Biblicism: A Concise Statement and Clarification

This is largely a summary of the previous piece found here:

https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2020/04/inbox-elaboration-of-biblicism-i.html

Biblicism is in this case, an embraced epithet describing a more robust and thorough understanding of Scriptural Authority. The Scriptures are authoritative and sufficient in all things relating to Church life and doctrine. Though many agree with this statement they nevertheless subvert and undermine Sufficiency by employing a host of methods which in the end reveal the Scriptures are not actually their supreme authority.

The Moscow Abomination, Sacralist Worldview and Memorial Day (Part 2)

From the anti-sacralist Two Kingdom standpoint of New Testament Christianity, the aforementioned thin line between Church and State is in fact an insurmountable wall.***

Christians do not celebrate war. They do not take up the sword. They do not seek revenge and they do not put themselves in service to mammon. As such, Christians are necessarily divorced from the cultural mainstream and cannot have any part in the political apparatus. Life of course is complicated and saints have at times found themselves in difficult situations and have been pulled into realms and spheres that they did not seek. These realities are part of life in a fallen world. But this is quite different from a mode of thinking that not only embraces these categories but sanctifies and glorifies them.

The Moscow Abomination, Sacralist Worldview and Memorial Day (Part 1)

https://www.rferl.org/a/inside-moscows-new-military-megachurch/30580784.html

I happened to turn to the website affiliated with Radio CIA and discovered this story. Radio Free Europe is biased to be sure but there are sometimes hints of interesting stories and in other cases messages are communicated that tell me more about the reporter than the subject being reported.

Most Westerners will find this Nationalist Orthodox Cathedral to be a disgusting thing and rightly so. It is offensive – but I say that not as an American or Westerner or someone committed to Liberal ideals. Rather I say it as a Christian. This cathedral represents Sacralism on full display.

Stonestreet's Anti-Feminism: An Endorsement of Feminism (Part 2)

The truth is there has been a profound shift within Evangelical culture. In the 1970's there was still enough of the old Fundamentalism at work in how people viewed the family so that those who broke with the old order did so not so much out of ideological commitment but due to pragmatics and questions of financial stress. They weren't fans of Stanton, Anthony or Steinem but were people (in many cases) trying to hold on to the Middle Class lifestyle. This continued into the 1980's but more embraced the new model because lifestyles were changing and in many parts of the country housing prices were making it very difficult to live on one income.

Then the 1990's happened – the decade of decadence and debt. A new over-the-top lifestyle emerged and with it came a new theology – a theology of empowerment and prosperity. It affected all Evangelical circles, not just the sphere of tacky Charismatic televangelists. Christian career women started to become the norm but there were still tensions. The Culture War of the period drove many to reconsider what had been happening and there were certainly groups reacting to it – but for many a new theology was emerging that not only sanctioned the new feminism, it theologised it and embraced it.

Stonestreet's Anti-Feminism: An Endorsement of Feminism (Part 1)

https://www.breakpoint.org/women-at-work/

It's no wonder people are confused. What we have here is a feminist argument to counter more extreme forms of feminism. Evangelicals have in recent years largely embraced the early stages of feminism, even lionising the likes of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony – once largely reviled figures in the Evangelical world. And they have in other instances rejected as 'sexism' the Bible's ordering of the family and marriage.

The Last Prophet and the Implications of the Terminal Epoch (Part 2)

This is the End. There will be no other era of history after this but a new creation. The prophets announce these shifts in epoch, they point to their coming and indeed in one sense the Old Testament prophets pointed to the Kingdom of Heaven. But in these last days there is but one Prophet, the fulfillment of all prophetic typologies. There will be no new prophets to announce a new era. The prophecies have all been spoken – at least the revelatory prophecies have. That's how short the time is. Everything is done – Christ is coming. Even so come, Lord Jesus.****

Those who claim to be revelatory prophets today are deceived deceivers. There are no more prophets for this age – there's nothing to prophesy about. The word has been given.

The Last Prophet and the Implications of the Terminal Epoch (Part 1)

Hebrews 1.1-2 teaches us that the time of the prophets has ended with the advent of the Last Days – this provisional epoch which is related to the Coming of Christ. The Last Days are identified by The Prophet – Christ Himself.

Opposition versus Oppositional Journalism

While complete objectivity is impossible, oppositional journalism expresses a certain degree of cynicism with regard to power, and thus in that posture can avoid many partisan traps. All power and all power players are suspect and their claims need to be investigated and challenged. Oppositional journalism will also recognise there are multiple sides to a story and multiple interests and their various concerns and angles ought to be explored – and such explorations will contextualise the proclamations and actions made by those in power.

Inbox: A Gospel Tract

The Gospel of Scripture vs. Today's Gospel

The gospel message is simple enough. But to present it in a few paragraphs? Well, that's not so easy especially if you want the presentation to be contextualised to our contemporary audience. Well, here's an attempt and given the nature of the exercise I'm not going to saturate it with Scriptural quotations – though I hope many will recognise it as Scriptural and as something that employs a great deal of Scriptural language. This is the message in summary – in a kind of tract or written-preached form: