What does the Bible say about Mary?
Posted on October 4, 2015
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From Moore College’s Priscilla and Aquila Centre:
“What does the Bible say about Mary, mother of Jesus? Is she the second Eve? Find out at the last Priscilla & Aquila Centre Evening Seminar this year. Peter Jensen, Former Archbishop of Sydney, will look into this topic.
When: Wednesday 21st October 2015 7:00 – 9:00pm
Where: 15 King Street, Newtown
Pre-registration is necessary, register online here.”
Knowing Christ
Posted on October 2, 2015
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Mark Jones, who has just written a book entitled “Knowing Christ”, speaks with J.I. Packer (who wrote the foreword for the book).
Read the foreword and watch the interview here.
‘Turnbull Govt victim of abortion lobby push to silence Troy Newman’
Posted on October 2, 2015
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“The Australian Christian Lobby has expressed concern that the Turnbull Government has acted hastily at the request of the abortion lobby to deny a visa to an American pro-life advocate…
‘Australian taxpayer money funds Planned Parenthood operations in the Asia-Pacific region and Mr Newman’s visit promises to shed light on the abortion provider’s murky activities.’…”
– strong words from the Australian Christian Lobby, who have also launched a petition calling on the Immigration Minister to reverse the decision to deny Mr Newman a visa.
From Bible Society Australia:
The SMH is reporting, “Counsel for the Commonwealth gave the undertaking not to immediately remove Mr Newman at a hearing in Melbourne before High Court justice Geoffrey Nettle on Thursday evening, at which counsel for Mr Newman sought to have the decision to bar him from Australia overturned.”
On Thursday afternoon Immigration Minister Peter Dutton agreed to not deport Newman for 24 hours.
Eternity understands the matter will be decided this afternoon.
Update: What the Aussie Media has not told you about Troy Newman – John Sandeman.
Abortion-by-phone is ‘commerce, not care’
Posted on October 1, 2015
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“The Anglican Bishop of North Sydney, Chris Edwards, says the proposal that Australian women would be able to access abortions by phone and mail smacks of a program driven by commercial concerns rather than by genuine care for people…”
– see SydneyAnglicans.net for more.
Rod Thomas consecrated Bishop of Maidstone
Posted on September 30, 2015
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“On Wednesday [23rd September], in a service led by Justin Welby at Canterbury Cathedral, Rod Thomas was consecrated as the Bishop of Maidstone. … He has been appointed to enable conservative evangelicals to flourish in the Church of England…”
– Report from Susie Leafe, the Director of Reform, via Anglican Mainstream.
See also: Rod Thomas responds to questions for the ReNEW Conference last month (video).
‘Anglican Church concerned gay marriage would force Christian wedding suppliers to cater for same-sex couples’
Posted on September 30, 2015
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“Conservative elements within Australia’s Anglican Church want new laws giving devout Christians the right to discriminate against same-sex couples, as the Federal Government pushes ahead with plans to hold a national plebiscite on the issue of gay marriage. …
The synod of the Anglican Church’s Sydney diocese will next month consider a report from a senior bishop which argues that wedding service providers should have the “religious freedom” to refuse to cater for gay couples.”
– Report on ABC Radio’s The World Today.
Perspective on the New Perspective (2) – The Moral Centre
Posted on September 29, 2015
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“In our last post we used used Romans 4:5 as a test-case to highlight a key difference between the New Perspective and Reformed theology.
We saw that for N. T. Wright and James Dunn the ‘ungodly’ are those who are outside the covenant community and ‘justification’ means to be brought into the covenant. In this post I want to talk about some of the difficulties with this new interpretation…”
– Dr Peter Orr’s second post (first one here) on the New Perspective is worth your time to read, and is a powerful reminder of God’s glory as revealed in the gospel.
Discrimination and Opposition to Same Sex Marriage in Tasmania
Posted on September 28, 2015
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“There are press reports… that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hobart is being sued under s 17 of Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 for causing “offence” or “humiliation”.
This was alleged to have been done by the Archbishop causing to be sent to Roman Catholic schools in his diocese, a booklet outlining the church views on marriage, and in particular expressing the well-known opposition of the church to the introduction of same sex marriage…”
– Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia with some context for what’s happening in Tasmania.
Book review — Raised Forever: Jesus’ Resurrection and ours
Posted on September 28, 2015
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“…I love those moments where people get it; where they see clearly what the Bible has to say.
And because of that I love those means by which they get it. And because of that I love Rory Shiner’s raised forever.”
– David Ould is enthusiastic about Rory Shiner’s Raised Forever: Jesus’ Resurrection and ours.
(Photo: Rory Shiner, via Matthias Media.)
Gay clergy who married, running for Church of England General Synod
Posted on September 27, 2015
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“Two Anglican priests who defied Church of England rules and entered a gay marriage are to stand for election to the Church’s General Synod…”
– Premier Christian Radio reports.
Related: Andrew Symes of Anglican Mainstream warns Synod voters: some ‘evangelicals’ are not as they seem.
‘Reserve Bank governor Sir Harold Knight offered distinguished service in war and peace’
Posted on September 26, 2015
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“Sir Harold Murray Knight KBE, DSC was an Australian economist, best known as the third governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, serving from 1975 to 1982. …
Though his career in central banking featured prominently in his life and demanded much of his time, “it was not what motivated him or gave his life meaning,” his son, Dr Andrew Knight, said. His strong, personal Christian faith drove his core values and led him to devote decades of leadership to the Scripture Union, the Crusader Union, the Bible Society and the Anglican Church.”
– The Sydney Morning Herald has published this obituary of Sir Harold Knight.
(Image: Portrait of Sir Harold Knight by Bill Leak from the RBA Collection via SydneyAnglicans.net.)
Archbishop Welby, What will you do about it?
Posted on September 26, 2015
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“I’m not fond of litigation. I take our witness to the world very seriously, and the damage to that witness from Christians suing each other is serious. And even though my former profession as a criminal prosecutor put me in the position of litigating daily in the courts, I would much prefer followers of Jesus Christ being able to follow 1 Corinthians 6 and work out their disagreements within the Church, through church or secular sponsored arbitration services and negotiated settlements.
I cannot, however, let the injustice pass that occurred in the oral arguments before the South Carolina Supreme Court, between the Diocese of South Carolina (Bishop Mark Lawrence) and The Episcopal Church (TEC.)…”
– The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey is disturbed by the latest legal action in South Carolina, and wonders what the Archbishop of Canterbury will say to the TEC Presiding Bishop at the Primates’ gathering in January.
The Pope’s speech to US Congress: ‘Nothing explicitly Christian’
Posted on September 26, 2015
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“I just finished listening to the Pope’s speech to Congress from earlier today. There is no question that the occasion was historic – the first time ever that a Pope has delivered such an address. …
Nevertheless, even though the speech was historic, it was also a disappointment – not so much for what he did say but for what he didn’t say…”
– Denny Burk has some reflections.
Multi-Ethnic Churches: 9Marks Journal
Posted on September 25, 2015
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The latest 9Marks Journal is now available for free download. The theme of this issue is Multi-ethnic Churches.
From Editor Jonathan Leeman:
“Satan has always loved to exploit the lines of ethnic division. Think of how the Egyptians in Exodus hold the Jews in contempt. Or how the brand new Jerusalem church, price sticker still on the backseat window, divides in Acts 6 between Greek-speaking and Hebrew-speaking Jews.
So churches today too often mimic their host culture’s ethnic rivalries, whether in South Africa, India, or America. Or at least, too often they forget they possess a resource for overcoming racial or ethnic strife that the world does not have: the gospel.”
How to be Moral without being a Moralist
Posted on September 25, 2015
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“Nobody likes a wowser. But then again, it’s strange how modern life is full of things we’re not allowed to do, eat, drink or say (no sugar, no carbon, no sexism, no GM foods, and of course no religious people telling us what to do).
What do you think Jesus would say about all this?
Is it possible to be genuinely moral and seek to do what is good and right, without becoming a legalistic scold (like his most bitter opponents, the Pharisees)?…”
– Moore College’s Peter Bolt is speaking at two Centre for Christian Living events – one at Wollongong 0n Thursday 22nd October, and the other at the College on Wednesday 28th October. (Photo: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
Also coming up at Moore College:
Ray Galea is leading this year’s third Advancing Your Preaching Workshop on Tuesday 6th October.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…