2008-11-17

Phil Johnson goes after the post-modern redefinition of 'honesty' [authenticity]. 'doubt is the new "humility"; free-thinking is the new "tolerance"; moral apathy is the new "charity"; and now querulousness is the new "honesty."' Basically, people just spout whatever dark, emotive, slanderous bile they want, and others call it 'beautiful.' (that, and many of these are done through the anonymity of the internet). The Wisdom Writer begs to differ: "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back" http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2008/11/honesty-without-truth.html

White points out some rather applicable verses he found in the non-american version of his church's hymnal. http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=2975

John Piper exhorts people not to merely approach God and tell him of their rottenness, for that is of little worth, but to allow their sense of rottenness to compel them to specific action and repentance. He then gives a list of sins that he frequently commits, connecting the feeling of rottenness to specific confession. And in specific confession peace arises. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DGBlog/~3/456132395/

James Swan recalls the White-Michuta debate over the Apocrypha a few years ago, and how upon White challenging Michuta on the inerrancy of Judith, Michuta [and he has written this elsewhere] basically said that to answer that presupposes a non-christian worldview, and that to ask it comes from a spiritual pride of wanting to judge God's word rather than in humility accepting the canon given by the romanist church. Ironically, other Romanist apologists have tried to provide various answers. e.g. Tim Staples was asked directly about the historical errors in the book of Judith. Tim answers by stating Judith is not strict history, but is rather an extended parable, and he reluctantly uses the phrase "didactic fiction." http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=2969

John the Baptist proclaimed this shocking message: "Jesus, the Messiah, will be slaughtered like a lamb and he will open up the way of salvation not to Jews only but to the whole world. Regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, or status, those who embrace Jesus as their Lamb and their Lord will be sheltered from the otherwise inescapable wrath to come." http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DGBlog/~3/456284357/

Carolyn Mahaney will be talking about dealing with the fear that mothers experience as their children approach the teenage years. http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2008/11/a-mothers-fear.html

Dan Phillips brings up a video of an 'ingenious' design.  (evolutionists can't help but use teleological language). http://bibchr.blogspot.com/2008/11/isnt-evolution-wonderful-5.html

Some suggestions on thinking biblically about Facebook (HT: JT). http://www.buzzardblog.com/buzzard_blog/2008/11/thinking-biblic.html

The same elder board - for twenty years! http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/?p=850

Here's some info on renewed discussions on the inadequacy of ETS's minimalistic sentence. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BetweenTwoWorlds/~3/455964813/amend-ets-doctrinal-basis.html

"The Telegraph UK reports that NASA/GISS can't get its reporting straight and dumps tons of ammo into the discussion as to whether or not Global Warming is, in fact, a crisis. The article also speaks to arctic ice recovery in passing, so you can sleep better for not worrying about the polar bears." http://centuri0n.blogspot.com/2008/11/ht-alert-reader-will-s.html

Challies a la carte: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/challies/XhEt/~3/455884398/a_la_carte_1117_2.php WOW: Hitler falls into the housing crisis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNmcf4Y3lGM. Visual guide to the housing crisis. Read the quotes. THEN LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS! http://blog.mint.com/blog/finance-core/a-visual-guide-to-the-financial-crisis/

More quotations from Romanists on Luther. This one is a quote to the effect that Luther often doubted his position on mass, that he could be the only one who was right. But as Swan points out (despite the ironic preemtive dismissal by the quoter about charged with taking it out of context), is that Luther provides the solution in the next sentence, regarding how Christ in His clear word had confirmed and stengthened Luther. Moreover, the source actually explains that Luther is writing this in what I would sum up as a pastoral sense, in that he wanted to encourage those who appeared to turn against the teachings of many by following Scripture. "Kittleson goes on to explain that Luther wrote On the Misuse of the Mass (from which the Luther quote in question comes from) for this very purpose. It was to give his colleagues "solid arguments so that they might be confident in their actions." That is, Luther considered that those who attempted to institute changes in the Mass would likewise feel the weight of peer and public pressure as to the validity of their actions." Luther says, "Finally, Christ with his clear, unmistakable Word strengthened and confirmed me, so that my heart no longer quails, but resists the arguments of the papists, as a stony shore resists the waves, and laughs at their threats and storms! Because I felt and considered these things within me, I wanted to write this letter to you for the comfort and strengthening of the weak, those who cannot bear the storm and violence of the opponent and of their own despairing consciences." http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2008/11/luther-are-you-alone-wise.html

Ligon Duncan gives six good reasons why the complementarian structure in Scripture is vital in the churches. It affords answers to vital spiritual questions about unique sexuality, it allows us to read the Scriptures faithfully without twisting, it is the only way to hold and defend a biblical vision of marriage in the midst of our culture, it provides an antidote to many sexual sins, it enables us to preserve the authority of the Bible (e.g. 1 Tim 2), and it alone reveals to the world the Gospel in marriage.  http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/genderblog/~3/456498531/Duncan-Addresses-True-Woman-Pre-Conference-Attendees

Engwer writes, "There was a wide diversity of theological beliefs among professing Christians between the time of the apostles and the Reformation." ... "Even in the last years leading up to the Reformation and in the earliest years after its start, there was significant sympathy for Protestant beliefs in Roman Catholic circles. People who believed in doctrines like the papacy and transubstantiation would affirm justification through faith alone as well, for example." One such example is Thomas Bilney. http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/11/diversity-of-roman-catholicism-at-time.html

Gene Bridges challenges Beckwith's response to Hays' review of his book, in that Beckwith should interact with responses, not react to them. Basically, Beckwith is unfamiliar with Protestant (or Catholic) scholarship, and isn't even aware that what he wrote in places consists in stock objections, as demonstrated by his response to Hays. For example, Beckwith cites McGrath to the effect that sola fide is totally novel, and Gene pulls these interesting McGrath quotes: ""The pre-Augustinian theological tradition, however, may be regarded as having taken a highly questionable path in its articulation of the doctrine of justification in the face of pagan opposition"" and adds, "McGrath writes the polar opposite [of Beckwith's assertion thattthe whole idea that the Protestant conception of justification has no ecclesiastical predecessors], even telling us that a good case can be made that Augustine misunderstood the Bible itself because, " "The term iustificare is, or course, post-classical, having been introduced through the Latin translation of the bible, and thus restricted to Christian writers of the Latin west. Augustine was thus unable to turn to classical authors in an effort to clarrify its meraning, and was thus obliged to interpret the term himself. His establishment of a relationship between iustificare and iustitia is of enormous significance, as will become clear.""  http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/11/acting-like-grown-up.html

Hays writes a good article that reminds us of the goodness of the truth of God, as well as the truth of it. "Because we spend so much time defending the truth for the simple reason that it’s true, we can underemphasize the linkage between the good and the true." e.g. the doctrines of grace, the holiness of God, the justice of God, the compassion of God - all these things are not just true but also good, and good together, for isolated they would be unrespectable or terrifying (e.g. a strict disciplinarian father, or a softy father worthy of no respect). These attributes are a tension for the sinner, because in themselves they are not always 'good' for the sinner - or rather, it can be too much of a good thing. "Apart from the atonement, there is no solution to this dilemma. But the cross is, at one and the same time, an emblem of divine justice and mercy. It allows us to draw near to the only God who is worthy of our worship. A righteous God, but a gracious God as well. " Atheism has the opposite dilemma, for if true, there is nothing there bud despair and pointlessness. http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/11/sinners-in-hands-of-angry-god.html