One of the common problems that arises among Christians who are committed to resolving conflicts (as possible) the way the Bible says to do it is the problem of thinking that Matthew 18 is an all-purpose text toward that end. It is thought that whenever disagreement of a substantial nature arises it is necessary to …
With Wooly Mittens On
Watching church conflicts from a distance is like watching a water polo game — much of what constitutes the actual game is not happening above the surface, where you can see it from the back row. You can tell when the ball goes in the goal, but what you actually don’t see are the three …
Bloodless Syllogisms
Jesus taught us to evaluate arguments and doctrines on the basis of the lifestyle of the teachers — by their fruits ye shall know them. Gnostics want detached, abstracted arguments that can be evaluated in the pristine laboratory of the brain. Gnostics like to pretend that the ad hominem is a necessary fallacy, which means, …
How Old Does An Elder Have to Be?
False understandings of the etymologies of words sometimes cause minor confusion or bad jokes. Only rarely does it cause significant problems, but one exception to this is the difficulty caused by some Christians who believe that only elderly men are qualified to be elders of churches. Not only does this mean that many capable men …
Fatherless Treachery
A friend sent me a copy of Doug Phillips’ post on honor, which was simply outstanding, and which included a paragraph that was pure gold. Here it is: “In examining Hebrews 12:5-13, I shared my own view that fatherless cultures produce men who do not understand honor, and therefore relate dishonorably to fathers, employers, pastors, …
A Girard Jag
As those who read the Easter sermon below can possibly tell, I am currently on a Rene Girard jag. I have read The Scapegoat, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning, and am currently halfway through Violence Unveiled by Bailie, a man developing a number of Girard’s central insights. After that, I have a number of …
The Mystery of Scandal
The word scandal is unfortunately common in Christian circles, but much of the modern use is not in line with the scriptural use. Our use refers to something important, but we sometimes think that we have handled the biblical doctrine of scandal (and it is a central doctrine) simply because we have dealt with our …
Conscience, Tender or Turbulent?
In the course of controversy, due consideration must be given to those who get caught in the crossfire. The Westminster Confession says that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and this is not just talking about those consciences that are rightly informed. We tend to understand this principle on some subjects — there are …
Statement on St. Peter
Randy Booth, the moderator of the CREC Council, has posted a statement on the situation at St. Peter. That statement can be found here.
Prosecution and Defense
The name Satan means accuser. The word for devil is related to the word for slander. The devil is the accuser of the brethren; he accuses day and night. When the sons of God were gathering in the presence of God, God bragged on His servant Job, and Satan was the one who accused him …