by Bret Capranica | Aug 28, 2013 | Church History, Pastoral Ministry
I am currently reading through John Piper’s biographical sketches on William Tyndale, John Paton, and Adoniram Judson, from his book, Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ. Here are a few salient quotes from the Introduction and the chapter on William Tyndale. Good thoughts for keeping our afflictions in Christ-centered perspective: From the Introduction God’s design for the evangelization of the world and the consummation of his purposes includes the suffering of his ministers and missionaries. . . God designs that the sufferings of his ambassadors is one essential means in the triumphant spread of the Good News among all the peoples of the world. . . . suffering is a result of faithful obedience in spreading the gospel (14). But this voluntary suffering and death to save others is not only the content but it is also the method of our mission. . . . As Joseph Tson puts it in his own case: “I am an extension of Jesus Christ. When I was beaten in Romania, He suffered in my body. It is not my suffering: I only had the honor to share His sufferings” . . . Christ’s suffering is for our propitiation; our suffering is for propagation (15). So the afflictions of Christ are “lacking” in the sense that they are not seen and known and loved among the nations. They must be carried by missionaries. And those missionaries “complete” what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by extending them to others. (22). God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of his people. God really means for the body of...
by Bret Capranica | May 7, 2012 | Bookreviews, Church History, Pastoral Ministry, Video
Purchase A Brief Account of the Life and Labors of George...
by Bret Capranica | Aug 2, 2009 | Church History, Ecclesiology, General Theology
Justin Taylor points us to a conversation on Baptist and their 400 years of existence (Landmark objections notwithstanding). Between Two Worlds: Baptist Identity at 400:...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 19, 2007 | Catholicism, Church History, General Theology, Hermeneutics
Andreas Kostenberger reviews a recent lecture on “Non-canonical Early Christian Writings.” The lecture points out a number of interesting apocryphal connections to Roman Catholic theology and Kostenberger has a good summary of how we should view and use apocryphal literature. Biblical Foundations » The Apocryphal New...
by Bret Capranica | Feb 15, 2007 | Church History, Miscellaneous
Here are John Piper’s words of tribute to Bruce Metzger, renown Greek scholar. Personal Tribute to Bruce Manning Metzger :: Desiring God
by Bret Capranica | Jan 5, 2007 | Church History, Jonathan Edwards
By 2012, the Edwards Center at Yale will have all 100,000 pages of Jonathan Edwards materials available online. 25,000 pages are now available. This is a gold mine! The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University: Frequently Asked...
