As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
This week, the Western world pauses to remember the birth of the One who divided time, and all of history, by His first coming—our Savior and the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ.
As we stop and worship this baby in Bethlehem’s manger once again, let us remember that He, eternal God, came to Earth to become a man, to die for our sins and to rise again. The events of Christmas were an essential step in that process but, of course, they do not tell the full story.
“On the Incarnation is a beautiful exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It explains why and how he came to save us. The incarnation is the beating heart of orthodoxy, the story at the center of our faith.” - TGC
Across the world, Christmas carols carry deep doctrinal truths where few other witnesses would be allowed. These carols ring out from apostate cathedrals of Europe, through pop music artists online, and even in glitzy Asian malls.
“the date seems already to have been in place by the end of the third and beginning of the fourth century, at a time when Christians were being persecuted, which renders the suggestion of cultural borrowing far less likely.” - Kenneth Berding
“As we have seen, Keller did indeed break with Augustine and Calvin here, who held that the doctrine of original sin makes non-Christian virtue impossible.” - London Lyceum
“If you mention Packer’s name … you may hear, ‘Yes, I read his classic Knowing God, and it transformed my understanding of who God is.’ That was precisely Packer’s goal” - TGC
“Four specific issues directly related to justification occur within their teaching: the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, the role of works, final justification, and apostasy. This post will examine the first two of these four issues.” - DBTS Blog
Read the series.
(Numbers 28:11, Isaiah 12:3-4, and John 4:1-42)
Jesus’ meeting with the Woman at the Well is a popular text for preaching and teaching, rich with application. Space forbids me from addressing the many details about this meeting; I have chosen instead to focus upon a few questions rarely raised. I have already answered the question: “Why was Yeshua so forthright about His Messiahship with the Woman at the Well, but not others?”
Today we will ponder two more questions.
Are some kinds (or styles or genres, etc.) of instrumental music *objectively* (i.e., not just because you prefer them) better than others?
If so, what makes them better and how do you support your view that they are better than others?
Discussion