Justin Taylor agrees with Al Mohler on the necessity of believer's baptism as a prerequisite for church membership. (I'm setting aside the issue of the Lord's Supper for now.) Both reference a withdrawn proposal by the Elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC). The issue is: Should churches whose elders already lean towards a baptistic position (i.e., baptist churches) require believers baptism for membership? To get a handle on the topic, here are three statements I think both sides would agree upon: 1. Membership in a local church is very important for all Christians. 2. Churches need … [Read more...] about Baptism and Church Membership
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Alex Strauch – Leading with Love
Alexander Strauch's new book, Leading with Love, was published this year. Having previously written on ecclesiological matters (such as the role of Elders and Deacons), and on nitty-gritty, practical matters like how to run meetings that work, Strauch now deals with the indispensable nature of love in the life of the Christian leader. With over 30 years of pastoral experience at the same church, Strauch writes out of a full heart not just for his flock, but for the future of Christian leaders, both among the laity (teachers, small group leaders, etc.) and those paid by the church. Srauch … [Read more...] about Alex Strauch – Leading with Love
NYT Editor (weakly) replies to critiques re: leaked secrets
Hugh Hewitt provides an outstanding commentary on the unreasonable reply from NYT Executive Editor Bill Keller regarding the NYT recent publishing of classified information provided by government officials speaking "on the condition of anonymity." Keller lacks a coherent argument, and purports numerous distortions, as Hewitt uncovers. … [Read more...] about NYT Editor (weakly) replies to critiques re: leaked secrets
What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us
Danielle Crittenden's book What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us vividly captures some of the disadvantages women experience in the current male/female milieu prevalent in our culture (in general) and on college campuses (in particular). The book is not explicitly Christian by any means, yet her conclusions are very similar to mine. In short, if women in the 1950s saw themselves primarily through the lens of their uniquely feminine callings (wives, mothers, etc.) and insufficiently as adults with non-gender-specific intelligence, skills, and aspirations, the modern woman tends to view her worth in … [Read more...] about What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us
MSM and national security
As many others are noting, it seems concerning that the New York Times (in particular) takes such liberty to report on classified activities. They seem to justify it by the degree of public interest they thus garner. Nevertheless, national security and success in the prevention of future terrorists attacks are of greater, long-term, public interest. The degree to which national security is jeopardized by this reporting is perhaps difficult to estimate, but it is surely deemed to be real by those in the know (otherwise the material would not be classified). Hugh Hewitt has a good post, … [Read more...] about MSM and national security
Preaching and the Old Testament
My summer reading will include theological works which are part of my curriculum at The Bethlehem Institute (the vocational ministry training program of Bethlehem Baptist Church). First on the docket is Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture by Graeme Goldsworthy. In the first chapter, Goldsworthy mentions the difficulty associated with finding Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Some quotes: "The message of the Old Testament is too easily reduced to the imitation of godly examples and the avoidance of the ungodly example." "The nature of the relationship between the salvation … [Read more...] about Preaching and the Old Testament