Vern S. Poythress

Provides an accessible introduction to the study of logic as well as an in-depth treatment of the discipline and how it can be viewed through a Christian lens.

A God-Centered Approach to the Foundation of Western Thought

Logic

A God-Centered Approach

Redeeming Our Thinking about History

The truth of God is rich and multifaceted. Though a coherent body of revelation, the Bible comes to us through a variety of inspired authors, metaphors, and themes highlighting the many facets of God's truth. Likewise, our theological formulations capture manifold emphases--distinct perspectives on the whole--which collectively enable us to gain a fuller understanding of the truth. Poythress explains, We use what we have gained from one perspective to reinforce, correct, or improve what we understood through another. I call this procedure 'symphonic theology' because it is analogous to a blending of various musical instruments to express the variation of a symphonic theme. The implications of this approach are far-reaching for theology and praxis.

The Validity of Multiple Perspectives in Theology

Symphonic Theology

Starting with the doctrine of the Trinity, Vern Poythress addresses six significant challenges concerning God's attributes, helping us to appreciate more deeply the mystery that lies in each of them.

A Trinitarian Approach to the Attributes of God

The Mystery of the Trinity

The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses

Emphasizes both spiritual dynamics and sound linguistic principles for understanding Scripture and exposes the idols that lead interpretation astray.

God-Centered Biblical Interpretation

Noted New Testament scholar Poythress provides an understandable and practical look into Revelation in this insightful commentary. Poythress focuses on Revelation's core message and ensures that its details do not cloud the big picture. He shows Revelation to be a picture book, not a puzzle book, relevant and applicable to the daily lives of Christians.

A Guide to the Book of Revelation

The Returning King

“A theologically rich, spiritually edifying exploration of all that the Bible says about an awe-striking reality.” —Dennis Johnson Each time God appears to his people throughout the Bible—in the form of a thunderstorm, a man, a warrior, a chariot, etc.—he comes to a specific person for a specific purpose. And each of these temporary appearances— called theophanies—helps us to better understand who he is, anticipating his climactic, permanent self-revelation in the incarnation of Christ. Describing the various accounts of God’s visible presence from Genesis to Revelation, theologian Vern S. Poythress helps us consider more deeply what they reveal about who God is and how he dwells with us today.

A Biblical Theology of God's Appearing

Theophany

Interpersonal relationships are possible for humans because we are created in the image of a Trinitarian God. But if the Trinity is our model for relationships, why is the human condition rife with pain and evil? How are we to think correctly about fallen human relationships and our models for understanding them? Redeeming Sociology advocates a biblically informed model for human relationships—relationships rooted in the Trinitarian character of God, his governance of the world, and his redemption accomplished in Christ. Poythress examines how the breaking of relationships through sin leads to strife, murder, and oppression among human beings and sets cultures against one another. And he shows how these broken relationships are restored through the outworking of redemption in Christ. Though typical sociological models for interpersonal relationships may offer some valuable insights, they are handicapped by a fundamental misunderstanding of humanity. The biblical model that Poythress presents correctly diagnoses the problem of human relationships, so it can likewise prescribe a biblical solution that infuses new meaning and power into how we relate to others made in the image of God.

Redeeming Sociology

Though the Bible presents a personal and relational God, popular modern worldviews portray an impersonal divine force in a purely material world. Readers influenced by this competing worldview hold assumptions about fundamental issues—like the nature of humanity, evil, and the purpose of life—that present profound obstacles to understanding the Bible. In Inerrancy and Worldview, Dr. Vern Poythress offers the first worldview-based defense of scriptural inerrancy, showing how worldview differences create or aggravate most perceived difficulties with the Bible. His positive case for biblical inerrancy implicitly critiques the worldview of theologians like Enns, Sparks, Allert, and McGowan. Poythress, who has researched and published in a variety of fields— including science, linguistics, and sociology—deals skillfully with the challenges presented in each of these disciplines. By directly addressing key examples in each field, Poythress shows that many difficulties can be resolved simply by exposing the influence of modern materialism. Inerrancy and Worldview’s positive response to current attempts to abandon or redefine inerrancy will enable Christians to respond well to modern challenges by employing a worldview that allows the Bible to speak on its own terms.

Answering Modern Challenges to the Bible

Inerrancy and Worldview

Serious Bible readers all recognize that there are differences between accounts of the same events in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and no responsible reader can simply sweep these differences under the rug. But can all of the accounts still be reconciled with a belief in biblical inerrancy? Responding to the questions surrounding the gospel narratives, New Testament scholar Vern Poythress contributes a worthy case for inerrancy in the gospels and helps readers understand basic principles for harmonization. He also tackles some of the most complicated exegetical problems, showing the way forward on passages that have perplexed many, such as the centurion's servant, the cursing of the fig tree, and more. All those interested in the authority of Scripture will find in this volume great encouragement and insight as Poythress has provided an arresting case to stem the tide of skepticism.

A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of Harmonization

Inerrancy and the Gospels

Why Is It Critical for Christians to Study the Past? How does knowledge of the past shape Christians’ views of God, Christ’s redemption, and humanity as a whole? In his new book, Vern S. Poythress teaches Christians how to study and write about the past by emphasizing God’s own command to remember his works and share them with the next generation. Readers will explore concepts such as providentialism, Christian historiography, divine purpose, and the 4 basic phases of biblical history: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. By learning how to appropriately study history, believers will begin to recognize God’s lordship over all events and how even minor incidents fit into his overarching plan.

a God-centered approach to probability and random events

Chance and the sovereignty of God

Understanding Dispensationalists

Jesus walked on water. He healed a blind man. He turned water into wine. More than just displays of his divine power, Jesus’s miracles signify something deeper—they’re windows into God’s grand story of redemption, foreshadowing the great miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection. By explaining the meaning and significance of all 26 miracles recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, New Testament scholar Vern Poythress shows us their relevance for our lives today. Poythress unpacks how understanding the meaning of Christ’s miracles will help us better grasp the salvation God has brought into the world.

How the Savior's Mighty Acts Serve as Signs of Redemption

The Miracles of Jesus

Iain M. Duguid

Richard B. Gaffin

Beale

Seeing Christ in All of Scripture

Presents a biblically informed model for human relationships that shows their root in the Trinitarian character of God, his governance of the world, and his redemption accomplished in Christ.

Wayne A. Grudem

Instead of letting the language change naturally, as the speakers feel the need for new forms, those who are pushing political correctness are trying to impose change on language from the outside. The politically correct language movement attempts to speed up and control the direction of language change. It is a conscious attempt to mold the language into the form that certain people think it should take rather than let it take its normal course. From a theoretical linguistic point of view such an attempt would be doomed to failure if it weren't for the fact that those who are controlling the movement have managed to give us a guilty conscience on the subject. We have been made to feel that somehow we are being insensitive to the feelings of various groups if we say the wrong thing, and so we try to follow the dictates of the "language police" as Poythress and Grudem have termed them. This has resulted in a number of words being replaced by other, "more acceptable" words, not through a natural process of change, but because of outside pressure to do so. Poythress and Grudem show a clear understanding of the basic principles of language change, as outlined above, and have applied them to the subject of Bible translation with great sensitivity to the holiness of the task at hand. They clearly recognize that language does change, and that Bible translations must be revised from time to time to keep up with these changes. On the other hand, they also recognize that there are reasons not to jump the gun. They present statistics (Chapter 2) that show that in both 1996 and 1999 23.5% of Bibles purchased in the United States were the King James Version written in 400 year old language! Not everyone is clamoring for a Bible in the most up-to-date language. Some people like the archaic flavor of the language of the King James Version; they find it beautiful; they trust it. On the other hand, modern language translations are also clearly needed since people want to be sure they understand what the Bible says and they don't want to have to struggle to follow the language. Where the adherents of politically correct Bible translations go wrong, however, is that they are rushing to judgment.

Muting the Masculinity of God's Words

The Gender-neutral Bible Controversy

Leland Ryken

C. John Collins

Bruce Winter

This book, by five translators of the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible, explains the differences between essentially literal translations and the alternatives.

The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation

Translating Truth

Every time we read the Bible, we’re reading in the presence of God. How should this incredible truth shape how we read? Moving quickly from principle to practice, Vern Poythress helps us rethink how we interpret the Bible by showing us the implications of entering into God’s presence as we study. This handbook outlines distinct steps for practicing faithful biblical interpretation by focusing on our fellowship with the God who speaks to us through his Word.

Vern S. Poythress

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