Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Systematic Theology

God Is Supreme

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This advertisement for an energy bar pictures two triumphant climbers at the tip of a mountain peak, basking in the glorious view. The caption over the photo says, “You’ve never felt more alive. You’ve never felt more insignificant.” We love seeing grandeur and feeling small—because God made us for God. (I first saw this advertisement when John Piper reflected on it in a 2008 talk at the Evangelical Theological Society.)

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My favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

Several years ago I asked my close friend Joe Tyrpak to design that passage so that I could display it on canvas over the fireplace in our home. This is what he designed for me:

This passage teaches that God is supreme. To say that God is supreme means that God is superior to everyone and everything else. God has no rivals. He is unique.

Here is my phrase diagram of the immediate literary context of Romans 11:36:

The three exclamations in the first section (11:33) proclaim that God is deep and inscrutable.

The three rhetorical questions in the second section (11:34–35) begin with “for” because the second section supports the first one by exulting in three specific reasons that God is deep and inscrutable.

  1. God is incomprehensible (11:34a).
  2. God is without counselors (11:34b).
  3. God is without creditors (11:35).

These characteristics of God share at least two implications: God’s attributes are humbling to us, and God is gloriously praiseworthy. That is why Paul moves to praising God in 11:36.

Romans 11:36 begins with “For” to indicate that the three prepositional phrases support the three rhetorical questions (11:34–35), which support the three exclamations about God (11:33).

The message of 11:36 is that God is supreme:

  1. “From him are all things”: God is the source of all things. God is the supreme Creator.
  2. “Through him are all things”: God is the means of all things. God is the supreme King.
  3. “To him are all things”: God is the end of all things. God is the supreme goal.
  4. “To him be glory forever. Amen.” Therefore, God deserves glory forever.

For more on Romans 11:33–36, see these two recent videos:

1. “How to Read the Bible: A Lab on Romans 11:33–36” | Bethlehem College & Seminary “Look at the Sacred Book” Conference | 9/25/2021.

2. “The Supremacy of God in All Things” (Romans 11:36) | Bethlehem Baptist Church | 10/10/2021.

See also this video: “The Supremacy of Christ (Sermon Jam)—John Piper” (18:50 min.). Two of my former students, Brent Fischer and Chris Powers, prepared this powerful video:

(This article updates my Bethlehem College & Seminary prayer letter on November 5, 2021.)

Related: From Typology to Doxology: Paul’s Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34–35.

From Typology to Doxology: Paul’s Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34–35

Chosen, Born Again, and Believing: How Election, Regeneration, and Faith Relate to Each Other in the Gospel according to John

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The next issue of The Master’s Seminary Journal just released. It’s on regeneration. I contributed this article:

Naselli, Andrew David. “Chosen, Born Again, and Believing: How Election, Regeneration, and Faith Relate to Each Other in the Gospel according to John.” The Master’s Seminary Journal 32 (2021): 269–86.

Abstract:

  • This article inductively examines what key passages in the Gospel according to John say about election, regeneration, and faith (John 1:9–13; 3:3–8; 6:36–40, 44, 63–65; 8:45–47; 10:14–16, 26–29; 12:37–40; 13:18; 15:16, 19; 17:2, 6–9, 20, 24; 20:30–31).
  • Then it deductively synthesizes how the Gospel according to John contributes to a systematic theology of how election, regeneration, and faith relate to each other:
    • (1) Unconditional election logically and chronologically precedes faith. Faith is not the basis of election.
    • (2) Monergistic regeneration logically precedes and enables faith. Faith is not the basis of regeneration.
    • (3) God’s absolute sovereignty regarding election and regeneration is compatible with human responsibility regarding faith.
  • The article concludes with an observation, a warning, and an exhortation.

Providence

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John Piper’s 751-page magnum opus is now available:

John Piper. Providence. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021.

The print book is available from Amazon, but the best deal is currently from Westminster Bookstore.

Crossway and Desiring God are generously making the entire book available for free as a PDF.

My endorsement: “John Piper helps us see and savor God’s purposeful sovereignty by inductively demonstrating what the whole Bible teaches about its ultimate goal, its nature, and its extent.”

My wife and I enjoyed watching Joe Rigney interview John Piper about the book in this 85-minute video:

For more DG resources on the sovereignty of God, see here.

Update on 5/7/2021: Mark Dever interviews John Piper in this hour-long video:

The Millennial Maze: A Panel on the Millennium

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I recently moderated a panel on the millennium:

The title of the panel is “The Millennial Maze,” which misled many people at the conference to assume the panel would be about millennials!

The panel was part of the Bethlehem College & Seminary Conference for Pastors + Church Leaders and took place on February 4, 2020.

Here’s how I introduce the three panelists: [Read more…] about The Millennial Maze: A Panel on the Millennium

Evaluating Theological Interpretation of Scripture: An Interview with Brian Collins

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I recently micro-read this revised PhD dissertation:

Brian C. Collins. Scripture, Hermeneutics, and Theology: Evaluating Theological Interpretation of Scripture. Greenville, SC: Exegesis & Theology, 2012.

It’s outstanding. You can download a free PDF of the book here.

Brian Collins and I were PhD students together and were members of the same church. We used to spend the first half of each Saturday morning doing our Hebrew exegesis homework together for the upcoming week. Of all the students I took courses with, Brian is probably the most well-read.

Brian kindly agreed to answer some questions about his PhD dissertation. [Read more…] about Evaluating Theological Interpretation of Scripture: An Interview with Brian Collins