A fourth reason (continued from ET, January 2016) for not taking the Roman Catholic view that Peter was the first pope of Rome, is the rejection of this idea by a majority of the early Church Fathers. It is demonstrably not the case that everyone used to believe in the Roman view of Peter and…
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The writer of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews exhorts Christians to ‘remember those in prison’ (13:3). But how easy is it for UK Christians to do this? How can we possibly understand the suffering that so many of our fellow-Christians are experiencing? I believe it means firstly understanding what the ‘church’ is.…
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On 21 September 2015, during his visit to Britain, the Dalai Lama met with Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist representatives. This multi-faith occasion was sponsored by an organisation called ‘Action for Happiness’ of which the Dalai Lama is patron. Action for Happiness’s website claims it ‘has helped over 100,000 people take practical action…
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The Banner of Truth Trust has just published A sad departure — why we could not stay in the Church of Scotland, by David J. Randall (216 pages, £7.50; ISBN: 9781848716612), on recent upheavals in the Church of Scotland. Its foreword, by Sinclair B. Ferguson, is edited and used here with permission. If you…
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In Nazareth, Mary was told that the child to be born to her would be a great person. He would have a great birth — the highest of all stooping to such a humble entry into the world. He would be great in his life, wholly free from selfishness, lust and greed. He would…
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It might seem a bit strange to be pleading for a gentler, more compassionate element in preaching, at a time when ‘love’, ‘grace’ and warm, fuzzy notions of ‘community’ appear to be emphasised, above all else, in many contemporary pulpits. Indeed, the doctrines of sin, judgement, and the necessity for repentance, are often excluded…
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The church service had already started and the first hymn was more than half way through. Two young women appeared at the church door and the deacon, standing there for any latecomers and visitors, showed them to two seats on the back row. There was nothing unusual in this for a church situated in…
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