Category Archives: Grace in Eden

The day King Saul tried to play God. Lessons for Boris Johnson.

Posted on January 23, 2022 by neilrobbie

Does it matter if Boris Johnson, MPs and staff had drinks parties after passing a law prohibiting social gatherings? Whatever we think about the effectiveness of the law itself, Boris breached a principle which was agreed in this land over … Continue reading →

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A Puritan Theology – Beeke and Jones ch1

Posted on December 4, 2013 by neilrobbie

Over the years I’ve read some good stuff with my Ministry Trainees. Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, Jim Packer’s Knowing God, John Frame’s Doctrine of God (A theology of Lordship) and The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, Bruce Milne’s Know … Continue reading →

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God always intended for humans to know good and evil forever.

Posted on June 12, 2013 by neilrobbie

In this post, I’ll argue that God intended for humans to know good and evil. God promised the knowledge of Good and Evil in the tree of that name in the garden and then finally fulfilled his promise in Christ. … Continue reading →

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Ebenezer Erskine on What sort of life springs out of the Tree of Life

Posted on January 29, 2013 by neilrobbie

If you have read this blog for many years, then you’ll know that I take Genesis 2:17 literally.  God said “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of … Continue reading →

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What did God mean when he said “you will surely die”?

Posted on June 14, 2010 by neilrobbie

My second lecture at MMTC last week focused on personal eschatology and in particular the question; what did God mean when he said “you shall surely die”? In Genesis 2:17 the Hebrew term for “you shall surely die” is môt … Continue reading →

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Bruce Milne on the Garden and Gospel

Posted on May 27, 2010 by neilrobbie

I’m reading Bruce Milne’s The Message of Heaven and Hell in preparation for my next MMTC lecture, personal eschatology. Eschatology is like making sense of a good crime novel, we don’t get it right unless we understand what happened in … Continue reading →

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Ebenezer Erskine on covenants

Posted on June 4, 2009 by neilrobbie

In the following extract from Ebenezer Erskine’s sermon on Hebrews 10:19-22, the contrast between the covenant of works and covenant of grace as understood by the reformers is put very well: It is pleasant hence to observe, how the method … Continue reading →

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The trees in “My first Message” bible

Posted on April 29, 2009 by neilrobbie

My middle son has just moved up from “My First Message” bible to “New Century Version International Children’s Bible” My First Message has been a real favourite for my son, as the battered spine and torn edges show. It has … Continue reading →

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môt Tämût as execution by royal decree

Posted on September 24, 2008 by neilrobbie

It’s no wonder Adam tried to hide from God in the garden as Adam expected to be executed as soon as his guilt was established. I first found this understanding of death as execution in Hamilton’s commentary on Genesis 2:17 … Continue reading →

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Genesis 2:17 and the trial and execution of Christ

Posted on September 10, 2008 by neilrobbie

In a previous post I drew a distinction between natural death and judicial death at the fall. The same sort of distinction is made in Pierced for our Transgressions: The nature of death What is the nature of the ‘death’ … Continue reading →

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