Jesus Christ

There is a popular notion that the church originated from a decision by a handful of followers of Jesus of Nazareth to start a movement. In the same way as other world religions started and grew through human determination and effort, it is often assumed that the Christian church is just a hugely...

Is it possible to undervalue Christ’s sufferings by overemphasizing the cross? One of my favorite seventeenth century Dutch “Puritans” is Herman Witsius (1636-1708). In his Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man , I came across a profound section on the extent to which Christ’s sufferings...

Continuing through the neglected Puritan Thomas Manton's (1620–1677) " Christ's Temptation and Transfiguration Practically Explained and Improved in Several Sermons” ( Works 1:258–336), we come to sermon 4 , which deals with Matthew 4:7 (click here for sermon 1 , sermon 2 , and sermon 3 ). This...

For those who can remember as far back as the 1960’s and 70’s, there are two books that may well stand out in your memory. One is J.I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God and the other, R.B. Kuiper’s God-Centred Evangelism . Both provide a theology of evangelism – especially in terms of...

This week we want to continue through the neglected Puritan Thomas Manton's (1620–1677) " Christ's Temptation and Transfiguration Practically Explained and Improved in Several Sermons” ( Works 1, 258–336). Sermon 3 treats Matthew 4:5–6 (click here for sermon 1 and sermon 2 ). This is a particularly...

This week we want to continue through Thomas Manton's (1620–1677) " Christ's Temptation and Transfiguration Practically Explained and Improved in Several Sermons” ( Works 1, 258–336 ). Sermon 2 treats Matthew 4:2–4. As with sermon 1 , Manton follows the classic Puritan plain style of preaching,...

Thomas Manton (1620–1677) was called "the king of preachers" at his funeral. Anyone that has ever used his expositions of James or Jude for their sermon preparation knows this to be true. He is consistently deep, thorough, and memorable in his exposition of Scripture. All told, his Works comprise...

For over three centuries Christians have delighted in Pilgrim’s Progress , the spiritual allegory of the journey of Christian from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. This literary work has become a classic in the truest sense, treasured both for its literary qualities and its spiritual...

Evangelicalism, properly conceived, has been from the beginning cross and gospel centered. But let us consider this question: does the doctrine of the ascension get minimized or neglected in our evangelical theologizing? The ascension of Christ is part of the gospel. Nevertheless, what role, if any...

The ascension, Christ’s post-resurrection going up into heavenly exaltation to sit at the right hand of His Father. A misunderstood doctrine within Christology, the Ascension of Jesus Christ is often thought as an event, missing its theological significance. The ascension of Jesus Christ is...