Speaker
James M. Renihan
7 sermons · All speakers
A Trinitarian Blessing
Why does Paul conclude his most difficult letter with the New Testament's fullest Trinitarian blessing? This benediction reveals how genuine Christian love responds to conflict—not with bitterness or recrimination, but with a prayer that invokes the grace of Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit upon even the most troublesome believers. Paul's final words demonstrate that the doctrine of the Trinity forms the foundation of all our communion with God, and that grace, love, and fellowship are not rewards for good behavior but the very source from which repentance and obedience flow. The apostle urges us to find hope in this blessing whatever our struggles may be, teaching us to receive Christ's grace in temptation, meditate on God's love in difficulty, and remember the Spirit's presence in weakness.
Baptism in the Old Testament
Why do Old Testament washings, not circumcision, provide the proper framework for understanding Christian baptism? This seminar challenges the common Reformed assumption that circumcision serves as the typological foundation for baptism, arguing instead that the Mosaic washings—particularly priestly consecration and ritual cleansing—point forward to New Testament baptism. The presentation traces how Jesus fulfilled the priestly washing requirement and how believers, as priests under the New Covenant, participate in this symbolic cleansing to approach God's presence. Rather than defending baptism reactively, this approach reclaims the biblical-theological initiative by demonstrating baptism's rich Old Testament foundations.