2009-05-11

Turretinfan writes that the Koran does not say that the Bible is corrupt, Mohamed did not believe that the Old Testament was corrupt, and other Islamic authorities that do say this do so because they know that the Bible contradicts the Koran. In Surah 62:5, the picture is that of a donkey carrying books it doesn’t understand, presupposing the existence of the bible. When an objector says that such passages only speak to hermeneutical corruption and yet claims that Islam holds that parts of revelation are contained (redacted) in the Bible but that there never were ‘books’ per se, hermeneutical corruption presupposes that there is a text to interpret wrongly. Surah 2:285 teaches that Mohamed did not merely believe that there was revelation but rather he believed what the revelation in the books said. Surah 20:133 also indicates that Mohamed did not believe the books were lost to obscurity. Mohamed Did Not Believe that the Old Testament was Corrupt - Part 2

Manata responds further to Reppert, who thinks that God could lie and be generally trustworthy if He did so for the betterment of everyone. i) this means that God could have lied with Reppert’s Arminian proof-texts, yet Reppert still holds fast to his Arminian intuitions. ii) In such debates the Arminian cannot merely assert that Jesus atoned for every single person. That’s a point of debate, the very heart of the issue. iii) The ‘words mean what words mean’ argument is put forward, which is just a cop-out around real hermeneutics and exegesis, where the reader just picks a particular English meaning when it is convenient, without being consistent (i.e. God has an arm, doesn’t know the future, etc.). The difference between God and man with respect to terminology can go quite far. iv) In Arminianism, God knows everything and still creates those whom He knows will be ‘toasted’ forever in hell. v) Carson says, "Nevertheless, the cliché that God hates the sin but loves the sinner is false on the face of it and should be abandoned. Fourteen times on the first fifty psalms alone, we are told that God hates the sinner..." vi) Any conception of God’s love must reckon with His actions throughout Scripture (e.g. hardening hearts) and the fullness of His character. vii) To have the kind of love Reppert espouses would require such a love to criminals that would necessarily be unloving to the victims of criminals – there are tradeoffs. viii) Hays says, "The God of Calvin is the good shepherd, who names and numbers his sheep, who saves the lost sheep and fends off the wolf. The God of Wesley is the hiring, who knows not the flock by name and number, who lets the sheep go astray and be eaten by the wolf. Which is more loving, I ask?" Ad Reppert

Genderblog has a Q&A with Bruce Ware on his new systematic theology for children. Two points worth summarizing: i) We often underestimate the ability of children to understand theological concepts, and sometimes we get questions that we cannot answer. He encourages an investigative, humble approach. ii) He wants children to enjoy the richness of theological vocabulary, so he doesn’t avoid important terms, but rather defines them. Q&A- Bruce Ware on his new book Big Truths for Young Hearts

Thabiti points to a study on baptism in Southern Baptist churches in that found that the majority of adult baptisms (60%) could be called rebaptisms.  Some were baptisms of those who had previously been baptized as infants, but 36 percent of these adult baptisms were of those who had been previously baptized in Southern Baptist churches. Thabiti thinks this is because pastors have not sought clear assurance that they were baptizing believers. He says, stop it. In other parts of the world, incl. Romania, Asia, and Africa, no one would consider baptizing before 14, and in Brazil, new converts are placed in lengthy and rigorous courses to make sure as much as possible that the individuals involved had understood the gospel and were making valid professions of faith, followed by profession to the congregation, all the while involving pastoral questioning, etc. on the experience of conversion of sin, understanding of the Gospel, etc. Regenerate church membership in North America has disappeared as churches baptized those with no evidence of regeneration. Sixty Percent of Adult Baptisms in SBC Churches are Rebaptisms by Thabiti Anyabwile

Patton writes, “Transubstantiation is the belief held by Roman Catholics that the bread and wine at the Eucharist transform miraculously into the body and blood of Christ. While the accidents (the taste, smell, and all non-essential qualities) do not change, the substance of the bread and wine do change into the actual body and blood of Christ.” Matthew 26:26-28, particularly the phrase, “This is my body,” is used to justify this (as well as other forms of ‘real presence’. Given the literal reading, he asks why, if they do not, they don’t take the present tense “is” literally, such that the bread was at that time the body of Christ, and if they do think this, isn’t it a violation of Chalcedon? Quick Thought On Transubstantiation

Bayly describes what is surely a common situation, wherein a wealthy family supports and gives much to a church, being very generous for a number of years, and yet there is a sin in this family that is damaging the church, and the elders are hesitant to discipline them formally (though they’ve tried the informal approaches, e.g. visitation), for any number of reasons (though they surely would have disciplined a poor family by then – and so are showing partiality to the wealthy), including the threat of lawsuits, the withdrawal of funding, the reputation of believes (can’t they get along?) etc. At the end of the day, if an undisciplined child is, as Scripture says, a bastard child and illegitimate son, then any act discipline, formal or otherwise, is an act of obedience and love – and it isn’t loving to not discipline them (despite all the excuses). It's also an act of hope--hope that God will add His blessing to the power of the keys as those officers standing in His place use them as He has commanded. Woman deacons and the PCA- a simple matter of faith, hope, and love

Grant summarizes the “Columbo” method to conversations about religion. Perhaps you get tongue-tied, etc. Questions take the pressure off, they are an invitation to thoughtful dialogue, they gather info, they reverse the burden of proof and they lead the conversation in a specific direction. They can, in this way, expose flawed arguments. Try asking questions instead. (Jesus did this). The power of Columbo

JT has some links to some Carson messages on the NT use of the OT in the book of Hebrews. Carson- The Use of the OT in the Book of Hebrews

Spurgeon points out that the Gospel is no failure on account that certain ‘learned’ men reject it. They are philosophers as those before them, and man’s philosophy of today will be a football of contempt in fifty years. It is fickle, and men turn around and proclaim that they have a new view of things, even though they are rehashing the same human folly over and over. Is the Gospel a Failure-

Piper quotes Edwards to the affect that the duty of the preacher is indeed to raise the affections of the hearers as high as possible, in the truth, and in proportion to the importance of the matter, for those things that are indeed worthy of affection. Emotions and the Aim of Preaching

MacArthur writes on the necessity of the local church: i) meeting regularly and stirring up one another to love and good works requires it. ii) Every believer is to be under the protection and nurture of godly leadership (Heb. 13:7). iii) Public worship (1 Tim. 4:13) includes hearing the Word, being called to obedience and action through exhortation, and teaching. iv) The activity of the early believers in “devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” requires the local church. The Necessity of the Local Church

Engwer clears up some misconceptions regarding popes, bishops, and councils, with respect to the definition of the biblical canon. “There was nothing like a promulgation of the canon by an early ecumenical council or an early papal decree that was widely considered definitive. Rather, the fourth-century councils that produced a canon were regional councils that seem to have reflected an earlier consensus that arose without anything like a ruling from a Pope or ecumenical council.” He provides a number of quotes. i) for 15 centuries no Christian church put forward a definitive list. ii) in the 5th century something close to a concensus was reached, but no ecumenical council in the early church every ruled on this matter for the whole church. iii) councils played little role, vacillating somewhat, but ultimately only recognizing what was the mind of the church. iv) there were minor fluctuations throughout the East and West church, as not all accepted the canon as precisely recognized by Athanasius. v) Eusebius registered numerous individual testimonies, indicating his own search for certainty in light of the absence of any official declaration. Engwer has some concluding caveats and thoughts on the quotations. And we don't have any reason to believe that Damasus, a council in Rome in 382, or the council in Carthage in 397 was acting infallibly or was widely perceived as having settled the issue in some other manner. Popes, Councils, And The New Testament Canon

JT recommends Russell Moore's outstanding book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches. Adopted for Life Now Available

Bolt at Solapanel has reflects on the length of time it takes an oak tree to mature (100 years) and how, when building ships, people had to plan in advance – a long ways. Church planting and Gospel ministry is like this. Seed-planting is depicted as having a period of inactivity, and we must take the long view. God appears to. This stands in marked contrast to our instant fix generation. Bolt applies this to theological education, urging us not to sell the church short by rushing theological education. Rather, deepen, strengthen, and lengthen it. Flexibility and where to apply it

Walton comments on the dietary restrictions in the Mosaic Law. While some have tried to pass this off for health reasons, God’s lifting of the restrictions for Peter doesn’t square with this. Investigations have associated many of the unclean animals with the realm of death, a place of uncleanness, in ancient cultures. The pig can also be associated with particular ritual practices, so God was insulating the Israelites: Often the sacrifices became the food for communal feasts, so if God could not receive certain sacrifices, they could not eat them, hence, they avoid certain rituals. The Pig as Unclean—Leviticus 11

Turretinfan explains that the tradition of eggs around Easter comes from Lent, when people would abstain from eggs, resulting in a surplus of eggs since, well, chickens continue to lay them. Easter Eggs and Jesus' Rebirth-

Reformed Baptist Fellowship blog has a post on preaching to the choir – that is, stop preaching about the woes of other churches, etc. or in such a manner that merely makes yours look good. While there is bravery in decrying the public evils of the day, it’s more courageous to preach against the evils and sins in the audience, in the congregants. So preach to and for the choir, not about some abstract group that shall likely never hear your words. On the Pleasures of Preaching to the Choir

George Muller: “I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit.” This post contains an excellent excerpt exhorting Christians to seek nourishment for the inner man first. Muller comments on the unfruitfulness of beginning the day with prayer, and rather points people to the far superior practice of meditation and feasting on the word of God, the Scriptures, and turning every verse into a prayer, such that the inner man is fed and prayers spring forth, and the affections are raised, and the almost sure result is that you will be in a happy state when you begin your day. “What is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God; and here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.” Soul Nourishment First

Here’s a reflection on the suspension in ‘outer darkness’ of the Son of God, between the glory of the transfiguration and the glory of the second coming. The Cross He Bore - Outer Darkness

This post reflects on the equivocations regarding the ability of an agent, possibility, potentiality, etc. To say that something can happen means that its happening is compossible with certain facts, facts which are determined in varying degrees of accuracy by the context. Determinism, alternate possibilities, and the grandfather paradox

Patton discusses the decline of the pulpit in the churches. Formerly, it stood as a symbol of the authority of the Scriptures, the place where true exposition happened. But now, people have been burned, and there is distrust of the one who stands behind the pulpit and seeks to espouse his interpretation of the text. Now people are discarding the pulpit for more ‘authentic’ relationships, which is indicative of the abandoning of God’s word, and many pastors are capitulating to this (e.g. seeker sensitive), thus themselves abandoning the only source of true life transformation – the word of God. He is no longer a pastor over the flock. There are times for teaching Socratically, but there is a biblically mandated time for preaching with authority (2 Tim. 4:2-3; 1 Timothy 4:13; Titus 2:15; Titus 1:13; 2 Tim. 4:2-3). “Removing the pulpit is not a humble relational escape from responsibility. One can be authentic and authoritative at the same time. If you have been called to shepherd the church of God—if you have been called to be behind the pulpit—you must realize the importance of not only authentically relating to the people, but also of authoritatively proclaiming God’s word.” The Forgotten Pulpit

Here’s several Scriptures that caution children on the seriousness of honouring their parents. Word of Caution for Children of all Ages

MacArthur has a good post on the necessity of doctrine. While doctrine is getting a bad reputation these days, and some cults and evangelicals reject things like systematic theology, Jesus included teaching (doctrine = teaching) in the Great Commission. And if there is a deficiency in preaching today, it is that there’s too much relational, pseudopsychological, and thinly life-related content, and not enough emphasis on sound doctrine. The distinction between doctrine and practical truth is artificial. To turn away from sound doctrine is to abandon the primary responsibility of elders (Titus 1:9). Moreover, there’s no basis for godly living or anything ‘practical’ except for the word of God. Paul, in numerous letters, lays out the pattern of laying out rich theology, and then building exhortation upon it. There is today a dangerous imposition on doctrine that considers it abstract. Doctrine includes the full Gospel message, concepts so tightly bound to daily living a first century mind would not see it as separate from practical truth. Lying, hypocrisy, a dulled conscience, and false religious practices all have roots in wrong doctrine. (1 Tim. 4:1-3). The teacher is to hold fast to sound teaching, point it out to the brothers, paying close attention to it, and in so doing will ensure the salvation of his hearers. No believer can apply truth that he doesn’t know, and no one can be saved if he doesn’t know the Bible’s teaching on salvation. Doctrine IS Practical

Hays has some thoughts on praying for the past. He agrees that the past is immutable, and it would be improper to pray for a change in the past if you know the past. However, God is timeless, and we are time-bound. God answers our prayers for all eternity. It is appropriate to pray for a past outcome when we don’t know the outcome: we’re asking a timeless God, who knows what we ask before we ask it, to have brought about a particular outcome. This scenario isn’t unusual (e.g. accident happened, loved one involved, praying for his safety, etc.) Our ignorance of the outcome is not, of itself, a reason to refrain from praying for a particular outcome, even though the outcome is a done deal by the time we pray. Praying for the past

Turk has an interesting observation on “the husband of one wife.” The Greek is literally, “one woman man” – and Turk connects this to Paul’s teaching on marriage, wherein it is a metaphor for Christ and His church. Thus, while polygamy is surely excluded, and many have applied the expression to divorce/remarriage, there is something far more practically brilliant at work here: “to Paul, the mystery of marriage is a symbol or expression of the church. Therefore, a man who discharges his duties as a husband rightly is therefore uniquely qualified to lead the church.” A ‘one woman man’ is a man who loves his wife as Christ loves the church, and that’s the sort of guy who is qualified to set things right and lead in a church. Husband

For the musically inclined, here’s some advice on choosing the right key to sing in from Bob Kauflin, in light of the challenges of a diverse congregation. Finding the Right Key to Sing In

JT: "Gospel" means "good news." If so, then *the saying "Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary" makes about as much sense as telling a reporter he should broadcast the news but that words are optional. A Quick Thought

DeYoung lays out the general categories of reasons that people offer for disillusionment in the church. i) the Missiological: Church just isn’t working – people are leaving, etc. Or the church has lost sight of its mission. ii) The personal: “The church, in the eyes of many outsiders, especially the young, is filled with hypocritical, anti-women, anti-gay, judgmental, close-minded, bubble-dwelling, acolytes for the Republican Party.” Or insiders feel hurt by the church. iii) the Historical: Pretty much everything in the church as we know it is a paganistic result of syncretism. We also have the record of atrocities committed by the ‘church’. iv) the Theological: “The organizational, institutional, hierarchical, programmatic, weekly services view of church, it is said, is completely foreign to the Bible. Jesus came to put an end to religion, not to start a new one. He came to bring the kingdom, not our little empires we call churches.” These argue that church’ is merely plural for Christians. We need to move away from ‘man-made’ structures to truly know God in all his unconditional, untamed, mysterious, relational love, or so the argument goes. We Don't Like the Church

Burk quotes Wilson on Wright. “Academic rules of rational discourse are very helpful when it comes to the identity of Shakespeare, the authorship of Hebrews, or the root causes of the Civil War. They are no good at all when the serpent is telling us that we will not die. Die? How do you define die? To enter into dialogue at this point is not to uphold the truth, but to compromise it at the outset. I have often said in sermons that sin doesn’t make sense. If it made sense, it wouldn’t be sin.” It is a radical mistake to long for the day when the devil will start arguing like a gentleman. Doug Wilson Critiques N. T. Wright’s Remarks

Adams quotes JI Packer: “The Holy Spirit works through habits of holiness.” “Habits of Holiness”

Spurgeon has some words for those who watch various TV and media: “Those who can look with delight or any degree of pleasure upon the sins of others are not holy.” He speaks to those who will not openly claim to enjoy it and even frown upon evil humour, etc. but secretly enjoy it. If you suck the sweets of another man’s sin, you will fall into it, for we are always less critical of ourselves than the sins of others. “Let us examine ourselves scrupulously, then, whether we be among those who have no evidences of that holiness without which no man can see God. But, beloved, we hope better things of you, and things which accompany salvation” – we should sooner wish to suffer affliction than run into sin. Something to Bear in Mind While Choosing What to Watch on TV

Wallace has a post on their efforts in digitizing ancient manuscripts – its about $3300 per page. Wall Street Journal- Digitizing Ancient Manuscripts