As bishops in the Church of England emerge with statements promoting same-sex blessings or marriage in preparation for a change of view for the Church next year, I find it interesting that they point the faithful to relevant Biblical texts that uncover the truth despite their misuse of the texts.   Two weeks earlier we had the bishop of Oxford, Stephen Croft, try to apply Jesus’ comment about knowing a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7.15-23) to the alleged ‘good fruit’ that comes from homosexual partnerships. [1]   Jesus’ statement was actually about false prophets who misguide people by urging them to live against God’s will.   The passage actually spoke rather well to the misguidance the bishop of Oxford was giving as a false prophet teaching against Biblical sexuality and marriage. Now we have the statement by the bishop of Southwark that obliquely references only a single Biblical text, but a relevant one for orthodox Christians.  Bishop Christopher Chessun’s concern is for the Chu

Three challenges to traditional education--a residential, classroom-centred teaching for a well-defined constituency--come from the skyrocketing costs of education, the increasing age of the student population, and the development of technology.  Behind these practical changes or challenges are paedagogical considerations in theological education. One approach in the current context of changes in denominations and theological education has been to double down on what the seminary offers, even if it means a small student body.  Seminaries tending to weather some of the storms of theological, ethical, cultural, and financial change are those who provide what is needed for their particular tradition, whether the Westerminster Presbyterianism of a Reformed Theological Seminary or the Anglo-Catholic education with an intensely communal life and clearly defined spiritual formation of Nashotah House.  This approach still raises questions of the cost and the availability of theological educati

  The catalyst for the break-up of Protestant, mainline denominations in the past fifty years in the West has been the acceptance of non-Christian views on sexuality, particularly homosexuality and now transgenderism.   The United Methodist Church is drawing out their break-up as long as possible, apparently to allow time to reshuffle ministers so that the orthodox are removed from the prize churches.   The Church of England, it appears, will finally get off the fence on the issue of same-sex marriage, although it will certainly fall to the wrong side.   So, we are nearly through with the demise of the old mainline denominations, and, with that, there will be a division between orthodox Christianity and revisionist ‘Christianity.’   As this dust settles on the sexuality issues, four issues facing the church will come into focus: the doctrine of sex and marriage, the doctrine and interpretation of Scripture, the doctrine of the Church, and the doctrines of justification and sanctifica

  The Anglican bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, has this week produced an argument to extend marriage to same-sex couples. [1]   Whatever his reasons for this, his justification involves an appeal to Matthew 7.   Revisionists of orthodox Christianity ‘use’ Scripture, they do not interpret it, and so their Scriptural justifications are not their actual reasons for the views they advocate.   Be that as it may, consider his use of the following passage: Matt. 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Croft focusses on the notio