Posts by Brian Collins
Land: An Important Biblical Theme for God’s People
The land of Israel is disputed territory. Today it is the center of competing political claims. Israel is also the center of competing theological claims. Do the Biblical land promises have any present relevance? Does Israel have any claim to the land promised to Abraham and his seed? These are matters of theological dispute. You…
Read MoreRunning with Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus
How would you respond if one day you turned on the news and the coverage was about your church? The story was not about any scandal or sin but in fact amounted to a public shaming simply because your church held to the teachings of Scripture. How would you respond if some of your fellow…
Read MoreThe Humanity of Christ
The doctrine of the virgin conception of Jesus played a significant role in the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy because a virgin conception is clearly a supernatural occurrence. But the virgin conception also points to another important theological truth: Jesus is fully human. Why does Christ need to be fully man? Scripture teaches that Christ needed to be…
Read MoreThe Relevance of Scripture: A Hermeneutical History
In 1670 Baruch Spinoza anonymously published his Theological-Political Treatise. With this work he created modern Biblical criticism. Spinoza had a much larger goal in writing the treatise. He wanted to undermine the political establishment of his day by undermining their Bible. But Spinoza was seeking more than just religious freedom in a society that rigorously…
Read MoreA Voice Long Silent Speaks for Today
Isaac Backus—Baptist Defender of Religious Liberty In recent times the separation of church and state has become an argument for barring the church from any input in the secular state. But the original idea was to bar the state from meddling in the church, not the converse. This critical distinction is evident in the thought…
Read MoreOn Allegorizing – Is there Biblical Precedent?
Galatians 4:21–31—An Allegory? Those who adopt an allegorical method of interpretation often appeal to Galatians 4:21–31. After all, Paul says these things “are an allegory” (v. 24). The question of whether this passage justifies adopting an allegorical hermeneutic, however, is best answered by examining what Paul is actually doing in this passage. Paul highlights Abraham’s…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Hope for Eternity
A college friend and I once debated whether there would be soccer in Heaven. He steadfastly maintained we would all play, while I insisted that believers would surround the throne for eternity, praising God. No time for sports. Freshman roommates rarely achieve advances in theology, and we were no exception. Our curiosity often gives rise…
Read MoreImplications of Interpretation
The Effects of Accommodation to Evolutionary Thought Brian Collins FrontLine • July/August 2016 The interpretation of the opening chapters of Genesis is at the forefront of biblical and theological discussion once again. Evangelical scholars have recently put forward new interpretations of those chapters that attempt to harmonize Scripture with the evolutionary account of origins. The…
Read MoreChristians and Identity Politics
Brian Collins The Public Discourse has a worthwhile article explaining the similarities between Donald Trump’s campaign and identity politics on the left:
Read MoreFrontLine November/December 2015
FrontLine November/December 2015 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 6 God With Us Brian Collins Bible scholars have long discussed what the major themes of the Bible are. God is, of course, at the center of the Bible. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. In revealing Himself to man God also teaches us…
Read More