Today, three hundred years ago, on December 16, 1714, was born the man Martyn Lloyd-Jones said was “beyond any question, the greatest English preacher who has ever lived”. The great Bishop J. C. Ryle had said, “No Englishman … dead or alive, has ever equaled him.” (more…)
Category Archives: Church history
An Interview with Ken Short
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
One of the great Sydney Evangelical Anglicans, Bishop Ken Short died this week. Alongside parish ministry, he’d been a missionary in Tanganyika (later Tanzania), a military chaplain, Dean of Sydney, Bishop of Wollongong, then of Parramatta, and of the Australian Defence Forces. (more…)
Commander of Heavy Artillery – William Romaine’s 300th
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
William Romaine, courtesy: New Focus http://go-newfocus.co.uk
William Romaine was born 300 years ago, 25 September, 1714 , in Durham, UK. (more…)
The first Australian Scriptures
Couldn't Help Noticing, Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
Lun ellin Jehovah an pornum an Narrinyeri: pempir ile ityan kinauwe Brauwarate, ungunuk korn wurruwarrin ityan, nowaiy el itye moru hellangk, tumbewarrin itye kaldwamp.
You have just read the most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16. It’s most likely the sentence translated into more languages than any other sentence ever written. (more…)
Newton’s autobiography of grace
Thought, Sola Panel
This month, our church’s sign board reads…
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
Grace is God’s mercy – especially when we don’t deserve it! My first memory verse says,
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How long can we flog this parson?
Thought
The second chaplain to New South Wales—Samuel Marsden—was born 250 years ago on 28th July 1764.1 He was slandered for most of his life, and the epithet ‘flogging parson’ has (sadly) stuck down the years and prejudiced thousands against a mighty man. Wise historians have recognized that standing so alone for Christ in a colony made up largely of soldiers and convicts it is no wonder Marsden was vilified.2 (more…)
Advice to evangelical Anglican churchmen – General Synod 2014 Blog 2
Preparing for General Synod, I had the blessing of reading Vaughan Roberts’ recent article in Churchman (Spring 2014) on “J.C.Ryle: Evangelical Churchman”*.
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Leon Morris at 100
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
Leon Morris was born 15 March, 1914. So today marks the centenary of his birth.
If you don’t know his name, he is one of foremost biblical scholars Australia has ever produced. (more…)
Growing through Christian history
Pastoral Ministry, Thought, Sola Panel
One of the quotes that stayed with me from last year said this about historians:
“Without them, our civic life would be a wasteland of forgetfulness, a cultural desert.” [Source]
I think the same is true of our church life. As Christians we need to know something of our history. The basic deposit of our faith is the gospel of Jesus, in the whole inspired counsel of God in the Scriptures. (more…)
Don’t make the Reformation history
Life
The Reformation is becoming history.
If “history is written by winners”, secularists are writing our history and materialistic governments, are setting the curriculum. Because such governments are concerned with national peace, harmony and unity, not even the multiculturalists will be able to save the Reformation from the dust and ashes of negligence and ignorance. (more…)
Vocation? What’s that?
Thought
In the last issue of the Briefing, we began a little quest to understand what God has to say about work. And, perhaps strangely, we ended up spending a whole article speaking about the creation mandate (God’s command to humanity to multiply, fill the earth and subdue it). Whether you found this helpful or frustrating will probably depend on two things. (1) Are you a big picture person or a details person? and (2) What were you expecting to hear? (more…)
Racism has no future (“I have a dream” 50 years on, from Australia)
Life, Sola Panel
Today, August 28 is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s famous, “I have a dream speech”.
And I take this occasion to give an Australian perspective and to say that racism has no future. (more…)
An evergreen strategy for Bishops!
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
Multiply the workers. Deploy the workers aggressively. Remember, the work is evangelism! Remember, evangelism means Christ!
The detailed tactics must change in a different time and place, but well over a century later, I reckon this is still a pretty good strategy for reaching a large urban diocese where the vast majority are un-churched.
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Athanasius speaks to Jakes
Thought, Sola Panel
Athanasius didn’t think Trinitarian deviation was a case of “all one in Christ”.
Yes, I’m talking about Hillsong Conference 2013 with TD Jakes on the platform. Jakes has come from Oneness Pentecostalism—a modalist trinitarian heresy—and still equivocates about orthodox trinitarian confession. (more…)
Daniel Rowlands turns 300
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
Friends, 2013 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Daniel Rowlands. Bishop J. C. Ryle calls him one of the “greatest spiritual champions” of the 18th century, an “apostle of Wales”.
(more…)