Africa Needs True Christians

Matthew Parris, writing for the Times Online:

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But this doesn't fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.

First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.

We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.

Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.

This time in Malawi it was the same. I met no missionaries. You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs. But instead I noticed that a handful of the most impressive African members of the Pump Aid team (largely from Zimbabwe) were, privately, strong Christians. “Privately” because the charity is entirely secular and I never heard any of its team so much as mention religion while working in the villages. But I picked up the Christian references in our conversations. One, I saw, was studying a devotional textbook in the car. One, on Sunday, went off to church at dawn for a two-hour service.

It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.

There's long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: “theirs” and therefore best for “them”; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.

I don't follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the “big man” and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.

Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.

How can I, as someone with a foot in both camps, explain? When the philosophical tourist moves from one world view to another he finds - at the very moment of passing into the new - that he loses the language to describe the landscape to the old. But let me try an example: the answer given by Sir Edmund Hillary to the question: Why climb the mountain? “Because it's there,” he said.

To the rural African mind, this is an explanation of why one would not climb the mountain. It's... well, there. Just there. Why interfere? Nothing to be done about it, or with it. Hillary's further explanation - that nobody else had climbed it - would stand as a second reason for passivity.

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.

And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

How Do We Preach in a Postmodern World?

Dr. David Wells has a great video here, which I was unfortunately unable to embed.

Theology Program FREE on iTunes

Thanks to Justin Taylor for posting this:

Michael Patton now has the entire curriculum of The Theology Program for free on iTunes as well as all the electives.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Bibliology and Hermeneutics with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
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Humanity and Sin with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
Soteriology with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
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Introduction to Apologetics with Robert Bowman
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Be sure to subscribe to these on iTunes as we will be updating them with new courses soon. Also, here are the COMING ELECTIVES:

Church History through the Reformation with Sam Storms
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I can hardly believe that resources of this kind of value would be available for your mp3/4 player - and free no less! Thanks to Michael Patton and all those wholabored to make this resource available.

Here Lies God

My little brother is a humanities major at Loyola in the NO, and it is always fun to visit him, as I did this holiday. We get to chat about all things philosophical, and toss arguments and apologetics back and forth. This particular trip we began talking about a philosopher and his philosophy which has increased in popularity among contemporary thinkers. The argument goes something like this. People who believe in Truth are likely to kill people. Therefore, we need to stop believing in Truth. This is the simplified version of a philosophy that I had heard before, but this time it was so compelling, so intelligent and well thought out, and so historically accurate, that I had to accept it. After all, if we cannot accept historical fact, what can we accept? Surely, this philosophy is true. God is dead. Why should we believe in an absolute moral code, administrated by an absolutely moral Being, who will someday torment and kill people for not doing or being what he wants? Surely that will lead to people who imitate their God - and torment and kill people who disagree with them.

Unfortunately, my zeal for this new found perspective leads me to disagree rather strongly with the entire conclusion. I don't believe in Truth, so why should I believe that a perceived "imbalance of power" is wrong, or that killing people is undesirable? I have a better idea. Man is the pinnacle of evolution, and has no known predators. So, in an effort to balance the equation and keep man from destroying everything, nature has genetically coded man to destroy himself. War allows the surplus population to be curbed in much the same way as natural disasters do. Further, the powerful or clever always win war, leading to the strengthening evolution of the human race. Nature is red in tooth and claw, and it is only through self-destruction that mankind can continue to evolve in balance with his surroundings.

So forget about Truth, forget about those silly and destructive ideas about morality and judgment. That is dangerous. Instead, start a war. At least you will be contributing to the probability of emerging the ubermensch.

Merry Christmas

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

These words from the gospel of Matthew reveal something profound about the culture into which Jesus was born. I think sometimes we blip over the Christmas story: after all, how could a whole city be troubled at the news of the coming Messiah? That's got to be poetic licence. Well here are a few thoughts. First, there had been many zealots and uprisings and "messiahs", and they had led to nothing but ever-escalating Greek and Roman domination. The final rebellion in A.D.70 would lead to the destruction of the city and temple. To contextualize this, think of the middle east today, with Israeli tanks firing machine guns into civilian apartments in Gaza, and Hamas launching rocket strikes into the West Bank. The uprisings of Jesus' time were probably little different: destructive, rather than constructive, and for most people only leading to death and destruction of property. For the "neutral" majority, the ability to create wealth and live securely far out-trumps whether Israel or Hamas has the domination. So when first century Israel heard of this new king, their hearts probably sunk. They believed the messiah was to come and conquer the Romans. They were probably expecting another bloody, fruitless skirmish resulting in smashed shops and burning grain fields. The second observation is so obvious, we don't always even see it. Herod responded to the news by murdering all the males in a region up to two years. The people of Jerusalem would have known about Herod's murderous temperament, and likely feared something exactly like this. Who knows what the insane monarch will do to retain his power?

The fact is, the Messiah was very, very inconvenient for the first century Israelites. He is still inconvenient today. He will always be inconvenient to the sin-filled heart. It is only by God's grace, when we repent of our sin and believe in this Messiah that we can know the Father, and be saved from His wrath. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Brand Jesus

Review the book.

Introduction to My New Book

This book is the result of several thoughts coming together. I had been thinking about the shallowness of many American Christians, as well as the impetus for Christian living and the call to Christianity. I had the feeling that these things were related, and it all came together as I walked through the Christian bookstore. There it was, a whole shelf full of “Christian” best-sellers. Bleached white grins and expensive haircuts offered me the chance to let Jesus improve my life drastically. Perhaps by accident someone had left Foxe’s Book of Martyrs right in the middle of the display. It was certainly a drastic contrast, the irony of which caused me laugh out loud. A few people glanced over, then looked down again, oblivious to the spiritual lesson that was staring them in the face. How would it look if I changed the name of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to Your Best Life Now Book of Martyrs? Consider this: the only apostle not murdered for his faith was John, and even he was harshly imprisoned on Patmos. What might these men think of the faith peddled in our bookstores?

In business courses, future CEOs and executives are taught valuable lessons about cost versus value. The cost of a product or service is how much a company pays to produce it. The value is how much the customer thinks that product or service is worth. Think for a moment how much value the apostles must have placed upon their faith! They were willing to suffer and die for it. Paul explains some of his hardships in his second letter to the Corinthians. “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” But the hardships and martyrdom were not reserved for the apostles alone. Paul expects the Romans to rejoice in suffering , commends the Thessalonians for enduring in suffering, tells Timothy to share in suffering and expects him to endure it. James exhorts his readers to be joyful through their trials and encourages them to copy the prophets in enduring suffering. Peter expects his readers to suffer, and calls their trials “necessary”. He expects sorrow, suffering, and endurance for his readers, and tells them that this is the common experience for all believers throughout the world. Prior to his conversion, Paul himself persecuted, imprisoned, and killed believers. This was the normal Christian experience in the first century A.D. Imagine, then, just how much a person would have to value Christianity to convert in those circumstances. Clearly, the value of Christianity was inestimable to the early church.

But value is a perception, not a cost. The truth is, however, that the apostles actually saw the cost. They saw the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These men had walked with Jesus, listened to Him teach, and worshipped Him. And they had watched him beaten, mocked, and hung on a tree. They had seen him gasping for breath, tattered ribbons of yellow fat dangling from the lacerations in his side and back. They had seen the crown of thorns and the piercing nails, and the bloody water that gushed from Christ’s abdomen. And they had seen Him alive again, and caught up into heaven. To the apostles, they were not over-valuing Christianity. They were not even able to grasp the depth of cost. So when it came time to pay their own cost – as their possessions were stolen, their children were taken, and their lives went up in the smoke of burning stakes – these believers suffered it with all joy. Their cost was only a shadow of Christ’s cost, and the reward was inestimable. The truth is, the gospel demanded something very great from the early church. It demanded a life of service and dedication to The Way; a life where death was imminent and suffering unavoidable. This Way demanded one’s whole life.

But today we offer a faith that costs nothing. We offer a faith that rarely talks about the gruesome spectacle of redemption or the suffering that Christ endured. We never talk about Christ demanding anything of believers, and we only mention suffering if it is part of a (usually melodramatically glamorous) missions presentation. There is no cost. And for most people casually donning this leisure-suit Christianity, there are no demands. We are told to say a prayer and then we’ll go to heaven. There is no cost. Should it surprise us, then if we do not value our faith? We try the Christianity thing like the latest summer fashion. But when it starts to storm, we quickly change into something else, or cover ourselves with a trench coat of self-help psychology. Is our easy faith normal? Or is it a recent and short-lived aberration from the historical norm? It is even real?

These are the questions that drive this book. These are the questions that will shape our faith and practice. We will look at this life, and what God has to say about our faith and future. We will look at regeneration, and what a new life means for living out Christianity. We will look at the true cost of following Christ, and the demands that the gospel places on us. We will examine the rewards God has promised us, as we glimpse something of the future glory that awaits us. And as we answer these questions we will begin to see with awe the glory of the richness of God’s grace.

Copyright, © 2008 by John R. Thacker Jr.
Houston, TX
All Rights Reserved

Abject Foolishness

The news is a constant reminder of the abject foolishness of the world we live in. Truth is, I am not saying this with a frown, looking down my snoot at all the unholy and (most likely) unwashed masses. No, I'm saying it with a smile. God has a really great sense of humor. The AP recently reported that Paris Hilton (not sure who this is, but the article described her as a "socialite", and I have heard this name before, so I guess she's important) was - and I quote - "devastated" by a recent burglary of her home. Well, here's a clue, princess, if you build your whole life around stuff, think how devastated you'll be when the people after you divide the spoil. Don't you know that treasures stored up here on earth get rusty, or moth-eaten, or stolen? Abject foolishness.
In other AP news, Toyota announces its first operating loss since 1941. Ironically, this change came as Toyota has chased frantically after the American auto industry, scrapping with Chevy over who could produce the most different models of SUV. GM has been failing for the last 30 years, only staying afloat by selling more cars to cover its losses; a ponzi scheme that makes Social Security look like a five year old robbing a candy store. I can't imagine why Toyota would falter by imitating that beacon of success. Abject foolishness.
And to ice the cake, the AP recently announced that the University of Chicago is planning on joining the ranks of Universities offering coed dorm rooms. This seems like a reasonable way to improve grades, decrease rape and rape charges, and build social esteem between the sexes. After all, familiarity breeds respect. Abject foolishness.
It is a good thing Christ came to redeem us from our sins, because if God left us to fend for ourselves...God help us.

Penn Jillette on Proselytizing

Carl Truman on Homosexuality

A truly brilliant post on the hysteria of both right and left militants who can't think, but only spew propaganda, available here.

MIA - Generosity

I have been so blessed to be both giver and receiver of generosity in the church. And while I can say from experience that it is more blessed to give than to receive, watching people be generous is a huge blessing. But it seems today that generosity is on the decline in the church. Certainly there is a huge difference between a church "holding all things common" and the way churches budget today. Is this the result of an evolving social structure, or a decline in generosity (or both)? I think that we as Christians have become so blinded by our materialistic society, that we are ashamed to be generous. I don't think that the decline in generosity is the result of scroogeish Christians hording all their dough. Instead, the effect of materialism on generosity is much more subtle. First, have you noticed how people are far more likely to give money than goods these days? If someone needs, say, a coat, we are far more likely to give them cash than a new coat. This is because of the attitude of materialism in our culture. This attitude says "you can't give them your own coat...that's used. People will think you're poor." You can't just buy them a coat, either. If you get one from Walmart, you are not only poor, but a cheapskate. How insensitive can you be? Don't you know that a coat from Walmart will permanently affect that individuals self-esteem? Increasingly, people are becoming even wary of giving cash. Our culture says, "If you give too little, people will think you're poor. And besides, if so-and-so knew how to manage their money, they wouldn't need a coat anyhow."
These are the kinds of evil thoughts that parade through our minds as Americans. I'm not preaching at you, all these examples are lifted from my own experience. But what should we say? How should we express generosity? First, the needs of our brothers in Christ is an opportunity for us to minister to Christ. We should be giddy with delight when the opportunity comes to help a brother in need. God has allowed us this opportunity to reveal our true faith and earn His reward! Christ said, "if you do it to the least of these, my brothers you did it to me." And again, "My father, who sees in secret, will reward in public."
But we do live in a materialistic society. If you give someone your coat (which you bought at Walmart) don't be surprised if they are offended. This is a sinful attitude in their heart - don't let it cheat you out of your reward! We can all give every day to our brothers and sisters overseas - think about this blessing! In Paul's day, Christians had to make a perilous journey to Jerusalem with a love-gift to help the saints in poverty. And Jerusalem was only a few hundred miles away. Today we can give across continents, and networks are already in place to give generously to our brothers and sisters in Christ! This makes me all excited - why would God consider me worthy of such an opportunity? But woe to me if I neglect this chance! So stop thinking in the convoluted and sinful ways of the pagans around you. Be generous. By the way, if anyone needs a coat, I am a 46 long (something like "extra large" in normal sizes) and would be happy to give you mine.

Sex Slavery

Is very real. From Driscoll's forthcoming Porn Again Christian:

"Over the past three decades the world has witnessed four distinct waves of trafficking for sexual exploitation. The first wave of trafficked women came from Southeast Asia in the 1970s and was composed mostly of Thai and Filipino women. The second wave arrived in the early 1980s and was made up of women from Africa, mainly Ghana and Nigeria. The third wave, from Latin America, followed right behind and was comprised of women mostly from Colombia, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. The newest wave is from Eastern and Central Europe. Just a decade ago these women did not even register in the sex trafficking radar screen. Today they represent more than 25 percent of the trade. There is a wall of complacency, complicity, and corruption that has allowed this trade to explode recently. Sex trafficking runs by the laws of supply and demand. Demand is generated by thousands of men. Economic, social, cultural, and gender factors make women and girls vulnerable to being exploited as an endless supply. The international political economy of sex not only includes the supply side—the women of the third world, the poor states, or exotic Asian women—but it cannot maintain itself without the demand from the organizers of the trade—the men from industrialized and developing countries. The patriarchal world system hungers for and sustains the international subculture of docile women from underdeveloped countries. These women are forced or lured into the trade of providing international sexual services. Men accept this world order as well, regardless of their background. The world that is so satisfying to too many men is the same world that is utterly devastating to too many women and girls."

Worship Sets and Cathedrals

There are few things that demonstrate our philosophy better than architecture. Indeed, edifices stand as the (semi)permanent physical manifestation of our thoughts. In fact, entire doctoral thesis have been written on the relationship between social psychology and architecture. This is why the changing architecture of the Christian church interests me so much. I can't help but agree with many who think about these things that our architecture reflects our philosophy. There is a drastic dichotomy between the church edifice of the middle ages and the church edifice today. The middle ages and reformation period saw large, ornate, and very very permanent structures. Originally Romanesque, the cathedrals evolved into the Gothic style, and sported macaroni unmatched in recent times. Pillars, buttresses, and stained glass were all permanent decorations that marked the cathedral. To cement all this, the stained glass usually told a story, such as the seven moments of passion in the crucifixion of Christ, or the virgin birth of Christ, etc. Sometimes, frescoes and tapestries added to this decoration.

Contrast the modern worship set. Architecturally, there is little to separate the churches of today from their surroundings: many churches would be equally at home as a civic center or very large bowling alley. And on the inside, stark stages are decorated with plants and very very plastic "worship sets". These decorations are generally changed from series to series, and usually have no story at all. Forget frescoes of The Creation of Man or stained glass of The Passion of The Christ, these worship sets have cool backgrounds that look like ripped denim covered with embroidery, splashed with gaudy (or worse, "artsy") lighting, and have cool names like "cOVER" with a subtitle scrolling on the jumbotron "the Holy Spirit's dominion".

Now don't get me wrong, I am not against worship sets, no matter that their creators often leave room for ridicule. Nor am I against cathedrals, despite their ostentatious nature. I am simply aware of the vast difference between the architecture. The fact is, modern church design and decoration is very plastic and often vapid, a stark contrast to the previous 1900 years of Christianity.

So what is my conclusion? If I had to guess, I would say that our beliefs and doctrines are far less concrete than they were in the past. We shun "permanent" decorations like stained glass because we don't know when the fads will change and we will no longer be relevant. We avoid "concrete" decorations like frescoes, because who knows when some Biblical scholar will tell as that we have been wrong for the last 2000 years, and Adam was actually a primate. And mostly we avoid lasting decoration because we want to dress up our theology in aesthetically pleasing outfits like a Jesus Action Figure. And like a Jesus Action Figure, we have to keep changing the clothes to keep up with the times. The baggy sweater and leggings from the 80s just aren't cool any more. Perhaps it might surprise some of us to realize that when God had to wrap the gospel up in a concrete, visual way, He chose a cross. There is nothing aesthetically pleasing about that.

Free Online Journal!

If those words make you salivate, check out the free PDF download of Themelios, 33.3 (2008). This journal is the digital product of TGC, edited by D.A. Carson, and is as excellent as they come. Download it!

Talk About the Cross

Andrew Sach and Mike Ovey do just that over at the Theology Network. Free audio streaming of a great conversation rearding the atonement.

A Cry From India

Phil Ryken has recently published this post at Reformation 21:

"My beloved Christian brethren, my endearing believers in the Holy Spirit, we cannot remain impotent, indecisive, and mute spectators." Thus said the Governor of Maharashtra -- where Mumbai is located, scene of the recent bombings -- in an impassioned speech at Bangalore. The Governor went on to say this:

"We cannot remain closeted in our prayers and our personal comforts and turn a blind eye to the persecution and the assailing of Christianity. . . At such a criticual juncture, woe is unto us if we do not preach the gospel and spread the light of holiness and righteousness in our society. . . . We must gather and command all our resourcse -- material, intellectual, and spiritual -- and employ them with zeal, determination and vigor, for the glory of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and the expansion of His Kingdom. For if we fail in our sacred duty and holy obligation to glorify Christ and exalt him, woe is unto you if you do not preach the gospel."

The Governor was also crystal clear on what he meant by the gospel: "The words 'preach the gospel' are not restrictive or limiting in scope and significance, but have far-reaching and multi-dimensional ramifications. . . . No word or sentence or doctrine or meaning enshrined in God's words should be withheld; and all persons entrusted with the sacred duty of preaching the gospel should dedicatedly and devotedly venture out to reach as many sinning, struggling, and suffering people as possible, so as to salvage them from eternal hell and fire and brimstone."

A great new book due out from Re:lit, Porn Again Christian takes a frank look at the world of pornography and masturbation. It is available for free download in PDF format here.

Gagnon responds to Newsweek

Very thankful that Robert Gagnon has spoken out against the nonsense peddled by Newsweek. Full PDF available here.

Schreiner - God's Word on Homosexuality

JT has a most excellent post linking to audio from Schreiner's 2005 Spurgeon Conferrence addresses. These four messages are collectively entitled "God's Word on Homosexuality", and are a great listen.

Theology and Homosexuality?

A response to Newsweek's pathetic article. Yes, I said pathetic. So much has been written on the topic, that I needn't post an in depth deconstruction. I will, however, lament the devolution of the news media.
There are three areas of argument for any ethical topic, these being the following: secular (scientific data), philosophical (ideological constructs), and theological (concrete religious commentary). Newsweek is supposed to be a secular news outlet. I am chagrined that they would ignore the secular or scientific analysis of this issue in favor of a philosophical viewpoint. I am also embarassed at the lack of information and sound argumentation present. I don't think I will be getting my news from Newsweek any more.
Anyway, I encourage everyone to think theologically about the issue, as Gagnon does here:

Time Triage

The questions I ask when I wake up:
1. How can I serve my Lord?
2. How can I serve my wife?
3. How can I serve God's people?

You will be amazed how this affects your time-budget...

Mike Wittmer on Machen on McLaren

Mike Wittmer presents a particularly elightened response to McLaren, here. Presented at ETS, this paper establishes the primacy of faith in Christianity. In the interest of nuanced dialogue, I present the following logic:
1. Saying you believe in Jesus is not enough (cf. all of 1 John).
2. Obeying Jesus is proof that we believe in Him (cf. all of 1 John).
3. However it must be noted that living like Jesus is not the same as obeying Jesus.
Although this article does not address the above logic, it does demonstrate that McLaren's ideas were refuted soundly by Machen long before McLaren's birth. A most interesting read.

Ralph Davis on Preaching the OT

An excellent article by Ralph Davis.

Experience AIDS

From the safety of your office! An excellent interactive tour is available here from World Vision.

Beale on Inerrancy

Dr. James Hamilton has posted an excellent review of Greg Beale's latest presentation at ETS, available here. The presentation reflects the work that has gone into his latest book, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: Responding to New Challenges to Biblical Authority. Essentially, Beale argues that inerrancy is an inductive and exegetical conclusion, rather than an external philosophical construct imposed upon the text. This observation reinforces the orthodox doctrines of Scripture, and looks as if it will hold up to moderate scrutiny (to the skeptic, there is no satisfactory argument here). I think it is interesting to also note that there do exist philosophical constructs within the pages of Scripture. This is especially true of John, who seems to write in the style of Philo; that is, Hebrew mystic turned Grecian philosopher. I think sometimes we mistakenly believe that the New Testament was penned by men who couldn't possibly have created such elegant logical structures as inerrancy. As Beale points out, this view is contradicted by the text itself.