Theology is the church speaking Jesus Christ to itself. Before I risk heresy in nuancing a fundamental doctrine, it is helpful to remind myself that the economy of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ as the crucified and resurrected Lord, along with the Bible’s perfect witness to that revelation, serve as our perfect guide regarding theological method. If we want to do right theology, we look to Jesus; orthodoxy happens when we believe in Jesus Christ and […]
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 If we imagine Paul writing this to the churches in America today, we might add: “Neither Republican, nor Democrat.” At a time when the church appears to divide along political, social, and racial lines in painfully visible ways, Paul’s appeal to unity is profoundly […]
I am a Christian who struggles with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, and Jesus Christ has something to do with it. To reconcile the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the persistent rebellion of my body and mind is an absurd thing. It has become abundantly clear that I cannot understand the whys and hows of my suffering. I’m thrust into a Kierkegaardian framework wherein true faith stands opposed to human rationality, and the gospel to […]
Ten years ago this month (September) I first became a Calvinist. I’ve never discussed here at The Two Cities how I became a Calvinist so I thought I’d use this anniversary of sorts as an opportunity to reflect on that. It all happened at the beginning of my Sophomore year at BIOLA University. During my first year of college I was undeclared without any clear passion for any particular subject of study. The only thing I was […]
The Text that Started It All I received this text message from a friend: “Quick…need a translation/explanation of Luke 2:49.” I found the necessity of a hurried response to be a bit peculiar. Who would need a translation of a verse so promptly? Nevertheless, I supplied my quick, and rather ‘wooden’, translation from the Greek (καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· τί ὅτι ἐζητεῖτέ με; οὐκ ᾔδειτε ὅτι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πατρός μου δεῖ εἶναί με;): “And […]
Theology and language are inseparable. Theology is speech about God, and this speech is linguistic and therefore culturally defined. Languages, particularly those of civilizations with imperial and colonial histories, are the words of the most affluent and well-to-do. (This is why words like ‘suwanne’ and ‘purdy’ are not found in the OED). Words of conquered civilizations were often lost and replaced with cognates from the conquering language. Therefore, when humanity speaks about God, even in the […]
Four weeks ago, I was one of four people standing in front of Biola’s Heritage Cafe, laughing in the low sun of late morning. Before taking a brief walk, Jessica and I had stopped to enjoy some time with Stewart and Erin, two good friends who had met to mull over C.S. Lewis’ essay, Education in Wartime, before leading a freshman seminar discussion. We had just a moment ago seen my good friend Andrew and […]
Anyone who knows me well can attest to Vin Scully’s importance in my life. His gentle voice, now warmed over by time to a grandfatherly lilt, is a perpetual fixture in our house every April to September (and by the grace of God, most Octobers). That voice. That unmistakable, inimitable voice has been with me for so many years now that I can only think of it in terms of companionship; something deeply personal; like a […]
I’ve always wondered what it means to be known. Last time I talked about how our desire to be known has to be rooted in God’s knowledge of us. I looked at the song “Goner” by twenty one pilots (the final track off of their album, Blurryface). I think Tyler Joseph says some interesting things that help me think through where a desire to be known must begin. In this post I want to extend […]
Yesterday marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. After 15 years, the pain still stings the many families who lost loved ones on that day. The memories still haunt those who survived the attacks, and live with the trauma of the devastation. Memorials and moments of silence permeate the places where many lost their lives. Our nation still feels the weight of the loss of that day. In the midst of the tragedy, America […]
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