The King?

“On that first Palm Sunday there were joy, acclamation, and tears. Yet, five days later the unthinkable occurred: Jesus was put to death by crucifixion. The contrast between the first Palm Sunday when crowds acclaimed Jesus as king and the day he was strung up on a cross, could not have been more stark. …”

– John Mason reflects on the twin themes of Palm Sunday and Good Friday – at The Anglican Connection.

Why it’s not enough to be a ‘Bible teaching Church’

“When my appointment to St Andrew’s Cathedral was announced about 18 months ago, a godly old Methodist minister wrote to me. He kindly thanked me for my ministry in Wollongong but added this note of caution: ‘Don’t let your boast be, “We are a Bible teaching church”. But rather, like St Paul… “We preach Christ, and him crucified”.’

Was my older Methodist colleague right? …”

– Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

(Also published in the current Southern Cross magazine.)

Boldy and unapologetically trembling at God’s word – with Phil Colgan and Paul Grimmond

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“We are not called to be entertainers, but preachers.  How might we as individuals and as leaders of God’s people tremble before him? And are we going soft on this?

What is the connection between the text and the preacher? As a preacher, how long since you have been rebuked and repented? How has your world view has been challenged recently?

Paul Grimmond is Dean of Students at Sydney’s Moore Theological College.

Phil Coglan is senior pastor at Sydney’s St George North Anglican Church.”

– Watch or listen here.

Moore College welcomes back Peter Jensen to launch his latest book on The Life of Faith

“On Tuesday night Matthias Media held a book launch for Peter Jensen’s new book The Life of Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine at Moore College. The event was a resounding success, drawing an engaged and enthusiastic audience of over 80 people.

Peter’s book is the fruit of his more than thirty years of teaching Christian doctrine. Many graduates during Peter’s time as Principal of Moore College can testify to the brilliance of his teaching and the invaluable resource his lecture notes have been over the years. These are now, freshly edited, available more widely. …”

– Full report and photos at the Moore College website.

Photo: Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, Carmelina Read and Archbishop Peter Jensen with the new book. Courtesy Moore College.

Complementarian Ministry in small group leadership – with Kara Hartley and Tony Payne

This week on The Pastor’s Heart:

“How do we work together in complementarian ministry as we lead small group bible studies/growth groups/community groups

Small groups are the heart beats of our churches, where we wrestle together on how God might have us live.

Most groups have a male and female leadership paired together in leadership. But how do those two people work together?…”

– Kara Hartley and Tony Payne discuss with Dominic Steele.

See also last week’s discussion, where Dominic speaks with Bishop Robert Forsyth and Assoc Professor Neil Foster:

– Supreme Court clears pastor of defamation.

The Life of Faith — by Peter Jensen

New from Matthias Media, The Life of Faith by Peter Jensen.

“An introductory-level systematic theology from one of the evangelical world’s most influential theologians, perfect for the keen layperson but with enough depth and stimulation to be relevant and interesting for full-time gospel workers.

The Life of Faith sits within the tradition of books like In Understanding Be Men by TC Hammond and Concise Theology by JI Packer, written for today’s audience.”

We’re sure there’ll be much more said about this book which will be launched at Moore College on Tuesday 14th March, but is available to order now.

See the Matthias Media website for all the details.

Also see the Recommendations, including this one from William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in, London –

“This is a magnificent book. There is gold on every page. For those who benefitted from the blessing of being taught by Peter Jensen at Moore College it will be a must-have – if only to remind of privileges once enjoyed. Those who missed such riches now can play catch up. Knowledge of God is the beautiful theme – through the Scriptures, in salvation, as Lord and by faith.

This is no dry textbook. Every page drives towards practical knowledge of the living God. It will fill your mind, delight your soul and, above all, enrich your relationship with God.”

How can we bless what God detests?

“Arguments against the use of Leviticus 18 in any serious discussion in the church about same-sex relationships have become so commonplace as to feature in everything from Radio 4’s The News Quiz to Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing.

If we want to argue that homosexual sexual activity is wrong, the argument goes, we must stop eating prawn sandwiches, put people to death for working on the Sabbath, and get rid of any polycotton garments we might own.

And yet, even a quick glance at the chapter in question will show that none of those things are mentioned. In fact, the list of things prohibited in Leviticus 18 is rather more sinister: various forms of incest, child sacrifice and bestiality. I wonder whether President Bartlet would have been happy to make those things legal. I certainly doubt that Bishop Stephen Croft would want to support them, despite his willingness to use the argument of President Bartlet his recent publication Together in Love and Faith (p31-32).

I suggest that we need to take a clearer look at (i) the place of the Old Testament law in Christian ethics and (ii) the particular context of Leviticus 18, rather than rely on the tired lines of stand-up comedians and political satire. …”

– This was written in December 2022, after the Bishop of Oxford had released his booklet endorsing same-sex marriage. Church Society’s Associate Director, Dr. Ros Clarke addresses the big question behind the call for the church to bless same-sex relationships.

In her conclusion she asks,

“How can we tell people that something God has said will lead to death, will actually lead to life? How could we be so wicked as to lie about something so important? How could we hope to avoid God’s judgment on us for knowingly leading people astray?”

Sydney Church History — repost

We first posted this link in August 2020. As CMS Summer School at Katoomba concludes for 2023, here are even more reasons to give thanks to God:

“In 1965 John Stott, the Rector of All Souls Langham Place in London, visited Sydney to preach on 2 Corinthians at the CMS Summer School.

‘I heard only one of those Bible studies but I was so taken by the way he stuck to the text and stayed with it. He could show you the logic of the argument in the Scriptures, prior to that I had tended to get an idea from the passage and to leap all over the Bible supporting the idea from other parts, so that the people I taught knew the ‘idea’ but not the passage from which it came or how that passage fitted into some overall argument from the Scriptures. It is to John Stott I owe what ability I have to expound the Bible.’

Those were the words of the esteemed Sydney evangelist and preacher, the late John Chapman…”

– David Cook writes to remind us of our history, and how God works. At The Expository Preaching Trust.

(David Cook has served in parish ministry, as the Principal of SMBC, and as the Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.)

P&A 2023 annual conference: Lazy Complementarianism

Coming up at the Priscilla & Aquila Centre at Moore College.

Pope Benedict XVI — His Life and Legacy

“According to Benedict, the evangelical understanding of the church is a ‘new concept’ whereby the church is only a community summoned by the Word. Benedict looked at evangelicals with a mixture of spiritual curiosity and Roman perplexity.

Benedict did have a high view of Scripture, and his last books were focused on the life of Jesus according to the historical accounts of the Gospels. Yet we must understand his true position. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition, Leonardo De Chirico reflects on the life of Pope Benedict.

See also:

Remembering Benedict XVI – Carl Trueman at WORLD.

“A deeply learned theologian rather than a philosopher, Benedict made signal contributions to thinking about the nature of the secular world. Indeed, though many of his most significant intellectual contributions predate his papacy (2005-2013), the accuracy of so many of his observations and analyses has given his work a mantic quality.”

The Coming of the Holy Spirit — new book from Phillip Jensen

From Matthias Media:

“When we seek to understand the person and work of God’s Spirit, we are often so concerned with personal theories or current controversies that we fail to listen carefully to what God himself teaches in the Scriptures.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit begins with the very centre of what the Bible teaches about the Spirit: Jesus will fulfil the Old Testament prophecies and pour out the Holy Spirit on his people.

The book explores the five promises of Jesus about the Spirit in John 14-17 and then traces the fulfilment of those promises through the rest of the New Testament—in the Pentecostal outpouring of Acts 2, the progress of the Holy Spirit’s world mission throughout Acts, and the ongoing work of the Spirit in initiating, continuing and completing the Christian life in all its dimensions (personal and corporate).

In this important and unique work, Phillip Jensen draws on a lifetime of biblical exegesis and preaching to unfold not only the depth and richness of the Bible’s teaching about the Spirit, but its centre and emphasis. Having done this important work, he then goes on to deal with many of the secondary issues that have often dominated our discussion of the Spirit.”

– Read more here.

Totalitarianism vs. Human Dignity

In his The Briefing for Thursday 1st December 2022, Dr Albert Mohler looks at current examples of Totalitarianism. What do they have in common?

And he explores what makes modern totalitarian states more totalitarian than their predecessors.

– Listen or read here.

Baptists haven’t sold their soul, they are following God’s heart

“No, Baptists have not sold their soul over same-sex marriage. What they have chosen is faithfulness to God and upholding gospel unity.

New South Wales Baptists have reaffirmed the Bible’s teaching on marriage and are following Jesus’ teaching on human sexuality. They have also reaffirmed the importance of the Baptist doctrine basis by requiring accredited pastors and churches to affirm these statements. …”

– At the time, we missed this development from the week before last. Murray Campbell in Melbourne looks at news from NSW.

Expect the Unexpected

“We should not be taken by surprise by the rise and fall of nations as well as seismic and climatic events.

As Paul the Apostle writes in Romans chapter 8, verses 21 and 22, the present creation is subject to decay and groans in travail awaiting the day when we will enjoy the perfect fulfilment of all God’s promises.

Why is it that we live with our eyes so focused on life now that we fail to walk in the light and wisdom of the Lord?…”

– In his Word on Wednesday devotion for today, John Mason may or may not have had the US mid-term elections at the back of his mind. Either way, what he writes at Anglican Connection is relevamt for all.

Together in Love & Faith? Should the Church Bless Same-Sex Partnerships? A Response to the Bishop of Oxford

From The Latimer Trust in the UK, here’s a very helpful response from Vaughan Roberts to the announcement from the Bishop of Oxford that he now supports the blessing of same-sex relationships.

The Latimer Trust:

“Writing from his own experience of same-sex attraction, Vaughan Roberts responds to the Bishop of Oxford’s argument that the Church of England should change its doctrine and practice in relation to same-sex relationships. Read more

← Previous Page — Next Page →