Paul refuses to circumcise Titus, even when it was demanded by many in the Jerusalem crowd, not because it didn’t matter to them, but because it mattered so much that if he acquiesced, he would have been giving the impression that faith in Jesus is not enough for salvation: one has to become a Jew first, before one can become a Christian. That would jeopardize the exclusive sufficiency of Jesus.

To create a contemporary analogy: If I’m called to preach the gospel among a lot of people who are cultural teetotallers, I’ll give up alcohol for the sake of the gospel. But if they start saying, “You cannot be a Christian and drink alcohol,” I’ll reply, “Pass the port” or “I’ll think I’ll have a glass of Beaujolais with my meal.” Paul is flexible and therefore prepared to circumcise Timothy when the exclusive sufficiency of Christ is not at stake and when a little cultural accommodation will advance the gospel; he is rigidly inflexible and therefore refuses to circumcise Titus when people are saying that Gentiles must be circumcised and become Jews to accept the Jewish Messiah (The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World 145).

HT: Justin Taylor

Tuesday 21 April 2009
2:00 pm | Session 1: Tim Keller, “The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry” (Acts 19:21-41)
4:00 pm | Session 2: John Piper, “Feed the Flame of God’s Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel” (2 Timothy 1:1-12)
7:00 pm | Session 3: Phil Ryken, “The Pattern of Sound Words” (2 Timothy 1:13-2:13)
8:00 pm | Session 4: Mark Driscoll, “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:14-26)

Wednesday 22 April 2009
9:30 am | Session 5: K Edward Copeland, “Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry” (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
11:00 am | Session 6: Bryan Chapell, “Preach the Word!” (2 Timothy 3:10-4:5)
7:00 pm | Session 7: Ajith Fernando, “Gospel-Faithful Mission in the New Christendom”
8:00 pm | Session 8: Panel Discussion: Tim Keller, John Piper, Ligon Duncan and Crawford Loritts

Thursday 23 April 2009
9:30 am | Session 9: Ligon Duncan, “Finishing Well” (2 Timothy 4:6-22)
11:00 am | Session 10: DA Carson, “‘That By All Means I Might Win Some’: Faithfulness and Flexibility in Gospel Proclamation” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

I’m excited Dr. Duncan is in the panel discussion, but I’m bummed DA Carson isn’t in it.

When: Tue Apr 21 – Thu Apr 23, 2009
Where: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL
Speakers: Bryan Chapell, DA Carson, John Piper, K Edward Copeland, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dricoll, Phil Ryken, Tim Keller, Ajith Fernando
Website: Entrusted with the Gospel: Living the Vision of Second Timothy

Loading...