Look, it’s cool for people to write books where you are setting out to correct misconceptions and occasionally a scholar will legitimately say a thing that people have missed for a long time. If every single one of your books is premised on that idea, though, I have doubts

Of course, as @AdrielTweets says, be balanced. Preaching the whole counsel of God helps here. But doing so, while remaining silent on problems elsewhere in the church, isn't faithful. Imagine saying to Calvin, Luther, etc: "Only preach to your people's needs!" Not an option. /end

Fourth, our unity is supra-denominational. We should pray for, grieve for, & speak to the problems in other denoms. Doing so accurately views denom boundaries as provisional & temporary. A truly catholic mindset does not respect them as legit boundaries to our ordained ministry.

Third, this truism may tend toward the church equivalent of isolationism, & even an unintentionally schismatic spirit. There is one holy catholic & apostolic church. When other parts of the church hurt, we all hurt. When other Christians sit under false teaching, we all suffer./4

Second, chances are, your people will be moving for work, family, etc. and need to choose a new church. Have you given them instruction of what to look for? What are serious problems and weaknesses to mark and avoid? They need strong immunity to bad teaching & bad practices. /3

For one, preach to your people's needs, and preach to all of them. Especially in our hyper-mobile times (where folks move a lot), one of your people's needs is faithful denominations and the multiplication of good churches across America. /2

"Preach to your people's needs" sounds good, and in the abstract I agree. However, it tends towards a very narrow application. /1

"I’ve come to realize that even if [the Nicene Creed] is included the polity of the [SBC] is not such that it can implement the creed with authority like other traditions can, traditions that believe in councils and synods and have the polity to credibly support them."

1. There is no lawful society (domestic, civil, or ecclesiastical) apart from the law of God. We inhabit a cosmic theocracy. 2. The law of God *as law* accommodates itself to different providential circumstances. (That’s just how law works.)

I read Laurus a number of years ago on a plane, and came to the end and openly wept. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful (and strange) work.

Finally, a Baptist admits we have better whiskey and cigars, AND theology. Our victory is complete.

https://t.co/2xmWC6FUah

What it felt like before men started attending baby showers and taking part in gender reveals.

Fascinating observation on Douthat's part.

Candace Owens was once a conservative activist. Now, she's an influencer who believes that a pedophile ring--and Israel--runs the world, that Charlie Kirk appeared to her in a dream, and that the French president's wife may be his biological father. Millions are watching. Watch:

This is one of the casualties of the Trump/Covid years... all debates are now matters of life or death principle and fealty to some larger cause. Combine that with the narcissism of small differences, and voila, no more common venues for debate and disagreement.

It is of some value

Hard to believe this truth is being articulated by a Secretary of Defense in my lifetime in the United States. Well done @PeteHegseth. https://t.co/fv0Hcbp5jO

He was a good dude.

To be clear, this is government sanctioned invasion and takeover. In every generation previous, the only way to accomplish an invasion of this scale was through violence. Now, officials that hate the existing citizenry collude w/ them. The old word to describe this: "Traitor."