Articles & Essays

Hermeneutics & Biblical Theology Fred Zaspel | March 1, 2013

Telling Time in Scripture (part 2/2)

Last time we introduced our subject with a survey of ancient calendars and the methods we use to fixing dates of events in the ancient past. We turn now to the study of biblical chronology and genealogies specifically. Biblical Chronology Example. Let’s begin with an example of “dead reckoning” in Biblical chronology. 1 Kings 6:1 […]

Hermeneutics & Biblical Theology Fred Zaspel | March 1, 2013

Telling Time in Scripture (part 1/2)

I was privileged to have as part of my seminary training a time of study with Dr. Charles Aling, now of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He more than anyone else helped me understand the “doing” of ancient chronology and biblical dating methods, and I have always been very appreciative of him for this […]

The Christian Life Fred Zaspel | January 1, 2013

You and Your Conscience

The decline of morals in our society is deplorable, but what is most alarming is that this decline is increasingly evident in the church. Professing Christians and even genuine believers are falling into terrible sins. It is becoming increasingly the problem godly pastors and elders are forced to deal with today. There are no doubt […]

The Christian Life Fred Zaspel | January 1, 2013

The Christian Distinctive

What distinguishes Christianity from all other religions is that it is a revealed religion. Christianity is not about our search for God or our means of finding him. Christianity is not a religion that works its way upward. It is all about God coming to us — God in grace making himself known to us […]

Book Reviews Fred Zaspel | December 1, 2012

Paul and Union with Christ

Review of Paul and Union with Christ by Constantine Campbell Constantine R. Campbell. Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012. Review by Fred Zaspel– In his newly-released Paul and Union With Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study (Zondervan, 2012) Constantine R. Campbell, senior lecturer in Greek and New […]

Biblical Studies Fred Zaspel | December 1, 2012

The uniqueness of John’s Gospel

Students of the New Testament have long recognized the distinctiveness of the Gospel of John as over against the other Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “synoptic” (“seeing together”) Gospels, because at least in general terms they view the life of Jesus from a common perspective. Each of the four Gospel […]

Christology Fred Zaspel | December 1, 2012

Jesus the Divine Word

The apostle John is the only Biblical writer to refer to Jesus as “the Word.” He employs the other more usual titles also — Christ (Messiah), Lord, King, Lamb, etc. — but this one is unique to John. He begins his Gospel, his account of the earthly life of Jesus, by introducing Jesus as “the […]

Hermeneutics & Biblical Theology Fred Zaspel | November 1, 2012

Preaching Jesus all the Time

It is an encouraging sign when young ministers and ministerial students ask how to preach Christ more consistently while remaining faithful to the text at hand. It’s a question that we all have faced, and doubtless few have it all figured out. I’m sure I don’t, but I love the discussion. We know from Jesus […]

Hermeneutics & Biblical Theology Fred Zaspel | November 1, 2012

Postmodern Dogmatics

I realize that the title seems self-contradictory, but I take it from the title of an article published nearly ten years ago now by John Franke, then of Biblical Theological Seminary, in the Westminster Theological Journal (WTJ 65 [2003]: 1-26): “Postmodern Reformed Dogmatics.” Franke has of course expressed his proposed theological method elsewhere, and for […]