Much debate surrounds Jesus’ remarks about divorce in Matthew 19:3-12. R. T. France observes why so much of the discussion is off-base from the start. In doing so, he provides some sage advice about Christian ethics in general. He writes:
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Horton and Wilson Spar over “Muscular Christianity”
Michael Horton and Doug Wilson have begun a conversation about gender roles that is not to be missed. Horton began the discussion last week in a short article in Modern Reformation titled “Muscular Christianity.” Doug Wilson responded on his blog just today in a post titled, “Michael Horton, Gender Stereotypes, and Me.”
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President Obama’s Scriptural Defense of Gay Marriage
Earlier today, President Obama became the first sitting president to endorse gay marriage. In his remarks to ABC News, the president cited his Christian faith as the basis for his decision. In particular, he cited Jesus’ words in the “Golden Rule” as a key factor in his thinking. He says, [Michelle and I] we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat…
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The Relevant Queries for Andy Stanley
Andy Stanley’s recent comments concerning homosexuality were ambiguous at best and a complete capitulation to the spirit of the age at worst. In any case, even ambiguity is unacceptable for a Christian pastor—much less one with the influence of Stanley. Stanley is not an outlier in the wider evangelical movement. He was raised a Southern Baptist. He received his formal theological training at an evangelical seminary. He is a leader of leaders, a well-known author, and a highly sought-after speaker. As evangelical pastors go, he is near the top of the proverbial heap. For these reasons, some kind of clarification would be in order concerning his recent remarks about homosexuality.…
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Andy Stanley, the Megachurch, and Homosexuality
Albert Mohler has a must-read article today that I can only describe as shocking. It’s a long one, but at the heart of it is a sermon recently delivered by megachurch pastor Andy Stanley. You can listen to the sermon below or download it here. The relevant portion begins at the 23:00 minute mark. In the video version, it starts at 24:30. [audio:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WeeklyPodcastNorthPoint/~5/j5kqFUxRu3k/christian_part5.mp3] In the sermon, Stanley told the story of a husband who left his wife for another man. At the end of the story, the wife, her new boyfriend, their children, and the new homosexual couple all end up attending a Christmas service together. Stanley looks at them…
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Trusting in God Who Raises the Dead
Yesterday, I preached the following message at my church, Kenwood Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky. My text was 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, and the topic was suffering. In the opening of the sermon, I called for prayer for a friend who was battling cancer. I did not know at the time that this dear brother would pass away only hours later. He was 33 years old. Our hearts are heavy as we pray for the wife he leaves behind, but we are held fast by the God who raises the dead. “With Paul in the School of Suffering” [download][audio:http://kenwoodbaptistchurch.com/podcast/media/2012-04-29_denny_burk_2_cor_1_311_apr_29.mp3]
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Book Notice: Jürgen Moltmann’s “Ethics of Hope”
Jürgen Moltmann is rightly described as the father of the theology of hope. Whether or not you agree with him on everything (and I don’t), he is a theologian to be reckoned with. His new book Ethics of Hope is an English translation of his 2010 German work Ethik der Hoffnung. Moltmann argues that “hope in the future decisively reconfigures the present and shapes our understanding of central Christian convictions, from creation to New Creation.” In this book, Moltmann applies his theology of hope to the ethics of life, earth ethics, and political ethics. Though I am disappointed that there appears to be very little about sexual ethics, this is…
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Jim Hamilton on What Helps Him Most in Preaching
Jim Hamilton explains what helps him most in sermon preparation: My answer is along the lines of what I recently said about what seminaries are for, because what has helped me most as I’ve preached through Jeremiah has been reading the text in Hebrew. I’m not boasting about being able to read Hebrew, here. It took me a long time to learn it. In fact, I had 8 Hebrew related classes as a Th.M. student at DTS, and when I got to SBTS I was served up a nice big slice of humble pie when Peter Gentry and Russell Fuller proved to me that I needed to re-take elementary Hebrew.…
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Spring Issue of JBMW Now Online
The Spring 2012 issue of The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is now online, and you can download the entire issue from the CBMW website. This issue includes articles from Russell Moore, John Piper, and more. There are several book reviews, including Heath Lambert’s take on the controversial book Real Marriage. Owen Strachan has contributed an excellent article about the interchangeability of men’s and women’s roles. Louis Markos has some important reflections on gender-neutral translations of the Bible. The table of contents is below, and you can download individual articles from there.
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All the Audio and Video from T4G Main Sessions
John Piper – Glory, Majesty, Dominion, and Authority Keep Us Safe for Everlasting Joy [download] [audio:http://media.t4g.org/t4g2012/audio/t4g2012-gen9-piper.mp3]
