The other day a Twitter account called “Staunch Atheist” posted a cartoon which offered commentary on the Christian belief in crucifixion: Within the context of this particular twitter feed, the posting was presumably intended to offer an irreverent and subversive critique of Christianity, one which might offend the sensibilities of Christians. How ironic, then, that the effect […]
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The Wrath of God was Satisfied: A Passion Week Sermon
God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). But how, exactly? This is a great question to ask as we enter another Passion Week. In this sermon, originally delivered at Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmonton, AB, I discuss the penal substitution theory of atonement. According to this theory, the atonement consisted of […]
A breathtakingly larger canvas: The Cross in cosmic perspective
In my last article I pointed out that the New Testament (Paul specifically) seems to view the atonement as having truly cosmic implications. Thomas Torrance describes the cross as a “world altar” and says it “has cosmic significance in that it claims and suborns the world for its redeeming purpose.” (Atonement: The Person and Work […]
Is the light of the cross brightened by the flickering flames of hell?
A reader sent me the following excerpt from an article by Tim Keller on the doctrine of hell and asked me to comment. (The full article is available here.) So here’s the excerpt with my comments to follow: 4. The doctrine of hell is important because it is the only way to know how much […]
