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.Biblia Hipsteria
Michael Bird means this video as parody. What he actually does is to prove that contemporary evangelicalism is impossible to parody.
Detroit Seminary Profs on ETS and EPS
I don’t know of a mainstream fundamentalists school that doesn’t allow its faculty to participate in the Evangelical Theological Society or the Evangelical Philosophical Society. I do know of certain non-academics who question the legitimacy of this participation. Professor Mark Snoeberger has written an essay in which he offers insights as to the values of participation. He’s articulated a pretty decent rationale. Then Professor Tim Miller has reported on his own involvement–including a free download of the paper he read this year. Check them out.
Advent
Sunday past was the beginning of Advent. Most fundamentalists are unaware of Advent. If they have heard of it at all, they assume it is just another name for Christmas. But Advent is a fast; Christmas is a feast. Advent precedes Christmas as night precedes dawn. The Advent season is for reflection upon the reasons that the world needed a savior–reasons that affect every one of us. Christmas is the celebration of the arrival of that savior.
Ryan Reeves offers a good discussion of “The History Behind Advent.” Reeves teaches historical theology at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, and he blogs for the Gospel Coalition.
Tim Challies on Christians and Alcohol.
If a fundamentalist had written this, the Convergents </IRONY> would still be spanking him. But Tim Challies, who does not see any biblical prohibition against alcohol, offers a trenchant observation and some wise counsel.
What I saw as I read that post is the reality that this older generation sees the younger crowd as celebrating freedom by rubbing it in their face. They hear us saying, “We are liberated by grace; you are bound by law.” They are convinced that instead of respecting them and honoring them, we are sneering at them and looking down at them. Instead of using our freedom in love and respect, we are using our freedom carelessly and even spitefully.
Whatever Keeps Me Away from God
From Tozer:
Whatever keeps me away from God is my enemy.
Tozer, A.W. Delighting in God (Kindle Locations 206-207). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Conservatism as the Defender of Diversity
Far from shunning diversity, conservatism revels in it–genuine diversity, that is. Bradley J. Birzer at the Imaginative Conservative explains.
Our teachers—even in a relatively small town in Kansas, the children of the 1960s—talked about love and peace, but they clearly sought conformity. They had rebelled and found the truth, or so they thought. As such, they certainly didn’t want us to rebel, at least not against them. They were not only some of the most uninteresting persons I’ve had the misfortune of knowing in my five decades of life, but they were also some of the most tyrannical. They were as bad in public school as they were in Catholic CCD. They praised mediocrity and, not surprisingly, subservience. When it came to actual education, they merely wanted us to memorize facts, not to explore or to think. And, this was not just true in primary and secondary education, it was just as true (if not more so) in graduate school. They never saw us as individuals to be nourished, but as circles to be squared. When we questioned any underlying assumptions, they bristled. When we continued to question them, they labeled us as problems. When we still continued to question them, they (quite actually, at least once in my life) slammed doors on us.
Abraham and the Two Kingdoms
The stories about Abraham’s life in Genesis 12– 25 show that he managed to live as a citizen of two kingdoms by remaining radically separate from the world in his religious faith and worship but simultaneously engaging in a range of cultural activities in common with his pagan neighbors. Just by glancing through these chapters a reader can see that Abraham lived in various places among the inhabitants of Palestine. Though God had promised that one day his descendants would possess the entire land, in the meantime Abraham and his household could not be identified with any particular geographical location, but lived as “sojourners” and “strangers” among pagans (Gen. 12: 10; 15: 13; 20: 1; 21: 34; 23: 4; Heb. 11: 13).
VanDrunen, David. Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture (Kindle Locations 1293-1298). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
UN Victory for LGBT Activists
Over the protests of 54 mainly-African nations, the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee created a special post overseeing LGBT issues. Read the story at LifeSite.
Milton: On His Blindness
On His Blindness
John Milton
When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodg’d with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But Patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Questions:
- Milton did not title this poem; the title was supplied later by Newton. Does the title fit the content?
- What poetic form does Milton choose? He is best known for his epic poems; why choose this form for this topic? (Hint: identify the meter, count the poetic feet per line, count the number of lines, and identify the rhyme scheme.)
- To what is Milton alluding in the third line? Do you think that this allusion is meant as a pun?
- Milton’s chief complaint is not with his circumstances. What is it? (Hint: look in the exact middle of the poem?
- What is the answer to Milton’s complaint?
- What should we learn from this poem?
- Extra Credit: How much of Milton’s theology can you identify from these 140 syllables?
On the Virtue of Beards
Ignore the Catholicism in Dwight Longenecker’s essay, but pay attention to the good sense.
In a society that is increasingly feminized, a beard also makes a statement about masculinity. Without being aggressive or overly assertive, a beard still makes a positive statement about sex. I was semi-serious when I joked that my beard reminds people that there are some things a woman cannot do. This is not to be misogynistic. To state that there are some things a woman cannot do is to also affirm all the things that women do that men cannot do. Women can have babies. How amazing is that?
There’s more, and it’s all worth reading.
Cultural Activity as Service to Neighbor
Christians should pursue cultural activities not with a spirit of triumph and conquest over their neighbors but with a spirit of love and service toward them. Far too often Christian writers and leaders imbue their audience with a drive to take over— to take over politics, education, the courts, and whatever else (or maybe it is put in more palatable terms, such as taking back instead of taking over, as if Christians are the rightful owners of everything and are simply reclaiming what is already theirs). The New Testament does call us “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8: 37), and on the day of Christ’s return we will share in his visible triumph over his enemies (e.g., 2 Thess. 1: 5– 10). But until then God calls us to be involved in activities such as education and politics not in order to trounce opponents but to serve neighbors.
VanDrunen, David. Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture (Kindle Locations 1884-1890). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
D. Martin Lloyd-Jones and the Spirituality of the Church
Beginning with a discussion of slavery in the Bible, Nick Batzig at the Reformation 21 blog ends up explaining Martin Lloyd-Jones’s views on the spirituality of the church. Here is part of his conclusion:
The Noahic Covenant and the Common Kingdom
In summary, the Noahic covenant of Genesis 8: 20– 9: 17 constitutes the formal establishment of the common kingdom. This means that God himself established and rules the common kingdom. It exists under the lordship of the triune God— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The common kingdom is not in any sense a realm of moral neutrality or human autonomy. During the early history recorded in Genesis 4 cultural commonality existed alongside a spiritual antithesis. God put an end to that cultural commonality when he separated Noah’s family from the rest of the human race at the time of the flood, but after the flood he reestablished that cultural commonality by means of a covenant. For the rest of the history of this world God ordains that the cycles of nature will continue in regular patterns, and that all people— whether believer or unbeliever— should engage in ordinary cultural activities such as marrying and childbearing, eating and drinking, and enforcing justice against those who disrupt the social order. The Noahic covenant itself does not tell us about the spiritual antithesis between believers and unbelievers, but this theme soon emerges again as the story of the Old Testament continues to unfold.
VanDrunen, David. Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture (Kindle Locations 1223-1231). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
Watch Metal Crystals Forming
Every machinist knows that metal has a grain. The reason is because metal has a crystalline structure. You can watch metal crystals forming in a remarkable time-lapse video by Emanuele Fornasier. God certainly made a fascinating world.
More on Cliff Barrows
Justin Taylor has a good summary of his life, plus videos of an interview in which Barrows reminisces about his history with Billy Graham.
ACCC Resolution on the Assembly of Believers
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
Resolution on the Assembly of Believers
“After Christ’s ascension, His followers began assembling themselves together in their respective localities to worship their Lord and Savior on the first day of the week, the day of His resurrection. At these Lord’s Day assemblies, believers heard the Word read and preached, sang praises and offered prayers unto God, observed the Lord’s Supper and baptism, contributed gifts unto the Lord’s work, and fellowshipped with one another (Acts 2:42-47, 20:7, I Cor. 16:2, Eph. 5:19, and Col. 3:16).
“The writer of Hebrews soon noticed that some were developing a habit of neglecting their local churches, and therefore charged all to “not forsak[e] the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but [to] exhort . . . one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). Whether the “day” referred to was one of affliction or of Christ’s return, the author understood that believers must be prepared by participating diligently in corporate worship.
“Persecution of the Church persists and the day of Christ’s return is closer, but sadly, professed Christians today are forsaking the assembly of believers at an alarming rate. What the text described as “the manner of some” is now the habit of many.
“Some have abandoned churches altogether, while others have neglected a number of services for sporting events, family gatherings, or unnecessary work. Some have even tried to replace corporate worship with podcasts, radio broadcasts, televised/webcast services, or personal Bible readings. While these things can be excellent spiritual supplements, they cannot replace the gathering of believers on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, many churches have also succumbed to pressure from society and have cancelled services for secular holidays and sporting events.[i] At times, such cancellations are called “Family Sundays,” but this label fails to honor the Scripture’s designation of Sunday as “The Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10).
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches at its 75th annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church of Kittery, ME, resolves to exhort all believers to join a sound, local church and to be faithful to it as much as is physically possible. Likewise, we resolve to encourage churches to cease canceling services to accommodate the spirit of the age. David said: “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD’” (Ps. 122:1). We urge professed Christians to examine themselves to see whether such a joy for God’s house characterizes their lives, and if not, to repent.”
[i] See also the 2003 ACCC resolution on “The God of Sports.”
A Hymn for Giving Thanks
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
Henry Alford
Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God’s own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God’s own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and tares together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.
For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store
in the garner evermore.
Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.
Reflections from the Evangelical Theological Society, Part II
John Witvliet, a scholar from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, presented an excellent paper entitled, “Protestant Suspicion of Liturgical Form: The Curious Case of Abraham Kuyper.” In his presentation, Witvliet explored Kuyper’s oft-changing and ever-evolving views on liturgical worship as a microcosm for evangelical angst between form and sincerity. A brief survey of Kuyper’s works and lectures revealed his back and forth views on the values and fears of formal liturgies in worship. Notice John H. Wood’s periodization of Kuyper’s views (from Witvliet’s presentation):
– 1864, Early Ministry – Liturgy /Forms as disposable “Husk”
– 1865-67, Incarnational Ecclesiology – L/F as indispensable
– 1870, Sacramental Ecclesiology – L/T as indispensable “bank of river,” “body to the soul”
– 1886, Believer’s Church Ecclesiology – L/T as “clothes” which dress the “body”
Kuyper states:
“Where form rules over spirit, spirituality must object and demand that spirit rule over form. Spirituality will walk in the right path when it allows the spirit to govern form, so that it is true to the spirit, accommodates the spirit, and serves the spirit as an instrument. But spirituality goes astray when it declares that form does not matter and thereby either destroys it or allows it to degenerate.” – Our Worship from Implications of Public Confession
Witvliet effectively showed that Kuyper’s own view alternated between two tropes; sincerity and ritual. For example, Kuyper followed earlier non-conformist’s reaction against the Anglican primers but allowed examples and prayer patterns to be implemented (especially for pedagogical purposes), though insisting that set prayers be spoken “imploringly and movingly.” He saw dangers in both insincere form and sincere formlessness.
Notice Kuyper’s thoughts on the prayer of confession to begin a service:
“Our Reformation fathers were wise in demanding that at least once a week, this matter [confession of sin], so important to the soul, would not be left to subjective feelings, but rather would be taken hold of by a power outside ourselves, that is, by God himself, who through the word of his servant would proclaim God’s holy Word of absolution to the congregation.” – Our Worship from Implications of Public Confession
Witvliet concluded with 4 reflections:
- A simplistic “ritual/sincerity” binary is not sufficient for a healthy theology of liturgical participation or healthy pastoral ministry.
- Evangelical suspicion of set of prayer is often set aside when those prayers are sung in the form of hymns or worship songs. This irony or complementarity is worthy of more reflection.
- Evangelical historians could benefit not only by studying responses to Anglicans but also to Quakers.
- The rejection of liturgical form has often been viewed as the ultimate outworking on potent individualism.
He calls us to a “life in the middle.”
In my opinion, Kuyper’s “life in the middle” teaches four valuable lessons.
- Worship is never isolated; it is never vacuous. Worship must always take a form. Like theology, it can never be completely removed from its own history. Liturgy in worship is simply ecclesiology recognizing history. It is revolting against the tyranny of the now and emancipating the soul from the slavery of self.
- Form does not mean rejection of freedom. It is freedom within reason. Even jazz musicians warm up with scales. To say that liturgy and sincerity are opposites is to misunderstand them both.
- Unfortunately, evangelicalism’s reaction to form has taken its own strange and twisted shape. It’s somewhat like a meeting of anarchists: after a while, someone takes control. Worship has become reactionary, the pendulum swinging from one side to the other, culture to culture, shape to shape. As Kuyper ironically adapted Hegelian dialectics in his political philosophy of The Anti Revolutionary Party, evangelicalism has come to a full synthesis with culture. Liturgy and form help to prevent that. It is the democracy of the dead; the collection of time.
- Life in the middle is only reflective of one’s methodology. The Regulative Principle of Scripture walks this line perfectly. One sees the Psalms and prayer as not only beautiful examples, but beautiful form.
ACCC Resolution on New Calvinism
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
Resolution on New Calvinism
“In September 2006, Collin Hansen reported for Christianity Today on a new religious movement of professed Christians who took a renewed interest in Reformed theology. At that time, Hansen called the movement “Young, Restless, Reformed” (YRR), but later he termed it “New Calvinism” and claimed that it was a “revival” of biblical Christianity. [i] By 2009, Time Magazine declared New Calvinism to be one of the “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now,” [ii] and since then, the movement’s popularity has increased. All of this success seemed to validate Hansen’s claim of another spiritual awakening.
“Hansen’s three adjectives (“Young, Restless, Reformed”) provide a rather fair description of this movement, and one adjective in particular explains its popularity. Even though most YRR leaders are age fifty or above, New Calvinism is mostly comprised of young adults in their twenties, thirties, or forties, as can be seen in two of the most popular YRR expressions: The Gospel Coalition (TGC) and Together for the Gospel (T4G). To an extent, the movement can also be called “Reformed” in that its constituents are, at a minimum, committed to the five points of Calvinism (TULIP) and appreciate the works of deceased Calvinists like John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, or Charles Spurgeon.
“Restless” though is the key descriptor of this movement, and it shows why New Calvinism is so popular. New Calvinism is restless in that it is dissatisfied with the godly standards and confessional theology held by previous generations of Calvinists. It is known for being culturally progressive and flaunts itself as such. In its worship, preaching, and evangelism, New Calvinism embraces popular culture, a man-made system of customs which is incapable of bearing the weight and gravity of the Gospel. [iii] TGC authors, in particular, blog about “redemptive” elements they supposedly have found within Hollywood films, and YRR evangelists in the vein of Tim Keller (TGC cofounder) integrate pop culture in their community outreaches, [iv] hoping to gain a better hearing from their unregenerate audiences. YRR leaders also endorse “worship music” composed by modern, pop-rock hymnists [v] and “holy hip-hoppers” / “Reformed rappers.” [vi]
“Pop culture, a vital YRR ingredient, is one of the many characteristics which differentiates New Calvinism from godly Reformed movements, past and present. New Calvinism also refuses to adhere strictly to biblical truths expounded in the confessions and catechisms of historic Calvinism. Unlike most professed Calvinists since the sixteenth century, a number of New Calvinists push beyond the standard creeds and subscribe to Neo-Kuyperian postmillennialism, an eschatological position which claims that God has given His Church an institutional social mandate to redeem culture and promote social justice to help usher in the kingdom. [vii] Unlike the Puritans and Reformed fundamentalists who affirmed chapter four of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the London Baptist Confession of 1689, New Calvinism embraces theistic evolution or joins hands with those who do. [viii] Likewise, in direct defiance of chapter one of both confessions, New Calvinism’s large umbrella [ix] includes non-cessationists. [x] Furthermore, John Piper, the designated “father” of the YRR, has distorted Scripture, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the works of Jonathan Edwards to promote a brand of hedonism that makes God’s glory contingent on man’s pursuit of pleasure. [xi]
“Finally, New Calvinism differs from traditional Calvinism in that it refuses to separate from heretics and disobedient Christians. Keller has affirmed Roman Catholic mystics such as Ignatius Loyola, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Ávila. [xii] Ligon Duncan and Al Mohler (TGC members and T4G participants) both signed the Manhattan Declaration which affirms that Evangelicals, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox leaders are all “Christians.” Mohler also had Billy Graham (an ecumenical evangelist) conduct a crusade in Louisville, KY in 2001, just four years after Graham publically declared that some Muslims, Buddhists, and non-believers who do “not even know the name of Jesus . . . are saved.” Just this year at a “Christian” social justice conference, [xiii] Russell Moore (TGC) spoke alongside a Roman Catholic priest (Michael Louis Pfleger) and a progressive “Evangelical” (Tony Campolo), who accepts “Christian gay couples into the Church.” [xiv] Piper has likewise shared Passion Conference platforms with Beth Moore and Christine Caine (charismatic women “preachers”), and affirmed the ministries of Rick Warren, Daniel Fuller, and Mark Driscoll. [xv] Indisputably, the parameters of “Young, Restless, and Reformed” are not sufficient grounds for obedient Christian fellowship and cooperation. Like the New Evangelicalism of past generations, today’s New Calvinism lacks purity protected by a Bible doctrine of separation.
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches at its 75th annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church of Kittery, Maine, resolves to exhort all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ to beware of the leaven of New Calvinism. While some of the writings of New Calvinists can be appreciated with caution, Christ’s people should rebuke and separate from the movement. New Calvinism is a truncated form of traditional Calvinism, syncretized with deviant doctrines and worldliness. Spurgeon, Edwards, and the apostle Paul would not recognize this movement as a revival of biblical Christianity. Finally, we affirm the words of Peter Masters, the current pastor of Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle, who said: “You cannot have Puritan soteriology without Puritan sanctification. You should not entice people to Calvinistic (or any) preaching by using worldly bait. We hope that young people in this movement will grasp the implications of the doctrines better than their teachers, and come away from the compromises.” [xvi]
“[i] Collin Hansen, “Young, Restless, Reformed,” Christianity Today 50, no. 9 (September 2006): http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/september/42.32.html. Hansen, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Guide Journey with the New Calvinists, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 156.
“[ii] David Van Biema, “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now: No. 3: The New Calvinism,” Time Magazine (March 12, 2009). http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884760,00.html.
“[iii] See Abraham Kaplan, “The Aesthetics of the Popular Arts,” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 24, no. 3 (Spring 1966): 351-364 and Kenneth A. Myers, All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 120.
“[iv] Samuel G. Freedman, “Evangelists Adapt to a New Era, Preaching the Gospel to Skeptics,” New York Times (March 4, 2016): http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/us/evangelists-adapt-to-a-new-era-preaching-the-gospel-to-skeptics.html?_r=0.
“[v] Such as Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend, Bob Kauflin, Steve and Vikki Cook, and other Sovereign Grace Church musicians.
“[vi] Such as Lecrae, Shai Linne, Trip Lee, Curtis Allen, Marcus Gray, and Timothy Brindle.
“[vii] For a critique of this position, read Jon Anderson’s series on “Center Church,” The Cripplegate Blog: http://thecripplegate.com/center-church-summary-and-contextualization/.
“[viii] See the 2014 ACCC “Resolution on Young Earth Creationism.”
“[ix] See the 2012 ACCC “Resolution on the Theological Danger of Non-cessationism.”
“[x] Such as C. J. Mahaney (Sovereign Grace Churches), D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), John Piper (Desiring God Ministries and Bethlehem College and Seminary), Matt Chandler (The Village Church and Acts 29 Network), and Wayne Grudem (Phoenix Seminary).
“[xi] Peter Masters, “Christian Hedonism: Is It Right?” The Sword & Trowel, no. 3, (2002): 10-16.
“[xii] “Keller and the mystics,” The New Calvinists Blog: http://www.newcalvinist.com/kellers-affinity-with-rome/keller-and-the-catholic-mystics/.
“[xiii] “Speakers,” The Justice Conference 2016, http://www.thejusticeconference.com/speakers.html.
“[xiv] Tony Campolo, “Tony Campolo: For the Record,” Tony Campolo Blog (June 8, 2015): http://tonycampolo.org/for-the-record-tony-campolo-releases-a-new-statement/#.V_wObsmgs7H.
“[xv] In fact, up until 2014, almost all New Calvinists affirmed Driscoll, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA who was widely known for his vulgar preaching and teaching. Driscoll only lost favor with New Calvinist networks when stories of his deceitful and dictatorial leadership surfaced.
“[xvi] Masters, “New Calvinism – The Merger of Calvinism with Worldliness,” The Sword & Trowel, no. 2, (2009): http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Christian-Article/New-Calvinism-Merger-of-Calvinism-and-Worldliness/Sword-and-Trowel-Magazine.”
Harvard Student Paper Asks for More Conservatives
The editorial board of the Harvard Crimson has expressed concern over the “ideological uniformity” of the university. The solution? More conservatives.
The most glaring ideological diversity deficit among undergraduates is the relatively small number of students who identify as conservative. In the election survey, fewer than 13 percent of respondents described themselves as “somewhat” or “very” conservative, compared to over 70 percent describing themselves as “somewhat” or “very” liberal.
So a commitment to diversity includes hearing the voices of conservatives? Who knew?
APPLICATION & AID