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Ventastega-not a leg to stand onPosted by Creation On The Web - July 3, 2008 on 6:00 pm | In Creation Science | No Comments What of the latest ‘missing link’ offered up for fish-to-tetrapod evolution?
Happy Dependence Day!Posted by Patrick Chan - July 3, 2008 on 4:55 pm | In ReformedTheology | No Comments Tomorrow is the 4th of July, our nation's celebration of its declaration and victory of independence from the British. Stinkin' redcoats! Just kidding. (I'm actually an Anglophile. For Queen and Empire! Okay, maybe not that much of an Anglophile...)However, I just wanted to briefly suggest that as Christians we should think of the day (perhaps as we think of all our days, so that we'd gain a heart of wisdom) as our Dependence Day. Our dependence upon the Lord God -- the one, true, and living God, who revealed himself to us in the Holy Scriptures and ultimately in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ himself. We're dependent upon God for everything. From life itself, for every breath we breathe. For who we are as individuals, our personalities and the circumstances we were born into. For which families we were born into as well. For the time and place in which we were born. For our climate -- physical and moral. For our culture and background. For our friends and neighbors. For our physical needs like food, clothing, and shelter. For our jobs. For our communities. For the wonderful (and, yes, not-so-wonderful) people we've met in our lives. For our gifts and talents and opportunities. For the church, who is Christ's Bride and witness of himself in this fallen world. For our pastors and teachers who strive to hold out the Word of God to us, day by day. For our society, insomuch as the truths of God and Christians have been its salt and light -- and for not being as depraved as it could be by God's grace. For our government and laws and leaders. For the soldiers who serve in our military and protect our nation. For the relative peace and security of our society, which allows for the gospel to advance. And for so much more. In all things we are dependent upon the Lord God. Of course, at any time, these blessings could be taken away. We could lose our jobs. Our friends or loved ones could leave us. We ourselves could die at any moment. Our community or state or nation could suffer a major catastrophe. And that is why we are to be always humble and thankful for the blessings we do have as believers, and to continue to pray to the Lord that he would do what best glorifies himself and is for our good as his people. Let us pray that no matter what, even if it means our liberties and freedoms and rights are taken away from us as Christians, even if it means all our goods and kindreds are taken away from us, we would nevertheless continue to live lives which honor and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. (Although I'm not at all suggesting we shouldn't fight to maintain these freedoms and rights.) How so? By always seeking intimate communion with our precious Lord and Savior in his Word and in prayer so that we would know him all the more, know his love for us, and thus by his grace working in us to love him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbors. By seeking God and his kingdom first and foremost in our lives, that his kingdom would expand in our hearts and the hearts of others. By preaching the gospel with our lives and our lips. By humbly and joyfully doing good to our neighbors, from wherever they might come, and whoever they might be, even if they are our enemies (I'm speaking on an individual, personal, relational level here). And by trusting and seeking to continue trusting, by repenting and seeking to continue repenting, by knowing and seeking to continue knowing, by loving and seeking to continue loving our thrice holy God, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and others. In all things we trust in God from whom all blessings flow. In all things we thank and praise him -- not just for the blessings he has given to our nation but also for its difficulties and trials which we pray would turn hearts and lives in repentance and faith towards him. In all things we trust and know God is sovereign, and that he is so very good to us as his people, infinitely far more than we deserve. In all things we humbly trust and thank him, and ask that he might glorify himself in and through us, as he best sees fit, for we are ever dependent upon him. Happy Dependence Day! P.S. And let's hope we're not invaded by hostile space aliens. In case we are, though, I've updated my Blogger profile to meet the challenge.
Hold the FireworksPosted by Frank Turk - July 3, 2008 on 2:55 pm | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments by Frank Turk I was chatting with Dan about Phil's posts on the subject of church and politics. What he said made me think hard about the exchanges going on here on this topic: he, frankly, isn't sure that he exactly grasps the shape and implications of my position. Let me say that if there is anybody on earth who is bright enough to follow even the most ponderous argument, it's Dan -- so if he can't follow the ball here, maybe I better step back and start over. Dan's starting point in reasoning here is utterly practical: let's imagine that he and I are standing on a street corner, arguing about whether it's tenable to call God's work over time "dispensational", and across the street a woman shrieks because two thugs are attacking her. Dan's view (and I think he's right) is that he and I would bound across the street and ... do what? Break out the book of Ephesians and start preaching the Gospel to these misguided, lost souls? No: we would make them stop by any means necessary. And in doing so, we would be doing something inherently Christian. I am sure there are some who would take a sacrificial, passivist view in this situation and not employ violence -- they might throw themselves on a knife or a gun, or simply find a way to obstruct at all personal costs, but they would intervene. They would do something. In that, I think all of us agree on something: we know who our neighbor is. That is, when we read the parable of the Good Samaritan, we aren't trying to justify our stupid question to Jesus about what the greatest commandment is by asking a further-stupid question like, "yes, but...?" We are reading what is a ridiculously-obvious story about the fact that anyone walking down the street knows when someone has been wronged, and anyone walking down the street can do something of immediate necessity which will offer right-minded aid. We know who our neighbor is. We know -- by virtue of both the revelation in creation and the revelation in God's word -- how to offer aid to those who need it. Now, from there, Dan would reason, "so what do we do about the government when it is handing out knives with which to slaughter the unborn?" A simple technique of arguing from the lesser to the greater, right? And who wouldn't follow him at least to the place where he would answer that question? Personally, I'm not ready to leave the neighborhood where the woman got attacked yet.  I want you to imagine for a moment that it is your neighborhood in which this woman got attacked, and where the Pyros intervened and, at least, got her purse back -- because the example is not the right scope yet to reason from lesser to greater. The example is one of practical immediacy, and it is seeking to reason up to an example of systematic injustice -- and the two are not necessarily analogous. While Dan would argue that he and I should offer first aid to the woman if she is injured, for example, I am not sure he would argue that the government should then provide universal health care -- the analogy breaks down quickly when we try to change a matter of personal moral action into a model of systematic political philosophy, and I would argue that it breaks down in the previous example in the same way it breaks down in this example: the government is not tasked to do everything the individual is tasked to do. In fact, it's tasked to do some things that the individual is not tasked to do -- like holding trials and conducting court to settle grievances.The example of personal responsibility does not translate into the example of governmental responsibility -- especially in the experiment of the American republic. Our system of government separates branches in order to restrain human power because, among other things, we recognize that government is really just men, and men are (at best) fallible and weak. The Constitution begins like this: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.And I post that not to make a theological point, but to circle-back my rabbit trail here and say that while this intention is broadly phrased, it is also narrowly conceived and bounded by the bill of rights which places certain political categories out of the reach of the federal entity. That is: the Constitution recognizes that there are some things which the Government ought not to do. Now listen: I bring that up because I'm trying to clarify, for Dan's sake if not for the rest of you, what I am talking about when I speak to the matter of church and politics. There are some things the Government ought not to do -- I think all of us would agree with that in premise, even if the particulars would vary depending on where we would fall out on the political spectrum.  For example, I think we would all agree that the police should not be able to come into our backyard and start searching for stolen money or dead bodies unless they have some kind of justifiable reason, right? And your neighbor probably would do well to mind that rule as well, right?But your neighbor has the right to look out his back window, and perhaps see you burying that big black sack in your back yard. So unlike the police who cannot be everywhere, your neighbor -- the one you would cross the street to help if he was in trouble -- has a right which you wouldn't give to the police. You wouldn't give the police carte blanche to check your back yard at any hour of the day, but your neighbor has that right insofar as he has a view from his window into your yard. So it is that citizens of a country, particularly in our constitutional republic, have the ability to do things which are not rightly called the work of the government which leads them by consent. The government is not merely the sum of the parts: in fact, in some ways it has (ought to have) fewer rights to take some actions to temper the greater rights is has to actually conduct the business of governing. And, in reasoning from the lesser to the greater, if this is so for a human-established government, can it be true of the Church, which is established by God? That is, is the church supposed to be everything that all humans inside it can and will do, or is the church constituted (you Baptists might prefer the word "commissioned"; the Presbyterians among you will prefer "covenanted") to do something specific which God has ordained, and which does not include all the things which individual believers might rightly do? The example I gave when this came up in the meta under Dan's post previously was the same neighborhood we were talking about above -- and after the one robbery was thwarted, the question was considered whether the local church ought to then take up a mission of volunteer service to interdict crime in the community -- and I believe Dan's answer was "yes". If the community is crime-ridden, the church ought to step in and do something -- including patrolling the streets and petitioning the local government for better policing. And the real irony is that I think it would be absolutely brilliant for those who live a community to own their community, and do what it takes to improve (which is an interesting word here) their community. Even if it included wielding meat chubs. The problem is when they take to the streets to do this as the church of Jesus Christ rather than the citizens of a crime-ridden city. And the problem is that the church is not commissioned to govern the world. The church has the spiritual authority to declare to men that their sin separates them from God; that God's wrath is waiting for them; that God has sent his son Jesus to receive the wrath due to sin for those who repent and believe. It declares to men a higher law than human government, and declares to them a greater good than mere civil peace. And it does this through the preaching of the word, the administration of the ordinances (you might say "sacraments" if you are a presbyterian in good standing), and the discipline of the body by rightly-qualified elders. And in this way, it is the manifestation of the kingdom of God, which is frankly not of this world. And I have two examples of this which, I think, those who have a different opinion about this subject than I do have overlooked pretty significantly. I also have to finish the riff on why the distinction between church and state is (especially for us baptisses) not only good but necessary, and what it means to have personal Christian responsibility as well as an active and healthy church life. But I have already bored most of you to tears. Take a break and come back tomorrow. Comments are closed until I finish this little exposition on whatever it is I'm talking about here. 
Weekly roundupPosted by Neil - July 3, 2008 on 12:21 pm | In Eternity Matters | No Comments A
No Substitute for Hard WorkPosted by Reformation Theology - July 3, 2008 on 11:48 am | In ReformedTheology | No CommentsPeople who are without the gospel around you live in great vexation and torment. Sin has caused brokenness, alienation and mass personal and social problems in our world. But having been mercifully delivered from the bondage to corruption, God has granted you a sphere of influence, a ‘plot of land’ to cultivate (so to speak) and until you become an instrument of redemption for Christ in the workplace, the persons in your life will continue to look for solutions to problems in all the wrong places. God has prepared good works for you and because the gospel is the only hope for the world, God has made you indispensable to the well being of the people around you. The kingdom of the age to come has broken into the current age in Jesus Christ. All those who are now united to Christ, the true Israel, are made partakers of kingdom of the age to come and are called in Christ to exhibit the resurrected kingdom life. Although weak in ourselves, God has made us ambassadors and granted us power to demonstrate to those in our midst a foretaste of life of the age to come. Christ commands us to go and promote the kingdom in every sphere, not to sit idly in our sanctuaries. In fact, God has given each of us specific gifts and a calling and we are to use the gifts and position God has given us to wield influence by redeeming the people and the institutions in our sphere for his kingdom. The gospel is our 'weapon' to take every thought captive for Christ advancing God’s kingdom and force darkness to retreat.
God Is Not DeadPosted by Adrian Warnock - July 3, 2008 on 11:10 am | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments Post by Collin HansenChristianity Today's July cover takes its cue from the famous Time magazine cover from 1966 that asked, "Is God Dead?" CT responds "not yet" (?) with an article by William Lane Craig. He writes, "To paraphrase Mark Twain, the news of God's demise was premature. For at the same time theologians were writing God's obituary, a new generation of young philosophers was rediscovering his vitality." Craig sees a turning point in 1967 with the publication of Alvin Plantinga's God and Other Minds: A Study of the Rational Justification of Belief in God. The cover package also includes Craig's recommended reading on the existence of God.
Six Faces of New PaganismPosted by Challies Dot Com - July 3, 2008 on 10:05 am | In Evangelical Perspective, Think Christian | No CommentsAs I mentioned in a brief post yesterday, I have begun making my way through Bruce Waltke's Old Testament Theology. It is a massive book and is perhaps just a bit intimidating, but I have been enjoying it a lot. It is my first attempt to read an Old Testament theology and even through the opening chapters I can see that there is much to learn. After six introductory chapters, Waltke turns to Old Testament theology proper in a chapter entitled "The Gift of the Cosmos" and here, as we might expect, he discusses God's work as creator. He argues here that it is critically important that we read the opening chapters of Genesis properly, acknowledging the author's intended literary genre. Though he eventually argues that this section is meant to be read as "ancient near eastern cosmogony," which in turns leads to supporting his views on theistic evolution (a view I do not support) I found something very useful in this section. He explains how a wrong reading of the creation account leads to further and deeper problems. He shows how culture's refusal to acknowledge the creator necessarily leads to the anti-God worldview so apparent in society around us. "Christians now live on a mission field with worldviews that besiege the message of ethical monotheism." He says that this new paganism has six faces and one proceeds from the one before it. 1. The common worldview of the Western world since the time of the enlightenment has been materialism. This philosophy says that matter and its motions constitute the entire universe. Everything in the universe has to be regarded as due to material causes. 2. There is an implication to materialism. Since everything is material, ideally and theoretically, everything is subject to empiricism. Here he quotes Alan Reynolds who says, "empiricism, which insists that all knowledge is based on observation, experimentation, and verification, has led to belief in a self-sufficient universe that can be understood on its own terms, without any need of the transcendent or of God." 3. Together materialism and empiricism entail a belief in an inherent coherence within nature between cause and effect. This, in turn, has led to belief in determinism, which understands reality as mechanical and without inherent value. Life's origins and the nature of humanity have natural rather than divine causation. 4. Secularism is a political or social philosophy that embraces each of these "-isms"--materialism, empiricism and determinism. It embraces natural causation and and rejects religious faith and worship in the public square. Nature, society, and government become instruments dedicating only to fulfilling our material desires which masquerade as "rights." This is fast becoming the dominant worldview among Western intellectual elites. 5. Secular humanism is a system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values and dignity are predominant. This leads to a kind of intense pragmatism that calculates everything in terms of its benefit to humanity. There is no acknowledgment of God and his rule of the created order. 6. Post-modernism or New Ageism marks what is really a return to old-fashioned paganism, though with a distinctly modern twist to it. New Ageism takes distinctives of Eastern religion and distorts them with Western concepts. Post-modernism replaces the objective reality of God as revealed in special revelation with subjective deifications of individual expressions of spirituality. Waltke says, "it rejects the notion of a revealed moral code and instead tests truth by its therapeutic value." In this worldviews there are no better or worse cultures but merely differences between them. I was able to see through these six faces of the new paganism how important it is that we get Genesis right! The irony, I suppose, is that I am not at all convinced that Waltke is correct in his views on creation. Still, he acknowledges the creator, of course, and acknowledging God as He reveals Himself in the Bible is a safeguard against the post-modern, secular humanistic viewpoint that pervades society. Those in our society who refuse to admit the existence of this God are soon left with materialism and from there empiricism and all that these -isms entail. Advertisement:
God-glorifying rescue!Posted by Terry - July 3, 2008 on 9:43 am | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No CommentsNext week we welcome approximately 5,000 people from over 50 nations to our conference in Brighton, Together on a Mission. A week before they were due to go to Calcutta to get visas to be with us in Brighton, John and Esther Pradhan, who are church planting in Nepal, had a terrifying experience. John and Esther had gone to a graveyard for the funeral of a child in the church, with their daughter, Aradhana, who is 2½. Aradhana fell down a narrow and very deep crevasse nearby. Newspaper reports say it was 60 metres deep at least. Because it was so deep and dark they were unable to see anything. At first they could hear her crying out, but after a while there was no sound. The police were called in, and then the army, but the crevasse was so narrow, it was impossible to tunnel down. By now, darkness was closing in. To add to their fears, it was monsoon season, and if it rained, water could rise in the hole adding another terrible possibility of drowning. Many prayed all night An expert team was dispatched from Kathmandu, who encountered another hazard: a huge boulder inside the pit further impeded access, yet to break it up could be very risky. Aradhana could be hit by falling rock. To their great joy, around 3 a.m., Aradhana’s voice was heard again, and attempts were made to lower food and water to her. By morning light, some progress had been made in digging, but it was disheartening to discover that the crevasse was in an L shape, and the food and drink had failed to reach her. The rescue crew kept everyone away from the spot, but Nepal TV were covering their efforts. All adult men were too big to squeeze through the narrow aperture but just before noon, a young boy of 12 or 13 volunteered to be lowered down. He managed to crawl over to where she was and found her curled up in a corner, alive. “Who are you?” she asked innocently. He helped her to crawl along to a space where she was visible to the team and they dropped down a harness which the boy strapped on to her, and they were then able to lift her out, covered in mud but otherwise unharmed. She had been in the pit for 22 hours without food, water, and limited oxygen. Her father, John, held her in his arms, tears pouring down his face. “Don’t cry, Papa,” she said, “I’m fine.” National TV The family is full of thanksgiving to God for preserving Aradhana, and desire to honour all who helped in rescuing her, especially the boy. They are also grateful to all who poured out their hearts in prayer. You can see dramatic pictures on What a mighty and merciful God we serve. It will be great to worship Him together with the thousands next week at Together on a Mission.
newfrontiers speakers 1Posted by Adrian Warnock - July 3, 2008 on 9:21 am | In Biblical Counseling, counseling | No Comments
A La Carte (7/3)Posted by Challies Dot Com - July 3, 2008 on 8:40 am | In Evangelical Perspective, Think Christian | No Comments Thursday July 3, 2008Interview with ObamaRelevant has an interesting interview with Barak Obama that focuses on issues of particular importance to Christians. Obama the Christian? And speaking of Obama, this article from BP News collects some of the ways Obama has described the Christian faith. Things like "I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people." New Logo for Walmart I am totally underwhelmed by Walmart's new logo. So is everyone else, I suspect. Optimism Growing in Iraq An article in Spiegel of all places says "There is an unexpected air of normalcy prevailing in Baghdad these days, with consumption flourishing and confidence in the government growing." Where are Europe's Babies? Dr. Mohler pens an interesting article looking at the phenomenon of incredibly low European birthrates. He says "There are countless issues connected to these questions, but in the end, this represents a spiritual problem." Advertisement:
Bonhoeffer: The Cost of FreedomPosted by JT - July 3, 2008 on 8:13 am | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments I've mentioned before how highly I think of Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre--audio dramatizations on CD with superb acting and excellent production.One in particular to get is the 3-CD set, Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom. Here's the description: With faith comes a price. What are you willing to pay? That's the question explored in Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom. Chronicling the life of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this provocative Peabody award-winning dramatization shares the story of one man's battle against the evils of Nazism, a decadent culture, and compromising church--something that's not so foreign to society today. Challenging and compelling, it's entertainment with a message!
Paul Tripp, “Whiter Than Snow”Posted by JT - July 3, 2008 on 7:58 am | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments I've just started reading Paul Tripp's new book, Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy. The book contains 52 meditations on Psalm 51.The following is from the first meditation, and I found it especially helpful and convicting. Tripp is recounting the time a friend confronted him about some sin in his life. It wasn’t a big deal in one way. Just a small conversation that had turned a bit ugly. It wasn’t a dramatic life-altering moment. It was in the privacy of my home with one of my family members. But maybe that’s the point. Perhaps it’s very important because that’s where I live everyday. You see, you and I don’t live in a series of big, dramatic moments. We don’t careen from big decision to big decision. We all live in an endless series of little moments. The character of a life isn’t set in ten big moments. The character of a life is set in 10,000 little moments of everyday life. It’s the themes of struggles that emerge from those little moments that reveal what’s really going on in our hearts.Here's a video of Tripp reading an excerpt from his writing and talking about the book:
Grand Jury Does Not Indict TillerPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 7:50 am | In Pro Life | No Comments By Ron Sylvester / The Wichita Eagle The grand jury investigating Wichita abortion provider George Tiller adjourned Wednesday afternoon without a criminal indictment. Retired Sedgwick County District Judge Paul Buchanan, assigned to preside over the grand jury, said the...
Don’t Call It a ComebackPosted by Adrian Warnock - July 3, 2008 on 7:39 am | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments Post by Collin HansenChristianity Today reports on "A New Day for Apologetics." The articles says "it is the best of times" for apologists such as Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig, Ben Witherington III, Darrell Bock, and J. P. Moreland. I just finished Tim Keller's The Reason for God, and I'm currently reading Craig Blomberg's The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. I thank God for these powerful responses to those who deny the truth and power of the gospel.
Fake Abortion Doctor in CourtPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 7:28 am | In Pro Life | No Comments FOX 6 San Diego Bertha Bugarin was in court Wednesday. Although her arraignment was postponed until next Thursday the 10th, Bugarin will likely face 10 felonies for practicing medicine and prescribing drugs without a medical license from an Abortion clinic...
Planned Parenthood’s New ImagePosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 7:16 am | In Pro Life | No Comments Planned Parenthood is working hard to upgrade its image in order to appeal to more affluent clientele, but even the Wall Street Journal sees through the smoke....
Planned Parenthood Unveils Super ChapterPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 7:15 am | In Pro Life | No Comments The Planned Parenthood affiliates serving the Lehigh Valley and Susquehanna Valley have merged, effective today, into a group that will serve 19 counties. Planned Parenthood of the Susquehanna Valley and Planned Parenthood of Northeast Pennsylvania are now Planned Parenthood...
John 6 And The EucharistPosted by Jason Engwer - July 3, 2008 on 7:15 am | In ReformedTheology | No Comments For anybody who's interested, there's an ongoing discussion in another thread concerning John 6 and the eucharist.
Anti-Abortion Group Wins Free-Speech RulingPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 7:14 am | In Pro Life | No Comments San Francisco Chronicle SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court gave an anti-abortion group the go-ahead Wednesday to drive trucks with enlarged photos of aborted fetuses past California schools, saying the Constitution protects the display of disturbing messages. Los Angeles...
Two Women Arrested at Abortion Clinic for Stealing Prescription MedicationPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 6:50 am | In Pro Life | No Comments GRANITE CITY, Illinois -- Two women allegedly involved in prescription drug fraud were charged Monday in Madison County Circuit Court with one count of unlawful acquisition of a controlled substance, according to Granite City Assistant Police Chief Maj. Jeff Connor....
Catholic Aid for Abortion Creates Stir in VirginiaPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 5:59 am | In Pro Life | No Comments By Ian Urbina / The New York Times The Roman Catholic bishop of Richmond, Va., apologized this week after workers from a Catholic organization helped a teenager in its care have an abortion. The situation involved a 16-year-old Guatemalan, who...
Prayer and the might-not-have beensPosted by DJP - July 3, 2008 on 5:55 am | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments by Dan PhillipsSome Calvinists have never struggled with prayer in any way. Others of us have struggled with it in almost every way. Number me with the latter. One conundrum bogged me down when I was a very young  Christian — and long before I was much of a Calvinist. In its simplest terms, it is: how can our prayers make any difference?If God knows what He is going to do, and has known since before the first tick of the cosmic clock, and if His will is settled and absolute and unalterable, then what possible impact can our prayers have? And even more to the point, what possible purpose could they serve? I've made sufficient peace with that issue on two fronts:
Instances where prayer factors in to God's plan
There are also other examples that I might call OTOH examples — examples where God announces a decision, is asked to change that decision, and refuses to do so. Instances where prayer is flatly rejected
For instance, what would have happened if Eve had asked God how to respond to the Serpent, rather than blundering on into gawping rebellion? What if, after Eve's sin, Adam had asked God what to do about Eve? We could go on and on.  Here, in one final enumeration, is what I take from this:
Flag Day is comingPosted by Collin Brendemuehl - July 3, 2008 on 5:33 am | In Evangelical Perspective | No Comments
Names of Abortion Center General Contractors Kept Under WrapsPosted by editor@covenantnews.com - July 3, 2008 on 4:52 am | In Pro Life | No Comments The names of general contractors working on a controversial Planned Parenthood site in Northeast Portland are being kept secret. Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette, Ankrom Moisan Architects and Walsh Construction -- which in May claimed to have been dropped...
Sufficiency and InsufficiencyPosted by Collin Brendemuehl - July 3, 2008 on 4:21 am | In Evangelical Perspective | No Comments
Where Are Europe’s Babies?Posted by Albert Mohler's Blog - July 3, 2008 on 4:18 am | In Christian Mind, Think Christian | No Comments"You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home." The statement, shockingly obvious as it may be, was offered by Carl Haub of the Population Reference Bureau. He was speaking of Europe's looming demographic disaster. As The New York Times Magazine reports this week, many Europeans are now asking, "Where are the babies?" The cover story is by Russell Shorto, who contributes some of the most interesting pieces run in the magazine each year. As he makes clear in this article, the radical decline in birthrates will bring equally radical social challenges.
Why God Wants Us to Sing, and 3 More Conference Interview ClipsPosted by Desiring God Blog - July 3, 2008 on 2:49 am | In DesiringGodBlog | No Comments(Author: Abraham Piper) Our national conference this year will deal with words and the different ways we use them to glorify God (or not). Each week we will be posting several video clips from interviews that we did with the speakers. We hope that they will be helpful to you in and of themselves as well as give you a taste of what you'll hear if you come to this event. Bob Kauflin - Why Does God Want Us to Sing?Paul Tripp - What Is the War of Words?Dan Taylor - The Significance of StoriesSinclair Ferguson - How Will We Be Judged for Our Words?Learn more about this conference:
SERMON - How to be Missional Every Day by Tope KoleosoPosted by Adrian Warnock - July 2, 2008 on 10:56 pm | In Biblical Counseling, counseling | No Comments I recently posted what I trust will be a series which will be about sermons that have changed my life. It is way too early for me to claim that this past Sunday's talk by my pastor and dear friend, Tope Koleoso, will be one of those. But I could do a lot worse than allow myself to be shaped by a talk like this. I have previously shared a list of talks Tope has given that are available online, but much as I loved those talks, I believe this may be the best sermon I have ever heard him preach. I don't want to give too much away because I want to encourage you to listen to this talk. He weaved such well-remembered verses as "Go into all the world ...", "I am not ashamed of the gospel ..." "How will they hear ..." and "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few ..." into a compelling tapestry that felt fresh and deeply impacting without condemning. He acknowledged that it IS easier to mix with people who are in your own "tribe"— your Judea as it were.He challenged us that if we are not going beyond that, if all our friends are still very similar to us, we haven't yet allowed the gospel to have its full impact on us. He laid down the challenge that the gospel has two calls to it. There is a call to come, to receive from God. But then there is a call to go. In that going we are called to worship God and to be a witness. He spoke of our mission to reach the world one person at a time. He also spoke of our message. He explained that our message was nothing more complicated than a person—Jesus. We are to teach his cross, his resurrection, the call to repentance, and a promise of forgiveness. Still, today some demand signs and wonders, and others clever reasoning and wisdom, but we preach Jesus and him crucified. Tope also spoke of our methods and our motivation of love. My favorite line in the whole talk was, "If you want Jesus to go with you, go and make disciples." I was profoundly moved by this talk. What was also exciting is that, once again this Sunday, a number of people made a response to the gospel. We are in the middle of a prolonged season where we have been seeing such responses on a weekly basis. Please pray for us that such things continue, and that as a church this sermon may indeed help to turn our focus outward and that we will see many more genuinely saved. The message is available to download or listen to here:
INTERVIEW - John Lanferman on Reformed Charismatic Churches in the USAPosted by Adrian Warnock - July 2, 2008 on 10:50 pm | In Biblical Counseling, counseling | No Comments As we drew to the close of the first segment of my interview with John Lanferman yesterday we began to speak about reformed charismatic churches. Today I begin by asking him if he believes there is a hunger for such churches in the USA. You can also download the audio of this interview.************************* Adrian Yeah, that’s so important, isn’t it? So as you look out over the nation, do you feel that there is a hunger in the US for these kind of churches, a desire to see them? John Absolutely. I think especially an emerging generation, the 20’s and 30’s generation, pretty much in the US left the church. But we’re seeing a lot of these people coming back into the church.  In our own church, that would be the largest demographic. And these are young people who really have a value of the foundations of the past, historical Christian faith would be important to them, but also a mixture of what the culture has created—a desire to experience something in the Spirit. They’re not afraid of that. So you have this desire to be rooted in something that’s stable—historical Christian faith—but at the same time, wanting to experience something of God in the Spirit. And are not afraid of spiritual manifestations; in fact, they’re hungry for that. Hungry to experience the very real presence of God for themselves in a very tangible way.Adrian Yeah. It’s interesting because a lot of people are talking about that kind of resurgence of reformed faith in the US in the 20’s and 30’s [age group]. It’s interesting to hear you saying that a lot of those guys are also looking for something quite experiential. John Absolutely. Adrian I guess people like John Piper are probably a major part of that, aren’t they? Because the way he preaches—it’s all about knowing God, and [having] a kind of relationship with God, and valuing God, rather than just purely as an intellectual thing. John Yes, and he’s taken some fairly strong stands. He actually is not a cessationist. He actually does believe . . . Adrian Most people are really surprised when they hear that. What? John Piper is not a cessationist? You’re kidding! John That’s true. And he has huge influence in our nation among the evangelical community. I think his welcoming in of people like C. J. Mahaney, and even embracing guys like Mark Driscoll . . . Adrian Yes! John . . . and just to see what’s happening there encourages me quite a great deal. One of the negative things that’s happening in the US as well—you have the emerging church. On one end of it you have a very orthodox guy like Mark Driscoll, and a bit colorful as well. (Adrian laughing) While on the other end you have people who have a greater degree of relevancy, so doctrine and theology is kind of fluid, and they want to adapt that to culture, and so that leads to heresy. And that’s a frightening thing. But there’s a wing of that emerging church that is very much moving in that direction as well, as you probably well know. That’s a frightening thing in the US because there’s quite a large following of that group as well. Adrian That’s right. And I think some of those historic doctrines are being questioned . . . John They are! Adrian . . . in a way that you’d be surprised at. But that’s not unique to the US either. As you know, we’ve had some issues over here with that, particularly with regard to the atonement and things like that. I mean, is the atonement such a big issue in the US as it is over here in the UK, would you say? John It’s not with mainline evangelical groups, but I think with the emerging church, the people who are on one side of that very much—that’s one of the questions. And even the desire to be culturally relevant and accepting of alternative life styles has led people to make an adjustment as to how they approach that. And they won’t make categorical statements any more. So they’re standing on sand rather than the solid rock of the Book. So I think that’s a concern as well. These guys are fairly media savvy, and it’s a subtle thing . . . to find a way into churches. Adrian I think that’ right. With the advent of the media and the Internet, well, I know this only two well. It’s possible for people to hit above their weight. I mean, Here am I — just some guy in a church in London whose blog is read all around the world. And I think that happening with a lot of people, and you can have influence, either for good or not good, far above, actually, what you are accomplishing on the ground in that sense. Or over what you feel you should have influence. John Yes, absolutely, that’s true. Adrian I think it is a bit concerning, isn’t it? How some people are causing us to drift away from truth. John The thing that’s concerning about it is that—not [only] are they gifted and charismatic, but in actuality, there’s the element of Christianity about them. So you’re dealing with something different than people who are totally secular. So it’s a subtle thing. A lot of people are not very scripturally astute. It’s easy to be pulled along in that train. Adrian Don’t you think that it’s quite interesting when you look [at it] historically? A lot of these ideas have been tried before, haven’t they? John Yes, they have. And the thing is, they always end up on a dead-end street. They don’t have a long cycle. They come around, but ultimately God is very protective of his Church. He is very zealous for it. And the church that’s rooted in biblical value and persuasion continues on. I’m very encouraged in America about the uptick in church planting. I don’t know if you want to talk about that or not . . . Adrian Yeah, church planting is great, yeah. John In the US, over the last two decades, there has been a deterioration in people who are committed to regular church attendance. It’s averaged a 10 per cent decline in each of the last ten years—so 20 per cent less are now involved in church activities, or even actually community activities, than before. But now, groups like Acts 29, and on a much, much smaller scale, but I like to say, Sovereign Grace, and Newfrontiers, and various other church planting movements, Global Net—these groups that are coming to the forefront planting churches, training people, are based on orthodox Christian faith with a real sense of mission. So missional churches are emerging among us, and many of them are growing, seeing lots of people saved. So I actually—while we have these rather alarming trends, I see much to be very excited about in the US. Adrian Yes, oh yes. Just for the sake of those out there—I know some people sitting out there are thinking, “What exactly is a missional church, John?” How would you define that? John A church that understands that it exists for the express purpose of carrying the gospel to the next door neighbor, to the person in the next block, to the person in the next city, state, and nation, and they exist for the purpose of being carriers of the gospel. So they are involved, not only in proclamation, but they are involved in changing the whole culture of a community. They would be people who would be involved in cross-cultural evangelism. They would be people who would be involved in changing the social justice—be involved in that ministry to the poor—so they have a desire to see the whole community that they are involved with, the towns they are involved with, changed and made into a kingdom community. It’s people who understand, “We do not exist for ourselves, but we exist for them.” So the way we spend our money. the way we staff our churches, the way our churches feel, the way they operate, have that outward appeal. And it’s a God-centered approach to humanity rather than an inward, “What about me and my needs?” It’s a man-centered approach. Adrian That’s very good. So that’s really very much what’s on your heart as you go across the nation, isn’t it? I guess that’s what you’re saying—to see those kinds of churches multiplied. John Absolutely—if we can get outstanding churches in each of these 100 large cities, and out from that, begin to reproduce ourselves. Because I’m fanatical on reproducing churches. We must not just plant churches, but we [want to] see churches that view themselves as reproducing churches, multiply themselves, raise up leaders, give themselves away, spread out in the communities and the nations beyond. Adrian It’s just so exciting to see what God is doing in a nation, but also what he’s doing around the world, and to be able to link up with that. I guess we’re back to the conference in a way. Because that’s what this is all about, isn’t it? Together on a Mission. John Yes, it is. And I think what’s interesting is how we help each other. The different nations, different men, bring different things into the pool. I’m receiving from others. I’m receiving from my friends in Africa, or my friends in India, and so it’s even the in-between times when we’re kind of sharing ideas back and forth and getting on board how we can assist one another. Because it’s just not about our own little patch. It’s us owning the world together. It’s us saying, “We want to see the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ grow and expand to all the nations of the world. So, I have just as much a vital interest in what’s happening in Africa, or what’s happening in Europe, as I would even in our own place. Because we have to own the whole vision of God. I do know that I have a particular responsibility for a sphere. Adrian Yeah. John But God has called us to work together. I think that’s the joy of what’s happening here in this conference, and who we are in Newfrontiers as well. Adrian Yeah. And I guess when we gather together like this, significant words can come as well, that shape us really. John It’s true. I think it’s in the worship that God is speaking to us. It’s in the preaching as well. But also in prophetic words that come to us. And you can just see the impact that’s happening across the room . . . Adrian Yes! John . . . guys coming together and buzzing about this, and what God is saying. So it’s quite helpful actually. Adrian If my readers are sitting there in America somewhere thinking, “You know what?” This all sounds great. I’d love to be in a church like that.” How would they find out more? John Well, they can come to our website, of course. Just type into the search engine Newfrontiers USA, and there, of course, they can find us, and where our churches are located. Of course, I would welcome any contact there in St. Louis where we are based. Adrian Excellent. Do you run any conferences, or anything like that, there in the USA? John Yes, we do. We have an annual Leadership Conference that’s hosted by us there in St. Louis. But we have also moved out regionally. Originally we were just a small cluster of churches in Missouri, but now we have established cluster churches in New England, and we’ve moved into the Pacific Northwest, and now we’ve moved into the Southeast as well. So we’ve established regional events because we are a family of churches, just not a fraternity of leaders. So churches come together there for envisioning, and leadership events happen, as well as 20’s conferences, and events for teenagers. Just this next week, we’re gathering several hundred teenagers, not just to go to a camp and somehow be refreshed and go back all enthusiastic for a couple of weeks, but actually to be involved in a mission and social action. We’re going to go out into the streets. We’re going to get with children in the neighborhoods. We’re going to begin to work into that community. So we have lots of events by which we’re bringing people together. There’s something that can happen when a group of churches come together that simply cannot happen with a church on its own. And there is just a combined strength of coming together around the singleness of vision and purpose that not only helps with what we do together, but actually helps when people go back to their own churches. They’ve caught something, see? And they take it back with them. So we have several events like that. And men’s conferences and ladies conferences that are happening throughout the nation. So immediately when I go back, we will have a One Blaze event, which is the teen event, in St. Louis. And from there, I’ll leave the next week and go up to New England, and we’ll have a big family camp out there where we gather the churches. We bring in international speakers, as well as myself, and we’re envisioned. Adrian Great. Sounds great. It’s just so exciting to hear about what God’s doing over there in the States. Thank you so much for joining us, John. Is there anything else that you’d like to share with my readers before we close? John I’m very much enthused about what God is going to be doing in the US, and what he is doing now. I’m thrilled when I see the moving of his Spirit in more prononced ways, as well as the value of the Word. I’m particularly encouraged about missional churches that are sprining up all across our nation. So, I wouldn’t want to end here just with some of the other things we’ve talked about—alarming trends, etc. I’d like to says that I’m actually more encouraged today than I’ve ever been in my life in regard to what God’s doing in raising up his Church in the US. Adrian Excellent! Praise God for that. We wish you all the success in the future, John, and I look forward to hearing more about what goes on in the years to come when you’ve reached those 100 cities. John Yes, thank you, Adrian. Adrian Praise God. Thank you.
INTERVIEW - John Lanferman of Newfrontiers USAPosted by Adrian Warnock - July 2, 2008 on 10:27 pm | In Biblical Counseling, counseling | No Comments Next week the main Newfrontiers International conference of the year starts. To whet your appetite, I thought I'd share the transcript of an interview I did at Together On A Mission 2007 with John Lanferman. The audio for this interview is also available here.John oversees a team of leaders who serve the churches in the Newfrontiers—USA family. His primary focus is leadership training, church planting, and supporting churches in the States. John and his wife, Linda, are a part of Jubilee Church in St. Louis, Missouri. His blog is at http://johnlanferman.blogspot.com/. If you can't make it to this year's TOAM conference, I will once again be live-blogging it right here. It's still not too late to arrange to listen to one of Mark Driscoll's other speaking engagements in the UK. ************************* Adrian Hi everyone. This is Adrian Warnock here again. I’m here at Together on a Mission, together with John Lanferman. John leads the work of Newfrontiers in the USA. I would like to ask him a little bit about the conference, and also his work overseas, because I’m aware that a lot of you are probably thinking, “Well, this Newfrontiers thing—it’s all well and good because it’s over in the UK” — where things are perhaps a little bit different. So, John, first of all, how are you enjoying the conference? John I think it’s magnificent. The preaching has been outstanding. The worship is amazing. God’s presence is here. He is speaking personally to people. He’s speaking to us as a family of churches as well. It’s wonderful to welcome 53 different nations into this setting. Adrian Yes, I think it’s so important to underline that, isn’t it, because people probably think, “Oh, it’s just a British thing,” when really it’s almost like a world conference, isn’t it? John Absolutely, it is. And just to make connection with people and find out what’s happening in their nations, and to see that we’re really on the same page as it relates to the kingdom of God. There’s not really a national distinction there when it comes to that. Adrian Yeah, I know. It’s been great. Some of the preachers have come from South Africa and . . . John Absolutely. Adrian You’ve got guys from Africa, other parts, all over, haven’t we here? John Yes, it’s wonderful. Adrian I guess really as well, this conference is perhaps a little bit different to some other conferences, isn’t it, in terms of the family feel. I don’t know how easily we can get that across to people who are at home reading the blog. John I think that’s the interesting thing. When you come together and you see people, and some of the people, of course, we know as well. But even in meeting new people, there’s a sense of community that seems to be automatic, and it’s just great to see people mixing it up, enjoying each other. Adrian Yeah, I think that’s right, because that doesn’t happen everywhere we go in conferences, does it? John No, I know some conferences that you may visit, and some I’ve visited in the US — I mean, you arrive. If you don’t know anyone or if you have a friend or two, you’re really not connected. There’s not a sense of togetherness on the mission . . . Adrian Yeah . . . John . . . and you break off, you go to lunch, or you go to your hotel room. There’s a sense of — you’re there to pick up information primarily and download information that maybe you can employ in your own situation. Adrian Yeah. John But here it’s a totally different feel. Adrian That’s right. And there’s all these kind of little mini-meetings going on in all the breaks, isn’t there? I mean, the little breaks sort of get eaten up, don’t they? John All the time. Adrian (Laughing). And we’re sitting here and we’ve got what? I don’t know—another hour or so?—before the next session. And you squeeze in a meeting, don’t you? John That’s right, you do. Adrian But it’s good fun. John So it’s a pleasure, I think, as well, the in-between meeting times to connect relationally, talk to each other, find out what’s going on. It’s all part of the whole package. Adrian Yeah, exactly. John, I particularly wanted to chat with you because you head up the work of Newfrontiers in the USA, and so many of my readers are from that nation. So, are there many other Americans here at the conference? John Yes, there are several actually. We have four of our own local elders from St. Louis who are here, and some of our other staff members as well. But besides that, across the nation, we have representatives who lead churches that are here with us. Adrian So are there many Newfrontiers churches in the US? John Actually, there’s not at the time. We now have 23 churches in ten different states, but it was just a few years ago, like ten years ago, we had 7 churches in one state . . . Adrian Right. John . . . so these were churches that already had a history. Terry [Virgo] came over and spent a couple of years and left. It was in that setting, then, that we began to actually formulate who we were together, come together with a real sense of mission. We have churches that have a history, and we’ve been drawn together around Terry, and around the mission there, but obviously there are residual issues, so I think in the first few years there was a need for us to really come together to construct that all through, which we did, of course, and now we’re planting churches all across the nation. Adrian Okay, excellent. How do you decide where to go and plant a church? John I have, on my laptop, 100 cities, and I won’t be content until the top 100 cities in the U.S.—87 per cent of the nation’s population reside in these cities—so, one by one, we want to tick off these cities. When Newfrontiers started in the US, we were primarily a rural movement. We didn’t have any churches in any major cities. So, first of all, to come together around a mission and then begin to train leaders and set up training programs, to begin to envision people, and then see people move from the rural settings—although we’re very, very grateful; we’re still planting the rural settings—begin to make that big step into city centers. Kansas City was our first church plant; St. Louis (the one I led) was our second plant, and now we are in seven major cities. We’re in Seattle-Tacoma. We’re in Boston. We’re in Chicago. We’re in Nashville. We’re in Atlanta. We’re planting churches one by one into these major city centers, and we want these churches to become reproducing centers, so out from them churches are planted. So we have a fairly ambitious vision. Adrian Yeah, it sounds like it. So, what is it about a Newfrontiers church that is, say, different to other churches in the grand? Because I know some people might say, “Well, why bother planting churches? Surely we should just strengthen the ones that are there already.” John I think the thing that really draws us together is our sense of mission. Now there are other things, of course, that draw us together. Our very real value of Word and Spirit. We’re an interesting group because, in the US, you have evangelicals and people from various denominational persuasions. You have people who are charismatics. We’re a bit different because we are evangelical in that we are rooted in historic Christian faith. Most of our people would have a reformed theological perception. But we have a charismatic experience. And that’s quite unusual in the US. I think it sets us a bit apart from most other groups—not that there aren’t others that way—but it makes us different, I think, from what you would normally find in the US. Adrian Yeah. I sometimes have people writing to me, saying, “Is there a church like that in this place or in that place?” And I often wonder what other groups are there out there that are similar to Newfrontiers in some way. Are there other groups? John I would say Sovereign Grace would be similar to us. We’ve had good fellowship with that group. But there’s an interesting phenomenon that’s happening as well because in mainline evangelical circles, people that would have name recognition—guys like John Piper or Mark Driscoll—are, of course, well established in orthodox faith, but as well, are very open to and accepting and believing in certain charismatic expressions. So, it’s an interesting move that’s happening in the US in that regard. Adrian Yeah. So there’s a kind of—like what you’re saying—a coming together of the Word and the Spirit in a way. John I believe that’s exactly true. We do have other things. It’s a big country. The Christian television market, religious television market, and radio waves are fairly dominated by charismatics that would have a very experiential and often times a man-centered approach . . . Adrian Right. John . . . rather than a God-centered approach, which of course, is not helpful to be labeled in that particular camp because our root is indeed orthodox evangelical Christianity with a charismatic experience and expression. Continued in part 2 . . .
The Persecution Report from Voice of the Martyrs CanadaPosted by John - July 2, 2008 on 9:09 pm | In Christian Persecution | No CommentsOn this month’s report hear what is happening to Christians in Israel, Nigeria, Eritrea and India. Also you’ll meet a Christian le On this month’s report hear what is happening to Christians in Israel, Nigeria, Eritrea and India. Also you’ll meet a Christian leader who is facing intense persecution for his work in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Part 1
More from the Obama WatchPosted by Adrian Warnock - July 2, 2008 on 8:55 pm | In Christian Mind, Evangelical Perspective | No Comments Post by Collin HansenSorry for posting so much about Sen. Obama, but the guy keeps making news, since he's in the middle of a media push to court evangelicals. Relevant has posted one of the better interviews I've seen with the Democratic candidate. He explains why he would not allow faith-based organizations to hire and fire based on faith, contrary to the earlier AP report I posted. He also lays out when he would support banning late-term abortions, and why he voted against a bill that would require doctors to try and save babies who survived abortions.
Lux MundiPosted by steve - July 2, 2008 on 7:24 pm | In ReformedTheology | No Comments In a parallel world known as Tellus, a controversy erupted over the rite of light. This controversy turned on interpretation of the words: "I am the light."There were some heretical schismatics as well as some schismatical heretics who took the words figuratively. However, an Inquisition put a speedy end to their unspeakable impieties. That, however, left many questions unanswered. When the Savior became a photon (at the words of consecration, “Lux ecce surgit aurea”), what kind of photon did he become? The Infrareds took one position while the Ultraviolets took another. There was yet another faction, known as the X-rays (which split into two groups, the Soft X-rays and the Hard X-rays), but no one under the age of 21 is allowed to consult the illustrated history of that particular sect. His Holiness, Pope Terahertz IV, convoked the Council of Ozone to resolve the controversy before the rift was irreparable. But at that point I lost my uplink to Tellus, so I can’t tell you how the proceedings went until transmission is restored.
Responding to Islam’s Objections to the Deity of JesusPosted by Prewrath Rapture Dot Com - July 2, 2008 on 6:58 pm | In PreWrathRapture | No Comments
Books on MarriagePosted by KP - July 2, 2008 on 6:14 pm | In Christian Mind | No Comments
An objective ancestry test for fossil bonesPosted by Creation On The Web - July 2, 2008 on 6:00 pm | In Creation Science | No Comments How can we determine ancestry from the scant evidence often presented for human evolution by evolutionary anthropology?
Legislator: Law allows banishment of BiblePosted by ProLifeBlogs - July 2, 2008 on 3:31 pm | In Pro Life | No Comments Legislator: Law allows banishment of Bible 'This is written so anybody can take any part and grow it into monstrosity' Posted: July 01, 2008 9:05 pm Eastern By Bob Unruh WorldNetDaily Author Janet Folger at a news conference announcing a campaign to challenge Colorado's new anti-'discrimination' law A lawmaker in Colorado who challenged the authors of SB200, a new law that bans discrimination based on the "perception" of gender, contends it was written to give a wide open door to anyone who wants to banish Christian beliefs or the Bible. "This is so loaded. It's written in an open-ended fashion that anybody can take just about any part of it and grow it into a huge monstrosity," state Rep. Kevin Lundberg told WND today. "It was written with intentional [vagueness]." He spoke with WND after a news conference at which a number of groups and organizations announced plans to challenge
CaiaphasPosted by steve - July 2, 2008 on 3:23 pm | In ReformedTheology | No Comments I’ve been sparring with Perry Robinson over at Green Baggins.http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/a-word-from-dr-richard-b-gaffin-jr/ steve hays said, June 29, 2008 at 7:46 am Perry, Let’s not lose sight of what’s at issue in the debate over Enns. Enns and his supporters are taking the position that God sometimes inspires errors, that Bible writers sometimes intend to make true assertions which we now know are false. How is the case of Caiaphas relevant to that issue? He intended to make a true assertion, and he succeeded in making a true statement. God inspired him to speak, and what he spoke was true. That is not comparable to the alleged case of an inspired Bible writer who meant to make a true assertion, even though his assertion does not, in fact, correspond to reality—according to our enlightened, modern viewpoint. steve hays said, June 30, 2008 at 7:32 am Perry Robinson said, “There is more than one theory of inspiration, particularly a more theanthropic model rather than a pneumatological one like what Lane proposes which isn’t really Chalcedonian IMO.” I suppose Lane favors a pneumatological model of inspiration because the Bible consistently attributes inspiration to the agency of the Holy Spirit. It’s terrible the way Lane gets his doctrine of Scripture from the witness of Scripture—instead of some post-Biblical, Greek Orthodox construct. steve hays said, June 30, 2008 at 11:59 am Perry Robinson said, “Caiaphas’ case is relevant since he was wrong yet inspired. I thought that would be obvious.” No, it’s not obvious. Are you claiming that his statement is erroneous? If so, in what respect. “And I wouldn’t think that a theory of inspiration would turn on a specific theory of truth like correspondence theory.” Now you’re changing the subject. I was pointing out what Enns’ theory entails, and then pointing out that Caiaphas doesn’t illustrate that principle. The theory of inspiration turns on the self-witness of Scripture, not a specific theory of truth. However, inspiration is not an end in itself. It’s a means of securing certain objectives, of which a truthful record is one. “Further, as I noted before, his own gloss entails unbiblical doctrines such as ‘created grace’, an artifact of medieval Catholicism. This can be seen in the material where he talks about the Spirit giving created graces to the humanity from the outside. The standard Roman dialectic between nature and grace, where grace is alien and eternal to nature is obvious. That is hardly a product of the witness of the Scriptures.” You’re obfuscating the issue by attacking a particular formulation of “pneumatic inspiration” because that particular formulation gives you a pretext to attack what you disapprove of in Protestant theology generally. That doesn’t change the fact that Scripture itself attributes its inspiration of the agency of the Holy Spirit rather than a theanthropic model. Attacking “created grace” is an exercise in misdirection. “I am still waiting for an exegetical defense of that doctrine without an appeal to natural theology from you.” What’s your problem, Perry? I’ve already stated my position on the Filioque. Don’t you remember? The problem is that you only have ears to hear the answers your looking for. If any answer doesn’t conform to your polemical agenda, you’re deaf to what the person said. So you keep demanding an answer as if none was given. “As for constructs, last I checked, Protestant views are the result of an attempt to reconstruct the Bible’s meaning and so at worst you’ve only put Orthodoxy on the same level as Protestantism. And since I don’t think you are going to find any churches in the first century with Calvin’s name on them, Reformed theology is ‘post-biblical’ as well. Wise cracks make bad arguments.” Once again, we weren’t discussing Reformed theology in general. Rather, we were discussing the Reformed doctrine of inspiration. In particular, the self-witness of Scripture. And, of course, Reformed theology in general has an exegetical basis, so the question of 1C labels is a red-herring. steve hays said, June 30, 2008 at 3:45 pm “[Perry Robinson] Perhaps you don’t think that God can die or did die, but I do.” Perry makes provocative comments like this because he wants to change the subject. He’s looking for a wedge issue to use against Protestant theology. He doesn’t want to talk about, say, Warfield’s inductive case for the verbal, plenary inspiration of scripture. Instead, he wants to turn this into a fight over Christology since he’d rather fight on his own turf, and he feels comfortable debating Christology. So he’s baiting commenters into riding his hobbyhorse instead of discussing Richard Gaffin and Peter Enns. steve hays said, July 1, 2008 at 10:46 am Perry Robinson said, “Caiaphas was wrong in terms of what was in fact better for the nation, not to mention the justice and morality of his statement or rather lack thereof.” It was wrong for Caiaphas to say it’s better for the people if Jesus dies? How is that wrong? John didn’t think it was wrong. To the contrary, John thought his statement was ironically right. That’s why John does a gloss on his statement, building on the truth of what he said. Your interpretation cuts against the grain of John’s editorial comment—not to mention the broader flow of the narrative. You need to learn how to exegete a passage of Scripture. “Actually I didn’t change the subject. You inserted a specific theory of truth upon which the problem supposedly in part turned. I just brought to light your mistake. To my knowledge Enns isn’t necessarily wedded to a correspondence theory of truth and I don’t see why one must be in discussing this problem. So I don’t think Enns account ‘entails’ a correspondence theory of truth.” No mistake on my part. I summarized Enns’ position as follows: “Let’s not lose sight of what’s an issue in the debate over Enns. Enns and his supporters are taking the position that God sometimes inspires errors, that Bible writers sometimes intend to make true assertions which we now know are false…That [Jn 11:50] is not comparable to the alleged case of an inspired Bible writer who meant to make a true assertion, even though his assertion does not, in fact, correspond to reality—according to our enlightened, modern viewpoint.” How, specifically, is that a misstatement of Enns’ position? But while we’re on the subject—yes, an oral or textual statement that corresponds to extratextual reality certainly figures in what Bible writers would take to be a true statement, and securing true statements is very |
