The Sydney Family Album — 2

“The Rev. Samuel Marsden, second Chaplain to the Colony of NSW, was born in Farsley, Yorkshire on 25 June 1765. He was brought up under a Methodist and Evangelical influence and came under the patronage of the evangelical Elland Society which provided for his education from Grammar School to Magdalene College, Cambridge University, the centre of Evangelical influence at the time.

He was appointed second Chaplain to the Colony of NSW, arriving in 1794 with the backing of the Rev. Charles Simeon, William Wilberforce and the Rev. John Newton…”

– in a guest post at Theological Theology, David Pettett reminds us about Samuel Marsden.

The Lesson of David Swing

“While the internet has rocked with information about a prominent minister who has denied the reality of hell, being more historically minded, I couldn’t help but think about David Swing.

Most people don’t know who David Swing was–but in the 1870s and 1880s, David Swing was the most popular minister in Chicago: bigger than D. L. Moody, more significant than anyone else. As Swing’s New York Times obit put it, at one point, he had the largest church and the largest salary of any minister in Chicago…”

– Sean Lucas writes at Reformation21 with a valuable history lesson.

UK: Should Christians be allowed to keep children?

“Apparently, according to the High Court, Christians who are not willing to commend homosexual acts ought not to be given other people’s children to foster.

If this is what was said, and if it is a valid judgement, is it therefore right that Christians should nevertheless be allowed to keep their own natural children, if they similarly will not commend homosexual acts to them?”

– John Richardson wonders about the logical outcome of a controversial court case in the UK. Story from the BBC – and many more linked at Anglican Mainstream, including this one from The Spectator.

R C Sproul — free audiobook March 2011

This month’s free audiobook from ChristianAudio is R C Sproul’s The Holiness of God. (180MB for the mp3 version, 95MB for the M4B version.)

Last year Tim Challies promoted the book in his ‘Reading Classics Together’ series.

‘Brilliant expositions of Colossians and Philemon’

“What do you get when one of the finest Bible teachers in the world slightly modifies a brilliant series of sermons on Colossians and Philemon for publication as a commentary? You get John Woodhouse’s latest book, a commentary in the Focus on the Bible series. I can’t wait to work my way through these two New Testament letters again, aided by John’s expositions…”

– Mark Thompson commends John Woodhouse’s commentary on Colossians and Philemon in the Focus On the Bible series. (Available from Moore Books.)

More on Science and Genesis

Barry Newman, well known to many in Sydney Diocese, and one of the ACL’s vice-presidents, has resumed his blogging on ‘Science and Genesis’.

See the latest posts here.

Rob Bell preaching Universalism?

A soon-to-be-released book by Rob Bell, influential in US ‘emergent church’ circles, seems to be teaching plain old universalism. Justin Taylor and Kevin DeYoung each have responses to what the author – and his publisher – have said about the book.

(Even though Rob Bell is unknown to many Australian Christians, the ideas in the book may receive wide attention.)

Related: What to think of the NOOMA videos.

‘Me and Muammar: What we have in common’

“it is worth remembering that Gadaffi is only an extreme example of that which dwells in each of us. The desire to be in control, to make a mark, to make ourselves indispensable…”

– Carl Trueman at Westminster Seminary has a perspective you probably won’t see on the TV news. At Reformation21.

Praying in Crisis: Helpful or Hypocritical?

“It is an old wartime saying that ‘there are no atheists in foxholes’.

Leaving aside the silly arguments as to whether this is statistically true or an aphorism – is it a good thing? Will God be pleased to answer the prayers of those in danger? Is God honoured when we pray to him in times of trouble? …”

– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes.

Review of Michael Horton’s Systematic Theology

ACL President Mark Thompson offers a brief review of Mike Horton’s recently-released systematic theology, The Christian Faith – at Theological Theology.

(Michael Horton is well known as the host of The White Horse Inn broadcast. He teaches at Westminster Seminary California.)

An Exposition of the Theses — 2

Mark Thompson writes –

“Here is an exposition of second of the twelve theses I posted to help people think through the basis for a new reformation of the Anglican Communion. Once again it is important to remember these theses are not presented as definitive. There is most certainly room for improvement and development. However, as Luther found out in the sixteenth century, stirring people to think about the gospel, to return to the Scriptures to see what really has been written for our benefit, was not only appropriate in the wake of widespread defection from the truth, but also encouraged others to agitate for reform.

If the Anglican Communion is to be reformed again it needs to hear and heed these crucial truths…”

– read them at Theological Theology.

Responding to disaster — Broughton Knox

For many years, the then Principal of Moore College, Dr Broughton Knox, gave weekly talks (“The Christian Faith broadcasts”) on Sydney radio station 2CH. They were succinct messages packed full of Christian theology.

In the light of recent disasters, The Sola Panel has republished a talk he gave in 1975 – just after Darwin was devastated by Cyclone Tracy. (It’s also in The Selected Works of Broughton Knox, Vol III.)

The die has been cast

“With my perspective as a canon lawyer, I cannot believe that ECUSA is barely four months away from precipitating a wholly unnecessary constitutional crisis, which can only weaken it further, and drive its constituent pieces yet further apart.

My appeals to the other canon lawyers who drafted the changes to Title IV, to explain what they thought they were accomplishing, and where they derived the authority to transform the Presiding Bishop of ECUSA into a metropolitan, have gone completely unanswered. At the same time, I see zero inclination on the part of those actually in control of the Church to avoid this donnybrook — so be it. It must be what they want — so that is what they will get.”

– A S Haley, The Anglican Curmudgeon, reflects on why the Diocese of South Carolina has moved to ‘spell out that the Canons of the national Church are no longer recognised as binding’ in their Diocese.

‘Conscience trampled by the regime’

“[T]he Obama administration is now ready to use the coercive power of the state to force medical personnel to perform acts they consider to be morally wrong and unhealthy for their patients…”

– Al Mohler reports on new policies announced in the US just yesterday.

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament

Justin Taylor draws attention to a project to draw together resources relating to preaching Christ in the Old Testament.

On the Gospel Coalition website, it includes featured resources from David Jackman, John Woodhouse, Tim Keller and Sinclair Ferguson.

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