Author Archives: admin

What priesthood has the ministry?

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Ian Paul summarises a section of Colin Buchanan’s recent Grove Booklet on ‘Worship in the Letter to the Hebrews’ (The following quote is slightly reformatted):-

What should we make of common Anglican parlance by which ministers are called priests?

The New Testament never uses the hiereus stem, which is translated as ‘priest’ in the English versions, to denote ordained ministers of the church. However, the English word ‘priest,’ which is used to translate hiereus in the Scriptures, is itself etymologically a corruption of the Greek presbuteros, which the Bible translates as elder.

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Love to hate?

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Jared Wilson reflects on a comment of C.S. Lewis (in Mere Christianity), in which Lewis ponders the difference between hating something someone has done and actually hating that person:-

The real test is this. Suppose one reads a story of filthy atrocities in the paper. Then suppose that something turns up suggesting that the story might not be quite true, or not quite so bad as it was made out. Is one’s first feeling, “Thank God, even they aren’t quite so bad as that,” or is it a feeling of disappointment, and even a determination to cling to the first story for the sheer pleasure of thinking your enemies as bad as possible?
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Tax collectors

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Peter Oakes (in ‘We Proclaim the Word of Life’, eds Paul & Wenham) suggests that preachers (and scholars) might take note of the ‘urban assumptions’ that are apparent in Luke’s Gospel.

For instance, if a preacher…is handling Luke’s substantial material on tax collectors, the temptation is to view this in purely Galilean and Judean terms, focusing solely on the role of Tax collectors in that region.  A common consequence of this is that interpreters give priority to the role of tax collectors as collaborators with an occupying power.  
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Moral attitudes: British and global

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The Pew Research Center’s 2013 Global Attitudes survey asked 40,117 respondents in 40 countries what they thought about eight topics often discussed as moral issues.

The question was framed as follows: “Do you personally believe that ____________ is morally acceptable, morally unacceptable, or is it not a moral issue?”

The contrast between the global response and the British response is striking.  First, the global response:-

Compare with the British response:-

Much could be said about this, and I refer the interested reader to the link I have given at the top of the page.  …

Justification in Luke’s Gospel

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A foundational assumption of those who adopt some version of the ‘New Perspective on Paul’ is that Second-Temple Judaism was a not a religion of works-righteousness, but of grace.  ‘Works’ were not seen as the way of meriting salvation, as has often been thought, but rather were the ‘boundary-markers’ of God’s people; the things that marked them out as belonging to him.

I have long viewed this with some suspicion.  There seem to be too many instances in the Gospels when people did seek to justify themselves before God.  …

Approaching the Gospels

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The Gospels are about Jesus – his coming, his earthly ministry, his cross and resurrection.  The preacher should remember this for the following reasons:-

  1. The early Christians did not talk about four Gospels – the Gospel of Matthew, of Mark, and so on – but about the one gospel according to Matthew, according to Mark, and so on.  This approaches emphasises what they have in common (in contrast to their diversity, which is often stressed in modern scholarly circles).  
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Of the preaching of the word

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I here reproduce the wise words of the Westminster Directory for the Public Worship of God on this subject, as found here.

Preaching of the Word, being the power of God unto Salvation, and one of the greatest and most excellent Works belonging to the Ministry of the gospel, should be so performed, that the Workman need not to be ashamed, but may save himself, and those that hear him.

It is presupposed…that the Minister of Christ is in some good measure gifted for so weighty a service, by his skill in the Original Languages, and in such Arts and Sciences as are handmaids unto Divinity, by his knowledge in the whole Body of Theology, but most of all in the holy Scriptures, having his senses and heart exercised in them above the common sort of Believers; And by the illumination of Gods Spirit, and other gifts of edification which (together with reading and studying of the Word) he ought still to seek by Prayer, and an humble heart, resolving to admit and receive any truth not yet attained, when ever God shall make it known unto him.…

Ten principles for interpreting narratives

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The following ‘ten commandments’ will help keep the preacher on the straight and narrow when dealing with Old Testament narratives:-

  1. An Old Testament narrative usually does not directly teach a doctrine.
  2. An Old Testament narrative usually illustrates a doctrine or doctrines taught propositionally elsewhere.
  3. Narratives record what happened-not necessarily what should have happened or what ought to happen every time. Therefore, not every narrative has an individual identifiable moral of the story.
  4. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us.
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The world’s favourite Bible verses

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The YouVersion Bible app has been installed on 250 million devices worldwide.

Which Bible verses form within this app have been most highlighted, bookmarked and shared?  Here’s a list of all the verses that were favoured by more than one country:-

  1. Jeremiah 29:11 (27 countries)
  2. Zechariah 14:9 (9 countries)
  3. Romans 8:28 (9 countries)
  4. Joshua 1:9 (4 countries)
  5. Philippians 4:6-7 (3 countries)
  6. Isaiah 41:10 (3 countries)
  7. Luke 24:25 (2 countries)
  8. Philippians 4:13 (2 countries)

It is perhaps surprising that John 3:16 does not feature at all in the list (i.e.…

The Bible and same-sex relationships

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When advocates of same-sex relationships seek to build a biblical case for their point of view, what are the main arguments they advance, and how might we respond to these?

1. ‘It’s different when you get to know gay people personally’

Some people change their views about homosexual behaviour when they get to know gay people personally.  Now it’s very important to us to get to know fellow-sinners of all stripes.  And we are much less likely to demonise people once we find that they too are human beings and not just ‘objects’.  …