The “Evangelicals” Who Are Not Evangelicals
There are at least four types of Christians who often get cast as evangelicals who really are not evangelicals, if that term has any meaning
Many readers will know historian David Bebbington’s standard definition of evangelicals as Protestant Christians marked by biblicism, crucicentrism (the centrality of Christ’s work on the cross), activism, and conversionism. I have argued – and continue to argue in my forthcoming biography of George Whitefield – that for eighteenth-century evangelicals, an emphasis on the ministry of... Continue Reading
What Is Hell?
Hell is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God
however, we can take any comfort in the concept of hell, we can take it in the full assurance that there will be no cruelty there. It is impossible for God to be cruel. Cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that is more severe or harsh than the crime. Cruelty in this sense is unjust. God... Continue Reading
Millennials Need A Bigger God, Not A Hipper Pastor
Conveying a compelling vision of God for Millennials, as well as the whole congregation
Millennials have a dim view of church. They are highly skeptical of religion. Yet they are still thirsty for transcendence. But when we portray God as a cosmic buddy, we lose them….When we tell them that God will give them a better marriage and family, it’s white noise….When we tell them they’re special, we’re merely... Continue Reading
“Not Born That Way”
The fight over “curing” homosexuality is the front lines of upcoming gay-rights battles
With same-sex marriage in line to become a civil right, all sides in the gay-rights debate are considering their next political fights. Gay-rights advocates have targeted “conversion therapy,” a controversial approach that believes people can be treated for homosexuality and issues of gender identity. The fight over “curing” homosexuality is the front lines of... Continue Reading
Married to Darwin
For the sake of the children, must we abandon Genesis?
Therefore, we should sing to theistic evolutionists, “Pack up your bags and try not to cry. / The Bible trumps Darwin, there’s three reasons why. / The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost too, / For the sake of the children, we must teach what’s true.” Nashville, a fine 1975 film directed by... Continue Reading
Depravity
Depravity is the pervasiveness of wickedness in every human and the potential for disaster because of that sinfulness
As a Christian I have realized the grace of God enables me to be more than my depraved nature, and even more than the generally positive personality I might have inherited. That possibility drives me to share the Gospel even with really evil and bad people, which in my mind includes everyone and not just... Continue Reading
White House vs. the Wheaton College Covenant
What are the doctrinal fault lines that are dividing religious groups on the many moral issues linked to the HHS mandate?
Do you see the relevance of the Wheaton Community Covenant? In effect, the government is stepping in to help non-married members of the Wheaton community — note the reference to students — violate the terms of the covenant that they have voluntarily affirmed….Are there other cases in which the government plans to attack doctrinally defined... Continue Reading
College Professor Demits His Ordination From The PCUSA
Edwards is the Bruner-Welch Professor of Theology at Whitworth University
“His reasoning: “The action of the 2014 General Assembly to permit same-sex marriages by ministers of the PCUSA and to redefine marriage as a covenantal relationship between ‘two people’ rather than between a man and a woman places the PCUSA in irreconcilable conflict with both Scripture and its confessional tradition. As a consequence of this... Continue Reading
What’s Wrong With Preaching Today?
The preachers of the present day have a thousand things to attend to
“We often turn our attention to the light literature of the day, and the new books that appear; we read the articles in the reviews, and we take the daily papers, and are, many of us, well versed in the politics of the day. And hence our preaching suffers. We want absorption with the great... Continue Reading
Forerunner Of The Reformation
John Wycliffe was the "morning star of the Reformation"
“Wycliffe was committed to the authority and inspiration of Holy Scripture, declaring, “Holy Scripture is the highest authority for every believer, the standard of faith and the foundation for reform in religious, political and social life … in itself it is perfectly sufficient for salvation, without the addition of customs or traditions.” As such, Wycliffe... Continue Reading