Regular Baptist Ministries
Commentary
Thanksgiving, Ingratitude, and Idolatry
By David Gunn
The pages of the New Testament are positively saturated with the concept of giving thanks. By my count, the epistles discuss the importance of Christians giving thanks to God eight times. The New Testament writers mention their…
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“Captive to the Word of God”
The Protestant Reformation began humbly on October 31, 1517. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle chapel door in Wittenberg, Germany, he wasn’t really intending it as a grand revolutionary act. Nailing theses to church doors was…
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Absolutely Sure
In the nineteenth century, a fascinating exchange of letters took place between Queen Victoria and the English evangelist John Townsend. After attending a service at St. Paul’s cathedral, the queen had asked her chaplain, “Can one be absolutely sure in…
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Prepare Children to Carry on the Faith
Christian children are the next generation of pastors, teachers, deacons, and church leaders. While they are young, we should begin preparing them to carry on the faith.
Children everywhere are looking to adults as they develop their life philosophies and… Changing Times and a Changeless God
Times change. Sometimes they change rapidly. Just a few months ago, COVID-19 seemed very vague, distant, and shadowy. Today, the virus has completely reshaped the way we view the world and interact with one another. As I write these words,…
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Our Blessed Hope
The New Testament Scriptures are saturated with hope. This is not a wishy-washy, wishful-thinking kind of hope, like the concept that hope most often communicates in English (“I sure hope they aren’t out of coleslaw already”); rather, New Testament hope…
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Why Originalism? Part 3
Why Originalism? Part 2
The superiority of an originalist hermeneutic
In the previous article, I suggested that there are three essential principles for an originalist interpretation of Scripture: the text means what the author meant; the text means what it says; and the… Easter Is Going to Be a Little Different This Year
Easter is going to be a little different this year.
How could it not be? With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the nation and most states currently under a shelter-in-place order, maintaining our cherished Easter traditions has become all but…
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A Refuge for Ourselves and Others
For many people, the crisis caused by COVID-19 really hit home when they walked into a store around the second weekend of March only to find bare shelves. That’s not something we’re familiar with in America. Since that time, everything… Why Originalism?
Far too often we like to discuss theology or Christian living without first addressing the more fundamental issue: hermeneutics, the art and science of interpreting the Scriptures.
When Jesus was interrogated on a point of theology (“What shall I do… When Fruit & Scripture Collide
Remember that time you bought fresh fruit for that amazing smoothie recipe you found on Pinterest only to find that you’d lost track of time and the fruit had gone bad? Yeah, me too. I live across the street from… “Living Is Killing Us”
To be human is to be incurably curious. From the moment we become capable of abstract thought, we begin to ponder the mysteries of the universe. Where did I come from? Why am I here? What is the meaning and…
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God Never Changes
Ironically, one of the few constants in life is change.
As I write this, I am sitting on my back porch gazing at the treetops, a seemingly endless expanse of red, gold, and brown. Not too long ago all these…
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The Pro-Life Movement Is on the Right Side of History . . . and Science
Recent events have thrust the issue of abortion back into the public spotlight. Now the culture war’s battle lines are being redrawn in familiar places as pundits, partisans, and politicians line up to yell at and talk past one another.…
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Colin Kaepernick and Nike: Believe in . . . Something?
The new ad campaign from Nike has attracted an enormous amount of social media attention. Pictured in the ad is Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who ignited a firestorm of controversy two years ago with his decision to kneel…
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Cutting through the Chaos
Is it just me, or has life become a lot more chaotic lately?
Every day, the news cycle is a veritable avalanche of scandal, catastrophe, and drama. The airwaves and smartphone screens are chockablock full of bad news and ill…
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Luke 2
Advent Day 25
by John F. Klem
All of us at Regular Baptist Press want to wish you a very merry Christmas. We trust that you will enjoy this day however you have planned to spend it.
Luke 2:1–20
In…
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Christ and the Gospel
Advent Day 24
by John F. Klem
The gospel is really big and genuinely powerful! The gospel is big in terms of its vast, redemptive impact upon God’s creation. It is genuinely powerful in terms of its amazing, transformative nature…
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Christ Is the End of the Law
Advent Day 23
by John F. Klem
The subject of Old Testament law and its relationship to us today is a frequent conversation in the progress of our spiritual journey. We wonder what to do with it. Do we use…
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Christ, the Creator, Comes to His Creation
Advent Day 22
by John F. Klem
Some of the very big questions of life relate to ultimate reality—specifically, How did this world come into existence, and why am I here at this moment? A Christian worldview is deeply rooted…
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The Love of God
Advent Day 21
by John F. Klem
In this Advent meditation, I want to let the Word speak regarding God’s amazing love for us. Take your time reading these selections of Scripture and let the Spirit encourage and light the…
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‘I Am’
Advent Day 20
by John F. Klem
In our Advent readings I have attempted to saturate you with Biblical texts featuring the person and work of Jesus Christ. In this reading I will direct your attention to the seven “I…
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Behold, the Lamb of God
Advent Day 19
by John F. Klem
When we look into the eyes of a newborn child, we see helpless innocence. In response, all our protective and caring instincts kick into action. We hold the child so carefully. We make…
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Putting It All Together
Advent Day 18
by John F. Klem
The departure of Christ from this earthly life back to Heaven as recorded in Luke 24 has much to offer us in our Advent meditations. Although Advent focuses more on Jesus’ arrival, His…
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Christ, Our Shepherd King
Advent Day 17
by John F. Klem
The historically accurate birth narratives of the Lord Jesus Christ are crafted in a way that blends royal and peasant motifs. The King of Kings is presented to us in the trappings of…
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Glimpses of Glory
Advent Day 16
by John F. Klem
The gospel of John is distinguished by its thematic focus on the glory of Christ disclosed in His earthly ministry. John puts the glory vocabulary to extensive use, in contrast with the synoptic…
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Expressions of Divine Love
Advent Day 15
by John F. Klem
“I love you.” “Love you.” “Love you tons.” “All my love.” These are just a few of the many expressions of love we use in our English language to communicate how we feel…
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The Awe of Christmas: The Word Becomes Flesh
Advent Day 14
by John F. Klem
In the doctrine of Christ, Philippians 2 is a foundational New Testament passage. It is the key theological passage regarding what Christ did to leave His eternal abode and to take on flesh…
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The Better Light of Christmas
Advent Day 13
by John F. Klem
The glory of Christ is displayed for us in John 1:1–5. In these opening verses, John, the gospel writer, presents Christ to us as an eternal person (vv. 1, 2), the creator of…
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The Glory of the Eternal Christ
Advent Day 12
by John F. Klem
Our Advent meditations are designed to saturate you with multiple looks at the person and work of Christ from a variety of Old and New Testament passages. This saturation with Christ will deepen…
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The Career of the Suffering Servant
Advent Day 11
by John F. Klem
I am intrigued by stories of innocent people who are convicted of horrible crimes and then imprisoned for lengthy periods of time. I think, how could this happen? I wonder, what is wrong…
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The Commitment of the Servant
Advent Day 10
by John F. Klem
Our thoughts of Christmas and our seasonal experiences are all framed in the context of pleasantries. The birth of a newborn babe conjures up joyful and optimistic thoughts and feelings. The virgin birth…
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The Commission of the Servant
Advent Day 9
by John F. Klem
Our journey through the Advent season brings us to the second of the Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah, 49:1–13. The song divides nicely into two parts (49:1–6, 7–13). The first part…
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The Call of the Servant
Advent Day 8
by John F. Klem
The book of Isaiah documents four songs that came to be known in the 1800s as the Servant Songs. They are found in Isaiah 42:1–9, 49:1–13, 50:4–11, and 52:13—53:12. Biblical scholars have debated…
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Divine Names of Christ
Advent Day 7
by John F. Klem
Lights are a distinctive feature of the Christmas season. They come in all sizes and colors, and when creatively configured they capture our attention with a sense of awe. The names of the…
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“God with Us” Theology
Advent Day 6
by John F. Klem
The prophetic text that holds our attention as believers during the Christmas season is Isaiah 7:14; its New Testament reference in Matthew 1:23.
“To Ahaz, King of Judah God declared through the mouth…
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An Early Chapter in the Christmas Story
Advent Day 5
by John F. Klem
The book of Ruth is a short story of 85 verses in our Bible. It takes place in the days of the Judges during a time of famine in Bethlehem, “the house of…
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The Songs of Christmas Continue
Advent Day 4
by John F. Klem
During the Christmas season, the book of Isaiah is a popular text in sacred Christmas music. Handel’s Messiah, for example, features a good portion of God’s Word given to us through the pen…
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The Songs of Christmas Begin
Advent Day 3
by John F. Klem
The wise men who came from the east asked King Herod, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have…
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The Divine Plan and Promise of Christmas
Advent Day 2
by John F. Klem
How can we have a Christmas joy founded in the Word during the busyness of the holiday season and the many festive activities? I believe a Word-based Christmas joy begins with thoughtful consideration…
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Countdown to Christmas
Advent Day 1
by John F. Klem
My childhood days were spent in Northeast Pennsylvania in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area. Our local newspaper, the Times Leader, was delivered to our home each day. Once Thanksgiving passed, the Times Leader would print…
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Celebrate Christ through RBP Daily Meditations