Why I Preach Through Books of the Bible
Pastors have the responsibility to preach the whole range of biblical revelation
Paul told the Ephesian elders, “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27). He could not simply address his favorite issues but intentionally sought to address the issues of God’s will for sinners and for the redeemed. I had a conversation with a minister friend who... Continue Reading
Who Is Lord of the Church?
In many ways, the question, who is Lord of the church? was the over-arching issue of the Protestant Reformation from the start.
Hus wrote, “Neither is the pope the head nor are the cardinals the whole body of the [true] holy, universal, catholic church. For Christ alone is the head of that church.” Pointing out that most church leaders in his era actually despised the lordship of Christ, Hus said, “To such a low pitch is the... Continue Reading
Why A “Paper” Bible is Better Than A Bible App At Church Meetings
Your paper Bible could be precious and useful to you in ways that a digital Bible never could.
Sure, it’s convenient to utilize a digital Bible in numerous settings—like reading (or listening) just before you fall asleep at night, or when you unexpectedly want to look up something during a discussion. But in a church meeting (Bible studies, Sunday’s gatherings, etc.), I strongly recommend using a “paper” Bible. Technology is useful in... Continue Reading
Reinhold Niebuhr, Washington’s Favorite Theologian
A new documentary called "An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story," tries to capture and explain why Niebuhr is experiencing something of a renaissance.
Sin, irony, tragedy. These words leapt out of the pages of Niebuhr’s books and speeches. Humanity was fallen and redeemed through God’s grace, Niebuhr wrote. But that redemption is always incomplete and we can never rise to the standards set forth in the Bible. Only by accepting our limitations could we make the best out... Continue Reading
In the Beginning…
The first sentence of sacred Scripture sets forth the affirmation upon which everything else is established: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
The classical Christian view of creation is that God created the world ex nihilo, “out of nothing,” which seems to contradict the absolute law of ex nihilo nihil fit, “out of nothing, nothing comes.” People have argued against creation ex nihilo on those very grounds. However, when Christian theologians say that God created the world ex nihilo, it is not... Continue Reading
Giving People a Chance to Grow
Many men and women came alongside me and thankfully confronted me, encouraged me, and brought me along and helped me grow in so many areas.
Whether it is with our own children or with people in our churches, a lot of the time we are tempted to be impatient. When we see someone who isn’t measuring up to what we want from them, we can be tempted to anger, in our minds we mark them with an x and think... Continue Reading
It Is A Curious Thing! More on the Republication Controversy
Faith is the sole instrument appropriating the perfect righteousness of Christ, the Second Adam, imputed to the elect of God.
What exactly is at issue in these several mutations of “evangelical” theology? Central to the debate is the biblical (Reformed) doctrine of the Covenant of Works established by God with Adam as federal head of humanity and reestablished in modified form under Moses (i.e., adjusted to the post-Fall context, consistent with the progressive unfolding of... Continue Reading
Taking Back Christianese #10: “Jesus is Neither Democrat nor Republican”
Each of the possible meanings suffers from the same fatal flaw: all of them are trying to find a way to make politics a neutral affair for Christians.
So, if the “Jesus is neither a Democrat nor a Republican” approach is flawed, where do we go from here? I would suggest a different course of action. Rather than spending our energies trying to keep the Bible out of politics, we should work to let it back in. What I mean by this is... Continue Reading
Policing the Blogosphere? We’ve Been Here Before
Who's in charge of the Christian blogosphere? Ultimately, we all are.
Warren raised some legitimate concerns regarding the prevalence of false teaching and the lack of appropriate authority and accountability in the blogosphere. However, the answer isn’t authoritarianism, ordination/commissioning, or more control over bloggers. Rather, the answer is a return to the authority of Scripture and the accountability of the local church through existing means. We... Continue Reading
Anne Bradstreet’s Doubts
One of the most interesting things about the Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet is that she actually admitted to having doubts about her religious beliefs.
In questioning God’s existence, Bradstreet is no different than many great philosophers over the years, yet the rationale she chooses to reassure herself is perhaps not as sophisticated as the arguments of Anselm or Aquinas. Rather, she sees God in what she knows: His wondrous creation, His provision for her family, His sovereignty over all... Continue Reading