Thanks to Justin Taylor for reminding us of this word from John Piper about self-promotion. Amen to everything Piper says here. Our aim should never be self-promotion, but Christ-promotion. We want to influence as many people as possible with the message of the gospel. Seeking this kind of influence is good. But even in all our Christ-exalting influence, we have to be wary of ourselves. We are sinners and prone to wander.
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CT’s Editorial about the SBC Resolution on the NIV
The latest issue of Christianity Today arrived in the mail yesterday, and I was interested to note an editorial about the Southern Baptist Convention’s resolution concerning the 2011 NIV. The article represents the editorial opinion of CT, and predictably it disagrees with Southern Baptists about the new NIV. Readers of this blog will not be surprised that by and large I disagree with CT’s editorial (see my previous posts: reviews of NIV, SBC Resolution, response to translators, response to Bock). But there was at least one item in the article that I do agree with. Here it is: “The only criterion for a good translation is this: Does it accurately…
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Are we on the verge of a Kuyperian reformation?
Doug Wilson thinks that the young, restless, and reformed are on the verge of a Kuyperian aesthetic revolution. He also thinks that the young, restless, and reformed are a “jungle full of monkeys.” If you need a good belly laugh, go read Wilson’s post.
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More Thoughts Proverbs 27:2 and Self-Promotion
I posted a note on Monday about Dane Ortlund’s excellent blog post on Proverbs 27:2 and self-promotion. Today, Jim Hamilton reflects on Ortlund’s essay as well. Jim argues that posting one’s teaching to the web is not inherently sinful. I agree with Jim that the matter does come down to how it’s done and the motives of one’s heart. Still, I think we need to take Proverbs 27:2 to heart and consider what kind of culture we are creating. Are there biblical examples that might help us think through how to flesh out the wisdom of Proverbs 27:2? I think there are. How did Jesus and the apostles get the…
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Must We Preach with Passion?
The first time I heard John Piper preach I didn’t like it. It was about sixteen years ago. Someone had given me a cassette tape of Piper speaking on the topic of the supremacy of God in preaching, and in this particular message he stressed that the preacher’s delivery must be done with great passion and feeling. I disagreed with Piper. As far as I was concerned, the Bible was the point of preaching not the preacher’s delivery. I thought that Piper was promoting an anthropocentric view of the preacher’s task. I didn’t understand how Piper could be so wrong.
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Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth
Dane Ortlund has written a little exhortation that is by far the best thing I read online all weekend. Dane’s remarks are about internet narcissism among Christians. The scriptural basis is Proverbs 27:2: Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; Someone else, and not your own lips. Here’s the heart of Dane’s meditation on this text: Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter are fantastic tools with unprecedented potential for strategic, efficient kingdom instrumentality… But… the amount of self-foregrounding that takes place on these media–by Christians–by pastors–is troubling. Promotion of our own books, letting everyone know where we’ve been and whom we’ve met, drawing attention to what others are saying…
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Ross Douthat Goes Another Round with Ryan Lizza over Francis Schaeffer
Earlier this week I posted about Ross Douthat’s deft dismantling of Ryan Lizza’s misinterpretation of Francis Schaeffer. Ryan Lizza has since responded on The New Yorker Website and stands by his contention that Francis Schaeffer favored armed resistance to the U.S. government over the issue of abortion. Douthat has just offered another rejoinder to Lizza. Once again, Douthat has the better part of this argument. One thing I would add about his whole conversation: If Francis Schaeffer really favored armed resistance against the U.S. government, then why haven’t evangelicals answered his call to do so? In the last 30 years, can you think of any evangelical who has heeded Schaeffer’s…
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Do Dead People Praise God?
Do dead people praise God? The Psalmist says that they don’t. Read for yourself the last two verses from Psalm 115: The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence; But as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD! For those of us grew up in evangelical churches that teach about saints praising God in the afterlife, this text can come across as quite a jolt. Can it really be true that departed saints no longer praise God?
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Douthat Takes Lizza to the Woodshed
Ryan Lizza’s piece from The New Yorker a couple of weeks ago gets another critique—this time from Ross Douthat. In a follow-up piece to Douthat’s article in today’s New York Times, Douthat goes to his blog to challenge Ryan Lizza’s misrepresentation of Francis Schaeffer. Douthat is charitable, but tough. Here’s the conclusion:
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Should Wives Submit to Their Husbands?
The front page of The Nashville Tennessean has an article by Bob Smietana titled “Should wives submit? Debate resurges.” Though Michele Bachmann’s candidacy for president is the catalyst for this piece, the article is not really about her. It’s about how American Evangelicals approach the question of gender roles in the home, in the church, and in society at large. Smietana interviews folks on both sides of this question and even deals briefly with the various interpretations of Ephesians 5 and how those readings play out in the lives of real families. Smietana even uses the proper theological designations for each view, complementarianism and egalitarianism. This is an unusual article,…