The End of The Spear

Tim Challies posts a link to an article by well-known Christian author Randy Alcorn who weighs in on the End of the Spear controversy.

Alcorn's concern is that some glaring inaccuracies were distributed around the internet by Christians and as a result the film studio (run by Christians) was slandered. If that is true, it is very unfortunate. As is true with many things, we need to be very careful before we push the forward button.

His primary concern, though, seems to be that Matthew 18 was not followed in dealing with this situation. I have to confess that I am not sure Matthew 18 is intended to cover this kind of situation. There seems - to me anyway - to be a difference between a brother who sins against me as an individual, and dealing with a public position taken by a person or group that is considered unbiblical.

What Alcorn asks, though is that we get our facts from the mouths of those involved in the decision to cast Chad Allen. He prints six questions that are answered by the studio execs and asks that we form our opinion on the basis of what they say. I've read their responses, and since I forwarded some objections about the film to our church, I will forward this link as well. But I didn't find their explanations particularly comforting or helpful. I'll certainly give them the fact that they didn't cast Allen in this role deliberately, but I'm not satisfied with their explanations of why they went on with the project.

Your mileage may vary.

On another front, Mark Dever's 9Marks newsletter had a fine article this past week that is worth reading. Go to the website and read How My Mind Has Changed - the Centrality of the Congregation. It is worth distributing, especially to your staff and elders.

I'm currently reading The Deliberate Church. Much of it apparently comes from things that Dever has taught or written. So far the book has been worth reading and shows a seriously thought-out approach to church life. I found his discussion of the biblical basis for church membership pretty interesting ( page 60-61).