As we come to the Table, Paul tells us to “behold Israel after the flesh.” Look, he says, at Israel in the Old Testament, and take special care to note how their condition was similar to yours. We partake of Christ in the bread and wine. They were partakers of the altar as they ate …
Foundation Stones of Grace
Gracious Father and God, Your kindness toward Your people is an everlasting river, and we thank You that we will never arrive at the end of it. We know that You call us to worship You before all things, and that You summon us to this for our good and Your glory. We praise You …
Historical Mojo
Visionaries, The psalmist, in one of his controversies, lamented the fact that every day his words got twisted (Ps. 56:5). Sometimes the twisting was deliberate, and sometimes it was probably just a matter of somebody not getting the joke. And now comes Joan, trumpeting the mojo of local professional, credentialed historians, men who do not …
Shrill Relativistic Crusades
Visionaries, Rootless relativism and the high moral indignation of a shrill crusade do not go well together. If some things are absolutely wrong (every day of the week, in every century, in every culture), then surely it should be easy for those fundamentalists who are propounding such absolutism to answer some simple questions about it. …
Rat Farming
I have mentioned before that N.T. Wright is trying to hitch the white horse of the universal lordship of Christ to the wrong political wagon. The public nature of the lordship of Christ is an important doctrine, and Wright has performed a valuable service in reminding the Church of the necessity of that doctrine if …
Black Sheep and White Goats
Visionaries, Just a brief response to Andy: I actually do think that R.L. Dabney had some racist assumptions, and these assumptions sometimes came out in truly odd ways. My favorite is found in his Systematic Theology, where he takes on redheads who do not know that they are objectively inferior. These racist assumptions of his …
The Browner Parts of the Globe
Visionaries, Two comments, if you all have moment. I separated “y’all” into “you all” as a concession to others on a sensitive topic. First, I agree completely with Roger’s exposure of the hypocrisy that pervades this kind of issue. A color-blind society should mean one of two things: either nobody gets to do it, or …
Do Communion? Or Have Communion?
As we come to the table, we are charged to flee from idolatry. We do this in two ways. The first is that we leave all pagan idols behind. Whether these idols are actual gods made of wood or stone, or are idols of the heart and mind does not matter. We leave them behind …
Imitative Loving
“This means that our theology of Christ’s love will be determinative of how a Christian wife is loved. How a man understands ultimate covenant loving will settle how he sets about covenantal loving. How he understands the thing to be imitated will determine how and what he imitates” (Federal Husband, p. 10).
Old Testament Law
Visionaries, Just back from Houston, and had a time wading through the accumulated email. Just a few general comments, and then a few specific answers to the questions put to me by Steve. First, in response to some general laments, I would be happy to agree to a cease fire (in this forum) on this …