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Biblical teaching on war

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One of the most common and serious objections to Christian faith is that the Bible (especially the Old Testament) is ‘full’ of bloodshed that has been carried out in the name of, or even at the express command of, God.

I don’t want to offer glib answers to this objection.  However, it may be useful to try to summarise, as briefly and as honestly as I can, what the Bible teaches about war.

1.  War is repugnant to God, 1 Chron 22:8f; Psa 68:30; 120:6f; Isa 10:13ff; Amos 1:11, 13.…

Divine and human agency in revival

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The view of revival which has been assumed in the first part was one which emphasises the Divine agency in revival.  Revival, it has been assumed, is first and foremost the work of God.  This does not mean that we are passive; that we have nothing to do except wait for God to act.  No – all that Scripture commands that we ought to do – repent, pray, believe, hope, and work – we should do, with all our might. …

Christian missionaries – a story of oppression?

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For many, the story of Christian missions is a story of oppression of other people and their cultures.

Colonialism

The activities of missionaries are often linked with those of colonists and criminals.  As one 1990 children’s book has it, “The Europeans regarded the Aborigines as a heathen people who needed to be converted to Christianity, and put to work for the benefit of Europeans…Aboriginal lands were confiscated, their children taken away and put in Christian mission stations, their water holes poisoned, and many of their people massacred.”…

The Calvary Miracles

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Miracles attended the birth, life, and death of our Lord.  The significance of these miracles: they are signs.  Consider those recorded in Matthew 27:-

1.  The Supernatural Darkness – a sign of the Divine Passion, Mt 27:45.

This signifies

(a) Jesus’ conflict.  See Lk 22:53; Jn 12:31
(b) Jesus’ comfortlessness, Mt 27:46

Remember this, when the dark clouds of despair case a gloom over your soul.  Remember that the wrath of God was poured out on Christ – for you. …

Modernising Jesus

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John Stott has an interesting piece on various attempts to bring Jesus up to date:-

1.  The ascetic – the inspiration of generations of monks and hermits.  This image is nearer to that of John the Baptist, however, and difficult to reconcile with the one who came ‘eating and drinking’, Mt 11:19.

2.  The pale Galilean.  The C19th poet, Swinburne, echoing the dying works of the apostate emperor Julian (“You have conquered, O Galilean”), wrote,

Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean;
The world has grown grey from thy breath.…

Quotes on salvation

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1.  Of all the thousands of deceptive substitutes, a substitute for salvation is the worst.

2.  If you keep rejecting the ‘come’ of salvation, you will have to accept the ‘depart’ of damnation.

3.  There are none so good that they can save themselves – none so bad that God cannot save them.

4.  Calvary is never to be forgotten and never to be repeated.

5.  Nature forms us; sin deforms us; school informs us; but only Christ can transform us.…

Quotes on repentance

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1.  If I should die in the pulpit, I should desire to die preaching repentance, and if I should die out of the pulpit, I should desire to die practising it.  (Philip Henry)
2.  To do so no more is the soundest repentance.  (Luther)
3.  Our Lord has laid down most emphatically that a man must repent of his sins, and particularly of his critical and independent attitude towards God, or he cannot begin to live the Christian life. …

Theology of animals

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A theology of animals?  Yes, certainly.  This may be outlined as follows:-

1.  Animals share the status of creaturely existence with human beings.
2.  They are valuable in God’s sight and give him praise.
3.  They are designed to live in symbiotic harmony with humans – a situation changed only after the Fall.
4.  They are embraced in God’s covenant to the extent that they are his companions.
5.  Human beings are placed among the animals in a privileged position of power which must be responsibly exercised in accordance with God’s will.…

The ‘Analogy of Faith’

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The ‘analogy of faith’ (an expression borrowed from Rom 12:6, but not reflecting Paul’s sense there) as a principle of interpretation ‘connotes that an obscure text or passage may be illuminated by other texts of Scripture whose meaning is clear.’ (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology)

There are two degrees of the analogy of faith

1.  Positive Analogy.  This consists of those teachings of the Bible that are so clearly, positively and frequently stated, that there can be no real doubt of their meaning and value. …

Quotes on the church

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1.  I can think of some churches that would be even emptier if the gospel were preached in them.  (W.R. Inge)

2.  There are some churches so completely out of the hands of God that if the Holy Spirit withdrew from them they wouldn’t find it out for many months.  (A.W. Tozer)

3.  Christ is the King of the church, and the church is the greatest queen in the world.  (William Gurnall)

4  If we ever forget our basic charter – “My house is a house of prayer” – we may as well shut the church doors. …