The City of God Podcast

There are sheep to be gathered in, there are souls to be saved, and there is a harvest to be reaped and there is nothing poisonous about it. To claim what the bible claims today means that we hold toxic views. If you hold to complementarian teaching, you now hold toxic views. This means that Tim Keller and his theology is toxic; this is doctrine that is going to cause death and debilitation, according to some. What is happening in complementarian circles cannot be described as poisonous or causing death or debilitation. What we have seen in complementarian churches and organization is anything but death causing and poisonous; churches and organizations are growing. They are planting more churches and sending out more students. God loves to bless his truth; whatever God teaches is good and true and will accomplish his purpose. We don’t need to fear that doctrine will halt church growth. God does not place the future of his church in our hands. It is God and God alone who gives the growth. As the word goes out, there are some who are repelled by it; others respond to the voice of the shepherd and love that voice. There are sheep to be gathered in, there are souls to be saved, and there is a harvest to be reaped and there is nothing poisonous about it.

Is a PhD a waste of time? No, not if you do it in a Matthew 22 sense. How should those who are interested in getting a PhD approach this question? First, no one has to do a PhD nor do you need to be an academic. A PhD is not an easy journey for most people — no one has to do a PhD. We don’t want to fall prey to over-credentialization. Secondly, there is tremendous value in doing a PhD. It trains you in habits of discipline; it helps you to become focused. Don’t do a PhD for the end goal. Do a PhD for the experience and for the sharpening. Do it for the intellectual joy and because it is beneficial after and unto God for several years of time. Ready yourself for other fields to enter because a PhD does not guarantee a teaching position at a college or seminary. The most significant theologians are pastors, not academics. A PhD can help toward that end though it is not necessary. Is a PhD a waste of time? No, not if you do it in a Matthew 22 sense — loving God with your mind.

The best way to thrive is to be oriented to the whole. Here are a few quick thoughts on the NCAA Tournament: 1. The culture of sportsmanship 2. Defense continues to matter 3. The One and Done Phenomenon The best way to thrive is to be oriented to the whole. If you are oriented to the good of others, it is going to lift yourself up.

The best way to thrive is to be oriented to the whole. Here are a few quick thoughts on the NCAA Tournament: 1. The culture of sportsmanship 2. Defense continues to matter 3. The One and Done Phenomenon The best way to thrive is to be oriented to the whole. If you are oriented to the good of others, it is going to lift yourself up.

It is because Christ has given his life that sinners can be forgiven and this is why the cross is good news. The atonement, once again, is under attack. In William Paul Young’s new book, Lies We Believe About God, he states that God is a “cosmic abuser.” For Young, the atonement is a lie. He is offering ancient false teaching. For Young, the cross is evil redeemed from its intent and justice enacted. This kind of formulation of the cross loses the very reality it promotes. If Christ does not go to the cross to satisfy the wrath of the Father the only justice that we sinners are going to get is the just fury of God’s righteous wrath. The cross is only a picture of  justice if God’s righteousness is satisfied. It is because Christ has given his life that sinners can be forgiven and this is why the cross is good news. No one has a problem for justice when they have been wronged; we don’t naturally want justice to be done to us. We don’t naturally want a system in which God requires our sins to be dealt with but this is exactly what the Scriptures present us from start to finish. Scandalized by the Substitute: A Response to Young and Gungor by Owen Strachan

It is because Christ has given his life that sinners can be forgiven and this is why the cross is good news. The atonement, once again, is under attack. In William Paul Young’s new book, Lies We Believe About God, he states that God is a “cosmic abuser.” For Young, the atonement is a lie. He is offering ancient false teaching. For Young, the cross is evil redeemed from its intent and justice enacted. This kind of formulation of the cross loses the very reality it promotes. If Christ does not go to the cross to satisfy the wrath of the Father the only justice that we sinners are going to get is the just fury of God’s righteous wrath. The cross is only a picture of  justice if God’s righteousness is satisfied. It is because Christ has given his life that sinners can be forgiven and this is why the cross is good news. No one has a problem for justice when they have been wronged; we don’t naturally want justice to be done to us. We don’t naturally want a system in which God requires our sins to be dealt with but this is exactly what the Scriptures present us from start to finish. Scandalized by the Substitute: A Response to Young and Gungor by Owen Strachan

As Christians we don’t want people to hide under a veil; we want people to think. We do not want college campus to become battlegrounds but that isn’t what the Middlebury Statement is talking about; the statement is talking about the exchange of ideas. This is what happens in class rooms and in liberal arts. If we don’t introduce other ideas into the intellectual mix we are only going to hold our existing opinions. All of us are going to have an opinion but the challenge is not having our opinions are affirmed but if they correlate with the truth. As Christians we don’t want people to hide under a veil; we want people to think and American society is a desperate society on these accounts. In other words, people are not thinking. The classroom is a truly exhilarating place to do so; it is the center of the college experience. Why I Can’t Get Behind the Middlebury Statement by Barbara Fister

As Christians we don’t want people to hide under a veil; we want people to think. We do not want college campus to become battlegrounds but that isn’t what the Middlebury Statement is talking about; the statement is talking about the exchange of ideas. This is what happens in class rooms and in liberal arts. If we don’t introduce other ideas into the intellectual mix we are only going to hold our existing opinions. All of us are going to have an opinion but the challenge is not having our opinions are affirmed but if they correlate with the truth. As Christians we don’t want people to hide under a veil; we want people to think and American society is a desperate society on these accounts. In other words, people are not thinking. The classroom is a truly exhilarating place to do so; it is the center of the college experience. Why I Can’t Get Behind the Middlebury Statement by Barbara Fister

The Church has a word for all of the racial tension: Christ has made us one new man Today is a day when America finds itself navigating a moment of profound unrest. We have been in days past finding ourselves in great racial unrest. In the 90’s it was said that America was becoming a post-racial society and it did not matter what your skin color was. But today it seems like it is okay to stereotype people on the basis of their skin color. We are in danger of writing one another off. There is real pain over the American past and that pain is justifiable in many senses. The Church has to recognize that we should not be on the sidelines. The Church has a profound and sincere word, it’s this: According to Ephesians, Christ has made one new man through his cross. The Church has a word for all of the racial tension: Christ has made us one new man. It is not that Jesus has made it possible but has actually made one new man. We need to be humble and listen to all ethnicities. There are not some who are more deserving of a hearing than others. Its easy to virtual signal but its hard to really pursue racial reconciliation. God will give us strength for this difficult work. The Exhaustion of American Liberalism by Shelby Steele

The Church has a word for all of the racial tension: Christ has made us one new man Today is a day when America finds itself navigating a moment of profound unrest. We have been in days past finding ourselves in great racial unrest. In the 90’s it was said that America was becoming a post-racial society and it did not matter what your skin color was. But today it seems like it is okay to stereotype people on the basis of their skin color. We are in danger of writing one another off. There is real pain over the American past and that pain is justifiable in many senses. The Church has to recognize that we should not be on the sidelines. The Church has a profound and sincere word, it’s this: According to Ephesians, Christ has made one new man through his cross. The Church has a word for all of the racial tension: Christ has made us one new man. It is not that Jesus has made it possible but has actually made one new man. We need to be humble and listen to all ethnicities. There are not some who are more deserving of a hearing than others. Its easy to virtual signal but its hard to really pursue racial reconciliation. God will give us strength for this difficult work. The Exhaustion of American Liberalism by Shelby Steele

Civility in the name of Jesus Christ is always worth thinking about. We see in this incident a picture of the ugliness that is all around us. These kind of shows are not built on fairness and civility but ugliness and stereotyping. We are becoming accustomed to stereotyping people and dismissing them. As Christians we should push against a politically correct culture. The Church does need to be a voice for civility. We stand out when we speak out in civil, polite, and gracious terms. We need to see people not as strawmen but as human beings. The Church should treat the other side as if they are bearer of God’s image. Civility in the name of Jesus Christ is always worth thinking about.

Civility in the name of Jesus Christ is always worth thinking about. We see in this incident a picture of the ugliness that is all around us. These kind of shows are not built on fairness and civility but ugliness and stereotyping. We are becoming accustomed to stereotyping people and dismissing them. As Christians we should push against a politically correct culture. The Church does need to be a voice for civility. We stand out when we speak out in civil, polite, and gracious terms. We need to see people not as strawmen but as human beings. The Church should treat the other side as if they are bearer of God’s image. Civility in the name of Jesus Christ is always worth thinking about.

Christians are going to stand out if they stand up for free speech. In 2017, we are find ourselves in perilous times as the reality of free speech is threatened. To be clear, Singer’s views are noxious, anti-biblical, and anti-common sense; we should oppose Singer’s views to the full. But here is where we have to be very careful: if you can shut down Peter Singer, our views can be shut down as well. We should work to preserve the right of every person to civil free speech. People should have the right to speak their mind in the West. We should preserve the right to civil free speech. This means that all sorts of people of all sorts of views can make their ideas known in the public square. Christmas are going to stand out if they stand up for free speech. We cannot trust our fellow man to preserve free speech. We want to start from the standpoint that we enfranchise all points of view, provided that they are legal. As the Church, the gospel has gone out in great measure in free societies. God does not ask for the permission of secular societies for the gospel to go forth; the gospel will go forth no matter what. The gospel goes out in great measure in free societies and will continue to do so.

Christians are going to stand out if they stand up for free speech. In 2017, we are find ourselves in perilous times as the reality of free speech is threatened. To be clear, Singer’s views are noxious, anti-biblical, and anti-common sense; we should oppose Singer’s views to the full. But here is where we have to be very careful: if you can shut down Peter Singer, our views can be shut down as well. We should work to preserve the right of every person to civil free speech. People should have the right to speak their mind in the West. We should preserve the right to civil free speech. This means that all sorts of people of all sorts of views can make their ideas known in the public square. Christmas are going to stand out if they stand up for free speech. We cannot trust our fellow man to preserve free speech. We want to start from the standpoint that we enfranchise all points of view, provided that they are legal. As the Church, the gospel has gone out in great measure in free societies. God does not ask for the permission of secular societies for the gospel to go forth; the gospel will go forth no matter what. The gospel goes out in great measure in free societies and will continue to do so.

We don’t train students in a narrow idealogical vision but in a big understanding of God and the world he has made. Recently, Mark Cuban made headlines when he encouraged the rising generation of students not to go to school and take classes on finance and computer science but to focus on liberal arts. Don’t go for school for finance, go to school and study the liberal arts. Study history, philosophy, arts, and many more because they train you to look at data and come away with your own take on it. We would say that there is something to Cuban’s point. We think that in recent years the liberal arts have come under fire because of the art history degrees for which students go to a top flight school and graduate with thousands of dollars worth of debt only to work a part-time job. Today is the age of diversity, when we’re all supposed to be promoting diversity. In our increasingly politicized age there is only one viewpoint that is allowed in the public square. If you hold a conservative, evangelical, or republican viewpoint you are almost certainly on the outside. Diversity has never been more praised but has never been in shorter order at the intellectual level. American society is intellectually less welcoming to diversity than it has ever been. We need to be champions of good thinking. We want to train students in intellectual diversity while holding firm to absolute truth. We are not scared to present other viewpoints to students provided we do so with wisdom. In this sense Christians increasingly find themselves as some of the last supporters of true intellectual diversity in this world. The irony is this: we are those who believe that the truth is unified. Whatever degree program we enter there is truth out there and students desperately need it. We don’t train students in a narrow idealogical vision but in a big understanding of God and the world he has made.