Theology Archives - Jonathan McLatchie | Writer, Speaker, Scholar

Is Jesus the God of Israel? A Response to TenakTalk

1 Comment / Deity of Christ, Messianic Prophecy, Predictive Prophecy, Theology, Tovia Singer / jmclatchie

Most of the objections raised by McBride and Hall concern arguments other than those presented in my short remarks at the beginning of their broadcast. Rather than engage with the New Testament texts (that they asked me to present on) and showing that I had misinterpreted them, McBride and Hall chose instead to bring up objections to the deity of Christ based upon Old Testament considerations.

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The Treasury of Isaiah 53 — A Witness to Israel’s Messiah

1 Comment / Deity of Christ, Messianic Prophecy, Predictive Prophecy, Theology, Tovia Singer / jmclatchie

One of the most remarkable prophecies in the Hebrew Bible is to be found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Written some seven centuries before Christ, it depicts in graphic detail the passion of Israel’s Messiah. The discovery of the Isaiah scroll amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls, together with the fact that the Hebrew Bible has been in the custody of both the Jews and Christians, leaves no room for doubt that the text of Isaiah that we read today predates the life and ministry of Christ.

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Is There a Progressive Embellishment Among the Gospels? A Reply to Rabbi Tovia Singer

2 Comments / Adoptionism, Biblical Reliability, Critics of Christianity, Deity of Christ, Development Theories, Theology, Tovia Singer / jmclatchie

Contrary to Rabbi Singer’s assertions, Mark does not affirm an adoptionist Christology (and in fact affirms Christ’s deity). Though there are undoubtedly more statements of Jesus’ deity in John, it is simply untrue that these claims are absent from the synoptic gospels. Singer’s development arguments regarding the resurrection and anti-Semitism also collapse upon further inspection.

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Does Isaiah 9:6 Affirm the Deity of Israel’s Messiah?

2 Comments / Deity of Christ, Messianic Prophecy, Predictive Prophecy, Theology, Tovia Singer, Trinity / jmclatchie

In this essay, I intend to flesh out the case that Isaiah 9:6 indeed affirms the divine status of Israel’s Messiah. I will be defending two basic contentions: (1) Isaiah 9:6 is best understood as a text concerning the Messiah, and (2) Isaiah 9:6 identifies the Messiah as a divine person.

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Book Review: Jesus Christ Our Lord, by John Walvoord

1 Comment / Bible Contradictions, Biblical Typology, Book Reviews, Deity of Christ, Eschatology, Evidence for the Resurrection, Messianic Prophecy, New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Predictive Prophecy, Theology, Trinity / jmclatchie

John Walvoord (1910-2002) was a past president of Dallas Theological Seminary (1952-1986) and a prolific author. He was probably best known for his advocacy of dispensational theology and of pre-tribulation ‘rapture’ theology with respect to eschatology. In his book, Jesus Christ Our Lord, Walvoord offers a systematic presentation of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

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Yes, Bart Ehrman, Jesus is Yahweh

11 Comments / Bart Ehrman, Critics of Christianity, Deity of Christ, Theology, Trinity / jmclatchie

Ehrman published two blog posts, claiming that the idea that Jesus is Himself Yahweh is a recent doctrinal innovation, completely foreign to the New Testament and the ancient church. Ehrman even goes so far as to say that this is the view of only “some conservative evangelical Christians” and that “I’ve never even heard the claim (let alone a discussion of it) until very recently.”

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Is the Bible Without Error? Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Christian Epistemology

8 Comments / Bible Contradictions, Dealing with Doubts, Inerrancy and Inspiration, Philosophy, Probability Theory, Theology / jmclatchie

A common litmus test for Christian orthodoxy is adherence to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy, which maintains that the Biblical text, in the original autographs, is completely without error in all that it affirms.

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A Commentary on Romans — The Prologue (1:1-7)

Adoptionism, Bart Ehrman, Biblical Commentary, Critics of Christianity, Deity of Christ, Theology / jmclatchie

Paul had, at the time of his writing, never visited the Roman church in person (Rom 1:13; 15:22-29). He thus expands his salutation so as to include a creedal summary of the gospel and his apostolic calling. Presumably Paul’s intent here was to establish credibility with the recipients of his letter, whom he had not yet met with in person.

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The Search for Adam and Eve: Human Origins According to Scripture and Science

6 Comments / Adam and Eve, Genesis 1-11, Original Sin, Science and Faith, The Fall, Theology / jmclatchie

The historicity of Adam and Eve is a question which strikes at the heart of the Christian faith. If the primordial pair did not exist, then the historical and biblical doctrine of the fall becomes extremely difficult to maintain.

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Did Death Exist Before Man Sinned? Appraising a Creationist Argument

8 Comments / Adam and Eve, Genesis 1, Genesis 1-11, Original Sin, Science and Faith, The Fall, Theology / jmclatchie

Some may wonder why I have chosen to address this topic prior to engaging with other topics (such as the meaning of the ‘days’ in Genesis 1). I have done so because many young earth creationists consider this to be the more pressing concern, and perhaps even the strongest argument for their position from Scripture.

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JONATHAN MCLATCHIE

Theology