“The lordship of Christ is the criterion by which gifts are assessed. In other words, our gifts aren’t a manifestation of ourselves or of our own abilities but are intended to communicate the truth that Jesus is Lord.” (Thomas Schreiner, Spiritual Gifts: What They Are & Why They Matter)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! We’re back, after a bit of a break, but the good stuff keeps on coming, so here are this week’s links!

• John Piper, in light of the doubted veracity of John 7:53-8:11, argues very well for the trustworthiness of the New Testament in the light of the discipline of textual criticism. This is a great intro to knowing how blessed we are to have as many manuscripts as we do in order to determine the original reading.
• Is God in control when tragedy strikes? Cameron Cole, who suffered the loss of his three-year-old son, provides a direct, biblical answer to the question. This is one question that needs to be informed by Scripture, and not our feelings, so make sure you read and meditate on the glorious truth of our glorious and sovereign God.
• CCEF celebrates its 50th year of biblical counseling ministry, and has put out a special edition of their yearly magazine, CCEF Now, entitled CCEF Now and Then. Articles include reflections over these past 50 years, interviews with current staff, tracking growth in biblical counseling, and even international ministry efforts. This is definitely worth your time.
• How would you share the gospel with a teen? Jacquelle Crowe, based on her recent book This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years, wrote a tract that lays out in a way that will speak to a youth-aged person how Christ can save a sinner as young as they are. Read, be encouraged, and pass it on to a youth!
• The Cripplegate blog has been quite busy lately, writing a number of posts that look to benefit the church as a whole. Some examples include a Q&A on race, justice, and the church’s mission, three passages to study with unbelievers, and answering a difficult question related to Christians and suicide.
• Phil Johnson gave a talk on whether the apostolic gifts have ceased, based on 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. Make sure you give some time to watching this.
• What are some of the toughest questions people are asking today about the Bible? That’s the topic of this week’s Biola podcast, Think Biblically. Jonathan Morrow is the guest, who authored the book Questioning the Bible: 11 Major Challenges to the Bible’s Authority.
• Ligonier Ministries, in hosting their many conferences, have accumulated a number of answers to questions many Christians have been asking. They are now putting together a series of videos where many pastors/scholars/theologians give succinct and biblical answers to these very questions, some of which you may have yourself. This will definitely be a place to bookmark and refer back to.

That’s all for this week! Please pray for tonight’s study in God’s attribute of omniscience. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria