Dr Paul Allen

There is a science in theology and in biblical studies that we call hermeneutics. It is the science of biblical interpretation. It teaches objective principles and rules that govern our treatment of the text, lest we turn the Bible into a piece of clay that we can shape and form for our own desires, as the Pharisees did. At the heart of the science of hermeneutics in Reformed theology is the regula fidei, or “the law of faith,” which says that no portion of Scripture must ever be set against another portion of Scripture.  The first assumption here is that all of Scripture is the Word of God . The second assumption is that God does not speak with a forked tongue , that what He reveals in His Word is always consistent. It is sometimes said consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. If that adage is true, we have to say that the tiniest mind to be found is the mind of God. However, I believe consistency is the sign of clarity of truth, and God’s Word is consistent wit...

George Whitefield, half-length portrait with hands raised, preaching in a church; portrait framed by oval. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) George Whitefield , preached “The Eternity of Hell -Torments,” in London in 1738. When the reality of the fate of those who perish in this life without Christ is again pressed upon one’s conscience, it always seems like a burden too great to bear. But, as Whitefield would say in the sermon , “If the bare mentioning the torments of the damned is so shocking, how terrible must the enduring of them be!” Truly this is the most solemn of subjects. But we as Christians — as preachers of the Gospel of Christ — we must give our minds and hearts to the biblical teaching of the unbeliever’s fate. And Whitefield has done us an excellent service. You can read the sermon in full here . As a preacher, it was instructive to observe the way Whitefield pled with his hearers to flee from the wrath to come. He was not content to simply parrot out a few stock...

Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Philipp Otto Runge, 1806 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “ Matthew ’s use of Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15 ″ Matthew 2:14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt . 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” There are three very difficult problems in this text. 1) First, the verse in Hosea 11:1 is a reference to the exodus of Israel from Egypt. How can Matthew take a historic reference and convert it into prophecy? 2) Second, in Hosea 11:1 the “son” refers to the nation of Israel . But Matthew applies it to an individual. How can he do that? 3) Third, Hosea 11:1 is quoted right at the point where Jesus and His family are about to go into Egypt, not when they leave Egypt. Many modern commentators see this as troubling. Some regard it as a mistake, such that it calls into question the le...

Image via Wikipedia How can we as Christians ascertain when God 's Word was applicable only to a certain culture and therefore may not be applicable to us today? The real question here is, Is everything that is set forth in Scripture to be applied to all people of all time and of all cultures? I don’t know any biblical scholar who would argue that everything set forth in Scripture applies to all people at all times. Since Jesus sent out the seventy and he told them not to wear shoes, does that mean that evangelists today would be disobedient  unless they preached in their bare feet? Obviously that is an example of something practiced in the first-century culture that has no real application in our culture today. When we come to the matter of understanding and applying Scripture, we have two problems. First, there is understanding the historical context in which the Scripture was first given. That means we have to go back and try to get into the skins and into the minds and langu...

Image via Wikipedia How can we as Christians ascertain when God 's Word was applicable only to a certain culture and therefore may not be applicable to us today? The real question here is, Is everything that is set forth in Scripture to be applied to all people of all time and of all cultures? I don’t know any biblical scholar who would argue that everything set forth in Scripture applies to all people at all times. Since Jesus sent out the seventy and he told them not to wear shoes, does that mean that evangelists today would be disobedient  unless they preached in their bare feet? Obviously that is an example of something practiced in the first-century culture that has no real application in our culture today. When we come to the matter of understanding and applying Scripture, we have two problems. First, there is understanding the historical context in which the Scripture was first given. That means we have to go back and try to get into the skins and into the minds and langu...