On The Hermeneutics Of Subscription (Part 3)
Confessional subscription must be supported by the entire community, reinforced, and if lacking, disciplined
“Most of us would benefit from a dividing of the very important question about subscription. I also believe that in the process we will learn some valuable things both about ourselves and our parents in the faith. What I suggest is that we first interpret what our forefathers intended, with as little eisegeting as possible.... Continue Reading
A Christmas Present From The Mainstream Media: Newsweek Takes a Desperate Swipe at the Integrity of the Bible (Part 1)
This is not the first media article critiquing the Bible that has been short on the facts
“The recent Newsweek cover article by Kurt Eichenwald, entitled “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” published intentionally (no doubt) on December 23rd, goes so far beyond the standard polemics, and is so egregiously mistaken about the Bible at so many places, that the magazine should seriously consider a public apology to Christians everywhere.” ... Continue Reading
Church of England Names Its First Woman Bishop; Libby Lane to Assume Historic Role
The Church of England announced on Dec. 17 that Libby Lane, a parish priest from Hale would become its first woman bishop
Lane, 48, a mother of two and the wife of an Anglican vicar, will be consecrated as the eighth bishop of Stockport, in the Diocese of Chester, at a ceremony at York Cathedral on Jan. 26. Her appointment is as a suffragan bishop — a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan or diocesan bishop. CANTERBURY, England... Continue Reading
The Puritans on the Law/Gospel Distinction
What did the Puritans teach about the law/gospel distinction?
In summary, most of the Puritans taught that the law, as a covenant of works, demands perfect obedience, condemns, and shows sin, but does not save, convey grace and strength, or give life. They also taught that the gospel in the covenant of grace does not demand perfect obedience nor does it condemn. Rather, it... Continue Reading
On The Hermeneutics Of Subscription
Recognition of difference in nuance is imperative in understanding the very meaning of subscription
“Many of the historic debates in ecclesiastical communions are in no small part intertwined with certain hermeneutical decisions. That is the case for any who seek an understanding of the crucial set of issues discussed in this work. Several hermeneutical matters will be of paramount importance. This volume could be considered a success if it... Continue Reading
50 Years After The Civil Rights Act
Reflecting on the impact of the Civil Rights Act on the African American community
“As a multi-racial, African-American New Testament scholar teaching in a core theological discipline in the oldest school (the school of theology) at the flagship and once segregated Southern Seminary, I am regularly moved with emotion and deep gratitude to my great God, the Father, and my Lord, Jesus Christ, when I think that there was... Continue Reading
Why Did Jesus Suffer The Torment Of Hell?
Jesus did endure the “anguish, pains and terrors” of hell before His crucifixion and on the cross
“Some have advocated that, since we do not believe that Christ went to the place of the dead, we should remove that clause from the creed. Others have defended retaining it.6 Calvin and the Reformed have retained the clause but have understood it to refer to Christ’s sufferings. We should explain that the original sense... Continue Reading
It’s Official: Mormon Founder Had Up To 40 Wives
Mormon leaders have acknowledged that the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, took as many as 40 wives, some already married
“The church’s disclosures, in a series of essays online, are part of an effort to be transparent about its history at a time when church members are increasingly encountering disturbing claims about the faith on the Internet. Many Mormons, especially those with polygamous ancestors, say they were well aware that Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, practiced... Continue Reading
The Tragedy of False Accusation
We in the church should be relentless in our defense of innocent victims who are falsely accused
If our defense of innocent victims is to be credible, we should also defend and fully restore those exonerated after submitting to the humiliation and disruption of accusation and investigation. They should bear the consequences of their own sins, but not for the sins of a false accuser. Because I sometimes write about Christian... Continue Reading
On Local Churches And The Sovereignty of God
We affirm the primacy of the local church in the conservation and nourishment of biblical Christianity
“Pastors and teachers preach and teach the Word, equipping the members of the body to build one another up to maturity. To each member is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. In these actual, gathered communities, God’s people can learn by experience what is excellent. Of course, if these assemblies pass... Continue Reading
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