“Hi. I’m Dave and I’m a complementarian.” There are some kinds of theological labels that feel like they need to be confessed in some quarters in the same way that you might own up to being an addict. The implication of course is that the label identifies something that you should be embarrassed about, a… Continue reading Are we ashamed of being complementarian?
Posts
Demons, disease and death
What ties together the three events in Mark 5? We have the casting out of a demon, a woman who is healed and a dead girl who is raised. The answer is “uncleanness.” The Klaw distinguished two categories. First there was the category of holy and profane or ordinary. Secondly, there was the category of… Continue reading Demons, disease and death
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
Is it divisive to say that you shouldn’t march under Tommy Robinson’s banner?
Back in the aftermath of the first big Unite the Kingdom rally and at the time when there was a lot of attention on Christian Nationalism, Aaron Edwards wrote an article asking “Is Tommy Robinson welcome in your church?” I wrote in response to the question here. At the time, some of Aaron’s article was… Continue reading Is it divisive to say that you shouldn’t march under Tommy Robinson’s banner?
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
Romans 4:13-15
God had made a promise to Abraham back in Genesis 12:1-3, the promise was the basis for the covenant and was repeated at various times. Note that whilst in Genesis 12, 15 etc was on the promise of land, Paul extends this inheritance to speak of the whole world, not just Canaan. Paul insists that… Continue reading Romans 4:13-15
Preston Sprinkle: From Genesis to Junia (book review)
I’ve picked up on a few questions as I’ve been working through Preston Sprinkle’s book exploring egalitarianism and complementarianism. I’ve now reaches the end of the book and so am in a position of offer a review. The aim of Sprinkle’s book is to explore the question of women in church leadership via a thorough… Continue reading Preston Sprinkle: From Genesis to Junia (book review)
Is the story of Ruth sexist?
I recently heard the suggestion that the story of Ruth presents us with a sexist worldview because in the story, women are victims and men are either failed, potential or actual rescuers. Ruth needs Boaz to step in and rescue her. Now, on one level, we might argue that these are simply the historical facts,… Continue reading Is the story of Ruth sexist?
How should we respond to the marches?
There are two marches working their way through London today representing seemingly opposing ideologies. One is the next in the “Unite the Kingdom” rallies associated with Tommy Robinson. The other is to mark the so called “Nakba” day which coincides with Israel’s independence. Nakba Day In Arabic “Nakba” refers to a catastrophe. In this case,… Continue reading How should we respond to the marches?
Ruth and an example of narrative preaching
I thought I’d use a walk and talk to have a go at narrative preaching through Ruth. As well as hopefully being helpful for engaging people, especially those who struggle with lots of reading or are new to the Biblical narrative, it can also stretch us as it forces us to learn and fully know… Continue reading Ruth and an example of narrative preaching
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