By the Waters of Babylon with Scott Aniol

Do you ever feel like everything around us is crumbling? You look around and wickedness seems to be everywhere, and you wonder: where is God in all this? And not only that, they're prospering! One of the core purposes of the psalms is to help us navigate this kind of reality, which has indeed been a reality for all of human history. Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this essay here: https://g3min.org/if-the-foundations-are-destroyed-2/ Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Rick Warren is pushing the SBC to stop "bickering about secondary issues" like women pastors and focus on our mission. Is this a fair argument? Listen as Scott Aniol refutes Warren. You can read this essay here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

When it comes to the issue of whether or not women may preach and/or hold the office of pastor, it has become common to argue in favor of women preachers or women pastors on the basis of unclear texts of Scripture. However, several texts regarding the nature of pastoral ministry are clear. Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this essay here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

What does it really mean to serve the Lord? Unfortunately, there is actually a lot of confusion about the proper answer to that question among evangelicals today. Some Christians believe that the only way to really serve the purposes and plans of God is what is sometimes referred to as “full time Christian service.” All other vocations are just “secular” and therefore are of lesser value. If you’re a farmer or a firefighter or a contractor or a computer programmer, those jobs are not really service to the Lord. If you really want to serve Christ, then you should pursue being a pastor or missionary. And women—well, you’re out of luck. You can’t really serve Christ full time because you can’t be a pastor and you’re stuck at home with the kids. Others believe true service to Christ is going to entail massive cultural change, bringing whole nations to adopt legal systems that acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Anything less is "loser theology." Listen as Scott Aniol discusses. You can read this essay here: https://g3min.org/all-of-christ-for-all-of-life __________________ Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Where in the New Testament do we find anything like building Christendom? Where do we find anything like pursuing full nations explicitly referring to themselves as Christian? Where do we find anything like pursuing a civil order modeled after Old Testament Israel? Where do you see anything like the pursuit of establishing Christianity as the established religion of a nation? Surely if this were God's intent for us, we would see even a hint of it in the New Testament epistles. Put simply, the New Testament prescribes Christian Faithfulness, not Christian Nationalism. As I noted at the beginning, Christian Nationalists want Christian Faithfulness, but they want more than that. Read this essay here: https://g3min.org/christian-faithfulness-the-biblical-alternative-to-christian-nationalism/ __________________ Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Discussions of "Christian nationalism" are on the rise among evangelicals in recent months. We've seen an uptick of books, podcasts, conferences, and evangelical ministries promoting the idea of a "Christian nation." What would it mean for a nation to be Christian? Would that be a good or bad thing? Listen as Scott Aniol considers this important question.

What is the relationship between this eternal worship of the world without end and the worship taking place here on earth, both as it was in the beginning (OT worship) and as it is now (NT worship)? This is critical for us to understand since throughout church history, many of the errors that have crept into Christian worship resulted from a mistaken understanding of the proper biblical relationship between worship as it was in the beginning, as it is now, and the true worship of the world without end. You can read this essay here: https://g3min.org/chasing-shadows Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Christians have long wrestled with the continuities and discontinuities of worship, and confusion in this area has often led to problems with theology and practice of worship. The solution is found in our focus in this essay: worship in the world without end. Understanding properly how worship as it was in the beginning and worship as it is now relate to worship in the world without end helps us to recognize what shall ever be, the center of true worship and, consequently, the purpose of what we do as we gather for worship now. You can read this essay here: https://g3min.org/worship-on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Listen as Scott Aniol explains why for biblical truth, form and content are not so easily separable. You can read this essay here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

What do the psalms mean when they say to sing a new song? Listen as Scott Aniol explains. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

True religion does consist in the religious affections, and music is a wonderful gift from God that helps to give expression to the affections created by the Spirit through his Word. But we must be careful to define spiritual affections biblically and put music in its proper place. Otherwise, we risk worshiping chords instead of Christ. Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this essay here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Is what has been happening at Asbury University true revival? Is the kind revival they are claiming even promised in the New Testament? Should we be expecting or seeking a fresh "outpouring of the Spirit" today? Listen as Scott Aniol examines the biblical data. You can read this essay here.

In this episode, Scott Aniol answers common questions concerning Christian nationalism, what instruments are appropriate for worship, how often we ought to observe the Lord's Table, and whether imposing "white" music is a problem. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

What image of reality does God wants us to have of life under his rule in the midst of a wicked world. What are we to do? How can we praise the Lord when this is the reality? Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this essay here.

When Martin Luther was asked what his favorite psalms were, he answered that his favorite psalms were the “Pauline Psalms.” And when he was asked which psalms those were, he answered Psalm 32, Psalm 51, Psalm 130, and Psalm 143. Four penitential psalms—four songs of repentance. Luther said that he believed that these four penitential psalms contained truths that best reflected the gospel as Paul articulated it in his New Testament epistles. These songs clearly express and form within us the reality of our sin, God’s judgment of sin, and the forgiveness that is possible for those who repent and believe, forgiveness that is based upon the sacrificial atonement of the Son of God. Psalm 130 is a gospel song. You can read an article version of this episode here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

en cited by evangelicals to prove that every cultural expression is legitimate since people from every nation will be admitted into heaven is Revelation 5:9. Listen as Scott Aniol explains this passage. You can read this essay here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

As the New Testament’s treatment of the Psalms makes clear, ultimately the Psalms point to the true Blessed Man, the King of Glory who opened the gates of heaven to all who put their trust in him and stands as their mediator and intercessor. In other words, the Psalms encompass the gospel. But the Psalms don’t just describe the gospel, they form the gospel into our hearts, shaping our imagination of what a truly blessed life will be in willing submission to the King of Glory. Listen as Scott Aniol explains how the psalms can form the gospel in our hearts. You can read this article here. _____________________________________ Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Before we can express praise to God, we must express thanks. Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this essay here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Central to a proper image of blessedness as expressed in the Psalms is a conception of God’s rule as that which brings flourishing, rather than conceiving it as burdensome. God pronounced a blessing upon Adam in Genesis 1:28 that gave him the right to rule as God’s chosen representative under God’s ultimate authority. God made man “to have dominion over the works of [his] hands;” he “put all things under his feet” (Ps 8:6). Adam, however, failed. He conceived of God’s rule as bonds to be broken, and he disobeyed the command of God. Adam forfeited his right to rule as God’s regal representative. Yet God’s intent to bless man by giving him rule over all things under his ultimate rule did not end with Adam’s failure. God still intends to bless humankind through the mediatorial rule of an Anointed One, and this is a critical element of a proper image of blessedness, one first introduced in Psalm 2 and developed throughout the Psalter. An ungodly conception of blessedness that casts off the rule of God also rejected “his Anointed,” as Psalm 2:2 states. The term translated “Anointed” in the psalms and throughout Scripture is the word “Messiah,” and refers to God’s chosen kingly representative. Therefore, we must understand the nature of this Anointed One and how he plays into a proper conception of blessedness in submission to God’s rule. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Agreement on the gospel creates minimal Christian unity, whereas maximal Christian unity happens the more Christians agree on the whole counsel of God. Listen as Scott Aniol explains the biblical doctrine of separation. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Listen as Scott Aniol explains what Christians should do when the commands of God and men conflict. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

God has given us his sufficient Word, and we should not expect for the Holy Spirit to give us revelation, including "a still small voice" or impressions. What does the Holy Spirit do today, then? Scott Aniol Explains.

The first word of Psalm 1 tells us what the goal of the whole collection of psalms is: blessedness. Listen as Scott Aniol explains this unifying feature of the psalms. You can read this essay here: https://g3min.org/blessedness-in-a-wicked-world

guest on the CrossPolitic podcast asserted that it is the fault of Baptist individualism that transgenderism has risen in our culture. Listen as Scott Aniol responds. You can read this essay here: https://g3min.org/did-baptist-theology-cause-transgenderism-a-friendly-response-to-crosspolitic/

It is quite common for Baptists today to claim that the church has been given only two ordinances—baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptists today sort of take this for granted; pastors often say from the pulpit that we have been given only two ordinances, and if you were to ask the average Baptist, they would agree. However, this language has not always been so among Baptists. In fact, it's rather recent. Listen as Scott Aniol explain. You can read this essay at G3Min.org. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

“Coming of age” ceremonies are not unique in the history of humankind, of course. Various communities around the world and throughout time have marked the transition of a child into an adult with rituals and ceremonies, possibly the most well-known of these being the bar mitzvah in Jewish communities. Historically, age thirteen is when a child comes of age and enters a period of training for adulthood. For Christians, this can be a wonderful opportunity to stimulate a young man or woman toward Christian maturity. Listen as Scott Aniol explains what he and his wife have done with their adolescent children. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

One of the clearest ways you can determine someone’s fundamental theology of worship is to ask them the following question: “How do you know that you have worshiped?” If our goal in worship is to commune with God, how do we know we have accomplished our goal? How do we know we have worshiped? Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this essay here. This episode is an excerpt from Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship (Free Grace Press, 2022). Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Do a Google Image search for "worship," and the dominant image you'll find is a group of people, hands raised, eyes closed, faces scrunched. That's the dominant image today of evangelical worship. But is it the biblical image. Listen as Scott Aniol addresses this topic. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Weekly observance does make the Supper seem routine. And that's a good thing. Listen as Scott Aniol explains. You can read this post here. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

In this edition of "Ask Me Anything," Scott Aniol answers questions concerning why you should not watch The Chosen, whether nativity scenes break the Second Commandment, whether unsaved children should be allowed to sing in a church choir, whether we should void vaccines that use fetal cells, the place of physical expressiveness in corporate worship, and what characterizes traditional hymnody. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

What does the Bible teach about church offices (elder, pastor, overseer, deacon) and the responsibilities of each office? Scott Aniol explains. Scott Aniol's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottaniol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

The biblical and historical precent for welcoming children into church gatherings is clear—why do most churches today segregate children into their own gatherings? Scott Aniol examines the biblical and historic evidence. Purchase Scott's book, Let the Little Children Come: Family Worship on Sunday (and the Other Six Days, Too). Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Don't give in and watch The Chosen. Your imagination will forever be shaped by the visceral potency of a cinematic interpretation of Bible narratives, and it will therefore be much more difficult to allow the words of Scripture to shape your imagination.  God gave us words. Scott Aniol explains why using any visual images of the triune God is harmful to truly knowing and loving God. Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Scott Aniol uses recent comments by Dwight McKissic and Jackie Hill Perry to clarify important biblical category differences between ethnicity and culture. Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Did you know that understanding the nature and circumstances of the Davidic Covenant is important for understanding the intentional arrangement and purpose of the Psalms? Listen as Scott Aniol explains. Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

It is no secret that among evangelicals today the psalms are mostly ignored in corporate worship. Listen as Scott Aniol explains four reasons. The Conservative Church: Preserving and Transmitting Biblical Christianity | David de Bruyn Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Christians today have a significant misunderstanding of the nature of our relationship with God, including the role of emotions. Using Scripture and the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Scott Aniol explains why physical feelings are signs of nothing. The only way to measure our relationship with God is long-term, progressive spiritual growth. Upcoming events mentioned in this episode: Church and Family Life Conference, May 19–22  GBTS Theology of Worship Course, August 11–13 Books mentioned in this episode: Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship Changed from Glory into Glory: The Liturgical Story of the Christian Faith Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Scott responds to critics who claim that he wants worship to be boring. This is in response to Scott's recent article, "Stop Singing Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation." Upcoming events mentioned in this episode: Church and Family Life Conference, May 19–22 GBTS Theology of Worship Course, August 11–13 Books/articles mentioned in this episode: Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship Changed from Glory into Glory: The Liturgical Story of the Christian Faith Why Are You Afraid? by Darrell Harrison and Virgil Walker How We May Read Scriptures with Most Spiritual Profit by Thomas Watson The Conservative Church: Preserving and Transmitting Biblical Christianity by David de Bruyn What Happens When We Worship by Jonathan Landry Cruse "Understanding Affections in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards: 'The High Exercises of Divine Love'" by Ryan Martin "Violent Motions of Carnal Affections" by Ryan Martin From Passions to Emotions: The Creation of a Secular Psychological Category by Thomas Dixon Scott's blog: https://g3min.org/blogs/scott-aniol/ Article, audio, itinerary: https://www.scottaniol.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmaniol Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottAniol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmaniol/

Scott Aniol explains the difference between a covenant-renewal theology of worship and a sacramental theology of worship and the two different kinds of music that embody these two theologies.

Scott Aniol explains what he meant by "music embodies theology" in his article/podcast on why Reformed Christians should not sing music from groups whose music embodies Pentecostal theology. Original article: https://g3min.org/stop-singing-hillsong-bethel-jesus-culture-and-elevation

There's no question about it—Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation have become a global phenomenon. And you should stop singing their music. Scott Aniol explains why.