An opening thought, from today’s Tabletalk devotional:
“The greatest theological battles the church has faced have been caused by imprecise language. It makes a difference, for example, whether we are justified by faith or we are justified by faith alone. The deity of Christ hinges on whether He is of the same nature or a similar nature to the Father. Let us be careful to be precise in our understanding of doctrine that we might better capture all the nuances of biblical teaching.”
1| Today, the Supreme Court struck down Texas abortion clinic regulations |AP
The Supreme Court struck down Texas’ widely replicated regulation of abortion clinics Monday in the court’s biggest abortion case in nearly a quarter century.
The justices voted 5-3 in favor of Texas clinics that had argued the regulations were a thinly veiled attempt to make it harder for women to get an abortion in the nation’s second-most populous state.
Justice Stephen Breyer’s majority opinion for the court held that the regulations are medically unnecessary and unconstitutionally limit a woman’s right to an abortion. …
2| ***Some analysis of last week’s PCUSA debacles: “Wide Is the [Straight] Path…”, by Mateen Elass
The Presbyterian Church USA has hammered one more nail into its own coffin — one wonders whether there is space for any further nails. Last Saturday, at the opening business session of its 222nd General Assembly in Portland, OR, the denominational leadership orchestrated an event which denied the gospel and lordship of Jesus Christ. Here’s what happened.
…When it was his turn to lead, Mr. Said began by chanting in Arabic, most but not all of which was translated into English on the screen for the participants. Hardly anyone there, I’m guessing, had any idea where the words Mr. Said chanted came from. The first sentence was not translated — apparently, Wajdi threw that in on his own. This is what he said: “I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed.” Within the Muslim world this is a common interjection when one fears the presence and power of evil spirits. Since Islam teaches that Christians and Jews who reject the claims of Muhammad are the vilest of creatures, under the sway of Satan, it is not surprising he would begin with this intercessory prayer for himself. Apparently, he need not have worried. …
3| California’s Religious Liberty Moment—Coming to a State Near You, by Ed Stetzer
The California legislature is poised to consider legislation that could destroy the ability of numerous faith-based colleges and universities to pursue the mission for which they were created. SB 1146, one of two similar bills recently introduced into the California legislature, would essentially restrict fully faith-based education to seminaries.
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