Friday, June 13th, 2008
by Justin
Welcome, friends of Acts 29.
Crossway is delighted to offer you a special preorder discount on the new ESV Study Bible!
In addition to offering you a 35% preorder discount, we will also donate 5% of your order back to Acts 29. This offer is good through July 31, 2008.*
This is just one way we can express our appreciation for your interest in the ESV Study Bible and support Acts 29 in their efforts to extend the gospel of Jesus Christ.
*valid for Study Bible purchases only
The ESV Study Bible was created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way—to understand the timeless truth of God’s Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, the ESV Study Bible combines the best and most recent evangelical Christian scholarship with the highly regarded ESV Bible text. The result is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published—with more than 2,750 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources.
With completely new notes, maps, illustrations, charts, timelines, and articles, the ESV Study Bible was created by an outstanding team of 95 evangelical Christian scholars and teachers. In addition to the 757,000 words of the ESV Bible itself, the notes and resources of the ESV Study Bible comprise an additional 1.3 million words of insightful explanation, teaching, and reference material.
Primary Features
- 2,752 pages—equivalent to a 20-volume Bible resource library all in one volume.
- 1.3 million words—written by 95 leading evangelical scholars and teachers.
- 20,000 notes—focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.
- Over 50 articles—including articles on the Bible’s authority, reliability, and interpretation; on biblical archaeology, theology, worship, prayer, and personal application.
- Over 200 full-color maps—created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color, throughout the Bible.
- 200-plus charts—offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
- 80,000 cross-references—to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
- More than 40 new full-color illustrations—including historically accurate reconstructions of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more.
Goal, Vision, and Publication
The goal and vision of the ESV Study Bible is, first and foremost, to honor the Lord—in terms of the excellence, beauty, and accuracy of its content and design; and in terms of helping people come to a deeper understanding of the Bible, of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Crossway is a not-for-profit publishing ministry and all receipts from the ESV Study Bible go directly toward the support of this ministry goal around the world.
The publication date for the ESV Study Bible is Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
For more information on the ESV Study Bible go to esvstudybible.org.
Monday, August 13th, 2007
by Justin
Response to Grudem on Baptism and Church Membership :: Desiring God
I would gladly admit Ligon Duncan or Sinclair Ferguson or R. C. Sproul or Philip Ryken to membership at Bethlehem (if I were allowed by our constitution), and in doing so I would not be giving up my view on the proper nature of baptism.
I would say to them: “Brothers, I think you are not baptized. But you believe on biblical grounds as you see them, with as much humility and openness to truth as God has given you, that you are baptized. Your understanding of baptism does not imply that Christ’s command may be neglected or that infant sprinkling is regenerating. You give good evidence of being born again and that you embrace Christ as your Savior and Lord and Treasure, and you manifest an authentic intention, on the basis of that faith, to follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings. Therefore, since there is good evidence that you are members of the Body of Christ, you may be members of this local expression of that body. But understand this: I will spend the rest of my ministry trying to persuade you that you and your children should follow through on the full obedience to Jesus and be baptized. In admitting you, I do not give up on my view of baptism. That is the whole point. We are finding a way to work on this disagreement from inside the body of Christ in its local expression.”
My question for Piper is to what extent would he allow these men then to serve in the church. Would it be a teacher, youth leader, etc.? What would happen if they started teaching others their views? Now we would have others potentially causing a division within the church teaching something contrary to what Piper would be teaching? This is where I believe Piper to be wrong on this issue. I do so with reverence knowing he is way more affluent in the Bible than I am and that I am still learning.
Now I am intrigued however, that he would take a position that says that he would admit somebody into membership of the local church based not on their public display of obedience to Christ through baptism after salvation but on the fact that they have placed their trust in Christ solely. Now I believe the issue comes whether someone has been baptized as a baby or after conversion, but does the issue span into somebody that hasn’t ever been baptized? Can the same principle apply do this person? Or would Piper say that the person needs to be baptized before becoming a member of the local church? Do we have the right to not exclude somebody from membership, but put their membership on hold until they are properly baptized? Because I don’t think it matters a hill of beans if somebody has a “biblical” conviction on their paedobaptism if it isn’t biblical.
What are your thoughts?
Read Grudem’s response to John Piper
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007
by Justin
Whatever Is Not from Faith Is Sin (sermon by John Piper)
“The most penetrating and devastating definition of sin that I am aware of in Scripture is the last part of Romans 14:23: ‘Whatever is not from faith is sin.’ The reason it is penetrating is that it goes to the root of all sinful actions and attitudes, namely, the failure to trust God. And the reason it is devastating is that it sweeps away all our lists of dos and don’ts and makes anything, from preaching to house-painting, a candidate for sin. In the original language, this is stressed even more than in our versions: it says, ‘Everything which is not from faith is sin.’ Anything, absolutely any act or attitude which is owing to a lack of trust in God is sin, no matter how moral it may appear to men. God looks on the heart.”
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
by Justin
Videos :: Desiring God
These interviews with some of the speakers at the 2006 Desiring God National Conference (Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2006) were used in promotion of the event. I want you to especially watch the ones by John Piper and Mark Driscoll. Piper gives an overview of what this conference was to be about. Driscoll gives an emerging church point of view that sounds more thought out than the book that I am currently reading, Emerging Churches. He has thought about this and sees the Emerging Church “movement” for what it is, unlike the book which sees all emerging churches as on the same playing field. Let me know your thoughts.
Here are some notable interviews:
John Piper
- What is the nature of postmodernism?
- What are some effects of postmodernism?
Mark Driscoll
- Seeker vs. Missional- Part 1 and 2
- Biblical Principals and Cultural Methods
- Style in Ministry
- The Importance of Theology
- The Need of Cultural Immersion
- Relating to Sinners
Tim Keller
- Is the Bible Culturally Conditioned?
David Wells
- Postmodernity Defined
- Religious Pluralism in America
- Emergent vs. Traditional and Seeker
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