The Cross from a Distance: Atonement in Mark’s Gospel

Here’s my review of Peter Bolt’s excellent book.

What Is Prophecy and Has It Ceased?

As Paul is describing the activity of prophets in 1 Corinthians 14:29–30, he writes, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.”  From this statement, we know that (1) prophecy is revelatory because Paul refers …

Genesis 3:15: The Protoevangelion

I’ll never forget hearing Tommy Nelson argue that the first promise of the Gospel comes in Genesis 3:15. Nelson pointed out that when the text speaks of the serpent’s head being crushed, it says “He will crush your head,” and I remember him saying something like, “that’s a singular, masculine pronoun, ultimately pointing to Jesus.” …

What Is Baptism and Is It Worth Dying For?

In one of the best sermons I’ve read in a while, Eric Schumacher explains what Baptism is and why it’s worth dying for. This is a must read.

Confession of Sins in Worship

I was recently asked about why we always have a time for confession of sins in worship at Redeemer. Dr. Mohler gives a great exposition of the necessity of this in Part Three of his series on worship.

Baptism, Church Membership, and “Together for the Gospel”

Baptism and church membership go together. Baptism symbolizes that a person has been baptized into Christ Jesus, specifically, into his death (Gal 3:27; Rom 6:3). It is faith that unites us to Christ (Gal 3:26; Col 2:12). Baptism is a picture of this union with Christ, as it shows that what has happened to Jesus …

Why Don’t Baptists Commune with Presbyterians?

In a recent comment a friend of mine raised the issue of whether the requirements for membership in the local church ought to be the same as the requirements for membership in the universal church. I take this to mean: we think that someone is saved if they make a profession of faith and show …

The Greatest Danger Facing the Church

Is probably not what most of us expect. We expect some sort of direct challenge from without, something like The Da Vinci Code. But I think the greatest danger that we face is from within, and I think it comes from well meaning pastors. How could well meaning pastors pose the greatest threat to evangelical …

Prayer of the Month

The Lord blessed me with a good idea the other day, and perhaps it will bless you as well. I decided to pick a New Testament prayer and try to pray through it every day of the month. This will probably lead to the memorization of the text, which never hurts, and I hope that …