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Matt Emerson Profile picture
@M_Y_Emerson
Apr 3, 2021 • 6 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
Here’s a thread on what I’ve written/recorded on Holy Saturday.

First, my @ivpacademic book: "He Descended to the Dead": An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday amazon.com/dp/0830852581/…
A few @TGC pieces:

Concise Theology Essay - thegospelcoalition.org/essay/christs-…

Preaching the Descent - thegospelcoalition.org/article/preach…

OT Echoes of Holy Saturday - thegospelcoalition.org/article/holy-s…
At @BaptistRenewal:

Why Holy Saturday Matters - centerforbaptistrenewal.com/blog/2019/4/19…

4 Myths About the Descent - centerforbaptistrenewal.com/blog/2018/3/29…

B. Keach on the Descent - centerforbaptistrenewal.com/blog/2019/10/8…
At @BiblicalReason:

Combating Creedal Amputation - secundumscripturas.com/2017/04/14/com…

The Vincentian Rule - secundumscripturas.com/2016/08/17/the…

On Removing the Clause - secundumscripturas.com/2016/07/21/on-…

Biblical Warrant - secundumscripturas.com/2015/04/07/the…
Podcasts:

@KnowingFaithPod (@jt_english @kyleworley @jenniferwilkin) - knowing-faith.simplecast.com/episodes/58-wh…

#FoodTrucksInBabylon (@pj_schreiner @TL_Miles) - foodtrucksinbabylon.simplecast.com/episodes/holy-…
Other related pieces include this essay on “What Is Sheol?” at @desiringGod:

desiringgod.org/articles/what-…

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More from @M_Y_Emerson

Matt Emerson Profile picture
Oct 30, 2025
All of the following points are simultaneously true (🧵):

1) Scripture is our final authority, not a creed, council, confession, or counselor.

2) The Nicene Creed is a time-tested, faithful summary of the Bible's teachings on the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
3) The doctrine of the Trinity is the most fundamental belief of the Christian faith and therefore has logical priority over all other doctrines.

4) Doctrinal distinctives for denominations are priorities in deciding with whom individual churches associate and partner.
5) The BFM2000 includes language on the Trinity and Christology that is sufficiently Nicene & Chalcedonian, even if there are ways that language could be strengthened in that regard.

6) The BFM2000 is crystal clear about our denominational distinctives, incl. complementarianism.
Read 6 tweets
Matt Emerson Profile picture
Aug 24, 2025
We often teach 1 Timothy 3:1-7 in ways that disconnect it from the gospel.
What I mean is, a theology of sanctification is nowhere to be found in many treatments of it in relation to preparation for pastoral ministry. You’re either already nearly completely sanctified at the point of your call to ministry or you’re not qualified ever.
Ironically, what this produces is a culture in which someone can actually behave in ways that disqualify them from ministry but then be “restored” by some arbitrary group of buddies who affirm their “genuine change of heart.”
Read 8 tweets
Matt Emerson Profile picture
Jun 27, 2025
I’m afraid we’ve replaced “Jesus is My Boyfriend” CCM lyrics from the 1980s & 1990s with “Jesus is My Therapist” CCM lyrics in the 2010s & 2020s.
Both eras focus on our feelings more than on who God is and what he has done for us in Christ. Both aim to evoke emotional responses rather than summarize the biblical story or teach sound doctrine.
(One major factor in this is the false dichotomy placed btw “reaching people” & “discipling believers.” Those who profess to be focusing on the former write songs (& preach sermons & organize services) that are oriented toward non-believers or new Christians)
Read 5 tweets
Matt Emerson Profile picture
Apr 29, 2025
I love the hymn "How Deep the Father's Love For Us." It's biblically rooted, theologically rich, & imminently singable. But I just can't get over the line, "The Father turned his face away." Theologians I respect have made a case for it & I appreciate that. But here's my 2 cents:
The line is based on Jesus' cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46), which is a quotation of Ps. 22:1. We can talk about parameters for how to understand this statement (see here: secundumscripturas.com/2018/03/27/par… and here: secundumscripturas.com/2018/04/03/can…),
but there is a more fundamental problem with interpreting this statement as the hymn does - it directly contradicts a verse later in the Psalm. Verse 24 of Psalm 22 says, "he has not hidden his face from him."

There couldn't be a more stark contrast btw the hymn and the psalm.
Read 6 tweets
Matt Emerson Profile picture
Apr 17, 2025
The Netflix Daredevil series is my all-time favorite MCU product. The character development, the philosophical & theological exploration, the cinematography, the fight choreography. But this new season fell flat IMO, and for the same reasons that other Disney+ products do.
The biggest failure of these @DisneyPlus shows is the same one that plague this new iteration of the daredevil series: all they really care about is tying this product to their other products. There is a whole episode that serves the sole purpose of tying daredevil to Ms. Marvel.
Relatedly, all @MarvelStudios really cares about now are their movies, and the TV shows fall flat because they’re just set ups for the films. This was no less true of this new season of daredevil.
Read 8 tweets
Matt Emerson Profile picture
Oct 7, 2024
One of the most striking things about my trip to Central Asia in March and September of this year is how many people in highly restrictive Islamic countries begin to explore Christianity because they have a dream about Jesus.
The testimony is nearly uniform - a person deconverts from Islam because they realize how oppressive it is, they become an atheist or agnostic, they have a dream or vision about Jesus, and then they find a Bible and read it 6-7 times before submitting their lives to Christ.
God continues to use dreams and visions today to draw people to himself. It may not happen in the West all that often anymore, but it is certainly happening in one of the most religiously oppressive areas of the world.
Read 4 tweets

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