My New Testament Canon Interview with @BillMounce Is Now Available
Back in March of this year, I sat down with Bill Mounce for about three hours to discuss the origins and authority of the New Testament canon.
Of course, Bill is the author of numerous books, but is known most for his excellent Greek grammar, Basics of Biblical Greek, which we use here at RTS Charlotte.
We covered all sorts of topics like the definition of canon, canonical models, the self-authenticating nature of canon, and the development of the canon in early Christianity.
These interviews are now available on the Bill’s Biblical Training website here (or click picture below).
As a side note, Bill has gathered a tremendous … Continue reading...
Taking Back Christianese #10: “Jesus is Neither Democrat nor Republican”
There is little doubt that the last year has been one of the most contentious political phases in our nation’s history. Thus it is no surprise that all sorts of Christian stock phrases about politics have been used and reused.
One of my favorites is the phrase, “Jesus is neither a Democrat nor a Republican.” This is one of those phrases that is used so frequently that no one really bothers to ask what it means; nor does anyone bother to ask whether it is really true.
So, I want to analyze this phrase in our 10th and final installment in the “Taking Back Christianese” series. Rather than … Continue reading...
The @RTSCharlotte Women’s Bible Study is Back
From 2014 to 2016, I taught a weekly Bible study on the RTS campus for women in the Charlotte community. We studied the book of Romans over the course of two years.
It was so encouraging to see the enthusiastic response from these women who were eager to learn more about the message of Romans. All 42 sessions are available on HD video (along with handouts) on the RTS Charlotte website here.
After taking a year off, we are kicking off the study again this coming fall. This time we will be studying the book of Hebrews. This is a fantastic book for many reasons, but most of all … Continue reading...
The Achilles Heel of the New Perspective on Paul
As most readers know, there has been a long scholarly debate over what is known as the New Perspective(s) on Paul (NPP). This approach argues that “justification” in Paul does not mean what many Christians (especially Reformed folks) have always believed.
In short, NPP advocates (e.g., N.T. Wright, James D.G. Dunn) argue that when Paul mentions “justification by faith” he is not referring to a doctrine about how one gets saved but to how membership in the covenant community can be obtained without the standard Jewish boundary markers laid out in the law of Moses (food laws, circumcision, Sabbath observance).
In other words, justification is less about soteriology and more … Continue reading...
Remembering the Rural: Do Modern Church Plants Focus too Much on the City?
One of the wonderful developments in Reformed denominations in the last generation is a renewed emphasis on church planting. It is a burgeoning movement in my denomination (PCA), and one of the reasons that RTS Charlotte launched the Center for Church Planting last Fall.
One of the notable features of this new church planting movement is the near exclusive focus on planting churches in cities. Most church planters, it seems, want to go urban and not rural.
And let me say that there are many positives about this focus on cities. Certainly, and most obviously, cities are filled with lots of people and for that reason alone make a good … Continue reading...