Justin Taylor's Blog, page 328

N.T. Wright's Response to Stephen Hawking on Heaven

N.T. Wright, in the Washington Post's On Faith blog, responding to Stephen Hawking's comments about heaven being a fairy story:

It's depressing to see Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant minds in his field, trying to speak as an expert on things he sadly seems to know rather less about than many averagely intelligent Christians. Of course there are people who think of 'heaven' as a kind of pie-in-the-sky dream of an afterlife to make the thought of dying less awful. No doubt that's a problem as old as the human race. But in the Bible 'heaven' isn't 'the place where people go when they die.' In the Bible heaven is God's space while earth (or, if you like, 'the cosmos' or 'creation') is our space. And the Bible makes it clear that the two overlap and interlock. For the ancient Jews, the place where this happened was the temple; for the Christians, the place where this happened was Jesus himself, and then, astonishingly, the persons of Christians because they, too, were 'temples' of God's own spirit.

Hawking is working with a very low-grade and sub-biblical view of 'going to heaven.' Of course, if faced with the fully Christian two-stage view of what happens after death—first, a time 'with Christ' in 'heaven' or 'paradise,'and then, when God renews the whole creation, bodily resurrection—he would no doubt dismiss that as incredible. But I wonder if he has ever even stopped to look properly, with his high-octane intellect, at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection? I doubt it—most people in England haven't. Until he has, his opinion about all this is worth about the same as mine on nuclear physics, i.e. not much. . . .

You can read the whole thing here.

HT: The Resurgence

Training the Next Generation of Pastors and Other Christian Leaders

Here is the audio from a panel discussion from TGC 2011, with Albert Mohler, Mark Driscoll, David Helm, Don Carson and Ligon Duncan.

And here is an online discussion between Spencer MacCuish and Jonathan Pennington on whether (or how) "the local church is the best place for theological education":

"Theological Education Belongs in the Church" — Spencer MacCuish
"The Value of Educational Institutions and 'Pure Research' for Ministry Training" – Jonathan Pennington
"Response to Pennington" – Spencer MacCuish
"Response to MacCuish" — Jonathan Pennington
"Theological Education Debate Wrap-Up and My Own $.02″ — Gerald Hiestand

HT: T-Wax

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

The lyrics to William Cowper's final song are worthy of deep reflection, especially when you know the backstory of his pain and struggle:

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

David Ward's contemporary rendition and adaption, "You Are Mysterious," can be listened to online. As mentioned in the comments below, Bob Kauflin also has a version of the song on the Worship God Live CD, which you can sample here.

10 Simple Things Good Pastors Say

Good suggestions from a good pastor.

Red Like Blood

Some blurbs below (including one from me) on the new book Red Like Blood: Confrontations with Grace, by Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington (Shepherd's Press).

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." These memorable words from the pen of ex-slave trader, John Newton, could well be the sub-title of Red Like Blood. This book is the story of two men; one a preacher and the other an obvious sinner, who both learned to drink deeply from the gospel and to experience the amazing grace of God. Red Like Blood is captivating, challenging, and encouraging. Both believers and non-believers will enjoy and profit from this book."

—Jerry Bridges

"Bob and Joe shouldn't be friends. They have different backgrounds, different personalities, different stories. But in these pages you'll read the true story of a stunning event in the past that made them blood brothers for life. But be forewarned: this isn't a typical 'Christian book' where the authors wear sanitized masks and explain how to live the good life. It's an exercise in earthy honesty and gritty grace. These are guys who have seen sin up close and personal, and cannot get over being amazed by a bloody and risen and reigning Savior. Expect to be changed by reading it."

—Justin Taylor

"So much of what purports to be Christianity fails to be real. It is faux Christianity: man-centered, self-atoning, conscience-easing religious therapy for those who don't want to feel needy or broken. Red Like Blood is real. Through the humble stories of two uncomfortably honest men you'll see the depth of your own need and you'll celebrate the Savior who meets, forgives, and transforms you too."

—Paul David Tripp

You can download chapters 1 and 10 for free.

Twitter Slander

I try to be selective on this blog with regard to criticism and calling people out. Obviously I do it, but it's certainly not the main purpose of this blog. But slander, even on Twitter, occasionally  deserves public condemnation with the hope that we will see public repentance in response.

Yesterday Emir Caner, the President of Truett-McConnell College, tweeted:

Scripture is not silent about the sin of slander:

Ephesians 4:31: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."

Colossians 3:8: "But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

1 Peter 2:1: "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander."

And it doesn't work to defend slander by trying to hide behind the "just joking" defense:

Proverbs 26:18-19: "Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, 'I am only joking!'"

Humor has its place in the Christian life. But unfunny slander about a deadly serious subject does not.

And some encouragement for the brothers and sisters in Acts29:

1 Peter 3:15-16: "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."

Comments are closed. I'll update the post if Dr. Caner repents.

Sharing the Gospel: Where Would You Turn?

Tony Payne: "If you had the opportunity to open up one simple Bible passage, and briefly explain to someone what it meant to be a Christian, where would you turn?"

He sets the scene here, and then provides his answer.

Where the 12 Apostles Died

The map below shows where the 12 apostles are thought to have died, according to various traditions. Blue push-pins equal commonly accepted death locations; yellow ones are more disputed.

View Where the 12 Apostles Died in a larger map

HT: Joe Carter

Local Evangelistic Lecture

For any who might live in the area, I'll be speaking this Saturday (May 21) at the Batavia Public Library on issues of truth, relativism, authority, and the gospel.

This is sponsored by the Fox Valley Theological Society, and the idea is to make evangelism as easy as possible for you. All you have to do is invite an unbelieving friend who might want to engage a thoughtful lecture with the opportunity to ask questions.

Some details below.

Says Who?
Can we find truth in a pluralistic age?

Twenty-first century American culture is comprised of an innumerable collection of subcultures, all set side by side right next to each other. In a given day we all rub shoulders with any number of these subcultures—each one with a different set of values, ethics, goals, and competing claims on what is true. But who says what is true? Is there any way to tell who has the truth? Does anyone have the truth? Does truth exist? Is truth accessible to us? Join us as we consider "What is truth" in a pluralistic age. All are welcome!

Saturday, May 21st, 10:00am – Noon

Batavia Public Library

10 S. Batavia Avenue

Batavia, Illinois 60510 Map

Where and Why We Buy Our Books

Tim Challies updates his helpful annual survey, looking at where, why, and how we (mostly—but not entirely—young Reformed guys in the US) buy our books.