kevin morris

In this episode of DIACC's Digital ID & Me podcast series, we discuss what digital identity (ID) is, what it isn't, and more with perspectives from representatives in the public and private sectors. 

Join host Kevin Morris, Strategy and Programs Director at Large Credit Union Coalition (LCUC) as he discusses this timely topic with the following guests:

• Colleen Boldon: Director, Digital Lab and Digital ID Programs at Service New Brunswick
• Dave McKay: Identity Architect, Promulgare Consulting

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Some people are bothered by the idea of systematic theology because they're afraid that this puts God in a box. But is this true? Today we'll talk about why the Bible commands us to have a certain method of theology, and how this protects, rather than limits, our understanding of who God is. To do this, we'll look at the biblical method of theology, which Peter van Mastricht describes as the connection between theory and practice, or to say it another way, the theoretical-practical.

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In this episode of DIACC's Digital ID & Me podcast series, we discuss how Service BC is helping British Columbians through COVID with Digital ID. Service BC provides front line support for many of the hundreds of programs and services the BC provincial government offers to residents, businesses, and visitors.

Join host Kevin Morris, Strategy and Programs Director at Large Credit Union Coalition (LCUC) as he discusses this timely topic with the following guests:

• Beverly Dicks, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service BC Division, Ministry of Citizens' Services
• Claire Ashton, Executive Director, Provincial Identity Information Management (IDIM) Program

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 63-66

What exactly is systematic theology? Is it wrong to create a system of theology? We'll answer those questions today by looking again to Peter van Mastricht. He makes the biblical case for why we should view theology as a "system" and what benefit it should have in our lives. This is our introduction to chapter 1, entitled "The Nature of Theology". 

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 29-31.

Today we finish up our study of Peter van Mastricht's introduction "The Best Method of Preaching". Mastricht uses the last few pages to talk about some helpful ways to study long passages of scripture. After that, he gives some closing thoughts about how preachers should deliver their message- everything from voice tone to the role of making jokes! I hope you follow along as we talk about Mastricht's primary audience (preachers) and how these principles apply to any student of God's Word! 

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 12-28

Today in our study, Peter van Mastricht takes us through some helpful ways to use any text of scripture as a teaching method. He offers six uses of the Bible for the head and the heart. We'll look at the Bible doctrine as the "truth" of scripture and bible practice as the "goodness" of that truth put into action. This episode is a great example of how the Bible is important for preaching in a corporate setting, and study in an individual setting.

You can grab your copy of Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1 here: (affiliate link)
https://www.christianbook.com/theoretical-practical-theology-volume-1-prolegomena/petrus-van-mastricht/9781601785596/pd/785596?event=AFF&p=1220145

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 7-11.

Did the Sermon Preach the Text? Peter van Mastricht wants to encourage pastors to make sure that their sermons stay focused on the sermon text. The way to do this is by maintaining a careful balance in the way the sermon is presented. But this also means that those listening to sermons should appreciate the difficult balance of rightly dividing the Word while preaching the whole counsel of God. This episode will encourage listeners to encourage their pastors, as they deal carefully with the sermon text.   

How many sermons are guilty of drifting further and further away from the text as they go on? A sermon can be biblical without relating to the sermon text whatsoever. We can call these 'biblical tangents', something many pastors are guilty of. We'll cover all this and more, from Mastricht's The Best Method of Preaching.

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In this episode of DIACC's Digital ID & Me podcast series, we explore Open Banking & Digital ID. The sharing of data between financial services providers by consumers requires some sort of authentication of the consumers requesting their data to be shared. Without authentication, the receiving or sending financial institution would not know if the person requesting the data sharing is who they say they are. In other countries without digital ID, they have created the concept of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), which requires someone to provide two separate identification factors (for example, a password and a biometric scan). This is cumbersome and less convenient than existing practices. Digital ID on the other hand, could be used in place of SCA when performing transactions/data share requests in an open banking framework.

Join host Kevin Morris, Strategy and Programs Director at Large Credit Union Coalition (LCUC) as he discusses this timely topic with the following guests:

• Senator Colin Deacon
• Deborah Moore (Director of Digital Transformation at Celero Solutions)
• Steve Pannifer (Managing Director at Consult Hyperion)

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 6-7.

Preaching or Entertainment? This question is relevant today, but it's also one that Peter van Mastricht directly deals with! How a sermon is arranged says a lot about the pastor, but it also says a lot about church members and our view of preaching. Today we take a serious look at how to tell the difference between preaching and entertainment in Mastricht's The Best Method of Preaching. 

If you enjoyed this episode, consider visiting https://www.betterbiblereading.com/ for even more content!

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 1-6.

Peter van Mastricht introduces his best method for preaching by talking about the benefit of his method. He says that it has a goal both for preachers as well as hearers. We'll unpack what Mastricht has to say in his best method for preaching, including how listeners can memorize sermons, and how long a preacher should spend in their introductions! 

If you enjoyed this episode, consider visiting https://www.betterbiblereading.com/ for even more content!

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You can find the video version of this episode exclusively at www.betterbiblereading.com

Suffering is the reality for both Christians, atheist, and every religious variety in between. Yet, for the Christian suffering is uniquely a gesture of God's love. We learn this from 1 Peter 4:12-19 where Peter reminds us that we are "Beloved" in God's sight and because of that love, we should not consider suffering as something foreign to God's love.

Learn all about this and more on today's episode of Teaching Thursdays, the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!

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Today on Teaching Thursdays Peter says that we’ve spent enough time living our previous way of life- the way of this world. To do battle with the world is to be transformed by the Spirit of God and to seek God’s glory in everything. This is the essence of Romans 12:1-2 and it is the essence of Jesus’ earthly ministry: Live for the glory of God, through suffering, and contend with the world, so that the world might be saved and transformed. Additionally, along the way of suffering, we find that God loves and cares for His people- through the gifts and graces given to His people! This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris 

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What is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Bible Interpretation? Giving an Answer

It is true that many who are devoid of the Holy Spirit are nevertheless interpreters of the Bible. That reality of interpretation shows that hermeneutics is not a process restricted to whether or not one has the Holy Spirit. We must remember that false teachers have always built a system of doctrine from the scriptures (hermeneutical conclusions), but do so without the aid of the Holy Spirit, people who are as Jude plainly says "devoid of the Spirit" (Jude 1:19). James also warns that hermeneutics is more than an intellectual assent to facts when he reminds us that "even the demons believe- and shudder" (James 2:19). Therefore, Scripture presents to us that hermeneutics is a reality for both Christians and non-Christians alike. So what does the Holy Spirit do in the process of interpretation?

To put it simply, I borrow the words from Klein et al. "The Spirit convinces God's people of the truth of the biblical message, and then convicts and enables them to live consistently with that truth" (4). In other words, the Holy Spirit does the work of bringing the Word of God from our heads to our heart. There is no supernatural correlation between learning biblical Greek and the Holy Spirit any more than there is between learning English and the Holy Spirit. Though learning the biblical languages is a great help in understanding the message, it is the Holy Spirit who 'brings home' the message by teaching God's people the significance of the message. Many non-Christians have the ability to learn biblical Greek and gain an advantage in grammatical understanding of the Bible, and many non Christians have the ability to learn the historical climate of the Roman Empire, giving them an advantage in the historical understanding of the events of the New Testament. These are both elements of what we would call sound hermeneutics in the "historical and grammatical methods" (Klein et al. 13). Further, we can say along with the same authors that "The Spirit does not inform us of the Scripture's meaning." (4).

Yet, only those who have the Holy Spirit can truly have their eyes open to the beauty of God's word (Ps. 119:18) or find life and strength in the word of God (Ps. 119:25, 28). These are those supernatural interpretations within the Bible that are only through those who have the Holy Spirit. Most striking and wonderful are the words of Jesus regarding this subject: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come" (John 16:13). And to be sure that this 'truth' spoken of by Jesus relates to the Bible, He later says plainly "Your word is truth" (John 17:17).

So then a quick summary. Although it is not wrong to pray to God and ask Him for help in understanding the intellectual side of hermeneutics (grammar, context, history, etc... ), and although He may be pleased to help us, we do not say that this is the direct role of  the Holy Spirit in hermeneutics since people may do well in these interpretive categories who do not have the Holy Spirit and would not hesitate to identify as non-Christian. This is the so called 'limitation' of the Holy Spirit. Yet these same people cannot meditate on the Bible, nor pray through the process of reading the text for illumination, nor see the practical implications for the text upon their own lives (their vocation, family, work, town, etc...). They are also not involved in the hermeneutics that brings conviction of sin and the glories of God in Christ. Instead, these are all the work and role of the Holy Spirit to th

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Interpreting the Bible and Culture- Culturology

The interpretation of culture and the Bible are two disciplines which work to arrive at meaning. This represents a presupposition of an objective quality, both in cultural texts and biblical texts. That is to say, there is a tangible, definitive message in cultural texts and biblical texts that can be interpreted, else the disciplines of interpretation would be exercises in vanity and uncertainty. To understand both disciplines properly, they must be explored in their relative qualities, not only in the way that they are similarly performed, but also in the way in which they overlap in the interpretive process.

First, the terms should be defined. Cultural interpretation is that which seeks to uncover the worldview behind a cultural text, in the cultural text, and brought out from the cultural text (Vanhoozer et al. 45). Biblical interpretation consists of uncovering the meaning of the biblical text, both in content and context. This is normally performed by a step by step process, such as investigating the categories of culture, time, and situation (Duvall and Hays 41).

Since a cultural text is sometimes abstract, consisting of an icon or word, it is important to understand where it comes from, what it is, and where it is going. This lends to a multiperspectival interpretation, meaning that right interpretation occurs by utilizing multiple disciplines to uncover the thickness of what is occurring in any given cultural text (Vanhoozer et al. 45). In concise terms, a cultural text comes from a worldview of the author(s), contains a worldview in the text itself, and seeks to cultivate a worldview in the reader(s).

In like manner, biblical interpretation considers the content alongside the context of the author and the audience. Furthermore, the implications of the text are also explored, investigating the impact and significance upon contemporary readers, commonly defined as application. What can be noticed in both cultural and biblical interpretation is the presence of culture within the interpretive process. In cultural interpretation, culture is the object; in biblical interpretation, culture is the subject. Nevertheless, culture is that which must be dealt with if meaningful interpretation is to be performed. In the process of biblical interpretation, culture is an element of separation between then and today. Consequently, biblical interpretation does not understand meaning without understanding right application of the text, which can only be done when one properly understands their own contemporary culture. Thus, there is a front-end element of culture and a back-end element of culture, whereby the interpreter must do due diligence in understanding the original cultural audience and the contemporary cultural audience.

In like manner, cultural texts can only be significant if the meaning of the text is understood alongside the cultural context. The cultural icon of Walmart’s yellow smiley face is largely insignificant if the reader does not understand the cultural context that it represents and the world it promises to create in its customers (i.e. low-price purchase options). Conversely, the biblical text, “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’” (English Standard Version, John 11.43) is largely insignificant if the context of the statement is not understood, such as Jesus being the speaker, Lazarus being called to come to life, and the presence of a watching crowd. Contextual understanding is required both in the interpretation of culture and the Bible.

Whether pastors or te

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Today on Teaching Thursdays, we find Psalm 34:12-16 at the heart of Peter’s point in the text. To understand his command and encouragement to us, we should take some time to look at this section of Psalm 34. The main point to notice is the active obedience that it calls us to.

We will not be joyful sufferers by being passive- we must be active! Not merely to refrain from returning evil, but to bless! Not merely to turn from evil, but to do good! Not merely to refrain from violence, but to seek peace! If we do this, we will not grow weary when unjust suffering comes our way. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris 

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Should People Read the Bible Differently? Giving an Answer

The "ideal" approach to reading the Bible varies from person to person. To be sure, there are different measures to be taken by a pastor who is studying the Bible for an upcoming sermon and a teenager who reads most days during the week, yet there should be a particular set of qualities that are present and a balance to found that is structured but not mechanical. Here are some in no particular order:

1. The Bible reader understands that Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3.16). Paul articulates that this should cause the reader to seek teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
2. An ideal reader approaches the text both as a student (2 Tim. 2.15), and in order to be exposed for the purpose of being discipline (Heb. 4.12). To put it another way, the ideal reader wants the text to read them!
3. The reader knows that he or she is just that, a Bible reader, not a Bible writer. Our reading summarized this well: "meaning resides in the text, and our objective is to discover it, at least to the extent that we are able to recover it in the text [...] We do not create the message; rather, we seek to discover what is already there" (Klein et al. 170). As an "ideal" but not an absolute necessity, I would suggest that the reader develop interpretive qualities within the historical-grammatical hermeneutic.

The ideal Bible reader has a passion and devotion to the Bible as being truth (John 17.17). This truth is theological and historical and sets apart Bible interpreters from interpreters of other literary genres. Shakespeare for example wrote many notable works of literature, but they never maintain to be truth. Tragedies such as "Hamlet" are not intended by Shakespeare to transform his audience and one could well enjoy the written works of Shakespeare with no regard to Shakespeare as the man historically. Literary fiction is written with the expressed purpose of entertainment. The Bible on the other hand never intends to be fictional or entertainment-based. It is presented to its readers as revelatory and transformative. This means that its readers and interpreters are involved in something that transcends other literary categories of reading and interpretation.

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Dynamic Diversity According to the Bible- Culturology

Dynamic Diversity, written by Bruce Milne, is based on the thesis that the church is meant to be a center of reconciliation. This idea of a reconciliation center is predicated upon the vast division in society, division which is normally comprised of the four major categories of class, age, race, and gender. According to Milne, a center of reconciliation is a place which seeks to reconcile the divides found in those four categories (Milne 14). In other words, a center of reconciliation is meant to either mend, bridge, or even transcend these categories of division and/or distinction, to borrow the verbs used by Milne. What follows is a brief summary of the book, interjecting some thematic and practical points related to Milne’s thesis.

Milne begins by noting that the way to bridge these points of division expressed in class, age, race and gender is first and foremost a conceptual approach to the global nature of the church:

This book is written in the conviction that the divine mystery, the diversity in unity of the people of God in Christ, need not be confined to the global stage, nor need it be deferred to the future age of glory. Rather it can be experienced today, in embryo, in every local Christian congregation on the face of the earth. (9)

Milne stresses that the church must recognize the diverse nature of Jesus’ new humanity on the global scale in order to bring about real change and conformity to this reality within their own congregations. He makes a strong case of why this is necessary by noting that this was indeed a reality among the early church across the Roman Empire and beyond (10). To be clear, notions of diversity expressed in church history are often followed with calls to abandon orthodoxy for the sake of ecumenical renderings. A refreshing point in Milne’s argument is that he opts not to abandon orthodoxy, but rather to follow it to the logical conclusion of unified diversity in the new humanity. He does this by savoring the truth of this among the people of God among the first two chapters, followed by suggesting the embrace of orthodox theology as necessary for unity: “this new-humanity, unity-in-diversity, together-under-Christ model receives significant support from primary Christian beliefs […] theology buttresses the exegetical conclusions reached in the first two chapters” (53).

Milne then goes on to speak of the contours found in the Apostle’s Creed, including the wonder of the Trinity, the atonement, and the church to name a few.  The next two chapters move to speak of the global approach of forming and structuring congregations, as well as a reaffirmation of the historical witnesses of global structures in the church. The argument is essentially, if the world around us is more globalized as ever (Ch. 4) and the early church was able to comprise itself in such a way before the globalization of the 21^st century (Ch. 5), then the church today has no excuse not to be diversified in its structure. While this is his argument, Milne admits that this is an argument from cultural trajectories and history, not from a mandate in scripture (73-74). Chapter six offers some transitional material, along with some practical considerations for how the church can more readily be unified along denominational lines. Perhaps the strongest point in that short chapter is his point on the usefulness of denominations: “Denominations are commonly seen today as having only a limited shelf-life; however, at the very least, they provide a sense of identity and belonging, a family of kindred congregations” (99). In many ways, the content in this chapter serves primarily as a

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Do Genres Matter in the Bible? Giving an Answer

Although the Bible doesn't self-identify as a library of sorts, it does come with the basic communication to the reader that a particular book should be understood on its own terms of genre. For example, there are cues throughout the text of scripture to demonstrate genre to the reader:

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1.1 ESV) This communicates that this book is "gospel" and is told to us by way of recounting and tracing the origins of this gospel. In literary terms, we can call this gospel narrative.

"Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1.1 ESV) This comes in the form of a letter or epistle and is thus categorized as epistle.

Genre as a way to categorize and identify literature is an extension of the study of context. Genre seems to identify the occasion for writing by the author of the text and signals to the reader their intent of communication. This of course has great impact on those who study the Bible. I can understand 2 Thessalonians much better if I can identify "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thess. 3.10) as a straightforward truth in an epistle. If I am unaware of where this verse comes from when isolated from its genre, I may be tempted to spiritualize the phrase or suppose that it is a proverbial saying.

This becomes essential when preaching the Bible. Consider for example the great argument over Acts 2 during Pentecost. Suppose a pastor decides to preach on this text; how he applies and communicates the truth of speaking in tongues after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles will likely correlate to how he views Acts in terms of its genre. Is Acts meant to be descriptive to the congregation for information, prescriptive for emulation, or somewhere inbetween? Of course the whole idea of preunderstandings and denomination affiliations plays a role in this as well, but to see Acts' own genre may in fact help to settle the issue. Viewing the introduction to Luke/Acts demonstrates that the genre of the book is that of a historical account to inform and encourage the reader. In other words, the genre is identified largely in descriptive terms. A pastor's knowledge of this will influence how he preaches the text.

I remember as an associate pastor preaching on Isaiah 1 about two years ago to a congregation in my hometown. I wanted to communicate the practical implications for our people to hear some of the sobering warnings that God had to say to His people. But being able to teach that chapter faithfully required me to understand that Isaiah is a prophetic genre, but one that also reflects heavily upon the historical genre of 1 Kings/ 1 Chronicles.

Genre is certainly a means to better understanding of the Bible in the personal, congregational and practical dimensions of life!

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How can I balance planning and walking by faith?

This is quite a sobering discussion question, yet I surmise that Christians must reckon with such a question if we hope to be faithful and effective in life that is by and large unpredictable. I would like to suggest four particular texts that have meant much to me over the last six years of ministry:

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." -Proverbs 19.21

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" 1 Corinthians 10.31

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" 1 Corinthians 15.10

"Come now you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? for you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that" James 4.13-15

I think the Bible teaches us that it is wise to plan and anticipate the natural progression of life, especially since there is such discouragement towards laziness. However, God's movement in our own lives is just that- God's- and thus we as finite creatures can never anticpate each and every redirection and road block that may come into play. Yet, this is not owing to a God who is bored with mundane and seeks to get excitement by ruining our plans. Instead it is owing to God's grace that He in His providence is willing to direct us by leading us into that which we could never expect and keeping us from that which would be more damaging to us than we could ever imagine. The warning from the above texts form a singular summary: 1. Trust in God's providence, 2. Ensure that all of your plans are centered on honoring God, 3. Rely in God's grace to establish you in a direction you never expected and 4. Never give in to plans that usurp God's authority.

The beauty of God's providence and sovereignty is that He will bring His plans to pass. In my own life, I served as a pastor for six years before being convinced that God was ultimately calling me to a future in academic ministry as a professor. Had I known that six years ago, I wouldn've gotten a much earlier start on my education beyond high school. As a 26-year-old I have roughly ten years until I reach my goal of obtaining a PhD to validate me as a scholar and open up possibilities as a seminary professor. I could become greatly discouraged that this is so long from being realized, but "by the grace of God, I am what I am" and I must trust that because of God's providence, he redirected me from the path I was taking and placed me upon a path I am now on, for His glory. If this was all due to my own wisdom and ability, I would have reason to be discouraged and fearful of the future. But it is due to the crucial role of God's grace placed upon His children that He knows not only what is best, but when that should take place.

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