Discipleship

Via Emmaus on the Road: Hebrews 6

/ davidsschrock

Further Resources

 

Hebrews 6 (ESV)

6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Via Emmaus on the Road: Philippians 3

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Further Resources

 

Philippians 3 (ESV)

Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Twelve Ways to Order Your Week by the Son (Part 1)

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Last Sunday I preached a sermon entitled, “Keeping Time at the Altar By Setting Your Watch by the Son.” That sermon was part two of series of sermons explicating Genesis 8:20–9:7. You can find the introduction here. In all, my aim is to help members of my church, who are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), order their lives by the pattern that comes in the New Creation. And, because Genesis 8:20–9:7, offers a glimpse of the new creation and that pattern, we are looking at each part. (For an overview of the whole pattern see this sermon on Genesis 8–9).

In the first sermon in this series, I argued that Christians should arrange their lives around the altar, which today occurs when the saints gather on the Lord’s Day to worship Christ. Yet, what do those saints do for the other six days of the week? That is what I attempted to answer in the second sermon. And in that sermon, I took three steps to move from (1) Israel’s calendar in Leviticus 23, to (2) Christ’s fulfillment of that calendar, to (3) our lives that should center themselves on Christ. If you want to see how this biblical theology moves to Christ, listen to the sermon. Yet, in that sermon I left out what I am writing here (in two parts)—12 ways to order your week by the Son.

Truly, if Christ has purchased us (1 Cor. 6:20), we are not free to do with our time whatever we want. Instead, as Paul puts it in Galatians 5:13, “you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Paul’s focus in this verse relates to the law, but part of that law relates to time—i.e., the Sabbatical Calendar (see Exod. 23:10–19; Lev. 23:1–44; Deut. 15:1–16:17).

Israel, as God’s son, was too immature to rightly define their own time. Rather, as Galatians 4:1–2 tells us, God’s children were treated as slaves and put under a guardian (the law) until the proper time. Jesus himself was born under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and had to keep the entire law, including all the commands related to the Sabbath. Yet, in keeping the Sabbath, he not only became the Sabbath-giver (cf. Matt. 11:28–30) but also reordered the calendar, such that annual feasts (like Passover) and mid-year rituals (like Yom Kippur) were all fulfilled in him.

In the New Testament, the consequence of this eschatological change was that the people of God now worshiped on the Lord’s Day, as found in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2; Acts 20:7; and Revelation 1:10. Indeed, as Jesus fulfilled and transmogrified the Passover into the Lord’s Supper, this became a weekly feast to be enjoyed everywhere God’s people gathered (1 Cor. 1:3; cf. Mal. 1:11), not just an annual feast celebrated in Jerusalem. To that end, the New Testament, as I understand it, defines Sunday (the Lord’s Day) as one day in seven to gather and worship. And this should be both the high point of the week and the central point of the Christian calendar.

Historically, liturgically, and confessionally this “Christian Sabbath” has been defined, specified, and applied in all sorts of ways. And at some point in the near future, I hope to say more about that. For now, I want to talk about the other days of the week and what Christians should do to orient themselves from and toward worship on the Lord’s Day.

Admittedly, these twelve orientations have to be general principles, not specific commands. And, if I am honest, these principles will need qualification that this article won’t have time to specify. Also, there are other principles that could be added to. So, don’t take this list as exhaustive or overly prescriptive. I am not trying to over-regulate what a Christian life looks like. Clearly, seasons in life, differing vocations, divergent interests, and various family dynamics will force these principles to form in asymmetrical ways. Over time, they will change in our lives, as well. That said, I am trying to offer wise counsel for those who are moving from the altar of God’s of worship to the city of their work.

In that way, take what is helpful. Retrofit what is partially helpful. And reject anything that stands in the way of walking faithfully with the Lord. Hopefully, however, there will be little rejection and much reflection. And so, to that end, here are twelve ways to order your week by the Son. Continue reading →

On Earth, As It Is in Heaven: Making Plans That Please the Lord

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Welcome to Quitter’s Day.

Until this week, I didn’t even know that such a day existed. Sure, I was familiar with the fact that the gym seems a lot less crowded by the end of January. But I didn’t know that we coronated the breaking of New Year’s resolution with an unofficial holiday. But some do, and today USA Today even ran a brief article on it.

Apparently, the Second Friday of the new year is dubbed Quitter’s Day because of the way that so many plans have been broken in the new year. To speak personally, my own Bible reading plans were thrown off yesterday because an early morning meeting took the place of my typical morning devotion. Yet, today I picked up the plan again, read yesterday’s Psalm (and todays), and continued in my reading in Matthew. Such is life.

If we are going to make progress in the world, we must make plans and keep them. And I suspect that everyone who makes and breaks a new year’s resolution to eat better, work out more, or spend less money—these are the Big 3, apparently—still maintains other plans. It’s not possible to finish a degree, order a home, build a career, or lead a team without making and keeping plans. Yes, some of us are better than others at making plans and keeping them, but part of being human is to order our steps for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.

In Proverbs, there are many such passages that describe this way of planning. Consider a few. In Proverbs 15:22, we learn that “without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” More positively, Proverbs 20:18 says, “Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.” Later in Luke 14:31–33, Jesus will say something similar. When discussing what it takes to follow him, our Lord compared discipleship to kingship and the need to count the cost before engaging in war. Truly, planning is what kings do. And because humanity is given the task of ruling over the world, planning is part of what it means to be human.

Think about it. Before God made the world, he made a plan. And that plan included the “foundation of the world” (John 17), the storyline of history (Eph. 1:11; Rev. 13:8; 17:8), the cross of Christ (1 Pet. 1:20; cf. Acts 2:23; 4:27–28), and the election of every of sinner who would come to faith in Christ (Acts 13:48; Rom. 9:22–23). Indeed, the kingdom of God was not an after-thought in God’s mind; it was the reason why God created the world in the first place (Matt. 25:34). Though in time redemption came after creation, in the mind of God redemption in Christ came first. And thus, the world God made is filled with order, and if we are going to be like our Creator, we must order our days too. But how? Continue reading →

Via Emmaus On the Road: A Brief Introduction

/ davidsschrock
Via Emmaus 01

** Yes, this first episode only comes out one speaker. The next one will be better. And the one after that even more so. Or at least, that’s the plan. 

Introduction

In 2025, I am putting together a Bible reading plan for my family and a few others in my church. I am hosting that reading plan here and will start posting next Monday (January 6). Along the way, I hope to offer a short reflection (less than ten minutes) on each chapter of the New Testament (Monday-Friday). So, follow along, as we journey through the New Testament this year. And don’t stray too far from this website as I will point to other resources that might help reading the New Testament this year.

For now, here’s a quick list of navigation tools to acquire.

Navigation Tools to Acquire

Think Oregon Trail, the video game. Before starting reading through the New Testament, you will need to pick up a few resources. And below is a list of essential and premium supplies and/or strategies for reading the New Testament.

Essential

  • A Bible — You can’t read the Bible without a Bible, so find a Bible that you can read in 2025. And better than a Bible App, find a Bible you can hold in your hands.
  • A Notebook — In addition to prayer, Bible Study goes best with deliberate reflection. And reflection goes best with a place to write your thoughts down. So grab a notebook or a journaling Bible (see below).
  • A Weekly Questionnaire (see Week 1 ) — Each week, I will put up a set of questions to help you engage with the Bible. Print these out and use them as a guide, not a homework assignment. They are intended to help you see what is in the Bible, not to just get the right answer to the test.
  • Community — While we can read the Bible on our own, it is better to read the Bible and discuss it with others. That’s a point I made in this sermon, and it is something this Bible reading plan is intended to foster. Just as walking down the road goes better with others, so does reading Scripture.
  • A Place and Time — Finally, you will succeed in your Bible reading most if you commit to a place and time to read Scripture. For me, this is first thing in the morning. But for you, it could be at lunch, in your car, on a break, or before bed. Most importantly, find a fixed time and place and make it happen. And don’t be ashamed to ask God to help you or for friends / family to hold you accountable.

Premium

  • The ESV Bible Journal — This was a Christmas present to each of our kids, and it is a great way to read and reflect all in the same place. Right now, Amazon still has the whole New Testament half off.
  • A Study Bible — There are countless study Bibles to choose from, but you might find help by having one or two to answer questions as you go. The ESV Study Bible is still my favorite.
  • A Commentary — Going one step further, a commentary can help answer questions of history, culture, or language as you read. The New Bible Commentary is a good one-volume commentary.

The Basic Description of Via Emmaus On the Road

  • A 10 Minute Reflection on 1 Chapter of the Bible
  • 5 Days out of the Week, 52 Weeks out of the Year
  • Equals the Whole New Testament in a Year

May the Lord help us read his Word with understanding this year, and may his Word produce in us faith, hope, and love.

Soli Deo Gloria, ds

To Whom Will You Give the Sword? Seven Moral Arguments for Donald Trump

/ davidsschrock / 1 Comment

How should I vote for the glory of God?

That is a question that Christ Over All answered in a variety of ways in September of this year. And it serves as the background to this article, where I want to offer a more personal word regarding something that has changed in my own thinking over the last few years, and may help others thinking about their vote this week.

In 2016, when I was still under the sway of Russell Moore, I believed the Leftist media about how bad Donald Trump was, is, and will be. Though he promised to appoint conservative judges, I didn’t believe he had the track record to merit a vote. Likewise, as a 10 year student of Russell Moore at SBTS, and a ERLC research fellow, I largely accepted the line that Donald Trump was immoral, racist, misogynistic, you name it.

Fast forward to 2020, Donald Trump had kept his promise to appoint conservative judges.  Economically, until Covid, he had rebuilt the economy with benefits for working class families. And despite his unseemly (and often unwise) use of Twitter, he withstood endless assaults while seeking to put America first. For these reasons, and more, I voted for Donald Trump.

Following the same line of thinking that made Albert Mohler change his mind about Trump, I put my previous Never Trump interests aside, and voted for the business man from New York.

As Mohler framed it in his 2020 article, “In terms of presidential action, Donald Trump has been the most effective and consequential pro-life president of the modern age.” And this was before Roe v Wade was struck down!

Long story short, I shifted from Anti-Trump in 2016 to pro-Trump (with ongoing reservations) in 2020. Though Trump’s character (e.g., his marital record, his vulgar speech, and his Twitter discourse) continued to be a stumbling block, I voted for Trump in 2020 not based on his personal accolades but his political decisions and the promise of policies that would.

In 2024, I would vote for Trump for the same reasons. Yet, in 2024 I would also say that it has become apparent that the character of the man is not everything that it was made out to be by legacy media or evangelical pundits like David French and Russell Moore. And it is this moral dimension of Trump that impels me to write this reflection.

But first a word on voting itself. Continue reading →

Wide are God’s Mercies: Giving Public Praise to Our Lord for His Ongoing Work at Our Church

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nathan-dumlao-KYiGu8qqEcM-unsplashMy companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. 21 His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. 22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

– Psalm 55:20–22 –

Recently, I received an email that brought to mind a dozen or so events from the last ten years. The email was intended to lay charges against our church, myself, and my fellow elders. And, in a world that offers multiple perspectives, those accusations are certainly one interpretation. However, as we learn from Proverbs 18:17, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

Today, I have no interest in examining the charges made. They have been examined often over the last six months and before, but I do have an interest in giving thanks to God for the charges that have been made and for the events they recall. For in fact, all of things that were brought to light are, from another angle, testimonies of God’s grace. And thus, I want to give public praise to God for all the ways that his mercies have been made new over the last decade.

When Paul defended himself in 2 Corinthians against the charges of the super-apostles, he boasted in his weaknesses. In what follows, I will do much of the same. But more, I will boast in the kind and loving work of God in a local church that was once featured negatively in a book by Nancy Pearcey.

As with all local churches, ours is made up of members who have feet of clay. And yet, with clay feet we are learning to walk with our Lord, and looking back on the last three decades, God has demonstrated his mercy and grace again and again. And for that reality, I am profoundly grateful. And I share these ten reflections as a testimony to the wideness of God’s of God’s past mercies, which funds the promise of future grace.

Continue reading →

The New Church Down the Street: How Churches and Church Plants Can Love One Another

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vlah-dumitru-qx7RXtIKpAE-unsplashYou think of how many church plants, unfortunately, often happen today. Maybe they happen just down the street of another church that agrees with them entirely in their theology. And you think, well, maybe we should have had a conversation before you started a church just down the street. Was this going to be a conversation? What’s going on here? (Caleb Morrell)

When I moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2002, I spent the first six months of my tour there in church parsonage situated in Ringgold, Georgia. Driving from the church where I worked to the home where I lived I must have passed a dozen Baptist churches. Coming from Michigan, I was astounded at the number of Baptist churches in East Tennessee. Sort of like Bubba in Forest Gump, there were Southern Baptists, Fundamental Baptists, Independent Baptists, Missionary Baptists, and Primitive Baptists—not to mention all the Baptists who were ashamed to call themselves Baptist.

Speaking with only a slight sense of hyperbole, there was a Baptist Church on every street. And sometimes right across the street. I mentioned my living quarters above because on the road to my house there two Baptists churches—Salem Baptist and New Salem Baptist. The actual name of the church has been changed to protect the (not so) innocent parties.

Driving past those churches I always wondered what the backstory was? Was this a church plant, with a new method for evangelism or a worship style? Or more likely, was it a church split? A group from Salem Baptist decided that they knew better and so they formed a committee to start a new church. Yet, instead of finding a location down the road, they took up residence right across from the church.

Now, I don’t know what actually happened and it may not be anything like what I imagined, but even if this story was entirely like something that came from the mind of Joseph Bayly, it would caricature a real problem—churches begun without any consideration for their neighbors. Indeed, for all the healthy ways churches plant churches, there are also unhealthy church plants that actually undermine the testimony of the gospel in a given area.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I found myself in such a situation in 2015. And I am grateful to God that he prevented our band of eager church planters from starting something that have been born with a spirit of competition. Indeed, with the perspective of hindsight and from a number of recent conversations with pastors and aspiring church planters, I am increasingly convinced that too many church plants are begun in ways that compete with other local churches.

Yes, God loves to grow his church and to plant new churches even in places filled with churches. Yet, as Ecclesiastes 8:6 has said, there is a proper time and procedure for everything under heaven, and that includes planting a church. And so, in light of a recent conversation with Caleb Morrell on the importance of Baptist associations, I want to republish some of his remarks from our podcast and then offer four brief reflections on how church plants can love their neighbors by working together with other churches. Continue reading →

With Genuine Repentance Comes Pardon: John Calvin on How to Seek and Grant Forgiveness

/ davidsschrock

alex-shute-b7QwXDDEwv8-unsplashThen Peter came up and said to him,
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me,
and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times,
but seventy-seven times.
– Matthew 18:21–22 –

What happens when someone asks for forgiveness, but all outward signs indicate anything but a willing spirit? Is the offended party obligated to grant forgiveness the moment the offender says, “Will you forgive me,” or does it depend? If forgiveness depends on repentance, as Jesus says in Luke 17:3, just how much fruit is requisite for such repentance to be deemed genuine?

To put it into actual situations: Does the offended child whose sibling is forced to say “I’m sorry” have to mechanically say, “I forgive you”? Or to take it one step further, does the parent need to discipline the hesitating child for not offering forgiveness immediately?

What about the Christian family of a victim of violent crime, do they need to automatically grant forgiveness when the judge forces the criminal to issue an apology? Or are they permitted to consider the sincerity of the apology? Equally, should Christians forgive terrorists, who go to their deaths spewing hatred against their victims?

Or more basically, when pastors mediate conflict in the church, what is the proper response to a church member whose longstanding self-justification is suddenly reversed? Does the offended party need to issue an immediate grant of forgiveness? Or does the newfound repentance need time to settle? Equally, if the member will not forgive when repentance is genuine, what must be done then?

Fortunately, we are not the first generation to wrestle through such questions. And most recently, I came across an incredibly illuminating passage from John Calvin on Jesus’s teachings on forgiveness and repentance. Ever pastoral, Calvin provides some important qualifications for offering forgiveness, granting forgiveness, and even withholding forgiveness until repentance is deemed genuine.

Strikingly, Calvin does not suffer from our modern captivity to making others feel affirmed. Instead, he affirms the need to offer forgiveness to any and all who ask. But wisely, he also cautions Christians from mistakenly granting forgiveness prematurely. In his comments on Jesus’s teaching on forgiveness, he rightly urges Christians to extend grace in the same way they received grace. But also, he holds the line on repentance, stressing the importance of making sure repentance is genuine.

Having recently thought quite a bit about this very point, I offer six reflections on Calvin’s views on forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation. I have added his full comment at the bottom. Continue reading →

A Consolation in the Curse: Reading Genesis 3:16b as Good News

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silhouette of newly wedded couple

Somewhere below the rim of the Grand Canyon, at some time during the week I spent rafting there last summer, I heard an interpretation of Genesis 3:16 that didn’t sound right. Sitting down each evening to discuss the age of the earth, the creation of all things, and the text Genesis, Bill Barrick (professor emeritus at Master’s Seminary) made the off-hand comment at some point that “The curse upon the woman in Genesis 3:16 was good, actually.”

What?!?

If you are like me, the idea of calling a curse ‘good’ is on par with calling the blessing of marriage ‘evil.’ In our modern world, defining marriage as being between one man and woman has been called evil, because it is hateful to the LGBT+ community and anyone else who doesn’t feel committed to a Christian view of sexuality. For years now, we who live in America have been in a struggle to define good and evil. Proclaiming themselves to be wise, the world has become enslaved to one folly after another. And so, as Christians, we are on guard for any interpretation that might confuse the categories of good and evil. And rightly so!

Hearing this new interpretation of a familiar passage (Genesis 3:16), therefore, was confusing and not a little shocking! And yet, the more that I have looked at this verse, the more I am convinced that Dr. Barrick is correct: Genesis 3:16b is a gracious consolation granted to the woman. Instead of reading this verse as one that enjoins opposition, competition, or even enmity at the heart of marriage, it seems better to see God’s word to the woman as a genuine kindness. Marriage is not a common curse, but a common grace.

This is what I argued in my sermon on Sunday, and in what follows, I want to show from Scripture why Genesis 3:16b is best rendered positively, not negatively. That is to say, while most interpreters offer a negative reading of the verse—either stating that God subordinated the woman to the man at this point (egalitarianism) or that he exacerbated the fallen condition of men and women (complementarianism)—I will be arguing from a generally complementarian position that this verse should be read positively as God granting protection to the woman, even after she rejected and ignored the protection of the man when she encountered the serpent (Gen. 3:1–6).[1]

My position does not deny the way that men can abuse their authority and use their strength to harm those under their charge; nor will it deny that women can refuse to submit to their husbands or embrace the all-wise autonomy offered by the serpent. Both of those realities threaten marriage today. Nevertheless, as I will attempt to show, the nature of marriage after the fall is a place of consolation, protection, and natural goodness. Instead of being a place of natural conflict, should be seen as a place of natural comfort. Yes, sin still destroys the world and every marriage it ensnares, but importantly the nature of marriage is one of common grace. And that is what is at stake in this question of interpretation.

To maintain the goodness of marriage as an institution requires seeing the woman’s desire for her husband as an intrinsic good, as well as the man’s responsibility to rule over her. Today, such a reading is difficult to accept—not only because it flies in the face of a century of feminist ideology, but also because translations like the ESV suggest a negative reading of Genesis 3:16. Put differently, if we are going to rightly understand the consolation of God’s word to the woman in this verse, we must go back to the passage and to see what is there. And in particular, we need to see how a proper reading of Genesis 3:16 depends upon a proper interpretation of Genesis 4:7.

In what follows, then, my aim is to demonstrate why a positive reading of Genesis 3:16 is the best option, based on a comparison of Genesis 3:16 and Genesis 4:7. As multiple authors have attested, how one reads Genesis 4:7 will be determinative for our reading of Genesis 3:16. Knowing that, I will spend a great deal of time addressing the latter text, showing why “desire” (tesuqah) and “rule” (mashal), the two overlapping words, are best seen positively in Genesis 4:7, not negatively. From there, we can see how the dominoes fall. If Genesis 4:7 is positive not negative, then it follows that Genesis 3:16b is also positive, which best corresponds to the literary structure of Genesis 3:14–19 and the emerging theology of marriage as an institution of common grace.

So, that’s my argument, and it will proceed in five parts.

  1. I will show three common positions related to Genesis 3:16b.[2]
  2. I will consider how Genesis 4:7 should be read as a “sin offering” provided by God not some personification of “sin” crouching at the door waiting. From this, I will show how the words “desire” and “rule” are good in Genesis 4:7.
  3. I will introduce two authors who provide a positive reading.
  4. I will outline the text itself and attempt to provide a better reading.
  5. I will explain the cash value of this reading.

Continue reading →