Eschatology

BLESSING AND DOMINION: The Role of Israel in God’s Restorative Purpose for Creation

The Bible is a storyline spanning Genesis to Revelation, replete with interactive themes similar to subplots that contribute to the main plot of a novel. Scholars summarize the key theme...
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BLESSING AND DOMINION: The Role of Israel in God’s Restorative Purpose for Creation
Eschatology

A Future for Israel in Romans 9-11

James Montgomery Boice relayed the account of Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, conversing with his chaplain concerning the reliability of the Scriptures.1 always precedes orthopraxy.2 Correct doctrine always precedes correct practice. No one can function with biblical practice and methodology without first having correct beliefs...
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Why the Promises to Israel Matter Today
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In Defense of the Adult Sunday School Class

Adult ministries are shifting in churches today. The emphasis seems to be moving away from adult Sunday School classes to small groups. In the first article Don Anderson, professor of Christian Education at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary and a veteran adult Sunday School teacher, calls churches back to the priority of adult Sunday School classes. He believes adult Sunday School classes can do everything small groups can do and more. In the second article he offers some suggestions for how to improve our adult classes so they reach their full potential.

When Is It Time to Quit?

Every once in a while I do something that feels akin to beating my head against a wall. This article feels like that because my intention is to discuss how long preachers should preach. I have discussed this topic with enough preachers to know that preachers will preach as long as they want to preach. Certainly every preacher needs to be “convinced in his own mind” of what length of sermon is appropriate. I acknowledge this is an area where good men can disagree.

Lessons from the Reformation for Biblical Fundamentalists

Fundamentalists today face the challenge of wanting to reach more people but still guard the purity of their churches. In this article Dr. Ken Rathbun, a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary and the academic dean of Fairview Baptist Bible College in Jamaica, gives us insights on this matter from the Reformation period. In his second article he applies the lessons from the Reformation to contemporary fundamentalism. One of the ironies of the Reformation is that though the Reformers had separated from the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformers attacked other groups of the time for separating from them.

Unity Versus Purity

The same conflict we saw in the Reformation can be seen in contemporary Christianity in North America and the rest of the world. Pastors in Baptist circles today (or heads of institutions or agencies) have choices to make when trying to expand and extend the influence of their church in the community or the constituency of their organizations. Aiming for unity (lowest common denominator of beliefs and/or holy living) will most often result in larger numbers of people, but it does not produce the fruit one might desire.

Toward Expository Preaching

Preaching is at the heart of our fundamental Baptist churches. Our churches are blessed with many fine preachers, but there is always a need to issue the call again for excellence in expository preaching. In this issue of the Faith Pulpit, Dr. Daniel Brown, a veteran preacher and teacher of preachers at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa, reminds us of the nature of expository preaching and encourages us to hold to a high standard in preaching. In his second article he tackles the question of how long should a preacher preach.

Bonhoeffer and the Scriptures

Bible-believing evangelical Christians hold a high view of the Scriptures. Many evangelicals also see Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a Bible-believing Christian. Bonhoeffer, however, accepted the prevailing historical-critical views of the Bible in his day. Therefore, we should be wary of calling Bonhoeffer a “Bible-believer.” The following three examples from his writings support this position. Creation and Fall In Creation and Fall (1932), an exegesis of Genesis 1–3, we find clear examples of Bonhoeffer espousing the historical-critical view of the Bible. In this work he referred to the Biblical author as the “Yahwist.”1

Bonhoeffer: Approaching His Life and Work

Many evangelical Christians today seem fascinated with the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and hold him up as a hero of the faith. Others, however, do not hold him in such high regard. Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Is he someone Bible-believing Christians should look to as a hero or ideal? In this article Prof. Andy Stearns of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary examines the life and work of Bonhoeffer. In the second article Stearns evaluates Bonhoeffer’s teachings and his view of the Scriptures.

Choosing Sunday School Curriculum

Churches today have many choices for their Sunday School curriculum. What considerations should influence a church’s choice of its curriculum resources? Professor Don Anderson of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa, believes that the key consideration is how well a curriculum helps teachers teach the Bible effectively and thoroughly. In the first article he examines three factors relating to curriculum development that bear upon effectiveness and thoroughness in Bible teaching. In the second article he presents an overview of Sunday School publishers.

An Overview of Sunday School Publishers

In this article I overview twelve of the major curriculum publishers, especially Baptist publishers, that Faith Pulpit readers might be aware of, have questions about, or consider choosing for their church ministries. The websites linked to each publishing house are the basis for this overview. Visit these websites to find the scope and sequence of each curriculum. Answers Bible Curriculum Answers Bible Curriculum (ABC) is produced by Answers in Genesis (AiG) of Petersburg, Kentucky. AiG introduced this curriculum to churches in the summer of 2012.

The Future Kingdom in Zephaniah

The question of the literalness of the prophecies concerning Israel’s future is a major theological issue today. That issue is a key distinction between dispensational and Reformed/Covenant views of eschatology. In this article Dr. Ken Rathbun, a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary and the academic dean of Fairview Baptist Bible College in Jamaica, explores the prophecies related to Israel’s future in Zephaniah 3. His careful interpretation provides a paradigm for interpreting other prophetic passages. In his second article he looks at the implications of a dispensational approach to prophecy.

Works Cited

  1. James Montgomery Boice, Romans (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993),...
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