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Not ‘replacement theology’, but ‘inclusion theology’

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Christian Zionist writers are apt (too apt, in my opinion) to brand those who disagree with them as peddlers of ‘replacement theology’, as teaching that the church replaces Israel in God’s purposes.

Now, I will not dispute that some non-Zionists do use the language of ‘replacement’ (or something similar), and are perhaps give the impression that, in their view, God has washed his hands of his historic chosen people.  The gospel has been taken away from the Jews, and given instead to the Gentiles.…

Why your sermons shouldn’t be too short, or too long

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Here’s a precis (with a little bit of re-jigging of wording and order) of Jared Wilson’s helpful post.

Your sermons shouldn’t be too short, because:

  • The church should subvert (and not support) today’s convenience culture
  • Sunday may be the only day when some of your people get any Bible
  • Hearing from God should have a prominent place in our meetings
  • Scripture is worthy of sustained attention, not brief snippets
  • God’s word to us is profoundly relevant and eternally important

Your sermons should be too long, because:

  • Over-long sermons usually try to achieve too much
  • A sermon’s aim is communion with God, not exhaustive knowledge
  • People will become too fatigued to be able to listen or respond
  • It is good to leave people wanting more!
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1 Corinthians 7:14 – Sanctified spouses, holy children

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1 Cor 7:14 – ‘The unbelieving husband is sanctified because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband. Otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.’

What is the meaning of ‘sanctified’ and ‘holy’ in this verse? Several options may be considered:-

1. That it is about the regeneration of the unbelieving partner.  According to this view, Paul would be stating that the unbelieving spouse has become regenerate through the believing partner. …

Ephesians 5:21f – ‘Submit to one another’

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Ephesians 5:21f – ‘…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.’

What does it mean to ‘submit to one another’?  And what does it mean for wives to submit to their husbands?

1. Some think that it means that everyone is to submit to everyone else

Wives to husbands, husbands to wives, children to parents, parents to children, and so on.  In this case, ‘to submit’ would have to mean, ‘care for one another and put one another’s needs first.’  …

1 Cor 11:3/Eph 5:23 – ‘Kephale’: ‘head’? ‘source’? ‘foremost’?

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1 Corinthians 11:3 – ‘Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.’

Ephesians 5:23 ‘The husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church.’

Much discussion has taken place over the meaning of kephale (‘head’) in these contexts.

Bartell (Men and Women in Christ) remarks that no writer earlier that Paul had used the kephale metaphor to apply to the relationship of a man to a woman.…

Sex in Genesis 1:26-31 and 5:1-2

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Martin Davie observes that, taken together, these two accounts make six points about the creation of humankind.

First, we learn that human beings do not exist by chance. God, who created the universe in general, also decided to create human beings in particular and…everything that God creates is ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:31), including the human race.

Secondly, we learn that God created human beings as male and female from the beginning…

Thirdly, we learn that it is as male and female that human beings are the image and likeness of God…In God’s kingdom…the special role he has assigned to humanity is that we should serve as his ‘under-kings,’ vice regents or stewards.…

Does the end of slavery spell the end of patriarchy?

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The argument goes like this: the Bible does not outright condemn slavery, but it sows the seeds for its eventual demise.  There is a ‘hermeneutical trajectory’; a ‘redemptive spirit’ that leads inexorably (if painfully slowly) to abolition.

The same is true (it is argued) with regard to male and female roles.  The Bible assumes, but does not prescribe, some kind of hierarchical structure.  But the same ‘trajectory’, or ‘redemptive spirit’ leads us to abolish that structure, and to treat men and women just the same.…

Believers need to hear the gospel too

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It is too often assumed that the gospel needs to be heard by unbelievers, but not by believers.  The gospel exists to convert sinners; once converted, we can move on to other things.

This is a fallacy, as Cameron Smart shows.  I summarise eight reasons why seasoned Christians need to hear the gospel on a regular basis.

  1. To evoke praise and thanksgiving. We should never tire of praising God for what he has done for us in Jesus Christ his Son. 
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Transgender 6 – Wisdom

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We’re not meant to face our struggles alone.  We’re meant to face them within the family of God.

If you’re a Christian who experiences gender dysphoria, remember that this does not define you.  You are defined by who you are in Christ.  Our goal, aided by the Holy Spirit, is to align our desires and behaviours in line with that identity.

A Christian church should respond by warmly welcoming everyone, just as Jesus did.  According to Acts, the first Gentile to become a Christian was a eunuch.…

Transgender 5 – Rescue

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God made us; we don’t have to define ourselves, he has already done that.  By turning away from him, we have spoilt everything.  We can’t sort it out ourselves, because we are part of the problem.  But God has sent the rescuer we so desperately need.

God’s Son being born on earth is a wonderful affirmation of our created bodies.  He identified with our sinful nature, without himself being a sinner.  He died the death that we deserved.  …