Justin Taylor's Blog, page 285

September 24, 2011

Receiving the New Testament in Their Own Language for the First Time

#dgnc Worth watching again:


The Kimyals of West Papua, Indonesia, receiving the New Testament in their our language for the first time.


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Published on September 24, 2011 14:07

Facing a Task Unfinished

Facing a task unfinished

That drives us to our knees

A need that, undiminished

Rebukes our slothful ease

We, who rejoice to know Thee

Renew before Thy throne

The solemn pledge we owe Thee

To go and make Thee known


Where other lords beside Thee

Hold their unhindered sway

Where forces that defied Thee

Defy Thee still today

With none to heed their crying

For life, and love, and light

Unnumbered souls are dying

And pass into the night


We bear the torch that flaming

Fell from the hands of those

Who gave their lives proclaiming

That Jesus died and rose

Ours is the same commission

The same glad message ours

Fired by the same ambition

To Thee we yield our powers


O Father who sustained them

O Spirit who inspired

Saviour, whose love constrained them

To toil with zeal untired

From cowardice defend us

From lethargy awake!

Forth on Thine errands send us

To labour for Thy sake


Facing a task unfinished

That drives us to our knees

A need that, undiminished

Rebukes our slothful ease

We, who rejoice to know Thee

Renew before Thy throne

The solemn pledge we owe Thee

To go and make Thee known


Where other lords beside Thee

Hold their unhindered sway

Where forces that defied Thee

Defy Thee still today

With none to heed their crying

For life, and love, and light

Unnumbered souls are dying

And pass into the night


We bear the torch that flaming

Fell from the hands of those

Who gave their lives proclaiming

That Jesus died and rose

Ours is the same commission

The same glad message ours

Fired by the same ambition

To Thee we yield our powers


O Father who sustained them

O Spirit who inspired

Saviour, whose love constrained them

To toil with zeal untired

From cowardice defend us

From lethargy awake!

Forth on Thine errands send us

To labour for Thy sake


Words and Music by Frank Houghton

© Overseas Missionary Fellowship

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Published on September 24, 2011 09:42

Miracles and the Laws of Science

C.S. Lewis:


If this week I put a thousand pounds in the drawer of my desk, add two thousand next week and another thousand the week thereafter, the laws of arithmetic allow me to predict that the next time I come to my drawer, I shall find four thousand pounds.


But suppose when I next open the drawer, I find only one thousand pounds, what shall I conclude? That the laws of arithmetic have been broken?


Certainly not! I might more reasonably conclude that some thief has broken the laws of the State and stolen three thousand pounds out of my drawer.


Furthermore, it would be ludicrous to claim that the laws of arithmetic made it impossible to believe in the existence of such a thief or the possibility of his intervention.


On the contrary, it is the normal workings of those laws that have exposed the existence and activity of the thief.


Miracles, p. 62.

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Published on September 24, 2011 09:12

September 23, 2011

Finish the Mission

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Published on September 23, 2011 19:11

Livestream Schedule for Desiring God National Conference



All times for the livestream will be EDT:


Friday, September 23

8:30 PM Louie Giglio

10:05 PM John Piper Interviews David Sitton and Greg Livingstone


Saturday, September 24

10:05 AM David Platt

11:30 AM Michael Ramsden

2:45 PM Michael Oh

4:15 PM Speaker Panel with Platt, Ramsden, Oh, Stetzer, Piper

8:30 PM Ed Stetzer


Sunday, September 25

11:00 AM John Piper

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Published on September 23, 2011 10:00

Christian Biographies for Young Readers Series: 50% Off



WTS Books is running a nice sale (until Wednesday, September 28) on Simonetta Carr's historically accurate and delightfully illustrated introductions to significant theologians from church history.


You can get the complete set of four hardcover books for 50% off ($37 instead of $74), or you can mix-and-match two or more books for 45% off.



Athanasius


WTS: $10.80 (40% Off $18.00)


"This is great. It fills a gap between simplistic (and often erroneous) summaries of his life and monographs that only scholars would read. Well done!"

— Robert Letham, Senior Tutor in Systematic and Historical Theology, Wales Evangelical School of Theology




John Owen


WTS: $10.80 (40% Off $18.00)


"Simonetta Carr's book on John Owen is a delightful introduction to his life for the very young. In the tradition of her earlier books on Calvin and Augustine, she retells Owen's story with flair and passion, and accompanies it with great illustrations which help to make his life and times vivid and exciting. Heartily commended!"

— Carl R. Trueman, Academic Dean and Vice President, Westminster Theological Seminary




John Calvin


WTS: $12.00 (40% Off $20.00)


"The parents of four ourselves, my wife and I are eager to learn of new materials we can use and recommend. This is surely a resource that we would noise abroad. A translator of Reformed materials into Italian as well as a teacher, Simonetta is remarkably gifted. She knows the history and theology of the Reformation well, yet also knows how to 'translate' for our children. The Reformed community really needs this kind of edifying literature for our covenant youth."

— Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor, Westminster Seminary California



Augustine of Hippo


WTS: $10.80 (40% Off $18.00)


"Simonetta Carr offers a sympathetic, whirlwind tour of the life, times, and beliefs of Augustine of Hippo, one of the most important and long-loved figures for Western Christianity. Maps, illustrations, timelines, and photos engage the imagination at a pace that will hold the interest of young readers."

—Brandon and Mindy Withrow, authors of the popular church history series for children, History Lives

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Published on September 23, 2011 08:10

Bloodlines

Collin Hansen reviews John Piper's Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian.


Christianity Today runs an excerpt: "I Was Racist."


Tomorrow (Saturday) at the Desiring God National Conference (#DGNC) they will be playing the 20-minute documentary.

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Published on September 23, 2011 06:24

September 22, 2011

Reformation Commentary on Scripture


InterVarsity Press should be thanked for their commitment to and investment in a project of this scope: the new Reformation Commentary on Scripture, with Timothy George serving as general editor and Scott Manetsch as associate general editor. The series is projected to be 28 volumes (13 on the OT and 15 on the NT.)


The first volume—edited by polymath Gerald Bray and just published—is on Galatians and Ephesians. You can download a sample PDF here.


A description:


The gospel of justification by faith alone was discovered afresh by the Reformers in the epistolary turrets of the New Testament: the letters to the Galatians and the Ephesians.


At the epicenter of the exegetical revolution that rocked the Reformation era was Paul's letter to the Galatians. There Luther, Calvin, Bullinger and scores of others perceived the true gospel of Paul enlightening a situation parallel to their own times—the encroachment of false teachers and apostates upon the true teaching of salvation by grace through faith.


In Ephesians, the Reformers gravitated to what they understood to be the summit of Paul's vision of salvation in Christ. Finding its source, beyond time, in the electing love of God, the Reformers disseminated the letter's message of temporal hope for Christians living under the duress of persecution.


For the Reformers, these epistles were living, capsule versions of Paul's letter to the Romans, briefs on the theological vision of the celebrated apostle. Probed and expounded in the commentaries and sermons found in this volume, these letters became the very breath in the lungs of the Reformation movements.


The range of comment on Galatians and Ephesians here spans Latin, German, French, Dutch and English authors from a variety of streams within the Protestant movement. Especially helpful in this volume is Gerald Bray's editorial presentation of the development of tensions among the Reformers.


The epistles of Galatians and Ephesians open up a treasure house of ancient wisdom, allowing these faithful Reformation witnesses to speak with eloquence and intellectual acumen to the church today.


See also Timothy George's introductory companion volume, Reading Scripture with the Reformers.


If you sign up for IVP's subscription service for this series, you can get the Timothy George book for free, the Bray volume for 80% off, and the rest of the volumes for 40% off as they become available.

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Published on September 22, 2011 07:45

September 21, 2011

Was Warfield's Theology Dependent on Scottish Common Sense Realism?

Fred Zaspel:


For too long scholars have advanced the mistaken notion that Warfield's theology and/or theological method resulted from his previous commitments to Scottish Common Sense Realism.


Thanks to David Smith's work, we may now pronounce that thesis dead.


David provides the most thorough analysis of Warfield's theological methodology available, and I doubt his dismantling of the supposed SCSR connection will ever be answered. He has read Warfield well, and he has set the record straight. Many thanks!

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Published on September 21, 2011 14:50

Paul Tripp: Two Books: One DVD Seminar: 50% Off

WTS Books is carrying a new sale—for one week only—on some titles from Paul Tripp:



His new book, Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It , is 50% off (first copy only; discount shows up in checkout)
The DVD seminar, co-taught with Tim Lane, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: How to Help Others Change (DVD Seminar), is 60% off.
The original book, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands , is 50% off.

The WTS Books site has sample materials and endorsements to peruse.

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Published on September 21, 2011 13:33

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