Featured Posts
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What Is Biblical Literacy?
We complain about it, write about it, claim it’s important or even critical, design programs to create it, but what is it? I don’t mean that none of us know what we mean when we say “biblically literate” or “biblically illiterate,” but do we all mean the same thing? I don’t think we do, and…
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Fences: Mending or Rending
The following is a sermon I presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola on September 11,2005 and originally posted here on September 13, 2005. I’m reposting it because when I went to look for it, I found that the original post had somehow been truncated, and also because there is a one word at a…
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Experiencing the (Baptism of the) Holy Spirit
This is a topic where I tend to make just about everyone uncomfortable. Long time readers may recall a previous discussion of speaking in tongues, and my own experience of it. Those who expect me to be intellectually oriented and rational are uncomfortable with mystical experiences, and many who are comfortable with the mystical experiences…
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February 15 Christian Carnival Posted
… at Bible Archive.
Pete Enns on the Historical Adam
He continues the discussion with Kevin DeYoung. I’m glad to see this discussion continue.
Would This Be Bibliolatry?
Red Letter Christians has a post titled “Is This Any Way to Treat a Bible?” which tells how a high school teacher, on seeing a student’s heavily marked Bible, held it up to the class and asked that question. The article that follows is excellent. I would think a more relevant question would be “Is…
Is Cessationism Another Gospel?
A guest contributor to The Jesus Creed asks this question. He comes at it from the angle of just how far such a teaching would be from what is implied in the gospels, from which our definition of “Gospel” should come. I’m not a cessationist, though I think it is important for people on the…
The Way Sunday School Class at FUMC Pensacola
My wife Jody and I have started a new Sunday School class at our home church, First United Methodist Church in Pensacola. The first meeting was the third Sunday in January this year. I’ve been meaning to post something here about it, but I have been a bit busy. (How many times have you read…
Of Evangelism, Missions and Other Bad Words
The tragedy of the American church is that we have the greatest resources ever in the history of Christianity and for the most part we’re sitting on them, doing nothing. When we are doing something, most of what we do is for ourselves. The question, I’m told, is what we should be doing and how…
February 8, 2012 Christian Carnival Posted
… at Other Food. Thanks to Violet for hosting the carnival!
Why Certain People Tend to Polarize
Scot McKnight asks why Mark Driscoll, John Piper, and Albert Mohler start a firestorm when they say certain things, while others, such as Tim Keller can believe and say those same things, but don’t get the same heated response. There’s an interesting discussion in the comments, which is worth reading. This whole topic led me…
Self-Quote of the Day
Is this a new high (or low) in narcissism? I’m always interested to see what others quote of what I say. I must confess that normally things I write that impress me don’t impress others (at least based on the number of views), while often something I bat off in a couple of minutes and…
Joel Watts on Theopneustos and Theosis
Joel Watts has started a discussion on the nature of inspiration, comparing the breathing of the Spirit into the text of scripture with the coming of the Holy Spirit into the church and the individual. Thus far he has gotten little discussion, and he think his ideas deserve some further discussion. This reminds me of…
It’s right for God to slaughter women and children anytime he pleases
The Christian Post has a portion of an interview with John Piper in response to the question: Why was it right for God to slaughter women and children in the Old Testament? How can that ever be right? And the first sentence of his answer is the title of this post. I can hardly tell…
On Joel Watts on Inspiration
I put a note on the web site for my book When People Speak for God.
Beware the Cult of the Speaker
Dave Black warns us today against the cult of the speaker. (With permission I’ve extracted the relevant portion as a post at JesusParadigm.com since Dave’s blog doesn’t allow linking to a specific post.) Considering what we’ve heard recently about megachurches creating satellite campuses that receive the message from the senior pastor on the main campus…
Biblical vs. Unbiblical
Morgan Guyton has a very strong (and, in my view, entirely justified) reaction to the abuse of the term “biblical.” … In how many other “Bible” churches out there has “Biblical” become a code-word for an ideological platform that serves a purpose completely foreign to God’s mission but cherry-picks verses out of the Biblical text…
February 1 Christian Carnival Posted
… at All Things New. Thanks to Deb for hosting!
On Choice, Coverage, and Contraception
I’ve been watching this story for a few days. For those who haven’t been keeping up with the news, the Obama administration is proposing rules that would require all employers to provide coverage for contraception in their health care plans. Catholics are in an uproar over this. The White House has responded (HT: Unsettled Christianity)….
Seventh-Day Adventist vs Methodist on Family Guy
As an ex-SDA who is now Methodist, I just have to share this video: Now my experience amongst Methodists is that most will just shrug their shoulders about worship on Saturday. They get a little more tense about soul sleep. I have encountered a few Methodists who are like the one in the video,…
February Biblioblog Carnival Posted
… at Cheese Wearing Theology.
On Externalities and Libertarianism
I’ve often wanted to write something about externalities, but I’ve never gotten the time. Specifically, I’m interested in how these relate to regulations and in turn to economic freedom. I lean libertarian, and many people who know that are surprised that I’m not always opposed to environmental regulations. Why is that? Well, Ed Brayton has…
Factors that Make a Difference in Education
Scot McKnight cites a study that shows many of the things we might think would make a difference in education don’t, and a number of others do. I was actually unsurprised by this. The actual study is behind a pay wall, so I don’t know if they covered it, but another indicator of success in…
Jesus Creed: Does God Still Speak?
Scot McKnight has a post asking this question, starting from a book he’s read. This is a few days old, but that just adds more discussion in the comments! Just in case anyone wonders, my position–the position I argue for in my book–is that God still speaks today. In fact, my aim in the book…
The Cross is an Offense Today
I rarely post a quote from a book I’m editing, but this one struck me today. It’s from the forthcoming book The Church Under the Cross by William Powell Tuck. Here it is: Jesus Christ has called us to a way of life which demands sacrificial living, and this call is still an offense to…
Misbegotten Rules and a Cancer Survivor
School suspends cancer survivor over long hair he intends to donate, says the headline at The Detroit News. I have a very strong opinion on this, and I have no sympathy whatsoever with the school’s position. They should work out a policy to allow this sort of good deed and especially to accommodate this young…
Inerrancy of the (Unavailable) Autographs
Joel Watts has some thoughts.