Challenging the C of E to believe that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’
“It’s not often that there’s a good Christian article in the otherwise secular press. But today’s Thunderer in The Times is an exception to the rule.”
– Adrian Reynolds writes at the Proclamation Trust.
Why can’t the voice of Christians be heard?
“So, it has come to this! For more than 1,500 years, Christianity has formed and undergirded the public law of this land.
Now, the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice, by disciplining Richard Page JP, have declared war on even residual notions of the faith having any place in our legal processes…”
– Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali comments on the disciplining of a British magistrate.
Related:
Is glorifying God a hate crime now? – Russell Moore on the firing of Atlanta’s Fire Chief.
“Now, I don’t expect the American people to enroll in Sunday school en masse to understand biblical references (although we’d be glad to have you).
I do expect that when we are castigating and caricaturing and firing each other that we will do so with at least some inkling of what we’re talking about.”
‘Christian publishing long overdue for reformation’
“More than two years ago, I wrote an article titled “The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine,” critiquing the insanely popular I-Saw-Heaven-and-Here’s-What-It’s-Like genre of Christian best sellers. We posted that article on the Grace to You blog in anticipation of a revised and expanded edition of John MacArthur’s The Glory of Heaven…”
– Phil Johnson writes about the fuss concerning The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven.
Related:
What did you see while you were in heaven? – Adam Ford. (h/t Tim Challies.)
‘The Boy Who came back from Heaven’ recants story – ACL.
Worthy of double honour — Expository advocating
“Paul was telling the truth when he said that preaching the gospel is folly, but he also says, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” (1 Cor 1:27).
A commitment to expository preaching takes a firm belief in the power of God’s Word and a humble recognition that the God-appointed means of preaching is better than whatever impressive or efficient model we might devise. God will build his church through expository preaching, and it takes a committed fool to believe it and do it…”
– encouragement from the Southern Blog.
‘An Excellent Documentary on Exodus’
Both Andy Naselli and Joe Carter draw attention to an upcoming documentary on Exodus. Each of them has a link to the trailer.
The murders at Charlie Hebdo: are we really Charlie?
“It feels like we are at war. Doesn’t the flood of reaction to the mass murders at Charlie Hebdo, especially over recent days, look like a drawing-together before a common enemy? The ‘I am Charlie Hebdo’ mantra implies unanimity, a very clear sense of ‘us’: this was a war-crime by ‘them’ against all of ‘us’. …
But who is the ‘us’ and who is the ‘them’?…”
– Mike Ovey in London writes this opinion-piece on the Oak Hill blog.
Using Charlie Hebdo to attack Christianity
“You could almost hear the collective groan throughout the Western World: “Oh no, here we go again,” as reports came in of yet another massacre done in the name of militant Islam.
Without even reading the newspapers you know that the responses will be the same – people demonstrating in solidarity, governments and columnists telling us not to demonize all Muslims and a general sense of outrage being exploited by various right wing groups.
All understandable. However I have been surprised by another aspect that shows a more complex and worrying side to our society…”
– David Robertson (Minister at St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee) is currently in Oz. He shares his observations of some responses to the Paris terrorist attack.
Theological extremism in a Secular age
“One of the fundamental problems among Western elites is that they cannot understand a theological worldview – particularly the theological worldview of Islam. Being basically rational and secular in their own worldview, Western elites find it almost impossible to understand the radical actions taken by Islamic terrorists…”
– Albert Mohler looks at the motivation for the attacks in Paris, and notes that there is no warrant “for Christians to enter into any kind of irresponsible and intentionally offensive form of satire”.
When big is not beautiful
“To evaluate any piece of evangelism there are some questions which need to be asked:
1. Were there outsiders present?
2. Was the gospel truly preached?
3. Was it preached in categories which could be readily understood by those who were listening?
4. Were people able to listen with ease, or did the ‘atmosphere’ inhibit listening?
Over the last couple of years, I have spoken at several meetings where the large number of people present, in my opinion, has inhibited people’s ability to listen to the gospel with ease…”
– Originally published in The Briefing back in 1990, this wisdom from John Chapman is as helpful as ever. Thank God for Chappo.
Lord Carey ‘wrong to support State-sanctioned suicide’
“Apparently the UK is ‘closer than ever’ to introducing legislation which will permit the terminally ill to end their lives at a time and place of their choosing. Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill simply will not die: it is deemed to be the virtuous and noble solution to the problem of unbearable suffering; the only ethical and justly moral response to a heartless society which insists on sustaining lives which simply no longer wish to be lived. We treat dogs better.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey is amongst the signatories to a letter demanding that the political parties pledge to giving this Bill parliamentary time after the General Election, in order that the issue might be finally resolved. By “resolved”, they mean, of course, that the Bill must be passed, or the issue has not been “resolved” to their liking and will simply need to be revisited until Parliament votes correctly. The only settled conclusion that is acceptable is the one which concludes a settlement in favour of ‘assisted dying’. The argument is teleological; the trajectory is locked…”
– UK Christian blogger ‘Archbishop Cranmer’ weighs in on the hot issue of ‘euthanasia’.
Related:
On the elimination of the suffering – Dr Megan Best. (SydneyAnglicans.net.)
Euthanasia lives again – Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney.
From Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower:
Euthanasia resources.
Depression, disability & ‘safe’ euthanasia.
A Response to Giddings & McKim’s euthanasia proposal.
Five reasons to plant your life in a church and stay there
“Not every pastor has the option to stay in the same church for a long time. God might call him somewhere else, a church filled with unregenerate or unresponsive members might force him to leave, or health needs of family members might dictate a move.
I do not mean to lay false guilt on those who have legitimate reasons to leave a church or go elsewhere. I do, however, mean to encourage pastors to default to staying rather than leaving, even in the face of problems. Here’s why…”
– At The Southern Blog, Hershael York encourages ministers to consider a longer pastorate.
Getting Justification by Faith right
It’s vital to understand Justification by Faith correctly.
At The Australian Church Record, Matt Olliffe seeks to clarify the issues after a response to an article he posted on the ACR website.
“This essay seeks to vindicate the teaching that according to Paul, we are not justified before God at the judgment by our faithfulness, but by faith as ‘trust’, ‘reliance’, or ‘dependence’ on God and his promises for final salvation in Christ.”
– Read it here (PDF file) from The Church Record.
First woman Bishop in the Church of England
“Downing Street have today announced that the new Bishop of Stockport – and the first woman bishop in the Church of England – will be the Revd Libby Lane, currently Vicar of St Peter’s, Hale, and St Elizabeth’s, Ashley.
As Bishop of Stockport she will serve as a suffragan (assistant) bishop in the Diocese of Chester. She will be consecrated as the 8th Bishop of Stockport at a ceremony at York Minster on Monday 26 January 2015…”
– from The Church of England. Video message from the bishop-designate.
Related: Writing as an outsider to Anglicanism, Jeremy Walker at Reformation21 asks if evangelical Anglicans need to make a stand.
Moses without the Supernatural
“What is missing is the very point of the Exodus in biblical history and theology. What is missing is the truth that God acted in history in faithfulness to the covenant he had made with Abraham, rescuing Israel from captivity in Egypt.”
– Thinking of seeing Exodus: Gods and Kings? Albert Mohler has a review.
Naive?
“The Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent remarks are once again somewhat puzzling. One question that comes to mind is whether he really believes this statement that he made: ‘I could see circumstances in which there could be people moving apart and then coming back together.’ …
The problem with looking at tertiary issues is they are often the result of more basic disagreements which in the final analysis have far more leverage on the Anglican Communion. It is my contention that the authority of Holy Scripture as noted in 2 Timothy 3:16 and the person and work of Jesus Christ are actually the primary points of disagreement, though the so-called progressive wing of the Anglican Communion, and indeed the leadership of much of the Western church will not acknowledge it. …
If Archbishop Justin Welby actually thinks that the tertiary issues ARE the issues and in the fullness of time we can all come back together, forgetting the punishment that the Episcopal Church inflicted on those members who chose to depart, and all drink tea and sing Kumbaya together, he is at best naive.”
– Bishop David C. Anderson, President and Chairman of the American Anglican Council, writes in his weekly commentary.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…