God's Purpose

This teaching stream explores God’s Purpose in time-space history.

Humankind dreams of a better world, but how can that happen? God has a plan for human flourishing – a new world here and now – and it's revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and his Gospel. It is explicated through the biblical motif of 'Kingdom & Covenant'—God's Government and its Constitution as the genius of a New World Order.

Romans: The Jews & the Judgement of God, Part 4a

May 19, 2018 by David Orton

EXPOSITION: Chapter 2:1-29 2:1-5—The Jews & the Judgement of God Keeping in mind the direction of Paul's argument throughout the larger passage (1:18-3:20) – that is, to establish the universality of sin and judgement without exception – from 2:1 he focuses on the Jew, confronting their attitude of exceptionalism. Allied with this was their abstraction of the law from … [Read more...]

Romans: Judgement & Justification—Justice Promised, Part 4

May 12, 2018 by David Orton

EXPOSITION: Chapter 2:1-4:25 We concluded Part 3 (1:18-32) with the assertion that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against man as a covenant-breaker. And that he has therefore come under the retributive justice of God, worthy of the judicial penalty of death. Man is dislocated from God, the cosmos is broken, and all must now be set-to-rights. The next … [Read more...]

The Divine-Human Arrangement: The Meaning and Purpose of Covenant

April 28, 2018 by W. J. Ern Baxter (1914-1993)

The Meaning of Covenant, Part 1 The covenant motif of the Bible (Old and New Covenants) communicates the divine-human arrangement. Yet, while ‘covenant’ is a familiar biblical concept—what does it really mean? For any communication to be effective, the successful transmission of ideas between persons requires a clear definition of words. If this is essential to … [Read more...]

Romans: God Revealed & Man Judged—Covenant Disobeyed, Part 3

March 11, 2018 by David Orton

EXPOSITION: Chapter 1:18-32 False Gospels. Our passage under consideration is the opening one of a far larger section (1:18-3:20). This larger context demonstrates that man, universally (Jew and Gentile), is under sin and that there is no question of his justification apart from faith. It picks up the theme of the epistle presented in v. 17 that the Gospel is the "... … [Read more...]

Romans: Caesar & Christ—Gospel Declared, Part 2

March 3, 2018 by David Orton

EXPOSITION: Chapter 1:1-17 Purpose & Theme 1:1-7 — Paul's Salutation 1-2 "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures"—While possessing intimate elements, Paul's opening salutation (longer than any other Pauline epistle) is in the style of … [Read more...]