Dr Paul Allen

Do you know God? Do you have the assurance that you have eternal life? Knowing that we know God is paramount because salvation ultimately can be boiled down to this one thing: knowing God. In John 17, Jesus, before going to the cross, was praying to the Father for His disciples – both those present at that time and those who would believe in future generations through the preaching of the apostolic word of the gospel. In verse 3, Jesus defines eternal life for us, praying,  “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” “Eternal life” is a phrase used forty-one times in the New Testament. And in John 17, we see what it means: to know God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life is not merely to live forever and never die. It includes that, of course, by definition. But eternal life is not simply an eternal existence of isolation or independence. It is eternal life in a relationship with God. It is a life th...

Circumcision is a topic mentioned nearly 100 times in the Bible. It is a central focus for Old Testament and New Testament theology (Rom 4:9–12; Gal 2:1–12; 5:1–10). It was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:9–14), but circumcision was also widely practiced in the ancient Near East (the method, though, wasn’t always the same). Jeremiah 9:25–26 notes that Israel’s neighbors were circumcised. Archaeologists have also found that it was practiced in Syria and Phoenicia. Textual remains indicate that circumcision in Egypt goes back to at least 2200 bc, centuries before the Israelites were enslaved. Israelite men may have even submitted to Egyptian circumcision while in Egypt since Joshua commanded the men crossing into the promised land to be re-circumcised in order to “roll away the reproach of Egypt” (Josh 5:2, 9). The evidence suggests that circumcision did not distinguish Israelite men from their foreign neighbors. Circumcision in the Bible When God told Abraham to be circu...

Yes or No? If most Christians were asked if they should keep the Ten Commandments, they would answer, “Of course!” Fundamentally, that answer is correct and reflects the wisdom of the ages, the wisdom that has been passed on from the early church to our own day. And yet the question is more complex than it appears at first glance. As the subtitle of this article implies, the Ten Commandments (literally the “Ten Words” in Hebrew) must be understood in light of the covenant in which they were given. The Ten Commandments must be read in context, and that means they must be read in a covenantal context. God’s Covenants with His People The Ten Commandments were given to Israel on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1–17), when Yahweh instituted a covenant with the people of Israel after delivering them from Egypt. These commands were repeated again in Deuteronomy 5 before they were about to enter the Promised Land. The Ten Words were given to Israel in a gracious context since Yahweh had borne them “on ...

The basic definition of a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties. Covenants include parties, stipulations, promises, and threats. Some covenants, like that between Jacob and Laban, are between equals (Gen. 31:43–55). Others are between unequal. God’s covenants with mankind are always between unequal. God’s covenant of grace in Christ takes the form of a last will and testament, in which Christ, the Testator, represents the elect before God, fulfilling all the stipulations of the law, securing its promises, and bearing its curse (Heb. 9:15–17; Gal. 3:13). The elect do nothing but receive the inheritance by receiving Christ. Christ and the covenant of grace are the core of redemption in the Westminster Larger Catechism. The Westminster Shorter Catechism leaves the covenant of grace as the unspoken backdrop of redemption. However, the Larger Catechism brings the covenant to the foreground. The covenant fills out the biblical story of redemption and it opens the d...

“Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” ( Luke  22:20 )   The Greek word  diatheke , translated as both “testament” and “covenant,” occurs 33 times in the New Testament, 17 of which are in the book of Hebrews. The Hebrew word for “covenant” ( berith ) comes from a word meaning to “cut, or divide,” referring to the fact that blood had to be shed to bind the parties involved to the covenant. (See  Genesis  15:10 ;  Jeremiah 34:18-19 .) God had made covenants with Abraham and Moses on the part of the people of Israel. He had kept His part of the agreement; but in each case the others involved “continued not in my covenant” ( Hebrews 8:9 ). But God, in His grace, has issued a new covenant.   This covenant or testament is not unlike a human “last will and testament,” but there are some differences. He did not merely die, thereby enabling His children to inherit His fortune, b...

Though infant baptism has been the majority practice of historic Christianity, its propriety has been solemnly challenged by godly Christians of various denominations. The question surrounding infant baptism rests upon several concerns.  The New Testament neither explicitly commands infants to be baptized nor explicitly prohibits them from being baptized. The debate centers on questions surrounding the meaning of baptism and the degree of continuity between the Old Covenant and New Covenant.  The most crucial objection from those who oppose infant baptism is that the sacrament of baptism belongs to members of the church and the church is a company of believers. Since infants are incapable of exercising faith, they ought not to be baptized.  It is also stressed that of the baptisms recorded in the New Testament there are no specific references to infants. A further objection is that the Old Covenant, though not conveying salvation via biological blo...

The basic structure of the relationship God has established with His people is the covenant. A covenant is usually thought of as a contract. While there surely are some similarities between covenants and contracts, there are also important differences. Both are binding agreements.  Contracts are made from somewhat equal bargaining positions, and both parties are free not to sign the contract. A covenant is likewise an agreement. However, covenants in the Bible are not usually between equals. Rather, they follow a pattern common to the ancient Near East suzerain-vassal treaties. Suzerainvassal treaties (as seen among the Hittite kings) were made between a conquering king and the conquered.  There was no negotiation between the parties . The first element of these covenants is the preamble, which lists the respective parties. Exodus 20:2 begins with “I am the LORD your God.” God is the suzerain; the people of Israel are the vassals. The second element is the historical...

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” ( Hebrews 13:4 ) Ever since the divine union of Adam and Eve, the institution of marriage has been between a man and woman. However, the “bed” has often been defiled, with all kinds of sexual perversions. Homosexual behavior is often mentioned in the Bible, and always explicitly condemned, even being called an “abomination” by the Lord ( Leviticus 18:22 ). Adultery, fornication, prostitution, incest, bestiality, and all forms of sexual practice outside of heterosexual marriage relations are also condemned. Indeed, “God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” ( Ecclesiastes 7:29 ). Yes, but times have changed, we are told. The so-called “gay” lifestyle is now a normal option, they say, and even “same sex” marriages are acceptable. Premarital sex, as well as adultery, are very common today, all over the world, often even impacting Christian homes and chu...

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.” ( Hebrews 13:20 ) This is the only verse in the book of Hebrews that refers specifically to Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It occurs at the climactic conclusion of the book (which had previously referred at least 17 times to the atoning death of Christ) and is associated with God’s everlasting covenant with His people. The covenant theme is strong in the book of Hebrews. The Greek worddiatheke, which is also frequently translated “testament,” occurs more in Hebrews than in all the rest of the New Testament (or “New Covenant”) put together. The word basically means a contract, especially one for disposition of an inheritance. A number of God’s divine covenants are mentioned in Scripture, but the writer of Hebrews is especially concerned with God’s new covenant (or “new testament”). It is surely the most significant of a...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 23:16–22 “Whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it” (vv. 21–22). Jesus declares seven woes upon the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:13 –36, which is a significant number. Scripture often uses the number seven to denote completeness. For example, God rested on the seventh day when He had finished creating the heavens and the earth (Gen. 2:1–3). Considering the association of wholeness with the number seven, Christ ’s use of seven woes to denounce scribal and Pharisaic transgressions likely indicates the thoroughgoing wickedness of many people in these groups. This is the third woe Jesus uttered against the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:16–22), the content of which He previously deliv...

In 1 Samuel 8, Israel makes a most wicked demand of Samuel: “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations” (1Sam 8:5). Two verses later, Yahweh confirms that this is not a rejection of Samuel, but a rejection of God Himself as the King of Israel (1Sam 8:7; cf.  10:19 ). And though Samuel spends nine verses warning them that they’re replacing the Omnipotent  God  with a puny human (1Sam  8:10–18 ), they don’t back off. “No,” they shout, as defiantly as resolutely. “But there  shall  be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (1Sam  8:19–20 ). In chapter 12, Samuel demonstrates their wickedness to them by praying down a thunderstorm that destroys their wheat harvest (1Sam  12:16–18 ). Now, a thunderstorm at wheat harvest time in Israel is like getting six inches of snow in L.A. on ...

Image via Wikipedia "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God : but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." ( Deuteronomy 29:29 )   This portion of Scripture follows a lengthy restatement of the Covenant of God with His people, Israel .  In this chapter, Moses reminded the people of the works that God had wrought on their behalf in their deliverance from Pharaoh , in His provision for them in the wilderness, and in His protection on the battlefield ( vv. 2-8 ).   In this final address, he encouraged them to "keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do" ( v. 9 ), and stated the various blessings that would be theirs if they would do so.  Lastly, he described, in graphic and burning words, the results of breaking the covenant and incurring the judgment of God ( vv. 18-27 ). "And the LORD rooted them out of their land in ange...