Top 10 Reasons Pope Benedict XVI’s Apology is Worthless

Evidence that the Pope Skips Confession

If you haven’t been hearing about the child and teenage sexual abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, it is about time that you know about it. It has come to light that the Roman Catholic Church has been suppressing information, in some cases by vows of silence, about sexual abuse in their celibate priesthood. In one such case, the offending priest continued to abuse children for 18 years after being caught. Unbelievable. Although there have been cases that go back to 1975, probably with many before that, the Pope has been reluctant to even speak about the sex abuse problems for fear of them being perceived as a connected scandal rather than isolated incidents associated with individual priests.

Finally, the current Pope, Benedict XVI, has issued an apology about the Irish child sex-abuse scandal.

Read the Pope’s letter, and see if you agree with the top ten reasons Pope Benedict XVI’s apology is worthless.

10. It is not an apology

The Pope admits to shame and guilt but never actually says what his personal involvement was or why it was a scandal. A victim of the abuse, Paddy Doyle, rightly called it, “same old dribble that’s been coming out for years.” An apology is hardly an apology if the offending party won’t even state in clear terms the crime he is personally responsible for, which brings us to the next point.

9. He is sympathetic rather than repentant

The whole letter has an attitude that says, “I feel your pain,” rather than, “I am sorry for the pain that I am responsible for.”

8. He doesn’t disclose action he will take

He lists a bunch of problems that need to be addressed, but does not mention how they will be addressed. On top of that, he doesn’t even mention if the priests will be excommunicated, or even defrocked. Considering that some of the priests involved in the sexual abuse had already been subjected to their peers for some form of restoration, this is a very empty way to regain the trust of abuse victims.

7. He asks other people to fix his problem

Beyond the fact that he doesn’t propose concrete solutions that he will take besides merely visiting the dioceses in Ireland, he does give the worlds’ Roman Catholics some tasks like fasting and works of mercy during Lent in order to, essentially, buy the grace needed for the restoration of the [Roman] Church in Ireland. Wait, I thought this was an apology letter, not a letter to get the faithful to try to fix a church under your oversight. It reminds me of the words of Jesus.

Matthew 23:2-5a
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others.”

Besides all of this, his solutions are entirely sacramental. More on that later.

6. He blames it on secular society

One of the more ridiculous and outright offensive parts of this letter is when he blames the fall of the dioceses on secular culture, when there is no organization in secular culture that comes close to the scope of the abuses of the Roman priests, especially considering how systematic they were. Besides this, it is utterly hypocritical that the Roman Church would portray themselves as holy and holding the keys to dispense grace, but yet when such rampant, sickening, widespread, and secretive sin comes to light they would blame the secular culture. If they truly held the keys to grace, you would think that they could at least get enough grace to not abuse children and teenagers.

5. He is hypocritical about who can receive the sacraments

Speaking of hypocrisy, the Pope scolds the offending priests briefly, but then proceeds to offer them sacraments by which they can (supposedly) atone for their sins, yet the excommunicated can not even receive the sacraments. A few generations ago, you could get excommunicated for divorce, but now when priests abuse children they are not even defrocked.

4. He treats the scandal as if it were an isolated event

The Pope doesn’t address why this is happening everywhere, not just in Ireland. There have been over 400 legal cases in the United States alone, and over 2000 cases of child abuse in the Dublin diocese alone, which have been intentionally covered up by the church, according to a reading of the Murphy Report.

3. He says nothing about celibacy

The elephant in the room that none of the clergy including the Pope want to talk about is celibacy. Celibacy in Roman Catholic priesthood, did not become a requirement until 1123 AD. That’s right, there are more years of history in which celibacy was not a requirement than when it was one. Furthermore, mandatory celibacy is repeatedly denied in the Bible. In their justification, the clergy quote Matthew 19, which is not talking about clergy, yet they must ignore 1 Timothy 3 that mentions the behavior of the wives in the qualifications for the clergy. Later in the letter, Paul says something even more startling. Excuse my [interruptions].

1 Timothy 4
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times [1123AD?] some [context: clergy] will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons [harsh, Paul], through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage [forbid what?] and require abstinence from foods [meat during Lent?] that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Finally, the apostle Peter and other apostles had a wife.

1 Corinthians 9:5
Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

It is truly ironic that the man who claims his authority based on Peter (known as Cephas in other places of the Bible), would insist on a doctrine that Peter himself would have broken.

2. He is not the head of the universal Church

The Pope may claim to be the pastor of the universal church but he is not. The word “catholic” means universal (hence it is recited in the Apostles’ Creed by non-Catholics), but there is a funny thing about names. Baptists aren’t the only ones who baptize, Presbyterians aren’t the only ones with elders, Episcopalians aren’t the only ones with bishops, Pentecostals aren’t the only ones with the Holy Spirit, the Church of England is not the only church in England or limited to England, and the Eastern Orthodox church is not the only orthodox church. So the Catholic church is not the universal Church merely because it thinks so. Secondly, Jesus is the pastor of the universal Church, not Peter, nor Benedict XVI, nor any other man who has ever walked the planet.

1. He promotes a different gospel

When viewed in light of sacramentalism, the best thing the Roman Church could do for you is excommunication. Sacramentalism is the false belief that your sins are only forgiven when the grace required is merited through works or sacraments. In other words, the Roman Church and the foolish Pope Benedict XVI add works to salvation in order that you may atone for yourself. The scriptural basis against this claim is overwhelming, so endure with me while I overwhelm you.

Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Galatians 2:15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

John 6:28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

Ephesians 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Genesis 15:6 And [Abraham] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

The reason these priests are not bearing fruit in keeping with repentance is because they do not believe the true gospel and are insisting on works-righteousness. The Pope’s gospel is quite different.

“I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland.”

Grace that is earned by fasting, prayer, reading scripture, and works is simply not grace. Webster’s dictionary has a better theology of grace than the Pope when it defines grace as, “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.”

Conclusion

The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1,

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Paul literally invokes the anathema on anyone who would preach a contrary gospel regardless of his or her status, placing it above not only his apostleship (apostleship being the basis to the authority the Pope claims to have), but beyond even the declarations of heavenly angels. If you get the gospel wrong, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Pope or Protestant, an Archbishop or an Atheist, a Catholic Monk or a Buddhist Monk, if anyone should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you let him be accursed.

The tragic fact about this apology letter is that it reinforces the false gospel of the Pope, and places people on a road to atone for their own sins and to sanctify themselves. It is no wonder that the Roman Catholic Church can’t rid itself of pedophilia when Jesus’ death on the cross for their sins hinges on works rather than God’s grace.

If you are in a church, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, or otherwise, and you are hearing a false gospel, leave that church immediately and find a different one. Let the leaders declare any powerless curses that they desire on you and know that Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins is free and for you and received by grace through faith alone.

What is Faith?

Faith According To Mormons

Occasionally, I meet with Mormon missionaries on campus and ask them questions about their beliefs. They tend to be very friendly and painfully agreeable, to the point that, based on their answers, it’s difficult to tell the difference between Mormonism and Christianity. After asking difficult, pointed questions, finding unsatisfactory answers, and answering with a rebuttal, the usual response is that you simply need to have faith and the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit will guide you to the truth of Mormonism. I am told to have faith in order that I may know that Mormonism is true. In other words, I am asked to suspend my critical faculties when judging the assertions of the Mormon Church, opting instead for subjective internal feelings that are accepted on faith.

Faith According to Atheists

As friendly and agreeable as most Mormon missionaries are, most Atheist missionaries are that angry and disagreeable. An exhaustingly jocular movement based around the satirical Flying Spaghetti Monster began in order to mock religions for accepting assertions based on faith. The thrust of the argument, after cutting through a few miles of sarcasm, is that if you’re willing to believe in God on faith apart from evidence, then you’re no different than someone who believes that the world was created by a monster made of pasta. Again, the definition of faith in the view of the Atheist is what enables a religious person to judge a set of assertions to be true apart from or in opposition to objective reasons.

Whaduhya Know!

Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

The Atheists were right, huh? No, I hope you don’t read this passage that superficially. What does Hebrews 11 mean in context? Go back to chapter 10. Remember, the original manuscripts have no headings, and no chapter or verse divisions. Notice that all the chapters begin with words like, “therefore,” “since,” and “now.” When Hebrews 11 begins with, “Now faith…” it is continuing from a chain of arguments that goes all the way back to the beginning of the letter.

Hebrews 10
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Notice, the justification for faith is not blind. It is not belief in assertions suspended in the air entirely unsupported. The reason for faith is the faithfulness of God, “for he who promised is faithful.”

My Faithful Wife

As a newlywed, I really love my wife. I have faith in her. We are faithful to each other. My faith in her should be an honor because when I declare, “I trust my wife,” I am really saying that I consider her trustworthy. Suppose my wife asked me, “Ben, why do you consider me trustworthy?”, and I answer, “because I just do!” She would be incredibly insulted. Hallie has done things and proven herself time and time again that she is faithful and trustworthy. When Hallie reports something to me, I believe her, not because I relax my brain and refuse to think, but because Hallie has proven that she is trustworthy. In the same way, Christians put their faith in Jesus because he is trustworthy, not because we have turned off our brains.

God Proves Himself to Israel

The Israelites were people who constantly wavered in their faithfulness to God. It seems that they were always hesitant to trust in God and always quick to abandon him. Yet these were people who walked across the parted Red Sea, who ate the bread from Heaven in the wilderness, who saw Moses’ face glow when he brought them the commandments from Mt. Sinai, and watched the walls of Jericho fall without siege. God was speaking along the way, saying things like “…that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel,” “…that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you,” and “…that you may know that I am the Lord your God.” God is constantly doing things in order to prove himself to his people. He has always required faith in him, but he has always provided his people with reasons to believe him. This is why people are morally culpable for their faith! For the Jews to reject the Lord is for them to blindfold their eyes to what he has done.

Jesus Proves his Divinity

Jesus wants you to believe that he is God, that he created the world, that he died for your sins, and that he rose from the dead, but Jesus is not asking to believe simply because you believe. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus constantly justifies the things he does using Old Testament scripture. He enters debates and offers evidences so that you may believe. Meanwhile, he is going throughout the Roman world privately changing water into wine and transfiguring into a celestial form, and publicly healing the blind, the sick, and the lame, walking on water, raising the dead, and multiplying food. When the disciples are skeptical that Jesus rose from the dead bodily, he showed them his hands, and asked to eat broiled fish to prove that it was him and that he was not a spirit, but flesh and bones. Paul reports that over 500 people at a time witnesses the resurrected Jesus. Jesus does not simply command belief in him without doing anything that would warrant it, he proves it time and time again.

But I Wasn’t There

It would be fantastic to have lived in the first century and witnessed the life and work of Jesus personally, but unfortunately for us we can’t. How then do we know whether these proofs are historical? Well, how do we know that anything is historical? These events occurred before photography, video, and audio recording existed. Before you’re tempted to claim that we can’t know things without photos, videos, or recordings, remember that to make such a statement means that we have to throw away all history prior to the inventions of recording devices. In all matters of history, historians rely on witnesses, documents, and testimonies and can establish credibility based on objective features.

Peter Proves Jesus is the Messiah

Throughout his preaching to the unbelieving masses in the book of Acts, Peter calls people to believe based on proofs and reasons.  Throughout his sermons Peter exposits the Old Testament to show how what was was foretold, has been fulfilled. He doesn’t call them to believe for no reason, but because of the soundness of scripture. Even when miracles surrounded his preaching, Peter never once pointed at them to prove that these things were so, but insisted on the scripture’s testimony and his firsthand witness. In his second letter, Peter expounds on the merit of his testimony saying,

2 Peter 1: 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Do Christians Believe Anything Without Evidence?

Given that evidence supports the assertions of Christianity, do we believe anything apart from evidence? Answer: Yes. When Christians take things on faith, they are not suspending their reasoning and building their beliefs on the air, they are trusting the mouth of the God whose works speak for him. No one has witnessed the beginning of the world. God has. Do we trust him? No one has experienced life in the new Heavens and the new Earth. God sees it like it is today. God’s track record for honesty is solid, so when God speaks we need to believe him, not in spite of reasons, but because he has proven himself trustworthy.

Criticisms of Luther the Movie

I Love Martin Luther

As a proud Protestant, I cannot help but love Martin Luther. Not only was he a great reformer and theologian, but he was truly instrumental in recovering the gospel from works-righteousness salvation and the sale of indulgences. One of my favorite podcasts, Fighting for the Faith is hosted by a confessional Lutheran who promotes the gospel prolifically in every episode. It has proven to be a priceless gift in fixing my false views of the gospel and finding joy in Christ Jesus in a way that resembled Martin Luther himself. All this being said, I was a bit disappointed after watching the movie Luther for a number of reasons.

Luther was Not That Respectful

Martin Luther was known for many great things, but by no means was one of them respectfulness. Early on, Luther was sincerely interested in reforming the Roman Catholic Church, but as he was excommunicated and exiled, he began calling the Papists “dogs” and made a lot of humorous and disrespectful criticisms of them. The Luther of the movie seemed a lot more temperate and level-headed than the Martin Luther we have read about in history.

Luther was More Concerned with the Gospel

Considering that Luther’s most significant contribution to the church was the recovery of the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works, I am floored that the movie never once explains or even mentions justification by faith alone on account of Christ. The focus is overwhelmingly against the sale of indulgences to escape purgatory, but not for the gospel of salvation by faith alone. The Martin Luther of the movie is even found saying gushy platitudes about seeing Christ in you when you serve your neighbor, utterly unlike the real Martin Luther who is far more concerned with repentance from sin and to Jesus.

Luther was More Involved with the Peasant’s War

In the movie, Luther is isolated from the world while translating the Bible to German, and only when he leaves his study does he witness the Peasant’s War, which he tries to break up. The next few scenes involve Luther walking though the carnage weeping and laying his coat on a crippled child who survived. In history, Martin Luther viewed the rebels as criminals and advised the authorities, “There­fore let everyone who can, smite; slay, and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or dev­ilish than a rebel.” (Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, Luther). Definitely one of Luther’s low points and certainly over-stated, but historical. If the director was worried that people may come out with a bad opinion of Luther based on the Peasant’s War, he should have just skipped covering the Peasant’s War altogether, considering that many other historical events in Luther’s life had to be skipped in order to make the film. To those who know his true involvement in the incident, the theatrical portrayal seems like damage control for Martin Luther’s reputation.

Liberties Not Liberality

In every movie depicting historical people and events the director will have to take some creative liberties. In Luther, these liberties contradict the biographical intentions for the movie’s creation and result in a Martin Luther that is made for Hollywood, but bears little resemblance to the Martin Luther of the Reformation.

Podcast Pushing #2

More Podcasting

As usual, I have been continuing to listen to more podcasts, and I felt the need to leave a brief review and recommendation.

David Calhoun, Covenant Theological Seminary: Reformation and Modern Church History

Most people that I know, Christians included, lack even a basic understanding of church history. There is always talk of doing something different or something new when it comes to church, but very few people actually understand where they have come from and where they are going. This is one reason I recommend this seminary class on church history.

This class traces the origins of Protestantism from its roots in the Reformation to the modern day church. You will learn about the reformers like Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and Knox. You will discover the origins of the Lutherans, the Anabaptists, the Presbyterians, the Puritans, the Anglicans, the Episcopalians, the Methodists, and the Baptists. You will learn about Germany, England, Scotland, America, and beyond. You will follow through debates over theology, church polity, orders of worship, and political control. You will learn about the great revivals and missionary movements throughout history, following through the sweet years of evangelicalism and peaceful zeal as well as the bitter years of liberalism, heresy, racism, and warfare. The church cannot afford to be ignorant about her history.

Dr. Calhoun, the professor of this course, proves to be not only a brilliant teacher, but a Christian man worthy of our respect and thankfulness. Each lesson begins with a prayer for the class from the setting or historical figure of the lesson, and each lesson ends with a relevant quotation from scripture. You will be educated and edified by listening through these lectures.

The course is available freely to download.

Covenant Theological Seminary Worldwide Classroom

iTunes U (choose this if  you would like to subscribe instead of downloading each file individually).

Did You Gouge Out Your Eye?

Confession

The months leading up to our marriage, my wife and I suffered under extreme, debilitating sexual temptation. We had a long-distance relationship the whole time that we had known each other, making our visits in person emotional, physical, and all around tempting. We prayed earnestly and continually for the desires to postpone until our wedding, and pursued means to withstand the temptation without succumbing to legalism, but still we found ourselves yielding to desires prematurely.

At one point, I found myself so jaded from constantly faltering in the same way that I emotionally began to question whether 1 Corinthians 10:13 was true:

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Eventually, I took my concerns to a pastor at my church who gave me the wise council, “If you’re still committing the sin, then you are obviously neglecting the means of grace than God has provided for you to get out of it. “

I protested initially telling him, “You don’t know how many different ways we have tried to fight this.”

He responded, “Did you gouge out your eye? Jesus said that if your eye causes you to sin, then gouge it out.”

I got the point. There is at least one means of grace that I have not used: gouging out my eye. Suddenly, I had a fresh desire to find alternative means of grace.

When the time came around for me to visit my wife-to-be, I called a close friend and invited him to stay the night. He did, and as a result, we avoided sexual sin. Sure it was uncomfortable, but it beat losing an eye.

No More Excuses

What are the areas in your life where you have given up at repentance? Do you have fits of anger against others when they do something that you consider stupid? Do you continually dishonor your parents because you don’t feel like they deserve honor after the way they have treated you? Is it ok for you spread that bit of gossip even though it’s all true? Have you resolved to live a homosexual lifestyle because you prayed about it and God didn’t take it away? Have you given yourself to pornography because, hey, it’s better than sex right?

1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

This is not perfectionism, this is repentance. No one, John of first John included, is claiming that you will cease to sin entirely as evidence of your new birth, but rather the familiar message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The first of Martin Luther’s 95 theses that launched the Protestant Reformation was this:

“When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent’, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

Be Killing Sin, or it Will Be Killing You

It is time to put to death the sins that so easily entangle. Turn to Jesus, calling on his name. Use the means of grace to fight your sins. You might not even have to gouge out your eye.

Podcast Pushing

I love podcasts. One might say that I am addicted to podcasts. With the current iPod touch software, you can listen to podcasts at 2x speed, and I listen to about 3 or 4 hours of podcasts a day during down time at work. If you consider that I’m listening at 2x speed, you could reasonably say that I consume 6 to 8 hours worth of material throughout a normal day! That being said, I think it would be helpful for me to review, summarize or recommend materials on this blog for the up-building of the church and to just keep my own thoughts organized. I would encourage you to consider whether it is worth your time to download and listen to these resources. If so, you may find PodShifter a useful tool for speeding up the podcasts.

Timothy Tennent: Introduction to Buddhism (20 Episodes)

At the time of this recording, Dr. Timmothy Tennent is lecturing at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Tennent is an expert on world religions, and has many years of missionary experience in Buddhist parts of Asia. This 20-lesson series will help you develop a working understanding of Buddhism in such a way that you will really begin to understand your own faith better and understand the worldviews that Buddhist people hold.  Unlike much material in the realm of apologetics, his lectures are not just a box of arguments against Buddhism, but really a comprehensive introduction to the doctrinal evolution and practice of Buddhism as a whole. The tone is academic and engaging for me as a Christian yet I would feel entirely comfortable giving them to a Buddhist. These lectures are highly recommended.

Timothy Tennent: Introduction to Islam (24 Episodes)

Like his Introduction to Buddhism, Dr. Tennent’s 24-lesson Introduction to Islam will help you develop a working understanding of Islam. As an Abrahamic religion, Islam shares a similar worldview to Christianity and Judaism and thus requires much less lecture time than the Buddhism lectures to explain how Muslims view the world. While far from being sympathetic to Islam, Dr. Tennent avoids widespread misconceptions about Islam (especially radical Islam) without sparing them criticism where criticism is due. He does expose some historical facts that can be the dagger-to-the-heart of the Islamic religion, but his process is far more systematic and composed than simply shooting down the religion. It is crucial as Christians that we understand other religions before we consider debating them if we are remotely interested in seeing them consider the gospel of Jesus. Highly Recommended.

John Piper: Pastoral Theology (9 mini-classes ranging from 3 to 11 episodes per class)

Most people who know me know that I am a fan of all things Piper. This lecture series is no different. If you are a Piper veteran, you have probably have heard most of this considering the the topics are fairly standard John Piper: Christian Hedonism, Future Grace, Biblical Inerrancy, Sexual Complementarity, an so on. The real gem of this lecture series is the class on TULIP, or the five points of Calvinism. Piper goes point by point through the five points of Calvinism addressing them from scripture and addressing problem texts and defending them from common accusations with composure through scripture. I had problems with the mp3 tags not matching the lectures, so be careful when you download them to be organized.

D. A. Carson: The New Perspectives on Paul (iTunes only, 3 episodes)

D. A. Carson is a reformed, evangelical academic who you need to know about. He is a book writing machine (wikipedia reports he is at 57), and he is always well versed on contemporary issues and willing to write and speak about them. His lectures on the New Perspectives on Paul are no exception. The New Perspectives are a very complex, loosely connected series of academic perspectives about the teachings of the Apostle Paul that seek to reconsider whether Paul was addressing legalistic Judaism when he presents dichotomies of faith and works. The movement is extremely controversial because, unlike many liberal movements to redefine Paul, the New Perspectives are essentially a conservative movement arguing on the basis of scripture rather than undermining it. The ramifications of the New Perspectives will influence how justification is understood, and there are arguments floating around these circles for justification, at least partly, on the basis of works. The New Perspectives are finding their way into Calvinist circles with mixed responses. These lectures serve as a fine introduction to the perspectives and critical analysis of the assertions regarding Paul.

What is the Opposite of Legalism?

Done With Legalism!

When was the last time you heard someone call himself a legalist? Hardly anyone will ever describe himself as legalistic, but many Christians who go on to maturity recognize that they have behaved legalistically perhaps even more often than they broke commandments. It is much more natural to regulate behavior instead of seeking strength in the gospel through repentance and faith in Jesus and as a result, the refreshing, simple call to trust in the merits of Jesus crucified for you on the cross suddenly becomes a joy bigger than the national debt. At this point of the discussion, it is easy to feel done. Go, and be a legalist no more!

The Opposite of Wrong

In every issue of the Christian life, the opposite of wrong is just a different wrong. For example, charismatic acts a la Benny Hinn are false signs and miracles, but without any theology of miracles, we would be deists, the atonement would be impossible, and our faith would be futile.

What then is the opposite of legalistic discipline? Disordered, lazy worldliness, and license to sin. Judge for yourself which is worse.

A Third Way

Where then does the recovering legalist go? To Jesus of course (the Sunday School answer is always right)! But what does that look like considering that Jesus has ascended to heaven? We can’t see or touch Jesus, or talk to him and hear words back. How do we encounter Jesus here on earth? Answer: through the means of grace.

The Meansa Wha?

The means of grace are ways that God has established for delivering grace to you. Consider Isaiah 55:1.

Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

We see the grace in the, “without money and without price.” These are free gifts of grace, not works, but notice that you still have to eat. If you thirst and hunger and come to the waters, but you don’t eat, you will remain hungry. The means of grace are the ways that we eat the free food. Do not equate the calls to thirst, come, buy, and eat with dead works to please God, but rather as means that God has provided to acquire more and more and more grace to satisfy more and more of your hungers and thirsts and to help you to bear good fruit.

Give Me Grace!

Ok, so what are the means of grace? Where do we find them? In the Bible, of course.

• Crying out to the Lord from your trouble. (Psalm 107 – Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.)
• Confession of sins to God (1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
• Confession of sins to one another (James 5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.)
• Through the exchange of spiritual gifts in church (1 Peter 4:10 – As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace)
• Hearing the gospel with faith (Galatians 3:5-6 – Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?)
• Hearing the word of God (Acts 20:32 – And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.)
• Being acquainted with the sacred writings (2 Timothy 3:15 – …and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.)
• Giving to the needy (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.)
• Eating the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:26 – For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.)

These were the results of a very brief survey of the Bible, and are by no means a comprehensive list, but they serve as a menu of appetizers in the feast of grace. Glut yourself on God, and bring a friend… or an enemy.

What You Need to Know About Tiger Woods’ Affairs

Nothing.

Book Giveaway!

Do yourself and check out this book giveaway!

http://sbcvoices.com/kicking-off-2010-right-100-book-giveaway

There are three books available and all three are books that I plan on buying if I don’t win. These books are:

Institutes of the Christian Religion

A Christian classic that is nearly 500 years old.

The Meaning of the Pentateuch

Recommended by John Piper as one of the best books ever written on the subject.

The Trellis and the Vine

Received rave reviews from nearly ever source that reviewed it. It seems to be contributing something new and insightful to the discussion of Christian ministry.

The Pain of Temptation

Learn or Burn
Sin is a serious thing. Sin damns people to Hell. The scariest thing about Hell is not the pain, but the length of the sentence. Five minutes in Hell would, by far, outdo any pains you have ever felt, yet the true pain could never be fully understood because it does not come coupled with the utter hopelessness of knowing that there is not a chance in Hell that you will ever get out. Literally, a billion years in, you will not be one minute closer to the end.

Yes, sin is a serious, serious thing. Naturally, forgiveness must be more serious. As agonizing as Hell is, the promise of eternal life in the New Heavens and the New Earth will far surpass it in pleasures forevermore.

A Missionary’s Fear
The truest of missionaries have always felt the weight of the wrath with which God will righteously impose on sinners, and have been informed by their Bibles that the words contained within have the power to rescue sinners on account of Jesus’ own suffering.

With God in their hearts and on their lips, they have proclaimed the law of God in order to convict people of their sins, and the gospel of Jesus Christ that they may find forgiveness and reconciliation. Tragically, multitudes feel unaffected by the law, with no desire to repent, while others will be on the verge of despair in utter self-hatred. We poor souls under despair need the comforting words of Jesus to announce to us, “Brothers, your sins are forgiven.”

Learning Suffering
There is a subtle legalism in the Church that has implicitly exchanged the condemnation of actual sins for the condemnation of those tempted to sin. A quick-worded preacher may miss this nuance and unwittingly preach against temptation, bringing more pain to the law-beaten man.

Hebrews 2
17 Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Temptation yields suffering―even to Jesus. Jesus did not come to thunder in anger against your temptation, but he experienced the full weight of it so that he could help us in temptation joining them in pilgrimage to Jesus who is able to help us. Therefore, we ought all become a lot more sensitive to those suffering under temptation.

How many insensitive, blunt remarks have been lobbed at the porn addicted teenager searching for help? As a Church, sometimes we forget that sin takes the form of a disease, in that it not only kills, but it also hurts. Certainly, sin must be preached against in order for the gospel to be of any tangible value, but not to the exclusion of empathy and compassion. A doctor with any sense of decency would not announce his patient’s positive cancer results without some measure of pain in his voice.

If you have no compassion for those who are being tempted, you probably have not suffered enough under temptation, meaning that you yield to it before it is strong enough to drive you to suffer. To you who cannot sympathize, gain some new resolve. Let the law cut you, let your excuses, justifications, and explanations be severed from you, and just let yourself bleed for long enough to drive you to Jesus. Fight your own sins, and find your temptations to be harder than you ever knew, and sympathize with your brothers.

May we all pray, “And lead us not into temptation,” with as much burden as we petition, “but deliver us from evil.” Join with me in suffering under temptation in the arms of Jesus who is able to sympathize with our suffering, and to help us in the midst of it.