Packer’s testimony to the reality of weakness
Dr J I Packer speaks about his experience of weakness in this short video to introduce his forthcoming book on 2 Corinthians, Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength.
h/t Justin Taylor.
The Parable(s) of the Lost Sheep
Dr Barry Newman continues to blog about well-known Bible passages, and he’s just finished writing on The Parable(s) of the Lost Sheep. Helpful for preachers and anyone wanting to tease out the meaning of Scripture.
“The parable of the lost sheep, that wonderful story told to so many Sunday School children over the centuries, is not as innocent and lovely as it might first appear. …
The parable is recorded in two of the Gospels: Matthew 18:10-14 and Luke 15:3-7.”
Download his series as a PDF file here.
The Truth of the Cross — free eBook
Ligonier Ministries is giving away the eBook edition of R.C. Sproul’s The Truth of the Cross.
“an uncompromising reminder that the atonement of Christ is an absolutely essential doctrine of the Christian faith…”
Register at their website to download a free copy – or get the Kindle version free from Amazon (just check the free offer is still valid at Amazon).
Toward a Biblical Theology of Marriage
John Richardson in the UK has been exploring a Biblical Theology of Marriage. Here are his posts to date –
Toward a Biblical Theology of Marriage – Old Testament
Toward a Biblical Theology of Marriage – New Testament (1)
Toward a Biblical Theology of Marriage – New Testament (2)
Worth checking out – at The Ugley Vicar.
Strengthening the Churches: William Taylor on Acts
In a newly posted video, William Taylor at St. Helen’s in London speaks about Paul’s passion in Acts for planting and building churches.
He says it has changed his thinking about ministry and church planting. Runs for 14 minutes on Vimeo.
The greatest of all Protestant ‘heresies’?
“Let us begin with a church history exam question.
Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a figure not to be taken lightly. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of the most able figures in the Counter-Reformation movement within sixteenth-century Roman Catholicism.
On one occasion, he wrote: ‘The greatest of all Protestant heresies is _______ .’ Complete, explain, and discuss Bellarmine’s statement. How would you answer? What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies?…”
– See Sinclair Ferguson’s article at Ligonier Ministries.
Why does preaching matter?
St. Helen’s Bishopsgate has added two more interviews in its Preaching Matters video series –
Sydney’s Gavin Perkins is asked about the place of preaching in the church, and Paul Clarke from St. Helen’s speaks about Preaching Evangelistically.
Be edified and watch them both!
Understanding the Parable of the Tenants
Barry Newman’s latest project has been to blog his way through the Parable of the Tenants.
You can now read his completed series here. (PDF)
Using Biblical words in Biblical ways
“Two decades ago, one of my lecturers at Moore Theological College was a great example of the practice I spoke about on Wednesday: using biblical words and concepts in biblical ways.
David Peterson made us aware that inadequate attention was paid in much Christian theology to the use of holiness terminology in the New Testament and specifically regarding sanctification. …”
– Sandy Grant asks David Peterson about Sanctification – at The Briefing.
As Christ is to His church
St. Helen’s Bishopsgate has published a four-minute video excerpt from William Taylor’s sermon on Marriage and Relationships last weekend, addressing Steve Chalke’s recent statements on same sex unions.
Richard Coekin also addressed the topic last Sunday morning at Dundonald Church in London. (“Is Steve Chalke wrong? Marriage Divorce & Celibacy.”)
Sword of the Spirit — True Spirituality
The Australia Day Convention is coming up on Monday 28th January at the Cathedral.
“The person and work of the Holy Spirit is so important and so misunderstood that instead of doing 1 convention on this topic, we thought we’d do 3! In 2013, Australia Day Convention VI, Easter Convention, and Queen’s Birthday Convention VI will become a trilogy on the Holy Spirit.” Details here.
‘It is no empty word for you, but your very life’ (Deut. 32:47)
At Theological Theology, Peter Bolt, Head of New Testament at Moore College, presents his third and final post responding to recent publications on women preaching to mixed congregations of men and women.
What’s happening to our preaching?
“On Boxing Day 2012, a series of electronic booklets called “Fresh Perspectives on Women in Ministry” was released by Zondervan. One of these booklets was written by John Dickson, a highly respected Australian evangelist, writer, researcher and Anglican minister…
In light of these claims, we need to do whatever we can to promote gospel unity and avoid an unnecessary “taking of sides”.”
– Lionel Windsor writes a brief initial response to one of the three e-books recently published by Zondervan.
Rescuing the Baby from the Bilgewater
Peter Bolt continues his response to recent publications on women preaching to mixed congregations of men and women.
“How do you talk about a ‘prohibition’ in God’s good economy in which he always commands what is good for us? Grammatically, a prohibition is simply saying ‘don’t do it!’, but what is the force of this ‘No!’ when it comes from our loving Creator who has graciously redeemed us in Christ in order for the universe to ring out with his ‘Yes!’?…”
– There’s plenty of food for thought in this post at Theological Theology.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Feeling Blue?
Mark Thompson writes: “Following the interest in yesterday’s posting on the preaching question, and in preparation for more detailed work to be done in the future, here is a initial contribution from guest blogger, Peter Bolt.”
“With three short e-books downloadable from Christmas Day, Zondervan has released a new series, ‘Fresh Perspectives on Women in Ministry’. Well, even the authors admit there is nothing really fresh here, but ‘Regifted Perspectives …’.
Since these three booklets have been released in the public sphere, they deserve the more considered critique which will follow in kind, that is, in the same public sphere in which any proper discussion of ideas must take place. However, since discussion has already begun in the subterranean depths of the online realms, and since two of the three e-authors who have come up for air in this series, John Dickson and Michael Bird, are my fellow Aussies with whom I share no little history, some interim and quick responses may be appropriate in these dark realms as well! My thanks go to Mark for allowing me several pieces of his blog-time across the next little while.
Each of these pamphlets seek to entangle their readers in what has been identified as a ‘Shift Story’. … This personal journey tells of a shift from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B’: ‘I used to believe that, but now I believe this’. …”
– read it all at Theological Theology.
(Dr. Peter Bolt is Head of the New Testament Department at Moore College.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…