Thursday, January 18, 2007

Around the Blogs

First, there is an excerpt from R. Scott Clark (ed). How We Got Here: The Roots of the Current Controversy over Justification which is the opening chapter on a book raising alarm about several issues in the US (I find it most concerning that some Reformed scholars cannot say "Scripture" without also adding "as understood by the Reformed Confessions" as if Scripture needs the Confessions in order to be authoritative or comprehensible. In my view Sola Scriptura means Scripture alone or Scripture plus nothing! Not Scripture as interpreted by the Talmud. Not Scripture as interpreted by the Magisterium. Not Scripture as interpreted by the Westminster or Philadelphia Confessions. The Confessions are a wonderful and useful compendium of what Scripture teaches but they are not an extension of, surrogate for, or proxy for Scripture itself. Scripture is supreme over the Confessions). HT: Daniel Kirk. And the book is available from the Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore.

Second, Tim Chester is doing some cool stuff on Revelation and Globalisation.

Third, Alan Street notes that Oscar Cullmann is making a reprint comeback thanks to Wipf & Stock.

Fourth, if the details are indeed accurate, Wade Burleson notes a grave travesty of injustice against a sister-in-Christ (Sheri Klouda).

Fifth, Ben Myers posts Kim Fabricius' Twelve propositions on same-sex relationships and the church. I think I'll side with Michael Jensen on that one (see the comments). Let me say, everybody is invited to my church, women, blacks, drunks, whores, poofs, druggies, and even Republicans - and come as you are! But nobody is allowed to stay as they are. And if you have to do business with God in the area of sexuality (straight, gay, bi- whatever) then so be it. For all have sinned and fall short the glory of God and need to experience the justifying and transforming power of the gospel!

Sixth, Scot McKnight has a letter to Emerging Christians which is worth reading.

4 comments:

michael jensen said...

Yeah, thanks for the support there MB!

Happy to out myself as a bilicising fundie at this point...

michael jensen said...

that's biblicising...

Anonymous said...

Michael, thanks for your post about Dr. Klouda. I continue to be devastated by the actions of my alma mater. I can just about kiss good bye of ever finding a teaching post anywhere outside fundamentalist circles.
I find it funny that Patterson was so closely aligned with W.A. Criswell and I used to chuckle when I listened to Mrs. Criswell's Bible class on the radio in the DFW area. She was basically performing expository preaching every week on the radio. I hurt for Dr. Klouda and I hurt for my old institution.

Michael F. Bird said...

Mark,
Thanks for your comments!
1. Note the link to the book store I've added.
2. When I say "Westminster" and "Philadelphia" I'm not thinking of the seminaries but of the confessions. I am sure you are aware of the 1689 London Baptist Confession and the 1742 Philadelphia Baptist Confession which are very similar to Westminster Confession but (as any renegerate person would agree) they are eminently superior at certain points ;-) - I hope you are able to detect my Aussie humour here which is lost on many Americans!!!