Australian Anglicans and Sexuality — with David Bennett

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“Australian Anglican Evangelicals are praying that the Australian national Bishops meeting (in March) and the General Synod (8-16 May) will affirm the Bible’s teaching on marriage, sexuality and chastity.

The General Synod will consider three motions and two propositions affirming the Bible’s teaching on marriage and chastity. …

David Bennett is a former Sydney gay activist, now a Christian, and a member of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s College of Evangelists.”

– Watch or listen here.

Archbishop of Perth Set to Proceed with Ordination that will “Split the Diocese”

“The Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy, is set to proceed with an ordination later this week that, according to sources in the diocese, is set to ‘split the diocese’.

On the evening of Thursday 24 February 2022 Archbishop Goldsworthy will preside over the ordination at St George’s Cathedral where four candidates will be made deacon. …”

– David Ould has the story.

Photo: Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy, courtesy Diocese of Perth.

When you lose your salvation based on a technicality

“When coming across stories like these, it is very tempting to use them to bash Roman Catholicism or to win an argument. It is imperative to resist these sinful temptations…”

– At The Cripplegate, Jordan Standridge looks at a recent news story which illustrates the divide between the Church of Rome and biblical Christianity.

No Shortcut to Success

In a recent episode of the Pastors Talk podcast from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever commend the book “No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions”. They also chat with the author, Matt Rhodes.

While primarily on the topic of missions, it’s an encouragement for those labouring at home.

– Listen at 9Marks.

Bible Gateway removes The Passion Translation

“A Bible version designed to ‘recapture the emotion of God’s Word’ was removed from Bible Gateway last week. The Passion Translation (TPT) is listed as ‘no longer available’ among the site’s 90 English-language Bible offerings.

First released as a New Testament in 2017, The Passion Translation includes additions that do not appear in the source manuscripts, phrases meant to draw out God’s ‘tone’ and ’heart’ in each passage. …”

– Story from Christianity Today.

Burning Scripture with Passion: A Review of The Psalms (The Passion Translation) – Andrew Shead, April 2018.

“Brian Simmons has made a new translation of the Psalms (and now the whole New Testament) which aims to ‘re-introduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader.’ He achieves this by abandoning all interest in textual accuracy, playing fast and loose with the original languages, and inserting so much new material into the text that it is at least 50% longer than the original.”

The Passion “Translation” of Romans: Problems and questions – Lionel Windsor, November 2017.

Down Under Theology podcast

“Down Under Theology” is a relatively new podcast featuring two lecturers from Christ College at Burwood.

In Season 1 they explored the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Season 2 has just begun and sees them walking through each book of the Bible, “bringing out the big ideas, themes, and implications for the life and mission of the church”.

Worth checking out. Listen here.

How the Black Summer of 2019/2020 prepared me for the pandemic

“It was October, November, and I was anxious. I was trying to do several things at the same time – plan my move to Sydney for College, finish up a ministry apprenticeship, hand over my ministry responsibilities and begin to think about saying goodbye well, and several times an hour, I’d open the Fires Near Me NSW app to tell me where the fire had spread to.

I lived in Newcastle, but the place I grew up in was burning. Crowdy Head was alight, and the Lake Innes fire, which had begun near Port Macquarie, was starting to make its way south. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Brooke Hazelgrove reminds us where our trust must be.

The Global Anglican — Vol 135, issue 4

From Church Society:

“The latest edition of The Global Anglican, our quarterly theological journal, is now published. Issue 135/4 includes Peter Jensen’s editorial, ‘Where is the True Church?’ in which he examines the relationship between local churches, denominations and the true church of Christ.”

From the archives: Broughton Knox on Propositional Revelation, the Only Revelation

“For some time now it has been fashionable to deny what is called ‘propositional revelation’. The term has been coined by those who are opposed to the concept, and by it they appear to mean that revelation is not given to us by God in the form of truths couched in words, or propositions, but that all the revelation that God has given has come to us primarily as acts and events. …”

– It’s never a bad time to be reminded that, in Scripture, God speaks.

Read Dr Broughton Knox’s article in our Resources section.

Roman Catholicism as a “Temptation” for Evangelical Theology

“The Presidential Address at the Evangelical Theological Society is a helpful barometer to measure where the wind blows in North American evangelical theology. This year (on November 16), President Al Mohler dedicated his address at the 73rd annual convention in Fort Worth, Texas, to the four temptations for contemporary evangelical theology.

In Mohler’s view, present-day evangelical theology faces these temptations: Fundamentalism, Atheism, Roman Catholicism, and Liberalism.

These words are not to be taken lightly; the trajectory of evangelical theology has not always been peaceful. What is interesting is to understand the main dangers surrounding it.

Let me briefly comment on three temptations and then focus on Roman Catholicism…”

– At Vatican Files, Leonardo De Chirico is thankful for Albert Mohler’s clarity.

(Link via Tim Challies.)

Article XIX of The Thirty Nine Articles.

Priscilla & Aquila Conference 2022 — The one another commands

Peter Orr is the keynote speaker at the 2022 P&A Conference at Moore College on 31 January. (Also via livestream.)

Recently, The Australian Church Record asked P&A Director Jane Tooher what to expect. There’s a lot planned, including ten afternoon electives.

Driscoll, Schaeffer, and Packer on the Size of your Church and the Idolatry of your Heart

Just in time for Sunday, three thought-provoking quotes, via Justin Taylor.

He also mentions the excellent “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome” by Kent & Barbara Hughes.

Photo of J I Packer courtesy Crossway.

The Latest Evangelical Convert to Rome. What Does Rome Have to Offer?

“I am not English, nor Anglican, but the story of the conversion of the former Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali to Catholicism struck me.

He is not the first evangelical Anglican to become Roman Catholic, and he probably will not be the last. He stands on a tradition that has important antecedents like the conversion to Rome of John Henry Newman (1801-1890) and many more.

However, Nazir-Ali was a well-known evangelical Anglican who belonged to the ‘evangelical’ family and was a respected voice in that world.…”

– At The Vatican Files, Leonardo De Chirico, who understands the Roman Catholic Church better than most, has some reflections on the recent announcement by Michael Nazir-Ali.

The glory of the incarnation

“As we approach this Christmas season, with the backdrop of a pandemic that has ravaged many people and communities, we ought to stop and ponder afresh the glory of the incarnation.

With people in churches, and those we meet who are caught up with the ‘spirit of the Christmas season’, we often neglect to see just how special it is that at exactly the right moment in history, God actually ‘tabernacles’ (cf. Exod 32-40) among us.

It’s why I think John’s prologue (John 1:1-18) is such a wonderful prompt to really take stock of the true meaning of Christmas. …”

– Ben George writes at The Australian Church Record.