Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, in his opening speech at the Church of England’s General Synod in York in July, suggested that using the words, “Our Father”, at the beginning of what we term the Lord’s Prayer could be questionable. He said, “I know the word father is problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have laboured rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life”. He went on to say that he is impressed with the word our; “not ‘my God’; not ‘your God’; ‘our God’,”. He used this to urge Synod members to be brotherly and sisterly in their discussions.
The Church of England currently has a commission examining gendered language and avers that “Christians have long recognised that God is neither male nor female, yet the various ways of addressing and describing God found in Scripture have not always been reflected in our worship”.
Some questioned the Archbishop’s approach; Rev Dr Ian Paul said, “But this is how Jesus reveals God to us. We are not at liberty to reject His clear and consistent teaching of Scripture.” And Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Chair of the conservative Anglican Mainstream group, said, “Is the Archbishop of York saying Jesus was wrong or that Jesus was not pastorally aware? . . . If
people have had a difficult relationship with their human father, then the option open to them is to say, You can rediscover the true nature of fatherhood through Christ.” But others agreed with the Archbishop.
Once again, the hierarchy of the Church of England is being swayed by the fashion of the times rather than being anchored by Scripture. They treat the Bible as a human composition that can be updated at will, rather than the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God.
Even Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, in an address to the Russian people in February, mocked the Church of England for its gender-neutral approach to God and for same sex marriage blessings, as an example of confusion in the West.
It is shocking when the second most senior bishop in the Church of England questions the wisdom of Him who is “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6). FRD
“It is Written: Cold and Heat . . . Shall not Cease”
Climate change, global warming, and temperature extremes are a few of the vast array of terms that have come into our vocabulary in recent years. Among significant sectors of society, they have replaced other well-known, scripturally meaningful words, such as Creator, righteousness, sin, repentance, and Holy Bible. Media outlets regularly promote provocative reports on climate change with gloomy, sensational headlines, bombarding us with exhortations to support the latest initiatives to stop the earth’s progress towards the catastrophic scenarios that many confidently forecast will be experienced shortly unless drastic preventative action is taken.
Whilst the reality of temperature changes and their effects in different parts of the world are not to be denied, or underestimated, this relentless barrage of ungodly and humanistic material advocating this new atheistic “religion” is to be greatly regretted. Is it thought that God, the Creator of the heavens and of the earth, is no longer overseeing every aspect of His creation with infinite care?
Are things happening today in the world that He had not foreseen and provided for from eternity? Could it be that the infinite God, who spoke the billions of stars and planets into being, and placed each of them individually in their perfect orbit, has after 6000 years withdrawn His sovereign care and control over certain aspects of His vast, intricate creation? If our God is not the same yesterday, today and for ever, we need to change the words of The Shorter Catechism: “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth”, and then close and turn away from our Bibles, as not inspired, reliable or authoritative.
No! “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom 3:4). It is “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Heb 11:3). The Lord has declared, “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal 3:6). Man needs to be reminded of the very first words of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. He is God, the Almighty God, the Creator: it is His Creation; He created all things in six days, and all very good.
Once more we hear “the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing”, as “the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed” (Ps 2:1,2). Biblically understood, the whole of this rebellious movement is but an echo from the past. The blasphemous question, “Hath God said?” is being asked again. At first, it was slyly whispered in the ear of Eve at the dawn of creation, in the Garden of Eden. It is now a roaring, thunderous, profane declaration: Planet earth is so ill, so very sick: it requires its inhabitants to save it!
The egocentricity of man has gone mad! Man thinks he knows so much but, alas, comparatively, he knows nothing at all! Not having any scriptural understanding of his rebellious and depraved nature, or his bondage to sin and Satan, man naturally displays his atheistic arrogance and enmity. Vainly, he tries to forget and deny the Creator and Benefactor in whom he lives, moves, and has his being. Though fallen man would deny it, He is the One on whom man is so utterly dependent, and to whom he is obligated under the covenant of works to render all honour and glory. Sinful men and women further evidence their foolish irrationality in despising Him as their only hope in this lost world. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners, is the One alone able to save from sin. Soon this Saviour will be the Judge before whom all will stand. How apt therefore are the words, “But he that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate Me love death” (Proverbs 8:36)!
God declares, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen 8:22). These words of Holy Scripture convey the Creator’s gracious purpose of preserving His world until the end of time. The old world was destroyed by the flood. The new world will continue until the end of the age under His perfect and comprehensive control, notwithstanding all the many variations in cold and heat that man may experience, and has experienced, at different times over the centuries.
The earliest official recordings of the climate in the United Kingdom date back to the late nineteenth century. However, information is readily available on fluctuations in temperature in the preceding 1000 years. During this extensive period were the Medieval Warm Period (around 950-1250 AD) and the Little Ice Age (around 1303-1850 AD), both centuries long. There
have been (in the Lord’s goodness) continuous times of “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night” since the Flood. These seasons – including those of cold and heat – we are assured will continue until the end of time.
For now, the war continues. Sinful men and women, as the pawns of Satan, continue their foolish fight against God. However, the outcome is sure. Christ has been victorious. All the forces of evil will be overthrown. God will get all praise, honour and glory to Himself!
The United Kingdom had been until very recently recognised as a global leader in climate-change activity. May the Lord graciously work amongst us that soon we may be seen to be a global leader in the proclamation of the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the peoples of the earth – so that, by the blessing of the Lord, multitudes of our fellow sinners throughout the world may be turned unto the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, to the glory and praise of His great, holy and blessed Name! DPR
Mr Nigel Farage and the Banks
For at least 15 years, according to reports, British banks have been closing people’s accounts because of their outspoken political or religious opinions. Victims of this persecuting practice have come from a wide spectrum of views, but often the issue has been opinions that they have expressed on homosexuality and transgender. The most recent victim was Nigel Farage, the former leader of the Brexit Party. Mr Farage, however, had enough political clout to turn the tables on Coutts Bank, who had closed his account, and to secure the resignation of two leading figures.
There has been a considerable public backlash against the banks, and even the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is insisting on an independent investigation. The executive director of the FCA, it transpires, is himself a prominent homosexual and transgender activist. Mr Farage is not a notably religious man but once again he has been used in providence to help the people of Britain. DWBS
Trinitarian Bible Society’s Chinese New Testament
The first translation of the Bible into Chinese was that of Robert Morrison, a British missionary to China, in 1819. The TBS has reported on their translation work on the Bible in Chinese. “Mandarin Chinese is spoken by approximately 70% of people living in China. Geographically, Mandarin covers a large part of China: from Yunnan in the southwest to Xinjiang in the north-west and Heilongjiang in the north east. It is believed that Chinese is the language with the largest number of native speakers in the world and has the second [largest] number of speakers in total (including native and
non-native speakers). Although the Chinese language has various dialects, such as Cantonese, almost all dialects use the same written form.”
The Society published the Chinese New Testament earlier this year. In their work on the Old Testament, the translation “team have prepared a first draft translation of Genesis. They are currently translating Exodus and Psalms and are more than halfway through both books. The work is now being assisted on a trial basis by a native Chinese woman who is gifted and experienced in both Biblical Hebrew and translation into Chinese. We are also progressing a version of the New Testament in traditional Chinese characters, which are in common use among many Chinese speakers in the Asian countries beyond mainland China.”
At a time when persecution is increasing in mainland China, it is good that an improved, faithful translation of the Bible is in progress.