Comments on: Singapore churches are preaching the half gospel

By: kenny

kenny — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:15:51 +0000

Hi Jenni,
Yes I hesitated with the title, but the tabloid in me won over the fair and rational self.

The Gospel has ramifications beyond what evangelicals and reformed believers purport….certainly beyond our concerns of self and community.

From behaviour modification to heart transformation- hmm…… must remember the phrase.

By: jenni ho-huan

jenni ho-huan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:43:34 +0000

to be fair, perhaps we should ask, “are singapore churches…”
it takes an entire lifetime to unpack the meaning, signficance and impact of the Gospel. it is ONE event that triggers and released power that shakes the cosmos. a lot to say lor…!
One act / word of GOD the Transcendent cannot be easily captured, defined and contained no..?
but yes Kenny i grew up in church and one day just felt we are working the wrong angles: focusing on behavior modification and not heart transformation – something we cannot do in effect!

So i needed to welcome myself to the ministry of powerlessness (in human terms)!

bless the hearts of all pastors — and may GOD’s greace explode these same hearts !

By: maxbooker

maxbooker — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:40:47 +0000

Agreed with Prof Horton. Yet, there is certain things i don’t agreed with him.

He is a theologian. No doubt he is a professor, academician etc. Yet, he is not entirely right/true talking about Singapore’s churches. Half true is like half boil egg.

By: dvopilgrim

dvopilgrim — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:21:41 +0000

Dr. Horton will be the featured speaker in a Conference on Theology on January 29-30, 2010 in Manila, Philippines. The theme of the conference will be “Putting Amazing Back into Grace.” If anyone happens to be in the Philippines sometime during those two days, you’re most welcome to attend! More info here:

http://reformationph.com/

Warmly in Christ,

Pastor Nollie

By: kenny

kenny — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:17:35 +0000

Hi Joshua,
Good Presbyterian that you are, I suppose you have read a few of Michael Horton’s books. Does he really come off as mercenary as you make him out to be? Perhaps we ought to give him the benefit of the doubt, being of your tribe and all that. I would like to think he has a burning message he urgently wants to get out to Christendom. But I have read only two of his books so I do not speak with knowledge and facts.

By: Joshua Woo

Joshua Woo — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:38:05 +0000

@Steven, yes and clearly so. Publishers need to chunk out new products to keep going. That’s the case even if the new books are nothing more than just duplication of what already available in the market. Contracted authors just write what is in the market in their own language and call it their own work.

A good example is the reactionary books on the ‘new atheists’. I was at Kinokuniya yesterday and saw dozens of apologetic books written by different authors on that same topic. And of cos, the ‘new atheists’ also have dozens of authors writing the same thing on the other side. So both sides are stimulating their own respective market.

Talking about “not of the world” yet these Christian publishers are playing into the hands of consumerism. Cutting more trees to print books which have nothing new to say in order to fuel the consumerism milieu among the Christians. Money need to flow and these publishers and authors are here to make sure that happen. No less different from how secular businesses are run and how they conceive and play into the market; allowing the market to determine what works and what not, instead of making a difference. There goes all the talk on “not of the world”.

Do you know what’s the irony? Horton himself wrote about this previously in his ‘Where in the World is the Church’. Yet he is already playing into ‘the World’. In the end, ‘kap siaol’.

By: Steven Sim

Steven Sim — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:27:32 +0000

@Joshua, is it christian capitalism? Write a book which tells ppl to read Bible more (instead of just “theological” books), or put up a program which teach us how to avoid programs.

Regardless of intentions, it’s just sound so errr… hilarious or what Malaysians will say “syiok sendiri” (self satisfaction is the nearest translation I can find).

By: Mond

Mond — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:59:31 +0000

Maria: that is spot on!

I guess a lot of the misunderstanding comes from having a wrong perception of what Paul truly says is “the Gospel that is the Power of God unto salvation”. The Gospel that Paul is talking about is the Good News about Christ that unveils the Righteousness of God because of what Jesus has done on the Cross. To make a long story short, the Gospel is all about what God has already done through Christ, and not about what man needs to do FOR God… That alone, compels people to respond to the message and causes them to do things for God

Jesus be lifted up!

Pleasant day to you all!

By: Maria

Maria — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:18:18 +0000

Alot hinges on the definition of “The Gospel of Jesus Christ” and so it seems to me that because it is can be a multi-faceted Gospel, some churches/preaches pick on their favourite aspect or what their personal bent is towards. The Full Gospel of Jesus Christ requires preaching, if possible, the multi-faceted Good News that Jesus came to declare and manifest in Himself – that the kingdom has indeed arrived, that we have abundant life, that the poor be fed, the demonised be set free, the Holy Spirit will come after His ascent, etc, etc, etc.

A preacher should not and would not run out of sermons to preach if preaching the FULL gospel of Jesus Christ.

By: latria

latria — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:06:39 +0000

I thought I needed to comment, but Joshua has already said it.