10 comments

1. A third of the episode (13 minutes) with just chit-chat joking around. Maybe it’s just me but seems excessive / waste of listener’s time. Glad we can just skip forward to find the labeled subject.

   Reply ↓

   • Gregory,

     In the words of Ben Sasse, “love your passion.”

     Reply ↓

2. Hey Scott do you know of a faithful pastor around Loveland Colorado, I have a friend that is leaving a abusive church and could use new church to find rest

   Reply ↓

   • Yes!

     I strongly recommend Calvary United Reformed Church, Loveland, CO. Their pastor is giving the Den Dulk Lectures later this month at Westminster Seminary California. Brian Vos is a faithful, gospel-preaching minister.

     Reply ↓

3. Hi,

   Im confused about your comment about only ordained ministers proclaiming the gospel publicly. Can you please explain the Biblical warrant for that position?

   Reply ↓

   • Hi Ileana,

     Yes, very briefly, there’s no evidence at all in the New Testament that unordained people (laity) engaged in the public proclamation of the gospel. There are limited examples of laity giving witness to the faith (e.g., the man born bling in John 9 and the the woman at the well in John 4 and a few other cases).

     What we see in the New Testament is apostles, pastors, and other officers doing the public proclamation of the gospel.

     The real question is whether the New Testament teaches the existence of the visible church (it does) and what are called special offices, i.e., the offices of ministers, elders, and deacons.

     The modern assumptions about “every member ministry” are very poorly supported by the NT.

     Here are some resources:

     • Jackson, “Unto” And “Toward” In Ephesians 4:11–12, And Every Member Ministry
     • Does Acts 8 Provide a Warrant for Every Member Evangelism?
     • Hodge On Every-Member Ministry (Ephesians 4:12)
     • A Seventh-Century Opinion On Every-Member Ministry
     • Resources On Evangelism And Witness

     Reply ↓

4. John 4 seems to suggest that a woman, herself likely a brand new believer and without any training, publicly calling -unbelieving- men and women (even outside of her family, it would seem) to come and see the Christ is an activity blessed by The Lord to his purposes. Publicly giving voice to the Lord’s invitation “Turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth” does not obviously subvert the authority of the original speaker.

   This woman, with her simple invitation, did indeed invite her neighbors “to church”, to the presence of the very Head of the church. Subsequently, after his ascension, teaching, nurture and discipline within His church (1 Timothy 2) is to be conducted by ordained males.

   Harold

   Reply ↓

   • Harold,

     I appreciate this. Thank you. I was meditating today on the women announcing the good news to the disciples.

     Reply ↓

5. Hi , I’m a lay man in the OPC and go to my local woman’s center under the authority of my elders of my local church . I use amplification and proclaim the gospel there and my Pastor and elders don’t take issue with it . I understand the points made . 90% of who go there in my liberal State are Papist and don’t offer any law/gospel proclamation . If local pastors
   won’t do it then who shall go?

   Reply ↓

   • Hi Jamie,

     Laity should be giving witness to the faith and to their personal appropriation of Christ and the Christian faith. I’m less confident about laity publicly proclaiming the gospel. That work belongs to the ordained ministry.

     We shouldn’t overlook the power of prayer. If you don’t do it the Lord is capable of making the rocks cry out, i.e., he’s more than able to supply a need.

     When you say “women’s center,” what do you mean?

     I don’t know your circumstance but I would think, in the abstract, that someone at a table offering to pray, offering help (e.g., an alternative to abortion), to be available to give witness to the good news, would be effective.

     Reply ↓

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.