A Preview of My New Book: The 10 Commandments of Progressive Christianity
I am pleased to announce my new book has just been released: The Ten Commandments of Progressive of Christianity (Cruciform Press, 2019).
As most readers will know, I did a blog series on this theme a couple of years ago. Tim Challies, who runs Cruciform Press, approached me about expanding the material into a small, introductory book, in hopes of getting the content into the hands of more people. Cruciform Press has done a good job publishing solid, accessible books by authors like John Piper, Tony Reinke, Joel Beeke, Jerry Bridges, and others.
The fact that the book was essentially released over the Christmas season is fitting, I … Continue reading...
Think You Know the Christmas Story? Here are Five Common Misconceptions
Bah, humbug.
That’s probably one of the most well-known lines in literary (and now, cinematic) history. Everybody immediately recognizes the curmudgeonly voice of Ebeneezer Scrooge as he pours cold water all over our Christmas spirit.
And his point is still made today by some, albeit in different words. It’s that the Christmas story just isn’t true. It’s rubbish. It’s made up. It’s all in our heads.
While now is not the time for a full-scale defense of the historicity of the Christmas story, Scrooge’s skepticism does prompt us to wonder whether we’ve gotten the story right. Are we telling the story that really was, or are we just telling the … Continue reading...
Is the God of the Bible a Genocidal Maniac?
Armenia. Cambodia. Rawanda. Bosnia. Darfur. All well-known modern examples of genocide where entire people groups were wiped out (or almost wiped out). These are awful tragedies, worthy of our sorrow and grief.
And yet, ask the critics, is the God of the Bible really any different? When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, was it not God that commanded them to wipe out all the indigenous people (Deut 20:17)? Is God not guilty of genocide? It makes me think of the famous bumper-sticker quote, “The only difference between God and Adolf Hitler is that God is more proficient at genocide.”
Admittedly, this is a difficult, complex issue. We feel … Continue reading...
Should We Read the Bible Critically or Confessionally? Two New Resources
In the world of biblical scholarship, it has long been clear that there are two very different ways of approaching the biblical text. And these different approaches determine whether scholars find historical (or theological) value in the words of Scripture.
On the one side is the higher-critical approach. Generally speaking, this approach is marked by skepticism towards the claims of the biblical text. The stories contained in the Bible are not taken at face value. While they may contain a “historical core,” they have been embellished and expanded, and perhaps even fabricated. The Bible is a disparate collection of texts that have been cobbled together for various reasons, and not … Continue reading...
It’s Here! My New @Ligonier DVD Series on the Origins of the NT Canon
One of the most common questions I am asked is whether I have introductory, lay-level material on the origins of the NT canon that people can use in their churches. For small group Bible studies or Sunday School classes, most people simply won’t read Canon Revisited or any of my other books.
So, I am pleased to say that Ligonier is about to release a new DVD series where I give six introductory lectures on the origins and authority of the NT canon. My hope is that this will meet a need for churches looking to do something on canon but not knowing where to turn.
You can order the … Continue reading...