View this email in your browser

It's Saturday, September 16, 2023.

Today’s edition covers Acts 29’s backpedaling on a LGBTQ video, revelations that an alleged loophole in Pornhub’s policies is endangering underage individuals, and more.

First time reading? Sign up here.

Of Christian Concern

ACTS 29 NETWORK APOLOGIZES FOR A “THEOLOGICALLY UNCLEAR” VIDEO ABOUT LGBTQIA+

Acts 29 Network, the denomination of churches led by well-known pastor Matt Chandler, removed and apologized for a video titled “Walking With Jesus Among Our LGBTQIA+ Friends” on Wednesday.

According to a statement posted on the network’s website, they had received feedback that the video “appeared to minimize the severity of sin” and that the featured interview with pastor Mike Sullivan of Emmaus City Church “lacked the clarity needed to publicly communicate biblical truth on such a critically important issue.” Upon reflection, the organization agreed the video was “theologically unclear,” and took it down. In the statement, they affirmed their commitment “to a historically orthodox view on gender and human sexuality.”

One pastor of an Acts 29 church, Michael Clary, expressed gratitude for the removal and the apology, but urged that further clarity is needed, arguing the mere affirmation of a historically orthodox view “does not distinguish Acts 29 from ‘gay Christian’ organizations like Revoice.”

A LOOPHOLE IN PORNHUB’S POLICIES IS “OF COURSE” EXPLOITED BY RAPISTS AND OTHERS, UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION REVEALS

Sound Investigations published footage from an undercover investigation into Pornhub. (Screenshot: Sound Investigations)

An undercover investigation by Sound Investigations revealed a loophole in Pornhub’s compliance policy that is “of course” being exploited by rapists, and likely child sex traffickers.

An employee of the pornographic video-streaming company told an undercover journalist that there is often no way of knowing the identity of the people in videos on the site. While a “content uploader” has to provide a photo ID, people featured in the videos do not always show their faces, and Pornhub does not verify that they are all consenting adults.

When asked if rapists exploit this loophole, the employee, a product manager named Mike Farley, said, “Of course.” When asked whether human traffickers exploit it to make money, he again said “of course” they could.

Farley claims that he and his supervisor brought up the concern with the Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO), but they shrugged it off, perhaps because it would cost money to address and would result in less income—“spending money on making less money.” Farley expressed doubt that the government would do anything about the loophole even if they knew about it.

Also Noteworthy

→ Apple Inc., the popular tech company, released an advertisement portraying its executives nervously meeting with the goddess “Mother Nature” (played by Octavia Spencer) and impressing her with their environmentalist efforts.

→ Dr. James Tour, a Rice University chemist and a Christian who has criticized the scientific consensus on the origin of life, has now challenged ten key researchers to answer one of five essential questions, within 60 days. If they can do it, he says he will remove all the content on his YouTube that is critical of origin-of-life claims. If not, the world will see the scientific community is “utterly clueless” about the origin of life.

→ The California State Assembly passed AB 957 last Friday, a bill that would require judges to consider a parent’s affirmation of a child’s gender identity or expression as part of the child’s “health, safety, and welfare” in custody cases.

→ Hayward Unified School District in California allegedly wrongly prevented a Bible club called Good News Club from meeting at a local elementary school. The legal organization Liberty Counsel has sent the superintendent a letter demanding a reversal of the decision.

→ UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman published a letter to police forces across the country about the need to rebuild trust after recent cases of police appearing to take political sides. She reminded them that “holding lawful opinions” is “not a criminal offense,” and that “silent prayer, in itself, is not unlawful.” These comments come after a number of controversies, including instances of pro-lifers being arrested for praying silently outside abortion clinics. 

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content by Christian creators.*

→ Why Eric Metaxas Became A Christian: Author and radio host Eric Metaxas reposted part of his interview on The Jordan Peterson Podcast, in which he recounted how God saved him in a “dramatic, miraculous” dream. (Video)

→ Cultural Influencers Are Getting “Jesus Curious”: YouTuber Ruslan KD highlights and comments on several recent instances that seem to indicate an “uptick” in popular cultural influencers softening toward Jesus. (Video)

→ Pro-Lifers Repealing Anti-Abortion Laws: Abolish Abortion Texas reports how a pro-life bill in South Carolina repealed an existing law that criminalized self-managed abortions in certain cases—and how it’s not the first state where this has happened. (Article)

→ Why Pray If God Doesn’t Change His Mind: Bible teacher and YouTuber Alan Parr answers why Christians should pray even though God has already determined what He will do, and explains why some Bible verses describe God as changing his mind while others say His mind cannot be changed. (Video)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

Jesus’ Brothers

“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” —Matthew 13:55

Contrary to the extra-biblical (i.e., not-in-the-Bible) tradition that Mary the mother of our Lord remained a perpetual virgin, the Scripture is clear that Jesus was her “firstborn” (Luke 2:7), and that He had brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:46; 13:55-56; Mark 3:31-32; Luke 8:19-20).

Four brothers are named: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55). Unfortunately, they did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry: “For not even his brothers believed in him” (John 7:1-15). Rather, they thought, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

After His resurrection, however—during which time He personally appeared to at least one of them, James (1 Corinthians 15:7)—some or all of His siblings came to faith (Acts 1:14). In fact, two of His brothers wrote books in the New Testament: the epistles of James and Jude (a.k.a. Judas, not to be confused with other disciples of the same name, e.g., Luke 6:12-16). James became a significant leader in the Church at Jerusalem, even perhaps one of its “pillars” (Galatians 2:9).

As important as it is to recognize the relationship that these men had to Jesus, our Lord also taught clearly that—so to speak—spirit is thicker than blood. As Mark 3:34-35 records, “And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.’”

To Jesus, the most important family is the spiritual family of God, which is brought together by His sacrifice on the cross, as Hebrews 2:11 states, “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers”. If you have salvation in Him, that means you.

Here’s a freebee: Watch this clip to see Christian comedian Michael Jr.’s funny take on what it must’ve been like to be “Jesus’ lil bother” James.

Church History Tidbit

The Conversion of Clovis I

Ivory binding plate depicting the baptism of Clovis, by Remi of Reims, 9th century. (Wikimedia Commons)

The fall of the Western Roman Empire is described by Yale historian Paul Freedman as a period of “thugs and miracles.” One alleged miracle experienced by one so-called thug was the conversion of Clovis I.

Clovis I (AD 466-511) was king of the Franks, and is often credited as the founding father of France.  The Franks were one of the Germanic peoples who invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. According to church historian B.K. Kuiper:

“The Franks were the first Germanic tribe to adopt Christianity after the invasion. The story told about the conversion of Clovis is very similar to the story told about the conversion of Emperor Constantine. In the heat of a desperate battle Clovis saw the sign of the cross in the sky. He vowed that he would become a Christian if he won the battle. After the victory was gained, he was baptized, together with three thousand of his warriors, on Christmas Day of the year 496 in the city of Rheims.”

Other sources suggest 508 as the year of baptism, and some suggest the conversion story is an embellishment invented by historian Gregory of Tours to intentionally draw parallels between Clovis and Constantine. In fact, Clovis may have been convinced to convert by his Catholic wife Clotilde, whom he married sometime between 493 and 499.

Whatever the true impetus for Clovis’ conversion, it was significant in that, Kuiper says, the Franks became the only German tribe to adopt “the orthodox Christianity of the Nicene Creed,” whereas all others adopted the heresy of Arianism. This distinction made the Franks’ conversion “an event of utmost importance,” as they would (centuries later, in 732) be the ones who “came forward as the champions of Christianity” against the “Muslim hosts” in the Battle of Tours.

Learned something new? Share it.

If you got value out of this briefing, please forward this email or share this link with a friend. If you have comments or suggestions, submit them here.

More Christians should know more. Spread the knowledge.

Your feedback is vital. The success of this project depends on hearing from you, the reader, with your thoughts and ideas about how this digest can best serve you. Please reply to this email to let us know how we’re doing, and what we can do better.

Why "18:15"? The name Project 18:15 is based on Proverbs 18:15: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” The aim is for this weekly email—a Christian news briefing, a Bible study, and a Church history lesson rolled into one—to be one way you keep abreast of current events and acquire knowledge you might not acquire elsewhere.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright (C) " target="_blank">unsubscribe