“One of the blessings of being at the Charlotte campus is that I get to serve with some of the finest faculty in the country in their respective fields. If you are planning to go to seminary, and you are making a decision this Spring, then hopefully this list will help!”   Since the Spring... Continue Reading

The apostles worshiped three without denying the assumption that there was one God alone. What they offered was a received way of speaking which was reliable and was in fact congruent with the Old Testament Scriptures. The church had to work to understand what was assumed in that precise way of speaking, which Holmes says is to understand the triune life of God. When we understand something about Scripture, we return to it with that understanding in order to understand more.

“Dwell more upon these choice and sweet things wherein you agree, than upon those things wherein you differ.” Or, if I can add a great phrase attributed to Augustine, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things, charity.” Back to Brooks: “You agree in most, you differ but in a few; you agree in the greatest and weightiest, as concerning God, Christ, the Spirit, and the Scripture. You differ only in those points that have been long disputable amongst men of greatest piety and parts. You agree to own the Scripture, to hold to Christ the head, and to walk according to the law of the new creature.”

“Doubtless there are other volumes to be added to this list. It is a much more complete list than was possible even 10 years ago and should keep one busy for a few years. The list is weighted a bit toward the late 16th and early 17th centuries but it gives you a reasonable representation... Continue Reading

Each age in the history of the church has its own challenges in applying the biblical instructions on the diaconate to today’s pressing issues. This book seeks to address the questions that are raised. Should the diaconal office not be open to women? Is there still really any need for the diaconal office with government safety nets, welfare agencies, and insurances that can take care of just about anything. But what about the poor in the less developed parts of the world? What task do deacons have concerning this crying need?

“What Hill teaches is sound, biblical, and challenging throughout. Of course the book’s unique value is largely in its second half, for this is where she turns her attention from praying to praying together.”   It was a case of serendipitous timing, at least from my perspective. I began to read Praying Together just as... Continue Reading

Second, she demonstrates how Scripture teaches women to function as necessary allies. As necessary allies, women (1) warn men to turn away from evil like Abigail; (2) are cobelligerents against evil enemies like Esther; (3) mediate the Word of the Lord like Miriam; (4) give wise instruction and counsel like Priscilla; (5) collaborate in service to others; (6) respond to God as examples of faithfulness; and (7) influence men from a gift of empathy and relatedness. The list provides helpful categories of what responsibilities being a necessary ally entails. To do the opposite is to become little women and only endangers the health of the church.

Now, not every church disciplines unrepentant sinners. Some churches are ignorant of Christ’s command, others are afraid to discipline because it might mean people leave. Still others think God will sort it all out so the church shouldn’t worry about it. However, no matter how difficult it is, no matter if it means people leave, the call of Christ is clear: unrepentant sinners must be reubked and disciplined (Mt. 18:17).

Andreades compares male headship to the authority of the Father. As he teaches equality and asymmetry, he points to the authority and submission within the Trinity, never making any distinction ontologically. He speaks of “Christ lean[ing] into the asymmetry between God the First and Himself” while quoting the references of him doing the Father’s will (184). Andreades even goes so far as to say that “Christ, in relationship to God the First, models the wife for us. He submitted to the will of the First, surrendering to a lower and vulnerable place when he had every right not to. There is no way around His feminine act” (187).

With years of study and experience at his disposal, Qureshi argues that while Islam and Christianity share some major similarities as Abrahamic monotheistic faiths, their differences set them fundamentally at odds. He acknowledges the two faiths closely relate “on the broader religious spectrum,” both even agreeing that Jesus should be venerated. But Qureshi appeals to an analogy from biology to illustrate the importance of the religions’ doctrinal differences: “Humans and chimpanzees share 95 percent of their DNA, but the remaining 5 percent is incredibly important!”