First Things First Restoring the Gospel to Primacy in the Church Part Three: The Torah of Jesus — Matthew • • • Jesus-shaped Christianity will grow out of the soil of a Story-shaped Gospel. The more we immerse ourselves in the Story and get to know the Gospels, the greater the impact the Gospel of [...]
Getting to Know the Gospel Better
8 May by
First Things First Restoring the Gospel to Primacy in the Church Part Two: Getting to Know the Gospel Better – Introduction • • • “It may be patently obvious, but it’s not to most: they called these books ‘the Gospels’ because they are the gospel.” (Scot McKnight, The King Jesus Gospel). I suggested in last [...]
First Things First, part one
1 May by
First Things First Restoring the Gospel to Primacy in the Church Part One: Some Books Are More Important than Others • • • Some books of the Bible are more important than others. This is not a matter of inspiration. Most of us know 2Timothy 3:16-17 — “All scripture is inspired by God and is [...]
Ambiguity in Scripture
7 Feb by
The Bible, through a Scientist’s Eyes, part four Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible by John Polkinghorne • • • To my ears, one of the most bizarre and troubling passages in the Hebrew Bible describes the “bitter water” ritual (Numbers 5:11-31). This ceremony was to be used when a man suspected his pregnant [...]
D.A. Carson on Genesis 1-2 and Science
1 Feb by
One of the teachers I respect most in the Church is Dr. D.A. Carson from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Don was one of my primary NT professors when I was in seminary and he spoke at my installation service when I became pastor of a church in Waukegan, IL. One of my most satisfying moments [...]
A Truth so Deep that Only Story can Convey It
1 Feb by
The Bible, through a Scientist’s Eyes, part three Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible by John Polkinghorne • • • Any discussion on the relationship of science and Scripture must deal with the Bible’s first chapters and their accounts of origins. John Polkinghorne, an Anglican priest who is also a renowned physicist, gives his [...]
Misreading the Bible’s “Scientific Accuracy”
24 Jan by
While we are on the subject of the Bible today, let’s look at a point of view quite contrary to that of John Polkinghorne, the renowned physicist whose book we are working through (see this morning’s post). Christian Post reports that “Pastor Rick Warren launched his ’40 Days in the Word’ biblical literacy campaign over [...]
“A Developing Understanding of the Divine Will and Nature”?
24 Jan by
The Bible, through a Scientist’s Eyes, part two Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible by John Polkinghorne • • • “Development,” chapter two of John Polkinghorne’s small book on the Bible, is likely to be one of the more controversial sections in Testing Scripture. Whether you and I end up agreeing with him or [...]
Texts that Should Be Taught (NT)
21 Jan by
I was thinking the other day, “What texts would I turn to if I as a preacher, teacher, or writer wanted to infuse some needed emphases into today’s churches?” Here’s a few that I came up with (not exhaustive, of course, but suggestive of some key themes): James 1:27. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight [...]
The Bible, through a Scientist’s Eyes
17 Jan by
The Bible, through a Scientist’s Eyes, part one Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible by John Polkinghorne • • • Today, we begin walking through a new book by John Polkinghorne on the Bible. I believe this will give us a unique vantage point from which to consider the Scriptures? Why? — because Polkinghorne [...]
