Category Archives: Reforming

Trevin Wax Interview with N.T. Wright

Here is the full transcript of the interview Trevin conducted with N.T. Wright. This is a really great interview and I hope that every one of you will read through it or listen to the mp3 of it. The mp3 is available for direct download here.

I really appreciated Wright’s response and comments regarding his critics, in particular John Piper. Here is what Wright had to say about Piper and his new book:

Piper is in a different category. He graciously sent me an advance manuscript of his book which is critiquing me and invited my comments on it. I sent him a lengthy set of comments. I’ve only just got on email about two days ago the book in the revised form and I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. So I cannot say whether he’s being fair or not at this stage.

But I do know that he has done his darndest to be fair and I honor that and I respect that. People have asked me if I’m going to write a response, and the answer is that I don’t know. I’m kind of busy right now. But I maybe should, sooner or later.

I would love to see that response! Pray that Wright will find the time to respond and that this Piper/Wright dialogue will continue to bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

The breakdown of the interview is also available in individual postings. Here is the breakdown:

  1. Introduction
  2. Wright’s conversion, calling, and personal worship
  3. Wright on “the gospel”
  4. Justification by faith
  5. Justification – present and future
  6. Justification and the Roman Catholic Church
  7. Sola Scriptura
  8. Is Wright arrogant to assume he has just now figured out what Paul meant?
  9. Wright on his critics
  10. Justification in practice
  11. Wright on penal substitution
  12. Wright on the resurrection
  13. Wright on Evangelism
  14. Wright on Church and State
  15. Upcoming Writings and Conclusion

Reformed Baptist Academic Press

The Reformed Baptist Academic Press is very close to its launch date. I just received this word from Richard Barcellos…

The shopping cart should be up on Monday, Nov. 19. You will be able to order all issues of RBTR; Reformed Baptist Manifesto, Waldron/Barcellos; Faith, Obedience, and Justification, Waldron; Covenant Theology From Adam to Christ, Coxe/Owen; and the two new titles on the home page.

Here are the two brand new titles that they will be offering:

Covenant Children Today
Covenant Children Today: Physical or Spiritual?
By Alan Conner

TRUE CONFESSIONS
True Confessions: Baptist Documents in the Reformed Family
By James M. Renihan

[HT: Richard Barcellos]

Islam, Terror, and a Peaceful Takeover?

The more news I see about Islam, the more I find it amazing that this religion is growing and growing in ‘peaceful’ ways. Regardless of the Islamic terrorism… peaceful Islam continues to grow in its size and influence due to its strong and public practice of worship mixed with a large birth rate of children being born to Muslim families. As Western Europe becomes less Christian and more secular, less and less children are being born to non-Muslims and thus the secular community loses more and more influence as the conservative and dogmatic Muslims have more and more children and demand equality and respect in the West. [Note to the reader: Islam’s eschatology says that everyone is born Muslim and that Islam must spread throughout the entire world and that the world must become Muslim one way or another before the end can finally come. Interestingly enough, Jesus is ‘the prophet’ who they say will come back on day (he never died, but was taken to heaven and Judas crucified in his place) and lead the world back to Allah.]

I find it funny and sad that more people in the West are not responding to Muslims like they are Christians, given that Muslims are even more aggressive and dogmatic in their views than Christians (or other religious groups for that matter). Why is it that Muslims are getting their religion promoted in schools and universities, while Christians are being censured and marginalized?

Well, the surface reading of things won’t help all that much, except to say that the West is tired of Christianity’s dominance and wants something that makes them feel justified in what every they choose to do or become. But below the surface, I really feel we must acknowledge the fact that sinful humanity will allow or even promote anything that pushes away and keeps the true religion, Christianity, off to the side or completely out of the picture. Islam is a false religion and the Western non-Christians (who aren’t Muslim) are not going to be as hateful towards Islam as they are towards the Triune God who calls them to repent of their sins and trust in His Son, Jesus, and become part of the New Humanity via the Church. Since Old Humanity’s default nature is sin, Old Humanity always suppresses the reality of the Triune God and seeks for anything else with which to replace Him (Romans 1) so as to satisfy the deepest longings in their heart, that only the Triune God can satisfy. But I digress…

Getting back to the main topic of this post: Lee Irons has an interesting and somewhat convincing post about why Barack Obama would actually be a very good president regarding the war on terror and the Islamic forces throughout the world. Here is a link to his post. Read it and tell me what you think.

I wonder though, if Obama is elected and Muslims around the world begin to think differently about the West, especially America, will a peaceful takeover actually begin to flourish more? Or will this actually be a great blow to their views of the West and end up helping the Western world survive the Islamic eschatology of making this world into an Islamic kingdom that controls the entire planet?

I honestly do not know what it is that God has planned with Islam and its current spread into the West. I can only rest in the Trinity’s sovereign will and know that God will lead His people (the Christians in the world) to continue on a path of renewal and regeneration as they work towards and anticipate the consummation of a New Heavens and a New Earth that will finally come once the resurrected Jesus returns to judge the world in righteousness, putting all things to rights! One day I believe that Islam will be converted to Jesus through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. Muslims will finally repent of their “Allah” idolatry and begin worshiping the Triune God who has promised to renew the whole human race through faith in Jesus, the true Human and the only Messiah.

In Christ and In Defense of the Faith,

John Piper’s Book is FREE to read online!

The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright

This is the free PDF of Dr. Piper’s new book that Desiring God Ministries has made available for free online! Wow! I cannot say thank you to John Piper’s ministry enough. I’m just waiting for N.T. Wright to make some of his books available for free in response to Piper’s mass distribution campaign. 😉

BTW, if you missed it or if you cannot read the book right now, here is the interview series where Dr. Piper talks about his critique of N.T. Wright and why he wrote the book:

Free Audio Book of the Month – The Religious Affections

Christian Audio has their latest free audio book available for download in this new month of November! The book is “The Religious Affections” by Jonathan Edwards. Use the coupon code NOV2007 to redeem this month’s free audiobook download from christianaudio.com.

The Religious Affections

Here’s a blurb about the book:

The Religious Affections: Quite possibly one of the most important books ever written by America’s greatest theologian. Among the questions asked is, “What is the nature of true religion?” “What are the signs of a true revival?” and “How is the heart changed?” Edwards used his pulpit and his leadership of the Great Awakening to pen one of the most challenging and inquisitive books ever written.

Ben Witherington III – Book Trilogy

Ben Witherington has finally completed his book trilogy on the sacraments of the Protestant church. I have yet to read them, but I certainly hope to one day. Until then, from what I have heard, these books are highly recommended and very helpful for anyone looking to develop their sacramental theology and to be challenged to think outside your own understanding of the Sacraments of Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Word.

Here is the trilogy: Continue reading Ben Witherington III – Book Trilogy

Athanasius’ Creed

Whoever wills to be in a state of salvation, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith, which except everyone shall have kept whole and undefiled without doubt he will perish eternally.

Now the catholic faith is that we worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit; the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; the father infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet not three eternals but one eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one infinite. So, likewise, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet not three almighties but one almighty. So the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God; and yet not three Gods but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, there be three Gods or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. So there is one Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and one Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped. He therefore who wills to be in a state of salvation, let him think thus of the Trinity.

But it is necessary to eternal salvation that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The right faith therefore is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man. He is God of the substance of the Father begotten before the worlds, and He is man of the substance of His mother born in the world; perfect God, perfect man subsisting of a reasoning soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood. Who although He be God and Man yet He is not two but one Christ; one however not by conversion of the Godhead in the flesh, but by taking of the Manhood in God; one altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of Person. For as the reasoning soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life eternal, and they who indeed have done evil into eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith, which except a man shall have believed faithfully and firmly he cannot be in a state of salvation.

You Were Made for Earth: An Interview

Trevin Wax over at the Kingdom People blog has conducted a great interview with Michael Wittmer. I encourage everyone to go read it and think about what Dr. Wittmer has to say. Also, Dr. Wittmer has written a book that I’m now very interested in buying. It is called:

Heaven Is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God

Continue reading You Were Made for Earth: An Interview