Many things in life are binary, and there is no third way. But I do believe there are errors both to the right and to the left of a biblical philosophy of ministry. On the left are the errors of pragmatism, and on the right are the errors of authoritarianism. What’s most striking to me... Continue Reading

  The doctrine of limited atonement impacts us powerfully with regard to the psychology of our devotion to the Lord. There are some who die for principles, and we admire them for it. … But there is another category of devotion that rises far above the rest. Some die for principles and others for causes.... Continue Reading

The presence of Protestant Christians in Algeria dates back to the French colonial era, when a number of churches were built. However, after the country gained independence in 1962, many of these buildings were given to other purposes. … Now, Protestants in cities like Béjaïa and Mostaganem are petitioning for their old churches to be... Continue Reading

What is striking about this debate is that apparently no one on the committee could actually argue for the legitimacy and truthfulness of a penal substitution view of the atonement, or that the PCUSA’s own Book of Confessions teaches it and not merely for the sake of diversity: … Well, this is the question that... Continue Reading

This is an embarrassing unforced error by one of the world’s most esteemed newspapers.* But other journalists can learn from their mistake and can avoid such shame-inducing gaffes by using a technique that has worked for four centuries: When you want to know what Calvinists think, ask them. Today is the 504th anniversary of the... Continue Reading

Any theology that denies God’s moral law, and then domesticates sin by its absence, does not have Christ’s atoning love, God’s justifying pardon, or the Holy Spirit’s kind company. The Red Letters of the New Testament, unmoored from the moral law of the whole Bible, offer only half the God-man, mangling the gospel by wrenching... Continue Reading

Because my Western default definition of success is worldly, it will bother me when attendance is low or they don’t respond well to my teaching. Because I am deeply prideful and filled with self-love, I am often offended when church members see weekends at the beach/lake/mountains as vastly more compelling than hearing me talk about... Continue Reading

We should stop submitting to political correctness and instead start engaging civil discussion. By doing so, we can arrive at logical solutions that work for everyone instead of retreating to our respective corners and throwing hand grenades at each other. We must not succumb to the forces that wish to divide and conquer us. There... Continue Reading

It would ban abortion at 20 weeks post-fertilization and recognize that the state has a compelling interest to protect fetuses from pain; require doctors performing abortions to have hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles of the abortion facility; require doctors to administer the abortion-inducing drug RU-486 in person, rather than allowing the woman to take... Continue Reading

Green said members of all faiths are welcome to join, but leaders will be required to sign a basic statement affirming Christian faith. The statement also says members must “live a life of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed, reserving sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage; marriage being a lifelong commitment... Continue Reading