Friday, October 17, 2008
Campus Ministries and the Local Church
There's a wonderful article on the subject of the relationships of campus ministries to the local church here.
Christians and Vulgarity, Part IV
This will be the last Scripture I talk about on this subject. After that, God willing, I’ll post a summary of what we’ve seen from his book. Some of you are just waiting for this long winded stuff to be over so you can read the summary. I know this, because as I re-read what I’ve written, I just want the quick summary too.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Christians and Vulgarity, Part III
So far we’ve looked at the general subject of Christians and the use of profanity, and then we looked at Ephesians 4:29. We saw that the whole content of what we say is to point people to Jesus – and that that means we shouldn’t be saying things that are untrue or things that result in sin.
This time, let’s look at Ephesians 5:4. We’ll look at the verse and its context first, then make nine observations, then draw and apply conclusions to ourselves.
The Verse and its Context
The translators of the ESV translate Eph. 5:4 as follows: “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
The context of the verse is (as always) the key here to understanding God’s meaning. This is part of a section in which Paul tells God’s children to imitate their divine Father – and that means loving everyone in His Church.
God said this: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:1-2).”
Paul then contrasts this with a few things in verses 3-4 – “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
Nine Observations
So – first observation: see that contrast in verse 3? The but? That means that whatever activity and speech are being talked about, they’re being contrasted with loving God’s people as God loves his people.
Second observation – the ‘foolish talk’ and ‘crude joking’ are somehow linked to sexual immorality and covetousness. I’m leaving out ‘filthiness’ because it’s not exclusively about speaking, necessarily; but the word means ‘shameful,’ essentially.
Third observation – ‘foolish talk’ is again from that word ‘logos’ – probably referring to entire speech content, and probably referring to doctrine. In other words, don’t say spiritually stupid stuff. Or in other words – have cross-centered speech.
Fourth observation – crude joking – or as some translations put it, ‘vulgar talk,’ is out. Again, this is about whole speech content, not about vocabulary – though certainly vulgar vocabulary is excluded.
But what is vulgar vocabulary? …let’s see if we can answer that question later.
Fifth observation – verse 5 gives the reason for both verses 3 and 4. So verses 3 and 4 ban a list of things, including stupid (doctrinally wrong!), vulgar talk. And then verse 5 comes in and God says that those things are out because, “everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Sixth observation – these manners of speaking are tied to sexual immorality and greed. A quick survey of all the instances of even the word impurity will show us that Paul ties the idea to sexuality. (As in Romans 1:24.)
Seventh observation – verse 4 contrasts these things that are forbidden with giving thanks. The positive command is ‘give thanks!’
Eight observation – impurity is linked in 4:19 again to sexual lust and material lust (greed) – and contrasted with sound doctrine in verse 25.
Ninth observation – this is all linked to things that non-Christians do in secret (5:12). This is probably talking about sex acts that are against God’s will.
Alright, I think that’s enough; I think we can draw some conclusions.
Conclusions, and How We Should Live and Talk
The content of our speech is to be cross-centered, correct doctrinally, and praising God for how he’s rescued us. In doing so, we love fellow Christians, since we point them to our Savior.
And because we’re to point people to Jesus, we need to avoid things that distract us from him. If we were to summarize all this banned stuff – we end up with this sort of general banned talk: we should not talk about things that cause people to desire stuff that is not God.
That would include making light of sexual sin – because it leads to hell (5:5). That would include greedy talk about material things as well. That might include certain words.
But let’s face it – is this verse about our vocabulary and ‘naughty’ words? Absolutely not! And to make it about that is to just make up a rule that we Christians can easily obey. I can easily not use the F-word – if that genuinely makes someone lust.
This verse is about something deeper. It commands that the entirety of my speech to point to Christ; and negatively commands me not to distract people from him. Do I lust after an i-Phone? A beautiful woman who’s not my wife? An HDTV? Financial security?
Do I express those lusts? Do I cause others to stumble into those hell-earning lusts, rather than being expressly thankful for Jesus, our Messiah, who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is coming again?
Do you? What do you want? Is it stuff, or Jesus? What do you talk about wanting – stuff or Jesus? What do you happily talk about in general – stuff or Jesus?
I hope that drives the sword of the word of God into your soul! It does mine.
God commands us to be imitators of him – and that’s because we who believe in Jesus are his loved children. His Son died in the our places, and he is coming to collect us into his eternal kingdom. Let’s let that control our desires and talk like it does – and we’ll love our brothers and sisters by doing so.
This time, let’s look at Ephesians 5:4. We’ll look at the verse and its context first, then make nine observations, then draw and apply conclusions to ourselves.
The Verse and its Context
The translators of the ESV translate Eph. 5:4 as follows: “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
The context of the verse is (as always) the key here to understanding God’s meaning. This is part of a section in which Paul tells God’s children to imitate their divine Father – and that means loving everyone in His Church.
God said this: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:1-2).”
Paul then contrasts this with a few things in verses 3-4 – “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
Nine Observations
So – first observation: see that contrast in verse 3? The but? That means that whatever activity and speech are being talked about, they’re being contrasted with loving God’s people as God loves his people.
Second observation – the ‘foolish talk’ and ‘crude joking’ are somehow linked to sexual immorality and covetousness. I’m leaving out ‘filthiness’ because it’s not exclusively about speaking, necessarily; but the word means ‘shameful,’ essentially.
Third observation – ‘foolish talk’ is again from that word ‘logos’ – probably referring to entire speech content, and probably referring to doctrine. In other words, don’t say spiritually stupid stuff. Or in other words – have cross-centered speech.
Fourth observation – crude joking – or as some translations put it, ‘vulgar talk,’ is out. Again, this is about whole speech content, not about vocabulary – though certainly vulgar vocabulary is excluded.
But what is vulgar vocabulary? …let’s see if we can answer that question later.
Fifth observation – verse 5 gives the reason for both verses 3 and 4. So verses 3 and 4 ban a list of things, including stupid (doctrinally wrong!), vulgar talk. And then verse 5 comes in and God says that those things are out because, “everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Sixth observation – these manners of speaking are tied to sexual immorality and greed. A quick survey of all the instances of even the word impurity will show us that Paul ties the idea to sexuality. (As in Romans 1:24.)
Seventh observation – verse 4 contrasts these things that are forbidden with giving thanks. The positive command is ‘give thanks!’
Eight observation – impurity is linked in 4:19 again to sexual lust and material lust (greed) – and contrasted with sound doctrine in verse 25.
Ninth observation – this is all linked to things that non-Christians do in secret (5:12). This is probably talking about sex acts that are against God’s will.
Alright, I think that’s enough; I think we can draw some conclusions.
Conclusions, and How We Should Live and Talk
The content of our speech is to be cross-centered, correct doctrinally, and praising God for how he’s rescued us. In doing so, we love fellow Christians, since we point them to our Savior.
And because we’re to point people to Jesus, we need to avoid things that distract us from him. If we were to summarize all this banned stuff – we end up with this sort of general banned talk: we should not talk about things that cause people to desire stuff that is not God.
That would include making light of sexual sin – because it leads to hell (5:5). That would include greedy talk about material things as well. That might include certain words.
But let’s face it – is this verse about our vocabulary and ‘naughty’ words? Absolutely not! And to make it about that is to just make up a rule that we Christians can easily obey. I can easily not use the F-word – if that genuinely makes someone lust.
This verse is about something deeper. It commands that the entirety of my speech to point to Christ; and negatively commands me not to distract people from him. Do I lust after an i-Phone? A beautiful woman who’s not my wife? An HDTV? Financial security?
Do I express those lusts? Do I cause others to stumble into those hell-earning lusts, rather than being expressly thankful for Jesus, our Messiah, who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is coming again?
Do you? What do you want? Is it stuff, or Jesus? What do you talk about wanting – stuff or Jesus? What do you happily talk about in general – stuff or Jesus?
I hope that drives the sword of the word of God into your soul! It does mine.
God commands us to be imitators of him – and that’s because we who believe in Jesus are his loved children. His Son died in the our places, and he is coming to collect us into his eternal kingdom. Let’s let that control our desires and talk like it does – and we’ll love our brothers and sisters by doing so.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Wives naturally submitting to their husbands...
There's a bit of common wisdom out there that says this:
"If a husband is sacrificially loving his wife consistently, her natural response will be to submit to him."
I think the person who wrote that forgot that we're sinners. Those commands are there because our natural inclination is to do the opposite.
A husband's natural inclination is not to sacrificially love his wife. That can only be done as, in the Spirit, he puts to death the deeds of his body.
Same goes for wives. They won't submit, except by the Spirit. It may be easier to submit to a loving husband - but it's the same internal, sinful, inclination and desire that must be overcome by submission to Christ.
So men - don't try to be a good husband and love your wife so she'll submit. Love your wife for her holiness to honor Christ.
And women - submit to your husbands as to the Lord - for his glory. Period.
Both - don't try to do it by yourself - depend on the Holy Spirit's power and choose to value Christ over yourself.
"If a husband is sacrificially loving his wife consistently, her natural response will be to submit to him."
I think the person who wrote that forgot that we're sinners. Those commands are there because our natural inclination is to do the opposite.
A husband's natural inclination is not to sacrificially love his wife. That can only be done as, in the Spirit, he puts to death the deeds of his body.
Same goes for wives. They won't submit, except by the Spirit. It may be easier to submit to a loving husband - but it's the same internal, sinful, inclination and desire that must be overcome by submission to Christ.
So men - don't try to be a good husband and love your wife so she'll submit. Love your wife for her holiness to honor Christ.
And women - submit to your husbands as to the Lord - for his glory. Period.
Both - don't try to do it by yourself - depend on the Holy Spirit's power and choose to value Christ over yourself.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Christians and Vulgarity, Part II
Go here for Part I.
So we saw last time that there are three main passages used to tell Christians not to say 'naughty' words: Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 5:4; and Colossians 3:8. I say we take a look at these passages. Shall we?
Ephesians 4:29
Ephesians 4 hits two related topics. It first talks about all that the Holy Spirit is doing to build up Jesus’ Church. It’s cool stuff; check it.
The second topic it hits starts with this command: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds”(Ephesians 4:17). In other words, you used to not be a Christian. But now that you are a Christian, you shouldn’t live like a non-Christian.
Simple enough, right? Paul elaborates on what acting like a Christian means, and part of said elaboration is Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
The real question we have to answer here is this: what is ‘corrupting talk?’ I’ll just make a series of observations.
1) This passage is about the whole content of your speaking – not about particular words. ‘Corrupting talk,’ as in the ESV, is a decent translation of the Greek here. The NET renders the two words ‘unwholesome word’ – and while technically that’s a possibility, we’re not dealing with a ‘word’ in the English sense here; we’re dealing with a ‘word’ in the Greek sense – as in a message. It doesn’t refer to vocabulary so much as to entire content spoken.
As a matter of fact, Paul uses the word several times in Ephesians. In 1:13, he calls the Gospel itself the ‘word of truth.’ In Ephesians 6:19, Paul asks the Ephesians to pray that a message be given him to proclaim the gospel boldly. Your English translation may say ‘words’ – but the Greek is singular – ‘word.’ So the thing being spoken is a whole message – the whole content of one’s speech.
2) It’s possible that what is being spoken of here, particularly, is speech about doctrine. Again, the word ‘word’ here is used in Ephesians specifically about doctrinal words. See 1:13, 5:6, and 6:19. A quick survey of the word ‘word’ (logos) shows us that Paul doesn’t always mean a doctrinal message – but a majority of the time he does.
3) This speech has bad effects. The word translated ‘corrupting’ in the ESV means that the thing being talked about isn’t producing good stuff, at the very least. And is actually producing bad stuff. The bad stuff (I’m about to show) – is bad doctrine and bad behavior.
4) This speech is contrasted with good speech that’s characterized in three ways: it builds up; the needs of the moment are considered; and the purpose of the speaking is giving grace to those who hear.
Building up is a reference to 4:16 and the preceding verses. It’s about people maturing as Christians – in doctrine, character, and ministry skill.
There’s always a need for being built up, but those needs vary. So we’re to speak with reference to what’s needed.
And the purpose is giving grace to the hearers. Now grace, in Ephesians, always has God as the giver. And it’s always about how God himself is working in his people – in bringing his people home to heaven because of love. So giving grace? It’s getting people to experience Jesus. And how’s that happen? Well, by speaking to each other with – the gospel. With good doctrine, not bad.
So what’s this boil down to? There’s a prohibition placed here on speaking things that aren’t in line with what the Scriptures teach about reality. There’s a positive command to talk to people about the truth of the gospel, to be sensitive to the fact that they need that at different times and in different ways, and that it’s for their spiritual growth.
There’s nothing here about the particular vocabulary that one uses, except that the framework provided by Ephesians 4:29 should be used to examine everything we say.
So we saw last time that there are three main passages used to tell Christians not to say 'naughty' words: Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 5:4; and Colossians 3:8. I say we take a look at these passages. Shall we?
Ephesians 4:29
Ephesians 4 hits two related topics. It first talks about all that the Holy Spirit is doing to build up Jesus’ Church. It’s cool stuff; check it.
The second topic it hits starts with this command: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds”(Ephesians 4:17). In other words, you used to not be a Christian. But now that you are a Christian, you shouldn’t live like a non-Christian.
Simple enough, right? Paul elaborates on what acting like a Christian means, and part of said elaboration is Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
The real question we have to answer here is this: what is ‘corrupting talk?’ I’ll just make a series of observations.
1) This passage is about the whole content of your speaking – not about particular words. ‘Corrupting talk,’ as in the ESV, is a decent translation of the Greek here. The NET renders the two words ‘unwholesome word’ – and while technically that’s a possibility, we’re not dealing with a ‘word’ in the English sense here; we’re dealing with a ‘word’ in the Greek sense – as in a message. It doesn’t refer to vocabulary so much as to entire content spoken.
As a matter of fact, Paul uses the word several times in Ephesians. In 1:13, he calls the Gospel itself the ‘word of truth.’ In Ephesians 6:19, Paul asks the Ephesians to pray that a message be given him to proclaim the gospel boldly. Your English translation may say ‘words’ – but the Greek is singular – ‘word.’ So the thing being spoken is a whole message – the whole content of one’s speech.
2) It’s possible that what is being spoken of here, particularly, is speech about doctrine. Again, the word ‘word’ here is used in Ephesians specifically about doctrinal words. See 1:13, 5:6, and 6:19. A quick survey of the word ‘word’ (logos) shows us that Paul doesn’t always mean a doctrinal message – but a majority of the time he does.
3) This speech has bad effects. The word translated ‘corrupting’ in the ESV means that the thing being talked about isn’t producing good stuff, at the very least. And is actually producing bad stuff. The bad stuff (I’m about to show) – is bad doctrine and bad behavior.
4) This speech is contrasted with good speech that’s characterized in three ways: it builds up; the needs of the moment are considered; and the purpose of the speaking is giving grace to those who hear.
Building up is a reference to 4:16 and the preceding verses. It’s about people maturing as Christians – in doctrine, character, and ministry skill.
There’s always a need for being built up, but those needs vary. So we’re to speak with reference to what’s needed.
And the purpose is giving grace to the hearers. Now grace, in Ephesians, always has God as the giver. And it’s always about how God himself is working in his people – in bringing his people home to heaven because of love. So giving grace? It’s getting people to experience Jesus. And how’s that happen? Well, by speaking to each other with – the gospel. With good doctrine, not bad.
So what’s this boil down to? There’s a prohibition placed here on speaking things that aren’t in line with what the Scriptures teach about reality. There’s a positive command to talk to people about the truth of the gospel, to be sensitive to the fact that they need that at different times and in different ways, and that it’s for their spiritual growth.
There’s nothing here about the particular vocabulary that one uses, except that the framework provided by Ephesians 4:29 should be used to examine everything we say.
Friday, October 3, 2008
The End of the Shack
I actually haven't reached the end of "The Shack."
I've read a tad further - and I've found that the author tells us that God is not angry, nor is he wrathful.
Really.
I think I can show that he's wrong. Click here.
That's 51 verses about the wrath of God, by the way. And I didn't even touch his anger, fury, or any other word for wrath.
Or hate. How about hate. "The LORD tests the righteous,but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence." (Psalm 11:5)
I wonder if Young knows that he's shredded the heart and soul out of the cross of the Christ, my great savior and my God.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace...
"Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief..."
(Isaiah 53:5, 10)
I believe I'm done with this book. Why continue in it? Young creates idols, assaults the sufficiency of Scripture, tears down the incarnation of the Son of God, and maligns God's character - and thus the cross - and the gospel.
I know he means well. And I believe he's my brother. I pray that someone close to him will correct him and bring him under the authority of Scripture and of a Scripture-loving local church.
I've read a tad further - and I've found that the author tells us that God is not angry, nor is he wrathful.
Really.
I think I can show that he's wrong. Click here.
That's 51 verses about the wrath of God, by the way. And I didn't even touch his anger, fury, or any other word for wrath.
Or hate. How about hate. "The LORD tests the righteous,but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence." (Psalm 11:5)
I wonder if Young knows that he's shredded the heart and soul out of the cross of the Christ, my great savior and my God.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace...
"Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief..."
(Isaiah 53:5, 10)
I believe I'm done with this book. Why continue in it? Young creates idols, assaults the sufficiency of Scripture, tears down the incarnation of the Son of God, and maligns God's character - and thus the cross - and the gospel.
I know he means well. And I believe he's my brother. I pray that someone close to him will correct him and bring him under the authority of Scripture and of a Scripture-loving local church.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Why I'm a Christian
If you ask me why I'm a Christian, you're probably really asking me, "Why do you believe in Christianity?" Or maybe you're even asking, "What are the facts that lead you to Christian belief?" Or maybe you're even asking, "What are the things that made it intellectually feasible - but not only feasible, obligatory to believe?"
To these questions, I can only really say one thing. God made me a Christian. See, the presupposition in those questions is that my mind and will are free - that I'm somehow able to analyze facts in an unbiased fashion and arrive at Christianity - or not.
But God has taught that my mind and will are not free, but rather, are in a state of rebellion against him - as are yours. I can look at all the facts in the world that point to the authority of Scripture - but I - and you - will interpret those facts through rebellious lenses.
The mind is not neutral. It is in rebellion.
So why am I a Christian? God gave me a new soul - a new nature - one that responds to and sees his glory in his book.
If you're asking me what facts in the world agree with Christian belief, well, that's a different question. But in asking it, realize this - all those facts will be interpreted through rebellious lenses - unless God so chooses to have mercy, act, and open one's eyes.
To these questions, I can only really say one thing. God made me a Christian. See, the presupposition in those questions is that my mind and will are free - that I'm somehow able to analyze facts in an unbiased fashion and arrive at Christianity - or not.
But God has taught that my mind and will are not free, but rather, are in a state of rebellion against him - as are yours. I can look at all the facts in the world that point to the authority of Scripture - but I - and you - will interpret those facts through rebellious lenses.
The mind is not neutral. It is in rebellion.
So why am I a Christian? God gave me a new soul - a new nature - one that responds to and sees his glory in his book.
If you're asking me what facts in the world agree with Christian belief, well, that's a different question. But in asking it, realize this - all those facts will be interpreted through rebellious lenses - unless God so chooses to have mercy, act, and open one's eyes.
Christians and Vulgarity, Part I
Though I’m sure it’d be an interesting study, I’m not going to pretend to give a history of the whole matter at hand. I don’t know it. Instead, I’ll just give you my own experience with the issue.
1) I discovered at some point in my youth that there were ‘vulgarities’ in the Bible; words translated ‘rubbish,’ ‘may it never be,’ and ‘eliminated.’
2) People in the emergent movement apparently also discovered this and started using vulgarities – a lot. (They should've also discovered two other things - 1) The Bible, 2) history.)
3) Mark Driscoll became popular as ‘Mark the cussing pastor,’ a label, from what I understand, he’s not proud of. I also understand that much of that cussing was in anger at the emergent movement.
4) Piper invited Driscoll to be a speaker at the Desiring God conference in 2006. A whole lot of people that usually love Piper were irate. Emails were written and many that would’ve normally come to the annual conference didn’t. (Kind of reminds me of my mom banning cereal companies that supported liberal causes...)
5) This year, the Desiring God Conference is entitled “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God.” Paul Tripp, of the CCEF and Westminster Seminary, is one of the speakers. He’s a big deal in the Christian counseling world and, I believe, an ordained PCA minister. In a promotional video for the conference, he repeatedly uses a common vulgarity for POOP to demonstrate that the way we use words isn’t so much about our vocabulary as our intentions.
Now – if people were irate that Piper invited Driscoll – how does he think people will respond to this?
I don’t know about widespread reaction – but I do know some now think Piper has ‘forgotten his Bible.’ They certainly think he’s in grave sin.
It begs the question – what’s the Bible say about vulgarity? Why don’t we look at the three Scriptures cited that are commonly cited to show that… well, to show that Paul Tripp and John Piper are in sin – Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 5:4; and Colossians 3:8.
That examination will follow soon, God willing.
1) I discovered at some point in my youth that there were ‘vulgarities’ in the Bible; words translated ‘rubbish,’ ‘may it never be,’ and ‘eliminated.’
2) People in the emergent movement apparently also discovered this and started using vulgarities – a lot. (They should've also discovered two other things - 1) The Bible, 2) history.)
3) Mark Driscoll became popular as ‘Mark the cussing pastor,’ a label, from what I understand, he’s not proud of. I also understand that much of that cussing was in anger at the emergent movement.
4) Piper invited Driscoll to be a speaker at the Desiring God conference in 2006. A whole lot of people that usually love Piper were irate. Emails were written and many that would’ve normally come to the annual conference didn’t. (Kind of reminds me of my mom banning cereal companies that supported liberal causes...)
5) This year, the Desiring God Conference is entitled “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God.” Paul Tripp, of the CCEF and Westminster Seminary, is one of the speakers. He’s a big deal in the Christian counseling world and, I believe, an ordained PCA minister. In a promotional video for the conference, he repeatedly uses a common vulgarity for POOP to demonstrate that the way we use words isn’t so much about our vocabulary as our intentions.
Now – if people were irate that Piper invited Driscoll – how does he think people will respond to this?
I don’t know about widespread reaction – but I do know some now think Piper has ‘forgotten his Bible.’ They certainly think he’s in grave sin.
It begs the question – what’s the Bible say about vulgarity? Why don’t we look at the three Scriptures cited that are commonly cited to show that… well, to show that Paul Tripp and John Piper are in sin – Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 5:4; and Colossians 3:8.
That examination will follow soon, God willing.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Spurgeon Quote on Infant Baptism
Credit to Steve-o on this one.
"If we could find infant baptism in the word of God, we would adopt it. It would help us out of a great difficulty, for it would take away from us that reproach which is attached to us-- that we are odd and do not as other people do. But we have looked well through the Bible and cannot find it, and do not believe it is there, nor do we believe that others can find infant baptism in the Sriptures, unless they themselves first put it there."*
* Charles H. Spurgeon, C.H. Spurgeon Autobiography (reprint ed., Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1962), 1:152.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Indianapolis Law
From the Indiana government's website: Hopefully I'll never be a victim of this grave offense.
Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping is unfortunately common in Indianapolis and is a punishable offense. If you witness illegal dumping, please call the Mayor's Action Center (MAC) at 327-4MAC and report the incident.
Illegal dumping usually occurs in alleys, vacant lots, and in heavily wooded areas.
Sermon - Christians Need the Gospel
-Intro me and what I do (talk about holistic evangelism) (and define the gospel ASAP!!!)
-Be honest with hindrances – scary, rejection, naturally shy, I haven’t made it, I’d rather watch – or even talk about - a good movie
-Our task – evangelism (be specific about THEIR neighborhood and work throughout this whole thing!) – 1 Peter 2:9 (proclaim! We must do good works and show Jesus off – but we’re to speak about Jesus)
-What gets in our way? (Things I mentioned) – Question of values – if we loved the gospel more than other things, we’d talk about it (movie example). To love the gospel we need to experience it (dating). And to experience it, we need to HEAR it – over and over again – our memories are dull and the distractions are MANY (how many of you still celebrate the colts victory every day?)
-MBI – Christians need the gospel all the time. YOU need the gospel all the time. Only then will you participate in the joy that you should have in Jesus. And only then will you participate in God’s work in this world!
-Remind, read Romans 1:13-17,
-pray
-where we’re going:
-what’s going on this passage
-4 things that the gospel does
-leads to obedience(!)
-creates a debt (because of our sense of need)
-creates a boldness for the gospel
-it saves believers
-things you can do
(pray gospel; speak gospel; learn gospel)
I What’s going on…
-read v. 15
-how’d the church at Rome come to be?
-Paul longed to go
-wanted to preach the gospel to them!
-what it’s not (evangelistic crusade, special worship service with a juggler where the gospel is shared with a puppet show afterwards…)
-wanted to preach the gospel to CHRISTIANS
-shows us our need for hearing it –
-might say ‘ but I KNOW the gospel’ – (my example in youth group)
-really? If you believed it all the time you’d live out of such gratitude that you’d never sin. (house guest example)
-so again – the gospel is for Christians!
II - 4 things that the gospel does
1) leads to obedience – v. 13
-explain (w. Rom. 7:4)
-fruit = result – (ex: John 15)
-what that’s NOT! - self effort (Every Man’s Battle example)
-So stop believing that you can change your life – that you can make you a worshiper!
-And start believing that by hearing the gospel, the Holy Spirit will
-(repeat point)
2) creates a debt to everyone– v. 14
-what that’s NOT (debt to God)
-God owns everything (Acts 17)
-you have nothing to give him
-and makes a mockery of salvation/grace
- so do not act like you are a debtor to God – you’re not, you’re a child, who’s loved, and an heir of his Kingdom
-what that is – (verse again)
-why that debt exists…
-(I am Legend example)
-(my own story on the quad before graduation)
-they’re getting what I deserve
-elimnates prejudice! (race, income, education, age) – debt to everyone!
-(repeat point)
3) creates a boldness for the gospel – vv. 15, 16
-Why isn’t he ashamed? (v. 16b)
-(explain 16b – it’s the way God saves people!)
-So why would hearing the gospel motivate us to boldness? (reminds us of reality!) (talk about salvation here!)
-Polycarp example –
Then, the proconsul was urging him, and saying, "Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ;" Polycarp declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?"
The proconsul then said to him, "I have wild beasts at hand; to these will I cast you, except you relent." But he answered, "Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil; [449] and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous." [450] But again the proconsul said to him, "I will cause you to be consumed by fire, seeing you don’t fear the wild beasts, if you wilt not repent." But Polycarp said, "You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but art ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But what are you waiting for? Bring forth what you will."
-Why wasn’t Polycarp afraid? He was dwelling – camping, in the Gospel
(repeat point)
4) saves believers – vv. 16-17
-(explain)
-(The life of Martin Luther)
-Why would the righteousness of God be good news??? (1:18; 2:5-11) (run King/treason analogy throughout)
-(Rom 5:16-19)
(explain all this!)
(repeat point…)
-(repeat all four observations about what the gospel does…)
III – Three things you can do in response
1) Pray the Gospel
-what’s that look like? (confession, thanksgiving, asking for Kingdom!)
2) Speak the gospel
-at every opportunity, speak about Jesus
-be honest about your sins to others – so you can talk about forgiveness
3) Learn the gospel
-church!
-memorize Scripture (Romans 5!)
-don’t fill yourselves with what is Christian – light. (Christian twinkies! Taste good, but end up killing you)
(but rather, what is teaching Scripture in light of Jesus saving us by his death – 1 Cor. 2) (short book – 70 pages – cross centered life)
Dream a little bit with me. What would it look like to change your community. To change your family. To change your workplace. To change this city. To change this country. To change this world – to bring all of it into obedience to Jesus Christ, Ruler, Owner, and Creator of every individual person on this planet.
Who doesn’t want that? The fact is – it has to start here – in your own soul. And it starts – and continues – and grows – by hearing the Gospel.
You’re not going to change this world. You’re not going to change you. But the good news is that Jesus already has. And he’s going to continue to. And he’s going to make himself known through you. Through this church.
People of God, hear the Gospel! Jesus died. He rose from the dead as Ruler of this world! He forgives all of the disobedience of everyone who believes in him! He’s coming back one day to judge – and to bring every believer into his presence forever!
-Be honest with hindrances – scary, rejection, naturally shy, I haven’t made it, I’d rather watch – or even talk about - a good movie
-Our task – evangelism (be specific about THEIR neighborhood and work throughout this whole thing!) – 1 Peter 2:9 (proclaim! We must do good works and show Jesus off – but we’re to speak about Jesus)
-What gets in our way? (Things I mentioned) – Question of values – if we loved the gospel more than other things, we’d talk about it (movie example). To love the gospel we need to experience it (dating). And to experience it, we need to HEAR it – over and over again – our memories are dull and the distractions are MANY (how many of you still celebrate the colts victory every day?)
-MBI – Christians need the gospel all the time. YOU need the gospel all the time. Only then will you participate in the joy that you should have in Jesus. And only then will you participate in God’s work in this world!
-Remind, read Romans 1:13-17,
-pray
-where we’re going:
-what’s going on this passage
-4 things that the gospel does
-leads to obedience(!)
-creates a debt (because of our sense of need)
-creates a boldness for the gospel
-it saves believers
-things you can do
(pray gospel; speak gospel; learn gospel)
I What’s going on…
-read v. 15
-how’d the church at Rome come to be?
-Paul longed to go
-wanted to preach the gospel to them!
-what it’s not (evangelistic crusade, special worship service with a juggler where the gospel is shared with a puppet show afterwards…)
-wanted to preach the gospel to CHRISTIANS
-shows us our need for hearing it –
-might say ‘ but I KNOW the gospel’ – (my example in youth group)
-really? If you believed it all the time you’d live out of such gratitude that you’d never sin. (house guest example)
-so again – the gospel is for Christians!
II - 4 things that the gospel does
1) leads to obedience – v. 13
-explain (w. Rom. 7:4)
-fruit = result – (ex: John 15)
-what that’s NOT! - self effort (Every Man’s Battle example)
-So stop believing that you can change your life – that you can make you a worshiper!
-And start believing that by hearing the gospel, the Holy Spirit will
-(repeat point)
2) creates a debt to everyone– v. 14
-what that’s NOT (debt to God)
-God owns everything (Acts 17)
-you have nothing to give him
-and makes a mockery of salvation/grace
- so do not act like you are a debtor to God – you’re not, you’re a child, who’s loved, and an heir of his Kingdom
-what that is – (verse again)
-why that debt exists…
-(I am Legend example)
-(my own story on the quad before graduation)
-they’re getting what I deserve
-elimnates prejudice! (race, income, education, age) – debt to everyone!
-(repeat point)
3) creates a boldness for the gospel – vv. 15, 16
-Why isn’t he ashamed? (v. 16b)
-(explain 16b – it’s the way God saves people!)
-So why would hearing the gospel motivate us to boldness? (reminds us of reality!) (talk about salvation here!)
-Polycarp example –
Then, the proconsul was urging him, and saying, "Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ;" Polycarp declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?"
The proconsul then said to him, "I have wild beasts at hand; to these will I cast you, except you relent." But he answered, "Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil; [449] and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous." [450] But again the proconsul said to him, "I will cause you to be consumed by fire, seeing you don’t fear the wild beasts, if you wilt not repent." But Polycarp said, "You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but art ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But what are you waiting for? Bring forth what you will."
-Why wasn’t Polycarp afraid? He was dwelling – camping, in the Gospel
(repeat point)
4) saves believers – vv. 16-17
-(explain)
-(The life of Martin Luther)
-Why would the righteousness of God be good news??? (1:18; 2:5-11) (run King/treason analogy throughout)
-(Rom 5:16-19)
(explain all this!)
(repeat point…)
-(repeat all four observations about what the gospel does…)
III – Three things you can do in response
1) Pray the Gospel
-what’s that look like? (confession, thanksgiving, asking for Kingdom!)
2) Speak the gospel
-at every opportunity, speak about Jesus
-be honest about your sins to others – so you can talk about forgiveness
3) Learn the gospel
-church!
-memorize Scripture (Romans 5!)
-don’t fill yourselves with what is Christian – light. (Christian twinkies! Taste good, but end up killing you)
(but rather, what is teaching Scripture in light of Jesus saving us by his death – 1 Cor. 2) (short book – 70 pages – cross centered life)
Dream a little bit with me. What would it look like to change your community. To change your family. To change your workplace. To change this city. To change this country. To change this world – to bring all of it into obedience to Jesus Christ, Ruler, Owner, and Creator of every individual person on this planet.
Who doesn’t want that? The fact is – it has to start here – in your own soul. And it starts – and continues – and grows – by hearing the Gospel.
You’re not going to change this world. You’re not going to change you. But the good news is that Jesus already has. And he’s going to continue to. And he’s going to make himself known through you. Through this church.
People of God, hear the Gospel! Jesus died. He rose from the dead as Ruler of this world! He forgives all of the disobedience of everyone who believes in him! He’s coming back one day to judge – and to bring every believer into his presence forever!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Why I Wish I Could Be a Presbyterian... but Can't
So I wish I could be a Presbyterian and just say I subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Finding a home church would be so easy. Ministry and support raising would be so easy. Plus, I'd have the backing of an entire denomination in missions, not to speak of the tremendous history of the Westminster tradition.
Except I disagree with one question in the Westminster. Just one. Just a teeney one.
No way I can baptize infants.
What follows is a skeleton outline of why baptizing the infants of believers is wrong. It's just a skeleton; if you need warrants for these statements, that's the meat they're missing, and we can dialog through them.
And not one of these arguments is necessarily a 'magic bullet' that seals the argument. But I think the cumulative force of them all together is a debilitating blow to Reformed Paedobaptism. So without further ado, the reasons...
1) In Scripture, faith and baptism aren't just linked in terms of objective meaning, but in terms of subjective experience.
2) Infant baptism is never commanded. My Reformed Paedobaptist friends would do well to remember their own regulative principle, Deuteronomy 12:32, and need to show that not only would paedobaptism have to be assumed, but properly assumed by the earliest Christians.
3) People in the New Covenant are all regenerate. See Hebrews 8 and Jeremiah 31.
4) The Abrahamic Covenant was not just spiritual. It had both spiritual/eternal and physical/ethnic aspects.
5) Circumcision in the Old Testament is fulfilled in (and prophesied) regeneration, not baptism.
6) Circumcision and baptism are never talked about as if they were identical signs.
7) Baptism is never talked about as the simple solution to the problems of the Judaizers - which would've been the case had it been the replacement for circumcision.
8) New Covenant people are spiritual and defined by spiritual birth.
9) No where is there a promise that children of believers are elect - only set apart because they'll hear the word of God.
10) The covenantal paedobaptism position is nowhere in history until Zwingli. Baptism and faith were always linked in experience in theological writings until then (even if sometimes mistakenly so).
11) Nowhere is baptism ever talked about as the sign of entry into the visible church. It's always in terms of one's regeneration - being in the invisible church.
12) Paedobaptists assume that the Abrahamic covenant IS the covenant of grace - not merely a dispensation of it. They look at the fulfillment of the covenant of grace (the new covenant) in terms of the Abrahamic covenant, as opposed to the Abrahamic covenant as a downpayment for and in terms of how the New Covenant fulfills it. (That is to say, they look at the relationship between the two covenants as essentially merely repeats of each other as opposed to looking at them in terms of promise-fulfillment.)
That's what I got off the top of my head. I'll add more as I think of them, God willing!
Except I disagree with one question in the Westminster. Just one. Just a teeney one.
No way I can baptize infants.
What follows is a skeleton outline of why baptizing the infants of believers is wrong. It's just a skeleton; if you need warrants for these statements, that's the meat they're missing, and we can dialog through them.
And not one of these arguments is necessarily a 'magic bullet' that seals the argument. But I think the cumulative force of them all together is a debilitating blow to Reformed Paedobaptism. So without further ado, the reasons...
1) In Scripture, faith and baptism aren't just linked in terms of objective meaning, but in terms of subjective experience.
2) Infant baptism is never commanded. My Reformed Paedobaptist friends would do well to remember their own regulative principle, Deuteronomy 12:32, and need to show that not only would paedobaptism have to be assumed, but properly assumed by the earliest Christians.
3) People in the New Covenant are all regenerate. See Hebrews 8 and Jeremiah 31.
4) The Abrahamic Covenant was not just spiritual. It had both spiritual/eternal and physical/ethnic aspects.
5) Circumcision in the Old Testament is fulfilled in (and prophesied) regeneration, not baptism.
6) Circumcision and baptism are never talked about as if they were identical signs.
7) Baptism is never talked about as the simple solution to the problems of the Judaizers - which would've been the case had it been the replacement for circumcision.
8) New Covenant people are spiritual and defined by spiritual birth.
9) No where is there a promise that children of believers are elect - only set apart because they'll hear the word of God.
10) The covenantal paedobaptism position is nowhere in history until Zwingli. Baptism and faith were always linked in experience in theological writings until then (even if sometimes mistakenly so).
11) Nowhere is baptism ever talked about as the sign of entry into the visible church. It's always in terms of one's regeneration - being in the invisible church.
12) Paedobaptists assume that the Abrahamic covenant IS the covenant of grace - not merely a dispensation of it. They look at the fulfillment of the covenant of grace (the new covenant) in terms of the Abrahamic covenant, as opposed to the Abrahamic covenant as a downpayment for and in terms of how the New Covenant fulfills it. (That is to say, they look at the relationship between the two covenants as essentially merely repeats of each other as opposed to looking at them in terms of promise-fulfillment.)
That's what I got off the top of my head. I'll add more as I think of them, God willing!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
DA Carson on Deeds of Mercy and The Gospel
Presbyterian post tomorrow, God willing, I'm tired.
But for now - DA Carson, NT professor of awesome, notes two things in answer to this question:
"Granted that we ought to be engaged in acts of mercy, what safeguards can be set in place so as to minimize the risk that the deeds of mercy will finally swamp the proclamation of the gospel and the passionate desire to see men and women reconciled to God by faith in Christ Jesus and his atoning death and resurrection?"
The two are...
But for now - DA Carson, NT professor of awesome, notes two things in answer to this question:
"Granted that we ought to be engaged in acts of mercy, what safeguards can be set in place so as to minimize the risk that the deeds of mercy will finally swamp the proclamation of the gospel and the passionate desire to see men and women reconciled to God by faith in Christ Jesus and his atoning death and resurrection?"
The two are...
"First, it is helpful to distinguish between the responsibilities of the church qua church and the responsibilities of Christians. Some writers flip back and forth between references to "Christians" and references to "church" as if there is no difference whatsoever. But many Christian thinkers, from Kuyperians to Baptists, have argued that if the church qua church is responsible for some of these substantial works of mercy, such works of mercy ought to come under the leaders of the church. It is very difficult to find any warrant for that step in the New Testament. Even before there were pastors/elders/overseers, the apostles themselves, according to Acts, recognized that they should not be diverted from the ministry of the Word and prayer, even by the inequities of food distribution among the faithful, so they saw to it that others were appointed to tackle the problem. Ministers of the gospel ought so to be teaching the Bible in all its comprehensiveness that they will be raising up believers with many different avenues of service, but they themselves must not become so embroiled in such multiplying ministries that their ministries of evangelism, Bible teaching, making disciples, instructing, baptizing, and the like, somehow get squeezed to the periphery and take on a purely formal veneer.
Second, one pastor astutely urged, "Preach hell." Two things follow from this. (1) By adopting this priority we remind ourselves that as Christians we desire to relieve all suffering, from the temporal to the eternal. If we do not maintain such a panoramic vision, the relief of immediate suffering, as important as it is, may so command our focus that we fail to remind ourselves of Jesus' rhetorical question, "What good will it be for you to gain the whole world yet forfeit your soul?" Read the closing lines of Revelation 14 and Revelation 20 when your vision becomes myopic. (2) As long as you are prepared to plead with men and women to be reconciled to God and to flee the coming wrath, you are preserving something that is central in the Bible, something that is intimately and irrefragably tied to the gospel itself—and those who want to shunt such themes aside and focus only on the relief of present suffering will not want to have much to do with you. Thus you will be free to preach and teach the whole counsel of God and to relieve all suffering, temporal and eternal, without being drawn into endless alliances in which people never focus on anything beyond threescore years and ten."
Monday, September 22, 2008
Subscribe via email!
Now you can just get my posts immediately when I write them delivered to your email. Just go to my site and type your email into the 'subscribe via email' box on the right.
That simple.
Coming soon
1) Why I wish I could be a Presbyterian - but can't.
2) More impressions of "The Shack" and "Blue Like Jazz"
3) Sermon Notes - "Why Christians Need the Gospel"
4) Christians and Vulgarity
5) Why Christians should drink (booze!)
That simple.
Coming soon
1) Why I wish I could be a Presbyterian - but can't.
2) More impressions of "The Shack" and "Blue Like Jazz"
3) Sermon Notes - "Why Christians Need the Gospel"
4) Christians and Vulgarity
5) Why Christians should drink (booze!)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Non Christians Not Gossiping?
Check out this article.
Very interesting. So hey kids, we struggle with gossip - let's face it. How do you fight it? Spill it!
Very interesting. So hey kids, we struggle with gossip - let's face it. How do you fight it? Spill it!
John, Stick to Hunting and Fishing.
Eldredge has just released a new book.
It's about praying for guidance. He says stuff like, 'God, should I go fishing today?' And, according to him, God answers.
I for one, believe the Holy Scriptures are sufficient for every good work. And I don't see this sort of behavior or guidance in them. I see meditation on God's word, the Spirit applying it to our very core beings.
Blogger Tim Challies cites theologian Sinclair Ferguson:
"Christians in an earlier generation rarely thought of writing books on guidance. There is a reason for that (just as there is a reason why so many of us today are drawn to books that will tell us how to find God's will). Our forefathers in the faith were catechised, and they taught catechisms to their children. Often as much as half of the catechism would be devoted to an exposition of the answers to questions like the following: Question: Where do we find God's will? Answer: In the Scriptures. Question: Where in particular in the Scriptures? Answer: In the Commandments that God has given to us.
It's about praying for guidance. He says stuff like, 'God, should I go fishing today?' And, according to him, God answers.
I for one, believe the Holy Scriptures are sufficient for every good work. And I don't see this sort of behavior or guidance in them. I see meditation on God's word, the Spirit applying it to our very core beings.
Blogger Tim Challies cites theologian Sinclair Ferguson:
"Christians in an earlier generation rarely thought of writing books on guidance. There is a reason for that (just as there is a reason why so many of us today are drawn to books that will tell us how to find God's will). Our forefathers in the faith were catechised, and they taught catechisms to their children. Often as much as half of the catechism would be devoted to an exposition of the answers to questions like the following: Question: Where do we find God's will? Answer: In the Scriptures. Question: Where in particular in the Scriptures? Answer: In the Commandments that God has given to us.
Why were these questions and answers so important? Because these Christians understood that God's law provides basic guidelines that cover the whole of life. Indeed, in the vast majority of instances, the answer to the question 'What does God want me to do?' will be found by answering the question: 'How does the law of God apply to this situation? What does the Lord require of me here in his word?'"
I KNOW you love readin' Chronicles!
Most of you probably don't read the Old Testament much. I understand that. It can feel really boring, full of inconsequential detail - and just plain hard to read.
But it is God's word, good for doctrine and life - and it's here for you.
So let me share with you a paradigm you can use to read through Kings and Chronicles - and all the narratives about kings in Israel.
Read the end of Judges - God's people kept rejecting God because they had no king. Then Israel wanted a king that would essentially act like the pagan kings instead of merely being God's spokesman.
But then God gave them a king - David - who executed God's Law, and God ushered in an era of peace and prosperity and obedience. Awesome. And promised David that his line would be forever.
Oh, and Jesus fulfills that. By the way. (2 Sam 7; Romans 1:3, 4)
So when you're reading about these kings, who show varied levels of obedience and disobedience, compare them to Jesus.
Look at how they sin. Look at how you share in their sin. And look at how Jesus is a better King. How he obeyed God perfectly. How he commanded us perfectly (as recorded in Scripture). How he actually causes our obedience (through the Spirit). How he died for our sins. How he rose and reigns at God's right hand - and how he's coming again to rescue his people from the ills of this world - and to usher us into his presence.
But it is God's word, good for doctrine and life - and it's here for you.
So let me share with you a paradigm you can use to read through Kings and Chronicles - and all the narratives about kings in Israel.
Read the end of Judges - God's people kept rejecting God because they had no king. Then Israel wanted a king that would essentially act like the pagan kings instead of merely being God's spokesman.
But then God gave them a king - David - who executed God's Law, and God ushered in an era of peace and prosperity and obedience. Awesome. And promised David that his line would be forever.
Oh, and Jesus fulfills that. By the way. (2 Sam 7; Romans 1:3, 4)
So when you're reading about these kings, who show varied levels of obedience and disobedience, compare them to Jesus.
Look at how they sin. Look at how you share in their sin. And look at how Jesus is a better King. How he obeyed God perfectly. How he commanded us perfectly (as recorded in Scripture). How he actually causes our obedience (through the Spirit). How he died for our sins. How he rose and reigns at God's right hand - and how he's coming again to rescue his people from the ills of this world - and to usher us into his presence.
Why Do Good People Suffer?
Or in other words, why, if God is 'good,' does 'evil' exist?
This is the question "The Shack" seeks to answer. I don't know how it answers it yet. But I figured I'd give you four answers God gives.
1) Shut up. (That is, don't question God. He's God, and you're not.) (Job 38 through the end and Romans 9)
2) Evil exists to show the glory of God in his love (Romans 9, Romans 5:12-21, John 9:2-3, Matthew 11:25-26).
3) Wait - God's going to fix it! (Which is a good thing for those he's forgiven - bad for those he hasn't.) (ALL over the prophets, psalms, etc.)
4) Suffering exists as the beginning of punishment for unbelievers, and as holiness-producing discipline for believers (Luke 13:1 and following; 1 Peter 4:12 and following; Hebrews 12:1-10 ish).
If you want more ref's, I can grab 'em.
It's too bad that people aren't willing to just say - 'hey, what's the Bible say on this?' I shouldn't ask my pastor or someone to explain what the bible says - I should read some stupid book that denigrates God. But hey, it's written well and makes me feel good.
A friend of mine coined the term 'spiritual masturbation' to refer to such things. He's right. And I'd apologize for the ugliness of the term, except for the fact that what is being done in creating and worshiping an idol is worse.
This is the question "The Shack" seeks to answer. I don't know how it answers it yet. But I figured I'd give you four answers God gives.
1) Shut up. (That is, don't question God. He's God, and you're not.) (Job 38 through the end and Romans 9)
2) Evil exists to show the glory of God in his love (Romans 9, Romans 5:12-21, John 9:2-3, Matthew 11:25-26).
3) Wait - God's going to fix it! (Which is a good thing for those he's forgiven - bad for those he hasn't.) (ALL over the prophets, psalms, etc.)
4) Suffering exists as the beginning of punishment for unbelievers, and as holiness-producing discipline for believers (Luke 13:1 and following; 1 Peter 4:12 and following; Hebrews 12:1-10 ish).
If you want more ref's, I can grab 'em.
It's too bad that people aren't willing to just say - 'hey, what's the Bible say on this?' I shouldn't ask my pastor or someone to explain what the bible says - I should read some stupid book that denigrates God. But hey, it's written well and makes me feel good.
A friend of mine coined the term 'spiritual masturbation' to refer to such things. He's right. And I'd apologize for the ugliness of the term, except for the fact that what is being done in creating and worshiping an idol is worse.
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