Church historians tells us that John was “nearly kidnapped” or “almost abducted” or “forcibly taken”–which essentially means he was kidnapped, abducted, or taken, despite the adverbs. For 700 miles the case was made for why John ought to be the next pastor of the city church in Constantinople and when they arrived back in the city–the city welcomed John of Chrysostom, the most famous preacher of the era, with joy and celebration.

Is your congregation looking for a new pastor? It is a grueling process for some congregations. Pastors, students, and congregations alike find the process to be less than ideal.
Here’s one idea from the late 4th century that could streamline your search: 
In 397, the head pastor of the church in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) died. His named was Nectarius. He was wildly popular and the city wondered if they could get another pastor of such skill and giftedness. 
Several names were recommended and people within the church began to struggle, politic, and conspire to get their particular candidate elected. One name that was dropped was John Chrysostom, the pastor of the church in Antioch (modern day Antakya), nearly 700 miles to the southeast.
The pastor in Antioch was so well-regarded that the people of Antioch threatened to riot if their pastor was taken away. As a result, the emperor sent troops to Antioch to quell any disruptive and riotous responses to a potential call to their pastor. 
Meanwhile back in Constantinople, the head of the search committee, Eutropius the Eunich (unfortunate name, if you ask me), devised a plan to get John to visit the city and, hopefully, become the next pastor. 
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The Puritan Thomas Brooks would preach about the Great London Fire and the collapse of St. Paul’s, calling his hearers to faith in Christ. He would write, “London’s sufferings should warn others to take heed of London’s sins. London’s conflagration should warn others to take head of London’s abominations. It should warn others to stand and wonder at the patience, long-suffering, gentleness, and goodness of God towards them who have deserved as hard things from the hand of God, as London has felt… It should warn others to search their hearts and try their ways and break off their sins and turn to the Lord, lest His anger should break forth in flames of fire against them.

Today, September 6, in 1666, Old Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London burned to the ground in the Great London Fire.
Old St. Paul’s was a centerpiece of Puritan outreach and the filth and worldliness within its courtyard was frequently alluded to in the preaching of the day. Booksellers peddled the latest Puritan works while other wares were also peddled: from vanity faire to the common whore; St. Paul’s Walk had everything that your heart could desire.
Old St. Paul’s construction began in 1087, following an earlier London Fire. As early as 604 a church was built on that location. One Pre-Norman scholar claimed that a Temple to Diana was toppled to begin the first St. Paul’s Church. The massive church yard hosted rental booths that extended for hundreds of yards.
One scholar said, “St. Paul’s was the very heart of the city [of London].” A pastor at the time said that St. Paul’s offered everything from “the south alley for popery and usury, to the north for simony, and the horse fair in the midst for all kinds of bargains, meetings, brawling, murders, conspiracies, and the front for ordinary payment of money, as well known to all men as the beggar knows his bush.”
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We live in divided times—we live in polarized times. There are reflections worthy of making in this fractured relationship between two Puritan giants. Are all matters worth dividing over? Were the issues that Owen and Baxter divided over worthy of division? Are your divisions with your reformed and evangelical brother worth dividing over? Again, I will not answer the question for you but it is worth reflecting on in relationship to disagreements. 

When Christians Disagree: Lessons from the Fractured Relationship of John Owen and Richard Baxter by Tim Cooper is a 167 page book (including 20 pages of end material) recently published by Crossway. The book is a fast read, easily read in two or three short sittings. The volume is attractive—a signature of Crossway—with a wonderful little introduction by Dr. Michael AG Haykin, one of my favorite Baptists and one of my former church history professors. 
Before discussing the value of the book, there are the two areas of pause with the book that I have considered. The first is there is a repetition of information and stories related to Owen and Baxter. Although most likely purposeful in highlighting Cooper’s thesis, it occasionally comes across like an editing problem. The second concern is the question of anachronism. As Cooper wrestles through the question of conflict and resolution (or lack thereof), was this on the minds of Owen and Baxter, or is this our concern? Is the larger question of reconciliation over doctrinal differences a matter that is more of a concern to us rather than to them? A worthy question for meditation. 
Puritan Giants
When Christians Disagree introduces readers to an area of the life and ministries of Puritans John Owen and Richard Baxter. Both Owen and Baxter lived during a time of transition in England as the English Civil War raged on. Most of us know Owen and Baxter from their devotional material rather than for their interpersonal conflicts or disputes; much less their involvement in the English Civil War. Owen wrote Communion with God, The Holy Spirit, Mortification of Sin, The Glory of Christ, the Death of Death in the Death of Christ among many other theological and devotional works. Baxter is best known for his Directory, The Saints Everlasting Rest, The Reformed Pastor, and several other devotional works. Both Baxter and Owen stand on their own as theological and devotional giants as well as golden examples of the best of English Puritanism. But they had differences—and their differences were great—and worthy of discussing in writing. 
Differences and Disagreements
So what were the differences between Owen and Baxter in relationship to their disagreement and fractured relationship? Much of the disagreement between Baxter and Owen was related to their theological training and understanding, relationship to the English Civil War, personality and convictions concerning unity. 
Baxter was a largely self-taught pastor after attending “a few mediocre schools in his locality”  and sitting under private tutors. John Owen was given the best of university education available at the time, graduating with a Master of Arts from Queens College, Oxford and later with his Doctor of Divinity, also from Oxford. Owen’s greater understanding of nuances and theological precision largely led to difficulties between the two in their writings. 
Personality and relationship to the civil war led to further division between the two pastors. Owen saw the English Civil War as a “triumphant vindication of a glorious cause.”
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The Westminster Confession with its over 4000 direct quotes of the Scripture, chose not to leave creation to a direct quote in 4.1, but instead to interpret the creation. Not as the ancients in seeing creation as instantaneous; not as the medievals who saw adornments and literary features; but as Calvin would understand it–a literal six day creation. 

The Westminster Confession makes over 4000 direct references to and quotations of the Scriptures. “In the space of six days” is not a reference to or quotation of the Scriptures.
The Westminster Confession of Faith 4.1 says: “It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.”
“In the space of six days” is not a biblical phrase, but a theological phrase, intended to interpret the Scriptures rather than quote them.
Basil, referencing Origen said, “This beginning was instantaneous… in a rapid and imperceptible moment.” Origen said the world as we know it was created in one day, but many of the ancients thought the world was eternal (including Origen). They reflect Plato who said that the world was created out of preexistent matter.
Augustine also believed in an instantaneous creation. He wrote, “[God] created all things simultaneously and also created this one day, seven times repeated. The need for these six days to be set out was to teach those who could not understand simultaneous creation…God accommodated himself to the capacity of weaker intellects and presented creation as if it were a process.” (Works, 4.51-52; 5.5)
Medieval thinkers followed suit with Augustine. Bede, Anselm, and even Aquinas followed Augustine. But Aquinas “distinguished” in scholastic format saying that the creation was three-fold and there was an adornment process that occurred.
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Often it is with great difficulty that Christians hold different consciences on issues in the church. Sometimes how one holds conviction is as important as the conviction one holds. One must hold Christian convictions Christianly.

Jeremiah Burroughs gives four important points concerning holding a different conscience than those with whom you worship. How one holds a conviction is also important, whether it be a minority or majority position. Here are four takeaways:
1. If one has a minority position, hold it with humility.2. If one is proud and contentious about a minority position, one will not be heard.3. If the majority position holder holds his position in a tender way, he may be justified before God.4. If “scorn, pride, conceit, turbulence.” etc. is seen in the minority position holder, he is not demonstrating the Spirit of Christ.
Often it is with great difficulty that Christians hold different consciences on issues in the church. Sometimes how one holds conviction is as important as the conviction one holds. One must hold Christian convictions Christianly.
Here’s what Burroughs said:
When a man by reason of his conscience… differs from his brethren, he had need carry himself with all humility, and meekness, and self-denial in all other things.
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Young adults today have less friendships, genuine social interaction, abilities to make a decision, and live in constant fear—fear of things that are not scary. Fear of life. Shrier explains why. We live in a strange new world that overly values gentle parenting; trauma-based therapy (even where there’s no trauma); over-medicating of our children; and empathy over sympathy. In flame throwing fashion, each of these problems are addressed by Shrier—and she’s a convincing voice. 


Some of you need to fire your child’s therapist right away. Some of you need to figure out what interactions your school psychologist, counselors, and paraprofessionals are having with your children.
With.Your.Children.
Children are being ruined by therapeutic parenting and our therapeutic culture.
If you are a therapist you may need to be repenting due to causing more harm than good. Therapists and the therapizing of our children may be responsible for a large portion of the immaturity, anxiety, depression, and suicidality of our nation’s youth. We have created a generation of adults in “emotional snow suits” and have children that are afraid to live life at full volume.
Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy: Why The Kids Aren’t Growing Up (Penguin Random House: 2024) was an eye opening look at competing peer reviewed literature pertaining to the psychotherapy given to children.
Shrier is not my religion, has a different view of human nature than me, listens to different podcasts than I do, has a very different worldview than me—and yet, I appreciated Shrier’s book immensely. 

I believe that everyone who has a child or grandchild needs to read this book. I believe that everyone that has children in public schools—and Christian—ought to read this book. I believe that all therapists, counselors, and all who are trained in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) ought to read this book. Pastors, elders, and Sunday school workers—the world is different than the one that you grew up in—and in part—it is because we have therapized our children. We have turned them over to professionals and turned off the parental instincts that God has given to us through the light of nature. In fact, all parents should read this book as it is the parental air that we breathe—coddling, empathizing, “partnering” with our children.
Now, some children need therapy. Let me say that again: some children need therapy. Most do not. Shrier discusses this fact, but overall this book is not for the genuinely abused, harmed, and neglected. This book is for everyone else. Those who believe that we all can benefit from therapy and believe that all need a professional to talk to. This book will be more beneficial to most parents than paying a therapist.
Shrier divides the book into three main sections.Read More
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Today many of us know the work of the Synod as the Canons of Dort under the acrostic “TULIP.” Total depravity; Unconditional election; Limited atonement; Irresistible grace; and Perseverance of the saints. If you have not read the Canons, they are worth working through. 

The Canons of Dort were approved at the Synod of Dort 405 years ago today (May 29, 1619). The Synod was a multi-national synod of reformed churches that was called to answer objections to the teaching of Prof. Jacob Arminius of Leiden University and his remonstrators. The Remonstrance taught election based on foreseen faith; Christ’s death was universally meritorious; partial human depravity; and resistible and fallible states of grace.
Pastors, elders, professors, and statesmen from the established churches of the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Wales, Switzerland, and modern-day Germany came together to condemn what is today called “Arminianism” as a heresy against the Word of God. In 34 “rejections of errors” the heresy of Arminianism was condemned by the synod.
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The claim is that when same-sex couples ask for a blessing they are actually asking–in the mind of Francis–for help. He said, ““when one asks for a blessing, one is expressing a petition for God’s assistance, a plea to live better, and confidence in a Father who can help us live better.” This is not what is being asked and surely it is not how the document will be interpreted. 

God is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33), but of peace, and godliness, and of order. Today the Roman pontiff, speaking on behalf of Jesus Christ and his church declared the pompous words (Daniel 7:8) that same sex couples in union could be blessed. This is an about-face as he said in 2021 that he would not allow for gay unions to be blessed because “God cannot bless sin.” Surely now he can, according to the one who shows himself to be in the place of God (2 Thes 2:4; Daniel 11:36).
This deceptive heresy (I John 2:22-23; 2 John 7) is confusing at best and outright wicked at worst. It is confusing because so many Catholics–under the postmodern banner of the rainbow flag–will see this as approval. The pope, however, has not approved of gay or same sex marriage or even civil unions, saying merely that they can be “blessed” by a priest.
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Our cultural moment tells us to affirm, affirm, affirm; when in reality we are destroying human bodies because the medical professionals have told us that this is the right treatment for this type of problem. Soon we will have our Sybil moment. Sybil was a fraud and eventually the egg on the face of society was exposed. According to a 2011 NPR article, “Shirley Mason was the psychiatric patient whose life was portrayed in the 1973 book Sybil. The book and subsequent film caused an enormous spike in reported cases of multiple personality disorder. Mason later admitted she had faked her multiple personalities.”

Orlando just had its Pride Weekend, complete with a fair-like atmosphere downtown, thousands and thousand of sexual tourists, a rainbow themed parade, and an evening of fireworks. The parade’s Grand Master was an 11 year-old boy who believes he is a girl. He was featured on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel and was being praised for knowing his true self and living his best life. He’s eleven. We ought to remember Sybil.
Remember Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)? The 1980 diagnostic manual called DSM-III defined MPD for the first time, but the psychiatric professionals in 1994 changed the diagnosis (in the DSM-IV) to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). According to Psychology Today the change was “to reflect a better understanding of the condition—namely, that it is characterized by fragmentation or splintering of identity, rather than by proliferation or growth of separate personalities.” (PT, 9.21). Splintering rather than separate.
In other words MPD was not real, although it was really experienced. The professionals realized that the condition was not truly different personalities, rather one identity (person) that was a “fragmented” or “splintered” identity. The professionals then amended their definition, diagnostic criteria, and the name of the disorder.
The psychological community knew about these symptoms as early as the late 1700s, but it was extremely rare. In 1973, the book Sybil was published and cases began to skyrocket. Daytime Television began featuring persons with MPD and the amount of personas and complexities increased. Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael, and even Larry King interviewed persons with the disorder. The more exposure the disorder got, the more popular it became. Eventually the Soap Operas were on board as well: All My Children; One Life to Live; Guiding Light, and others all featured characters with MPD.
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When the Lord Jesus Christ does a saving work in the life of a sinner, he or she is not only concerned with being free of guilt in the presence of God; but also being holy in the presence of God. The power of sin is broken and one is able to be well….The power of sin is broken and we are able to look to Christ and say, “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure!”

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Romans 8:4
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee;Let the water and the blood,From Thy wounded side which flowed,Be of sin the double cure,Save from wrath and make me pure….
As Christ’s secured salvation for sinners, he freed us from the wrath of God; freed us from sin and death; condemned sin; and after the Spirit, fulfilled the righteousness of the law in us. What does Romans 8:4 mean by fulfilled in us? Thomas Manton in his exposition of Romans 8 raises the question concerning the words, “in us.” He asks, “How is this to be understood? Of justification or of sanctification?” (Manton’s Works, 11.430.)
Through the grammar of “for” versus “in,” Manton begins with demonstrating that the words are unable to be understood as related to justification. He says, “The words will not bear it [as justification], for the apostle does not say that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled for, but fulfilled in us.” (Ibid.) This is a very important distinction as Manton considers what this fulfillment looks like in the life of the Christian. Surely, the Apostle Paul, according to Manton, meant that Christ’s work was not only a justifying work, but a sanctifying work: “Christ came not only to redeem us from wrath, but to renew and sanctify us.” (Ibid, 11.431.)
Before giving his readers four biblical reasons for this qualification, Manton tells them that the sanctification of the Christian is the “constant drift and tenor of the Scriptures.” Manton, like a skilled roper, strings together several texts from the Scripture to show that this was always God’s intentions in the life of the Christian: “And you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21.) “…God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” (Acts 3:26.) “Him God has exalted to His right hand…to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31.)  “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.” (I John 3:5.) Each of these show that the constant drift and tenor of the Word of God is that Jesus would provide the double cure of saving from wrath and making pure.
From the tenor and drift, Manton then turned his attention to the fact that from the Scriptures, this fulfillment of the law in us has to be sanctification. He says, “It must needs be so.” (Manton’s Works, 11.432.) Manton gave four reasons for this.
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