Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Andy Naselli

Our Priest in the Pattern of Melchizedek: Eight Conclusions Hebrews 5–7 Draws about Jesus the Messiah from Genesis 14:18–20 and Psalm 110:4

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New article:

Naselli, Andrew David. “Our Priest in the Pattern of Melchizedek: Eight Conclusions Hebrews 5–7 Draws about Jesus the Messiah from Genesis 14:18–20 and Psalm 110:4.” Christ Over All, 5 July 2024.

Summary: Because Jesus the Messiah is our priest in the pattern of Melchizedek …

  1. he is the supreme priest (Heb. 4:14–5:10).
  2. he has entered the Most Holy Place on our behalf (Heb. 6:19–20).
  3. he is both king and priest (Heb. 7:1–2).
  4. his priesthood is eternal (Heb. 7:3).
  5. he is greater than both Abraham and Levitical priests (Heb. 7:4–10).
  6. he is better than Levitical priests, and he fulfills the Mosaic law (Heb. 7:11–17).
  7. he guarantees a covenant that is better than the Mosaic covenant (Heb. 7:18–22).
  8. he can save his people completely (Heb. 7:23–28).

Four Views on Hierarchy and Complementarity

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This new article is insightful:

Laughlin, Bryan, and Doug Ponder. “Complementarians and the Rise of Second-Wave Evangelical Feminism.” Sola Ecclesia, 26 February 2024.

Here is one of my takeaways from the article (the below table is my own synthesis but in line with the article by Laughlin and Ponder):

Four Views on Hierarchy and Complementarity

Hierarchy

 Complementarity

1. Biblical patriarchy / broad, thick, or natural complementarianism

 ✅ ✅

2. Narrow, thin, or ideological complementarianism

 ✅*

❌**
3. Egalitarianism / evangelical feminism (initially) ❌

✅**
4. Egalitarianism / evangelical feminism (increasingly now) ❌

❌

*barely (see below)

**in a sense (see below)

Some explanations: [Read more…] about Four Views on Hierarchy and Complementarity

How I Got Stronger with Strength Training (with Advice for Beginners)

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Today with God’s help I joined the 1,000-pound club—the total pounds for 1 bench press + 1 squat + 1 deadlift.

250 pounds (bench press)
+ 340 pounds (squat)
+ 440 pounds (deadlift)
______________________
= 1,030 pounds (total)

A lot of men can lift way more than that. (Arnold Schwarzenegger recently shared, “My best bench press was 525, my best deadlift was 710, and my best squat was 610.” That’s 1,845 total pounds.) Lifting 1,000 total pounds isn’t hard for super strong guys, but it’s a milestone for me. I’m 43 years old. I’m about 6 feet tall, and I just bulked up to about 200 pounds. And I didn’t start strength training until I was 37.

Here’s the story of how I got stronger (with advice for beginners along the way). [Read more…] about How I Got Stronger with Strength Training (with Advice for Beginners)

My Publications in 2023

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Here are my publications that released in 2023—plus some books I endorsed. (I prepared this list so that I can conveniently link to one post.) As I explain in the article “Three Reflections on Evangelical Academic Publishing,” I aim to be academically responsible more than academically respectable. The ultimate reason I research, write, teach, and shepherd is to glorify God by serving Christ’s church.

Books

Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Predestination: An Introduction

  1. Tracing the Argument of 1 Corinthians: A Phrase Diagram. Bellingham, WA: Logos, 2023.
  2. Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Edited by G. K. Beale, D. A. Carson, Benjamin L. Gladd, and Andrew David Naselli. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023.
  3. Predestination: An Introduction. Short Studies in Systematic Theology. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, January 2024. (The official publication date is January 2024, but it is available early because Crossway was able to print it ahead of schedule.)

Articles

[Read more…] about My Publications in 2023

Twelve Reflections on Twelve Interviews on Christian Nationalism

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David Schrock—along with either Trent Hunter, Brad Green, or Steve Wellum—recently conducted twelve interviews about Christian nationalism for Christ Over All. I copied the transcripts of those twelve interviews into a Word document, and that document is 200 pages single-spaced. That’s a lot to sort through. After listening to the twelve interviews and reading the transcripts, I offer the following twelve reflections or observations in this article:

Naselli, Andrew David. “Twelve Reflections on Twelve Interviews on Christian Nationalism.” Christ Over All, 27 November 2023.

Here are the twelve headings:

  • Reflection 1. The interviewees are basically within views 4 and 5 in my taxonomy of political theology.
  • Reflection 2. The interviewees disagree on whether it would be good to have a Christian government.
  • Reflection 3. The interviewees agree that America had a Christian founding.
  • Reflection 4. The interviewees know what time it is.
  • Reflection 5. The interviewees agree that a Christian culture in a society is good.
  • Reflection 6. The interviewees basically agree on the strategy of what faithful Christians should do right now.
  • Reflection 7. The interviewees disagree on how to talk about the Ten Commandments with reference to political theology.
  • Reflection 8. The interviewees disagree on how to define “good” and “bad” in Romans 13:3.
  • Reflection 9. The interviewees disagree on whether the label “Christian nationalism” is helpful.
  • Reflection 10. The interviewees who fit within view 5 do not put most of the load-bearing weight for their view on postmillennialism or theonomy.
  • Reflection 11. The interviewees disagree on whether some nations (other than Israel under the Mosaic covenant) may be in a covenant with God.
  • Reflection 12. The interviewees all interacted as Christian gentlemen and modeled how to discuss political theology.

You may listen to Kevin McClure read my article on the Christ Over All podcast here. (For block quotes, the podcast features audio clips from the original interviews.)

Update on 12/4/2023: Christ Over All released a 68-minute podcast episode in which I discuss this article with David Schrock and Steve Wellum.

Related: Andrew David Naselli, “What Is the Spectrum of Major Views on Political Theology? A Proposed Taxonomy of Seven Views on Religion and Government,” Christ Over All, 10 November 2023.

Predestination: An Introduction

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In this new book, I invite you to hike up a mountain with me:

Predestination: An Introduction

Andrew David Naselli. Predestination: An Introduction. Short Studies in Systematic Theology. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, January 2024.

When you arduously hike up a mountain, it is satisfying to take in the breathtaking panoramic view at the top. God designed us so that we complete our joy by seeing God’s beauty, by savoring him, by praising him, and then by sharing our joy with others. In this new book, I invite you to let me share my joy with you. The hike is not easy, but it’s worth it because the view at the top is awe-inspiring. The more you know about God and his ways, the deeper and sweeter will be your praise.

Here’s how I define predestination:

God predetermined the destiny of certain individuals for salvation (election) and others for condemnation (reprobation).

Who is this book for?

This book’s target audience is thoughtful Christians—both pastors and laypeople—who want to study what the Bible teaches about predestination. I wrote it with several types of Christians in mind, including my students at Bethlehem College and Seminary, the members of my church (to whom I preached the gist of this book in four sermons), my wife (a homemaker and homeschooling mom), and my oldest daughter (who was thirteen when I drafted it). My main audience is not professional academics, but I attempt to be academically responsible. I aim to explain a complex topic simply but not simplistically. (pp. 1–2)

(See endorsements from Joel Beeke, Rosaria Butterfield, Steven Lee, Sam Storms, and Steve Wellum.)

Here are the book’s contents (15 chapters):

Introduction

PART 1: VESSELS OF MERCY
What Does the Bible Teach about Election?

1. What Is the Goal of Election?
2. When Did God Choose to Save Some Humans?
3. Did God Choose to Save Individuals?
4. Did God Choose to Save Individuals Based on Foreseen Faith?
5. Is Unconditional Election Unfair?
6. Do We Have Free Will?
7. Does Election Contradict God’s Desire That All Humans Be Saved?
8. How Does God Accomplish His Plan to Save Individuals?
9. How Do I Know If God Has Elected Me?
10. Did God Elect Babies Who Die?

PART 2: VESSELS OF WRATH
What Does the Bible Teach about Reprobation?

11. Who Ultimately Causes Reprobation?
12. How Does God Accomplish Reprobation?
13. What Is the Result of Reprobation?
14. What Is the Goal of Reprobation?
15. Who Deserves Blame for Reprobation?

Conclusion: Exult in God as You Take in the View

Here are four sermons I preached on predestination to my church in summer 2022 (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4):

Here’s an interactive two-hour talk I gave at my school’s Godward Life conference on September 29, 2023—“Do We Have Free Will?”:

Updates:

Matt Tully interview for the Crossway podcast: “Answering Hard Questions about Predestination and Free Will” (36:39 minutes, recorded 11/16/2022, released 1/29/2024).

“How Important Is It for Me to Affirm the Doctrine of Predestination?” (3:53 min. | transcript):

“2 Primary Goals of God’s Election of Sinners to Salvation” (3:33 min. | transcript)

“What Does Free Will Mean?” (4:10 min. | transcript)

“How Do the Arminian and Calvinist Views of Election Differ?” (2:42 min. | transcript)

“A Helpful Way to Understand Free Will” (5:19 min.)

“Getting Our Terms Right in the Predestination Discussion” (3:12 min.)

“How to Preach on Predestination” (1:00 min.)

“Predestination” talk at the “Theology for Everyone” Conference (15:56 min.) (4/5/2025)

 

What Is the Spectrum of Major Views on Political Theology? A Proposed Taxonomy of Seven Views on Religion and Government

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Christ Over All has been consistently publishing outstanding articles and interviews.

The theme for October was “‘Just One More Thing’: Getting the Facts on Christian Nationalism(s).”

The theme for November is “Toward Biblical Nationhood: A Baptist View of Church and State.” David Schrock introduces it at the end his article “October Intermission: From Christian Nationalism(s) to Biblical Nationhood.”

I am planning to contribute two articles this month. Later this month I plan to reflect on the interviews on Christian nationalism. But first I am attempting to add some clarity by framing a debated topic with this new article:

Andrew David Naselli. “What Is the Spectrum of Major Views on Political Theology? A Proposed Taxonomy of Seven Views on Religion and Government.” Christ Over All, 10 November 2023.

*43-minute audio version (minus footnotes—read by Kevin McClure)

Here’s the outline for the article:

Part 1. Starting with Definitions: Religion, Politics, and Political Theology

Part 2. Seven Views on Religion and Government

    • Introductory Qualification
    • View 1. Secular Suppression: The secular government suppresses religion.
    • View 2. Religious Separation: Religion must radically separate from the government.
    • View 3. Religious Neutrality: The government must be religiously neutral.
    • View 4. Religious Influence: The government should not promote only one particular religion, yet religion may influence the government within limited parameters.
    • View 5. Christian Government: The government and religion overlap.
    • View 6. Religion over Government: Religion governs the government and directs the government to enforce religion.
    • View 7. Government over Religion: The government governs and enforces religion.

Part 3. Seven Concluding Reflections

    • 1. My taxonomy is describing rather than evaluating.
    • 2. Trying to systematize the various views on political theology is challenging, but that should not prevent us from trying.
    • 3. There is a lot more to say.
    • 4. My taxonomy may mislead one to think that the various views on the spectrum are distinct in neat and tidy ways.
    • 5. Christians are becoming more interested in political theology because what seemed to be a neutral public square is now an increasingly polarized battleground.
    • 6. Christians should beware of prematurely separating from each other based on different political theologies.
    • 7. No civil government will be flawless until King Jesus returns.

Updates:

  1. 11/13/2023: Christ Over All released a 66-minute podcast episode in which I discuss this article with David Schrock and Steve Wellum.
  2. 11/27/2023: Christ Over All published my article “Twelve Reflections on Twelve Interviews on Christian Nationalism.”
  3. 12/4/2023: Christ Over All released a 68-minute podcast episode in which I discuss my article “Twelve Reflections on Twelve Interviews on Christian Nationalism” with David Schrock and Steve Wellum.
  4. 3/12/2025: Steve Wellum, editor of Southern Seminary’s journal, reprinted the article in an issue devoted to Christian nationalism: Naselli, Andrew David. “What Is the Spectrum of Major Views on Political Theology? A Proposed Taxonomy of Seven Views on Religion and Government.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 28.2 (2024): 168–90.