“Suppose a man were to refer to certain respected theologians dismissively as having graduated from Bag of Snakes Seminary. He would instantly be upbraided for his un-Christlike behavior. Unfortunately for the one delivering the rebuke, it was discovered shortly thereafter that the speaker was Christ (Mt. 23:33)” (A Serrated Edge, p. 12).
So Who Believes the Bible In This?
[With regard to the logical distinction between slavery and racism] But we are not positing a separate existence for the two back then. We are positing a separate existence for them in our thinking. A century later, we have a better perspective on some things than they did, and we believe that racism is a …
More Out of the Nail Can
As we sort through the propriety of using satiric speech, there is first the doctrinal or theological aspect of it (what does the Bible require of us?), and after this is the practical or pastoral aspect. I would like to key off several important comments posted under my recent post on The Nail Can of …
The Poet Warrior
The story of redemption is not just a story about forgiveness being bestowed upon us in some heavenly transaction. It includes that, of course, but we must never forget how this salvation unfolds in the greatest story that any man ever told. And that story includes the slaying of dragons, the fall of ancient civilizations, …
Another Source of Strife
Another source of strife is an inability to see a disagreement from the other’s point of view. An ability to do this is not a concession that this other point of view is correct, but it does show the flexibility of heart that is necessary for avoidance of intractable strife. Paul tells us that we …
No Little People
As they walked along the road, one of the two disciples, named Cleopas, asked the Lord if He was a stranger. Do you not know what has gone on these past few days? What an ironic question – do you not know? The other disciple is unnamed, but was probably the wife of Cleopas, who …
Can Faith Be Bronzed?
Every word which men speak or hear in worship must either renew that word or cheapen it. God has determined to sanctify us through His Word, and therefore, because of our sinful inclinations, we tend to invent various shifts and devices in a vain attempt to keep this sanctification from happening. Of course, overt denial …
Outstanding!
As a result of a reporter setting up an interview with me, I found out that The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, as part of their sponsorship of banned books week, has listed Southern Slavery As It Was as one of the books that was “challenged” by the censorious this last year. Their little …
A Powerful Dinner
Father and gracious God, we lift up our hearts and voices to You, asking You to continue to shower Your kindness upon us. We thank You for bringing us to yet another Sabbath, and we rejoice in the opportunity we have here to rest in the grace of Your gospel. We know that this dinner …
Satire or Surrender
“For various reasons, satire is studied today as something of a museum piece, in much the same way that a military historian might analyze a crossbow. The learned and respectable among us have agreed to abandon the use of satire, leaving this particular form of abuse to the buffooneries of late night comedians. Our academicized …