Despicable me

I saw an interesting social media exchange earlier today. One person was outraged at what a well-known football commentator had said about a particular political issue. They’d then described the person as “despicable”.  Someone else had interjected to say “No, you can’t call them despicable.  We describe the actions as despicable.” There’s something important and… Continue reading Despicable me

No, Aslan is not on the move

I’ve mentioned before that one of my pet hates is the tendency of some Christian adults when they get near a microphone at a conference to announce in awed, whispery tones that “Aslan is on the move.”  It’s meant to sound edgy and spiritual.  It’s usually in response to some perceived spiritual moment.  I want… Continue reading No, Aslan is not on the move

The Kingdom of God in Mark

Jesus begins his ministry by announcing the “good news” that the Kingdom of God is near.[1]  Therefore, if we are to benefit from this good news, we need to understand what Jesus means by the phrase “The Kingdom of God.” Firstly, The Kingdom of God is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel.  We see… Continue reading The Kingdom of God in Mark

Was Jesus married?

This is the question posed by Premier Christianity in a recent article.  Not only that but their editor Sam Hailes lays credence to the claim in this tweet. It is concerning that the editors of a mainstream, Christian publication which was traditionally considered at least broadly evangelical could even consider such a piece worthy of… Continue reading Was Jesus married?

Can I say to an unbeliever “God loves you?”

At least one pastor on social media doesn’t think so. This raises some interesting questions. The first of which is can we through a quick scan through Acts draw such a dogmatic conclusion as that the apostles “never” did something. Interestingly, if we are looking for examples from New Testament narrative, my friend -and experienced… Continue reading Can I say to an unbeliever “God loves you?”

Keep within the lines

Remember when you learnt to colour in as a child? The priority was not to be an amazing artist on day one or to demonstrate your creativity. You had one job. Keep within the lines.  The rule rule applies to theology too, especially when talking about the Trinity. There are a few new books coming… Continue reading Keep within the lines

What are your culture wars leading you to say?

Have a look at this tweet.  Now think it through carefully. Is there any bit of it that we might consider true? The answer is “no.”  If a young person in your church said it, you’d pull them to one side and chat with them about the risk of attempting to put out provocative messages… Continue reading What are your culture wars leading you to say?

John MacArthur – Eternal Sonship and Incarnational Sonship

In a previous article, I wrote that John MacArthur had in the past denied the eternal sonship of Jesus arguing for incarnational sonship -that Jesus became “Son” at his birth.  I thought it might be helpful to trace back exactly what the issue was.  MacArthur has since amended his views but here is his original… Continue reading John MacArthur – Eternal Sonship and Incarnational Sonship