Luther and his most important impact

“On 31 October 1517, in a small provincial university town, an Augustinian monk who served as a professor in the university, nailed a document to a church door. And it started a revolution.

Today, 500 years later and on the other side of the world, that unexceptional act — there would have been lots of notices on that door, since it was the unofficial notice board for the university — still captures the imagination.

The story of Martin Luther is well known. More books are written about him every year than about any other figure in history save one — the master he served, the Lord Jesus Christ. …”

– In 2017, Dr Mark Thompson gave this address at the opening of the Luther exhibition at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney. Good to re-read, this Reformation Day.

The Tyndale Bulletin goes open access

“Tyndale House is pleased to announce the relaunch of the Tyndale Bulletin as a newly open access journal, available at tyndalebulletin.org.

The Tyndale Bulletin is a peer-reviewed academic journal for biblical scholarship and related disciplines. Since it was established (initially as the Tyndale House Bulletin) in 1956, it has established a reputation for high quality scholarship, publishing the work of over 500 scholars.

Fully open access
As of October 2021, the Tyndale Bulletin is now a fully open access journal. Articles are initially released online on a rolling basis, with an annual print volume also being produced, including all articles from the previous year. …

Tyndale House Research Fellow in Old Testament and Ancient Near East and Editor of the Tyndale Bulletin, Dr Caleb Howard, said: “We are delighted with the launch of the new open access Tyndale Bulletin. While it will maintain its commitment to scholarly excellence and peer-review, its editorial process will be more efficient and authors’ work will be more freely available on the new fully indexed website.”

Digital archive
The Tyndale Bulletin is committed to preserving the scholarly research published throughout its history. The journal website currently includes all articles from 2004 onwards; earlier issues will also be added progressively. …”

With thanks for Cranmer

As Reformation Sunday approaches, here’s a helpful article from our archives, by Allan Blanch.

5 Fish: A wonderful free gospel resource

Some might not be aware of a wonderful resource largely developed in Australia by Global Recordings Network.

5fish is available as a smartphone app on iOS and Android, and as a website – www.5fish.mobi.

“Listen to the Christian gospel spoken in virtually any language … Access Christian messages from the largest collection of languages in the world (6,175 speech varieties).

Download free content:

Bible stories, basic Bible teaching, Scripture, Christian songs and testimonies. The recordings are useful for learning about the Christian faith and sharing lessons with others.

Bible stories have been selected from the Old and New Testaments.

They include stories about significant events and people such as the creation of the world, Noah, Abraham, Moses, King David, the prophets and Jesus’ life, miracles and teaching. …

Languages are grouped by country. They can be identified by variant names or by listening to a sample online.

Gospel messages can be downloaded for future playback offline. Many recordings are audio-visual displaying high quality colourful illustrations.”

It’s well worth downloadling the app to your phone to be ready for any opportunity.

Dissecting the new Two Ways to Live – with Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne

“We are joined by the authors of Two Ways to Live, Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne, to talk through the changes they have made to the iconic gospel outline.

We talk through the what and why behind the changes.”

– Great encouragement in thinking how to share the gospel. At The Pastor’s Heart.

Album Review: A (Not So) Silent Night from Quiz Worx

“Finally, a kids’ Christian album that my whole family enjoys!

Can you imagine seeing Colin Buchanan and Karen Pang performing a Christmas concert backed by Blink-182, Relient K, Superchick and The OC Supertones? I’d pay good money for that! …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Kingsley Davidson introduces the brand new Christmas album from Quizworx!

Back to the Word

“I’m just about ready to give up the rational conversational approach to social intercourse and to start quoting straight Bible to people.

The further we go, the more reason isn’t working anymore. In these sputtering last gasps of the Enlightenment, language itself is deconstructing before our eyes. …”

– At World Magazine Andrée Seu Peterson says we need to rethink our approach.

And Australia comes in for dishonourable mention.

Link via Tim Challies.

The End of Humanity Would Result in End of Meaning?

In his The Briefing for 21st October 2021, Albert Mohler begins by considering a recent statement by Professor Brian Cox (pictured) about humans and meaning.

Perhaps a good conversation-starter.

A Swiss Army knife for evangelism

Tony Payne writes about the forthcoming updated Two Ways to Live booklet:

“The new booklet has a number of … design changes that I think really improve its appeal as a give-away resource – a ‘modern classic’ look-and-feel, new versions of the drawings in badge form, a reworking of how text and graphics interact on the page, and a revision of all the explanatory text.

What of the updates to the 2WTL framework itself?

Apart from numerous small tweaks to the language here and there, these are the three main changes to the outline itself…”

– Read it all here.

CMS Summer School 2022

As many will be aware, due to uncertainties about COVID-19, the NSW CMS 2022 Summer School will be held entirely online, 8–14 January 2022.

Registration, at the reduced rate of $50 per person ($25 concession), is now open.

“In 2022, The Rev Dr Andrew Shead, Moore College’s Head of Old Testament and Hebrew, will be teaching us from the Psalms. It will be a time where we reflect on the journey of our Saviour into glory, and consider what it means to walk in the path of his righteousness – to Walk His Way. We will also be considering our role in going to the nations and teaching others to Walk His Way.”

Summer School is always encouraging and extremely worthwhile.

The Final Stone – A Response in Defence of Bishop Rod Chiswell

“Last weekend the Australian published a deeply disturbing piece about an Anglican bishop and a revolt against him from one small church in his diocese. …”

– David Robertson at The Wee Flea shares his take on last weekend’s front page story in The Weekend Australian Magazine.

The Question of Our Day

“What is a human being? That is the most important question of our day. If we do not answer that question then our neighbours cannot access the Gospel.

Ignorance of human nature prevents people from understanding the good ends for which we are created, and therefore from understanding actions and habits that destroy those ends, and therefore from understanding sin, and therefore from understanding the Gospel. …

… I pray that my feeble words will help you to understand a small measure of the depths and power of the darkness around us, and that the way out is to run toward the darkest place, the ground where the enemy is even now digging his trenches.”

– In a confronting post at the American Anglican Council, Adam J. MacLeod, Professor of Law at Faulkner University in Alabama, outlines the difficult circumstances in which we must proclaim Christ.

It’s also a reminder that, without Christ, we can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Evangelicals and the end of Christendom

From The Pastor’s heart:

“What happened to the idea of Christian Australia – so long and widely held and so quickly abandoned? …

We are diving back to the middle of last century today and thinking about how different leaders of the evangelical faith navigated the end of Christendom with historian Hugh Chilton from Scots College, Sydney.”

– Watch or listen here.

D. A. Carson on the Two Jews Talking the Day Before the First Passover

“Picture two Jews, by the name of Smith and Brown. Remarkably Jewish names.

The day before the first Passover they’re having a little discussion in the land of Goshen, and Smith says to Brown, ‘Boy, are you a little nervous about what’s going to happen tonight?’…”

– Justin Taylor shares this wonderful illustration from Don Carson.