Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther speaks about our status as citizens of heaven:

"297. First, let us remember, that because of the fall of Adam, we were driven from paradise and became homeless and destitute. Second, let us think about the Son of God who shared our exile and brought us back to our Father's kingdom from which we had been expelled. Third, that we remember the lesson of this exile and that our homeland is not upon this earth [Philippians 3:20], but there will come another life, namely the eternal." (p. 209)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther speaks about varying one's teaching style::

"234. A preacher is like a carpenter; his tools are God's Word. Because the audience, upon whom he is to work, is diversified, he should not continuously teach in the same tone, rather, in respect of the differences in his congregation, comfort for a while, frighten, scold. offer reconciliation, and so on." (p. 209)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Kevin DeYoung - The Four Indispensable Qualities of Good Preaching

If you are not regularly reading the blog of Kevin DeYoung, you should be. Last week he offered what he considers the four indispensable qualities of preaching:

1. Veracity
2. Clarity
3. Authority
4. Authenticity

 You can and should read the whole post here.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther speaks about the folly of delighting in wealth and honors at the expense of God::

"2227. People are active and passive liars, that means they both create and tolerate lies. Thus, those who put their trust in mankind will be deceived [Jeremiah 17:5]." (p. 261)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther speaks about the folly of delighting in wealth and honors at the expense of God::

"6582. A person, who has produced wealth in the world and earned honors, while neglecting God and his soul, is like a small child, who holds an apple in his hand, which has a beautiful form and color, and thinks he has something good; however, on the inside it is rotten and full of worms." (p. 171)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

The Ehrman Project

In the past ten years, no scholar has done more to undermine the Bible within our popular culture than Bart Ehrman. As the James a Gray Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ehrman has created his own cottage industry of books, lectures and media appearances calling into question the reliability of the New Testament, the biblical canon, and the development of the early church. He is the author of multiple books that have made the New York Times bestseller lists and made frequent appearances on TV including the Colbert Report on Comedy Central.

While Ehrman is in fact a respected scholar within academic circles, his notoriety stems from his ability to take disputed issues within the academy and translate them into something that people outside of the academy care about. The problem is that Ehrman's presentation of the evidence and scholarship is often misleading and skewed. Of course, since the broader public has no way of knowing this, much of what he claims to be true has been accepted by those who are all too ready to question the New Testament, the canon of Scripture, and the development of the early church.

While there have been a number of books written to respond to Ehrman, I am most excited about this new website entitled The Ehrman Project. So far the webstie contains a number of short video clips on key subjects such as Evil and a Loving God (Alvin Plantinga), the Canon of Scripture (Ben Witherington III), Inerrancy (D.A. Carson), First-century Doctrine (Darrell Bock), Conspiracy (Ed Gravely), and Morality and Evil (Michael Kruger). This website has now become the go-to place for short, helpful and scholarly responses to the claims made by Ehrman.

On a related note, I am currently working my way through a book that responds to several claims made by Ehrman on a more academic level. Entitled The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture's Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity, it is written by Andreas Kostenberger and Michael Kruger. In my estimation it is now the go-to academic level book that responds to the half-truths and misinformation that Bart Ehrman regularly presents. But even though the book is at an academic level, it is written in such a way that both pastors and lay people can benefit from as well.

If you are a pastor and are not familiar with these issues, you owe it to yourself and those to whom you minister to get up to speed on these matters. Use the website as a starting point, and then move on from there to this helpful read.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther speaks of his son:

"2578. He took his infant son Martin on his lap, and said: Oh to think that God can put such a fine black-haired angel in such a piece of flesh from a stinking sack! It seems to me like taking a pancake and sticking an angel in it. But it is a real art to make a nose, mouth, hands and feet out of a piece of flesh in a mother's womb." (p. 265)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther advises pastors on caring for their flock:

"4001. Be shepherds of God's sheep, that means see well to it, not reluctantly but gladly, not selfishly but with an honest heart, and do not act like a tyrant over the flock you have been entrusted with." (p. 225)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther comments on his love for Paul's letter to the Galatians:

"146. Galatians is my favorite epistle, the one in which I place all my trust. It is my Katie von Bora [his wife]..'" (p. 311)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther comments on our lack of gratitude for God's Word:

"2853. The lack of appreciation for the Word is always the greatest horror, and it is no wonder that this lack of appreciation is the greatest aggravation for religious people, and that God has the same reaction as the religious..'" (p. 269)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Off to Israel

Today I leave for a 12 day trip to Israel with 40 others from Grace College and Theological Seminary. While I am not sure if I will be able to post anything during my trip, I plan to do so when I return. My wife's parents have come to care for our sons so that my wife Kate can come along, which I am sure will make the trip even more special. If you think of it, please pray for my boys and their grandparents as they make due without us.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther gives advice to young men seeking a wife:

"4857g. When a man is going to marry, he should not look to the father, but the character of the mother of the young girl. Why? Because, in general, beer has the aroma of the keg..'" (p. 59)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther writes about counseling those who are troubled by the preaching of the Word:

"5288. God can tolerate glory in the world now and then, for example, in the case of jurists and doctors, but He cannot bear it in regard to theologians. Because a glory-seeking theologian necessarily diminishes Christ, who saved the entire world with his blood. God cannot permit that; that is why ambitious theologians are soon brought down and shattered..'" (p. 289)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther writes about counseling those who are troubled by the preaching of the Word:

"3188. If someone laments that he was so troubled by a sermon that he had to leave, comfort him so: 'God receives two kinds of offerings, one is praise, and the other is a shattered heart.'" (p. 221)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

The God Who is There (D.A. Carson)

This year saw the publication of D.A. Carson, God Who Is There, The: Finding Your Place in God's Story. It is an overview of the biblical storyline in 14 chapters, and even has an optional leaders guide for use in a small group or Sunday school setting. The book itself is based on a series of 14 "lectures" that Carson gave at Bethlehem Baptist. Now the Gospel Coalition website has made both the audio and video available for free. This series is designed for anyone who wants a better knowledge of how the Bible hangs together, whether its someone who knows little or nothing about the Bible to someone who has been nurtured in the church for years. I highly recommend it as a resource.

Ten Reasons for Expository Preaching

Over at the Proclamation Trust blog, they have posted a top ten list of reasons for pastors to engage in expository preaching. It is taken from the book The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church by Timothy Witmer.

Here is the list:

1. Expository preaching identifies exactly what is at the heart of the Christian message
2. Expository preaching requires that the shepherd concern himself with the intent of the Divine Author for every text.
3. Expository preaching respects the integrity of the textual units given through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
4. Expository preaching keeps the pastor from riding his favourite hobby horses.
5. Expository preaching requires the preacher to preach the difficult or obscure texts and challenging truths of the Bible.
6. Expository preaching will encourage both pastor and students alike to become students of the Bible.
7. Expository preaching gives us boldness in preaching for we are not expounding our own fallible views but the Word of God.
8. Expository preaching gives confidence to the listener that what he is hearing is not the opinion of man but the Word of God.
9. Expository preaching is of great assistance in sermon planning.
10. Expository preaching provides the context for a long tenure in a particular place.

HT: Tim Challies

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther writes about God's graciousness despite our rebellion:

"905. God gave us the sun, moon, stars, the elements, and all creation, our bodies, life; and placed at our disposal all He had created; and in addition to that, nothing less than Himself. And what did He reap from all that? That He should be scorned and His Son and followers killed, etc. In vain, He created us; in vain, He nourished us; in vain, He maintains us, etc." (pp. 252)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

An Ode to Hannukah and the Maccabean Revolt

I recently came across this music video that provides some historical background to Hanukkah and the Maccabean Revolt:



HT: Tim Challies

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther writes about our exile and the work of Christ to overcome it:

"5955. First, let us remember, that because of the fall of Adam, we were driven from paradise and became homeless and destitute. Second, let us think about the Son of God who shared our exile and brought us back to our Father's kingdom from which we had been expelled. Third, that we remember the lesson of this exile and that our homeland is not upon this earth [Philippians 3:20], but there will come another life, namely the eternal" (pp. 297)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.

Mondays with Marty

In this week's installment from Off the Record with Martin Luther, Luther writes about the burden and responsibilities of a preacher:

"453. If I were to write about the burden and responsibilities of a preacher, as I have experienced them, I would scare everyone away from it. For a good preacher must be of such a mind that nothing is dearer to him than Christ and His life; so that when he finally has lost this life, and everything, he knows Christ will say to him: 'Come here to me, my dear son.' I hope that He will also speak to me with those words on Judgment Day, for here all speak to me in an unfriendly way. I have the burden of the whole world, the emperor, and the Pope. But since I have been called to this, I must stand my ground and say: 'What I do is right.' After I was called, the devil attacked me many times and has tormented me with this argument: 'You haven't been called!' As if I had been made a doctor for nothing." (pp. 211)

DISCLAIMER: The views reflected in this quote do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this blog. This quote is shared in the interest of edification, education, and/or humor.