The new covenant

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‘The differences between the church and Israel are rooted in the newness of the covenant by which God and his people are bound to each other. The new covenant under which the church lives (1 Cor 11:25 Heb 8:7-13) is a new form of the relationship whereby God says to a chosen community, “I will be your God; you shall be my people.” (Ex 6:7 Jer 31:33) Both the continuity and the discontinuity between Israel and the church reflect this change in the form of the covenant, which took place at Christ’s coming.…

Paul’s missionary strategy

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  1. He concentrated on large urban centres
  2. He regarded the synagogue as common ground with Jews, Acts 16:13; 17:1.
  3. He reasoned from Scripture, using a Christ-centred approach, Acts 17:1-4.
  4. He adapted his message to the needs of his hearers, 1 Cor 9:22.
  5. He engaged in follow-up by means of visits, letters, and delegation.
  6. He promoted unity in all the churches, Eph 4:4-5.
…

Salvation of infants

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Some maintain that all those dying in infancy are regenerated. Spurgeon attempted to demonstrate this from 2 Sam 12:23 (New Park Street Pulpit, 1861, p509).

If infants are saved, it must be on the basis of redemptive grace, Jn 3:3; 1 Tim 2:5. Scripture indicates that it is possible to be filled by the Holy Spirit from an early age, Lk 1:15, cf Ps 22:10. This implies an intuitive knowledge of God, apart from usual process of hearing and understanding the gospel.…

Luke 1:5-25 – Zechariah – sermon notes

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Each of the four Gospels has a different starting-point. John: the pre-existent Christ. Mark: beginning of public ministry. Matthew: birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Luke: more details about the conception and birth of Jesus. But each also tells of a man named John, who was the herald, the forerunner of Jesus. It is Luke who informs us that the lives of John and Jesus, so intertwined in their adult ministries, were also linked by the circumstances of their births.…

Ruth 4 – At the gate – sermon notes

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The story of Ruth has been told as a drama in four Acts.  In Act 1 we meet some of the principle characters on the Highway, the road that leads from the country of Moab on the east of the Dead Sea to the town of Bethlehem in Judea.  Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons had fled Bethlehem during a famine, and had settled in Moab.  There the two sons married Moabite women.  But before long Elimelech and the two sons died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth. …

The Christian revolution – putting the record straight

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I was prompted by this post to get hold of an (audio) copy of David Bentley Hart’s 2009 book Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies.

I listened to the whole thing during the course of a short walking trip.  Here are a few random thoughts by way of response.

As some other reviewers have pointed out, the book’s main title (‘Atheist Delusions’) was quite possibly chosen by the publishers, and not by the author, and serves more as an attention-grabber than as an accurate guide to content.  …

Discussion starters, Matt 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25

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(a) From reading Luke’s account, what would lead you to think that this is a true story, based on eyewitness testimony, rather than some kind of fairy tale?

(b) This event leads to two exclamations, as recorded in Luke 8:25.  The first is the exclamation of Jesus: “Where is your faith?”  Why do you think Jesus seemed so surprised at the disciples’ lack of faith?  And in what ways might he be surprised at our own lack of faith? …

Antioch

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Antioch was the third largest city of the Roman Empire. It was non-Jewish, made up of many different races. It soon became the centre of Gentile Christianity.

1. Stephen is martyred and the believers are scattered everywhere. (Ac 8:1-4 )

2. Some travel as far as Antioch. They tell the message to Jews only. (Ac 11:19 )

3. Other believers come from Cyprus and north Africa. They preach to Gentiles in Antioch with dramatic results. (Ac 11:20-21 )

4.…

Growing in grace

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See 2 Pet 3:18

‘The saints are not only compared to stars for their light, but to trees for their growth’ (Watson), Isa 61:3, ‘They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.’ Hos 14:5f. ‘Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.’

Christian growth is organic, and needs therefore to be both nourished and exercised.…

Crooked speech

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What constitutes crooked speech? It is talk that isn’t straight, of course. It is bowed, off-kilter, circuitous, meandering. There are a few examples we could cite.

1. Falsehoods

Telling lies about ourselves or others is breaking covenant. Even if we’re just “stretching” the truth or “bending” the truth, entertaining distortions or investing in stereotypes, we cut a line unfit to build relationships or reputations of integrity with. You can’t be square with God and neighbor if all your lumber’s warped.…