Proverbs 30 – A Chiasm?

September 5, 2024Posted inBook of Proverbs
The title ends with a question mark because there are some parts of the "chiasm" that do not seem to have much in common. But other features point to the familiar symmetrical pairing of passages around a central point. I've shown the structure of the chiasm below, but some comments are in order. The number…

Proverbs 16:28 to 17:9: Another Chiasm

August 13, 2024Posted inBook of Proverbs, Chiasms
In their commentary on Proverbs, Bruce K. Waltke and Ivan D. V. De Silva, note that Proverbs 16:31–17:6 form an inclusio (or envelope structure) beginning and ending with descriptions of the glories of old age. I think we may extend that inclusio into a chiasm by including all of 16:28–17:9. A 16:28 A man of…

Studies in the Covenants of Grace

August 9, 2024Posted inCovenants
Last year I completed a series of studies about the covenants of grace in the history of the Old Testament and about the new covenant in Christ as described in various Old Testament prophecies and New Testament books. This series can be found on sermonaudio.com by clicking this link.

Ephesians: Three Descriptions of Man’s Fallen Condition

July 26, 2024Posted inEphesians
In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the saints and faithful in Ephesus there are three descriptions of the fallen condition of humanity. The first is in chapter 2:1–3 and describes the internal spiritual condition of those who are without Christ. The second, in 2:11–13, describes the external circumstances of the Gentiles prior to the revelation…

The Trinitarian Foundation of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians

July 17, 2024Posted inEphesians, Trinity
The Scriptures teach us certain doctrines by explicit development in specific passages—justification by faith (Rom. 3 and 4, Gal. 2 and 3), salvation by grace alone (Eph. 2:1–10), the power of the preaching of the gospel (1 Cor. 1). Other doctrines we learn only by gathering up Scriptural teaching in many places and putting it…

Some Thoughts about Assurance and Good Works

July 1, 2024Posted inFaith, Justification by Faith
There is a question inherent in Reformed soteriology: if justification is by faith alone, why can we not have assurance of justification apart from holiness? Doesn’t this make our justification in part dependent on good works? The antinomians answer it by saying that we don’t need personal holiness. Another answer to the question is that…

Some Thoughts about Assurance of Justification

June 25, 2024Posted inFaith, Justification by Faith
I have occasionally heard the phrase “consciousness of justification” or “consciousness of salvation.” I do not like that phrase. I would say that assurance, confidence and certainty are synonyms and belong to faith. Knowledge also is good; it’s prominent in John: …that you may know that you have eternal life (1 Jn 5:13) for just…