I always have mixed feelings about Reformation Sunday. On the one hand, it is a great occasion to remember and celebrate the best of the Reformation, the recovery of the apostolic gospel, returning the church to its catholic faith, and recognizing the Holy Spirit as the source of our renewal. That said, Reformation Sunday is also celebrating a divorce, the western church ripped apart, birthing over 30 000 Protestant denominations, and leading to a crisis of authority, not only in the Church,... Read more

I posted on the Lord’s Prayer being the Gospel a while ago. I gave a talk to our college students on the topic. I hope it challenges you to be the answer to the Lord’s Prayer. Read more

Over at TGC, Trevin Wax interviews Jonathan Pennington about his new book Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction (which I should say is a cracking good book!!) Importantly, Pennington argues for a “canon within the canon based on the Gospels. He writes: My point with the “canon within the canon”  language is that we in fact all do have certain verses, biblical books, and concepts that are operative, formative, and weightiest in our theological constructions. I simply want to... Read more

Here’s two sweet books from IVP on historical theology. Bradely G. Green (ed.) Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy: Engaging with Early and Medieval Theologians Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2010. Available at Amazon.com This book covers Irenaeus (W. Brian Shelton), Tertullian (Gerald Bray), Origen (Bryan Liftin), Athanasius (Carl Beckwith), Three Cappadocians (Robert Letham), Augustine (Bradely Green), Anselm (David Hogg), and Thomas Aquinas (Mark Elliott). I liked this volume because it gives you an overview of each main person, looks at major issues... Read more

According to J.I. Packer, we need to re-think the meaning of divine impassibility (note that this was before the “Open Theism” wars). He writes: “This conception of God [as impassible] represents no single biblical term, but was introduced into Christian theology in the second century. What was it supposed to mean? The historical answer is: Not impassivity, unconcern, and impersonal detachment in the face of the creation. Not inability or unwillingness to empathize with human pain and grief, either. It means simply... Read more

More from CPX on the interview with Gary Burge (Wheaton College) about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Read more

In this three minute video William Lane Craig does an “Eastwooding” of Richard Dawkins. No wonder Dawkins refuses to debate Craig, he’d get his bum handed to him on a platter! Craig “Eastwoods” Dawkins on other arguments too, find them here. Read more

Over at CPX is a great interview with Gary Burge (Wheaton College) about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.   Read more

According to Variety, Nicholas Cage is in talks to star in a remake of the Left Behind movie. The books were cheesy, shallow, and contain very bad theology. The first Left Behind movie with Kirk Cameron was so lame that it could qualify for Obamacare. Now is the time to start praying imprecatory prayers against any producer, director, or actor who would be involved in such eschatodrivel. Read more

What is the “local church”? Of course by the term I don’t mean a building, a denomination or the clergy. The church is often equated with something like these, but this is a mistake. The church is, quite simply, the company of Jesus’ followers, a band of believers in Jesus. Also, I’m not here referring either to the universal church, the company of disciples of every age, place and culture. This is a proper way to think about the church... Read more