The Society of Vineyard Scholars recently published a review I did on Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views. If you have any interests in hermeneutical method, this book might be of interest to it. It is edited by Stanley E. Porter and Beth M. Stovell and includes contributions from:
Craig L. Blomberg writes for the Historical-Critical/Grammatical view
The General Synod in the church of England today was just 6 votes short of allowing females to become Bishops. According to Wikipedia “the synod is tricameral, consisting of the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity. There are currently 467 members in total.” The most interesting thing about the vote in my opinion was who voted it down. The Laity. It is easy to forget that ministry is people and people love their traditions. Much of a pastors greatest struggle in, with and among the leadership of the church is not theological as much as it is traditional. It reminds me of what Jaroslav Jan Pelikan said about tradition and traditionalism. “Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. And, I suppose I should add, it is traditionalism that gives tradition such a bad name.”
Whatever your view is concerning women in church leadership, I think we can at least agree that much of the time traditionalism, as opposed to right theology, is the killer of progress and relevance within a ministry context. Traditionalism favors no denomination it is just there like dark matter taking up most of the space without anyone even aware of it.
While I was reading this news report and watching some of the television coverage some things really struck me in regards to some principles of leadership that would probably fit within any leadership context. Continue Reading…
There are some commonly held “rules of engagement” when scholars interact with each other and opposing ideas. And if those scholars happen to be Christians, I would assume that more care would be taken to be loving, gracious, and humble in how one approaches others and their views. Christian Scripture indicates that those qualities are essential to what I would call being a Christlike scholar. This is eloquently explained by Andreas J. Köstenberger when he writes,
“Everything a Christian does should be characterized by grace. Grace should permeate our thoughts, words, and actions, and make a noticeable impression on those with whom we come in contact, both believers and unbelievers. Unfortunately, I suspect that many unbelievers would not immediately associate graciousness with Christians. More likely, they may think of a church bitterly splitting over petty issues, the bombing of abortion clinics, or how they’ve heard that Christians hate homosexuals. Such stereotypes cannot be changed overnight, but as scholars it is our responsibility to model graciousness in our interactions with one another and with those with whom we disagree.” (Excellence, p. 189; emphasis mine)
It’s with this concern that I write. Recently, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, interviewed Tanya Luhrmann. Luhrmann is a psychological anthropologist and teaches at Stanford University. Earlier this year she released her latest book, When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God. If you haven’t picked up a copy of the book, you should do so. There are a number of reasons why I found the book fascinating, not the least of which are that (1) Luhrmann is not an evangelical Christian and (2) her research was done within the Vineyard Movement. This means that if you are interested in what a “secular” anthropologist thinks about “charismatic” Christians, this is a good place to start. Continue Reading…
If you are in the “Young, Restless, and Reformed” crowd, you’re probably very familiar with Kevin DeYoung. He’s kind of a “poster child” for the movement because… well, he’s young and Reformed. I’m not sure about the “restless” part, however. At any rate, DeYoung has some influence in the “neo-reformed” movement (my thoughts on that term here and here). Kevin DeYoung has written or edited some very good books and also reflected on issues related to missional theology that I am not convinced of. No matter what, DeYoung is a hardworking pastor-author who obviously cares deeply about Jesus, the gospel, and the church.
His latest book, The Hole in Our Holinessis a book about the issue of sanctification. It’s a short (159 pages!) popular-level book that addresses the issue of how Christians reflect on sin and holiness and how the gospel interacts our approach to becoming conformed to the image of Christ. It’s semi-exegetical, doctrinal, and very practical. In other words, it has many of the marks of a good pastoral approach, IMO. The list of well-known pastors, scholars, and even professional football players who endorse the book is amazing (John Piper, Randy Alcorn, Michael Horton, Nancy Guthrie, C. J. Mahaney, and Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins).
Does the book live up to hype of the endorsements? Continue Reading…
Today I was reading through a section of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters on the issue of sexual ethics. As many others have mentioned, I believe this will be one of the foremost issues that the church faces in the next few years. How will Christians stand for the sexual ethics that have been understood as being “biblical” or “true” or “healthy” for so long? How will Christians better interact with homosexuals given such a hurtful and checkered history? Will Christians continue to interpret Scripture to speak negatively against homosexual lifestyles (e.g., 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:8-11; Rom. 1:24-27)? How does Scripture function as an authority in relation to sexual ethics?
There are many questions that arise from this topic. Thus, D. F. Wright’s essay on the subject is helpful. Consider the first issue he addresses, “Avoiding Porneia”:
The greater frequency of references to sexual issues in Paul than in the Gospels reflects the laxer sexual mores of Hellenistic society. Paul stresses the incompatibility between a life of sexual license and the kingdom of God: “no pornos (‘immoral’) or impure person … has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5). Some of the Christians at Corinth, before being “washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God,” had been pornoi (prostitutes?), adulterers and homosexually active (1 Cor 6:9–11). The inclusion of idolaters among these different sexual offenders (1 Cor 6:9) indicates the gravity of their sinfulness. Foremost among “the acts of the sinful nature” are “porneia (‘sexual immorality’), impurity and debauchery” (Gal 5:19; cf. 1 Cor 10:8). It was chiefly in the disordered sexual vices of the Gentile world that Paul discerned God’s judgment on the godless (Rom 1:18–27).
With all of my heart I believe that parents have a huge responsibility in raising their children. Not only am I concerned with my children having strong character and being healthy (physically and emotionally) and happy, I want them to have a transformative relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So when my wife and I think about parenting, we think in a way that integrates teaching them life skills as well as keeping the gospel at the heart of everything. For us, there’s no such thing as “life parenting” and “spiritual parenting.” They are one in the same for us because we believe the gospel applies in every area of life.
That being said, while we do our best to keep everything connected, we also take time to focus specifically on what could be described as “spiritual things.” One of the ways that we do this is during our family devotionals. Continue Reading…
Interestingly, William Webb’s Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis was brought up. This, of course, makes perfect sense since his work is probably one of the most influential books in the realm of hermeneutics for those who take an Egalitarian approach. At any rate, when Carson was asked about Webb’s work, he stated that he did not find Webb’s arguments convincing (no surprise there). He provided some good thoughts on the issue of slavery and then pointed people to the following two articles (read Carson’s response here):
When I think of political elections and some of the messages that some Christians project, I think “doom and gloom.” It seems that for some, we’re always right on the precipice of the Apocalypse with each election. This is often tied to the Dispensational eschatology that was so influential with the Christian Right, but it also has a lot to do with the fact that the Christian Right tended to capitalize on fear-mongering as a political tactic. During the 80′s, it simply got votes… everyone did it, Democrats included. The Christian Right was just a lot better at it.
A few years ago, the year before President Obama was elected for his first term, I was at a big conference. One of the main speakers spent most of the time telling the 20,000+ people that the coming election (between Obama and McCain) was the ”most important political showdown of the age” and that it would change the course of history. At the time, I don’t think I was nearly as disenfranchised as I am now, but I remember thinking to myself, “You people have been saying stuff like that since I was a kid.” Continue Reading…
I don’t especially like suffering, but I know it serves a purpose. The problem I have is that it’s often difficult to discern the positive way that suffering is going to work because while we’re going through it, we seem to mostly focus on the pain! Yet when I look back in my life, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I’ve grown the most while I’ve gone through difficult times.
One of the most intriguing verses in my Bible is 1 Corinthians 15:29:
“Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?” (1 Cor. 15:29)
What? People were baptized on behalf of the dead in the early church? Or was this just something that Paul was suggesting undermined some people’s faulty theology on future resurrection? Or should we just give up trying to figure it out?
There are plenty of opinions in scholarly literature and I’m sure there are plenty of opinions within non-scholarly circles. After spending last night reading through and considering the text, I came to one conclusion: after reading the Greek, my past proposal was impossible! Argh!
So I’d like to know what you believe is the way to understand this verse! Let’s discuss…
Being a follower of Jesus means that you are going to face rejection. The world may reject you (John 15:20) and your own family may reject you (Luke 12:52-53). If you are a church leader and serve people, you may be rejected by the very people that you pray for, minister to, and love. For example, think of the apostle Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 9). Paul spent eighteen months pouring his life into ministering to the Corinthians (Acts 18:1-17). Yet even after making so many sacrifices, they still were willing to reject his apostolic leadership.
There are a lot of reasons why your leadership may be rejected. You may be rejected because your personality clashes with those whom you care for. Here in the United States, what that often equates to is that those people will just leave your church and attend one down the street. Other times you may be rejected because your doctrine is not viewed as being the same as theirs. I know several Dispensationalists who will not extend Christian fellowship to those who hold to Amillennialism.
But those aren’t the only reasons why the people you serve may reject you. Continue Reading…
I’m not a huge fan of the methodology, arguments, and thinking of some of Rachel Held Evans. She is provocative and raises important issues, but I find her arguments sometimes less than compelling. She should still be read by anyone interested in issues related to gender, evangelicalism, progressive Christianity, etc.
It’s been a few years since I encountered someone who held to the “King James Only” position regarding Bible translation. It’s hard to imagine that anyone still believes that the King James Bible is superior to all other English translations because it is the English translation. But apparently there are some people out there that still believe that. Below is a debate that James White did with Jack Moorman. White takes the position that the KJV should not be the exclusive English translation and Moorman believes it should be.
I still find it amazing that someone can argue that the KJV is the English translation that should be used. The evidence is so overwhelmingly stacked against that position that it’s hard to imagine someone actually being able to logically defend it. And I guess that’s the point. White demonstrates the problems with it in a masterful way. If you’re interested in further study, check out White’s The King James Only Controversyand D. A. Carson’s The King James Version Debate: A Plea for Realism. I’d recommend a good book that supports the superiority of the King James Version, but there simply isn’t one. Haha!
If you desire to fit in with Charismatics, you have to learn how to use 2 Cor. 3:17b:
“… where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
If you are an exegete, or at the very least a careful reader of Scripture, you’ll notice that I did not use the entire verse. Nope, just the last half… the part that emphasizes that the Holy Spirit brings freedom. The next time you find yourself hanging out with some Charismatics, drop that verse after someone shares something or expresses themselves and you’ll receive many looks of approval and a few hearty amen’s. Trust me on that one.
I’ve been hanging out with Charismatics for a long time. I’m part of their guild since I’m a Continuationist, though that doesn’t mean I’m a Pentecostal or that I’m convinced that all of the practices that happen in this stream of Christianity are… goodwiselegit the Holy Spirit.
Now if I’m honest, every time I hear people quote that verse in a way that gives a stamp of approval for everything that has either happened or is about to happen, I want to scream. How un-charismatic of me, I know. But it’s true. That verse has been the “proof-text” for some of the most bizarre activities I have ever seen. And it’s always used in a way that suggests that if you have any questions about certain practices, you most definitely are a legalistic-person-who-keeps-God-in-a-box-and-absolutely-despises-the-work-of-the-Holy-Spirit-because-you-are-so-busy-quenching-his-work. Yes, that is a technical term. Continue Reading…
If I had to hang my hat on one single verse as to why I believe George Eldon Ladd was correct about Inaugurated Eschatology, I’d have to pick Matt. 12:28:
“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Simple question: did Jesus cast out demons by the Spirit of God? I think the Gospel of Luke clearly indicates that the answer to this question is “Yes!” After all, in Luke 4:1 we’re told that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit.” From there, we begin to read of Jesus’ supernatural exploits, including his sovereignty over the demonic realm.
Yes, Jesus cast out demons by the Spirit of God. Accordingly, the kingdom of God broke into the world. The rule and reign of God was inaugurated.
I remember my first time going to one of those huge mega gyms. There where millions of work out options. It was literally three floors of options for the person who had entered into the community of physical fitness. One of the more impressive things that I remember on my first visit to this particular gym was the amount of treadmills they had to offer people. It seemed like there were hundreds of them. Everyone was moving. Some were running, some walking. Some were running inclined some were not. Some were running fast and some slow… everyone was moving. Continue Reading…
“An ‘impersonal God’ — well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads — better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap — best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband — that’s quite another matter.” (C. S. Lewis, Miracles, 94).
I have a theory about rural communities that have populations under 2,000 people. It’s not based off of any scientific research… it’s purely an observation. Here it is: the vast majority of people in rural communities are passive and not naturally gifted as leaders or interested in the characteristics generally associated with leading.
There, I said it.
And for me, this has been one of the most difficult issues to deal with… and it daily drives me crazy. Let me give two reasons why it is frustrating: Continue Reading…
In pastoral ministry I have had many experiences where people approach me with this sentence “Pastor we need to talk with you.” I can usually differentiate between a person going through crisis who needs help and a person who is angry with me over something I have done or said. At first I had no clue how to handle these critical meetings. I wanted to focus this article on some practical things that I have learned to remember before stepping into a meeting with a person or a group of people who seem angry about something you have done or said. I have made several mistakes in this area of pastoral ministry and it has only made me a better pastor. I hope this might be of help to you as a pastor when God’s sheep come at you with sharp teeth.
1. Humility: I can honestly say that some of the most humiliating things can happen in meeting with angry people. People can lash out and hit you right where it hurts the most. People that you thought were your friends can turn on you in the most personal ways in local church ministry. You can begin to develop a defensive and prideful heart after several years of pastoral ministry if you do not remember what humility is all about. Remember: The Local church is not about me. Continue Reading…
This morning our family started reading the Book of Exodus. I’m excited for us to recall the amazing story of God’s rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt. What a wonderful picture of the sovereign work of God on behalf of sinners. God’s faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is carried forward to a people who, if we’re honest, does not necessarily “deserve” to be rescued (if you read through Exodus, you’ll understand why I say that).
In chapter one, we find that “the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them” (v.7). I wonder if this is the author’s way of demonstrating that the commission given to the Patriarchs to be fruitful and multiply was continuing to take place (cf. Gen. 1:28; 9:1, 6-7; 12:2-3; 17:2, 6, 8; 22:17-18; 26:3-4, 24; 28:3-4; 35:11-12; 47:27; also see G. K. Beale’s JETS article, “Eden, The Temple, and the Church’s Mission in the New Creation”). Continue Reading…
I don’t want this post to come across as passive aggressive, so let me make several clarifications of what this is not:
This is not addressed to anyone in particular. I have no individual or couple in mind.
This is not intended to manipulate anyone into conforming to some sort of unwritten code.
Please accept this opportunity for me to take off my theologian hat and speak to you as a parent who also happens to be a follower of Jesus. To clarify, I’m a follower of Jesus who happens to be a parent and I do believe that having that sort of order helps me work out an important priority (more on that shortly). Parenting is hard work, but so is following Jesus. If it weren’t for his grace and the work of the Spirit, I’d be unable to do both of those things with any sort of effectiveness.
I’ve only been parenting for nine years, so I’m no expert. I have, however, read a lot of books on the subject and have spent a lot of time doing counseling related to marriage and parenting. On top of that, I’ve had the chance to kind of get a bird’s eye view of parenting as it happens in churches here in the western world (i.e., the U.S.). One of the biggest problems facing parents today: no vision. Continue Reading…
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.” (Gen. 1:1-2 NET)
My son Jack loves to build with Legos. We buy him Lego kits deliberately packaged out of order and messy by the manufacturer and he builds something from nothing (according to the instructions). The box has a picture of whatever Lego hopes you will build and it is pretty cool to watch him build it. My favorite thing to watch him do though is build without instructions something completely from his imagination… something completely him. I was meditating on this passage (Gen 1:1-2) this morning and thinking that perhaps The Spirit of God is not as evident in my ministry today because I am too busy plotting and building stuff (theologies, programs, memberships, buildings) without him. Perhaps I am trying to build a ministry like the one on the cover of a box somewhere. I read Genesis 1:1-2and think to myself that new and genuine things seem to happen within a church body when The Spirit builds. I think God moves in ways unique to His people’s culture, situations and needs. He hovers over our congregations waiting for need… waiting for formlessness… waiting for chaos…work. Perhaps on Sunday there is no hovering because there is no chaos, formlessness or messiness. Perhaps I am thinking along the lines of the movie Field of Dreams… “If I build it he will come”.
He breathes life into nothingness. I like that. So after my devotions this morning I must confess to three things I hate as a pastor that God is teaching me to trust Him on… Continue Reading…
“In short, I see biblical support for the thesis that although all true believers have received the Holy Spirit and have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, nevertheless the Holy Spirit is not necessarily poured out on each individual Christian in precisely equivalent quantities (if I may use the language of quantity inherent in the metaphor of “filling”). How else can we explain the peculiar unction that characterizes the service of some relatively unprepossessing ministers?
Although I find no biblical support for a second-blessing theology, I do find support for a second-, third-, fourth-, or fifth-blessing theology.
Although I find no charisma biblically established as the criterion of a second enduement of the Spirit, I do find that there are degrees of unction, blessing, service, and holy joy, along with some more currently celebrated gifts, associated with those whose hearts have been specially touched by the sovereign God.
Although I think it extremely dangerous to pursue a second blessing attested by tongues, I think it no less dangerous not to pant after God at all, and to be satisfied with a merely creedal Christianity that is kosher but complacent, orthodox but ossified, sound but soundly asleep. (Showing the Spirit, 160).”
I’m excited that our small rural church that has historically been full of lots of white people is becoming more diverse. A few months ago I spent a Sunday morning casting vision to the congregation I serve about the need to be a community that is not only open to ethnically diverse groups, but intentional in trying to reach them. This is largely because I have been greatly shaped by my reading of Scripture and that the ultimate goal is that the nations will come to know Jesus (cf. Matt. 24:14; Rev. 5:9).
But I’m also a pretty cultured person. More so than many of the people that I’ve been called to love and serve. That, of course, doesn’t make me better than anyone, but certainly has some influence on why I desire to work towards being a community that sees ethnic reconciliation as a serious ministry of the church. I want to be surrounded by different colored people from different cultures who are all united in Christ! It’s such a beautiful picture!
In the past two weeks I’ve heard several people in the congregation ask the following question:
The Society of Vineyard Scholars recently published a review I did on Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views. If you have any interests in hermeneutical method, this book might be of interest to it. It is edited by Stanley E. Porter and Beth M. Stovell and includes contributions from:
The General Synod in the church of England today was just 6 votes short of allowing females to become Bishops. According to Wikipedia “the synod is 
There are some commonly held “rules of engagement” when scholars interact with each other and opposing ideas. And if those scholars happen to be Christians, I would assume that more care would be taken to be loving, gracious, and humble in how one approaches others and their views. Christian Scripture indicates that those qualities are essential to what I would call being a Christlike scholar. This is eloquently explained by Andreas J. Köstenberger when he writes,
It’s with this concern that I write. Recently, 
If you are in the “Young, Restless, and Reformed” crowd, you’re probably very familiar with Kevin DeYoung. He’s kind of a “poster child” for the movement because… well, he’s young and Reformed. I’m not sure about the “restless” part, however. At any rate, DeYoung has some influence in the “neo-reformed” movement (my thoughts on that term 
Today I was reading through a section of the 
With all of my heart I believe that parents have a huge responsibility in raising their children. Not only am I concerned with my children having strong character and being healthy (physically and emotionally) and happy, I want them to have a transformative relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So when my wife and I think about parenting, we think in a way that integrates teaching them life skills as well as keeping the gospel at the heart of everything. For us, there’s no such thing as “life parenting” and “spiritual parenting.” They are one in the same for us because we believe the gospel applies in every area of life.
Earlier this year, Bob Yarbrough and Don Carson spoke at the EFCA’s theology conference: “
When I think of political elections and some of the messages that some Christians project, I think “doom and gloom.” It seems that for some, we’re always right on the precipice of the Apocalypse with each election. This is often tied to the Dispensational eschatology that was so influential with the Christian Right, but it also has a lot to do with the fact that the Christian Right tended to capitalize on fear-mongering as a political tactic. During the 80′s, it simply got votes… everyone did it, Democrats included. The Christian Right was just a lot better at it.
I don’t especially like suffering, but I know it serves a purpose. The problem I have is that it’s often difficult to discern the positive way that suffering is going to work because while we’re going through it, we seem to mostly focus on the pain! Yet when I look back in my life, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I’ve grown the most while I’ve gone through difficult times.
Being a follower of Jesus means that you are going to face rejection. The world may reject you (John 15:20) and your own family may reject you (Luke 12:52-53). If you are a church leader and serve people, you may be rejected by the very people that you pray for, minister to, and love. For example, think of the apostle Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 9). Paul spent eighteen months pouring his life into ministering to the Corinthians (Acts 18:1-17). Yet even after making so many sacrifices, they still were willing to reject his apostolic leadership.
If you are an exegete, or at the very least a careful reader of Scripture, you’ll notice that I did not use the entire verse. Nope, just the last half… the part that emphasizes that the Holy Spirit brings freedom. The next time you find yourself hanging out with some Charismatics, drop that verse after someone shares something or expresses themselves and you’ll receive many looks of approval and a few hearty amen’s. Trust me on that one.
If I had to hang my hat on one single verse as to why I believe George Eldon Ladd was correct about Inaugurated Eschatology, I’d have to pick Matt. 12:28:
I have a theory about rural communities that have populations under 2,000 people. It’s not based off of any scientific research… it’s purely an observation. Here it is: the vast majority of people in rural communities are passive and not naturally gifted as leaders or interested in the characteristics generally associated with leading.
In pastoral ministry I have had many experiences where people approach me with this sentence “Pastor we need to talk with you.” I can usually differentiate between a person going through crisis who needs help and a person who is angry with me over something I have done or said. At first I had no clue how to handle these critical meetings. I wanted to focus this article on some practical things that I have learned to remember before stepping into a meeting with a person or a group of people who seem angry about something you have done or said. I have made several mistakes in this area of pastoral ministry and it has only made me a better pastor. I hope this might be of help to you as a pastor when God’s sheep come at you with sharp teeth.
This morning our family started reading the Book of Exodus. I’m excited for us to recall the amazing story of God’s rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt. What a wonderful picture of the sovereign work of God on behalf of sinners. God’s faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is carried forward to a people who, if we’re honest, does not necessarily “deserve” to be rescued (if you read through Exodus, you’ll understand why I say that).
I don’t want this post to come across as passive aggressive, so let me make several clarifications of what this is not:
I’m excited that our small rural church that has historically been full of lots of white people is becoming more diverse. A few months ago I spent a Sunday morning casting vision to the congregation I serve about the need to be a community that is not only open to ethnically diverse groups, but intentional in trying to reach them. This is largely because I have been greatly shaped by my reading of Scripture and that the ultimate goal is that the nations will come to know Jesus (cf. Matt. 24:14; Rev. 5:9).
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