Well, sanctification is not primarily about progress—but I thought I’d get you with the title!
I dislike how so much evangelical discussion speaks of sanctification primarily in terms of progress in holiness. (more…)
Category Archives: Bible insights
A son for sacrifice
Thought, Sola Panel
It’s nearly Christmas. My children read stories about lambs and donkeys visiting a baby, but the story I’m up to my Bible reading plan shows the season in a different light…
Rembrandt: The sacrifice of Isaac (detail)
How strange Genesis 22 has always seemed to me. Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? What kind of Father asks another father to kill his child? Did Sarah know what was going to happen as her husband and son left that day? What psychological scars did Isaac carry into adulthood? (A very modern question, I know.)
What did it cost Abraham to take each step on that three-day journey? (more…)
Matthew 1:1-17
Bible 101
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king… ”
At first glance the beginning of Matthew’s biography of Jesus doesn’t exactly set the heart racing—but that is true of all genealogies when you don’t recognize the names. I know a little bit about my family tree, and for the most part it is deadly boring. But it’s much more interesting if you know, for example, that my great grand-uncle was Gregory Blaxland, one of the first Europeans to cross the Great Dividing Range west of Sydney. (more…)
Genesis 12:1-3
Bible 101
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”
Many moments that change the world are self-evidently important because of their very scale, uniqueness, or impact: the moon landing; the 9/11 attacks; Nelson Mandela’s release; the dropping of atom bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Genesis 12 recounts for us a life-altering, world-changing, history-shaping moment, but if you were there at the time you’d be forgiven for missing it. Quietly, God made a promise to Abram. If you were with Abram at the time, near Ur of Mesopotamia, this promise might not have seemed like much, yet it underlies and shapes the plot of the whole Bible—the story of God’s people—from here on. (more…)
→ Why People Hate the Sermon on the Mount
Link
This is a bit of a down-the-rabbit-hole reference: Andy Naselli tracked down a paper by Virginia Stem Owens that Tim Keller quoted in a sermon at TGC. It’s a fascinating insight into the effects of biblical illiteracy on those hearing Scripture:
Beyond that, however, I find it strangely heartening that, except for the young man who found the Sermon on the Mount a guide to good manners, the Bible remains offensive to honest, ignorant ears, just as it was in the first century. For me, that somehow validates its significance. Whereas the scriptures almost lost their characteristically astringent flavor during the past century, the current widespread biblical illiteracy should catapult us into a situation more nearly approximating that of their original, first-century audience.
The poor are always with you
Thought
I had the privilege to travel to Tanzania last November, courtesy of Compassion Australia, to observe the work ‘on the ground’ in that country. My family has sponsored children through Compassion for the last fifteen years, and it was wonderful to witness first-hand the ministry being done among children. (more…)
Small, but a lot of punch
Pastoral Ministry
When I was invited to lead a women’s retreat, one of my greatest fears was realized: I was given free reign on my teaching topic. Making decisions has never been my strong suit. I labour over what to eat for breakfast. How would I ever choose one subject from all the Christian topics out there? (more…)
Practising Fear
Thought
As far as cooking skills go, it’s all well and good if your culinary creation looks like an art exhibit, but that won’t count for much if it tastes like one! In much the same way my aim in this series has been to show that wisdom is far more than knowledge and facts. Looking good is not enough. (more…)
Judgement in the words of Jeremiah
Thought
It is a hardy adventurer who decides to brave the book of Jeremiah. Yet we need to hear what Jeremiah has to tell us because a gospel emptied of the wrath of God is a gospel emptied of truth and power. (more…)
Bible 101: Mark 8:29
Bible 101
It’s an uphill battle for anyone in Mark’s Gospel to see Jesus for who he is. Although Mark tells us in his first line who Jesus is: “Jesus Christ, the Son of God”, prophets point to his coming (Mark 1:2-3; 7-8), God calls him “my beloved Son” (1:11), and even demons recognize “the Holy One of God” (1:24)—the people watching ask, “What is this?” (1:27). (more…)
The benefits of memorizing Scripture
Everyday Ministry
A Briefing reader sent in this heartbreakingly wonderful story in relation to Jean’s recent series on memorizing Scripture:
Thank you to Jean Williams for her article on memorizing Scripture.
‘Mutual submission’? Scrutinizing a lazy slogan
Thought, Sola Panel
A furore has indeed erupted over the use of the dreaded ‘s’-word in certain proposed new marriage vows. The word ‘submit,’ of course, comes from the Bible (e.g. Ephesians 5:22-24); the proposed vows are an attempt to give couples the option of using biblical terminology in place of the traditional, often misunderstood, term in the prayer book: ‘obey.’ The inclusion of the ‘s’-word, however, has caught many people’s eye (and ire). It needs to be said that the word ‘submit’ can never be understood alone. The concept of submission in marriage is always part of a package deal. It’s one side of a double-sided coin: the other side is the husband’s responsibility to sacrifice himself for his wife, loving her tenderly and caring for her (e.g. Ephesians 5:25-30). That, in itself, should rule out any suggestion of abuse of women by men. (more…)
→ Notice the famine?
Link
Trevin Wax on how location impacts your Bible interpretation:
In other words, Americans see the famine as an insignificant detail that intensifies the prodigal’s big problem – wastefulness. Russians, on the other hand, see the prodigal’s wasteful spending as an insignificant detail that intensifies the real tragedy – the famine.
Details matter—both those in the texts and those in our lives and backgrounds.
Finish the Race: favourite Olympic story
Life, Sola Panel
Recently, David Mathis shared John Piper’s advice for Christians about how to watch the Olympic Games.
This prompts me to share my all-time favourite story from among the many inspirational episodes of Olympic history. (more…)
Understanding the Old Testament – David and Goliath
Bible 101, Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
It has been drilled into my head that 1 Samuel 17 is not about me overcoming ‘giant’ problems in life. I’ve been telling people that for years, ever since I read Graeme Goldsworthy’s preface to Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture. But, what I couldn’t concisely say is what the story of David and Goliath is about. (more…)