Apr 21, 2006 | Church History
Between Two Worlds: Luther’s Use of Bar Tunes So Luther did not write his hymns over a large keg in the local Tavern in Worms? read more
Apr 20, 2006 | Ecclesiology, Pastoral Ministry
Here are a few more thoughts regarding training for pastoral ministry (Note past articles HERE and HERE). In a few previous posts, I suggested that the local church was essential for adequate formal pastoral training. I don’t think local church involvement in formal theological training is merely a good idea. I believe it is essential. In other words, if all one has received is a degree from a formal theological institution without specific input, accountability, involvement and approval from a local church, more than likely, he is not ready to begin serving as a pastor. As I have stated before, I am pro-academy when it comes to theological training. There are areas of ministry of which the academy can train to a deeper degree than the local church. However, in my estimation, the number of such areas is few. Just to throw a few more bones out to gnaw on, I want to propose some areas of ministry training that the academy can serve best and those they can not and should not assume for themselves: WHAT THE ACADEMY DOES BEST Training in the biblical languages. Use of the biblical languages in the details of exegesis. Equipping a student for a ministry of professional scholarship (a teacher in a theological institution). Providing an environment of concentrated study and academic evaluation. WHAT THE ACADEMY IS NOT DESIGNED TO DO Determine if a man is qualified for, or called to the ministry. Even the best of theological institutions is not designed for (and should not be) evaluating a man’s life in terms of character and overall preparedness for pastoral ministry. Perhaps... read more
Apr 19, 2006 | Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministry
Biblical Foundations » Children of Elders: What Are the Requirements? Dr. Kostenberger gives a brief discussion of what can be a very difficult issue. It seems that he indicates that pastors are not required to have “believing” children in order to be qualified, but “obedient” children. Would not the latter be the sign of the former? Or is it fair to say that Paul is not definitely making a comment on the salvific nature of the child but on the child’s outward behavior. Determining if this deep seated rebellion to parental authority is in fact an expression of unbelief may be the consequent consideration, but not the defining one for whether a man is qualified to serve as a pastor. Just a... read more
Apr 19, 2006 | General Theology, Humor
Manila Drive: The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism This is funny! Would be funnier if it were not so accurate. HT: ... read more
Apr 19, 2006 | Humor
Confessions of a Pastor: Have you ever laughed when you shouldn’t? I have had one class with Dr. York and was exposed to his great sense of humor only for the span of five days. Oh that it could have been more. I needed this laugh today. It’s so funny because it’s happened to all of us and watching the video makes you pray for omnipotent help for the inevitable next... read more
Apr 19, 2006 | Pastoral Ministry
Together for the Gospel What is your plan to read and study? Written primarily to pastors, but beneficial in part for anyone, C. J. Mahaney points out that we need to attack our week before it attacks us by planning ahead of time when we will study and read. As always, the material on reading and study from the T4G guys has been... read more
Apr 19, 2006 | General Theology
Pyromaniacs: The Wright Stuff Phil Johnson posts a bit of his past interaction with Michal Spencer (Internet Monk) over N. T. Wright and the New Perspective debate. I’m sure we’ll be hearing some more “anti-MacArthur-pro-Wright” rhetoric over at the BHT due to this post by Phi. I haven’t followed all of the BHT rants on the “Wright-Borg resurrection issue,” but why isn’t Brother Spencer ranting against Mohler who made some very public statements about these... read more
Apr 19, 2006 | Personal
Here we go once again! I made the move to WordPress a number of weeks ago, utilizing their free hosted site. However, in order to use the full features of WordPress and customize it yourself, you need your own domain to host the blog. So, with a ton of help from the company that hosts our church site, I moved The Capranica to a more permanent address. Welcome, and let me know what you think of the new look and features. Of course, I will continue to work on it – it’s been a good distracting hobby. Again, HERE, the new feed for the... read more
Apr 7, 2006 | Miscellaneous, Time/Life Management
How I Work: Bill Gates – Apr. 4, 2006 Oh the perks of running Microsoft. read more
Feb 7, 2006 | Calvinism
O.K., continuing from last week, here’s the most debated petal in TULIP. Particular Redemption or Limited Atonement. In order secure their redemption, Jesus Christ came into the world and took upon Himself human nature so that He might identify Himself with His people and act as their legal representative or substitute. Historical or mainline Clavinism has consistently maintained that Christ’s redeeming work was definite in design and accomplishment – that it was intended to render complete satisfaction for certain specified sinners, and that it actually secured salvation for these individuals and for no one else. Christ did not die simply tomake it possible for God to pardon sinners. Neither does God leave it up to sinners to decide whether or not Christ’s work will be effective. On the contrary, all for whom Christ sacrificed Himself will be saved infallibly. Redeption, therefore, was designed to bring to pass God’s purpose of election. All Calvinists agree that Christ’s obedience and suffering were of infinite value, and that if God had so willed, the satisfaction rendered by Christ would have saved every member of the human race. The Arminians also place a limitation on the atoning work of Christ, but one of a much different nature. They hold that Christ’s saving work was designed to make possible the salvation of all men on the condition that they believe, but that Christ’s death in itself did not actually secure or guarantee salvation for anyone. Since not all men will be saved as the result of Christ’s redeeming work, a limitation must be admitted. Either the atonement was limited in that it was designed... read more
Feb 3, 2006 | Calvinism
Becoming a pastor is what eventually helped me to come to Calvinism. How? Because I was committed to biblical exposition, I began preaching through books of the Bible. But, there were a few books that scared me. Why? Because of a number of tough theological issues I couldn’t resolve, like predestination and election vs. the free agency of man (ever heard of that one?). I ignored the “P” and “E” words and those books in the Bible that tended to use them. That’s why I came to Calvinism rather early in my pastorate. There aren’t many books that do not use those intriguing words. But I was very fearful of a few books that seemed to camp on them. Romans terrified me. Ephesians was smaller, so it merely made me nervous. But, I thought that I should deal with the issues and settle it in my mind, so I began an exposition of Ephesians. But that was not all. I was also exposed to the results of “decisional” conversions. I can remember preaching one evening of a revival service (no comments please) and when it came to the invitation (again, no comments), I was able to get seventeen people to come forward. As they came, I asked them why they were coming. Few could communicate a clear answer. To my knowledge, none profess Christ to this day. I was shaken. My approach to ministry was shaken. I returned to my study the next week with different questions in my mind. Thank God for the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit through His word. I still remember the day that... read more
Feb 2, 2006 | Calvinism
I, like others, have not always been a Calvinist. That is, with a capital “C.” But then again, the more I look back on my conversion, I must have been a calvinist (I get a squiggly red line under that word without the capital “C”) when I was converted. When a child, I embraced the kind of gospel call to be saved where you bow your head and very sincerely pray to receive Jesus into your heart so that you won’t go to hell. I was very sincere, and I wasn’t interested in merely being religious. I was raised in a liberal Methodist church. I saw the hypocrisy of a “gospelless” approach to God. My parents embraced it and were on the verge of divorce. Everyone I knew in church embraced it and demonstrated the fruit of the flesh in ways that helped me grow to hate the church. So, when I was at a Southern Baptist VBS and was first confronted with the gospel message, it resonated. I sincerely prayed and yet I still remained in my sin. How do I know? My life, my attitude, and the consequent hardening of my heart toward most things Christian confirmed my lack of conversion. I had repented of nothing. I merely plastered over my diseased heart with the paste of emotional religion. And the emotions faded. Whatever I did at that VBS, it didn’t save. Then I saw my father converted. I witnessed the one-eighty in his entire approach to living. My mom was next. We changed churches to one given to expository preaching (I didn’t know what that was... read more
Feb 1, 2006 | Calvinism
The doctrine of election declares that God, before the foundation of the world, chose certain individuals from among the fallen members of Adam’s race to be the objects of His undeserved favor. These, and these only, he purposed to save. God could have chosen to save all men (for He had the power and authority to do so) or He could have chosen to save none (for He was under no obligation to show mercy to any) – but He did neither. Instead, He chose to save some and to exclude others. His eternal choice of particular sinners for salvation was not based upon any forseen act or response on the part of those selected, but was based solely on His own good pleasure and sovereign will. Thus, election was not determined by, or conditioned upon, anything that men would do, but resulted entirely from God’s self-determined purpose. Those who were not chosen for salvation were passed by and left to their own evil devices and choices. It is not within the creatures jurisdictio to call into question the justice of the Creator for not choosing everyone for salvation. It is enough to know that the Judge of the earth has done right. It should, however, be kept in mind that if God had not graciously cosen a people for Himself and sovereignly determined to provide salvation for them and apply it to them, none would be saved. Election, therefore, is but one aspect (thoughan important aspect) of the saving purpose of the triune God, and thus must not be viewed as salvation. For the act of election itself... read more
Jan 30, 2006 | Calvinism
While I was in Kentucky for my DMin class, I read through the book, The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented, by David N. Steele, Curtis C. Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn. This is a very helpful resource for a simple, straightforward discussion on Calvinism. The book is invaluable for the annotated bibliography of resources that discuss Calvinism. It also provides a good historical look at TULIP’s beginnings and a helpful chart comparing the five points of Armenianism with the five points of Calvinism. Get the book. In conjunction with Fide-O‘s posts this week on Calvinism, and to simply have them summarized for reference on my blog, throughout the week, I hope to summarize each one of the petals of Calvinism’s TULIP as presented in The Five Points. (I’m not commenting on what the guys wrote – I’m verbatim quoting portions of the book). TOTAL DEPRAVITY OR TOTAL INABILITY The view one takes concerning salvation will be determined, to a large extent, by the view one takes concerning sin and its effects on human nature. When Calvinits speak of man as being totally depraved, they mean that man’s nature is corrupt, perverse, and sinful throughut. The corruption extends to every part of man, his body and soul; sin has affected all (the totality) ofman’s faculties – his mind, his will, etc. As a result of this inborn corruption, the natural man is totally unable to do anything spiritually good; thus, Calvinists speak of man’s ‘total inability.’ The inability intended by this terminology is spiritual inability; it means that the sinner is so spiritually bankrupt that he can... read more
Aug 8, 2005 | Bookreviews, Uncategorized
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is urging denominational divestment from a number of US companies because, as the Prebyterians assert, they are helping Israel in the occupation of Palestinian territory. The New York Times story linked above notes that only one company was targeted for divestment on the Palestinian side of the struggle due to their alleged funneling of money to families of suicide bombers. What is the rationale behind this move? Is the rationale theological? Minimally. Some within the Presbyterian Church of American (a somewhat more conservative branch of Presbyterians), issues an open letter through Knox Theological Seminary some time ago, urging Christians not to support Israel based on their eschatological stance. Based on their Covenant Theological grid of viewing the world and the Scriptures, they assert that the current secular nation of Israel has no biblical right to the land (the church has replaced a political Israel) and therefore should not be supported by evangelicals. No doubt this Covenant kind of theology is a foundational aspect for the more liberal brand of Presbyterians in the PCUSA. I agree that the current secular state of Israel is not the one mentioned by the prophets as those who should inherit the land, but not because of a skewed view that the Church has somehow spiritualized all of the Old Testament promises to Israel. Jeremiah 31:31-34 suggests that Israel and Judah will inherit the land when their heart is changed and the nation once again obeys the Lord. However, the PC USA no doubt is more influenced by their social liberal leanings, of which the NY Times report draws attention. Rather... read more
Aug 3, 2005 | Personal
Posting is poor this week due to my involvement in the Inland Empire Southern Baptist Association‘s Kids’ Camp and due to finalizing paperwork for The Capranica Villa. What is the Villa? Watch for some picturesque posts in the upcoming days. The Capranica’s are moving shop to a new location, an Italian Tuscan Villa – in Hemet! For posts from Kids’ Camp – see Fide-O this week – posting live from Wolf Lodge. Though there is little to post, I did think that an Op-Ed in the New York Times was interesting this morning – how Ghana and Japan have better broadband service than the U.S. Though the U.S. no doubt dominates in posting useless blogs, we do so with a slower and less available wireless network than fifteen other nations in the world. Not much theological here, just... read more
Jul 31, 2005 | Church History
Little did the ancient Romans know that the Providence of God was directing them to build an old world superhighway for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to the referenced report, the 535 mile Via Egnatia is regaining modern-day... read more
Jul 30, 2005 | Calvinism, Southern Baptist Issues
Bobby Welch, current President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Pastor of First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Florida, is very concerned about baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention. He is also concerned about Calvinists within the Convention and what they are doing to the SBC’s baptism ratio. He posts his concerns on his church’s July 10 Newsletter and makes for an interesting read. Regarding Bro. Bobby’s recent cry for one million baptism’s this year, see my previous comments at FIDE-O. Concerning his Cavinistic concerns and claims, see Rob Wilkerson’s post and a post by Tom Ascol [part 1], [part 2], and [part 3]. I too am concerned about baptisms within the Convention. I am very concerned about my own personal evangelism and that of my congregation. We would no doubt be in Bro. Welch’s crosshairs for our lack of water stirred within the past year. I am grieved when the church is not seeing people openly profess their repentance and conversion through the waters of baptism. But, I’m also concerned about many of the baptisms that ARE taking place. In my experience, many SBC pastors [including myself at one time] are ready and willing to dunk anyone who will repeat a prayer after a minimalist [at best] presentation of the gospel. Perhaps we should also be taking statistics on just how many newly dunked professors of faith are also abandoning their confession and their church. I am not convinced that we are merely ineffective in our follow-up techniques and marketing strategies. Pastor Welch did not discuss anything about the gospel we preach, only the numbers he says we should... read more
