Come Down, Lord!

In a recent article , Rosaria Butterfield and Jared Moore suggested that “annihilationism and celibate gay theology are twin heresies and should be denounced as such.” I have great respect for Rosaria, and I believe I understand that concern that lies behind her comments. In an age where many are abandoning the old paths, I am grateful for her faithfulness and her willingness to contend earnestly for the faith. But is annihilationism, like celibate gay theology, heresy? I do not believe it is. The article by Butterfield and Moore raises a question that extends beyond annihilationism itself. When does error become heresy? At what point does a mistaken interpretation of Scripture place a person—a pastor, leader, or layperson—outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy? It seems to me that these are critically important questions. Though I am not an annihilationist, I know believers who are. They live near to the Lord, they love His Word, and they are determined to keep their consciences c...

Paul Washer has said, “Do not look for the church nearest to your house. Look for the church closest to the Bible.” By "closest to the Bible," people tend to think doctrine, and for years that was largely my approach. But when I began attending our current church about two years ago—and later joined it—it was not because of some major doctrinal shift. I was there, and remain there, for other reasons entirely. Over the years we have been part of some good churches, including churches that were especially strong doctrinally. When I began looking for a local church, I knew we would be giving some things up. But could I find a place where my family could serve and grow? And what did it really mean to be “closest to the Bible”? I am not sure exactly what Paul Washer meant, but I came to conclude that it means much more than doctrine alone. As I thought and prayed about it, these were some of the things that mattered most to me: Christ-centered preaching . I was looking for preac...

  I’ve listened with appreciation to Gavin Ortlund’s discussions surrounding doctrinal triage. Like him, I think it is important to distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary differences. But I was surprised when I heard him say that human sexuality is a secondary issue . In fact, he clarified by saying that whether a person affirms the traditional view of marriage as between one man and one woman is not a primary issue but a secondary one—important, but not essential.* I understand the impulse to limit the list of essentials to things like the doctrine of the Trinity, the virgin birth, the atonement, and salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, for example. But—assuming I have understood him— is he right? If human sexuality is a secondary issue, then it is a difference we can live with , something like baptism. Think about that for a moment. We have Baptist and Presbyterian denominations because the differences between us on baptism—as on other issue...

  I’ve been thinking lately about disagreements between Christians and how we ought to think of one another and relate to one another, even in the most difficult of circumstances. I admit that I have made many mistakes in this regard and have written about some of them previously; but I am also learning from those mistakes. Jesus said that the world will know we are His disciples by our love (John 13:35). He even said that they will know the Father sent the Son when they see the way in which we love one another (John 17:21). As I have reflected on my past and on the state of the Church today, I have been thinking specifically about Paul’s instructions on love and how they apply when there are sharp disagreements and even divisions among Christians. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said that love “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). We all know that disagreements and divisions exist. But it seems to me th...