What does it mean to ‘contend for the Faith’?

At a recent PT Cornhill conference, Principal of Oak Hill, Mike Ovey, spoke about what it means to contend for the faith (as in Jude 3). He spoke about past and current issues, and challenges Christians may face in the future. Hear his talk (mp3 audio) Equipping Pastor-Teachers to Contend for the Faith.

Wisdom and its Literature in Biblical-Theological Context

Justin Taylor draws attention to Graeme Goldsworthy’s paper “Wisdom and its Literature in Biblical-Theological Context” in the current online issue of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.

Related: The ‘must read’ Christian book of the year?

Two new Apps

Two new apps (for those using iPhones and iPads) have been released this last week – the Two Ways to Live app from Matthias Media and the Desiring God app. Might be worth checking out.

Pennsylvania prepares for same-gender blessings

“The Liturgical Commission of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, in preparation for General Convention 2012, invites you to explore Proposed Rites for Blessing Same-Gender Relationships, on Tuesday, February 21, 2012…”

– Source.

Archbishop Peter Jensen on the DNWA election

Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, has issued this statement on the election of Gary Nelson to be the new Bishop of North West Australia –

“I’m delighted to welcome the election of Gary Nelson as Bishop of Northwest Australia.

Gary is a Gospel-hearted man, firmly grounded in the Scriptures, with a wide experience of ministry and a deep desire that all God’s people grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

We look forward to continued fellowship with him and the Diocese of Northwest Australia in the years to come.”

(with thanks to Russell Powell / SydneyAnglicans.net.)

ACL Statement on developments in the Diocese of Gippsland

“The Anglican Church League expresses its dismay at the appointment of an openly homosexual man as priest in charge of a parish in the Diocese of Gippsland as announced in the December 2011 issue of The Gippsland Anglican.

The teaching of Scripture about appropriate sexual behaviour for disciples of Christ and the appointment of elders who are ‘beyond reproach’, is quite clear. Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008, the professional standards embodied in the document Faithfulness in Service (a document approved by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia) and the express commitment of the General Synod on a number of occasions to uphold the biblical teaching on marriage and human sexuality leave no room for ambiguity. Appointments like this put unwanted strain and tension upon relationships between the various dioceses of the Anglican Church of Australia. It also contributes to the fragmentation of the Anglican Communion.

For the sake of the parish, the diocese and the Anglican Church of Australia we call upon the Bishop of Gippsland to rescind this appointment. We also call on him to make clear his commitment to the teaching of Scripture, to Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10, to the standards embodied in Faithfulness in Service and the various resolutions of the General Synod of the Anglican Church on this issue.

Mark Thompson        Robert Tong
President                    Chairman. ”

ACL congratulates the Rev Gary Nelson on his election

The Anglican Church League congratulates the Rev Gary Nelson on his election as the seventh bishop of the diocese of North West Australia. Gary has been a godly and effective minister of the gospel in the diocese of Sydney since his ordination in 1983. Having served curacies in Seaforth and Dapto, he was rector of Panania for 17 years before he took on responsibility for the Department of External Studies at Moore College.   Read more

All we need to know

Bishop of Armidale Peter Brain writes:

“How good it is to know that we need never face a day alone or a circumstance with fear.”

“We were walking down the road to the railway bridge, my son and son-in-law with their two little boys and daughter, hand in hand. Then when we heard the sound of a dog barking, I could feel their grip tighten. Neither I nor their fathers pushed them away. Indeed the two youngest moved closer and found reassurance in their father’s presence.   Read more

Gary Nelson new Bishop for North West Australia

The Election Synod of the Diocese of North West Australia has elected Gary Nelson as the seventh Bishop of the Diocese. Gary is the Director of External Studies at Moore College in Sydney. Details here.

2012 Priscilla & Aquila Centre conference

“The Priscilla and Aquila Centre is an initiative of Moore College established to encourage and promote further thinking about the practice of Christian ministry by women, in partnership with men. The Centre’s second annual conference held at Moore College on 6 February was well subscribed…” – Read about the conference here.

Dr John Woodhouse’s keynote address, “1 Timothy 2 – What does it teach?” is available here (Part 1 audio | video, Part 2 audio | video). Very much worth hearing or watching.

And there’s other material from the day on this page.

Earliest New Testament fragment discovered?

Dr Daniel Wallace, at Dallas Theological Seminary, offers a little tantalising information about a recent manuscript discovery –

“It was dated by one of the world’s leading paleographers. He said he was ‘certain’ that it was from the first century. If this is true, it would be the oldest fragment of the New Testament known to exist. …

Not only this, but the first-century fragment is from Mark’s Gospel.”

– Read his post here. (h/t Tim Challies.)

Trinity now and then

Mark Thompson makes some interesting observations on the Trinitarian thought of the Church Fathers…

“Patristic trinitarian thinking had a more overtly doxological element than much modern writing in this area. Writers such as Athanasius and Augustine, not to mention the Cappadocians and later Eastern writers, were very aware that they did their theologising in the presence of God and in service of the church. It was not, and could never be, a simply abstract and intellectual endeavour…”

– read it all at Theological Theology.

New album from Mark Peterson

Mark Peterson’s fourth solo album, “In the Name of Love”, is due out next week.

Read about it here.

Prayers for North West election Synod

The Election Synod of the Diocese of North West Australia begins today (Synod is set to run February 10–12). Please uphold in prayer all the Synod members and also the six brothers who have been nominated (and their families). Voting is expected to begin on Saturday morning.

In his pre-Synod letter, Administrator of the Diocese, Dean Jeremy Rice writes:

“At the Election Synod we will need the wisdom of God, to elect a Bishop with the wisdom of God. It is my prayer that we will elect a faithful shepherd who will have his heart and mind firmly fixed on the author and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ.”

The story of ‘Amazing Grace’

The John Newton Project’s Marylynn Rouse helps tell the story of John Newton’s hymn Amazing Grace in this 15 minute feature on Vimeo. (h/t Gary Ware.)

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