John Piper, Michael Horton, Sinclair Ferguson Panel Discussion

Divine Illumination

This excerpt is from the blogs of Ligonier.org 

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God (v. 10).”

- 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Today, we are concluding our brief study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit with a look at the Spirit’s work of illumination. You may remember that in our study of Romans 8:16-17, we spoke of the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, which tells us that the Spirit confirms to us that we are the children of God if we do in fact belong to Him. We noted that this subjective internal testimony operates in conjunction with His objective and external Word. Paul tell us that the Spirit confirms our adoption internally in the midst of a passage that tells us unequivocally that we have been adopted (vv. 12-17). The Word operates externally by our reading and hearing it, and the Spirit works internally to apply it to us. The Apostle did not expect the Holy Spirit to work apart from the Apostolic testimony in order to reassure us of our sonship; he expected the Spirit to work in and through the Apostolic preaching and teaching to confirm in our hearts that we are God’s children.

Divine illumination and the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit are closely related. In both cases, the Spirit works in and through the inscripturated words of God’s prophets and Apostles. When it comes to divine illumination, however, we are speaking more about the Holy Spirit’s work to give us understanding of Scripture than we are talking about the Spirit’s confirmation that we are God’s children. There are times in our lives when we are reading the Bible and suddenly we are struck by something in the text that we have never noticed before. Perhaps we suddenly see how the passage applies to our specific context. Maybe we understand the contours of an argument that escaped us previously. These are examples of the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination.

In 2 Corinthians 2:6-16, the Apostle describes this work of illumination. It involves the Spirit searching the depths of God (v. 10), not because He does not know the mind of God—for the Holy Spirit is God—but in order to grant to us the understanding that the Lord wants us to have. In other words, He searches the mind of God for our sake. He does not just open our minds and hearts at conversion; instead, He continues throughout our Christian lives to make the gospel make sense to us and convince us of its truth.

This work of illumination does not operate by giving us secret insight that one cannot derive by reading the text in context. Scripture is not a code book or the basis for fanciful allegorizing. Illumination, rather, takes what is already there and makes it real to us.

Coram Deo

Without the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination, we will never understand the Bible in a saving way. Many people read the Bible, know what it teaches, but never believe its message. It is not that they are somehow less intelligent. They do not believe because they have not been granted the ability to do so. We should thank God every day that He has granted us the capacity to trust in His Word, and may we ask Him to illumine our study every time we read it.

Passages for Further Study

2 Corinthians 3:12-18
1 John 2:20

Can I Have a Few Minutes of Your Time???

Here are some the greatest living men of God in my opinion. Please take a minute to hear what they have to say.  If you are already a Christian and need support and discipleship please contact us here at The Pamphlet.  We will come along side you and help teach you, keep you accountable, and bathe you in prayer.  If you are a seeker or a critical thinker please watch these videos and contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.  We have many resources available to you whether a skeptic, new believer, or mature saint. May you seek to know the TRUE GOD.

thepamphlet@outlook.com

Paul Washer

Ravi Zacharias

Michael Horton

John MacArthur

John Piper

                                                                     R.C. Sproul

Literal Principal of Biblical Interpretation

In my last article we covered a short introduction of Biblical Interpretation. With Hank Hanegraaff's Hankronym at our disposal, we remember the principals of proper exegesis of the Bible are: Literal, Illumination, Grammatical, Historical, Typological, and Synergistic Principals. In this article we will adjust our focus on the first of these principals. Let's look at the Literal Principal of Interpretation and apply it to the Scriptures.

     The Literal principal of Interpretation is found in almost every style and form of Biblical Hermeneutics, which we remember is the science of Biblical Interpretation. Perhaps only in the most extreme spiritualized views of scriptures is this principal absent. For example, there are more and more new heresies that teach that there is nothing concrete or explicit in the Bible. We are to interpret each Scripture as it applies to us in our given circumstance in life. These ideas may seem new to us, but they are just repackaged lies from early church heretics, even back to Satan himself in the Garden of Eden. If there is no absolutes in Scripture, we absolutely cannot know what is true.

     “To interpret Scripture literally, is to interpret it as literature”.-R.C. Sproul. When we study the Bible literally, we should interpret it just as we would interpret any other form of communication. That is, we should interpret it in its most clear and natural sense. After all, our true goal is to understand the author's literal meaning that was placed upon his heart. It is important to note that Scriptures surely do apply to us today and to our lives, but it is of paramount importance that we do not compose a meaning for ourselves that is different then the actual original meaning. That is to say, that Scripture has one true meaning to the original audience it was written to at that time. We can apply the truths of that meaning to our lives today, but we are not to create a new meaning outside of the original.

The key to the principal at hand, is to learn a few simple rules of literature. These are easy rules that apply to any type of literature, not only the Bible. God, by way of the Holy Spirit inspired various authors to pen the words of His will. It only makes clear sense that he would have these truths communicated in the way man communicates. Since the Scriptures were recorded as literature, then it only makes sense to use literary principals to interpret these Scriptures.

     The first basic literary principals we need to take into considerations is Form or Genre. The word genre simply means “kind” or “sort”. As we approach a Scripture it is very important to identify the genre. We need to decide if it is a historical narrative, which tell the great stories of history in the Bible and are full of adventure. Or perhaps the Scripture could be a book of poetry/wisdom such as psalms, proverbs, or song of Solomon. Or also perhaps it could be a Scripture filled with symbols and allegories such as the apocalyptic literature of Revelation. It is important to become familiar with all the different literary forms of the Bible to make proper exegesis. For instance if one was to interpret the Gospel of John as a poetic allegory such as proverbs, one would miss the truth of the deity of Christ and all relevance of his ministry and crucifixion would be lost. Or if you were to force one of Jesus's many parables to “walk on all fours” and force it into a literal historical narrative, we would have a Jesus that is made up of actual bread and vines, and at the same time is also an actual literal door. Of course these examples are a bit preposterous, but it will help you to start thinking about form.

     The second literary principal to consider is Figurative Language. It has been said that figurative language is the principal means by which God communicates spiritual realities to His Children. The Bible is full all sorts of figurative language, but today we will focus on the major three.

Metaphor- A metaphor is an implied comparison that identifies a word or phrase with something that it does not literally represent. An example of this is John 6:48 where Jesus says “I am the bread of life. He quite clearly was not intending for us to believe he was made of bread, but that he was the essence of true life.

Simile- A simile draws a comparison between two objects usually with the words “like” or “as”. Some prime examples of this can be found in the parables of Jesus. For instance the Kingdom of God is LIKE a mustard seed in Mark 4. God did not intend that the Kingdom of God is literally like a mustard seed, but it represents a spiritual truth that like a mustard seed the Kingdom of God starts out small and becomes great.

Hyperbole- Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration for effect or emphasis. The classic example of hyperbole is if you were to step on a scale and say “Oh my gracious, I weigh a TON!!!” We know you don't believe that you weigh 2000lbs but that you are using this literary device to exaggerate or disgust with your weight. A good Biblical example of hyperbole can be found in Mat 24:21-22 in the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Fantasy Imagery- Some classic examples of fantasy imagery that represent spiritual truths of persons are commonly found in apocalyptic passages. For instance the great red dragon in Rev 12 or the beast like a leopard with fell like a bear and a mouth like a lion in Rev. 13. Fantasy imagery, like hyperbole is used for dramatic effect, but the symbols used do not correspond with anything in the real world. Some great examples of christian authors using fantasy imagery to portray spiritual truths are John Bunyan in Pilgrim's Progress and C.S. Lewis in the Chronicles of Narnia.

“When the Literal Principal of Biblical Interpretation is compromised or contradicted, truth is clouded and the totality of Scripture is confused.”

Mining the Bible for All It's Riches

In the cold north country of Alaska and Canada there lies millions of pounds of gold just waiting to be uncovered. This gold is laid to rest in gravel deposits from ancient river channels. These channels are now covered with sediment, soil, and vegetation. One would be hard pressed to imagine a river or creek once flowed along in these areas. The miners in this area have to use huge machinery to remove this material to expose the gold rich channel dirt below. The soil on the surface they call “overburden”, and the gold rich soil of the gravely river bottoms they call “paydirt”. Once this overburden is removed, the paydirt is exposed and collected. The paydirt is then processed by a machine called a wash plant. The wash plant uses high pressure water streams, vibrating screens, and gravity to separate the gold from the gravel. After countless hours of hard work and expense, the miner hopefully has a mason jar full of gold flakes for his trouble. And so it is with the Scriptures.

     When the Holy Spirit regenerates us and faith in Christ abounds, our great overburden of sin and guilt is removed from our account with the Father. As we saw in last week's article, our sin is first imputed to Christ so that we are seen guiltless, and then Christ righteousness is imputed onto ourselves through faith that we may be seen righteous to the father. Just as the giant bulldozers and excavators remove the overburden to expose the paydirt, so also Christ scrapes away our unrighteousness to expose his righteousness laid to our account. Here we stand redeemed with unlimited paydirt under our feet.

     This paydirt is the Holy Scriptures or Bible. The vox dei or voice of God spoken through men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is both infallible and inerrant, it is both revealing and obscure, it is both simple and complex. In the paragraphs to follow I will share with you a general overview of the rules I use to study the scriptures. How I mine each and every verse, exposing it to the high pressure showers and vibrating screens of the wash plant, in order to obtain the riches of truth hidden in the rubble. The more you work these principals, the more flakes you will find. Soon the flakes get larger and larger until you uncover great nuggets of truth that change your life, sanctify, draw you nearer to God, and most of all enhance how you bring him Glory. After all according the the Westminster Confession of Faith, the chief end of man is to “Glorify God and enjoy Him Forever”.

     In beginning there are three basic terms we need to discuss. These terms are hermeneutics, exegesis, and eisegesis. Hermeneutics is simply the fancy way of saying the science or art of interrupting the scriptures. It doesn't matter what method you use to study the Scriptures, it is still hermeneutics, whether right or wrong.

Eisegesis is also a complex term given to a simple prospect. Simply put, eisegesis means that you force your philosophy or doctrine on the Scriptures to make them support your cause. For instance if you had a firm belief that the three persons of the trinity were separate independent beings, you might only use Scriptures that speak of each person separately. You would ignore the passages that were in contradiction, and approach each verse separately, so as to remove context and remove the back drop of the rest of Scripture. Eisegesis is common with false biblical doctrine in those that were taught a doctrine without Scriptural support of the Bible as a whole. I like to call this “priming”. If doctrine comes before basic Bible interpretation, it is very easy to try to make verses match your doctrine, instead of the verses making your doctrine. Some concepts of the Bible are so simple that the only requirement to understand are ears or eyes. The very basics of salvation and good vs. evil are prime examples.

     Now we will deal with the primary focus of any true Bible student or theologian. Exegesis is yet another fancy Latin term that is very simple in meaning, but unable to be mastered. Exegesis simple means “to draw out of”. That is, that when we study the Scriptures, we are to draw the meaning out of the text that God intended, not what we intended. If Hermeneutics is the art of studying Scripture, then in fact exegesis is the interpretation that we gain from that study. It is no easy task, yet the rewards are beyond worth. I will lay out the basic rules that I believe help use to draw out the truth. I will only touch briefly on each rule in this article, as I will cover each separately in later articles.

*It is important to note that these principals have been used by theologians for hundreds of years. I will use a format of the rules I learned from Hank Hanegraaff at the Christian Research Institute. The acronyms, or Hankronyms as he likes to call them, are not my work, but those of Mr. Hanegraaff. You can learn more of this ministry at equip.org.

I used Mr. Hanegraaffs system do to his easy to remember acronyms. The basis is found Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto thy feet, and a light unto my path. For the rules of Bible interpretation you just need to remember LIGHTS. Literal, Illumination, Grammar, History, Typology, and Synergy. Let's overview these rules.

Literal Principal- We are interpret the Bible in its most obvious and natural sense, or as it has been said “to interpret the Bible literally is to interpret it as literature.” If we use the methods of interpreting literature for the literal principal, we are far less likely to force symbols, metaphor, or allegory (parable) into a wooden literal sense. For instance When Christ says he is a door or a lamb, we are not to force the Scripture to say that he is really an actual door or lamb, but these are metaphors for a spiritual truth. We can define the literal interpretation of a verse through Form(genre), and by the presence, or lack there of , Figurative Language and Fantasy Imagery. Again, we will cover these topics in depth in articles to come.

Illumination Principal- The illumination principal is a Spirit powered principal. It is vital in exegesis to pray for illumination of the Scripture as well to hide the Word in your heart. An easy way to remember the steps to make the most of illumination is the acronym MEALS. Memorize, Examine, Apply, Listen, and Study.

Grammatical Principal- This principal breaks each verse down phrase by phrase, and word by word to draw out what the author is driving at. In order to understand this principal, we need only basic understanding of the rules of grammar. The basic of this principal are syntax, style, and semantics. And of course, a little common sense.

Historical Principal- In this principal, we take a look at what is going on around the author when a passage is written. In order to get a true context of the passage, often times one needs this principal to fully grasp the passage. Here we will use the acronym LEGACY. Location, Essence, Genre, Author, Context, and Years.

Typology Principal- A type is a person, event, or institution in the Old Testament that points forward to a greater reality in the New Testament. A great example of this principal is found in Hebrews 9:23-24. The Old Testament is filled with these types. For example the Holy Land, Holy City, and Holy Temple are all types of the future blessings of God's covenant people. It is said that “the study of prophecy (eschatology) is the thread that weave Scripture into a glorious tapestry, typology is the material out of which the thread is spun.”

Scriptural Synergy- As I have said in past articles this is by far the most important of the principals. Also know as the “Analogy or Faith”, this principal simply states that the whole of Scripture is great than the sum of its individual parts. In other words, to properly execute exegesis, your conclusion must always agree with and never contradict clear truths of the rest of Scripture. You must interpret individual passages of Scripture to understand the Bible as a whole, but these individual passages must all align with its counterparts.

Come back next week as we explore these principals in depth one at a time and apply them to the Scriptures. God Bless.

It's all About Perspective

Article By: Joe Osgood Jr.

Scriptural Support: Romans 4:22-25

“simul justus et peccator” (Simultaneously Righteous and Sinner.) This Latin phrase was Luther's formula for explaining the very heart of the Gospel message. The actual act of Justification. This phrase is not to be interpreted that we are both justified and sinner at the same time, which is a great contradiction, for one cannot both be justified and a sinner in himself. The phrase is meant in saying that from one perspective we are justified, and from another perspective we are sinners. From God the Father's perspective we are justified if we have TRUE FAITH in Christ because of his perfect sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

Many are familiar with imputed righteousness. That is, when the righteousness of Christ is imputed or applied to our account. In fact it is a double imputation. Before Christ's righteousness can be applied to our account, our sins must be imputed to his account. Through his perfect keeping of the Law in his life on Earth he is the only suitable sacrifice. He is the only one with excess merit to his account. If we sin only once, our account is deficient, and not any amount of good works can bring that deficiency into the black.

When Christ presented himself as the perfect sacrifice and wholly and fully righteous, he had enough excess merit or righteousness to cover all who would have faith in him. In this way he took or imputed our sins onto himself for judgment of death, and imputed unto us his merit or righteousness in sin's stead.

In conclusion it is not that we are both justified and sinner at the same time. It is however well said that while we are still sinners, in God the Fathers eyes, he takes only the imputed merit or righteousness of Christ into account, and there for sees us as justified. This is not to say that we are free to sin as we please as Antinomians, that God's Grace may abound, but that we should strive for perfection and sanctification, as obedience is the true sign of a faithful servant and a loving child.

As John Bunyan the author of Pilgrims Progress noted:

One day as I was passing into the field . . . this sentence fell upon my soul. Thy righteousness is in heaven. And methought, withal, I saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus Christ at God's right hand; there, I say, was my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, he wants [lacks] my righteousness, for that was just before [in front of] him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, "The same yesterday, today and, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed. I was loosed from my afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away; so that from that time those dreadful scriptures of God left off to trouble me; now went I also home rejoicing for the grace and love of God. (John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, [Hertfordshire: Evangelical Press, 1978, orig. 1666],pp. 90-91)

New Year New Bible Reading Plan

As the new year was approaching, I received a very interesting email.  The email was from a ministry I both support and learn from called Ligonier.org. In this email contained an article called "Bible Reading Plans for 2016". The article contained, as the title suggests, a compilation of various Bible reading plans of all sorts, shapes, lengths, and sizes. As I scanned this list of plans I had mostly encountered before, a new title caught my eye. As I read the description I was very intrigued.  The plan was unlike any I had seen and the author's challenge of a 30 day "try out" was to much to pass up.  I am currently at day 3, and very much enjoy the results.  I believe that this plan is an awesome contribution to the faith community.  I will leave you to read all the ins and outs at the link below. The very helpful bookmarks that are included in with the free plan should be laminated or pressed in packing tape of some sort.  I strongly encourage you to check out this awesome plan an commit at the very least to the 30 day challenge. May God Truly Bless You 

Horner Bible Reading System

Heidelberg Catechism Devotional

The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the great statements of faith for us that hold fast to Reformed Theology. The catechism was written and designed to have excerpts read from it each Lord's Day or Sunday. Here you can meditate on these truths each “Lord's day”, as you dedicate it to worship and reflecting on who God is and all God has done. Remember to always confirm these biblical truths with hard copy principals from the Word of God. This in itself is a beneficial study with unending effects on one's soul. Another important note to keep in mind while studying the old statements of faith: the term holy catholic church is not the same in kind of what we know as the Roman Catholic Church. The holy catholic church is one church in Christ Jesus of those of united faith in him.

Lords Day 1/ January 3^rd 2016

1. What is the only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that

all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.

2. How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?

Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.

Lords Day 2/ January 10^th 2016

3. Whence knowest thou thy misery?

Out of the law of God.

4. What doth the law of God require of us?

Christ teaches us that briefly, Matthew 22:37-40, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all they soul, and with all they mind, and with all they strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

5. Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

In no wise, for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor.

Lords Day 3/ January 17^th 2016

6. Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?

By no means; but God created man good, and after His own image, in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love Him and live with Him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise Him.

7. Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?

From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; hence our nature is become so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.

8. Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Indeed we are, except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.

Lords Day 4/ January 24^th 2016

9. Doth not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in His law that which he cannot perform?

Not at all; for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil, and His own willful disobedience, deprived Himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts.

10. Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?

By no means; but is terribly displeased with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in His just judgment temporally and eternally, as He hath declared, “Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

11. Is not God then also merciful?

God is indeed merciful, but also just; therefore His justice requires that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul.

Lord's Day 5/ January 31^st 2016

12. Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?

God will have His justice satisfied, and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves or by another.

13. Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction?

By no means; but on the contrary we daily increase our debt.

14. Can there be found anywhere one, who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us?

None; for, first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man hath committed; and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin, so as to deliver others from it.

15. What sort of a mediator and deliverer then must we seek for?

For one who is very man, and perfectly righteous; and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is also very God.

Lords Day 6/ February 7^th 2016

16. Why must he be very man, and also perfectly righteous?

Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which hath sinned, should likewise make satisfaction for sin, and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others.

17. Why must He in one person be also very God?

That He might by the power of His Godhead sustain in His human nature the burden of God's wrath; and might obtain for, and restore to us, righteousness and life.

18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, and a real righteous man?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

19. Whence knowest thou this?

From the Holy Gospel, which God Himself first revealed in Paradise; and afterwards published by the patriarchs and prophets, and represented by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law, and lastly, has fulfilled it by His only begotten Son.

Lord's Day 7/ February 14^th 2016

20. Are all men then, as they perished in Adam, saved by Christ?

No; only those who are in-grafted into Him, and receive all His benefits, by a true faith.

21. What is true faith?

True faith is not only certain knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word, but also an assured confidence, which the Holy Ghost works by the gospel in my heart, that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sin, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits.

22. What is then necessary for a Christian to believe?

All things promised us in the Gospel, which the articles of our catholic undoubted Christian faith briefly teach us.

23. What are these articles?

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
2. And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord;
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary;
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell;
5. The third day He arose again from the dead;
6. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
7. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead;
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the holy catholic church; the communion of the saints;
10. The forgiveness of sins;
11. The resurrection of the body;
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

Lord's Day 8/ February 21^st 2016

24. How are these articles divided?

Into three parts; the first is of God the Father and our creation; the second, of God the Son and our redemption; the third, of God the Holy Ghost and our sanctification.

25. Since there is but one only divine essence, why speakest thou of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

Because God hath so revealed Himself in His Word, that these three distinct persons are the one only true and eternal God.

Lord's Day 9/ February 28^th 2016

26. What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?

That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence) is for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body; and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage, for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.

Lord's Day 10/ March 6^th 2016

27. What dost thou mean by the providence of God?

The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand.

28. What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by His providence doth still uphold all things?

That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love; since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.

Lord's Day 11/ March 13^th 2016

29. Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is, a Savior?

Because He saveth us, and delivereth us from our sins; and likewise, because we ought not to seek, neither can find salvation in any other.

30. Do such then believe in Jesus the only Savior, who seek their salvation and welfare of saints, of themselves, or anywhere else?

They do not; for though they boast of Him in words, yet in deeds they deny Jesus the only deliverer and Savior; for one of these two things must be true, that either Jesus is not a complete Savior or that they, who by a true faith receive this Savior, must find all things in Him necessary to their salvation.

Lords Day 12/ March 20^th 2016

31. Why is He called Christ, that is, anointed?

Because He is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Ghost, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and to be our High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of His body, has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession with the Father for us; and also to be our eternal King, who governs us by His word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in the enjoyment of that salvation He has purchased for us.

32. But why art thou called a Christian?

Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus am partaker of His anointing, that so I may confess His name, and present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him; and also that with a free and good conscience I may fight against sin and Satan in this life, and afterwards reign with Him eternally, over all creatures.

Lord's Day 13/ March 27^th 2016

33. Why is Christ called the only begotten Son of God, since we are also the children of God?

Because Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God; but we are children adopted of God, by grace, for his sake.

34.Wherefore callest thou Him our Lord?

Because He hath redeemed us, both soul and body, from all our sins, not with gold or silver, but with His precious blood, and hath delivered us from all the power of the devil; and thus hath made us His own property.

Memorization Tips

One of my favorite hobbies is the memorization of God's Word. It is second only to studying Theology. I love to memorize Scripture by chapters so that I grasp the full and intended meaning of the whole passage. There is no better way that I have found to discover spiritual truths than this method. Each day you are constantly reviewing and meditating on the same passages over and over. By using this method you not only memorize the words, but you also draw meaning out of the text that you have never realized before. My first tip is to pick a translation that you really enjoy and a chapter that you love. I love using the English Standard Version and I do all my memorizing in it. My first chapter I fully memorized was Romans Ch. 8. Start simply by just reading one verse a day out loud repeatedly. Each time you repeat it emphasize your tone on a different word in the verse until you have hit all the words. I then write it ten times. I do this each morning and night with a review during the day when time allows. I do not move on to the next verse until I have the last one down pat. I say aloud the previous verses I have learned everyday as a review as well. Index cards are a hugely helpful tool, as well as a good notebook and a smooth writing pen.

It may sound like a lot, but it only takes a few minutes a day to get started. It is difficult in the beginning I will not lie, but It does get much easier, just like exercising.

When I began I would do well to get one verse down pat every 2 to 3 days. After a couple weeks I was soon doing a verse almost everyday. The really long verses I would split in half and treat as two verses. I cannot express the impact this task will have on your spiritual life for the good. I hope that you will persevere through the hard times in the beginning, for there is a great reward when you can quote your first chapter only from mind.

Sounding the Depths

Sounding the Depths

It has been said by someone that “the proper study of mankind is man.” I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God's elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls Father.

There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, “Behold I am wise.” But when we come to this master science, finding that our plumbline cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass's colt; and with solemn exclamation, “I am but of yesterday, and know nothing.” No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God...

But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around the narrow globe....The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.

And, whilst humbling and expanding, the subject is eminently consolatory. Oh, there is, in contemplation Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead. It is to that subject that I invite you this morning.

C.H. Spurgeon January 7^th 1855

New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, England

The insight and depth of sounding by Spurgeon is that not of greatness alone, but that of one who “Knows God”. Preaching this sermon at only 20 years of age is that of one who has sought and explored every aspect of the character and attributes of God that has been revealed. Spurgeon, and as we will see later, Martin Luther and John Calvin truly understood what is known in theology as the Incomprehensibility of God.

Many have misunderstood this doctrine over the years and more than one heresy has sprung up from it as well. Namely Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism which in short base their holiness in a mystical knowledge, and know nothing of faith, grace, or sacrifice. Many believe, as the title does imply, that God is unknowable and unable to be comprehended. This is certainly not the case, although there are many attributes and characteristics that God has not revealed to us, there are many that he has bestowed upon us clearly.

Of the limited, yet abundant information that God has revealed to us, we categorize that information into two basic categories. The character of God and the nature of God. To give these subjects even a cursory look would take more pages than we have available at the moment. But in short these two categories take in all that we know of and about God. Both what he does and is. The amount of information that God has revealed to us, is far more than sufficient to fulfill the two primary goals of the whole of Theology and Christianity. God has revealed himself to us so that all of his elect may know how one is to be redeemed, and also once redeemed, how one can have fellowship with him. All aspects of what we know about God in all of Theology and Christianity is summed up in these.

The focus in the doctrine of the Incomprehensibility of God, is the distance between God and his creation. Not in an actual physical measurement of distance, but in that of character and attributes. John Calvin, in understanding this subject coined the phrase, “Finitum non capax infinitum” that is, (The finite cannot grasp the infinite). Calvin insisted that we do not have a comprehensive or whole knowledge of God because we are finite and he is infinite. But he also taught that what God does reveal to us, we are to long to know. He says: “His essence, indeed, is incomprehensible, utterly transcending all human thought; but on each of his works his glory is engraven in characters so bright, so distinct, and so illustrious, that none, however dull and illiterate, can plead ignorance as their excuse.” and also “Since the perfection of blessedness consists in the knowledge of God, he has been pleased, in order that none might be excluded from the means of obtaining felicity, not only to deposit in our minds the seed of religion...but so to manifest his perfections in the whole structure of the universe, and daily place himself in our view, that we cannot open our eyes without being compelled to behold him.”

Even in our glorified heavenly bodies we are not to believe that we will have a knowledge equal to God's. For to know all of God, we would have to be infinite beings. Even our all powerful God cannot make the finite, infinite. As 1 Cor 13 teaches we will “know fully even as we are fully known” but only to the limits of finite knowledge. To know all of God we would have to be God.

Martin Luther wrote that God is both a hidden God (Deus absconditus) and a revealed God (Deus revelatus). He said: “...a distinction must be observed when the knowledge or, more precisely speaking, the subject of the Divine Being is under discussion. The dispute must be about either the hidden God or the revealed God. No faith in, no knowledge and no understanding of, God insofar as He is not revealed, are possible... What is above us in none of our business. For thoughts of this kind, which want to search out something more sublime, above, and outside that which has been revealed about God, are thoroughly diabolical. We accomplish nothing by them except to hurl ourselves into destruction, because they propose an object to us that defies investigation, to wit, the unrevealed God. Let God rather keep His decrees and mysteries in hiding.”

It is very important that we take the study of God, (theology) very seriously. If we truly love our God, we would wish to know all that we can that he has revealed to us. God reveals himself to us through his creation, (natural revelation) but more precisely through his scriptures, (special revelation). (See Psalm 19) Through both these methods God himself has spoken to us. To hear what he has said is not a boring hobby or for dusty theologians. It is for you and me, and every Christian. Everyone should be a theologian. We shouldn't be happy with skimming a chapter or two a day, or thumbing through “The Daily Bread.” Its time for Christians to seek the deep things of God and enjoy them. If you do not know God you can never know yourself. As Calvin says in his Institutes of the Christian Religion: Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes, and gives birth to the other. For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone.” “On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself....So long as we do not look beyond earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness, will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom, will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy, will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, From corresponding to the divine purity.”

It is my prayer and so should be yours to be faithful to the scriptural teaching by holding to both aspects of the knowledge of God, his hiddeness and his self-revelation. (Deuteronomy 29:29) 

There are No Discrepancies!!

From time to time when one fervently studies the Word of God, one comes across a verse or passage of Scripture that seems to be completely out of place with the remainder of Scripture, and at face value contradicts it. This is often times where an unregenerate person and perhaps a young believer may throw his or her hands in the air and count it all has hypocritical rubbish. As mature believers we know that the word of God is both infallible and inerrant. That is it is always true and contains no errors. Since we believe that the Scripture is true and without error, then any contradiction has to be an error of our own understanding. A flaw in our own perception. In my study of the Scriptures, or what those who wear coats inside would call “Hermeneutics”, there are 6 primary rules I use to govern my understanding of God's Word. The greatest of these rules is the rule of Synergy. (We will cover all 6 rules in the next issue) This rule states that the whole of Scripture, is greater than the sum of its individual passages. You cannot understand the whole of Scripture without understanding its individual parts. Also, you cannot understand the individual parts of Scripture without understanding the Scripture as a whole. It is important for me to note here, that one does not need to understand all of Scripture to understand how to be regenerated. The Gospel message is simple enough for a child to understand, with the Spirit's leading. As it says in Romans 10, faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

In the principal of synergy we are never to interpret a Scripture that defies the teaching of the Bible as a whole. This is what the Reformers called the “analogy of faith”. It is without exception the primary and most important rule in the art of biblical interpretation. Simply put, if you read a verse and it is contrary to the rest of Scripture, study harder to gain the proper perspective.

This lesson comes to mind because I encountered it just recently while studying Ezekiel. The passage in question was in the 33^rd chapter of Ezekiel in verses 21-27. As we see this prophecy was dated as either the day before or the day of the 12^th year of exile, 10^th month, and 5^th day of the month. The part of the prophecy in question is found in verse 24 “ Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.” (ESV) Here in this passage the city of Jerusalem had just been destroyed by the Babylonians a few months earlier. This escapee from the destruction comes to tell Ezekiel that those that survived the destruction have still not turned to God. Even after the judgment of God on themselves and their fellow Israelites for idolatry, the people are rejoicing that the land is now theirs to do with as they please. Here it seems that the people wish to take back the land for themselves but not in repentance to God.

Now lets turn to the 41^st and 42^nd Chapters of Jeremiah. The passage we just looked at in Ezekiel is taken from the perspective of the Israelite captives that were taken to Babylon. These captives had been in Babylon for 12 years prior to Jerusalem's final demise. Here we have Jeremiah's perspective from inside the walls of Jerusalem as it fell. He of course survived the ordeal and records what takes place to follow. The chief captain of the Babylonian Army placed a man named Gedaliah as governor over the survivors or “remnant” that survived the destruction. The King of Babylon wished for them to cultivate the land and pay tribute to Babylon from their crops and income.

In a long string of treachery that you can read about in ch. 41 Gedaliah is murdered. Those that remained came to Jeremiah to ask God for counsel. The question was, should they stay in the land of Israel or go to Egypt. After 10 days the Word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah and tells the remnant to stay in the Land and he will deliver them, and restore them. But the remnant refused God's counsel through Jeremiah. They said Jeremiah was being coerced by his scribe Baruch. The remnant people took Jeremiah and Baruch captive and ran to Egypt.

Here is where the discrepancy lies. In one passage we see the people wanting to stay in the land of Israel and use it for their own personal gain. In Jeremiah's account the remnant people wished to flee to Egypt and wanted nothing of Israel. Indeed this is the same group of people in view in both passages. So how do we explain this?

Let's dig a little deeper in the Word, and make sense of all this. We find in the book of Ezra, chapter 7, verse 9, that as he (Ezra), commuted from Babylon to Jerusalem, it took a time of about 4 months. Let's indeed add this time table into what we already know and see what we come up with. We know that the fugitive left the remnant of Jerusalem or its waste lands to see Ezekiel. He probably knew of Ezekiel mostly through copies of the prophecies Ezekiel had sent to Jerusalem. And we have no reason not to believe the fugitive, and his account that things were as he explained to Ezekiel.

In all probability, under the rule of Gedaliah, it is likely that the people did have the attitude described by the fugitive. After all they had been through, they were sure that God had certainly delivered them, and given the land of Israel into their hand. In fact God would have restored them to the land in return for obedience. It seems that while the said fugitive was in his 4 month commute, that this is the timing of Gedaliah's murder, and the events to follow of Jeremiah's account.

The people that once felt the land had been delivered to them, now ran in disobedience and fear. For they wished to escape the expected retaliation on them by the Babylonians, for the death of Gedaliah. In desperation and disobedience they forsake the land and run for Egypt. After we widen our scope and perspective, behold the Scriptures are now harmonized.

It is of upmost importance to have a concrete set of rules or guidelines for studying Scripture. But the most important of all is Synergy. I pray that when you have a run in with your next seemed Scriptural contradiction, that you will not stop digging until you have reconciled it, for it is always reconcilable.