A couple weeks ago I was reflecting on a much-neglected biblical teaching: the ascension of Christ. We may neglect it because there is a conundrum in the ascension: the puzzling, if not outright paradoxical, presence of Christ. Ascension vs. Presence The last scenes of Jesus’ earthly ministry are emphatic about two completely opposite things: Jesus […]
Why Proclaim that Christ Ascended? (Heidelberg Catechism Q46)
One traditional Christian teaching that many today simply ignore is Christ’s “Ascension.” Why proclaim that Christ ascended into heaven? One answer is that it is simply biblical. You find it at the end of both Mark and Luke, but Acts 1 is the version that sticks in our collective memory. The risen Christ has just […]
Why Reformed Theology? (via Heidelberg Catechism Q. 18)
I find Christian faith coherent, intellectually rigorous, and deeply soul-satisfying. Why? Probably because I have been fed a hearty diet of Reformed Theology. I did my doctoral dissertation on John Calvin, the Reformed theologian who shaped the tradition more than any other. For a good long while I’ve regularly taught the theological summaries that make up […]
Presbyterian G.A. Approves New Translation of Heidelberg Catechism!
I am so very happy to share the news that Friday night, the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) gave final approval to the new translation of the Heidelberg Catechism! In 2008 I was called to participate in a national committee to resolve five translation problems in the version used by the PC(USA) since […]
Vocabulary Lesson: What’s Up with the “Ascension”? (Heidelberg Catechism Q. 49)
We just rushed by the most neglected day of the Church’s year: the “Ascension”, forty days after Easter when the risen Christ left the earth and went to heaven. Part of the problem: the original event happened on a Thursday. Churches don’t gather to take notice until the Sunday afterward. Another issue: Jesus lifting off without benefit […]
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