Psalm 133: Why are the mountains of Zion wet with Dew? And why is godly unity compared to that image?
Revelation 21:2 -- Zion, the New Jerusalem, the holy city -- she is the Church who was "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Christ is the husband, and the Father has created the Church, the Bride. Therefore, the mountains of Zion are wet because she, the Church, is covered with the Dew-wetness of new birth. The Church is wet with Dew because she has been born by the regenerating work of the Spirit, she has left the womb, is wet with new birth and has been given to the Son.
Spirit and water are present and that is why godly unity exists between men who are wet with the waters of Baptism; men who are now united in Christ.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Popish Mass
Question 80 from The Heidelberg Catechism: "What difference is there between the Lord's supper and the popish mass? Answer: The Lord's supper testifies to us, that we have a full pardon of all sin by the only sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which he himself has once accomplished on the cross; and, that we by the Holy Ghost are ingrafted into Christ, who, according to his human nature is now not on earth, but in heaven, at the right hand of God his Father, and will there be worshipped by us. But the mass teaches, that the living and dead have not the pardon of sins through the sufferings of Christ, unless Christ is also daily offered for them by the priests; and further, that Christ is bodily under the form of bread and wine, and therefore is to be worshipped in them; so that the mass, at bottom, is nothing else than a denial of the one sacrifice and sufferings of Jesus Christ, and an accursed idolatry."
Travel here to read an article about the University Chorale from my alma mater, who sang last year at a Wednesday evening Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Unsettling, that.
Travel here to read an article about the University Chorale from my alma mater, who sang last year at a Wednesday evening Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Unsettling, that.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Revelation: Christian Future - The New Jerusalem
'"I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I John saw a holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." In taking these words for my text I placed myself at the point where the whole teaching of Scripture culminates. Here, at the last step, we have a definite and satisfactory completion of the former doctrine of the future. There is to be a perfect humanity; not only perfect individually, but perfect in society. There is to be a city of God. "The Holy City!" - there is the realization of the true tendencies of man. "New Jerusalem!" - there is a fulfilment of the ancient promises of God' (Thomas Dehany Bernard, The Progress of Doctrine in the New Testament, 217).
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Saint Augustine: A Few Excerpts
A few excerpts demonstrating my generalizations from the previous post:
"Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this two-fold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought."
"'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' Now faith will totter if the authority of Scripture begin to shake. And then, if faith toter, love itself will grow cold. For if a man has fallen from faith, he must necessarily also fall from love; for he cannot love what he does not believe to exist."
"Accordingly the Holy Spirit has, with admirable wisdom and care for our welfare, so arranged the Holy Scriptures as by the plainer passages to satisfy our hunger, and by the more obscure to stimulate our appetite."
"And by this sign of the cross all Christian action is symbolized, viz., to do good works in Christ, to cling with constancy to Him, to hope for heaven, and not to desecrate the sacraments."
"Now Scripture enjoins nothing except charity, and condemns nothing except lust, and in that way fashions the lives of men. . . . Now Scripture asserts nothing but the catholic faith, in regard to things past, future, and present."
"For the Church, without spot or wrinkle, gathered out of all nations, and destined to reign for ever with Christ, is itself the land of the blessed, the land of the living . . ."
"Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this two-fold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought."
"'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' Now faith will totter if the authority of Scripture begin to shake. And then, if faith toter, love itself will grow cold. For if a man has fallen from faith, he must necessarily also fall from love; for he cannot love what he does not believe to exist."
"Accordingly the Holy Spirit has, with admirable wisdom and care for our welfare, so arranged the Holy Scriptures as by the plainer passages to satisfy our hunger, and by the more obscure to stimulate our appetite."
"And by this sign of the cross all Christian action is symbolized, viz., to do good works in Christ, to cling with constancy to Him, to hope for heaven, and not to desecrate the sacraments."
"Now Scripture enjoins nothing except charity, and condemns nothing except lust, and in that way fashions the lives of men. . . . Now Scripture asserts nothing but the catholic faith, in regard to things past, future, and present."
"For the Church, without spot or wrinkle, gathered out of all nations, and destined to reign for ever with Christ, is itself the land of the blessed, the land of the living . . ."
Friday, June 25, 2010
Reading List: Saint Augustine
Recently I have re-visited a handful of Saint Augustine's works. For my undergraduate studies I was fortunate enough to take a course on Saint Augustine taught by Dr. Chris Bounds (fantastic course, fantastic teacher), but once again I have found the happy pleasure of marching through Augustine's Confessions and Christian Teaching, and the experience has been, yet again, quite uplifting.
I find his writings utterly compelling. When I read his writings I feel as though they have been written and addressed to me. This feeling is similar to the way I feel on the Lord's Day; I am sitting in a pew, I am listening to the sermon, and I feel as though the Pastor has peered into my soul and addressed my very own sin.
So, in addition to that, what is it exactly that I find to be so compelling about Saint Augustine? If I had to pin it down, I would emphasize three points: First, his hermeneutic of love; second, his pastoral concern; and third, his ability to write with the utmost emotion and sincerity. Pastor D.M. Lloyd-Jones once commented that the "lightning and thunder" of a pastor is oftentimes lost in a written text, but, with Saint Augustine, "lightning and thunder" is commonplace. His ability to communicate in love with livelihood is absolutely gripping.
I find his writings utterly compelling. When I read his writings I feel as though they have been written and addressed to me. This feeling is similar to the way I feel on the Lord's Day; I am sitting in a pew, I am listening to the sermon, and I feel as though the Pastor has peered into my soul and addressed my very own sin.
So, in addition to that, what is it exactly that I find to be so compelling about Saint Augustine? If I had to pin it down, I would emphasize three points: First, his hermeneutic of love; second, his pastoral concern; and third, his ability to write with the utmost emotion and sincerity. Pastor D.M. Lloyd-Jones once commented that the "lightning and thunder" of a pastor is oftentimes lost in a written text, but, with Saint Augustine, "lightning and thunder" is commonplace. His ability to communicate in love with livelihood is absolutely gripping.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Classical Protestantism
Classical Protestantism consists of four branches: Lutheran, Calvinistic, Anglican, and Radical (Anabaptistic). Do you want to know what is confusing? It is confusing when each of these groups talk about themselves as though they alone are the true branch of Protestantism. I protest such a notion.
Classical Protestantism is no mere branch. It is Aaron's rod, putting forth buds, producing blossoms, and bearing ripe almonds. Classical Protestantism is the Garden on a Mountain, with four nourishing streams flowing to the ends of the earth. Classical Protestantism is alive, beautiful, and fruitful. Praise be to God.
Classical Protestantism is the priesthood of all believers. Classical Protestantism is the reformation of and return to Biblical preaching. Classical Protestantism is 500 million strong...may their tribe increase! Again, Classical Protestantism is alive, beautiful, and fruitful. Praise be to God.
So, all that to say, Classical Protestantism is multi-faceted and uniquely diverse. Classical Protestantism is Pentecostal and Spirit-Filled, blowing to and fro like the wind. Three times I say, it is alive, beautiful, and fruitful. Classical Protestantism, however, is all of these things not in spite of the 33,000+ denominations (David B. Barrett), but because of it. Again, Praise be to God, and may their tribe increase.
Classical Protestantism is no mere branch. It is Aaron's rod, putting forth buds, producing blossoms, and bearing ripe almonds. Classical Protestantism is the Garden on a Mountain, with four nourishing streams flowing to the ends of the earth. Classical Protestantism is alive, beautiful, and fruitful. Praise be to God.
Classical Protestantism is the priesthood of all believers. Classical Protestantism is the reformation of and return to Biblical preaching. Classical Protestantism is 500 million strong...may their tribe increase! Again, Classical Protestantism is alive, beautiful, and fruitful. Praise be to God.
So, all that to say, Classical Protestantism is multi-faceted and uniquely diverse. Classical Protestantism is Pentecostal and Spirit-Filled, blowing to and fro like the wind. Three times I say, it is alive, beautiful, and fruitful. Classical Protestantism, however, is all of these things not in spite of the 33,000+ denominations (David B. Barrett), but because of it. Again, Praise be to God, and may their tribe increase.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thought and Speech, Again
"Language is not an accident of human nature; else might it utterly perish like other arts and inventions of man. it is an essential element of man's being, and one which distinguishes him from the brute" (Milton Terry, Biblical Hermeneutics, p. 71).
"Thought and speech are God's gifts to creatures made in His image; these are intimately associated with Him and impossible apart from Him. it is highly significant that the first word was the Word: 'And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' We may speak because God spoke. In him word and idea are indivisible" (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 2).
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 28:18-20).
"Thought and speech are God's gifts to creatures made in His image; these are intimately associated with Him and impossible apart from Him. it is highly significant that the first word was the Word: 'And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' We may speak because God spoke. In him word and idea are indivisible" (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 2).
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 28:18-20).
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Heart and Speech
The Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Good looks and smooth words don't fool God. "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" Matthew 15:8. Do not be a hypocrite. If you want to be righteous, then draw near to God with both heart and speech.
God is omniscient (Psalm 139), he knows all and cannot be fooled. The Word made all things (John 1:2), he knows all and cannot be fooled. Wicked men are always trying to fool God, as well as their peers. Christians need to avoid being deceived by the smooth words of wicked men. Be like God, be holy and do not be deceived by false words. Do not be deceived into thinking that righteousness is merely eloquent speech. It require much, much more. Righteousness requires a renewed heart.
The Lord is Holy and is not fooled by wicked, smooth words, nor should the righteous. Therefore, consider the words of men carefully. Words are weighty and ought to be carefully considered. Words are weighty, so the righteous ought to use speech carefully. "The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth" Proverbs 10:20. The wicked do not consider the weight of their words; their hearts are of little worth. They do not understand that words and reality are intimately linked.
Consider the power of words. With words a Pastor declares that a man and woman have just been made "husband and wife". That is powerful. The Pastor didn't make them "husband and wife", God did that. But what the Pastor is doing is declaring the truthfulness, that is, the objective fact of what has just occurred; he has declared that now they truly are "husband and wife," whereas ten seconds ago they were not. This is what happens during Christian Baptism too. God saves you, not water and not the Pastor sprinkling it on your head. Your body was just baptized, that means something. Your wet, baptized body is an image, it is a picture. Pictures function like words in that they say something about reality. Your wet, baptized body is saying, "I've died with Christ, therefore, I will be raised with Christ and I will be saved from my sins...my body will not be abandoned to the grave because God grants eternal life to those who trust in him."
God is not haphazard with words, nor should we be. Therefore, if you want to be righteous, then you should pray to God and ask him to transform your heart and speech. Heart and speech are not the sum of righteousness, however, it is helpful to think about them as grammar or building blocks for holy living.
God is omniscient (Psalm 139), he knows all and cannot be fooled. The Word made all things (John 1:2), he knows all and cannot be fooled. Wicked men are always trying to fool God, as well as their peers. Christians need to avoid being deceived by the smooth words of wicked men. Be like God, be holy and do not be deceived by false words. Do not be deceived into thinking that righteousness is merely eloquent speech. It require much, much more. Righteousness requires a renewed heart.
The Lord is Holy and is not fooled by wicked, smooth words, nor should the righteous. Therefore, consider the words of men carefully. Words are weighty and ought to be carefully considered. Words are weighty, so the righteous ought to use speech carefully. "The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth" Proverbs 10:20. The wicked do not consider the weight of their words; their hearts are of little worth. They do not understand that words and reality are intimately linked.
Consider the power of words. With words a Pastor declares that a man and woman have just been made "husband and wife". That is powerful. The Pastor didn't make them "husband and wife", God did that. But what the Pastor is doing is declaring the truthfulness, that is, the objective fact of what has just occurred; he has declared that now they truly are "husband and wife," whereas ten seconds ago they were not. This is what happens during Christian Baptism too. God saves you, not water and not the Pastor sprinkling it on your head. Your body was just baptized, that means something. Your wet, baptized body is an image, it is a picture. Pictures function like words in that they say something about reality. Your wet, baptized body is saying, "I've died with Christ, therefore, I will be raised with Christ and I will be saved from my sins...my body will not be abandoned to the grave because God grants eternal life to those who trust in him."
God is not haphazard with words, nor should we be. Therefore, if you want to be righteous, then you should pray to God and ask him to transform your heart and speech. Heart and speech are not the sum of righteousness, however, it is helpful to think about them as grammar or building blocks for holy living.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Inerrancy
Here is a solid Vern Poythress quote from an interview: “Inerrancy is spiritually important because of the long-term consequences of denying it. If we come to think that there are errors in the Bible, we then allow ourselves to sort between what we think is good and what we think is bad. It is always we who end up doing the sorting, and our personal judgments lord it over scripture. It ruins the Lordship of Christ over our lives, because then we secretly retain the power to reject anything that does not suit us.”
Monday, April 5, 2010
Homily: Gospel of Matthew
In his First Homily on the Gospel of Matthew, Chrysostom warns us that judgment will come down upon us if we neglect the Scriptures. Scripture has purpose and was given for a reason (God's words are not haphazard), therefore, Chrysostom says, "Let us give strict heed unto the things that are written; and let us learn how the Old Law was given on the one hand, how on the other the New Covenant" (added emphasis).
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Wisdom vs. Weapons of War
Ecclesiastes 9:18 - "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good."
It can be demonstrated with ease that one sinner destroys much good (David's sinful census led to the death of 70,000 people, 1 Chronicles 21:14; Achan's sin, his disobedience and greed, led not only to the military defeat of Israel at Ai but eventually to the destruction of himself and his family, Joshua 7). It is, however, not as easily demonstrated that wisdom is better than weapons of war. Post-Hiroshima it is easier to think that the way to get things done in this world is to do so with the aid of the latest and greatest weaponry.
Well, for starters, if you fight with weapons of war (the sword), you do not truly have protection, for it is well known that weapons of war can be brought against you too (Matthew 26:52). Pagan history is exactly this--an endless circle of self-glory seekers dropping bombs on one another.
Christian history revolutionized pagan history. Christianity changed the world when it listened to Lady Wisdom, who said "Fear God, not man". Christians listened to Lady Wisdom, and as a result, they broke the cycle of pagan history with obedience to God; that is, by caring for orphans, widows, and everybody else with zero utility within the death-cycle of paganism (And who were those with no utility--they were infants, women, the elderly, the handicapped, the ill, etc).
God tells us that if you have wisdom, that is, if you love Lady Wisdom, then "she will keep you" and "she will guard you" (Proverbs 4:5-6). Guess what...the latest and greatest weaponry doesn't stand a chance against Lady Wisdom.
And how do we know that Lady Wisdom will prevail? Because we're told that the Kingdom of God has come, and that it is transforming the glory of this world into an even greater glory. As the fall-out of wisdom (not bombs) covers the land, peace shall pour forth from Mount Calvary and flow downhill to each of the four corners of the earth, and as a result the sucking child will play on the hole of the asp (Isaiah 11:8).
That is a really good reason for why Wisdom is better than weapons of war.
Do you want to break the pagan cycles of today? Then do so, by listening to Lady Wisdom--for she is better than the weapons of war. Listen to Lady Wisdom and obey God.
It can be demonstrated with ease that one sinner destroys much good (David's sinful census led to the death of 70,000 people, 1 Chronicles 21:14; Achan's sin, his disobedience and greed, led not only to the military defeat of Israel at Ai but eventually to the destruction of himself and his family, Joshua 7). It is, however, not as easily demonstrated that wisdom is better than weapons of war. Post-Hiroshima it is easier to think that the way to get things done in this world is to do so with the aid of the latest and greatest weaponry.
Well, for starters, if you fight with weapons of war (the sword), you do not truly have protection, for it is well known that weapons of war can be brought against you too (Matthew 26:52). Pagan history is exactly this--an endless circle of self-glory seekers dropping bombs on one another.
Christian history revolutionized pagan history. Christianity changed the world when it listened to Lady Wisdom, who said "Fear God, not man". Christians listened to Lady Wisdom, and as a result, they broke the cycle of pagan history with obedience to God; that is, by caring for orphans, widows, and everybody else with zero utility within the death-cycle of paganism (And who were those with no utility--they were infants, women, the elderly, the handicapped, the ill, etc).
God tells us that if you have wisdom, that is, if you love Lady Wisdom, then "she will keep you" and "she will guard you" (Proverbs 4:5-6). Guess what...the latest and greatest weaponry doesn't stand a chance against Lady Wisdom.
And how do we know that Lady Wisdom will prevail? Because we're told that the Kingdom of God has come, and that it is transforming the glory of this world into an even greater glory. As the fall-out of wisdom (not bombs) covers the land, peace shall pour forth from Mount Calvary and flow downhill to each of the four corners of the earth, and as a result the sucking child will play on the hole of the asp (Isaiah 11:8).
That is a really good reason for why Wisdom is better than weapons of war.
Do you want to break the pagan cycles of today? Then do so, by listening to Lady Wisdom--for she is better than the weapons of war. Listen to Lady Wisdom and obey God.
Friday, April 2, 2010
One Choice: Pagan Law or Christian Law
"The fact is that all law is "religious." All law is based on some ultimate standard of morality and ethics. Every law-system is founded on the ultimate value of that system, and that ultimate value is the god of that system. The source of law for a society is the god of that society. This means that a theocracy is inescapable. All societies are theocracies. The difference is that a society that is not explicitly Christian is a theocracy of a false god. Thus, when God instructed the Israelites about going into the land of Canaan, He warned them not to adopt the law system of the pagans:
I am the LORD your God. You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if He does them; I am the LORD (Lev. 18:2-5).
"That is the only choice: pagan law or Christian law. God specifically forbids "pluralism." God is not the least bit interested in sharing world dominion with Satan. God wants us to honor Him individually, in our families, in our churches, in our businesses, in our cultural pursuits of every kind, and in our statutes and judgments. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Prov. 14:34). According to humanists, civilizations just "rise" and "fall," by some naturalistic, evolutionary mechanism. But the Bible says that the key to the history of civilizations is judgment. God evaluates our response to His commands, and He answers back with curse and blessing. If a nation obeys Him, He blesses and prospers it (Deut. 28:1-14); if a nation disobeys Him, He curses and destroys it (Deut. 28:15-68). The history of Israel stands as a warning to all nations: for if God did it to them, He will surely do the same to the rest of us (Jer. 25:29)" (David Chilton, Paradise Restored).
I am the LORD your God. You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if He does them; I am the LORD (Lev. 18:2-5).
"That is the only choice: pagan law or Christian law. God specifically forbids "pluralism." God is not the least bit interested in sharing world dominion with Satan. God wants us to honor Him individually, in our families, in our churches, in our businesses, in our cultural pursuits of every kind, and in our statutes and judgments. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Prov. 14:34). According to humanists, civilizations just "rise" and "fall," by some naturalistic, evolutionary mechanism. But the Bible says that the key to the history of civilizations is judgment. God evaluates our response to His commands, and He answers back with curse and blessing. If a nation obeys Him, He blesses and prospers it (Deut. 28:1-14); if a nation disobeys Him, He curses and destroys it (Deut. 28:15-68). The history of Israel stands as a warning to all nations: for if God did it to them, He will surely do the same to the rest of us (Jer. 25:29)" (David Chilton, Paradise Restored).
Great Commission: World Begun Again
"The Great Commission to the Church does not end with simply witnessing to the nations. Christ's command is that we disciple the nations—all the nations. The kingdoms of the world are to become the kingdoms of Christ. They are to be discipled, made obedient to the faith. This means that every aspect of life throughout the world is to be brought under the lordship of Jesus Christ: families, individuals, business, science, agriculture, the arts, law, education, economics, psychology, philosophy, and every other sphere of human activity. Nothing may be left out. Christ "must reign, until He has put all enemies under His feet" (1st Cor. 15:25). We have been given the responsibility of converting the entire world. . . .
"What would you say if you hired a worker, gave him detailed instructions, and all he did was to sit around wondering when the quitting bell will ring? Would you regard him as a faithful worker? Does God regard you as a faithful worker for His Kingdom? I repeat: the purpose of prophecy is ethical. It is God's assurance that history is under His control, that He is working out His eternal purposes in every event, and that His original plan for His creation will be fulfilled. He has placed us into the great war for world history, with the absolute guarantee that we will win. Even if He has to make the whole universe stand still for us (Josh. 10:12-13), the day will last long enough for us to achieve victory. Time is on our side. The Kingdom has come, and the world has begun again. Now: Get to work" (David Chilton, Paradise Restored).
"What would you say if you hired a worker, gave him detailed instructions, and all he did was to sit around wondering when the quitting bell will ring? Would you regard him as a faithful worker? Does God regard you as a faithful worker for His Kingdom? I repeat: the purpose of prophecy is ethical. It is God's assurance that history is under His control, that He is working out His eternal purposes in every event, and that His original plan for His creation will be fulfilled. He has placed us into the great war for world history, with the absolute guarantee that we will win. Even if He has to make the whole universe stand still for us (Josh. 10:12-13), the day will last long enough for us to achieve victory. Time is on our side. The Kingdom has come, and the world has begun again. Now: Get to work" (David Chilton, Paradise Restored).
Blog: Good Reads
Thursday, April 1, 2010
OT: Pre-Christian--Glorifies Christ
"…I would argue that the Old Testament functions within Christian scripture as a witness to Jesus Christ precisely in its pre-Christian form. The task of Old Testament theology is, therefore, not to Christianize the Old Testament by identifying it with the New Testament witness, but to hear its own theological testimony to the God of Israel whom the church confesses also to worship. Although Christians confess that God who revealed himself to Israel is the God and Father of Jesus Christ, it is still necessary to hear Israel’s witness in order to understand who the Father of Jesus Christ is. The coming of Jesus does not remove the function of the divine disclosure in the old covenant" (Brevard Childs, Old Testament Theology in a Canonical Context, p. 9).
The Old Testament is exactly that, an Older Testament. God really did reveal himself to Israel (Heb. 1:1), and as Christians we should seek to understand that witness, for it too glorifies Christ, the Messiah (Acts 18:28).
In the past (in history), the Lord spoke through the prophets, he really did, and we should endeavor to understand the testimony of the prophets. And now the Lord speaks through Jesus Christ, he really does, and we should endeavor to understand the testimony of Jesus Christ. However, to affirm that Christ is the heart of the Scriptures does not mean that we should collapse the witness of prophets into the witness of Christ the Prophet. As Childs states, Jesus did not remove the function of the divine disclosure of the OT.
In the NT, Christ tells us that he fulfils the witness of the prophets. To fulfil does not mean to obliterate (Mat 5:17). And here is the rub: If you separate the OT from the NT or collapse the OT into the NT, then you are not taking the historical fact that God spoke to the prophets seriously, and when you do this you are attacking their witness. And since that very witness corresponds by figure to Heavenly events (Heb 8:5), in reality what you are doing is attacking Jesus Christ. (Leithart makes this very point: Knowledge of the Scriptures equips us to live in the world as it truly is, and I would go on to clarify that this knowledge includes knowledge of the Older Testament. So, knowledge of the Scriptures is knowledge of Christ; and that knowledge, which is grace from God, allows us to live in the world as it truly is. Christ truly is King, and when we do not attack him, that is, when we submit to him and bow our knees to him, then we are actually living in the world as it truly is. And not only living, but through prayer, the sacraments, worship, etc., we are also meaningfully participating in the world as it truly is.)
It is Easter. Please, do not be like the pagans and the hypocrites; please do not attack Christ. If you separate the OT and NT, then you are attacking Christ. If you collapse the OT into the NT, you are attacking Christ. You are not, however, attacking Christ if you hold the OT and NT in union, for their unity is in Christ.
The Old Testament is exactly that, an Older Testament. God really did reveal himself to Israel (Heb. 1:1), and as Christians we should seek to understand that witness, for it too glorifies Christ, the Messiah (Acts 18:28).
In the past (in history), the Lord spoke through the prophets, he really did, and we should endeavor to understand the testimony of the prophets. And now the Lord speaks through Jesus Christ, he really does, and we should endeavor to understand the testimony of Jesus Christ. However, to affirm that Christ is the heart of the Scriptures does not mean that we should collapse the witness of prophets into the witness of Christ the Prophet. As Childs states, Jesus did not remove the function of the divine disclosure of the OT.
In the NT, Christ tells us that he fulfils the witness of the prophets. To fulfil does not mean to obliterate (Mat 5:17). And here is the rub: If you separate the OT from the NT or collapse the OT into the NT, then you are not taking the historical fact that God spoke to the prophets seriously, and when you do this you are attacking their witness. And since that very witness corresponds by figure to Heavenly events (Heb 8:5), in reality what you are doing is attacking Jesus Christ. (Leithart makes this very point: Knowledge of the Scriptures equips us to live in the world as it truly is, and I would go on to clarify that this knowledge includes knowledge of the Older Testament. So, knowledge of the Scriptures is knowledge of Christ; and that knowledge, which is grace from God, allows us to live in the world as it truly is. Christ truly is King, and when we do not attack him, that is, when we submit to him and bow our knees to him, then we are actually living in the world as it truly is. And not only living, but through prayer, the sacraments, worship, etc., we are also meaningfully participating in the world as it truly is.)
It is Easter. Please, do not be like the pagans and the hypocrites; please do not attack Christ. If you separate the OT and NT, then you are attacking Christ. If you collapse the OT into the NT, you are attacking Christ. You are not, however, attacking Christ if you hold the OT and NT in union, for their unity is in Christ.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Skeptical Scholarship, Again
Is Skeptical Scholarship contrary to the Word of God? If so, then it is sin and folly.
Is Skeptical Scholarship contrary to the Word of God? If so, then it is to be hated.
Is Skeptical Scholarship contrary to the Word of God? If so, then it is to be hated.
Easter: Atonement - Consequent Absolute Necessity
Easter is almost here. Think about Easter; go ahead and think about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why did Christ die? Was it necessary for him to die in order to redeem sinners, or could God have redeemed men by an alternative method? Some Christians have said, ‘Yes, God could have saved men by alternative methods.’ Other Christians, however, have argued for the necessity of the atonement. John Murray, for example, argued for the ‘consequent absolute necessity’ of the Atonement: ‘The only righteousness conceivable that will meet the requirements of our situation as sinners and meet the requirements of a full and irrevocable justification is the righteousness of Christ. This implies his obedience and therefore his incarnation, death, and resurrection. In a word, the necessity of the atonement is inherent in and essential to justification. A salvation from sin divorced from justification is an impossibility and justification of sinners without the God-righteousness of the Redeemer is unthinkable. We can hardly escape the relevance of Paul’s word: “For if a law had been given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been by the law” (Gal. 3:21). What Paul is insisting upon is that if justification could have been secured by any other method than faith in Christ, by that method it would have been’ (Redemption - Accomplished and Applied, pp. 16-17).
Easter is almost here. Think about Easter; go ahead and think about the necessity of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It was necessary. It occurred. Sinners, therefore, were redeemed.
Easter is almost here. Think about Easter; go ahead and think about the necessity of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It was necessary. It occurred. Sinners, therefore, were redeemed.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Mobile Tools for Higher Education: Return to Medieval Learning?
Here is a very interesting article by John Cox. Abilene Christian University has been issuing mobile devices to faculty members and students for their Mobile Learning project. “The goal, in effect, was to eventually turn the entire campus into a laboratory for mobile learning research, experimentation and analysis.” That is an exciting goal. For me, however, the most interesting portion of the article is buried on the third page.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
CSR: Book Review
Christian Scholar's Review has published my book review of Peter J. Leithart's Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture.
Nevin: Sacred Hermeneutics
"The point of Nevin's sacramental hermeneutics is that the spiritual and the ideal must clothe itself, must embody itself, in the medium of human expression. Consequently, language is neither an end in itself (analytical philosophy; literary hermeneutics), nor a circular system of signs and symbols with no entrance or no exit (deconstructionism), but a bridge to reality and a gateway to being. To say anything less would reduce the Incarnation and the sacraments to nominal abstractions or magical singularities at best (p. 77)."
"In allegory, the historical level of the text plays only a minor role in interpretation. In typology, however, history is taken more seriously. It is regarded as the external medium of God's redemptive plan. The object of typology is to uncover the Christological correspondence between the two testaments in order to demonstrate the historical continuity of this plan. Typology, then, differs from allegory by accenting the historical, that is, one historical figure is regarded as the prophetic type of another (William DiPuccio, The Interior Sense of Scripture: The Sacred Hermeneutic of John W. Nevin, p. 91)."
"In allegory, the historical level of the text plays only a minor role in interpretation. In typology, however, history is taken more seriously. It is regarded as the external medium of God's redemptive plan. The object of typology is to uncover the Christological correspondence between the two testaments in order to demonstrate the historical continuity of this plan. Typology, then, differs from allegory by accenting the historical, that is, one historical figure is regarded as the prophetic type of another (William DiPuccio, The Interior Sense of Scripture: The Sacred Hermeneutic of John W. Nevin, p. 91)."
Monday, March 22, 2010
Skeptical Scholarship = "Cavalier Dismissal"
"Skeptical scholarship views the plagues as greatly exaggerated accounts of a perfectly understandable, albeit unusual, natural phenomena. But a serious appraisal of the narratives will not permit such cavalier dismissal of the catastrophic dimensions of the plagues. They must be understood for what they were--unique but genuinely historical outpourings of the wrath of a sovereign God who wished to show not only Egypt but his own people that he is the Lord of all of heaven and earth, one well able to redeem his people from the onerous slavery they knew under Pharaoh and to make them, by covenant, his own servant people (Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, p. 65)."
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hermeneutics: Interior Sense of Scripture
"The interior sense of the Bible is not behind, beyond, or even before the word, but in the word (William DiPuccio, The Interior Sense of Scripture: The Sacred Hermeneutics of John W. Nevin, p. 91)."
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Christian History: Prayer - Reign of Life
The reign of life: Matthew 6:13 - "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever."
Christian History: Prophecy - Reign of Life
Contrasting the Greco-Roman and Christian view of history, Peter J. Leithart concludes that "...the biblical conception of history, particularly as evidenced in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament and the New Testament, is predominantly comic. Scripture teaches that history does not degenerate from life to death but is translated from the reign of death into the reign of life (Deep Comedy, xiii)."
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Lord's Prayer: Good Things and Hope
"The seven petitions of the Lord's Prayer . . . we find in these the sum of all the good things which we must hope for and which our heavenly Father wants to grant us (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 13)."
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Theological Warning
Thielicke warned his students to be careful that their knowledge and understanding of theology not supersede their experience of faith and reflection. A prudent warning, indeed.
Hating Folly
"Anything contrary to the Word is folly and to be hated (Steve Wilkins, Face to Face, p. 29)."
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