Month: March 2019

  • A question of security (Ephesians 2:6–7)

    A question of security (Ephesians 2:6–7)

    As I write this, New Zealand is shocked and grieving. My own nation Australia is shocked and grieving too, along with them. But news stories about terror attacks and shootings in our world are far too common, aren’t they? And whenever we hear of them, they bring to mind all sorts of questions. One of…

  • This love (Ephesians 2:4–5)

    This love (Ephesians 2:4–5)

    “God loves you”: if I say just those three words, you may not hear what I want you to hear. This is because of a communication problem that arises whenever Christians try to talk about biblical concept of God’s “love”. When we say “love” we mean one thing—something wonderful and life-changing. But the word means…

  • We too: the offenders (Ephesians 2:3)

    We too: the offenders (Ephesians 2:3)

    Judgmentalism. It’s a bigger problem than we think. Judgmentalism is certainly a danger for God’s people. That’s because God’s people have God’s word. God’s word helps God’s people to see how wonderful God is, and how terrible humanity is in comparison. But Ephesians 2:3 contains two highly significant, emphatic words: “we too”. We too, says…

  • The root of the problem (Ephesians 2:1–2)

    The root of the problem (Ephesians 2:1–2)

    I hadn’t visited the dentist for years. Then I felt a tiny amount of pain in one of my teeth. But I ignored it. I didn’t want to bother with a dentist. Anyway, I had my own solution: I’d always brushed my teeth quite thoroughly, and was proud of it. So I just kept brushing.…

  • Captivated by Scripture: A personal reflection on D. W. B. Robinson’s legacy for biblical studies

    Captivated by Scripture: A personal reflection on D. W. B. Robinson’s legacy for biblical studies

    What made Donald W. B. Robinson such an inspiring and influential teacher for generations of students? His commitment to being captivated by Scripture. This is a paper given by Lionel Windsor at the legacy day and launch of Donald Robinson Selected Works Volume 3: Biblical and Liturgical Studies & Volume 4: Historical Studies and Series…

  • The first thing to say about church (Ephesians 1:22–23)

    The first thing to say about church (Ephesians 1:22–23)

    Here in Ephesians 1:22–23, for the first time in his letter, the apostle Paul uses the word “church”. He’s taken quite some time to get to this point. That might make you think that the church isn’t very important to Paul. But actually, the reverse is true. This is a climactic statement. So far in…

  • Strength to live (Ephesians 1:19–21)

    Strength to live (Ephesians 1:19–21)

    What do we do when we feel weak in the face of the powers that be? One response might be just to shut down, close ranks and find a bitter satisfaction in our identity as victims. Another response might be to try to fight as hard as we can to exert our power and dominance…

  • Conference: Christ, the Cross and Creation Care

    Conference: Christ, the Cross and Creation Care

    I’ll be speaking at the “Christ, the Cross and Creation Care Conference”, Sydney. 8.30am to 3.30pm, Saturday 22 June 2019. A conference run by A Rocha Australia

  • What’s the point of theology? (Ephesians 1:17–18)

    What’s the point of theology? (Ephesians 1:17–18)

    The full name of the college I teach at is “Moore Theological College”. That word “Theological” says something important about who we are. It reminds us about what we’re on about. Yes, the Bible is at the centre of everything we do. Yes, we seek to train people for ministry. Yes, we’re driven by the…

  • Prayer: What are we actually doing? (Ephesians 1:15–16)

    Prayer: What are we actually doing? (Ephesians 1:15–16)

    “A Muslim, a Jew and an Anglican Minister walk into a classroom”. This was the advertising blurb for a local Community College seminar I participated in a few years ago. I joined a Muslim educator and a Jewish academic (who is also a friend of mine) to give a series of presentations on different aspects…

  • The Holy Spirit: Our security (Ephesians 1:14)

    The Holy Spirit: Our security (Ephesians 1:14)

    The Stanford Marshmallow Experiments are a favourite illustration of motivational speakers. The lesson is this: If you can learn how to delay gratification early in life, you’ll do better in later life. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? But unfortunately, like many popular conclusions drawn from famous psychological experiments, it doesn’t stand up to closer scrutiny. The…