This morning I took my Greek exam for Exegesis class with Professor Chuck Hill. By God’s grace, I was well prepared. I have a few hours to work on my sermon which I will be preaching this afternoon. It is actually a funeral service. Though not an actual one it will be a helpful preparation for my ministry as a minister of the gospel. After that I will be going to our church where we will be recipients of the body of Christ on the table and going through a litany of passages for our Maundy Thursday service. This evening we will be introducing intinction to our congregation and for the first time we will be using a loaf of bread. This is a significant progress in our church’s young history. May God be praised through our nurture.
Better Than a Sleeping Pill: Republican Candidates to Debate
Will they justify what President Bush’s last 6 years or will they come up with a plan to save the Republican Party? Will any dare to talk about the level of corruption that has taken over the GOP in a new level of terror that is inexcusable? Do any of them realize that their once proud political party is living on borrowed time? READ ON
Presidential Debate
I am pleased to inform that in one month, Ron Paul will be among 9 Republican candidates debating at the Reagan Presidential Library. The debate will be on May 3rd.First GOP Presidential Debate
On Religious Days and the Sabbath…
One certain extreme we take concerning the Church Calendar is to assume that it is so popish that it does not belong within the Reformed Church. In this view (taken by some in the Scottish Presbyterian tradition) the church calendar is just another imposition of tradition upon the modern church. Further, it opposes the reformational sola scriptura that we so cherish. The credibility of this position is that it takes extreme care in avoiding unbiblical observances of holy days and feasts. a On the other hand, our ecclesiastical tradition was not invented ex nihilo. The church was built on the blood of the martyrs, says an ancient father. We rest on that blood and our faith is built upon the blood of the saints. We honor our church and we honor the saints of old as Hebrews honors the old patriarchs and men and women of faith. b
I have argued that the church calendar should not be seen as a burdensome event/activity, rather that it is to supplement the only Biblical day we are to observe-the Holy Sabbath. Pastor Douglas Wilson has argued persuasively that we are not bound to observe any days outside the Biblical demand for Sabbath observance. In the words of Wilson:
As we seek to return to an observance of a Christian calendar, we need to be careful to avoid the mistake that our fathers made. In the course of the medieval period, the year filled up with so many saints days that they had the effect that barnacles have on a ship that at one time was swift. We do not want to make that mistake again. If everything is special, then nothing is special. If everything is set apart, there is nothing left for it to be set apart from. c
The evangelical holy days d have been a joyful antidote to the anti-ecclesiastical tendency of our modern evangelical church. Nevertheless, we need to be cautious in how they are used. Though they can be of great benefit and spiritual refreshment, it can shadow our Biblical mandate to keep the Sabbath holy.
This warning issued by Wilson has other implications. For instance, we may say that all things are holy and sacred at the same time and the same place. But if we take that to its extreme, we will assume that the Lord’s Table has the same level of sacredness and importance as the reading of a novel. It is crucial that we properly emphasize that which is more sacred than others. The sacred vs. secular distinction is a myth popularized by Christian Gnostics, but to assume that the sacred and the secular are merged into one, is also dangerous. It would be akin to saying the law and gospel are one. The proper response is to say that they are united, but yet different. e The Trinity is three persons and one essence, but these three persons though united are yet different; they share different responsibilities. f Hence, certain things are secular in one sense, but sacred in another, and other things (Eucharist) are fully sacred, though represented by earthly elements.
One final reason to be cautious about the abuse of the church calendar is that it may interrupt the faithful exposition of God’s entire counsel. In the words of Rev. Terry Johnson:
The church calendar interferes with regular, sequential expository preaching by continually thrusting forth calendar themes and corresponding lectionary readings. In such a setting sequential preaching will seem awkward and misplaced and will probably give way to the lectio selecta. g
All these things serve as a reminder for the people of God who takes great pride in our historic and apostolic church, but at the same time need to carefully analyze all things through the lens of Holy Writ.
- Galatians 4:10 (back)
- Hebrews 11 (back)
- Douglas Wilson, The Sabbath Cornerstone (back)
- Or feast days; see Johnson, pg. 104 (back)
- I am certainly by default opposing the Lutheran sharp distinction between law and gospel (back)
- This is diametrically different to Oneness Pentecostals who say that Jesus plays different roles as a man may play the role of a father, husband, and professional (back)
- Johnson L. Terry, Ed. Leading in Worship, pg. 103 (back)
What Should Be a Culture of Enterprise in a Age of Globalization?
Thomas Woods speaks at the Cato Institute. See Audio or video of the lecture
Holiness and the Sabbath
The Sabbath is a consecrated day to the Lord. In the Sabbath we are lifted to the heavenlies, while experiencing joy in creation. a It is inextricably connected with Creation. It is therefore a creation ordinance. It is to be observed and kept in holiness. This holy day belongs unto the Lord our God and it is to be remembered. It is not to be substituted by feast days and celebrations, but rather, the church calendar is to be secondary to God’s ordained celebration. Lent in some sense adheres to that principle by making Sunday a day of feasting.
The Sabbath is holy and holiness is derived from God himself. Hence, the holiness of the Sabbath cannot be altered or tempered. To observe the Sabbath is therefore to be holy and worship the holiness of God. In the words of Geerhardus Vos: ” …the holiness predicated of God is the primary, original conception, the holiness of the other things is derivatory.” b The Sabbath would not be holy if it were not derived from the Holy One. “Thus God ‘hallowed’ the Sabbath, not because it inherently possessed a peculiar character, to which magic and superstition could attach themselves, but because it was His will that the day should bear a peculiar significance reminding of and binding it to the service of God.” c.
The Sabbath is not to be taken lightly. It is a perpetual reminder that God’s holiness operates within the physical world every Sunday. d This crucial reminder serves to point us to our eternal rest. e It should not serve, however, to disenchant us of this present world, for God is redeeming this world from Sunday to Sunday, from Easter to Easter until all His enemies are under His feet. f
The Need for Continuing Reformation.
One of the slogans of the Reformation has been that the Reformed Church is “always reforming.” a This can be a dangerous enterprise, yet, if we pursue it carefully we can be constantly aware of our limitations as scholars, students and laymen. The Reformation has certainly undergone negative reformation, at least, in my humble opinion. One clear example of this has been the overwhelming abandonment of the historic understanding of the role of the sacraments in the restoration of the church. If we are to live by the Spirit, then we are to eat of that spiritual food lest we die.
The sanctification of the church entails some maturing in our theological development. This is not to say that we abandon our historic confession, as some so readily have, rather, that we seek to understand the truth of the Bible in light of our changing encounter with the text. By encounter, I refer to the church’s interaction and exegetical pursuits that lead the church to manifest a new understanding of certain passages and contexts. One clear example of this has been the development of Ancient Suzerain Treaty forms/structures that have in many ways affected the hermeneutical approach to books like Deuteronomy in the Reformed community. b This, in turn, has revolutionized our understanding of the relationship God had with Israel in the Older Covenant.
The reaction of some “conservationists” in the Reformed camp is a noble attempt to preserve our heritage. We, as Reformed students, owe our theological minds and hearts to the immense preoccupation that our Reformed forefathers had for the Scriptures. As a result, they transformed Europe and consequently the world. None of us can say that we have exhausted the many profitable tomes written during that time (many of which have not ever been translated into English 400 years later) and my suggestion is that before we begin to pursue variations or nuances of our tradition today, it would seem very profitable to become as aware as possible to what our tradition has already taught. Many, including myself, have at times assumed that our tradition taught one thing, when in reality it has almost unanimously taught another. Perhaps my thesis is simply summarized in ad fontes, back to the sources. For instance, those who are carefully listening to current discussions on the Federal Vision would do well to read Calvin’s Institutes, Book II, Chapters 10 and 11 where he discussed the differences and similarities between the two testaments. That can serve as a starting point to understand debates concerning law and gospel and the place of both in Redemptive History.
In my particular case, I continue to survey and analyze the different positions. Though my presuppositions lead me to favor certain approaches to the text, I remain at best skeptical and careful. Further, it is wise to acknowledge that the Reformed tradition has been diverse in many ways c and living within differences can be a needful antidote to the abusive and divisive nature of our glorious tradition. In the words of Professor John Murray:
It would not be, however, in the interests of theological conservation or theological progress for us to think that the covenant theology is in all respects definitive and that there is no further need for correction, modification, and expansion. Theology must always be undergoing reformation. The human understanding is imperfect. However architectonic may be the systematic constructions of any one generation or group of generations, there always remains the need for correction and reconstruction so that the structure may be brought into closer approximation to the Scripture and the reproduction be a more faithful transcript or reflection of the heavenly exemplar. d
- Semper Reformanda (back)
- See “Suzerain Treaties & The Covenant Documents the Bible” (back)
- One can be aware of the eschatological, covenantal, and sacramental differences (back)
- John Murray on The Covenant of Grace (back)
The Pope on Hell
In a day of political correctness and religious cowardice, the pope stands firm on the literalness of hell:
HELL is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanise the faithful, Pope Benedict XVI has said.
A Review of Leonard Vander Zee’s: Christ, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper
Vander Zee writes out of a deep sense of grief over the evangelical denial/neglect of the Sacraments. This is what truly drives him to write this informative book. In his own words, “Evangelicals apparently are not very interested in the sacraments, which seems to correspond to their lack of interest in ecclesiology in general.” a
Vander Zee masterfully exegetes what is at the heart of this Protestant abandonment of a robust view of the waters of baptism and the Eucharistic meal. They have made the preaching the center of all worship, b and the Lord’s Table an unfortunate monthly or quarterly inconvenience.
Vander Zee helpfully reorients the reader to see in these sacraments more than mere church activities or necessary duties, but rather a life transforming and soul-changing rite that impart grace to the elect. The evangelical (broadly speaking) world needs to be called back to where the Scriptures and the church have been calling for centuries: to the frequent table feast and the powerful sign and seal of baptism.
The book is divided into 12 chapters. Each chapter focuses on a particular dimension of sacramental theology. The reader who has had little exposure to this topic will find himself familiarized with historical, theological, and existential levels of sacramental thinking after reading this tome. As a result, he will become aware of different theological traditions, and, furthermore, of why the church from her early days has made these sacraments an essential part of their worship.
Vander Zee approaches these topics from a distinctly Reformed perspective. Nevertheless, he has carefully analyzed other traditions where the Eucharist and Baptism are inextricably tied to their liturgy and life. The author is not only interested in defining a Reformed view of the sacraments (though his expositions of them reveals his presuppositions), but he is eagerly seeking to see the sacraments as means for unity and peace in the church. Due to this passionate plea for unity, he interacts with the honorable Alexander Schmemann, c who beautifully taught that we are hungry beings and our souls can only be satisfied in Christ offered for us. “All hunger,” wrote Schmemann, “is a hunger for God. All desire is finally a desire for Him.” d
The author interacts with an eclectic group of sacramental scholars ranging from Catholic to Baptist writers. As a Reformed Scholar, it is only natural that the author emphasizes some Reformed distinctive such as covenantal baptism and a Calvinistic view of the spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist. These are supplemented by positive interaction with other traditions that seek to elevate the importance of the sacraments in the church.
Ultimately, sacramental interest is diametrically opposed to the overwhelming individualism of our day. In his discussion of the history of baptism, Vander Zee operates under the presupposition that the Bible, particularly the New Testament, operates under Jewish conceptions of the family. “In the Jewish way of thinking, one’s relationship to God is not merely individual, but social.” e In this same manner, argues Vander Zee, the New Testament continues that covenantal structure begun in the Older Covenant where families were invited to partake of all sacramental privileges in the covenant.The households are always included in God’s promises.
The intention of this book is to bring together the body of Christ, battered by divers controversies, into one baptism. The church is plagued by separatists who would rather die alone than seek catholicity. In their estimation, individualism is the badge of orthodoxy. In other words, my response to the gospel, my commitment to Christ, and my remembering the Lord at the table is the foundation of true Christianity. In a spiritual level it is my faith that God is seeking and my attestation of that faith in baptism that He desires. Certainly in such a blasphemous attempt to please God, they are in actuality denying the work of grace in God’s gifts to the church. The stake is high: if individualism wins the day, all that the Reformers counted sacred will vanish and give way to autonomous man operating their autonomous wills, preaching their autonomous message to the an autonomous congregation who finds solace not in God’s means to nurture and sanctify, but their own human-devised methodologies.
In light of all this, there is one element of this book that is astonishingly faulty. On page 100, under footnote 29, Vander Zee seems to give in to the symbolism of baptistic theology in baptism. He writes, “ In the practice of baptism today, however, I think its sacramental nature is best highlighted by using as much water as possible according to the circumstances. There is an exciting return to immersion among non-Baptist churches, even for the baptism of infant and young children. I believe that immersion, where possible, is the best means to express the meaning of baptism.” This statement is utterly problematic. Even if the symbolism of baptism by immersion seemed to reflect what happens to us in baptism, the question is: does the Scripture teach immersion? It is not enough to seek catholicity at the expense of abandoning certain Biblical and Reformational principles in order to unite. f It has been sprinkling and pouring that has united the “One, holy and apostolic church,” not immersion. Furthermore, the Biblical imagery of immersion bears no similarity to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Christ was not buried under the earth, but above the earth in a tomb. Suffice to say, Vander Zee builds a crescendo leading to a beautiful portrait of true baptism, however, he fails to seal that picture with the imagery the Bible conveys.
As a final note, this book walks the reader through a litany of events; from the corporate unity that was broken so severely in the Church of Corinth, g to the historical battles fought over sacramental definitions in the Reformation, to the modern divisive waters of baptism that were truly intended to unite. We are reminded, however, that amidst these tumultuous historical events, our God has not left us without the proper means of nourishment. He brings us to the waters of baptism and to the table of His dear Son to be fed and assured that we are His to His everlasting praise. These are simple, physical means: water, bread and wine used by God to create a new humanity. In the words of Vander Zee, “ When the worshiping community shares the cup of wine, it affirms what it already is and will become in God’s kingdom, a community of joy and gladness, the feasting people of God.” h
Word format – christbaptismandthelord_ssupper.doc
- Vander Zee, Leonard J. Christ, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship, pg. 10. (back)
- Preaching must be maintained as central in Orthodox Reformed worship, but it cannot be put against the Sacraments, for they work together as means of grace to convert the soul. (back)
- See pages 18, 202, 212, 219, 224, 239. (back)
- Quoted in Vander Zee, pg. 239. Taken from Schmemann’s For the Life of the World, p.15. (back)
- Vander Zee, pg. 99. (back)
- Immersion is also practiced by the Orthodox Church. Though the Orthodox Church has been greatly used by God, they are still practicing erroneous baptism by denying the rich Old Testament symbolism of pouring and sprinkling. (back)
- I Corinthians 11. (back)
- Vander Zee, pg. 240. (back)
Isaiah to Malachi
This entire week I will be taking a 40 hour class with Professor Bryan Estelle from Westminster Seminary, California. In light of this, I will not be doing much posting.