John Mark Hicks

Psalm 139 is a favorite of many. The meditation assumes and seeks personal intimacy with God and, at the same time, the Psalmist declares his radical allegiance to the God of Israel. God has searched and knows the Psalmist, and the Psalmist petitions for further searching and intimacy that every evil thought and practice–every wicked […]

PDF version of the Review available here. Beyond the Salvation Wars: Why Both Protestants and Catholics Must Reimagine How We Are Saved, authored by Matthew W. Bates, is a provocative contribution to the “salvation wars.” It not only explores common ground among disputants but also invites them to embrace a holistic perspective “beyond the salvation […]

Daniel 3 narrates a story about allegiance: whom will you worship and serve? Under what conditions will you serve God? Is our allegiance to God conditioned on God’s intervention and deliverance, or is it rooted in God’s sovereign identity as the king of the universe? God delivers the three Judeans out of grace, not merit, […]

The Sermon on the Mount is the epitome of Kingdom ethics and discipleship. The Sermon opens with the Beatitudes, which begin and end with a promise that the blessed belong to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3, 10). The Sermon ends with a promise that those who “do the will of the Father” will “enter […]

The Slanderer (Diabolos) knows his target well. He has some understanding of the mission to which Jesus has been called. He knows why Jesus is here. The key terms are kingdoms, authority and glory. The Slanderer offers Jesus what he seeks; he offers Jesus a similar vision but a different mission. The price? A new […]