What They're Saying 11.06.11

John Piper writes about knowing God vs. being known by God

"What Paul is doing when he says, ‘If anyone loves God, he is known by God.’ Is reminding the proud Corinthians that loving God, not loveless knowledge, is the sign of being among the elect. He is reminding them that everything they have is owing to God’s free and sovereign initiative."

A Messianic Jew defends the Jewish expectation of the Messiah

"Some have claimed that there was no popular expectation of a messianic figure in Yeshua’s time. They say only some esoteric groups such as the community of the Dead Sea Scrolls had such beliefs. They especially doubt the idea that popular expectation was of a political-deliverer-messiah whereas Yeshua revealed a different kind of Messiah, a suffering figure who would inaugurate God’s kingdom in a different way. Under the “Messiah” category, I am accumulating some evidence in support of the popular messianic expectation theory."

R.C. Sproul speaks out against polygamy

"Yes there is a moral law against them because the Bible actually does condemn them. Jesus Himself said, “From the beginning it was not so…” He commands that marriage be between one man and one woman. He notes also that the relative lax standards for divorce in the old covenant were the result of our 'hardness of hearts.' (See Mark 10 for this discussion.)"

The National Post reports that a Christian mental health worker has been sacked for passing colleagues a pro-life leaflet

"A Christian mental health worker has been sacked after passing colleagues a booklet warning of the physical and psychological damage some women suffer after an abortion. Margaret Forrester discussed the booklet with family planning staff at the health center where she worked because the shell felt that the British National Health Service was failing to give patients information about the risks of and other options to terminating a pregnancy."