Profit at all cost?  Stephen Green, Group Chairman of HSBC, one of the world’s biggest banks states:

“The Friedmanite (Milton Friedman) idea that the sole job of a business is to create profit for shareholders has proved insufficient to sustain value and-in the end- a bad deal for shareholders”.

Green has just had published his book, Good Value: Reflections on Money, Money and an Uncertain World.  It is pretty unusual for a major bank chairman to write a book and even more unusual when the chairman and author is an ordained priest in the Church of England!

You can read an interview with Green here, thanks to the good folk at npr.  In the interview Green comments:

“You can’t have sustained social and economic development without money, without commerce,” Greene says. “You need money to lubricate the commerce, to finance investment and all the rest of it. It’s an incredible effective servant if it’s allowed to operate in the right ways as a servant. It becomes very dangerous when it’s a master.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matt 6:24

The reviews of Good Value are very positive, like this one in The Wall Street Journal:

“Stephen Green is in a universe of one: the only chairman of a major international bank who is also an ordained minister of the Church of England. . . . At a time when bankers are being pilloried for bringing about a global economic meltdown, this is an unusual and thoughtful disquisition on how to conduct oneself in a world of high finance and ambition, in, as he puts it, the global bazaar.”

Another book to read!

When you think about the gospel and/or hear it proclaimed, does ‘resurrection’ feature?  The reality is that this critically important aspect of Christ’s saving work can be neglected.  But not so Scripture – the resurrection of Christ and what it achieves is certainly not neglected in God’s revelation to mankind.  Indeed the first time I read right through the Book of Acts, one of the major emphases that stood was the proclamation of the resurrection by the Apostles.

Adrian Warnock in Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything explores these issues in:

Chapter Four: Resurrection Neglected?

Chapter Five: The Importance of Resurrection in the Bible

Adrian looks at the importance of the proclamation of the resurrection by past preachers, who were wonderfully used by the Lord.

For your next church quiz night, try this one: “How many times did Spurgeon mention resurrection in his published sermons?”  Answer: 7, 620 times!! (average of twice per sermon).

Adrian quotes Spurgeon:

“I like to go to the pulpit feeling, “This is God’s Word that I am going to deliver in His name; it cannot return to Him void; I have asked His blessing upon it, and He is bound to give it, and His purposes will be answered.“”

And Billy Graham placed a great emphasis on not only that Jesus died for “you” but also that He’s a living Jesus and He’s here today.  The quote from Billy Graham in the picture opposite is from a recent post from Adrian.

However the theme of resurrection does not always get this emphasis.  Adrian suggests a few possible reasons:

• we can rightly focus on the cross but neglect the empty tomb.  ”The truth is, we cannot be truly cross-centred without also being empty-grave-centred!”
• in orthodox, non-liberal  Christianity, there have not been heresies associated with the resurrection.  In church history, noncontroversial doctrines tend to be neglected.
• Satan, who appears to both assault biblical truth and also encourage us to neglect particular doctrines, may perhaps be doing the latter with the resurrection.  Adrian captures this possible scheme when he writes: ”Since it is the power of the resurrection that enables us to live as Christians, it is no surprise if Satan is indeed trying to stop us from applying this power to our lives.“

God, in His Word, places great importance on the resurrection, but not at the expense of the cross or vice a versa.   Adrian rightly states that it is only through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that salvation is possible.  There are helpful, brief expositions of 1 Cor 1 and 1 Pt 1 in chapter five.  And as the chapter concludes, our author applies the biblical truth of our mortality and the wonderful reality that Christians approach death very differently than others because we have already begun to truly live.

Thanks Adrian – helpful, concise reminders of the greatness of Christ’s saving work.

Chapter 14: 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: Did Paul Forbid Women to Speak in Church?

The passage in 1 Cor 14:34-35 commanding women to be silent in the churches generates much debate and controversy.  This is hardly surprising given that Paul also states in 1 Corinthians:

• that women can pray and prophesy in the church (11:4-13)
• the inclusive language of “all” in relation to verbal utterances in 14:26, 24, 5, 18, 23, 39.

The view I have historically favoured is that 14:34f is addressing evaluation of prophets, and Paul’s concern for accord in husband / wife relationships.

Our author, Philip Payne, goes through the various proposals that have been made concerning vv34-35.  He concludes that vv34-35 are an interpolation – ie. a passage that was not originally in the text but was inserted later.  He arrives at this conclusion from an evaluation of:

• External evidence (textual criticism): ie. what do the various NT manuscripts reveal?
• Internal evidence: ie. how do vv34-35 ‘fit’ in 1 Cor 14 and Paul’s argument?

This chapter is not for the faint hearted and if you are unfamiliar with textual criticism then you will likely find the extensive treatment of ‘external evidence’ daunting.  But Philip Payne deliberately takes the time to interact with the varying locations of vv34-35 (in chapter 14), found in different manuscripts.  In doing so, he also interacts with those commentators who have dismissed Gordon Fee’s conclusion that vv34-35 are an interpolation.

John 7:53-8:11 is widely accepted as a later interpolation and Payne (234) helpfully identifies significant parallels between this passage and 1 Cor 14:34-35.

Payne’s section (253-265) dealing with nine internal evidences for vv34-35 being an interpolation is quite accessible and I found quite compelling.  Points that caught my attention were:

• the symmetry of the structure of vv26-40 is broken by vv34-35
• the demand for unqualified silence has with it no explanation for how this will enhance the edification of the church (contra. other calls for silence in 1 Cor 14)
• the central thrust of chpt. 14 that in the church “everyone must be instructed” (vv26, 31) would seem to be at odds with a position that a woman’s husband would be better prepared to answer questions than the church as a whole
• the statement in v34, “as the Law says” stands in contrast to Paul’s repeated theme that believers are no longer under the Law.

Our author has provided a big serving of ‘brain food’ in dealing with 1 Cor 14:34-35.  If you have really struggled with how these verses fit with Paul’s other instructions in 1 Cor 12-14 regarding public worship, then get up fresh one morning, grab your Bible and work through chapter 14 of Man and Woman, One in Christ.  It’s worth the effort!

We continue with Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything by Adrian Warnock.

Chapter Three: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

That’s the question.  As Adrian states at the beginning of this chapter, “[It is] the most important question we can ever ask.”  And in pursuing this critical question, our writer looks at explanations that have been put forward seeking to explain the empty tomb, the transformation of the disciples, the rapid growth of the church with Sunday as the primary day of worship, and the conversion of church-persecutors like Saul of Tarsus.

Adrian considers in a clear, succinct manner as to whether the historical facts can be be explained if:

1. The resurrection is a myth or legend
2. The disciples lied
3. The disciples stole the body
4. The authorities hid the body
5. The wrong tomb was visited by the disciples
6. Jesus did not actually die on the cross
7. All of the disciples (and a gathering of 500) were hallucinating

None of these explanations are credible in any way.  As Adrian concludes, “…the only realistic interpretation of the first Easter is that Jesus did rise from the dead.”

If you’re reading this post, and you’re not sure about the resurrection of Jesus, then check it out.  Investigate.  Read Chapter Three in Raised with Christ, ‘chew on it’ and read the Gospel accounts in the New Testament.  In my own life, the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus was fundamental to turning to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith as my Saviour and Lord.

We are running a monthly seminar series, Free-in-Christ, based on the excellent Dr Grant Mullen training DVDs, Transformation.  Earlier this month we conducted the first seminar, looking at forgiveness.

USA Today has posted this week an Opinion piece by Amy Sullivan, a contributing writer at TIME Magazine: ‘Rwanda’s miracle of forgiveness.’  Amy writes:

“Rosaria Bankundiye and Saveri Nemeye are neighbors in the tiny village of Mbyo, south of Kigali. On a steamy morning, they sit in the cool living area of the clay house Saveri helped build for Rosaria just a few years ago. Two of his sons roll around on the floor while the adults talk. At one point, Saveri leans over to say something to Rosaria and she starts laughing, her smile wide. They have known each other for a long time.

Nearly 16 years ago, during the genocide that wracked this African country of 10 million people for 100 days in 1994, Saveri murdered Rosaria’s sister, along with her nieces and nephews. Genocidaires also attacked Rosaria, her husband and their four children with machetes and left them for dead. Only Rosaria survived. Yet when Saveri came to beg her forgiveness after he was released from prison in 2004, Rosaria considered his request and then granted it. “How can I refuse to forgive when I’m a forgiven sinner, too?” she asks.”

You can read the article here.

At one level, given the indescribable atrocities, Rosaria’s rhetorical question, “”How can I refuse to forgive when I’m a forgiven sinner, too?” seems unbelievable.

But as a disciple of Jesus, regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, such amazing forgiveness represents the practical outworking of obedience to the Lord:

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  (Matt 6:14)

“…Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col 3:13b)

In recent years I have assisted in lecturing in theology at Ridley Melbourne Mission & Ministry College.  In the ‘Doctrines of Grace and Eschatology’ unit, when I come to give three hours of lectures on ‘judgment’ I find myself each time going back over what Scripture says about the judgment of believers.

Paul in 2 Cor 5:10 and Rom 14:10, Paul states that we must all appear before the judgment (bema) seat  of God / Christ.  The picture is of the bema seat in ancient Corinth.  The ‘all’ certainly includes followers of Jesus.  It is clear that for the one trusting in Christ, the judgment is not one of life or death.  It will however certainly involve evaluation what we have done according to the light that has been given us and we will be rewarded accordingly.

But the question that often yields quite different answers is, ‘Will the believer’s sins (thought, word and deed) be displayed and then wiped clean based on the perfect work of Christ on the Cross?’

My study of Scripture has brought me to the same point as that expressed by Tim Challies in his post, Believers in Judgment.  Tim comments:

“Some Christians believe that in the judgment all of our evil deeds will be exposed—that before we receive our reward we will first have all we’ve said and done brought into the light (see 1 Corinthians 4:5). However, this must be balanced with passages such as Psalm 103:12 (“as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us”) and Micah 7:19 (“You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea”). It is my understanding, then, that our sins will not be exposed before others and that Christ will not speak of them in that day, for those sins have already been dealt with and have already been removed. Though Christ will dispense reward or withhold reward on the basis of what we’ve done or haven’t done, he will not bring those sinful deeds before all the world.”

There may well be some aspects of the Final Judgment that we cannot precisely determine from Scripture ahead of that Day.  But we do know with total confidence that for every person holding to Christ (present tense) we are covered by Christ’s righteousness and there is no condemnation before a holy God (Rom 8:1).  Praise God for such magnificent grace!

Today we begin looking at Adrian Warnock’s just released Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything.

Chapter One: Christ Has Died! Christ Is Risen! Christ Will Come Again!Chapter Two: The Empty Cross, the Empty Tomb

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As a follower of Jesus, do you sometimes find doubts flashing across your mind?

I do.  Not regularly.  But sometimes, and typically stimulated by intense suffering – perhaps a child, unable to communicate and writhing on a bed in extreme pain from pancreatitis, or extreme human suffering in the wake of a ‘natural disaster.’

Doubt of course is often seen as a bit of a dirty word – particularly when it comes to matters of faith and God.  Some years ago, in preparing for a funeral address, where I had been assigned John 20:19-31 (the encounter between Thomas and the resurrected Lord) from which to speak, I found two books about doubt particularly helpful:

• Doubt: Handling it Honestly by Alister McGrath; and,
• God in the Dark: The Assurance of Faith Beyond a Shadow of Doubt by Os Guiness.

In my reading, I was reminded that:

• Doubt is not scepticism – the decision to doubt everything deliberately.
• Doubt is not unbelief – the decision not to have faith in God.
• Unbelief is an act of the will, rather than a difficulty in u’standing.
• Doubt means asking questions or voicing uncertainties from the standpoint of faith.
• Faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive.  Faith and unbelief are.

On those occasions when doubts appear ready to grab my attention, I typically remind myself of:

1. The existence of God as displayed in the wonder and immensity of creation
2. The historical veracity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ – setting Him apart from all others
3. The inspiration and authority of Scripture (I find Isa 40-48 and the prophecy of Isa 53 fulfilled in Jesus especially helpful).

Do I come away with all my questions answered?  Of course not.  But I always come away from this ‘journey of reflection’ with my spiritual life refreshed and strengthened.

Given these experiences I was not surprised to find myself ‘ticking the boxes’ in Michael Patton’s recent post.  It’s worth reading.

Not only do I find points 1 to 3 above helpful in my own life, I also frequently encourage folk, who are not followers of the Lord Jesus, to do the same.  Wrestle with the existence of God; Scripture [eg. read John's Gospel]; pursue the question, ‘did Jesus actually rise from the dead?’ And if so, ‘what is my response to Him?’).

With these thoughts on my mind this morning, I was delighted to receive in the mail this afternoon a copy of Adrian Warnock’s just released Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything.  I love Nancy Pearcey’s comment on the back cover of the book:

“Raised with Christ explains why the resurrection is not merely a dry doctrine about a past event but a promise that the life of the risen Christ can transform our lives today.”

I plan to regularly post on Raised with Christ as I read through it.

Chapter Ten: 1 Corinthians 11:7-10: Theological Reasons for Head-Covering Rules

Chapter 11: 1 Corinthians 11:11-12: The Equal Standing of Woman and Man in Christ

Chapter 12: 1 Corinthians 11:13-16: Shameful Head Coverings Explained as Hair

Chapter 13: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16: Conclusion and Application

We return to Philip Payne’s significant book Man and Woman, One in Christ and the final four chapters dealing with 1 Cor 11:2-16.

Payne has argued previously that ‘head coverings’ are wild hair, viz:

• men’s effeminate hair in Corinth attracted homosexual liaisons;
• women’s hair let down loose symbolised sexual freedom in the Dionysiac cult, which was influential in Corinth.

Both were disgraceful and undermined marriage.  In the particular setting of Corinth:

• men ought to respect Christ, their source in creation, by not displaying effeminate hair;
• women needed to exercise control by wearing their hair up in public worship.

Payne argues that vv11-12 are the heart of Paul’s concern.  He translates v11 as: “However, in the Lord, neither is women set apart from man, nor man set apart from woman.” ie. there are created differences between man and woman – but in the new community established by Christ, barriers between man and woman have been overcome.

v12 reveals that the “equal standing of woman and man in Christ is rooted in creation and biology and has its source in God” (194).  There is no hierarchy of man over woman.

Men and women can pray and prophesy in church but it must be done in such a way that marriage and the sexual differentiation that God created is not undermined.

Paul states that there is “no such custom” in other churches like what is happening in Corinthian church – in essence a rebellion against God’s will.  Paul prohibits those leading in worship from either practice.

Philip Payne then turns to the application of the passage, namely:

• the long hair worn by men and flowing hair by women in Corinth do not carry the same symbolism of sexual promiscuity today;
• but worship leaders must present themselves in ways that are not sexually suggestive;
• churches must not exclude those ‘outside of Christ’ from attending services, even if their hairstyle is sexually suggestive;
• importantly, men and women must show respect to each other, honouring the opposite sex as their source.  Men and women have equal rights and privileges in the Lord.  Payne concludes the section: “Since in the Lord woman and man are not separate, women who are gifted and called by God ought to be welcomed into ministry, just as men are.”

Rob Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a reputation as an innovative communicator.

He was recently interviewed in Leadership magazine: Tying the Clouds Together.  Not surprisingly for Rob Bell, there can are numerous thought provoking statements in the interview.

He talks of allowing the biblical text to broaden our horizons (of reality), rather than narrowing them.  Rob comments:

“It may be my own warped sense of humor, but it was always the odd places in the Bible that I found most compelling. It’s God’s inspired Word, and it’s all useful. But to really believe that—that’s when things get interesting. I’d rather trust God, jump into those texts, and discover what God has for us….I always begin with the assumption that there is way more going on in the text than we see on the first reading.”

On the question of the impact of ‘video preaching’ to multiple locations, Bell comments:

“There is something more powerful than simply beaming yourself into other locations, and that is raising up disciples. Over time that will go farther and faster, but right now it will be more work and slower. With technology today it’s easy to spend all of your energies reproducing your own voice, but there is a longer view that says, what if instead of beaming video to those ten locations, we train ten people who can go there and lead? That’s a very basic question that should be in the mix somewhere.”

He gives some great words of wisdom on the spiritual side of preaching:

“…the public nature of preaching exposes you to a wide spectrum of feedback—from the really good compliments to really venomous criticism. Both can be dangerous because they lead to either pride or pain. We need to work at becoming the kind of person who is so deeply grounded in who we are, the work we are called to do, and the words we are called to speak, that the ambient hype that surrounds the preaching event doesn’t get the best of us.”

And then on what the journey of preaching involves, Rob observes:

“Some pastors think about how to survive the next five years. The better question to ask is, how are we going to thrive? How do we construct a rhythm and pace of life that ensures five years from now we’ll have more passion, more energy, and we will be filled with new and fresh ideas about life in God’s world?”

These words in fact apply to ALL followers of the Lord Jesus.  The issue for each of us should not be: ‘How can I survive the next x months / years?’  But ‘How can I thrive, living for God in His world?’