This Week Around the Web
The first 1,000 to pre-order Mark Driscoll’s new book Vintage Jesus, will get a signed copy of the book. Wouldn’t it be cool if Keller did the same thing, for his new book. Thanks – Kevin
Check out this link to see a series of photos chronicling the divide between the rich and the poor around the world.
Robbie has an interesting post about visiting a Zen Buddhist Center in Pittsburgh.
There have been a great set of posts over at set ‘n’ service about evangelism.
A Very Brief Examination of Romans 13
This is a very short reflection that I wrote on Romans 13 in response to James Willson.
It is significant to remember that the first section of is preceded by the Paul’s encouragement to live at peace with all men, Roman 12:18. This seems to be tied to our interaction with the governing authorities.
It is this focus on our lives with other non Christians which is the motivation for Paul’s examination about dealing with the civil authorities.
On Verse 4.
This is a passage which some might take as an ordination of the civil magistrate. I think that this would be a mistake. Ordination after all comes from the church, unless in one verse Paul is bringing some NT understanding of Deutoronomy to bear. Additionally, challenges arising with the national covenanters if they say that a government is illegitimate if it does not claim Christ, for its authority. Paul in this text is saying that no matter what the civil government position on Christ, Christ has placed them in their position and we are to obey the law. I would suggest that this is simply a fleshing out of the principle applied in 12:18 Calvin says that the magistrate is to rule with the intention of the public good. Again I think it is less helpful to divide 13:1-7 from its context in the book of Romans. Paul speaks to persecution in 12, and in both 12 and 13 the main focus seems to be love, not Paul’s ideal government, but the churches actual response to the government that they are living under, just as Revelation was written for the early church not 20th century dispensational movement, so Romans is written primarily for the church living in the capital city of the known world, and not the 16th kirk.
For he is God’s minister for good, etc. Magistrates may hence learn what their vocation is, for they are not to rule for their own interest, but for the public good -John Calvin
A Reply to Dr. Hart
If you haven’t checked out De Regno Christi before, now is a good time to check it out. Its a group blog by guys in the Reformed and Presbyterian Circles, they have a good mix of differing opinions on most issues.
Darryl Hart is a regular, so is Peter Leithart, and they have recently ask Doug Wilson, seen by many as the Brian Mclaren of the Federal Vision (Kinda the spokesman kinda not). Because of this recent discussion the blog has just taken off 2000 visits in one day.
On the subject of the Federal Vision Dr. Hart recently had a post that would seem to suggest the Frame’s understanding of biblicism is some how tied to the Federal Vision movement.
Here is my reply to Dr Harts comments on the issue:
Dr. Hart you said ““Scripture” properly means the interpretation of Scripture; that is, the contents of Scripture as reached by human investigation and exegesis.”
It seems like the question comes down to when do we have to go to the primary sources and when can we rely on our secondary standards.
Would you argue that Calvin was wrong in disagreeing with Augustine’s exegesis of Genesis? Who decides who gets to disagree with whom and when? Do we look at the reformation brush off our hands and say “well that settles it”, because they certainly did not look back to the men before them and brushed off their hands.
You did cite WCF 31.2, but what about WCF 31.4 “All synods or councils, since the Apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err; and many have erred. Therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice; but
to be used as a help in both.” Isn’t this the definitive complement to 1.10?
Hart’s Original post can be found here: Frame’s Creative Children
How Can You Speak if You Don’t Listen?
by Sam
Tags: Contextualization, missional, Redeemer NYC, Tim Keller, Urban Missions
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There is a great scene in the movie the 13th Warrior, where Ahmed(Antonio Banderas) is traveling with the 12 viking warriors, and he doesn’t know how to talk with them so he is just listening. They are telling stories, and laughing each others jokes. Then all of a sudden he understands one part of what they are saying, and then another, and finally Ahmed start to speak with the rest of the warriors, he even responds to a joke about him.
I have been learning over and over again that this clip is actually a pretty good picture of what Christians are supposed to do as missionaries. We are supposed to observe how people are communicating, and learn the best way communicate to the people we are trying to communicate with. This is how we are supposed to go about communicating with people its the same for someone, in urban africa, rural india, or Post-Christian-America. Its called being missional.
I have been reading about the practical side of being missional(being a missionary in a Post-Christian/Non-Christian context). One of main work on the topic,The Missional Church, is also one of the shortest, and guess who wrote it? One of my favorite Pastors-Tim Keller surprise, surprise.
Here is a one sentence summary of the work:
Stop thinking like its all about the alreadys(Those already the church), and focus more on the not yets(people not yet part of the kingdom).
Here is a good example from the paper:
“Now the culture’s story is– a) to be free and self-created and authentic (theme of freedom from oppression), and b) to make the world safe for everyone else to be the same (theme of inclusion of the ‘other’; justice). To “re-tell” means to show how only in Christ can we have freedom without slavery and embracing of the ‘other’ without injustice.”
If you still think that people need to act like you in order to fit into your church, I beg you, please repent. Open you Bibles to 1st Corinthians 9, and ask the Spirit to give you a heart like Paul has in that passage. While your at it, pray that everyone else will get a heart like Paul as well.
Another Great Quote – Keller
by Sam
Tags: Church Planting, Pittsburgh, quote, Redeemer NYC, Tim Keller
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The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else–not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes–will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting.”
Dr. Tim Keller Why Plant Churches?
Neither Modern, Nor Post
I stand in the valley.
On one side, I see the mountains where my father has lived. On the other side I see the mountains intended for my children’s journeys.
I see the mountains where my father has lived.
I see on my father’s mountains lush fields of irrigated crops, yet many are hungry.
I see on my father’s mountains roads lined with well decorated dwellings. Axioms hang on well tended plaster. Despite their air, a multitude are sharp and dangerous. Family are as strangers, picket fences are as ramparts, feet are as miles.
I see on my father’s mountains earthen cathedrals, which rise into the sky. Stone upon stone, they ascend, saying to the mountains that shelter them, “we are greater, and we will not be subdued.”
I see on my father’s mountains many who have fought, and struggled, to protect.
Those are my father’s mountains.
I stand in the valley.
I see the mountains intended for my children’s journeys.
I see on my children’s mountains many standing, but very few taking any steps. Emptiness is their footing. Charity has no forfeit. Virtue no sacrifice.
I see on my children’s mountains, cottages and castles. Few are homes, size is irrelevant.
I see on my children’s mountains, gatherings of men, where many speak but few listen, all wanting to be heard above the other. They praise themselves, and say “we are not our fathers.” They do not know their fathers.
I see on my children’s mountains lives lived with honesty and passion.
I stand in the valley.
I stand in the valley, I despise the impersonal cathedrals.
I stand in the valley, I weep for those who have many stories yet have no history.
I am my father,
I am my children,
I am both mountains, I am neither mountain.
I am the valley.
Mcarthur-0, Pagitt-0, Wormwood-1
Do you ever feel sometimes like you wish CS Lewis was still writing the Screw Tape Letters. Lewis would have a field day with all the factions in the media discrediting each other.
“My Dear Wormwood,
In your last letter to me you expressed how excited you have been by all the public attention many enemy pastors have been getting recently. I would have to wholeheartedly agree. Yet, I must remind you that out of all the things which our commander most fears, it is the unity of the enemy forces. Fortunately for us, in the last 60 years we have seen much of that unity fall to the way side. Instead they have picked up what some of the enemy calls ‘secondary issues’. Wormwood, our tools might have changed in the past years, the pen has been replaced by the pixel, but do not forget your mission to divide, discourage and destroy as much of the enemy forces that you possibly can.
You affectionate uncle,
Scewtape.”
The other day while I was reading a post on the Emergent and Evangelical debate I saw a link to a youtube video that consisted of two Men that both profess Christ. One was John Mcarthur, and the other was Doug Pagitt. Both men went onto a national news network, that has no connection to the church, I would see this as similar to Paul’s interview at the Areopagus. To their credit these men both tried to communicate the essence of Christianity, as best as they understood.
But here is what bothered me: we are told not to take out brother into a earthly court to settle matters of disagreement, and what do i see but two pastors having a debate on CNN.
Paul says in 1Cor 6:4-6:
“So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?”
Right or wrong on the issues that divide them, both were wrong in going before the court of public opinion for an answer that should be settled in house.
Living in a Post-Christian Culture
by Sam
Tags: Acts 29, Church, Contextualization, Culture, Gospel, Marshill, Redeemer NYC
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I know its still a debatable idea, but most of us living in the north east or the west coast are living in a post-Christian culture.
Ive recently listened to two talks by two different guys from different background. Both come down with similar strategies.
What does this mean for those of you reading this post:
No matter what style you like, if your goal is to see more people interact with Jesus, you need to listen to at least one of these guys.
Here is a bit of background:
Darren Patrick is the Pastor of the Journey in St. Louis and is connected with the Acts 29 Network.
David Bisgrove is one of the Assistant Pastor who have taken on some of the preaching at Redeemer NYC.
So for all those of you who think that wearing jeans with no holes is dressing up for church, and who are know the difference between emergent and emerging go check out Darren Patrick’s Talk. For those of you who have at least one blue blazer with the golden buttons, and are more comfortable with the organ than a gibson, you must listen to David Gisbon’s talk at the Gospel Coalition.
Cut in Half By Sitting on the Fence
Yesterday I posted on the idea of multiple church services, I did so to get some feed back from people that I thought would have some good things to say on the issue. I email some friends asking them to give me some feedback, on the topic. One of those friends suggested to me that I was opening the door to some dangerous stuff. I was talking as if I was a non-partial observer, but in fact I’m not. Some would see this conversation as one leader critiquing another leader’s decisions.
Christ wants his church to be knit together in love. I did not think enough about my Savior’s wishes for his church before I posted. I repent of my short sidedness. I cared more about hits to my blog than about the unity of Christ’s church.
Colossians 2:1 “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
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