A Study Bible to Get! The ESV Study Bible

Primary Features

• 2,752 pages—equivalent to a 20-volume Bible resource library all in one volume.
• 1.1 million words—written by 95 leading evangelical scholars and teachers.
• 19,500 notes—focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.
• Over 50 articles—including articles on the Bible’s authority, reliability, and interpretation; on biblical archaeology, theology, worship, prayer, and personal application.
• Over 200 full-color maps—created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color, throughout the Bible.
• 200-plus charts—offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
• 80,000 cross-references—to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
• More than 40 new full-color illustrations—including historically accurate reconstructions of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more.

The goals of the ESV Study Bible are"first and foremost, to honor the Lord... and help people come to a deeper understanding of the Bible, of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior."

The ESV is a one-volume library! There are 10 articles specifically aimed at how to use the Bible. This list of articles would make for an excellent volume in its own right:

1. "Introduction/How to Use a Study Bible," by Lane T. Dennis
2. The Authority and Truthfulness of the Bible, by Wayne Grudem
3. How to Interpret the Bible, by Daniel Doriani
4. Overview of the Bible (Survey of the History of Salvation), by Vern Poythress
5. Reading the Bible Theologically, by J.I. Packer
6. Reading the Bible as Literature, by Leland Ryken
7. Reading the Bible for Application, by David Powlison
8. Reading the Bible, Prayer, and Communion with God, by John Piper
9. Reading the Bible with the Church, by John Hannah
10. The Bible's Use in Preaching and Public Worship, by Kent Hughes

Introduction to Luke & Revelation

Read the Introduction to Luke (PDF) & Introduction to the book of Revelation (8 MB PDF) from the ESV Study Bible.

Full-color illustrations and maps

More than 40 new full-color illustrations and over 200 full-color maps rendering material in precise detail.

See samples

Comments from : http://purechurch.blogspot.com
I love the continuous focus on salvation history running through book introductions, notes, and articles. The maps, illustrations, and aids are stunningly beautiful. The contributors are world-class.

Other Reviews of the ESV
C.J. Mahaney and a special offer from Sovereign Grace
Phil Ryken, "the apotheosis of study Bibles"

Endorsements

“The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.”

John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church

“The ESV Study Bible is the most important resource that has been given to the emerging generation of Bible students and teachers. The ESV Study Bible is the best. Period.”

Mark Driscoll, Preaching Pastor, Mars Hill Church; President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network

“The definitive clarity and beauty of the ESV Study Bible is extraordinary. In a world where words are distorted to mean anything, it is wonderful to have complete confidence in the reliability and truth of the Bible—so clearly and persuasively demonstrated by this world-class team of Bible scholars and teachers. For everyone who wants to understand God’s word in a deeper way, the ESV Study Bible is an outstanding resource. I will be an avid user!”

Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder of the JAF International Disability Center

“The ESV Study Bible is the finest study tool I have seen in fifty years of Bible teaching. The notes, articles, maps, and illustrations are all of the highest quality. It is a great achievement!”

Jerry Bridges, speaker, bestselling author of The Pursuit of Holiness

“Outstanding! The ESV Study Bible is a treasure—a beautiful volume, filled with a wealth of resources. It will be just as useful for the seminarian and long-time pastor as it will be accessible to the brand-new Christian.”

R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Like the ESV itself, this Study Bible sets a new standard in excellence. The craftsmanship invested in every page—from the insightful articles and informative notes to the crisp design and gorgeous illustrations—makes it an invaluable tool for students of God’s Word. As a pastor it’s my goal to get one into the hands of every member of my church.”

Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church

“Wow! Concise, lucid, enlightening—the ESV Study Bible is an amazing resource. With its textual fidelity, doctrinal substance, and artistic beauty, the ESV Study Bible will be an immense help to all who hunger for God-breathed Scripture. I wholeheartedly recommend this exceptional resource.”

Randy Alcorn, bestselling author of Heaven and Money, Possessions, and Eternity

“I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation.”

C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“I was privileged to act as General Editor of the English Standard Version, and now that I look back on what we did in producing that version, I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in certainly the last half century at least, and perhaps more. And now, as Theological Editor of the ESV Study Bible, I believe that the work we have done together on this project has set an altogether new standard in study Bibles.”

J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College (Vancouver, Canada)

“The ESV Study Bible is accessible, comprehensive, theologically sound, beautifully and helpfully formatted, chock full of maps, charts, well-chosen cross-references, and illustrations. I’m confident that it will be an instant and reliable help to growing Christians; high school, college, and seminary students; busy pastors; and Bible teachers. In short, the ESV Study Bible is an edifying, state-of-the-art resource that I highly recommend and will use with joy!”

Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church (Jackson, Mississippi); President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

“The ESV Study Bible is unparalleled in quality. Like the ESV text itself, the Study Bible notes, articles, and graphics set the standard for the 21st century.”

R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton, Illinois

“The ESV Study Bible is a tour de force: innovative production, beautiful graphics, and notes by outstanding scholars packed with useful information.”

Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C

You can learn more about the ESV Study Bible and get a pre-order discount at www.ESVStudyBible.org.
REMINDER: the 33% pre-order discount ends this Sunday, June 15th.

Why is it Important to Interpret the Bible Objectively?

Why is it important to rely on objective truth instead of subjective opinion? The answer is because if you rely on the latter, quite literally all hell breaks loose. We need the objective truth of the Scriptures to be our standard as believers and not the subjective opinions of man. Mark Kielar of CrossTV explains why in this clip.

Leaving Christianity for All the Wrong Reasons

C Michael Patton @ http://www.reclaimingthemind.org has an interesting post on theological reasons why people leave Christianity.

Theological Reasons: Casualties by Friendly-Fire

Thesis: We have the tendency, left without theological discipleship and accountability, to make God into who we think he ought to be. When that version of him fails, it is not as if the true version has failed, but only the version we created. Therefore, we have not really left God in a proper sense, but we have left the God we made. Sure, this God may be called “Jesus” and he may have died on a cross for our sins, but, for some people, these form secondary characteristics that are not foundational.

The lack of theological discipleship in the Church has created casualties by friendly-fire.

The “My will be done” type of God named “Jesus”

The personal promise maker God named “Jesus”

The “I am primarily concerned about your success and stability” God named “Jesus”

The “I am about your glory” God named “Jesus”

The “Jesus” who said the world was flat

"In summary, the church needs to look long and hard at its current Gospel discharge methods and see that the lack of intellectual viability presented and the bad theology allowed for form the bed that we have made. From a human perspecive, we may be suffering such loses due to friendly-fire. We need to make sure that if people are leaving Christianity, they are not doing so for all the wrong reasons".

Teaching a Church to Pray

Teaching a Church to Pray: How a new pastor helped his congregation re-approach the throne of grace.

Daniel Henderson @ http://www.buildingchurchleaders.com reviews how he trained leaders in four areas.

1. The personal attributes of a prayer leader. Building the hearts of prayer leaders is the most important step. I remind them, "Prayer ministry will never go any farther than the personal passion of those who lead it."

The first attribute we target is motive.

The second attribute is conviction.

The third attribute is longevity. Inspiring others to pray is a permanent calling.

2. The vision for corporate prayer. "Our individualistic culture robs us of a vision for corporate prayer. Private devotion is upheld as the ideal. But Scripture teaches that the church prayed together. And Jesus taught us to pray in a collective sense. The language of Matthew 6 is essentially, "When y'all pray, pray 'Our Father,' and 'give us our daily bread.'" His ideal was that we pray in community".

3. The practical dynamics of effective prayer meetings. "Effective prayer meetings move beyond "bless him, be with her" prayer to elevate pray-ers into the presence of God.

Jesus taught the disciples to begin in adoration—"hallowed be thy name." We developed meetings that began in worship and focused not on informing God of all the troubles he already knows about, but on drawing the people into communion with God. I teach our leaders, "If you pray to seek God's face, you'll know his hand. But if you're looking for his hand, you may miss his face."

Our weekly prayer meetings now begin with opened Bibles, prayerful declarations of God's character, and spontaneous songs of praise. All requests are held at bay until we have worshiped well and connected with God's heart, mind, and kingdom purposes".

4. Principles for managing prayer meetings. "We want prayer leaders to facilitate effective, engaging prayer meetings. Part of their training involves managing the common distractions—lack of focus and members who mumble lengthy, disconnected discourses. We teach the leaders to implement clearly defined themes for focus, and to use a song and gentle instruction to center a group that has disengaged".

A Meditation on Death

John Calvin on the Cross

The Basic Plot of Scripture, Part 3

M. Osborne @ http://sharperiron.org has been covering the basic plot of scripture. He started with Part 1 and Part 2. and now covers:

Christ: The Second Adam

(1) The baptism of Jesus and God’s attestation of Jesus’ sonship ( Luke 3:21–22)
(2) The genealogy of Jesus going all the way back to Adam (3:23–38)
(3) The temptation of Jesus (4:1–13)

Christ Restored Dominion

Restored Humanity

Worldwide Restoration

(1) By Jesus Christ “all thing were created” (Col. 1:16).
(2) By Jesus Christ “all things hold together” (1:17).
(3) By Jesus Christ “all thing” will be reconciled to God (1:20).

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

Talk About Hell... It's the Loving Thing to Do

Tony Miano @ http://thelawmanchronicles.blogspot.com recounts a discipleship session with a group of men in his church. As part of the discipleship, they are reading "Holiness," by J. C. Ryle. He notes: "This wonderful book, written 130 years ago, is biblical and it is applicable to today's Christian. The book, although not intended to be, is prophetic. It is prophetic in that much of what Ryle writes about the Church of his time is characteristic of today's Church, many times over."Holiness" is a must read for every Christian. In the chapter titled "A Woman to be Remembered," which is about Lot's wife, Ryle writes the following":

"God knows that I never speak of hell without pain and sorrow. I would gladly offer the salvation of the gospel to the very chief of sinners. I would willingly say to the vilest and most profligate of mankind on his deathbead, 'Repent and believe on Jesus, and thou shalt be saved.' But God forbid that I should ever keep back from mortal man that Scripture reveals a hell as well as heaven, and that the gospel teaches that men may be lost as well as saved. The watchman who keeps silence, when he sees fire, is guilty of gross neglect; the doctor who tells us we are getting well when we are dying, is a false friend, and the minister who keeps back hell from his people in his sermons is neither a faithful nor a charitable man.

"Where is the charity of keeping back any portion of God's truth? He is the kindest friend who tells me the whole extent of my danger. Where is the use of hiding the future from the impenitent and the ungodly? Surely it is like helping the devil, if we do not tell them plainly that, 'The soul that sinneth shall surely die.' Who knows but the wretched carelessness of many baptized persons arises from this, that might be converted, if ministers would urge them more faithfully to flee from the wrath to come? Verily, I fear we are many of us guilty in this matter; there is a morbid tenderness among us which is not the tenderness of Christ. We have spoken of mercy, but not of judgment; we have preached many sermons about heaven, but few about hell; we have been carried away by the wretched fear of being thought 'low, vulgar and fanatical'. We have forgotten that He who judgeth us is the Lord, and that the man who teaches the same doctrine that Christ taught cannot be wrong" (pp. 171-172).

Tony concludes: "Let me stated it plainly. Those who read this blog and who practice what is commonly referred to as "friendship evangelism" (which, according to how it is most commonly practiced is a contradiction of terms), and who find it unnecessary and even offensive to talk to lost people about God's wrath, judgment and the reality of hell are neither a friend nor an evangelist to sinners bound for the very place about which they are afraid to speak. If this is you, then you are merely one among the throng of professing Christians who, in the end, care more about what the lost think of you than where the lost will spend eternity. In the end, you care more about the personal benefits you derive from your friendship with the lost than you do about your lost friend. In the end, friendship evangelism is about you and not your lost friend".

What to do when confronted with supposed "New Movement of the Spirit"

When "God tells you to kick someone in the face" (see below)



Todd Bentley shows you how to keep people alert for the unexpected injury. It is a Florida Outpouring of violence! The ministry of assault and battery!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gregory Koukl @ http://str.typepad.com offers some very appropriate advice in response to the Toronto Blessing movement:

Let me put the matter in a different light, and I'll state it bluntly. Even if the Holy Spirit is in this, so what?

Let me tell you why I can say that, and why I feel completely safe before the Lord in uttering such a thing

In 2 Timothy, Paul's last letter, Paul was passing the baton to Timothy. His repeated challenge to Timothy was to guard the truth, to retain the standard. Timothy was to guard it and continue in the things Paul had begun.

Paul identifies a couple of problems that Timothy should be prepared for. Paul writes, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

Timothy, Paul says, the time will come when radical, weird things will happen in the church....Now, what was he to do when that time came? Paul has already given him the answer in chapter three.

He starts by saying, "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:1-4).

Well, that time has come. And Paul gives Timothy the antidote: "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them" (2 Tim. 3:14).

Then Paul goes on: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

What is Paul's solution when all of these things begin to happen? He tells Timothy to stay steady at the helm. Don't worry about being left behind with the new things that are happening. Instead, continue in the things which you have already learned....

I've got my hands full with what Jesus and the apostles laid out as the original marching orders. I'm still busy with the old movement of the Spirit: the commands of Scripture that include the Great Commission.

No where that I know of does the Scripture tell Christians to look forward in time to be obedient to some new movement of the Spirit that is yet to be revealed. Instead, it says to stay faithful to what has already been handed down to us. That was Paul's dying command to Timothy. He said to guard and protect the old stuff, not look for the new.

Friends, how can you possibly be left out of God's plan if you are already obeying what He has told you to do in the Scripture? You can't be. That's why you don't have to answer the question of whether these new manifestations are from God or not. That is why you are always safe in ignoring all the latest silliness that passes for spirituality

Even if it is not silliness and Koukl is wrong on this one--which is always a possibility--you couldn't be faulted by God for not participating since He has already given you marching orders that fill your day. And if you follow those marching orders, they still apply because any new orders handed down do not supersede those that have come before. They don't cancel out the prior orders. The prior orders are still there and you can find safety in them.

You don't have to feel like God has left you out. You don't have to feel that you are substandard. You don't have to feel that something is wrong with you spiritually if you don't climb onto this bandwagon. You can say you're not sure about the new blessing, but one thing you are sure of: These 66 books of marching orders are from God and you've got your hands full with them.

I say again: When it comes to the new movements of the Spirit, so what? I've got my hands full and so should you. You don't need any new stuff. All the old stuff is plenty good enough. It's been good enough for 2000 years of Christendom. It will be good enough for the next 2000 years.

My counsel to you is not to be distracted by new-fangled Christianity, but instead be diligent to know and practice the faith that's been once and for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

The Preacher and His Message

Bob Franquiz @ http://bobfranquiz.typepad.com summarized what could be considered as common in the process of preaching. He outlined what is his relationship with every message taught:

Wednesday: I love it, I can't wait to teach it

Thursday: Anticipation building. This is going to be awesome!

Friday: I can't look at it anymore! I hate it. I wouldn't teach this message at gunpoint!

Saturday: It might not be as bad as I originally thought. This might actually be preach-able.

Sunday: I think it went pretty well. I don't know how, but God used it. I wish I would just say what I wrote :)

Monday: I'm never preaching again!

Tuesday: I'm thinking about preaching again :)

Open Letter to a Church Hopper

Tim Stevens @ http://www.leadingsmart.com reports of an open letter Kelly Adkins wrote to a church hopper

Dearest Career Church Hopper:

I met you again on Wednesday, the same person smiling at me through a different face, telling me that you've been shopping for churches for months now, and that darn it, you "just can't find one (you) like." The music's too rocky at this one, you said; the preacher too funny at that one. The latest one might make the cut, though: you'd had the pastor and his wife over the previous evening for a little "dinner audition" -- your words, not mine -- and he said things that made you feel good and comfortable, things that you already agree with, so you're thinking about sticking around. At the very least, you could get your teaching from this church and your worship from that one.

I'm sure we'll run into each other again, but before we do, I'd like to suggest some things you could perhaps think about before you move on to the next church, as I'm sure you will, whether this weekend or next year:

• Christ didn't bleed for the Church so you could treat your search for one like an episode of Survivor, deciding who to vote off the island this week.
• The Church was not commissioned by Christ to meet your needs. You ARE the Church, and you've been commissioned to meet the needs of the world.
• Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her (Eph 5:25). Quit treating his bride like a Jesus buffet where you can pick and choose what you like, hedging your bets against the pain and sacrifice of making a commitment.
• Per scripture's instructions to use your gifts in service to the Body of Christ -- and its lack of instruction to search for a church that scratches you where you itch -- you might want to consider what the Church you're visiting needs from you, rather than the other way around.
• If you only want to hear things you already know and agree with, save your Sundays and talk to yourself in the bathroom mirror.

Sincerely,
The Preacher's Wife

Read more of Kelly's thoughts here.

Sermon Outline: “God is Spirit”

1 Timothy 1:17

1) God is Eternal

Exodus 15:18

Psalm 145:13

2) God is Immortal—

Romans 1:18-23

Psalm 19:1

3) God is Invisible—

Romans 2:14-15

Exodus 33:20

Colossians 1:15-19

4) God is the only God—

Psalm 86:10

Jude 1:25

1 Timothy 6:13-15

John 5:44

The gift of worship..sometimes we dont see the true meaning

Book Review- Praying Backwards

Erik Raymond @ http://www.irishcalvinist.com presents a review of Bryan Chapell's book: Praying Backwards. He notes: “How would your prayer change if you began where you normally end?” Bryan Chapell asks this question in his book Praying Backwards. Chapell’s contention is that if you begin with a Christ-centered, Christ-glorifying mindset you will crowd out self-centered, unbiblical prayers while also calibrating your prayer life with the divine agenda".

Some of the chapters are included here:

Praying in Jesus’ Way: Not My Will but Yours

Praying Boldly: As a Child of God

Praying Expectantly: For All things Always

Praying Persistently: Never, Never Give Up

Praying in God’s Will: Within the Fence of Righteousness

In a review from one section: "Chapell’s chapter on Praying in the Spirit is outstanding. He unpacks the glory of being united to Christ and having the Holy Spirit helping us in our weakness".

“Out of Fatherly care, he sends his Spirit to convict our heart of sin, reveal the deception of false idols, renew our appreciation of close fellowship with him, and by these measures, purify our affections (John 16.8-11). In short, the Holy Spirit reveals both the misery of our sin and the goodness of our Savior so that our greatest desire is to do his will….The Holy Spirit similarly fills us with love for Christ to overcome the power of sin. As love for Jesus fills our heart, the air in which our sin and selfishness thrives is forced out. Desire for the things of this world drowns in a heart that is filled up with love for Christ. The Holy Spirit fills our heart with this supreme love for Christ so that his purposes are our greatest desire. This Spirit-filled prayer is preeminently Christ-loving prayer.” (p.77-78)

He concludes: "Praying Backwards is a very helpful book on prayer. Its narrow aim to get the reader prayer more biblically is applicable for everyone. And its simple and clear writing style makes it suitable for a Christian at any level of maturity".

9 Things I Learned About God from "Planet Earth"

Tim Challies reviews the DVD "Planet Earth". He comments on the presentation: "Planet Earth is widely regarded as the greatest nature or wildlife series ever produced. Says David Attenborough in the opening moments, “A hundred years ago, there were one and a half billion people on Earth. Now, over six billion crowd our fragile planet. But even so, there are still places barely touched by humanity. This series will take you to the last wildernesses and show you the planet and its wildlife as you have never seen them before.” And it proceeds to do just that, finding and filming some of the most exquisitely beautiful locations on the planet. The scenery, the panoramas, the creatures are absolutely breathtaking".

I learned that our God is…

…A God of Variety

…A God of Beauty

…A God of Detail

…A God of the Big Picture

…A God of Pleasure

…A God of Laughter

…A God of His Word

…A God of Redemption

…A God of Adventure

---

He notes: "A couple of months ago I reviewed Planet Earth and its predecessor Blue Planet. Click here if you want to read that. If you are interested in buying the series, I’m pretty sure the best prices are at Amazon (or they were when I bought it)".

Free Christian Music Download

“Blessed Be Your Name”

Steve Weaver @ http://pastorsteveweaver.wordpress.com reports on the funeral of Maria Chapman, the five-year-old daughter of Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman. I have long been encouraged by the depth of Chapman’s lyrics and life. Watching this clip reinforced my confidence in the sincerity of the faith professed and proclaimed by Steven Curtis Chapman. Seeing the family singing Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name” with hands uplifted in praise to God was quite moving. The song is based on Job’s words in Job 1:21:

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. (21) And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (22) In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (ESV)

For the lyrics to “Blessed Be Your Name” click here. To hear the song in its entirety watch the presentation below:

He gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Please continue to pray for the Chapman family during this time of loss.

"Redeeming the Culture"

Many people have been talking recently about "redeeming culture" Josh Harris notes an interview with Derek Thomas about his book Christ and Culture Revisited, Dr. D. A. Carson answered the question, "Why don't you like the terminology of 'redeeming the culture'?" Here's his answer:

Redemption terminology in the NT is so bound up with Christ's work for and in the church that to extend it to whatever good we do in the broader world risks a shift in focus. Not for a moment do I want to deny that we are to serve as salt and light, that exiles may be called to do good in the pagan cities where Providence has appointed them to live (Jer 29), that every square foot of this world is under Christ's universal reign (even though that reign is still being contested), that the nations of the world will bring their "goods" into the Jerusalem that comes down from above. But many of those who speak easily and fluently of redeeming the culture soon focus all their energy shaping fiscal and political policies and the like, and merely assume the gospel. A gospel that is merely assumed, that does no more than perk away in the background while the focus of our attention is on the "redemption" of the culture in which we find ourselves, is lost within a generation or two. At the same time, I worry about Christians who focus their attention so narrowly on getting people "saved" that they care little about doing good to all people, even if especially to the household of God. Getting this right is not easy, and inevitably priorities will shift a little in various parts of the world, under various regimes. Part of the complexity of the discussion, I think, is bound up with what the church as church is responsible for, and what Christians as Christians are responsible for: I have argued that failure to make this distinction tends to lead toward sad conclusions.

Read the full interview.

At Pulpit Magazine, John MacArthur answers the question: "In a lot of today’s literature on preaching, the idea exists that preaching should impact culture and culture should shape the style of preaching. How does that land with you?"

How Do You Know if a Doctrine is Essential? Three Criteria

C Michael Patton @ http://www.reclaimingthemind.org provides three criteria to determine "essential doctrine". From his introduction:“In Essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.” These are the words of obscure reformer Rupertus Meldenius (often wrongly attributed to others). They form somewhat of an Evangelical credo. Evangelicals have traditionally believed that there are certain doctrines that form the core of the Christian faith. They are called “cardinal doctrines.” They are what we might call the sine quo non—the “without which, not”—of the Christian faith. In other words, there are certain doctrines that when denied, by definition, evidence a person does not have the basic core beliefs that must be present in the truly regenerate".

1. Historicity: Does the doctrine have universal historical representation?

2. Clarity (Perspicuity): Is the doctrine represented clearly in Scripture?

3. Explicity: Does the passage of Scripture explicitly teach that a certain doctrine is essential?

Not Letting Jesus Be Jesus: Some Responses to Religious Pluralism

Paul Copan @ http://www.reclaimingthemind.org discusses the nature of religious pluralism. He notes:

First, religious pluralism eliminates the possibility of specific, historical divine revelation.

"According to orthodox Christianity, God begins with particular persons and events—Abraham or the Incarnation. He does have the universal in mind, seeking to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3). Like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond, the Christian mission to the world flows from the Incarnation; the gospel offers salvation to all through God’s enabling Spirit. Pluralism, however, leaves us with a property-less, content-less Ultimate Reality. How then do we need to respond to It? Do we need to love It, or pray to It, or just live ethically? Can we know It even exists?"

Second, religious pluralism is logically just as exclusivistic as the Christian — or any other faith.

Third, despite its claims, religious pluralism is geographically-limited—which is the very charge made by pluralists against religions like Christianity (“If you were born in Saudi Arabia, you’d be a Muslim”—a view known as the “geography objection”).

Fourth, a religion’s moral fruitfulness is not necessarily the ultimate test of its legitimacy.

Fifth, the Christian’s motivation to live humbly, gratefully, graciously, and self-sacrificially is connected to Jesus’ authority as God’s Son. "According to the New Testament, Jesus does not have authority just because we find ourselves agreeing with his moral teaching. Rather, it is Jesus’ unique status as God’s Son that serves as the source and locus of his authority—regardless of whether we happen to agree with his teaching! (Thus we should reject the bumper sticker theology that affirms, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” No, God/Jesus said it. That settles it whether I believe it or not!). If Jesus is not the unique Son of God but a mere man, then the Christian’s motivation will lose much of its force. If Jesus is not God incarnate, this undercuts historic Christianity’s claims and seriously undermines our devotion to Christ. This is a pragmatic consideration, yes, but the Christian faith is bound up with historical events such as Jesus’ death and resurrection. If these never occurred, then Paul urges us to consider hedonism since a merely earthly hope in Christ is delusional (1 Corinthians 15:32)".

Sixth, if Jesus is God’s Son, this effectively undermines religious pluralism. Consider the following subpoints:

(a) Jesus was different from the founders of other great religions.

(b) The earliest Christians — fiercely monotheistic Jews — bore witness to an exalted Jesus who shared in the divine identity.

(c) Jesus rose from the dead in confirmation of his claims.

"In the end, religious pluralism will not let Jesus be Jesus. If it did, it would undermine itself".