The assumption of Mary

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It is a pity that Protestants, generally, do not honour Mary as they ought to.  The most obvious reason for this is that they are nervous about honouring her too much (or in inappropriate ways), as the Roman Catholic Church does.

So what should we make of the doctrine of the assumption of Mary?

Some notes from this article, by Andrew Goddard:

The belief that Mary was taken up, body and soul, to be with Christ in heaven, has its roots in legends that began to circulate in the church during the first several centuries of its existence.…

Matthew 22:14 – “Many are called, but few are chosen”

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Matthew 22:14 – “Many are called, but few are chosen”

Two (not necessarily contradictory) aspects of this saying – the numerical and the theological – warrant consideration.

1. Numerical

For Enoch Powell, Jesus’ words ‘few are chosen’ mean ‘that his salvation will not be for all, not even for the majority,’ insisting that ‘ignorance, incapacity, perversity, the sheer human propensity to error are sufficient to ensure a high failure rate.’  But, as the contributor to Hard Sayings of the Bible (presumably F.F.…

The role of imagination in preaching

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On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, by John A. Broadus (4th ed., Vernon L. Stanfield, editor), chapter 25.

Here is a precis.

The preacher may have the highest intellectual and moral attainments; but these are insufficient without a sanctified imagination.

The imagination sees.  It brings history, facts, people, to life.  It takes the accumulated effects of experience, observation and knowledge and from them forges something new.

What is the role of imagination in preaching?…

Classification of sermons 5 – Broadus

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On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, by John A. Broadus (4th ed., Vernon L. Stanfield, editor), chapters 10-12.

What follows is a precis, with a few original examples included in italics.

1. Classification by homiletical structure

(a) The textual sermon

The divisions come from the text itself.

Example: 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.”…

Classification of sermons 3 – Shedd

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According to Shedd (Homiletics and Pastoral Theology), there are just three basic types of sermon.

1. The topical sermon.  The sermon has one definite subject, which can be expressed in a single statement or proposition.

Shedd cites a sermon by Robert South (see here), on Number 32:23 – ‘Be sure your sin will find you out.’  In Shedd’s summary:

The proposition of the sermon is this: “Concealment of sin is no security to the sinner.”

…

Classification of sermons 4 – Robinson

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In Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages (3rd ed.), Haddon Robinson outlines the main forms, or shapes, that sermons can take.

Here’s a precis.

1. Deductive arrangements

The main idea is stated at the outset, and the body of the sermon explains, illustrates and applies that idea.

(a) An idea explained.  For example, Alexander MacLaren preached a sermon on Colossians 1:15-18 on the supremacy of Christ, explaining from his text that Christ is so because he is ‘the image of the invisible God; because he is ‘the firstborn of all creation’; and because he is ‘the head of the body’.…

How God works suffering for our good

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Most Christians know Paul’s reassuring words from Romans 8:28 – ‘We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.’

But how does this actually work?

Based on the writing of Thomas Watson (The Divine Cordial) Tim Challies outlines 10 ways in which God works suffering for the good of his people.

Here is my own precis.

1. Suffering is our teacher.  It reminds us of our sin, immaturity and dependence.  It is in the crucible of suffering that many parts of God’s written word – especially the Psalms, come alive and apply themselves to our souls.…

Mark 6:3 – a scandalous birth?

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Mark 6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.

The reference to Jesus as ‘Mary’s son’ is unusual, and invites attention.

A son would usually be identified in connection with his father, not his mother (although see Judg 11:1–2; 1 Kgs 17:17; Lk 7:12; Acts 16:1; 23:16; Gal 4:21–31).  This would be the case even if the father were dead, as may be the case with Jesus, given the silence of the Gospels after the birth narratives in that regard.…

How to create a memorable statement

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We cannot expect our hearers to remember everything that we say to them.  But how can we increase the chances that they might be able to call to mind, and perhaps benefit at a later date, some of the key ideas that we wish to communicate?

In other words, what are some of the ways in which we can create ‘sticky statements’?

Here’s a helpful acrostic on the word PREACH:

Picture – Is there a word picture or metaphor?…

Lk 2:22-24, 36-38 – Anna’s story (sermon notes)

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(This is a slightly revised version of a short talk that was first drafted many years ago)

Text: Luke 2:22-24, 36-38

Some 80 years before a certain baby boy was cradled in a manger in Bethlehem, a little girl was born just a few miles away.  No doubt she was her parent’s pride and joy.  And no doubt she was strong, active and healthy.  Anyway, in due course, she grew up and fell in love with the man of her dreams. …