The Heart of Marriage — Loving your spouse with a Christian mind
“There is no other book on marriage like this one. It is threaded with scholarship: we see moments where the arcane world of biblical scholarship is put to very good use. It gives a basic primer in biblical anthropology—that is, in the Bible’s unexpected way of describing what it is to be human.
It uses biblical theology: rather than plucking out isolated texts and pressing them into service, Hill works with the whole counsel of God, the entire story arc of the Bible. It exhibits philosophical nuance, as he makes distinctions that helpfully change our thinking.
But all of those big-sounding things are very readable. He visits them with a light touch, using crisp sentences. And it’s woven with stories and examples. It’s a book that is good for anyone who can read at a senior-high level.”
– Andrew Cameron at Moore College reviews Dr Michael Hill’s latest book, The Heart of Marriage.
It’s available from Christian Education Publications in Sydney, Pilgrim Books in Orange and other bookshops, and can be pre-ordered in the UK from IVP.
The Gentle Temeraire
“The book is a devotional gem.
It is also a reminder that perhaps the most important voices in the church are not those of the young and the beautiful, of the middle aged who cannot accept that their teenage years are behind them, least of all of the Twittocrats who can reduce any profound and subtly beautiful truth to 140 banal and clichéd characters; instead, they are the voices of the old and the weak who know whereof they speak when it comes to the cross and suffering and weakness.”
– Read all of Carl Trueman’s commendation of J I Packer’s Weakness is the Way.
Christian Freedom
In a 9Marks Leadership Interview, Mark Dever speaks with Carl Trueman, Mike McKinley, and Andy Johnson on Christian Freedom.
The Explicit Gospel — free audiobook
This month’s free audiobook from Christian Audio is Matt Chandler’s The Explicit Gospel, published by Crossway. (The audio version is read by David Cochran Heath.)
The download is about 200MB. (There’s also an interview by Mark Dever with Matt, recorded in Sydney in 2009 on the link page.)
Free eBook: Berkhof’s Systematic Theology
Louis Berkhof’s classic theology text is now freely, and legally, available in electronic format.
Justin Taylor has the details.
Going Beyond the Cliches: Christian Reflections on Suffering and Evil
Dr Don Carson spoke last month at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston.
“If we live long enough, we will suffer. Christians will therefore be wise if they prepare in advance for the suffering and evil they will face. This lecture does not so much attempt to ‘answer’ the problem of suffering and evil, as establish biblically faithful perspectives that enable us to think about such matters in a godly fashion, thereby forging frames of reference that strengthen us before evil days descend.”
St. Helen’s — Mark’s Gospel Tool Kit
“Andrew Sach introduces tools to help understand Mark’s Gospel in this month’s St Helen’s Training.”
– See this month’s two videos from Andrew Sach, as well as earlier overviews of Mark’s Gospel by Charlie Skrine, at the St. Helen’s website.
The (UK) same-sex couples bill – Anglican Mainstream statement
“The basic issue in the same-sex couples bill is “What is marriage?” The bill renders marriage a genderless institution since any combination of two adults will do. When a child is born there is always mother around. The question is, where is the father? The bill sends out the message that fathers are dispensable for children. It completely decouples marriage from procreation, consummation and adultery.
Once marriage is redefined and reduced to only an intimate relationship, on what logical basis could the law turn away three people who say they want to get married?”
– read the full statement from Anglican Mainstream.
Themelios Volume 38, Issue 1
The latest issue of the theological journal Themelios (Volume 38, Issue 1) was released at the end of April. A 2.4MB download – from The Gospel Coalition.
The Look
“For years, I heard C.J. Mahaney reference a John Newton hymn that began with the lines, ‘In evil long I took delight.’
Newton imagines the Savior looking down at him twice from the cross. The first look communicates our guilt and responsibility for the death of Christ. The second look assures us that this sacrifice forever secures our forgiveness before God.”
– Bob Kauflin writes about “The Look” (it’s been out for a while on Sovereign Grace Music’s “Songs for the Cross Centered Life”) – and also provides a free download.
And – much thanks to Marylynn Rouse of The John Newton Project – here is the original hymn in Newton’s own handwriting (Hymn number 309). She suspects Newton was strongly affected by hearing George Whitefield preach on “the look” of Jesus towards Peter – Newton uses it several times in Olney Hymns. She confirms, from his diary, that Newton wrote the hymn for Sunday 5 April 1778.
Going without in a time of plenty
“Joint research launched 8 May by ANGLICARE Sydney, the Samaritans Foundation and Anglicare NSW South, NSW West and ACT has revealed the extent of hardship for low income households accessing their Emergency Relief (ER) services.
Of the people surveyed who accessed these ER services, 98% were found to be food insecure and 82.2% were severely food insecure. This means that they were not sure where their next meal was coming from or they were unable to provide food for their family on a regular basis. …”
– Read it all at Anglicare Sydney.
Euthanasia lives again
“On Thursday 2nd May 2013, the NSW Greens MLC, Cate Faehrmann, introduced to the NSW Parliament’s upper house a bill to make assisted suicide legal in this State, under certain conditions. It is a private members’ bill, which she has given a speech to commend. MLCs will likely debate it again next Thursday 9th May.
The Bill will make it lawful for persons with a terminal illness who are resident in NSW to receive assistance in certain circumstances if they wish to end their life. That is, it will legalise a form of euthanasia in NSW. …”
– Andrew Cameron from the Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney draws attention to what’s happening in NSW State Parliament (PDF file).
On the same PDF file, there’s also an excellent resource – Notes on the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill 2013 – from Dr. Megan Best (pictured).
See further material relating to Euthanasia, on the SIE website – and we have links to more here.
Persecution in 1 Peter — Preaching Matters
Andrew Sach talks about the meaning of ‘fiery trials’ in 1 Peter in the latest Preach Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London.
Great for thinking about applying 1 Peter today.
‘Why Expository Preaching is a bad idea’
Albert Mohler, at a 9 Marks conference at Southern Seminary, traces the history of the loss of confidence in preaching the text of the Bible. Well worth listening.
(h/t Colin Adams.)
Opposing Euthanasia
“Euthanasia is being pushed again in NSW. There’s a lot more that could be said, but here’s what I’m sending to my local MPs…”
–Sandy Grant writes at The Briefing.
This is after news that the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill 2013 may be introduced into the Legislative Council of the NSW Parliament as a private members bill tomorrow – Thursday, 2 May 2013 – by the NSW Greens MLC, Cate Faehrmann.
(Image: Feggy Art on Flickr.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…