Men and Women: Re-thinking the reality, role and differences.
From Phillip Jensen at Two Ways News:
“As we come to the end of Genesis Chapter 2, we open up some of the biggest topics for debate, happiness and unhappiness in humanity today. Re-thinking marriage has been part of our social dialogue since the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s. Re-thinking the reality and role of men and women, their sexual differences and similarities has caused great turmoil in society.
I’m sure you will find our discussion in this episode gives more food for thought and ammunition for debate.”
– Hear the latest illuminating chat with Phillip and Peter Jensen.
Thinking about the Occult — Church Society podcast
In the latest Church Society podcast, Tony Cannon asks Kirsten Birkett about the dangers and fascination of the occult, and what the Bible says about it.
Biblical and pastorally helpful.
31 minutes.
The Animals — How Genesis helps us get the relationship right.
From Phillip Jensen:
“Humans have always enjoyed living with the animals of God’s creation. But what is our relationship with the animals, and how should we care for them?
Today we move from the abuse of animals to the worship of animals as we think about the Bible’s teaching on animals.”
– Here’s the latest episode of the Two Ways News podcast, where Peter and Phillip Jensen reveal why the lady next door complained.
Discussing Christian Unity and the Nicene Creed
From the “Dead Presbyterians Society” podcast:
“Leonardo De Chirico and Mark Gilbert join the program to discuss the enduring significance of the Nicene Creed as it marks its 1700th anniversary.
Drawing from their recent edited volume, The Nicene Creed: The Nature of Christian Unity and the Meaning of Gospel Words (Matthias Media), the guests explore how shared credal language can mask deep theological differences, particularly between evangelical and Roman Catholic traditions.”
– Watch here.
The book is, of course, available from Matthias Media.
The Gardener — What is our work?
From Phillip Jensen:
“Apart from sleeping, we spend more of our life working than anything else we do. But what is God’s plan for our work? Indeed, what is work? And how does it differ from doing good works, or does it?
After responding to a letter from one of our subscribers, Peter and I explore what Genesis means by our gardening. At the end of our transcript are details of a talk on the subject of work.”
– Listen here at Two Ways News.
Does it matter how much a pastor preaches?
“The latest edition of the ACR includes the results of a survey we conducted in order to investigate how frequently senior ministers are preaching in relation to the number of full-time staff and adult church attendance.
On the whole, there is a negative correlation between the number of full-time staff and the amount a pastor preaches.
On average, a minister serving as the only full-time staff member of a church (35% of responders) preaches 4.3 weeks out of 5. For those serving in a staff team of two full-time equivalents (50% of responders), that average drops to 3.5 weeks out of 5.
What is notable, however, is that this trend flattens out as the size of the staff team increases, stabilising at about 3 weeks out of 5. For a staff team of three (26% of responders), the average is 3.2 weeks out of 5. For a staff team of four (13% of responders), the average is 3 weeks out of 5. For a staff team of five or more (27% of responders), the average slightly increases back up to 3.1 weeks of out 5. This indicates that pastors have a general preference to preach no less than 3 in every 5 weeks.
This, however, prompts the question: Does it matter how much a pastor preaches? Or more specifically, does it matter to God how much a pastor preaches? …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Charles Cleworth explores the question.
The Two Trees
From Phillip Jensen:
“In the middle of the garden, full of beautiful trees, there are 2 trees in particular. What is the importance of the tree of life? What is it telling us about God’s plans for humanity? Why is it singled out for special mention?
The other, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, seems to be even more important in establishing the drama of life in the Garden of Eden and subsequently the storyline of the rest of the Bible. But what does it mean to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
I hope our discussion prompts more discussion among you and your friends.”
– Listen to the latest stimulating podcast from Phillip and Peter Jensen as they continue to think through the early chapters of Genesis.
Was the Garden Paradise?
From Phillip Jensen:
“Peter and I love gardens but hate gardening. However, all the good things about the garden are set out in Genesis 2.
In today’s podcast, we explore God’s generous provision symbolised in the Garden of Eden. To what extent was the garden paradise that we need to regain? To what extent is the paradise promised to the thief on the cross something greater than the Garden of Eden?”
Related:
Two Ways Ministries’ 2025 King’s Birthday Conference is coming up at Moore College next Monday 9th June.
“From Feminism to motherhood, from animal rights to toxic masculinity, from racism to euthanasia, Australia is in an ethical turmoil on many issues. Christians often feel in the crossfire of these culture wars. Do Christian ethics apply to non-Christians?
This year at the King’s Birthday Conference, Phillip Jensen is going to look at how becoming a Christian takes us back to the universal morality of Creation.” …
– See the details, and register before it’s too late!
The Reason to persevere in Prayer — Luke 18:1–8
“This is a parable Jesus told his disciples ‘to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart’ (Luke 18:1). And we all need this encouragement, don’t we? Because prayer is hard. Especially that persistent, daily habit of praying, day after day, month after month, year after year. …”
– Lionel Windsor speaks in Chapel at Moore College.
Discussing The Nicene Creed
Mark Gilbert and Leonardo Di Chirico chat about their new book The Nicene Creed – The nature of Christian unity and the meaning of gospel words, published this month by Matthias Media.
This 17 minute video is a terrific introduction to understanding the key differences between Romans Catholics and Protestants, so that we can love our Catholic friends from a position of better understanding.
It may also make you want to get the book! (If so, click the image for details.)
Towards the end of the video, Mark mentions The Reformanda Initiative. where there are additional resources.
More interesting than any Dan Brown novel — The Council of Nicaea
“This year, in May to be specific, marks 1700 years since the start of the Council of Nicaea. The town is now known as Iznik, in modern Turkey. From this Council’s determinations sprang the core content of what Christians now know, and regularly recite, as the Nicene Creed.
Why does the anniversary of such an old statement matter? It’s not ultimately about philosophical theology, or winning a debate, let alone the intersection of religion and politics, as some suggest.
Ultimately, it’s about worshipping God properly, as he truly is, and not just as we imagine or find convenient.
In particular, it was about honouring Jesus not just as perfect man, but truly as God.…”
– At the Cathedral website, Sandy Grant, Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, explains the significance of the Council of Nicaea.
He reminds us, “the background story is more interesting than any Dan Brown novel conspiracy theory. And the theology is more important” – so take the time to read (and also see the resources he links).
Man in the Garden
From Phillip Jensen:
“One of the high points, if not the high point, of Genesis 1 is the creation of man, both male and female, in the image of God. There we are told of our responsibility to govern the earth, to multiply and to fill it. When we turn to chapter 2 of Genesis we are again told of the creation of man. This time it is in much more detail, and yet it still gives the same prominence and importance of man in God’s creation.
Today’s podcast is a discussion of the movement of Genesis 1 to Gen 2 where we look at man in the garden.”
What It Means To Be Protestant — Book review
“Gavin Ortlund, not to be confused with his brother Dane Ortlund who wrote Gentle and Lowly (Crossway, 2020), is one of Protestantism’s foremost ‘accidental’ apologists. This is because, as Ortlund himself says in the introduction, he didn’t set out to become this but instead responded to a need he identified on social media.
Ortlund’s YouTube channel Truth Unites has become immensely popular and he is known for discussing various Biblical topics in a clear, historically insightful but most irenic way. This is also the case with What It Means To Be Protestant (Crossway, 2024) which I think is something of a model for how inter-faith dialogue – especially with Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox – should be done.
Due to the nature of the topic, this could easily become abrasive or overly hostile. However, Ortlund does a masterful job at maintaining a respectful and engaging tone.…”
– At AP, the Australian Presbyterian journal, Mark Powell reviews What It Means To Be Protestant.
Exposition
“Along with the many students who studied at Moore College under the Principalship of Dr. Broughton Knox, I have deep gratitude for his twice-weekly lectures to first year students, Doctrine 1.
What struck me most was Dr. Knox’s determination to test all things against Scripture. We studied using T.C. Hammond’s, In understanding be men, and Dr. Knox would even correct that fine book, in minor areas, when he believed it to be inconsistent with the Bible.
In 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter in the New Testament, Paul reminds his young mentee, Timothy, of the nature of Scripture. …”
– David Cook reminds us of the essential place of faithful and engaging expository preaching. At The Expository Preaching Trust.
Image: Dr. Broughton Knox.
Celebrating Nicaea
From Moore College:
“Today Moore College celebrates the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a landmark event in the history of the Christian church that reaffirmed the perfect equality in being, honour, and power, of God the Father and God the Son.
Though the Father and the Son are distinct persons in asymmetrical and non-reciprocal relationship (the Father is always the Father and the Son is always the Son, so they are not interchangeable), they are entirely and absolutely one in being.
This great truth has always been taught and held unequivocally at Moore College. There is only one true and living God, and the Son is as much God as the Father is (something that is true of the Holy Spirit as well). The creed formulated by the Council of Nicaea used one little Greek word to express this truth, homoousion, which in English becomes the phrase ‘of one being with’ or ‘of the same being as’. It also insisted repeatedly that the Son was ‘begotten not made’. …”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…