Spitting into the Wind
The apostolic practice and teaching clearly show that the church’s ministry of mercy is to its members. We in the church have a long way to go before there is not a needy person among us, before we serve one another in humility and love after the example of our Lord. (Author’s Note: What follows... Continue Reading
Let’s be honest, a lot of Christians are guilty of homophobia
Sometimes, the truth hurts. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a staunch conservative started a controversy with comments he made at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual conference. The Associated Press quotes Mohler as saying that homosexuality isn’t something that people can “turn on and turn off.” Mohler went on to say that... Continue Reading
A theologically liberal critique of the theological liberals
Ecclesiastical structures are power structures of a similar sort to the ones we have been discussing. And an ecclesiastical structure has a dominant culture, just as a nation or a corporation does. It sets up rules which tend to benefit those who are members of the dominant culture and which tend to perpetuate their tenure... Continue Reading
Shifting the Stigma to the Other Foot: A New Assault in the Attack on Marriage
There’s an attempt today to shift the stigma to the other foot. If the shoe fits, that is if you fall into the criterion of those who refuse to celebrate divorce, you will like those of previous decades be forced to wear the stigma. While attention regarding attacks on marriage is currently and for good... Continue Reading
Committed to a Mortgage, But Not a Marriage
Purposeful dating and engagement, while living separately, provides the time to evaluate each other and to commit to developing the various parts of the relationship. Doing so apart from financial ties like a mortgage means that if you do get married, it is based on a strong relationship – not economic convenience. Amidst all the... Continue Reading
When Churches Play at Politics
As Tim Keller of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church has said, “The church as the church ought to be less concerned about speaking to politics and more concerned about service.” According to this story, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recently spoke to approximately 250 church leaders, outlining what they are allowed to do when it... Continue Reading
The Not-so-Hidden Agenda
A Yahoo Sports headline read, “Super Bowl hero’s shocking same-sex marriage comments.” Shocking? Tyree said, “The moment we have [same sex marriage], if you trace back even to other cultures, other countries, that will be the moment where our society . . . loses its grip with what’s right. Marriage is one of those things... Continue Reading
All out of whack!
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the average reader of this website is a fan of theology. Most of you are thoughtful, doctrinally attuned Christians. I also imagine a few of you might be a wee bit opinionated. It takes one to know one. I don’t use “opinionated” as a... Continue Reading
One Southern Baptist Convention: Slightly Divided
“The question for the SBC: How will a ‘red-state’ denom[ination] reach a ‘blue-state’ world that is younger, urban, more diverse, & less Republican?” So tweeted Jimmy Scroggins, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, Florida, five days prior to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting in Phoenix last week. The... Continue Reading
Why Not Paedocommunion?
The commands relating to children are different for circumcision and the Passover. In short, in the matter of the Passover, there is no command for the children to partake. In circumcision, there is a clear command that infants be circumcised (Gen. 17:7–14). This fact already establishes a difference between these two O.T. sacraments. Over the... Continue Reading