Luther: The Life and Legacy

This forthcoming documentary on Martin Luther features contributions by R.C.Sproul, Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, Carl Trueman and other reformed theologians. 

It looks to be well worth promoting, and is now available for pre-order. It’s due for release in April 2017.

Sydney Anglicans Pray for Paris

St Andrew's Cathedral SydneyA special public service of sorrow and prayer for Paris, in the wake of the Black Friday attacks, will be held in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on Sunday 15th November at 3pm.

“It is difficult to comprehend the barbarity of such attacks” said the Archbishop of Sydney Dr Glenn Davies “but we mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep.”

“We pray that God in his unfailing love will comfort the people of Paris, especially those who have been injured and the families and friends who have lost loved ones.”

Premier Mike Baird will attend the service and representatives of the French Government will also be in attendance.

A French flag is already flying at half-mast at the Cathedral.

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Update: Bible Society Australia has published prayers by Dominic Steele and by Steve Cree.

Vale Ron Patfield

Moore Theological College“We note with sadness the death of Ron Patfield on Friday December 20, 2013. Ron graduated from the College in 1948. He then was used by the Lord in a succession of ministries at Wahroonga, Normanhurst, Annandale, Wentworthville, Seaforth and too many positions as locum to mention.”

– from Moore Theological College.

Support palliative care not euthanasia — NSW Council of Churches

NSW Council of ChurchesMedia release from the NSW Council of Churches:

“8 May 2013. Support palliative care not euthanasia.

The NSW Council of Churches today called on all members of the NSW Legislative Council to vote against a private member’s bill that would legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide in NSW. Read more

Sydney Anglicans VII: The value of theological education

Mark Thompson writes part seven of his series on Sydney Anglicans –

“It is hardly an exaggeration to say that you will not understand the Diocese of Sydney unless you’ve understood its theological college…”

Read it all here –

Without a doubt the single most important resource God has given to the diocese of Sydney is Moore Theological College. Opening in 1856, thanks to a marvellously generous bequest by Thomas Moore, an early settler in Sydney, it has provided theological education for the vast bulk of Sydney’s clergy over the last one hundred and fifty-six years.  Read more

Sydney Anglicans VI: An evangelical episcopate

In part six of his series on Sydney Anglicans, Mark Thompson looks at the evangelical commitment of the episcopate –

“So when we in Sydney do want to understand and explain what a bishop should be — what an evangelical Anglican bishop should be – where do we go?”

Read it all here –

The diocese of Sydney has been extraordinarily blessed with faithful leaders throughout its history. Many of these have been ordained; many of them have not. The eleven Archbishops (at first merely ‘Bishops’) of Sydney have included some of the most effective evangelical leaders in global Anglicanism. With very few exceptions, the Archbishops and Bishops of Sydney have been determinedly evangelical, theologically motivated and personally engaged in evangelistic mission. We have had much for which to give God thanks.  Read more

Sydney Anglicans V: A commitment to world mission

Mark Thompson turns to the gospel’s global concern in part five of his series on Sydney Anglicans –

“A concern to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus, whether they be down the road or across the globe, will transform how we live as Christians in a myriad of ways. Not least it will keep us from elevating to prime importance things of little consequence.”

Read it all here –

“Sydney Anglicanism is a product of the evangelical missionary movement. The same people who were vitally involved in the early days of the Church Missionary Society were involved in ensuring evangelical chaplains were sent to the young colony to preach the gospel to the convicts, settlers and indigenous people of the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit. Mission and ministry were intertwined from these early days and have remained so ever since. To this day one of the most significant annual events in the Diocese of Sydney is the week-long CMS Summer School, held in the Blue Mountains at Katoomba.  Read more

Sydney Anglicans I. Biblically confessional

What is it that makes Sydney Diocese what it is?

‘Sydney Anglicans’, as well as their friends, and critics, will find Mark Thompson’s first post in a new series helpful in understanding the ethos of the diocese –

“Those of us privileged to grow up in faith within the Anglican diocese of Sydney don’t often appreciate just what an extraordinary privilege it is. Until we travel outside the diocese, we are apt to think that this is just what Anglicanism is like everywhere. But it isn’t.”

Here’s his post:

“In this new series of posts I want to explore some of the characteristics of Sydney Anglicans. Those of us privileged to grow up in faith within the Anglican diocese of Sydney don’t often appreciate just what an extraordinary privilege it is. Until we travel outside the diocese, we are apt to think that this is just what Anglicanism is like everywhere. But it isn’t. There are many exciting examples of Anglican evangelicalism all over the world, but rarely does a diocese have that particular theological flavour. In another series of posts (which will be picked up again soon) I have sought to identify some of the key figures who have made substantial contributions to character of the diocese. Here I want to look at some of those things which, while not by any means unique to Sydney Anglicans, nevertheless are important characteristics of the diocesan ethos.  Read more

Endemic Anhedonia — Bishop Peter Brain

Wise words from Bishop Peter Brain – published on the Diocese of Armidale website:

In recent trips around the Diocese we have been taken by the blossoms of trees flowering randomly along the main roads and standing alone in the paddocks. The colours have been stunning – pinks, purples, whites abound, and in some trees colours are combined and blended. It has been a fascinating exercise to ponder how they got there. Are they the result of discarded seeds thrown from cars? or dropped by opportunistic birds? or planted near houses that no longer exist? Whatever their origin, one thing is for sure: seeds continue to grow, shoots continue to bloom and God displays His unmistakeably splendid handiwork yet again. Read more

Theses for a new reformation in the Anglican Communion

At his blog, Theological Theology, ACL President Mark Thompson contemplates “doing a Luther” for the Anglican Communion. Very helpful. He writes –

“Speaking prior to last week’s meeting of some of the Anglican Primates in Dublin, Bishop Mouneer Anis spoke of the need for a new reformation within the Anglican Communion. The failure of its current leadership to guard and proclaim the gospel, to live consistently according to the teaching of Scripture, and to discipline those who would undermine the faith and the godly lifestyle of Christians around the world, cannot go unchecked forever.

Of course we should recognise that faithful Anglicans around the world have attempted repeatedly to call the denomination back from the brink. In particular, the Global South and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (arising from GAFCON in 2008) have been crystal clear in their stand for biblical truth and for integrity in our personal and corporate lives in line with the teaching of Scripture. Yet to this point their protest, and the message they have promoted so consistently, have been steadfastly ignored. Bureaucrats from the Anglican Communion Office (amongst whom the most notorious is Canon Kenneth Kearon) have ensured a distorted version of the facts reaches the world’s media and even the church press. The false shepherds continue to protect themselves at the expense of the people of God. And so the crisis goes on.   Read more

‘All not well in Rowanland’

“Of the 38 primates who could and should be in attendance at a legitimate Primates’ Meeting, we understand some 15 are absent. The GAFCON primates AND Presiding Bishop Mouneer Anis and Archbishop John Chew are among those with more important things to do than attend a meeting and be manipulated by procedural rules that Dr. Williams will dominate.

More important, because Rowan Williams structures the meeting to control the primates and disempower them from taking any action that he doesn’t wish, and when their photographs are taken together, the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) uses that photo to announce that all is well in Rowanland.”

– The American Anglican Council’s Bishop David Anderson gives his perspective on the Dublin Primates’ meeting. Full text below —   Read more

Spiritual Warfare 101

“Several years ago I read David Powlison’s book, Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare. (Sadly, no longer in print—though I believe a second edition may be forthcoming.) I found it extremely helpful and persuasive. I took notes, and thought it might be worth posting them…”

– Justin Taylor’s notes are indeed helpful and worth reading.

New book on The Thirty-Nine Articles

Available now from Moore Books.

A new book: Defining Convictions and Decisive Commitments: The Thirty-Nine Articles in Contemporary Anglicanism – by Michael Jensen of Moore Theological College and Tom Frame St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra, is now available.

They write:

“We firmly believe that the Articles have a continuing place in the life of the Anglican Church of Australia because they deserve such a place. In our view the Articles are a treasury of wholesome doctrine and ought to serve as the basis for assessing new thinking and novel customs. We are convinced that the Articles point to a distinctly Anglican approach to theology and ecclesiology, and are worthy of close attention and sustained study. Rather than have the Articles overlooked in the hope that they might quietly fade from view, we argue that Anglicans ought to pay closer attention to the Articles.   Read more

Why I am Orthodox

Would you call yourself ‘Orthodox’? Rhys Bezzant, at Ridley College in Melbourne explains why he insists on using that label for himself –

“I am an Orthodox Christian. In a place like Melbourne, calling myself Orthodox could of course easily be misunderstood: people might think I mean Greek or Russian or Serbian Orthodox. Calling myself Orthodox is however more than tracing an ecclesiological line back to Eastern Europe.  Read more

Peter O’Brien on Hebrews — coming soon

From Don Carson’s preface to Peter O’Brien’s forthcoming commentary on Hebrews in the Pillar series –

“Among commentary readers Dr. O’Brien is doubtless best known for his commentaries on Paul’s prison epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. The volume on Ephesians, of course, is published in the Pillar series, and it has become one of the “standard” works on that letter, not least for those preparing to teach and preach the text. Here Dr. O’Brien branches outside the Pauline corpus. The most recent six years of his life have been devoted to Hebrews, a book not always easy to understand but demonstrably important for Christians who want to know how first-century believers read the old covenant Scriptures. Such inquiry is the first step in building up a profoundly biblical theology, a profoundly canonical theology. It would be difficult to find a more helpful guide than Dr. O’Brien, or a guide better endowed with his combination of competence and genial wisdom. It is a pleasure to commend this work by a dear friend.”

– It’s worth reading all of Dr Carson’s comments, in the 77 page excerpt from the book on the Westminster Books website (PDF file).

(h/t Andy Naselli via Michael Bird. Photo: Ramon Williams.)

Update: Justin Taylor writes:

“Here’s one tried and true rule of thumb for buying New Testament commentaries: If it’s written by D.A. Carson, Douglas Moo, or Peter O’Brien, buy it. It’s never failed me yet.”

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