Podcast appearances and mentions of Timothy George

How will thinking carefully about the relationship of faith and knowledge influence the way you think about and live out your Christian commitments? "The Great Tradition of Christian Thinking" by David Dockery and Timothy George give an understanding of how Christian faith has related to knowledge throughout the centuries. It then shows how we can apply and advance the tradition today. Come join the conversation and bring your questions! I will be taking calls after the teaching. The show is LIVE every Tuesday at 1:30 pm PT. Content Discussed: 0:00 Intro 2:33 A look at future shows 5:30 An into to the series on Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition 6:52 Have Christians given up on the cognitive focus? Knowledge & Faith 14:57 The role of Scripture in the Christian intellectual tradition 16:28 How challenges throughout church history led to intellectual growth 24:05 How everything fits into the Christian story 27:34 Necessary distinction between "the faith" and "my faith" 34:25 How do we practically apply the Christian intellectual tradition today? 41:08 Why don't Christians assert religious claims as facts? 42:37 Wasn't it Christians, not atheists, who separated faith from evidence? 44:35 Why didn't Jesus clearly write down Christian theology? 47:43 Caller: Panpsychism and why God allows suffering and pain, and how we know God is good 1:09:31 Caller: Does science look at evidence to find a conclusion, and religion starts with conclusions and looks for evidence? 1:14:49 Caller: Do atheists have faith? Do we have to have answers for everything? 1:22:31 Two reasons why you shouldn't say "Think for yourself!"

This week's episode looks back at a previous episode of the Beeson podcast, as Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. introduce Daven Watkin's sermon on 1 Kings 17. The full sermon follows their discussion.

This week's historic episode of the Beeson podcast features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing E.K. Bailey's sermon, "Facing an Uncertain Future."

This week's historic Beeson podcast episode features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing C. M. Ward's sermon, "Victory in the Valley." The full sermon follows their discussion.

This week's look at an older episode of the podcast features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing David Platt's sermon on Luke 9: 57-62, preached at the Convergence Conference of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in 2010. The full sermon follows their comments.

This week's "From the Archives" episode features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing Barry Black's sermon on Daniel 5. The sermon follows their discussion.

In this week's episode, we revisit a previous episode of the Beeson podcast featuring Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing Smith's sermon on Jeremiah 1. The sermon follows their discussion.

This week's episode features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing and listening to former Beeson professor Lyle Dorsett's testimony sermon.

Continuing our look at past Beeson podcast episodes, this week's episode features Drs. Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing and listening to a sermon delivered by John Piper titled, "Sustained by Sovereign Grace: The Ground of Assurance."

Continuing our look at previous Beeson podcasts, this week's episode features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing Ralph West's sermon on Titus 2 preached at the Beeson Pastors School. This episode originally aired June 25, 2013.

Continuing our look at past Beeson podcast episode, this week's episode features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing Richard Mouw's sermon on the second coming from Titus 2:11-15.

Continuing our look at historic Beeson podcasts, this episode, first published in 2012, includes Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon on Luke 11, "A Knock at Midnight," delivered at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1962.

In this episode, originally aired Feb. 28, 2012, Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discuss Bishop Jerry Macklin's sermon on Isaiah 51, “Watchman, What of the Night?" which was delivered at the Beeson Pastors School. The full sermon follows their discussion.

What's the responsibility of the church? Timothy George answers that question with 1 Corinthians 1. For more articles, books, and podcasts, please visit 9marks.org

Continuing our summer flashback series, this podcast, which originally aired March 29, 2011, features Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr. discussing James Earl Massey's sermon "A Thorn in the Flesh," which they consider an excellent example of the use of personal illustration in preaching. The full sermon follows their discussion.

This podcast originally aired Feb. 22, 2011, and is the second in a series of helpful sermons we are resharing this summer. Part of the series, "Great Preachers, Past and Present," founding dean Timothy George and Robert Smith Jr., discuss the message, "What Will Last," preached by Howard Edington just a week after the tragic accidental death of his only son. The sermon in its entirety follows their discussion.

For our summer podcast series, we'll be examining previous episodes of the Beeson podcast focused on preaching. In this episode, first published in 2011, founding dean Timothy George and longtime professor Robert Smith Jr. analyze Haddon Robinson's sermon "A Good Snake Gone Bad." This sermon on 2 Kings 18:4 was preached at the Beeson Pastors School.

     At the moment of faith in Christ, God's righteousness is gifted to the believer (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and he is at once made right with God and declared just in His sight. Divine justification is not by human works at all, “for there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Rather, Paul reveals we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). Like our spiritual birth, justification is a one-and-done event, perfect in itself, not to be confused with our experiential sanctification, which occurs over time. According to Norman Geisler, “Justification is an instantaneous, past act of God by which one is saved from the guilt of sin—his record is cleared and he is guiltless before the Judge” (Rom 8:1).”[1] And Charles Bing states, “Justification is the act of God that declares a sinner righteous in God's sight. It is a legal term that speaks of one's right standing in God's court of justice.”[2]      Being justified in God's sight is by faith alone and not by any human works, for “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom 3:20a). Rather, “to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom 4:5), for “a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16).[3] J. I. Packer states: "Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom 3:9–24; 4:5), accepting them as just, and so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself. This justifying sentence is God's gift of righteousness (Rom 5:15–17), his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus' sake (2 Cor 5:21)."[4] Louis Berkhof agrees, stating: "Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares, on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner. It is unique in the application of the work of redemption in that it is a judicial act of God, a declaration respecting the sinner, and not an act or process of renewal, such as regeneration, conversion, and sanctification. While it has respect to the sinner, it does not change his inner life. It does not affect his condition, but his state."[5] Merrill F. Unger adds: "Justification is a divine act whereby an infinitely Holy God judicially declares a believing sinner to be righteous and acceptable before Him because Christ has borne the sinner's sin on the cross and has become “to us … righteousness” (1 Cor 1:30; Rom 3:24). A justified believer emerges from God's great courtroom with a consciousness that another, his Substitute, has borne his guilt and that he stands without accusation before God (Rom 8:1, 33–34)."[6] Paul Enns states: Whereas forgiveness is the negative side of salvation, justification is the positive side. To justify is to declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. It is a forensic (legal) act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous on the basis of the blood of Christ. The major emphasis of justification is positive and involves two main aspects. It involves the pardon and removal of all sins and the end of separation from God (Acts 13:39; Rom 4:6–7; 5:9–11; 2 Cor 5:19). It also involves the bestowal of righteousness upon the believing person and a title to all the blessings promised to the just. Justification is a gift given through the grace of God (Rom 3:24) and takes place the moment the individual has faith in Christ (Rom 4:2; 5:1). The ground of justification is the death of Christ (Rom 5:9), apart from any works (Rom 4:5). The means of justification is faith (Rom 5:1). Through justification God maintains His integrity and His standard, yet is able to enter into fellowship with sinners because they have the very righteousness of Christ imputed to them.[7]      The process is faith in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31), imputed righteousness (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and the declaration by God that the believer is now justified in God's sight (Rom 3:24; 4:5; Gal 2:16). Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Anyone who expresses faith alone in Christ alone is instantly justified before the bench of God's justice. The mechanics of justification follow three logical steps, though they all occur simultaneously. First, the person believes in Christ; second, God the Father credits, or imputes, His righteousness to that person; and third, God recognizes His righteousness in the believer and pronounces him “justified”— vindicated, righteous (Rom 5)."[8]      The imputation of God's righteousness to believers means we are declared righteous, but not made righteous in conduct. To be righteous in conduct is the lifelong process of sanctification whereby the believer advances to spiritual maturity and lives in conformity with the character and will of God as revealed in His Word. This is the walk of faith. But though we are righteous in God's sight because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, at the same time we continue to possess a sin nature that continually causes internal temptation and conflict (Rom 6:6; 7:14-25; 13:14; Col 3:9; Gal 5:16-17, 19-22; 1 John 1:8), and we commit personal acts of sin (1 Ki 8:46; Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:10; 2:1). Though the power of the sin nature is broken (Rom 6:11-14), the presence of the sin nature is never removed from us until God takes us from this world and gives us a new body like the body of Jesus (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). Martin Luther understood this duality and coined the Latin phrase simul iustus et peccator, which translates as, “simultaneously righteous and a sinner.” Though Christians are declared righteous in God's sight, sin will constantly be present (Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10), to varying degrees, depending on the status of the believer's spiritual walk with the Lord. Timothy George states: "The believer is not only both righteous and sinful at the same time but is also always or completely both righteous and sinful at the same time. What does this mean? With respect to our fallen human condition, we are, and always will be in this life, sinners. However, for believers, life in this world is no longer a period of doubtful candidacy for God's acceptance. In a sense we have already been before God's judgment seat and have been acquitted on account of Christ. Hence we are also always righteous."[9]      I agree with the phrase simul iustus et peccator, that a Christian is “simultaneously righteous and a sinner.” I think a better phrase is semper iustus et peccator, that we are “always righteous and a sinner.” Both are true. Always. As a Christian, I am righteous because I have received God's “gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17). This is “the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” in Christ (Phil 3:9). God gave me His righteousness at the moment I trusted Christ as my Savior, and like all of God's gifts, it can't be given back, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). As one who possesses God's righteousness, I am forever justified in His sight. The matter is settled in heaven. God has made it so. After being saved, the issue for every Christian is to advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1), which glorifies God and edifies others. Dr. Steven R. Cook ------- [1] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 235. [2] Charles C. Bing, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Bible Passages (Brenham, TX: Lucid Books, 2015). [3] Some in the early church thought righteousness came through adherence to the Mosaic Law. The apostle Paul dealt with this, saying, “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal 2:21), for “if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Gal 3:21).    Salvation comes to the one who simply trusts in Christ as Savior and receives it as a free gift, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). [4] J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, 164. [5] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 513. [6] E. McChesney and Merrill F. Unger, “Justification,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, 729. [7] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 326. [8] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Justification”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 153. [9] Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Nashville, Tenn., Broadman and Holman publishers, 2013), 72.

In this episode, Nate Akin interviews Dr. Timothy George about Baptist and Southern Baptist confessions and why they started, how they have been received, how they are meant to function, and more. 

Chuck Colson often described the importance of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2009, Chuck, along with fellow authors Dr. Timothy George and Dr. Robert George, cited Dr. King in the Manhattan Declaration, a statement of conscience regarding life, marriage, and religious liberty in the United States.  In 1955, after only a year of pastoring a church in Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. King was selected to lead an organization that boycotted public transportation. This was in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat for a white passenger on a bus. With a remarkable speaking ability and his advocacy of peaceful protest, Dr. King became a primary voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Chuck Colson noted three significant aspects of Dr. King's work.  First, Dr. King was deeply influenced by his Christian faith. Though a series of personal failures are now known to be, sadly, serial, the principles from which he spoke and wrote were undeniably Christian. Reflecting on Dr. King's time in Birmingham, fighting against segregation and for equal job opportunities for African Americans, Chuck noted the following:  During his Birmingham civil rights campaign, Dr. King required every participant to sign a pledge committing to do ten things. The first was to “meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.” Others included the expectation that all participants would “walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love” and “pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.”  To truly understand Martin Luther King, students must learn about his Christian faith. It was at the heart of what he did.  Recently, sports commentator Chris Broussard and human rights expert Dr. Matt Daniels have produced a video series emphasizing the biblical principles that inspired Dr. King's life and work. Dr. Daniels is concerned that the Christian underpinnings of Dr. King's legacy are being lost. You can find this series “Share the Dream” at churchsource.org.  In another commentary, Chuck Colson noted how Dr. King understood divine law as the source of human law. King's greatest demonstration of this was in his “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,”  something Chuck Colson often referred to as “the most important legal document of the twentieth century.” Here's Chuck:  King defended the transcendent source of the law's authority. In doing so he took a conservative Christian view of law. In fact, he was perhaps the most eloquent advocate of this viewpoint in his time, as, interestingly, Justice Clarence Thomas may be today.   Writing from a jail cell, King declared that the code of justice is not man's law: It is God's law. Imagine a politician making such a comment today.  Based on this belief, that God is the ultimate source of law, Dr. King insisted that any unjust law is, in fact, not a law at all. This was the basis of his view of civil disobedience, something that Christians not only could engage in, but must engage in. Here, again, is Chuck Colson describing King's view:  “One might well ask,” he wrote, “how can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer “is found in the fact that there are two kinds of laws: just laws … and unjust laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws,” King said, “but conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”   How does one determine whether the law is just or unjust? A just law, King wrote, “squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law … is out of harmony with the moral law.”  Then King quoted Saint Augustine: “An unjust law is no law at all.” He quoted Thomas Aquinas: “An unjust law is a human law not rooted in eternal or natural law.”  If it is true, as Chuck and his co-authors asserted in the Manhattan Declaration that “unjust laws degrade human beings,” then Dr. King's teachings continue to have relevance for us today, not only on issues of race but on all kinds of areas in which our ideas are misaligned from our Creator. Take a moment today to read Dr. King's “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”  For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org. 

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Galatians 4:4-7BIG IDEA: The Son of God was sent so that we would have the possession and pleasure of adoption as sons of God.OUTLINE: 1. The Process of Adoption (vs. 4-5) 2. The Pleasure of Adoption (v. 6) 3. The Privilege of Adoption (v. 7)RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Early Christian Literature 3rd ed. by Walter Bauer, ed. by Frederick Danker; Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Galatians by David Platt, Tony Merida; TGC Galatians Commentary by Matthew Harmon & John Sloat; The New American Commentary: Galatians by Timothy George; Dictionary of Biblical Imagery by Leeland Ryken, James Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman; The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Galatians by F.F. Bruce; Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians by Thomas Schreiner; Joy Unspeakable: Power & Renewal in the Holy Spirit by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Genesis 2:4-17BIG IDEA: Humanity's initial generation reveals that we were created and commissioned to live in covenant with God leading to eternal life.OUTLINE:1. Adam & His Relationship with God2. Adam & His Representation of Us3. Adam & Our Redemption in ChristRESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; Genesis: A New Commentary by Meredith Kline; Genesis 1-4: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary by C. John Collins; Christian Standard Commentary: Genesis 1-11 by Kenneth A. Matthews; Reformed Expository Commentary: Genesis by Richard Phillips; Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Genesis 1-11 ed. John Thompson, Timothy George, and Scott Manetsch; Getting the Garden Right: Adam's Work and God's Rest in Light of Christ by Richard Barcellos; The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology: A Comparison Between Seventeenth Century Particular Baptist Covenant and Paedobaptist Federalism by Pascal Denault; The Kingdom of God: A Baptist Expression of Covenant & Biblical Theology by Jeffrey D. Johnson; A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, ed. Rob Ventura; Dictionary of Biblical Imagery ed. Leland Ryken, James Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman; Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck

Timothy George talks about the Great Tradition and the importance of loving God and education.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“It is better to be hurt by the truth than to be comforted with a lie.”~Khaled Hosseini, Afghan-born novelist and physician “We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ except that we first know assuredly that we have no righteousness of our own.”~John Calvin (1509-1564), Genevan reformer “Take heart sinner, and do not despair. Hope in him whom you fear, flee to him from whom you have fled…. Dear name…of delight, name of comfort to the sinner, name of blessed hope. For what is Jesus except to say Savior? So, Jesus, for your own sake, be to me Jesus.”~Anselm of Canterbury (1033/4-1109), monk, theologian, and archbishop “We obey God not because we are afraid of what He will do to us…. Rather, we obey Him because we are moved by all that He has done for us in Jesus Christ.”~Anthony J. Carter, pastor and author “To see the law by Christ fulfilled, and hear His pardoning voice,Changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.”~William Cowper (1730-1800), poet and hymnwriter “I don't believe it is wise or truthful to the power of the gospel to identify oneself by the sins of one's past or the temptations of one's present….”~Jackie Hill Perry, writer and hip-hop artist “Justification by faith alone frees me to love my neighbor…for his or her own sake…. Since we no longer have to carry around the intolerable burden of self-justification, we are free ‘to be Christs unto one another,' as Luther put it, to expend ourselves on behalf of one another, even as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us.”~Timothy George & John Woodbridge in The Mark of Jesus “My grand objection to the religious system still held by many… is, that it tends to render Christianity… a system of prohibitions rather than of privilege and hopes, and thus the injunction to rejoice, so strongly enforced in the New Testament, is practically neglected, and Religion is made to wear a forbidding and gloomy air and not one of peace and hope and joy.”~William Wilberforce (1759-1833), British politician and slavery abolitionistSERMON PASSAGEGalatians 2:11-21 (ESV) 1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

In this episode of the Covenant Podcast, Austin McCormick provides a biographical sketch of William Carey and gives three applications in light of Carey's life and ministry. The applications are i) the Obligation to Use Means, ii) the Importance of Friendship, and iii) the Significance of Evangelical Calvinism. This work is a compilation of material utilizing several sources, but since the following are used significantly throughout the episode, they are also included here: Timothy George, “William Carey (1761-1834)” in The British Particular Baptists 1638-1910, Vol.2. ed. Michael A.G. Haykin (Springfield, MO: Particular Baptist Press). Thomas J. Nettles, “William Carey (1761-1834)” in The Baptists: Key People Involved in Forming a Baptist Identity, Volume One, Beginnings in Britain, (Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2005). Michael A.G. Haykin, The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey. (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2018).

In this episode of the Covenant Podcast, Austin McCormick provides a biographical sketch of William Carey and gives three applications in light of Carey's life and ministry. The applications are i) the Obligation to Use Means, ii) the Importance of Friendship, and iii) the Significance of Evangelical Calvinism. This work is a compilation of material utilizing several sources, but since the following are used significantly throughout the episode, they are also included here: Timothy George, “William Carey (1761-1834)” in The British Particular Baptists 1638-1910, Vol.2. ed. Michael A.G. Haykin (Springfield, MO: Particular Baptist Press). Thomas J. Nettles, “William Carey (1761-1834)” in The Baptists: Key People Involved in Forming a Baptist Identity, Volume One, Beginnings in Britain, (Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2005). Michael A.G. Haykin, The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey. (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2018).

If the final few weeks of May were any indication, this June's pride month noise will be louder and edgier than previous years. Already, the controversy surrounding Target's new line of clothing, produced in partnership with a clothing company that also produces clothing to celebrate Satanism, has dominated the nation's headlines. Incredulously, most mainstream media outlets (and a few “Christian” ones) have painted as the bad guys those concerned about children being groomed instead of the corporate and activist entities doing the actual grooming. However, there are plenty of people not fooled by this narrative, given the financial hit Target has already taken.   And then there is the strange saga of the L.A. Dodgers. After a rather public back and forth, the Major League Baseball team decided to platform an LGBTQ organization that is known for its hyper-sexualized performances that openly blaspheme Jesus and mock Christian symbolism. Such mockery would never be tolerated if directed at other religious groups. But in a culture lost in what might be called a “critical theory mood,” even the most extreme acts are seen through the lens of predetermined cultural groupings that have been given moral status. Not only did the Dodgers organization backpedal their initial reversal, the so-called “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” will now be given some kind of Community Hero Award.  In response, Christians must do two things. First, we can and should protest both with our voices and our pocketbooks. Dodgers players and Target shoppers will need to think through where the line of complicity is. Second, we should proclaim a better way. One of Chuck Colson's closest colleagues and collaborators has an idea worth considering:  “By the authority vested in me by absolutely no one,” Professor Robert George of Princeton University wrote in an email last week, “I have declared June to be ‘Fidelity Month'—a month dedicated to the importance of fidelity to God, spouses and families, our country, and our communities.”  Perhaps the leading Christian legal thinker of our lifetime, Professor George worked closely with Chuck Colson and Timothy George on the Manhattan Declaration. The 2009 statement of conscience outlined Christian conviction on the areas of life, marriage, and religious liberty. It only makes sense that Professor George would suggest Fidelity Month as a time of intentional remembering of those allegiances so often scorned in a culture like ours. “Pride” for example asks us to prioritize desire and autonomy over allegiance to God, children, each other, and ultimately, to reality itself.  That makes June a particularly good month for Christians to be clear about where we stand, making the important decision to, as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn put it, “live not by lies.” It's never easier, in fact, to go along with something that isn't true than during so-called pride month. Like when Israel would set aside days and seasons to remember and repent and recalibrate, why not choose to be intentional about making June something else: a time to remember and teach the next generation about our most important responsibilities as those made in the image of God.  In this email from Professor George, the task of remembering seemed to be of particular concern:  You may have read about the rather disturbing recent WSJ poll indicating a precipitous decline in our fellow Americans' belief in the importance of such values as patriotism, religion, family, and community—the values that used to unite Americans despite our many differences.  “There are a million things we can and should do to restore the faith of our people,” George continued, “but I would like you to join in one small one.” Fidelity Month will launch with a webinar that is open to the public, tomorrow, June 1, at 2 p.m. EST. Professor George will be joined by Lila Rose of Live Action, Andrew Walker of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Bill McClay of Hillsdale College, and others. Learn more and register for the webinar at www.fidelitymonth.com.   Also on the website, you can find the Fidelity Month symbol, a specially designed wreath that is,  representative of God and His eternal nature, while the openness at the top of the wreath is suggestive of a divine embrace. The branches and leaves that compose the wreath signify a family that is dependent upon and in union with God.   The star and stripe at the center bottom of the wreath symbolize our common union as Americans– “one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”  The color gold symbolizes generosity and compassion – virtues that are closely connected to fidelity (supporting it and being supported by it). Fidelity, generosity, and compassion are anti-narcissistic virtues, reflecting the knowledge – the wisdom – that everything is not “about me.” It is a recognition of the duties we have to others, and that our true fulfillment is to be found in serving others: God, our spouses and families, our communities and country.   The color blue, our background color, symbolizes truth, loyalty, responsibility, and peace.  The Fidelity Month symbol can be shared and posted on social media, and the Fidelity Month website includes other ideas for individuals, families, churches, and leaders to reframe the next month in a way that honors God, each other, our children, and our nation.   For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org. 

In this episode, Luke Stamps is joined by special guest Timothy George to discuss the contribution and legacy of Celtic Spirituality. This episode accompanies our 2023 Christian Spirituality Classics Reading Challenge.

Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla begin a new year with a conversation about a new book, Retrieval for the Sake of Renewal: Timothy George as a Historical Theologian, by Chris Hanna.

Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla begin a new year with a conversation about a new book, Retrieval for the Sake of Renewal: Timothy George as a Historical Theologian, by Chris Hanna.

Today's episode is a very special Christmas episode featuring the topic of Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel at Beeson Divinity School. Our guests, Timothy George and Stefana Dan Laing, teach us about the history, art and theology of the chapel.

Today's episode is a very special Christmas episode featuring the topic of Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel at Beeson Divinity School. Our guests, Timothy George and Stefana Dan Laing, teach us about the history, art and theology of the chapel.

En este episodio meditamos en Isaías 40 y consideramos la vida de Jan Hus y su gran lema bíblico para la vida cristiana, “la verdad prevalecerá”. Hoy también compartimos las palabras de el Dr. Timothy George sobre la vida y las labores de Jan Hus.

Special guest preacher Dr. Timothy George. Scripture reference: Romans 1:16-17

Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla talk to Dr. Timothy George for the Faculty Spotlight series about his two recent books for the Theological Foundations series with B&H Academic of which he serves as the editor.

Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla talk to Dr. Timothy George for the Faculty Spotlight series about his two recent books for the Theological Foundations series with B&H Academic of which he serves as the editor. T

In this episode, Tyler talks with Timothy George about the Reformation. This episode serves as a general introduction to our season on the Protestant Reformation by discussing what the Reformation is and why it's worth our time and effort to study it.

This episode is a repost of a conversation with Dr. Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School. We discuss being a Baptist and appreciating the Great Tradition (2:00), ecumenism and catholicity (7:35), the future of Christian higher education (22:35), and more. Buy Timothy's books. Church Grammar is presented by the Christian Standard Bible. Intro music: Purple Dinosaur by nobigdyl. Brandon D. Smith is Assistant Professor of Theology & New Testament at Cedarville University, a co-founder of the Center for Baptist Renewal, and writes things. You can follow him on Twitter at @brandon_d_smith. You can preorder Brandon's new book, The Trinity in the Book of Revelation: Seeing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in John's Apocalypse (IVP Academic, 2022). *** This podcast is designed to discuss all sorts of topics from various points of view. Therefore, guests' views do not always reflect the views of the host, his church, or his institution.

"Jerome once said that when he read the letters of the apostle Paul he could hear thunder. Nowhere in the Pauline corpus is such stormy dissonance more evident than in the Epistle to the Galatians. Though written from prison, Philippians is a love letter on the theme of joy. Romans reflects the considered objectivity of a master theologian reveling in the doctrines of grace. Ephesians is an uplifting commentary on the body of Christ. Even the Corinthian correspondence, though obviously written out of great personal anguish and pain, revolves around the great triad of faith, hope, and love, with Paul's hardships and concerns set over against his greater confidence in the God of all comfort who causes his children to triumph. In 2 Cor 13:12 Paul could admonish the believers in Corinth to greet one another with a holy kiss. "But Galatians is different. From beginning to end its six chapters of 149 verses bristle with passion, sarcasm, and anger. True, there is a touch of tenderness as well; once in the midst of the letter Paul referred to the Galatians as his “dear children” (4:19). As the context reveals, though, this was the tearing tenderness of a distraught mother who must endure all over again the pains of childbirth because her children, who should have known better, were in danger of committing spiritual suicide. Paul was astonished and “perplexed” by their departure from the truth of the gospel. He feared that they had been “bewitched” and deceived. In frustration he dubbed them, as J. B. Phillips translates it, “my dear idiots” (3:1) (Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, NAC, 21–22). How's that for an introduction!? Thankfully, we have someone very capable of helping us navigate such a book: Dr. Mark Yarbrough. Dr. Yarbrough currently serves as the president of Dallas Theological Seminary. Along with his presidential duties, he is also a professor of Bible Exposition, an elder at his home Church, a regular tour-leader in Israel, a conference speaker, and author.

     John opens his letter with a statement about personal knowledge pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1). The phrase, from the beginning likely refers to Jesus' ministry (1 John 2:7, 24; 3:11). The reason for this understanding is that John connects the phrase with his personal experience as one who had heard, seen, and touched the Lord Jesus. This emphasizes that Jesus existed bodily and not merely as a spirit (cf. Luke 24:39). This makes the content of the letter a deposition born out of John's eyewitness account (cf. John 21:24). The phrase, the Word of Life (τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς), refers to Jesus, whom John had described with similar language in his Gospel (John 1:1, 4, 14; 11:25; 14:6).      Concerning Jesus, John said, “and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (1 John 1:2). Manifested (φανερόω phaneroo) means to make visible or clear.[1] Jesus repeatedly revealed Himself as the Messiah. What John had seen concerning Jesus, he then testified and proclaimed to his readers via the written word. This assumes the integrity of the text and the use of language as a reliable vehicle for the transmission divine truth. Furthermore, what John is proclaiming pertains to eternal life (τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον), which believers can never lose (John 10:28).      What John had seen and heard concerning Jesus was true, and that truth was proclaimed to his audience and was the basis for their fellowship with God and each other. John said, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Fellowship (κοινωνία koinonia) for the Christian has both a vertical and horizontal aspect to it. It is tri-relational and involves fellowship with God and other Christians. Fellowship with God is the dominant theme of John's letter. Though eternal life can never be lost, our fellowship with God can be forfeited if we operate by false teaching or sinful living. For this reason, Christians must be careful to know and live by God's Word (Psa 119:160; Prov 4:20-23; John 17:17; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). False doctrine will not undo our salvation, but can wreck our fellowship with God and other Christians. For this reason, we must “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 1:3).      John concludes his prologue by saying, “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete” (1 John 1:4). What John wrote in his letter is the basis for Christian joy. God wants us, His children, to have joy. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:11).      It's interesting that most who saw and heard Jesus rejected Him (John 3:19; 12:37). Jesus said this would happen (Matt 7:13-14). And now many who have never seen or heard Jesus personally accept Him and His message (John 20:29; 1 Pet 1:8). Those with positive volition will accept Christ, and this as a revelation from God the Father (Matt 16:15-17; Luke 24:44-45; Acts 16:14).      What John reveals is important for Christian fellowship with God, saying, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Here, John reveals God is light (ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν). Elsewhere, he reveals that God is love (1 John 4:16) and truth (1 John 5:20). For John to say that God is Light means He is morally pure, free sin, and in whom there is no darkness at all. Light reveals what is in the darkness (John 1:4-5) and those who love the darkness will turn away from the Light (John 3:19-20), but those who love God are open and honest with what He reveals (John 3:21). Jesus is the perfect expression of God's Light, and those who follow Jesus will walk in that light (John 8:12; 12:35-36). For John, light and darkness are ethical terms that refer to one's heart and behavior (1 John 2:8-11). Paul used the terms as well (Eph 5:8-10).      John continues, saying, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7). A Christian can be in a right relationship with God through faith in Christ (John 3:16; 20:21; Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8-9), and not be in fellowship with Him because of a choice to pursue sinful behavior. Being in fellowship (κοινωνία koinonia) with God refers to phase two of the Christian life, in which we are growing spiritually in our walk with the Lord. Earl Radmacher states, “Walk refers to a way of life or daily practice. To walk in darkness means to live contrary to the moral character of God, to live a sinful life. To claim fellowship with God without living a moral life or practicing the truth is to live a lie, since God cannot compromise His holiness to accommodate sin.”[2]      At any moment, the Christian is either filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) and walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16), or is grieving (Eph 4:30) or quenching the Spirit (1 Th 5:19) and operating by the sin nature (Rom 7:14-25; Gal 5:17). The believer who walks in sin is out of touch with God who resides in perpetual holiness. To walk in the light (ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν) means we abide in the sphere of moral purity where God Himself resides, and there we have fellowship with Him. Zane Hodges states: "How do we do this? If I enter a lighted room and walk around in it, I am walking in the light; I am moving in a sphere which the light illuminates as it shines not only on me but upon everything around me. If I were to personalize the light, I could also say that I was walking in the presence of the light. Since according to this passage God not only is light (verse 5), but He is also in the light, to walk in the light must mean essentially to live in God's presence, exposed to what He has revealed about Himself. This, of course, is done through openness in prayer and through openness to the Word of God in which He is revealed."[3]      To walk in the light of God and His revelation does not mean we attain sinless perfection. Certainly, John does not want his readers to sin, but understands there will be times when they do sin (1 John 2:1). To walk in the darkness means we refuse to acknowledge what God says about us and our sin. We are not being open and honest with Him; therefore, we are not willing to confess our sin to Him nor to walk in conformity with His Word. The question might be asked, how can a holy God have fellowship with us since we remain sinful? The answer is, “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b). The word cleanse translates the Greek verb καθαρίζω katharizo, which here is in the present tense, implying ongoing action. Zane Hodges states, “This simply means that as we maintain an open and honest relationship with God, the many sinful failures and habits that still cling to us do not prevent this fellowship, because God treats us as those who are clean by virtue of the Savior's shed blood.”[4]      Being honest about sin with his readers, John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Sin in this passage translates the noun ἁμαρτία hamartia, which refers to the sin nature we continue to possess after salvation. Biblically, we know every person born into this world—with the exception of Jesus—is a sinner. We are sinners in Adam (Psa 51:5; Rom 5:12, 19; 1 Cor 15:21-22), sinners by nature (Rom 7:14-25; Gal 5:17), and sinners by choice (Jam 1:14-15). Sin is anything that is contrary to the holy character of God. Though we have our new nature in Christ at the moment of salvation, we continue to possess our sinful nature, and this produces internal conflict throughout our Christian life (Rom 6:6; 7:14-25; 13:14; Col 3:9; Gal 5:16-17). This reality explains why Paul tells the Christians at Rome to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom 13:14; cf. Rom 6:6; Col 3:9), and to the Christians at Galatia to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). Though we struggle with sin, we are assured that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1), for we are “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21; cf. Rom 5:17; Phil 3:9). Both are true. We are perfectly righteous in God's sight because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and we continue to possess a sin nature and commit sin. Martin Luther understood this and coined the Latin phrase, simul iustus et peccator, which means we are simultaneously righteous and a sinner. Timothy George states: "Luther described [Christians] as “at once righteous and a sinner” (simul iustus et peccator). Formerly he had understood this term in the Augustinian sense of “partly” a sinner and “partly” righteous. … Now, however, while retaining the paradox of simultaneity, he sharpened each of the clashing concepts into a sovereign, total realm. Luther continued to use simul iustus et peccator after 1518-19, but he did so in the sense of semper (always) iustus et peccator. The believer is not only both righteous and sinful at the same time but is also always or completely both righteous and sinful at the same time [emphasis added]. What does this mean? With respect to our fallen human condition, we are, and always will be in this life, sinners. However, for believers, life in this world is no longer a period of doubtful candidacy for God's acceptance. In a sense we have already been before God's judgment seat and have been acquitted on account of Christ. Hence, we are also always righteous."[5]      As Christians, we are righteous in God's eyes because of the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to us as a free gift (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). And, we continue to possess a sin nature that continually causes internal temptation and conflict (Rom 6:6; 7:14-25; 13:14; Col 3:9; Gal 5:16-17, 19). Though the power of the sin nature is broken (Rom 6:11-14), the presence of the sin nature is never removed from us until God takes us from this world and gives us a new body like the body of Jesus (Phil 3:20-21).      But even though we possess a sinful nature and sometimes yield to it, there is always forgiveness. John states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The word if in this passage is a third-class condition, meaning it's up to us to confess our sins to God. Furthermore, confession (ὁμολογέω homologeo) is a legal term that means we say the same thing about our sin that God says about it. To walk in the light means we are continually confessing our sins to God when we commit them, and that we keep short accounts. God's forgiveness here is not that which justifies the lost sinner at the moment of faith in Christ (Rom 3:28; 4:4-5), but the familial forgiveness that restores fellowship.      When John states that God is faithful (πιστός pistos), it means He always keeps His promise to do what He said. God has integrity and cannot lie (Num 23:19; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). And God is completely righteous (δίκαιος dikaios) when He forgives our sins. Sin always incurs a debt, and forgiveness cancels the debt. But such righteous behavior in God to forgive is never based on our worthiness. Rather, it's based on the worth and finished work of Christ who shed His blood to atone for our sins (1 John 2:1-2). Furthermore, God not only forgives the sins we name to Him, but is also faithful “to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9b). Later on, John will state that “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17a). The point here is that when we confess the sins we know about, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us of those sins, as well as all the sins we may have not known about or forgotten. God is perfect, and His forgiveness is always perfect. William MacDonald states: "The forgiveness John speaks about here is parental, not judicial. Judicial forgiveness means forgiveness from the penalty of sins, which the sinner receives when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is called judicial because it is granted by God acting as Judge. But what about sins which a person commits after conversion? As far as the penalty is concerned, the price has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. But as far as fellowship in the family of God is concerned, the sinning saint needs parental forgiveness, that is, the forgiveness of His Father. He obtains it by confessing his sin. We need judicial forgiveness only once; that takes care of the penalty of all our sins—past, present, and future. But we need parental forgiveness throughout our Christian life. When we confess our sins, we must believe, on the authority of the word of God, that He forgives us. And if He forgives us, we must be willing to forgive ourselves."[6]      John closes this pericope by saying, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). Sin in this passage translates the Greek verb ἁμαρτάνω hamartano which refers to acts of disobedience to God. The form of the verb is perfect, which refers to past action with abiding results. That is, a denial we sinned in the past that continues into the present. By refusing to call sin for what it is, we are, in effect, calling God a liar, because He says we have sinned. Such behavior is indicative that “His word is not in us” (1 John 10:10b).      In summary, John wrote to fellow Christians with the desire that they have fellowship with God and other believers. John also made clear that fellowship with God means walking in moral purity. However, because we have sinful natures and commit sinful acts, there's an ongoing need for us to confess our sins to God in order to be restored to fellowship with Him. And when we confess our sins to God, He is always faithful and righteous to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness that we may not be aware of.     [1] God has revealed Himself through nature (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-20), the writings of His apostles and prophets (Eph 2:19-20; 3:4-5; 1 Th 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16), and through His Son (Heb 1:1-2). [2] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1705. [3] Zane Clark Hodges, The Epistle of John: Walking in the Light of God's Love (Irving, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1999), 60–61. [4] Ibid., 61. [5] Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Nashville, Tenn., Broadman and Holman publishers, 2013), 72. [6] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 2310–2311.

Timothy George, founding dean and distinguished professor of divinity, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, Birmingham, AL, preached from Psalm 77 in #SWBTSChapel on February 10, 2022.

Jordan and Brandon talk with Timothy George about Baptist identity. They cover topics like Baptist origins, the defining characteristics of seventeenth-century Baptists, what baptism is supposed to represent, why the mode of baptism matters, how baptists can be ecumenical, what we can do to retrieve our baptist heritage, and more.Find more info about the London Lyceum or contact us at our website.Resources:1) Are Baptists Reformed? Timothy George2) Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan3) The Mystery of Iniquity, Thomas Helwys4) Faithful Witness: The Life & Mission of William Carey, Timothy George5) Theology of the Reformers, Timothy GeorgeIntro and concluding music credit: Amng Wlvs, ConfessionSupport the show

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Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla play an episode from 2018 that former podcast host, Timothy George, had with Todd Billings.

Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla play an episode from 2015 that former podcast host, Timothy George, had with church historian Mark Noll.

Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla play an episode from 2013 that former podcast host, Timothy George, had with Beeson alumna Carolyn McKinstry.

Spitting cobras? Pet scorpions? A pet monkey?! Is it possible? Moosejaw Matt sits down with Timothy George to ask about nature on the island of Palawan in the Philippines. You don't want to miss this episode. Missionary » Kent & Leonda George | Adventist Frontier Missions (afmonline.org)  

“After everything that guy has said and all the selfish, power-hungry things he's done, you expect me to believe he's a Christian?” “Seems awfully convenient for him to claim to find religion now… he still needs to answer for his past.” “Plus, his political history makes it hard to believe this religious conversion is authentic. It's probably just another ploy of an egomaniac…” Celebrity conversions aren't easy to navigate. In fact, the ongoing reaction to reports that Kanye West has been born again, is serious about his faith, and is even considering seminary, all in association with the title and content of his much-anticipated music project Christ is King, sounded more than vaguely familiar to those of us at the Colson Center. After all, our founder also had a celebrity conversion over four decades ago, and while I don't expect much of anything else about Kanye West to remind us of Chuck Colson, the reactions to this week's news were, shall we say, familiar. Still, of the many celebrity conversions we've seen over the years, this one seems different to me. Maybe it's because it would be hard to identify a bigger, and more notorious, celebrity today than Kanye West. Or maybe it's because part of his notoriety is due to a string of publicity stunts. Is it really that hard to believe that this is just another one? No, it's not. And therein lies the challenge. It wasn't hard for Colson skeptics to note the suspicious timing between his conversion and the Watergate scandal, either. In fact, the Washington Post felt obliged to note their skepticism of Chuck Colson's conversion over thirty-five years later, when they were reporting on his death. There's a world of difference, of course, between a skepticism that comes after three decades of faithfulness, and the concern many of us feel right now for the reputation of Christ and His church. This is definitely a time to be “wise as serpents” and “harmless as doves.” So what might that look like? First, we should be hopeful. No one, no one, is beyond the reach of the Gospel? Any of us concerned about lost friends or family members pray like we believe that's true. And here's why we have this hope: The headline of the Kanye conversion story, and any conversion story, is not the convert but the converter. Not Kanye, but Christ! At the end of the day, I believe Christ can save Kanye for the same reason I believe Christ can save me. Second, we should be grateful. As St. Paul wrote, even if Christ is being proclaimed by someone of whom we are skeptical, Christ is still being proclaimed. And, in this case, it's being proclaimed across popular culture in a way we've not seen in our lifetime. The message of Christ carries its own inherent strength and is not dependent (thank God) on the strength or stability of the messenger. Third, we should be wise. There are two ways Christians have set up celebrity converts for failure. First, is by expecting too much too soon. I can think of more than one professional athlete or musician who came to Christ one week, only to be asked to preach the next week. This foolish embrace of our cultural tendency toward celebrity worship has infected the church in so many ways, as evidenced by a generation of musicians and leaders in the church seeking to be famous and “have a platform” instead of being discipled and educated and obedient. But there's also the mistake of sitting back, waiting, and saying something like, “We'll just see if they make it. If they do, we'll accept them into the church.” The problem of that is, of course, no Christian can survive long without the church. We need the church. Kanye needs the church if his faith is to take root and continue to change his life. One of the underreported but essential chapters in Chuck Colson's story post-conversion, was how he submitted to discipleship, the church, and biblical and theological training: From the earliest days in which believers in Washington D.C. embraced him to being theologically mentored by folks such as Carl Henry and Timothy George, to his lifelong commitment of simply going to church. In the same way, I'm encouraged by early reports of the voices speaking into Kanye and his new faith. Finally, we should expect life change. Chuck Colson's life change was dramatic, and the fruit followed. As he often put it, his entire worldview was changed by Christ. There are early and encouraging indications of changes in Kanye's worldview, as well. My prayer is that these are early indications of what will be a powerful lifelong witness—to the power of the Gospel. And that, like Chuck, Kanye will never be ashamed of it.

The year 2019 is the ten-year anniversary of a statement that drew the line for Christians on three central issues: life, marriage, and religious liberty. There were many prophetic lines in the Manhattan Declaration, which was co-authored by Chuck Colson, Dr. Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School, and Dr. Robert George of Princeton University, but none were more important than the last line:  that “we will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar," but under “no circumstances” could we “render to Caesar what belongs to God.” Half-a-million Christians signed on. In the ten years since those words were written, Caesar (in other words, the state) has claimed more and more of what belongs to God, especially in the areas of life, marriage, and religious liberty. Just think of New York lawmakers high-fiving each other after they ensured unrestricted abortion up to the point of birth, or the governor of Virginia advocating infanticide. Or consider that doctor-assisted suicide is now legal in seven states and the District of Columbia. And what about marriage? Recall the White House lit up in rainbow colors after the Obergefell decision mandated same-sex “marriage” on all fifty states. And think of all the stories we've now heard of believers forced to choose between their faith and their livelihood, or adoption agencies forced to choose between their existence and their convictions. Or business owners like Jack Phillips and Barronelle Stutzman having to go to court to fend off Caesar's demands. Still, let's be clear. Far more important than what Caesar demands is what Christians are willing to concede. Just this week, a new Barna survey revealed that the number of Protestant pastors who are “very concerned” about religious freedom has dropped significantly in just three years—from 55 percent to only 34 percent. This is why Christians must decide where they stand, not based on the pressure of the cultural moment, but on the rock-solid, unchanging truth revealed to us in the Story of Scripture. We cannot render to Caesar what belongs to God. I don't think I can say it any better than Dr. Robert George did in his entry to our BreakPoint.org symposium about the Manhattan Declaration: “In the gospels, our Lord says . . .'be not afraid.' As we stand boldly for life, marriage, and religious liberty, let us heed His admonition. It is not for us to know when or even precisely how the victories will be won. Our task and duty is simply to be faithful and obedient—to bear witness and do what is right . . . When things look bleak, we must not give up hope, for to yield to despair is to fail to trust in Jesus.” To that I say Amen. If you've signed the Manhattan Declaration, I urge you to read it again. Consider again what we must do to honor God in this culture. If you've not read it or signed it, I urge you to consider doing so. You can find a link to the full text of the Manhattan Declaration, as well as to our online symposium, featuring Dr. George's comments along with those of 15 other thought leaders, at BreakPoint.org. And finally, I was pleased to work with the brilliant Dr. David Dockery on a new book, which is now available, that reflects on Christian conviction. It's called “Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty: What Belongs to God, and What Belongs to Caesar.” An absolutely stunning group contributed to the book, including Dr. George, Joni Eareckson Tada, Randy Alcorn, Ryan Anderson, Frederica Mathewes-Green, Michael Farris, Kristen Waggoner, Mary Eberstadt and more. It's available for purchase here at the Colson Center Bookstore.  This is worth repeating: We will ungrudgingly render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, but we can never render to Caesar what belongs to God.

In early May, HHS announced new rules to ensure that “healthcare professionals will not feel compelled to leave the practice of medicine because they decline to participate in actions that violate their conscience such as abortion, sterilization, or assisted suicide.” Not surprisingly, the new rule was immediately challenged in federal court by groups alleging, among other things, that the new rule “advances specific religious beliefs in violation of the First Amendment; violates patients' rights to privacy, liberty and equal dignity as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment; and chills patients' speech and expression in violation of the First Amendment, all to the detriment of patients' health and well-being.” Other left-wing websites such as Salon also joined the chorus of outrage. “Progressives fight back against Religious Right's grotesque ‘religious freedom' power play'” one of the headlines proclaimed. In addition to the strange us of the word “grotesque,” the headline put religious freedom in scare quotes, and the article went on to claim that the new rule has “nothing to do with the genuine freedom to adhere to one's religious beliefs.” No, instead, religious freedom is a “power play” to invent what they call “an imaginary right to discriminate.” I think a better use of the word “imaginary” would be repeated references to the Handmaid's Tale we've all been forced to endure over the last two years. Salon's rhetoric is nothing new. But I was surprised by Salon's claim that our nation's new “theocratic direction,” as they put it, has its origin in, of all things, the Manhattan Declaration! Theocratic? To paraphrase “The Princess Bride,” people keep using that word, but it does not mean what they think it means. A theocracy is “a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler,” and “His laws [are] interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.” A theocracy was the last thing that Manhattan Declaration authors Chuck Colson, Robert George, and Timothy George had in mind. As Chuck Colson wrote, the Manhattan Declaration was “a clarion call to conscience, a wake-up call to the church.” Then, and even more so now, Christians were in no position to “impose” their views on anyone. In fact, we've barely been able to impose them on ourselves, which was why the Manhattan Declaration was created in the first place. In the ten years since the Declaration was issued, progressives have labeled any assertion of conscience, any refusal to conform one's conduct to the prevailing cultural orthodoxy as an attempt at “theocracy.” Cue those protestors dressed as handmaids. The issues raised by the Manhattan Declaration—life, marriage, and religious liberty—are more important now than ever. Even more important, however, is that we are able to articulate and explain why these issues are so important and non-negotiable for Christians in the first place—and why the authors and a half a million signers of the Manhattan Declaration solemnly declared that “We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar,” but under “no circumstances” can we “render to Caesar what belongs to God.” That's why in this 10th anniversary year of the Manhattan Declaration, I was pleased to work with the brilliant Dr. David Dockery on a new book, “Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty: What Belongs to God, What Belongs to Caesar.” We assembled a stunning group of contributors, including both Dr. Georges, Joni Eareckson Tada, Randy Alcorn, Ryan Anderson, Frederica Mathewes-Green, Michael Farris, Kristen Waggoner, Mary Eberstadt and more. The book is available at BreakPoint.org with your next donation to BreakPoint and the Colson Center. I hope you'll get a copy for yourself, or for your small group. Christians do not want a theocracy. We simply want the freedom to live out our faith in the way that has proven to be good for the world. But make no mistake, what opponents of religious liberty want is nothing less than secular tyranny.   Resources The Manhattan Declaration The First Freedom: The Primacy of Religious Freedom in the Quest for Liberty of Conscience Timothy D. Padgett, BreakPoint, May 31, 2019   Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty: What Belongs to God, What Belongs to Caesar (Essays for the Tenth Anniversary of the Manhattan Declaration). John Stonestreet and David Dockery, editors, 2019