Don’t Beat the Sheep
Just because a pastor must confront sin does not mean that his default mode is one of the stoic and stern rebuke, let alone berating the congregation.
Indeed, the Scriptures tell us that Christ was so gentle that he would not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick (Matt. 12:18-21; cf. Isa. 42:1-3). I think this is a side of Jesus that far too many pastors forget. They gravitate towards Christ’s rebukes of the Pharisees and his cleansing of... Continue Reading
A Storm in a Keg: Could Christ Have Sinned?
Because of the unity of the person, I really don't think we want to say it was possible for God to sin.
First, if Christ could sin then a problem emerges regarding the relationship between Christ’s human will and his divine will. The definition of faith from the Sixth Ecumenical Council says: “And these two natural wills are not contrary the one to the other (God forbid!) as the impious heretics assert, but his human will follows... Continue Reading
Obstreperous Islam
The West is now locked in a political and cultural struggle with Islam, and no amount of sentimental claptrap about “mutual understanding” will change that
The West is now locked in a political and cultural struggle with Islam, and no amount of sentimental claptrap about “mutual understanding” will change that. The real question is whether the West will have a robust and principled position from which to oppose Islamic religious, cultural, and military aggression. Such a principled stance will need... Continue Reading
God’s Eternal Decree and Man’s Evil Deeds
Even the most vile of sins find their place within the eternal decree of the Good and Great God
So do not be blasphemous and deny the goodness or the greatness of God. And do not be depressed and hopeless thinking this world has gone haywire…Fight for righteousness, and show compassion on those who are being buffeted by God’s strange but wise plan. And do all this while keeping your eye on the prize —... Continue Reading
How To Make A Just War Unjust In One Simple Step: ISIS Edition
If ever there was cause that meets the criteria of classical "Just War" theory, I believe this is it
We seem to be voluntarily entering a war with no intention of success. This will have the effect of emboldening these barbarians and causing more, not less, misery and destruction in the long term. The irony is unbearable: We have here an opportunity to get involved in a truly just and moral cause, but because of... Continue Reading
Eight Traits of Good Teaching
A brief review of John Piper’s ‘The Marks of a Spiritual Leader’
John Piper points to an “inner circle” and an “outer circle” of traits. The inner circle is “the absolute bare essentials,” or what must happen in the leader’s own soul if he is going to take even the first step in leading others spiritually… The outer circle, then, is comprised of “qualities that characterize both... Continue Reading
5 Myths You Still Might Believe about the Puritans
The tale of spoilsport Puritans continues to be told, and it couldn't be further from the truth
Maybe it’s the smug servant Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Perhaps it’s the extremely suspicious Boston community in Nathaniel Hawthrone’s The Scarlett Letter. Or it could be the more recent TV drama named for the location of the infamous Salem witch trials of early colonial America. High school history books continue to tell tales of America’s Pharisaic... Continue Reading
Is Hindu Nationalism Behind Crackdown on India’s Christians?
Christian minorities in central India face a new threat as Hindu extremists in more than a dozen village councils have passed restrictions on religions other than Hinduism
While India’s constitution declares the nation secular in the sense that all religions are supposed to be treated equally, persecution still exists and stems primarily from Hindutva, the ideology that to be Indian is to be Hindu and that other faiths are foreign. According to International Christian Concern, Hindu extremists have attacked Christians, discriminated against them, and... Continue Reading
Stop Pretending Sex Never Hurts
Who are the truly compassionate ones? Those who celebrate actions that lead to depression, dysfunction, and brokenness? Or those who lovingly warn that there is a better way?
If we’re going to warn people of the perils of Big Gulps and French fries, shouldn’t we warn them of the dangers of sex? If we’re going to go so far as ban sugary drinks and salt, shouldn’t we at least advocate abstinence? What kind of society celebrates, perpetuates, and capitalizes on a behavior... Continue Reading
Would a Division be Good for the PCA?
Some history and a proposal for meetings of the Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly
One year, let’s call it the ‘A’ Year, would keep the current convention look. We would have vendors, we would have visitors, and we would have reports from our Committees and Agencies (and approve their budgets), and we would have large worship services open to the public….The next year (and from then on rotate) we have... Continue Reading