Palestinian Artifactual Evidence Supporting the Early Date of the Exodus

When did the exodus take place? There are two theories: an early date and a late date. In answering this question this article looks first at the date of the conquest and the burning of Jericho, Ai, Hazor. After examining the archaeological claim for a later date based on Palestinian artifacts, the article concludes that such a claim has no grounds.

Orthodoxy in Christology

How should we understand and live out Christology in our modern context? Who is Jesus Christ for us today? This author maintains that our orthodoxy must be contemporary. This does not mean that our contemporary context should determine our faith, but that we should understand our orthodoxy within the modern context. This article discusses what a contemporary orthodox witness to Christ looks like.

The Gospels as Eyewitness Accounts

Are the four New Testament Gospels reliable accounts of Jesus? Are the Gospels accounts of real history? In this article, Richard Bauckham highlights the importance of the eyewitnesses described in the Gospels - those who were actually there at the events of Jesus' life. Bauckham asks the question: How are the Gospels related to the testimony of the eyewitnesses?

Reading the Bible in the Context of the Ecological Threats of Our Time

This lecture is on the care of creation. Francis Bacon was the first person to understand the dominion given to humans at Creation as a task for the progressive exploitation of the resources of creation for the improvement of human life. Before this, people had taken the command of Genesis 1:28 as authorizing the ordinary ways in which people already made use of non-human creation - i.e. farming, hunting, fishing, etc.

The Church as the Dwelling Place of the Spirit

This article considers what Paul means in Ephesians 2:22 when he speaks of the church as the dwelling place of the Spirit. The author considers the progression in Scripture as to how God lived with his people, climaxing in the Spirit's coming to dwell within his people in the New Testament. The article also presents and critiques the study of W.J. Ouweneel on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Private Faith?

If a Christian today can feel like such a stranger in his community, should he then hold to a private faith? This article addresses this question, and explains that if you allow your faith to be pushed to the private sphere, it will have a massive impact on your life as a whole. Ultimately, private faith is no faith. The only defensible answer to secularization is to let one's faith permeate all of his life.

Mormonism

This article considers the history and theology of Mormonism. It offers an account of the life of Joseph Smith, then an outline of the Book of Mormon, followed by some further history of the movement, the story of Brigham Young, and then a discussion of some of the important doctrines. It offers a separate section on the matter of polygamy in Mormonism, and concludes with a suggestion on how to approach Mormons.

Horizontalism

What is meant by the term "Horizontalism"? This article explains that it is a worldview that desires to be Christian but does not recognize the transcendence of God, that he is exalted above his creation. Several characteristics are listed, including the denial of the supernatural, the stress on the fact that man has come of age, and the notion that salvation means to love each other. Finally, it evaluates Horizontalism, concluding that it is false prophecy.

God’s Almighty Power

This is an article about the sovereignty of God. It considers various questions related to this subject, along with the biblical support for the doctrine. It grieves the devaluing of the doctrine in our times, considering some of the history of thought on the matter. It also discusses the correspondence between God’s sovereignty and predestination, the power of sin, and the humiliation of Christ in his incarnation. It also considers how God is involved in the suffering of man.

The Use of the Scriptures in Ethics and Morals

This article considers how the Word of God is to be used in ethics. It highlights the difficulties that exist in this endeavour, and then proceeds into a discussion on hermeneutics. It provides and analyzes a definition of ethics by Klaas Schilder. From there it considers a number of wrong uses of Scripture, such as biblicism. At its conclusion this chapter calls for maturity and discernment in how the Scriptures are to be used in our ethical reflection.

The Ten Commandments and Ethics

The Ten Commandments occupy a special place in Scripture, and so it is little surprise that they gradually formed an integral part of the instruction in the church, also in its ethics. This article considers their special place, and how some have challenged their key position in the church. The author clarifies that the law is not a way of salvation, but instead a norm for life.

The Conscience in Ethics

This article considers the place of the conscience in ethics. It evaluates a medieval distinction between synteresis (the light of nature) and conscientia (conscience). It also considers a more modern, philosophical view of the conscience, which in turn it rejects. It explains that even a good conscience does not justify us before God. Nevertheless, God can and does make claims on the conscience.

Is There Such a Thing as a Clash of Obligations?

Often a Christian is faced with more than one viable option when having to make an important decision. But sometimes the decision involves a dilemma, wherein choosing the one thing might mean you are sinning by neglecting the other. This article discusses this matter, which is often called a clash of obligations. It considers whether God would command conflicting things. It goes on to show that it is not possible to obey a command of God and at the same time run afoul of the great commandment of love.

Christian Morals

This article reflects on what it means that there are Christian morals, in contrast to those of the world. It acknowledges that there are many things that Christians do in the same way as non-Christians, as all have the law written on their heart. But it is the inner man that is different among Christians and non-Christians, which then allows us to speak of a Christian lifestyle in contrast to a worldly lifestyle.

A Definition of Ethics and Morals

This article provides a definition of Christian ethics: "Ethics is the reflection on the responsible activity of man towards God and his neighbour." The author unpacks this definition in the remainder of the article, considering questions like: Which actions are objects of study in ethics? Shouldn't nature or the individual himself be included in the definition as objects of one's responsible activity? Aren't ethics just concerned with our relationship to our neighbour?

Divorce and Remarriage: The Old Testament Evidence

This article considers the Old Testament data on the topic of divorce and remarriage. The author establishes that marriage is a covenant. From there it discusses the OT data on marriage breakup, whether through adultery or marriages ended by an excommunication by death. It examines Deuteronomy 24:1-4, the only place where a bill of divorce is mentioned. It also considers marriage and divorce in post-exilic Israel.