Theology Central
Theology Central exists as a place of conversation and information for faculty and friends of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Posts include seminary news, information, and opinion pieces about ministry, theology, and scholarship.Mark Snoeberger on Conservative Worship
Dr. Snoeberger offers certain observations, then says what he would like to see. It’s all at Detroit Seminary’s blog.
The Infinite Value of Christ’s Sufferings
The sufferings of Christ, being those of a divine person, have an infinite value; it follows, therefore, that although the punishment of the sinner was everlasting, yet Christ could exhaust the penalty of the law in a limited time; that is, his sufferings and death, though limited to a short period, were more than an equivalent for the eternal sufferings of those for whom he laid down his life. And in making this vicarious atonement, it was not at all necessary that the Mediator should be the subject of remorse and despair; for these are not essential to the penalty of the law, but merely incidental, arising from the circumstances and moral character of the sufferer. But it was necessary that our substitute should suffer a painful and accursed death, for this was specifically threatened. Some have supposed that Christ endured something of the torments of the damned after his death, as the creed says, “he descended into hell;” but the word hell here signifies no more than the place of departed spirits, or the grave. Christ’s sufferings were finished on the cross; and on that very day his spirit entered into paradise.
Archibald Alexander, A Brief Compend of Bible Truth, 113.
Stonestreet on Tolkien, Eliot, and Stories
“Don’t lecture, inspire.” So says John Stonestreet in “Tolkien, Eliot, and the Power of Story.”
Christian musician and novelist Andrew Peterson says, “If you want someone to hear the truth, you should tell them the truth. But if you want someone to LOVE the truth, you should tell them a story.”
ASOR on Philistine Religion
Jeffrey P. Emanuel writes on Philistine religion for the blog of the American Schools of Oriental Research. Emanuel believes that the biblical perspective needs correcting; nevertheless, he summarizes important archeological evidence about the Philistines.
Alexander’s Counsel for the Lord’s Day
Let the whole day be consecrated to the service of God, especially in acts of worship, public and private. This weekly recess from worldly cares and avocations, affords a precious opportunity for the study of God’s word, and for the examination of our own hearts. Rise early, and let your first thoughts and aspirations be directed to heaven. Meditate much and profoundly on divine things, and endeavour to acquire a degree of spirituality on this day which will abide with you through the whole week.
Archibald Alexander, A Brief Compend of Bible Truth, 191.
Atonement Efficient and Sufficient
If it be asked for whom did the Redeemer bear all this, he has given the answer, “I lay down my life for the sheep.” He loved his church and gave himself for it. But his atonement, considered in its intrinsic value and suitableness, is infinite, and sufficient if applied, to save the whole world.
Archibald Alexander, A Brief Compend of Bible Truth, 113.
Over 90% of Congress is “Christian”
91% of the 115th Congress claims to be Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. That number compares with 95% in the early 1960s.
Is that evidence of a Christian congress? Or is it evidence that the term “Christian” is nearly meaningless in the United States?
A PDF of the full study is available here. A PDF showing congressional member religious affiliations can be downloaded here.
In the Nick of Time
This week’s Nick: “Ending of the Year, Beginning of the Year,” by Kevin T. Bauder.
Dorothy Sayers, The Mind of the Maker
The Kindle version is on sale at Amazon to day for $1.99.
![The Mind of the Maker by [Sayers, Dorothy L.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HKiDCRfCL.jpg)
Tozer on Divine Simplicity
Whatever God is, He is. When we talk about the unity of God and His attributes, we sometimes think of all of the parts of God working together harmoniously. That is an inadequate picture of God. God is not made up of parts. God is God. A man of God wisely once said that God’s attributes are numberless. We can know a few of God’s attributes; and an attribute, as I have explained many times, is what God has revealed about himself to be true.
Tozer, A.W. Delighting in God (Kindle Locations 694-697). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Is Black Conservatism Dying?
With the retirement of Thomas Sowell, Anthony Bradley expresses concern over “the end of black conservatism.” He does not see another generation of conservative Black thinkers who will be able to follow the generation of Sowell, Walter Williams, Shelby Steele, and other great voices.
Frankly, what Bradley articulates is not simply a problem for Black conservatism. It is a problem for conservatism in general. During the past decade we’ve lost such luminaries as William F. Buckley, Jr., and Richard John Neuhaus. As their generation vanishes, we have fewer and fewer thinkers and writers of a similar stature.
UW Madison, Feminism, and Masculinity
David French of the National Review offers his critique of the new “men’s project” at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The program aims to “create a sense of security in vulnerability.” French argues that teaching men to be vulnerable is no solution to the problem of male aggression. His essay is entitled, “Dear Feminists, Male ‘Vulnerability Isn’t a Virtue.”
There are good reasons why generations of fathers have taught their sons to “man up,” and it’s not because young boys are blank canvases on which the patriarchy can paint its oppression. It’s because men in general have essential natures that are different from women. We tend to be more aggressive, more energetic, and less nurturing than women, and the fundamental challenge of raising most boys is in channeling that nature in productive ways, not in denying or trying to eradicate its existence. In other words, we need to make men more purposeful, not more vulnerable.
Surefire Predictions?
Over at the Acton Institute Power Blog, Joe Carter lists “14 can’t-miss predictions for 2017.” A couple of my favorites will give you the flavor of the whole list.
• Iraq will officially change the country’s name back to ‘Babylon’ in a successful attempt to freak out pre-millennial dispensational Evangelicals.
• Peter Jackson will announce he’s begun filming a 12-hour version of The Silmarillion in order to complete his lifelong ambition of ruining every book written by J. R. R. Tolkien.
A joke is still good, even if it’s aimed at you.
Russia, Vermont, and Fake News
I’ll report, you decide.
Here’s a Washington Post headline from December 31:
Here’s an editor’s note at the top of that story:
An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electric grid. Authorities say there is no indication of that so far. The computer at Burlington Electric that was hacked was not attached to the grid.
Here’s a headline in yesterday’s Washington Post:
If a newspaper’s fundamental obligations are: (1) get the facts, and (2) tell the truth, then how well has the Post done its job?
Reading List for the 500th Anniversary of Luther’s 95 Theses
I put together over at Credo a reading list for the Reformation celebration this 500th anniversary year. These, for the most part, are recent, well-written books by seasoned scholars but written at a introductory level suitable for pastors who need a refresher class or church members interested in the Reformation. All are available digitally and all provide good places to start thinking about the legacy of the Reformation.
Seven Goofy Academic Papers
The College Fix lists “Seven of the Most Absurd ‘Academic’ Studies of 2016.” My favorite is a paper at the University of Toronto on cupcake appropriation: according to this study, men are taking over cupcakes from women. Of course, that would explain the appearance of maple-bacon frosting. For the record, I’d still rather eat a big square of cake than to have to peel away the little paper cup.
Reviews of N. T. Wright, The Day the Revolution Began
N. T. Wright’s new book, The Day the Revolution Began, is attracting a bit of attention. Back in October Michael Horton reviewed the volume for the Gospel Coalition. More recently, Dane Ortlund has added a few extra criticisms. Here’s Ortlund:
At the end of the day here’s the question to ask of a book that claims to be a popular level book on Christ’s crucifixion. A street-level test for someone trying to track with Wright in this book would be: If your college-aged son or daughter came to you in abject distress at their idolatry or sinfulness or addictive behavior or enslavement to the world’s priorities, and sought your counsel, what comfort would you have for them according to this book? Beneath all the clever cuteness about how all reformed evangelicals have been asking the wrong questions, after all the ornate assembling of the Bible’s storyline, what is the actual comfort of Christianity for your beloved child? What can you give them? What can you say? This book does not give you much to latch onto. And that is a problem, a problem of a fundamental and not peripheral nature, especially for a book pitched at a general Christian population.
No Muslim Prime Minister for Romania
The Social Democratic Party won Romania’s elections on December 11. The party has put forward a Muslim, Sevil Shhaida, for Prime Minister. In the Romanian system, the President must nominate the Prime Minister, and (according to Nuova Europa) President Klaus Iohannis is refusing to do that.
While President Iohannis has not commented on his reasons, it is worth remembering that the territories now occupied by Romania were either under Muslim control or in a struggle to free themselves from Muslim dominance until the time of the American Civil War. The same is true of Hungary. Some Balkan states broke free of Muslim control even later.
In Romania, Dracula is remembered as a national hero, and his claim to fame is that he fought Muslims. Romanians and other Eastern Europeans have a relatively recent memory of what life was like under Muslim domination. Most of them do not want to return to that way of life. They hate and fear Muslim control. Certainly this sensibility is one element in President Iohannis’s decision.
The New Criterion
The New Criterion is a monthly journal of opinion that reviews the arts and intellectual life. It’s been around since the early 80s and is almost always worth reading. It is not at all a Christian publication; it is not even religious. It is, however, written by people who take art, culture, and the life of the mind seriously: people who stand in the tradition of, say, Matthew Arnold or Jacques Barzun. They are genuine humanists (as opposed to the pretenders who publish The Humanist) in the sense that they value the humanities. Because of their rejection of Christianity, they get some things wrong. Because of common grace and the Imago Dei, they get a good bit right. This month’s edition is particularly worthwhile, and I’ll be posting links to individual articles over the next several days.
Available Online: January Edition of CCEF NOW
The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation publishes CCEF NOW as a popular magazine. The lead article in the January number is “How Do We Pray?” by David Powlison. Download the PDF here.
APPLICATION & AID