Judgment and Mercy: Spurgeon’s Preaching of Hell

Charles Spurgeon contended and demonstrated that clear warnings concerning the coming wrath of God are an essential element of biblical preaching. A survey of published sermons provides a taste of such preaching, from his earliest days in Waterbeach to his later sermons in London. This lays the groundwork for assessing some of the particular features of Spurgeon’s preaching of judgment and mercy, including its clarity, vividness, frequency, and consistency, arising out of a sense of duty, with real compassion and grace. While the examples themselves are illuminating, Spurgeon’s instruction and exhortation also prompt today’s preachers and hearers to consider whether we have achieved anything of a Christlike emphasis and tone on this too-often-overlooked element of faithful gospel ministry. KEYWORDS: Charles Spurgeon, hell, judgment, wrath, mercy, Christ, preaching, damnation, grace, ministry

Nilai Budaya dari Ritual Perkawinan Massarak sebagai Materi Pendidikan Keluarga Kristen di Mamasa

Generally, Christian education focuses on biblical preaching and church tradition. This method is correct, but it doesn't close the way for other approaches. Christian education can use different strategies to teach the Christian faith. This research focuses on the massarak marriage ritual. The researcher wants to find the cultural values contained in it. The focus of this research is the Mamasa people who live in the Nosu District, Kabupaten Mamasa. Furthermore, the researcher wants to see it from the aspect of Christian education. The authors used qualitative methods to answer the research objectives, namely data collected from observations and interviews, then the data were presented descriptively. The results showed positive values in massarak rituals, namely respect, independence, love, and solidarity. These values can be used in Christian education, of course, in dialogue with the Christian faith. AbstrakUmumnya pendidikan Kristen fokus pada pemberitaan alkitabiah dan tradisi gereja. Cara ini benar, tetapi bukan berarti menutup jalan atau akhir bagi pendekatan lain. Pendidikan Kristen dapat menggunakan pendekatan lain untuk mengajarkan iman Kristen. Penelitian ini menyoroti ritual perkawinan massarak, peneliti ingin menemukan nilai-nilai budaya yang terkandung di dalamnya. Lokus penelitian ini ialah orang Mamasa yang tinggal di Kecamatan Nosu, Kab. Mamasa. Selanjutnya peneliti hendak melihatnya dari aspek pendidikan Kristen. Penulis menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif untuk menjawab tujuan penelitian, di mana data dikumpulkan dari hasil observasi dan wawancara, selanjutnya data disajikan secara deskriptif. Hasil penelitian memperlihatkan nilai-nilai positif dalam ritual massarak yakni penghormatan, kemandirian, kasih dan solidaritas. Nilai-nilai tersebut dapat digunakan dalam pendidikan Kristen, tentu saja dalam dialog dengan iman Kristen.

The Same Yesterday and Today and Forever? A Hermeneutical Study of the Use of the Old Testament in the Epistle to the Hebrews and its Implications for Scriptural Authority and Biblical Preaching in a Secularized Western Setting

Secularization and pluralism have created a crisis of biblical authority within contemporary Western Christianity. Responding to this, Christine McSpadden has produced a manifesto for preachers which approaches the Bible not as just one ‘sacred text’ amongst others but as a unique means of life-changing encounter with the living and active Word of God. Though she makes no reference to it, McSpadden’s understanding of Scripture closely echoes that of one of the earliest Christian texts, the Epistle to the Hebrews. The purpose of this paper is to examine Hebrews’ use of the Old Testament and what its interpretive method reveals about the author’s understanding of the nature of Scripture; to identify the extent to which McSpadden’s approach follows this understanding and method; and to determine what further implications this shared tradition may have for the doctrine of scriptural authority and the practice of biblical preaching in a contemporary Western setting. It concludes that McSpadden’s approach stands firmly in the tradition first articulated in Hebrews and that together they reflect the most ancient Christian understanding of scriptural authority, which protects the Bible texts from historical irrelevance on one hand and from unduly speculative and subjective interpretations on the other.