Boyce Digital Repository (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
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The Lamblike Servant: Exodus Typology and the Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John
Get PDFAmidst the veritable flood of material written concerning the gospel of John, interpreters have written comparatively little concerning John's use of new exodus imagery. George Balentine's 1962 article, The Death of Jesus as a New Exodus, may be one of the only works to explicitly aim to connect the use of new exodus imagery with the death of Jesus; however, it spans all four gospels, and Balentine's treatment of Jesus' death in John focuses primarily on the three Passover cycles and paschal imagery. Therefore, a full-length study is needed to investigate the significance of John's use of exodus typology to describe Jesus' death. In this study, I contend that when John presents Jesus' death with exodus typology, he characterizes Jesus as the substitutionary sacrifice of the new exodus. If John's presentation of Jesus' death via exodus typology characterizes Jesus as the substitutionary sacrifice of the new exodus, then substitutionary atonement is essential to the inner mechanism of Jesus' death in the Gospel of John
Training Members at Erindale Bible Chapel in Mississauga, Ontario, for Ministry Leadership
Get PDFChapter 1 describes the purpose of this project, namely, to train members of Erindale Bible Chapel in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, for ministry leadership. Ministry leaders are crucial for the mission of the church, but only when they are adequately equipped will they flourish in their roles. Thus, this project intended meet this need. The context in which the project was conducted is described, along with the rationale and specific goals. Additionally, the research methodology is outlined, and definitions, limitations and delimitations are stated.
Chapter 2 consists of the biblical basis for this project: God has been pleased throughout redemptive history to accomplish His will through His people under godly leaders. In chapter 3 it is argued that since the work of the ministry is carried out by God’s people under godly leadership, it is then vital to train ministry leaders in godliness and skill so that members can lead and serve with excellence.
Chapter 4 is a detailed description of the project, both its design and implementation. The fifth and final chapter provides an evaluation of the project, including an evaluation of its purpose, goals, strengths, weaknesses, as well as theological and personal reflections
Divine Grace in the Gospel of Matthew
Get PDFDivine grace is a perennial topic in New Testament studies, but little work has been done on grace in the gospels. This work examines the theme of divine grace in the Gospel of Matthew by using John Barclay’s taxonomy of six perfections of grace as a heuristic tool by which to explain how this concept is developed. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that divine grace in the Gospel of Matthew is a lavish outpouring of favor to those who do not deserve it before they ask for it. God’s grace, made to appear more glorious because of the dark backdrop of judgment, accomplishes its purposes in the recipients and comes with an expectation of both horizontal and vertical return. In other words, Matthew perfects superabundance, efficacy, priority, and incongruity but not singularity and non-circularity
Promissam Vim Spiritus Sancti: The Holy Spirit's Activity in Early Carthaginian Pneumatology
Get PDFIn 2008, Lewis Ayres and Michel Barnes published several articles in the journal Augustinian Studies proposing a theory of early Christian pneumatology in three stages. They argue that each successive stage marked a downturn in the church’s pneumatology, progressing from a high pneumatology eventually down to the subordinationism that led to Arianism. This dissertation adds to that discussion with an examination of the Latin-speaking Carthaginian church’s (AD 180–260) view of the Holy Spirit’s activity. The first major chapter examines the social, philosophical, political, and religious contexts of Roman Carthage during this period to set the early church’s emphasis on the Spirit’s work in its historical context and recognize the cultural influences upon the church’s development of this doctrine. Next, this dissertation will give two chapters on Tertullian’s works, which are the earliest extant documents from a Latin-speaking church father. Tertullian can be placed at the very end of the first stage of Ayres and Barnes, as both his pre-Montanist and Montanist writings speak of the Spirit’s activity, including but not limited to the areas of inspiration, anointing, giving of gifts, the sacraments, and the work of salvation. An examination of his significant emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s activity throughout his works pushes back on the theory that the church was beginning to hold a diminished pneumatology at the beginning of the third-century.
The final chapter of the dissertation will examine the role of the Spirit’s activity in the treatises and letters of Cyprian. Ayres and Barnes place Cyprian in the second stage as one who focused very little on the Holy Spirit. However, as the theological heir of his predecessor’s understanding of the Spirit’s work, for Cyprian, the question of the deity of the Spirit had been settled by Tertullian, which freed him to focus instead on the Spirit’s work in the lives of believers and the church. Thus, while Cyprian did not often address the ontological status of the Spirit, his works nevertheless contain a multitude of references to the Spirit’s activity in the life of the church
Best Practices of Global Leaders at Liberty Live Church
Get PDFThis project was designed to help leaders in the local church embrace and excel in their God-given calling. This project addresses global leaders in multisite churches, but the principles are also applicable to associate pastors in a local church. As global leaders embrace their calling, they will make a significant difference in their teams and local churches. Chapter 1 gives clear context and rationale for best global leader practices. Chapter 2 gives a theological foundation for the significance and role of a global leader in a multisite church. Chapter 3 explores sociological and theoretical support for practices global leaders must embrace to excel in their role. Chapter 4 provides detailed information on how the project was carried out, including a look at the curriculum and global leader training. Chapter 5 gives insight, analysis, and discussion of the goals of the project and outcomes for global leaders in the local church
Equipping the Children’s Ministry Teachers at Beechwood Baptist Church Louisville, Kentucky
Get PDFThis project aims to equip children’s ministry teachers of Beechwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, to teach biblical foundations to the children. Chapter 1 presents the purpose, goals, context, rationale, definitions, limitations, delimitations, and research methodology of the project.Chapter 2 provides the biblical and theological basis for the church’s responsibility to teach the gospel to children. First, the chapter examines God’s commandment to teach children to love, obey, and fear God. Second, it discusses the sufficiency and authority of the Scripture for effective teaching. Finally, the chapter demonstrates that children’s ministry teachers should be a godly example to children.
Chapter 3 addresses theoretical and practical issues related to children’s ministry teachers as developers, trainers, and disciplers of children. The chapter examines notable studies on the teaching, training, and discipling of children.
Chapters 4 give a detailed description of the implementation of the project and the analysis of the data. Chapter 5 present the evaluations of the project
Revitalizing Discipleship at East Hickman Baptist Church in Lyles, Tennessee, Through Small Groups
Get PDFJesus gave His church the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). The early church modeled what a healthy and obedient church should look like. They devoted themselves to prayer, fellowship, and breaking of bread. They did this in small groups as they met “from house to house” (Acts 2:42,46). For this reason, East Hickman Baptist Church needs to become a Great Commission church that faithfully disciples others through small groups
Choosing Reality: Empowering College Students to Pursue Freedom from Pornography at Breakaway Ministries in College Station, Texas
Get PDFThis project sought to empower college students to pursue freedom from pornography at Breakaway Ministries in College Station, Texas. Chapter 1 introduces the ministry context of Breakaway Ministries along with the rationale, purpose, goals, research methodologies, definitions, limitations, and delimitations of the project. Chapter 2 examines God’s good design and the serpent’s lie regarding sex (Gen 2:18–3:7), what living the serpent’s lie looks like (Prov 7), and how to live out God’s truth regarding sexual purity (various passages from Paul’s epistles). Chapter 3 provides an understanding of Generation Z, the mission of the porn industry, the negative effects of pornography, and the role the church must play in helping students effectively pursue freedom from pornography. Chapter 4 describes the implementation of the Choosing Reality ministry project. Chapter 5 provides a thorough evaluation of the project and identifies opportunities for improvement
"A Soul Prepared for Heaven": The Theological Foundation of Isaac Watts' Spirituality
Get PDFThis dissertation’s thesis is that happiness and holiness (eternal life begun) establish the primary contours of Isaac Watts’ spirituality. His understanding of holiness and happiness is grounded in his formulation of key theological truths: (1) the depravity of man; (2) the beauty of Christ; (3) the excellency of heaven; and (4) the tri-unity of God. Furthermore, his practice of holiness and happiness is linked to two principle means: (1) the knowledge of God; and (2) the love of God.
Chapters 1–2 highlight the main features of Watts’ spirituality. Holiness and happiness are “eternal life begun.” Watts explains this by way of their (1) principles and (2) ingredients. Holiness and happiness are principally spiritual matters (i.e., unseen aspects of the Christian life) and, therefore, grounded in the soul. The ingredients of holiness and happiness are more practical in nature. In sum, Watts explains how the expression of holiness and happiness is seen in the Christian’s life.
Chapters 3–6 provide the theological framework for Watts’ spirituality. An examination of four key doctrines provides a better understanding of how he arrives at happiness and holiness as the basis for his spirituality. For Watts, doctrine leads to the experience of God. In other words, holiness and happiness are grounded in theology.
Chapter 7 examines the two means of cultivating the spiritual life—the knowledge of God and love for God. Watts maintains that knowledge of God is the foundation of the Christian faith. The mind, therefore, is critical to the pursuit of holiness and happiness. Second, as the Christian grows in the knowledge of God, there is also growth in the appreciation of love of God. This love of God leads, in turn, to love for God. This chapter demonstrates how Watts employs practical approaches to engage the heart with God’s love.
Chapter 8 provides a summary of the thesis and argument. Furthermore, the chapter details potential areas of research in Watts with respect to his spirituality. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief assessment of Watts’ spiritual legacy and its implications for the church
Teaching Biblical Counseling Principles at San Francisco Bible Church, San Francisco, California
Get PDFThis project taught biblical counseling principles to members of San Francisco Bible Church in San Francisco, California. Chapter 1 presented the history and ministry context of San Francisco Bible Church and the goals of this project. Chapter 2 provided exegesis of five passages of Scripture (Ps 19; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Col 3:1-17; Rom 15:1-13; Eph 4:7-16) to show that God has provided every Christian with all that they need to care for one another through his Word. Chapter 3 explored the theoretical and practical foundations for biblical counseling. Chapter 4 described the project and the timeframe in which the project was executed. Chapter 5 evaluated the project based on the completion of the specified goals. This project sought to instruct and equip Christians in biblical counseling principles so they might take part in God’s call for all believers to provide counseling care for one another, spurring one another onto greater Christlikeness