A common argument for infant baptism is that in Acts, whole households are baptised and that must have included children. This has also been developed by some into the argument that the culture of the Bible was more corporate with a greater emphasis on fathers acting as heads of families so that it would be… Continue reading Household baptisms, headship, corporate salvation and paedobaptism
Category: Theology
Federal Vision and the next Christendom
In the joint Federal Vision Profession (2007), the authors and signatories state: “We affirm that Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. We believe that the Church cannot be a faithful witness to His authority without calling all nations to submit themselves to Him through baptism, accepting their responsibility to obediently learn all… Continue reading Federal Vision and the next Christendom
Why am I so exercised over Federal Vision?
This is a question that a good friend recommended I addressed as part of my articles on the subject. Perhaps you’ve been thinking that very question. Why is Dave paying attention to this out of all the errors and issues that beset the church? Well, first of all, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the… Continue reading Why am I so exercised over Federal Vision?
What was going on at Oak Hill in the noughties?
In my introductory article about the Federal Vision controversy, I shared some autobiographical detail about my own introduction to the ideas and people. This related to my time at Oak Hill Theological College and was really primarily about setting the scene and showing how I became aware of the issue. However, I’ve been asked a… Continue reading What was going on at Oak Hill in the noughties?
Spiritual warfare: The devil, demons and proxies
Iran has exercised a significant threat and influence around the world, far beyond its actual political, economic and military might. The country is a significant military power in its own right. However, much of its influence is indirect through proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and The Houtis. Similarly, Al Qaeda primarily relied on influencing people to carry… Continue reading Spiritual warfare: The devil, demons and proxies
Another terrible argument for paedobaptism
One of the arguments that comes up from time to time for paedobaptism is: “How do Baptists approach reading the Bible and praying with their children?” This has included the suggestion that it would be inconsistent to teach the Lord’$ Prayer to children because they cannot pray to God as father. Linked to this, is… Continue reading Another terrible argument for paedobaptism
Why do “sound people” baptise babies? A rejoinder to Darren Moore
I’ve just been reading an article titled “Why do ‘sound people’s baptise babies?”* It is addressing the premise that paedobaptism is perceived as unsound and yet people who are solid on everything else are willing to baptise infants. It’s meant to lead to the punchline that sound people baptise babies because it is actually a… Continue reading Why do “sound people” baptise babies? A rejoinder to Darren Moore
Cyrus, Isaiah and prophecy
One of the big debates in Biblical scholarship is the dating of Isaiah. The consensus position tends to be that there were at least 2:and possibly 3 authors. The first author would then be presumed to have written in the 7th century BC and the later authors during or post exile. Often this position is… Continue reading Cyrus, Isaiah and prophecy
Spurgeon’s college: A shock closure and thoughts about the future of theological training
Yesterday saw the shock announcement that Spurgeon’s College is closing. I say that it was a shock because it seemed to come out of nowhere. However, those who have been following the situation with theological education maybe won’t be so surprised that some places are closing. There have been issues with student numbers and finance… Continue reading Spurgeon’s college: A shock closure and thoughts about the future of theological training
The Return of the Federal Vision?
When I went to theological college in 2006, I went against the backdrop of three major theological controversies that had been brewing in Evangelical circles. I was familiar with two of them, Open Theism and the controversy surrounding Steve Chalke and Penal Substitution. However, I was completely unaware of the third. Apparently, a few years… Continue reading The Return of the Federal Vision?