Wasn’t Christianity in Africa a Result of Colonialism?
Several Early Church Fathers Were African: Origen, Athanasius, and Augustine
There was Christian activity in Africa way, way back—centuries ago. Maybe a more recent history of African Christianity can be traced to European missionaries. But it isn’t true that Christianity was as a result of colonialism in Africa. Christianity Was in Africa Before Colonialism Well, the answer here is no. And it’s a firm... Continue Reading
So It Begins: PCA Presbyteries to Vote on BCO Amendments
The 50th General Assembly in Memphis was marked by both grace and truth. The temperatures from the previous recent Assemblies were nowhere to be found.
This pair of amendments was drafted in light of the failure of Overture 2022-15 from the 49th General Assembly in response to Side-B homosexuality and the Revoice Movement. Many actions have already been taken to address this controversy in the PCA (i.e. a study committee on human sexuality, an SJC decision on the handling of Revoice, corrective responses concerning... Continue Reading
Efficiency in Churches
Churches should take money seriously, but they should do so based on Biblical ideas of stewardship rather than modern ones of efficiency.
Discipleship is inefficient. It’s slow, it’s messy, it can involve going the wrong way for large periods of time, it’s painful, and it always involves suffering. Berry argues that we have come to understand nature to engage in production rather than work in cycles. Churches don’t ‘produce’ anything, but I think if we think of... Continue Reading
What Are You Living For?: Exploring Church, Family, and the Threat of Illness
If the game plan is to avoid church until death, we are already there.
Life is simply not worth living without God, and it is very difficult without family. Remove both, and you have existence, not life. One might say that he avoids church and gatherings because he does not want to die, but we must ask in return, “What are you living for?” Whatever the response, it will... Continue Reading
Texas Baptists Offer Lessons to Southern Baptists on Female Pastors
The Bible’s qualifications for pastors cannot be jettisoned without serious damage.
The proponents for female pastors by and large do not ground their arguments in scripture, but the conservatives do. This is no small point. Two of the messengers speaking against the motion took their stand on scripture. They quoted specific verses about pastoral qualifications and encouraged messengers not to question God’s word. Given the context,... Continue Reading
The Future of American Christianity Is Non-denominational
After the Nones, there’s no bigger story than the Nons.
It’s worth thinking about just how many non-denominationals there are in comparison to other groups that are not the Southern Baptists and United Methodists. There are more non-denoms than: LDS + Muslims + ELCA + AoG + Jehovah’s Witnesses + Natl. Miss. Bapt. + LCMS + TEC + Natl. Bapt. Convention. Those are all major traditions... Continue Reading
Constantine’s Foil
How peace in Rome led to persecution in Persia.
Sometime before 325, the now-Christian Roman emperor Constantine wrote Shapur a letter, in which he encouraged the young shah to embrace Christianity.9 Constantine pointed out the presence of many Christians in Persia and urged Shapur to treat them well: “Now, because your power is great, I commend these persons to your protection; because your piety... Continue Reading
Somber Thoughts on a Contemporary Difficulty in the Evangelical Churches
Our culture cannot abide the notion that any position should be denied someone who wants it on account of any trait that is outside that person's conscious will.
But lay aside the practical consequences of ordaining women pastors, as well as its obvious violation of the clear commands of Scripture….This notion that it is unfair to deny office on account of things outside the conscious control of those that want it if they have the same abilities or moral character that others who... Continue Reading
Worshipping God’s Way: Deuteronomy 12 and the Regulative Principle
Everything we do in public worship must have a biblical basis. We do that which is commanded.
God does not tell us to worship at 9 am or 10 am. He does not tell us how many songs we should sing in a service. He does not tell us how often we should celebrate the Lord’s Supper. He does not tell us every prayer we should pray or which instruments to use... Continue Reading
The Pro-Child Life
Three ways we love the littlest.
If anyone had good reason to shuffle past the children — “Sorry, kids, not now” — it was Jesus. No one had higher priorities or a loftier mission. No one’s time was more valuable. Yet no one gave his priorities or his time so patiently to those we might see as distractions. On his way... Continue Reading
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