A few days ago, I mentioned a question I had asked David Van Drunen during our time together at a conference in Dayton, Ohio. The background of the question was his understanding of the “two kingdoms.” He understands the two kingdoms to be the church on the one hand, the realm of redemption, and the …
Why Children Matter
Nurture and Admonition in the 21st Century I Introduction A family is a divinely-ordained community. It is a set of defined relationships, with obligations and privileges assigned by God accordingly. It is not an arbitrary collection of individuals, and it is not something that we get to define. God created the family—it was not invented …
He Came Back Without Them
Our task is to gather, to worship, to listen, to take, and to eat and drink. This is how God has determined to give the nations of the world to His Son, and so we should be about His business. The world was conquered in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The world …
Political, Not Partisan
Scripture tells us that in our assemblies, when we come together, we should pray for “kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2). This is something we regularly do in our worship service. But when it comes down …
In a Perfect World . . .
“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Ex. 18:21). In a perfect world — because it is an imperfect world — …
Doug Phillips’ Resignation from Vision Forum
I thought I should say something about Doug Phillips’ resignation from Vision Forum, but it won’t be very much. The news was of course tragic, sad, and humbling. That said, I thought his letter of resignation was good, and accomplished what a letter like that needed to accomplish. I am glad he stepped down from …
Book of the Month/November
This book is only available in electronic form, but given the nature of the book, I want to make it my book of the month anyway. It is the kind of book that every church that practices church discipline (which should be all of them) ought to have on the premises. Correction: there is …
Brother Down Release
As I announced earlier, Reformation Day — happy Reformation Day, by the way — is the release date for Brother Down’s latest album, “Old Paths New Feet.” And here we are, right on schedule. Digital downloads are now available in various places, but let me link you to iTunes and to Amazon. If you go …
Just One More Thing . . .
Tim Bayly passed on this joke over at his place: Two aged orthodox Episcopal priests knelt side-by-side in the trendy new diocesan cathedral, waiting for their bishop’s Easter service to begin. It commenced with a lonely, eerie wisp of Tibetan bells wafting through the rafters. Then a chorus of plucked hand-harps took up the icy …
The Bozo Over at Mablog
Over at Religion News Service, Jonathan Merritt has decided that a web brawl with me might make for some good click fodder. This post, in which he picks a fight with me, concludes with a stirring reminder that the apostle Paul requires that Christian leaders must not be should not be “quarrelsome,” but rather “peacemakers, …