My attention has been drawn to a comment made about my interpretation of “the circumcision made without hands” of Philippians 3:3. Here is the verse with verse 2 giving context: Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh… – Philippians 3:2-3. The following is a comment from a listener of Dr Peter Goeman’s excellent Bible …
Category: Biblical Studies
This is a small excerpt from the upcoming book (DV), The Oaths of God: An Introduction to Biblical Covenantalism. The last section is taken from The Words of the Covenant, Vol. 1. God expects men to perform their oaths (Num. 30:2). But He also advises refraining from them (Jam. 5:12). Since men cannot know what the future holds, he ought not to swear oaths (cf. Judg. 11:30-31; Eccles. 5:5). Jesus wants His followers not to swear oaths but to simply …
Here is an excerpt from the shorter book I am writing called The Oaths of God: An Introduction to Biblical Covenantalism. I have already said that the concept of “covenant” is of great importance to rightly comprehending the Bible. In this chapter I will argue for the enormous importance and impact of God’s covenants. Let’s begin by looking at the covenant with Abraham. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and …
PART THIRTEEN Romans 9:4 and Israel-Only Covenants? Many dispensationalists cite Romans 9:4 as proof that the covenants are only given to Israel, with the Church having no part in them. The verse reads: who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises… I think there is a case for using this verse to fend off those, like the present writer, who believe that the Church is party to the …
Very preoccupied right now. Here’s one from the vaults: The identity of the “Sons of God” in the sixth chapter of Genesis is and always has been, as one OT writer has put it, “the subject of a longstanding debate among biblical scholars.”[1] Whichever view is taken of them, it cannot be doubted that even amid the extraordinary stories in Genesis 1-11, the first four verses of Genesis 6 are extremely enigmatic. Why does the human author (Moses) use this term …
PART TEN Christ’s Intercession At the Right Hand of God I have surveyed a lot of texts which refer to the New covenant in both Testaments. I could continue into the General Epistles and Revelation, but I believe I have made a good case for my thesis that the New covenant in Christ’s blood (Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25) is the salvation covenant, and that it forms the basis of hope for Israel and the Church. There are many in …
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6P7OTrM3nCDE5XpKHbpOxk https://open.spotify.com/episode/7if4M7T5EhPAYy0XLR9r5z https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ojMDxUowcMYEPQcr4zWcz …
PART NINE Hebrews – Epistle of the New Covenant Hebrews starts off by elevating Jesus Christ, proving from the OT that He is divine, but that He also “purged our sins” (Heb. 1:3) because He took upon Himself humanity (cf. Heb. 1:6; 2:9, 17). Jesus holds the office of High Priest (Heb. 3:1; 4:14-16). And the question arises, whose High Priest is He? As the book of Hebrews proceeds three major aspects of God’s Creation Project begin to appear. The …
PART SEVEN Was Paul Not Actually a Minister of the New Covenant? Due almost entirely to some dispensationalists viewing Jeremiah 31:31-34 (and Hebrews 8:8-12) as the crux interpretum of the New covenant (Part 2), we have the awkward scenario of those who exalt the grammatical-historical hermeneutic failing to use it when Paul applies the New covenant to the Church. The passage below seems on the face of it to be as clear as day. But those who claim that the …
PART SIX The New Covenant in the Gospels Coming now to the Four Gospels, let me begin with Simeon’s statement in Luke 2. Luke tells us that Simeon was, “waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Lk. 2:25). As far as Simeon was concerned Jesus was to have a dual salvific role to the Gentiles and also to Israel: For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of …
