Yet in God new vigour
‘In that day I will gather the halting…’ These words are from John Calvin’s commentary translation of Micah 4:6 (though strictly speaking it is John Owen translating Calvin’s Latin). A week ago I headed up to the gym where I…
Category Bible
Leithart on the heart
I’ve been preparing a sermon on Romans 6 this week. The baptism language of Paul (6:1-4) drew me to read Peter Leithart’s book on ‘Baptism – A Guide to Life from Death‘ (2021). It’s a great little read on the…
God’s story in Sydney today
“everything written about me…must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44) I arranged for a guest preacher to speak at our church while I was on holidays. Unfortunately, he came down with Covid and so, while away, I had to arrange something else.…
Get to know the OT – with Nancy Guthrie
Over the last few years while travelling in the car, I have listened to a number of the ‘Help me Teach the Bible’ podcasts which Nancy Guthrie has produced (sponsored by Crossway). The podcast involves an interview with a biblical…
Wisdom in 2 Samuel 13
I find that 2 Samuel 13 raises quite a few interpretation questions for me as I read it. In some ways the broad themes are very clear but there are all these small details and words and phrases which connect…
Interpreting 2 Samuel 13:1-22
“But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.” (2 Samuel 13:22 ESV). I was a little surprised to come across a reference to a Cotterell and Turner’s book…
The humble Dane and David
“O God, even though I am very little before you, this little, this being nothing before thee – is for me infinitely much. All else is to me worth nothing, absolutely nothing.” (Soren Kierkegaard). I don’t quite know where I…
Spurgeon and the Lord’s remedy
CH Spurgeon is often noted as not only an extraordinary preacher but a pastor who had to deal with melancholy and depression. Some years ago I came across this wonderful ‘God-give remedy for melancholy’. (It was quoted by John Piper…
Destiny – facing reality
“A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. …Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us.” (Ecclesiastes 1:4, 10). “A wise believer…
Destiny – prepare to die
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Back in my College days I wrote an essay on the book of…