Authority: God’s Good and Dangerous Gift
Posted on October 4, 2016
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Authority: God’s Good and Dangerous Gift – that’s the theme for the latest 9Marks Journal, just released.
Why I’m Complementarian
Posted on October 4, 2016
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“None of us are called to be ‘complementarian’, but we are called to live in response to God’s freeing word as the person that we are, and we are called to be a Christian man or a Christian woman. Because each calling is shaped by the other, then we end up being what is so suitably described as ‘complementarian’…”
– Jane Tooher, Director of The Priscilla and Aquila Centre at Moore College, shares why she finds ‘complementarian’ the best term to describe the relationships between men and women in Christ. She writes at Thinking of God.
Dr Bill Dumbrell (1926 – 2016) with Christ
Posted on October 3, 2016
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From Moore College:
In the late morning of Saturday 1 October, Dr Bill Dumbrell was called home into the presence of the Lord he had loved and served for more than sixty years. Dr Dumbrell was a long time lecturer at Moore and Vice Principal from 1975 until 1984.
Dr William J Dumbrell was born in 1926, was converted when he was twenty-five in 1951 and began his studies at Moore Theological College four years later, and took out a BD externally from the University of London with First Class Honours in 1961. He later earned an MTh from the same university in 1966 and a ThD from Harvard University in 1970.
He was ordained in 1956 and served in churches in Parramatta and Ermington before lecturing at Moore College from 1963–66. Upon his return from Harvard, he lectured at Moore College in Old Testament from 1971 to 1984 and was Vice Principal from 1975–84. He then taught at Regent College, Vancouver, from 1984–88, before returning to teach at Moore College from 1988–1994.
Bill and Norma then left for missionary service in Singapore, where Bill taught at Trinity College. Bill has been a prolific author of books and articles, including Covenant and Creation: An Old Testament Covenantal Theology (Exeter: Paternoster, 1984; 2nd edn 2013); The Faith of Israel: Its Expression in the Books of the Old Testament (Leicester: IVP, 1988; 2nd edn 2002); and The Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994). Bill is survived by his wife Norma and his adult children, David, Ian, Grace, Naomi, and 6 grandchildren.
Moore Theological College Principal, Dr Mark Thompson, commented on his passing with this tribute:
“Bill Dumbrell has been a teacher, mentor and friend to many. His enormous impact as a biblical exegete, theologian and minister of the gospel is felt throughout the world. Those of us who have had the privilege of being taught by him have much for which we can thank God. Alongside his highly respected contributions in the area of Old Testament studies, his theological acuity more generally, and his sense of humour and unique personality, his commitment above all else to the Lord Jesus and his gospel will leave an enduring mark on all of us. His prayerful interest in, and deep love of Moore College, right from those early days as a student through his time as Vice Principal in the 70s and 80s and into his retirement, was undoubted. It was most definitely reciprocated. If there were such a thing as a ‘Number One Borrower’ card at the Moore College library, it would undoubtedly be held by Bill. At the time of his call home to be with the Lord he had been a dearly loved and respected member of the Moore College community for more than sixty years.
One of Bill’s enduring concerns was the unity of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, a unity to be found in the idea of God’s unfolding covenant. He would emphasise again and again that this began at creation and not just at Genesis 12! His contributions in this area revolutionised the thinking of many and continues to be drawn upon by scholars, students and pastors across the world. Yet Bill had so much more to say as well, writing on many books of the New Testament as well as the Old Testament and theological themes such as eschatology. His memorable Annual Moore College Lectures, delivered in 1983 and later published as The End of the Beginning: Revelation 21–22 and the Old Testament (Sydney: Lancer, 1985), were the first I ever heard and they shook the foundations and stretched the mind of more than just this single first year student.
My initial interview to come to Moore College as a student was with Bill Dumbrell in 1982. I remember thinking at the time that he was more nervous than I was. That, of course, wasn’t true, but he was certainly able to put me at ease. Later, when he returned from study leave in Canada, I discovered his lectures were a unique experience, full of gems even if the structure wasn’t always visible. His humour was memorable. One group of students a couple of years later purged the tapes of his lectures that year of all substance and kept just the jokes and asides, labelling it ‘The Best of Bill’. We all knew we were in the presence of a very fine mind but he was always deeply engaging as just ‘Bill’. He could certainly argue his position strongly and took no prisoners in debate, but he was genuinely concerned for the students he had the opportunity to teach and shape as gospel men and women of the future.
Bill now enjoys the presence of the Lord he served throughout his life and though we grieve his loss to us, and especially to Norma and their family, we rejoice that he is safe in the care of the one who has loved him from eternity.”
Others have reflected on Dr Dumbrell and his impact. We feature some of these comments here.
Dr Paul Barnett, Former Bishop of North Sydney and Emeritus Faculty member:
“Like many others I owe a great debt of gratitude to Bill Dumbrell. He was my first teacher of Greek and later as Dean of Regent College, Vancouver extended the invitation that began a thirty year association with that distinguished hall of learning. Bill was a clever and good man, a devoted servant of Jesus.”
Dr Andrew Shead, Head of Old Testament, Moore College:
“Bill Dumbrell was unparalleled in his ability to master the trees and the forest simultaneously, combining knowledge of numerous languages and fine details of the text with a sweeping theological perceptiveness that spanned the extent of Scripture. He was a highly original and adventurous thinker, who never allowed age to set him in his ways. In particular, his work on covenant has helped to shape the thinking of generations of biblical theologians around the world. Bill’s air of the absent-minded professor could not hide his sharp wit or his interest in people, which made him a much loved teacher, colleague and friend.”
Dr Bill Dumbrell’s funeral will be held at St Philip’s Caringbah (402 Port Hacking Road), on this Wednesday 5 October at 1:30pm.
– Reproduced with permission from Moore Theological College.
Moore College Faculty, circa 1985. Dr. Dumbrell arrowed. Click for a larger version. Photo: Moore College. Top photo courtesy Baker Publishing.
Here’s a sermon on Luke 19:41-42 preached by Dr. Dumbrell at Moore College Chapel in 1986.
Bishops begin historic Canterbury-Rome ‘pilgrimage’
Posted on October 3, 2016
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“Thirty-six Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops from 19 countries are in Canterbury at the start of an historic week-long summit marking closer ties between the two traditions. Events will include a service in Rome on Wednesday (October 5) jointly led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis at which the bishops will be formally commissioned to work together in pairs.
Services at Canterbury Cathedral over the weekend have illustrated the deepening relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. On Saturday the Suffragan Bishop in Europe, David Hamid, delivered the homily at a Catholic Vigil Mass in the cathedral’s Undercroft. …”
– So much for the truths rediscovered at the Reformation. Emphasis added. Report and photos from the Anglican Communion News Service.
Related: Adam4d.
ACL Pre-Synod Briefing — TONIGHT Wednesday 5th October
Posted on October 3, 2016
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Pre-Synod Briefing, This Wednesday 5th October, 6:30 – 8:00pm at Chapter House.
As a service to the Synod, the ACL is holding a Pre-Synod Briefing for Synod members.
The Rev Craig Roberts, Rector of St Augustine’s Neutral Bay, Standing Committee member, and ACL Vice-President, will discuss the main issues for this year’s Synod.
Download your invitation here.
The Synod Survival Guide — got your copy?
Posted on October 3, 2016
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New to Synod? The Synod Survival Guide (4th edition), by Robert Tong is an invaluable help to make sense of it all.
Presented by the ACL as a service to the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, you can download your PDF copy here.
Some of Victoria’s ‘inherent requirements’ amendments may be unconstitutional
Posted on October 2, 2016
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“The Victorian Government introduced the Equal Opportunity Amendment (Religious Exceptions) Bill 2016 into its Parliament on 30 August 2016. It has passed the Legislative Assembly without amendment, and is presently before the Legislative Council. …
I have commented in a previous post as to why I think this is poor legislation from a policy perspective. In that previous post I briefly noted that an argument could be made that some of the amendments, at least, would be unconstitutional. Since that previous post I have looked into the area further and am fairly sure that this is the case. Here I want to develop the case a bit further. …”
– In his latest post at Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster sheds light on the proposed Victorian bill.
GAFCON Chairman’s letter, September 2016
Posted on October 2, 2016
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“My dear people of God,
As I write, GAFCON is about to launch a project which I believe will be very significant for the future of the Anglican Communion. Under the leadership of Director Dr Samson Mwaluda, the recently retired Bishop of Taita Taveta in Kenya, the GAFCON Bishops Training Institute begins its first conference in Nairobi on 29th September for some twenty recently consecrated bishops drawn from GAFCON affiliated provinces. We already have a waiting list for our next conference!…”
– Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council, shares some encouraging news in his latest pastoral letter.
Confident Disciple Making for Tasmania
Posted on October 1, 2016
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The Diocese of Tasmania is running an event to equip church members in Confident Disciple Making – in Hobart, on 29th October. Colin Marshall is the keynote speaker.
From Bishop Richard Condie:
“Making disciples is our great task, set for us by none other than the Lord Jesus himself. But the task is challenging, especially in our present time. We need help and assistance to know how we are going to do it effectively and confidently.”
Presbyterian Moderator General reports on the General Assembly
Posted on September 30, 2016
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“The triennial meeting of the General Assembly of Australia testified to our fundamental unity around the truth of God’s Word and the power of Christ’s gospel.
It’s time to reflect and review a most excellent week…”
– New Presbyterian Moderator-General John Wilson reviews the recent General Assembly of Australia.
Why ‘No Creed but the Bible’ is a lousy creed
Posted on September 30, 2016
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“First, it’s impossible not to be confessional. Everyone is confessional; now, whether it’s written and whether it’s biblical is another matter. And everyone is a theologian…
It’s always better when we’re clear on our theology, and for that nothing beats writing it down on paper. Writing does not guarantee infallibility, of course, but it does make it easier to determine whether the doctrine we’re confessing aligns with Scripture.
Second, the point of a confession of faith isn’t to put something above Scripture. The point of a confession is to ensure the public teaching of the church is as close to the teaching of Scripture as possible. When we don’t write down our theology and confess it publicly as a church, it leads not to healthy freedom but to unhealthy restriction.”
– Is it biblical for the church to use confessions of faith? How should a confession be used? What makes a good confession of faith?
At The Gospel Coalition, Jeff Robinson put these and other questions to Ligon Duncan, Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary.
Sadly, many churches seem to think creeds are outdated. It’s not too late to repent – check out:
Creeds and other affirmations of faith – from the Diocese of Sydney’s Better Gatherings.
The Athanasian Creed – from Church Society’s An English Prayer Book.
400 attend Renew Conference in Northern Powerhouse
Posted on September 30, 2016
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“The rector of a plant into an Anglican church which began in 1961 with a congregation of one plus the organist, and who is only its second rector in 55 years chaired a 30 hour Renew Anglican conference of over 400 in Leeds on September 19-20. Many of the participants were vicars, curates and ministry colleagues from over 200 churches whose average age was in the early 40’s.
William Taylor of St Helen’s Bishopsgate told the Conference: ‘I am sometimes asked whether our constituency is planning to leave the Church of England. We are not. We are, however, putting in place spiritual relationships that enable us to pursue our ministry goals of pioneering, establishing and securing Anglican evangelical local churches.’
The Renew Conference has grown by 100 people a year and moved for 2016 from the Midlands to Leeds to find a big enough venue and to support the work of Anglicans in the north of England…”
– Report in The Church of England Newspaper, via Anglican Mainstream.
(The ReNew conference is organised by Anglican Mission in England, Church Society, and Reform.
Crossway reverses decision to make ESV Bible Text permanent
Posted on September 29, 2016
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“The publisher of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible has reversed its controversial decision to finalize the text after tweaking 29 verses.
‘We have become convinced that this decision was a mistake,’ stated Crossway president and CEO Lane Dennis in an announcement released today. ‘We apologize for this and for any concern this has caused for readers of the ESV, and we want to explain what we now believe to be the way forward. Our desire, above all, is to do what is right before the Lord.’…”
– Story from Christianity Today.
The Legacy of Broughton Knox — MTC Library Day 2016
Posted on September 29, 2016
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Don’t miss this special event coming up at MooreTheological College on Saturday 29th October.
David Broughton Knox (26 December 1916 – 14 January 1994) was the long serving Principal of Moore Theological College from 1959 until 1985.
DBK is considered by many to have been hugely influential, under the Lord, in the shaping of Sydney Diocese into what it is today.
The 2016 Moore College Library Day will explore Broughton’s life and theology as well as its enduring influence on Sydney diocese and beyond.
When: Saturday 29 October, 2016, 9:15 am for 9:30 am start, 3:30 pm finish
Where: Broughton Knox Teaching Centre, Moore Theological College, 15 King Street Newtown
Registration: $40 includes coffee/tea on arrival, morning tea & lunch.
Speakers include:
- Mark Thompson
- Robert Tong
- Peter Jensen
- Robert Doyle
Who was Broughton Knox? See these tributes in our Resources section.
- David Broughton Knox – What we owe to him – by Archbishop Donald Robinson.
- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus – tribute to Broughton Knox – by Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane.
No need for a censor if we censor ourselves
Posted on September 28, 2016
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“It happened again this week. It will doubtless happen many times in the weeks and months and years to come.
A Christian dared to elaborate publicly on why he thought homosexual practice was morally wrong, and was greeted not with counter-argument or rebuttal, but outpourings of abhorrence and anger, as well as regret and apology on the part of the event organisers (that such a view had come to be to be expressed on their platform)…”
– At Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living, Tony Payne writes about the strong temptation for Christians to ‘self censor’.
Related: “Can we talk about same-sex marriage?” – Wednesday 19th October at the Centre for Christian Living.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…