‘21st Century’ Category

Another literary figure for whom I have a great admiration and who recently died was Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008). His literary masterpieces from my perspective were parts of The Red Wheel–August 1914, November 1916, Lenin in Zurich–and then One Day in the Life of Ivan Denosovich (a difficult read emotionally). I read many of his essays when a much younger Christian and deeply appreciated his critique of the godlessness and soul-lessness of Communism, especially when I had once professed myself a Marxist.

For a recent obituary, see Alexander Solzhenitsyn: Dissident writer who exposed the moral infamy of Soviet Communism by Mark Le Fanu (The Independent, August 5, 2008). See also John Piper, “Thank You, Lord, for Solzhenitsyn.”

Art and religion have long gone hand in hand. One thinks of the base use of the arts to create idols for worship. But, on the other hand, one needs to remember Bezalel, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit “to desvise artistic designs” in gold, silver, and bronze for use in the Temple (Exodus 31). And the Spirit filled this man so that his artistic ability might be a blessing to the people of God.

It is no less true today. One thinks of Rembrandt’s work, for example. Or the twentieth-century artist Pauline Baynes, who has just died. Her marvellous drawings of figures to accompany the Narnia tales of C.S. Lewis will long be remembered by this writer/reader.

For a recent obituary, see Pauline Baynes: Illustrator who depicted Lewis’s Narnia and Tolkien’s Middle-earth by Brian Sibley (The Independent, August 6, 2008).

Here is a fabulous phrase from Cardinal Ivan Dias, the Vatican’s Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, who made a very recent splash in some British newspapers when he remarked that some Western churches live “myopically in the fleeting present”. Whatever the Cardinal may have intended by the remark–it seems it was a dig at British Anglicanism–his remark can be read also as a pungent critique of North American Evangelicalism that more often than not is quite happy to forget the past and bask in “the fleeting present.”

In a statement reeking with hubris, Henry Morgentaler has said that he believes he deserves the Order of Canada given to him earlier this month and that, in part it appears, because abortion has become “one of the safest surgical techniques.” The utter irony of this statement seems to have been lost on the man and the media that reported this remark [Morgentaler: I 'Deserve' Order of Canada].

I am a Canadian. My parents brought me here from the United Kingdom when I was twelve in 1965. I found it difficult at first, but I have come to love this nation—her topography and human archaeology, her customs and culture—and I am proud to describe myself as a Canadian. I love my roots in England and Ireland, and my wife’s Scottish heritage—I have grown to love the United States—but I am first of all a Canadian when it comes to national identity. And Canada Day is therefore a special day (though I do wish it were still called Dominion Day—I love to think of this nation as a Dominion). A day to celebrate what is best about this nation and how good God has been to us. What a shock then to read of Henry Morgentaler being named to the Order of Canada on Canada Day. To do such on the day when we celebrate what is best about our nation is little better than an insult to those of us Canadians who believe that most of this nation’s abortions over the past thirty or more years have amounted to wholesale murder. Morgentaler’s advocacy of the right to abortion has not helped our fair land but stained it with the blood of countless innocents. He claims to speak for women—but who speaks for the voiceless within the womb? To honour such a man is transpose the categories of good and evil and say what is evil is good. I weep for this nation. O Lord Almighty be merciful to us for not only this sin, but all of the others with which we as Canadians have angered you. In wrath remember mercy!

Here is an excellent post on modesty by CJ Mahaney: Modesty: A Word to Fathers (pt. 5).

HT: Tim Kerr.

Kirk Wellum (Post Graduation Reflections ) has a good reflection on this past weekend of ministry in southern Ontario by Tom Nettles, Professor of Historical Theology at Southern, where I am teaching. His message on Sunday evening, which was on 1 John 5:18-21, I found particularly memorable: it was so rich and powerful.

The New Testament authors are frank about false teachers. Just to give a sampling from the Apostle Paul: false teachers are “wolves” (Acts 20:29); men who “by smooth talk and flattery” deceive hearts (Romans 16:18; cp. 2 Cor 11:1-4; Titus 1:10); “false apostles, deceitful workmen” (2 Cor 11:13); “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil 3:18); “dogs” and “evildoers” (Phil3:2); men with seared consciences (1 Tim 4:1-2), who speak “irreverent babble” (1 Tim 6:20); “evil beasts,” “detestable” and unfit for any good work (Titus 1:16).

This is but a sample. It is very strong language. Rightly are we careful in applying such texts to the present day. Moreover, I know that this list of errorists does not refer to the same type of problems.

But…we would be utterly naïve if we thought our generation above all others had managed to avoid this problem entirely, a problem that was clearly not rare even in the Apostolic era.

In this light, read this excellent post by Dr. Russell Moore: Serpent-Sensitive Worship.

In the most recent issue of The Baptist Bulletin (March/April 2008) I noticed a two-page memorial tribute about Wendell Kempton, the President Emeritus of ABWE, who died January 6, 2008. I probably would have paid no attention if I had not received earlier this year an e-mail sent out by Larry Smith, with whom I worked for a couple of years in the 1990s at Heritage Baptist College and Seminary. Until I received Larry’s e-mail I do not believe I knew the name of Dr. Kempton.

I was struck by one paragraph in particular about Dr. Kempton. Larry wrote this about him:

“I was in my office in Santiago, Chile beginning our second term of missionary service when I learned that our new president of ABWE was a man named Wendell Kempton. I did not know him or anything about him. I asked a missionary colleague who he was and he replied, “We call him Wendy—he’s a coach.”

“…As time passed, I was privileged to have Dr. Kempton “coach” me. I remember sitting in the airport in Santiago, Chile and listening intently to him as he coached me with words of wisdom on how to become a better missionary. As I approach retirement, I remember him telling me that “it is more important how you leave an organization than how you entered”.”

Those are wise words indeed.

This past Saturday morning, The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, now located at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (www.sbts.edu) , teamed up with Toronto Baptist Seminary (www.tbs.edu ) to present a mini-conference of two lectures by Dr Liam Goligher of Duke Street Church in Richmond-on-Thames, London (see www.dukestreetchurch.co.uk ). This conference had been planned before the move of the Andrew Fuller Center to Louisville, but it is hoped that the Center will be able to hold a similar event annually in southern Ontario.

Dr Goligher superbly and succinctly analyzed the Emergent Church in his first lecture and then looked at the deviations from a solid biblical focus on penal, substitutionary atonement in his second talk. Coming from a position Goligher described as “Catholic [that is rooted in the patristic era], Protestant, Reformed, and Evangelical,” he examined Emergent thinking in relation to Scripture, humanity, Christ, salvation, ethics, and Christian orthodoxy. He urged his hearers that while we must be humble in the way we present the truth, we should not “be humble about the truth” itself. Truth can be known—though obviously not all the truth about any given topic. Insightfully he suggested that the opposite of humility today for many people—even Christians—is not pride, but conviction.

Goligher’s second lecture looked at the doctrine of the cross in the New and Old Testaments. He ably responded to Steve Chalke’s recent argument that viewing the cross as God’s judgment on sin is simply cosmic child abuse and rightly pointed out that the charge is not a new one. Goligher powerfully argued that the cross achieves propitiation, reconciliation, redemption, and victory over evil.

It was a morning well spent. We hope, DV, to have another set of lectures next year at roughly the same time. On that occasion, Dr Stephen Wellum of Southern will be with us lecturing on the person of Christ. Plan on joining us!

For another report of the lectures by Dr Goligher, see Kirk Wellum: Post Lecture Thoughts.

The audio of Dr Goligher’s lectures can be found here on the Toronto Baptist website:

Lecture #1 The Emergent Church - Reinventing Liberalism

Lecture #2 - Preaching The Cross Today