Tell Me The Story Of Jesus

Tell Me the Story of Jesus - Upload a Document to Scribd

To find out more about this camp by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, contact Dorothy at Tel: +65 6247-7695, Fax: +65 6247-9052, email rzimap@singnet.com.sg

Lecture: Iain Torrance

Trinity and Creation: Ethical Implications
11.30 am - 12.30 pm
30 September 2008 (Tuesday)
Venue: Trinity Theological College


The Ethics of Forgiveness and Inclusion in the Early Church
9 am - 10.30 am
1 October 2008 (Wednesday)
Venue: True Way Presbyterian Church ( Opposite Queenstown MRT station )


The Ethics of Fragmentation in the Postmodern West
11 am - 1 pm
1 October 2008 (Wednesday)
Venue: True Way Presbyterian Church ( Opposite Queenstown MRT station )


Calvin's Understanding of the Church and Sacraments
7 pm - 9 pm
1 October 2008 (Wednesday)
Venue: True Way Presbyterian Church ( Opposite Queenstown MRT station )


Ordination and Ministry in the Reformed Tradition Today
11 am - 1 pm
2 October 2008 (Thursday)
Venue: True Way Presbyterian Church ( Opposite Queenstown MRT station )

These talks are jointly organized by Trinity Theological College for her 60th Anniversary and The Presbyterian Church In Singapore. For more detail, please phone Ms Tieu Ing Ing at6761 3608 or email : inging@ttc.edu.sg

Professor Iain R. Torrance is currently the President of Princeton Theological Seminary and Professor in Patristics.

He studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned an M.A. in mental philosophy, at St. Andrews University, where he earned a B.D. in New Testament languages and literature, and at Oxford University (Oriel College), where he earned a D.Phil in Syriac patristics.

He served as moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2003, and was elected as Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy of Science in 2007.

He has been co-editor of the Scottish Journal of Theology since 1982, and his wide-ranging interest includes early Christian Thought, the ethics of war and bioethics.

He has been granted the degree of Doctor of Divinity honoris causa by the Universities of Aberdeen and St. Andrews, the degree of Doctor of Theology honoris causa by Debrecen Reformed Theological University, and the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa by King College, Bristol, Tennessee. In 2007 he was elected a Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy of Science and Letters.

Iain Torrance's major authored and edited publications includes Christology after Chalcedon, Human Genetics: A Christian Perspective, To Glorify God: Essays on Modern Reformed Liturgy, and the recent The Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology.

Christian Theology In Islamic Context

Dr Markus Piennisch (EUSEBIA Missions Ministries) who lectured me on Apologetics has published this article called "Christliche Theologie im islamischen Kontext: Missionarische und hermeneutische Perspektiven" at the 2007 STUTTGARTER THEOLOGISCHE THEMEN (Band II/Vol II). Look out for the Asian references he quoted :)

Christian theology in Islamic Context - Upload a Document to Scribd

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The Case For Real Jesus

Author : Lee Strobel
Publisher : Zondervan
Price : Approx RM39.95 (Available in Christian Book Stores)
Reviewed by : Henry Hock Guan Teh.

Like his other books, Strobel uses evidential methodology apologetics approach in this book to point out the errors and absurd assumptions of the liberal theorist about Jesus. Taking advantage of his journalistic forte, he intellectually wrote but carefully framing his interviews with leading scholars for narratives loving readers. The author’s main concern is that the public (including Christians) are duped by recent ill-supported assertions concerning Jesus, such as from the likes of Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code, 2003), Michael Baigent (The Jesus Papers, 2006) and James Cameron (‘The Jesus Tomb’, Discovery Channel Documentary, 2007).

Strobel also brilliantly exposed and explained away today’s cacophony of postmodernism by systematically presenting logical counter-arguments against conjectures such as:

● Jesus is portrayed in other non-canonical gospels;
● Tampering by the church had damaged Bible’s portrayal of Jesus;
● New explanations refuting Jesus’ resurrection;
● Christianity’s portrayal of Jesus drawn from pagan religions;
● Jesus failed to fulfil messianic prophecies, and
● Contemporary people should interpret their own way about Jesus.

I got this wonderful book as a Christmas gift from my wife. You can borrow it from CDPC library. I intend to keep my copy.

Altared Living For Altered Lives

Peter Rowan, my homiletic teacher, preached on "Worship At The Kitchen Sink: Altared Living for Altered Lives" last Sunday and here are the sermon notes:

Where Does Worship Take Place?

The radical difference between early Christianity and the surrounding religions of the first century:

No longer is religion to be a sector of life as was with the case with the elusive and empty divinity cults. Christian worship is a total consecration involving belonging, obedience, brotherly love, in short, total service and adoration of the living and true God. (R. Corriveau)

1. Mind Your Language - Old Words, Wider Meanings

- Worship patterns in redemptive history (remember John 4): OT worship pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice and the perfect high priest - Jesus and the Cross.
- In the NT, OT worship language is transformed and widened in its application.

2. Do As The Romans Do - Worship 24/7

The Build-Up to the Call of Worship:
- 1:18-3:20 - sin keeps humanity from a true knowledge of God, making true worship impossible.

- 3:21 - 11:36 - God has not abandoned His world. Through Christ's sacrificial death, God has acted to bring humankind back to Himself.
- 12:1ff - Paul's exposition of the righteousness of God and of justification by faith leads to 12:1 "Therefore, in view of God's mercies, ..."
- Romans 12 expresses a new understanding of worship based on a right response to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Understanding 'understanding worship'

- This kind of worship involves the obedience of faith (1:5 & 16:26) - worked out by those whose minds are being transformed and renewed by God so that their lives in their totality are lived according to the will of God.
- The Christian's spiritual worship involves an extreme of realism - the offering of himself (R. Corriveau).

3. Worship at the Kitchen Sink: Altared Lives for Altered Living

- 12:1 "offer / present your bodies..." The presentation of ourselves to God at the beginning of our Christian lives - in terms of a deliberate, decisive, demonstrable surrender to God, is to be renewed on a regular basis.
- Our death to sin in the death of Christ, which Paul has declared earlier in Romans to be and accomplished fact, must become real in experience too (James Philip).

Altared Lives

- Not a disembodiment consecration, but the consecration of our whole lives.
- Ruth Graham had a card above her kitchen sink: "Divine worship offered here three times daily." All of life lived to the glory of God.
- OT language of sacrifice is applied now to the offering up of all our live all the time to God.

Authentic Worship Flows from an Altered Life

- The life that is fully acceptable to God is the life consecrated to Him through self-abandonment to the saving work of Jesus Christ. It is the life that seeks to serve Him in the context of everyday relationships and responsibilities, in the power of His Holy Spirit (David Peterson).

- Altared lives will result in altered living

Altered Living - The Life of Comprehensive Worship is to be lived out in the concrete relationships and circumstances of life:

a. relationship with yourself
b. relationship with other Christians
c. relationship with enemies
d. relationship to authorities
e. relationship to God's standards

- Philip Yancey talks about the kind of alternative lives we are called to live: Stalin built a village in Poland called Nowa Huta or 'new town' to demonstrate the promise of communism...

- "All too often, the church holds up a mirror reflecting back the society around it, rather than a window revealing a different way..." (What's So Amazing About Grace)

4. Real Worship: Connecting the Real World with the Real God

- (Romans 15:15-17) Paul sees his mission to the Gentiles as an expression of his worship to God.

- Evangelism has as its chief purpose the multiplication of worship, praise and thanksgiving to the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Andrew Kirk).

- Corporate worship should encourage us to engage with the world, and not escape from it.

- There can be no place for fantasy religion - worship is real only if it connects the real world with the real God (Mark Santer).

5. Our Debt Problem: The Solution to Sustaining True Worship

A Life for a Life
- a debt of gratitude
- a matter of obligation
- a matter of honesty

To see the meaning of the cross and still withhold our whole being from God is an impeachment of our sincerity and integrity (James Philip).

This is the worship God so desires and deserves:

- a comprehensive worship that flows from the totality of our lives
- worship that leads us to engage with the needs of the world
- worship sustained by the gospel of Christ

Stuart McAllister: Half Day Seminar

Life's Pursuits and the Question of Meaning

We think that man's quest for order and control, and man's hope in science and technology, will bring about the benefits and rewards we crave for. But is that truly the case?

Come and listen to Stuart McAllister of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries who will share the Biblical perspective of life's meaning, and the implications of our attempts to have the fullness of life in our own terms.

Venue: Evangel Christian Church

Time: 9.30am - 12pm

Date: 12th July 2008, Saturday

Speaker: Stuart McAllister

Free Admission

Evangel Christian Church

Blk 211, Henderson Road#04-02, Singapore 159552

Tel: 97892115

About the speaker, Stuart McAllister:

Born in Scotland, Stuart McAllister spent his earlier years in sales before Christ changed his life at the age of twenty. From then on, filled with a hunger to learn more about and preach the Gospel, he took every opportunity to witness and give his testimony. The desire to serve the Lord and at the same time deepen his understanding of the faith led him to Operation Mobilisation in 1978. OM sent him to Yugoslavia where he was imprisoned for forty days for distributing Christian literature. Undeterred, he continued on his mission to preach the Gospel in communist countries, which resulted in several more imprisonments.

He was general secretary of the European Evangelical Alliance and is involved with the European Lausanne Committee. Stuart has developed an evangelistic mobilization called "Love Europe" that sent several thousand team members across Europe with the message of the Gospel. He also founded the European Roundtable to bring together a diverse group of ministries and interests; they united to foster "Hope for Europe."

After residing in Vienna, Austria for twenty years, Stuart joined the staff of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries as the International Director in January of 1998. Pluralism, postmodernism and consumerism are regular topics addressed by Stuart in the leadership seminars.

Project Timothy - Upcoming Events

Project Timothy Bible Conference - 11th to 12th July 2008
Law and Grace in the Christian Life: Complementary or Contradictory?

Speaker: Andrew Reid, lecturer at Ridley Theological College, Melbourne
Venue: Metropolitan YMCA

The New Testament teaches us that Christians are not under law but grace, yet we are told that not the least stroke of a pen will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. How are we to reconcile these two seemingly conflicting statements? How about the Old Testament commands? Do they still apply to us today? Come and explore these issues with us at the Project Timothy Bible Conference!

Expository Preaching Workshop - 20th Oct 2008

The Expository Preaching Workshop aims to encourage preachers to keep trusting in God's Word to do its work and be faithful in their own ministry, to equip preachers with fundamental skills for Bible handling and preaching and to build up a network of like-minded preachers.

The topic will be ‘Preaching Job’ this year.

Speaker: Christopher Ash, Director of Cornhill Training Course, UK.

Evening Expositions - on 21st and 22nd Oct 2008

The Evening Expositions are talks typically held over 2 evenings, with the aim of challenging and building up Christians through expository preaching

The theme for this year is ‘Out of the storm’ expositions from the book of Job

Speaker: Christopher Ash, who is the director of Cornhill Training Course, UK

For more information, check out the Project Timothy Website

Prince Caspian

LeaderU compiled some resources on CS Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia (with Prince Caspian hitting the big screen)

From Dr Bruce Edwards: "The dramatic climax of this story is not, however, the suspicious victory over King Miraz in battle, but the discovery of the now King Caspian’s true lineage, that he, too, is a Son of Adam, else he could not be qualified to reign in Narnia. In one poignant moment that epitomizes the humility required of true leaders, Aslan asks the triumphant Caspian if he were now ready to become king; “I—I don’t think so, Sir. . . I am only a Kid.” To his surprise, Aslan replies, “If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not.” Caspian needed to know the limitations of his own powers, and when he needed to rely on others—and especially Aslan—to win the day.


Nikabrik: The Dwarf Who Would Be Lost

As is the case with LWW, there is yet a betrayer in Narnia, for found in Prince Caspian is a parallel story to King Caspian’s glorious victory is the tragic story of Nikabrik, the stubbornly faithless dwarf. Of all the sad stories of bewitched and bewildered creatures in Narnia who become captive of evil, none is more mournful than the tale of Nikabrik.

This wayward dwarf, incapable of overcoming his profound distrust of the “old stories,” epitomizes a less cunning but equally desvasting aspect of evil’s lure akin to that of the White Witch. Nikabrik—like the band of self-seeking dwarves who fall by the wayside in The Last Battle—is world weary and full of skepticism. When asked if he believes in Aslan, he shrugs that he will believe in “anyone or anything” who will throw off the yoke of oppression under King Miraz; he is not discriminating: “Anyone or anything, Aslan or the White Witch, do you understand?”

Though rebuked by the more pious and respectful badger, Trufflehunter, Nikabrik still harbors his doubts and nurtures his cynicism. As events progress, the impatient and unschooled Nikabrik, rejecting out of hand the promise of help from ancient prophecies or the mobilization of Caspian’s friends, instead puts his trust in his companions, a hag and a werewolf, and plans to call upon the dark magic of the long dead White Witch:

“All said and done,” he muttered, “none of us knows truth about the ancient days of Narnia. . . . Aslan and the Kings go together. Either Aslan is dead, or he is not on our side. Or else something stronger than himself keeps him back. And if he did come—how do we know he’d be our friend? . . . . Any anyway, he was in Narnia only once that I ever heard of, and he didn’t stay long. You may drop Aslan out of the reckoning. I was thinking of someone else.

This is the voice of despair and alienation masquerading as the voice of reason. So distant is he from Narnia’s traditions, its history, its promise—and its relationship to its Creator and King, Aslan—Nikabrik can seriously contemplate “a power so much greater than Aslan’s,” which he defines as holding “Narnia spellbound for years and years, if the stories are true.” Falsehood has become truth, black has become white, destruction has become destiny.

This is Lewis’s cautionary tale to any civilization drunk on the wine of its own self-importance and ability to survive or thrive without historical perspective and relationship to God. This is “chronological snobbery” gone wild, a disposition not only to disbelieve the old stories, but to substitute an opposite meaning for the original.

In the end, Nikabrik confesses, “Yes,” said Nikabrik, “I mean the Witch…We want power: and we want a power that will be on our side. As for power, do not the stories say that the Witch defeated Aslan, and bound him, and killed on that very stone which is over there, just beyond the light?” When the Trufflehunter and others eloquently counter his virulent, militant unbelief, Nikabrik bellows:

“Yes they say . . . but you’ll notice that we hear precious little about anything he did afterwards. He just fades out of the story. How do you explain that, if he really came to life? Isn’t it much more likely that he didn’t, and that the stories say nothing more about him because there was nothing more to say? . . . . They say [the White Witch] ruled for a hundred years: a hundred years of winter. There’s power, if you like. There’s something practical. . . .Who ever heard of a witch that really died? You can always get them back.”

A witch who never dies, whose “practical” power to sustain winter a hundred years is more impressive than the return of the rightful king, the rallying of treasonous ne’er-do-wells to necromancy to revive her —these are the perverse foundation of the new society Nikabrik envisions for himself and fellow dwarves and outcasts. This is how bleak and self-destructive their own imaginations have become. But it cannot prevail so as long as there are those who love and trust the truth."

Now That's a Good Question!

It's always fun to do Question & Answer forums. Also scary as I'm not quick on my feet. Community Baptist Church Sunway kindly invited me again to address the youth group on a low key Friday night (30 May 08) along with two other panelists Elder Beng Tiong and MBS valedictorian Ps Alexa. (nice to catch up with Gary and of course, baby Micah!)

The thing about such forums though is that only soundbytes get through. Try answering the problem of evil or the meaning of life less than 2 minutes. There's so much you wanna say but due to time limit, you could only cover the bare essentials. And there's also the audience of some late secondary schoolers and college students, how do you keep em awake? I didn't get to say half of these prepared notes, so for what it's worth, I decided to share the 'contoh jawapan' here.

Here are some questions that get thrown out, and if you find other ways to answer them, do leave me a comment ok?

Questions That Youths Ask (Part 1)
Questions That Youths Ask (Part 2)

信耶穌才得救？這樣霸道！

Rev Stephen Tong is on Youtube, answering questions from audience at an evangelistic rally!

PASSION WORLD TOUR - KL & Jakarta

Passion: KUALA LUMPUR & JAKARTA

Vision: PASSION KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA is a gathering for UNIVERSITY-AGED young people South-east Asia. Believing in the university moment, and what God longs to do in this strategic window of time, the entire event will focus on the bigness of God, calling students to PRAYER, WORSHIP and ACTION, and a Story so much bigger than their own.

The heartbeat of PASSION KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA is to:

ENCOURAGE the CHURCH
Foster UNITY among those who love JESUS
Spark VISION for the UNIVERSITIES of Kuala Lumpur & Jakarta and the nation
Tell the STORY of REDEMPTION in compelling ways
INSPIRE students to EMBRACE their part in God's global plan for the NATIONS


Why the World?

Finding in Christ all we need, and spending our lives to make Him famous in this generation... that's what The Passion Movement is all about and what has attracted hundreds of thousands of university aged young people to Passion gatherings over the past eleven years. Passion is more than an event. Passion is a movement made up of young people who have abandoned the idea of living simply for themselves and are daily giving everything so the world can see Jesus more clearly. Passion is about the glory of God, inspiring a wave of students to taste and see that He is good and to do something now to change the world in Jesus' name.We've discovered that every major city in the world is a university town, most home to hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions of students. So, Passion is off on a crazy journey to the cities of the world in 2008, uniting university students around the globe in a story so much bigger than our own. Click on the city nearest you and join the movement for His renown!

"Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." Isaiah 26:8

268 Declaration:

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your Truth,
we wait eagerly for You,
for Your name and Your renown
are the desire of our souls."
Isaiah 26:8

I desire that my life be a part of a generation that lives
for the glory of Your name. (Psalm 86:11-12)

My desire is reflected by the following statements and prayers:
Because I was created by God and for His glory, I will magnify Him as I respond to His great love. My desire is to make knowing and enjoying God the passionate pursuit of my life.
[God, give me a desire for You like the desire that You have for me.]
Colossians 1:16-18, John 17:3, Revelation 3:20, Philippians 3:7-10, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Psalm 73:25-28, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 43:7

Because Christ established the Church for God's glory, I desire to magnify God as I use the gifts He has given me to serve and build up the local church. I will pray for continued renewal in my church through the work and power of the Holy Spirit.
[God, renew in me a love for Your Church, the Body of Christ.]
Ephesians 3:20,21, 4:1-13, 5:25-27, Hebrews 10:23-25, Acts 2:41-47

Because God is glorified greatly when believers love each other, I desire to magnify Him as I humbly yield to and pray towards unity among all Christians on my campus. [God, give me a desire to lift up Your name above all other names.]
John 17:20-26, John 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians 3, Psalm 133:1, Colossians 3:12-17

Because many on my campus are hopelessly separated from God, I desire to magnify Him by sharing the life and love of Jesus where I live. As I share, I will earnestly pray for revival on my campus and in my world.
[God, break my heart for those with whom I live.]
Romans 10:11-15, Isaiah 6:1-8, 62:6-7, Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Philippians 2:12-16, 1 John 5:14-15

Because God is seeking worshipers of all peoples, I desire to magnify Him among the nations. I actively commit my life and energy to participation in His global purposes in my generation.
[God, kindle in me the desire to go anywhere, at anytime, at any cost, to do anything to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.]
Psalm 86:9, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Isaiah 49:6, Revelation 5:9-14, Matthew 28:18-20, Psalm 67, Acts 1:8

Attend: This gathering is for University students, people aged 18-25, and their ministry leaders.

The cost is 20 RM ($6.50 USD).
PASSION KUALA LUMPUR August 3rd 2008
6:00PM-10:00PM Main Session
Location: Sunway Convention Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The cost is 25,000RP
PASSION JAKARTA August 5th 2008
TBD Main Session
Location: Tennis Indoor Senayan

Who: Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Charlie Hall

Volunteer: In order to make these events happen, we will need volunteers who are willing to serve throughout the whole conference in various jobs. We are requiring that all volunteers be 25 years of age or older. Anyone under the age of 25 CANNOT volunteer. The reason for this is that we want students to be able to fully connect with all of the experiences at the conference. Volunteers do not pay to attend and are typically working hard behind the scenes during every part of the day serving the students attending the conference. Accordingly, we require that all volunteers be 25 years of age or older.

Interview with John Piper - New World Alive, UK

Adrian Warnock interviews John Piper on the sidelines of the New Word Alive.

Part 1: Why John Piper is involved in New Word Alive



Part 2: The 'secret' to John Piper's preaching



Part 3: John Piper's prayer life



Part 4: Preaching and preachers, his call to pastoral ministry, work-life-balance, his most 'significant' work etc.

New Word Alive - Interviews with Don Carson

Adrian Warnock interviews Don Carson at New Word Alive. Gives some great insights into who he is.

Part 1: How Carson got involved in full time Christian Ministry



Part 2: Raising up new leaders and preachers in the Church

Amazing Grace: Reflections on the life of Wilberforce

I've watched the movie twice already, but still find it inspiring especially when watching together with about 80+ friends, brothers and sisters at Community Baptist Church. It was also the final wrap-up discussion of the Total Truth group. Look forward to the day a Malaysian movie maker do a commentary or movie on Tan Sri Tan Chee Koon :D

Some brief comments from my post-movie sharing: Firstly, social justice is a marathon, not a 10 second sprint or 100 metre dash. Wilberforce suffered 20 years of defeat, discouragement and even death threat for his struggle before slavery was finally abolished 3 days before his death. Winning an election in 2 weeks is just the beginning...

Secondly, the life of Wilberforce reminds us the need for more full time Christians in the world (and more fulltime workers in the church) to make a difference where they are. When Wilberforce was 25 years old, he has a spiritual transformation so dramatic that he considered quitting politics to be a priest. As depicted in the movie, a wise mentor in the form of John Newton (ex slave trader and famous hymn writer of "Amazing Grace") counselled against a career change.

Thirdly social justice is a community project, not a solo effort. Burnout is a constant danger. The scene of Hannah, Clarkson, Equiano etc sharing a meal together ("We humbly suggest that you can do both (serving God and being a political activist)") shows how different people bring their unique skills, contributions (look for evidence, write books, look for loopholes in the legislation etc)

Although not a part of the movie, Wilberforce has a group of friends who meet up regularly for prayer and worship called the Clapham Sect. They share evangelical Christian faith, long term commitment to social cause and lifelong friendship. Together they worked hard for missions, translating the bible, improve working conditions for the poor in manufacturing industry, agricultural reform to supply affordable food, prevent animal cruelty (RSCPA), prison reform, improve child labor conditions, freedom of religion, education and oppose blood sport/duels etc.

You can't do all of that on your own, we need the power of community. Imagine if every cell group in our churches just choose ONE cause of mercy or justice and commit long term to it!

Finally, there's a scene in the movie where Wilberforce asked his affluent MP friends to "remember the Madagascar (a slave ship that reeks of the stench of death). Remember that God created man equal". The theological conviction behind his activism is that every human being regardless of race is created in God's image and therefore has inherent dignity and worth. Especially relevant in Msia where race relations have been so politicised, and the church needs to work for racial reconciliation.

The Gospel In All Its Forms

Like God, the gospel is both one and more than that.
by Tim Keller

The gospel has been described as a pool in which a toddler can wade and yet an elephant can swim. It is both simple enough to tell to a child and profound enough for the greatest minds to explore. Indeed, even angels never tire of looking into it (1 Peter 1:12). Humans are by no means angels, however, so rather than contemplating it, we argue about it.

A generation ago evangelicals agreed on "the simple gospel": (1) God made you and wants to have a relationship with you, (2) but your sin separates you from God. (3) Jesus took the punishment your sins deserved, (4) so if you repent from sins and trust in him for your salvation, you will be forgiven, justified, and accepted freely by grace, and indwelt with his Spirit until you die and go to heaven.

There are today at least two major criticisms of this simple formulation. Many say that it is too individualistic, that Christ's salvation is not so much to bring individual happiness as to bring peace, justice, and a new creation. A second criticism is that there is no one "simple gospel" because "everything is contextual" and the Bible itself contains many gospel presentations that exist in tension with each other.

No single gospel message?
Let's take the second criticism first. The belief that there is no single basic gospel outline in the Bible goes back at least to the Tubingen school of biblical scholarship, which insisted Paul's gospel of justification was sharply different from Jesus' gospel of the kingdom. In the 20th century, British professor C.H. Dodd countered that there was one consensus gospel message in the Bible. Then, in turn, James Dunn argued in Unity and Diversity in the New Testament (1977) that the gospel formulations in the Bible are so different that we can't come up with a single outline.

Now hundreds of websites of young Christian leaders complain that the older evangelical church spent too much time reading Romans rather than Jesus' declaration that "the kingdom of God is at hand." But to be true to first-century Christians' own understanding of the gospel, I believe we must side with Dodd over Dunn. Paul is emphatic that the gospel he presents is the same as the one preached by the Jerusalem apostles. "Whether it was I or they," Paul says, referring to Peter and the others, "so we preached and so you believed" (1 Cor. 15:10-11). This statement assumes a single body of gospel content.

One gospel, many forms
So yes, there must be one gospel, yet there are clearly different forms in which that one gospel can be expressed. This is the Bible's own way of speaking of the gospel, and we should stick with it. Paul is an example. After insisting there is only one gospel (Gal. 1:8), he then speaks of being entrusted with "the gospel of the uncircumcised" as opposed to the "gospel of the circumcised" (Gal. 2:7).

READ ON!

Why Apologetics?

Are You Bilingual? We Want You

The Salt & Light Mandate

Christians spend more time in the world than in church and most Christians are laity. Yet so much of our church education is spent preparing believers for their ministry in the church and not their ministry in the world. An upcoming seminar we are doing in partnership with our friends at Wesley Methodist Church, Singapore, seeks to address this concern.

The Salt and Light Mandate — Making a Difference in Society

May 7 and 8

Wesley Methodist Church
Wesley Hall
5 Fort Canning Road
Singapore 179493

7:30 - 10:00 pm

Speaker:
Dr. Tan Soo Inn, Th.M (Regent College, Vancouver), D.Min (Fuller Seminary, USA). He is the author of Making Sense: 52 Meditations for Heart and Mind, Travel Mercies: Reflection from the Road called Life, and Grace@work weekly e-commentaries.

Who Should Attend???
Organised for those who desire to be further equipped in applying the truths of the Kingdom of God. Church Leaders, Ministry Team Leaders, Cell Group Leaders, Counsellors, Christians who want to be further equipped, and Seekers of the Lord

To register, please send an email with your name and contact number to: bernice@graceatwork.org. There is a registration fee of S$4 payable on the day of the seminar.

You can also register through the Wesley website.

The Aldersgate Convention 2008

The Aldersgate Convention 2008 will be held from 19 to 24 May 2008 at the Wesley Methodist Church will feature two speakers who will talk on the theme, “The Road to Glory: The Future in Wesleyan Perspective”.

The convention will feature two speakers, the Rev Dr Ezra Kok, Principal and Lecturer in New Testament at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, and the Rev Dr Ben Witherington, III, Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, the United States.

The Rev Dr Ben Witherington III and the Rev Dr Ezra Kok will focus on biblical teachings about the end times in English and Mandarin respectively. The details are:

19 May (Mon) 7.45-9.30pm
Christ - Offering Hope in the Midst of Darkness (Chinese)

20 May (Tue) 7.45-9.30pm
The Church - Holiness in the Midst of Imperfections (Chinese)

21 May (Wed) 7.45-9.30pm
Rapture or Parousia (English)

22 May (Thu) 9am-12pm
Eschatology & Ministry (English)*

22 May (Thu) 7.45-9.30pm
Other-World or After-Life? (English)

23 May (Fri) 7.45-9.30pm
The Future of the Church, Israel and the Kingdom (English)

24 May (Sat) 9am-12pm
What have they done with Jesus?(English) **

24 May (Sat) 7.30-9.30pm
Aldersgate Service A Vision of Worship

* The Morning with Ben Witherington (22 May 08) is open to pastors and seminarians only.

** This Morning Session (22 May 08) and the Aldersgate Seminar (24 May 08 morning) both require registration. Click here to download the registration brochure (pdf format).

DA Carson in Singapore again.

http://www.anglican.org.sg/livingword.html

Looks like by God's grace His servant will be here in Singapore again. Don't miss this chance.


The Living Word 2008: Bible Expositions for God's People

Prof Donald A. Carson
29 – 31 July 2008
St Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore

Morning Seminars

Preaching: Growing in Skill to Unpack the Whole Counsel of God.

(For Christian workers and & lay preachers who want to learn to preach with a biblical world view that is subsumed under the ‘whole of Scriptures’.)

Synopsis:
This seminar reviews some of the fundamentals of good expository preaching, but focuses primary attention on the way such preaching ought to tap into the meta-themes that tie the entire Bible together. When preachers accomplish this, they are not only teaching God's people to know God's Word better, they are painting a life-transforming worldview - a way of looking at the world that centers around Christ and his gospel, a worldview that is mandated by Scripture itself. As a test case, we will focus special attention on Ezekiel.

Dates:
29-31 July 2008
(Tuesday to Thursday)

Time:
9.00 am to 12.00 noon

Venue:
St Andrew’s Cathedral
(Next to City Hall MRT)

About the Speaker

Donald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. In 1989 Carson was voted Faculty of the Year at Trinity. Carson received the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from Cambridge University.

Carson's areas of expertise include biblical theology, the historical Jesus, postmodernism, pluralism, Johannine and Pauline theology. He can read about a dozen languages, and is fluent in French. Carson has written or edited over 45 books; The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (1996) won the 1997 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Gold Medallion Award in the category "theology and doctrine."

Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. Carson and his wife, Joy, reside in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two children. In his spare time, Carson enjoys reading, hiking, and woodworking.

Public Evening Sessions

Before the End: The Conquering Lamb, the Suffering Church & the Clash of Powers (Studies from the book of Revelation).

(For all who want to hear the powerful & relevant message of the book of Revelation for the people of God today.)

Synopsis:
Is the world becoming a better place or is it getting worse? How should the church understand itself as it seeks to be faithful amidst the swirling currents of competing cultures, of nations and empires in conflict? Deploying the evocative imagery of apocalyptic symbolism, John the Prophet helps Christians in every generation to construct a frame of reference that is horrified by evil but never surprised by it, that cherishes the power of the gospel even while learning to live under the cross.

Dates:
29-31 July 2008
(Tuesday to Thursday)

Time:
7.45 – 9.45 pm

Venue:
St Andrew’s Cathedral
(Next to City Hall MRT)

29 July (Tuesday)
Rage, Rage, Against the Church
(Revelation 12:1-13:1)
In apocalyptic language, John tells us what we learn elsewhere in the New Testament: the Christian's most fundamental enemies are not other people, but the powers of darkness. How then shall we cope and triumph?

30 July (Wednesday)
Antichrist and False Prophet
(Revelation 13:1-18)
Some Christians around the world face brutal opposition and outright persecution; other Christians around the world are in danger of being seduced by false teaching and transient glitter. The dangers are different, yet they are one. How are we to respond?

31 July (Thursday)
Trajectories
(Revelation 14)
There is a perennial danger of thinking that Christian life and thought pertain primarily to this world. But the whole of the New Testament is against this reductionism: there is a heaven to be gained and a hell to be shunned. These opposed trajectories mean that everything in this life has far more significance than we sometimes think.