One important questions in theology is whether or not Adam was in a state of sonship prior to the fall. The answer to this question has direct implications on our understanding of God, the covenant of works, and the nature of soteriological blessings. Sinclair Ferguson has an exceedingly helpful article titled, “The Reformed Doctrine of Sonship” in Pulpit & People: Essays in Honor of William Still in which he takes up this discussion. Ferguson takes the position that Adam was a son of God prior to the fall. However, he mentions a book that has been relatively difficult to find in years past: Robert Candlish’s The Fatherhood of God. In this work Candlish sets out the opposite position, namely, (more…)

I sometimes wish I had a better grasp on the right use of humor for the purpose of grabbing people’s attention. A minister can certainly go too far in this; but there is an effective and, I believe, beneficial use of humor in the pulpit that often gets dismissed out of hand. Having listened to Mark Driscoll’s sermons on the life of Jacob and Joseph, I have found them to be exceedingly beneficial–especially for the humorous way in which he brings exposition and application. As I come to the end of our study through the book of Genesis at New Covenant Presbyterian Church’s mid-week Bible Study, I want to encourage our readers to listen to Driscoll’s series of sermons on Genesis. You might think that Driscoll goes too far at times, but you must remember what Charles Spurgeon (another Gospel minister with a great sense of humor) once said about keeping the listener engaged with humor:

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The audio and video from the June 20, 2010 worship service at New Covenant Presbyterian Church is now online. The text was Acts 9:1-22 and the title, “The Glorious Conquest.” You can download and listen to the audio here. You can watch the video below:

The Glorious Conquest

The book of Job gives us a glimpse of the majesty of God and His works in a manner unsurpassed among the patriarchal revelation. Reformed theologians, throughout the history of the church, have drawn the conclusion that the revelation of God, recorded in the book of Job, comes from an era immediately prior to the days of Abraham. C. C. Jones, in his magnificent biblical theological work The History of the Church of God, systematized the theology of Job, showing the revelation that Job had in his possession and received from God. This section of the book is worth reading solely for the study of progressive revelation. Jones set out to prove the continuity of redemptive revelation that exists between this earliest book in the canon and the further NT revelation. Notice the way in which he carefully analyzed and categorized the theology in the speeches of Job:

In this period, between the flood and Abraham, lived a patriarch, not registered in the line of spiritual descent in Gen. 11: 10-26— the patriarch Job. His book lives in the sacred canon, and is of inestimable value in the history of the Church. It is considered, perhaps, the oldest of the inspired writings, and seems to have been composed and preserved with the express design of unfolding to all succeeding ages what was the amount of religious knowledge — what was the perfection of religious character — and what was the private and public walk of the sons of God — what was the association which they held with each other, and with the people of the world, in these early times, covered with the mists of far-distant ages.
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It was said of Thomas Halyburton, the great Scottish theologian of the late seventeenth century, that “he abhorred that unedifying converse that is spent in frequent and unseasonable jesting…so common with many, though he was abundantly facetious [humorous] in company, when and where he saw it expedient; and this way sometimes he has dropped what tended to edify. Those who conversed most with him will own, they seldom enjoyed his company without some profit by it. He oft was uneasy after much converse with other, if he was not edified himself, or thought he did not edify others.”1 So, how are your conversations benefiting those around you?

1. Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. Thomas Halyburton Edinburgh: Printed for Sterling and Slade, 1821. p. xiii.

I have loved the study of doctrine since I came to faith in Christ.  I couldn’t help but eagerly seek to learn all about the faith I had come to embrace.  Yes, it is true.  I had been raised in a Christian home.  Indeed, in the home of a pastor.  I am a “pastor’s brat” as some like to say.  So for almost 27 years I have made the study of God’s Word and its teaching (i.e. its doctrine) my business.  This is as it should be.  In fact, all Christians ought to be theologians–regularly delving into God’s Word and theology.  Of course this is even more of an obligation for the church’s officers:  ministers, elders, and deacons.  But it is true that all Christians ought to love doctrine.

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There seems to be a connection between Jonah and Saul of Tarsus. Both were nationalistic zealots. Both thought they deserved the grace of God. Both were called to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles; and both had to be dealt with in an extraordinary manner. Jonah was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth prior to being sent to the Gentiles. Saul of Tarsus was three days in the depths of darkness prior to being sent to the Gentiles. Thomas Peck put it this way:

During these three days Saul was in the belly of hell as Jonah was in the fish’s belly. In the agony occasioned  by conviction of sin, in preparation to become the apostle to the Gentiles. Compare the history of Jonah, who before the three days, could not be induced to preach to the Gentile Ninevites. A Jew, under any circumstances needed an extraordinary providence to make him a missionary to the Gentiles.

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Thanks to the heads up of our friend Jeff Downs of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Alpha and Omega Ministries, I am pleased to direct our readers’ attention to some new items by K. Scott Oliphint, professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.  The first item is actually two new papers that Dr. Oliphint has posted at his website which can be found here.  The first paper is entitled “Bavinck’s Realism, the Logos Principle, and Sola Scriptura” and the other is “Using Reason by Faith.”  Both of these will eventually appear in the pages of the Westminster Theological Journal.  The second item is a lecture given by Dr. Oliphint at the 2007 GPTS Spring Theology Conference on “The Reformed Worldview.”  You can find the Sermon Audio lecture here.  You can be assured that this material is well worth your time reading, hearing, and digesting.

Every once in a while it is good for veteran Christians to return to the basics of the faith to remind ourselves what it is we believe and why it is we live the way we do.  This is especially the case since we now live in a culture that provides little to no reinforcement of Christian doctrine or practice.  Greg Gilbert, currently on the pastoral staff at Capital Hill Baptist Church (and so a colleague of Mark Dever) has written this little gem of a book, What is the Gospel? which is part of the 9Marks series of books.  You can obtain the book here.  Readers may be interested in viewing a panel discussion Rev. Gilbert participated in at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary about the current trend toward having multi-site congregations.  You can view the video here.

This past Wednesday evening I had the awesome privilege of attending my daughter Suzannah’s high school graduation.  Thankfully the Lord held off the rain so that the commencement could be held out of doors.  I must confess to being a proud father on this occasion.  I, of course, was not alone in this sentiment.  Many fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, grandparents, and other family members and friends were on hand to salute the soon-to-be -graduates.

As you might imagine, this scene got me to reminiscing about past graduations of my own.  There was my own high school graduation back in 1982.  Has it really been 28 years since then?  Where has the time gone?  Then there was my college graduation to be followed many years later by my graduation from seminary.  Graduations are much like birthdays and anniversaries.  Indeed they might just be like a covenant renewal.  They give us the occasion to not only reminisce but also to recall the gracious care and blessings of God in Christ. They also give us the opportunity to renew our love and commitment to the Lord.

I am thankful for a lovely, loving, and godly wife and two daughters who love the Lord.  In fact, my eldest daughter has far surpassed me during these past few years in school.  Back in the fall my daughter was accepted into the National Honor Society and my family and I had the privilege to attend her induction.  Each inductee was given an opportunity to share about his or her past and about the hopes and dreams for the future.  My daughter opened her remarks with a declaration of thankfulness to Jesus Christ for redeeming her.  “Wow,”  I thought to myself, “what fortitude.”  I myself was not even a Christian in my senior year of high school.  Suzannah has reflected her Christian faith, by God’s grace, throughout her years of schooling.  I am most blessed.

Back at the commencement I was reminded of the real world we Christians inhabit.  During an otherwise momentous, albeit at times lighthearted faculty address, a speaker felt it necessary to ridicule Christians with comments about “feeling” evangelical but not religious and eliciting amens and testimonies.  I was irritated and disappointed.  Why did this speaker feel the need to insult Christians?  For an address calling these students to be open minded and non-ideological, it was ironically close-minded and most ideological.  Then I remembered that our Lord told us that the world hated him and so it would hate us.  I was also reminded recently that the life of the Christian is cruciform.  Whereas I might be tempted (indeed I was!) to demand my rights as an American citizen (and there are times when that is appropriate), I am reminded that I have no right to not be offended.  Paul tells us that we Christians are the fragrance of life to those who are being saved and the stench of death to those who are perishing.  Christians ought to  expect insults, derision, and even persecution and loss of life.  Did I experience that?  Not at all.  But the occasion reminded me that even though I am a citizen of this community, I am more importantly a citizen of heaven and a pilgrim down here for a little while.  Perhaps also if I responded to this teacher with irritation or frustration I would lose the opportunity of sharing the gospel.  After all, every opponent of Christianity (from our limited human perspective)  is a potential convert to Christ.  Remember that the apostle Paul was not always the apostle to the Gentiles.

It is amazing what happens at graduations.  I am grateful to God for a godly family (not a perfect family, but a redeemed family) and for the gift of salvation.  I am thankful even for the bracing swipe against Christians.  It reminded me to whom I belong  and to where I am going.  Another benefit of this experience is that my family was able to talk about this incident and what its significance is.

Oh yes, I did pay attention to what was going on at graduation too!

The most recent sermon audio and video from New Covenant Presbyterian Church is now online. The text was Acts 8:26-40 and the title was “Tolle Tege: Take Up and Read.” You can listen to the audio here. You can watch the video below:

Tolle Lege: Take Up and Read (Acts 8:26-40)

As the 2010 Ligonier National Conference approaches you might be interested in knowing that they will again be live streaming the conference. You can watch it here. This year’s conference title is, “Tough Questions Christians Face.” You can see the schedule of (including the line up for the pre-conference, “Bits, Bytes, Blogs and Bibles”) here.

Apart from the writings of Jonathan Edwards, no other theological writings have had such an impact on the development of my own thinking as much as those of Augustine. If you have never read The Confessions–Augustine’s autobiography–you are missing out on an intellectual and devotional masterpiece. There is certainly much to be criticized in the early writings of Augustine (he must be read as a theologian in progress), but there is equally as much theological depth there. B.B. Warfield once said that the Reformation was Augustine verse Augustine. This becomes clear from a systematizing of his doctrinal statements, no less than a study of his early and later writings.

W. G. T. Shedd wrote, in the 1860 Andover ed. of The Confessions, what may rightly be considered the best introduction to the work. Shedd opened with an analysis of what made Augustine such a unique theologian. There is much to be learned from Shedd’s assessment:

The first characteristic that strikes the reader is, the singular mingling of the metaphysical and devotional elements in the work. The writer passes, with a freedom that often amounts to abruptness, from the intensely practical to the intensely speculative. In the very midst of his confession of sin, or rejoicing over deliverance from it, his subtle and inquisitive understanding raises a query, the answer to which, if answer were possible, would involve the solution to all the problems that have baffled the metaphysical mind from Thales to Hegel. In the very opening of the work, for example, when the surcharged and brimming soul is swelling with its think-coming emotions, and it is seeking vent for its sense of the Divine mercy which has saved it from everlasting perdition, it slides, by an unconscious transition, to the question: “How shall I call upon my God, my God and Lord, since when I call for Him I shall be calling Him into myself? And what room is there within me, whither my God can come into me? Whither can God come into me, God, who made heaven and earth?” At the very instant when Augustine is enjoying the most heartfelt and positive communion with God, his intellect feels the pressures of the problem respecting the possibility of such an intercourse. Such transitions are perpetually occurring throughout the work, until, in the eleventh book, the author leaves his autobiography altogether, and devotes the remainder of the work to an interpretation of the opening chapters of Genesis, in which he discusses the most recondite problems respecting Time and Eternity, the Creator and Creation, and the Triunity of the Divine Essence.

Final unbelief is not essentially or principially different from daily unbelief. A person who has no heart for God is condemned while he lives. Dying impenitent does not worsen the sin, taking it to some new level where it becomes unforgivable. Dying is not a sin, it is a consequence of sin. Dying is not an aggravation of sin whereby the sin of impenitence becomes more heinous.

It is simply that the day of grace is past and that person’s impenitence will not be forgiven. But impenitence and unbelief are quite forgivable. In fact, God forgives everyone who is born again of both.

Just because a sin is not forgiven, does not mean it is unforgivable in principle. The sin against the Holy Spirit is a sin that cannot be forgiven in principle. Why? We do not know for sure, but that it is such a sin is clearly taught by our Lord.

The notion that all who die in unbelief have resisted the Spirit and therefore, blasphemed Him, requires one to assume the semi-Pelagian (Roman Catholic and Arminian) position that the Spirit strives to convert everyone; that the Spirit does all He can, short of violating a person’s free-will, to get everyone to convert. This is patently untrue. Therefore, any argument based on such a view is also patently untrue. There are many who die impenitent with whom the Spirit did not strive at all. He simply left them in their ignorance and hatefulness towards God.

It is true that sometimes the Spirit is said to strive with those who remain impenitent, but it is never taught in Scripture that this is always so. This non-saving work of the Spirit in the hearts of unbelievers is, I believe, just another way of saying that the Spirit accompanies the Word preached with convictions of conscience. Conscience still works because God’s common grace keeps it functioning to some degree or another. But, the Spirit working on the conscience is not the same thing as the Spirit doing all in His blessed power to convert the non-elect unbeliever. The Spirit could sovereignly give him the new birth, if it was God’s will to do so. Such strivings of the Spirit only serve, in the end, to make men more guilty of persisting in unbelief. Now resisting one’s conscience does aggravate a sin and make it more heinous, but that’s another issue for another day.

Tullian Tchividjian has a great post on the nature of God-centered worship. You can read it here. You might want to read Isaiah 6 while you’re at it!

The Gospel Coalition had its first Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition Conference at Grace Bible Church in Winchester, OH. Alistair Begg was the speaker. The topic was “For the Sake of the Gospel.” You can download the talks below:

1) “What is the Gospel? How does it impact Ecclesiology, Philosophy, Teaching, and Discipleship?”

2) “Communicating the Exclusivity of the Gospel to An Inclusive and Pluralistic Culture.”

3) “What is a Gospel Centered Church?”

New Covenant Presbyterian Church is participating in a Reformed Worship project in conjunction with the Reformed Worship Association. We have already begun a 12-month commitment in which we will commit ourselves to lectio continua preaching, a psalm in either morning or evening worship, 4 of the liturgies from Calvin 500, and a 6-week class, explaining the distinctives of Reformation worship. The substance of the project will be modeled at the October 21-24, 2010 Reformation Worship Conference at Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, GA. If you can make it to the Conference, I am sure you will not be disappointed. The speakers will include Hughes Oliphant Old, Terry Johnson, John Payne, David Hall, Mark Ross and Paul Jones. In addition to the main speakers, workshop speakers include T. David Gordon and L. Roy Taylor.  Sinclair Ferguson, Mark Ross, Jon Payne and David Hall will be preaching at the various worship services. You can see the complete schedule here.

I found this notice browsing the Fall 2010 catalog of Notre Dame U. Press. It occurred to me that there might be some interest among readers of this blog.  Thanks to Baus for correcting the original spelling of D’s name in the title.  I’ve corrected it now.

Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian Philosopher of State and Civil Society
Jonathan Chaplin

The twentieth-century Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd (1894–1977) left behind an impressive canon of philosophical works and has continued to influence a scholarly community in Europe and North America, which has extended, critiqued, and applied his thought in many academic fields. Jonathan Chaplin introduces Dooyeweerd for the first time to many English readers by critically expounding Dooyeweerd’s social and political thought and by exhibiting its pertinence to contemporary civil society debates. Chaplin begins by contextualizing Dooyeweerd’s thought, first in relation to present-day debates and then in relation to the work of the Dutch philosopher Abraham Kuyper (1837–1920). Chaplin outlines the distinctive theory of historical and cultural development that serves as an essential backdrop to Dooyeweerd’s substantive social philosophy; examines Dooyeweerd’s notion of societal structural principles; and sets forth his complex classification of particular types of social structure and their various interrelationships. Chaplin provides a detailed examination of Dooyeweerd’s theory of the state, its definitive nature, and its proper role vis-à-vis other elements of society. Dooyeweerd’s contributions, Chaplin concludes, assist us in mapping the ways in which state and civil society should be related to achieve justice and the public good.

Jonathan Chaplin is director of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics, Cambridge, England.

JANUARY 2011
ISBN 978-0-268-02305-8 (S)
$68.00 cloth • 504 pages

“Herman Dooyeweerd was both deep and original. Much of his
writing is an articulation of rather undeveloped lines of thought
in his Dutch predecessor, Abraham Kuyper. In the course of his
exposition, Chaplin effectively highlights Dooyeweerd’s significance
for a theory of civil society and for present-day social
theory in general.” —Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University and
the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Virginia

Scott Clark has posted a transcription of Tim Keller’s recent lecture on creating and nurturing ecumenical “Gospel eco-systems.” I encourage you to read it together with the comments at the bottom of the page. You can find it here.

From time to time I would like to highlight secular books that I have found to be helpful.  As Christians we are called to exercise our minds and this book is one that does just that.  Recently I had the privilege of reading Dr. Matthew Spalding’s book We Still Hold These Truths.  You can obtain the book here.  Dr. Spalding, who works with the Heritage Foundation, has written a primer on the political principles that animated the founding fathers of the American nation.  These principles are in my opinion in real need of reintroduction to the American people and to others interested in political freedom.  In addition to a detailed discussion of the foundational principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Spalding details the rise of progressivism and the gradual rejection of the founding principles and the embrace of the so-called “living constitution.”

It is not necessary, I believe, in affirming the founding principles of the United States, to belittle other lands and peoples.  God is the Lord of all lands and not just Lord of the US.  And the Christian church is not limited to any land or people.  However, to recognize this is not the same as to say that there isn’t anything unique about the founding principles of our land.  If you doubt this, read this book.  You may not agree with the author, but you will at least be familiar with the issues.

Read on!

Over at the Ligonier Ministry blog you will find a series of posts from portions of John Gerstner’s primer on Roman Catholicism. In a day of doctrinal reductionism and willful naivete’ in regard to false teaching, many in protestant churches do not know what the Roman Catholic church teaches. It is incumbent upon us to be a people who search diligently for truth and know how to defend the truth of the Gospel against false teaching. Gerstner’s short primer is a good place to start–specifically with regard to Rome’s doctrine of justification–in coming to an understanding about the nature of Rome’s doctrinal stance. You can read the first five parts of the primer here, here, here, here and here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Check back at the Ligonier Ministry blog for more posts from this work.

The sermon audio and video from the June 6, 2010 Sunday Morning Worship Service at New Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available online. The text was Acts 8:4-25 and the title, “Can’t Buy Me Life.” You can download the audio here. You can watch the video below:

Can’t Buy Be Life (Acts 8:4-25)

My friend Jay Harvey  has an article over at Reformation 21 on the priority of pastoral ministry in the life of Augustine. You can read it here.

I have always been a part of churches that have sang the rich hymnody of Christendom in their worship services (specifically those hymns that were the fruit of the theology of the Reformation). I have only been in one church that regularly sang Psalms. I am not an exclusive Psalmists, but  believe that we should all be inclusive Psalm singers (i.e. include them in our public and private worship). I rejoice in the fact that we have clear commands to sing Psalms: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16); “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:19-20). Lee Irons has an article on New Covenant hymnody, in which he provides some of the best arguments against exclusive psalmody in light of Col. 3:16 and Eph. 5:19-20. You can read it here. But an argument against “exclusive psalmody” must never degenerate into an argument against “inclusive psalmody.”

I am currently in the process of introducing one Psalm a week in our worship services at New Covenant Presbyterian Church beginning this summer. It seems to me that there are several hindrances to the introduction of Psalms in an “exclusive hymnody” or “exclusive spiritual song singing” congregation. The first is that many of the Psalters paraphrase the Psalms in such a way that they loose their richness. The language may be antiquated and, therefore, lacking in linguistic relevance. The Reformers zealously fought to have the Bible in the vernacular, the common language of the people. This principle should be applied to the Psalms, no less than any other portion of Scripture.

The second difficulty has to do with the tunes we sing the Psalms to. It was this very reason that led the editors of the Trinity Psalter to produce a new Psalter in 1994. Terry Johnson has the single, most helpful post on learning the tunes of the Trinity Psalter in order to help introduce them to your congregation. You can read it here.

James Grant also has some helpful posts and audio on Introducing the Psalms to Your Congregation here, here, and here.

The third difficulty is helping your people understand the Christological (i.e. “Messianic”) nature of the Psalms. The Psalms are some of the most quoted portions of Scripture in the New Testament. The apostles saw in them a Christological focus that manifested itself most fully in the specific acts in the outworking of the redemption we have in Jesus. It has been all too common for exclusive Psalm singers to say it is sufficient to sing the Psalms without explanation to the Person and work of Christ. One of the principle arguments against exclusive Psalmody comes from Col. 3:16-17 and Eph. 5:19-20 (see above), where Paul follows his instructions to teach one another in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with an exhortation to do everything “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is part of the Messianic Glory of Jesus for Him to receive praise  from His people in His Messianic name. This is certainly a reason for Christians to produce new, theologically sound hymns in which Christ is praised for the salvation He has provided, but it is also grounds for us to consider how we might teach our congregations about the Christological focus of the Psalms. We ought to take a moment, as we do in our Lectio Continua readings of the OT and NT, to make some short, Christological annotations on the Psalms prior to singing them. Thankfully there are some very helpful books written to help guide the reader to better grasp the biblical theology of the Psalms. They include: Richard Belcher’s The Messiah and the Psalms, William Binnie’s A Pathway into the Psalter, Geoffrey W. Grogan’s Psalms, C.H. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David, and O. Palmer Robertson’s Psalms in Congregational Celebration

Jim Cassidy also provides some very good thoughts on the biblical theology of the Psalms here.

A friend of mine from the UK recently pointed out how people in the American church are so quick to put their stamp of approval upon a man or women regardless of their belief system. You’ve probably heard this come in the form of the following statements: “He’s such a great guy,” or “She’s a really great person,” or “I just love so-and-so.” And, if you listen carefully, what usually gets attached to such statements is a commendation about how kind, or smart, or fun, or gifted that person is.  I have heard this time and time again, am guilty of doing myself, and am starting to have serious concerns about it. I am not saying that we should not like people for their personalities, gifts or style. The Lord gives certain people a naturally more  pleasant demeanor than others. He gives some people more eloquence. He shapes each uniquely. And, I am certainly not saying that we should be dismissive of harshness, insensitivity and unfriendliness, but surely the standard of why we like someone, especially within the sphere of ecclesiastical leadership, ought to be more objective than that.

Maybe it is the subtle allurement of rhetorical prowess and eloquence; maybe its the success syndrome; or perhaps it is the postmodern meltdown of theological certainty and truth in favor of sincerity. Whatever it is, it strikes me as being a peculiarly dangerous error in the church. The apostle Paul noted that the “super-apostles” in Corinth were smart, likable and eloquent. If they were here today they would probably be writing books for the Reformed community. They were attractional and influential, but they were leading people away from Paul’s Gospel.  The truth of the Gospel,  and the godly living that is the fruit of the Gospel, were the chief concerns for the apostle Paul. If the church rejected him, he understood them to be rejecting the doctrines he proclaimed. The identity and ministry of Paul was bound up with his doctrine and practice. Paul even put himself on trial when he said, “Even if we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel to you let him be anathema.”Paul was not, in one sense, a popular and beloved theologian in the early church. The people in Corinth and Galatia, who once looked up to him, quickly turned against him because of the influence of false teachers in the church. They were affirming the Deity of Christ, but they were led astray with regard to the work of Christ. We sometime forget that his doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone was the grounds of Paul’s being rejected so often.

So what are you admiring in the pastors and theologians that you respect? Is there a sense of vulnerability in those men with regard to their own need for Christ? Do they preach and write with a passion that shows that their singular desire is for people to know the truth of the Gospel? Are they ever giving the warnings the apostle Paul gave in Galatians about false teachers and false Gospels?  Do they exalt the free grace of God in the Gospel and the glorious truths of justification by faith alone? If they are not, it ought to make you wonder whether their ministry is built on intellect, amiability, eloquence and prolific writing ability, rather than on Christ. In the words of Sinclair Ferguson, one day all the scaffolding will be removed and then only what was built with the gold, silver and precious stones of the Gospel will last. Until then men may praise other men for many things, but all that is not gold, silver and precious stones will melt away in the presence of Him who judges righteously.

Time Magazine has a cover article, in the June 7, 2010 edition, on the situation that the Roman Catholic Church finds itself in with regard to the pedophilia-priest scandals. The title of the article is “Why Being Pope Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry.” It is interesting to see how the watching world perceives the weaknesses and inconsistencies of the dogma of Rome. Jeff Israely and Howard Chua Eoan draw attention to one such inconsistency when they write:

Today the Vatican appears to be advising bishops in places from India to Italy to quickly remand new cases to civilian authorities. But how can it remedy past injustices? A mea culpa — literally, an acceptance of personal guilt — would be a start, and Benedict has a draft to work from: the letter he wrote to Catholics in Ireland on March 19 in the wake of sex scandals that have debilitated the church there. “You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry,” Benedict wrote. “I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen … It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel.”

The words are moving, and for some Catholics, it may be enough to hear the Pope express remorse this way. But Benedict has also talked of penance. In the language of the church, the sacrament of penance involves confession and then a priestly absolution of the sinner. But what kind of penance would a Pope with fingerprints on the controversy have to perform? There lies an intricate theological problem.

The dying words of many of the Scottish Covenanters are recorded in James Thomson’s A Cloud of Witnesses. One such record is that of the dying words of James Renwick (pronounced “Renick”). Renwick was the last of the Covenanter martyrs.  The old Methodist ministers were fond of saying, “He who would die well must live well.” Renwick is an example of one who died well because he lived well. Here is what he wrote at the conclusion of his dying testimony:

Farewell beloved suffers and followers of the Lamb. Farewell Christian intimates. Farewell Christian and comfortable mother and sisters. Farewell sweet societies. Farewell desirable meetings. Farewell night wanderings, cold and weariness for Christ. Farewell sweet Bible and preaching of the Gospel. Farewell sun, moon and stars, and all sublunary things. Farewell conflicts with a body of death. Welcome scaffold for precious Christ. Welcome heavenly Jerusalem. Welcome innumerable company of angels. Welcome General Assembly and church of the firstborn. Welcome crown of glory, white robes, and song of Moses and the Lamb. And, above all, welcome thou blessed Trinity and One God! O Eternal One, I commit my spirit into Thy eternal rest!

The newest sermon audio from New Covenant Presbyterian Church is now online. The text was Acts 7:54-8:5 and the title, “To Die is Gain.” You can listen to and download it here.

The Reverend Dr. Phil Ryken, senior minister at Tenth Presbyterian Church in center city Philadelphia and soon to be president of Wheaton College, has published another excellent preaching commentary.  The latest addition to the Preaching the Word series published by Crossway Books is Ecclesiastes:  Why Everything Matters.  You can find it here.  P&R Publishing has reissued two Ryken classics as well:  Written in Stone which can be found here and Discovering God available here.

My wife and I love the music of the Sons of Korah, the Australian band which has set many of the Psalms to modern tunes. What do they sound like? Think of an Australian version of Shane & Shane with more lyrics, more harmonization and more of a 70′s rock influence. You can listen to some of their music here and here. I especially like the album Redemption Songs. The band has a “study” page on the website that includes a brief explanation of the Psalms written by the original sons of Korah. One of the bands’ founder members, “Matthew Jacoby, has as a doctorate in philosophy/theology from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He teaches often on the spirituality of the psalms and his concise commentaries on the settings of the psalms is a feature that is woven through most concert events.”

In his 1981 address at Urbana, Eric Alexander made the following observations about Stephen’s martyrdom and the fruit it bore:

We see that Stephen’s death was for the glory of God. There are clearly two sides to the fact of Stephen’s death. There is on the one hand the wrath and hatred of the people as they gnashed their teeth against him (v. 54). That, I suppose, is the basic physical fact behind Stephen’s death, and it issued in their casting him out of the city and stoning him. But there is another side to it. In verse 55 we read that, full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing as his advocate at the right hand of God. And he said, “Look … I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (v. 56).

I really think that was what settled Stephen’s death. I do not think it would have been possible for him to come back and live in this world after that. I think that experience spoiled him for earth for ever. He had seen the glory of God. How could a man or woman be satisfied with life here on earth after that? So Stephen cried, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (v. 59). That is the fact of his death.

But we cannot leave Stephen without also noticing the fruit of his death. Again this is twofold. It is first the occasion for the outbreak of persecution, led by Saul of Tarsus, whose conscience was clearly inflamed (8:3). And that persecution drove the church out of Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria. Stephen’s sermon drove them out theologically and biblically, and Saul’s persecution drove them out physically and geographically. So the martyrdom of Stephen was, in the gracious purpose of God, bearing fruit already. It is not without significance that the very word for witness in the New Testament is the word from which we get our English word martyr. There is a profound cost involved in true and effective witness.

But the other fruit of Stephen’s death is even more significant In Acts 7:58 we read, “the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul,” and in 8:1, “and Saul was there, giving approval to his death.” I would reckon that Saul was there under that spirit-anointed ministry as Stephen preached, and the Word of God stabbed his conscience. However, conviction is a fire which, depending on the wind it catches, may bum into repentance and faith or into resentment and bitterness. Even as Saul was on his way to wreak destruction on the church at Damascus, the heavens opened again, and the Lord Jesus called, “Saul, Saul!” And Saul fell down blinded by the same glory that had drawn Stephen’s soul to heaven. And he cried out, “Who are you, Lord?” And he was a fruit of Stephen’s death. Think of that. Some might have said of Stephen that his life was prematurely cut off and untimely thrown away. But indeed his life was the fuel which set alight a flame for the glory of God in the ancient world that has no parallel.

I think I would lay down my life if it would produce a life of the caliber of Paul’s. Wouldn’t you? You see, whatever the hour and whoever the servant, there is a death to be died if we are going to be fruitful for God and for his glory – a death to self, to pride, to our own plans and our own ambitions. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,” says Jesus, “it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (Jn 12:24 KJV). What a glorious thing to be the kind of life that is fuel to be set alight for the glory of God in our generation, as Stephen’s life was fuel to set such a fire in the life of Saul as had never been seen. We need to be thinking not only of the impact we are having on our own generations; we need to be thinking about the generation we are producing to come after us. We need a sense of history and destiny. What kind of people are we producing?

Do You know these words of Jim Elliot, who gave his life bringing the gospel to the Auca Indians? He prayed: “Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame. But flame is transient, often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul, short life? In me there dwells the Spirit of the Great Short-Lived, whose zeal for God’s house consumed him. ‘Make me thy fuel, flame of God.’”

It is for people such as this that God is looking in these days. May he find us to be his fuel for the flame of his glory.

Back in December, the Gospel Coalition posted a helpful summary of D.A. Carson’s advice to church planters with regard to difficult questions about marriage. You can read it here.

One of my mentors and friends, Rev. Roland Barnes, has written a very helpful pamphlet for the Savannah River Presbytery (PCA) on biblical church growth. I would encourage every minister and seminarian to read it. You can download it here. Roland notes the two indispensable keys to growing churches:

There are two major or fundamental elements of ministry upon which the Church must focus if it is going to experience quantitative and qualitative growth.  In Acts 6 the Apostles encountered a difficulty in the church with respect to the care of widows.  The Apostles chose not to deal with this problem themselves but instead men were chosen by the congregation who could devote themselves to this important aspect of ministry.  Some have referred to these men as the first “deacons” of the Church.  The Scripture sets a high priority on ministries of mercy that manifest the compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ.  James goes so far as to declare that this is a mark of true religion in the sight of God (James 1:27).  However, as important as this is, the Apostles did not believe that it was wise for them to use their time and energies to meet these needs.  They said, “…we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” It is the conviction of this writer that all efforts to plant and grow the church must be founded upon these two fundamental ingredients of ministry:  prayer and the ministry of the word.  If a church is not praying it is living out its ministry in the flesh.  Prayer is at the foundation of any ministry that is honoring to God.  Prayer demonstrates a dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit.  It demonstrates a conviction that only God can build His church, and it must be done by His power at work in the hearts of men.  It is in prayer that we develop a heart of compassion for the souls of men.  We can do more than pray, but we must not do more than pray until we have prayed!  Any effort to grow the church that neglects a devotion to prayer is not pleasing to God.  When prayer is neglected the success of methods, if indeed there is any success, is either fleshly, or it is an evidence of God’s grace in blessing us even when we are employing methods that displease Him.  We are sometimes prone to think that we can make a church grow if we just get our methodologies correct; if we use the correct style of music, etc.  This writer has not often encountered the suggestion that more people praying more often might be the solution.  It is easier to change and manipulate a worship service or employ some new methods than it is to get people to devote themselves to prayer.

The other fundamental non-negotiable ingredient of ministry is the ministry of the word.  In Acts 6 the Apostles would not let anything prevent them from pursuing the ministry of the word, not even the crucial and most necessary ministry to widows in their distress.  At the very heart of our efforts to grow the church is the faithful ministry of the word.  In fact, in the book of Acts the growth of the Church is often represented in terms of the growth of the Word.  (See:  Acts 12:24, 13:49, and 19:20)  The sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as means of grace, should be closely tied to the preaching of the Word.  They are means of God  used to communicate His grace to His Church; to grow it and strengthen it.

Every effort must be made to get the word out as broadly as possible, and every effort must be made to get people as deeply into the word as possible.  Preaching must be fundamental to the growth of the Church; preaching that is undergirded by much prayer.  Preaching is not the only way in which the word is to be proclaimed, but it is certainly central and non-negotiable.

It is the conviction of this writer that any discussion of church growth must begin with prayer and the ministry of the word.  These two essential ingredients comprise the foundation upon which the church is planted and grown.  These two ingredients come together as the church gathers for worship on the Lord’s Day.  Theocentric worship on the Lord’s Day is also a non-negotiable attribute of a healthy growing church.  Jesus has established leadership in the church to insure that these two ingredients are at the foundation of the church.  Elders are to be men who are devout.  Certainly this includes devotion to prayer.  Elders are to hold fast the faithful word that they may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict.  Elders are to provide the leadership that the church needs in order for it to increase its devotion to prayer and the ministry of the word.  Leadership involves planning and strategizing.  It must address questions such as these:  When will we pray?  Where will we pray?  Who will pray?  How often, and on what occasions?  How will the word be proclaimed?  By whom?  In what circumstances?  How can we get more people praying and how can we get the word out more broadly and deeply?  How will we evangelize and where will we evangelize?  What will we teach?  What material will we use?  Why preach this particular doctrine, book of the Bible, etc. at this particular time?  In answering these questions strategies are developed!  Psalm 78:72 says of David, “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.” The strategies that are developed are the skillful means employed by the shepherds of the flock to promote ministries of prayer and the word so that the church will grow!

As the time approaches for Phil Ryken to close one chapter of his life and start another, our readers might want to download the audio from his final sermon series preached at Tenth Presbyterian Church. What more fitting way to end a fruitful pastorate than by preaching on one of the most spiritually rich chapters in the Bible–Romans 8? These sermons will only be available to download for free for a short period of time. In a matter of weeks the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals will make them available for purchase.

No Condemnation (Romans 8:1-2)
What Only God Could Do (Romans 8:3-4)
Of Two Minds (Romans 8:5-6)
Total Inability (Romans 8:7-8)
Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:9-10)
Putting Sin to Death (Romans 8:11-12)
The Spirit of Sonship (Romans 8:14-17)
Global Groaning (Romans 8:18-22)
Waiting With Hope (Romans 8:23-25)
The Spirit of Intercession (Romans 8:23-25)
Its All for the Best (Romans 8:23-25)
Saved From Beginning to End (Romans 8:29-30)

The latest audio and video from New Covenant Presbyterian Church is now online. The sermon text was Acts 7:1-30 and the title was “A Defense to Die For.” You can find the audio here. You can watch the video below.

A Defense To Die For (Acts 7:1-60)

The audio and video for the first six chapters of New Covenant Presbyterian Church’s sermon series “The Continuing Acts of Jesus” are online.

I came across this most excellent post on that most ephemeral site, Facebook, by R. Andrews Myers. I didn’t want to lose it, so I copied it and post it below.  Thanks, Andrew! Enjoy!

“As Methodist minister Samuel Dunn once wrote concerning those Puritan divines who preached the famous “Morning Exercises,” “There were giants in those days.” He is the author of a remarkable biographical work entitled Memoirs of seventy-five eminent Divines whose Discourses form the Morning Exercises at Cripplegate, St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and Southwark (1844), which was recently digitized by Google Books, as Satch Chikhlia kindly brought to my attention. Besides biographical sketches which comprise a “who’s who” of the London Puritans, Dunn has done a great service by providing sermon outlines from each of the contributors. Of the seventy-five ministers, thirteen signed the 1673 Puritan Preface to the Scottish Metrical Psalter, nine were among the continuators of Matthew Poole’s English Annotations, and one was a continuator of Matthew Henry’s Commentary. The publication of this work accompanied the republication by James Nichols the same year of a “celebrated body of divinity” (James Darling) by those seventy-five divines which is, in my view, among the greatest of Puritan contributions to practical theology. Republished again in 1981 by Richard Owen Roberts under the title Puritan Sermons, 1659-1689, the six volumes comprised therein are also now at least mostly available online from both Google Books and the Internet Archive. Bill Sullivan has done an excellent job of assembling the links to access these works online. To read these sermons is to drink from a well of wisdom, and to this writer’s knowledge, there is no other single volume which includes biographical information of all seventy-five Puritan ministers in one place. Truly, there were giants in those days.”

Here the first volume of the second edition of the Morning Exercises.

The following are the other volumes available online:

Volume 2
Volume 4
Volume 6

The issue of theonomy and the application of theocratic case laws in the New Covenant era has recently come up in several discussions I have had, so I thought I would make some resources available to those interested in learning more about a redemptive-historical approach to understanding the role of the theocratic sanctions given to Old Covenant Israel.

The follow books give, what the authors understand to be, the apostolic principles of interpretation with regard to the case laws found throughout the Pentatuech:

Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses

Dennis Johnson’s Him We Proclaim pp. 279-284 (especially pages 281-282)

Here is a post I wrote a while back with a link to George Knight’s outstanding article on apostolic hermenuetics.

Here is post I wrote with regard to Vos teaching in his article “The Mosaic Theocrasy” in The Eschatology of the Old Testament. This chapter has proved more beneficial than almost anything I have read with regard to the typical nature of the Mosaic sanctions.

The only thing I would add to these references is a brief note concerning the Westminster Confession of Faith’s statement (ch. 19) regarding the “general equity” of these case laws. You will often hear proponents of the Theonomic movement trying to make a one-for-one application of the Old Covenant case laws to the governments of the world today (minus their distinctively cultural settings). They will appeal to the wording of the Confession that speaks of the obligation to obey the “general equity” of the case laws. The Dinives put it this way: “To them also (i.e. Israel), as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging under any now, further than the general equity thereof may require.” Those who quote this section always seem to leave out the fact that the Puritans clearly state that God “gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people.“

So this begs the question, “If the Purtians were clear that the civil laws expired with Old Covenant Israel, then what do they mean by general equity?” This is indeed a hard question to answer for several reasons. First, to the best of my knowledge, no member of the Assembly ever wrote an exposition of the phraseology, “general equity.” Again, while most theonomists will try to make a one-for-one application in the civil realm, the only thing you can conclude with certainty about the obligatory nature of the “general equity” of the case laws on those living on this side of the cross is that they were an expression of the moral law of God, and as such, always teach what is morally right and wrong–it is always wrong to commit adultery, it is always wrong to steal, it is always wrong to murder. The apostolic use of particular case laws, shows that it is not civil punishment that they have application to in the New Covenant. Rather, it is the spiritual government of the church. So, as the authors above note, verses that speak of stoning adulterers, false witnesses, and idolaters are used in the context of church discipline for the same actions in the New Covenant (1 Cor. 5). That is general equity. The particular civil cases and penal sanctions are not the general equity.

Second, we must remember that the case laws, given to Israel in redemptive-history, were given to a “body politic.” They were written to the church-state of the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, the church is an eschatologically realize spiritual nation.  As Vos says in “The Mosaic Theocracy,” the typical laws given to the typical church-state are eternalized in the New Covenant. Does this mean that physical nations do not need to govern with righteous laws and punishments? No, they certainly are responsible to do so. Where are they to learn what the ethical standards of righteous rule are? Well, according to the apostle Paul, they have the  law written on their hearts (Rom. 2) and, by common grace they get enough right to restrain evil in the world until Christ comes to execute perfect justice on the earth. This is the historic Protestant doctrine of “natural law.” It accords with the moral law given to Israel at Sinai. Someone might object, “But then you are saying that God has two standards of righteousness?” The only thing I can say here is that Paul (Rom. 13) and Peter (1 Pet. 4) told the Christians of the first Century, and every subsequent Century, to obey the governing authorities. If you took the time to consider what those authorities were like you would soon discover that they were tyrannical.This did not change the fact that Christians were to obey their rulers, insomuch as they executed enough justice in the society for it to function.  That is what makes a government a legitimate form of rule. We are not obliged to obey the government when they command Christians to disobey God or worship false gods.

We need to remember that one day, all the civil disobedience, chaos and rebellion will be dealt with. Heaven will be a world of perfectly righteous rule. Even if (though it is a non-reality) the civil law of God were instituted in nations around the world, you would have a wicked and rebellious people like Israel. As Habakkuk said, “the Law is powerless.” Implementing civil law in societies is not the mission the Lord has given His church until He comes again. Until He comes, we are called to live humble, obedient and Christ-exalting lives in the respective fields to which He has called us. The Lord has left us here to spread the glorious Gospel of His Son. This Gospel is the only thing that will change hearts and enable rulers and people alike to live righteously and honor the Lord and His law.

Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of Billy Graham and pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, brings us lessons of grace from the book of Jonah.  Having just completed a Sunday School series on Jonah, it would have been great to have had this to use in my preparation.  Alas, better late than never.  Tchividjian draws out the gracious gospel from the fascinating narrative of Jonah in Surprised by Grace:  God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels.  You can buy a copy of this book here. Thank you Tullian, and thank you Crossway Books.  It thrills me to see how the book of Jonah points us to Christ and his gracious salvation.

I am becoming more and more convinced that Dennis Johnson’s book Him We Proclaim ought to be required reading in every seminary, bible school and elder training program. Whether it is understanding the preservation of the covenantal line, the principle of typology or the redemptive-historical purpose of the ceremonial and civil laws, there is no single volume that gives more helpful guidance than Johnson’s work. In a day when the Bible has been reduced to a mere ethical handbook, this is a much needed and welcomed resource. Apart from giving the guidelines of apostolic preaching and hermenuetics, many of the difficult theological issues ministers regularly wrestle with are dealt with in this work. If you have not read it already, you are missing out on a wealth of theological insight.

Here is an excellent article by Ed West, a journalist for the Telegraph, offering a critique of Britain’s first pro-abortion television advertisement.

HT: Martin Downes

I am not a huge fan of melodramatic, Mormon political analysts talking about God and country. But I was interested to see that yesterday Peter Lillback, President of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, was on Glen Beck to talk about the difference between the Gospel and the implications of the Gospel in light of current discussions on social justice. You can watch the segment of the show here.

Al Mohler has written a post in which he criticizes Beck for not being nuanced enough in the discussion. You can read it here. Many of Mohler’s conclusions (especially with regard to the primacy of the Gospel) are good and right. While there is a great measure of truth to his criticisms, and while Mohler’s points are certainly more nuanced (and coincide to a much greater extent with Lillback’s), they might fall under the same criticism that he leveled at Beck. For instance, Mohler never takes the time to trace the historical development of the terminology, “social justice.” He simply attempts to distinguish between the use of that phrase and the phrase “social Gospel.” At one point, Mohler attempts to root his understanding of a biblical approach to “social justice” in the Lord’s call for “justice” in the writings of the OT prophets. Mohler writes:

The one who pleases the Lord is he who will “keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice” (Gen. 18:19). Israel is told to “do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Lev. 19:15). God “has established his throne for justice” (Psalm 9:7) and “loves righteousness and justice” (Psalm 33:5). Princes are to “rule in justice” (Is. 32:1) even as the Lord “will fill Zion with justice and righteousness” (Is. 33:5). In the face of injustice, the prophet Amos thundered: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:18). In a classic statement, Micah reminded Israel: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

The problem with the unqualified use of these verses is that they cannot be properly understood apart from their redemptive historical context. They were written to the theocratic church in the OT. The commands are for the rulers and people of the church-state . In some cases they have the care for the poor and needy within Israel in view. In other cases, they have the godliness of individual to individual relationships in mind. Individual Christians are to be “just” towards those around them (i.e. do those things that are pleasing to God as He reveals them in His word). But God’s rule in the theocratic state, throughout redemptive history, was to reflect the justice that He would show on the cross and then in His people in the eschatological Kingdom. His prophets, priests and kings were types of the true Prophet, Priest and King, Jesus Christ. This does not mean that we are not called to care for the poor and needy in our own country, or in any other modern nation. But, it is to make a very important distinction between the household of faith and the societies in which we live. We are, as Paul said, to “do good to all, especially those of the household of faith.” Mohler is not clear as to the precise application of these verses to the New Testament church. He seems implies that “social justice” is an implication of the Gospel. But the reader is left wondering how, by appealing to these verses in an unqualified manner, Mohler has not suggested that the role of “social justice” is as applicable to the the hands of governments as it is to individuals. Consider carefully those who are addressed in the verses mentioned. We certainly cannot make a one-for-one application based off the teaching of verses that were written to the church-state of Israel. While some will see what I am saying as an attempt to get around caring for poor and needy, it is actually a theological nuance that is demanded by biblical theology. Are we to care for the poor and needy in the church and in society? James 1:26 clearly teaches that caring for widows and orphans is the necessary fruit of the Gospel for those who profess faith in the crucified and risen Christ.

Mohler does admit that the New Testament is “stunning silent on any plan for governmental or social action.” Furthermore Mohler intimates that “the apostles launched no social reform movement. Instead, they preached the Gospel of Christ and planted Gospel churches. Our task is to follow Christ’s command and the example of the apostles.” So I’m left wondering how Mohler would define “social justice?” We know that Beck is criticizing those in Washington, and in liberal churches, who use the terminology as a guise for Marxism. But this raises Beck’s concern: Should we use the terminology at all? I am certainly not afraid of to use the word “justice” to intimate “doing what is right to those around us as God has revealed what is good and right in His word.” But I am uncomfortable using the phrase “social justice” in an unqualified manner, or to denote caring for those who have chosen a life of laziness and moral corruption. We are to be merciful to all, and we may choose to show “mercy” to those who have, by a series of sinful and self-indulgent actions, squandered their livelihood. In this case the terminology “social mercy” would be more fitting. The Lord did say, “If a man does not work, neither shall he eat.” So there are times when a measure of prudence is needed to know when we are to care for the needy, even within the covenant community. I wonder if any of the evangelical and Reformed theologians who are trying to redeem the language of “social justice” would take Paul to task for saying that we shouldn’t help widows under 60 in the congregation. If that is a biblical mandate, then wouldn’t it actually be “unjust” to start providing, on a daily basis, for a 55 year old widow in the church. Those are the nuances for which I am calling.

For a more careful exposition of some of the key biblical passages often cited in defense of “social justice,” Kevin DeYoung has a short, but helpful, series on seven passages frequently cited in support of government directed “social justice.” You can find them here, here, here, here, and here.

Matthew Blair, over at the Octavius Winslow website, is giveaway a copy of Winslow’s Heaven Opened.. You can learn more here.

Just because it is now 2010 is no reason to forget about John Calvin.  Thankfully David Hall will not let us do that.  Just released from P & R Publishing is the latest volume in the Calvin 500 series which includes some excellent studies.  Tributes to Calvin: A Celebration of His Quincentenary is a compilation of papers delivered at the celebration of the life and work of Calvin held last summer in Geneva.  It can be found here.  The list of contributors is a veritable treasure trove of Calvin scholarship.  The following have contributed:  Henri Blocher, Richard Burnett, R. Scott Clark, William Edgar, Richard C. Gamble, Isabelle Graessle, David Hall, Darryl Hart, Michael Horton, Terry Johnson, Douglas F. Kelly, Jae Suang Kim, Robert M. Kingdon, George W. Knight III, Anthony Lane, William McComish, Bruce McCormack, James McGoldrick, A. T. B. McGowan, Albert Mohler, Hughes Oliphant Old, Herman J. Selderhuis, and John Witte, Jr.  You can see pictures from the conference in Geneva here.  Interviews with attendees and participants of the celebration can be found here
as well.

This is a particularly thought provoking sermon, by David Murray, on the significance of God’s dwelling in the tabernacle. The Lord dwelt in the tent of meeting because His people dwelt in tents. He had promised to be their God. He had promised to dwell with His people. In order to do this, God became like His people. Israel dwelt in tents, so God dwelt in a tent. This is, of course, pointing forward to the fulfillment of the covenant promises in Jesus Christ. In Jesus, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily. As the children had partaken of flesh and blood, so He Himself likewise shared in the same…”  (Heb. 2:14). God came to be with His people by taking on the human nature of His people in Jesus Christ. The Lord “tabernacled” (John 1:14) with His people in the body, the tent, of Jesus.

The audio and video from the most recent sermon preached at New Covenant Presbyterian Church is now online. The text was Acts 6:8-15 and the title was “A Day in the Life of an Extraordinary Man.” You can find the audio here. You can watch the video below:

A Day in the Life of an Extraordinary Man (Acts 6:8-15)

Here is an outstanding article on the biblical mandate for tithing by R.C. Sproul. I wish every Christian would read this.

A much needed reminder from Tim Keller on contentment. We desperately need to be reminded, time and time again, of the words of David from Psalm 131, and the theology of contentment:

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Keller notes:

If grace has really changed our hearts, we don’t ultimately care if life goes the way we want it, as long as we have him. The joys of acclaim, wealth, and power are nothing compared to the eternal acclaim, wealth, and power we have in him. A “weaned child” is not just someone who knows this in principle, but who has worked gospel truths into his or her soul as spiritually sensed realities. Internally, this quiets the soul into profound contentment and poise. Externally, it means humility, a willingness to learn from others and also to trust God. The believer realizes that the reason God’s actions are often opaque is not because we are wise and he is foolish, but because he is too “great” and “wonderful” for us.

A Christian should never have the attitude toward God, “what have you done for me lately?” Spurgeon said about Psalm 131 that it was “one of the shortest psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn.”

Because I had planned on opening my sermon tomorrow morning with a brief recount of the life, ministry and death of Jim Elliot, I decided to review the historical accounts of Elliot’s missionary endeavors up to the point when his life was taken by the Auca Indians to whom he was laboring to bring the Gospel. I was somewhat surprised to find two sermons that Elliot preached in 1951, just one year before he went to Ecuador as a missionary–and only 5 years before died a martyr.

Here is the sermon Elliot preached on “The Feeding of the Five Thousand.”

Here is his sermon on “The Resurrection.”

It is a fitting parallel to what is recorded of  Stephen, the first New Testament martyr, in Acts 6:8-15. In some respects Elliot was an ordinary man, who was filled with the Spirit and ready to lose his life for the Gospel. Those famous words that Elliot penned in his diary in 1949–”He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”– are the heart cry of each and every man and woman, beginning with Stephen, who gave their lives for Christ.

Some time ago I posted a link to the interview we had with Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, on Christ the Center, regarding the preaching of William Perkins. You can listen to it here. Dr. Pipa wrote his doctoral dissertation on the preaching of Perkins. He recently gave a lecture on the life of Perkins at the 2010 Whiteabbey Congregational Church Puritan Conference. You can listen to the lecture here. You can hear the rest of Dr. Pipa’s lectures from that conference here.