Stopping to Think

                                                                           Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash    Introduction Inerrancy is the belief that the Bible is entirely inspired by God, such that each and every word proceeds from his mouth and is as truthful as God himself is truthful. ‘While the technical term inerrancy is of recent origin, the conviction that the Bible is “without error” is not.’ So state Greg Boyd and Paul Eddy in their essay on inerrancy in Across the Spectrum. The argument of this paper will be that such a view is not of recent origin because the Scriptures themselves teach that they are without error. And as Wayne Grudem writes, “ to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. ” To put it prov...

  "We do not rise up to God; he descends to us." Michael Horton, Pilgrim Theology, pg 31

Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctrines for Christian Disciples by Michael S. Horton My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love reading Horton. I'm not reformed (at least not in the legitimate, Westminster/Dordt, fashion), so I often differ with him. But he writes with a clarity and beauty of expression that is often missing in modern theology. View all my reviews

No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It's Harmful by Andrew David Naselli My rating: 5 of 5 stars Super helpful, very clear. Useful book for lay people and pastors alike. View all my reviews

"All theology is practical theology." Lance Lewis Commonplace Monday is a series of posts wherein, on Monday mornings, I share short quips, sentences -perhaps as much as a paragraph- which I have collected in my various commonplace books and files. If I wrote down or recall where it came from I will certainly give attribution. However, sometimes I write down things and not where they came from. So if you see anything like that here and recognize it, that's what comment sections are for.  

"Theology without proclamation is empty. Proclamation without theology is blind." DA Carson Commonplace Monday is a series of posts wherein, on Monday mornings, I share short quips, sentences -perhaps as much as a paragraph- which I have collected in my various commonplace books and files. If I wrote down or recall where it came from I will certainly give attribution. However, sometimes I write down things and not where they came from. So if you see anything like that here and recognize it, that's what comment sections are for.  

I wrote a post about a year and a half ago on family devotions . While I have been pretty inconsistent and at times lackadaisical in my application of what I wrote there, I am encouraged as I look back over the last year plus and think of how much Scripture we've been able to read together at the dinner table.  However, as you may know, it's sometimes hard to discuss with your 2 year-old child the complex theological arguments of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. Not that we shouldn't make that effort, but it just might be difficult. You'll have to do a lot of simplifying in your language, and trying to take abstract ideas and connect them to concrete realities. Some people are pretty good at this...I'm not. I need help. I have to learn how to talk and think like a small child, because that is a completely foreign world to me. And so, if you're in that same boat, I think it's good to martial some allies to your cause. Let me suggest three that I use. ...

I read an interesting list today from Drew G. I. Hart over at the Christian Century on 10 books that had "stuck" with him (you can read that piece here: http://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2014-09/10-books). I thought posting a list of my own would be fun. Bear in mind that my reading is fairly narrow and some books have, I'm sure, made impacts on me that I do not consciously notice or remember, making these lists far more fun than useful. But they are fun. In no particular order: 1. The Holiness of God: R.C. Sproul 2. Don't Waste Your Life: John Piper 3. The Great Divorce: C.S. Lewis 4. Bonhoeffer: Eric Metaxas 5. Future Grace: John Piper 6. Lasting Valor: Vernon Baker 7. A Sweet and Bitter Providence: John Piper 8. Surprised by Joy: C.S. Lewis 9. Radical: David Platt 10. Systematic Theology: Wayne Grudem