Over the next few years, my church will be focusing on the Epistle to the Romans. I will be posting my notes from my pastor's exposition in my blog... I am complimenting his sermons with my personal study of Thomas Schreiner's Commentary (along with many other commentaries throughout the course of the exposition).
Before beginning his exposition, my pastor preached several sermons painting the redemptive picture of the Gospel through the whole counsel of Scripture. Since Romans is such a theologically dense book and considered by many to be the most important piece of literature ever written, he wanted to ground us in an understanding of the Christ-centered nature of the Bible in order that we may develop an appetite for Romans; that it may be palatable.
Thomas R. Schreiner's Commentary on Romans
Introduction
Significance
Augustine's theology... "which has probably exerted more influence on the church worldwide than any theologian in the history of the church—was significantly indebted to Romans." (p.1)
"This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul." (Martin Luther)
"Man's only righteousness is the mercy of God in Christ, when it is offered by the Gospel and received by faith." (John Calvin)
"Exegesis begins with a patient and humble listening to the text, with the willingness to hear an alien word." (p. 2)
Authorship
Tertius: Paul's amanuensis [employed writer of dictation] (see Romans 16:22)
How much freedom was given in composition?
1. Paul provided general themes
2. Tertius took down Paul's dictation in shorthand and wrote it later
3. Paul dictated the letter word for word
"It is intrinsically unlikely that Paul would surrender the specific contents of Romans to Tertius. The letter was of great import to Paul, and its careful structure suggests that he fussed over the details." (p. 2)
"The style of Romans fits with Paul's other letters that are accepted as authentic, and there is no evidence that Tertius composed those... Romans should be accepted as the product of Paul's dictation to Tertius..." (p. 3)
Date
"in the case of Romans we can safely locate the letter between A.D. 55 and 58." (p. 3)
Paul is done with missionary endeavors... [click here for more information]
"...from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum [roughly Albania] I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation..." (Romans 15:19b-20, ESV)
Paul plans to visit Rome after Jerusalem...
"I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints... When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you." (Romans 15:24-25, 28, ESV)
Acts 19 and 20...
"Paul's intention to go to Rome crystallized after his two plus years in Ephesus [Turkey]... He was intent upon going to Jerusalem... He planned to visit Macedonia [northern Greece] and Achaia [southern Greece]..." (p. 4)
"This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks... Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while." (Acts 19:10, 21-22, ESV)
Location
"Paul reached both Macedonia and Achaia... He spent three months in Achaia... He likely wrote Romans during his three months in Greece... He probably wrote the letter from Corinth." (p. 4)
"After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia." (Acts 20:1-3, ESV)
Romans 16...
Commendation of Phoebe of Cenchreae, Corinth (vv. 1-2)
Gaius was Paul's host (v. 23)
"...I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius" (1 Corinthians 1:14b, ESV)
Erastus (v. 23)
"Erastus remained at Corinth..." (2 Timothy 4:20a, ESV)
Destination; foundation of the church at Rome
"Paul did not establish it (the Roman church), for the letter makes abundantly clear that Paul had never been to Rome and yet churches existed in the city (cf. Romans 16)." (p. 10)
"Perhaps the visitors from Rome returned to the city and founded a church." (p. 11)
"And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." (Acts 2:8-11, ESV)
Reasoner...
"Christianity was brought to Rome by Jewish Christians from Palestine." (p. 11)
Brown and Meier...
"Christians who kept up some Jewish observances and remained faithful to part of the heritage of the Jewish Law and cult, without insisting on circumcision." (p. 11)
Destination; issues concerning the church at Rome
Suetonius (Roman historian; A.D. 120)...
"Claudius deported from Rome Jews who were involved in local disruptions at the behest of 'Chresto'. Most scholars agree that Suetonius confused the name 'Christo' (i.e. 'Christ') with the name 'Chresto' because the latter was a common Greek name." (p. 12)
"The most likely date for this eviction is A.D. 49, for this matches the testimony of Acts 18:2 (where Prisca's and Aquila's expulsion from Rome is attributed to an order from Claudius that all Jews should leave Rome) and of the Christian historian Orosius (History Against Pagans 7.6)." (p. 12)
"The dismissal of the Jews from Rome in A.D. 49 had a significant effect on Roman churches, With the ejection of the Jews the churches in Rome became mainly Gentile. These Gentile house churches developed for a number of years apart from Jewish influence... It is not hard to imagine that tensions would arise between Jews and Gentiles since the latter would not be as devoted to the law and had evolved in new directions with the eviction of the Jews." (p. 13)
Destination; the Christians in Rome
Gentiles... [Romans 9-11, 14-15]
"They are to desist from pride, even though they have been joined to the olive tree of God's people and the Jews have largely been cast aside." (p. 13)
"They are to accept Jewish believers who have scruples in regard to food and drink and the observance of various days." (p. 13)
Gentile majority...
"In Romans 1:5-6 Paul addresses the readers, identifying his commission as the apostle to the Gentiles, and he specifically includes the Roman readers within the orbit of this Gentile commission. The language should not be pressed to exclude the Jews, but it implies that the majority of the readers were Gentiles." (p. 14)
[Romans 1:13, 11:13, 15:15-16]
Jews...
"chapters 1-11 can be conceived of as a dialogue with the Jews, who are specifically addressed in 2:17. The constant appeal to the OT and the discussion of the Mosaic law are also set forth as evidence of a Jewish readership." (p. 14)
Purpose
"His gospel was probably under suspicion in Rome precisely because both the Jews and Jewish Christians hotly disputed his interpretation of the Mosaic law the OT Scriptures. Paul's teaching on the law had already precipitated disputes in Galatia and Corinth. These debates were not confined to these localities, and before Paul could use Rome as a bridgehead for bringing the gospel to Spain, he needed to show them why the objections to his gospel, which had certainly reached Rome also, were unfounded." (p. 15)
Resolving conflict between Jews and Gentiles in Rome...
"in Rome the weak adhere to Jewish food laws and the Sabbath because of their devotion to the Mosaic law. In Corinth, by contrast, the weak hail from pagan backgrounds and fear eating food offered to idols because it will defile them." (p. 20)
[Romans 14:1-15:13; 1 Corinthians 8-10]
"He needed to summarize the basic content of the gospel he preached, especially as it pertained to issues relating to Jews and Gentiles... Paul needed to explicate his gospel thoroughly because he was the object of constant attacks, especially by other Jewish Christians... He must satisfy both Jewish and Gentile Christians that his stance on the Mosaic law, circumcision, and the place of Israel accords with the OT Scriptures... Paul's intention is to show them that his gospel constitutes the true fulfillment of what the OT Scriptures teach about the Mosaic law, circumcision, and the role of Israel (and Gentiles) in salvation history... one of Paul's primary aims was to unify the church in Rome, so that Jews and Gentiles together would worship God in harmony, understanding that their unified worship fulfilled what the OT Scriptures taught (cf. Romans 15:7-13)... He hoped that the unified congregations would rally together to support his mission to Spain (cf. Romans 15:22-24)... just as Paul had set forth his teaching to resolve the disputes between Jews and Gentiles, so too his teaching had to be embraced for them to support his mission... Full discussions of Christology [theology pertaining to Christ], ecclesiology [theology pertaining to the church], eschatology [theology pertaining to the 'end times'], and the Lord's Supper were not needed, for no one disputed Paul's teaching in these areas... Paul ultimately wrote Romans as a servant of God to honor his Lord." (pp. 21-23)
Here are my notes (with added Scripture references and commentary) from my pastor's first sermon on the book of Romans. You may listen to it HERE. If you would like more information, visit NorthPointe Baptist.
Paul: A Witness to the Radical Power of the Gospel of God (09/20/09)
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1, ESV)
I. Paul's Disposition (v. 1a)
Paul considered himself a slave or servant of Jesus... he was owned by Christ.
"whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28, ESV)
"Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification." (Romans 6:16-19, ESV)
"Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." (Romans 7:25, ESV)
PAUL MENTIONS HIS DISPOSITION BEFORE HE MENTIONS HIS OFFICE
...may we imitate Paul (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1) by focusing on humble service.
The Roman church (A.D. 55-58) was quite familiar with the language Paul was using... slavery was a major part of ancient Roman society.
A Pauline Biography
Acts 22...
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia [Turkey], but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus [Syria] to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished." (vv.3-5, ESV)
"he was born in a creditable reputable place, in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, and was by his birth a freeman of that city." (Matthew Henry)
His teacher was Gamaliel, who was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin... considered to be one of the premier teachers of Jewish law in the first century.
He was peerless and his mental acuity matched his zealousness for the law
He had misconceptions of honoring God
"He was not only a Jew, and a gentleman, but a scholar. He was brought up in Jerusalem, the principal seat of the Jewish learning, and at the feet of Gamaliel, whom they all knew to be an eminent doctor of the Jewish law, of which Paul was designed to be himself a teacher; and therefore he could not be ignorant of their law, nor be thought to slight it because he did not know it. His parents had brought him very young to this city, designing him for a Pharisee; and some think his being brought up at the feet of Gamaliel intimates, not only that he was one of his pupils, but that he was, above any other, diligent and constant in attending his lectures, observant of him, and obsequious to him, in all he said... He was an intelligent professor of their religion, and had a clear head. He minded his business at Gamaliel's feet, and was there taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers. What departures he had made from the law were not owing to any confused or mistaken notions of it, for he understood it to a nicety, kata akribeian—according to the most accurate and exact method... He was an active professor of their religion, and had a warm heart: I was zealous towards God, as you all are this day. Many that are very well skilled in the theory of religion are willing to leave the practice of it to others, but Paul was as much a zealot as a rabbi. He was zealous against every thing that the law prohibited, and for every thing that the law enjoined; and this was zeal towards God, because he thought it was for the honour of God and the service of his interests" (Matthew Henry)
"As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name." (vv. 6-16, ESV)
A light brighter than the noonday sun in Syria blinded him and thrust him down.
"In the night-season there appear oftentimes lightnings, which come of the hot exhalations of the earth; but this was more strange, that about noon a sudden light did not only appear, but did also compass him about like a lightning, so that through fear thereof he fell from his horse, and lay prostrate upon the ground." (John Calvin)
"It was a light from heaven that first startled him, a great light, which shone suddenly round about him, and the Jews knew that God is light, and his angels angels of light, and that such a light as this shining at noon, and therefore exceeding that of the sun, must be from God... it shone upon him in the open road, at high noon, and so strongly that it struck him to the ground, and all that were with him (Acts 26:14)" (Matthew Henry)
Note that Jesus tells Saul (Paul) that He is the one being persecuted. Christ does not say, "why are you persecuting the church?" or "why are you persecuting my disciples?" There is a connection/union between Jesus Christ ("the head") and the church ("the body").
Ananias (Acts 9)
Philippians 3...
Paul's transformation...
"If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 4b-11, ESV)
"I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 1:12-14, ESV)
I would also like to add Galatians 1:12-17 for the sake of solidarity and the purpose of synthesis:
"I did not receive it [the gospel] from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus."
II. Paul's Office (v. 1b)
Called...
"To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints..." (Romans 1:7, ESV)
This "calling" is considered an "effectual calling"
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27, ESV)
Paul's dramatic conversion was the product of the irresistable grace of God
Apostle...
Paul's authority comes directly from Christ Himself
"Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?" (1 Corinthians 9:1, ESV)
"He had not taken this honour to himself, but had a divine commission for it." (Matthew Henry)
"in order that he may not be reckoned inferior in any respect, to the other Apostles, for this one thing the malevolent and envious bawled out on all occasions—that he had received from the hands of men whatever he had of the gospel, inasmuch as he had never seen Christ. And, certainly, he had not had converse with Christ while he was in the world, but Christ had appeared to him after his resurrection. It was not a smaller privilege, however, to have seen Christ in his immortal glory, than to have seen him in the abasement of mortal flesh." (John Calvin)
This next passage is absolutely beautiful...
"Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." (1 Corinthians 15:8-10, ESV)
"Paul does not refuse to be the most worthless of all, and next to nothing, provided this contempt does not impede him in any degree in his ministry, and does not at all detract from his doctrine. He is contented that, as to himself, he shall be reckoned unworthy of any honor, provided only he commends his apostleship in respect of the grace conferred upon him. And assuredly God had not adorned him with such distinguished endowments in order that his grace might lie buried or neglected, but he had designed thereby to render his apostleship illustrious and distinguished." (John Calvin)
"What kept Paul low in an especial manner was the remembrance of his former wickedness, his raging and destructive zeal against Christ and him members... When sinners are by divine grace turned into saints, he makes the remembrance of their former sins very serviceable, to make them humble, and diligent, and faithful." (Matthew Henry)
Remember what Paul wrote to the church at Galatia in order to solidify his Apostolic authority...
"For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:12, ESV)
"It was necessary that Paul should state his doctrine... and rest it on this ground, that he had acquired it not in the school of any man, but by revelation from God." (John Calvin)
III. Paul's Purpose (v. 1c)
separated to the gospel of God...
What does "of God" mean? Is the gospel about God? Is it sent by Him? Is it from Him?
Answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you..." (Jeremiah 1:5a, ESV)
Again, recall Paul's letter to the Galatians...
"when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles..." (Galatians 1:15-16b, ESV)
Like Paul, we (believers) are"set apart" by the grace of God... saved through faith. We are his slaves because He predestined and created us for the production of fruit and good works.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10, ESV)
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
May we be set apart, a people for his own possession. Let us proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into light; die to ourselves and live as slaves of righteousness to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Romans links:
Preface to Romans (Martin Luther)
The Greatest Letter Ever Written (John Piper's exposition of Romans)
Romans Revolution (an article by Michael Horton)
The Theme of Romans (an essay by Douglas Moo)
21 September 2009
18 September 2009
Week(s) in Review
Picking up where I left off a few weeks ago...
"He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13, ESV)
More from "Complete In Him" by Michael Barrett...
Chapter 4: Regeneration (New Life in the Gospel)
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7, KJV)
"Adam has no physical life until he received the special breath of God." (p. 75)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature..." (2 Corinthians 5:17a, KJV)
"Just as Adam required God's breath for physical life, every sinner requires a gracious and special intervention of God to bring him to spiritual life." (p. 76)
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made us alive] together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5, KJV)
The Definition of New Life
"Regeneration refers to the implantation of the principle of spiritual life into the heart of the sinner that results in an instantaneous, radical, and obvious change of nature affecting the whole governing disposition of life. (p. 76)
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, KJV)
"The prophet's description of the old heart as stony portrays and inward nature that is cold, unfeeling, and hard. A petrified heart is utterly dead, incapable of functioning." (p. 77)
"...old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17b, KJV)
The Westminster Larger Catechism
"Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he does, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his Word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein." (Question 67)
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
"Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel." (Question 31)
The Baptist Confession of Faith
"This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not on account of anything at all foreseen in man. It is not made because of any power or agency in the creature who is wholly passive in the matter. Man is dead in sins and trespasses until quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit. By this he is enabled to answer the call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it. This enabling power is no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead. " (Chapter 10, section 2)
Mark 5:41-42; John 11:43-44 (Jesus makes the dead alive)
"When the Spirit of God implants the principle of life within the soul, the regenerate soul will evidence all the vital signs of a spiritual life." (p. 79)
"Man's spiritual death and inability are answered by God's gracious provision in the atoning death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ." (p. 79)
The Exposition of New Life
"Being dead in our trespasses and sins means that more than anything else we need life, and God graciously according to His divine power 'hath given unto us all things tha pertain unto life and godliness.' (2 Peter 1:3, KJV)." (p. 79)
Imagery of regeneration...
Circumcision (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Resurrection (Ephesians 2:5-6)
Creation (Ephesians 2:10)
Spiritual baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13)
New covenant (Jeremiah 31:33)
John 3...
1. You MUST be born again (verse 7)
2. The Son of Man MUST be lifted up (verse 14)
"The possibility of the first depends on the performance of the second." (p. 80)
The Necessity of New Life
"As in the first birth a physical life issues from previous nonexistence, so in the second birth a formerly nonexistent spiritual life comes into being." (p. 80)
John 3:3, 7...
Please take into account the footnotes on the link:
"the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above"
"This sense of the word is perhaps more pertinent to man's need because it calls special attention to the divine source of spiritual life which guarantees the necessary qualifications for entrance into the kingdom of God." (p. 80)
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6, KJV)
"A second birth from his mother's womb would produce the same sinful and corrupt flesh as the first birth." (p. 81)
The Agent of New Life
"born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13, KJV)
The New Birth is a Spiritual Work
1. Christ's definition: Character
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5, KJV)
"The linking of 'water and spirit' is a literal device called hendiodys (Greek); 'one through two'... Being born 'of water and of spirit' refers, consequently, to spiritual water, which pertains ultimately to spiritual cleansing." (p. 83)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5)
"Christ is teaching that the new birth involves an inward cleansing from the filthiness and pollution that preclude entrance into heaven. Such a cleansing is spiritual work because man is absolutely incapable of cleansing himself (see Jeremiah 2:22)." (p. 83)
2. Christ's affirmation: Success
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6, KJV)
The New Birth is a Sovereign Work
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8, KJV)
"the Greek terms for 'wind' and 'spirit' (click here) are exactly the same word." (p. 84)
The Provision for New Life
"The gospel, the good news, is that God has provided the means and the way whereby dead, spiritually oblivious sinners can receive the necessary life." (p. 85)
Based in the Love of God...
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16, KJV)
LOVE...
"It's stimulus is within God who loves and not in the world which is loved... God's love for the world makes no sense since the world consists of sinners who are highly repulsive and unworthy of love... The word 'so' designates not the degree to which God loves, but the way in which God demonstrated His love for the world... The two 'that' statements (different words in the Greek text) define the way in terms of consequence and purpose." (p. 85)
"Given that the supreme and eternal object of the Father's love is His only begotten Son (John 17:23-24), the sacrificial giving of the Son heightens the magnitude of God's love for the world." (p. 86)
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV)
In men's study, we are currently in chapter 25 of "Introducing Christian Doctrine" by Millard J. Erickson, discussing The Humanity of Christ.
Chapter 25: The Humanity of Christ
"God is high above us, so much so that He cannot be known by unaided human reason." (p. 224)
"And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:3-9, ESV)
The reason I have entered this passage into my notes is to show the sovereign power of God. I once heard someone articulate the fact that as they conspired to build a tower to heaven in order to exalt themselves, God still "went down"... they were not even close to God's glorious dwelling place. My elder, when answering the question "Where is heaven?" in a current Q&A session at church, gave the example of the Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space) and Nikita Khrushchev's comment: "Gagarin flew into space, but didn't see any God there"... the reason he didn't is much like Genesis 11 account; he didn't go high enough... he couldn't.
"We are unable by our own moral effort to counter sin, to elevate ourselves to the level of God." (p. 224)
"the validity of the work accomplished in Christ's death, or at least its applicability to us as human beings, depends upon the reality of His humanity, just as the efficacy of it depends upon the genuineness of His deity." (p. 224)
Jesus' Intercession...
"If He was truly one of us, experiencing all of the temptations and trials of human existence, then He is able to understand and empathize with us in our struggles as humans." (p. 224)
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16, KJV)
The Biblical Evidence
Physical Human Nature
1. Human body... He was born; conceived in the womb of a woman.
2. Genealogy... He has ancestors... and most likely genetic traits and characteristics.
3. His life... He grew; nourished by food and water (see Matthew 4:2; John 19:28; John 4:6)
4. He suffered physically and died (see John 19:34)
5. His (and others') use of the word 'man' (see John 8:40; Romans 5:1,15; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 47-49)
This is what the Prophet Daniel wrote (500-600 years before His birth) concerning Jesus...
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him." (Daniel 7:13)
6. He "became" human (see John 1:14; 1 John 4:2-3a)
7. Others' perception of His "physicality" (see 1 John 1:1)
Early Heresies Regarding the Humanity of Jesus
Docetism (dokeō [Greek]: "to seem or appear")
"Jesus only seemed to be human." (p. 227)
All matter is evil, God is holy.
"Jesus was more like a ghost, an apparition, than a human being." (p. 227)
[see also Gnosticism and Marcionism]
Apollinarianism (Condemned at the Council of Constantinople [AD 381]
Apollinarius was the Bishop of Syria [4th century]
(Jesus) "must have had a human nous (soul, mind, reason) as well as a divine nous." (p. 227)
John 1:14 ("the Word became flesh")...
"flesh was the only aspect of human nature involved" (p. 227)
Jesus was a composite...
"What He (the Word) took was not the whole of humanity but only flesh, that is the body." (p. 227)
"Jesus was human physically, but not psychologically, He had a human body, but not a human soul. His soul was divine." (p. 228)
I will again focus on the Westminster Confession for more information on Christ's humanity...
"The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety.Which office He took not unto Himself, but was thereunto called by His Father, who put all power and judgment into His hand, and gave Him commandment to execute the same.
This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that He might discharge, He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it; endured most grievous torments immediately in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, and shall return, to judge men and angels, at the end of the world.
The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the justice of His Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for those whom the Father has given unto Him." (The Westminster Confession of Faith; Chapter 8, Sections 3-5)
A continuation of my discipleship curricula; Psalm 119 verses 121-128:
121 I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.
"Having done justice for others that were oppressed, he begs that God would do him justice and avenge him of his adversaries." (Matthew Henry)
[The assumption here is that the author of this Psalm is King David. Though the author is not known with absolute certainty, David is widely considered to be the human author of this Psalm]
Vocationally...
"David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people." (2 Samuel 8:15, ESV)
Personally...
"See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it." (1 Samuel 24:11, ESV)
"As he everywhere promises his aid to the afflicted who are unrighteously oppressed, it is no superfluous protestation which the Prophet makes, that he had not provoked his enemies, but had restrained himself from all injury and wrong-doing, and had not even attempted to requite evil for evil. In asserting that he had at all times done judgment, he means that whatever rite wicked practiced, he steadfastly preserved in following after integrity and never turned aside from what was just and right in any of his public or private transactions." (John Calvin)
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all." (Romans 12:17, ESV)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5, ESV)
122 Give your servant a pledge of good (surety); let not the insolent oppress me.
"Christ is our surety with God; and, if he be so, Providence shall be our surety against all the world." (Matthew Henry)
"In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised." (Psalm 10:2, ESV)
"The prayer is to this effect, that God would not suffer the wicked to exercise, their cruelty against us at their pleasure, but that He would interpose as a Defender to save us." (John Calvin)
123 My eyes long (fail) for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
"Though our eyes fail, yet God's Word does not, and therefore those that build upon it, though now discouraged, shall in due time see His salvation." (Matthew Henry)
Failing for salvation...
"allthough there was no prospect of an end to his calamities, and although despair presented itself on every side, yet he strove against temptation even to the fainting of the soul... his eyes fail him not because they become fatigued, but because through earnest looking they contract as it were a dimness, and that yet he does not cease to wait continually for the salvation of God." (John Calvin)
Salvation in this sense is not the faith in Christ by grace, but rather the continual, temporal provision and providence of God for His people. However, the righteous promise would be the fulfillment of God's promise of a Messiah... the longing or failing can be considered a "painful earnestness".
"rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:3-5, ESV)
"...the righteousness which Christ, who is God as well as Man, has wrought out; and which His Father has approved of, accepted, and imputes to His people, and justifies them with..." (John Gill)
"My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word." (Psalm 119:81, ESV)
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.
Divine mercy...
"The Prophet... magnifies the greatness and excellence of the benefit of being instructed in the divine law, when he requests that it may be bestowed upon him as a free gift" (John Calvin)
"...it is great mercy on God's part that He condescends to instruct us in His commands." (Charles Spurgeon)
"In difficult times we should desire more to be told what we must do that what we may expect, and should pray more to be led into the knowledge of scripture-precepts than of scripture-prophecies." (Matthew Henry)
125 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
"It is God's prerogative to give an understanding, that understanding without which we cannot know God's testimonies." (Matthew Henry)
"If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." (John 7:17, ESV)
"The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant." (Psalm 25:14, ESV)
"We are to confess ourselves fools, and then our Lord will make us wise, as well as give us knowledge. The best understanding is that which enables us to render perfect obedience and to exhibit intelligent faith..." (Charles Spurgeon)
"the Scriptures, which testify of the will of God... are only rightly understood by those who have their understandings opened and enlightened; or have an understanding given them, that they may understand them, so as to receive and embrace the doctrine, and do the precepts of them: and such an understanding is the gift of God, and owing to his powerful and efficacious grace." (John Gill)
"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45, ESV)
126 It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken.
"It is possible a godly man may sin against the commandment, but a wicked man would sin away the commandment, would repeal God's laws and enact his own lusts. This is the sinfulness of sin and the malignity of the carnal mind... We must do what we can for the support of the sinking interests of religion, and, after all, we must beg of God to take the work into his own hands." (Matthew Henry)
"It is the peculiar work of God to restrain the wicked, and even to punish them severely when he finds that their repentance is utterly hopeless... It is a pure and honest zeal which moves him to desire the destruction of the wicked despisers of God; for he adduces no other reason for the prayer, than that the wicked destroyed God's law." (John Calvin)
"Men make void the law of God by denying it to be his law, by promulgating commands and doctrines in opposition to it, by setting up tradition in its place, or by utterly disregarding and scorning the authority of the lawgiver... when the church of God is trampled down, and her message is derided, we may expect to see the hand of the Lord stretched out for the revival of religion, the defense of the truth, and the glorifying of the divine name. The Lord can work either by judgments which hurl down the ramparts of the foe; or by revivals which build up the walls of his own Jerusalem. How heartily may we pray the Lord to raise up new evangelists, to quicken those we all early have, to set his whole church on fire, and to bring the world to his feet. God's work is ever honourable and glorious; as for our work, it is as nothing apart from him." (Charles Spurgeon)
Made void His law...
"atheists and deists (deny the authority of them); Pharisees (preferred their oral law to the written word); Papists (by their unwritten rituals and doctrines); false teachers (wrest the Scriptures, and put false glosses on them, and handle the word of God deceitfully); all profane sinners (bid defiance to the law, abrogate it, and set up a law of their own, and frame mischief by it)... It is proper, in declining times, for good men to bestir themselves and be in action, to attempt the revival of religion, to do all that in them lies to support the cause of God, and to vindicate his honour and glory." (John Gill)
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
"David saw that the word of God answers all purposes better than money does, for it enriches the soul towards God; and therefore he loved it better than gold, for it had done that for him which gold could not do, and would stand him in stead when the wealth of the world would fail him." (Matthew Henry)
"the reason why he esteemed God's law as more valuable than gold and precious stones, was because he had fixed in his mind a thorough persuasion of the truth, that although God may connive for a time at wickedness, the making havoc of all uprightness and equity will not always remain unpunished... when the wicked claim to themselves an unbridled liberty, it behoves us to contemplate with the eyes of faith the judgments of God, in order to our being thereby quickened to the observance of the divine law." (John Calvin)
"in the judgment of the wise, God's laws are more enriching, and bring with them more comfort than all the choicest treasures." (Charles Spurgeon)
"His love was the more inflamed and increased towards it by the contempt it was had in by others." (John Gill)
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.
"He loved all God's commandments because he esteemed them to be right, all reasonable and just, and suited to the end for which they were made. They are all as they should be, and no fault can be found with them; and we must love them because they bear God's image and are the revelations of his will." (Matthew Henry)
"We perceive then how the Prophet, inspired with a holy jealousy for the law, contended against the wicked rebellion of those who despised it. And assuredly, when we see that the ungodly mock God with such effrontery, at one time rising up audaciously against him, trod at another perverting every part of the law, it becomes us to be the more inflamed with zeal, and to be the more courageous in maintaining the truth of God. The extreme impiety of our age especially demands of all the faithful that they should exercise themselves in this holy zeal. Profane men strive to outdo one another in scornfully aspersing the doctrine of salvation, and endeavor to bring God's sacred Word into contempt by their derisive jeers. Others pour forth their blasphemies without intermission. We cannot, therefore, avoid being chargeable with the crime of treacherous indifference, if our hearts are not warmed with zeal, and unless we burn with a holy jealousy. The Prophet not merely says, that he approved of God's law wholly and without exception, but he adds, that he hated every way of lying, or every false way. And, undoubtedly, no one subscribes in good earnest to the law of God, but he who rejects all the slanders by which the wicked taint or obscure the purity of sound doctrine." (John Calvin)
"The censure of the wicked is a certificate of merit; that which they sanction we may justly suspect, but that which they abominate we may ardently, admire. The good man's delight in God's law is unreserved, he believes in all God's precepts concerning all things... His detestation was as unreserved as his affection; he had not a good word for any practice which would not bear the light of truth. The fact that such large multitudes follow the broad road had no influence upon this holy mail, except to make him more determined to avoid every form of error and sin. May the Holy Spirit so rule in our hearts that our affections may be in the same decided condition towards the precepts of the word." (Charles Spurgeon)
That is all for now. Be on the look out for more frequent, shorter blog entries in the future. Please take the time to visit some of the blogs in "My Blog List" and check out the links in the "Internet Resources" area. Also, I will be concluding all of my entries with a few links for you to visit...
Office Hours (A Westminster Seminary California podcast; hosted by R. Scott Clark)
The Spurgeon Fellowship (Media Resources; primarily for pastors)
Calvin's Commentaries (Online commentaries of one of the most gifted expositors ever)
Grace and peace be with you. Soli Deo Gloria!
"He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13, ESV)
More from "Complete In Him" by Michael Barrett...
Chapter 4: Regeneration (New Life in the Gospel)
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7, KJV)
"Adam has no physical life until he received the special breath of God." (p. 75)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature..." (2 Corinthians 5:17a, KJV)
"Just as Adam required God's breath for physical life, every sinner requires a gracious and special intervention of God to bring him to spiritual life." (p. 76)
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made us alive] together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5, KJV)
The Definition of New Life
"Regeneration refers to the implantation of the principle of spiritual life into the heart of the sinner that results in an instantaneous, radical, and obvious change of nature affecting the whole governing disposition of life. (p. 76)
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, KJV)
"The prophet's description of the old heart as stony portrays and inward nature that is cold, unfeeling, and hard. A petrified heart is utterly dead, incapable of functioning." (p. 77)
"...old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17b, KJV)
The Westminster Larger Catechism
"Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he does, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his Word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein." (Question 67)
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
"Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel." (Question 31)
The Baptist Confession of Faith
"This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not on account of anything at all foreseen in man. It is not made because of any power or agency in the creature who is wholly passive in the matter. Man is dead in sins and trespasses until quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit. By this he is enabled to answer the call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it. This enabling power is no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead. " (Chapter 10, section 2)
Mark 5:41-42; John 11:43-44 (Jesus makes the dead alive)
"When the Spirit of God implants the principle of life within the soul, the regenerate soul will evidence all the vital signs of a spiritual life." (p. 79)
"Man's spiritual death and inability are answered by God's gracious provision in the atoning death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ." (p. 79)
The Exposition of New Life
"Being dead in our trespasses and sins means that more than anything else we need life, and God graciously according to His divine power 'hath given unto us all things tha pertain unto life and godliness.' (2 Peter 1:3, KJV)." (p. 79)
Imagery of regeneration...
Circumcision (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Resurrection (Ephesians 2:5-6)
Creation (Ephesians 2:10)
Spiritual baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13)
New covenant (Jeremiah 31:33)
John 3...
1. You MUST be born again (verse 7)
2. The Son of Man MUST be lifted up (verse 14)
"The possibility of the first depends on the performance of the second." (p. 80)
The Necessity of New Life
"As in the first birth a physical life issues from previous nonexistence, so in the second birth a formerly nonexistent spiritual life comes into being." (p. 80)
John 3:3, 7...
Please take into account the footnotes on the link:
"the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above"
"This sense of the word is perhaps more pertinent to man's need because it calls special attention to the divine source of spiritual life which guarantees the necessary qualifications for entrance into the kingdom of God." (p. 80)
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6, KJV)
"A second birth from his mother's womb would produce the same sinful and corrupt flesh as the first birth." (p. 81)
The Agent of New Life
"born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13, KJV)
The New Birth is a Spiritual Work
1. Christ's definition: Character
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5, KJV)
"The linking of 'water and spirit' is a literal device called hendiodys (Greek); 'one through two'... Being born 'of water and of spirit' refers, consequently, to spiritual water, which pertains ultimately to spiritual cleansing." (p. 83)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5)
"Christ is teaching that the new birth involves an inward cleansing from the filthiness and pollution that preclude entrance into heaven. Such a cleansing is spiritual work because man is absolutely incapable of cleansing himself (see Jeremiah 2:22)." (p. 83)
2. Christ's affirmation: Success
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6, KJV)
The New Birth is a Sovereign Work
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8, KJV)
"the Greek terms for 'wind' and 'spirit' (click here) are exactly the same word." (p. 84)
The Provision for New Life
"The gospel, the good news, is that God has provided the means and the way whereby dead, spiritually oblivious sinners can receive the necessary life." (p. 85)
Based in the Love of God...
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16, KJV)
LOVE...
"It's stimulus is within God who loves and not in the world which is loved... God's love for the world makes no sense since the world consists of sinners who are highly repulsive and unworthy of love... The word 'so' designates not the degree to which God loves, but the way in which God demonstrated His love for the world... The two 'that' statements (different words in the Greek text) define the way in terms of consequence and purpose." (p. 85)
"Given that the supreme and eternal object of the Father's love is His only begotten Son (John 17:23-24), the sacrificial giving of the Son heightens the magnitude of God's love for the world." (p. 86)
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV)
In men's study, we are currently in chapter 25 of "Introducing Christian Doctrine" by Millard J. Erickson, discussing The Humanity of Christ.
Chapter 25: The Humanity of Christ
"God is high above us, so much so that He cannot be known by unaided human reason." (p. 224)
"And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:3-9, ESV)
The reason I have entered this passage into my notes is to show the sovereign power of God. I once heard someone articulate the fact that as they conspired to build a tower to heaven in order to exalt themselves, God still "went down"... they were not even close to God's glorious dwelling place. My elder, when answering the question "Where is heaven?" in a current Q&A session at church, gave the example of the Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space) and Nikita Khrushchev's comment: "Gagarin flew into space, but didn't see any God there"... the reason he didn't is much like Genesis 11 account; he didn't go high enough... he couldn't.
"We are unable by our own moral effort to counter sin, to elevate ourselves to the level of God." (p. 224)
"the validity of the work accomplished in Christ's death, or at least its applicability to us as human beings, depends upon the reality of His humanity, just as the efficacy of it depends upon the genuineness of His deity." (p. 224)
Jesus' Intercession...
"If He was truly one of us, experiencing all of the temptations and trials of human existence, then He is able to understand and empathize with us in our struggles as humans." (p. 224)
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16, KJV)
The Biblical Evidence
Physical Human Nature
1. Human body... He was born; conceived in the womb of a woman.
2. Genealogy... He has ancestors... and most likely genetic traits and characteristics.
3. His life... He grew; nourished by food and water (see Matthew 4:2; John 19:28; John 4:6)
4. He suffered physically and died (see John 19:34)
5. His (and others') use of the word 'man' (see John 8:40; Romans 5:1,15; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 47-49)
This is what the Prophet Daniel wrote (500-600 years before His birth) concerning Jesus...
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him." (Daniel 7:13)
6. He "became" human (see John 1:14; 1 John 4:2-3a)
7. Others' perception of His "physicality" (see 1 John 1:1)
Early Heresies Regarding the Humanity of Jesus
Docetism (dokeō [Greek]: "to seem or appear")
"Jesus only seemed to be human." (p. 227)
All matter is evil, God is holy.
"Jesus was more like a ghost, an apparition, than a human being." (p. 227)
[see also Gnosticism and Marcionism]
Apollinarianism (Condemned at the Council of Constantinople [AD 381]
Apollinarius was the Bishop of Syria [4th century]
(Jesus) "must have had a human nous (soul, mind, reason) as well as a divine nous." (p. 227)
John 1:14 ("the Word became flesh")...
"flesh was the only aspect of human nature involved" (p. 227)
Jesus was a composite...
"What He (the Word) took was not the whole of humanity but only flesh, that is the body." (p. 227)
"Jesus was human physically, but not psychologically, He had a human body, but not a human soul. His soul was divine." (p. 228)
I will again focus on the Westminster Confession for more information on Christ's humanity...
"The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety.Which office He took not unto Himself, but was thereunto called by His Father, who put all power and judgment into His hand, and gave Him commandment to execute the same.
This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that He might discharge, He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it; endured most grievous torments immediately in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, and shall return, to judge men and angels, at the end of the world.
The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the justice of His Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for those whom the Father has given unto Him." (The Westminster Confession of Faith; Chapter 8, Sections 3-5)
A continuation of my discipleship curricula; Psalm 119 verses 121-128:
121 I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.
"Having done justice for others that were oppressed, he begs that God would do him justice and avenge him of his adversaries." (Matthew Henry)
[The assumption here is that the author of this Psalm is King David. Though the author is not known with absolute certainty, David is widely considered to be the human author of this Psalm]
Vocationally...
"David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people." (2 Samuel 8:15, ESV)
Personally...
"See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it." (1 Samuel 24:11, ESV)
"As he everywhere promises his aid to the afflicted who are unrighteously oppressed, it is no superfluous protestation which the Prophet makes, that he had not provoked his enemies, but had restrained himself from all injury and wrong-doing, and had not even attempted to requite evil for evil. In asserting that he had at all times done judgment, he means that whatever rite wicked practiced, he steadfastly preserved in following after integrity and never turned aside from what was just and right in any of his public or private transactions." (John Calvin)
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all." (Romans 12:17, ESV)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5, ESV)
122 Give your servant a pledge of good (surety); let not the insolent oppress me.
"Christ is our surety with God; and, if he be so, Providence shall be our surety against all the world." (Matthew Henry)
"In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised." (Psalm 10:2, ESV)
"The prayer is to this effect, that God would not suffer the wicked to exercise, their cruelty against us at their pleasure, but that He would interpose as a Defender to save us." (John Calvin)
123 My eyes long (fail) for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
"Though our eyes fail, yet God's Word does not, and therefore those that build upon it, though now discouraged, shall in due time see His salvation." (Matthew Henry)
Failing for salvation...
"allthough there was no prospect of an end to his calamities, and although despair presented itself on every side, yet he strove against temptation even to the fainting of the soul... his eyes fail him not because they become fatigued, but because through earnest looking they contract as it were a dimness, and that yet he does not cease to wait continually for the salvation of God." (John Calvin)
Salvation in this sense is not the faith in Christ by grace, but rather the continual, temporal provision and providence of God for His people. However, the righteous promise would be the fulfillment of God's promise of a Messiah... the longing or failing can be considered a "painful earnestness".
"rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:3-5, ESV)
"...the righteousness which Christ, who is God as well as Man, has wrought out; and which His Father has approved of, accepted, and imputes to His people, and justifies them with..." (John Gill)
"My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word." (Psalm 119:81, ESV)
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.
Divine mercy...
"The Prophet... magnifies the greatness and excellence of the benefit of being instructed in the divine law, when he requests that it may be bestowed upon him as a free gift" (John Calvin)
"...it is great mercy on God's part that He condescends to instruct us in His commands." (Charles Spurgeon)
"In difficult times we should desire more to be told what we must do that what we may expect, and should pray more to be led into the knowledge of scripture-precepts than of scripture-prophecies." (Matthew Henry)
125 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
"It is God's prerogative to give an understanding, that understanding without which we cannot know God's testimonies." (Matthew Henry)
"If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." (John 7:17, ESV)
"The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant." (Psalm 25:14, ESV)
"We are to confess ourselves fools, and then our Lord will make us wise, as well as give us knowledge. The best understanding is that which enables us to render perfect obedience and to exhibit intelligent faith..." (Charles Spurgeon)
"the Scriptures, which testify of the will of God... are only rightly understood by those who have their understandings opened and enlightened; or have an understanding given them, that they may understand them, so as to receive and embrace the doctrine, and do the precepts of them: and such an understanding is the gift of God, and owing to his powerful and efficacious grace." (John Gill)
"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45, ESV)
126 It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken.
"It is possible a godly man may sin against the commandment, but a wicked man would sin away the commandment, would repeal God's laws and enact his own lusts. This is the sinfulness of sin and the malignity of the carnal mind... We must do what we can for the support of the sinking interests of religion, and, after all, we must beg of God to take the work into his own hands." (Matthew Henry)
"It is the peculiar work of God to restrain the wicked, and even to punish them severely when he finds that their repentance is utterly hopeless... It is a pure and honest zeal which moves him to desire the destruction of the wicked despisers of God; for he adduces no other reason for the prayer, than that the wicked destroyed God's law." (John Calvin)
"Men make void the law of God by denying it to be his law, by promulgating commands and doctrines in opposition to it, by setting up tradition in its place, or by utterly disregarding and scorning the authority of the lawgiver... when the church of God is trampled down, and her message is derided, we may expect to see the hand of the Lord stretched out for the revival of religion, the defense of the truth, and the glorifying of the divine name. The Lord can work either by judgments which hurl down the ramparts of the foe; or by revivals which build up the walls of his own Jerusalem. How heartily may we pray the Lord to raise up new evangelists, to quicken those we all early have, to set his whole church on fire, and to bring the world to his feet. God's work is ever honourable and glorious; as for our work, it is as nothing apart from him." (Charles Spurgeon)
Made void His law...
"atheists and deists (deny the authority of them); Pharisees (preferred their oral law to the written word); Papists (by their unwritten rituals and doctrines); false teachers (wrest the Scriptures, and put false glosses on them, and handle the word of God deceitfully); all profane sinners (bid defiance to the law, abrogate it, and set up a law of their own, and frame mischief by it)... It is proper, in declining times, for good men to bestir themselves and be in action, to attempt the revival of religion, to do all that in them lies to support the cause of God, and to vindicate his honour and glory." (John Gill)
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
"David saw that the word of God answers all purposes better than money does, for it enriches the soul towards God; and therefore he loved it better than gold, for it had done that for him which gold could not do, and would stand him in stead when the wealth of the world would fail him." (Matthew Henry)
"the reason why he esteemed God's law as more valuable than gold and precious stones, was because he had fixed in his mind a thorough persuasion of the truth, that although God may connive for a time at wickedness, the making havoc of all uprightness and equity will not always remain unpunished... when the wicked claim to themselves an unbridled liberty, it behoves us to contemplate with the eyes of faith the judgments of God, in order to our being thereby quickened to the observance of the divine law." (John Calvin)
"in the judgment of the wise, God's laws are more enriching, and bring with them more comfort than all the choicest treasures." (Charles Spurgeon)
"His love was the more inflamed and increased towards it by the contempt it was had in by others." (John Gill)
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.
"He loved all God's commandments because he esteemed them to be right, all reasonable and just, and suited to the end for which they were made. They are all as they should be, and no fault can be found with them; and we must love them because they bear God's image and are the revelations of his will." (Matthew Henry)
"We perceive then how the Prophet, inspired with a holy jealousy for the law, contended against the wicked rebellion of those who despised it. And assuredly, when we see that the ungodly mock God with such effrontery, at one time rising up audaciously against him, trod at another perverting every part of the law, it becomes us to be the more inflamed with zeal, and to be the more courageous in maintaining the truth of God. The extreme impiety of our age especially demands of all the faithful that they should exercise themselves in this holy zeal. Profane men strive to outdo one another in scornfully aspersing the doctrine of salvation, and endeavor to bring God's sacred Word into contempt by their derisive jeers. Others pour forth their blasphemies without intermission. We cannot, therefore, avoid being chargeable with the crime of treacherous indifference, if our hearts are not warmed with zeal, and unless we burn with a holy jealousy. The Prophet not merely says, that he approved of God's law wholly and without exception, but he adds, that he hated every way of lying, or every false way. And, undoubtedly, no one subscribes in good earnest to the law of God, but he who rejects all the slanders by which the wicked taint or obscure the purity of sound doctrine." (John Calvin)
"The censure of the wicked is a certificate of merit; that which they sanction we may justly suspect, but that which they abominate we may ardently, admire. The good man's delight in God's law is unreserved, he believes in all God's precepts concerning all things... His detestation was as unreserved as his affection; he had not a good word for any practice which would not bear the light of truth. The fact that such large multitudes follow the broad road had no influence upon this holy mail, except to make him more determined to avoid every form of error and sin. May the Holy Spirit so rule in our hearts that our affections may be in the same decided condition towards the precepts of the word." (Charles Spurgeon)
That is all for now. Be on the look out for more frequent, shorter blog entries in the future. Please take the time to visit some of the blogs in "My Blog List" and check out the links in the "Internet Resources" area. Also, I will be concluding all of my entries with a few links for you to visit...
Office Hours (A Westminster Seminary California podcast; hosted by R. Scott Clark)
The Spurgeon Fellowship (Media Resources; primarily for pastors)
Calvin's Commentaries (Online commentaries of one of the most gifted expositors ever)
Grace and peace be with you. Soli Deo Gloria!
07 September 2009
Logos Premium Bible Giveaway
September is here... which means the Logos Premium Bible Giveaway is back!
Check it out:
Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.
Check it out:
Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.
30 August 2009
Week in Review
I have decided to give the blog another go... I am hit with so much information on a daily basis; I feel it is only necessary to reflect it with hope of edification.
I am currently reading "Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel" by Michael P.V. Barrett. I have been describing it as an "entree" book... there is no salad or appetizer; only meat. The preface and introduction are both rich in reformed theology and orthodoxy, which blends with Scripture passages throughout the entire book, but this is no scholarly text. While it is rich in doctrine, it is designed to enrich the spiritual lives of the readers by educating them. The theological implications of biblical doctrine are to be chewed, digested and properly applied. Here is an excerpt from my notes:
CHAPTER 3: Conversion (The Response to the Gospel)
"How the needy sinner responds to the gospel of Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death." (p.51)
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6, KJV)
Old Testament evangelistic message
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7, KJV)
"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11, KJV)
New Testament...
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15, KJV)
"...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31, KJV)
CONVERSION
"the Bible teaches that regeneration precedes and gives impetus to saving faith and repentance." (p. 51)
"...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV)
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13, KJV)
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2:12, KJV)
Faith
The Baptist Confession of Faith
"The grace of faith by which the elect are enabled to believe, so that their souls are saved, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily brought into being by the ministry of the Word..." (Chapter 14, Section 1)
The Westminster Larger Catechism
"Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God..." (Question 72)
Express statements from Scripture:
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." (Acts 5:30-31, KJV)
"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18, KJV)
"And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace" (Acts 18:27, KJV)
Saints are those "who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 1:19-20, KJV)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8, KJV)
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Philippians 1:29, KJV)
I am currently reading Chapter 4: Regeneration (New Life in the Gospel)... which I will most likely add some of the notes in the near future.
The North Pointe Baptist men's study is currently reading "Introducing Christian Doctrine" by Millard J. Erickson and it is a weekly encouragement to wake up at the crack of dawn on Fridays and discuss systematic theology. We are currently discussing the doctrine of the humanity of Christ; we just finished the doctrine of the deity of Christ. Here are my notes:
CHAPTER 24: The Deity of Christ
"our understanding of the person and work of Christ grows directly out of the doctrines of humanity and of sin." (p.216)
The Biblical Teaching
Jesus' Self-Consciousness
"His angels" (Matthew 13:41)
The angels of God... the kingdom of God = "His Kingdom"
Ability to forgive sins (Mark 2:5)
"the exercising of a divine prerogative... the power to actually forgive sins." (Robert Stein)
Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28)
Relation to the Father (John 10:30)
"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14:7, KJV)
Preexistence (John 8:58)
"a mode of being which has a definite beginning..." contrasted with "one that is eternal" (Leon Morris)
Trial and Condemnation (John 19:7)
"...the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?" (Matthew 26:63-68, KJV)
Acceptance of deific attribution (John 20:28)
Juxtaposition with the Old Testament (Matthew 5:21-28)
"Jesus is claiming to have the power in Himself to lay down teaching as authoritative as that given by the old testament prophets." (p. 218)
Power over life and death (John 5:21
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25, KJV)
Jesus' applied expressions (John 5:2-18)
The Gospel of John
"The prologue particularly expresses this idea John says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.' He has both identified the Word as divine and distinguished the Word from God. It is not a simple monotheism of modalistic monarchianism that he is describing here. The remainder of the Gospel supports and amplifies the thrust of the prologue." (p. 218)
"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, 'Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 'He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.' These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him." (John 12:37-41, KJV) [see also Isaiah 6:8]
The Epistle to the Hebrews
"...the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3, KJV) [see also Romans 11:36]
"the Son is superior to angels (1:4-2:9); Moses (3:1-6); and the high priests (4:14-5:10)." (p.218)
The Pauline Epistles
Colossians 1:15-20
2 Timothy 4:1 [see also 2 Corinthians 5:10]
Philippians 2:5-11 ("form" = "morphé" (the set of characteristics which constitutes a thing what it is)
Historical Departures from Belief in the Full Deity of Christ
Ebionism: A sect of heretical Jewish Christians who denied the real deity of Christ.
According to Ebionists, "Jesus was... an ordinary man possessed of unusual but not superhuman or supernatural gifts of righteousness and wisdom." (p. 220)
They denied the virgin birth (Joseph was Jesus' biological father).
Arianism (condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD)
[JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE ARIANISTS]
"A central conception in the Arian understanding of Jesus is the absolute uniqueness and transcendence of God [NOTE... GOD THE FATHER]. God (the Father) is the one source of all things, the only uncreated existent in the whole universe. He alone possesses the attributes of deity. Everything other than God has come into being through an act of creation by which He called it into existence out of nothing." (p. 221).
This is the end of the systematic theology notes, but I want to include the Westminster Confession's articulation of the deity of Christ:
"The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man." (The Westminster Confession of Faith; Chapter 8, Section 2)
I am also currently going through discipleship with one of my elders... we are studying Psalm 119. This last week we were discussing verses 113-120. Along with my notes, I have included some reformed commentary...
113 I hate the double-minded (vain thoughts), But I love Your law.
"Those who are of opinion that the word seaphim, the first in the verse, and which is rendered crooked thoughts, is an appellate noun, translate it, those who think evil; but it is more correct to understand it of the thoughts themselves, and this interpretation is very generally adopted. The noun, saeph, properly signifies a branch, but it is applied metaphorically to the thoughts, which, growing out of the heart, as branches from the trunk of a tree, spread themselves in every direction. As there is no doubt that in this passage the term is taken in a bad sense, I have added the epithet, crooked, which the etymology of the word requires. As the branches of a tree shoot out transversely, entangled and intertwined, so the thoughts of the human mind are, in like manner, confusedly mingled together, turning and twisting about in all directions." (John Calvin)
"O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved.How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?" (Jeremiah 4:14, ESV)
"the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.." (James 1:6-8, ESV)
Whoa... hold on. Doesn't Jesus say to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27,35)? How can the Psalmist say he "hates the double-minded"? There is a difference between our enemies and God's enemies. Let's look at a few commentaries on these passages in the gospel accounts...
"...he who shall bring his mind to love those who hate him, will naturally refrain from all revenge, will patiently endure evils, will be much more prone to assist the wretched. Christ presents to us, in a summary view, the way and manner of fulfilling this precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. For no man will ever come to obey this precept, till he shall have given up self-love, or rather denied himself, and till men, all of whom God has declared to be connected with him, shall be held by him in such estimation, that he shall even proceed to love those by whom he is regarded with hatred... We learn from these words, how far believers ought to be removed from every kind of revenge: for they are not only forbidden to ask it from God, but are commanded to banish and efface it from their minds so completely, as to bless their enemies. In the meantime, they do not fail to commit their cause to God, till he take vengeance on the reprobate: for they desire, as far as lies in them, that the wicked should return to a sound mind, that they may not perish; and thus they endeavor to promote their salvation. And there is still this consolation, by which all their distresses are soothed. They entertain no doubt, that God will be the avenger of obstinate wickedness, so as to make it manifest, that those who are unjustly attacked are the objects of his care. It is very difficult, indeed, and altogether contrary to the disposition of the flesh, to render good for evil. But our vices and weakness ought not to be pleaded as an apology. We ought simply to inquire, what is demanded by the law of charity: for, if we rely on the heavenly power of the Spirit, we shall encounter successfully all that is opposed to it in our feelings." (John Calvin; Matthew 5:44)
"God said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour; and by neighbour they understood those only of their own country, nation, and religion; and those only that they were pleased to look upon as their friends: yet this was not the worst; from this command, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, they were willing to infer what God never designed; Thou shalt hate thine enemy; and they looked upon whom they pleased as their enemies, thus making void the great command of God by their traditions, though there were express laws to the contrary (see Exodus 23:4, 5; Deuteronomy 23:7)." Matthew Henry; Matthew 5:44)
Christ was simply correcting the false teaching of the Pharisees in these passages. The "neighbor" in "Love your neighbor as yourself" included enemies as a subgroup, much like friends would be included. Those of a different nationality (even if your country is at war with them), those of a different race (even though there might be racial tension or a historical tragedy)... those different than you; "the other" are still considered neighbors and we are to love them (not explicitly emotional love... but biblical, dutiful love). They are still made in the image of God and we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. It is my observation that we should love those "temporal" enemies in a true sense: biblically; we are commanded to do so and it is our duty to speak the truth in love and share the gospel with them so they may be won to Christ (we should also love them practically with good works and tangible service). However, we should hate those "spiritual" enemies with a holy hatred... the unregenerate are our friends and enemies. Ephesians 2 says that they are "dead in trespasses and sins... following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air... carrying out the desires of the body... by nature children of wrath." They are slaves to sin, doing the work of their master... Satan. We hate them in the sense that they blaspheme God; they are idolaters... they serve the prince of the power of the air, but (we must remember, lest we be proud) we too were once like them. We love them in the sense that they are dead and unable to revive themselves... as we were. They are blind to the truth and only God can resurrect them by the Spirit. We love them by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them... the evangelical call that we pray leads to an effectual call. We must also take into consideration that there are the reprobate, but since we do not know who is elect/reprobate... we share the gospel with everyone, knowing it is of the power of God's spirit that elects people to faith in Christ Jesus.
"The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away." (Psalm 37:18-20, ESV)
114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
"Preservation of life is entirely owing to the protection of God" (John Calvin)
"David, when Saul pursued him, often betook himself to close places for shelter; in war he guarded himself with his shield. Now God was both these to him, a hiding-place to preserve him from danger and a shield to preserve him in danger, his life from death and his soul from sin. Good people are safe under God's protection. He is their strength and their shield, their help and their shield, their sun and their shield, their shield and their great reward, and here their hiding-place and their shield. They may by faith retire to him, and repose in him as their hiding-place, where they are kept in secret. They may by faith oppose his power to all the might and malice of their enemies, as their shield to quench every fiery dart." (Matthew Henry)
"...you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3, ESV)
"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7, ESV)
"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16, ESV)
115 Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!
"Those that resolve to keep the commandments of God must have no society with evil-doers; for bad company is a great hindrance to a holy life. We must not choose wicked people for our companions, nor be intimate with them; we must not do as they do nor do as they would have us do." (Matthew Henry)
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14, ESV)
"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." (Ephesians 4:17-19, ESV)
"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:11, ESV
"Depart from me, all you workers of evil..." (Psalm 6:8, ESV)
Jesus echoes the words of the Psalmist in one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament...
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23, ESV)
Psalm 119:115 also brings to mind Joshua's final address to Israel...
"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15, ESV)
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope
"...true stability is to be found no where else but in the word of God; and that no man can steadfastly lean upon it but he who is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must therefore always beseech God, who alone is the author and finisher of faith, to maintain in us this grace." (John Calvin)
"those that hope in God's word may be sure that the word will not fail them, and therefore their hope will not make them ashamed." (Matthew Henry)
"...the righteous shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV)"I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16, ESV)"I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (1 Timothy 1:12, ESV)
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV)
117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.
"It is the true wisdom of faith to consider all his benefits as the result or fruit of his promises, of which, if we make no account, the enjoyment of all his good things will be of little advantage to us, or rather will often prove hurtful and deadly." (John Calvin)
"If God's right hand uphold us, we must, in his strength, go on in our duty both with diligence and pleasure." (Matthew Henry)
118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.
"God overthrows all the despisers of his law, and casts them down from that loftiness which they assume to themselves... the wicked gain nothing by their wiles... they are rather entangled in them... The word remyah, signifies a subtle and crafty device. Interpreters, indeed, often translate it thought; but this term does not sufficiently express the propriety and force of the Hebrew word. The prophet means, that, however well pleased the wicked are with their own cunning, they yet do nothing else than deceive themselves with falsehood." (John Calvin)
"All departure from God's statutes is certainly an error, and will prove a fatal one. These are the wicked of the earth; they mind earthly things, lay up their treasures in the earth, live in pleasure on the earth, and are strangers and enemies to heaven and heavenly things. Now see how God deals with them, that you may neither fear them nor envy them... He resists the proud and will triumph over those that oppose His kingdom. Proud persecutors trample upon His people, but, sooner or later, He will trample upon them." (Matthew Henry)
"We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things." (Romans 2:2, ESV)"But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5, ESV)
119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.
"the vengeance of God against the wicked is not all at once manifested, so that they completely perish, or are exterminated from the earth; but as God, in rooting them out one after another, shows himself to be the judge of the world, and that he is purging the earth of them." (John Calvin)
"So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous" (Matthew 13:59, ESV)
"Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness." (Proverbs 25:4-5, ESV)
120 My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.
"We require to be subdued by fear that we may desire and seek after the favor of God. Since fear, then, is the beginning of love, the prophet testifies, that he was awakened by a heart-felt fear of God to look well to himself. Nor is the mortification of the flesh so easy a matter, as that every one should consent to enter upon it, without the constraint of violent means; and, therefore, it is not wonderful if God struck his servant with terror, that, in this way, he might bend his mind to a holy fear of him." (John Calvin)
"Good men have need to be restrained from sin by the terrors of the Lord, especially when judgment begins at the house of God and hypocrites are discovered and put away as dross." (Matthew Henry)
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)
Well... that is it for now. Please take a look at these links:
Matthew Henry's Method of Prayer (an online resource edited & revised by Ligon Duncan)
I am currently reading "Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel" by Michael P.V. Barrett. I have been describing it as an "entree" book... there is no salad or appetizer; only meat. The preface and introduction are both rich in reformed theology and orthodoxy, which blends with Scripture passages throughout the entire book, but this is no scholarly text. While it is rich in doctrine, it is designed to enrich the spiritual lives of the readers by educating them. The theological implications of biblical doctrine are to be chewed, digested and properly applied. Here is an excerpt from my notes:
CHAPTER 3: Conversion (The Response to the Gospel)
"How the needy sinner responds to the gospel of Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death." (p.51)
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6, KJV)
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, KJV)
"Sinners must meet the terms and conditions of the gospel if they are to enjoy personally the benefits of Christ." (p. 51)Old Testament evangelistic message
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7, KJV)
"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11, KJV)
New Testament...
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15, KJV)
"...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31, KJV)
CONVERSION
"the Bible teaches that regeneration precedes and gives impetus to saving faith and repentance." (p. 51)
"...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV)
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13, KJV)
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2:12, KJV)
Faith
The Baptist Confession of Faith
"The grace of faith by which the elect are enabled to believe, so that their souls are saved, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily brought into being by the ministry of the Word..." (Chapter 14, Section 1)
The Westminster Larger Catechism
"Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God..." (Question 72)
Express statements from Scripture:
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." (Acts 5:30-31, KJV)
"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18, KJV)
"And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace" (Acts 18:27, KJV)
Saints are those "who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 1:19-20, KJV)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8, KJV)
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Philippians 1:29, KJV)
I am currently reading Chapter 4: Regeneration (New Life in the Gospel)... which I will most likely add some of the notes in the near future.
The North Pointe Baptist men's study is currently reading "Introducing Christian Doctrine" by Millard J. Erickson and it is a weekly encouragement to wake up at the crack of dawn on Fridays and discuss systematic theology. We are currently discussing the doctrine of the humanity of Christ; we just finished the doctrine of the deity of Christ. Here are my notes:
CHAPTER 24: The Deity of Christ
"our understanding of the person and work of Christ grows directly out of the doctrines of humanity and of sin." (p.216)
The Biblical Teaching
Jesus' Self-Consciousness
"His angels" (Matthew 13:41)
The angels of God... the kingdom of God = "His Kingdom"
Ability to forgive sins (Mark 2:5)
"the exercising of a divine prerogative... the power to actually forgive sins." (Robert Stein)
Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28)
Relation to the Father (John 10:30)
"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14:7, KJV)
Preexistence (John 8:58)
"a mode of being which has a definite beginning..." contrasted with "one that is eternal" (Leon Morris)
Trial and Condemnation (John 19:7)
"...the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?" (Matthew 26:63-68, KJV)
Acceptance of deific attribution (John 20:28)
Juxtaposition with the Old Testament (Matthew 5:21-28)
"Jesus is claiming to have the power in Himself to lay down teaching as authoritative as that given by the old testament prophets." (p. 218)
Power over life and death (John 5:21
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25, KJV)
Jesus' applied expressions (John 5:2-18)
The Gospel of John
"The prologue particularly expresses this idea John says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.' He has both identified the Word as divine and distinguished the Word from God. It is not a simple monotheism of modalistic monarchianism that he is describing here. The remainder of the Gospel supports and amplifies the thrust of the prologue." (p. 218)
"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, 'Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 'He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.' These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him." (John 12:37-41, KJV) [see also Isaiah 6:8]
The Epistle to the Hebrews
"...the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3, KJV) [see also Romans 11:36]
"the Son is superior to angels (1:4-2:9); Moses (3:1-6); and the high priests (4:14-5:10)." (p.218)
The Pauline Epistles
Colossians 1:15-20
2 Timothy 4:1 [see also 2 Corinthians 5:10]
Philippians 2:5-11 ("form" = "morphé" (the set of characteristics which constitutes a thing what it is)
Historical Departures from Belief in the Full Deity of Christ
Ebionism: A sect of heretical Jewish Christians who denied the real deity of Christ.
According to Ebionists, "Jesus was... an ordinary man possessed of unusual but not superhuman or supernatural gifts of righteousness and wisdom." (p. 220)
They denied the virgin birth (Joseph was Jesus' biological father).
Arianism (condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD)
[JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE ARIANISTS]
"A central conception in the Arian understanding of Jesus is the absolute uniqueness and transcendence of God [NOTE... GOD THE FATHER]. God (the Father) is the one source of all things, the only uncreated existent in the whole universe. He alone possesses the attributes of deity. Everything other than God has come into being through an act of creation by which He called it into existence out of nothing." (p. 221).
This is the end of the systematic theology notes, but I want to include the Westminster Confession's articulation of the deity of Christ:
"The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man." (The Westminster Confession of Faith; Chapter 8, Section 2)
I am also currently going through discipleship with one of my elders... we are studying Psalm 119. This last week we were discussing verses 113-120. Along with my notes, I have included some reformed commentary...
113 I hate the double-minded (vain thoughts), But I love Your law.
"Those who are of opinion that the word seaphim, the first in the verse, and which is rendered crooked thoughts, is an appellate noun, translate it, those who think evil; but it is more correct to understand it of the thoughts themselves, and this interpretation is very generally adopted. The noun, saeph, properly signifies a branch, but it is applied metaphorically to the thoughts, which, growing out of the heart, as branches from the trunk of a tree, spread themselves in every direction. As there is no doubt that in this passage the term is taken in a bad sense, I have added the epithet, crooked, which the etymology of the word requires. As the branches of a tree shoot out transversely, entangled and intertwined, so the thoughts of the human mind are, in like manner, confusedly mingled together, turning and twisting about in all directions." (John Calvin)
"O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved.How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?" (Jeremiah 4:14, ESV)
"the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.." (James 1:6-8, ESV)
Whoa... hold on. Doesn't Jesus say to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27,35)? How can the Psalmist say he "hates the double-minded"? There is a difference between our enemies and God's enemies. Let's look at a few commentaries on these passages in the gospel accounts...
"...he who shall bring his mind to love those who hate him, will naturally refrain from all revenge, will patiently endure evils, will be much more prone to assist the wretched. Christ presents to us, in a summary view, the way and manner of fulfilling this precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. For no man will ever come to obey this precept, till he shall have given up self-love, or rather denied himself, and till men, all of whom God has declared to be connected with him, shall be held by him in such estimation, that he shall even proceed to love those by whom he is regarded with hatred... We learn from these words, how far believers ought to be removed from every kind of revenge: for they are not only forbidden to ask it from God, but are commanded to banish and efface it from their minds so completely, as to bless their enemies. In the meantime, they do not fail to commit their cause to God, till he take vengeance on the reprobate: for they desire, as far as lies in them, that the wicked should return to a sound mind, that they may not perish; and thus they endeavor to promote their salvation. And there is still this consolation, by which all their distresses are soothed. They entertain no doubt, that God will be the avenger of obstinate wickedness, so as to make it manifest, that those who are unjustly attacked are the objects of his care. It is very difficult, indeed, and altogether contrary to the disposition of the flesh, to render good for evil. But our vices and weakness ought not to be pleaded as an apology. We ought simply to inquire, what is demanded by the law of charity: for, if we rely on the heavenly power of the Spirit, we shall encounter successfully all that is opposed to it in our feelings." (John Calvin; Matthew 5:44)
"God said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour; and by neighbour they understood those only of their own country, nation, and religion; and those only that they were pleased to look upon as their friends: yet this was not the worst; from this command, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, they were willing to infer what God never designed; Thou shalt hate thine enemy; and they looked upon whom they pleased as their enemies, thus making void the great command of God by their traditions, though there were express laws to the contrary (see Exodus 23:4, 5; Deuteronomy 23:7)." Matthew Henry; Matthew 5:44)
Christ was simply correcting the false teaching of the Pharisees in these passages. The "neighbor" in "Love your neighbor as yourself" included enemies as a subgroup, much like friends would be included. Those of a different nationality (even if your country is at war with them), those of a different race (even though there might be racial tension or a historical tragedy)... those different than you; "the other" are still considered neighbors and we are to love them (not explicitly emotional love... but biblical, dutiful love). They are still made in the image of God and we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. It is my observation that we should love those "temporal" enemies in a true sense: biblically; we are commanded to do so and it is our duty to speak the truth in love and share the gospel with them so they may be won to Christ (we should also love them practically with good works and tangible service). However, we should hate those "spiritual" enemies with a holy hatred... the unregenerate are our friends and enemies. Ephesians 2 says that they are "dead in trespasses and sins... following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air... carrying out the desires of the body... by nature children of wrath." They are slaves to sin, doing the work of their master... Satan. We hate them in the sense that they blaspheme God; they are idolaters... they serve the prince of the power of the air, but (we must remember, lest we be proud) we too were once like them. We love them in the sense that they are dead and unable to revive themselves... as we were. They are blind to the truth and only God can resurrect them by the Spirit. We love them by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them... the evangelical call that we pray leads to an effectual call. We must also take into consideration that there are the reprobate, but since we do not know who is elect/reprobate... we share the gospel with everyone, knowing it is of the power of God's spirit that elects people to faith in Christ Jesus.
"The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away." (Psalm 37:18-20, ESV)
114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
"Preservation of life is entirely owing to the protection of God" (John Calvin)
"David, when Saul pursued him, often betook himself to close places for shelter; in war he guarded himself with his shield. Now God was both these to him, a hiding-place to preserve him from danger and a shield to preserve him in danger, his life from death and his soul from sin. Good people are safe under God's protection. He is their strength and their shield, their help and their shield, their sun and their shield, their shield and their great reward, and here their hiding-place and their shield. They may by faith retire to him, and repose in him as their hiding-place, where they are kept in secret. They may by faith oppose his power to all the might and malice of their enemies, as their shield to quench every fiery dart." (Matthew Henry)
"...you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3, ESV)
"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7, ESV)
"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16, ESV)
115 Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!
"Those that resolve to keep the commandments of God must have no society with evil-doers; for bad company is a great hindrance to a holy life. We must not choose wicked people for our companions, nor be intimate with them; we must not do as they do nor do as they would have us do." (Matthew Henry)
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14, ESV)
"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." (Ephesians 4:17-19, ESV)
"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:11, ESV
"Depart from me, all you workers of evil..." (Psalm 6:8, ESV)
Jesus echoes the words of the Psalmist in one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament...
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23, ESV)
Psalm 119:115 also brings to mind Joshua's final address to Israel...
"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15, ESV)
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope
"...true stability is to be found no where else but in the word of God; and that no man can steadfastly lean upon it but he who is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must therefore always beseech God, who alone is the author and finisher of faith, to maintain in us this grace." (John Calvin)
"those that hope in God's word may be sure that the word will not fail them, and therefore their hope will not make them ashamed." (Matthew Henry)
"...the righteous shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV)"I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16, ESV)"I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (1 Timothy 1:12, ESV)
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV)
117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.
"It is the true wisdom of faith to consider all his benefits as the result or fruit of his promises, of which, if we make no account, the enjoyment of all his good things will be of little advantage to us, or rather will often prove hurtful and deadly." (John Calvin)
"If God's right hand uphold us, we must, in his strength, go on in our duty both with diligence and pleasure." (Matthew Henry)
118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.
"God overthrows all the despisers of his law, and casts them down from that loftiness which they assume to themselves... the wicked gain nothing by their wiles... they are rather entangled in them... The word remyah, signifies a subtle and crafty device. Interpreters, indeed, often translate it thought; but this term does not sufficiently express the propriety and force of the Hebrew word. The prophet means, that, however well pleased the wicked are with their own cunning, they yet do nothing else than deceive themselves with falsehood." (John Calvin)
"All departure from God's statutes is certainly an error, and will prove a fatal one. These are the wicked of the earth; they mind earthly things, lay up their treasures in the earth, live in pleasure on the earth, and are strangers and enemies to heaven and heavenly things. Now see how God deals with them, that you may neither fear them nor envy them... He resists the proud and will triumph over those that oppose His kingdom. Proud persecutors trample upon His people, but, sooner or later, He will trample upon them." (Matthew Henry)
"We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things." (Romans 2:2, ESV)"But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5, ESV)
119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.
"the vengeance of God against the wicked is not all at once manifested, so that they completely perish, or are exterminated from the earth; but as God, in rooting them out one after another, shows himself to be the judge of the world, and that he is purging the earth of them." (John Calvin)
"So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous" (Matthew 13:59, ESV)
"Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness." (Proverbs 25:4-5, ESV)
120 My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.
"We require to be subdued by fear that we may desire and seek after the favor of God. Since fear, then, is the beginning of love, the prophet testifies, that he was awakened by a heart-felt fear of God to look well to himself. Nor is the mortification of the flesh so easy a matter, as that every one should consent to enter upon it, without the constraint of violent means; and, therefore, it is not wonderful if God struck his servant with terror, that, in this way, he might bend his mind to a holy fear of him." (John Calvin)
"Good men have need to be restrained from sin by the terrors of the Lord, especially when judgment begins at the house of God and hypocrites are discovered and put away as dross." (Matthew Henry)
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)
Well... that is it for now. Please take a look at these links:
Matthew Henry's Method of Prayer (an online resource edited & revised by Ligon Duncan)
Theological Foundations (Reformed Theological Seminary course on iTunes U... taught by Derek Thomas)
Reformed Perspectives Magazine (click here and sign up to receive free reformed theology articles in e-mail)
28 August 2009
Logos Bible Software
A plug for Logos...
Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.
Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.
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