2009-02-24

Apparently some are trying to rebuild Babylon - the real one. Phillips finds this interesting in light of biblical prophecy. Babylon... rebuilt-

Turretinfan points out that there is no biblical basis for Ash Wednesday or for Lent, and traipsing around with ashes on your forehead is actually contrary to what Jesus taught (Matt. 6:17-18). Biblical Basis for Ash Wednesday-

Trevin Wax writes on Scot McKnight's 'neoreformed' critique. The general gist is that McKnight is exaggeration, he isn't nuanced enough, and he hasn't distinguished who he is talking to, and he might have some straw man elements. Wax also points to a possible double standard, saying "I agree with Scot’s premise regarding the existence of a NeoReformed, NeoFundamentalist strand in some Reformed circles. What puzzles me is why Scot comes down so hard on this particular group for being arrogant when there are other groups on the village green expressing the same attitude. Just a couple of years ago, many in the Emerging movement were writing as if everything old is passing away and all is becoming new (meaning, “Emergent”). Many of these books could cause one to think that the evangelical green was turning brown. Things were greener on the Emerging side. Though Scot has rightfully distanced himself from some of the liberal trends of Emergent and rightfully maintained distinctive evangelical beliefs over against the universalistic tendencies of writers like Spencer Burke, he seems to be more worried (at least publicly) about the sinful excesses of the Reformed Resurgence than the flirtations with apostasy among some in the Emerging Church." http://trevinwax.com/2009/02/24/thoughts-on-the-neoreformed/

Phillips illustrates that the difference between Christianity and paganism is the difference between serving God as God, and trying to be God, where the latter views God as a commodity, to be exchanged or discarded or embraced according to pragmatic categories. If God is of no use, or actually interferes with plans and desires, then He is to be cast away. We should respond by preaching God's truth and God's terms of reconciliation, calling man to immediate and unconditional surrender. "What the church does instead is to try to repackage God, as if he were yesterday's widget, and sell Him as useful... to get what we want, to achieve our dreams, and as the ultimate Enabler of our agendas." Christianity and paganism contrasted in three vignettes

For the textual critic in you, here's a discussion of P123 with graphics! P123 1 Cor 14 - 15, P.Oxy 4844

Gilbert responds to a comment by Timmis, to the effect that repentance, belief, and baptism are what joins a person to the body of Christ and therefore to the church, whether considered universally or locally.  So if a person is a believer in Christ, that person is considered to be "in" the church whether there's been a formal recognition of that "in-ness" by anyone. Gilbert points to i) human involvement in the NT in being a member, e.g. being 'in' or 'out' at times; ii) a human judgment is required to authorize baptism; iii) the giving of the keys (binding and losing), i.e. the authority (and therefore obligation) to make judgments and proclamations about who is or isn't part of the covenant community. This is to say, Jesus gives his church the right and responsibility to draw clean lines around the covenant community, and we should be careful in so doing. RE- Membership by Greg Gilbert

Regarding the above post, Thabiti wonders "if the difference boils down to how clearly we communicate to people the association we believe must exist between baptism and self-conscious membership/mutual belonging," and if this doesn't just reduce to a pragmatic question about what procedure in this area makes for the healthiest church. "I would contend that the clearer we make mutual belonging and commitment, the better the membership practice. " Closer Than We Think- by Thabiti Anyabwile

From Challies: "This is a good warning (though you'll find scientists who say the opposite as well). "Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientist has warned. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centred."" 24)

Challies recommends Paul Washer's new edition of The One True God. The One True God

JT points to a compromise position on the same-sex marriage debate. A Compromise on the Same-Sex Marriage Debate

Now this is one way to 'contextualize' - a lego Bible. Yep. http://www.thebricktestament.com/

I have posted on experiencing the love of God - this is my conclusion: "This means, friends, that you will never experience the vital flow of the love of Christ if you are not abiding in Christ; which is to say, if your supreme treasure and attention is not the Lord, for it is by abiding in Him - not by mere determination - that you will bear fruit. You will never experience this love of Christ if you are not loving one another. Look at each other and consider how it is that Christ has loved you and make every effort to recapitulate this love in your own lives and experience the flow of Triune love." Experiencing the flow of Divine love