James Barr. The Semantics of Biblical Language. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1961. iv + 313 pp. James Barr, an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, taught at Edinburgh (his alma mater), Manchester, Oxford, Princeton, and at Vanderbilt. Some of his mentors include F.F. Bruce and Donald Guthrie. His most well-known student who continued… Continue reading “The Semantics of Biblical Language” by James Barr – A Book Review
The SOGIE Bill is a hot topic dividing Filipinos. SOGIE, or "Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression Equality Act," is also known as an anti-sexual orientation and gender discrimination act. According to this bill, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression will be punishable by law. The whole bill… Continue reading The SOGIE Bill and the Discrimination Fallacy
Here is a very rare personal update in this blog. A few have asked me where they can access the Tagalog-English sermons I have preached while I was at Pines City Baptist Church in 2014-2016. These sermons were originally on a One Drive folder posted online. Due to some changes made by OneDrive, not all… Continue reading Tagalog-English Sermons Available Online
Dever, Mark. Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016. 122 pp. In Discipling, Dever describes biblical discipling and shows how it is practiced in and through the local church. To be a Christian means being a disciple of Jesus and discipling others, which means doing deliberate spiritual good to help others… Continue reading “Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus” by Mark Dever – A Book Review
In The Hermeneutical Spiral, Osborne argues that biblical interpretation entails a “spiral” from text to context, from original meaning to significance for today’s church (p. 22). As one wrestles with biblical interpretation, he is spiraling nearer and nearer to the text’s intended meaning for contemporary significance. For Osborne, the hermeneutical enterprise has three levels: 1)… Continue reading “The Hermeneutical Spiral” by Grant Osborne: A Book Review
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
