The “new” Christian Nationalism
‘Today’s Christian nationalists are committing the golden age fallacy. What they are proposing has already been tried by the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations with dubious results… Historically, the unintended consequences of government-sponsored spirituality in the US during the early Cold War was negative for Christianity.’
Who are the “sons of God” in Genesis 6?
Some argue these are necessarily angels. Others argue they are simply believers. RC Sproul offers his thoughts and explains why, though some inferences may be legitimate to make, they may not be necessary inferences. He goes on to explain why any of this matters. As it happens, I have always shared Sproul’s view of this passage here and remain unconvinced of alternative explanations.
Train up a child
Continuing with much discussed verses of scripture, this one looks at Proverbs 22:6 and outlines various possible interpretations.
Are Christians prohibited from getting tattoos?
Wayne Grudem answers this one. If I read him correctly, there’s no moral issue at stake.
How regulative is the bible about church?
If my blog says anything with regularity, it is essentially agreeing with what John Stevens says here: ‘I increasingly think that almost none of the specific ways we ‘do church’ or ministry are mandated by Scripture – Not the time we meet, the place we meet, the way we teach, the liturgy we use, the structure of the service, the instruments and songs, the clothes we wear, the way we train for ministry, the way we conduct communion and baptisms etc. etc. These are all matters of wisdom and spiritual discernment (godly pragmatism and missional intentionality) in the context in which we find ourselves – geographically, culturally, racially, demographically, historically, etc.’
“Go, then, and disciple all the gentiles”: Some Reflections on Baptizing Nations
These are some interesting reflections.
From the archive: The job spec (and people) we all really need
‘Job specs and roles are all very well and good, but sometimes you just need people who will hang around and have a bacon roll and a cup of tea. The last set of people who came to us saying they’d love to work in a community like ours were keen to know exactly what we’d have them do. And I know it sounds ridiculous, but there’s so few of us doing so much work – stuff that we simply wouldn’t be able to reach the people we’re reaching without doing it – that we’re in desperate need of people who will just come, hang out with people, have a cup of tea and bacon butty with them and chat about sermons, bible studies and what have you. It sounds like such a ridiculous “job” to want filling, but it is what we lack.’