Joyfully loyal to King Jesus | husband of Jenni, father of 4 | professor of systematic theology and New Testament at
@BCS_MN
| a pastor of
@NorthChurchMN
Today I joined the 1,000-pound club—the total pounds for 1 bench press + 1 squat + 1 deadlift.
Here’s the story of how I got stronger (with advice for beginners).
I’ve anticipated this debate-book for years:
1. covenant theology: Mike Horton
2. progressive covenantalism: Steve Wellum
3. progressive dispensationalism: Darrell Bock
4. traditional dispensationalism: Mark Snoeberger
It’s as good as I had hoped.
C. S. Lewis's theology test:
Translate into everyday language.
C. S. Lewis, “Christian Apologetics,” in *God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics*, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 98:
“I cannot make myself a woman, nor can you make yourself a man; we do not have that power. But we are exactly as he created us; I am a man and you a woman.”
—Martin Luther, “The Estate of Marriage” (1522), in Luther’s Works 45:17–18.
This 964-page (and 900,000-word) book has been in the works for six years. I teamed up with Greg Beale, Don Carson, and
@DrGladd
to edit a resource for students, pastors, and scholars. More info here:
Evangelicals hold 3 main views on divorce and remarriage. I argue for view 3b in this essay: "What the New Testament Teaches about Divorce and Remarriage."
Few people on the planet understand distinctions between Covenant Theology, 1689 Federalism, and Progressive Covenantalism as well as
@RichardJLucasJr
.
There is so much confusion between Progressive Covenantalism and 1689 Federalism. This is my latest attempt to clear it up. And it includes a chart! Check out this whole month's theme
@Christ_OverAll
.
A debate over the age of the earth:
1. DeRouchie: young earth
2. Grudem: old earth
3. DeRouchie: response
4. Grudem: response
Winner: DeRouchie (I love and respect both brothers!)
"The wolves who pervert the faith are professing Christians. They are pastors and church leaders and seminary teachers and missionaries."
—John Piper on Acts 20:29–30
*How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers* is shipping from
@CanonPress
. I introduce it here:
-Contents
-How I wrote with the audiobook in mind (and why I recorded the audiobook)
-Who the book is for
-6 endorsements
-Promotional video
-Lectures
Godspeed,
@Joe_Rigney
. Man, it's painful to part! I was hoping to build and fight with you here for decades. Our deep loss is NSA's great gain.
Be first in every desperate attack, last in every desperate retreat, and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.
While our loss is substantial, we pray that
@joe_rigney
gathers all the good he gained from
@BCS_MN
and blesses
@NewSaintAndrews
with it. And may the path between the two sister colleges be well-worn with a spirit of generosity and mutual love. Bless their socks off, Joe!
I just submitted two book manuscripts:
*Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written*.
@Crossway
, September 2022.
*Tracing the Argument of Romans: A Phrase Diagram of the Greatest Letter Ever Written*.
@Logos
, August 2022.
What a delight to marinate in Romans!
John Piper and Wayne Grudem edited *Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood* in 1991, and now Aimee Byrd has written *Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood* ~30 years later.
Here's my review article:
I just micro-read this book:
Outstanding! Steve Wellum continues to be my favorite living theologian because he masterfully integrates exegesis, biblical theology, historical theology, systematic theology, and practical theology culminating in doxology.
Today with God's help I completed my 150th Murph:
1. 1-mile run
2. 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats
3. 1-mile run
My first Murph = April 2019. I've done it 113x with a 20-pound pack. PR weighted = 40:52 min. I often do it with guys from my church and school. Today's crew:
My new book *Predestination: An Introduction* is available from Amazon starting today. Here's a picture of it at the Crossway booth at ETS. More info here:
I just submitted a book manuscript to
@CanonPress
.
Tentative title:
*How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers*
Forthcoming in spring 2024. (More info later.)
Two men I respect differ on Christian influence vs. identity for nations:
1
@JonathanLeeman
2 Response by
@Joe_Rigney
#2
makes more sense to me (a non-expert on political theory).
Hats off to
@9Marks
for publishing Joe's reply.
Pete Williams shares some brilliant insights on how Jesus’s story of the two sons in Luke 15 connects to Genesis. For a taste, see these two screenshots.
It’s arrived! Thank you
@crossway
.
Over half this book is about the intellectual achievement of the 3-minute long story about the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), attributed to Jesus. The rest shows intellectual brilliance elsewhere in Jesus’s stories and argues they are indeed by him.
This is a sober-minded response by
@Joe_Rigney
to
@RevKevDeYoung
re
@DouglasWils
. I agree with some of Kevin’s concerns re coarse language, and I agree with Joe that many Christians care too much about what we’re known for.
On Satire, Moods, and What We’re Known For: A Response to
@RevKevDeYoung
I’m grateful that Kevin raised many of the right issues, but I think his critique of the Moscow Mood misses the mark.
@AmReformer
It’s not okay to say, “The Bible teaches x, but I don’t like it.” It’s a bad sign if you want to ignore or apologize for what God has revealed in the Bible.
Cf. Kevin DeYoung:
1.
2.
Godspeed to
@Joe_Rigney
. I (along with the board, faculty, staff, and students) love and respect him. He is above reproach, sober-minded, a man of integrity. God has remarkably gifted him. I will deeply miss building and fighting with him here.
I have shared this graphic a half-dozen times in the past 3 weeks while discussing theological matters. It’s a helpful way to distinguish second-level issues. From
@dattebury
’s article:
It’s similar to
@joe_rigney
’s argument:
The Naselli and Dodds families just watched *The Essential Church* film (~2 hours):
I thought it would be good, but it exceeded what I expected. Very motivating. I thank God for Pastors
@JohnMacArthur
,
@Tim__Stephens
, and James Coates and their churches.
My family visited the
@ArkEncounter
this week. Wow. Far exceeded what we expected. Realistic. Edifying. Faith-building. Creator-honoring. Inspires you to be faithful and fruitful.
Highly recommended.
Jim Hamilton parallels stunning contrasts between the whore of Babylon and the wife of the Lamb.
The whore “may go through the motions of acting like a wife, but there is no covenant and there is no love.”
pp328–29,
John Piper: "Emotional blackmail happens when a person equates his or her emotional pain with another person’s failure to love. They aren’t the same."
Piper originally wrote that as a blog comment on this 2008 post by Justin Taylor:
When President Trump made an appearance at a church meeting in northern Virginia this afternoon, TGC council member David Platt showed how we can and should pray for our presidents. Joe Carter tells the story.
When Jason DeRouchie and I used to co-teach biblical theology, we would ask the students to trace the logical relationship of the covenants by arcing them. Jason explains his (excellent) arc in this article:
In this new article for
@Christ_OverAll
, I attempt to add some clarity by framing a debated topic.
I proceed in 3 parts:
1. Define religion, politics, and political theology.
2. Propose 7 views on religion and government.
3. Conclude with 7 reflections.
This summarizes Steve Wellum’s (and my) theological method for systematic theology.
It’s from Wellum’s forthcoming book *Systematic Theology, Volume 1: From Canon to Concept*:
Jason DeRouchie, a first-class OT scholar and a godly husband and father, explains what Genesis 3:16b means for marriage. He translates it, "Against your husband will be your desire, but he should rule over you."
“I would rather be loving and thought to be cruel
than to be cruel and thought to be loving.
And the loving thing to do is to try to help people come to know the truth to be set free by it.”
—
@TomAscol
, 24:44 min in
Today I was interviewed by Dave Elias of our local
@NBC2
station here in SWFL. We talked for over 25 minutes about God's law, Gospel, and Word, as well as about my recent twitter exchange with Senator
@tedcruz
. They necessarily had to edit the interview down to less than 10% of
Bad theology hurts people.
(I didn't realize until last week that J. I. Packer regularly said that. I still can't find where he wrote it in a book or article. But several people have attested that they heard Packer say it.)
I recently moderated a panel on the millennium:
1. premil: Rob Green
2. amil: Owen Strachan
3. postmil: Joe Rigney
It’s an edifying conversation:
#BCSPasCon
My concise commentary on 1 Corinthians is now available.
In this little article, I share 7 resources I found most valuable while drafting the commentary, and I explain how I prepared to write the commentary and the process I followed while drafting it.
I am rejoicing that Pastor Doug Wilson proclaimed Christ on the big platform of Tucker Carlson’s show. Podcast:
May God save Tucker! He seems almost persuaded in the behind-the-scenes footage:
Reminds me of
I just watched
@megbasham
's thoughtful 29-minute video essay with my daughters (and paused it along the way to explain some bits—e.g., "Envy disguised as equity doesn't excuse envy").
Jason DeRouchie is a faithful guide to the Old Testament. He shows that its theological message is that God reigns, saves, and satisfies through covenant for his glory in Christ. (It’s an honor that he dedicated his new book to me. I love this brother.)
My school's staff and faculty just anonymously gave out awards to each other. This is the award our president
@Joe_Rigney
received. (We were all laughing.)
The staff and faculty spent a portion of our planning day today praying over each of our incoming students by name. Would you join us in covering the
#bcsmn
community in prayer as we start a new school year?
In the new 1,040-page book by the Gibson brothers on sin and depravity (vol. 2 in The Doctrines of Grace), this chapter is fantastic:
Steven Wedgeworth, “The Heart Wants What It Wants: A Protestant Assessment of the Doctrine of Concupiscence” (633–67).
Here's some wise advice from D. A. Carson on how to respond when an airline cancels your flight. (See the sections I placed red boxes around.)
—from a chapter in
I’ve listened to every APJ episode since the beginning. John Piper thoughtfully answers theological and pastoral questions.
Good work,
@TonyReinke
, on the podcast and your new book:
After ten years and two thousand episodes, Tony Reinke has distilled the best of ‘Ask Pastor John’ in a remarkable new book: ‘Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions.’
The historical-cultural context of the Greco-Roman world of the New Testament includes pagan deities from Greek myths and Roman culture. This is a modern version of worshiping a pagan deity: Mother Nature.
At Apple, we believe that climate change is one of the world’s most urgent priorities and we are deeply committed to doing our part. Today we had a special guest—a real force of nature—stop by to check on our progress.
I just showed this video to my daughters and asked them to evaluate it.
It took my 12-year-old about ten seconds to conclude, "That's communism."
Cf.
@NeilShenvi
:
1.
2.
I teamed up with two friends—a Christ-centered OT scholar (Jason DeRouchie) and a Christ-centered systematic theologian (
@OrenrMartin
)—to write an introduction to biblical theology.
(includes a 35-page sample PDF with 13 generous endorsements)
“This is the best 3D rendition of the Temple Mount I have seen so far.”
—
@LeenRitmeyer
, an archaeological architect who has been involved in all of Jerusalem’s major excavations
4-minute video:
Explanation:
I recently read aloud this book by
@douglaswils
to my four daughters: “Get the Guy: How to Be the Kind of Woman the Kind of Man You Want to Marry Would Want to Marry.” It’s full of wisdom, and it prompted lots of good questions and conversations.
The outcomes of living by faith vary considerably. Consider the outcomes of faith for the first three heroes of faith celebrated in Hebrews 11.
Abel believed God, and he died;
Enoch believed God, and he did not die;
Noah believed God, and everybody else died!
—Bruce Waltke
I just listened to Rebekah Merkle read her short book *Eve in Exile and the Restoration of Femininity*. Breath of fresh air. Sanity. Wisdom. Verve. I want my four daughters to think this way about God’s high calling to be a woman.
Sound teaching on the transgender delusion by
@MikeRiccardi_
:
5 truths about gender:
1. granted by our Creator
2. grounded in biology
3. a gift of God’s loving care
4. the goodness of the body
5. the glory of our distinctiveness
1. Common view of Romans 3:23 = "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard" (NLT).
2.
@daneortlund
's view = “All sinned [in Adam], and are thus lacking the glory-image of God.”
I love how Dane concludes his argument.
My new book *Predestination: An Introduction* is available from Amazon starting today. Here's a picture of it at the Crossway booth at ETS. More info here:
I just finished listening to an edifying 31-lecture course on biblical theology by
@DrTomSchreiner
: .
He basically surveys this book: .
I listened on my phone using this podcast system: .
Attempting to contort “loving your neighbor” to secular ideas of the common good which run contrary to God’s law is in fact “hating your neighbor” and it is the opposite of obedience to God.
—
@jchasedavis
Pastor Sean DeMars (not quite as famous as Tucker) conducts a brotherly, respectful, direct interview with Pastors Doug Wilson and Joe Rigney, who (unsurprisingly) respond as reasonable and jolly Christian brothers.
Video:
Audio:
The
@RoomForNuance_
interview with
@douglaswils
and me.
We cover the waterfront: Federal Vision, the Moscow Mood, Ligon Duncan, the Embargo, mass communication, the sin of nuance (!), and more.
Have a listen:
Mark Ward spent two years building a textual criticism teaching tool that helps English readers see just how inconsequential the vast majority of textual decisions are.
Mark's announcement:
The tool:
I just read Doug Wilson's new novel: *Ride, Sally, Ride: Sex Rules.* It's set a few decades in the future. In ch. 1, Ace destroys his neighbor's sex doll. Then he's on trial for murder because his neighbor identified the doll as his wife. Brilliant satire.
“What If Your Neighbor Asks You to Call Her a Him?
An Interview with a Suburban Christian Dad”
This is a true story from this summer about some of my fellow church members in a middle-class Minneapolis suburb.
Apologetics and Critical Race Theory with
@NeilShenvi
—an 80-minute interview by
@RevKevDeYoung
):
Both Neil Shenvi and Kevin DeYoung deserve respect and honor for how they have helped Christians think about Critical Theory over the past several years.
You do not need a Bible to know what a man is, and what a woman is.... Such things are a part of natural revelation and are sufficiently clear to all men everywhere that our refusal to acknowledge them will condemn us on the last day.
—
@Joe_Rigney
Narrow complementarians want “hierarchy without complementarity...random rules without reasons, divine commands divorced from created order, and a complementarianism without any actual complementarity.... Complementarian in name only.”
—
@DougPonder
The Bible is not boring.
R. C. Sproul: "I can’t make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive. It makes me come alive. When people say the Bible is dull, it makes me wonder why."
I repeatedly say something like when I teach on the Trinity (and Christ’s person):
“Attempting to explain the Trinity and specifically the unity of the intratrinitarian personal relations is difficult since in human experience no analogy to it exists.”
—Steve Wellum
2 sound articles:
1. Andrew T. Walker, “Christians Volunteering Pronouns? Capitulation to Falsehood Is Not Christian Kindness”:
2. Rosaria Butterfield, “Why I No Longer Use Transgender Pronouns—and Why You Shouldn’t, Either”:
*Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism* is kind of like Carson's *Exegetical Fallacies* for text crit. (I'm sure I'm not the only NT prof who was relieved to not get quoted and refuted!) Impressive book. The authors know their stuff.
*How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers* is shipping from
@CanonPress
. I introduce it here:
-Contents
-How I wrote with the audiobook in mind (and why I recorded the audiobook)
-Who the book is for
-6 endorsements
-Promotional video
-Lectures
In this 50-minute podcast,
@DocHarmon
interviews
@DrGladd
about the new *Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament*. Ben gives a behind-the-scenes look at how we worked on this massive project, and he explains how you can benefit from it.
If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
—Ecclesiastes 10:10 (CSB)
The Left is colonizing the calendar. The most recent evidence of this is President Biden declaring tomorrow, Easter Sunday, to be “Transgender Visibility Day.” For Biden, I suspect this is a political calculation—a sop to the Left and indifferent contempt for faithful Christians
9Marks just published my review of Rebekah Merkle’s *Eve in Exile: And the Restoration of Femininity*. I suggest 4 reasons Christians should read her book: it's timely, wise, witty, and motivating.
2 short videos of Rebekah Merkle:
1. My wife and I enjoyed watching Joe Rigney interview John Piper about his 751-page magnum opus *Providence*.
2. Crossway and Desiring God are generously making Piper’s new book available for free as a PDF.