An interview with Paul Grimmond
Paul, how did you come to Christ?
Two things happened:
- Christian friends at school wouldn't let me sit comfortably in my anti-historicist, Jesus-never-lived, blindness; they kept inviting me to hear people explaining that God was real, that Jesus lived and died, and that sin mattered.
- God opened my blind eyes to see the truth.
How do you occupy your time?
I occupy my time by being a husband to Cathy, and a dad to Anna, Ethan and Joel. I have recently start work as part of the editorial team at Matthias Media, so apparently I also write stuff and edit!
Tell us a bit about your background and interests.
I grew up in a home that gave me a great love for reading, so that is a significant part of me. I love thinking deeply about theology, writing and playing music, engaging in physical activity and playing computer games (especially RTS, for those interested).
What are some books that really helped you grow as a Christian?
Taking the Bible as read (no pun intended), some other significant books have been:
- Gospel and Kingdom by Graeme Goldsworthy (now published in The Goldsworthy Trilogy)—I realized for the first time in my life that the Bible was one whole book, and that there was a biblical way of reading it.
- Fundamentalism and the Word of God by JI Packer—The first persuasive and thorough treatment of the doctrine of Scripture that I read. It also opened my eyes to the importance of history for understanding our present circumstances.
- How long O Lord? by DA Carson—The book that persuaded me of the importance of the sovereignty of God.
- The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin—I was forced to read this at college, and had no idea of what I was reading. Subsequent reflection has persuaded me of how insightful so much of his theology is.
What are you reading now?
It's a rather eclectic mix.
- He'll be OK by Celia Lashlie—A book about raising adolescent boys. A fascinating read.
- The Shack by William P Young—Why has this book changed the world? (It's awful!)
- The Fight by John White—It's interesting to reflect on the advice given 30 years ago to someone setting out in the Christian life.
- Lectures to my Students by CH Spurgeon—Good for the soul.
What websites do you check 'religiously'?
- The Sydney Morning Herald (sorry, it's true)
- Pyromaniacs
- KVR Audio: Audio plug-in news (it's a muso site which specializes in vst plug-ins for those who are interested)
What would your friends say are your hobby horses?
- The sovereignty of God—“God is God, and you are not”.
- The doctrine of Scripture.
- The importance of righteousness.
What's something that makes you angry?
The New Atheism and, at the moment, The Shack.
Who's someone who inspires you?
I know it's corny, but my wife inspires me. She loves Jesus and others in an amazing way.
What's your ideal day off?
A sleep-in (that would be novel!). Some time in the great outdoors with my family. A good book, some physical exercise and some time at the computer recording.
Give us your top five memories of the 80s!
- Wearing lime green pants with a pale pink T-shirt.
- Going on my first ever ‘date’ to the Lismore show (I am now married to her!)
- Playing games on my Commodore 64.
- Sticking to my older brother's lime green vinyl bean bag in summer (it was so humid).
- Doing work experience on the Ray Martin Midday Show.
Thanks Paul!
I think we need a photo of those pants.
Were they made out of the same vinyl as the bean bag?
Lucy: if we put up a photo of those lime green pants, I expect the Sola Panel site would then be blocked by any decent content filter.
No, they were linen, not vinyl. Pity really, that would have made the story much more interesting.
G’day Grimmo! Thanks for sharing, brother. I’m curious though: what is it about The Shack that makes you angry? (I haven’t read it, but saw the intriguing description on the Koorong website) ... I’m guessing you don’t think of it as the “modern-day Pilgrim’s Progress”?
Hi Akos,
The short answer is that it gives a totally unbiblical picture of God. For the long answer, read next month’s Briefing!
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