I’m not sure if you are meant or allowed to have a favourite doctrine but if we are, then mine would be the doctrine of justification by faith alone. I think that this doctrine is crucial to our understanding of how other doctrines work and also to practical Christian living. In terms of other doctrines,… Continue reading Why the doctrine of justification is crucial
Category: Theology
Holding tightly or holding lightly
Pick up something that is valuable to you. I worry that at this point many of you have reached for your mobile phone. Whatever it is, grip it tightly in your hand. What would happen if you were to hold onto it that tightly for a long time? Well, I expect two things would happen. … Continue reading Holding tightly or holding lightly
What has the Trinity got to do with public theology?
I was watching a YouTube interview recently where the interviewee, a theologian, argued that people aren’t really talking about The Trinity or other doctrines, especially outside of the Church. That’s why he and others are more focused on other cultural and political issues. However, I wonder if he is right? Surely a robust doctrine of… Continue reading What has the Trinity got to do with public theology?
The Good Samaritan and what Luke has to say about justification
There are two important clues to show us what the parable of the Good Samaritan is about. First, the parable is preceded by a question from one of the scribes: He asks Jesus what he can do to inherit eternal life and Jesus responds by discussing the commandments with him. The man rightly identifies whole… Continue reading The Good Samaritan and what Luke has to say about justification
Some apostles?
One of the big moves during my lifetime has been from a situation where it would be considered at best “fringe” to refer to some Christian leaders as apostles to it being fairly normalised. This came up significantly in my deep dive into Bethel, Redding. The New Apostolic Reformation has a particular view of apostles… Continue reading Some apostles?
Who is God faithful to?
We often sing songs about how God is faithful. I wonder what we have in mind as we sing those songs, or when we repeat the line “you’re never gonna let me down.”? It’s tempting to think primarily in those terms, that God is faithful and so we can trust him with our dreams, aspirations… Continue reading Who is God faithful to?
Has the Gift of Tongues ceased? A reformed continuationist response to a reformed cessationist
Anthony Faggiano writes: “The gift of speaking in tongues, as the New Testament describes it, has ceased. That isn’t a novel claim. It belongs to the Westminster Standards and the Three Forms of Unity, to John Calvin, Francis Turretin, Herman Bavinck, Louis Berkhof, and R. C. Sproul, and to the major cessationist works: B. B.… Continue reading Has the Gift of Tongues ceased? A reformed continuationist response to a reformed cessationist
Does God desert us?
Writing on The Gospel Coalition website, Kyle Strobel asks: “Have you had the experience of feeling like your prayers simply bounced off the ceiling? Or your Scripture reading ceased to feel as meaningful as it once did? Have you looked back at seasons that felt like lush gardens of excitement, passion, and zeal for the… Continue reading Does God desert us?
Desire and temptation: Essays on the concupiscence controversy
I’ve recently published all my articles on the debate around whether desire and temptation are sin in one e-book. Here’s the introduction to that volume. This little book started life as a series of articles for Faithroot.com in 2024. At the time a little controversy had begun to brew in conservative evangelical circles. Technically the… Continue reading Desire and temptation: Essays on the concupiscence controversy
Cultivating the affections
Psalm 37:4 tells us to Delight yourself in the Lord and he will grant you the desires of your heart”. Such positive encouragement should caution us to a wholely negative view of desire as automatically and only sin. We can have good desires. We may also think of those things as affections, the people, things,… Continue reading Cultivating the affections
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