New Pauline Commentaries
“Many of us probably do not realize how spoiled we are these days with so many competent evangelical exegetical commentaries. Such was not the case 50 years ago. This is a grace — a gift — for the church that we should not take for granted…”
– Justin Taylor provides a brief rundown on some new Pauline commentaries, including the Pillar New Testament Commentary on 1 Corinthians, by Roy Ciampa and Brian Rosner.
The Sarum Mass compared with the 1549 Prayer Book
Church Society has republished one of the old Church Association Tracts – this one comparing and contrasting the mediaeval Sarum mass and the 1549 Prayer Book.
“Compared with the Missal, the First Book was a highly Protestant production: yet it was, after all, ‘a compromise which satisfied nobody.’”
The 1549 Prayer Book (the First Prayer Book of Edward VI) is well recognised as an important step towards Cranmer’s enduring legacy in the much more reformed book of 1552.
Interested in learning more? The Tutorial Prayer Book by Neil and Willoughby – (reprints from various sources, including Book Depository, also second-hand – and online) – is worth a look.
Planning underway for GAFCON 2
“The GAFCON/FCA Primates Council has announced a leaders conference is being planned for 2011 and the second ‘GAFCON’ for 2012.
The announcement was part of a wide-ranging statement from its October meeting in England, dubbed the ‘Oxford Statement’.
Among its 14 points, the leaders of around two-thirds of the Anglican Communion have come to a common mind on the proposed Anglican covenant…”
– Russell Powell, at SydneyAnglicans.net, reports on The Oxford Statement.
Online bargains this weekend and Monday
This weekend, many online stores in the US are having sales (‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’).
Tim Challies has compiled a helpful list. Of interest will be downloadable albums from Andrew Peterson and others.
(Bear in mind Monday specials will extend into Tuesday Australian time.)
The hole in our holiness
Does Bishop J.C. Ryle’s call to holiness (example) seem a little quaint these days? Kevin DeYoung:
“I find it telling that you can find plenty of young Christians today who are really excited about justice and serving in their communities. You can find Christians fired up about evangelism. You can find lots of Generation XYZ believers passionate about precise theology. Yes and amen to all that. But where are the Christians known for their zeal for holiness? Where is the corresponding passion for honoring Christ with Christlike obedience? …
When is the last time we took a verse like Ephesians 5:4–“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving”–when is the last time we took a verse like this and even began to try to apply this to our conversation, our joking, our movies, our you tube clips, our t.v. and commercial intake?…”
– Kevin DeYoung is writing in a US context – doubtless with much relevance here too.
GAFCON/FCA Oxford Statement released
The GAFCON/FCA Primates Council, which recently met in Oxford, has released ‘the Oxford Statement’.
Read it here (PDF file) – there is an introduction from Archbishop Gregory Venables which pertains to the latest developments in England and the current meeting of the General Synod.
Also available on the GAFCON website.
New website for Reformers bookshop
Reformers Bookshop at Stanmore has an updated website with lots of improvements.
Ethics Classes announcement ‘impoverishes education’
Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney Media Statement
Ethics Classes announcement ‘impoverishes education’
Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church in New South Wales, Dr Peter Jensen, says the decision to allow the introduction of ethics lessons during time set aside for Special Religious Education (SRE) is “a bad decision, made under political pressure, which will impoverish the education of many NSW public schoolchildren.”
“Philosophical ethics is not a real alternative to the study of religion and it is unfair to confront parents with the dilemma of having them both taught at the same time. The ‘examined life’ starts with a well-rounded education.” Dr Jensen said.
“Our concerns are for the children who now will be denied an introduction to the great questions posed by the faith-traditions. For example, even though the ethics lesson plans were not publicly released, it is apparent that they did not include clear guidance on right and wrong.”
“I congratulate Barry O’Farrell and the Liberal and National parties for their opposition to this change and their commitment to take seriously the other solutions the Premier and the Minister declined to consider” the Archbishop said.
“The Anglican Church is committed to the future of public education. The thousands of volunteer scripture teachers and helpers will continue to do their utmost to deliver an orderly, challenging and educationally-rich program in schools, week by week, for all ages.”
23rd November 2010 AD
CBMW Responds to New NIV(2011)
“Over the past three weeks, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) has been conducting a review of the recently released and extensively revised new NIV(2011).
As of now, the translation is only available online. Zondervan’s release of the TNIV in 2002 (New Testament) and 2005 (full Bible) brought about a significant controversy in the evangelical community over Bible translation philosophy in general and translation of gender-related passages in particular.
Given that the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) used the TNIV as their starting point, and that CBMW was deeply involved in opposing the TNIV, we feel a certain obligation to provide an assessment of the new NIV(2011)…”
– The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood takes a look at the New NIV, due out next year. (h/t Tim Challies.)
John Dyer also has some resources to help calatogue the changes being made to the NIV. (h/t Justin Taylor.)