. Unstoppable presents a narrative theology that is often unheard of in the evangelical pulpit. This narrative is both compelling and rich. It is a story that starts in the beginning.

Narratival Theology

Through very rich imagery, Cameron takes us through the formation of man. Man is created with authority and that is most clearly seen in his ability to name animals. In doing so, Adam mimics His Creator. God gives man a mission to heavenize earth.  The heavenification project began in the Garden. Adam then is put to sleep and, from his side, God forms woman, who is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. This beautiful, poetic, creative act, now puts man and woman at the center of God’s great plans for history.

Man was to have dominion over all things. And the first great test they faced came in the form of a beast. Adam should have smelt it a mile away. He should have crushed it. But the compelling drama goes from the safety of the garden into the danger of the forbidden fruit. Adam’s sin plunges humanity into chaos. But in the middle of this cosmic betrayal, God does not betray His creation. He makes a promise (Gen. 3:15). Even after Adam and Eve leave the garden He continues to provide for them.

But the narrative continues in bloody fashion. Humanity experiences its first death: the death of a son, the death of a brother. God then places on Cain the first true mark of the beast.

At this point, Kirk Cameron explores the persuasiveness of this narrative. This is a narrative, he argues, that would not sell. In Genesis, the Creator of the world destroys His own creation when He sent a great deluge to drown humanity in their sin. Why would the Protagonist do this? It is here when Cameron shines in his narration. He argues that God packs the whole world in a wooden box and then re-opens the box (the ark) to a new and better world. The new world is born through tragedy. The story is persuasive because it does not hide the consequences of sin.

The Theology of Unstoppable

Unstoppable is a short commentary on Genesis, which is consequently a commentary on the whole Bible. The great rainbow (bow) serves as an instrument of war. God took that instrument and directed it to His only begotten Son at the cross. At the cross, Christ was brutally murdered by His own creation. But it is precisely at the cross, argues Cameron, that “Jesus flips death on its head by dying for His enemies.” After death came life. Life burst from the grave. In fact, every graveyard is a garden. And one day, “each seed will burst into a new world.”

It is in this resurrection theme that Cameron transforms the question of evil into a case for the God who redeems humanity and will bring humanity from the dust of the earth into a new creation. Cameron takes the death of his young friend and uses it as an example for how grieving is not the end of the story. God’s purposes are unstoppable.

This is not your typical Bible story telling. Cameron weaved into his narrative a robust view of creation. Creation is not something to be despised or rejected. Creation was not left behind by its God. Creation is being redeemed by its Maker. Redeemed humanity united to the Final Adam, Jesus Christ, is now commissioned to disciple the nations and make the glory of God known.

Evangelicals will be deeply shocked by its overwhelming optimism. Cameron does not end in lament, but in triumph. The Christian vision is not an escapist one. It is a mission grounded in resurrection joy. And because of this, evil does not have the final word. God cannot be stopped. His purposes will be accomplished in history. His glory will be known from sea to sea.

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JANUARY 28, 2014

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  1. Inherent in the question, is “How can He allow bad things to happen to Christians?  (back)
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Why am I Angry?

Why am I angry? Why do I lose control so often? How can I change?

These are all questions we have considered. We don’t have to ponder too long before we realize that anger has made a home in our hearts many times.

The first instance of anger in the Bible is in Genesis 4. Cain was angry because his offering was not accepted (Gen. 4:5). We can offer some theological insight into the nature of this offering, but for our purposes, the result of this offering/worship rejection was the murder of Abel. We can then conclude that unrighteous anger ( I argue that there is righteous anger, but that anger is rarely righteous) is a result of unacceptable worship. The first recorded sinful act in the fallen world was the result of anger. Uncontrolled anger is a result of false worship. The one who is angry and sins has made his desires and agenda the center of the universe. Anger is the definition of self-worship. It is the manifestation that one’s world is not where it should be and so everyone–or someone close– must conform his world to theirs.

If a person has a history of angry outbursts, then it might take more than a few sermons and counseling sessions to see change. Ultimately, Jesus is the model we are to follow. He was insulted, abused, and falsely accused, but yet he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly (I Pet. 2:23). Changing and conforming to the image of our Lord must be a priority. Anger cannot be moderated through self-determination, but through the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the comforter of the afflicted and the One who calms the angry heart.

Changing then requires an initial affirmation that anger and its consequences is inconsistent with the Christian testimony. It elevates our agenda above others. It does not seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness. But changing from angry outbursts to  a soft answer demands constant accountability with people who know you best. Your pastor or close friend may be wise choices in confronting you in this process. Anger destroys those closest to us and it can affect jobs, relationships, and our communion with the Triune God.

We need to be confronted by the peace of God daily. Jesus Christ is the shalom of God to the world. He disarms anger with love and grace. In this sense, a grateful heart is the most fundamental response to anger. The one who worships rightly is most grateful. Gratitude is anger’s worst enemy. Unrighteous anger is a denial of God’s gifts to his children.

If you are angry and your family has been on the receiving side of that anger for a long time, then it is time to change. The angry heart never takes a break. Seek Christ. Seek help from your community, and worship rightly.

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On the Death of Bonhoeffer

The doctor who witnessed Bonhoeffer’s execution described it this way:

Early the next morning, April 9, Bonhoeffer, Wilhelm Canaris, Hans Oster, and four fellow conspirators were hanged at the extermination camp of Flossenbürg. The camp doctor, who had to witness the executions, remarked that he watched Bonhoeffer kneel and pray before being led to the gallows. “I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer,” he wrote. “At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed. . . . In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”