Divine Impartiality
Pastor’s Study
July 28, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Have you ever felt that you were not treated impartially, perhaps in a church conflict, a family dispute, an employment issue, or a legal matter? You perceive that your race, gender, socio-economic status, nationality, or some other factor influenced decisions made either for or against you. How did you feel? Perhaps, there was no recourse for justice. Did you long for vindication, for God to come and set things right?[1]
Of course, when we talk about impartiality, we are not disputing the need for special considerations or legal protections for the afflicted. Even in the Scriptures, God enjoins special regard for the widow, the orphan, the alien, and the poor. In Deuteronomy 27:19, for example, the Lord warns Israel not to distort “the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.”
The Lord knows that we are prone to judge others based on unfair criteria. Sometimes, too, ulterior motives and selfish desires influence our decision-making. If, however, we are ever tempted to pervert justice, we should remember our Lord’s warning against the sin of partiality in James 2: 1-4, 9:
1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2For if a man comes into your assembly
with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in
dirty clothes, 3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine
clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You
stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," 4have you not made distinctions
among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?... 9But if you show
partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
The apostle condemns this unjust and partial treatment of others as a violation of God’s law.
“There is no partiality with God,” however, as Paul asserts in Romans 2:11. In her book, Divine Impartiality, Jouette Bassler posits the view that Paul’s statement extolling God’s impartiality in Romans 2:11 is derived from an Old Testament formula in II Chronicles 19:7 – “there is no perversion of justice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or taking bribes” and in Deuteronomy 10:17 (“the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who is not partial and takes no bribes”).[2]
This divine impartiality is best demonstrated in God’s rescue of sinful humanity from the “domain of darkness” (Colossians 1:13), a theme that Paul stresses in Romans 1:16-17. Here, the apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, emphasizes salvation to all who believe – Jew or Gentile (“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,” Romans 1:16). In the Gospel, the saving justice of God is revealed, effecting eschatological restoration for Jew and Gentile. This divine activity is congruent with the Old Testament Scriptures where the just- by- faith (whether Jew or Gentile) are awarded life (17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH,” Romans 1:17; see Habakkuk 2:4). To demonstrate that there is no partial adjudication by God, both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin (“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin,” Romans 3:9). All are condemned by the law in order that every mouth be shut before God’s judgment bench (“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God,” Romans 3:19). All who believe are justified before God (3:21-31). Sin holds dominion over all in the sphere of death whereas grace holds dominion over all in the sphere of life (5:12-21). God has shut up all in disobedience that He might demonstrate His saving justice to all (“For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all,” Romans 11:32).
In Romans 12-16, Paul wishes to provoke – by this humbling demonstration of God’s impartial judicial administration – an acceptance of all (that is, Jewish and Gentile believers) within the Church (12:2-3; 15:5-7).[3] Paul exhorts us:
5Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ
Jesus, 6so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Therefore, accept one another, just
as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
We praise God who has demonstrated His covenant faithfulness to Israel by granting life at court to all the believing remnant (Romans 9-11) and, likewise, has manifested covenant fidelity to Gentiles who placed their trust in Him.[4] And as Paul urged us, may we learn to “accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
[1]This longing is expressed at least 58 times throughout the Scriptures by prophet, psalmist, and other saints, usually with the question, “How long?”
[2] Jouette Bassler, Divine Impartiality: Paul and a Theological Axiom (Chicago: Scholars Press, 1982), 43.
[3] I am indebted to Alan Tomlinson for this survey. Tomlinson serves as professor of New Testament interpretation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
[4]Richard B. Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989), 36-37.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Righteousness of God in Psalm 98
The Righteousness of God in Psalm 98
Pastor’s Study
July 15, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Psalm 98
1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The LORD has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
9 before the LORD,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.
Let us consider Psalm 98. In order to ascertain how the righteousness of God is used in Psalm 98, I will first analyze the text in order to determine the genre. This approach is based on the notion that the genre of a text and its meaning and purpose are inexorably linked.
Psalm 98 may be divided into three stanzas on the basis of content and time reference: (1) Praise Yahweh who has delivered Israel in the past (vv 1-3); (2) praise Yahweh who rules over the world in the present (vv 4-6); (3) praise Yahweh who will judge the universe in the future (vv 7-9).[1]
In stanza one, the writer celebrates Yahweh’s awesome deliverance of Israel in the past. The preponderance of divine warrior[2] imagery and language in this section provides the interpretative key to understanding the entire composition. References to the Lord’s “right hand” and “holy arm” suggest his military activity as is attested in other Old Testament passages.[3] The theme, “new song,” appears seven times in the Old Testament (Psalms 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10) and two times in the New Testament (Revelation 5:9; 14:3), always in a context of holy war.[4] The reference to Yahweh’s “salvation” has connotations of “victory in battle” (I Samuel 14:45).[5] Which victory is alluded to in this psalm, however, is doubtful. Many commentators, though, believe that the exodus is the salvific event referred to in stanza one.[6]
The psalmist, in the second stanza, extols Yahweh’s present sovereign reign over all the earth.[7] The Lord’s kingship is integrally related to his military activity. The celebration of Yahweh’s universal reign usually follows the successful conclusion of a holy war. In the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15), for example, the enduring kingship of Yahweh the warrior is extolled (vv 3, 18).[8]
In the final stanza, all of creation – in anticipation of Yahweh’s saving justice – is enjoined to praise the divine warrior who comes to vindicate His name. Yahweh’s eschatological vindication becomes the occasion for an ever-expanding doxology to the Lord, beginning with Israel in stanza one and continuing with “all the earth” in stanza two and with even the inanimate creation in stanza three. The implication is that Yahweh’s saving justice, beginning with Israel, extends to the nations (goyim) throughout the world and finally effects deliverance for the entire creation. The divine warrior, in effecting deliverance for his entire creation exercises his divine prerogative as Savior, King, and Judge.[9]
My brief analysis of Psalm 98 suggests that this psalm is an eschatological hymn that celebrates Yahweh’s victory over His enemies and the vindication of His name and His people.[10] In the momentous salvific act described in verse 9, the God of Israel comes to the whole world. Creation is transferred back to the power and grace of its Creator. Praise be to God!
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
[1]Tremper Longman III, “Psalm 98: A Divine Warrior Victory Song,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 27.3 (September 1984): 268-69.
[2]The literature on the divine warrior motif is extensive, beginning with Schwally’s work in 1901. See Friedrich Schwally, Der Heilige Krieg im alten Israel (Leipzig: Dieterich’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Theodor Weicher, 1901).
[3]E.g., Exod 6:6; 15:6, 12, 16; Deut 4:34; 26:8; Pss 18:35; 21:8; 89:13; 118:15b-16; 138:7; Jer 21:5.
[4]Tremper Longman, III, “The Divine Warrior: The New Testament Use of an Old Testament Motif,” Westminster Theological Journal 44 (1982): 300-02.
[5]Alan Richardson, A Theological Word Book of the Bible (London: SCM Press, 1956), 219.
[6]Longman, “Psalm 98,” 269.
[7]See Longman, “Psalm 98,” 267-70; A. G. Herbert, “The Idea of Kingship in the OT,” Reformed Theological Review 18 (1959): 34-45.
[8]Longman, “Psalm 98,” 270.
[9]Ibid., 271.
[10]Hans-Joachim Kraus, Worship in Israel, trans. G. Buswell (Richmond: John Knox, 1966), 205ff.
Pastor’s Study
July 15, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Psalm 98
1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The LORD has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
9 before the LORD,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.
Let us consider Psalm 98. In order to ascertain how the righteousness of God is used in Psalm 98, I will first analyze the text in order to determine the genre. This approach is based on the notion that the genre of a text and its meaning and purpose are inexorably linked.
Psalm 98 may be divided into three stanzas on the basis of content and time reference: (1) Praise Yahweh who has delivered Israel in the past (vv 1-3); (2) praise Yahweh who rules over the world in the present (vv 4-6); (3) praise Yahweh who will judge the universe in the future (vv 7-9).[1]
In stanza one, the writer celebrates Yahweh’s awesome deliverance of Israel in the past. The preponderance of divine warrior[2] imagery and language in this section provides the interpretative key to understanding the entire composition. References to the Lord’s “right hand” and “holy arm” suggest his military activity as is attested in other Old Testament passages.[3] The theme, “new song,” appears seven times in the Old Testament (Psalms 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10) and two times in the New Testament (Revelation 5:9; 14:3), always in a context of holy war.[4] The reference to Yahweh’s “salvation” has connotations of “victory in battle” (I Samuel 14:45).[5] Which victory is alluded to in this psalm, however, is doubtful. Many commentators, though, believe that the exodus is the salvific event referred to in stanza one.[6]
The psalmist, in the second stanza, extols Yahweh’s present sovereign reign over all the earth.[7] The Lord’s kingship is integrally related to his military activity. The celebration of Yahweh’s universal reign usually follows the successful conclusion of a holy war. In the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15), for example, the enduring kingship of Yahweh the warrior is extolled (vv 3, 18).[8]
In the final stanza, all of creation – in anticipation of Yahweh’s saving justice – is enjoined to praise the divine warrior who comes to vindicate His name. Yahweh’s eschatological vindication becomes the occasion for an ever-expanding doxology to the Lord, beginning with Israel in stanza one and continuing with “all the earth” in stanza two and with even the inanimate creation in stanza three. The implication is that Yahweh’s saving justice, beginning with Israel, extends to the nations (goyim) throughout the world and finally effects deliverance for the entire creation. The divine warrior, in effecting deliverance for his entire creation exercises his divine prerogative as Savior, King, and Judge.[9]
My brief analysis of Psalm 98 suggests that this psalm is an eschatological hymn that celebrates Yahweh’s victory over His enemies and the vindication of His name and His people.[10] In the momentous salvific act described in verse 9, the God of Israel comes to the whole world. Creation is transferred back to the power and grace of its Creator. Praise be to God!
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
[1]Tremper Longman III, “Psalm 98: A Divine Warrior Victory Song,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 27.3 (September 1984): 268-69.
[2]The literature on the divine warrior motif is extensive, beginning with Schwally’s work in 1901. See Friedrich Schwally, Der Heilige Krieg im alten Israel (Leipzig: Dieterich’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Theodor Weicher, 1901).
[3]E.g., Exod 6:6; 15:6, 12, 16; Deut 4:34; 26:8; Pss 18:35; 21:8; 89:13; 118:15b-16; 138:7; Jer 21:5.
[4]Tremper Longman, III, “The Divine Warrior: The New Testament Use of an Old Testament Motif,” Westminster Theological Journal 44 (1982): 300-02.
[5]Alan Richardson, A Theological Word Book of the Bible (London: SCM Press, 1956), 219.
[6]Longman, “Psalm 98,” 269.
[7]See Longman, “Psalm 98,” 267-70; A. G. Herbert, “The Idea of Kingship in the OT,” Reformed Theological Review 18 (1959): 34-45.
[8]Longman, “Psalm 98,” 270.
[9]Ibid., 271.
[10]Hans-Joachim Kraus, Worship in Israel, trans. G. Buswell (Richmond: John Knox, 1966), 205ff.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Eschatological Vision and Fervency in Sharing the Gospel
Eschatological Vision and Fervency in Sharing the Gospel
Pastor’s Study
May 7, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Before stating his theme for Romans, Paul expresses his ardent desire to visit the believers in Rome with three purpose statements: “to share some spiritual gift” (v. 11); “to have a harvest” (v. 13); and “to preach the Gospel” (v. 15).[1] What does Paul mean by "spiritual gift"? Whereas the apostle does not clarify his meaning, we believe that he provides helpful hints in the text. First, we note that Paul’s statement about sharing some spiritual gift occurs in a pericope that stresses his plan to travel to Rome en route to Spain for his Gentile mission (Rom 1:8-15; cf. 15:14-33). This universal scope of the Gospel is further emphasized in Romans 1:5, 14-15. Second, we observe that the apostle explains the outcome of sharing some spiritual gift: mutual edification. Third, Romans 15:15-16 illuminates the reference in 1:11-12 (both texts dealing with Paul’s reasons for writing Romans): “I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God.”[2]
On the basis of these hints in the text, we concur with James Denney that “what Paul wished to do for the Romans was to further their comprehension of the purpose of God in Jesus Christ – a purpose the breadth and bearings of which were yet but imperfectly understood.”[3] Thomas R. Schreiner qualifies his support for this conclusion. He writes:
Fee observes rightly that the gift mentioned here relates directly to the purpose of the Roman letter. The Roman Christians needed to understand the Pauline gospel, which proclaims the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.[4]
Both Fee and Schreiner, however, delimit the eschatological purview of Romans 1:11. They adduce missionary resolutions to Paul’s statement regarding the sharing of some spiritual gift: the church in Rome, being established in the gospel, will support Paul’s evangelistic incursion into Spain.[5]
William J. Dumbrell, on the other hand, describes Paul’s eschatological vision cogently. He views Paul’s Gentile mission, leading to the incorporation of Gentiles into the people of God, as a fulfillment of prophetic eschatology. He notes:
Such inclusion had been anticipated by prophetic eschatology as a characteristic of the arrival of the last days and thus the advent of the new creation and new covenant. Paul himself operated under the assumption that the present possibility of incorporation into Christ is the hallmark of the advent of the last days. Indeed, the major work of Pauline theology is the present eschatological oneness of humankind in Christ, which has been made possible by the universality of the gospel, which obliterates all distinctions.[6]
This eschatological consciousness translates into fervency in proclaiming the Gospel to Jew and Gentile. The apostle summarizes his passion to declare Christ to Jew and Gentile with three personal statements in Romans 1:
verse 14 – “I am bound.” (RSV ‘under obligation’)
verse 15 – “I am eager.”
verse 16 – “I am not ashamed.”
What is the theological import of these statements? They evince a divine necessity laid upon the apostle (cf. Acts 19:21), “the consciousness of an inescapable duty.”[7] “The underlying assumption regarding this duty is the lordship of Jesus Christ and the stewardship of the Gospel (Rom 1:1). And Paul asserts that the Gospel is God’s power for salvation (Rom 1:16); and the Gospel reveals God’s righteousness (v. 17).[8]
[1]Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 59.
[2]Peter Stuhlmacher, “The Purpose of Romans,” in The Romans Debate, rev. ed., ed. Karl P. Donfried (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers), 233.
[3]James Denney, “St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans,” in The Expositor’s Greek New Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1951), 588. For Barth, the spiritual gift is the gospel.
[4]Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans, ECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 54.
[5]Ibid.
[6]William J. Dumbrell, The Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 269-70. C.K. Barrett affirms Gentile inclusion as an eschatological phenomenon. See his “Gentile Mission as an Eschatological Phenomenon, “in Eschatology and the New Testament, ed. Hulitt Gloer (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988), 65-75.
[7]Anders Nygren, Commentary on Romans, trans. Carl C. Rasmussen (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1949), 62.
[8]Mark A. Seifrid notes, “The shift in the characterization of humanity from Rom 1:14 to Rom 1:16 indicates that Paul’s use of the expression ou epaischunomai is directed towards asserting the comprehensive scope of the Gospel . . . . Paul bases his claim that the Gospel transcends all social and religious distinctions on the assertion that it meets a universal need for salvation.” See Seifrid, Justification by Faith, 212.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
May 7, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Before stating his theme for Romans, Paul expresses his ardent desire to visit the believers in Rome with three purpose statements: “to share some spiritual gift” (v. 11); “to have a harvest” (v. 13); and “to preach the Gospel” (v. 15).[1] What does Paul mean by "spiritual gift"? Whereas the apostle does not clarify his meaning, we believe that he provides helpful hints in the text. First, we note that Paul’s statement about sharing some spiritual gift occurs in a pericope that stresses his plan to travel to Rome en route to Spain for his Gentile mission (Rom 1:8-15; cf. 15:14-33). This universal scope of the Gospel is further emphasized in Romans 1:5, 14-15. Second, we observe that the apostle explains the outcome of sharing some spiritual gift: mutual edification. Third, Romans 15:15-16 illuminates the reference in 1:11-12 (both texts dealing with Paul’s reasons for writing Romans): “I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God.”[2]
On the basis of these hints in the text, we concur with James Denney that “what Paul wished to do for the Romans was to further their comprehension of the purpose of God in Jesus Christ – a purpose the breadth and bearings of which were yet but imperfectly understood.”[3] Thomas R. Schreiner qualifies his support for this conclusion. He writes:
Fee observes rightly that the gift mentioned here relates directly to the purpose of the Roman letter. The Roman Christians needed to understand the Pauline gospel, which proclaims the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.[4]
Both Fee and Schreiner, however, delimit the eschatological purview of Romans 1:11. They adduce missionary resolutions to Paul’s statement regarding the sharing of some spiritual gift: the church in Rome, being established in the gospel, will support Paul’s evangelistic incursion into Spain.[5]
William J. Dumbrell, on the other hand, describes Paul’s eschatological vision cogently. He views Paul’s Gentile mission, leading to the incorporation of Gentiles into the people of God, as a fulfillment of prophetic eschatology. He notes:
Such inclusion had been anticipated by prophetic eschatology as a characteristic of the arrival of the last days and thus the advent of the new creation and new covenant. Paul himself operated under the assumption that the present possibility of incorporation into Christ is the hallmark of the advent of the last days. Indeed, the major work of Pauline theology is the present eschatological oneness of humankind in Christ, which has been made possible by the universality of the gospel, which obliterates all distinctions.[6]
This eschatological consciousness translates into fervency in proclaiming the Gospel to Jew and Gentile. The apostle summarizes his passion to declare Christ to Jew and Gentile with three personal statements in Romans 1:
verse 14 – “I am bound.” (RSV ‘under obligation’)
verse 15 – “I am eager.”
verse 16 – “I am not ashamed.”
What is the theological import of these statements? They evince a divine necessity laid upon the apostle (cf. Acts 19:21), “the consciousness of an inescapable duty.”[7] “The underlying assumption regarding this duty is the lordship of Jesus Christ and the stewardship of the Gospel (Rom 1:1). And Paul asserts that the Gospel is God’s power for salvation (Rom 1:16); and the Gospel reveals God’s righteousness (v. 17).[8]
[1]Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 59.
[2]Peter Stuhlmacher, “The Purpose of Romans,” in The Romans Debate, rev. ed., ed. Karl P. Donfried (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers), 233.
[3]James Denney, “St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans,” in The Expositor’s Greek New Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1951), 588. For Barth, the spiritual gift is the gospel.
[4]Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans, ECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 54.
[5]Ibid.
[6]William J. Dumbrell, The Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 269-70. C.K. Barrett affirms Gentile inclusion as an eschatological phenomenon. See his “Gentile Mission as an Eschatological Phenomenon, “in Eschatology and the New Testament, ed. Hulitt Gloer (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988), 65-75.
[7]Anders Nygren, Commentary on Romans, trans. Carl C. Rasmussen (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1949), 62.
[8]Mark A. Seifrid notes, “The shift in the characterization of humanity from Rom 1:14 to Rom 1:16 indicates that Paul’s use of the expression ou epaischunomai is directed towards asserting the comprehensive scope of the Gospel . . . . Paul bases his claim that the Gospel transcends all social and religious distinctions on the assertion that it meets a universal need for salvation.” See Seifrid, Justification by Faith, 212.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Praying for our Schools
Praying for our Schools
Pastor’s Study
April 25, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
“Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord… Lift your hands toward him for the lives of your children” (Lamentations 2:19).
Individualize your prayer, and incorporate these ideas into family devotion and Bible Study classes.
To pray effectively choose specific districts, schools, principals, teachers, and students and intercede on their behalf.
Pray that…
Ø Students will endure the trial of their faith, especially at schools and colleges (Colossians 1:11).
Ø Christian clubs will form and function effectively on school campuses.
Ø Churches and families will adopt public school classes.
Ø Students will pray for their schools and for the salvation of their classmates.
Ø The entire school community will experience genuine Christian love through the Christians who attend these schools (John 13:35).
Ø In particular, Christians on campuses will befriend students who are rejected by their peers, thus demonstrating the love of Christ (John 13:35).
Ø Biblical instruction will be recovered in schools.
Ø God will raise up many godly school principals who will lead their schools in truth.
Ø Believers will avail themselves of opportunities to share the gospel with their peers (Colossians 4:3).
Ø Godly mentors will become involved in tutoring and mentoring students.
Ø God will send many Christian teachers into our schools.
Ø The current violence in schools will stir the church to pray earnestly that God will expose these wicked plans and protect our students and school staff (Psalm 7:9).
Ø Christians on campus will demonstrate Christlikeness in speech, life, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
Ø God will place godly and courageous leaders on our school boards.
Ø Students will be diligent, using their time well to study and prepare for the future.
Ø Our teachers will be well-trained, compassionate, and perceptive.
Ø Students will submit to their teachers’ discipline.
Ø Christian students who suffer rejection in school will grow in sanctification, not becoming bitter and despondent.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 25, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
“Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord… Lift your hands toward him for the lives of your children” (Lamentations 2:19).
Individualize your prayer, and incorporate these ideas into family devotion and Bible Study classes.
To pray effectively choose specific districts, schools, principals, teachers, and students and intercede on their behalf.
Pray that…
Ø Students will endure the trial of their faith, especially at schools and colleges (Colossians 1:11).
Ø Christian clubs will form and function effectively on school campuses.
Ø Churches and families will adopt public school classes.
Ø Students will pray for their schools and for the salvation of their classmates.
Ø The entire school community will experience genuine Christian love through the Christians who attend these schools (John 13:35).
Ø In particular, Christians on campuses will befriend students who are rejected by their peers, thus demonstrating the love of Christ (John 13:35).
Ø Biblical instruction will be recovered in schools.
Ø God will raise up many godly school principals who will lead their schools in truth.
Ø Believers will avail themselves of opportunities to share the gospel with their peers (Colossians 4:3).
Ø Godly mentors will become involved in tutoring and mentoring students.
Ø God will send many Christian teachers into our schools.
Ø The current violence in schools will stir the church to pray earnestly that God will expose these wicked plans and protect our students and school staff (Psalm 7:9).
Ø Christians on campus will demonstrate Christlikeness in speech, life, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
Ø God will place godly and courageous leaders on our school boards.
Ø Students will be diligent, using their time well to study and prepare for the future.
Ø Our teachers will be well-trained, compassionate, and perceptive.
Ø Students will submit to their teachers’ discipline.
Ø Christian students who suffer rejection in school will grow in sanctification, not becoming bitter and despondent.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Praying for our Children
Praying for our Children
Pastor’s Study
April 22, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Pray for the salvation of our children and the restoration of the fallen
Pray that our children would repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (I Timothy 2:1-6)
Pray also that our children would:
Ø Remember their Creator in the days of their youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13).
Ø Honor their parents (Exodus 20:12).
Ø Obey their parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1).
Ø Imitate their heavenly Father, walking in love, in the Light, and in wisdom (Ephesians 5:1-21).
Ø Submit to God’s discipline, growing in sanctification as a result (Hebrews 12:7).
Ø Demonstrate Christlikeness in speech, life, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
Ø Be preserved from evil (Matthew 6:13).
Ø Discern God’s will for their lives (Colossians 1:9).
Ø Endure the trial of their faith, especially at schools and colleges (Colossians 1:11).
Ø Marry godly spouses when they grow up (Proverbs 12:4; 18:22; 19:14; Ephesians 5:22-25; Hebrews 13:4).
Ø Choose their friends wisely, not walking in “the counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1).
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 22, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Pray for the salvation of our children and the restoration of the fallen
Pray that our children would repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (I Timothy 2:1-6)
Pray also that our children would:
Ø Remember their Creator in the days of their youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13).
Ø Honor their parents (Exodus 20:12).
Ø Obey their parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1).
Ø Imitate their heavenly Father, walking in love, in the Light, and in wisdom (Ephesians 5:1-21).
Ø Submit to God’s discipline, growing in sanctification as a result (Hebrews 12:7).
Ø Demonstrate Christlikeness in speech, life, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
Ø Be preserved from evil (Matthew 6:13).
Ø Discern God’s will for their lives (Colossians 1:9).
Ø Endure the trial of their faith, especially at schools and colleges (Colossians 1:11).
Ø Marry godly spouses when they grow up (Proverbs 12:4; 18:22; 19:14; Ephesians 5:22-25; Hebrews 13:4).
Ø Choose their friends wisely, not walking in “the counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1).
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Fatherhood of God
Our Father in Heaven
Pastor’s Study
April 19, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
God the Father in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, God is designated as Father only eleven times (Deut 32:5; 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chr 17:13; 22:10; 28:6; Ps 89:26; Jer 3:4-5; 31:9; Isa 63:16; 64:8), “a reticence which may, in the early texts, reflect a desire to dissociate the God of Israel from those gods who were held to be ‘fathers’ and ‘mothers’ of their peoples in some biologically generative way.”[1] Generally, the fatherhood of God is a metaphor for God’s covenant relationship to Israel, which Moses described as one of election or adoption (Exod 6:6-8).[2]
When Israel broke covenant with God, the prophets of the eighth century and later employed the symbol of God as Father to urge national repentance (Deut 32:1-18; Jer 3:19-20; Isa 64:8-9; 63:16). “That Israel might one day call God ‘Father’ as a title of intimacy is suggested in the prophetic writings (Jer 3:19-20) and it may be that Jesus, in calling God ‘Father’, was suggesting that this hour had arrived.”[3]
In summary, the fatherhood of God in the Old Testament denotes God’s covenant love for Israel, demonstrated in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their subsequent settlement in the land. Despite the people’s intractable perfidy, God the Father did not forsake his children. As Isaiah cried in the midst of the exile, though the patriarchs might forsake Israel, God the Father would remain constant in his devotion. “For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, O Lord, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is your name” (Isa 63:16). The Father’s covenant fidelity will be displayed in the life and work of Messiah, the Son (Jer 31:29ff.; 32:36-41; Ezek 36:25-27; Mal 3:1).
God the Father in the New Testament
Compared to the eleven times God is referred to as “father” in the Old Testament, the term πατήρ (father) appears in the New Testament over four hundred times. Of this number, Jesus designates God as Father about one hundred and seventy times, and he unfailingly calls upon him in prayer, using the name Father.[4] The only exception to Jesus’ use of Father for God is the cry of dereliction from the cross (Mark 15:34). God as Father is clearly the dominant motif in the New Testament, occurring in every book except 3 John.
Generally, in Semitic terms, father evokes images of the personal king and, simultaneously, the benevolent, merciful God. The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes that “God is seeking out sinners and inviting them to submit themselves to his reign that he might be their father.”[5] The relationship between God’s sovereign rule and his gracious fatherhood is indisputable; and this correlation is noted frequently in an eschatological milieu. “In the eschatological salvation, the righteous will enter into the Kingdom of their Father (Matt 13:43). It is the Father who has prepared for the blessed this eschatological inheritance of the Kingdom (Matt 25:34). It is the Father who will bestow upon Jesus’ disciples the gift of the Kingdom (Lk 12:32).”[6] The supreme gift of the Father is participation in his sovereign rule, which is to be exercised over all his creation. In that eschatological day, the Son “will enjoy a renewed fellowship with his disciples in the Father’s Kingdom (Matt 26:29).”[7] Since the chief delight of God’s children is that of participating in the blessings of the Father’s Kingdom, Jesus exhorted his followers to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven . . . thy kingdom come” (Matt 6:9, 10). Undeniably, kingly rule and gracious fatherhood are interrelated concepts.[8]
Jesus sometimes addressed God by using the Aramaic word abbā, and he also encouraged his disciples to do so. With the use of this word, Paul stressed the idea that believers are no longer slaves, but sons of God. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry ‘Abba, Father.’” (Rom 8:14, 15; see also Gal 4:4-6). The word abbā was used by children and is equivalent to the English word, “Daddy.” “Abbā represents the new relationship of confidence and intimacy imparted to men and women by Jesus.”[9] Jesus’ own use of abbā is an expression of filial obedience to and unique communion and relationship with the Father. As the μονογενής υίός (only begotten Son), Jesus interprets the Father for us. Consequently, “if God is our Father through the Son and for his sake, then he can only be called ‘Abba, dear Father’ (Rom 8:15; 2 Cor 3:17) under the inspiration of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of freedom.”[10] Through the doctrine of the Trinity, God’s name ‘Father’ is indissolubly linked to Jesus the Son.”[11]
Edgar Krentz provides a fitting conclusion to our study on the fatherhood of God. The author demonstrates that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the God of covenant, the one who, in faithfulness to his Word, is gathering a people for himself under the lordship of his Son in the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of his name. Krentz writes:
Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God as Father. The term “Father” is familial, that is, relational. Its function is not to stress God’s sex, God’s maleness, but God’s close immediacy to Jesus and his disciples. . . . The Lord’s Prayer, in Luke 11:2-4, explicates what “Father” means by the content of the petitions. God hallows his name by vindicating himself through the gathering again of his people (cf. Ezek 36). God is called to rule as king, a message of comfort for his people (Isa 40); he will gather the scattered exiles and bring them to the land. The prayer for bread asks that God act in care for his people as he did in the exodus. “Father” is a term that expresses faith in God as one who keeps his covenant promises.[12]
Faithful appropriation of the traditional, Trinitarian language is, therefore, enjoined: God is
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we must praise Him for our covenantal sonship. As Peter says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for [us], who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Pet 1: 3-5).
[1]Janet Martin Soskice, “Fatherhood,” in The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought, ed. Adrian Hastings et al. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 237.
[2]Robert Hamerton-Kelly, “God the Father in the Bible and in the Experience of Jesus: The State of the Question,” in God as Father?, ed. Johannes-Baptist Metz and Edward Schillebeeckx (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1981), 96-97.
[3]Soskice, “Fatherhood,” 237.
[4]Hamerton-Kelly, “God the Father,” 98. See also Samuel Laeuchli, The Language of Faith: An Introduction to the Semantic Dilemma of the Early Church (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), 32. The only exception to Jesus’ use of Father for God is the cry of dereliction from the cross (Mark 15:34).
[5]George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, rev. ed., ed. Donald A. Hagner (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 82.
[6]Ibid., 83.
[7]Ibid.
[8]Ibid.
[9]Ibid., 85.
[10]Ibid.
[11]Ibid.
[12]Edgar M. Krentz, “God in the New Testament,” in Our Naming of God: Problems and Prospects of God-Talk Today, ed. Carl E. Braaten (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1989), 89.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 19, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
God the Father in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, God is designated as Father only eleven times (Deut 32:5; 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chr 17:13; 22:10; 28:6; Ps 89:26; Jer 3:4-5; 31:9; Isa 63:16; 64:8), “a reticence which may, in the early texts, reflect a desire to dissociate the God of Israel from those gods who were held to be ‘fathers’ and ‘mothers’ of their peoples in some biologically generative way.”[1] Generally, the fatherhood of God is a metaphor for God’s covenant relationship to Israel, which Moses described as one of election or adoption (Exod 6:6-8).[2]
When Israel broke covenant with God, the prophets of the eighth century and later employed the symbol of God as Father to urge national repentance (Deut 32:1-18; Jer 3:19-20; Isa 64:8-9; 63:16). “That Israel might one day call God ‘Father’ as a title of intimacy is suggested in the prophetic writings (Jer 3:19-20) and it may be that Jesus, in calling God ‘Father’, was suggesting that this hour had arrived.”[3]
In summary, the fatherhood of God in the Old Testament denotes God’s covenant love for Israel, demonstrated in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their subsequent settlement in the land. Despite the people’s intractable perfidy, God the Father did not forsake his children. As Isaiah cried in the midst of the exile, though the patriarchs might forsake Israel, God the Father would remain constant in his devotion. “For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, O Lord, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is your name” (Isa 63:16). The Father’s covenant fidelity will be displayed in the life and work of Messiah, the Son (Jer 31:29ff.; 32:36-41; Ezek 36:25-27; Mal 3:1).
God the Father in the New Testament
Compared to the eleven times God is referred to as “father” in the Old Testament, the term πατήρ (father) appears in the New Testament over four hundred times. Of this number, Jesus designates God as Father about one hundred and seventy times, and he unfailingly calls upon him in prayer, using the name Father.[4] The only exception to Jesus’ use of Father for God is the cry of dereliction from the cross (Mark 15:34). God as Father is clearly the dominant motif in the New Testament, occurring in every book except 3 John.
Generally, in Semitic terms, father evokes images of the personal king and, simultaneously, the benevolent, merciful God. The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes that “God is seeking out sinners and inviting them to submit themselves to his reign that he might be their father.”[5] The relationship between God’s sovereign rule and his gracious fatherhood is indisputable; and this correlation is noted frequently in an eschatological milieu. “In the eschatological salvation, the righteous will enter into the Kingdom of their Father (Matt 13:43). It is the Father who has prepared for the blessed this eschatological inheritance of the Kingdom (Matt 25:34). It is the Father who will bestow upon Jesus’ disciples the gift of the Kingdom (Lk 12:32).”[6] The supreme gift of the Father is participation in his sovereign rule, which is to be exercised over all his creation. In that eschatological day, the Son “will enjoy a renewed fellowship with his disciples in the Father’s Kingdom (Matt 26:29).”[7] Since the chief delight of God’s children is that of participating in the blessings of the Father’s Kingdom, Jesus exhorted his followers to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven . . . thy kingdom come” (Matt 6:9, 10). Undeniably, kingly rule and gracious fatherhood are interrelated concepts.[8]
Jesus sometimes addressed God by using the Aramaic word abbā, and he also encouraged his disciples to do so. With the use of this word, Paul stressed the idea that believers are no longer slaves, but sons of God. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry ‘Abba, Father.’” (Rom 8:14, 15; see also Gal 4:4-6). The word abbā was used by children and is equivalent to the English word, “Daddy.” “Abbā represents the new relationship of confidence and intimacy imparted to men and women by Jesus.”[9] Jesus’ own use of abbā is an expression of filial obedience to and unique communion and relationship with the Father. As the μονογενής υίός (only begotten Son), Jesus interprets the Father for us. Consequently, “if God is our Father through the Son and for his sake, then he can only be called ‘Abba, dear Father’ (Rom 8:15; 2 Cor 3:17) under the inspiration of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of freedom.”[10] Through the doctrine of the Trinity, God’s name ‘Father’ is indissolubly linked to Jesus the Son.”[11]
Edgar Krentz provides a fitting conclusion to our study on the fatherhood of God. The author demonstrates that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the God of covenant, the one who, in faithfulness to his Word, is gathering a people for himself under the lordship of his Son in the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of his name. Krentz writes:
Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God as Father. The term “Father” is familial, that is, relational. Its function is not to stress God’s sex, God’s maleness, but God’s close immediacy to Jesus and his disciples. . . . The Lord’s Prayer, in Luke 11:2-4, explicates what “Father” means by the content of the petitions. God hallows his name by vindicating himself through the gathering again of his people (cf. Ezek 36). God is called to rule as king, a message of comfort for his people (Isa 40); he will gather the scattered exiles and bring them to the land. The prayer for bread asks that God act in care for his people as he did in the exodus. “Father” is a term that expresses faith in God as one who keeps his covenant promises.[12]
Faithful appropriation of the traditional, Trinitarian language is, therefore, enjoined: God is
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we must praise Him for our covenantal sonship. As Peter says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for [us], who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Pet 1: 3-5).
[1]Janet Martin Soskice, “Fatherhood,” in The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought, ed. Adrian Hastings et al. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 237.
[2]Robert Hamerton-Kelly, “God the Father in the Bible and in the Experience of Jesus: The State of the Question,” in God as Father?, ed. Johannes-Baptist Metz and Edward Schillebeeckx (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1981), 96-97.
[3]Soskice, “Fatherhood,” 237.
[4]Hamerton-Kelly, “God the Father,” 98. See also Samuel Laeuchli, The Language of Faith: An Introduction to the Semantic Dilemma of the Early Church (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), 32. The only exception to Jesus’ use of Father for God is the cry of dereliction from the cross (Mark 15:34).
[5]George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, rev. ed., ed. Donald A. Hagner (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 82.
[6]Ibid., 83.
[7]Ibid.
[8]Ibid.
[9]Ibid., 85.
[10]Ibid.
[11]Ibid.
[12]Edgar M. Krentz, “God in the New Testament,” in Our Naming of God: Problems and Prospects of God-Talk Today, ed. Carl E. Braaten (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1989), 89.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Outline of I Peter
I PETER
I have learned greatly from the ministry of Dr. Bill Cook, my former pastor and Bible school New Testament professor. I have studied and preached from I Peter many times, a task made much easier because of the following outline by Dr. Cook, an outline which I modified.
Pastor’s Study
April 19, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Salutation (1:1-2)
A. The Writer
B. The Recipients (identified geographically and theologically)
C. The Plan of Salvation (involving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
I. Prayer of Thanksgiving for Salvation (1:3-12)
A. The Blessings of Salvation (3-5)
B. The Testing of Salvation (6-9)
C. The Mystery of Salvation (10-12)
II. Exhortations to Obedient Living (1:13-2:10)
A. The Christian Life is a Life of Hope (13)
B. The Christian Life is a Life of Holiness (14-16)
C. The Christian Life is a Life of Godly Fear (17-21)
D. The Christian Life is a Life of Love (22-250
E. The Christian Life is a Life of Growth (2:1-10)
1. Individual Growth (1-3)
2. Corporate Growth (4-10)
III. Obligations of a Pilgrim/Alien People (2:11-3:12)
A. A Petition to Live as Sojourners (11-12)
B. Obligations of Citizens to the State (13-17)
C. Obligations of Slaves to Masters (18-25)
D. Obligations of Wives to Husbands (3:1-6)
E. Obligations of Husbands to Wives (7)
F. Summary: An Appeal for Christian Conduct (8-12)
IV. Encouragement to a Suffering People (3:13-4:19)
A. The Believers’ Suffering for Righteousness (13-17)
B. Christ’s Example of Suffering (18-22)
C. The Necessary Equipment for Suffering (4:1-6)
D. An Awareness of the Approaching End (7-11)
E. The Need for Steadfastness (12-19)
V. Concluding Counsel for Various Groups (5:1-11)
A. For Elders (1-4)
B. For All Believers (5-9)
1. Submission (5a)
2. Humility (5b-7)
3. Watchfulness (8, 9)
C. A Note of Encouragement to the Suffering (5:10-11)
Conclusion (5:12-14)
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
I have learned greatly from the ministry of Dr. Bill Cook, my former pastor and Bible school New Testament professor. I have studied and preached from I Peter many times, a task made much easier because of the following outline by Dr. Cook, an outline which I modified.
Pastor’s Study
April 19, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Salutation (1:1-2)
A. The Writer
B. The Recipients (identified geographically and theologically)
C. The Plan of Salvation (involving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
I. Prayer of Thanksgiving for Salvation (1:3-12)
A. The Blessings of Salvation (3-5)
B. The Testing of Salvation (6-9)
C. The Mystery of Salvation (10-12)
II. Exhortations to Obedient Living (1:13-2:10)
A. The Christian Life is a Life of Hope (13)
B. The Christian Life is a Life of Holiness (14-16)
C. The Christian Life is a Life of Godly Fear (17-21)
D. The Christian Life is a Life of Love (22-250
E. The Christian Life is a Life of Growth (2:1-10)
1. Individual Growth (1-3)
2. Corporate Growth (4-10)
III. Obligations of a Pilgrim/Alien People (2:11-3:12)
A. A Petition to Live as Sojourners (11-12)
B. Obligations of Citizens to the State (13-17)
C. Obligations of Slaves to Masters (18-25)
D. Obligations of Wives to Husbands (3:1-6)
E. Obligations of Husbands to Wives (7)
F. Summary: An Appeal for Christian Conduct (8-12)
IV. Encouragement to a Suffering People (3:13-4:19)
A. The Believers’ Suffering for Righteousness (13-17)
B. Christ’s Example of Suffering (18-22)
C. The Necessary Equipment for Suffering (4:1-6)
D. An Awareness of the Approaching End (7-11)
E. The Need for Steadfastness (12-19)
V. Concluding Counsel for Various Groups (5:1-11)
A. For Elders (1-4)
B. For All Believers (5-9)
1. Submission (5a)
2. Humility (5b-7)
3. Watchfulness (8, 9)
C. A Note of Encouragement to the Suffering (5:10-11)
Conclusion (5:12-14)
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thanking God!
Thanking God
Pastor’s Study
April 14, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:3-5).
Thank God for…
Ø making us reasonable creatures, capable of knowing, loving, serving, and enjoying Him.
Ø His preservation, that our lives are prolonged, and that the use of our reason and understanding, our limbs and senses are continued to us.
Ø remarkable recoveries from danger, by sickness or otherwise.
Ø the supports and comforts of this life.
Ø success in our callings and affairs, blessings in relationships, and comfortable places of abode.
Ø our spouses, children, teachers, and leaders, praising Him for those born again.
Ø appointing the Redeemer and for His gracious condescension in dealing with men on new terms.
Ø the wonderful and mysterious incarnation of the Son of God.
Ø the full satisfaction which Christ made to the justice of God for the sin of man, by the blood of His cross, for the purchases, victories, and triumphs of the cross, and for all the precious benefits which flow to us from the dying of our Lord Jesus.
Ø His resurrection from the dead the third day.
Ø His Ascension into heaven and His sitting at God’s right hand.
Ø the intercession which He ever lives to make for us.
Ø the dominion and sovereignty to which the Redeemer is exalted.
Ø the assurance we have of His second coming to judge the world.
Ø the sending of the Holy Spirit to comfort and support us, to carry on the work of Christ, and to prepare us for His second coming.
Ø the covenant of grace made with us in Jesus Christ, and for all the exceeding great and precious privileges of that covenant, and for the signs and seals of it.
Ø the Scriptures and the preserving of them pure and entire to our day.
Ø the planting of the gospel Church in the world; for faithful missionaries.
Ø the martyrs and the good examples who have gone before us to heaven.
Ø the communion of saints at church, this spiritual fellowship which we have in faith, hope, and love; for recent converts and for godly and gifted pastors.
Ø the prospect and hope of eternal life, when time shall be no more.
Gleaned from A Method for Prayer: Freedom in the Face of God by Matthew Henry (1712)
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 14, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:3-5).
Thank God for…
Ø making us reasonable creatures, capable of knowing, loving, serving, and enjoying Him.
Ø His preservation, that our lives are prolonged, and that the use of our reason and understanding, our limbs and senses are continued to us.
Ø remarkable recoveries from danger, by sickness or otherwise.
Ø the supports and comforts of this life.
Ø success in our callings and affairs, blessings in relationships, and comfortable places of abode.
Ø our spouses, children, teachers, and leaders, praising Him for those born again.
Ø appointing the Redeemer and for His gracious condescension in dealing with men on new terms.
Ø the wonderful and mysterious incarnation of the Son of God.
Ø the full satisfaction which Christ made to the justice of God for the sin of man, by the blood of His cross, for the purchases, victories, and triumphs of the cross, and for all the precious benefits which flow to us from the dying of our Lord Jesus.
Ø His resurrection from the dead the third day.
Ø His Ascension into heaven and His sitting at God’s right hand.
Ø the intercession which He ever lives to make for us.
Ø the dominion and sovereignty to which the Redeemer is exalted.
Ø the assurance we have of His second coming to judge the world.
Ø the sending of the Holy Spirit to comfort and support us, to carry on the work of Christ, and to prepare us for His second coming.
Ø the covenant of grace made with us in Jesus Christ, and for all the exceeding great and precious privileges of that covenant, and for the signs and seals of it.
Ø the Scriptures and the preserving of them pure and entire to our day.
Ø the planting of the gospel Church in the world; for faithful missionaries.
Ø the martyrs and the good examples who have gone before us to heaven.
Ø the communion of saints at church, this spiritual fellowship which we have in faith, hope, and love; for recent converts and for godly and gifted pastors.
Ø the prospect and hope of eternal life, when time shall be no more.
Gleaned from A Method for Prayer: Freedom in the Face of God by Matthew Henry (1712)
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastors Need Prayer, Too!
Pastors Need Prayer, Too!
Pastor’s Study
April 18, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
We expect our pastors to take prayerful interest in our problems and needs. Rightly so! Consequently, the pastor often carries a prayer burden for almost every family and individual in his congregation. But who prays for his needs? He is human too, and he needs our prayers. What a blessing when someone says to him in private, “Pastor, you always have a place in my prayers and I’ll be glad to pray for any special needs.”
A delegation of American pastors asked Charles Spurgeon the secret for his success. In response, Spurgeon led them to the lower level of his meeting house and quietly opened the door. The visitors saw over 400 people praying for God’s blessing and power to rest upon their pastor as he preached the Word of God. “There, gentlemen,” said Spurgeon, “is the secret for my success.”
The Apostle Paul, a man of deep prayer, begged the church to pray for him. His ardent request was, “I beseech you brethren . . . that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me”(Romans 15:30; Ephesians 6:18-20; II Corinthians 1:8-12).
No matter how well you pay your pastor, praise him, or work with him, it is only through earnest, strategic prayer that you can ever really help him be an effective minister in the hands of Almighty God.
Do not be overwhelmed by the number of suggested areas for prayer listed in this pamphlet; rather, let the Holy Spirit lead you in making selections as you pray daily for your pastor and watch God work.
Personal Needs
Humility
Pray that your pastor will keep a teachable spirit . . . that he will have the grace to receive criticism and profit by it . . . that he will have a servant’s heart . . . that he will cultivate true humility in his walk, depending on God, not upon his education or personality . . . that he will learn from both his success and his failures and give God the glory in all things.
Stability
Since we live in this carnal world with all its open and hidden pressures, pray that your pastor will keep his eyes on the Lord and serve with singleness of heart and will not become conceited over success or depressed by failure.
Health
Pray for your pastor’s health . . . that he will learn God’s lessons from any sickness . . . that his health will be restored in God’s good time . . . that he will maintain a balanced exercise and recreation program. Intercede, too, for safety as he travels.
Self Discipline
Since the pastor must prioritize and guard his time, be self-disciplined, and learn to say no, pray that the Holy Spirit will make him sensitive in these matters . . . that he will know God’s will in dealing with role conflicts and stress which could lead to burnout.
Joy
Pray that your pastor will find real joy in his ministry notwithstanding spiritual struggles and problems (John 16:24; 17:13).
Relationships
Pray that your pastor will know how to deal with his own frustrations, with the lack of gifts in certain areas, with difficult people . . . that Christlike love will be shown in all interpersonal relationships . . . and that he will experience the love and support of his congregation.
Family Relationships
Pray that husband and wife will be devoted to each other and to their children and that they will nurture their children in the Lord.
Pressures
Pointed prayer is needed as your pastor and his family face daily temptation, times of stress, peer pressures, and Satanic attacks because they are special targets of the enemy. On the other hand, pray that the church leaders will recognize the personal, spiritual, physical, material and social needs of the pastor and his family so that they may not need to become overly preoccupied with the affairs of this life (I Timothy 5:17-18; II Timothy 2:3-4).
Spiritual Needs
Spiritual Freshness
Pray that your pastor will “walk in the light” with Jesus daily and will have the power of the Spirit in all phases of his life and ministry.
Prayer
Pray that your pastor will understand the absolute necessity for prayer and that he will prioritize his prayer life despite his very busy schedule.
Integrity
Pray that he will resist moral temptation in line with who he is and Whom he serves – the Holy God . . . that his words, his actions and especially his thought-life will set a godly example and not pave the way for him and others to fall into immorality.
Spiritual Warfare
Above all, pray that your pastor will appropriate the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-18, being constantly aware of Satan’s strategy at all times. Pastors are subject to the three-fold Satanic temptation of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, just as everyone else (I John 2:16). Pray that the pastor will continually realize that victory comes only through Christ.
Accountability
Pray that he will develop a circle of church leaders to whom he is accountable… that he will cultivate the friendship of at least one godly man (in or out of his congregation) to whom he will be especially open and spiritually accountable in all areas of his life and ministry… that he will be keenly aware of the effects of his actions on the testimony of our Lord, on the church at large, on his own church leaders and members, as well as on his family and himself and, above all, aware of his accountability to God.
Pulpit Preparation
Since the Word of God and the Spirit of God do the lasting work in the church, pray that your pastor will give proper priority to the study of the Word and to prayer. Study in sermon preparation must not be a substitute for personal communion with God, nor for a time of private worship. Pray that his message will reflect the leading of the Holy Spirit . . . that the pastor will give a balanced presentation of the Scriptures and not go off on tangents . . . that he will present missions and evangelism as emphasized in the Scriptures. Pray that he will speak the truth in love; that the church will be convicted by the Holy Spirit and become more like Jesus.
Christ-Centered and Christ-Exalting Preaching
Pray that the pastor’s preaching will be Christ-centered and Christ-exalting to edify the congregation and increase their love for the Savior and devotion to him . . . that he will help them develop a life of worship.
Fruitful Relationships
Pray that in all his relationships with church leaders and members he will be open, flexible, understanding, and forgiving . . . that he will learn to be patient . . . and that he will make himself available to his people. Pray he will truly have a heart of compassion and be a good listener, balancing tenderness with wisdom, and love with firmness when needful.
Mobilization
Also, pray that your pastor will keep in touch with people’s needs and learn how to develop both the quick-growers and the slow-growers . . . that he will be an equipper of his people, and be a motivator and trainer of disciples . . . that he will be absolutely committed to mobilizing the gifts of the body.
Discernment
Pray for your pastor to have discernment in all areas including these: (1) how to apply the Word of God to specific situations, (2) how to present biblical truth so that it will be understood and put into practice, and (3) how to rightly assess and use the abilities and gifts of others. In view of the excessive demands on his time, pray that he will have discernment as to what God wants him to do and how God wants it done.
Counseling
Pray that your pastor will counsel in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit from the Word of God.
A Further Suggestion
As you pray for your pastor, you will discover that your hearts are knit together in a common purpose. You will understand that he, like Elijah, is “a man, just like us” yet he is the man who has been appointed by the Holy Spirit as your pastor (Acts 20:28). Don’t pray “at him,” but for him, and as you do, you will experience the marvelous way in which the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind special needs about which you should pray.
Finally, should you experience frustration in praying for your pastor, study and use the prayers of the Apostle Paul; they give much fuel for prayer. Please note Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; II Thessalonians 1:11-12; II Corinthians 1:9-11; and Colossians 1:9-12.
Prepared, after consultation with some of God’s choice servants, by Rev. Will Bruce, Overseas Missionary Fellow (Founded as the China Inland Missions by Hudson Taylor in 1865).
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 18, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
We expect our pastors to take prayerful interest in our problems and needs. Rightly so! Consequently, the pastor often carries a prayer burden for almost every family and individual in his congregation. But who prays for his needs? He is human too, and he needs our prayers. What a blessing when someone says to him in private, “Pastor, you always have a place in my prayers and I’ll be glad to pray for any special needs.”
A delegation of American pastors asked Charles Spurgeon the secret for his success. In response, Spurgeon led them to the lower level of his meeting house and quietly opened the door. The visitors saw over 400 people praying for God’s blessing and power to rest upon their pastor as he preached the Word of God. “There, gentlemen,” said Spurgeon, “is the secret for my success.”
The Apostle Paul, a man of deep prayer, begged the church to pray for him. His ardent request was, “I beseech you brethren . . . that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me”(Romans 15:30; Ephesians 6:18-20; II Corinthians 1:8-12).
No matter how well you pay your pastor, praise him, or work with him, it is only through earnest, strategic prayer that you can ever really help him be an effective minister in the hands of Almighty God.
Do not be overwhelmed by the number of suggested areas for prayer listed in this pamphlet; rather, let the Holy Spirit lead you in making selections as you pray daily for your pastor and watch God work.
Personal Needs
Humility
Pray that your pastor will keep a teachable spirit . . . that he will have the grace to receive criticism and profit by it . . . that he will have a servant’s heart . . . that he will cultivate true humility in his walk, depending on God, not upon his education or personality . . . that he will learn from both his success and his failures and give God the glory in all things.
Stability
Since we live in this carnal world with all its open and hidden pressures, pray that your pastor will keep his eyes on the Lord and serve with singleness of heart and will not become conceited over success or depressed by failure.
Health
Pray for your pastor’s health . . . that he will learn God’s lessons from any sickness . . . that his health will be restored in God’s good time . . . that he will maintain a balanced exercise and recreation program. Intercede, too, for safety as he travels.
Self Discipline
Since the pastor must prioritize and guard his time, be self-disciplined, and learn to say no, pray that the Holy Spirit will make him sensitive in these matters . . . that he will know God’s will in dealing with role conflicts and stress which could lead to burnout.
Joy
Pray that your pastor will find real joy in his ministry notwithstanding spiritual struggles and problems (John 16:24; 17:13).
Relationships
Pray that your pastor will know how to deal with his own frustrations, with the lack of gifts in certain areas, with difficult people . . . that Christlike love will be shown in all interpersonal relationships . . . and that he will experience the love and support of his congregation.
Family Relationships
Pray that husband and wife will be devoted to each other and to their children and that they will nurture their children in the Lord.
Pressures
Pointed prayer is needed as your pastor and his family face daily temptation, times of stress, peer pressures, and Satanic attacks because they are special targets of the enemy. On the other hand, pray that the church leaders will recognize the personal, spiritual, physical, material and social needs of the pastor and his family so that they may not need to become overly preoccupied with the affairs of this life (I Timothy 5:17-18; II Timothy 2:3-4).
Spiritual Needs
Spiritual Freshness
Pray that your pastor will “walk in the light” with Jesus daily and will have the power of the Spirit in all phases of his life and ministry.
Prayer
Pray that your pastor will understand the absolute necessity for prayer and that he will prioritize his prayer life despite his very busy schedule.
Integrity
Pray that he will resist moral temptation in line with who he is and Whom he serves – the Holy God . . . that his words, his actions and especially his thought-life will set a godly example and not pave the way for him and others to fall into immorality.
Spiritual Warfare
Above all, pray that your pastor will appropriate the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-18, being constantly aware of Satan’s strategy at all times. Pastors are subject to the three-fold Satanic temptation of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, just as everyone else (I John 2:16). Pray that the pastor will continually realize that victory comes only through Christ.
Accountability
Pray that he will develop a circle of church leaders to whom he is accountable… that he will cultivate the friendship of at least one godly man (in or out of his congregation) to whom he will be especially open and spiritually accountable in all areas of his life and ministry… that he will be keenly aware of the effects of his actions on the testimony of our Lord, on the church at large, on his own church leaders and members, as well as on his family and himself and, above all, aware of his accountability to God.
Pulpit Preparation
Since the Word of God and the Spirit of God do the lasting work in the church, pray that your pastor will give proper priority to the study of the Word and to prayer. Study in sermon preparation must not be a substitute for personal communion with God, nor for a time of private worship. Pray that his message will reflect the leading of the Holy Spirit . . . that the pastor will give a balanced presentation of the Scriptures and not go off on tangents . . . that he will present missions and evangelism as emphasized in the Scriptures. Pray that he will speak the truth in love; that the church will be convicted by the Holy Spirit and become more like Jesus.
Christ-Centered and Christ-Exalting Preaching
Pray that the pastor’s preaching will be Christ-centered and Christ-exalting to edify the congregation and increase their love for the Savior and devotion to him . . . that he will help them develop a life of worship.
Fruitful Relationships
Pray that in all his relationships with church leaders and members he will be open, flexible, understanding, and forgiving . . . that he will learn to be patient . . . and that he will make himself available to his people. Pray he will truly have a heart of compassion and be a good listener, balancing tenderness with wisdom, and love with firmness when needful.
Mobilization
Also, pray that your pastor will keep in touch with people’s needs and learn how to develop both the quick-growers and the slow-growers . . . that he will be an equipper of his people, and be a motivator and trainer of disciples . . . that he will be absolutely committed to mobilizing the gifts of the body.
Discernment
Pray for your pastor to have discernment in all areas including these: (1) how to apply the Word of God to specific situations, (2) how to present biblical truth so that it will be understood and put into practice, and (3) how to rightly assess and use the abilities and gifts of others. In view of the excessive demands on his time, pray that he will have discernment as to what God wants him to do and how God wants it done.
Counseling
Pray that your pastor will counsel in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit from the Word of God.
A Further Suggestion
As you pray for your pastor, you will discover that your hearts are knit together in a common purpose. You will understand that he, like Elijah, is “a man, just like us” yet he is the man who has been appointed by the Holy Spirit as your pastor (Acts 20:28). Don’t pray “at him,” but for him, and as you do, you will experience the marvelous way in which the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind special needs about which you should pray.
Finally, should you experience frustration in praying for your pastor, study and use the prayers of the Apostle Paul; they give much fuel for prayer. Please note Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; II Thessalonians 1:11-12; II Corinthians 1:9-11; and Colossians 1:9-12.
Prepared, after consultation with some of God’s choice servants, by Rev. Will Bruce, Overseas Missionary Fellow (Founded as the China Inland Missions by Hudson Taylor in 1865).
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Friday, April 17, 2009
Outline of Colossians
Colossians
I have learned greatly from the ministry of Dr. Bill Cook, my former pastor and Bible school New Testament professor. I have studied and preached from Colossians many times, a task made much easier because of the following outline by Dr. Cook.
Pastor’s Study
April 17, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Introduction (1.-14)
Salutation (1.1,2)
A Prayer of Thanksgiving (1.3-14)
Paul’s thanksgiving is directed to God (1.3)
The basis of the thanksgiving (1.4-8)
a. The spiritual condition of the Colossians (1.4-5a)
b. The progress of the Gospel (1.5b-6)
c. The ministry of Epaphras (1.7-8)
A prayer for the Colossians (1.9-14)
a. The request of the prayer (1.9)
b. The purpose of the prayer (1.10-14)
The Supremacy of Christ (1.15-23)
A. The scope of His supremacy (1.15-18)
1. He is Lord over creation (1.15-17)
2. He is Lord over the Church (1.18)
B. The basis of His supremacy (1.19-23)
1. The fullness of God dwells in Christ (1.19)
2. The reconciling work of Christ (1.20-23)
II. The Ministry of Paul (1.24-2.7)
A. A ministry of suffering (1.24)
B. A ministry of preaching (1.25-29)
C. A ministry of intercession (2.1-5)
D. A ministry of exhortation (2.6-7)
III. The Danger of Heresy (2.8-23)
A. A warning against false philosophy (2.8-15)
1. The warning stated (2.8)
2. The basis of the warning (2.9-15)
B. A warning against legalism (2.16-17)
C. A warning against the worship of angels (2.18-19)
D. A warning against asceticism (2.20-23)
IV. The Christian Life (3.1-4.6)
A. The root principle of Christian living [union with Christ] (3.1-4)
B. The principle applied (3.5-17)
C. Relationships that honor God (3.18-4.1)
D. Spiritual disciplines (4.2-6)
1. Prayer (4.2-4)
2. Witnessing (4.5-6)
Conclusion
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
I have learned greatly from the ministry of Dr. Bill Cook, my former pastor and Bible school New Testament professor. I have studied and preached from Colossians many times, a task made much easier because of the following outline by Dr. Cook.
Pastor’s Study
April 17, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Introduction (1.-14)
Salutation (1.1,2)
A Prayer of Thanksgiving (1.3-14)
Paul’s thanksgiving is directed to God (1.3)
The basis of the thanksgiving (1.4-8)
a. The spiritual condition of the Colossians (1.4-5a)
b. The progress of the Gospel (1.5b-6)
c. The ministry of Epaphras (1.7-8)
A prayer for the Colossians (1.9-14)
a. The request of the prayer (1.9)
b. The purpose of the prayer (1.10-14)
The Supremacy of Christ (1.15-23)
A. The scope of His supremacy (1.15-18)
1. He is Lord over creation (1.15-17)
2. He is Lord over the Church (1.18)
B. The basis of His supremacy (1.19-23)
1. The fullness of God dwells in Christ (1.19)
2. The reconciling work of Christ (1.20-23)
II. The Ministry of Paul (1.24-2.7)
A. A ministry of suffering (1.24)
B. A ministry of preaching (1.25-29)
C. A ministry of intercession (2.1-5)
D. A ministry of exhortation (2.6-7)
III. The Danger of Heresy (2.8-23)
A. A warning against false philosophy (2.8-15)
1. The warning stated (2.8)
2. The basis of the warning (2.9-15)
B. A warning against legalism (2.16-17)
C. A warning against the worship of angels (2.18-19)
D. A warning against asceticism (2.20-23)
IV. The Christian Life (3.1-4.6)
A. The root principle of Christian living [union with Christ] (3.1-4)
B. The principle applied (3.5-17)
C. Relationships that honor God (3.18-4.1)
D. Spiritual disciplines (4.2-6)
1. Prayer (4.2-4)
2. Witnessing (4.5-6)
Conclusion
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Biblical Foundations for Family Life
Biblical Foundations for Family Life
I would like to recommend an excellent book on parenting to you: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. The following summary, with my own ideas here and there, comes from this book.
Pastor’s Study
April 15, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
I Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Parents are accountable to God for raising children who honor Him (Psalm 101:2).
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 gives us two principles: (1) whole hearted devotion to the one God (4-6) and (2) consistent training in God’s precepts (7-9). This training is to take place during the normal activities of the day. Godly teaching is best communicated in periods of non-conflict when the child does not have to defend his or her actions. Parents must be what they want their children to be. If we want to keep them from the sin of Cain, who did not love his brother, let us beware of the sin of Adam, who did not love the commandment of his God. Let all your dealings with the children be done in love. Angry words, sharp reproof, and impatient answers are infectious. When our children hear us speak of others, of friends or enemies, let the impression they receive be the love of Christ we seek to show. Parents should also show love and respect for each other. Their considerate and unselfish attitudes should prove to the children that love is possible and has immediate rewards. If Christian parents would only realize as Judah did (Genesis 43:8, 9) that they are guarantees for their child! What do we do when our children are in danger from the prince of this world? What do we do when the temptations of the flesh threaten to make them slaves and hold them back from ever reaching the Father’s house? How often are we careless or unwilling to sacrifice our ease and comfort in seeking to rescue them from their danger? How often are the spiritual interests of the child considered of little importance compared to worldly prospects of position or profit? If we would realize the sinfulness of our children’s nature and the dangers surrounding them, we would fervently plead with the great King and Savior for their salvation.
A. Preliminary Considerations
1. The Grace of God
The duty of raising a godly family cannot be achieved apart from the grace of God. Parents may desire many things for their children, but their most important matter is the salvation of children. See Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Proverbs 22:6; 2 Timothy 3:15. Parents should participate in the communication of God’s grace by instructing the child and directing his ways in God’s Word.
2. The Centrality of the Gospel
The central focus of parenting is the Gospel. You need to direct not simply the behavior of your children, but the attitudes of their hearts. You must help them see that God works from the inside out. The Bible says to do good to those who mistreat you. “But when children are bullied in the school yard, parents tell them to ignore the bully. Or worse, parents tell them to hit others when they are hit first. This non-biblical counsel drives children away from the cross. It doesn’t take grace from God to ignore the oppressor. It doesn’t take supernatural grace to stand up for your rights. To do good to oppressors, however, to pray for those who mistreat you, to entrust yourself to the just Judge, requires a child to come face-to-face with the poverty of his own spirit and his need of the transforming power of the gospel.”
3. Internalization of the Gospel
“Ultimately, your children must internalize the message of the Gospel. Each child in a Christian home will, at some point, examine the claims of the Gospel and determine whether he will” respond in repentance and faith.
4. The Heart Factor
The most important consideration in early parenting is the child’s heart and not simply outward behavior. Parents should insist on correct behavior (the development of moral behavior) long before the child is capable of understanding the associated moral concepts (the development of moral reason).
5. ShepherdingThe parent is the child’s guide to help him understand himself as a creature made by and for God (coram Deo, negotium cum Deo). This involves investing your life in your child in open and honest communication that unfolds the meaning and purpose of life. Values and spiritual vitality are not simply taught, but caught (Proverbs 13:20). Parents must demonstrate the freshness and vitality of life lived in integrity toward God and family.
6. AuthorityGod calls His creatures to live under authority. He is our Master and has vested authority in people within the institutions He has established (home, church, state, business). You must lovingly direct your children on God’s behalf for their good.
7. The Parent Factor
Many adults parent in response to their own unresolved childhood fears, conflicts, and disappointments. For example, parents brought up under restrictive methods often become very permissive, allowing their children to become self-centered. These parents become more concerned about their children’s feelings (their psychological health) than about their actions (their moral health). This results in an uncontrolled child. In contrast, when parents find that their unhappy childhood resulted from a permissive upbringing, they often become very strict or authoritarian. The problem is complicated when parenting styles within the home clash. If one parent is easy going and flexible and the other is structured and predictable, unhealthy conflict tends to develop in the home. Parenting extremes, however, should not result. Rather, parents should complement each other.
8. Parenting Extremes
Authoritarian parenting is usually concerned with restraining evil, instead of elevating good. Parents place a greater emphasis on what children should not do than on what they should do. Although children do as they are told, they may do so out of fear of reproof rather than the love of goodness. Permissive parenting is usually concerned with creating the right environment for the child, instead of encouraging the proper behavior. If the child feels happy, the parent is satisfied. If the child feels sad, then the parent works to create an environment that will eliminate his sadness. Both extremes are dangerous.
9. The Child Factor
A child is self-oriented by nature; biblical ethics is other-oriented. The tension between the two is what produces conflict. But we are not to avoid conflict by withholding necessary instruction to restrain or encourage our children (Proverbs 23:13). Conflict is natural to human personality. If the child does not learn to resolve conflict early in life, it will be much more difficult to do so later in life.
10. Positive and Negative Training
When teaching moral principles, often parents will tell their children what is wrong and what not to do, rather than what is right and what to do. Restraining the evil in a child is important (1 Samuel 3:13), but when this is done in the absence of elevating good, then good is distorted; the path to virtuous deed is left highly undefined for the child (Proverbs 1:1-8; 8:33; 9:9). For example a child taught the skill of empathy (that is, being sensitive to how other people feel in situations) has a stronger basis for future behavior than one merely taught to control his anger.
11. Moral Reason and Moral Behavior
It is not enough to teach children how to act morally; you must also teach them how to think morally. The first speaks to moral action, the second to moral principle. This is not to say that parents are obligated to provide an explanation for every decision or instruction. From three years of age and up, parents should include moral reasons in their instructions. In fact, children will often start their own questions: (1) the why of curiosity (non-moral) - “Why do birds build their nests in trees?” “Why is that car parked there?”; (2) the why of comprehension (moral) - “Why did you help the man with AIDS?” “Why should we always tell the truth?”; (3) The why of challenge (moral). “Why do I have to?” For 1 and 2, parents should respond positively; for 3, correction must be given.
12. The Value of Catechisms
The Puritan Hugh Peters spoke for many Baptists when he admonished parents to catechize their children, warning them that “if ever your poor infants be driven to wildernesses, to hollow caves, to faggot and fire, or to sorrows of any kind, they will thank God and you, they were well catechized.” “A catechisms for babes or little ones” was written by Henry Jessey in 1652. Jessey was an outstanding scholar and leading pastor among the Particular Baptists of seventeenth-century England. Educated at Cambridge, he had spent several years as a tutor in the household of a wealthy family. No doubt, his experience as a teacher of young children made him sensitive to the kind of instruction required for “little ones.”
B Getting to the Heart of Behavior
The Scriptures teach us that the heart is the control center for life (Proverbs 4:23; Mark 7:21; Luke 6:45). These passages are instructive for childrearing. They teach that behavior is not the basic issue. The basic issue is always what is going on in the heart. Parents often get sidetracked with behavior. However, a change in behavior that does not stem from a change in heart is deceptive (Matthew 15:8).
“What must you do in correction and discipline? You must require proper behavior. God’s law demands that. You cannot, however, be satisfied to leave the matter there. You must understand, and help your child to understand, how his straying heart has resulted in wrong behavior. In what characteristic ways has his inability or refusal to know, trust and obey God resulted in actions and speech that are wrong?”
“Let’s take a familiar example from any home where there are two or more children. The children are playing and a fight breaks out over a particular toy. The classic response is ‘Who had it first?’ This response misses heart issues.”
“You have two offenders. Both children are displaying a hardness of heart toward the other. Both are being selfish. Therefore, discipline must address attitudes of the heart.”
“This understanding does marvelous things for discipline. It makes the heart the issue, not just the behavior. It focuses correction on deeper things than changed behavior. The point of confrontation is what is occurring in the heart. Your concern is to unmask your child’s sin, helping him to understand how it reflects a heart that has strayed. That leads to the cross of Christ. It underscores the need for a Savior. It provides opportunities to show the glories of God, who sent His Son to change hearts and free people enslaved to sin.”
C Your Child’s Development: Shaping Influences
Shaping influences are these events and circumstances in a child’s developmental years that prove to be catalysts for making him the person he is. But the shaping is not automatic; the way he responds to these events determines the effect they have upon him. The following influences powerfully affect a child’s life.
1. Structure of Family Life
Is the family a nuclear family? How are parenting roles structured? Are there other children or is family life organized around only one child? What are the relationships between the children?
2. Family Values
What is important to the parents? Are people more important than things? Where does God fit into family life? Are the values of your home based on human tradition and the basic principles of the world or on Christ (Colossians 2:8)?
3. Family Roles
Some fathers are involved in every aspect of family life. Others are busy and distanced from family activities.
4. Family Conflict Resolution
Does the family know how to talk about its problems? Do family members resolve things or do they simply walk away? Are problems solved by biblical principles or by power?
5. Family Response to Failure
Are children or spouses demeaned when they fail? Family members need encouragement, patient understanding, and kind appraisal.
6. Family History
Abuse, neglect, poverty, disease, stability, and mobility all affect families powerfully.
D Your Child’s Development: Godward Orientation
See Proverbs 9:7-10. The sum of wisdom is to know God and knowledge of God begets piety. Children filter the experiences of life through a religious grid, either pagan or biblical. Observe your children’s leanings. Do fear of man, evil desires, lusts, and pride rule their hearts? Or are they beginning to respond to life as children of faith who know, love, and serve God?
“You want to provide the best possible shaping influences for your children. You want the structure of your home to furnish the stability and security that they need. You want the quality of relationships in your home to reflect the grace of God and the mercy for failing sinners that the character of God demonstrates. You want the punishments meted out to be appropriate and to reflect a holy God’s view of sin. You want the values of your home to be scripturally informed. You want to control the flow of events so that it is never chaotic, but rather a well-structured home. You want to provide a healthy, constructive atmosphere for your child.” In all of this, you must pray that God will work in and around your efforts and the responses of your children to make them people who know and honor God.
E You Are in Charge
1. Parenting Defined
Shepherding your child in God’s behalf (Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:1-9)
· Parents are not merely care-providers
· Develop concrete training objectives and goals for your children
· Know their weaknesses and strengths
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
I would like to recommend an excellent book on parenting to you: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. The following summary, with my own ideas here and there, comes from this book.
Pastor’s Study
April 15, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
I Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Parents are accountable to God for raising children who honor Him (Psalm 101:2).
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 gives us two principles: (1) whole hearted devotion to the one God (4-6) and (2) consistent training in God’s precepts (7-9). This training is to take place during the normal activities of the day. Godly teaching is best communicated in periods of non-conflict when the child does not have to defend his or her actions. Parents must be what they want their children to be. If we want to keep them from the sin of Cain, who did not love his brother, let us beware of the sin of Adam, who did not love the commandment of his God. Let all your dealings with the children be done in love. Angry words, sharp reproof, and impatient answers are infectious. When our children hear us speak of others, of friends or enemies, let the impression they receive be the love of Christ we seek to show. Parents should also show love and respect for each other. Their considerate and unselfish attitudes should prove to the children that love is possible and has immediate rewards. If Christian parents would only realize as Judah did (Genesis 43:8, 9) that they are guarantees for their child! What do we do when our children are in danger from the prince of this world? What do we do when the temptations of the flesh threaten to make them slaves and hold them back from ever reaching the Father’s house? How often are we careless or unwilling to sacrifice our ease and comfort in seeking to rescue them from their danger? How often are the spiritual interests of the child considered of little importance compared to worldly prospects of position or profit? If we would realize the sinfulness of our children’s nature and the dangers surrounding them, we would fervently plead with the great King and Savior for their salvation.
A. Preliminary Considerations
1. The Grace of God
The duty of raising a godly family cannot be achieved apart from the grace of God. Parents may desire many things for their children, but their most important matter is the salvation of children. See Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Proverbs 22:6; 2 Timothy 3:15. Parents should participate in the communication of God’s grace by instructing the child and directing his ways in God’s Word.
2. The Centrality of the Gospel
The central focus of parenting is the Gospel. You need to direct not simply the behavior of your children, but the attitudes of their hearts. You must help them see that God works from the inside out. The Bible says to do good to those who mistreat you. “But when children are bullied in the school yard, parents tell them to ignore the bully. Or worse, parents tell them to hit others when they are hit first. This non-biblical counsel drives children away from the cross. It doesn’t take grace from God to ignore the oppressor. It doesn’t take supernatural grace to stand up for your rights. To do good to oppressors, however, to pray for those who mistreat you, to entrust yourself to the just Judge, requires a child to come face-to-face with the poverty of his own spirit and his need of the transforming power of the gospel.”
3. Internalization of the Gospel
“Ultimately, your children must internalize the message of the Gospel. Each child in a Christian home will, at some point, examine the claims of the Gospel and determine whether he will” respond in repentance and faith.
4. The Heart Factor
The most important consideration in early parenting is the child’s heart and not simply outward behavior. Parents should insist on correct behavior (the development of moral behavior) long before the child is capable of understanding the associated moral concepts (the development of moral reason).
5. ShepherdingThe parent is the child’s guide to help him understand himself as a creature made by and for God (coram Deo, negotium cum Deo). This involves investing your life in your child in open and honest communication that unfolds the meaning and purpose of life. Values and spiritual vitality are not simply taught, but caught (Proverbs 13:20). Parents must demonstrate the freshness and vitality of life lived in integrity toward God and family.
6. AuthorityGod calls His creatures to live under authority. He is our Master and has vested authority in people within the institutions He has established (home, church, state, business). You must lovingly direct your children on God’s behalf for their good.
7. The Parent Factor
Many adults parent in response to their own unresolved childhood fears, conflicts, and disappointments. For example, parents brought up under restrictive methods often become very permissive, allowing their children to become self-centered. These parents become more concerned about their children’s feelings (their psychological health) than about their actions (their moral health). This results in an uncontrolled child. In contrast, when parents find that their unhappy childhood resulted from a permissive upbringing, they often become very strict or authoritarian. The problem is complicated when parenting styles within the home clash. If one parent is easy going and flexible and the other is structured and predictable, unhealthy conflict tends to develop in the home. Parenting extremes, however, should not result. Rather, parents should complement each other.
8. Parenting Extremes
Authoritarian parenting is usually concerned with restraining evil, instead of elevating good. Parents place a greater emphasis on what children should not do than on what they should do. Although children do as they are told, they may do so out of fear of reproof rather than the love of goodness. Permissive parenting is usually concerned with creating the right environment for the child, instead of encouraging the proper behavior. If the child feels happy, the parent is satisfied. If the child feels sad, then the parent works to create an environment that will eliminate his sadness. Both extremes are dangerous.
9. The Child Factor
A child is self-oriented by nature; biblical ethics is other-oriented. The tension between the two is what produces conflict. But we are not to avoid conflict by withholding necessary instruction to restrain or encourage our children (Proverbs 23:13). Conflict is natural to human personality. If the child does not learn to resolve conflict early in life, it will be much more difficult to do so later in life.
10. Positive and Negative Training
When teaching moral principles, often parents will tell their children what is wrong and what not to do, rather than what is right and what to do. Restraining the evil in a child is important (1 Samuel 3:13), but when this is done in the absence of elevating good, then good is distorted; the path to virtuous deed is left highly undefined for the child (Proverbs 1:1-8; 8:33; 9:9). For example a child taught the skill of empathy (that is, being sensitive to how other people feel in situations) has a stronger basis for future behavior than one merely taught to control his anger.
11. Moral Reason and Moral Behavior
It is not enough to teach children how to act morally; you must also teach them how to think morally. The first speaks to moral action, the second to moral principle. This is not to say that parents are obligated to provide an explanation for every decision or instruction. From three years of age and up, parents should include moral reasons in their instructions. In fact, children will often start their own questions: (1) the why of curiosity (non-moral) - “Why do birds build their nests in trees?” “Why is that car parked there?”; (2) the why of comprehension (moral) - “Why did you help the man with AIDS?” “Why should we always tell the truth?”; (3) The why of challenge (moral). “Why do I have to?” For 1 and 2, parents should respond positively; for 3, correction must be given.
12. The Value of Catechisms
The Puritan Hugh Peters spoke for many Baptists when he admonished parents to catechize their children, warning them that “if ever your poor infants be driven to wildernesses, to hollow caves, to faggot and fire, or to sorrows of any kind, they will thank God and you, they were well catechized.” “A catechisms for babes or little ones” was written by Henry Jessey in 1652. Jessey was an outstanding scholar and leading pastor among the Particular Baptists of seventeenth-century England. Educated at Cambridge, he had spent several years as a tutor in the household of a wealthy family. No doubt, his experience as a teacher of young children made him sensitive to the kind of instruction required for “little ones.”
B Getting to the Heart of Behavior
The Scriptures teach us that the heart is the control center for life (Proverbs 4:23; Mark 7:21; Luke 6:45). These passages are instructive for childrearing. They teach that behavior is not the basic issue. The basic issue is always what is going on in the heart. Parents often get sidetracked with behavior. However, a change in behavior that does not stem from a change in heart is deceptive (Matthew 15:8).
“What must you do in correction and discipline? You must require proper behavior. God’s law demands that. You cannot, however, be satisfied to leave the matter there. You must understand, and help your child to understand, how his straying heart has resulted in wrong behavior. In what characteristic ways has his inability or refusal to know, trust and obey God resulted in actions and speech that are wrong?”
“Let’s take a familiar example from any home where there are two or more children. The children are playing and a fight breaks out over a particular toy. The classic response is ‘Who had it first?’ This response misses heart issues.”
“You have two offenders. Both children are displaying a hardness of heart toward the other. Both are being selfish. Therefore, discipline must address attitudes of the heart.”
“This understanding does marvelous things for discipline. It makes the heart the issue, not just the behavior. It focuses correction on deeper things than changed behavior. The point of confrontation is what is occurring in the heart. Your concern is to unmask your child’s sin, helping him to understand how it reflects a heart that has strayed. That leads to the cross of Christ. It underscores the need for a Savior. It provides opportunities to show the glories of God, who sent His Son to change hearts and free people enslaved to sin.”
C Your Child’s Development: Shaping Influences
Shaping influences are these events and circumstances in a child’s developmental years that prove to be catalysts for making him the person he is. But the shaping is not automatic; the way he responds to these events determines the effect they have upon him. The following influences powerfully affect a child’s life.
1. Structure of Family Life
Is the family a nuclear family? How are parenting roles structured? Are there other children or is family life organized around only one child? What are the relationships between the children?
2. Family Values
What is important to the parents? Are people more important than things? Where does God fit into family life? Are the values of your home based on human tradition and the basic principles of the world or on Christ (Colossians 2:8)?
3. Family Roles
Some fathers are involved in every aspect of family life. Others are busy and distanced from family activities.
4. Family Conflict Resolution
Does the family know how to talk about its problems? Do family members resolve things or do they simply walk away? Are problems solved by biblical principles or by power?
5. Family Response to Failure
Are children or spouses demeaned when they fail? Family members need encouragement, patient understanding, and kind appraisal.
6. Family History
Abuse, neglect, poverty, disease, stability, and mobility all affect families powerfully.
D Your Child’s Development: Godward Orientation
See Proverbs 9:7-10. The sum of wisdom is to know God and knowledge of God begets piety. Children filter the experiences of life through a religious grid, either pagan or biblical. Observe your children’s leanings. Do fear of man, evil desires, lusts, and pride rule their hearts? Or are they beginning to respond to life as children of faith who know, love, and serve God?
“You want to provide the best possible shaping influences for your children. You want the structure of your home to furnish the stability and security that they need. You want the quality of relationships in your home to reflect the grace of God and the mercy for failing sinners that the character of God demonstrates. You want the punishments meted out to be appropriate and to reflect a holy God’s view of sin. You want the values of your home to be scripturally informed. You want to control the flow of events so that it is never chaotic, but rather a well-structured home. You want to provide a healthy, constructive atmosphere for your child.” In all of this, you must pray that God will work in and around your efforts and the responses of your children to make them people who know and honor God.
E You Are in Charge
1. Parenting Defined
Shepherding your child in God’s behalf (Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:1-9)
· Parents are not merely care-providers
· Develop concrete training objectives and goals for your children
· Know their weaknesses and strengths
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
MY WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR INTERCESSORY PRAYER
MY WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR INTERCESSORY PRAYER
DAILY: Personal needs, family, recent converts, ministry, my
pastor/church elders.
SUNDAY: My church leaders, godly leaders, church ministries
MONDAY: Churches on the island, fellow believers
TUESDAY: Teachers and friends, my school, fellow believers
WEDNESDAY Those in authority, those in prison, church workers
THURSDAY Lost and backsliders, aliens, the sick, homebound, orphans,
widows
FRIDAY Home missionaries, the persecuted, foreign missionaries
SATURDAY: Special heart burdens, the children, revival
Keep a prayer journal so that you can write specific prayer requests in the different areas and record answers to prayer. For example, begin praying for home missionaries by name and for recent converts by name. Do not pray merely for all the lost people in the world. Keep a list of people you know. Do the same thing for the sick and for other areas.
DAILY: Personal needs, family, recent converts, ministry, my
pastor/church elders.
SUNDAY: My church leaders, godly leaders, church ministries
MONDAY: Churches on the island, fellow believers
TUESDAY: Teachers and friends, my school, fellow believers
WEDNESDAY Those in authority, those in prison, church workers
THURSDAY Lost and backsliders, aliens, the sick, homebound, orphans,
widows
FRIDAY Home missionaries, the persecuted, foreign missionaries
SATURDAY: Special heart burdens, the children, revival
Keep a prayer journal so that you can write specific prayer requests in the different areas and record answers to prayer. For example, begin praying for home missionaries by name and for recent converts by name. Do not pray merely for all the lost people in the world. Keep a list of people you know. Do the same thing for the sick and for other areas.
Glorifying His Name
Lord, we love to obey your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. All night long I search for you; earnestly I seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people turn from wickedness and do what is right (Isaiah 26: 8-9).
Praying for Revival
Praying for Revival
Pastor’s Study
April 14, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Ø “Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine; and we will be saved” (Psalm 80:3).
Ø We confess that the “nearness of God is our good” (Psalm 73:28).
Ø We long for “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
Ø “Restore us, O God of our salvation….Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation” (Psalm 85:4-7).
Ø “My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:25).
Ø “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness” (Psalm 119:37-40).
Ø “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth” (Psalm 119:88).
Ø “I am afflicted very much; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word” (Psalm 119:107).
Ø “Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O Lord, revive me according to Your justice” (Psalm 119:149).
Ø “Though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly…though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me” (Psalm 137: 6-7).
Ø “O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).
Suggestions for Praying
Pray the words of the Scriptures (see above).
Pray for the Lord to manifest His presence among us (in the words of the psalmist, that He would “come among us that we would smell the fragrance of His skirt”).
Pray for fidelity to Christ, for holy affection.
Pray that we will examine our hearts and confess, with holy blushing, our carnality, vanity, pride, covetousness, fretfulness, evil speaking, and unbelief. We must also grieve over our sins of omission, beseeching the Lord to make us mindful of our duty to Christ and His Gospel.
Pray for evangelistic zeal, for spiritual worship, for repaired altars in homes, for our church to become a house of prayer, for unity of purpose.
What is Revival?
Revival is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit whereby God draws near to his people in holiness, mercy, and power, confirming the work of Christ in his church so that believers are stirred up to holy affection, resulting in true confession of sin, zeal for righteousness, joyful worship, and vibrant witness.
When is a Revival Required?
Ø “Wherever there are the proofs of spiritual death in, or around, the professing church; wherever there is an actual decay or dormancy in the energy or activity of its members; wherever there is the absence of a progression in those habits and feelings and principles that distinguish the divine life,
Ø [wherever] we find a growing conformity to the world in its passions, its policy, or its practices, a want of sensibility to the claims of God, to the glory of Jesus, or to the imperishable interests of immortal souls, a deadness in devotion, a lack of spirituality in sentiment and feeling, a willingness to parade a dwarfed and shriveled Christianity before the world, as if it were the healthful and full-grown impersonation of a living and energetic faith…” John MacNaughtan, Lectures on the Revival of Religion, 1840.
Prayer and Revival
"All revival begins, and continues, in the prayer meeting. Some have also called prayer the 'great fruit of revival.' In times of revival, thousands may be found on their knees for hours, lifting up their heartfelt cries, with thanksgiving, to heaven…. Following a young girl's prayer, a youth meeting in South Africa was filled with the Presence of God, and the young people continued to pray for hours, issuing in the greatest revival during Andrew Murray's ministry. The great Moravian revival of 1727 began in prayer, and so overwhelmed were the people with the Presence of God, they were convicted to pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—and this lasted over 100 years, with astounding results around the world. In the 1904 revival in Wales, prayer was deep and crushing in the coal mines, in homes, in barns, along the roads, and in almost every place where people met. In Ulster (1859), more than 100 prayer meetings began instantly, even in graveyards and gravel pits. In New York City (1857), more than 30,000 people gathered daily to pray, and were "filled with the awesome Presence of God." Near the end of a prayer meeting in the city of Arnol, on the Scottish Isle of Lewis (1940s), a local blacksmith cried out: "Lord, Your honor is at stake!" At that moment the house shook and "dishes rattled...as wave after wave of Divine Power swept through the house." When this group of people closed the prayer meeting and went outside, they found the community alive with the Presence of God; it was 5 a.m. in the morning." Henry T. Blackaby
The Divine Means.
"What should we emphasize in such spiritually degenerated circumstances? Prayer! This is the principal means of grace to be employed by the Lord's people. Prayer occupies a primary place in the advance of all the Lord's work, and especially in the quest for revival. Jonathan Edwards comments that when God has something very great to accomplish for His church, it is His will that there should precede it the extraordinary prayers of His people, quoting from Ezekiel 36:37 "I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do this for them." In Zechariah 12:10 it is revealed that, when God is about to accomplish great things for His church, He will begin by a remarkable pouring out of "the Spirit of grace and supplication." It is the invariable constitution of the kingdom of heaven that blessings of great magnitude are not imparted except to prayers of the deepest urgency. History demonstrates this principal. The common precursor to revivals has been prevailing prayer. Pentecost, which was the first Christian revival, followed ten days of intense prayer characterized by whole-hearted unity (Acts 1:14, 2:1-4). Before the Second Great Awakening (late 1850s), Jeremiah Lamphier called a prayer meeting in downtown New York. Within six months 10,000 businessmen were praying for revival, and within two years about 2,000,000 people were added to the churches. The same pattern is found before the 1859 revival in Ulster, Ireland. James McQuilkin and three others began to meet in a school house every week for prayer and Bible study. They kept themselves warm with armfuls of peat gathered on the way to the school house every Friday evening. While peat warmed their bodies, the Spirit kindled the fire in their hearts. By the end of 1858, the participants at the prayer meeting had grown to fifty. Intercession without distraction to other subjects was made for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on themselves and the country. Their prayers and possibly many more were wonderfully answered in 1859 when an estimated 100,000 were added to the churches in Ulster. These accounts and many others illustrate prayer as the genesis of revival. The beginning of a time of revival invariably has been marked by quickening of the ordinary prayer meetings, resulting in new vitality, more participation, more sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and more unction in intercession. Therefore, in times of special need and of the church's weakness, there is a biblical and historical warrant to resort to extraordinary prayer for revival. Isn't spiritual apathy and powerlessness in the church today a crisis which calls for urgent prayer? We must recognize, however, that prayer is a spiritual gift, something that cannot be created artificially or regimented. We are not to think that we can organize prayer as if we are in control. The very ability to pray with unction and faith is given by the Holy Spirit, and although that activity largely precedes revival, prayer also is an integral part of revival." Erroll Hulse
"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest, until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7)
Psalm 119:154-160 “Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes. Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord; Revive me according to Your judgments. Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 14, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Ø “Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine; and we will be saved” (Psalm 80:3).
Ø We confess that the “nearness of God is our good” (Psalm 73:28).
Ø We long for “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
Ø “Restore us, O God of our salvation….Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation” (Psalm 85:4-7).
Ø “My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:25).
Ø “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness” (Psalm 119:37-40).
Ø “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth” (Psalm 119:88).
Ø “I am afflicted very much; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word” (Psalm 119:107).
Ø “Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O Lord, revive me according to Your justice” (Psalm 119:149).
Ø “Though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly…though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me” (Psalm 137: 6-7).
Ø “O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).
Suggestions for Praying
Pray the words of the Scriptures (see above).
Pray for the Lord to manifest His presence among us (in the words of the psalmist, that He would “come among us that we would smell the fragrance of His skirt”).
Pray for fidelity to Christ, for holy affection.
Pray that we will examine our hearts and confess, with holy blushing, our carnality, vanity, pride, covetousness, fretfulness, evil speaking, and unbelief. We must also grieve over our sins of omission, beseeching the Lord to make us mindful of our duty to Christ and His Gospel.
Pray for evangelistic zeal, for spiritual worship, for repaired altars in homes, for our church to become a house of prayer, for unity of purpose.
What is Revival?
Revival is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit whereby God draws near to his people in holiness, mercy, and power, confirming the work of Christ in his church so that believers are stirred up to holy affection, resulting in true confession of sin, zeal for righteousness, joyful worship, and vibrant witness.
When is a Revival Required?
Ø “Wherever there are the proofs of spiritual death in, or around, the professing church; wherever there is an actual decay or dormancy in the energy or activity of its members; wherever there is the absence of a progression in those habits and feelings and principles that distinguish the divine life,
Ø [wherever] we find a growing conformity to the world in its passions, its policy, or its practices, a want of sensibility to the claims of God, to the glory of Jesus, or to the imperishable interests of immortal souls, a deadness in devotion, a lack of spirituality in sentiment and feeling, a willingness to parade a dwarfed and shriveled Christianity before the world, as if it were the healthful and full-grown impersonation of a living and energetic faith…” John MacNaughtan, Lectures on the Revival of Religion, 1840.
Prayer and Revival
"All revival begins, and continues, in the prayer meeting. Some have also called prayer the 'great fruit of revival.' In times of revival, thousands may be found on their knees for hours, lifting up their heartfelt cries, with thanksgiving, to heaven…. Following a young girl's prayer, a youth meeting in South Africa was filled with the Presence of God, and the young people continued to pray for hours, issuing in the greatest revival during Andrew Murray's ministry. The great Moravian revival of 1727 began in prayer, and so overwhelmed were the people with the Presence of God, they were convicted to pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—and this lasted over 100 years, with astounding results around the world. In the 1904 revival in Wales, prayer was deep and crushing in the coal mines, in homes, in barns, along the roads, and in almost every place where people met. In Ulster (1859), more than 100 prayer meetings began instantly, even in graveyards and gravel pits. In New York City (1857), more than 30,000 people gathered daily to pray, and were "filled with the awesome Presence of God." Near the end of a prayer meeting in the city of Arnol, on the Scottish Isle of Lewis (1940s), a local blacksmith cried out: "Lord, Your honor is at stake!" At that moment the house shook and "dishes rattled...as wave after wave of Divine Power swept through the house." When this group of people closed the prayer meeting and went outside, they found the community alive with the Presence of God; it was 5 a.m. in the morning." Henry T. Blackaby
The Divine Means.
"What should we emphasize in such spiritually degenerated circumstances? Prayer! This is the principal means of grace to be employed by the Lord's people. Prayer occupies a primary place in the advance of all the Lord's work, and especially in the quest for revival. Jonathan Edwards comments that when God has something very great to accomplish for His church, it is His will that there should precede it the extraordinary prayers of His people, quoting from Ezekiel 36:37 "I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do this for them." In Zechariah 12:10 it is revealed that, when God is about to accomplish great things for His church, He will begin by a remarkable pouring out of "the Spirit of grace and supplication." It is the invariable constitution of the kingdom of heaven that blessings of great magnitude are not imparted except to prayers of the deepest urgency. History demonstrates this principal. The common precursor to revivals has been prevailing prayer. Pentecost, which was the first Christian revival, followed ten days of intense prayer characterized by whole-hearted unity (Acts 1:14, 2:1-4). Before the Second Great Awakening (late 1850s), Jeremiah Lamphier called a prayer meeting in downtown New York. Within six months 10,000 businessmen were praying for revival, and within two years about 2,000,000 people were added to the churches. The same pattern is found before the 1859 revival in Ulster, Ireland. James McQuilkin and three others began to meet in a school house every week for prayer and Bible study. They kept themselves warm with armfuls of peat gathered on the way to the school house every Friday evening. While peat warmed their bodies, the Spirit kindled the fire in their hearts. By the end of 1858, the participants at the prayer meeting had grown to fifty. Intercession without distraction to other subjects was made for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on themselves and the country. Their prayers and possibly many more were wonderfully answered in 1859 when an estimated 100,000 were added to the churches in Ulster. These accounts and many others illustrate prayer as the genesis of revival. The beginning of a time of revival invariably has been marked by quickening of the ordinary prayer meetings, resulting in new vitality, more participation, more sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and more unction in intercession. Therefore, in times of special need and of the church's weakness, there is a biblical and historical warrant to resort to extraordinary prayer for revival. Isn't spiritual apathy and powerlessness in the church today a crisis which calls for urgent prayer? We must recognize, however, that prayer is a spiritual gift, something that cannot be created artificially or regimented. We are not to think that we can organize prayer as if we are in control. The very ability to pray with unction and faith is given by the Holy Spirit, and although that activity largely precedes revival, prayer also is an integral part of revival." Erroll Hulse
"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest, until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7)
Psalm 119:154-160 “Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes. Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord; Revive me according to Your judgments. Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
The Doctrine of Hell
The Doctrine of Hell
Pastor’s Study
April 14, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Introduction
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) 33.2 summarizes the doctrine of the last judgment in the following manner:
The end of God’s appointing this day [wherein He will judge the world] is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of His justice, in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fullness of joy and refreshing, which shall come from the presence of the Lord: but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.
The affirmation of the doctrine of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment of unbelievers is not, however, without its detractors. What is the biblical – theological teaching on the subject?
Affirmation of the Doctrine in the Theological Tradition
Generally, the early fathers affirmed the doctrine of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment of unbelievers. For example, Justin Martyr says that “Christ foretold that Satan would be sent into the fire with his host, along with the men who follow him, and they will be punished for an endless duration.”[1] Theophilus adds, “To the unbelieving and despisers, who do not obey the truth . . . there will be anger and wrath, tribulation and anguish. At the end, everlasting fire will possess such men.”[2] Irenaeus stated, “Eternal fire is prepared for sinners. The Lord plainly declared this and the rest of the Scriptures demonstrate it.”[3] Clement of Alexandria also affirmed the teaching: “The wicked are punished with the endless vengeance of quenchless fire. Since they do not die, it is impossible for them to have an end put to their misery.”[4] Mark Minucius Felix believed that “there is neither limit nor termination of these torments [in] the penal fire.”[5] Lactantius explains:
The force of this is not that it altogether annihilates the souls of the unrighteous, but subjects them to everlasting punishment. We call that punishment the second death, which is also perpetual, the same as immortality. The second death is the suffering of eternal pain. It is the condemnation of souls to eternal punishments, to receive their deserts.[6]
Tertullian – in his book On the Resurrection of the Flesh – quotes Jesus’ saying in Matthew 10:28: “He is rather to be feared who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, not those who kill the body, but are not able to hurt the soul,” and then observes:
If any one shall suppose that the destruction of the soul and the flesh in hell amounts to a final annihilation of the two substances, and not to their penal treatment, let him recollect that the fire of hell is eternal – expressly announced as an everlasting penalty.[7]
In his Apology, Tertullian reiterates his conviction in the everlasting conscious torment of the wicked: “The profane and all who are not wholly devoted to God [will be] in the punishment of fire which is eternal.”[8]
In The City of God, Augustine, in commenting on Mathew 25:46, “So those people will go into eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life,” says that “because the eternal life of the saints will be endless, the eternal punishment also, for those condemned to it, will assuredly have no end.”[9]
Thomas Aquinas, in Summa contra Gentiles, supports the everlasting torment of the wicked: “We set aside the error of those who say that the punishments of the wicked are to be ended at some time.”[10]
Martin Luther and John Calvin also affirmed the traditional teaching on hell. Luther warns the readers in his commentary on Psalm 21 (Commentary on the Psalms) that “constantly the damned will be judged, constantly they will suffer pain, and constantly they will be a fiery oven, that is, they will be tortured within by supreme distress and tribulation.”[11] Calvin, in his commentary on 2 Thessalonians 1:9 contrasts the eternal glory of Christ with the eternal sufferings of the wicked. He writes:
The phrase which he adds in apposition [“eternal destruction from the face of the Lord”] explains the nature of the punishment which he had mentioned – it is eternal punishment and death which has no end. The perpetual duration of this death is proved from the fact that its opposite is the glory of Christ. This is eternal and has no end. Hence the violent nature of that death will never cease.[12]
Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley as well supported the teaching on endless punishment. Edwards declared, in a sermon on Revelation 6:15-16, that wicked men will ardently desire extinction in order to escape the wrath of God. But, he adds [citing Matthew 25:46], “the Scripture is very express and abundant in this matter that the eternal punishment is in sensible misery and torment and not annihilation.”[13] Wesley’s “Letter to a Roman Catholic” summarizes his views regarding eternal condemnation: “I believe that, as the unjust shall after their resurrection be tormented in hell forever, so the just shall enjoy inconceivable happiness in the presence of God to all eternity.”[14]
On the other hand, eighteenth-century neology revived the universalistic purview of Origen by essentially equating hell with purgatory. The impenitent would experience temporary purification, with ultimate redemption as its goal. Schleiermacher (Christian Faith) adhered to this view of hell with his hope for a restoration of all humankind. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, liberal Protestantism basically repudiated the notion of eternal retribution, especially in a materialistic sense.[15]
In recent times, Francis Pieper, Lewis Sperry Chafer, and Millard Erickson have all defended the traditional view. Pieper, in his Christian Dogmatics, maintains that objections to the biblical teaching are motivated by human sentiments. The doctrine, however, is intended to warn against “unbelief and carnal security” and thus save souls from eternal torment. Chafer is convicted of the truth of eternal perdition and finds Matthew 25:46, among other references, as compelling support. On the other hand, Erickson – in his Christian Theology – highlights Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:43-48 as support for the doctrine of everlasting punishment.[16]
Biblical Support for the Teaching
According to the Scriptures, hell is a place of punishment where those who die unconverted are separated forever from the presence of the Lord, and suffer eternal torments.
Matthew 25:31-46 is perhaps the most important biblical reference on hell. This passage is a prophetic revelation of the last judgment awaiting all humankind. Here a separation of sheep from goats is envisioned: the sheep enter upon their inheritance in glory whereas the goats are consigned to the eternal fire (vv 34, 41). This contrasting fate is highlighted in verse 46: “These [the goats] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Augustine’s commentary on this verse accentuates the parallelism of eternal punishment and eternal life:
Is it not folly to assume that eternal punishment signifies a fire lasting a long time, while believing that eternal life is life without end? For Christ, in the very same passage, included both punishment and life in one and the same sentence when he said, “so those people will go into eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life” (Mt. 25:46). If both are “eternal,” it follows necessarily that either both are to be taken as long-lasting but finite, or both as endless and perpetual. The phrases “eternal punishment” and “eternal life” are parallel and it would be absurd to use them in one and the same sentence to mean: “Eternal life will be infinite, while eternal punishment will have an end.” Hence, because the eternal life of the saints will be endless, the eternal punishment also, for those condemned to it, will assuredly have no end.[17]
Our Lord spoke of hell frequently.[18] In his parables that described the final judgment, He always referred to the eternal conscious torment of the impenitent in outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:42, 50; 24:51; 25:30). This punishment of the wicked is further described as “unquenchable fire” (Matt 3:12); “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan 12:2); a place where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49); “everlasting destruction” (2 Thes 1:9); a place of torment with “fire and brimstone” where “the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever” (Rev 14:10, 11); and a “lake of fire and brimstone” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10).[19] As Moore notes, “It is compelling that every instance of eis tous aionas ton aionon means “absolute endlessness or eternity.” This is “the most emphatic expression of unending, ceaseless activity possible in the Greek language.””[20]
Annihilationism
Notwithstanding the firm biblical – theological support for the doctrine of endless punishment, the Roman Catholic philosopher Alfred Freddoso maintains:
There is ample reason for thinking that ultimately the most troublesome form which the problem of evil can take for the orthodox Christian is this: How is the existence of a benevolent and almighty God to be reconciled with even the possibility of someone’s going to hell (whether this is thought to involve simple annihilation or the pain of everlasting separation from God)?[21]
Indeed, the prospect of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment of unbelievers has caused many evangelical scholars to relinquish their belief in the traditional teaching on hell for the teachings of annihilationism and universalism.
What is annihilationism? Generally, this is the view that some persons or all human beings will cease to exist after death. We may note three distinctions that Warfield emphasizes: (1) that all human beings inevitably cease to exist at death (materialist); (2) that, while human beings are naturally moral, God imparts to the redeemed the gift of immortality and allows the rest of humanity to sink into nothingness (conditional immortality); (3) that man, being created immortal, fulfills his destiny in salvation, while the reprobates fall into nonexistence either through a direct act of God or through the corrosive effect of evil (annihilationism proper).[22] J.I. Packer states that conditional immortality and annihilationism comprise “a verbal distinction that corresponds to no theological difference.”[23] With reference to the debate on hell, annihilationism is the “teaching that, after the wicked have suffered the penalty of God’s wrath for a time, God will “annihilate” them so that they no longer exist.” The main proponents of this view are Philip E Hughes, John R. W. Stott, Clark Pinnock, and Edward Fudge.[24]
How is this position defended? Pinnock holds that the word “destroy” (apollumi) and its cognate words support the annihilation of unbelievers (Matt 3:10, 12; 5:22; I Cor 3:17; Phil 1:28; Gal 6:8; and II Thess 1:9). We can, however, indicate several passages where this word does not convey such a meaning. In Romans 14:15, for example, Paul states that a believer can destroy or ruin (apollumi) his relationship with a fellow believer in Christ. The word is also found in Luke 5:37, referring to wineskins that are ruined. The lost (apollumi) sheep and the lost (apollumi) son (Luke 15:2-6) clearly do not imply annihilation. In Matthew 8:25, the disciples – caught in a storm – implore Jesus to rescue them from perishing (apollumi), a certain reference to dying, not annihilation.
With reference to I Corinthians 3:17, Paul states that if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. The annihilation of the church (see verses 9, 17) is clearly not in view in this passage. “Destroying” the temple, then, refers to sinful conduct that corrupts the body of Christ and impedes the witness of the church. God, in the light of this breach, will not annihilate the divisive person but rather bring him or her to ruin.
Pinnock particularly emphasizes Matthew 3:10, 12 to buttress his arguments for annihilationism. In this passage, he asserts that the unbeliever is obliterated in unquenchable fire:
And the axe is already laid at the root of the tree; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire . . . and his winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
In response to Pinnock, we may ask: Why is the fire unquenchable? Clearly, the fire continues to burn because it continues to serve a purpose, namely the eternal conscious torment of the impenitent as is undoubtedly attested in Matthew 25, Revelation 14, and Revelation 20.[25]
Is annihilationism a biblically or theologically viable view? In our discussion, we have noted exegetical flaws in the arguments advanced by proponents of the teaching. Here we might add that they ignore the contexts and historical settings of the New Testament. Pinnock, for example, gives no consideration to how Christ would have been understood by the Pharisees. William Crockett’s remarks are poignant:
Convinced that the doctrine of eternal hell is savage, Pinnock ignores the contexts and historical settings of the New Testament. What Pinnock needs to grapple with, but does not, is the historical setting in which Jesus’ statements about hell are found. Pinnock overlooks the significant fact that the Pharisees taught that the soul suffered eternal conscious punishment. So when Jesus talked about the destruction of the wicked in hell and referred to their weeping and suffering, the Pharisaic crowds would have understood him to mean endless suffering, unless he specified that the punishment was annihilation (which of course he never did).[26]
Universalism
Universalism is the view that ultimately all souls will be freed from the penalties of sin and will be saved. Origen is reputed to be the first proponent of universalism. In his doctrine of apokatastasis, he posited that all things, even Satan and his angels, would ultimately be restored to God. This restitution of all things did not, however, preclude the possibility of divine condemnation involving a temporary internal anguish of the wicked occasioned by their sense of separation from God, a prospect viewed as remedial instead of penal (De principiis, 1.6.1-5). This view attracted the support of Gregory of Nyssa (Oratio catechetica 26) who was undoubtedly inclined toward universalism. Later, Augustine assailed this unorthodox teaching. In 553, the Second Council of Constantinople formally anathematized universalism. According to the Augsburg Confession 17, the doctrine of the Anabaptists “that the devil and condemned men will not suffer eternal pain and torment” is disavowed.
Proponents of universalism hold to varying ideas regarding the salvation of the entire human race. Some propose the theory of universal explicit opportunity – the view that all persons will be presented with an opportunity to hear the gospel, either during their lifetime or after death. Confronted with the claims of the gospel in the afterlife, those who previously rejected the offer of salvation will now respond in faith. Hence, eventually everyone will be saved. This notion, though, is controverted by the teaching of Jesus concerning the afterlife – there is no second opportunity for repentance and faith after death (Luke 16:19-31).
The theory of universal reconciliation purports that, through the death of Christ, all humankind was reconciled to God. Hence, all persons need to acknowledge this accomplished work by living as though reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18 is adduced to teach this view. On the other hand, the theory of universal pardon is the view that God will relent and forgive all mankind, imputing righteousness and granting faith to all. This position does not preclude the idea of willing repentance and faith. Origen’s theory of universal restoration represents the final variation of universalism.
The doctrine of universalism is predicated on an adulterated understanding of the love of God. Nels Ferre, for example, believes that:
If hell is real, love is eternally frustrated and heaven is a place of mourning and concern for the lost. Such joy and such grief cannot go together. Heaven can be heaven only when it has emptied hell, as surely as love is love and God is God.[27]
The “sovereign victory of God in Christ over all in terms of His own love” assures that all will be saved. Texts such as Romans 5:18; 11:32; I Corinthians 15:22; Philippians 2:10-11; Colossians 1:19-20; I Timothy 4:10; and Hebrews 2:9 purportedly support this conclusion.
In response to universalism, we note that many biblical references contradict this idea: “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt 25:46); “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16); “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). Other passages that could be cited include Matthew 8:12; 25:41; 26:24; Mark 3:29; Romans 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 21:8.
Upon examination of universalistic passages, we observe that they do not teach what the universalists claim. For example, Philippians 2:10-11 and Colossians 1:19-20 do not teach universal restoration. Rather, they affirm only the reparation of the disrupted order of the cosmos, the bringing of all things into subjection to God. Also I Timothy 4:10 and Hebrews 2:9 posit universal atonement, but not universal salvation.[28] Romans 11:32, as well, affirm salvation for all men – that is, Jews and Gentiles who believe. As Mark Rapinchuk has demonstrated, the seventy occurrences of “all” in Romans fall into three categories: (1) all – denoting every single component of the group (without exception); (2) all – denoting every manner or kind; and (3) all – denoting all men without distinction. Romans 11:32 fits into the third category, thus universalistic interpretations are untenable.[29]
The doctrine of effectual calling also refutes universalism. Vocatio interna refers to “God’s inward and ultimately persuasive summons [to the elect] to repent of sin and to turn to Christ for salvation.”[30] John 6:44 illustrates this effectual calling. In this text, the Father’s gracious drawing work preceded the person’s coming to Christ. Further, the drawing eventuated in final salvation. As Ware explains, “the drawing of the Father does not result in the mere possibility of being saved [one strain of universalism], which possibility becomes an actuality only when the one drawn chooses to assent to the drawing.”[31] First Corinthians 1:18-31 also supports the doctrine of effectual calling. In this passage, Paul affirms that God offers salvation to “the called ones,” that is, to the elect out of the mass of Jews and Gentiles. And those “called ones” hear and believe. As Ware adds, “the call of I Corinthians 1:24 is [therefore] selective, effectual, and ultimately irresistible against all previous rejection and disbelief.”[32] In short, the doctrine of effectual calling and universalism are incompatible.
The doctrine of hell, in contradistinction to the teaching of universalism and annihilationism, upholds the justice of God (Ps 76:10). Persons in hell, having contracted infinite guilt by the dishonor of their transgression against the infinitely majestic God, will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are culpable (Deut 32:3-5; Rom 1:32; 2:4-11).
May this teaching spur us to spread the gospel throughout the whole world so that people everywhere will escape God’s wrath to come.
[1]David W. Bercot, ed, A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, (1998), 242.
[2]Ibid., 243.
[3]Ibid.
[4]Ibid., 244.
[5]Ibid., 245.
[6]Ibid., 249.
[7]Edward William Fudge and Robert a. Peterson, Two Views of Hell: A Biblical and Theological Dialogue (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 119.
[8]Ibid.
[9]Ibid., 120.
[10]Ibid., 121.
[11]Ibid., 122.
[12]Ibid., 123.
[13]Ibid., 124.
[14]Ibid., 125.
[15]G.W. Bromiley, “History of the Doctrine of Hell,” in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 2, rev. ed., ed. G.W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982), 679.
[16]Fudge and Peterson, Two Views, 125-27.
[17]Ibid., 141.
[18]See Matt 5:22, 29; 8:12; 10:28; 11:23; 13:42, 50; 16;18; 22:13; 23:15, 33; 24:51; 25:30, 41.
[19]W.G.T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, reprint (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), chap 2 passim.
[20]Moore, The Battle, 27.
[21]Quoted in David George Moore, The Battle for Hell: A Survey and Evaluation of Evangelicals’ Growing Attraction to the Doctrine of Annihilationism (New York: University Press of America, 1995), 10.
[22]R. Nicole, “Annihilationism,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984), 50.
[23]See f.n. 12 in Moore, The Battle, 11.
[24]Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 1149-50.
[25]Moore, The Battle, 18-19.
[26]Ibid., 24-25.
[27]Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985), 1015-19.
[28]Ibid., 1019-21.
[29]See Mark Rapinchuk, JETS 42.3 (September 1999): 434-37.
[30]Bruce Ware, “Effectual Calling and Grace,” in Still Sovereign, 211.
[31]Ibid., 216.
[32]Ibid., 223.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Pastor’s Study
April 14, 2009
…holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16a)
Introduction
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) 33.2 summarizes the doctrine of the last judgment in the following manner:
The end of God’s appointing this day [wherein He will judge the world] is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of His justice, in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fullness of joy and refreshing, which shall come from the presence of the Lord: but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.
The affirmation of the doctrine of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment of unbelievers is not, however, without its detractors. What is the biblical – theological teaching on the subject?
Affirmation of the Doctrine in the Theological Tradition
Generally, the early fathers affirmed the doctrine of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment of unbelievers. For example, Justin Martyr says that “Christ foretold that Satan would be sent into the fire with his host, along with the men who follow him, and they will be punished for an endless duration.”[1] Theophilus adds, “To the unbelieving and despisers, who do not obey the truth . . . there will be anger and wrath, tribulation and anguish. At the end, everlasting fire will possess such men.”[2] Irenaeus stated, “Eternal fire is prepared for sinners. The Lord plainly declared this and the rest of the Scriptures demonstrate it.”[3] Clement of Alexandria also affirmed the teaching: “The wicked are punished with the endless vengeance of quenchless fire. Since they do not die, it is impossible for them to have an end put to their misery.”[4] Mark Minucius Felix believed that “there is neither limit nor termination of these torments [in] the penal fire.”[5] Lactantius explains:
The force of this is not that it altogether annihilates the souls of the unrighteous, but subjects them to everlasting punishment. We call that punishment the second death, which is also perpetual, the same as immortality. The second death is the suffering of eternal pain. It is the condemnation of souls to eternal punishments, to receive their deserts.[6]
Tertullian – in his book On the Resurrection of the Flesh – quotes Jesus’ saying in Matthew 10:28: “He is rather to be feared who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, not those who kill the body, but are not able to hurt the soul,” and then observes:
If any one shall suppose that the destruction of the soul and the flesh in hell amounts to a final annihilation of the two substances, and not to their penal treatment, let him recollect that the fire of hell is eternal – expressly announced as an everlasting penalty.[7]
In his Apology, Tertullian reiterates his conviction in the everlasting conscious torment of the wicked: “The profane and all who are not wholly devoted to God [will be] in the punishment of fire which is eternal.”[8]
In The City of God, Augustine, in commenting on Mathew 25:46, “So those people will go into eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life,” says that “because the eternal life of the saints will be endless, the eternal punishment also, for those condemned to it, will assuredly have no end.”[9]
Thomas Aquinas, in Summa contra Gentiles, supports the everlasting torment of the wicked: “We set aside the error of those who say that the punishments of the wicked are to be ended at some time.”[10]
Martin Luther and John Calvin also affirmed the traditional teaching on hell. Luther warns the readers in his commentary on Psalm 21 (Commentary on the Psalms) that “constantly the damned will be judged, constantly they will suffer pain, and constantly they will be a fiery oven, that is, they will be tortured within by supreme distress and tribulation.”[11] Calvin, in his commentary on 2 Thessalonians 1:9 contrasts the eternal glory of Christ with the eternal sufferings of the wicked. He writes:
The phrase which he adds in apposition [“eternal destruction from the face of the Lord”] explains the nature of the punishment which he had mentioned – it is eternal punishment and death which has no end. The perpetual duration of this death is proved from the fact that its opposite is the glory of Christ. This is eternal and has no end. Hence the violent nature of that death will never cease.[12]
Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley as well supported the teaching on endless punishment. Edwards declared, in a sermon on Revelation 6:15-16, that wicked men will ardently desire extinction in order to escape the wrath of God. But, he adds [citing Matthew 25:46], “the Scripture is very express and abundant in this matter that the eternal punishment is in sensible misery and torment and not annihilation.”[13] Wesley’s “Letter to a Roman Catholic” summarizes his views regarding eternal condemnation: “I believe that, as the unjust shall after their resurrection be tormented in hell forever, so the just shall enjoy inconceivable happiness in the presence of God to all eternity.”[14]
On the other hand, eighteenth-century neology revived the universalistic purview of Origen by essentially equating hell with purgatory. The impenitent would experience temporary purification, with ultimate redemption as its goal. Schleiermacher (Christian Faith) adhered to this view of hell with his hope for a restoration of all humankind. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, liberal Protestantism basically repudiated the notion of eternal retribution, especially in a materialistic sense.[15]
In recent times, Francis Pieper, Lewis Sperry Chafer, and Millard Erickson have all defended the traditional view. Pieper, in his Christian Dogmatics, maintains that objections to the biblical teaching are motivated by human sentiments. The doctrine, however, is intended to warn against “unbelief and carnal security” and thus save souls from eternal torment. Chafer is convicted of the truth of eternal perdition and finds Matthew 25:46, among other references, as compelling support. On the other hand, Erickson – in his Christian Theology – highlights Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:43-48 as support for the doctrine of everlasting punishment.[16]
Biblical Support for the Teaching
According to the Scriptures, hell is a place of punishment where those who die unconverted are separated forever from the presence of the Lord, and suffer eternal torments.
Matthew 25:31-46 is perhaps the most important biblical reference on hell. This passage is a prophetic revelation of the last judgment awaiting all humankind. Here a separation of sheep from goats is envisioned: the sheep enter upon their inheritance in glory whereas the goats are consigned to the eternal fire (vv 34, 41). This contrasting fate is highlighted in verse 46: “These [the goats] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Augustine’s commentary on this verse accentuates the parallelism of eternal punishment and eternal life:
Is it not folly to assume that eternal punishment signifies a fire lasting a long time, while believing that eternal life is life without end? For Christ, in the very same passage, included both punishment and life in one and the same sentence when he said, “so those people will go into eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life” (Mt. 25:46). If both are “eternal,” it follows necessarily that either both are to be taken as long-lasting but finite, or both as endless and perpetual. The phrases “eternal punishment” and “eternal life” are parallel and it would be absurd to use them in one and the same sentence to mean: “Eternal life will be infinite, while eternal punishment will have an end.” Hence, because the eternal life of the saints will be endless, the eternal punishment also, for those condemned to it, will assuredly have no end.[17]
Our Lord spoke of hell frequently.[18] In his parables that described the final judgment, He always referred to the eternal conscious torment of the impenitent in outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:42, 50; 24:51; 25:30). This punishment of the wicked is further described as “unquenchable fire” (Matt 3:12); “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan 12:2); a place where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49); “everlasting destruction” (2 Thes 1:9); a place of torment with “fire and brimstone” where “the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever” (Rev 14:10, 11); and a “lake of fire and brimstone” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10).[19] As Moore notes, “It is compelling that every instance of eis tous aionas ton aionon means “absolute endlessness or eternity.” This is “the most emphatic expression of unending, ceaseless activity possible in the Greek language.””[20]
Annihilationism
Notwithstanding the firm biblical – theological support for the doctrine of endless punishment, the Roman Catholic philosopher Alfred Freddoso maintains:
There is ample reason for thinking that ultimately the most troublesome form which the problem of evil can take for the orthodox Christian is this: How is the existence of a benevolent and almighty God to be reconciled with even the possibility of someone’s going to hell (whether this is thought to involve simple annihilation or the pain of everlasting separation from God)?[21]
Indeed, the prospect of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment of unbelievers has caused many evangelical scholars to relinquish their belief in the traditional teaching on hell for the teachings of annihilationism and universalism.
What is annihilationism? Generally, this is the view that some persons or all human beings will cease to exist after death. We may note three distinctions that Warfield emphasizes: (1) that all human beings inevitably cease to exist at death (materialist); (2) that, while human beings are naturally moral, God imparts to the redeemed the gift of immortality and allows the rest of humanity to sink into nothingness (conditional immortality); (3) that man, being created immortal, fulfills his destiny in salvation, while the reprobates fall into nonexistence either through a direct act of God or through the corrosive effect of evil (annihilationism proper).[22] J.I. Packer states that conditional immortality and annihilationism comprise “a verbal distinction that corresponds to no theological difference.”[23] With reference to the debate on hell, annihilationism is the “teaching that, after the wicked have suffered the penalty of God’s wrath for a time, God will “annihilate” them so that they no longer exist.” The main proponents of this view are Philip E Hughes, John R. W. Stott, Clark Pinnock, and Edward Fudge.[24]
How is this position defended? Pinnock holds that the word “destroy” (apollumi) and its cognate words support the annihilation of unbelievers (Matt 3:10, 12; 5:22; I Cor 3:17; Phil 1:28; Gal 6:8; and II Thess 1:9). We can, however, indicate several passages where this word does not convey such a meaning. In Romans 14:15, for example, Paul states that a believer can destroy or ruin (apollumi) his relationship with a fellow believer in Christ. The word is also found in Luke 5:37, referring to wineskins that are ruined. The lost (apollumi) sheep and the lost (apollumi) son (Luke 15:2-6) clearly do not imply annihilation. In Matthew 8:25, the disciples – caught in a storm – implore Jesus to rescue them from perishing (apollumi), a certain reference to dying, not annihilation.
With reference to I Corinthians 3:17, Paul states that if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. The annihilation of the church (see verses 9, 17) is clearly not in view in this passage. “Destroying” the temple, then, refers to sinful conduct that corrupts the body of Christ and impedes the witness of the church. God, in the light of this breach, will not annihilate the divisive person but rather bring him or her to ruin.
Pinnock particularly emphasizes Matthew 3:10, 12 to buttress his arguments for annihilationism. In this passage, he asserts that the unbeliever is obliterated in unquenchable fire:
And the axe is already laid at the root of the tree; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire . . . and his winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
In response to Pinnock, we may ask: Why is the fire unquenchable? Clearly, the fire continues to burn because it continues to serve a purpose, namely the eternal conscious torment of the impenitent as is undoubtedly attested in Matthew 25, Revelation 14, and Revelation 20.[25]
Is annihilationism a biblically or theologically viable view? In our discussion, we have noted exegetical flaws in the arguments advanced by proponents of the teaching. Here we might add that they ignore the contexts and historical settings of the New Testament. Pinnock, for example, gives no consideration to how Christ would have been understood by the Pharisees. William Crockett’s remarks are poignant:
Convinced that the doctrine of eternal hell is savage, Pinnock ignores the contexts and historical settings of the New Testament. What Pinnock needs to grapple with, but does not, is the historical setting in which Jesus’ statements about hell are found. Pinnock overlooks the significant fact that the Pharisees taught that the soul suffered eternal conscious punishment. So when Jesus talked about the destruction of the wicked in hell and referred to their weeping and suffering, the Pharisaic crowds would have understood him to mean endless suffering, unless he specified that the punishment was annihilation (which of course he never did).[26]
Universalism
Universalism is the view that ultimately all souls will be freed from the penalties of sin and will be saved. Origen is reputed to be the first proponent of universalism. In his doctrine of apokatastasis, he posited that all things, even Satan and his angels, would ultimately be restored to God. This restitution of all things did not, however, preclude the possibility of divine condemnation involving a temporary internal anguish of the wicked occasioned by their sense of separation from God, a prospect viewed as remedial instead of penal (De principiis, 1.6.1-5). This view attracted the support of Gregory of Nyssa (Oratio catechetica 26) who was undoubtedly inclined toward universalism. Later, Augustine assailed this unorthodox teaching. In 553, the Second Council of Constantinople formally anathematized universalism. According to the Augsburg Confession 17, the doctrine of the Anabaptists “that the devil and condemned men will not suffer eternal pain and torment” is disavowed.
Proponents of universalism hold to varying ideas regarding the salvation of the entire human race. Some propose the theory of universal explicit opportunity – the view that all persons will be presented with an opportunity to hear the gospel, either during their lifetime or after death. Confronted with the claims of the gospel in the afterlife, those who previously rejected the offer of salvation will now respond in faith. Hence, eventually everyone will be saved. This notion, though, is controverted by the teaching of Jesus concerning the afterlife – there is no second opportunity for repentance and faith after death (Luke 16:19-31).
The theory of universal reconciliation purports that, through the death of Christ, all humankind was reconciled to God. Hence, all persons need to acknowledge this accomplished work by living as though reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18 is adduced to teach this view. On the other hand, the theory of universal pardon is the view that God will relent and forgive all mankind, imputing righteousness and granting faith to all. This position does not preclude the idea of willing repentance and faith. Origen’s theory of universal restoration represents the final variation of universalism.
The doctrine of universalism is predicated on an adulterated understanding of the love of God. Nels Ferre, for example, believes that:
If hell is real, love is eternally frustrated and heaven is a place of mourning and concern for the lost. Such joy and such grief cannot go together. Heaven can be heaven only when it has emptied hell, as surely as love is love and God is God.[27]
The “sovereign victory of God in Christ over all in terms of His own love” assures that all will be saved. Texts such as Romans 5:18; 11:32; I Corinthians 15:22; Philippians 2:10-11; Colossians 1:19-20; I Timothy 4:10; and Hebrews 2:9 purportedly support this conclusion.
In response to universalism, we note that many biblical references contradict this idea: “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt 25:46); “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16); “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). Other passages that could be cited include Matthew 8:12; 25:41; 26:24; Mark 3:29; Romans 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 21:8.
Upon examination of universalistic passages, we observe that they do not teach what the universalists claim. For example, Philippians 2:10-11 and Colossians 1:19-20 do not teach universal restoration. Rather, they affirm only the reparation of the disrupted order of the cosmos, the bringing of all things into subjection to God. Also I Timothy 4:10 and Hebrews 2:9 posit universal atonement, but not universal salvation.[28] Romans 11:32, as well, affirm salvation for all men – that is, Jews and Gentiles who believe. As Mark Rapinchuk has demonstrated, the seventy occurrences of “all” in Romans fall into three categories: (1) all – denoting every single component of the group (without exception); (2) all – denoting every manner or kind; and (3) all – denoting all men without distinction. Romans 11:32 fits into the third category, thus universalistic interpretations are untenable.[29]
The doctrine of effectual calling also refutes universalism. Vocatio interna refers to “God’s inward and ultimately persuasive summons [to the elect] to repent of sin and to turn to Christ for salvation.”[30] John 6:44 illustrates this effectual calling. In this text, the Father’s gracious drawing work preceded the person’s coming to Christ. Further, the drawing eventuated in final salvation. As Ware explains, “the drawing of the Father does not result in the mere possibility of being saved [one strain of universalism], which possibility becomes an actuality only when the one drawn chooses to assent to the drawing.”[31] First Corinthians 1:18-31 also supports the doctrine of effectual calling. In this passage, Paul affirms that God offers salvation to “the called ones,” that is, to the elect out of the mass of Jews and Gentiles. And those “called ones” hear and believe. As Ware adds, “the call of I Corinthians 1:24 is [therefore] selective, effectual, and ultimately irresistible against all previous rejection and disbelief.”[32] In short, the doctrine of effectual calling and universalism are incompatible.
The doctrine of hell, in contradistinction to the teaching of universalism and annihilationism, upholds the justice of God (Ps 76:10). Persons in hell, having contracted infinite guilt by the dishonor of their transgression against the infinitely majestic God, will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are culpable (Deut 32:3-5; Rom 1:32; 2:4-11).
May this teaching spur us to spread the gospel throughout the whole world so that people everywhere will escape God’s wrath to come.
[1]David W. Bercot, ed, A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, (1998), 242.
[2]Ibid., 243.
[3]Ibid.
[4]Ibid., 244.
[5]Ibid., 245.
[6]Ibid., 249.
[7]Edward William Fudge and Robert a. Peterson, Two Views of Hell: A Biblical and Theological Dialogue (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 119.
[8]Ibid.
[9]Ibid., 120.
[10]Ibid., 121.
[11]Ibid., 122.
[12]Ibid., 123.
[13]Ibid., 124.
[14]Ibid., 125.
[15]G.W. Bromiley, “History of the Doctrine of Hell,” in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 2, rev. ed., ed. G.W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982), 679.
[16]Fudge and Peterson, Two Views, 125-27.
[17]Ibid., 141.
[18]See Matt 5:22, 29; 8:12; 10:28; 11:23; 13:42, 50; 16;18; 22:13; 23:15, 33; 24:51; 25:30, 41.
[19]W.G.T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, reprint (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), chap 2 passim.
[20]Moore, The Battle, 27.
[21]Quoted in David George Moore, The Battle for Hell: A Survey and Evaluation of Evangelicals’ Growing Attraction to the Doctrine of Annihilationism (New York: University Press of America, 1995), 10.
[22]R. Nicole, “Annihilationism,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984), 50.
[23]See f.n. 12 in Moore, The Battle, 11.
[24]Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 1149-50.
[25]Moore, The Battle, 18-19.
[26]Ibid., 24-25.
[27]Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985), 1015-19.
[28]Ibid., 1019-21.
[29]See Mark Rapinchuk, JETS 42.3 (September 1999): 434-37.
[30]Bruce Ware, “Effectual Calling and Grace,” in Still Sovereign, 211.
[31]Ibid., 216.
[32]Ibid., 223.
No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)