A La Carte: Kevin DeYoung on ‘judge not’ / Seven principles for civil engagement / Parents, restrain your children / Jesus knew the sins you would commit / Why did they ghost me? / How do I teach my family? / and more.See AlsoWeekend A La Carte (August 17)A La Carte (June 5)A La Carte (4/22)
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This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. This post is written by Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) who is president of Truth Unites and theologian-in-residence at Immanuel Nashville in Tennessee. He’s a highly sought-after speaker and apologist, and his new book What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church releases on August 20, 2024. In my engagements with Christians from traditions outside of Protestantism, whatever issue is being addressed, the discussion almost always kicks back to questions of authority. By what standard do we evaluate our differences? What is the relationship between Scripture and tradition, and where does the ultimate authority of interpretation for both Scripture and tradition lie? It is hard to find any area of dispute that doesn’t terminate in these more basic, methodological questions. For this reason, we must press into the question of ecclesial authority. Here I will consider two of the most typical objections to sola Scriptura, the Protestant position on where ultimate authority over the church is located. Objection 1: What about the Canon? The church’s role in canonization is often set against sola Scriptura. Such critiques, however, generally fail to touch the Protestant position. Protestants stand in broad agreement with other traditions that the church has been entrusted with the responsibility of discerning the canon. For example, Protestants find themselves in a broad agreement on this point with the Roman Catholic position, as articulated at Vatican I: “these books the church holds to be sacred and canonical not because she subsequently approved…See AlsoEvangelize 2024: Growing a Church That Proclaims The GospelBring Your Skills to the Missions WorldWhy Do I Feel Such Profound Loneliness?
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A La Carte: Grumbling / Life’s little day / Your holy deeds are not filthy rags / AI and the demon heuristic / As a single man I felt little pressure to get married / Some excellent Kindle deals / and more.See AlsoA La Carte (July 18)A La Carte (July 9)A La Carte (July 3)
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I am often asked what churches and individual Christians can do to care for and comfort those who are enduring times of grief. It is a question I am always glad to receive and one I am always glad to attempt to answer. And there is a lot individuals and communities can do to bring comfort—they can pray, they can be present, they can provide meals and other forms of help, they can remember important dates and continue to express care for months or even years into the future. In these ways and so many others, they can help bear the burdens of those they love. Yet I also feel the need to speak a word to those who are enduring the time of trial and it’s a word of realism. Over the past few years, I have had a lot of grieving people reach out to express a sense of deep loneliness. They sometimes wonder if their friends have failed them or whether their church has neglected to fulfill its duty toward them. And for those who are enduring the trial of grief compounded by the trial of loneliness, I say this: Grief is lonely. Grief is lonely even in community, lonely even when surrounded by loving and helpful people. Grief is lonely when you are the only one grieving and lonely when you are grieving with others. Unfortunately, but unavoidably, it’s just plain lonely. Thousands of years ago Solomon wrote this proverb: “The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its…See AlsoComparative SufferingHelpful Things You Can Say to Grieving ParentsWritten in Tears
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A La Carte: Pastor, be what you want to see / When mom and dad quietly cast out a demon / Mom and dad, show your need / A sin that is sadly indigenous to the church / The dangers of idolizing a wife / Kindle deals / and more.See AlsoA La Carte (July 26)A La Carte (May 30)A La Carte (May 21)
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