Month: August 2010
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Three Steps to the Trinity
My book on the Trinity is officially released today: The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. Here’s a thought based on the book, though I don’t put it exactly this way there. A lot of Bible-believing Christians have trouble seeing the doctrine of the Trinity in Scripture. They see a verse here…
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"Here is Your God:" Songs from Isaiah
This weekend was the official release of a new set of songs from my home church, Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada, CA. The album has a website where you can listen to the songs online, buy the album, or buy individual tracks. There’s also a blog there, which includes well-produced videos with interviews…
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Donald Bloesch, 1928-2010: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Theologian
Donald Bloesch, evangelical theologian, died this week. He was a unique figure in twentieth-century theology, and now that he has passed from the scene, what strikes me about his work is his noble isolation. I don’t mean that he was personally lonely: by all reports he sustained many close friendships, and inspired long-term loyalty and…
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What Did I Know About the Trinity Before I Knew Anything About the Trinity?
I recently wrote a book about the Trinity, after a couple of decades of thinking hard about it. In those 20 years, I’ve read a lot, and pondered a lot, and changed my mind about a few things. I’ve discovered that there are some questions without answers, and some things we can’t know. But I’ve…
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Adam Clarke and the Whole Bible
Today (August 26) marks the death of Adam Clarke (1762-1832), one of the greatest of evangelical Bible commentators. His masterpiece and lifework (first published from 1810 to 1826) is the voluminous commentary on the entire Bible, which is stunning for the amount of detailed investigation it brings together in one place. The full title of…
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The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything
August 31, 2010, is the official release date for my new book, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. It ought to be on bookshelves by then. But you can already order it now straight from the publisher, Crossway, or put it on pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or CBD. Matt…
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Birthday of Francis de Sales
Today (August 21) is the birthday of Francis de Sales (1567-1622). De Sales, regarded as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church, was the Catholic bishop of Geneva in the early seventeenth century. Think about that phrase for a minute. Obviously, he served as bishop in exile, since Geneva was solid Calvinist territory. His work…
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Examination Questions for the Teachers
As the school year rolls back around, here are some timely words from John Wesley on the high office of teaching, framed as questions for teachers to answer about their own intentions and actions. Ye venerable men, who are more especially called to form the tender minds of youth, to dispel thence the shades of…
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F.W. Robertson’s Life and Death
F.W. Robertson (1816-1853) was the kind of preacher people spoke of in superlatives: Charles Dickens reportedly said that “he was one of the greatest masters of elocution I ever knew. To hear Robertson read the church prayers was in itself a liberal education.” He was very popular in his day, and after his death (on…
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Happy Birthday, Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Today (August 14) is the birthday of Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876), an English composer of church music. Wesley was a musician’s musician, with strong opinions about the number of pedals on the organ, the quality of Anglican music, the training of vocalists, and precisely how to combine tradition and innovation. To hear what he was…
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"Trinitarian Theology's Exegetical Basis: A Dogmatic Survey"
I have a new article about the Trinity and the Bible in the latest issue of the Midwestern Journal of Theology. It’s called “Trinitarian Theology’s Exegetical Basis: A Dogmatic Survey.” It’s based on a paper I presented last year in New Orleans at the national meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. If you’re into “Dogmatic…
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The Coming of the Book
Today (August 10) is the day when, in the year 610, Muhammad began to receive the revelation of the Qur’an. That is, Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, and most scholars believe that August 10 was the date of that event in 610. The event is called Laylat…