Every now and again, I'm called a "liberal" on this website. Usually it’s for things like accepting an old earth, holding to a local flood, being too ecumenical, or not fitting neatly into political categories. For newcomers or curious onlookers, a short thread. 🧵.

No other authority in the church rivals Scripture in either what it is or how it functions. I make a fuller case here:

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The core Protestant intuition leading to sola Scriptura: God is ontologically unique; therefore, his speech is ontologically unique. As the Scripture is unique in nature, so it is comparably unique in authority.

We have largely drifted from this exalted vision of angels today, but it is highly relevant to theology. In my latest article in Themelios, I unpack some of the implications.

This vision of angels is fictionalized in the writings of Tolkien (especially The Silmarillion) and Lewis. For instance, in That Hideous Strength Lewis calls angels "those high creatures whose activity builds what we call Nature.".

Thomas Aquinas: . "The angels . do not constitute a universe of themselves; but both they and corporeal natures unite in constituting one universe.". Thomas does not say angels merely inhabit the universe. They constitute it, in union with corporeal natures.

Elsewhere he writes:. "To the sublime angels, who enjoy God in obedience and serve him in bliss, are subjected every bodily nature, every non-rational form of life, every will whether weak or bent. This is so that they may act upon or together with the things subjected to them.".

Augustine, for example, wondered whether stars are "enspirited" by angels or merely "directed" by them. He compares this "enspiriting" to the ensoulment of bodies. The question was not whether angels govern the stars: only how they do so.

This little statement about stars is a wonderful articulation of a premodern view of angels, and their place in the physical world. Angels were seen as the governors and preservers of physical reality (like stars).

Remember this conversation in the Narnia books? Let's talk about the theology embedded here:. "In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas."."Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of."

Why, Gavin, are you tweeting about the Athanasian Creed at 11:15 pm? Finally filming a video on it! Out next week.

How, exactly, are begottenness and procession different? I cannot say! All I know is that they are different. “We have learned that there is a difference between generation and procession, but the nature of that difference we in no way understand.” John of Damascus, Exposition.

The Athanasian Creed distinguishes begottenness and procession: "The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding." . The Holy Spirit is not a second Son--the younger brother of the Word. His origin is unique. Fascinating.

A happy and helpful reminder for each day: Jesus is coming back to take us home. "Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior" (Philippians 3:20). This world is much more bearable when we remember we are living in exile, and one day we will be home.

When we are tempted to despair of our own salvation, these words from Richard Sibbes can help us: "There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.". Our sins are real. But Jesus' mercy is sufficient to cover all that is repented of. Thankful.

helpful article here from @DZRishmawy. The Trinity really is crucial for getting penal substitution right. This is a case where doctrines like divine simplicity and impassibility once again become surprisingly relevant.

Also, something I can own: I probably should have finished reading Lamb of the Free before recording, even though the goal of my video was broader. I am currently finishing it.

Since follow-ups often get under-amplified and under-noticed on the internet, and I interacted critically with JMC's original post, I want to draw attention to his comments here. Where disagreements remain, I would love to talk with JMC sometime about this. Appreciate him

One rejoinder is, "but Paul and Jesus and the prophets used harsh speech!" My latest video distinguishes harsh language in Scripture from the tendencies today:.

Since ugly speech is being normalized in some Christian circles, here is a good verse to strive for in an internet age: "to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people" (Titus 3:2).

Hope to see you in October in Riverside!