The Christian church confesses "one baptism." But the church's answers to how, whom and when to baptize, and even what it means or does, are famously varied.This Spectrum Multiview volume provides a forum for thoughtful proponents of three principal evangelical views to state their case, respond to the others, and then provide a summary response and statement. Sinclair Ferguson sets out the case for infant baptism, Bruce Ware presents the case for believers' baptis...

Christology and Pneumatology have long been major preoccupations for theologians, and rightly so, but the work of God the Father has been surprisingly neglected. Through a biblical and exegetical study of the Father's person and work (Paterology), this book argues that, among the persons of the Trinity, the Father is the initiator of all divine activity. Furthermore, it is in the context of a loving eternal relationship with the Son and Spirit that the Father has planned and purposed all t...

Christians strongly disagree about the extent of the atonement. Some believe that the atonement only extends to the elect, those whom God chose to save before the foundation of the world. Others believe the atonement is unlimited, that Jesus died for all people whether they ever believe in him or not. Despite the differences in these two traditional understandings they share one thing in common: both believe that Jesus died for a single, intended purpose. But what if God's intentions in th...

God cares that we know who he is, and he longs for us to understand him better. Through his Word he revealed his triune nature, though many avoid in-depth study of this doctrine because it is so deep and mysterious.But God's revelation of himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit affects how he relates to us, how he made us, and who he is eternally. The doctrine of the Trinity is essential to our understanding of him and of our faith. The focus of this study is to examine the w...

Liberal attacks on the doctrine of the divinity of Christ have led evangelicals to rightly affirm the centrality of Jesus’s divine nature for his person and work. At times, however, this defense of orthodoxy has led some to neglect Christ’s full humanity. To counteract this oversight, theologian Bruce Ware takes readers back to the biblical text, where we meet a profoundly human Jesus who struggled with many of the same difficulties and limitations we face today. Like us, he grew in faith ...

Can you trust a "God" who can't know the future? A new theology is trickling down from the lofty halls of academia to the pews of evangelical churches. Called open theism, this novel view of God denies that he fully knows the future and insists that he takes risks by giving humans wide-ranging freedom. This view has disastrous consequences for the everyday faith of ordinary Christians, consequences you can't afford to ignore. Their God Is Too Small explains ...

"This study Bible is a must-have to help us see Jesus Christ throughout the whole Bible." —biblereviewguys.comThe ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible is designed to help readers see Christ in all of Scripture, and grace for all of life.It features book introductions, gospel-centered study notes, and a series of all-new articles—written by a team of over 50 pastors and scholars. This content explains passage-by-passage how God's redemptive purposes culminate in th...

Equips parents to guide their young children through all major doctrines in an understandable, chapter-a-day format.Sure, it's easy to teach your children the essentials of Christian theology when you're a theology professor. But what about the rest of us?With Big Truths for Young Hearts, Bruce Ware, (you guessed it!) a theology professor, encourages and enables parents of children 6-14 years of age to teach through the whole of systematic theology at a le...

Modern theologians are focused on the doctrine of divine impassibility, exploring the significance of God's emotional experience and most especially the question of divine suffering. Professor Rob Lister speaks into the issue, outlining the history of the doctrine in the views of influential figures such as Augustine, Aquinas, and Luther, while carefully examining modernity's growing rejection of impassibility and the subsequent evangelical response. With an eye toward holistic synthesis, ...

John Piper has had a profound impact on countless men and women over his nearly thirty years of ministry. From his online ministry with Desiring God to his preaching ministry at Bethlehem Baptist to his writing ministry in over thirty books, his faithful service has encouraged and challenged many with God’s Word.Piper’s influence does not stem from his own abilities and accomplishments, but finds its source in his consistent and humble leading of others to Scripture, where the brea...

Christians throughout history have been strengthened by their confidence that God knows everything about the future. But consider this: What if it simply is not true? What if God can only rely on His best guess about tomorrow—just as you and I do? Would it not affect your trust in Him, your confidence in facing the future, your worship, and your motivation to leave everything in His hands? And yet this is the consequence that has to be faced if you trust what a number of leading voices in ...

"Everyone who believes in God at all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow."–C. S. LewisThis understanding of God's foreknowledge has united the church for twenty centuries. But advocates of "open theism" are presenting a different vision of God and a different view of the future.The rise of open theism within evangelicalism has raised a host of questions. Was classical theism decisively tainted by Greek philosophy? How should we understand p...