Controversy
Australian, Baptist, Independent … And Calvinist?
I don’t think of myself as a Calvinist, although I greatly benefit from Reformed theology. This was not always my experience. As a child, I once heard this horrified whisper in church concerning a newcomer: “I know about him. He’s a Calvinist!” — as if the man were an alien or baddie. In another church, [...]
God & His Word
I’ve appreciated Jason’s ongoing series on the King James Version and I marvel at how the ensuing discussion alternates between a fight between kung-fu masters and schoolboys in a fight. I would like to posit the following as my contribution to this series: Almost five hundred years ago, a boat set sail from the Continent [...]
Spanking Is Not Enough
In his book Teach Them Diligently: How To Use The Scriptures In Child Training, Lou Priolo gives good advice for parents on the topic of spanking: “…if you, like so many Christian parents I’ve known, are spanking your children without (simultaneously) ministering the Word to them, you are not spanking them biblically.” … “The rod [...]
Some controversy is worth having
I’ve got a raft of posts that I’m looking forward to putting up, but I felt it good to take a post or two to refresh us on what InFocus is all about. Our purpose Our purpose is… to develop the Australian blogosphere, ….to cultivate serious and useful discussion, and ………to develop a generation of [...]
Conflict Develops People
One of the things I’ve realized as I’ve been studying church history is that oftentimes the conflict and persecution the early church went through helped develop it doctrinally, spiritually and practically. I realize all of these are intertwined to a great extent but I’ll break down what I mean through this post. It’s easy to [...]
What Kind Of Error Is “KJV Only”?
Defining “KJV Only” Before we consider this question, do you consider yourself to be “KJV Only?” By this, I mean: Do you believe that God preserved His Word to us in the King James Version only? Do you believe that any other Bible translation is unreliable and must not be used? Do you believe that [...]
Blogging and controversy
It is a well known fact among bloggers that controversial posts generate more hits than non-controversial posts. As a long-time blogger, I’ve often had to assess my motives at this juncture. I could say something in a less controversial way and get some people to read it. Or I could say the same thing in [...]
Apologetics Resources
I first realised the need for apologetics during a mission team trip in New York. I was 18 and enthusiastically witnessing to an elderly man in a park, when he challenged the Bible’s reliability with an issue I had not considered. We soon ended the conversation and I was left to wonder, “What should I [...]
The Forgotten Downtrodden
The elephant in the room of contemporary Biblical counselling, in my view, is correctly responding to mental illness. While there has been a resurgence of Biblically based counselling over the last 30 years, many Christians, in my view, are still behind the eight ball in how they deal with the scourge of mental illness. While [...]
An Ode Against Ruckmanism
Today there is much consternation, About God’s method of preservation, The Originals are no longer, So making the argument stronger, Resulting in much disputation. Some think that in Sixteen Eleven (1611), The Bible came down (again) from heaven, They shout “The KJV it is! It’s translators were really wizz” But is this doctrinal leaven? Before [...]
To certain poor shepherds
“The first Noel the angel did say, Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.” . I’ve always taken the word “certain” to be a verb. But I’ve just realised, perhaps it’s intended to be an adjective. What do you think?
Abortion in Australia
Pro-life speaker Bruce Coleman (Choices Of Life) spoke in our school this week, regarding the value of life and the Christian response to abortion. Several students expressed thanks for the informative and practical presentation, which also prompted me to do some research. Some online statistics I gathered: Australia’s abortion rate is high in comparison to [...]
