Credo 9, 4 (2019) on ‘Will All Be Saved?’

The current issue of Credo is available, this one devoted to the question: ‘Will all be saved?’

Here’s the blurb:

‘Will all be saved? There are few questions as sensitive as this one. It is sure to provoke an emotional response. For many, to answer “no” is to compromise the very character of God. A God who does not save everyone cannot be a God of love. In response, sometimes evangelicals rattle off texts that say Jesus is the only way or texts that teach the doctrine of hell, all the while neglecting the heart of the matter: the character of God himself. In this issue, pastors and professors alike look at the claims of universalism and show that the reason they fumble is first and foremost because they compromise attributes of God like justice and, yes, even love. Whether you are a churchgoer, pastor, or theologian yourself, it is only a matter of time before someone you love wrestles with universalism. It might even be you. So, prepare now.’

Individual articles, along with interviews and book reviews, are available to read from here.

Broken Covenant

I co-wrote (with friend and colleague, Nell Goddard) this week’s ‘Word for the Week’, a weekly email service from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, currently reflecting on Lamentations during this period of Lent.

The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;
he has poured out his fierce anger.
He kindles a fire in Zion
that consumed her foundations...

But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed within her
the blood of the righteous.

Lamentations 4:11, 13

The hope of chapter 3, it seems, has faded, and the present reality of the suffering is described as the poet contrasts the ‘then’ of pre-siege Jerusalem with the ‘now’ of today’s suffering.

But even more than that, the poet now seems to be seeking out someone or something to blame for the situation in which Jerusalem finds herself. And the answer is clear: ‘The Lord has given full vent to his wrath... it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests.’

The judgment of God has come upon Jerusalem because the leaders disregarded justice and sinned against God, ignoring countless warnings and failing to adhere to his laws, and so he has ‘poured out his fierce anger’.

To talk about suffering as a punishment from God is to venture into difficult territory. Suffering is a multi-faceted issue in the Bible, with different parts of Scripture addressing it from different perspectives. It is, of course, important to remember that not all suffering is a punishment from God.

Lamentations, however, is clear that the particular suffering it describes does come about as a direct result of God’s doing. It is not always easy to discern the difference between this type of suffering and that which is merely a natural outworking of our own actions, and we must always be careful not to go beyond the Bible in deciding what counts as God’s punishment and what does not.

The whole thrust of this book, however, suggests that the poet is aware that God is ultimately responsible for bringing about the suffering they are experiencing. This matches with all the warnings of the prophets of the exile, like Zephaniah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah himself, all of whom warn the people in no uncertain terms that God himself will judge them if they continue to break the terms of his covenant with them. This, in turn, goes back to the warnings of Moses in Deuteronomy 28 and elsewhere which say that the Lord himself will be active in bringing about the covenant curses resulting in the sort of suffering portrayed in Lamentations.

As we have seen in the rest of the book, these are deep questions to which there are no simple answers. There are great mysteries here.

If nothing else, they must cause us to throw ourselves afresh on God’s mercy demonstrated supremely in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Credo Magazine 5, 2 (2015)

The current issue of Credo is available, this one devoted to ‘The Forgotten God: Divine Attributes We Are Ashamed of and Why We Shouldn’t Be’.

Matthew Barrett writes in the Editorial:

‘For many people today, Bible stories having to do with divine wrath, anger, or jealousy are embarrassing. And yet, no matter how uncomfortable they make you feel, it is nearly impossible to get through a book (sometimes a chapter!) of the Bible without coming face to face with these forgotten attributes of God.’

The magazine is available to read here, from where a 2o MB pdf of the whole issue can also be downloaded.

Centre for Public Christianity (July 2013)

The latest newsletter from the Centre for Public Christianity contains links to several interesting-looking features:

• A two-part video interview with Megan Best, discussing her book, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, which examines the ethics of reproductive medicine from a Christian perspective.

• A video interview with Vishal Mangalwadi on how the Bible that has provided the basis for the freedoms enjoyed in the west, and why he thinks those freedoms are at risk.

• A two-part audio interview with Kevin Miller, director of the documentary Hellbound, and John Dickson, Ancient Historian and CPX Director.

Credo Magazine 3, 1 (January 2013)

The current issue of Credo is now out, this one devoted to ‘Purgatory’.

According to the editorial blurb:

‘This issue of Credo Magazine might come as a surprise. Purgatory? Really? I thought we addressed that back in the sixteenth-century? Think again. Not only is purgatory a hot button issue once again on the table, especially given the current excitement with some Protestants returning to Rome, but most recently there has been a renewed interest in purgatory among committed evangelicals. For example, in his new book, Purgatory: The Logic of Total Transformation, Jerry Walls addresses evangelicals today, arguing not only that Protestants should whole-heartedly embrace purgatory, but that such a doctrine as this can serve as an ecumenical bridge with Catholics. Spoiler alert: The purgatory Walls has in mind does not look exactly like your Catholic grandmother’s. You will have to read this issue of Credo Magazine to see why.

The magazine is available to read here, from where also a 12.7 MB pdf of the whole issue can be downloaded.

Mission Catalyst Issue 1 (2013)

The latest issue of Mission Catalyst from BMS World Mission is available online here. This one contains a collection of pieces by David Kerrigan, Tom Wright, John Polkinghorne, and others devoted to the question ‘What happens when we die?’

Back issues of Mission Catalyst can be downloaded from the archive.

Credo Magazine 2 (January 2012)

The second issue of Credo is now out, this one devoted to the topic of ‘In Christ Alone’.

According to the blurb:

‘The January issue argues for the exclusivity of the gospel, especially in light of the movement known as inclusivism. This issue will seek to answer questions like: Can those who have never heard the gospel of Christ be saved? Will everyone be saved in the end or will some spend an eternity in hell? Must someone have explicit faith in Christ to be saved? Contributors include David Wells, Robert Peterson, Michael Horton, Gerald Bray, Todd Miles, Todd Borger, Ardel Caneday, Nathan Finn, Trevin Wax, Michael Reeves, and many others.’

The magazine is available to read here, and can be downloaded as a 35.5 MB pdf here.

Christian History Magazine on Hell

Christian History Institute, publisher of Christian History magazine, provides a 32-page magazine on ‘The History of Hell: A Brief Survey and Resource Guide’, from Justin Martyr to thumbnail sketches of more-recent treatments, yes, including Rob Bell.

It’s available as an 8.6 MB pdf here.

Evangelical Alliance UK on Rob Bell’s Love Wins

Evangelical Alliance has posted a statement along with a review (by Derek Tidball) of Rob Bell’s recent book, Love Wins.

Michael Horton on the The Last Battle and Life Everlasting

I’ve already posted a few times on Michael Horton’s The Christian Faith; I’m working my way through it slowly, enjoying it, and may post periodically on it.

I’m mentioning it again only because, with all the brouhaha about Rob Bell’s latest book – Love Wins – Zondervan has allowed White Horse Inn to make available a pdf of chapter 29 of Horton’s volume, ‘The Last Battle and Life Everlasting’.

But the real treat is that the Introduction to the volume is also bundled in with the pdf. It’s here that Horton traces out the movement from Drama to Doctrine to Doxology to Discipleship.

John Hayward et al. on Earthquakes, Tsunamis and the Providence of God

Over at the Jubilee Centre, John Hayward posts some reflections on the recent earthquakes which have devastated areas of New Zealand and Japan.

He links to a 2009 article by Andrew Atherstone on divine retribution, which reflects theologically on responses to extreme flooding in Britain in 2007.

He also links to a 1993 Cambridge Paper by Mark Dever on providence, in which Dever identified five biblical principles to help us as we seek to find meaning in the events of the world around us:

1. God is sovereign, acting purposively in history

2. Ultimately, God will vindicate himself; evil will be punished

3. In the meantime, any adversity must be viewed in the light of the end

4. In the meantime, any good must be understood as God's gracious blessing

5. Full judgement and blessing will come only finally

While we’re on the topic, a 1999 article by Steven A. Austin and Mark L. Strauss challenges the view that Jesus promised a pronounced increase in the frequency and intensity of earthquakes immediately prior to his return. According to Austin and Strauss, if Matthew 24:4-14 is understood to refer to general signs of the present age, ‘earthquakes are seen as recurring catastrophic events common to the present age – events that must not be misinterpreted as “signs” of an immediate end’.

The Gospel Coalition Booklets

I’ve been looking forward to the publication of the Gospel Coalition Booklets, edited by D.A. Carson and Tim Keller.

Eight have been promised on a variety of topics:

• Gospel-Centered Ministry (D. A. Carson and Timothy Keller)

• Creation (Andrew M. Davis)

• The Holy Spirit (Kevin L. DeYoung)

• The Restoration of All Things (Sam Storms)

• The Church: God’s New People (Timothy Savage)

• What Is the Gospel? (Bryan Chapell)

• Can We Know the Truth? (Richard D. Phillips)

• The Plan (Colin S. Smith)

The one by Sam Storms – on the restoration of all things – has kindly been made available as a pdf here.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Advent

I’m preparing to preach later this morning on biblical texts for the second week of advent – Malachi 3:1-4 and Luke 3:1-6.

In Malachi, the Lord promises to send a messenger ahead of his own coming to the temple when he will refine and purify it.

What precipitates this promise, as Malachi tells us in 2:17, is that the people are whinging! ‘Why does God allow evil? If he’s a good God, why don’t we see more evidence of his justice?’ The people want God to step in and exercise his power over evil; they want ‘justice’. But they don’t seem to realise that they might be included in God’s judgment when he comes!

Basically, be careful what you wish for...

In my preparation, I have happily stumbled across some excerpts from a 1928 Advent sermon preached by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who (though without reference to Malachi 3), riffs on this theme of judgment:

‘It is very remarkable that we face the thought that God is coming, so calmly, whereas previously peoples trembled at the day of God...

‘We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us. The coming of God is truly not only glad tidings, but first of all frightening news for every one who has a conscience...

‘Only when we have felt the terror of the matter, can we recognize the incomparable kindness. God comes into the very midst of evil and of death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And by judging us, God cleanses and sanctifies us, comes to us with grace and love.’

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Testament to Freedom: The Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ed. Geffrey B. Kelly and F. Burton Nelson (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995), 185-186.