Reflections on PCA General Assembly: Where Were All the Books?
This past June I had a delightful time in Greenville, SC, attending the annual PCA General Assembly. This was a great opportunity to do denominational business, renew old ministry acquaintances, and to be rejuvenated for the year to come.
But, there was one thing missing. Books.
Just to be clear, there were some books at GA. The CEP had arranged for a book area in the back of the assembly hall which had an assortment of titles on a variety of topics. And there were a few scattered books tables here and there.
But, it was the very limited amount of books that was noteworthy. Compared to other gatherings around … Continue reading...
A Key Sign that You Are Maturing as a Preacher
As a seminary professor (and a pastor) I spend a lot of time helping students grow and develop as preachers. After hearing a student preach, I will often get coffee or lunch with that student and we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the sermon and how it can be improved.
Over the years, I have learned to ask students a key question that can reveal a lot about how they are developing as a preacher.
“What did you leave out?”
Most of the time that I ask that question I am met with a blank stare. Students expect to be asked about the content of the sermon—i.e., what … Continue reading...
Ten Basic Facts about the NT Canon that Every Christian Should Memorize: #10: “Early Christians Believed that Canonical Books were Self-Authenticating.”
Note: for the complete series see here.
How do we know which books are from God, and which are not? There are many answers to that question, some of which we have covered in prior posts. Certainly the apostolic origins of a book can help identify it as being from God (see post here). And, the church’s overall consensus on a book can be part of how we identity it as being from God (see post here).
But, it is interesting to note that the early church fathers, while agreeing that apostolicity and church-reception are fundamentally important, also appealed to another factor that is often overlooked in … Continue reading...
Is There Only One Motivation for Obedience?
For Christians who know they are saved by grace and not by works, there is always a fundamental question that arises: Why should I obey God? This question is not about whether Christians should obey God (all agree on that), but about the proper motivation for obeying God. What should drive our sanctification?
Some have answered this question by suggesting that there is only one proper motivation for our obedience, namely our justification. We should look back at the finished work of Christ with gratitude and appreciation, and this will drive us to follow and obey him.
Now, there is much that is commendable about this motivation. Indeed, I would … Continue reading...
Saint or Sinner? Rethinking the Language of Our Christian Identity
Throughout the letters of the New Testament, the people of God are called lots of things. They are the “elect” (1 Pet 1:1), “faithful brothers” (Col 1:2), “beloved” (1 John 2:7), “children of God” (1 John 3:2), a “holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9), and most of all they are called “saints.”
Conspicuously absent from this list is the term “sinners.” There is no place I am aware of where the church, the people of God, are collectively called “sinners.” Moreover, an argument can be made that there is no instance in the New Testament where a believer is referred to as a “sinner.” The closest is Paul’s well-known reference to … Continue reading...