JEFFERSON CITY – The author of Ecclesiastes once wisely wrote, “there is nothing new under the sun”. This truism is perhaps best exhibited in society’s current moral failings. For many Christians, it seems as though issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and gender dysphoria are new problems facing the church. However, a closer examination of church history shows that Christians have argued against these very same moral issues throughout previous generations. As we celebrate the … [Read more...]
The church restored: A baptistic contribution to the Reformation
JEFFERSON CITY – In the early sixteenth century, the Church of Rome was in deep trouble. As described in earlier editions of the Pathway, several leaders emerged with hopes of repairing the Western Church from within. Sadly, their proposed reforms were rejected and they soon found themselves on the outs with the pope and his bishops. Yet Lutheran and Reformed ideas took root and, before long, Protestantism was dominant in the northern third of Europe. But there appeared pockets of … [Read more...]
A child’s anchor in a stormy world
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8 NIV Have you ever wondered how you would have turned out if you had been raised in today’s world instead of the way the world was when you were a child? We are often reminded of how things have changed so quickly in our society. Our children today are facing a very confusing and complicated world. How wonderful it is, however, that there are some things that never change. God will never change. He is the anchor … [Read more...]
Is the Reformation over?
JEFFERSON CITY – Having been warned that all Baptist campus ministries were not equally committed to the authority of Scripture and the necessity of evangelism, I joined Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) as a first year student at the University of Virginia. In Cru, I met students from a wide variety of denominational backgrounds: Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Episcopalians and, yes, Roman Catholics. Having grown up in a strongly Catholic area, I knew that doctrinal dissonance existed … [Read more...]
Rethinking the Reformation’s ‘Five Solas’
JEFFERSON CITY – This year, 2017, marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. At the center of the Reformation were five solas, the Latin word “sola” meaning “only” or “alone.” While many have heard of these five solas before, there are aspects to each you may never have been taught. Without “Scripture alone” the other solas are in danger of being lost. The Reformers experienced this danger first hand. Rome had elevated tradition so high that it became a second infallible source of … [Read more...]
Christian journalism’s Reformation roots
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final column in a year-long series leading up to the 500th anniversary of the 16th-century Reformation on Oct. 31, 2017. During the spring of 1521, the German Reformer Martin Luther stood alone before the most powerful men in Europe and declared that, no matter the consequences, his conscience was bound to the Word of God. And on this Word he would stand. Shortly after making this famous “Here I Stand” speech at the Diet of Worms, Luther was condemned by … [Read more...]
Boy Scouts & the disappearing paths
The Boy Scouts of America announced last week that the organization will now accept girls as members, thus ending the uniqueness of this iconic institution. Many commentators have lamented the moral decline of the Boy Scouts, seen in the organization’s steady capitulation to the ideology of the sexual revolution. But there is something deeper going on here, and it goes beyond one’s views of sexual morality. The Path of Wisdom and Virtue The Boy Scouts offered a pathway toward manhood, a … [Read more...]
Praying in the name of Jesus on the courthouse lawn
The Pray Across Missouri initiative has been a delightful experience for Sharon and me. I appreciate state missionary Spencer Hutson’s hard work to do the front work of scheduling these events in 114 counties plus the City of St. Louis. We are also very grateful for the local coordinators who contacted churches, county officials, and in many cases law enforcement to join us for a few moments for prayer on the courthouse lawn. We’ve learned several things: Let me be the first to say, … [Read more...]
Dangerous prospects loom, Pathway points to Scripture
America seems adrift. Familiar markers that have guided our personal and social lives from birth to death have faded. We seem disoriented, groping in an ominous direction. Western civilization – especially Christianity and patriotism – is mocked. Our dead veterans are despicably politicized while our children are taught nothing virtuous and only America’s sins – past and present – are highlighted, creating dangerous prospects for the future. It was two decades ago Missouri Baptists put … [Read more...]
Book Review: A primer on the Reformers’ theologies
Five-hundred years ago this month, Martin Luther posted ninety-five theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. He hoped to start a debate about some important doctrinal issues, challenging the authority of the pope to forgive sins and the practice of essentially buying and selling the grace of Jesus Christ. Little did he know that his actions would spark a movement that would change the world, leading to what we now call the Protestant Reformation. It’s hard to overstate … [Read more...]
Apologetics: How to make a universe
This is the second in a two-part series on Stephen Hawking’s contention that science has resolved the need for God. In the previous column, we examined the logical fallacies theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking employs in the Discovery Channel series, “Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design.” Now, let’s turn our attention to how a universe is made. While Scripture tells us that God spoke the world into existence (Gen. 1:3-26; Ps. 33:9; Heb. 11:13), Hawking contends that nothing more than matter, … [Read more...]
Listening, Seeking & Resting: Verti-coming and Verti-going
Have you ever had one of those world-tipping inner ear things? It’s about the worst kind of imbalance. It started small when it happened to me. My body kept trying to lean to one side. I felt like any minute somebody might come up behind me and try to stick a couple of sugar packets under my left foot. Then, as inner-ear malfunctions are wont to do, the thing accelerated and suddenly the world was very…how can I describe it? Very “Star Ship Enterprise.” The kind of Enterprise where some … [Read more...]
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