July 2018

Re: How I Learned to Like the Apostle Paul
I assume that Andy Goodliff holds to the ‘New Perspective on Paul’ when he writes that we have all been reading Paul wrong. That we had focused too much on the doctrine of Justification based on a ‘small set’ of passages in Galatians, Philippians and most prominently in Romans where Paul talks the language of justification by faith (a small set! Really?)
No doctrine is more important to evangelical theology than this doctrine. Martin Luther said that the Church stands or falls on this one doctrine. Those who stray from this Reformation consensus on this point will inevitably end up with a works righteousness gospel (faith plus works) and travelling the road to Roman Catholicism.
I’m sorry Andy, but I’d rather go with such worthies as Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, FF Bruce, John Stott etc. than be carried away by this ‘new’ and destructive doctrine. C. H. Spurgeon once spoke about the BU going on the ‘downgrade’ and it is still alive and kicking today. If Spurgeon were alive today he would have called this New Perspective on Paul ‘another Gospel’. 
Alan Taylor, Southsea Devonshire Avenue Baptist Church


Re: Life without owning a car    
Thank you Ruth. I think churches have become too dependent on cars. Yes, there are times you need them, especially to bring old and infirm people to meetings and services, but....
I no longer drive, untrustworthy wobbly bones much earlier than I expected have seen to that. I'd love to cycle but need WD40 intravenously on a drip! My husband (a Baptist minister), and I now travel as much as we can by bus. We have a good bus service on our estate and we take the view that if you don't use it, you loose it.
When the Holiday Club kids go to the beach with their parents at the end of the week, we encourage them to go by train, instead of car (parking is awful anyway in Barry). As Christians we should be leading the way. But we aren't.
My problem is that the Associations often organise events where public transport isn't really viable. I feel embarressed by always asking for lifts - or I just can't go to the meeting. That is something that needs addressing. Choose places for meetings where there is access to public transport.
So thank you Ruth, keep peddling.
Moira Kleissner