2009-07-13

Clint has a brief history of our church, Calvary Grace Church, in Calgary, Alberta. Calvary Grace Church Review

DeYoung writes about the possibilities and pitfalls of the evangelical celebrity culture, following up on Piper’s article on Hero Worship vs. Holy Emulation. i) We ought to be thankful for those who not only know the Scriptures and are theologically mature, but who are also mature, godly men, by God’s grace. ii) Church celebrities likely aren’t, even though the internet has flattened things (e.g. Chrysostom and Whitefield were a big deal in their day). iii) God works through great men and women, as the history of great leaders, minds, and preachers shows us – though perhaps He works more through the homebound prayer warrior. Sometimes people are wrongheaded in their regard, but many want to simply convey gratitude for God’s work in the lives of His servants. iv) Pray for them, since the higher they rise, the harder they fall. v) Don’t make a new magisterium. Learning from a great preacher doesn’t preclude the need to think for ourselves. vi) Famous people are still people, and they’re not all we imagine them to be. vii) Success is a weird thing, and just because someone has a book, and another doesn’t, doesn’t mean that the former is a better thinker or more godly. viii) Don’t substitute the passion of others for your own. ix) The most important pastor is the one in your local church. x) Don’t like or dislike someone just because others do. Give thanks for godliness where you see it, the gospel where you hear it, and good examples when you can find them. Thoughts on Evangelical Superstardom

When atheists try to reason and argue, they employ the ‘laws of logic’, and assume that they work just as well for someone else as for them. They simply believe that these laws work everywhere. Only the Christian faith can account for laws of logic. The law of non-contradiction, for example, stems from God’s internal consistency. God cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13), and all truth (all knowledge) is in Christ (Colossians 2:3); thus, truth will not go against itself. Apart from the biblical worldview, there is no basis for logic at all. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/06/12/feedback-logic-or-faith

Gilbart-Smith thinks that scrapping the into presumes an interest in the Bible that one may not want to assume the visitor has, and may communicate to unbelievers that what is coming is only of interest/relevance to the one who trusts in the Bible. What to do when your introduction is rubbish. by Mike Gilbart-Smith

Broughton Knox’s fifth principle of prayer is resignation – gladly accepting the will of our heavenly Father in every situation, resigning ourselves to the One we know and love and trust (e.g. Jesus praying in Gethsemane). Like Christ, we are to have a confident trust and acceptance of God’s perfect will. Knox’s seven principles of prayer (Part V- Resignation)

T-fan writes that Theodoret’s statement that Christ was not offered to bear the sins of the non-elect, Augustine’s statement that Christ did not redeem all humans directly, Chrysostom’s question of ‘bearing the sins of all’, and Bede’s interpretation of 1 John 2:1-2, are relevant to and in support of Limited Atonement. Limited Atonement Defended (Against Albrecht)

US Attorney General Eric Holder is apparently considering investigating the Bush administration’s interrogation tactics, something Obama has been reluctant to do. It is notes that this could imperil Obama’s domestic priorities, plunging America into another round of partisan warfare. AG Holder To Investigate Bush Interrogation Practices

The Pope, in his latest encyclical, argues that the degradation of marriage makes for the degradation of the economy, and homosexual marriage degrades both. Since love for one’s neighbour means adopting a concern for his economic interest at all levels, love requires opposing it the degradation of marriage. Healthy Economies Rely on Healthy Marriages

Hays has some comments/observations on the film Knowing, noting that critics dislike the movie because, being biblically illiterate, and lacking any real understanding of literary allusions, much of the film just goes right over their heads. Knowing

JT thinks that “If you want to know what happened with the housing boom and bust, my guess is that you'd be hard to find a better resource than Thomas Sowell's new book, The Housing Boom and Bust.” Sowell, The Housing Boom and Bust

Augustine discusses ‘all’ and ‘many’. While some take ‘all’ as meaning ‘every single’, he notes in Romans 5 that the ‘all’ who fell in Adam means that none died except in Adam, and that the ‘all’ in Christ means that non live except in Christ. Those who are many, justified in Christ, are ‘all’ not because every single man is justified in Christ, but because all who are justified are so justified in no other way but in Christ. This is along the lines of typical Calvinistic exegesis, the quote shows that Augustine held to exactly four Gospels, and it shows, contra the immaculate conception of Mary, that Augustine held that all who died received this curse by Adam. Augustine Distinguishing All in Adam from All in Christ

Hays agrees that CS Lewis’ depiction of hell is in direct contradiction to the doctrine of irresistible grace (Aslan can’t break into the depraved hearts of the Dwarfs, because presumably it would violate their freedom). Reppert then asks, “Can’t God do something about those in hell?” which Hays notes is not our responsibility or business, and moreover, if any human did have a say at sentencing, it should be the victims, the injured, not some human third party. There is a point when compassion is a vice, when it’s evil to empathize with the plight of the wicked. To have wholesale compassion for victim and assailant is inherently amoral, abdicating moral discrimination. Hays retorts that liberatian free will is in tension with Reppert’s universalism since universalism requires irresistable grace. Fairly-tale eschatology

Jonathan Edwards wrote that a true love for God must begin with a delight in His holiness, since it is impossible that any other attribute should appear lovely until this is seen. “They that don't see the glory of God's holiness, can't see anything of the true glory of his mercy and grace: they see nothing of the glory of those attributes, as any excellency of God's nature, as it is in itself; though they may be affected with them, and love them, as they concern their interest: for these attributes are no part of the excellency of God's nature, as that is excellent in itself, any otherwise than as they are included in his holiness, more largely taken; or as they are a part of his moral perfection.” He writes that in Psalm 119, “the excellency of holiness is represented as the immediate object of a spiritual taste, relish, appetite and delight, God's law, that grand expression and emanation of the holiness of God's nature, and prescription of holiness to the creature, is all along represented as the food and entertainment, and as the great object of the love, the appetite, the complacence and rejoicing of the gracious nature, which prizes God's commandments above gold, yea, the finest gold, and to which they are sweeter than the honey, and honeycomb; and that upon account of their holiness, as I observed before.” Wisdom from President Edwards

Clint quotes Orwell on the tendency of English writers to write in abstract, vague discourse, lacking concrete images, which serves to obfuscate the point. The message to theologians would be to, well, not do this, and to communicate in clear, concise, concrete language that people will understand. Orwell on Writing or Theologians Beware!

Here’s some links to Schreiner’s series on Revelation; in particular, a message on Revelation 20:1-15, which Schreiner says changed his view from amil to pre-mil. Permanent Link to Schreiner- From Amil to Premil

JT: “It's hard to think of even one legitimate reason that this resolution shouldn't be passed immediately. It would change the rules such that members of the House of Representatives have a reasonable amount of time to read legislation they will be voting on.” HRES 216 IH

While Romanists pray for White’s conversion to saints, White asks, what are they to do, exactly? Would Paul send down some kind of grace that would contradict all the taught in Romans and Galatians? Would James contradict himself? It is still striking to ponder how far from the mindset of the inspired writers modern Roman Catholicism truly is. St. James is Busy Worshiping His Lord, Thank you

Challies writes about book endorsements, detailing how it goes down, etc. He notes that endorsements matter, in that people buy books on account of them, that an endorsement is invariably an endorsement of both the book and the author, that it is generally not an honour, but rather a ‘what you can do for me’ request. Not all endorsements are equal, and some will even drive one away from a book. All About Endorsements

JT notes this upcoming book: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself. How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor

Creation.com enumerates the possible natural sources of water that could have contributed to Noah’s flood; including, thick water-vapour canopy around the planet, jets of water shooting high into the air, intense cyclones called hypercanes developing over water heated by volcanic eruptions, water dumped from streams of comets (the moon indicates bombardment), etc. The springs of the great deep burst forth, possibly indicating water from the earth’s mantle – there is enough there to fill the oceans ten times over. http://creation.com/where-did-all-the-water-come-from

Swan notes that the saying, “I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer,” is probably not Luther’s, but seems in line with his profound attitude on prayer. Luther- I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer

AiG has a description of what actually happened at the Scopes trial of 1925. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/monkeying-with-the-media

James Anderson explains the nature of the false dichotomy fallacy, committed when two options are mistakenly or misleadingly presented as the only two possible or viable options. This occurs in the baptism debate. There are three options for any particular activity: it is obligatory (e.g., adoration of God is obligatory), forbidden (e.g., adultery is forbidden), or permitted, that is, neither forbidden nor required (e.g., arm wrestling is permitted). As to baptism, this would be: The baptism of infants is required (paedobaptist view), forbidden (credobaptist view), or permitted, that is, neither forbidden nor required (dual-practice view). Fallacy Files #4- False Dichotomy in the Baptism Debate

9Marks is looking for someone to build them a website [if only I weren’t so busy…] Calling All Web Designers! by Jonathan Leeman

Mohler recalls Machen's argument that the greatest rival to Christianity is liberalism, for it lost sight of the living God and the fact of sin, and is therefore a different religion altogether, while still claiming Christianity as ‘a way of life’ and system of meaning. Today, Kainz makes a similar argument about modern secular liberals, who are deeply committed to their creed and worldview: "This explains why talking about abortion or same-sex 'marriage,' for example, with certain liberals is usually futile. It is like trying to persuade a committed Muslim to accept Christ."” Their religion prevents any concession to the ‘conservative’ agenda, a religion going back to the French enlightenment and its idolatrous worship of Reason. Sowell argued that both worldviews are, in the actual operations of life, reduced to certain "gut feelings" that operate much like religious convictions. Marxism and ideological Liberalism have functioned as religious systems for millions of individuals. Mohler goes into more detail on the dogmas, canonical scriptures, priests, theologians, ritualistic observances, parochial congregations, heresies, hagiography, and even an eschatology of Marxism. Modern liberalism has its own versions of these, and Mohler enumerates Kainz’s identifications: homophobia/sexism as sins, the public advocates as its priests, its congregations as the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, National Organization of Women, etc. gay pride parades/pro-abort rallies as rites/rituals, and the distillation of pragmatism as its eschatology, among other things. Mohler notes that this reminds us that our core mission is evangelism. And no one is neutral. [Depending on your eschatology you might connect this liberalism to the counterfeit trinity in Revelation, etc.] http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=4114

T-fan notes that Gregory of Nyssa makes no reference to icons/statues/etc. in divine beauty, but provides a very Reformed view: “"It is true, indeed, that the Divine beauty is not adorned with any shape or endowment of form, by any beauty of colour, but is contemplated as excellence in unspeakable bliss…” Gregory of Nyssa on the Illustration of Divine Beauty

JT points to some articles on Obama’s pick for head of the NIH, and his views on abortion and evolution. Francis Collins- On Embyros and On Evolution

Jon Bloom comments on ‘spiritual storms’, anecdotally relating that it takes a long time to pull through them (e.g. How long, O Lord?), to feel normal again, for God’s purpose is to build us through adversity, much like strength training. “One last analogy. Remember Frodo in The Lord of the Rings? He is stabbed with the Mordor blade of the wraith king on Weathertop. It almost kills him. But thanks to the divine healing gift of Elrond the elf lord, the evil poison is removed. However, for the rest of his life, Frodo still sometimes feels the icy pain in the scar.” How Long Will This Last-

Girltalk has a set of questions to help one engage in hospitality. The questions aim to help you get to know people better, encourage biblical fellowship with another, and get to know internationals. Hospitality Questions

White points to material on President Obama's new "Science Czar" (something not exactly in the constitution), which can be found here. White says you’ll want to read it, “but only when the resultant shock and disgust will not ruin the rest of your day.” The Radicalism of the US Government

JT: Archaeologist Eilat Mazar has found found substantial evidence for a large building in the old city of Jerusalem that may have been part of David's Palace. Evidence for David's Palace-

AiG answers the alleged contradiction in Jacob and Moses seeing God ‘face-to-face’ and the other texts which say one cannot see God’s face without dying, and that only Jesus has seen His face, etc. From Exodus 33:11 and 33:20, the article concludes that there is no contradiction, as God can speak face to face with men, but not while in all His glory; otherwise, sinful man would die. There is always a contextual answer whenever a supposed contradiction appears so close in a single text. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/07/13/contradictions-face-to-face

This post from Solapanel defines ‘forensic righteousness’, calling out Piper and Wright for errors in their definitions of righteousness (charging Piper with saying too much, and Wright with too little). The article concludes that the righteousness of a defendant = being in line with a legal and/or moral standard; and the Righteousness of a judge = making decisions in line with legal and/or moral standards. The post notes the difference between the legal, forensic context, and the references to the ‘righteous’ man, whose is called ‘righteous’ simply because he lives in line with God's created moral standards. [I’ll note that since Piper’s definition is God’s commitment to uphold the worth of His glory, this is inextricably linked to the Judge’s commitment to make decisions in line with legal and moral standards, the height of which is the standard of the glory of God, of which all men have fallen short. Thus, the righteous judge in making decisions in line with the ultimate moral standard will always and in everything do that which vindicates and upholds His own glory, which includes putting the world ‘to rights’, so I would say that this post is just as easily guilty of the charge of putting too much into the word, in saying that “God's righteousness—particularly in the forensic context—is his commitment to setting the world to rights—primarily by judging individuals perfectly according to his created standards of righteousness,” since saying ‘setting the world to rights’ is merely begging the question at hand as to what is the ultimate standard of the judge. Why would God care about putting the world to rights? His ultimate standard. And what is that standard…?]. Improve your biblical word power 2- Forensic righteousness

Engwer notes, in light of a claim that the Bible is undecided on polygamy, that this claim is wrong. Polygamy is condemned by Scripture.  Michael Medved Is Wrong About Polygamy

Lisa Robinson at Parchment and Pen discusses the talk of “Vision” common in mega-church/charismatic and other evangelical circles, noting its problems. “Vision is a highly touted concept that is common in most evangelical, megachurch type circles, especially those with Charismatic leanings. Basically, it is about having insight into how your gifts and callings will play out in life. It is having a divinely inspired picture of your life painted for you so that you will know your direction and how to proceed.  It is knowing how God will use you as an individual and corporately as a ministry.  In fact, if you go to many non-denominational church web-sites, especially Charismatic based ones, the idea of vision is typically embedded in both the mission statement and specific ministry endeavors.” It’s not vision per se that’s the problem, although it’s a concern when highly popularized terms become buzzwords for establishing our Christian mission. i) There are hermeneutical problems, in that the ‘vision’ of the Bible is nothing like the above, but really means revelation and refers to God’s revelatory word such as we now have through the 66 books of inspired texts. Thus people read their idea of vision back into the text. ii) She argues that our contribution to the Great Commission work is not centred around vision, but rather gifts given to the body, which already has a mission. Therefore, the problem with vision is not that we should not have it but that we keep it in its proper perspective. The Problem with Vision

While people claim that evolutionary belief will make the world a better place, history may differ. AiG notes evolution’s dirty record over the last century, noting Pre-Hitler Germany/Hitler and the Nazis, Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot (Saloth Sar), and abortion as its legacy. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/07/13/results-evolution-bloodiest-religion-ever

Bird has some more notes on the Tyndale Fellowship. The last section on Grudem’s presentation on perspicuity, etc. is interesting. e.g. he expressed his probable rejection of the WCF which limits perpescuity to the things necessary for salvation (i.e. the gospel presentation). Also of note, “Grudem said that Bruce Winter's work on women in Corinth convinced the ESV committee that gyne in 1 Cor. 11.2-16 should be translated as "wives" rather than "women" since evidence (literary and archaeological) shows that only wives had to wear head coverings.” (this was in the context of whether extra-biblical evidence can falsify an interpretation). There is also a short note on Jude’s use (or not) of Enoch. Tyndale Fellowship - Part 3

Here’s some debunking of some myths about Calvin. First, he was not the dictator of Geneva. Also, Calvin did not burn Servetus: “Servetus was killed in 1553, when the Libertines governed Geneva. Calvin visited Servetus in prison and pleaded with him to recant his views. When Servetus refused, Calvin agreed that he deserved to die, but recommended a less painful beheading. The Libertines, ever looking to antagonize Calvin, opted to burn him instead. It is true that Calvin thought that Servetus should die, but so did most everyone in the 16th century, including the Roman Catholics, who were furious that Servetus had escaped from their Viennese prison, thereby depriving them of the honor of killing him.” Myths about Calvin

Dever says this in preaching on Rev. 20: “I conclude that it is sin to divide the body of Christ—to divide the body that he prayed would be united. Therefore for us to conclude that we must agree upon a certain view of alcohol, or a certain view of schooling, or a certain view of meat sacrificed to idols, or a certain view of the millennium in order to have fellowship together is, I think, not only unnecessary for the body of Christ, but it is therefore both unwarranted and therefore condemned by scripture.” If it’s not clear, “” Dever- You Are in Sin If You Lead Your Congregation to Have a Statement of Faith that Requires a

Burk points to Richard Hays’s The Moral Vision of the New Testament, which argues at the beginning of the book that the New Testament is the norm that trumps all other authorities. But later on in the book he warns against forced harmonizations of the scripture that suppress the “tensions” that exist among the various writers of the New Testament. Thus, his view of Scripture subverts the authority he wishes to establish! Richard Hays and the Authority of the NT