BA - PAST WITNESSES
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John Austin Baker |
Tammy Faye Bakker |
Wayne Barber |
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Donald Grey Barnhouse |
Roger Barrier |
Basil of Caesara |
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Ern Baxter |
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==john austin baker======
John Austin Baker ( January 1928 – 4 June 2014) was a Church of England bishop, Bishop of Salisbury from 1982 until his retirement in 1993. Made a deacon at Michaelmas 1954 (19 September), by Robert Hay, Bishop of Buckingham, at High Wycombe parish church, and ordained priest in 1955, he began his ministry with curacies at All Saint's Cuddesdon and St Anselm's Hatch End, after which he was a fellow and lecturer at Corpus Christi College, Oxford until 1973. From then until his ordination to the episcopate he was a residential canon at Westminster Abbey and also for some years chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. He was consecrated a bishop on 2 February 1982, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.
John Austin Baker’s The Foolishness of God
After posting yesterday’s blog I returned to reading John Austin Baker’s The Foolishness of God, written in 1970, bought by me in 1977 soon after arriving at Westcott House, and not read until now I confess. I’ve reached chapter 12, The Church and the World, and what I’ve read this morning both excites and angers and depresses me. John Austin Baker was bishop of Salisbury from 1982 to 1993. In his sermon at John’s memorial service on Friday 5 September 2013, Bishop Peter Selby said: “In this celebration we shall certainly want to give thanks for the weight and wisdom of John’s major book, The Foolishness of God, surely destined to retain its status as a classic of Anglican writing in our time. But it is also true that we are gathered to praise God for something far greater than intellect, scholarship and the gift of words. In a conversation I had with Tim Darton, the publisher of The Foolishness of God, he said that part of its success as a book was that, ‘You keep thinking he’s about to throw in the towel, but he doesn’t.’ Such was the seriousness with which John took the reasons for doubt, and the book’s testimony to faith has the strength it has in no small measure for that reason.”
(Unadulterated Love; 11.22.17)READMORE>>>>>>
After posting yesterday’s blog I returned to reading John Austin Baker’s The Foolishness of God, written in 1970, bought by me in 1977 soon after arriving at Westcott House, and not read until now I confess. I’ve reached chapter 12, The Church and the World, and what I’ve read this morning both excites and angers and depresses me. John Austin Baker was bishop of Salisbury from 1982 to 1993. In his sermon at John’s memorial service on Friday 5 September 2013, Bishop Peter Selby said: “In this celebration we shall certainly want to give thanks for the weight and wisdom of John’s major book, The Foolishness of God, surely destined to retain its status as a classic of Anglican writing in our time. But it is also true that we are gathered to praise God for something far greater than intellect, scholarship and the gift of words. In a conversation I had with Tim Darton, the publisher of The Foolishness of God, he said that part of its success as a book was that, ‘You keep thinking he’s about to throw in the towel, but he doesn’t.’ Such was the seriousness with which John took the reasons for doubt, and the book’s testimony to faith has the strength it has in no small measure for that reason.”
(Unadulterated Love; 11.22.17)READMORE>>>>>>
“The crucified Jesus is the only accurate picture of God the world has ever seen.” — John Austin Baker
“Perhaps the best news our day has to offer is the collapse of Judaistic Christianity under the pressures of history; for this affords Christians the best chance they have ever had to regain the perspective of the original Gospel. Because people are ceasing to believe in a Providence of simple, retributive justice, or in a magician-god who will wave his wand to give them whatever they ask; because they are beginning to value freedom and the responsibility which has to learn by making mistakes; because they are more acutely aware than ever before of being one small single family of Man in a universe too vast for their imagination to take in; because of all these things, what Jesus said and how he lived has more meaning, more relevance, not less. The world has not left Jesus behind; it is getting to the point where it can just see him, far ahead, blazing the trail. In the so-called ‘ages of faith’ it made endless false Christs in its own image. Now these images are for the most part broken and abandoned; only in the churches do men and women in any numbers still fall down and worship them.” -John Austin Baker; The Foolishness of God
John Austin Baker
“Love cannot be explained; you cannot give lessons in it. You either ‘see’ what it is about or you do not; you either catch its spirit or you go through life without it. You cannot imitate it, or do its works as a duty. It has to be spontaneous, a free commitment. If therefore God has made the world an arena for love, then he himself is a lover. This means that he is vulnerable—not by nature, as we are to help us discover love, but by deliberate choice, that is, by love itself which must be the heart of his own being.”— John Austin Baker, The Foolishness of God
==tammy faye bakker======
Tamara Faye Messner ( March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American evangelist, singer, author, talk show host, and television personality. She gained notice for her work with The PTL Club, a televangelist program she co-founded with her husband Jim Bakker in 1974. They had hosted their own puppet-show series for local programming in the early 1960s; Messner also had a career as a recording artist. In 1978, she and Bakker built Heritage USA, a Christian theme park
Deep into the AIDS crisis in October 1985, a prominent Los Angeles minister named Stephen Pieters traveled to a television studio for a satellite-link interview that his friends begged him to avoid.
On the other end was the Pentecostal televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, of the Charlotte-based PTL Television Network. Then at her peak, with more than 13 million viewers, she and her broadcaster husband, Jim, held great sway with conservative Christian followers whose beliefs were seen as sharply at odds with the gay community and AIDS patients such as Rev. Pieters.
“It would wreck my reputation as a liberal gay activist preacher,” Rev. Pieters, who died July 8 at 70, recalled being told. But the 25-minute segment became a watershed in public perceptions about AIDS. Rev. Pieters also emerged as an eloquent and nationally renowned spokesman for those facing AIDS, which at the time was considered not only a likely death sentence but also put patients at high risk for experiencing shame and humiliation. -Washington Post: The Rev. Stephen Pieters, who helped shift views on AIDS, dies at 70 7.11.23
On the other end was the Pentecostal televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, of the Charlotte-based PTL Television Network. Then at her peak, with more than 13 million viewers, she and her broadcaster husband, Jim, held great sway with conservative Christian followers whose beliefs were seen as sharply at odds with the gay community and AIDS patients such as Rev. Pieters.
“It would wreck my reputation as a liberal gay activist preacher,” Rev. Pieters, who died July 8 at 70, recalled being told. But the 25-minute segment became a watershed in public perceptions about AIDS. Rev. Pieters also emerged as an eloquent and nationally renowned spokesman for those facing AIDS, which at the time was considered not only a likely death sentence but also put patients at high risk for experiencing shame and humiliation. -Washington Post: The Rev. Stephen Pieters, who helped shift views on AIDS, dies at 70 7.11.23
Tammy Faye Bakker
"The Bible says, 'Judge not lest ye be judged.' Our lives are supposed to be hospitals, not courtrooms." ---Tammy Faye Bakker
==wayne barber======
Wayne Barber
In Ephesians 1 we find the riches of our salvation. It is important for every believer to know who he is and what he has in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 sums it all up. He says He has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. The First National Bank of God is Jesus Christ, and we have everything spiritually that we will ever need in Him. We are rich today in Jesus Christ.
--Wayne Barber
==william barclay======
William Barclay
The idea behind the word parable is “to throw alongside of.” It is a story thrown alongside the truth intended to teach. Parables have been called “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.”
i. “The Greek parabole is wider than our ‘parable’; in the LXX it translates masal, which includes proverbs, riddles and wise sayings as well as parables. Matthew uses it for instance for Jesus’ cryptic saying about defilement (Matthew 15:10-11, 15), and in Matthew 24:32 (‘lesson’) it indicates a comparison.” (France)
ii. “It had a double advantage upon their hearers: first, upon their memory, we being very apt to remember stories. Second, upon their minds, to put them upon studying the meaning of what they heard so delivered.” (Poole)
iii. Parables generally teach one main point or principle. We can get into trouble by expecting that they be intricate systems of theology, with the smallest detail revealing hidden truths. “A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied; a parable is heard. We must be very careful not to make allegories of the parables.” --William Barclay
i. “The Greek parabole is wider than our ‘parable’; in the LXX it translates masal, which includes proverbs, riddles and wise sayings as well as parables. Matthew uses it for instance for Jesus’ cryptic saying about defilement (Matthew 15:10-11, 15), and in Matthew 24:32 (‘lesson’) it indicates a comparison.” (France)
ii. “It had a double advantage upon their hearers: first, upon their memory, we being very apt to remember stories. Second, upon their minds, to put them upon studying the meaning of what they heard so delivered.” (Poole)
iii. Parables generally teach one main point or principle. We can get into trouble by expecting that they be intricate systems of theology, with the smallest detail revealing hidden truths. “A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied; a parable is heard. We must be very careful not to make allegories of the parables.” --William Barclay
William Barclay
Let us stop there and see the truth so far in this parable.
(i) It should never have been called the parable of the Prodigal Son, for the son is not the hero. It should be called the parable of the Loving Father, for it tells us rather about a father's love than a son's sin.
(ii) It tells us much about the forgiveness of God. The father must have been waiting and watching for the son to come home, for he saw him a long way off. When he came, he forgave him with no recriminations. There is a way of forgiving, when forgiveness is conferred as a favour. It is even worse, when someone is forgiven, but always by hint and by word and by threat his sin is held over him.
Once Lincoln was asked how he was going to treat the rebellious southerners when they had finally been defeated and had returned to the Union of the United States. The questioner expected that Lincoln would take a dire vengeance, but he answered, "I will treat them as if they had never been away."
It is the wonder of the love of God that he treats us like that.
That is not the end of the story. There enters the elder brother who was actually sorry that his brother had come home. He stands for the self-righteous Pharisees who would rather see a sinner destroyed than saved. Certain things stand out about him.
(i) His attitude shows that his years of obedience to his father had been years of grim duty and not of loving service.
(ii) His attitude is one of utter lack of sympathy. He refers to the prodigal, not as any brother, but as your son. He was the kind of self-righteous character who would cheerfully have kicked a man farther into the gutter when he was already down.
(iii) He had a peculiarly nasty mind. There is no mention of harlots until he mentions them. He, no doubt, suspected his brother of the sins he himself would have liked to commit.
Once again we have the amazing truth that it is easier to confess to God than it is to many a man; that God is more merciful in his judgments than many an orthodox man; that the love of God is far broader than the love of man; and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive. In face of a love like that we cannot be other than lost in wonder, love and praise. --William Barclay
(i) It should never have been called the parable of the Prodigal Son, for the son is not the hero. It should be called the parable of the Loving Father, for it tells us rather about a father's love than a son's sin.
(ii) It tells us much about the forgiveness of God. The father must have been waiting and watching for the son to come home, for he saw him a long way off. When he came, he forgave him with no recriminations. There is a way of forgiving, when forgiveness is conferred as a favour. It is even worse, when someone is forgiven, but always by hint and by word and by threat his sin is held over him.
Once Lincoln was asked how he was going to treat the rebellious southerners when they had finally been defeated and had returned to the Union of the United States. The questioner expected that Lincoln would take a dire vengeance, but he answered, "I will treat them as if they had never been away."
It is the wonder of the love of God that he treats us like that.
That is not the end of the story. There enters the elder brother who was actually sorry that his brother had come home. He stands for the self-righteous Pharisees who would rather see a sinner destroyed than saved. Certain things stand out about him.
(i) His attitude shows that his years of obedience to his father had been years of grim duty and not of loving service.
(ii) His attitude is one of utter lack of sympathy. He refers to the prodigal, not as any brother, but as your son. He was the kind of self-righteous character who would cheerfully have kicked a man farther into the gutter when he was already down.
(iii) He had a peculiarly nasty mind. There is no mention of harlots until he mentions them. He, no doubt, suspected his brother of the sins he himself would have liked to commit.
Once again we have the amazing truth that it is easier to confess to God than it is to many a man; that God is more merciful in his judgments than many an orthodox man; that the love of God is far broader than the love of man; and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive. In face of a love like that we cannot be other than lost in wonder, love and praise. --William Barclay
==donald grey barnhouse======
How a Great Pro-Life Hope Disappointed His Allies
But Koop was curious about faith, so he decided to read through the entire New Testament one summer. He was so intrigued that he read through it again. At that point, one of the nurses at his hospital invited him to visit her church, Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian, where evangelical pulpit luminaries Donald Grey Barnhouse and James Montgomery Boice served as pastors. Koop and his wife were drawn to Barnhouse’s intellectually rich exposition of the New Testament, and one day in 1947, he realized that he did believe the gospel.
(Christianity Today; 5.15.25)READMORE>>>>>>
But Koop was curious about faith, so he decided to read through the entire New Testament one summer. He was so intrigued that he read through it again. At that point, one of the nurses at his hospital invited him to visit her church, Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian, where evangelical pulpit luminaries Donald Grey Barnhouse and James Montgomery Boice served as pastors. Koop and his wife were drawn to Barnhouse’s intellectually rich exposition of the New Testament, and one day in 1947, he realized that he did believe the gospel.
(Christianity Today; 5.15.25)READMORE>>>>>>
==Roger Barrier======
Roger Barrier, pastor and author (d. 2024) He co-founded the pastoral teaching website "Preach It, Teach It" with his wife, Dr. Julie Barrier. For nearly four decades, he was a pastor at Casas Church in Tucson, Arizona. He also taught and mentored Christian leaders around the world. Barrier held degrees in Greek, religion, theology, and pastoral care from Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Golden Gate Seminary.
His published books include Listening to the Voice of God and Look Like Jesus: A Guide to Spiritual Growth, the latter of which was co-written with his daughter, Brianna Barrier Wetherbee. He also wrote the "Ask Roger" column for Crosswalk.com. Following his death, his family announced they would continue his ministry through the Preach It, Teach It website, sharing his extensive archive of unpublished sermons and articles
His published books include Listening to the Voice of God and Look Like Jesus: A Guide to Spiritual Growth, the latter of which was co-written with his daughter, Brianna Barrier Wetherbee. He also wrote the "Ask Roger" column for Crosswalk.com. Following his death, his family announced they would continue his ministry through the Preach It, Teach It website, sharing his extensive archive of unpublished sermons and articles
Characteristic of cults is so significant that Paul literally pronounces a curse as he shares his displeasure and outright anger at these false prophets who minimize, distort, or change the gospel: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; ... But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9). Please note that the word Paul used for “curse” is the strongest word for cursing in the Greek language. Technically, it dooms the one who is cursed to the darkest, deepest, most horrible fate imaginable. --Dr Roger Barrier (D. February 16th, 2024)
==Basil of Caesara======
St Basil
"John has admirably confined the conception within circumscribed boundaries by two words, ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ For thought cannot travel outside ‘was,’ nor imagination beyond ‘beginning‘. Let your thought travel ever so far backward you cannot get beyond the ‘was,’ and however you may strain and strive to see what is beyond the Son, you will find it impossible to get further than the ‘beginning.’ True religion, therefore, thus teaches us to think of the Son together with the Father.” -St. Basil the Great; On The Spirit
==herman bavinck======
Herman Bavinck Files
“For it is not we who call God by these names. We do not invent them. On the contrary, if it depended on us, we would be silent about him, try to forget him, and disown all his names. We take no delight in the knowledge of his ways. We tend continually to oppose his names: his independence, sovereignty, righteousness, and love, and resist him in all his perfections. But it is God himself who reveals all his perfections and puts his names on our lips. It is he who gives himself these names and who, despite our opposition, maintains them. It is of little use to us to deny his righteousness: every day he demonstrates this quality in history. And so it is with all his attributes. He brings them out despite us. The final goal of all his ways is that his name will shine out in all his works and be written on everyone’s forehead (Rev. 22:4). For that reason we have no choice but to name him with the many names his revelation furnishes us.” ― Herman Bavinck
==ern baxter======
William John Ernest (Ern) Baxter (1914–1993) was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist. Born in
Saskatchewan, Canada, he was baptised into a Presbyterian family. His mother was involved with a
holiness church and following his father’s conversion they went into classical Pentecostalism. Their city was visited by a Scandinavian itinerant minister with a "signs and wonders" approach to Christianity. While in the Baxter’s home city, he taught on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Ern Baxter’s mother was the first in those meetings to receive the "baptism of power." Baxter recalled seeing his father help her into the house drunk in the Spirit. Later in his teenage years, Baxter went through a period where he lost his faith in reaction to the legalism of religion and became seriously ill from pneumonia.
Saskatchewan, Canada, he was baptised into a Presbyterian family. His mother was involved with a
holiness church and following his father’s conversion they went into classical Pentecostalism. Their city was visited by a Scandinavian itinerant minister with a "signs and wonders" approach to Christianity. While in the Baxter’s home city, he taught on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Ern Baxter’s mother was the first in those meetings to receive the "baptism of power." Baxter recalled seeing his father help her into the house drunk in the Spirit. Later in his teenage years, Baxter went through a period where he lost his faith in reaction to the legalism of religion and became seriously ill from pneumonia.
"God is spoken of more as being angry than He is loving. And anger is the counter side of love and it's essential to maintain the purity of love. Love without moral indignation is sloppy guk. It's unworthy of all of us, but it's infinetely unworthy of God." --Ern Baxter