What Is Literal Interpretation?
This is a contribution to the dispensationalist-nondispensationalist debate. In this debate, not all dispensationalists use the word "literal" in the same way. The author examines this key word more closely, by way of examples, and then offers three plausible ways of talking about literal meaning.
The Life and Death of Jesus: A Theophany
This article explains with several examples how from beginning to end, the incarnation of Christ was a theophany.
What Did Moses See When He Saw the "Back" of God?
Interpreting the Bible in Three Simple Steps
For the sake of personal or corporate Bible study, this article offers a three-step approach to studying the Bible. It involves asking three kinds of questions of a text—first observation, then elucidation, and finally application.
Three Reasons Jesus's Miracles Still Matter Today
This article gives three reasons why the miracles of Jesus are still relevant today: they show that he is fully God, fully human, and the one and only Messiah.
Inerrancy Part 3: Why Is Inerrancy So Often under Attack?
Inerrancy Part 2: How Do You Reconcile the Discrepancies in the Gospels?
This second article in a three-part series addresses the issue of inerrancy in the Gospels. Each Gospel reveals an aspect of God's own understanding of the event, and therefore the reader must be very careful with what kind of assumptions he himself may have.
Inerrancy Part 1: If God Wrote the Bible, Why Are There So Many Discrepancies?
Why Scientists Must Believe in God: Divine Attributes of Scientific Law
Poythress wants to defend the faith by noting how natural law or scientific law functions. He notes the character of natural law and its universal applicability. He further elaborates on aspects of law, that is, its personal character, power, divine attributes, incomprehensibility, beauty, and goodness. Poythress wants to acknowledge natural laws a created by God and reflecting something of the glory of God.
Counterfeiting in the Book of Revelation as a Perspective on Non-Christian Culture
Can the book of Revelation's picture of spiritual warfare help the church today with critical engagement with contemporary culture? Poythress answers this positively. He first notes the important features of spiritual war in Revelation. The battle against counterfeiting and deceit is duly noted.
Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts: Affirming Extraordinary Works of the Spirit within Cessationist Theology
Poythress wants to maintain that modern gifts of the Spirit are analogous to but not identical with the gifts exercised by the apostles. He wants to maintain an exclusive divine authority of the biblical canon. These gifts are still useful to the church; therefore, he seeks a middle way between blanket approval and rejection of modern charismatic gifts.
2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism
Poythress believes that 2 Thessalonians 1 provides support for amillennialism. He considers separately midtribulational premillennialism, post-tribulational premillennialism, and postmillennialism and its understanding of the rapture, in the light of 2 Thessalonians 1.
Genre and Hermeneutics in Revelation 20:1-6
What type of literature is Revelation 20:1-6? The decision about the literary genre of this chapter is one of the most crucial factors in its exegesis and interpretation. Is this chapter a simple report concerning the future, apocalyptic vision, prophetic prediction, or something totally different?
The Returning King – Can We Understand Revelation?
Why do so many people struggle to understand Revelation? The author encourages readers to see it as a picture book, not a puzzle book. The Introduction wants to provide readers with a basic approach to the reading and understanding of Revelation.
Understanding the Big Picture of the Bible – An Overview of the Bible's Storyline
How is the Bible a unity? The Scriptures makes it clear that God has a unified plan for all of history. God’s ultimate purpose realized in the fullness of time is to unite all things in Christ (Ephesians 1:10). The Old Testament contains God’s promises and covenants. All of these were shadows, prefigurements, and types.
The Lordship of Christ – The Story of Redemption
This chapter explores the significance of a Christian worldview. The view that Scripture presents of the world is at odds with the typical thinking of a secular worldview. Poythress reviews some basic elements belonging to a biblical view of the world.
The Lordship of Christ – Being Radically Christian
Structuralism and Biblical Studies
Solutions to problems in society and literature are more often today sought in the structure of things. Origin is no longer the almost-exclusive focus of attention in biblical studies. Structuralism springs from social sciences. Poythress evaluates it for its value as an exegetical tool.
Reading the Word of God in the Presence of God – Foundations for Interpretation
Chapter 1 is part of a volume that has as stated purpose to help people grow in skill in interpreting the Bible. The process of interpretation is illustrated by considering the stages through which an interpreter may travel in studying Scripture. The author places the study of God’s Word in the context of man’s faithful response in loving God.
Inerrancy and Worldview – Modern Science
Chapter 4 considers the challenge of modern science to the understanding of Scripture. Science, it is said, demonstrates that the Bible is just one among many collections of human religious ideas. The author explains that challenges arise both with respect to natural sciences and social sciences.
Inerrancy and Worldview – Worldviews and Materialism
Chapter 3 considers the challenge of modern materialism to the understanding of Scripture. Materialism function with the conviction that the world consists of matter and motion and energy; God is irrelevant. Poythress reflects on how Christians can approach this challenge.
Inerrancy and Worldview – How Can Only One Religion Be Right?
Are all religions at heart the same? Can there be only one true religion? The author reflects upon these questions in Chapter 1. Part of this reflection explains the relevance of people’s assumptions about truth. People’s basic assumptions about the nature of the world fit together to form a worldview.
Can We Understand Revelation?
Evaluating the Claims of Scientists
Have recent DNA findings proven scientists to be correct about the origin of human being as a result of the evolutionary process? This article looks at the theory of evolution and its reliance on natural law. The author makes it clear that there is no reason to believe that humans are the result of evolution. There is an alternative explanation to these scientific findings: creation.
Symphonic Theology: Pastoral Healing in the Miracles Controversy
Applying the theory of perspectivism can help achieve doctrinal synthesis. This article applies this theory to the debate around miracles and healing, showing how to approach individuals with different beliefs using this method.
Symphonic Theology: A Test Case - Miracles
This article shows how the application of the theory of perspectivism works, with the goal of achieving doctrinal synthesis. Using miracles as an example, the author gives a definition of a miracle, shows the relationship between miracles and natural law, and evaluates the claim that miracles have ceased.
Symphonic Theology: Distinctive Methods in Symphonic Theology
This article applies the theory of perspectivism to the exegesis of Bible texts. The author discusses the topic of doctrinal synthesis, and provides an example of arguing with adoptionists about Christ's divinity.
Symphonic Theology: Twelve Maxims of Symphonic Theology
In seeking to apply the theory of perspectivism to Bible reading, this article shares principles that must govern such an application of perspectives. These principles are: aspects of the use of language, the relationship between systematic theology terms and biblical terms, the limitedness of knowledge we possess, the different perspectives of biblical writers, and the biblical motifs and their relationship to the biblical message.
Symphonic Theology: Words and Precision
Applying the theory of perspectivism to the reading of the Bible, the author of this article looks at the relationship between perspectives and meaning of words. The author shows that ordinary and biblical language can be used by individuals to say an indefininate number of things. This can make translating and interpreting the Bible difficult.
Symphonic Theology: In Defense of Symphonic Theology
In seeking objective truth, human beings cannot rid themselves of their personal perspectives. Applying the theory of perspectivism to reading the Bible, the author of this article shows that perspectivism should not be equated to relativism. Perspectivism does not hold all perspectives to be equal, but instead upholds the principle of unity in diversity.
Symphonic Theology: Perspectives in Theology
Applying the theory of perspectivism to reading the Bible, the author of this article shows how reading the Bible from a theological perspective, ethical perspective and devotional perspective can be of benefit for the believer. The ability to expand perspectives provides the tool to addressing compartmentalism, and creates a holistic approach to scripture.
Symphonic Theology: Examples of Useful Biblical Perspectives
In seeking objective truth, human beings cannot rid themselves of their personal perspectives. The author of this article applies the theory of perspectivism in the Bible to show how different themes from the Bible can be expanded to cover the whole of scripture. This article looks at the following biblical themes: the Ten Commandments, God, God's attributes, ethical issues, and the three offices of the Old Testament.
Symphonic Theology: Perspectives in the Bible
In seeking objective truth, human beings cannot rid themselves of their personal perspectives. This article shows that biblical writers used different perspectives, and yet there is harmony. The Bible does not teach us different perspectives, but rather one worldview about God, the world and ourselves, making it possible to speak about a Christian perspective.
Symphonic Theology: Perspectives in Everyday Life
In seeking objective truth, human beings cannot rid themselves of their personal perspectives. The study of natural sciences and social sciences is also influenced by individual perspectives.
The Reversal of the Curse
Will this earth be thrown on the scrap heap? This article looks at creation, redemption and consummation, and the relation of this world and the new heaven and earth. The author also discusses the curse on the earth, and the fall of creation and the work of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:18-25 is an important passage in this article.