Law-keeping or fruit-bearing?

The law not only provokes rebellion against God, but in many also puffs up the pride of self-conscious adherence to ethical standards as demanding as those of the strictest of nationalism, humanism, Judaism, Islam, and various sects of heterodox Christianity. Even the most materialistic professionals can find self-satisfaction in their work ethic, contribution to family and society, and compliance with the codes of ethics set by their colleagues. How does the yoke of the despised Nazarene differ?

The gospel breathes life into transgressors executed by God's unbending law. Only the proclamation of forgiveness and freedom in the Suffering Servant can call forth the beautiful meekness of spontaneous, joyful worship in the Spirit that leads to nonjudgmental grace and sacrificial compassion extended even to enemies. "Against such there is no law."

On literary criticism

But it is fairly certain that 'interpretation'... is only legitimate when it is not interpretation at all, but merely putting the reader in possession of facts which he would otherwise have missed. ... I have found only two ways of leading any pupils to like anything with the right liking: to present them with a selection of the simpler kind of facts about a work – its conditions, its setting, its genesis – or else to spring the work on them in such a ways that they were not prepared to be predjudiced against it. ... Comparison and analysis... are the chief tools of the critic. It is obvious indeed that they are tools, to be handled with care, and not employed in an inquiry into the number of times giraffes are mentioned in the English novel. ... And any book, any essay, any note... which produces a fact even of lowest order about a work of art is a better piece of work than nine-tenths of the most pretentious critical journalism, in journals or in books.

— T. S. Eliot (1923) "The function of criticism," in Selected Prose of T. S. Eliot, p. 75, ed. F. Kermode, 1975, Harcourt Brace & Company: London. [emphasis in the original]

Lutheran versus Reformed soteriology

Any comments on this table comparing Lutheran, Arminian, and Calvinistic doctrines related to TULIP would be appreciated.

A Reformed critique of Lutheran theology

This essay by Geerhardus Vos briefly criticizes Lutheran theology from a Reformed biblical-theological perspective. Does it accurately represent the theology it critiques? How well supported are the article's conclusions?

Does Vos's order of salvation agree with that of the Westminster Confession? While his order may seem reasonable philosophically, it was hard not to think the Lutheran order that he criticized (taken causally, not temporally) looked more biblical. Also, do his criticisms of Lutherans regarding election apply to the monergistic, Augustinian soteriology of the Lutheran confessions, which clearly teach unconditional election?

comparison between Reformed and Lutheran soteriology

A Lutheran critique of Reformed theology

This article briefly criticizes Reformed theology from a Lutheran perspective. Does it accurately represent the theology it critiques? How well supported are the article's conclusions?

comparison between Reformed and Lutheran soteriology

dawningrealm.org

The prophets of ancient Israel had spoken of an age in which a king would come to save her from her adversaries. As the long-awaited Son of David, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies by healing diseases, defeating demonic powers, forgiving sins, proclaiming good news to the poor, laying down his life, rising from the dead, and giving his Spirit to all who receive him as the Son of God.

This post provides a forum for discussing any of the dawningrealm.org pages, New Testament theology, and implications of the coming of the kingdom of God in this age.

conventional "letters to the editor"