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Back when I was at a previous church, we met a particular pastoral situation when someone who had got divorced wanted to remarry.   Unsurprisingly, there was a diversity of views because there are a diversity of views among Evangelicals more widely.  We didn’t want to just look at the individual case but rather to think ahead recognising that this was not going to be an unusual issue to…

 This is a repost of a previous article from the old faithroots site. In his lament for Saul and Jonathan, David says of his friend: “How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you!And your love for me was deep,deeper than the love of women!”[1] Some people have picked up on this verse and the other accounts of David and Jonathan to argue that this is an example of and a…

It might be tempting for some to skip over the next 15 chapters of Exodus.  However, we should know better than to ignore a significant section of Scripture.  It looks like we merely have a list of instructions here, building instructions, interior design instructions, clothing instructions etc.  Yet, if we believe that all Scripture is God breathed then we will want to consider why the author…

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for local churches right now is navigating potential controversies around how to understand the role of men and women in the local church.   This reflects, a polarising between those holding to complementarian positions and those holding to egalitarian ones. How in practice can we address this in a way that honours God’s word and enables everyone to flourish…

When the people of Israel were at Sinai, God told Moses to set boundaries around the mountain.  This was the place where God would meet the people, where they would hear him and receive his word.  Yet, for all but Moses,  it was to be at a distance. One day, people were bringing their kids to Jesus to be blessed. His disciples tried to send them away. Jesus was too important, too busy, too holy…

Imagine if you had been stood amongst the people as Moses spoke and then demonstrated the covenant by sprinkling or showering you with blood from the sacrifices.   We tend to be queasy about blood, ancient people were less so. The blood was significant and significant because it was not just something happening in the distance up at the altar, it was happening to you.  Blood signified cleansing…

God’s holiness is a great theme in the Sinai passages.  We see this in the way that the Law tells his people how to live in his holy presence and in the conditions that are set. There is a delineation between who can approach YHWH and who cannot. Some of the people can come so far with Moses but no further.  There are boundaries set that are not to be crossed.  This theme will be picked up by the…

“For yet Christ…” The  syntax in Greek frontloads the identity of Christ. He came whilst we were still weak, whilst sin still had a hold and we were helpless.  We could not do anything to save ourselves. He died for those who are ungodly, lacking righteousness (v6).  This is the surprising factor.  Paul observes that people are unlikely to die for others.  You are scarcely even likely to give up…

Sinai It’s two months after the Israelites have left Egypt when the arrive at Sinai. The people camp around the mountain and Moses climbs up to appear before YHWH (Exodus 19:1-3a).  God speaks to Moses and gives instructions to the people.  The context is that they have seen what God did to the Egyptians, punishing and defeating them as well as what God did for them, rescuing them.  The image of…

It seems to me that the term “a decent man” has become the euphemism for “political failure”.   Sir Keir Starmer’s departure is being mourned now by his previously silent supporters as “the loss of a basically decent man.” Other previous holders of the title include Sir John Major and Rishi Sunak.   Nor it is entirely possible that Sir Keir is decent. He may be the perfect gentleman, kind,…

As Sir Keir Starmer prepares to leave office, potentially as soon as next month, much is being made about the fact that we are about to move onto the 7th prime minister since Brexit. I think that this particular number may overstate things, Cameron left pretty much straight after the referendum having served a credible six years, Truss’s short stay in number 10 seems to count more as an error, a…

I recently picked up on the Biblical theme of uncleanness whilst looking at Mark 5.  We’ve seen that uncleanness is different from sin though actively becoming unclean may be a sin.   We’ve also seen how the concept and category help us to think about people today that may be classed as unclean. I want to think a bit more about how uncleanness can be removed?  How do people become clean? In…

I was planning to share some thoughts following on from the Makerfield by-election today.  However, I’ve been overtaken by events. This morning it was no surprise to hear that Keir Starmer is resigning as prime minister. So, I’ll move on to some thoughts about the future shortly but first I am going to still share those by-election reflections because I think they are pertinent to what comes…

I found this article by Steve Kneale very thought provoking.  Steve picks up on two things which we can miss. First, I think we can so sanitise Bible accounts (it’s true of the life of Abraham and the account of Esther too), in order to make them fit for Sunday School and so we iron out the bumps and remove the shock factor.  I think that Steve is right.  Naomi isn’t sending Ruth off for a nice,…

We often sing songs about how God is faithful.  I wonder what we have in mind as we sing those songs, or when we repeat the line “you’re never gonna let me down.”? It’s tempting to think primarily in those terms, that God is faithful and so we can trust him with our dreams, aspirations and desires.  In one sense, that’s true. However, it can risk an introverted understanding of God.  Primarily,…

In previous articles we have looked at the positive vision of God’s design for sex and relationships, marriage between one man and one woman.  So, what does God and his word think about same sex relationships? Romans 1:18-32 has been the starting point for many.   Early in his letter to the Romans, Paul brings good news. He declares his pride in the gospel because it reveals God’s righteousness.…

The other evening, without really looking, picked up my toothbrush and started brushing my teeth.  I walked briefly back into our bedroom to ask Sarah something.  It was at that point, she spotted what I’d missed. You’re using my toothbrush.” Now, you may have different opinions on whether it’s okay or gross to share toothbrushes.  In our case, there’s an additional factor which is that Sarah…