Latest in R.C. Sproul
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Accepting the Atonement of the Cross
from R.C. Sproul Jan 17, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
The apostle Paul wasn’t even present at the crucifixion of Christ, yet he declared that this act was an act of cosmic and supernatural proportions. This was a real drama of theological redemption. Here the curse of God’s law was visited on a man who bore the sins of His people. For Paul, the crucifixion was the pivotal point of all history. Paul was not satisfied to give an account of the event. While affirming the historicity of the crucifixion, Paul added the apostolic interpretation of the meaning of the event. He set forth propositions about the death of Christ. Keep Reading -
Understanding the Cross
from R.C. Sproul Jan 16, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
What really happened on the cross? Was the death of Jesus a human tragedy whereby a good man was brutally and unfairly slain? Was His death an example of faith, obedience, and self-sacrifice? Was it a ransom paid to the Devil? A victory over the Devil? A manifestation of moral influence? Keep Reading -
Adopting Christ’s Attitude
from R.C. Sproul Jan 10, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on the cross!” (Phil. 2:4–8, NIV). Keep Reading -
The Primitive Scriptures
from R.C. Sproul Jan 07, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
In the sixteenth century, the Reformers declared their total confidence in what they called the perspicuity of Scripture. What they meant by that technical term was the clarity of Scripture. They maintained that the Bible is basically clear and lucid. It is simple enough for any literate person to understand its basic message. This is not to say that all parts of the Bible are equally clear or that there are no difficult passages or sections to be found in it. Laymen unskilled in the ancient languages and the fine points of exegesis may have difficulty with parts of Scripture, but the essential content is clear enough to be understood easily. Luther, for example, was convinced that what was obscure and difficult in one part of Scripture was stated more clearly and simply in other parts of Scripture. Keep Reading -
Accepting Christ’s Deity
from R.C. Sproul Jan 05, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
In Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, He says: “And now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (v. 5). Here Jesus alludes to a position He held before creation. It is a tacit claim to His participation in the eternal glory of God. In the fourth century, the church faced a serious crisis with respect to the deity of Christ. The Arian heretics denied the deity of Christ, claiming that Jesus was a creature who was adopted into a special relationship with God. In their controversy with orthodox Christians, they used ribald and derogatory songs as a method of propaganda. Keep Reading -
Witnessing Christ’s Glory
from R.C. Sproul Jan 03, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
The book of James has an unusual sentence construction that links the word glory with the name of Jesus: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality” (James 2:1). In this verse the words “Lord of glory” have alternate renditions. Some translations read, “Our glorious Lord.” Still another possible translation reads, “Jesus Christ, who is the glory.” Keep Reading -
Reflecting Christ’s Image
from R.C. Sproul Jan 02, 2010 Category: R.C. Sproul
What can be said of Christ’s being the “express image of His person”? Are not we all created in the image of God and does not this reference merely speak of Jesus as the perfect man, the one in whom the image of God has not been besmirched or corrupted? I think the text means more than that. Philip Hughes says this: “The Greek word translated ‘the very stamp bearer’ means an engraved character or the impress made by a die or a seal, as for example, on a coin; and the Greek word translated ‘nature’ denotes the very essence of God. The principal idea intended is that of exact correspondence. This correspondence involves not only an identity of the essence of the Son with that of the Father but more particularly a true and trustworthy revelation or representation of the Father by the Son.” Keep Reading -
Plumbing the Depths of Christ’s Person
from R.C. Sproul Dec 30, 2009 Category: R.C. Sproul
When we consider Jesus as the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Logos who became incarnate, we note instantly that in any attempt to plumb the depths of His person we are stepping into the deep waters of the nature of God Himself. In Hebrews 1:3, the author describes Christ as “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” Keep Reading -
Exploring Christ’s Nature
from R.C. Sproul Dec 27, 2009 Category: R.C. Sproul
I remember the remarkable success of the little book published in the middle of the twentieth century by J. B. Phillips titled Your God Is Too Small. The book was a ringing challenge to seek a deeper understanding of the nature and character of God. It obviously struck a nerve, as multitudes of people devoured the book in a quest to expand their knowledge of the majesty of God. Keep Reading -
Comprehending the Course of History
from R.C. Sproul Dec 26, 2009 Category: R.C. Sproul
What is striking in this history is the manifest hand of providence in the work of redemption. God is a God of long-range planning. He does not succumb to the all-too-human tendency toward immediate gratification and short-term goals. God sees the end from the beginning and rules the course of history, moving it inexorably toward its appointed destiny. In the affairs of the life of Abraham, God was providentially directing history toward David’s kingship and far beyond to the kingship of Christ. Keep Reading
