Kuyperian, Author at Kuyperian Commentary

On June 3, 2014 By Kuyperian In Theology Like

Where Does the Southern Baptist Go From Here? Thoughts by Guest Writer, Grant Castleberry

Guest Writer, Grant Castelberry – Executive Director of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Note: KC reported on the SBC’s seventh year of decline. We invited a special Southern Baptist Leader to talk about the decline and what the Southern Baptist can do about it.

Later this month, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) will convene facing a downward trend in baptisms and attendance for the seventh year in a row. I have never been one to put much stock in numbers, but that does not mean that they are unimportant. They do reflect trends and direction, and our baptism and attendance numbers definitely show that the SBC is shrinking.

I am not exactly sure why we are facing a downward shift, but I have some ideas. I think that it probably has a lot to do with the overall secular movement of our country. A recent Pew Research study showed that 20% of our country now considers themselves completely unaffiliated to any organized religion. This shows that the influence of the established church in America is fading away, and with it, the church’s ability to impact the wider culture. So in many ways, the SBC’s decline is indicative of the massive cultural shift that is currently taking place. I have noticed this personally, especially in my conversations and efforts to share my faith. There is a growing apathy towards Christianity and even animosity towards the Christian moral ethic. A young law school student I was sitting next to on a plane recently was flabbergasted that I believed that homosexuality was sinful and that Hell actually existed. She had grown up Roman Catholic and attended an all-girls Catholic high school. In the past few years, I have sometimes found myself thinking the very thing Molly Worthen voices when she says that the “center of gravity” of Christianity is shifting away from the United States.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I absolutely agree with the SBC Pastor’s Task Force’s conclusion that we must pray that the Spirit would renew and revive our country. We must pray that the Spirit will work supernaturally to bring salvation, because I honestly believe that nothing short of revival will be able to reverse the course of conservative, orthodox Christianity in our country. I also agree with Trevin Wax that Christian millennials (my generation) need to own this and redouble our efforts to evangelize the lost and engage the culture with an apologetic that answers the questions of the secular mind. So here are some brief thoughts on how my generation, the millennial generation, can engage the secular culture with the gospel.

Some Thoughts On How Millennials Can Engage Our Culture

1) We need to show outrageous love to our neighbors, especially our enemies (Matt 5:44)

Over the past few years, my father-in-law, Dr. Carl Broggi, and I have traveled to Ukraine to train pastors at the Baptist Bible College in Vinnitsa, Ukraine. I recently heard from my father-in-law, who just got back this week from another trip that the Bible College is now housing and feeding over 200 Tartars that have fled to Ukraine from Crimea seeking safety from the Russians. Since the Tartars are all Muslim, this act of love and kindness is making waves throughout the Muslim world. One of the Tartars recently remarked to a Christian Ukrainian that if the shoe were on the other foot, that Muslims would not show hospitality to Christians. The Christian responded, “You see, that’s the difference between Christianity and Islam. We love our enemies because we are filled with the love of Christ.” This love has stunned these Tartar Muslims and other Muslims throughout the world, and it will continue to stun the secular mind, which knows nothing of sacrificial love.

Evangelicals have historically been good at loving the poor and the needy, the widow and the orphan, but I think we can do better at loving our enemies. By loving our enemies with the love of Christ, the secular world will see and experience the love of our Lord Jesus. They will have to consider our message because of the super-natural love with which we love those who persecute us.

2) We must be ready to “reason” with the secular mind (Acts 17:16)

Luke writes in Acts 17:16 that when Paul entered Athens he “was reasoning in the the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” Those conversations with the Jews in the synagogue and the gentiles in the market place were incredibly different. With Jews, Paul had to show them how Christ is the long awaited Messiah and King that had come to suffer and die for them to establish His kingdom (Acts 17:1-3). However, with Gentiles, Paul explains that they have missed the God who crafted the world “and all things in it” (Acts 17:24). And this God will one day judge the world through His Son, who has overcome death through the resurrection (Acts 17:31).

So what is the starting point with secularists? That’s a tough question, and I’m honestly still trying to figure out the answer. I think, as Rosaria Butterfield points out in her book, Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, we often have to begin at ground zero, because most secularists do not even have a basic framework from which they can understand the gospel. And as Butterfield points out, they often will not even listen if there is not a previously established relationship. It will be largely through relationships that we are able to explain the simple truths of the gospel, but it will often take time to explain concepts like sin, spiritual death, judgment, righteousness, and propitiation.

Ultimately, to establish the truths of the gospel, we must be able to explain why we believe the Bible to be objectively true and why it trumps other truth claims. This can be incredibly difficult to establish with the post-modern secularist, who rejects objective truth, but I have found that there are some incredibly helpful resources out there that we can turn to for help during these conversations (See Covenantal Apologetics by K. Scott Oliphint, Can You Believe It’s True?: Christian Apologetics in a Modern and Postmodern Era by John Feinberg, The Question of Canon by Michael Kruger, Who Chose the Gospels by C.E. Hill, Jesus and the Eye Witnesses by Richard Bauckham, Defending Your Faith by R.C. Sproul).

3) We must continue to trust the power of the Word of God (Rom 10:17)

As Paul explained to the Romans, faith comes from hearing the Word of God. By this he meant that when the Word of God is read and faithfully explained, taught, and preached, the Holy Spirit can impart power through the Word and invade the dark and unbelieving mind of the lost soul (2 Cor 4:6). This is a powerful tool, and is the only offensive weapon we are given so that we can stand firm in the faith (Eph 6:17).

In an interview with Albert Mohler a few years ago, John Stott said:

Nevertheless, when a man of God stands before the people of God with the Word of God in his hand and the Spirit of God in his heart, you have a unique opportunity for communication. I fully agree with Martyn Lloyd-Jones that the decadent periods in the history of the church have always been those periods marked by preaching in decline. That is a negative statement. The positive counterpart is that churches grow to maturity when the Word of God is faithfully and sensitively expounded to them. If it is true that a human being cannot live by bread only, but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God, then it also is true of churches. Churches live, grow, and thrive in response to the Word of God. I have seen congregations come alive by the faithful and systematic unfolding of the Word of God.

I absolutely agree with Stott’s assessment. When the Word of God is faithfully exposited and proclaimed, there is always opportunity for spiritual growth and reformation.

4) We need to continue to plant churches in the uncharged cities of our country (Matt 28:19-20)

This is something that I think the SBC is doing incredibly well at and is a sign for encouragement. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a North American Mission Board (NAMB) church plant in Boston called Redemption Hill Church. I was impressed not only by the clear gospel message preached by Tanner Turley, but also the large turnout. This is secular Boston and even though just a few miles from Harvard, there were over 200 people in attendance for worship and there was an excitement and an anticipation to hear the Word of God and to go out and serve the community and engage the lost with the gospel. I left encouraged and excited by what God is doing through this gospel believing community of Christians.

I also think Redemption Hill is similar to many other NAMB church plants that are popping up in cities all over America as part of the Send: North America movement. Many of the best and brightest millennial evangelicals in America are choosing to be a part of this movement and are volunteering to take their families back into the secular cities of our nation. One number that I have not seen discussed in recent news articles is that at NAMB’s annual conference last year, Send 2013, there were over 4,000 in attendance. I think that number points to the traction and momentum that NAMB has right now, especially with the millennial generation.

But we cannot let down our guard just because we’ve had success. We must continue to go to the hard, secular cities. We must be ready to send our best and brightest into the toughest of environments for the sake of the gospel.

5) We must continue to be faithful to our confessional convictions (Jude 3)

Ultimately, we will not be judged by a lack of converts if we were faithful to preserve the orthodox teaching of Christianity as handed down by the apostles and to share our faith with the lost. In this area, I have also been encouraged by SBC leaders and the direction that they are leading the convention. Russell Moore, President of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, has done an excellent job in speaking to the wider culture about the beliefs of the Christian faith as a voice for not only the SBC, but also for evangelicalism in general. I think Ronnie Floyd will likely be elected as the next President of the SBC, and he is a strong conservative and inerrantist that has been one of the key leaders of the Great Commission Resurgence within the SBC. Also, just yesterday, Albert Mohler released a statement calling Southern Baptists to draw a line in the sand on the issue of homosexuality at the upcoming SBC convention. Moreover, it was just announced that Denny Burk and Andrew Walker will present a resolution at the SBC annual convention that preserves the biblical teaching on gender in the wake of the looming Transgender controversy. I think these are signs of health and vitality within our denomination. Many will protest that this could cause our numbers to decrease even more as people jump ship with our culture on the social issues. But they do not understand that “bigger,” at the expense of biblical compromise, is not better.

The Marine Corps is a relatively small service branch. When I was on active duty, we were about 180,000 strong. But every year, the Marine Corps is seen by Americans as the most prestigious service branch. This is because Marines operate with an ethos of the highest moral character and physical standards. It has the hardest entrance requirements of all the service branches. As a Series Commander at Parris Island, one of my job requirements was to insure that only the highest quality recruits graduated from Boot Camp. Every cycle I would normally send anywhere from twenty to fifty recruits home. This was not seen as a loss, but actually as a gain, because by graduation, we only wanted the recruits that had whole-heartedly bought into our ethos and core convictions. So by sending those home that we not buying into our ethos and core convictions, we were actually ensuring a stronger, more combat effective Marine Corps. I think the same will be true in the SBC. As those that compromise on our confessional convictions leave or are shown the door, we will actually be a stronger, sleeker, more effective force in our mission to share the gospel with every tribe, tongue, nation, and people on this planet.

So as millennials, we must be ready to pick up this mantle of defending the faith that has been delivered to us. Many of my peers are already leading in this area and it is encouraging to see.

So in conclusion, despite the negative number trends, I’m optimistic about what God is doing in our country, especially through the SBC. I’m optimistic because I think we have a core base of faithful Christians that are prepared for the challenges that are ahead because they are relying on the Word of God and seeking God in prayer. Finally, I’m optimistic because Christ said that He would build His church and Hades will not stop it, and I still think the SBC has a valuable part to play in this mission (Matt 16:18).

—

Grant Castleberry is Executive Director of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. He is also an M.Div student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a member of Kenwood Baptist Church. He and his wife live in Louisville, Kentucky with their two daughters.<>dayzgames

On June 2, 2014 By Kuyperian In Theology Like

Pneumatology in Baptism, Part I

by Guest Writer, Joshua Torrey

Note: Here is an introduction to baptism focusing on the role of the Spirit in this sacrament.

The New Testament actually says very little about baptism. Not counting allusions to the practice of baptism, the number shrinks even more dramatically. The lack of any clear exposition on the practice of baptism is even more discouraging. What are we to make the Biblical “instruction about washings” (Heb 6:2) that apparently is an “elementary doctrine?” Simple questions have plagued the church and split its theologians since the beginning. No question though is more important than “what does the word baptism mean?” Well that might seem silly but it is an important question.

Does “baptism” in the New Testament refer to a literal and physical washing with water? Or is it speaking to a type of “baptism of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5)? Do distinctions exist between these two views? And how pertinent are they to one’s theology of baptism? With all great questions the answer is both yes and no. With respect to the existence of distinctions the answer is yes. But there is also a qualified no.

Why the yes then? Well, the answer is yes because John the baptizer makes a clear distinction between these two (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16). This cannot be argued and the time of John the baptizer through the book of Acts displays the outworking of this distinction. But does this mean that the distinction made so clear by John the Baptizer is taught in the rest of the Scriptures? Asked another way, is John’s baptism the normal working procedure? Or does John’s “baptism of water” stand out among the backdrop of Biblical baptism that unifies water and Spirit?

In an effort to provide a thorough Biblical view on baptism this chapter must provide a qualified “no” to the distinction between water and Spirit found in the baptism of John. It is my opinion that when John’s “baptism of water” is studied and placed in the history of the Scriptures its distinctions between water and Spirit stand out as abnormal. The Scriptures then communicate a theology of baptism that answers “no” to great distinctions. This chapter will argue that no distinction exists between “water baptism” and “Spirit baptism” in the fully developed baptism of the New Testament epistles.

As would be expected, this view will have a significant bearing on our perception and practice of Christian baptism. So we must strive to be convinced by the full breadth of Scripture on this issue. Since “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16) all Old Testament references to baptism must be forcefully considered and investigated. Subsequently, since the few mentions of baptism in the epistles of the Apostles point to the Old Testament these references, and their constituents, must be evaluated for symbols and typology. In this regard, our evaluation of the Old Testament will have to expand. We must find the interpretation of the Old Testament that allows us to say with Paul that these Scriptures were “written down for our instruction” (1 Cor 10:11). This entails the images and symbols found in the Old Testament be allowed to speak on the issue of baptism when interpreting the New Testament.

This chapter will proceed to look at many, though not all, of the Old Testament texts that should be incorporated to produce a Biblical teaching on baptism. Instead of the traditional word study approach, the historical narratives will present a picture of baptism that shows a holy union between water and Spirit in baptism. Each step in the Old Testament revelation will show that the Apostles carried over covenantal and salvific themes into Christian baptism precisely because of this paradigmatic union of water and Spirit in baptism.

The Creation Baptism

Creation is the event. No matter one’s interpretation of the first chapters in Genesis there is near universal agreement that this event is paradigmatic for the rest of the Scriptures. Thus it isn’t surprising that many Biblical doctrines are related to or contained in these early chapters. Without degrading the historical validity of the Genesis account, all agree that it is full of symbols and images that have reverberations throughout the rest of the Scriptures. Some of these symbols and signs are clearer than others.

John re-writes Genesis 1:1 to introduce the eternal logos (John 1:1). Paul returns to “let there be light” to proclaim the new creation found in the light of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:6). Paul even returns us to the garden to see that the church is Christ’s bride: there is a new Adam and a new Eve (Eph 5:31-32). Just because all the symbols are not this clear does not permit ignoring the smaller links. Since the topic of inspection is baptism and the Holy Spirit, it makes sense to highlight some insights from the Holy Spirit’s role in creation,

2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. – Genesis 1:2, 10

These are epic events. And there are things to be noticed on the surface of the verses. First, the Holy Spirit’s introduction is post-deceleration. Genesis 1:1 has already occurred. God has already created the “in the beginning” and “the heavens and the earth.” It is at some time later that the Holy Spirit is “hovering” (H7363). This Hebrew word can implying both negative and positive emotion (Deut 32:11; Jer 23:9). The imagery in Jeremiah of a hovering/cherishing mother seems most relevant to this text given the birthing of creation that is about to take place.

Second, the Spirit is hovering over the waters. Water and the Holy Spirit are seen together. This point cannot be emphasized enough. Paradigmatically the two are introduced in God’s revelation together. In the effort of forming creation they are obviously distinct. The Holy Spirit remains the Hoverer. And water remains the thing hovered upon. But they are found in relationship together. They remain distinguishable from one another but in relation to each other.

Third is the effect the Holy Spirit has on the water in creation. Though the Holy Spirit disappears from the Biblical text, it seems safe to say that His “hovering” didn’t cease the moment God spoke light into existence (Gen 1:3). The next time these waters are mentioned in the Scriptures, they are brought together to allow dry land to appear. This is the dry land that allows the first examples life in creation to appear (Gen 1:11-13). This imagery in particular is important for all subsequent Old Testament baptisms. Though there will be many Old Testament references that point back to this for the moment we’ll focus on its impact on the New Testament via the baptism of Jesus Christ.

The baptism of Jesus is a re-telling or re-casting of the creation event. There are multiple reasons to be persuaded of this. First, this is the beginning of Christ’s ministry. This is not re-creation in the normal sense but in the declaratory sense. When Jesus hears His Father speak the echoes of creation come to mind. “This is my beloved Son” (Matt 3:17) is not unlike the spoken word of God. Even the minority rendering of Luke 3:22 which reads “This is my beloved Son; today I have begotten You” points to a type of creation decree of the part God. Since the Psalmist records this (Psa 2:7) and the apostles interpret in in multiple ways (Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5), it is not a statement of factual creation (the Eternal Son has always existed with the Father). But the Lord’s decree declares something new in creation via the baptism of Jesus Christ.

The second image that tied this baptism to creation is the Holy Spirit descending upon Christ. This event is quite consistent with His hovering over the waters. It is even alluded to in advance by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 11:1). In the Synoptics, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as a dove descending upon Jesus (Matt 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). Though the importance of the dove imagery will be discussed in the next section, it is the abiding of the Spirit that is important. To see how the Holy Spirit is “hovering” the difference in John’s depiction must be analyzed,

32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” – John 1:32-34

For John the baptizer and John the disciple it is the reality that the Holy Spirit “remains” that proves the authenticity of Jesus Christ. The addition of this concept is important in this context. This Greek word menō (G3306) is paramount to understanding the writings of John. Throughout his gospel and first epistle the word is used at a staggering amount as a sign of true believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Before all of this though, the word is used to validate Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit remained with Jesus Christ throughout the rest of His ministry. The Holy Spirit directed Christ and drove Him in His ministry. It is this hovering and cherishing of the eternal Son that reminds us of creation. Ultimately it is this same Holy Spirit that will again be present to raise Christ up, this time from the dead (Rom 8:11), and proclaim the conquering of death. This resurrection of the death ties together this second image and the final third image.

Consistent with these images from Genesis, this third and final image ties the baptism of Jesus back to creation even more strongly. It is the appearing of new land suitable for life from out of the midst of the water. This is the reason that Matthew and Mark tell that the Holy Spirit and Father’s declaration as Christ “came up out of the water” (Matt 3:16; Mark 1:9). As shall be seen with other Old Testament texts, this element is perhaps the crucial concept to understanding the apostle’s teaching on baptism. This symbol of new life is particularly valuable to understand the salvation and deliverance in baptism. But for now simple recognition will do that in this baptism, performed by John, the new land/life is Jesus Christ.

This concept might sound awkward at first. The language requires more than one glance. But Jesus Christ is the “new man” that believers are to put on (Eph 4:24). Paul links this “putting on” of the new man to baptism (Gal 3:27)! Jesus Christ is also the “man of heaven” that combats the fall man of the first creation (1 Cor 15:46-49). These statements make sense of Jesus Christ rising out of the water is a faithful re-telling of creation. Jesus Christ in His baptism begins all “new creation” imagery. Christ’s baptism point forward to His death (Mark 10:38-39; Rom 6:1-5). God has begun to make all things new (Rev 21:5). This explains why in the resurrection Paul can speak the way he does about “anyone [who] is in Christ…” (2 Cor 5:17). For when we participate in Him in baptism and death we participate in “new creation.”

Jesus’ baptism under John accomplished this. Or put another way, John’s baptism when accompanied by the Holy Spirit accomplished this. Baptism of water and Spirit as described in Genesis 1 accomplishes this.

Excursion of Luke’s Placement on Baptism

Though the content of this excursion would flow significantly in the midst of the previous section. However the brief focus on the gospel of Luke is presented best on its own. Luke is purposeful in his placement of Jesus’ baptism. It all starts in the third chapter of his gospel. A historical setting is given for Jesus Christ to enter into. Like the Old Testament prophets before Him, the word of the Lord is about to come to Jesus Christ. It is after the full number of baptisms (more on this in the next section) that Jesus Christ presents Himself for baptism. There is a proclamation from God and the descent of the dove. And then Luke places his genealogy.

This would seem an awkward place to put the genealogy. Matthew’s genealogy begins his gospel (Matt 1). This was much like the start of 1 Chronicles. But Luke includes his after baptism. Matthew’s genealogy only goes to Abraham (Matt 1:2). Luke’s goes all the way back to Adam and God (Luke 3:38). Luke’s placement of baptism and genealogy points to the creation of Genesis 1 and the genealogy in Genesis 2:4. Luke’s decision intentionally links Jesus Christ’s baptism to the original creation.

Along with this, Luke remarks in passing that Jesus was around thirty years old. This age is historically significant. It links to the beginning of Joseph’s service to Pharaoh (Gen 41:46), the starting age of the priests (Num 4) and the age David became king (2 Sam 5:4). Something new is starting in the ministry of Jesus Christ. For Luke that ministry is related to the genealogy of creation. It stretches back to Adam and God. Jesus is beginning to be the new Adam reigning and serving before God. Paul’s theology of the second Adam seems to have controlled much of Luke thinking in this regard. And for Luke, the event that begins all of this is Christian baptism.

Joshua Torrey blogs here.<> для турфирмы

On June 2, 2014 By Kuyperian In Scribblings Like

Norms & Nobility: Knowledge is a Sword

Good quote from David V. Hicks’ Norms & Nobility with a great metaphor at the end:

“Purged of pagan complexity and Christian mystery, modern education’s habit of considering everything analytically as a physical datum fails to inspire change in the learner. Philosophy, religion, history, literature–all become mere physical data. This posture of analytical value-free learning diametrically opposes the wisdom of both pagan and Christian paideia. It methodically strips our cultural inheritance in the arts and letters of its normative richness and encourages modern youth in the deadly presumption of amoral action. The way a modern youth learns does not admit, let alone emphasize, the connection between knowledge and responsibility. Yet to paraphrase Bacon in a context he now deserves: to give man knowledge is to give him a sword. To teach man the devastating science of swordsmanship and not the moral implications and responsibilities that come with wielding a sword is to unloose upon the world both a murderer and a victim. This is a tragedy in both instances, since modern man’s eleventh hour plea of ignorance in regard to his responsibilities will be–despite his vast stores of piecemeal knowledge–quite useless to save him.”

–from the chapter “The Promise of Christian Paideia” (p.99)<>mobi online

On May 31, 2014 By Kuyperian In Scribblings Like

East and West Set to Celebrate Nicaea

The Huffington Post report:

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Barthlomew I prayed together in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in a beautiful act of unity.

Now, they’re taking a further step to heal the centuries-old schism between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches by holding a gathering together to commemorate the Council of Nicaea, which took place in 325. Seventeen centuries later, Francis and Bartholomew will come together in 2025 to celebrate the historic meeting, reports Vatican Insider.

“We agreed to leave as a legacy to ourselves and our successors a gathering in Nicaea in 2025, to celebrate together, after 17 centuries, the first truly ecumenical synod, where the Creed was first promulgated,” Bartholomew told Asia News.

Nicaea, now known as Iznik, brought together over 300 bishops from the Eastern and Western traditions in 325. While the next planned gathering is eleven years away, both leaders can use that time to continue to work towards friendship and cooperation between their churches.

Read the Rest.

<>

On May 30, 2014 By Kuyperian In Scribblings Like

Happy 140th Birthday to G.K. Chesterton (Famous Quotes)

Relevant Magazine did us a great favor and provided 15 great quotes from the man who influenced C.S. Lewis:

The Nature of God

“The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man.” – Introduction to The Book of Job.

Creativity

“Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.” – Orthodoxy

Mystery

As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity. – Orthodoxy

Individuality

“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” – The Everlasting Man

Humility

“It has been often said, very truly, that religion is the thing that makes the ordinary man feel extraordinary; it is an equally important truth that religion is the thing that makes the extraordinary man feel ordinary.” – Charles Dickens: A Critical Study

Read the Rest.<>mobi online

On May 29, 2014 By Kuyperian In Scribblings Like

Seventh Year of Decline in the Southern Baptist Convention

AP reports:

The nation’s largest Protestant denomination saw membership decline for the seventh straight year in 2013, according to an annual report released Wednesday.

The report by the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm, Lifeway Christian Resources, puts total membership in the Nashville-based SBC at 15.7 million. That’s down from 15.9 million in 2012, a decrease of a little less than 1 percent.

Weekly church attendance decreased more than 2 percent last year, falling to 5.8 million as a weekly average for the year.

The report also notes a 1.5 percent decrease in the number of baptisms, falling to 310,368. Baptisms are an important measure for the denomination because of its strong commitment to evangelism.

The convention has been concerned about the membership and baptism trends for several years. After 2012 saw a drop in baptisms of 5.5 percent, a task force was convened to study why. The group of pastors released their report earlier this month and recommendations included praying for a “spiritual awakening in our churches and our nation.”

Read the Rest.

<>site работа с google adwords

On May 29, 2014 By Kuyperian In Scribblings 1

Throwback Thursday-St. Augustine on the Ascension

This week’s “throwback Thursday” post features once again St. Augustine of Hippo (c. 354 – 430). Today also happens to be the day on the Western church calendar that commemorates the bodily ascension of the God-man–the risen Lord Jesus Christ–into heaven. The following is an excerpt of Augustine’s sermon on the Ascension of Christ.

“Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle: If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth. For just as he remained with us even after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.

Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? and when he said: I was hungry and you gave me food. Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to him?

While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love.

He did not leave heaven when he came down to us; nor did he withdraw from us when he went up again into heaven. The fact that he was in heaven even while he was on earth is borne out by his own statement: No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. These words are explained by our oneness with Christ, for he is our head and we are his body. No one ascended into heaven except Christ because we also are Christ: he is the Son of Man by his union with us, and we by our union with him are sons of God.

So the Apostle says: Just as the human body, which has many members, is a unity, because all the different members make one body, so is it also with Christ. He too has many members, but one body. Out of compassion for us he descended from heaven, and although he ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in him by grace. Thus, no one but Christ descended and no one but Christ ascended; not because there is no distinction between the head and the body, but because the body as a unity cannot be separated from the head.”

<>заказать статью на

On May 28, 2014 By Kuyperian In Books, Scribblings 1

C. S. Lewis: Gender and Sex in Perelandra

by Marc Hays

C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy should be required reading, at least twice through, before graduating high school. While Lewis had many distinguishing characteristics that were and remain outstanding from his and our contemporaries, one that always brings me back to reading more and more of his work is simply his ability to think. That depth of thought allows him to see larger forests and additional trees that most folks miss; at least I know I often miss them. A festschrift for him could be entitled, Through New Eyes. I always see the world anew and afresh, larger and more glorious whenever I read Lewis. Here’s an example from near the end of Perelandra, the second book of the Space Trilogy:

Both the bodies were naked, and both were free from any sexual characteristics, either primary or secondary. That, one would have expected. But whence came this curious difference between them? He found that he could point to no single feature wherein the difference resided, yet it was impossible to ignore. One could try–Ransom has tried a hundred times–to put it into words. He has said that Malacandra was like rhythm and Perelandra like melody. He has said that Malacandra affected him like a quantitative, Perelandra like an accentual, metre. He thinks that the first held in his hand something like a spear, but the hands of the other were open, with the palms towards him. But I don’t know that any of these attempts has helped me much. At all events what Ransom saw at that moment was the real meaning of gender. Everyone must sometimes have wondered why in nearly all tongues certain inanimate objects are masculine and others feminine. What is masculine about a mountain or feminine about certain trees? Ransom has cured me of believing that this is a purely morphological phenomenon, depending on the form of the word. Still less is gender an imaginative extension of sex. Our ancestors did not make mountains masculine because they projected male characteristics into them. The real process is the reverse. Gender is a reality, and a more fundamental reality than sex. Sex is, in fact, merely the adaptation to organic life of a fundamental polarity which divides all created beings. Female sex is simply one of the things that have feminine gender; there are many others, and Masculine and Feminine meet us on planes of reality where male and female would be simply meaningless. Masculine is not attenuated male, nor feminine attenuated female. On the contrary, the male and female of organic creatures are rather blurred reflections of masculine and feminine. Their reproductive functions, their differences in strength and size, party exhibit, but partly also confuse and misrepresent, the real polarity. All this Ransom saw, as it were, with his own eyes. The two white creatures were sexless. But he of Malacandra was masculine (not male); she of Perelandra was feminine (not female).

If you’ve been reading Narnia since you were a kid, you’re doing well. If you continue reading Narnia without moving forward into the Space Trilogy, you could be doing better. Here are some links to get you started:

<>mailbrutix.com

On May 28, 2014 By Kuyperian In Theology Like

A Time to Quit Searching

Guest Post by Justin Dillehay

“It’s about the journey, not the destination.”

This statement is one of the hallmarks of a certain type of religious person (though they would likely prefer to be called “spiritual”). This person is always searching, always asking, always roaming. If he hears you claim that you’ve found the truth–that you actually have the right answer–he will regard you as intolerant, closed-minded, and arrogant.

You can find an excellent depiction of this never-ending searcher in chapter 5 of C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. In this imaginative novel, people in heaven take a bus trip to hell in order to persuade their damned ghostly friends to repent and return with them to heaven. In the end, almost none of the ghosts choose to leave, but instead persist in the sins that brought them there. Listening to their self-justifications is both fascinating and disturbing.

Lewis casts our never-ending searcher in the form of an apostate Episcopal minister, whose friend “Dick” tries to show him the error of his ways. When Dick invites him to return with him to heaven, the ghost agrees to come, if–and only if–heaven is a place where he can continue his spiritual journey with an open mind. Only if heaven is a place of “free inquiry.”

“No,” Dick responds. “I can promise you none of those things…For I will bring you to the land not of questions but of answers, and you shall see the face of God.”

The ghost objects: “Ah, but we must all interpret those beautiful words in our own way! For me there is no such thing as a final answer…I am not aware of a thirst for some ready-made truth which puts an end to intellectual activity.”

Seeing hope begin to slip away, Dick reasons with him. “Listen…Once you knew what inquiry was for. There was a time when you asked questions because you wanted answers, and were glad when you had found them…[But now] you have gone far wrong. Thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth. What you now call the free play of inquiry has neither more nor less to do with the ends for which intelligence was given you than masturbation has to do with marriage.”

Lewis captures something profoundly biblical in this story. This is the type of person whom the Apostle Paul castigates as “always learning, and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). Always asking questions, but never really wanting definite answers. Always comparing alternatives, but never willing to choose between them. Always deconstructing other people’s views, but rarely questioning his own mixed motives. Always searching for truth, but somehow resistant to finding it.

It seems rather odd, doesn’t it? The idea of searching for truth but not wanting to find it lest our search be over? You’d think that was the point of the search–to find what we were searching for!

So why would anyone do this?

Answer: because we love searching more than we love truth.

Truth requires us to submit; to stand under it and conform ourselves to it. Truth, we suspect, would require us to acknowledge a reality outside of ourselves that doesn’t depend on what we think and won’t simply be what we want it to be. But searching, at least the kind of searching that we prefer, allows us to chart our own course and act as our own guide, while also giving us the illusion of being more humble than the person who claims to have found the truth.

I say “the kind of searching we prefer,” because there is another kind of searching that God invites us to. The searching of a creature seeking to know his Creator; the searching of a servant seeking to obey her Master’s will. Those who seek like that will find.

But that’s the problem. Apart from the work of the Spirit, there is none who seeks like that, not even one (Rom. 3:11). Apart from Christ, we’re fools. We don’t want the Triune God walking with us on our journey, because he has an annoying tendency to steer us away from paths that seem right to us (Prov. 4:12) and toward paths that will make us wildly unpopular with the very people we want to please (John 5:39-44). So we prefer to walk alone. Or else to walk with peers who won’t “judge” us for the directions we choose to take.

We should ask ourselves the obvious question: “If I resist the very idea of finding truth and ending my search, am I really searching for it? Or am I actually evading it?”

God calls us to a different kind of searching. He calls us to search for truth out of love for truth. And at the end of the day, truth is a person (John 14: 6). To know Jesus is to know the truth, and he delights to be found by those who search for him. Indeed, when you find him, you realize that it was he who was seeking you all along.

When you find the truth as it is in Jesus, you find that it isn’t stagnant. Because he who is truth is also life (John 14:6). Rather than enslaving you, knowing this truth sets you free (John 8:31). Why? Because knowing this truth is what your search was designed for. It’s what your open mind (like an open trap) was meant to close on. To use Lewis’s graphic analogy, if endless searching is like masturbating all your life, finding Jesus is like finally getting married. It’s what your mind is for–a consummation devoutly to be wished.

And unlike the endless search, in which you are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth, finding Jesus enables you to have the truth yet always to be learning. Because you are finite and Jesus is infinite, there is always room to go deeper. As a Christian, you can say “I have found him whom my soul desires” while also saying “Oh that I might know him!” Christ is both within us as our wisdom (Col. 1:27; 2:3), and before us, beckoning us on to greater knowledge. As Paul put it, “I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil. 3:12). It’s an upward spiral into a truth we have already grasped (or better, a Truth whom we have already been grasped by), rather than a downward spiral away from a truth we are seeking to evade.

So let us search well, but search rightly, remembering the goal of our search.

If I may appropriate the words of the Preacher for my own use:

“There is a time to search, and a time to quit searching” (Eccl. 3:6 NLT).

*********************************************************************************

Further reading: The End of our Exploring, by Matthew Lee Anderson.
*********************************************************************************

Justin and his wife, Tilly, blog at While We Wait.

This article was originally published here.

Click on the following link to read one of Tilly’s pieces:

5 Things I Wish I Could Say to Every 16-Year-Old Homeschooled Girl<>реклама окна

On May 23, 2014 By Kuyperian In Scribblings Like

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Their Muslim Problem

“This young man asked about the Ph.D. program, and I told him we don’t normally admit non-born-again believers to the seminary, but there is no reason we can’t,” said Paige Patterson, Southwestern’s president.

At Southwestern, if you agree to follow the seminary’s lifestyle covenant, which covers personal behavior such as smoking, drinking and sexual relations, you can enter as a student, even if you are a Muslim. So, let me get this straight: You cannot violate the 7th commandment, but you can violate the 1st anytime. Mormons, JW’s, Buddhists: I give you an open invitations.

Read the story.<>