Far from being a degradation of standards of covenant purity, [the Half-way Covenant] was the direct result of having artificially high standards. The Bible requires a confession that Jesus is Lord, and the absence of a scandalous lifestyle. It does not require a convulsive Damascus road experience on the part of every convert, especially those …
Dismantling and Rebuilding
“There is nothing particularly intelligent about doubting. But intelligence can be revealed in how the doubts are raised and then answered” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 167).
Instead of the Other Way Around
“A scriptural Christian knows how to take the truth seriously without taking himself too seriously” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 164).
Wisdom at Home
“Shrewdness is wisdom in a homely setting . . . A wise professor might tell you not to take on more than you can handle. A shrewd uncle would tell you not to become a baker if your head’s made of butter. A lofty bit of advice might be to do your work right the …
One Way or the Other
“But to be tender of everyone in a fallen world is actually to be cruel. To be tender of the lambs is to be tender. To be tender to the wolves is to be cruel to the lambs. This is why Christ was tender of the little children who were brought to him, and He …
Neither Skeletal Nor Boneless
“We sometimes have trouble understanding how tenderness and strength can go together. In order to be strong, we harden ourselves in a wrong way, a way which makes tenderness impossible. Or we opt for tenderness, and render ourselves incapable of functioning” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 149).
Neither Does Education
“Training does not put in what God left out” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 141).
Puritan, Not Puritanical
“When it comes to sexual matters, the modern use of the word puritanical to describe prudishness is really a very successful historical slander . . . The Puritans were opposed, of course, to adultery and various other forms of immorality, but not at all to sexual fidelity within the boundaries of a marriage covenant . …
Women and the Destiny of Nations
“A woman who was related to the leaders in that society necessarily had far more influence than a man who occupied a more lowly station. When Bathsheba made a petition to David concerning her son Solomon, she was exercising far more influence than the average stablehand in the royal stables. When Esther interceded on behalf …
A Life of Insecurity
“Women who demand independence of this kind of familial masculinity are like a plant demanding independence from the soil. The effect is to uproot them, bringing in a life of insecurity, propped up here and there by reassurances from a thoughtful therapist and the regulations of some federal agency” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 114).