Graham Cole – Why Doing Theology Right Matters!

Last updated on: January 30, 2020 at 12:39 am By Michael F. Bird

Crossway publishers has put up a great excerpt from Graham Cole’s forthcoming book Faithful Theology. Here’s a gem quote: Why does doctrine matter? The importance of doctrine lies in that it answers three normative questions vital to us all: (1) What ought we to believe (orthodoxy, right opinion)? This is the truth question. (2) What ought we to value (orthokardia, right-heartedness)? This is the spirituality question. (3) How ought we to live (orthopraxy, right practice of life)? This is the existential... Read more

Can Christians Commit the Unforgivable Sin?

Last updated on: January 29, 2020 at 11:27 pm By Michael F. Bird

Here is a short video that I filmed with Zondervan about the “unforgivable sin”. Read more

The Symbiotic Nature of Early Christian Theology and Christology

Last updated on: May 22, 2020 at 10:43 pm By Michael F. Bird

I’ve come across some interesting quotes as to how the Christian view of God was shaped by Jesus and their view of Jesus was shaped by their view of God. “When the early Christians spoke about God, they had to speak about Jesus; and when they spoke about Jesus, they had to introduce God. ‘Theology’ implied ‘christology,’ and ‘christology’ implied ‘theology.'” Marinius de Jonge, God’s Final Envoy: Early Christology and Jesus’ Own View of His Mission (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,... Read more

Is the Righteousness of God, God’s Covenant Faithfulness?

Last updated on: January 18, 2020 at 9:22 pm By Michael F. Bird

Herbert Cremer popularized the view that Paul’s RG equates to God’s covenant faithfulness. For Cremer, “righteousness” in Hebraic thought was a relational concept not an abstract one, and God’s righteousness stood in parallel to God’s faithfulness (Ziesler, 36-43; Hill, 88-89, 93-98; Dunn, 1998, 342-44). RG is God’s covenant faithfulness to his promises and to Israel revealed in the gospel. In support, Yahweh is righteous when he is true to himself, true to his covenant people, and delivers them as he... Read more

Is the Righteousness of God the Gift of Righteousness?

Last updated on: January 18, 2020 at 9:19 pm By Michael F. Bird

The predominant Protestant view has regarded RG as the gift of righteousness given to the believer. The righteousness in RG is a righteousness that avails before God, something given by God, and apprehended by faith. RG is manifested as the validation of God’s own righteousness and the vindicating status of righteousness which God graciously gifts to those with faith (F.C. Baur; R. Bultmann; M. Seifrid; S. Westerholm; M. Wolter; F. Watson; C. Irons; T. Schreiner). Treating RG as an objective... Read more

Paul, Participation, and Ethics

Last updated on: January 4, 2020 at 9:02 pm By Michael F. Bird

Grant Macaskill’s Living in Union with Christ: Paul’s Gospel and Christian Moral Identity (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2019) is a new book about Paul’s notion of participation in relation to Christian identity and ethics. Macaskill’s chief concern is how one should (and should not) relate Paul’s notion of justification, sanctification, and self together. Too much popular evangelicalism has its soteriology and sanctification reducible to grace to get in but works to stay in view! What is missing, Macaskill believes, is a comprehensive... Read more

Andrew Loke’s New FREE BOOK on the Resurrection of Jesus

Last updated on: May 10, 2020 at 10:13 pm By Michael F. Bird

I just got an email from Dr. Andrew Loke (Hong Kong Baptist University) that his new book Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach (New York: Routledge, 2020) is now available for free on both kindle and academia.edu. This book provides an original and comprehensive assessment of the hypotheses concerning the origin of resurrection Christology. It fills a gap in the literature by addressing these issues using a transdisciplinary approach involving historical-critical study of the New Testament, theology, analytic... Read more

T.F. Torrance and Ecclesiology

Last updated on: January 1, 2020 at 6:51 pm By Michael F. Bird

Kate Tyler The Ecclesiology of Thomas F. Torrance: Koinonia and the Church Minneapolis: Fortress, 2019. Available at Amazon.com Review by Christy Thornton Kate Tyler’s new book The Ecclesiology of Thomas F. Torrance: Koinonia and the Church provides Torrance studies with a much-needed monograph focused specifically on his eccesology. Her book accurately, and concisely recounts Torrance’s understanding of the church, brings his Trinitarian Ecclesiology into conversation with key academic voices, and shows its practical relevance. Tyler introduces Torrance’s ecclesiology in the... Read more

Tom Holland, Michael Bird, and Marcus Walker Discuss the Pandemic

Last updated on: May 16, 2020 at 7:47 pm By Michael F. Bird

Justin Brierly and the Unbelievable Show hosted Roman historian Tom Holland (Dominion), Anglican vicar Marcus Walker (St. Bartholemew the Great), and moi (flippant Aussie) to discuss the church’s response to the pandemic crisis. Lots of insights and some great commentary too. You can listen to the podcast here, or else, watch the video below: Read more

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

Last updated on: December 23, 2019 at 5:26 am By Michael F. Bird

Jason S. DeRouchie. How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology. Phillipsburg: P&R, 2017. Available from Amazon.com Review by Dr. Jill Firth This acclaimed guide goes beyond exegesis to theology. Its twelve steps move from text to context to biblical and systematic theology to application. The book targets a broad audience, including those who don’t know Hebrew, and students studying the Old Testament in the original languages. Each section is marked at one of... Read more