When reading through 2 Peter and Jude, striking similarities between these two letters may alert even the casual reader. An obvious resemblance becomes evident when one compares Jude 4-18, 24-25 with 2 Peter 2:1—3:3, 14, 18. The following chart shows some examples of the similarities found in both passages: Scholars from Martin Luther to the… Continue reading Five Views on the Literary Relationship between 2 Peter and Jude
In The Church, Dever’s premise is that “wrong ecclesial teaching and practices obscure the gospel while right ecclesial teaching and practices clarify it” (Loc 103). Furthermore, Dever argues that the Bible is sufficient for life and doctrine, including practical ecclesiology through clear commands or reasoning from biblical principles (Loc 191). For example, the practices of… Continue reading “The Church: The Gospel Made Visible” by Mark Dever
Gone are the days when asking who someone voted for was taboo. Currently, the Filipino people are divided between anti-Duterte and pro-Duterte. These two camps, strongly convinced by their position, are so far away from each other that seemingly nothing can bridge the two. In this polarized political climate, there is a great opportunity for… Continue reading Jesus Is King: A Call for Moderation and Church Unity amidst a Polarized Political Climate
Last week, I had the privilege of participating in a Charles Simeon Trust workshop in Charleston, SC. The focus was preaching historical narrative in 1 Samuel. The organization is named after Charles Simeon, a faithful Bible preacher in England during the 1700s. Charles Simeon pastored for fifty-four years, faithfully preaching God's Word Lord's day after… Continue reading Charles Simeon Trust
What does worship in the early church look like? That is the question that this short series tries to answer. This is now the final installment (here are Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). I have been arguing that while worship forms may be different between the ancient church and today, the essence of… Continue reading Introduction to the Worship Practices of the Early Church—Part 4
Before the year ended, President Duterte had another controversial religious comment in an attempt to insult a Roman Catholic view also shared by evangelicals: the death of Jesus on the cross. Duterte argued that if God was nailed to the cross, then he is weak and powerless. The word he used is "nakakawala ng bilib"… Continue reading Does Jesus’ Death on the Cross Demonstrate God’s Inability? A Theological Response to President Duterte
This is now part 3 of 4 on a mini-series of posts introducing the worship practices of the early church. I have introduced the idea that the worship in the early church—though different from today’s forms, methods, and procedures—remains the same in its essential activities. This is true in at least three major areas: the… Continue reading Introduction to the Worship Practices of the Early Church—Part 3
