Why Did Jesus Suffer The Torment Of Hell?
Jesus did endure the “anguish, pains and terrors” of hell before His crucifixion and on the cross
“Some have advocated that, since we do not believe that Christ went to the place of the dead, we should remove that clause from the creed. Others have defended retaining it.6 Calvin and the Reformed have retained the clause but have understood it to refer to Christ’s sufferings. We should explain that the original sense... Continue Reading
It’s Official: Mormon Founder Had Up To 40 Wives
Mormon leaders have acknowledged that the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, took as many as 40 wives, some already married
“The church’s disclosures, in a series of essays online, are part of an effort to be transparent about its history at a time when church members are increasingly encountering disturbing claims about the faith on the Internet. Many Mormons, especially those with polygamous ancestors, say they were well aware that Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, practiced... Continue Reading
The Tragedy of False Accusation
We in the church should be relentless in our defense of innocent victims who are falsely accused
If our defense of innocent victims is to be credible, we should also defend and fully restore those exonerated after submitting to the humiliation and disruption of accusation and investigation. They should bear the consequences of their own sins, but not for the sins of a false accuser. Because I sometimes write about Christian... Continue Reading
On Local Churches And The Sovereignty of God
We affirm the primacy of the local church in the conservation and nourishment of biblical Christianity
“Pastors and teachers preach and teach the Word, equipping the members of the body to build one another up to maturity. To each member is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. In these actual, gathered communities, God’s people can learn by experience what is excellent. Of course, if these assemblies pass... Continue Reading
On the Cultivation of Christian Tradition
We affirm the importance of beginning our pursuit of sound worship and holy living within the bounds of traditions that we have inherited from the saints of the entire church age
“One of the recognizable characteristics of those Protestants who were not identified with the magisterial Reformation, is a distrust of tradition. In an oft-noted irony, this has led to many churches upholding an unexamined and hardened tradition of anti-traditionalism. The New Testament, however, repeats an emphasis on the central responsibility of receiving and passing down,... Continue Reading
On Popular Culture
We affirm that much of popular culture is largely formulaic, sentimentalized, and tends toward banality and narcissism
“We deny that a rejection of popular culture is tantamount to elitism or a disdain for the average believer. We also deny that there are no contemporary examples of orthopathy, or that orthopathy exists solely in the past.” This is a series to further explain the articles of “A Conservative Christian Declaration.” We affirm that... Continue Reading
On Works Of The Imagination
We deny that God can be known and rightly loved solely through cognition and the understanding of objective propositional statements about God.
“Today most people consider works of imagination as enjoyable distractions, but of little real significance. Even most Christians assume that their cognitive beliefs about God are important, but musical or poetic expressions about God have little purpose beyond making truth about God interesting, enjoyable, or exciting. This leads to the conclusion that what works of... Continue Reading
Three Things this Methodist Learned from Calvinists
Here are three ways in particular that I've benefited from the Reformed tradition
In his sermon on “The General Deliverance,” Wesley concluded that, whatever happens, “[God] will certainly do what will be most for his own glory.” I nearly fell off my chair in surprise and excitement to find in Wesley this deeply biblical truth that I had learned from Calvinists. God will do what brings him the... Continue Reading
Do Those Who Deny that Man-Made Global Warming is a Serious Threat Practice Pseudoscience?
Thoughts on the ETS conference on Creation Care
I also thought Moo and Bauckham should have answered why they believed certain scientists over others. Bauckham dismissed Beisner’s references to other Scientists as practicing pseudo-science. I think this is an unfair, unwarranted, and unproven accusation. If Moo and Bauckham make an argument in the fields of Old or New Testament or Theology, they expect... Continue Reading
Teaching Historical Sense to a Sophisticated and Discerning Lady (Aged 7)
Why do evangelicals convert to Eastern Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism? Evangelicalism has lost its sense of its historical roots.
Deliberately mine the historic tradition of psalmody and hymnody for worship. Not that anything written by anyone still alive is to be excluded. Far from it. But try to make sure the songs of worship reflect the chronological sweep of the church’s life, from the Book of Psalms onwards. Make people aware that praise did... Continue Reading