Systematic review of historical views of the atonement and a defense for penal substitution as the predominate teaching of Scripture. Originally presented at Truth and Grace Mennonite Church. Listen Here
One Word | Aletheia
We learn about what is true by studying the Bible. If we want to know God, we must study Scripture. We cannot have good theology, keep a pure gospel, or live God-honoring lives without submitting ourselves to the true Word. The Bible shows us things as they actually are, because God sees things as they are. To truly know God, we must understand His Word—the Word of Truth. Read More
The Inerrancy of Scripture | Part 1
On the heels of the truthfulness and authority of Scripture comes its inerrancy. The three are closely intertwined, and especially connected are truthfulness and inerrancy. When we say Scripture is true, we positively affirm that it is correct in every area, in every way. When we call it inerrant, we deny that anything in it is incorrect or in error. Read More
The Truthfulness and Authority of Scripture | Part 2
We understand that, since God has all authority, His Word also has all authority. Having authority means having “power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.”1 Just like God does not conform to some higher truth standard but is Himself the standard, so God does not draw His authority from a higher power but is Himself the highest authority. Read More
The Truthfulness and Authority of Scripture | Part 1
Our belief in God’s own truthfulness, combined with our understanding that Scripture is from God, naturally leads us to believe that God’s Word is also true. If the Bible is God’s word, and God only tells the truth, then the Bible we have must be entirely true. Read More
Inspiration, Authority, and the Christian
If Scripture is truly inspired (and it is), if it is truly from God (and it is), then what it says is important. A perfect Word from a holy God has every right to command our lives. Inspiration means the words of the Bible aren’t just man’s words on a page; those words are divine, directly from God. Read More
One Word | Theopneustos
The Bible is not man’s work; it is from God. He wrote it. He exhaled it. It is not just another book to collect dust on the shelf. It is categorically distinct, a level above every other book written since it is the only one written by God. When we read the Bible we hear directly from the Lord of the universe! We see His great work through history and His magnificent grace given in the gospel. Read More
The Inspiration of Scripture | Part 3
Orthodox inspiration holds that God knows what He’s talking about, even when it doesn’t fit with what we think or understand. It believes that, whether or not it seems to make sense, the Bible is always right. Whether we’re dealing with science or history, it says that, since Scripture is from God—and God does not and cannot lie—the Bible will always be right. It leaves God and His Word in authority, choosing to bow to Him. Read More
The Inspiration of Scripture | Part 2
In our discussion on the inspiration of Scripture, we now move from how God inspired the Bible to what that inspiration entails. As we discovered last time, most Christians agree that Scripture is inspired, but they often disagree when they define that inspiration. Just as they have various understandings of the process God used, they also hold various beliefs on how inspired the end product—Scripture—actually is. Read More
One Word | Panteles
The glorious dichotomy presented in Hebrews is that Christ is both the priest (the one who offers) and the atonement (the One offered, the perfect sacrifice to pay for sin). He goes to God to plead our case, and He gives His life—bearing God’s wrath—to secure our freedom. The Old Testament priests always came up short because they never had an offering good enough to pay for sin.2 Christ, in contrast, does. He is a priest beyond all others because He truly, finally, paid for sin. He is the perfect priest. Read More