The devastating effects of certain defective eschatological scenarios in the contemporary church are seen in the retreat and decline of the Christian faith and social order in our time. Eschatology is not merely a narrow view of ‘the end’ but concerns more fully the entire direction and goal of God’s purpose in history. It therefore has a profound influence on a … [Read more...]
Romans: The Hope of Glory, Part 5a
EXPOSITION: Chapter 5:1-21 5:1-11—From Justification to Salvation 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice [boast] in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice [boast] in our sufferings, … [Read more...]
Romans: De-Creation & Re-Creation—Paradise Restored, Part 5
EXPOSITION: Chapter 5:1–8:39 In the next four chapters Paul takes his Gospel to the next level, to its end game: from justification to glorification, from ch. 5 to ch. 8. In fact, his language now switches from the polemical to the confessional, to a declaration of the victory of Christ in history. Having established the juridical basis of man's reinstatement as a … [Read more...]
The Significance of John’s Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia: Studies in Eschatology
The apostle’s address to the seven churches of Asia (Rev 1-3) are generally recognised by modern commentators to be an integral part of the book, however, much disagreement remains as to their nature and purpose. Dispensationalists, while recognising the relevance to the historical churches of Asia, project them forward as a prophecy of seven distinct periods of Church … [Read more...]
Clarifying the ‘End Times’ from Daniel & Revelation: Studies in Eschatology
First, the meaning of the term ‘end times’ must be clarified. Chilton comments, … what is often missed is the fact that the expression ‘the last days’, and similar terms, are used in the Bible to refer, not to the end of the physical world, but to the last days of the nation of Israel, the ‘last days’ which ended with the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.[1] This may be a … [Read more...]
