Boundless Webzine just published Justin Taylor’s “Behold the Temple,” complete with five beautiful illustrations from the ESV Study Bible.
The article has three headings:
Phil Gons shares that Firefox has some add-ons that can serve as tools for safer surfing online:
Related: John Piper’s “Resources on Sexuality“
This weekend D. A. Carson spoke at a conference on “Making Sense of Suffering” to Omaha Bible Church:
DAC also led a pastor’s session on “Preaching and Biblical Theology.”
HT: Erik Raymond
Related:
D. A. Carson MP3s* Carson, D. A. How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006. [1. Outstanding, clear, practical, pastoral. The entire book rewards thoughtful reading, especially chapters 11–13. Chapter 11 condenses and updates the major argument of his Ph.D. dissertation completed at Cambridge University in 1975 and reprinted as Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension (2d ed.; Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2002).]
Gerald Bray summarizes John Calvin’s hermeneutic with six statements, concluding with this one (Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present [Downers Grove: IVP, 1996], 203-4, emphasis in original):
6. Biblical interpretation passes through three distinct but related phases. If any one of these phases is omitted, the text will not be interpreted properly. The three phases are exegesis (represented by his commentaries); dogmatics (represented by his Institutes); and preaching (represented by his sermons). . . .
Perhaps the best way to appreciate the necessity of holding these three things together in harmony is by looking at what happens if one of them is left out. [1] Exegesis and dogmatics without preaching are dry and academic; there is no application. [2] Exegesis and preaching with no dogmatics are subjective and contentless; a passage of Scripture will be interpreted without regard for its proper context in the Word of God as a whole. [3] Finally, dogmatics and preaching without exegesis are mere propaganda; they are not based on a proper assimilation of the facts. Only as all three are held together in proper balance can the message of Scripture be properly applied to the life of the church, and God’s people be edified as they are meant to be.
About a month ago, I posted on “The Logical and Emotional Problems of Evil,” linking to an MP3 and handout. Now that address is condensed as a simple four-page essay for my church’s Exploring Christianity outreach. (Cf. other pamphlets in this series on difficult issues.)
I just live-blogged a thoughtful lecture by Phil Ryken at Trinity. (He’s just finishing up the Q&A now.)
In “Preaching as Worship: Meditations on Expository Exultation” (Trinity Journal 16 [1995]: 29–45), Piper ends with six pointed applications, including this one (p. 44):
2. Turn off the television.
It is not necessary for relevance. And it is a deadly place to rest the mind. Its pervasive banality, sexual innuendo, and God-ignoring values have no ennobling effects on the preacher’s soul. It kills the spirit. It drives God away. It quenches prayer. It blanks out the Bible. It cheapens the soul. It destroys spiritual power. It defiles almost everything. I have taught and preached for twenty years now and never owned a television. It is unnecessary for most of you, and it is spiritually deadly for all of you.
I use a laptop for the majority of my theological research, and I’ve intermittently encountered symptoms of carpal tunnel. I’ve made two useful additions that minimized this at my main study: an external keyboard and a second monitor. [Update in May 2014: How I Set Up My Desks: One for Sitting, One for Walking.] I recently made a third addition that has virtually eliminated the problem: the IMAK SmartGlove. (I wear size medium. It’s also available in sizes large and small.)
I became aware of this product in May at The Gospel Coalition’s pastor’s colloquium. The man hired to transcribe the proceedings used his laptop and an IMAK SmartGlove on each hand. He highly recommended them to me when I asked about them. I now regularly and gratefully use them myself and am happy to commend them.