The book of 2 Samuel charts the remarkable trajectory of David’s reign as king. Blessed through God’s anointing, his leadership binds together a broken nation and gives them victory. But when David becomes unwary, he is overcome by sin: the adultery and murder he commits serve as a timeless warning regarding the perils of temptation. The sword of God’s judgment falls on David and his hous…
When people think of 1 Samuel, they think of David, the man after God's own heart. Yet 1 Samuel introduces us to two great alter egos Samuel and Saul. And let's not forget Eli, Hannah, and Jonathan!
Douglas O’Donnell shows, in this redemptive-historical, biblical, practical, and expositional commentary, that Ecclesiastes answers two key questions that worry everybody in the depths of their minds. The first is “What does man gain from all the toil at which he toils under the sun?”―the answer being “nothing.” The second follows: “In light of such vanity―the fact that our work…
"~""All that you expect me to do is to make it reasonable for you to believe in God. And I should like to respond quickly by saying that that is just what I am trying to do."" Why I Believe in God is a one of Van Til's most well-known essays. As one of the leading Reformed apologists of the 20th century, Van Til's argumentation possessed rare and pristine form–logic which only his unique cast…
"~This short work first appeared in The Princeton Theological Review Vol. 7 No. 3 (1909), translated by Geerhardus Vos. Bavinck observes, ""The Christian religion is by no means the sole content of history; long before Christianity made its appearance there existed in Greece and Rome a rich culture, a complete social organism, a powerful political system, a plurality of religions, an order of m…
The grandeur of St. Peter's, the Baroque ecstasy of the churches at Cholula in Mexico, the intimate peace of Fairford Church in Gloucestershire... The two thousand years' heritage of Christian churches is a fascinating one. For anyone interested in the evolution of architectural styles, the subject is of inescapable interest. For a far wider group of people, however, it is clear that churches a…
A decade ago, Walter Brueggemann called the church to journey together for the good of our community through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction. He distilled this challenge to its most basic issues: Where is the church going? What is its role in contemporary society? What lessons does it have to offer a world enmeshed in turbulent times? Published originally in 2010, Journey to the…
How can we know that we possess eternal life? The apostle John answered that question in the three epistles that bear his name. He wrote that we must first believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that Christ came in the flesh. Second, we must obey God’s commandments. Third, we must love others. In this illuminating and engaging commentary on John’s letters, pastor-scholar Douglas Sean O’…
Dan Doriani explores how Peter presents both the effective work of Jesus for us and his personal work in usand how this enables us to live faithfully amidst trials.
This commentary’s subtitle, “Defend the Faith,” highlights its recurring emphasis on defending and promoting orthodox theology. Other significant themes include the conducting of public worship, the qualifications of elders and deacons (and the wives who have a share in their ministry), the personal godliness of the gospel minister, the proper spiritual and practical care of various membe…