How we got the Bible: The story of Scripture

“Countless lives have been changed by the preaching of the word of God. Since human beings tend to look at the outside and not at the inside, we often attribute the power of this transformative teaching to the preacher. We all know on reflection, though, that the real power does not rest in humans but in God’s word itself.

Reading Scripture is the most immediate exposure to the word of God. In practice, this means picking up a physical book and opening it to a specific page, or opening up an app on our phones and scrolling to a specific location. In either case, we trust that the word has not been corrupted and that the message of the Bible we hold in our hands was not changed or lost altogether. We believe that we are reading the actual words that God spoke.

In what follows, we will think about what has gone before that moment when we open Scripture and read it. What happened to the Bible between the earliest times and the twenty-first century? How did God bring his word to us? The reverse of this question—how he brought us to his word—is part of our individual testimony. But the way in which God brought about the Bible is the story of his providence in history, played out over thousands of years. And by understanding what God had done over the ages, we will see that it is reasonable and justified to trust that the Bible in our hands is a translation of the trustworthy words of Scripture. We could talk about ten reasons why to trust the Bible. But it may be more effective if we understand the larger narrative of the history of the Bible. …”

– Dirk Jongkind, Vice Principal at Tyndale House in Cambridge, takes a long look at the story of how the Bible came to us. Very helpful and worth sharing.

Image: A 3rd Century fragment from Egypt, of Revelation chapter 1, in the Chester Beatty collection, Dublin. Photo with thanks to Kevin Murray.

This is the Word of the Lord

“Thanks be to God.

With great joy in his heart, a friend of mine recently shared with me about how his son became a Christian.

The teenager had been reading through the story of Achan’s sin (Josh. 7:1-26) at youth group and upon reflection on the nature of sin, had come to trust in Jesus for salvation. I was wonderfully surprised! Wonderfully, for the boy had made the most import­ant decision of his life by believing in Christ. Surprised, because – somewhat to my shame – my initial impulse was to be surprised that the account of Achan’s sin could have been the instru­ment of his salvation. I think, upon re­flection, that I had forgotten something significant about God’s Word: that it is good, all of it. But perhaps it is possible to forget the other good aspects of the Holy Scriptures too?…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Mark Earngey writes with great encouragement to treasure the Word of the Lord.

Your preaching is primarily for believers

“In certain circles, seeking to get unbelievers into church is seen as the highest possible goal. There is nothing better, according to some, when unbelievers come into the church and under the sound of the gospel. That, they aver, is what we ought to be about. At the risk of being deemed a contrarian, I just don’t think that is true.

What goes on inside the church is necessarily for the upbuilding of believers. The church is, after all, a gathering of believers. The world is not the church. What happens in the church is not primarily for the world. It is for believers.

This matters when it comes to our preaching.…”

– Here’s a short and encouraging article for preachers from Stephen Kneale in Oldham, Greater Manchester. (Link via Tim Challies.)

A heart for the persecuted Christian – with Dan Oli Shani

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“One in seven Christians are persecuted globally.  That’s 360 million Christians who are denied access to jobs and education, are arrested, attacked, and even killed for following Jesus.

Worst effected according to the Open Doors World Watch List are Christians in North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Iran.

All that sounds so distant from the comfort of an armchair in Sydney.

Open Doors International is deeply engaged with ministry to persecuted Christians.

Open Door’s Global CEO is Dan Ole Shani from Kenya.  Dan shares his pastor’s heart for the persecuted with Dominic Steele, and suggests ways forward.”

– Watch or listen here.

You can’t be yourself by yourself

“Men and women cannot be fully themselves without one another.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my alone time. I am “me” when I’m by myself. But Genesis 1:27 complicates my idea of myself by saying that God created humankind in his image, as male and female. Somehow, by myself I’m not enough. It takes both men and women to fully express the divine image.

This turns out to be a hugely important truth not just for my self-understanding, but for our relating as men and women in the church (note: this is not an article about marriage!) The foundational text comes in Genesis 2…”

– Here’s a very helpful an thought-provoking article by Dr Andrew Shead at Moore College.

At SydneyAnglicans.net and also in the June-July 2023 edition of Southern Cross magazine.

Remembering Howard Guinness

We are poorer when we forget those who have gone before us – those who laboured for Christ over many decades.

One man we should not forget is Dr Howard Wyndam Guinness 1903-1979, pioneer in student evangelism and university ministry in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere.

He was key in founding the Sydney University Evangelical Union in 1930, as well as much else. He was also responsible for launching the Crusader Union in Sydney and Melbourne.

In 1949, Archbishop Mowll invited him to return to Australia to become the Rector of St. Barnabas’ Broadway and Chaplain to the University of Sydney. Generations of students were discipled through that ministry.

Howard Guinness’ funeral was held at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, on 31st July 1979. Then Archbishop of Sydney, Sir Marcus Loane, preached, and Bishop Donald Robinson led the prayers.

You will be blessed by setting aside 25 minutes to hear this excerpt from a recording of the service – with the sermon, the hymn Now thank we all our God, and the prayers –

 

 

or download the 12MB mp3 audio file by right clicking on the book cover.

Photo: The cover of Howard Guinness’ autobiographical book Journey Among Students, published in 1978 by the Anglican Information Office, Sydney.

Is taking over Calvary Hospital a religious freedom breach?

“There has been a lot of controversy around the recent decision of the ACT government to compulsorily acquire Canberra’s Calvary Hospital.

One question that is worth asking is this: could this move be an unlawful breach of religious freedom rights? In this post I want to consider the possibilities. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Associate Professor Neil Foster suggests some avenues which could be explored.

Image: Diocese of Sydney.

The Gender Revolution – with Patricia & Kamal Weerakoon and Rob Smith

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“What is meant by each of the terms biological sex, gendered behaviours or expressions, sexual orientation and gendered identity? How do the various terms relate?

We talk to former director of Sydney University’s  Graduate Program in Sexual Heath, Dr Patricia Weerakoon, Rob Smith, who is head of doctrine at Sydney Missionary and Bible College and Rev Kamal Weerakoon, who has done masters studies in this area.

Rob, Patricia and Kamal  are encouraging us to treat with love and compassion those with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence. …”

– Watch or listen here.

King’s Birthday Conference 2023 Talks now available

The first King’s Birthday Conference from Two Ways Ministries was held at Moore College on 12th June.

Peter Jensen spoke on True Government and  Philip Jensen spoke on Long Live the King?

– Watch or listen to the whole conference via this link.

The Peace-Maker

“Alienation is a word often used to describe our human plight. Everywhere relationships are broken – between or within nations, in the workplace, between friends and within families. The phrase ‘the power of love’ or ‘love is everything’ is said to be the cure-all for brokenness and division. But what do these expressions really mean? What does real love look like?

Throughout the Bible, especially as it relates to God and his relationship with us, we find a radically different way that love is understood.…”

– At the Anglican Connection, John Mason doesn’t want us to forget the wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ban Sports Bet Ads ASAP — Dean of Sydney

“Long-time campaigner for poker machine reform, the Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, has welcomed a unanimous report from federal Parliament, “You Win Some, You Lose More”.

From St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, Dean Grant said …”

– Read last week’s full Media Release at the Cathedral website.

God’s goodness in 1 Timothy

“Paul’s first letter to Timothy is full of goodness. Terms for ‘good’ appear 25 times in the letter.

That should lead us to expect that 1 Timothy would bring us delight, joy, peace, and satisfaction in God’s goodness. But when we come to read or teach this letter, there’s often a measure of anxious apprehension. That’s because to our modern ears, some of the things Paul writes in 1 Timothy, especially about human relationships, sound naïve, harsh, or just plain bad.

In this short article, I want to help us to grasp the fundamental goodness of 1 Timothy. I want to help us to better know and share that delight, joy, peace, and satisfaction in God’s word and his world that resounds throughout the letter. Seeing this goodness in 1 Timothy can be chal­lenging, as we grapple with our own and our modern world’s assumptions about what is truly good. But I’m convinced it’s worth the challenge. …”

– Here’s some great encouragement to read 1 Timothy – from Lionel Windsor at The Australian Church Record.

Walking Together?

“There has been much talk in the church of ‘walking together’ despite differences.

Obviously on some issues and in some ways that is good. We don’t want a new church every time we disagree about the colour of the carpet. Churches can endlessly fracture over secondary matters, as the proliferation of denominations and congregations shows. But we must ask: walking together despite what differences? Walking in what direction? In what manner? What is the basis, purpose and mode of our unity, of our walking together? …”

– Marc Lloyd looks at what the Bible says about ‘walking together’ – at Church Society’s website. (Emphasis added.)

A possibly related photo: The Bishop of London speaks at the General Synod of the Church of England in February 2023.

Three lies of Pride Month

“From a Biblical perspective, there are remarkable parallels between Pride Month and idol worship under King Nebuchadnezzar II. Just as the Babylonians were mandated to worship the golden image, LGBT activists demand that we pledge allegiance to the rainbow flag. While the stakes aren’t as high as they were under Nebuchadnezzar, there are real risks involved in refusing to bow the knee.

If my suspicion is correct, most Australians are not particularly concerned about Pride Month. In fact, many are beginning to feel uncomfortable with how politicised and intolerant the LGBT movement has become. In response, many people have flocked to culture warriors like Jordan Peterson for answers.

While figures like Peterson are insightful and worth listening to, their answers are ultimately psychological rather than spiritual. They don’t acknowledge that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only truth that sets people free. It is only the grace of God in the person and work of Jesus that gives answers and hope to a world lost in sexual confusion.

What follows are three of the lies paraded during Pride Month, along with the gospel answers Jesus provides. …”

– A very helpful article by James Jeffery in AP, the National Journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

What is a Christian? — book by Dave Jensen

Here’s a new book by Dave Jensen which is worth checking out –

“What Is A Christian?” is a short book explaining Christianity and what it means to be a Christian.

This book can be read in one sitting and clearly explains why Jesus came, what he did and what it means for us today.

This book is great for churches to have on book stalls or to give away to new Christians or those seeking to learn more about Jesus and Christianity!”

Here’s the structure of the book:

Introduction: What is a Christian?

Part 1: God made it

What kind of life do you want to live?
God created everything
What does Jesus say? 

Part 2: We broke it 

What’s wrong with the world?
We’re to blame
Reality check

Part 3: Jesus fixed it 

Why did Jesus live?
Why did Jesus die and rise from the dead?
The consequences of what Jesus has done 

Conclusion: What is a Christian and how do you become one? 

– Learn more and order here.

Copies also available from The Wandering Bookseller.

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