April 19, 2006 by iMonk
With all the discussion of Marcus Borg’s “Christianity” lately, it might be good to actually read the man. So for those who want to hear from Borg what he believes, I’ve put together a few Marcus Borg links that should provide you a good introduction. [Continue reading]
April 19, 2006 by iMonk
I’ve got a couple of small posts that have something in common: They are about someone being wrong.
The Fearsome Pirate himself, Josh Strodtbeck, wrote this brief post on Ten Ways To Know You’re Wrong. I thought it was excellent, and should have linked to it earlier. Nice work Josh. [Continue reading]
April 17, 2006 by iMonk
UPDATE: Joel Hunter has an excellent post regarding the application of Paul’s pastoral approach in I Corinthians 15 to this issue. He also shows how Wright is perceived by the academic left in this very helpful post.
The background of this post is N.T. Wright’s recent interview with the Australian, an interview that’s kept the blogosphere buzzing for a couple of weeks. Wright’s comments about his friend, co-author and debating partner Marcus Borg were guaranteed to animate Wright critics and friends. [Continue reading]
April 15, 2006 by iMonk
And my Kingdom trumps all your atonements. A Holy Week dust-up.
Mark Dever wrote about the meaning of the atonement in Christianity Today. Scot McKnight commented on Dever’s article, taking issue with the idea that the meaning of the atonement is so narrow that we would have a debate about its true meaning during Holy Week. Phil Johnson emerged to flame McKnight for what he says and how he says it. [Continue reading]
April 13, 2006 by iMonk
“The question is familiar: “What do you mean by missional church?” Even though the term is now used everywhere, there is still confusion about it. As we begin this book, here is a brief description of what we mean by the phrase. [Continue reading]
April 6, 2006 by iMonk
Fact: Calvinism is hotly controversial among Southern Baptists.
Fact: There are many more Calvinistic ministers than confessionally Calvinistic churches in the SBC.
Fact: In an interview process, a candidate has the choice to be open about Calvinism or to keep it under the radar.
In his article on TULIP at Baptist Press, SEBTS President Danny Akin has a good bit to say about integrity and openness regarding a minister’s Calvinism: [Continue reading]
April 6, 2006 by iMonk
UPDATE: Scot McKnight is doing a series on the Gospel of Judas. This emerging church scholar is as sane and on top of the game as they come. Read his work.
The rather sordid recent history of the manuscript.
Also: Christianity Today interviews Darrell Bock, who says the “Cainite” Gnostics responsible for the Gospel of Judas were obsessed with rehabilitating the “bad guys” of the Bible. Now there’s a ministry.
To get some perspective on the recent much-trumpeted discovery of the Gnostic “Gospel of Judas”, let’s imagine the following announcement….and trust me, it will take some imagination. [Continue reading]
April 3, 2006 by iMonk
God bless Ben Witherington, who takes on the THEOLOGY of Joel Osteen, particularly as it applies to the teaching of Jesus. Thank you, Dr. Witherington, for doing what so few others are willing to do.
American Christianity, if not staying focused on Jesus, gets in big trouble in a culture where entitlement is a tremendous temptation. Paul urged Christians to be “…holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” That’s Jesus. This is in contrast to a kind of spirituality that grows from a person who is “…puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18.) That’s a mind that says “whatever feels good is God.”
We need much teaching like Dr. Witherington does in this post: the explicit contrast of the teaching and meaning of Jesus with the errors of this subtle prosperity method. Jesus described “Your Best Life Now,” but it isn’t the Osteen positive thinking message.
April 2, 2006 by iMonk
[I also dealt with this subject in a previous IM essay.]
Col. 2:20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations – 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used) – according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Col 2:17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
I don’t listen to much Christian talk radio. I overdosed on talk radio in the 90’s. I listen to MLB radio at night and to a few broadcasts during the day: White Horse Inn, Issues, etc. Desiring God, James Boice, Bible Answer Man. But Saturday I found myself listening to a rebroadcast of the Michael Medved Show, a staple on the Salem radio network line-up of Christian/politically conservative radio programs that millions of conservative Christians listen to each day. [Continue reading]
