The week before last the Presbyterian Church in America, the denomination which owns and governs Covenant College, held its annual General Assembly in Orlando, FL. Each year a specially appointed committee reviews the program and progress of the College, examining board meeting minutes and financial reports and inquiring about a wide range of matters. It was a joy to engage with these commissioners who take very seriously their oversight responsibility on behalf of the denomination, and I am grateful that their report to the full Assembly expressed strong support and appreciation for the work of the College.

Each year we also have the opportunity to give an informational report on the Assembly floor. This year Pastor Jeff Jakes, senior pastor of Orangewood Presbyterian Church in Maitland, FL, joined me at the podium, and he read wonderful remarks written by his daughter Jessie, a rising Covenant sophomore.

As with all such ecclesiastical gatherings, serious issues arise which deserve serious attention, raising the possibility of sharp divisions and rising emotions. Click to continue »

Yesterday morning, in a Sunday School class at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, we looked at Acts 24:24-27, the short episode in which the apostle Paul speaks with Felix, the Roman governor of Judea, and his wife Drusilla. In this passage, we see one good example and one bad example that are instructive for Christians as we face a culture increasingly hostile to biblical faith.

The previous passage shows us Paul before the governor “cheerfully” defending himself against the charges brought against him by the spokesman for the Jewish leaders: stirring up riots among the Jews, profaning the temple, and generally being a “plague.” Paul denies the charges, and declares his worship of “the God of our fathers” and his belief in “everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,” i.e. he affirms his wholehearted faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Cleverly he narrows the reason for his trial to his belief in the resurrection of the dead, a point of contention among different groups of Jews.

Felix, who the text says had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way,” is lenient toward Paul, allowing him some freedom of movement and visits from his friends, and after several days he sends for Paul to hear him “speak about faith in Christ Jesus” (v. 24). Click to continue »