Christian Heritage News

The Bass Rock from North Berwick. - Wikipedia Posted at Reformation Scotland : No doubt none of us are where we would be or even perhaps should be spiritually. That was certainly Paul’s confession (Philippians 3:12-13). We need to grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18) not just have it. But how do we go from merely desiring to make progress to actually getting moving? What can help us along the way? Sometimes it’s not always the things that we would expect. When experiences make us more humble we may go forward more discerning and less self-reliant. Maturing in patience as we grow slowly is also steady progress. James Fraser of Brea (1639-1698) endured imprisonment on the Bass Rock for “illegal” preaching. This very high rock in the sea off the Scottish coast was purchased by the government expressly for imprisoning presbyterian ministers. Along with many others he suffered much in those fearful conditions. He was also imprisoned at a later period in Blackness Castle but survived the t

By Jon Bloom - Posted at Desiring God: Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy Enterprises and its chief ideological incarnation, died on Thursday at age 91 at the Playboy Mansion, immersed in the fantasy he created. He will be buried next to Marilyn Monroe, Playboy’s inaugural centerfold. In 1953, Hefner pulled pornography out of the seedy back cultural alleys, dressed it up in sophisticated costume and speech, gave it a stylish, debonair set, made it look liberating and libertine, and pushed it into the mainstream as Playboy Magazine. He was not so much a revolutionary as a man who understood his times. He knew the “right side of history” when he saw it. He saw the weakness in the flank, struck shrewdly (and lewdly), and won the cultural battle: the old sexual mores have been decisively thrown down and pornography is pervasive. But at what cost? Seeing People as Roles, Not Souls Playboy (and the flood of increasingly explicit material that has followed it through the break it made

By Richard J. Werther - Posted at the Journal of the American Revolution : Nicknamed “The Old Puritan,” he cut a distinct figure in the congresses and the Constitutional Convention with his reserved and plainspoken ways. Thomas Jefferson stood outside the halls of congress late one afternoon. And with the hand that penned the Declaration of Independence, he pointed across the steps and said in a loud voice to those assembled around him “There goes a man who never said a foolish thing in his life”. [1] The Federalist Fisher Ames once said, speaking of the same man “If I am absent during the discussion of a subject, and consequently know not on which side to vote, I always look at [him], for I am sure if I vote with him I shall vote right.” [2] It wasn’t Washington, Adams, Madison or any of the marquee names we associate with the birth of this nation. And this man was the only man to sign all four of the documents (The Continental Association, The Articles of Confederation, The

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : From 1980, when I first came into contact with Reformed theology, I also came into contact with theonomists. As a naïve evangelical I took Romans 13 to God’s Word and as part of the New Testament authoritative for believers in a way that the Mosaic ceremonial and civil laws were no longer. The theonomists with whom I talked, however, regularly dismissed Romans 13 almost as if it was not to be regarded as canonical. They did so because it was almost impossible to reconcile it with their view of the civil magistrate and the theory of the abiding validity of the Mosaic civil laws in exhaustive detail. Some of those theonomists were also Libertarians; it was from the theonomists that I first learned about Ron Paul. On the latter’s connections to the Christian Reconstruction movement see Michael J. McVicar, Christian Reconstruction: R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism (Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Pres

By Jane Robbins - Posted at Truth in American Education : The lust for money and power drives a lot of bad public policy. This truism certainly applies to education, where technology corporations have joined Brave New Worlders in seeking to implement technology-driven “personalized learning” (PL). What these forces won’t admit (or at least not in so many words) is that the goal of adopting education by machine is to (1) replace genuine education with training for workforce skills, and (2) eventually reshape individual personalities, attitudes, and mindsets to better fit the government-approved mold. But even if the goal of PL really were to bolster academic content knowledge by improving instruction, modern cognitive science suggests this can’t happen. A recent article by Benjamin Riley explains why. Writing for an issue of Educational Leadership devoted to “Getting Personalization Right,” Riley begins with this wry observation: “with the exception of the article you’ve just start

By Kelvey Vander Hart - Posted at Caffeinated Thoughts : Over the past week, the outrage at the National Football League has been astronomical. Escalated by President Donald Trump’s condemnation, people have responded to the planned protests of NFL players in droves. It’s difficult to get on any social media platform without having something related to the protests come up right away. The responses have been specifically dominated by conservatives who are outraged at the NFL for defending players who protest. The popular rhetoric has been to point out disrespect for our troops. “How dare they kneel during the anthem when so many people have died for this country, that flag?” they argue. What I would like to broadcast to all these outraged conservatives is that getting your feathers ruffled by NFL protests is an absolute waste of your time. Even if you disagree with the argument being made, shouldn’t we be encouraging peaceful protest? These players are exercising their Fir

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network : ANTIOCH, Tenn. — A man who opened fire on a Tennessee church on Sunday, killing one and injuring seven others, has now been charged with first-degree murder. Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, reportedly was wearing a mask and holding two pistols when he arrived at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch shortly after the end of the morning service. He first came in contact with member Melanie Smith, 39, as she was walking to her car, and shot her to death. Samson then proceeded to enter the church where he “began indiscriminately shooting” at those inside, according to police. Among those struck by gunfire were Joey Spann, 60, who pastors the church, as well as his wife, Peggy, 65. Spann also serves as a Bible teacher at Nashville Christian School. He and his wife are listed in stable condition. Read more here. See also: Nashville church shooting 'a terrible tragedy' (Baptist Press) Prayer vigils held a

By Zach Dotson - Posted at Purely Presbyterian: American Presbyterians have always punched above their weight class, despite representing a relatively small portion of the American Populous throughout American History. Presbyterians have through their writings, educational institutions, and preaching left their mark on the religious landscape of our nation. American Presbyterians have been on the forefront of every great religious controversy in America, from the Great Awakening to the fundamentalist versus modernist debates all the way to the current resurgence of Calvinism across the American evangelical scene. With the resurgence of Calvinism has come a renewed interest in Confessionalism, or understanding and following the historic creeds and confessions the Church has put forth to summarize Scriptural teaching and explain doctrine. This has put books by Scottish Presbyterians such as Rutherford, Durham, and Boston back into print. English Puritans have become popular as well

Covenant Seminary By Angela Wittman, editor Dear Friends, I live in the St. Louis Metro Area and grew up in St. Louis County near Covenant Seminary. At one time I thought of Covenant Seminary as a bright light for the Gospel in St. Louis, but now it appears their bulb is growing a bit dim. Perhaps it is time to check and see if it's going out or just needs some adjusting. Please read this post by DG Hart posted at Old Life regarding a series of lectures on the Reformation scheduled for this fall: An academic institution where Protestants and Roman Catholics teach together sponsoring a conference about the Reformation is one thing, but a Presbyterian seminary holding a series of lectures on the Reformation that includes Roman Catholics and Protestants? That’s what’s happening at Covenant Theological Seminary this fall... --Excerpt from: We Got This Not ( Old Life ) Take heed, lest your light goes out: Revelation, Chapter 2: 1 Unto the angel of the church

By Mike Riccardi - Posted at The Cripplegate : Slander is murderous. Do you want to kill your neighbor? Slander his character. Or pass along an unsubstantiated accusation. It’s not a controversial statement to observe that our culture is morally bankrupt. Western society has barreled through the checkpoints of God’s judgment of abandonment as outlined in Romans 1:18–32 . From the denial of God’s existence to pervasive idolatry, from unfettered fornication to rampant adultery and divorce, from homosexuality and the virulent attempts to destroy anyone who doesn’t “give hearty approval” to the reprobate mind that can no longer discern between male and female: we live in an uncommonly wicked society. Add to that the systematic extermination of the most defenseless of our population—the 60 million babies murdered in their mothers’ wombs in the last 45 years, all under the protection of federal law—and it makes one cry out for the mercy, or the judgment, of God. But in the midst o

Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History : Being a military chaplain in any of our Armed Forces was always viewed with favor by this contributor. That was probably because my father served his God and country as an Army chaplain from World War Two through the Korean Conflict. There were divine appointments in the context of a military which are not found in any civilian context. And when the chaplain is a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching minister to men and women in the military, there is an extraordinary opportunity to see God’s kingdom and church grow in the faith and knowledge of the Triune God. Prior to 1976, the National Association of Evangelicals were endorsing chaplains on behalf of young Presbyterian Church in America. As good as that was, there was a conviction on the part of some, which was communicated by the Pacific Presbytery of the P.C.A., to request a study to consider whether sister Presbyterian churches could join together to endorse their own chaplains to

By David C. Brand - Posted at The Christian Observer : Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened it to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. . . . and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. -John 19:19, 20b . . . so from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. -2 Corinthians 5:16-20- We hardly need to open the pages of the Bible to learn of the world’s desperate need for reconciliation. We find it portrayed in

By Geri Ungurean - Posted at Absolute Truth from the Word of God: After receiving so many emails about my article on “women pastors” asking about the book referenced in the article; I decided to republish an article I wrote on “Jesus Calling” over two years ago. The Mystical New Age Roots of “Jesus Calling” We have been searching for a Bible based church. For a long time, my husband and I have been worshiping from home; watching pastors and preachers whom we have come to trust and love via Youtube. We do miss fellowship and we are aware that God wants us to be in fellowship with other believers. For the last two Sundays we visited a Baptist church. This church ordains women as pastors. The head pastor is a man. We do not believe that the Word of God supports women being pastors. Knowing that we will probably not find a church where we agree on every point, we know that some things are essential, while others are non-essential to salvation. I have often spoken of the slippery slop

By Michelle Lesley https://michellelesleybooks.com/ I am absolutely weary of some of the memes aimed at Christian women these days. You know the ones I mean, ladies- the ones with lovely pictures of flowers or an ocean or a meadow with a superimposed flowing script practically BEGGING us to believe how much worth we have to God, how awesome we are, how we need to discover the greatness within, how God gives us limitless potential and a superfantastic divine purpose, blah, blah, blah. You know why they have to take that begging tone to try to get us to believe those things? Because they’re not true. You know it, and I know it. You’re not awesome or great or imbued with some radical purpose or potential that will magically make your life phenomenal and give you oodles of self esteem once you discover it. Read more here.

Posted at Challies.com : Of the many legacies of the Protestant Reformation, few have had greater and wider-reaching impact than the rediscovery of the biblical understanding of vocation. Before the Reformation, the only people considered to have a vocation or calling were those who were engaged in full-time church work—monks, nuns, or priests. As Gene Veith writes, “The ordinary occupations of life—being a peasant farmer or kitchen maid, making tools or clothing, being a soldier or even king—were acknowledged as necessary but worldly. Such people could be saved, but they were mired in the world. To serve God fully, to live a life that is truly spiritual, required a full-time commitment.” But as the Reformers returned to the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word, they found that while full-time ministry was a vocation, it was by no means the only one. They saw that each of us has a vocation and that every vocation has dignity and value in the eyes of the Lord. We can all honor G

Posted at PrayThroughHistory : "Lord, hear our prayer! In the era of WWI, we allowed a consensus opinion to beat down the rights of German Americans solely on the basis of their race...  "Will You protect us from societal damages through the means of group and identity politics? We cherish our race, or our subculture, but You have called us beyond our ethnicities as individuals! ..." Meintz was tarred and feathered for not supporting War Bond drives. 1917 Anti-German hysteria runs rampant during the war. The Minnesota Commission of Public Safety is given sweeping powers to bully German Minnesotans, suppress the right of free speech, break strikes, and even remove elected officials from office.* Our Constitution is designed to protect us from both tyranny of the majority or tyranny of the minority. “In time of actual war, great discretionary powers are constantly given to the Executive Magistrate. Constant apprehension of War, has the same tendency to render the

By Peter Masters - Posted at Herald of Grace : From The Sword & Trowel 2016, issue 1 by Dr Peter Masters And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God (Acts 5.38-39). Some people seem to think that Gamaliel was the only wise man in the whole of the Bible! Whenever wisdom is needed to assess the latest strange idea or movement to penetrate the churches, we hear the famous ‘counsel of Gamaliel’ quoted. We heard it often, for example, in connection with the ‘Toronto blessing’. We hear it especially when there is no scriptural support for something. When the rest of the Bible seems to say ‘No!’ – then the counsel of Gamaliel comes to the rescue. Gamaliel is often preferred above Paul. If the apostle clearly condemns something, his word is pushed aside in favour of Gamaliel’s. But Paul is n

By Megan Fowler - Posted at byFaith Online : Waldron stresses that abuse is a pattern of behavior, not a one-time event. The behavior is always intended to preserve the abuser’s power by controlling others. Typically, abuse falls into one of five categories: psychological, physical, economic, spiritual, and sexual. Shane Waldron was once skeptical of the term “emotional abuse”. As an associate pastor at Faith Covenant Presbyterian Church in Kalispell, Montana, Waldron was assisting with a marriage counseling session when the wife said her husband was emotionally abusive. Waldron balked until he borrowed the wife’s copy of “The Emotionally Abusive Relationship” by Beverly Engel. “Chapter 2 was like reading a handbook of her husband,” Waldron said. During the next few months, Waldron learned of more abused women in his congregation. He started a support group so that he could minister to them together. In the process the Lord placed a burden on his heart to help others find healin

Officials collect information from Christians in Jiangsu Province.  (China Aid) Posted at Morning Star News : (Morning Star News) – China has tightened its “choke-hold” on churches across the country in recent weeks, according to advocacy group China Aid. Recent bans on unregistered church worship and on teaching Christianity to children, “as if intending to eliminate all house churches at once,” have startled Christians, a China Aid source reported. In Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in southern China, a source told China Aid that in the past week police visited members of unregistered church members at their homes to warn them not to attend worship services. Officers also summoned a large number of them for questioning. “The police called me again today and ordered me to stay away from church gatherings, which irritated me,” reported one Christian, who wished to remain unnamed. “I don’t know what to do with these people.” Authorities also ordered the Christian to write

“They may cast a man in prison, that neither wife nor any of his relations shall have access to him to be refreshing and comfortable to him. But neither lock nor key, nor strong walls nor doors can keep out his God from him” – John Brown of Wamphray Posted at Reformation Scotland : The Christian religion is certainly the most persecuted worldwide. But some people feel that, despite growing hostility to Christian values, it is going too far to speak about persecution in the West. Others speak of an evangelical persecution complex. We tend to associate it with physical violence but persecution actually extends to thought control. If it is impossible to be in a particular job with certain biblical convictions (even unexpressed) then those beliefs are certainly being persecuted. When we turn to Scripture, it is in fact clear that all Christians should expect persecution to some degree. Christ says, “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). The context

By Timothy W. Massaro - Posted at CCC Discover : When it comes to questions of love and wisdom, it can be difficult to know what to do. What should we do when it comes to the issues that many people disagree about? Actions or habits that are not explicitly condemned or condoned in Scripture are difficult to think through (e.g. drinking, smoking, or who to vote for). This topic is what Christians have categorized as Christian liberty. How can we know if we’ve crossed “the line”? Can drinking alcohol or eating meat become wrong before God? Scripture provides a way through such difficult issues with one overarching purpose—love for God and each other. Love is the most basic expression of the Christian’s faith. At the end of the day, if what a person is doing is not in line with love and the God who is love , then it is a sin. We are called to let love drive our decisions with a specific goal in mind. After discussing our Christian liberty and the freedom we have in Christ,

President Donald Trump meeting with congressional leaders in the Oval Office.  (Screen Capture - CNS News) By Terrence P. Jeffrey - Posted at CNS News : "This is the third spending deal President Trump has signed that funds Planned Parenthood." (CNSNews.com) - The spending deal that President Donald Trump cut last week with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)--and that was passed by a Republican-controlled Congress—breaks one of Trump’s unambiguous campaign promises: It funds Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. Fiscal 2017 will end on Sept. 30 and the spending law Trump signed Friday will essentially continue federal funding from that date through Dec. 8 at the same levels and for the same purposes as the legislation currently funding the government. Read more here.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History : The First Bible Printed in New Jersey, by George S. Mott, D.D. [excerpted from The Encyclopedia of the Presbyterian Church , by Alfred Nevin (1884), p. 930]:— As early as the beginning of the last century [i.e., the early 1700s] laws existed in some of the colonies requiring every family to be furnished with a Bible. This supply continued to be kept up by individual exertion until the meeting of the first Congress in 1777. To that body a memorial was presented on the Bible destitution throughout the country. This memorial was answered by the appointment of a committee, to advise as to the printing of an edition of thirty thousand Bibles. The population of the colonies then was about three millions, and all the Bibles in the entire world at that time did not exceed four millions. This committee reported that the necessary materials, such as paper and types, were so difficu

Source: History.com Posted at History.com : On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defined the presidency of George W. Bush. WORLD TRADE CENTER On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundred

Pray for those in the path of Hurricane Irma Posted September 10, 2017 by  SLIMJIM  at The Domain for Truth Can’t ignore this big hurricane heading towards Florida though I’m at the other side of the United States well away from this storm. I’m praying for the Lord’s grace to the people who will be in the storm’s path. I think we all should pray. Source: https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/pray-for-those-in-the-path-of-hurricane-irma / ----------------------------------------------------------------- Why Does God Allow Disasters and Calamities? [1] By EvangelZ (Zephanja Mel) -  Posted at The Domain for Truth : Part One - Originally published July 21, 2014. INTRODUCTION: When the water came, I was frightened,” recalled Sanga, 12 of the tsunamis that struck in late December. “We ran, and our home is gone.” “From Thailand to Somalia, more than 150,000 people died in the tsunamis. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) first estima

Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm, devastated many parts of the Caribbean Tuesday, Sept. 5. The storm now threatens Florida, where is is forecast to make landfall in south Florida Sunday morning and bring strong winds and rain to both coasts of the peninsula as it moves north. Screen capture from BBC.com. Source: Baptist Press By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press: NASHVILLE (BP) -- With Caribbean islands devastated and hurricane Irma still large enough to charge up both sides of Florida simultaneously, Southern Baptist leaders are exhorting the church to pray, give, go and offer the comfort that only the Holy Spirit affords. As a Category 5 hurricane, Irma killed at least 11 people, devastated some Caribbean islands and heavily damaged others beginning Tuesday night (Sept. 5), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) reported in daily updates. Irma's more than 600-mile width is enough to flood the east and west coasts of Florida concurrently wh

Source: The Federalist By Cheryl Magness - Posted at The Federalist : The swift response to Harvey's devastation was the fruit of much preparation, organization, and groundwork—often going back years. Within hours of Hurricane Harvey’s making landfall, relief efforts around the world had begun. First responders, local officials, churches, schools, civic organizations, and places of business leaped into action. In the days since Harvey released his fury on the Texas and Louisiana coasts, Americans have demonstrated the spirit that unifies much more than divides us , digging deep to share of their time, talents and treasure with those in need. It has been a sight to behold, but it is not something that just happens. Such a response is the fruit of much preparation, organization, and groundwork, often going back years. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod , a two-million-plus-member Christian church body based in St. Louis, Missouri, with over 6,000 congregations around the

By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press : CINCINNATI, Ohio (BP) -- Two conflicting 2017 court rulings in cases challenging public prayer at government meetings increase the chance of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing on the issue, religious liberty advocate Ken Klukowski said today (Sept. 7). The Board of Commissioners in Jackson County, Mich., may legally open its meetings with sectarian prayers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said Sept. 6. The decision is contrary to a July 14 ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which said the Rowan County (North Carolina) Board of Commissioners' similar practice was "unconstitutionally coercive." Klukowski, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute representing both boards, said the split creates the precise climate to encourage the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of the ruling in the Fourth Circuit against Rowan County. "The Fourth Circuit decision was 10-to-5 against prayer, and the

Posted at Reformation Scotland : Today, many people pray and long for revival – a special outpouring of God’s blessing when His people are spiritually renewed and many others are converted. They view the advancing tide against the truth and Word of God with alarm and are concerned for the honour of God. This must not be a counsel of despair, as though we can do nothing without it and neither must we despise the day of small things. It’s possible to have a false romanticism about these things. Yet if the glory of God is truly paramount in such desires it is commendable. Revival is a time when God is truly seen as God – in His glorious majesty. This is what we desperately need. Secularism has pushed God to the edges and sometimes even Christians can be comfortable with that. Perhaps part of the difficulty is that revival is a distant memory. What would it look like and what effects would it have? Some may ask: “do we need revival today?” The following brief clip may help to provide

By Paul Barth - Posted at Purely Presbyterian : A Complementarian parachurch group, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), recently published a statement of affirmations and denials regarding biblical sexuality, The Nashville Statement . This brief post will express my thoughts on the statement itself, as well as the manner in which it was put forward. Praise for the Nashville Statement Despite the criticisms below, I truly believe God is using this statement for his own glory and the good of his church. The statement itself affirms many fundamental biblical truths, such as marriage being between one man and one woman; the rejection of extra-marital intercourse, homosexual and polygamous acts and relationships; that there are “divinely ordained differences between male and female” and that we should identify as our God given biological sex; that sexual desires, not just actions, can be sinful; that “the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism” i

By Tom Strode - Posted at Baptist Press : "Congress should do the right thing and provide a solution for those who were brought here by parents as children," tweeted Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Trump administration announced today (Sept. 5) the repeal of a program that has protected people brought illegally to the United States as children by their parents, but it also provided a window of time for Congress to act in response. In a morning briefing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the revocation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a 2012 order by President Obama that gave relief from deportation to undocumented immigrants who arrived in this country before their 16th birthday. Obama issued the executive order after Congress failed for more than a decade to pass proposals to address the issue. The repeal of DACA will involve a "wind-down process"

Posted at  Pastor Mathis : The Nashville Statement: A Coalition for Biblical Sexuality is in many ways a needful and alluring public declaration even as it is misleading and ambiguous in its pronouncements. The necessity of this kind of public statement is set out carefully in the preamble. The church is in a “period of historic transition” concerning fundamental creational realities. Marriage, sex and gender are being redefined at a breath-taking pace. Secularism is the beast scratching at the Church’s door. And it will take “biblical conviction, clarity, and courage” to bar the door. Its allurement is in the many truths it pronounces, truths shrilly denounced by the usual suspects in society. Marriage, chastity and fidelity is forthrightly affirmed. The differences and dignity between men and women are affirmed as well. Gender roles (“self-conception as male or female”) are set forth in opposition to transgender and homosexual deviancy. There is a call for the ki

By Tony Arsenal - Posted at Reformed Arsenal : What is the Nashville Statement Yesterday (August 29, 2017) the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood issued a document called the Nashville Statement . This document contained a preamble, fourteen articles (consisting of both affirmations and denials), and comes with an initial list of over 150 signatories that reads like a who’s who list of the biggest names in conservative Christianity. This statement is similar in its format and intention as the Christology Statement that Ligonier Ministries released in 2016 (and subsequently revised in 2017). The following morning, Dr. R Albert Mohler discussed the Nashville Statement (of which he is one of the signatories) on his podcast. One of the main themes of Dr. Mohler’s discussion was that in unclear times such as this, the Church must speak with clarity on controversial subjects (with the implication that the Church has not already spoken with clarity). While I don’t disagree wit