Phillip and Kel on Church ‘discipline’ and ‘pastoral care’
In the latest episode of The Chat Room, Phillip Jensen speaks with Kel Richards about Church discipline. But is that the best name for it? – and how do other denominations approach the question? 28 minutes of wise and thought-provoking discussion – at phillipjensen.com.
Warning Passages Ahead
Collin Hansen writes:
“The Book of Hebrews daunts even the most gifted preachers and scholars. For one thing, we don’t know the author. He quotes the Old Testament at length and repeatedly, but his method of interpreting these passages doesn’t always make sense to readers. His arguments about angels, Moses, and the temple require more than cursory understanding of the Hebrew Bible.
And then there are the so-called warning passages. It might be hard at first to grasp the significance of the priest Melchizedek, but many Christians viscerally understand the practical importance of these warnings. Can I lose my faith? What if I doubt? Fail to overcome sin?
To answer these questions and more, I turned to the acclaimed scholar Peter O’Brien, professor emeritus at Moore College in Sydney, Australia…”
– read his questions and Peter’s answers at The Gospel Coalition.
Knox/Robinson for today
“You might be unfamiliar with the term ‘Knox/Robinson’, but you may well have come across the substance of these two men’s teaching if you’ve ever looked into the doctrine of church.
Observers of Anglicanism in Sydney have often remarked on a confident and distinctive approach to the nature and purpose of church, led by such men as Howard Mowll, TC Hammond, Marcus Loane, Donald Robinson and Broughton Knox. The source of this approach is undoubtedly the teaching of Donald Robinson and Broughton Knox at Moore College from the early 1950s until the early 1980s, though both men denied they were teaching anything unusual and could point to others who were saying similar things.
For us, nearly thirty years after the last published piece by either of them, how should we respond to the theological legacy of Donald Robinson and Broughton Knox? …”
– Read Mark Thompson’s paper at The Briefing.
The Lure of Rome
Dr. Robert Godfrey, Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary California, speaks about why some evangelicals and other Protestants in the US are becoming Roman Catholics.
35 minute interview here. (h/t Ligonier Ministries.)
What is church for?
“If the word in our Bibles simply means a ‘gathering’ or ‘assembly’, our real question is: What is a Christian ekklesia? What is distinctive about the particular gathering or assembly into which God calls his people?
To answer this we need to look at the key places where God gathers his people together. …”
– Phillip Jensen asks ‘What is church for?” – at The Briefing.
‘The Love Feasts’
Barry Newman’s latest topic for thoughtful examination is ‘the love feasts’ –
“What exactly did Jude have in mind when he wrote, ‘These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves’ (NIV Jude 12)? In particular what did he mean by ‘love feasts’? This blog series will attempt to examine these and related questions…”
– see the first few posts on the topic at Barry’s blog.
Carl Trueman on preaching and the Trinity
Carl Trueman spoke on the Trinity earlier this month at the Proclamation Trust’s Autumn Joint Ministers Conference in Leicestershire.
He began his series by pointing out how crucial it is that Christians have a good grasp of the doctrine of the Trinity. The first talk includes a fascinating overview of the doctrine of the Trinity in the early centuries. His second talk was on the link between preaching and the Trinity.
The Proc Trust has posted the videos of his talks. Most edifying. Direct links to talks – Talk 1 , Talk 2, Talk 3.
Make Disciples!
Bishop Paul Barnett reflects on Matthew 28:16-20 and disciple-making. Here are a few quotes:
“Christ was a disciple maker. His disciples were disciple makers. You and I are to be disciple makers. This is not just for clergy, it’s for all of us.”
“Disciple making is an infection that is caught as much as it is taught. It challenges our Christian faith to be real, joyous and others centred.”
“Congregations should free up their ministers’ time so they can do the research so as to properly teach and instruct their congregations. That is their main job.”
Why God became Man
“The title of this post is the translation of one of the most famous books in the history of Christian theology: Cur Deus Homo by Anselm of Canterbury. In it he expounded the biblical doctrines of Christ’s incarnation and atonement, demonstrating their fundamental connection. The one who died was God the Son become fully human. God the Son became fully human in order to die.
The necessity of the incarnation arises from both God’s character of holy love and determined purpose to have human beings for himself even in the face of the monumental attack upon God and his character that is human sin. …”
– ACL President Mark Thompson writes at Theological Theology.