Eph 3:1-20
Category Archives: church
Measuring Worth
Matt 10:24-39
A “zoom” sermon preached to the people of Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond VA on June 21, 2020
The recording failed to catch the first minute or so of the sermon. It begins with an account of the complications that arose early in my academic career because there are two other Mark Biddle’s who were active professors at the time. We agreed to always use our middle initials in professional contexts. Subsequently, I have learned of another MB who is a preacher and yet another, a lawyer, who gained notoriety for a crime. I pointed out that my name is not my identity. The recording picks up when I shift back to the biblical text.
Light to the Nations
Isa 42:1-9
Civility: Reconciliation ‘Lite’
“God…gave us the ministry of reconciliation…committing to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18-19)
In a moment characterized by unusually bitter and deeply-rooted strife, enmity, distrust, and mistrust, we hear frequent calls for a return to “civility” (cf. https://www.christianpost.com/voice/return-to-civility-american-life.html) when, in fact, only something much more profound – reconciliation – can produce the harmony needed. Continue reading Civility: Reconciliation ‘Lite’
Faith Must Take Root
Now, concerning the (seed) sown on rocky ground: it is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, but it does not take root. It is temporary. When trial or persecution comes because of the word, it causes that one to stumble immediately (Matt 13:20-21)
I wonder whether it is more accurate to describe the church today as shrinking or to appeal to the old distinction between the “visible” and the “invisible” church invoked frequently during the Reformation. Then, it referred to the supposed distinction between the members of an institutional church, which may include some who have not truly taken up Continue reading Faith Must Take Root
Ordination
A Protestant View of “Apostolic Succession”
Does the validity of ordination depend upon the status of the “ordainer”? A former student of mine and current reader of this blog has asked me to advise her on this question, which, in turn, a friend of hers posed to her. She acknowledges that, while she has her own convictions on the matter, she cannot substantiate them with detailed arguments. The Continue reading Ordination
The “Nones” and I Have Something in Common
I, Too, Don’t Trust “Organized Religion”
By all accounts, we are well into a cultural period defined in part by the decreasing importance of religion in peoples’ lives. We hear and read almost daily about the millennial generation’s a-religiosity, the so-called “nones,” and those who profess spirituality without religion. People discount and decry “organized religion” with a tone of contempt. After all, Continue reading The “Nones” and I Have Something in Common
Romans 13 – Obedience to the Government
“Obedience … in the Lord”
The current public debate concerning events at the nation’s southern border, especially the separation of families and the detainment of small children, exposes the profound degree of Christian disunity regarding issues of church-state relations, ethics, and biblical interpretation. Unfortunately, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ citation of Romans 13 seems Continue reading Romans 13 – Obedience to the Government
Are “these” days “those” days?
No! Grammar matters!
“Whenever you hear of wars and reports of wars, do not fear. This must be, but it is not yet the end” (Mark 13:7, my trans.)
Christians should avoid apocalyptic speculation altogether. I hear and read “end times” talk more lately than I have heard it since the late 1960’s and mid-1970’s. In those days of national (think 1968) and international (think 1968 again) turbulence, the MADD doctrine was still the cornerstone of US strategic planning, no one foresaw the possibility that the Iron Curtain would fall, the United States was awkwardly Continue reading Are “these” days “those” days?
Plain Language is Difficult to Misinterpret, but Easy to Ignore
For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?” But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. (Deut 30:11-14 RSV)
This summer, I have been blogging about the harm done by propagating misinterpretations of scripture. In most cases, the scripture passages in question have at least been tricky enough to open the door for such misinterpretation – although not enough to excuse it. Recent events at Charlottesville, just a few miles to the west of my Continue reading Plain Language is Difficult to Misinterpret, but Easy to Ignore