Never has so much been said and written about so few words. Say something that the liberal news media dislikes and a piranha-like frenzy commences. Take, for example, words articulated by Gov. Mike Parson: “Missourians know that I share these beliefs and would not have nominated someone who does not share the same Christian values.” This “micro-aggression” triggered an outrageous onslaught, implying something patently false. It is yet another example of why the public does not trust the … [Read more...]
‘Living inside the cage’: Afghanistan tops Christian persecution list
SANTA ANA, Calif. (BP) – The Christian refugee hopped on one of the last flights out of Afghanistan to save his life and family. Since the Taliban regained rule there, Christians are hunted down and killed. “It’s really hard when you want to have freedom of faith and freely read our Bibles, freely share our faith,” he said at a Jan. 19th press conference revealing Opens Doors’ 2022 Watch List of the top countries for Christian persecution. “It’s really dangerous because you know, you’re … [Read more...]
Methodism: John Wesley’s plan to bring Christ’s holiness to the world
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. What is Methodism? Methodism is a Protestant denomination that formed in England during the middle of the 1700s. Originally, it was a highly-devotional and energetic evangelical movement which sought to inspire a deep evangelical ethos within the Church of England. … [Read more...]
China asserts more control over clergy through new rules
WASHINGTON (BP) – Regulations issued this year by China have intensified the communist government’s control of clergy among the five state-authorized religious groups and have effectively prohibited the work of pastors and leaders of unregistered churches and other entities, according to a new report. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan panel appointed by the president and congressional leaders, released a fact sheet Oct. 29 on Chinese rules that … [Read more...]
‘Here I stand’: Martin Luther’s stand for Bible’s authority inspires Missouri Baptists after 500 years
WORMS, Germany – Martin Luther was as good as dead. In fact, soon after he testified before the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V on April 17, 1521, many people believed he actually was dead. This man, who took his stand on the authority of Scripture and defied Europe’s most powerful rulers, had suddenly disappeared. Controversy begins: Luther’s 95 Theses A few years earlier, on Oct. 31, 1517, Luther unintentionally rocked the foundations of the European church and its leadership in Rome … [Read more...]
God the Son as Creator
This is another in a series of excerpts from “What Every Christian Should Know About the Trinity,” published by the MBC’s High Street Press (visit highstreet.press). In the last column, we explored God the Father as creator. Now, let’s consider the first of several passages that reveal the Son as creator. John 1:3 – “All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.” After establishing that Jesus is both eternal and divine, as well … [Read more...]
Congregationalism: Self-governing churches ‘gathered’ under Christ’s rule
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. What is Congregationalism? In church history, the term Congregationalism refers to that form of ecclesiastical polity (or church governance) which envisions the church’s spiritual authority to reside in the local congregation. According to Congregationalists, … [Read more...]
Rise of ‘nones’ might be waning, State of the Bible 2021 suggests
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (BP) – The rise of the “nones” or religiously unaffiliated might be waning, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in findings focused on Gen Z in the 2021 State of the Bible report. Gen Z members also haven’t decided whether Scripture can help sustain American ideals including democracy and justice, nor whether the Bible is truer than the Koran and the Book of Mormon, ABS said in releasing the data Tuesday (Aug. 10). Historically a study of how adults interact with … [Read more...]
Presbyterianism: Carrying the torch of ‘Reformed’ ecclesiology, theology
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the previous article we examined Anglicanism (and its American counterpart, Episcopalianism) and observed that the denomination’s uniqueness stemmed from the way its founders sought to unite the best features of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. They sought, … [Read more...]
Japanese hunger for hope on the horizon
TOKYO, Japan (IMB) – More people died by suicide in Japan in October of 2020 than died from COVID-19 in the previous months of 2020. In 2020, Japan reported 16.7 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Concrete walls enclose home-like prisons where Japanese men and women suffer in silence. Already small apartments became prison cells because of COVID’s sentence of solitary confinement, with the hope of parole like an ever-setting sun on the horizon. Pandemics have no due process and exacerbate … [Read more...]
125 Baptist high school students kidnapped in Nigeria
KADUNA, Nigeria (BP) – About 125 students kidnapped from a Baptist church school in northern Nigeria are especially in danger because of their Christianity and the unwillingness of local authorities to pay a ransom, a leading persecution watchdog group told Baptist Press. “There have been many kidnappings of school children over the past few years,” said Nathan Johnson, International Christian Concern’s (ICC) regional manager for Africa. “In this case it is a Baptist school, so most of … [Read more...]
Incarnational heresies
This is another in a series of excerpts from “What Every Christian Should Know About the Trinity,” available through Amazon and other booksellers. In recent columns, we explored the Incarnation – God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Before moving on in our study of the Trinity, we should note a number of heretical views that have plagued Christianity throughout its history. The church has effectively countered some of these false teachings, while others continue to rear … [Read more...]
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