Themelios, April 2012

Posted on April 4, 2012 
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The latest issue of Themelios, is now available from the Gospel Coalition website in PDF and html formats.

Dr Peter O’Brien in conversation on Hebrews

Posted on April 3, 2012 
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Dr Peter O’Brien recently sat down with John Gray and Keith Baker at St. Paul’s Castle Hill for a relaxed chat about the letter to the Hebrews.

Most encouraging.

See the conversation in segments of about 5 minutes each on Vimeo –

  1. What points of similarity are there between the first readers of Hebrews and Sydney Christians today?.
  2. What should we make of the call to be certain of what we do not see?
  3. When we go through hard times, can we discern between God’s discipline and simply living in a fallen world?
  4. What does the call to follow in the suffering footsteps of Jesus mean today?
  5. In Hebrews 12, what does it mean to say the readers have come to the new Jerusalem?
  6. Who is Melchizedek?

Related:

Christian Voices in the Public Square

Posted on April 1, 2012 
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“In 2007, a furore erupted when the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney George Pell stated that Catholic MPs might face ‘consequences’ if they supported a bill that would expand stem cell research in 2007. The backlash against him was swift, with the then Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees saying he considered Cardinal Pell’s statements ‘a clear and arguably contemptuous incursion into deliberations of the elected members of Parliament’. Others accepted his entitlement to his opinion, but said he should keep out of politics.

A similar reaction emerged earlier this year around Melinda Tankard-Reist, a social commentator who opposes the sexualisation of girls and the ‘pornification’ that invades every area of public life. It was charged that her Christian background somehow disqualified her from making statements that might affect others, since any such influence would amount to her ‘imposing’ her beliefs…”

– At Moore College, Andrew Cameron gives notice of a Centre for Christian Living Open Night on Monday April 2nd.

A reminder to pray for those in authority

Posted on April 1, 2012 
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“For our devotions before our meeting this morning we read 1 Timothy 2.

‘First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and for all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life, godly and dignified in every way.’

Does God answer such prayers?…”

– a report from East Timor at Mission Partners.

New Principal for George Whitfield College

Posted on April 1, 2012 
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“The directors of George Whitfield College, which trains leaders for ministry across Africa, have unanimously elected Rev Mark Dickson to succeed Dr David Seccombe as principal.

Dr Seccombe has been Principal of the South African theological college since 1993. He is also an Affiliate Professor of New Testament at North-West University at Potchefstroom. He was formerly rector of St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Shenton Park, in Perth.

Mark Dickson (pictured) is currently Vice-Principal of GWC and holds the C.S. Lewis Lectureship in Christian Thought.

He has been engaged in Phd studies and has special expertise in the area of science and Christianity, also holding a Bachelor of Science.

He previously served as the senior minister of St Matthews Church in Table View, (Cape Town) for 17 years. The appointment will take effect from 1 January 2013.”

– Report by Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net. (Dr D B Knox was the founding Principal of George Whitfield College.)

First NSW female Anglican bishop consecrated

Posted on March 31, 2012 
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“The first female Anglican bishop to be appointed in New South Wales and the ACT has been consecrated in front of a packed congregation at St Saviour’s Cathedral in Goulburn…”

– report from ABC News. Also a report from NineMSN.

Selling Boxing Day: Humans as Units of Production

Posted on March 30, 2012 
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“Once again we have a government in NSW that is moving to undermine public holidays.

The State Government has announced its intention to change the rules concerning shopping on Boxing Day. Instead of tightening the rules to remove the exceptions for city shopping, they are relaxing the rules to allow any, or all, shops to open.

This is an appalling concession to the wealthy; the large shops, the retail chains, the shopping malls, the senior management, the shareholders and investors. But it is no protection to those who have to serve in shops or the transport workers, the security services, the cleaners, the warehouse workers, the truck drivers, the small lease holders in shopping malls, the myriad of ordinary people who make the retail system work…”

– It’s worth taking the time to read this social commentary by Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen.

Having your say on the future of marriage

Posted on March 30, 2012 
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The Australian Christian Lobby is urging people to write a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Greens’ Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010. Submissions are due by Monday April 2. Details here.

Related: Responding to Australian same-sex marriage proposals – from the Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney, February 2011.

(Image: Australian Marriage Forum.)

Australian Bishops agree on sexuality protocol

Posted on March 29, 2012 
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From SydneyAnglicans.net –

“The annual meeting of Australian bishops has agreed to a set of protocols on human sexuality, which conforms to the landmark 1998 Lambeth resolutions.

Australian bishops, including all Sydney bishops, met in Melbourne this month, several weeks after it was revealed that the Bishop of Gippsland had appointed a male priest living with a partner of the same sex to a ministry position in that diocese.   Read more

Sydney Anglicans I. Biblically confessional

Posted on March 29, 2012 
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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

It’s all in the projection

Posted on March 29, 2012 
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“Most of us preside over church meetings/services (choose your language as appropriate). And an increasing number of us do that in churches which don’t use hymn books or printed sheets but by means of projection.

There are good reasons for this being a good idea. People tend to sing into books/sheets. Most churches notice, when switching from paper to projection, that the singing improves and, I think, it is far easier for singing this way to be the encouraging corporate thing it ought to be.

But we’d be naïve to pretend that there were not issues with it…”

– Adrian Reynolds at the Proc Trust has a simple observation worth considering.

Changes coming at Bethlehem Baptist

Posted on March 28, 2012 
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Justin Taylor has the info on plans for change at Bethlehem Baptist Church –

“Tonight the elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church  unanimously voted to present Jason Meyer as their candidate to succeed John Piper, pending congregational approval.”

– Read it here.

Evangelical Ecclesiology

Posted on March 27, 2012 
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“If an evangelical were to be asked to say what he believed about the death of Christ or the inspiration of Holy Scripture, then in most cases he would be able to do so with relative ease. But if that same evangelical were to be asked to relate the essentials of his beliefs about the church, that might prove to be a little more difficult.

As a result of this lack of clarity in thinking about the church, evangelicals become all the more prone to accept views about the church which are far from Scriptural, and certainly in the Church of England that means quasi-Catholic views of the church – this happening almost by default.”

– Church Society continues to republish articles from Churchman. In this 1991 paper “Towards an Evangelical Ecclesiology” by Melvin Tinker, he argued that many evangelicals need to think clearly about what church is. Relevant in 1991, and relevant now.

It’s available as a PDF file from Church Society.

The Archbishop we don’t need (but will probably get)

Posted on March 24, 2012 
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“Central to the role of the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be his views on human sexuality, not because that is the most important thing about Christian theology (though it is quite important), but because the agenda of our society will make it so…”

– John Richardson calls for an Archbishop of Canterbury who will ‘uphold sound and wholesome doctrine, and … banish and drive away all erroneous and strange opinions’. At the Ugley Vicar.

Daniel B. Wallace on the New Testament Manuscripts

Posted on March 24, 2012 
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At Between Two Worlds, Justin Taylor has an interview with Daniel Wallace –

“In addition to teaching New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, he serves as executive director of the cutting-edge Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts… He recently made quite a stir when he announced that next year an academic publication will reveal the discovery of a first-century fragment from the Gospel of Mark…”

– Wallace answers questions about textual criticism, the number of NT manuscripts there are, which are the earliest, and more. Read it all here.

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