As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“While the Baptist faith and message says that, ‘The office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by scripture,’ there are many who call themselves ‘complementarians’ who are more flexible when it comes to women teaching men, or even preaching.” - RNS
God wants His people to live a certain way. To act a certain way. To have certain honest motivations. He wants His people to love one another, and to prove it by their actions.
The fruit of real salvation is moral and spiritual reformation, because you love God. You don’t “clean yourself up” to gain favor with God; that’s not possible. Instead, because God has already changed your heart and mind and given you spiritual life, you reform your life with His help. Part of that means you love your fellow believers.
Eusebius wrote his church history sometime in the early 4th century. Towards the beginning of his work, there is an excerpt from some curious correspondence which purports to be between Jesus and the King of Edessa, a city in present-day southeastern Turkey.1 It’s unknown whether this correspondence is authentic, but Eusebius claimed to have translated the text from Syriac himself. Even if it isn’t original, it’s a curious piece of work captured in the earliest history of the Christian church ever written outside the Holy Scriptures:
This post and those to follow are extracts from a draft chapter in the book The Words of the Covenant: A Biblical Theology, Vol. 1 (forthcoming, d.v.). Read the series.
The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. is one jaw-dropper of a building. If you have an architectural bone in your body, a modicum of historical interest, or a primal appreciation of fine art, this building is an exquisite treasure. The Library of Congress is officially described as “the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution … the research arm of Congress … [and] the largest library in the world.” Its architectural grandeur, artistic splendor, rare holdings, and ubiquitous historical symbolism comprise an illustrious tribute to our nation.
This post and those to follow are extracts from a draft chapter in the book The Words of the Covenant: A Biblical Theology, Vol. 1 (forthcoming, d.v.). Read the series.
In the last idol-meat thread, Kevin asked:
Kevin Miller: The question I want to ask is this: If a person buys meat that they know for certain has been offered to an idol, but they go home and eat it in private with the knowledge that an idol is nothing, have they sinned by eating meat that they know has been offered?
1 Corinthians 10:25-30 ESV
“The New York Times columnist hasn’t become a Christian of the ‘Protestant evangelical variety,’ but his latest book offers a fine example of spiritual autobiography.” - Christianity Today
Alvah Hovey was, at various times, both a Professor and President at the Newton Theological Institution for fifty-four years in the latter half of the 19th century. His systematic theology, entitled Manual of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, was published in 1877. In this excerpt, Hovey explains his understanding of baptismal generation.1
“As a presuppositionalist (who doesn’t like to ride the label, and who believes in the value of evidence because Paul does in 1 Corinthians 15), I observe that my own tribe’s arguments don’t always get that kind of honing… I don’t seem often to run into people who can really understand what I’m saying when I go presupp on them; it’s all too philosophically demanding.” -
Discussion