Now I don't want to get off on a rant here...

Topical Discussion Question #3

2012-01-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

Should we continue to keep the Sabbath today? If not, why not? If so, how should we observe it? Give biblical arguments.

Yes, I believe that we should continue to keep the Sabbath today as it is a regular day of rest and worship which God has provided for man to keep. He has blessed it and made it holy in creation (Gen 2:2), he has given it to his covenant people through the mosaic law (Ex 20:8-11), and it shall continue until our final day of redemption. The redemptive promise is something that we look back on with thankfulness (Deut 5:15), and look forward to in anticipation (Eph 1:14).

At creation, God entered into a Sabbath rest that has been held out for his people as a promised rest in consummation. The atonement provided to God's covenant people through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ was our down payment on that rest secured for us, and Holy Spirit is a guarantee of the fulfillment of that promise offering us a taste of that rest daily. Specifically, as the Lord has blessed and made holy one day in seven for us to keep the Sabbath, there is a real spiritual significance to that day.

In light of the New Testament, we now keep that day as the first day of the week in remembrance of the Resurrection of Christ. It is a day "to celebrate the consummation of redemption in advance", as the Psalmist anticipates with us the feast to come in glory (Ps 23:5-6). As such, not only should the Sabbath be a time of worship and rest, but also a time of great delight and joy as we celebrate the feast. We are living in an already consummated year of jubilee where we should be proclaiming liberty to the world (Lev 25:10), and living in the delight of our Lord and Savior, awaiting the fullness of the coming of his kingdom. His kingdom work will continue, through worship, rest, celebration, works of necessity and mercy until the end of days has reached its finality in the eschatological return of the King.

Topical Discussion Question #4

2012-01-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

Is it right to use embryonic stem cells for research? If not, why not? If so, are there any limitations on how we should do this? Refer to biblical principles.

If embryonic stem cell research requires the destruction of an embryo, then this type of research should not be done unless the embryo is already dead. As we can see the importance of life in Scripture, and specifically the lives of the weak and helpless, of which unborn children would be, it is right to protect their lives. While Scripture itself is not written for the purposes of scientific research, it is evident that embryos have their own distinct chromosomal make-up which is in line with Psalm 139 as David proclaims his intimacy with God by being formed in his mother's womb. As people are formed at conception, then only when they are no longer living should their bodies (embryos) be made available for research.

The slippery slope argument would suggest then that if embryonic stem cell research is allowed, then it would encourage the killing of embryos for this purpose. This is a fair point, and one that should be taken into consideration by a society seeking to constrain the harm that is done both intentionally and unintentionally to its citizens. However, there are many natural reasons why pregnancies end which do no harm to the life of either the mother or child, and if those embryos are viable candidates for stem cell research, then those parents should be given the opportunity to donate them for those purposes. And if they are not viable, then science should be spurred on to use their creative resources to find a way to get the type of stem cells necessary for their research without doing harm to life.

Topical Discussion Question #2

2011-10-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Is it possible for a natural law ethic to honor the sufficiency of Scripture? Define both “natural law” and “sufficiency of Scripture” and present your analysis.

The Aristotelian view on natural law that Aquinas attempted to Christianize creates a dichotomy between earthly and heavenly happiness. By focusing on the natural law, which is to say that there is a "moral order, found in nature and man himself," then the one who believes in a natural law ethic would believe in the sufficiency of nature. You would need nothing more than what is revealed in nature - through the environment, through science, biology, anthropology, etc - to define your ethical norms. The natural law proponent would find all they need for earthly happiness, understanding, and knowledge in the world around them to apply the tenants of that ethic to their lives and to the lives of others.

Unfortunately, due to the sufficiency of Scripture over nature, there is no such dichotomy between earthly and heavenly happiness. Scripture, as God's revealed Word and therefore His special revelation, is needed by mankind to apply a true ethic to the world order. Scripture provides our basis, and interpretive lens through which we will see ourselves and the world around us. It is sufficient for providing the norms that are needed to apply a true ethic to life.

Due to the fall, and the infectious nature of sin, the ramifications of that historical event have not only created a problem for man when interpreting nature, but have also created the need for the restoration of God's word and man's access to it through special revelation. This is how God speaks to us today, and is how we are to interpret both the world around us and ourselves through Scripture's lens. In God's speaking to us, and our existential revelation in applying his words to our situational perspective - our true ethic is revealed in the way we live our lives. Natural law is insufficient to provide that revelation, but Scripture is more than sufficient to do so.

Topical Discussion Question #1

2011-09-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Define the naturalistic fallacy and present an example of it from recent discussion: could be from a book you’ve read, a political speech, a newspaper column, etc. Present your analysis and critique.

The naturalistic fallacy is defined as the inability to draw the conclusion of what is ethically obligated based on the premises. Another way to define this would be to say, "that the is does not imply ought because there is no ought in the premise." In a recent conversation with a friend, we were discussing the aftermath of a recent storm that ravaged our neighborhoods. As we spoke, I said that thankfully God had provided for us because all the damage that was done had been taken care of by the insurance company, a timely bonus at work, etc. He said that they were taken care of as well because "good things happen to good people." While I was not stating that God ought to provide for me because of the damage we faced, my friend did say that good things ought to happen to him because he is a good person. This unfortunately is an example of a naturalistic fallacy because the conclusion that good things should happen cannot be derived from the premise that he is a good person. In my view, God provides for his people because he promises to do so, not because he is obligated to by anything more than his word. In my friend's view, there is an expectation of provision that ought to come from his view that he is a good person. As much as I desire for good things to happen to us both, I realize that they don't happen because we are good people, but because God wills the rain and the sunshine to fall upon the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

Romans 8 Exegesis Paper

2011-06-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
The paper is an exegesis paper on some portion of Romans 1-8 (at least 10 verses). The section should be a coherent section. Use significant commentaries, lexicons and other important resources to help you understand the passage. You must incorporate in your research not only commentaries and other exegetical helps, but also you must find at least 2 relatively recent articles on your section. Be sure to footnote any information you get from any sources. Include a bibliography. The paper is to be typed, double-spaced. This is a major paper, but should not exceed about 12 pages. If you know Greek, make use of it, but knowledge of Greek is not required.
1. Pick a coherent section Romans 1-8 you are interested in studying of at least 10 verses.
2. Show how your section fits into the outline of the whole epistle and further develops Paul's argument as a whole in this letter.
3. Give a single sentence stating the theme of the section you are examining.
4. Give a very detailed outline of your passage (how every phrase fits in relation to the others).
5. Explain each verse in your passage, discussing any problems in the text and giving your understanding of each verse. This may be done in a commentary style. This is the main portion of the paper.
6. State how the information from your passage should be applied today.

Define the main parameters of how Reformed Theology offers a worldview

2011-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Recommended length, 4500 words (approx. 15 pp., double spaced). I will not be rigid about the length, but if the paper is longer, the additional pages should be especially worth reading. If it is shorter, it should be equivalent in quality to a longer paper.

For the paper, you should do some research beyond the course assigned reading and lecture material. Indicate such in footnotes and bibliography, but please use a consistent system.

For a topic, you may choose from the list below or may seek approval on a topic from the professor.

• What are the pastoral implications of the doctrine of election?
• What are the implications of the doctrine of limited atonement for evangelism?
• Define the main parameters of how Reformed Theology offers a worldview.

Pre-Marriage Counseling: Preparing for the Ride of Your Life

2010-10-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Prepare a six to eight week course that you could use to teach either Pre-Marriage Preparation or Marriage Enrichment. This should be detailed enough for you to use as is. Include what topics you would cover, what you would say under each of these topics (outline form), what reading you would have them do, what exercises and homework you would assign. There are many programs available for each of these topics—you may use them to aid you, but do not replicate any one. Please include material from your readings, lectures and sermons, and make a note of that for my benefit. Incorporating material from lectures and readings will enhance your grade.

Cast Study - Treatment Plan

2010-10-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

In the first couple sessions with Jeff and Susan they have provided a number of key issues that are complicating their marriage and keeping them from enjoying each other. The majority of which can be dealt with together within joint sessions, but the rather large issue with Susan relates to her previous relationship which could be dealt with more affectively in separate sessions. Jointly Jeff and Susan are experiencing issues with their personal friendship, communication, and leadership or gender roles, while Susan is struggling personally with holding onto the loss of her previous relationship, the sexual baggage that comes along with that and the sovereignty of God in whether she made a mistake marrying Jeff or not. These issues with Susan, while they eventually need to be brought back to the joint sessions, would more affectively be dealt with in one-on-one sessions, so Susan can feel as safe as possible to express herself without feeling like she will hurt Jeff in the process. Creating this safety and growing trust for Susan will be integral in dealing with the broader issues in their marriage.

The broader issues of their friendship, communication and leadership are unfortunately very common in young relationships especially ones with such short dating or courtships. It is clear that Jeff spends a lot of time traveling for business and Susan spends a lot of time with her friends, but they don’t seem to spend a great deal of time together. Without the essential element of togetherness it makes it difficult for them to build their friendship, address their issues of communicating affectively with one another and for Jeff to show leadership in their relationship. As homework, I would suggest that they each make a before and after calendar. The before should be done independently and show how they are presently spending their time during a typical week, while the after should be done together as they look for time to spend with one another. It will mean talking through what are their priorities with friends and work, and showing the other that they are a priority to each other. This is likely to create opportunities to address communication and personal conflict that arises from the homework, which will provide an opportunity in the following sessions to address their friendship, conflict resolution and communication skills. Finally, with Jeff especially, I would be encouraging decisiveness and leaning on Susan to make the decisions together as a couple. He will want to spend some time in personal study with Ephesians 5, Genesis 1-3, and 1 Timothy 3. These passages will lay a foundation for Biblical Manhood, which will in turn embolden Jeff to lovingly lead Susan in their relationship.

The more specific issues with Susan that need to be addresses in one-on-one sessions are grieving the loss of her past relationship and the “what if’s” that continue to haunt her thought life. First it is understandable and natural to grieve the loss of someone you care about, especially when entangled in pre-marital sexual relationship which only deepened her feelings and connections with the other man. We will need to untangle the complexity of her grief so she can discover what genuine pain is over the loss and what guilt is over the sinfulness of her sexual relationship. Susan needs an outlet to freely express the hurt and pain of losing someone she cared about, in celebrating his life, and to recognize that his life was meaningful. Second, she needs to recognize her need for repentance and to ask for forgiveness, so she can let go of any guilt that is holding her back from moving forward and giving herself to Jeff. Finally, Susan needs to put the “what if’s” into their proper perspective and not let them take hold in a fertile soil of discontent, but to see God’s sovereignty at work in her life leading her to the man she was to become one-flesh with, Jeff. Susan will want to spend time reflecting on Ephesians 5, Genesis 1-3 and Romans 8 to experience freedom in God’s work of creation, redemption and love. When she is ready, Susan, will be able to trust in God’s plan for her and thereby put her trust in Jeff to give herself over to him completely – in heart, mind, body and soul.

Psalm 23 - Take Comfort and Be Confident in the Lord

2010-10-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
PSALM 23 PROJECT

You will write a paper on Psalm 23.
Your research will follow the steps laid out in chapter 5 of Interpreting the Psalms.
Your paper will follow the model set out in chapter 6 of Interpreting the Psalms.

Discuss the “epiphany” theme in the Pastorals. What is it? Within this “epiphany-context” what is the meaning of “good works” and sensibility?

2010-05-20T13:41:00.001-07:00

It is striking to think of Paul writing the Pastoral Epistles towards the end of his ministry when death was near, and he was encouraging Timothy and Titus in their ministries in a two-fold manor. First, the epiphany them is when Paul talks about the two appearances or manifestations of Jesus Christ in the world. The coming of Christ into the world through Mary, his earthly ministry, death and resurrection are all part of the first epiphany. That is the ushering in of Christ’s kingdom into the world through the inauguration of his earthly reign. It is related to the present age, where sin and suffering still occur but have been conquered by the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ. The kingdom has been inaugurated.

The second manifestation of Jesus Christ will be at the second coming when the inaugurated kingdom is consummated in the judgment and resurrection of all. That is the age to come where the New Jerusalem will be established and redemption will be fully realized. While the first coming of Christ has bought and paid for the sins of the world, there is a “not yet” component to the full realization of redemption accomplished and applied. The second epiphany will be the consummated kingdom that Paul now longs for as he stares at death’s door.

As such, it is important to realize while our good works do not earn our salvation they are a part of the fruit of our salvation in the present age. Our motivation for these good works rests in the future glory at the resurrection of the dead, and the present glory in declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Paul reminds Timothy (2 Tim 1:9-10) that Christ has destroyed death and brought life through his initial coming, but has brought immortal life through is second coming. However, Christ has brought us life to live in abundance by being faithful, obedient and living godly lives eager to do good works for the sake of Christ in the present age (Titus 2:11-14). The good works do not redeem us, for only Christ can do that, but it is because of our redemption that we, like Timothy, Titus and Paul are spurred on to joyously lead godly lives filled with good works that exemplify Christ to the world.

Ephesians

2010-05-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

It would appear that most letters written in the Pauline corpus are at one time or another thought not to be authored by Paul. Ephesians is no exception and it is thought to have been authored post-Pauline. The peculiar thing is though that scholars generally believe that while written post-Paul, that the themes are in line with the teaching of Paul or come from a similar school of thought. This makes little sense when if they believe the teaching is the same as Paul, then it is more likely that Paul in fact wrote the letter than not.

It is thought that Ephesians is a circular letter, not intended for any one particular congregation but the churches in the area of Asia Minor. Ephesus was a major trading route in Asia Minor and therefore would be very influential over all the entire area.

As a circular letter, the occasion for Paul’s writing appears to be much more general than other letters dealing with specific controversies. This letter deals broadly with sin and what Christians have been called out to be in Christ, the general issues of unity in the church and the staple of Paul addressing specific demographics within the body as separate and as one.

First, all things in heaven and earth are united in Christ, but only (1:9-10), but only certain people were chosen to be united to Christ in our salvific hope (1:11-13). To be united in Christ, means that we commonly share in the promises given to the church and are marked by the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is the living Spirit that makes our unity as one body possible. We are to live in Christ, with him as our head, joined together in commonality of purpose and love (4:14-16).

This unity goes beyond anything we could imagine by not only bring the church together, but bring the church into the God-head itself. The church is reconciled by to God through the cross, by the blood of Christ paying for our sins and making us holy we are no longer prisoners to sin but have been set free and given peace in Christ. Through Christ, we are given access to the God-head (2:18), and invited into the throne room of peace.

Finally, Paul exhorts the Ephesians by reminding them of the grave consequences of being in Christ that they too will have to battle against the forces of the dark world (6:12). Being in Christ is not without its responsibility, but being in Christ means that you will be victorious in the battle. The picture of the armor of God shows visually what it is to put on Christ, and to be clothed in his grace. It is both a protection and a sign and seal of who you are to the world. There is no mistaken which side of the battle you are on when you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and there is no greater guarantee of victory than by armor of God upon your breast.

Philemon

2010-05-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

The recent scholarship on Philemon has struggled to determine the purpose of this letter, or at least the central reason we have it in the canon. It is seldom given attention, but there is thought to be a chiastic structure within the book. Depending upon your perspective on the reason for a chiasm, you would then either see v14 or v23-25 as the main point of the letter with v14 focusing on freedom in the gospel and v23-25 drawing out Paul’s imprisonment and yet freedom in Christ.

The audience of Philemon is Philemon himself and the house church he was a part of. The letter was to be read aloud to them all which would both teach Philemon directly, the house church as a whole and enable them to hold Philemon accountable.

Paul’s desire was to see Philemon and Onesiumus reconciled, and he used this occasion to encourage Philemon to deal graciously with his once slave, Onesiumus. This was an opportunity for restoration between two men, to be seen as an example to the entire church.
Paul, who is in chains himself and held captive against his will is urging Philemon to be reconciled to his once slave. There is a clear picture of freedom and bondage in verses 12-14, that though Paul is in chains he is bound to nothing but the gospel. He is free because he is in Christ Jesus, and in his bondage and freedom he would like Philemon to see that Onesiumus has also been set free by the gospel.

Paul publically asks Philemon to be reconciled to encourage his obedience to the Lord and to Paul. Because we have been changed by the gospel, and have been made a new creation in Christ we are free to be obedient to his will above our own. That is what Paul wants for Philemon.

Finally, just as our sin has been taken on by Christ and he has paid our penalty, Paul has taken on Onesiumus’ debt in v 18. Paul is asking Philemon to forgive as Christ has forgiven him, to see that the debt of offense and sin has been bought and paid for by the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We who are in Christ have been forgiven much and therefore are called to forgive much. Philemon is urged to remember the penalty of sin that Christ has taken from him, and the granting of freedom he has been given by being in Christ. As such, Onesiumus is his brother and fellow heir in the promise of salvation.

Philippians

2010-05-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Despite the relative small size of this letter, it is also thought that Philippians is a combination of several letters put together, rather than a single cohesive letter written to a particular church. There are questions that surround both the overall make-up of the letter and the individual parts. In particular, Chapter 2 is thought to contain Christological hymn that Paul reproduces here, and even within this hymn there is debate over how it portrays Christ being made nothing or being poured out that calls into question historical Trinitarian understandings.

The church at Philippi was one of Paul’s great joys in his ministry as they were a partner in his ministry (1:4-5). As such they were a humble and loving congregation who were very generous despite their meager means. This overjoyed Paul because of his love for them and them for him, and their obvious understanding of the gospel.

This is one of the prison epistles that Paul wrote while he could not come and be with his beloved. He wrote to Philippi, so they would know the joy they brought him and that despite his imprisonment that the gospel was still advancing on their behalf (1:12-13).

The most striking passage in Philippians is the Christological hymn in chapter 2. Paul wants his beloved to be like Christ as such he describes Jesus as the humbled and suffering servant, who was also exalted above every name. In verses 6-8, Paul explains who Christ is and what he has done in being brought lower than any servant, who took humanity upon himself and died upon the cross. Without this humiliation and death, there would be no salvation. But without the exaltation to come the death would be for nothing. In verses 9-11, we see that the humble servant is raised up as the exalted King, so that hope in life would come out of the death of sin.

In all this Paul wants the church to see that they are to be just like Jesus Christ, and more than that – that what Christ has done for them should be of first importance. It was the only thing that was important to Paul, as he shared in 3:8, that nothing else mattered. Paul, wants us to be like Christ, as his desire to be like Christ would lead to suffering like Christ.

Finally, when we are in Christ and have tasted his sufferings and know that he has saved us for resurrection life then we can be content in all things. We should, as 4:11-13 reveals, rest in Christ for what he has done for us and who he is at all times. The strength he gives us is to resist temptation, and to rest in him when we experience trials and difficulties. We have no promise of deliverance in this world, but in the next we know we are exalted with Christ as King we as his brethren.

2 Corinthians

2010-05-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Corinthian series of letters continued with the second of the two remaining canonized as 2 Corinthians. Recent scholarship has noted discordance between chapters 1-9 and 10-13, as though they were separate parts of several letters mistakenly put together as one. However, with the length of the letter and the overall continuity of Paul exhorting the Corinthians, defending his apostolic ministry and coupling joy and suffering together it is more likely that Paul wrote to set-up his arguments of apostolic authority and concluded his letter with this purpose in mind. Additionally, Chapter 5 has received a great deal of attention as it relates to justification and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.

The audience of 2 Corinthians was the same as 1 Corinthians. The major port city of Corinth was a city filled with various types of people. As a port city it was a major hub of commerce and travel, and so they were filled with a diverse population who would have experiences from all over the known world. They were also a challenged population, known to stray and prone to immorality.

This letter comes within a known series of correspondences that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. While it is titled 2 Corinthians it is more likely the fourth or fifth letter in the series. Paul is writing to them once again to urge their faithfulness to Christ and to show them the error of their straying. He feels it necessary to legitimize his apostleship because there are those false apostles who are leading them astray. In stressing both the gospel and his apostolic ministry he focuses on reconciliation, suffering and the glory of Christ.

First, Paul teaches that union with Christ brings about a new creation in 5:17 which leads to the ministry of reconciliation in 5:18. Jesus Christ has united us to himself and in doing so reconciled those that were unclean to God and made them righteous. This is most clearly shown in 5:21 where Paul summarizes the gospel by showing the double imputation of both our sin onto Christ and his righteousness onto us, thus reconciling and saving the lost.

Second, the suffering that Christ experienced in his death and the resurrection life he was given also unites us to Christ. In 4:10, Paul teaches that those who are united to Christ in his death, will also be united to Christ in his life. Just before this he teaches about the difficulty that we would experience in this life 4:8-9, but couples this with the hope that we have in Christ.

Finally, we are promised to share in the glory of Christ as we look to our eschatological hope through the inward renewal of life. We are both humbled with Christ in his sufferings, and exalted with him in his glory. That, as 4:16 shows, outwardly during this present age we experience sufferings, so that inwardly we would taste God’s glory by being sanctified and renewed until the final and consummated day of glory to come.

Titus 2

2010-05-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
The format of the paper follows that of a relatively new commentary series published by Baker Academic entitled Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament. Designed for students in religious and theological programs and yet accessible to laymen, the series reflects the kind of papers that will be done for this course. Quoting from the editors of Paideia one blogger notes:

Each commentary deals with the text in terms of larger rhetorical units; these are not verse-by-verse commentaries. This series thus stands within the stream of recent commentaries that attend to the final form of the text. Such reader centered literary approaches are inherently more accessible to liberal arts students without extensive linguistic and historical-critical preparation than older exegetical approaches, but within the reader-centered world the sanest practitioners have paid careful attention to the extratext of the original readers, including not only these readers’ knowledge of the geography, history, and other context elements reflected in the text but also to their ability to respond correctly to the literary and rhetorical conventions used in the text. Paideia commentaries pay deliberate attention to this extratextual repertoire in order to highlight the ways in which the text is designed to persuade and move its readers."

Consummated Kingdom: Kingship and Covenant in the Early Prophets

2010-04-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Write a thematic paper on the nature of kingship as reflected in the Biblical books covered in this course. This paper should be carefully anchored in the Biblical text, including specific citations of Biblical passages. Further, it must represent research of and interacting with secondary sources regarding the nature of kingship in Israel and in the Ancient Near East.

1 Corinthians brings to focus key aspects of Paul’s theology. List five and explain.

2010-04-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

Paul’s theology is not a mystery, nor is it hard to find. He implicitly and explicitly reveals it through his letters and his teaching. There are five areas of Paul’s theology that are revealed in 1 Corinthians, his epistemology, cross-centered life, doctrines of the church, hermeneutics and the resurrection.

Paul wishes to know nothing but that which is Jesus Christ and him crucified (2:2). Paul’s source of knowledge or wisdom is not based on the worldly wisdom or the convention of the present evil age. Knowledge is based on nothing more than the Spirit of God (2:10), who has revealed the truth of God to the spiritual man (2:15).

Secondly, Paul taught that the Christian life was a life centered on Jesus Christ and his cross. It is this reason that he sent Timothy to Corinth (4:17), so that they could imitate Timothy who learned from Paul, who learned from Christ what it was to live as a Christian. Paul wants us all to keep our lives fixed on Jesus and that by doing so we will receive praise from God (4:5) and be judged on the merits of Christ and not our own (4:4).

Third, Paul underscores several doctrines of the church including the sacraments but the most clear picture of what the church is and how it should operate comes when he tells the church that they are the body of Christ (12:27). From there Paul outlines the offices of the church, but of most importance is the interconnectedness that is created by the community of Christ to one another and to Christ himself.

Fourth, Paul explains what the gospel is that he preaches. The gospel hermeneutics is explicitly defined, and Paul explains its extreme importance. It is this gospel that will save their lives. This gospel is how the Scriptures are to be read, interpreted and preached that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised (15:3-4).

Finally, Paul teaches about the doctrine of the resurrection, not only Christ’s resurrection but the resurrection of the body for all those who are in Christ. The center of Paul’s theology here though rests in the covenantal headship of both Adam and Jesus Christ. Death and sin came through the federal headship of Adam (15:21) and Resurrection and glory come through Jesus Christ (15:22).

What is the goal of exegesis? Outline a basic “process of exegesis.” Outline and exegete Ephesians 2,1-10.

2010-04-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

The goal of exegesis is to bring about the deep understanding of a passage. The task of the exegete then is to study the word of God faithfully, truthfully and historically accurate. We cannot hope to teach, explain, understand or apply Scripture to our lives or anyone else’s if we take this task lightly.

Briefly, the basic process of exegesis is first to orient oneself to the passage studying the historical context of the writer, audience and setting of the passage. Once we have an understanding of the historical context of the world surrounding the passage, then we can take a closer look at the big picture of the passage. This would mean understanding how the specific passage fits into the bigger picture of the book, and corpus of Scripture. Now that we have developed a basic meaning of the passage, it is time to employ the resources of commentaries, secondary sources and prayer to fine tune our understanding for teaching and preaching. Prayer is essential throughout the exegetical process because as this is God’s living word, it will only be by his living spirit that we can hope to gain understanding.

Ephesians 2: 1-10 breaks out into a fairly basic outline. Verses 1-3 are about Paul identifying his audience and himself as objects of God’s wrath, in their sin and disobedience. They sought to fulfill the desires of their human flesh over and above anything else. However, verses 4-9 are the turning point for the Ephesians and Paul, as he reveals the love of God and the grace of Jesus has changed these objects of wrath into kings and queens of the promise, seated with him in heaven. Objects of wrath have become objects of grace, love and honor. Finally, verse 10 completes the passage by now looking forward as to what the Ephesians and Paul were saved for. They have looked at who they were, who they are, and now they are understand their purpose. God saved them, so they could glorify him and bless others in the world as his workmanship. They were saved to do the good works that God had prepared for them and accomplished in and through them, in Christ Jesus.

“Paul’s ministry was characterized by immense and continual suffering.” Explain. Why was he willing to endure such suffering?

2010-04-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Paul’s ministry was characterized by immense suffering because he was never concerned about his own safety or well being, but had a singular purpose to proclaim the gospel to everyone he came in contact with. He did not back down from controversy and always stood for truth and Jesus Christ. The gospel was the singular most important thing to Paul, and he knew it was the singular most important thing for people to hear from him. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 reveals that even in the face of opposition, the Paul stood for Christ and was going to proclaim the gospel truth everyone.

A life lived for the well being of others, and for Christ means that your life will bear the mark of the man of sorrows himself. When you entering into Christ, you enter into his suffering and humiliation on the cross. You die to self, but gain so much more in Christ. Paul exemplified this truth in his own life, and when he and Barnabas preached the good news in Lystra and was stoned for it (Acts 14:19). One of the most telling examples though was when Paul healed the slave girl in Acts 16, was beaten and thrown in prison. He brought about grace and freedom and paid the penalty in his own body. More than though, Paul and Silas responded by worshipping God in jail, which lead to the salvation of the jailer. Like Christ, Paul was willing to give up his life for the salvation of others.

The summary passage for Paul is 2 Corinthians 11:23-33. Here Paul recounts all that he has been through for the sake of the gospel, all the pain, suffering, anguish and difficulty. He did it because he is a servant of Christ, and in his weakness is where the Sprit of Christ shown through his life so clearly. In Paul’s suffering, the light of the gospel was clear to those that met him. Likewise, the call to the Christian is a gospel ministry of suffering for the sake of others so that in our weaknesses Christ would be evident and the gospel proclaimed by all who meet us.

Summarize N. T. Wright’s position on justification in Justification

2010-04-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wright’s primary concern with justification is that it reflects what he believes second temple Judaism believed, which he sees in continuity with the Old Testament. Therefore, Write interprets justification in terms of God’s covenant faithfulness to Abraham and Abraham’s righteousness coming from his membership in the covenant. Justification then becomes another way of defining covenant membership which emphasizes ecclesiology over soteriology.

Wright’s reading of Paul then becomes focused on defining the covenant, membership within it and righteousness established by that membership. Justification is not the focus of salvation however, especially since Wright sees this as being only one way to talk about salvation and not THE way. The basis for his exegesis is found in the way he defines righteousness and covenant in terms he believes to be synchronistic with Paul, the Old Testament and second temple Judaism. Unfortunately, what he ends up with is a works based righteousness, even stating that final judgment is according to our works.

Galatians 5 gives us another picture though of Paul that Wright does not seem to share. Here Paul talks about the freedom Christians have from the law, and especially circumcision as defining salvation or justification as the gospel of Jesus Christ plus works. Paul says however that it is only in Jesus Christ that we have any hope and that the works of the law do not count for anything when we are in Christ. Ultimately, our hope, our justification is found in “faith expressing itself through love” or the love of Jesus Christ making us righteous through his Spirit that gives us faith. In faith, we eagerly wait for the completed work of our salvation in Christ alone.

Galatians 2

2010-03-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Each commentary deals with the text in terms of larger rhetorical units; these are not verse-by-verse commentaries. This series thus stands within the stream of recent commentaries that attend to the final form of the text. Such reader centered literary approaches are inherently more accessible to liberal arts students without extensive linguistic and historical-critical preparation than older exegetical approaches, but within the reader-centered world the sanest practitioners have paid careful attention to the extratext of the original readers, including not only these readers’ knowledge of the geography, history, and other context elements reflected in the text but also to their ability to respond correctly to the literary and rhetorical conventions used in the text. Paideia commentaries pay deliberate attention to this extratextual repertoire in order to highlight the ways in which the text is designed to persuade and move its readers."

Critical Review - A Biblical History of Israel

2010-03-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
Students will write a critical review of the historiographical methodology proposed in A Biblical History of Israel pages 1-104.

Course Reflection - Church and the World

2009-12-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

As a student of philosophy I have always enjoyed studying and comparing Christianity to other philosophies of the world that have influenced and been influenced by theology. Learning the history and the context of those ideas helps to equip one to appreciate them for the areas they offer truth, but also to be ready to correct them in areas where they stray from orthodoxy. There were opportunities to take another class in place of this one that focused more on the contemporary debate over post-modernism. I chose to take this class though because of the focus on Barth and Schleiermacher who have influenced both Christian and non-Christian thought so much. These are areas that most students of theology constantly call into question and I desired to understand them better. This class certainly equipped me to understand and correct the errors in their thought and showed the context that we find the church in today. In light of the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the church to penetrate the culture today, I found this class to offer great insight for equipping the church of tomorrow to be more kingdom focused and Christ-centered.

True Beauty

2009-12-31T12:46:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
You are to prepare a 7-10 page review of Ken Myers’ All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes. Evaluate Myers on the relation between Christian faith and popular culture. Assess Myers’ book in the light of contemporary theology and the various ways in which the church has interacted with contemporary culture. Write your paper as if addressing informed members of your church. How would you address their present concerns about popular music, the arts, television, and the media? You may assume they know little about contemporary theology, but they are aware of the ineffectiveness of the church at the end of the 20th century. Avoid the temptation to preach. Focus your attention, instead, on helping them to understand popular culture as enabled by Myers’ work.

Course Reflection - History of Christianity I

2009-12-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

History has never quite been something I was drawn to. I like the idea of it and I liked knowing when significant events occurred, but would never consider myself a history buff. What I learned from this class however, was a greater appreciation for God’s work throughout the history of the Church. From the brutal persecutions of the early church to the intellectual exercises of scholastics in the 11th and 12th centuries it is clear that God was and is at work. I especially appreciated learning about the councils that affected our understanding of doctrinal truth today, and how the collective body came together to work through these very difficult decisions. It became clear that, even though there were people who were deemed heretics and were on the wrong side of orthodoxy that they weren’t all malicious I their desire to spread their misunderstandings. It should give the church pause today, when dealing with misunderstandings of truth and hearts of compassion to share the wisdom of church fathers who have dealt with these topics in the past. This course has equipped me to better understand where and how the church was formed, and to trust in preserving work of God to hold his bride accountable to an unwavering truth throughout history of the past, present and future.

New Testament Canon

2009-12-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
The paper itself needs to develop and unfold your subject, giving enough of the background by way of introduction to show the significance of your subject and to enable your reader to ascertain your purpose in writing the paper. Develop your subject by selecting and presenting data that you have accumulated, and include any additional background that will be helpful. Then analyze, synthesize and evaluate what you have found. Your personal interaction with the data is important, showing your line of thinking, your analysis, your synthesis and evaluation.

Christ our Humble Shepherd and Exalted King is Victorious

2009-12-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
Sermon manuscript on 1 Peter 5: 6-11.

The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text

2009-12-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
Reading report on The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text by Sidney Greidanus.

Those who are in Christ – Should be like Christ – To show the World Christ

2009-10-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Sermon manuscript on 1 Peter 2: 11-12.

Discuss: The power of Christ's resurrection is manifested in the suffering of the believer

2009-05-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

The sufferings of the believer and the church are a witness to the world of the power of Christ's resurrection. The death of Jesus is carried by the sufferings of the believer, so that His resurrection life is shown to the world (2 Cor 4:10). The believer experiences suffering, life Christ, as they are pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down (2 Cor 4: 8-9), but not crushed in despair, abandoned or destroyed (2 Cor 4: 8-9). For like Christ we too have the promise of resurrection life to be procured by his suffering, exemplified by ours so that the world might see the glory of God. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of this glory to come with a heavenly tent, that though we suffer not it is for a and in Christ. We live by faith, and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), so our present sufferings only hasten the day of judgment to come when as glorified we stand before our most righteous judge.

Discuss: Gaffin: "The basic duality of the eschatological fulfillment taught in Scripture."

2009-05-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

The basic duality taught in Scripture of the eschatological coming and fulfillment of Christ's life is that it was and is one event with two parts. Christ entering the world and entering into redemptive history was the fulfillment of the promise made to Adam and Abraham. Jesus would come to take the punishment of sin for Adam's transgression, passive obedience and to be perfect and make righteous the people of Abraham, active obedience. This is one event in history; however, has a two part implication in what has already been procured, bought and paid for a the Cross, death, resurrection, ascension and Pentecost for the church and the covenant people in the past and present. But there is also a not yet or a still greater fulfillment of these promises to Adam and Abraham to come at the judgment and glorification of the Body of Christ, in the second coming. The covenant community possesses in reality the first fruits of Christ at present, and yet still looks toward the future, the duality, of the fulfilled covenant promises and blessings to come that the inner man may experience now, but then the outer man will experience in fullness (2 Cor 4: 16-18).

Final - Indentify

2009-05-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

1. Death is unnatural

Death is not God's desire for creation and specifically man. It requires an explanation because death breaks into life and causes disharmony where life is natural and continues. Death is unnatural to man as our souls are promised immortality, our bodies experience death.

2. The New Testament notion of paradise, or heaven.

The Old testament refers to the garden and the promise land as the dwelling place of God. While paradise in the New Testament dwelling place of God is in heaven that the covenant people are called to.

3. Purgatory.

Purgatory is derived from the Catholic doctrine as a place of punishment for temporal sins, and purification from them. Accordingly, the Church can reduce this punishment by interceding with good works and indulgences, etc. There is no such place in reformed doctrine as the dead are either delivered to paradise or await the final judgment apart from God.

4. Distinction between the resurrection of the body and the resurrection of the flesh.

The resurrection of the body is the promised recreation and redemption fulfilled before the day of judgement. This is a recreative act of God that does not rely upon the particles of the flesh. Whereas the resurrection of the flesh is the belief that the totality of matter must be gathered and reassembled.

5. Premil, postmil, amil, preterist.

Premillennialism believes that Christ will return before the 1,000 year literal reign of an earthly kingdom. Postmillennialism believes that Christ will return after a 1,000 year literal reign of the church. Amillennialism believes in the inaugurated kingdom that Christ brought about in his first coming, as He still reigns in a non-literal 1,000 years currently until his final and triumphant return. Preterists believe all prophecy of judgment and the second coming occurred in the past and specifically 70 AD with the destruction of the temple. All millennial views place the judgement and return of Christ in the future.

6. Intermediate corporeality.

Intermediate corporeality is the belief that when the body dies it receives a temporary body, in which contact with the living world is still possible.

7. Invocation of the saints.

Invocation of the saints is the belief that the dead can make intercession on behalf of the living, and so they are prayed to, invoked and venerated by the church in hopes of blessing. There is no biblical foundation for this, but Catholics use 2 Mac 15 as a proof text.

8. Waltke: "The dross of the Old covenant."

Waltke refers "the dross of the Old covenant" as the shadow, precursor and temporal reality of the greater spiritual everlasting truth to come in the New Covenant.

9. Waltke: "Spiritual Israel today."

To Waltke, "Spiritual Israel today" is the current community of the church as the true, real, everlasting, spiritual Israel promised to endure forever.

10. Soul-sleep.

Soul-sleep is the belief that upon death there is a complete separation and break with the psychic power of the mind to interact with knowledge and therefore must sleep, rest without interaction until judgment. This creates a false dualism between mind and matter, soul and spirit.

Speak Love Part 2

2009-05-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Students will prepare an exegesis paper on a passage of their choice. This is a substantial paper that could be used, if the student so desires, to pass presbytery. The purpose of this paper is to help the student gain familiarity with the process of exegesis and with the basic syntax of the NT Greek.

Speak Love

2009-05-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
This presentation should take no more than 15 minutes. Specifics of the presentation will be discussed in class. Because a significant portion of our experience as preachers and teachers involves presenting our arguments orally to our listeners, this exercise will help the student better understand how to communicate concisely the substance of his or her exegesis.

In the Bible, justification is forensic not ethical.

2009-04-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

While the gift of God’s grace enables man to ethically choose what is right over what is wrong rather than conferring a substance upon man, like the Roman Catholic position. That does not mean that justification is an ethical act of God, for if it was he would be bound to condemn all for falling short. However; in His divine sovereignty and providence, God has chosen to forensically declare, as judge and ruler of all, some righteous while simultaneously condemning the guilty. Looking at the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 25:1; we see specifically during the time the Mosiac covenant and the giving of the law, God commands the Israelites to bring their disputes before judges to forensically declare the innocent and the guilty. Then in Proverbs 17:14-15, we see the wisdom of Lord applied to dispute with an enemy again leads to an acquittal or condemnation. Finally, looking at the New Testament in Romans 8:33-34; Paul specifically connects God’s justifying act of the chosen in Christ to the charge given that comes from a dispute. When seen in the full light of Scripture we can easily trace justification back to the enmity between God and the human race, and the need for a declarative act to acquit man of his guilt before a righteous God. The forensic nature of justification provides that acquittal passively to the believer, while the intimate relationship that results actively penetrates and convicts the believer’s heart of their own guilt. By recognizing the guilt, the believer comes before a righteous judge, seeking forgiveness and giving thanks for the promise of life instead of death.

The relationship between justification, union with Christ and sanctification.

2009-04-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

From the reformed perspective the relationship between justification, union with Christ and sanctification is more simultaneous than linearly represented on a timeline. Justification is God’s declarative act, external from the believer to acquit their sin and impute Christ’s righteousness upon them by covenanting with the believer and entering into a relationship that promises life. That relationship is best seen as union with Christ, which literally gives the believer life. This is not an ordinary life, but one that is transformative of the mind and a renewal of the will to seek and worship God above anything else. Union with Christ offers the believer an everlasting hope and a secured promise of eternally life based on the justifying act of God’s declarative righteousness. At the same time that righteousness and everlasting life are offered to the believer, so they are changed, purified and made holy by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ chooses to tabernacle within the heart and mind of the believer, changing them forever from sin to righteousness as he becomes sin for us. Justification, union with Christ and sanctification all come to us instantly the moment the believer is saved. Each will be fully realized upon the resurrection and glorification of the body, but each are also fully promised and granted to the believer in the salvific gift of God’s grace.

The relationship between regeneration, external call and effectual call.

2009-04-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Regeneration, the external call and the effectual call are tightly bound together, but are not identical. While not identified with one another as equals there is a clear relationship between them all that is woven into the life of the Christian. Each is essential for salvation, therefore each play a distinct role in the salvation of a believer. The external call to hear the Gospel is freely given to all and is mandated by the church to liberally preach the Gospel, for without the preaching none would hear and without hearing none would believe (Romans 10:14). In the midst of the external call, the one who hears will be effectually called to the Lord. While election has taken place eternally, it must be realized within history and the life of the believer. All who are effectually called will come to saving knowledge of the Lord, therefore effectual calling precedes regeneration. Regeneration is the origin of a new spiritual life within the believer which confirms their effectual call and demonstrates their obedience to the external call of the Gospel of grace by faith in Jesus Christ.

Mid-Term - Identify

2009-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

1. Title of Book 3 of Calvin's Institutes

The way in which we receive the grace of Christ: the benefits that come to us and the effects that follow

2. Historia salutis, ordo salutis

a) Redemption accomplished through the once and for all acts of Christ.
b) Redemption applied through union with Christ.

3. Hoekema’s pentagon (draw it)

4. Broader and narrower use the word “regeneration”

a) Total renewal of person in Christ that generally encompasses gift of new life and sanctification.
b) Origin of life that focuses upon the moment that one becomes a Christian.

5. External call and particular call

a) The verbal call heard by all who hear the Gospel proclaimed and witness the acts of God in creation.
b) The inner call heard only by those who have been elect to seek the Kingdom of God.

6. “Inner man,” “outer man”

a) The internally renewed, justified and sanctified self who enjoys the benefits of being in Christ at present.
b) The outward wasting away body that endures the effects of sin, the fall and the curse which groans with creation longing for the day of resurrection.

7. notitia, assensus, fiducia

a) Knowledge that is necessary for salvation.
b) Assent that is belief and application of salvation.
c) Faith that is total entrustment to Christ for salvation.

8. forensic justification

The declarative act of God, as judge, that acquits sin on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, not our own, as a holy and perfect judgment.

9. ground of justification

Not man’s righteousness obtained by the law nor man’s faith, but Christ’s own righteousness obtained by obedience to the Father, death upon the cross and resurrection as firstfruit.

10. “alien righteousness”

Not man’s righteousness obtained by the law, but righteousness of and from God, conferred upon man by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Discuss: "The two pillars of true faith in Scripture as God's Word are the objective witness and the internal tesstimony."

2008-12-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

The pillars of God's word are ultimately based upon the trustworthiness of God. Without being able to trust in God for who he is, we would not be able to trust his word for "teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). The objective witness of Scripture is the trustworthy normative authority on display in the History of Redemption. We have a comprehesive given to us in Scripture that we must rely upon to provide the message of redemption, in Jesus Christ. This message is one the whole world needs to hear and be taught as objective authoritative truth. Without this truth we cannot have the subjective work of the Holy Spirit to truthfully apply the work of redemption to the heart of the hearer. This is the internal testimony of Scripture to the heart that brings stone to life. By this true pillar of faith the covenant community can "live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7). Thus trusting in the subjective application of God's normative truth to their own heart. That is what standing upon the trushtworthiness of God's divine revelation produces, a transformed heart made in the image of Christ himself, thus redeeming creation and completing the history of redemption, "from Him, through Him and to Him" (Romans 11:36).

What are the attributes of Holy Scripture and why do they stand or fall together?

2008-12-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

The attributes of Holy Scripture are authority, clarity, necessity and sufficiency. These attributes stand upon the doctrine of God to take their shape. By Authority, God explimfies his self-authenticating witness to provide Scripture with a transcendant and timeless norm throughout history. There is no greater authority on Scripture than Scripture itself because it bears the breath of God's authority. By clarity, God shows the world that he is both transcendant and immanant, so that he can be seen and understood. That is why man is responsible for his own sin as Romans 1:19 shows us. Clarity should not be mistaken for comprehensiveness for there is still mystery in Holy Scripture as God is incomprehensible in his transcendance. But his message is clear, thus the ncessity of Scripture. Since Jesus Christ is the word of God (John 1:1) we see the two intimately together and thus the immense necessirty of both to provide salvation. That message of salvation gives the church it's mission as Romans 10:14 shows us the neccessity of Scritpure to provide the life-giving good news by preaching the word. Ultimately this word provides the message of faith, hope and love to a dead individual who desparately needs the message of salvation. Finally, by sufficiency, Scripture shows that it is perfect and complete. There is no need to add anything further to God's word because it is wholly sufficient for its purposes of breathing God's truth into the world and hearts of stone.

With a careful analysis of these attributes we can see the foundation of God's attributes which seal the truth of Scripture. If these intricately woven attributes of Scripture hold one another up based on who God is, than they all begin to crumble together. Only a sovereign, immanant and transcendant, creator, sustainer, holy perfect God could ever author the authoratative, clear, neccessary and sufficient Holy Scriptures.

"Mechanical inspiration" and "organic inspiration"

2008-12-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

Mechanical inspiration is the view that God dictated precisely down to the letters the inspired Scriptures. This view maintains that the writers of Scripture were controlled in such a way that thier own perspectives, life experiences and word usage were not a part of inspired Scripture, but that they were mechanically controlled to write only what God wanted them to write. This view sees God's authority in a very limited way, thus making the human writers of Scripture as nothing more than robots.

While organic inspiration sees the writing of Scripture as utilizing the sum totoal of human lives working through God's creation and providence to give us his breathed word through inspired human writers. This view seems altogether messier; however, it is more beautiful than can be imagined. This is the most intricately woven, magnificently authored story in history. God has shown his ability to provide special revelation, his word, through the amazing grace and divinely inspired writers across centures and cultures. Organic inspiration ultimately bows down in much greater respect to God's authority by preserving human freedom in the midts of God's amazing story of redemption.

Kline's view of the suzerain-vassal treaty structure

2008-12-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Kline believes that the canon of Scripture is based upon the suzerian-vassal treaty. As such, the covenant and by extension, all of Scripture is given to man in the form of the Ancient Near East suzarain-vassal treaty. The suzarain-vassal treaty is comprised of the preamble, or proclomation of who the king is, followed by an historical prologue, or what has theking done, then the stipulations of what is required to maintain the covenant, along with the blessings, cursings and ratification of the covenant. Finally, the succesion or protection of the covenant to be handed down to future generations. Kline views all of Scripture through this framework of God as the great king, suzerain and the covenant community as the vassal.

What were the "two tables of the covenant"?

2008-12-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

The "two tables of the covenant" were two complete copies of God's covenant made with Moses and Israel at Mt. Siani. Suzerain-vassal treaties had a documentary clause to preserve a copy for each party. In this case, since God's dwelling place was with the people with whom he made covenant, Israel kept both copies, which were identical and total in each copy.

"Granting the existence of inscripturated revelation, there are three basic positions on the New Testament canon." What are they?

2008-12-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

The three basic positions on NT canon in light of inscripturated revelation are two variations on an open canon and one view on a closed canon. First, the view that the NT canon is an open human anthology which can be added to as new revelation is found. Second, the view that NT canon can have have new word revelation given to individual people rather than the covenant people as a whole, maintains an open canon as well. Finally, the view that the NT canon is closed is based upon the foundational view of the apostles and prophets found in Ephesians 2: 19-20 and Revelation 21:14. The closed view maintains the attributes of Scripture's complete sufficiency.

How is providence distinct from creation?

2008-12-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

The distinction between providence and creation is that providence is the preservation and governance of all that God has created. As author of creation, ex nihilo, only God can sustain, preserve and continuously uphold through His governing power everything that he created. Thus his providential work is the continual preservation and governance of creation.

The Gift of Revelation

2008-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
Dialogue paper: Students will write a dialogue on the doctrine of Scripture between two Anglican theologians, J. I. Packer and N. T. Wright. The dialogue should demonstrate a solid grasp of the assigned reading and lectures and should address issues related to the doctrine of Scripture: the role the Bible plays in God’s redemptive purposes (i.e., the Bible as a means of grace), the nature of biblical authority, the meaning of inspiration, and the nature of inerrancy.

Course Reflection - History of Philosophy and Christian Thought

2008-11-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

As a student enrolled at RTS-DC and working full-time I have a very busy schedule. The virtual campus allows me to supplement my course work and work towards graduation at a faster and more flexible pace than only taking DC classes allows. I am on the Masters of Divinity track and would like to be able to complete my studies and schedule my courses without having to take vacation time every summer for class when I can sign up for virtual classes.

I have always been drawn to the study of Philosophy and Christian thought as it presents a comprehensive way to view the world. As a former atheist who was greatly influenced by the study of philosophy towards atheism and the study of Christian thought towards theism I understand the need comprehend both and the influences they have had on one another. There are people we encounter every day who have been influenced by the philosophies of the world and have either replaced Christianity with them or integrated the worldly philosophies into their worldview in such a way that it makes it impossible for them to remain consistent. It is the desire of my heart to see more people in the church equipped to confront their friends, family and strangers in a loving way with the message of truth found only in Christian thought that will transform their lives. This course has equipped me to that end and has vastly expanded my knowledge of the historical influences of philosophical ideologies on the worldviews of today.

Theological Ruminations on Kant

2008-11-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
The paper needs to develop and unfold your subject, giving enough of the background by way of introduction to show the significance of your subject and to enable your reader to ascertain your purpose in writing the paper. Develop your subject by selecting and presenting data that you have accumulated, and include any additional background that will be helpful. Then analyze, synthesize and evaluate what you have found. Your personal interaction with the data is important, showing your line of thinking, your analysis, your synthesis and evaluation.

What are the main biblical testimonies to the deity of Christ?

2008-10-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

The basic presupposition of the entirety of Scripture is not only that God exists, but that man is sinful and Jesus Christ is our only way to salvation. The biblical drama unfolds for us the characters – God and man, the problem – man’s disobedience and sin, and finally the resolution – salvation in Jesus Christ alone. What makes this resolution possible is the deity of Jesus Christ, for no mere man could bring about the resolution we need. That reality is presumed to be true throughout the bible and presented again and again.

Depending upon how one translates monogenes from John 1:14, you will either understand the logos, Jesus Christ, to be the only begotten or the only unique son of God. Either way there is the understanding that there is something altogether different about this Son as compared to the son of any other man. This Son was not only present at creation, but was the very word used to bring it about. Furthermore, as the only-begotten son of God it is evident that that there is an eternal generation from which the Father and the Son both belong. Jesus by his own words in John 14:9-10 admits that anyone who has seen him has seen God the Father because the Father lives in the Son, and the Son in the Father. As C.S. Lewis put it, these are either the ravings of a liar and a lunatic, if not the true words of God. Jesus Christ also assumes the attributes of God, as he has already intimately connected himself to the Father; he now ascribes righteousness to the Father in John 17:25 and by direct implication to himself. For it is only a truly righteous God that could create, love, preserve and save those he chooses.

The deity of Christ is further understood and reinforced by the preaching and epistles of the Apostle Paul. In his exhortation to the Philippian church, Paul states that to be like Jesus Christ, “who, being in the very nature God” humbled himself (Philippians 2:6). Paul clearly states here that Jesus Christ is not only the Son, but is God himself. He has all the characteristics of deity and this truth is proclaimed clearly, without question and authoritatively. Paul continues by pointing the church to the Covenant Lordship of Jesus Christ, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The Lordship of Jesus Christ pronounces his authority, control and presence as the glorified Son of God.

Finally, the author of Hebrews focuses us in upon the very power and accomplishment of the deity of Christ. Again there is a confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Hebrews 4:14) and that confession is one that is meant to grow faith. By confessing the deity of Jesus Christ, our faith is made stronger for we are humbly submitting to his lordship. The power of our salvation is made manifest in the sinless acts of our savior, that he was tempted in every way and yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). There we find mercy; there we find confidence to proclaim not only the deity of Christ, but our everlasting life in Christ.

Discuss the structure of the doctrine of the Trinity

2008-10-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

The doctrine of the trinity did not immediately come about through the understanding of the post-apostolic age. BB Warfield said of the Old Testament, that all the elements were there in a dimly lit majestically furnished room. The New Testament threw light upon the darkness, but it took time for eyes to adjust and hearts to understand what they were seeing. As the church fathers learned from scripture and the Holy Spirit actively worked on their hearts they were able to form the doctrine of the trinity out of the biblical text and revealed truths of the word of God.

Both the Old and New Testaments show us that God is one. He is the alpha and the omega, the almighty one (Revelation 1:8). There is a singularity of God revealed in his command to alone be worshiped (Exodus 20:3). Also and not contradictorily, God is three. This is revealed prominently at Christ’s baptism, as the Father declares his love for the Son and seals his baptism with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). There is no contradiction here because this revelation shows God as the Father, God as the Son and God as the Holy Spirit – the single God in three.

The revelation of the trinity is thus further understood as the three persons of trinity. Thus each person of the trinity reveals to us that God is an absolute person that each person is distinct and yet each are related. There are both an ontological relationship and an economic relationship revealing a perfectly harmonious, single purpose, single will and single plan made manifest through each person of the trinity. All three persons of the trinity are present and active in the creation and re-creation of the world. The Father eternally decrees, the Son is eternally begotten and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from both the Father and the Son. There is an immanent relationship and profound mystery in the absolute person of God.

State the meaning of each of these attributes of God, with specific biblical support

2008-10-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Aseity

To understand the aseity or independence of God we must first come to realize the distinction between God and man or the Creator and the creation. As God’s immanent theopomorphic creation we recognize that he is a transcendent being who has revealed himself to us in an anthropomorphic revelation. These both make him greater than we can imagine and also brings him intimately closer to us than we could ever hope for. God has shown us that he is set apart and completely independent from us through his acts of creation and redemption. He has also shown us that he is completely sufficient in and of himself without need of us.

Through creation it was God who set apart the darkness from the light (Gen 1:4), it was God who makes each day possible and calls them into being by his very word (Gen 1:5). God revealed his complete independence by creating a world that was completely dependant upon him, sustained by him alone and for his own good pleasure. Furthermore, when God finally speaks to Job and his friends he reminds them that man was not present when the foundations of the world were laid (Job 38:4), nor was it man who formed the world as clay (Job 38:14), but it was the independent, all sufficient God of the universe. Now in the New Testament, John reveals to us that the very same God who created us, who was the very Word of God (John 1:2-3), is the same God who by his independent desire to bring salvation would be the redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who would bring our salvation through grace and truth (John 1:17). Finally, the men of Athens learn from the Apostle Paul that the “unknown God” is the God of creation, the God of life, the wholly sufficient God who breathes life into every living being (Acts 17:22-25).

Immutability

We serve a changeless and reliable God that has been with us our entire lives and knew us before we were even born. God’s immutability or changelessness means that he is not like the deceitful shadows that shift (James 1:17) and cause us to not trust our Lord. He brings us heavenly light to display the splendor and majesty of his veracity. He is the rock of our salvation and the firm ground from which we build our house, not like the foolish man who builds his house on the shifting sands (Matthew 7: 26).

Goodness

The unfailing love (Psalm 90:14) of our God is his revealed goodness to his creation. That he would send his son to die on our behalf because of his love for the world and desire to give the free, but expensive gift, of grace to those that would believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16) is an amazing testimony to the goodness of our Lord. It is unimaginable that our God would love us so much and desire to pour out his goodness upon his creatures that he would send his son to take on the very nature of a servant, that the King of Kings would humble himself to the point of death upon the cross displays the unfathomable and immense goodness and love of our God (Philippians 2: 7-8).

Holiness

From the beginning of God’s relationship with his covenant people he has called them out of their unrighteousness, out of their unbelief and into the courts of his holiness. From the establishment of the sacrificial system in Leviticus, God has shown his covenant people the need to find a perfect and blemish free offering (Leviticus 1:3) to make atonement for them (Leviticus 1:4) because they were not like God in all his perfections. Once again God revealed his perfection to the covenant people through his encounter with the prophet Isaiah by filling the temple, proclaiming his holiness and bringing the prophet to his knees in humble recognition that he was a man of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:1-5). Finally, Paul writing to the Colossians proclaims God’s holiness by showing us that it is by Christ’s sacrifice that we are reconciled and made blemish free (Colossians 1:22), thus brought back into right relationship with God, able to stand before him with confidence in our salvation.

Course Reflection - Apologetics

2008-10-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Apologetics is one of my favorite subjects and as a former atheist I believe this topic is crucial for the church. There are people we encounter every day that have little to no understanding of who God is and who he has made them to be. They are outright against Christianity in the way they live, interact with people and work. It is the desire of my heart to see more people in the church equipped to confront their friends, family and strangers in a loving way with the message of truth that will transform their lives. This course has equipped me to that end and instilled a deep desire in my heart towards loving the lost, sharing the gospel with them and defending the faith that has transformed my life.

An Unlikely Conversation

2008-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Write a paper of approximately 3000 words presenting an apologetic dialogue between a Christian and a non-Christian. Chapter 9 of AGG provides you a model for the dialogue form. Your dialogue may deal with any subject that might arise in such a conversation, such as the existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature of truth, the authority of Scripture, etc. For this paper, you should do some research beyond the course assignments.

Relational Presuppositional Apologetics

2008-10-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Write a paper of approximately 2000 words describing and arguing your own view of apologetic method. This should show interaction with the course lectures and readings and should present a biblical basis for your view. Some research beyond assigned readings required. The paper should interact with Van Til and with some of the other alternative apologetic methods discussed (both in the historical lectures and in the book Five Views of Apologetics).

Final Exam Part 2: Exodus 20

2008-06-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

Discuss the components that make up a loyalty oath (suzerain-vassal treaty)and explain how Exodus 20 (the Ten Commandments) fits into that genre.

The most prevalent and well preserved writings of the Ancient Near Eastern culture were that of the suzerain-vassal treaty structure so it is by no mistake that the writings of the Old Testament from that time period would incorporate that into into their literary structure. The Ten Commandments provides one of the clearest forms of that use. The preamble, or the statement of the covenant parties, shows God to be the great King in verses 1 to 2a. Next, the historical prologue, provides the context for what the great king has done for his vassals, Israel, in delivering them out of slavery. The great king has redeemed his people in verse 2b. As the Ten Commandments continue to unfold in verses 3 - 17, we see the stipulations or the law that set the parameters for loyalty oath such as: remembering the sabbath, honoring your parents and so forth. Within these stipulations we discover divine sanctions or cursings and blessings for disobedience and obedience to these stipulations. Cursing like punishment for sin and blessings like enduring love to the family of covenant keepers. The preservation or documentary clause of this suzerain-vassal treaty was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai and was to be set inside the Ark of the Covenant protecting and preserving this loyalty oath from any additions, corruptions or redactions. Finally, the witness of this treaty was before the entire assembly of God's people at Mount Sinai as it was consumed by fire. This witness would be preserved in the Ark as the Israelites camped all around it when they rested, and would lead them throughout the wilderness as they marched towards the promise land. Ultimately, God is the divine witness and preserver as he made his presence and dwelling place above the Ark upon the mercy seat.

Final Exam Part 2: Abrahamic Covenant

2008-06-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Abrahamic Covenant, as we discussed in class, consisted in three promises, two which were significant in Genesis. What were these two significant promises? Describe also the two-fold fulfillment of these covenant promises in the history of redemption.

God gave Abraham the promise of a great blessing in Genesis 12 through the promises of a son or seed, through the promise of a land to call their own in Genesis 15, and finally the promise of a covenant law to govern the people in the land in Genesis 17. The significant promises in Genesis are that of the seed in the promised son and heir, for without an heir Abraham could not become a great nation. And the promise of the land to call their own, so that they could find rest in the dwelling place of God as Adam experienced in the garden. The initial fulfillment of the promised seed is a typological fulfillment in Isaac pointing towards the true fulfillment in Jesus Christ as the seed of Genesis 3 and Galatians 3. The birth of Isaac leads to the establishment of the patriarchal line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which gives rise to the royal family in Genesis finding greater fulfillment in the Nation of Israel as evidenced in the Hexateauch. Finally this promise realizes its true and ultimate fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ, the true Israel. The second significant promise of land is given its typological fulfillment in the Book of Joshua, but the foundations for the people dwelling in the promise land are laid in Genesis. It is important to note that the dwelling place of God was the focus of the need of land and rest. The true seed, Jesus Christ, would pave the way to the true promise land of the eternal, heavenly Kingdom. This the ultimate dwelling place of God, where true rest and true fulfillment of God's promise will come.

Final Exam Part 1

2008-06-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Describe its significance in the place of the redemptive history. You are free to write as much as you need, but one page per passage should be sufficient. Use additional sheets of paper for your answer.

Genesis 49: 8-12
The line of Judah is the most significant line of the covenant family of Israel because it is form his offspring that the ultimate Redeemer King will come. Jacob's blessing upon his son reveals this truth through the kingly imagery, the promise of the Prince of Peace and through the sacrificial prophesy of the blood covenant. Judah is presented as the typological king that the Lord Jesus Christ truly is. Genesis 49:8 reveals the exalted status of a kingly ruler that is obeyed and bowed down before. Genesis 49: 9-10 continues to show a victorious king who rules as Christ will rule through his victories over sin and death. The climax of the kingly rule of Jesus Christ will be as the Prince of Peace or Shiloh as Genesis 49:10 reveals his true fulfilling nature in the blessings of Judah. This climax is made effectual through the one true blood sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The donkey that Jacob blesses Judah with is the very same donkey that the triumphal king will ride to the cross as a sign of the true nature of his sacrifice. This is the same donkey of Zechariah 9 and Luke 19 showing the promised King's redemptive powers. Finally this passage paints the image of shed blood and victory over death as Jesus Christ fulfills the stained robes with his own blood as the consummation of his redemptive power.

Exodus 12: 12-30
The active power of God to save his people through the shedding of redemptive blood is given through a vivid picture of salvation and death here in Exodus 12. Judgment is delivered upon the Egyptians as was promised as death plagues the land. This was the final sign and wonder given to reveal the Divine Creator King. The sacrifice of the paschal lamb was ultimately fulfilled in the death of Jesus Christ. His death and shedding of blood was like the active protection of YHWH for the people of Israel in Exodus 12. The propitiatory nature of covering the houses of God's chosen people and His active preservation of their lives puts the psach in a more proactive light than does the passive nature of simply passing over. For it is God, seeing Israel's obedience to his command that he actively protects them from the Destroyer. Just like it is Jesus Christ who uses his own blood to actively cover over His chosen people to preserve their lives unto everlasting life.

The Gospel of Leviticus

2008-06-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
Describe the theology of the atonement in the Book of Leviticus.

Reading Report - God of Promise

2008-05-20T19:35:00.006-07:00

1. The Big Idea?
We are made to be in relationship, the vertical relationship with God and the horizontal relationship with one another. The key factor in that relationship is that of made and kept promises that make covenant theology and Reformed theology synonymous because it is the covenant that Reformed theology attributes the architectural structure of scripture. God’s purposes through the covenant are to be known by his people and to know his people by binding himself to them in the form of promises and blessings. This is what binds the community of Israel together in the Old Testament and what binds Christians together today.

2. God and Foreign Relations
The basic form of the covenant established by God with Israel, as witnessed and attested to in scripture was made within the context of a culture that highly valued the suzerain-vassal treaties of second millennium BC. The elements of a treaty are the preamble which identifies the great king or the one who is making the treaty, in this case God himself. Next is the historical prologue which not only justifies what the great king will do, but shows what he has done. Following that are the stipulations which signify the terms of the treaty and the sanctions which signify the consequences for not upholding the terms. Finally the treaty tablets are deposited in the sacred temples as a witness to all what has been done and to ensure that there would be no modifications. God used the present culture in which to establish his covenant with his people, as the Great King who initiates, keeps and binds himself to his covenant promises taking the punishment of the sanctions on himself.

3. A Tale of Two Mothers
Here Horton begins to distinguish between the Abrahamic covenant as a covenant of grace (or unilateral and eternal) and the Sinaitic covenant as a covenant of law (or conditional and temporal). The basis for this argument is the Galatian heresy and Paul’s distinction between the two mothers in Galatians 3. When God made his bond with Abraham it was out of grace and because of Abraham’s faithfulness his heirs would receive the benefits of the promise; however, in Horton’s estimation the covenant made with Moses was fragile because the people’s faith was fragile and therefore not eternal like the covenant with Abraham.

4. A New Covenant
Horton continues to develop this distinction between law and gospel as he points to the covenantal attorneys, the Prophets, specifically Jeremiah who draws the distinction between external command and internal willingness, conditions and promises, the letter and the Spirit as law and gospel. He then admits that the Sinaitic covenant is offered in terms of the gracious history leading up to it, but then states that the coming messiah displaces the types and shadows of the covenant rather than fulfilling the law by obedience that Israel and we could not. Then Horton does state that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the unilateral promise of the Abrahamic covenant and the typological fulfillment of the bilateral conditions of the Sinaitic covenant, but in my estimation this ignores the requirement for Abraham to respond in faith to God’s promises (bilaterally) and the fact that God is the one who keeps the law perfectly (unilaterally). There are unilateral and bilateral elements found in both covenants; therefore, since God justifies by faith alone and not on the basis of works they are both a part of the covenant of grace.

5. From Scripture to System: The Heart of Covenant Theology
There are three overarching covenants presented in scripture, the Covenant of Redemption, the Covenant of Creation and the Covenant of Grace. These covenants all exist within the framework of federal theology or solidarity of the representative head. The first of these the Covenant of Redemption or the pactum salutis is the covenant established in eternity by the three persons of the trinity to bring about the redemption of God’s people through the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Covenant of Creation or Works (foederus naturae) was established in the garden with Adam which required his obedience to maintain life and integrity, and according to Horton the Sinaitic covenant is a re-establishment of this Covenant of Works. Finally the Covenant of Grace (foederus gratiae) is established with Adam immediately following the fall as a fulfillment of the promise made by the Godhead in the pactum salutis to bring about redemption through Jesus Christ who fulfills the foederus naturae as a federal head for those elect who were trapped in sin by Adam and provided everlasting life by the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

6. Providence and Covenant: Common Grace
There is a real partnership that exists in covenant theology despite the fact that the two parties involved, God and his people are not equals. God’s grace is not limited to the special grace that he provides his covenantal people, but also extends to all of creation and those outside his covenant through common grace. Here we see sin restrained from wreaking more havoc upon the world and we see God’s benevolence to the entire world through sustaining not only the earth but the people who enjoy lives and families just like his covenantal people. The City of God and the City of Man intersect, but they are not infused together. Finally, we must remember that as covenant people of God, the Bible is our constitution and not of the secular state. As we engage society we must not seek to enforce a theocracy, nor can we stand by and watch injustice prevail, but we must engage society recognizing the coming Kingdom and the restraining and sustaining power of common grace.

7. The Covenant People
Horton here makes the distinction between the national covenant of laws made at Sinai and the gracious covenant made with all believers as children of God to show a difference between Israel and the Church before God. As the former has been replaced by the later Horton makes the point that national judgment has been visited upon Israel for their disobedience, but individual salvation remains possible for those in Christ. Finally while the covenants of been formed and the canons have been completed there is still an as of yet unfulfilled fruition of each, so in a sense even though they are final they are left open until that great fulfillment.

8. Signs and Seals of the Covenant
In both the Old and New Testament there are signs and seals that are used to ratify the treaty of peace between God and man proclaiming the truth of the Word of God and pointing towards the fulfillment of a promise. The reality of the sacraments is not found in what these signs and seals physically do to us, but it is found in the spiritual fulfillment of what God does for us as signified by the sacrament itself. Both circumcision and baptism act as an initiation into the covenant of grace, but neither confirms election, regeneration or justification. Both the Passover and the Lord’s Supper are covenantal meals signifying communion and union with the mediator. While there is fulfillment of this initiation and union in the Old Testament there is great fulfillment in the New Testament sacraments which seal upon our hearts as a sign to us and those around us the truths of the Gospel and the God who forever bound himself to us.

9. New Covenant Obedience
Law and love are both necessary as an expression of God’s holiness or transcendence and his deep care and concern for his people or his immanence. The law convicts us of our inability to be and remain holy forcing us to turn towards Jesus Christ who will make us a holy priesthood despite our inabilities and limitations. Apart from Christ the law either lead to despair or self-righteousness, but in Christ we can rest in what he has done for us and in us by reconciling us to God and united us to himself through his covenant promises to his covenant people.

Reading Report - Images of the Spirit

2008-05-20T19:35:00.005-07:00

1. The Glory-Spirit and His Human Image
Kline’s basic premise is that the imago Dei or the image of God is best understood by seeing the theophanic Glory of God or the Holy Spirit as being present at the time of creation. Not only was the Spirit present at creation, but was the archetypal Glory of God which gave the image of God, man, a life-giving breath in his physical body. Consequently the image likeness that man derives from the Creator-Spirit is shown by scripture to be like a son deriving his image from his father. Finally we see that not only is man made in the image of God, as in a reproduction, but also in the glory-likeness as in a reflection of the original Glory of God.

2. A priestly Model of the Image of God
Being made holy and being set apart God uses both a architectural structure and human form in which to dwell and show forth his Glory. First we see this in the construction of the tabernacle, being made in the likeness of the garden as God’s dwelling place. Once again the Glory-cloud, like at creation with the Garden fills the tabernacle to seal it as the Spirit-temple. Now the priests were set apart to bear the vestments of the tabernacle and to display the Glory-cloud upon and within them. Finally as a seal upon the people of God, his Glory-cloud fills them and covers over them with the image of God as a covenant sign upon their hearts, their very likeness and their reflection of his glory borne out in the imago Dei.

Reading Report - Numbers and Deuteronomy

2008-05-20T19:35:00.004-07:00

19. Towards the Promise Land
The book of Numbers illustrates the preparation of the people of Israel as the leave Mount Sinai and begin their forty year journey through the wilderness to the promise land. The exodus generation did not survive the journey and their death is recorded because of their disobedience and lack of faith and trust in God to provide that which he promised.

20. Murmurings
The people of Israel not only show a lack of faith in God, but in the people that God has chosen to lead them as they rebel against authority. Their rebellion not only displays a lack of trust in God to provide what he has promised to provide, but also ignorance of what he has already done on their behalf by bringing them out of slavery and setting their captive hearts free to worship their God. But even despite their rebellion, God still maintains his promise to provide the land of Canaan. The New Testament implication is that while the Israelites failed in their wilderness testing, Jesus Christ not only does not fail, but triumphs over death and Satan to provide the promise land to the New Testament believer.

21. Love and Loyalty
The book of Deuteronomy draws to a close the wilderness time and is the opportunity for Moses to speak his last words of love, encouragement and reminder to his people of the ways of the Lord. He reminds them of the special relationship they have with God through the covenant that he has established with them to be their God and their provider. The people are continuously reminded that obedience provides life and disobedience brings death, so they must be mindful of both the covenant promises of blessing and the covenant consequences of cursing. The New Testament implication is the same as the old, that we are to have only one God, and we are to give all of ourselves to him as his covenant relationship is established and renewed by Jesus Christ in us, so that we may remain faithful and obedient.

22. Why Israel?
Deuteronomy reminds us that Israel was not chosen because of something special within them, but because the Lord desired to build a covenant community in which to display his gracious and unmerited love. The consequence for Israel in being chosen was the responsibility in keeping the covenant for the world to see, so that they would see the righteousness of God on display. The New Testament implication is that all who are chosen in Christ are divinely elected to keep this covenant by having faith in the Lord and obeying his word.

23. Conclusion
The Pentateuch establishes the back drop from which the rest of scripture unfolds the story of redemptive history. It is established in the people and history of the Israelites continues to shine forth redemptive truth even in the midst of their failures and rebellion against God. The coming messiah is not only promised, but the family line in which he will come from is established, preserved and chosen from the very beginning. The types and shadows that are given in the Pentateuch point us towards a greater fulfillment in the new covenant, in the person and work of Jesus Christ and ultimately an even greater fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth to come.

Reading Report - Leviticus

2008-05-20T19:35:00.003-07:00

16. Be Holy
The Exodus narrative continues into the book of Leviticus as the fulfillment of God’s instructions to Moses to set apart a holy priesthood is shown. The focus of Leviticus is the setting a part of the particular people who would minister on behalf of the Lord, their consecration and being made holy before the Lord. The narrative unfolds demonstrating that certain people, places, objects and even periods of time would have differing degrees of holiness associated with them. Being holy allows one to experience life as it is meant to be, unmarred, and reflecting the moral perfection of our God which provides life giving spirit and saves us from death. The New Testament implication is that the people of God are still meant to remain holy even today, as God continues to intervene and make his children holy by the power of the Holy Spirit in the sanctification process.

17. The Sacrificial System
Vicarious satisfaction or substitutionary atonement lay at the heart of the sacrificial system, which lays at the heart of the Levitical process of making one holy, clean and blameless before our holy God. The sins of the people were placed upon the animal whose blood was shed as a substitute for their own, which bears its fullest picture in the Day of Atonement. This was the way for Israel to restore their relationship with God. The New Testament implication is seen in the vicarious death of Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed to make satisfaction for our sins and to provide a restored relationship for those that are in Him with God.

18. The Clean and the Unclean Foods
The food regulations upon the people of Israel where once again meant to set them apart as a holy nation, as clean and unclean animals were most likely representative of clean and unclean people or people in and out of the covenant. Additionally, clean animals were broken down further into sacrificial and non-sacrificial like the people of Israel were priestly and non-priestly. The New Testament implication here is that the clean Jew and the unclean Gentile distinction was no longer necessary and that the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was instituted so that the people of God could be set apart and identified as His by participating in this covenantal meal.

Reading Report - Exodus

2008-05-20T19:35:00.002-07:00

12. Who is the LORD?
Exodus is the continuation of the narrative for God's people as the nation of Israel is born, so while the promise of nation has been fulfilled it has been fulfilled without the people experiencing a personal knowledge of the Lord. Exodus focuses on the significant attributes of the Lord that are necessary for Israel to experience intimate blessing and knowledge of the Lord. Thus Israel develops a special relationship with the Lord, established by the Lord himself as he takes the initiative in revealing himself through theophonies, signs and wonders providing Israel with the privilege of growing in the knowledge of the Lord. There is a focus on knowing God as he truly is and not how he is imagined to be, so that he may be properly worshiped. The New Testament implications of this intimate knowledge of the Lord can be found in the person and work of Jesus Christ as he provided an incarnate view of God himself, revealing signs and wonders and ultimately pointing us towards worshiping the true God truly in word and spirit.

13. The Passover
The Passover is a propitiatory event where both God's judgment is averted and the people of Israel are literally covered over by the blood of the lamb which provides salvation from judgment. The Israelites are instructed to keep this as a continual celebration through the reenactment of the Passover, keeping the fest of Unleavened Bread and by the consecration of the first born male. There participation in the Passover sanctified them and presented them as a holy nation to God as a true royal lineage. The New Testament implication is the propitiatory event that Jesus accomplished through his death as the perfect paschal lamb averting God's judgment, taking it upon himself and imputed his righteousness upon us by covering over our hearts with his redemptive blood.

14. The Covenant at Sinai
God engulfs Mount Sinai as a display of his transcendence, but also his immanence as he invites the people of Israel to encamp at the base of the mountain and furthermore invites their mediator, Moses, to the mountain to experience this display more fully so that he could bring back to Israel the very word of God. Again we see God initiating this covenant and inviting Israel to respond in obedience. God's word is set before them so that they may be a holy nation, preserving life and worshipping the Lord as he commanded them to do. The New Testament implication of God's law is that we must first and foremost love God and by implication we will then love our neighbor, as Jesus came to fulfill the law and inaugurate the new covenant through his death, resurrection and ascension.

15. The Tabernacle
Exodus concludes with the command to build the tabernacle and the Israelites obeying this command given to Moses to the very last detail. This was important because this would be where God would dwell among them, at the heart of their camp would be the tabernacle containing the holy dwelling place of the Lord before the people. This is where once again God and humanity would dwell together like in the Garden of Eden, but only certain men consecrated for this particular purpose would be allowed to enter and minister on behalf of the other tribes. The New Testament implication of the tabernacle is that all who are in Christ would be tabernacles and the place where God would dwell among his people.

Reading Report - Genesis

2008-05-20T19:35:00.001-07:00

7. An Overview of the Pentateuch
The Pentateuch contains a single plot flowing through each of the books in a skillfully unified narrative from start to finish. There is a focus on the link between the promise of blessing and the nationhood of Israel, for the nation cannot be born without the fulfillment of the promise. There is also a link between the faithful promises of God and the faithful trust that the people must have in those promises to enjoy them. Finally, while the fruition of God's blessing is realized in the people of Israel they do not experience the fulfillment of God's blessing realized in the promise land, so the end of the Pentateuch is future oriented and is an unfinished story completed in the book of Joshua.

8. The Royal Lineage in Genesis
The book of Genesis begins by focusing our attention on the most important family line of Adam and traces this line throughout the book giving careful attention to the seed of the woman, while interweaving a view of the seed of the serpent. Adam's family line though is a royal line of chosen descendants in which God actively works to preserve and continue the seed of the woman unto salvation, from Adam to Seth to Noah to Shem to Terah to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and ultimately Judah and Joseph. These seeds produce the accounts that are given the most attention to draw a distinction between life and death. The New Testament implications of this are seen as Abraham's offspring natural or adopted are provided life giving spirit by being made righteous through faith.

9. The Blessing of the Nations
God's blessing was present with Adam and Eve within the garden, but when Adam disobeyed the sin of his choice brought about the presence of God's cursing. This meant that not only was Adam's sin imputed upon all mankind, but that we would also experience the increased pain of God's curse upon the ground. Furthermore, the affects would be experienced by the entire family line of Adam, but with the coming of this curse there was also a blessing for the chosen royal lineage. This blessing was given to Adam's descendant Abraham as he was promised to be a blessing to many nations and thus the royal line would function as a mediatorial lineage of God's blessing to others. Genesis lays the foundation for a future descendant of Abraham who would be a blessing to the whole world by removing the curse and obeying like Adam did not. The New Testament implication for this are found in the person and work of Jesus Christ who comes to ultimately fulfill this promised blessing to the nations through the line and as the seed of Abraham.

10. Paradise Lost
There is an inextricable connection between humanity and the earth. Both were created perfectly to abide together in an interdependent relationship as seen in the Garden of Eden, thus the result of sin would not only affect man morally, but would affect man physically as he was expelled from the garden. The garden was where man could commune with God intimately and personally, so the implications of this lost paradise were far reaching. But man was not left without a solution to this problem, as God promised Adam's descendants through their faith in God a promise land. This land would once again be a sign of God's blessing upon the royal lineage which would resemble the garden, but most importantly provide a way for them to experience the riches of his blessing. The New Testament implication here is that of a greater fulfillment in the promise land and a restored harmony between man and earth in the new heavens and new earth, but ultimately a restored relationship to God dwelling in his very presence continually.

11. By Faith Abraham…
God promises Abraham a seed, land and his divine blessing upon both as a result of Abraham's faith and obedience, but his obedience can only come as a result of his faith in the promises. This is how God credits to Abraham his righteousness, through faith alone and not by any meritorious obedience. God not only establishes a covenant with Abraham and promises him the blessing of a seed and land, but he also gives Abraham a sign and seal of this covenant promise through circumcision displaying the special relationship between God and the royal lineage. The New Testament implication for the righteousness of Abraham's seed is that it would be credited to them through faith alone and not through a cultic ritual. While circumcision laid before the royal family the sign of God's promises it was not necessary for Gentile believers to be circumcised for salvation, but for them to experience the saving power by faith alone in Christ alone.

Reading Report - Critical Views

2008-05-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

1. Introduction to Pentateuchal Criticism
The reader is introduced to the first five books of the Bible which have been named the Pentateuch from the Greek pentateuchos, meaning five-volume work. From there four methods of criticism from the past 250 years are summarized, source criticism, form criticism, tradition-historical criticism and literary criticism. The first critical view is source criticism which seeks to discover the literary sources used to create the Pentateuch. Form criticism, rather than focus on the written sources, focuses its analysis on the oral traditions that lead to the written sources. The next method looks at the history of the traditions which underlie the stories presented. Finally literary criticism looks at the text as a whole seeking to understand the Pentateuch as a single piece of composed literature.

2. The Rise of the Documentary Hypothesis
The Documentary Hypothesis came about as an evolving critical view of the source documents used in creating the Pentateuch during the post-Enlightenment period. This critical view of the text began by assigning portions of the text to particular sources, combined by Moses and other redactors and copyist eventually forming the composition that we have today. Eventually this viewed evolved by the help of Graf, Vatke, and Wellhausen to the popular view of the J, E, D, P source texts and authorship chronology. The first two sources are labeled J and E for the primary name of God used within the text, YWYH or misnamed Jehovist or J source, and the Elohim or Elohist or E source penned in approximately 840 BCE and 700 BCE respectively. Then we have the D source who penned the book of Deuteronomy in 623 BCE and the P or priestly source who penned the cultic rituals between 500-450 BCE. The implication of this purely mechanical method is that it makes Mosaic authorship impossible, it ignores the context of the story, and permanently changes the history of the Israelites, all of which fail to properly analyze the Pentateuch.

3. Going Behind the Documents
Using the Documentary Hypothesis as a base from which to launch further analysis, scholars like Gunkel and von Rad began to explore even greater speculative methods called form criticism and traditio-historical criticism respectively. Gunkel believed that he could observe oral traditions that took place in various times and contexts that could be used as sources for the various institutions and explanations for names of places, origins of customs, legends of different people groups, etc. Most of this relied heavily on the theory that cultures in history developed from primitive to complex over time, or evolved. Next the traditio-historical criticism brings together the documents used in the Documentary Hypothesis and the oral traditions explained by form criticism to create our present text. The problem with these forms of criticism is that they begin with a flawed framework, the Documentary Hypothesis, speculate further from there in many conflicting directions with no extra-biblical texts or evidence to support their claims.

4. The Documentary Hypothesis Under Threat
New scholars have begun to investigate the shortcomings of the Documentary Hypothesis and have begun to either modify or reject it altogether. One of the most common modifications is the assigning of the J, E, D, P source text to various passages within the Pentateuch. While the J and E sources are broken down into smaller and smaller sections thus producing more sources (J1, J2…Jn and E1, E2…En), the Deuteronomist or D source has gained more attention by Noth’s proposition for a Deuteronomistic History which led to a focus on the book of Deuteronomy in conjunction with the books following it rather than the books preceding it. Alternatives to the Documentary Hypothesis have begun to take hold in the scholarly community. These alternatives reject the focus on the parallel sources and instead focus on a single source of composition with later redactions or supplements provided to the text. While these alternatives and criticism are still coming from a scholarly community that largely rejects the theological influence on the text, they do now admit that there is no clear consensus on when, why, how and through whom the Pentateuch was written.

5. The Sinai Narrative – A Test Case
Alexander here uses the Sinai Narrative in Exodus 19:1-24:11 as a test case for the Documentary Hypothesis and the Deuteronomistic History which views Genesis to Numbers as a fictional prologue for history that unfolds in Deuteronomy and the subsequent books. When analyzing the divine speeches in conjunction with the narrative sections surrounding them, along with the additional material of the Decalogue and the Book of the Covenant, Alexander found that there was no evidence of redactional material and that there was a single author throughout. In addition to this analysis, Alexander found no evidence linking Deuteronomistic influence on the Sinai narrative, but the exact opposite showing the influence of the Sinai Narrative on the Deuteronomistic account.

6. The Future of Pentateuchal Studies
The types of criticism that have been waged against the Pentateuch in the past have many limitations and fail to prove that the content is fictional with their weak arguments against the historicity. Furthermore they fail to ask the most important question when analyzing the Pentateuch, it’s not how they were composed, but why were they composed. The catalytic event for bringing not only the Pentateuch together, but Joshua to Kings as a unified whole made of several authors and redactionists is most likely the post-exhilic period which provides the most obvious reason for the redactions and the cohesive unity of the texts. Since history rolls on without the ability to go back in time and many source documents have eroded away and become nothing, we are only left with the texts themselves which provide the answer to why they were formed, as a revelation of the almighty God, creator of all things, and “source of all true knowledge.”

Discuss Bavinck’s statement: “The obedience of Christ is not only a satisfaction: it is a vicarious satisfaction.”

2008-05-10T20:05:00.003-07:00

Vicarious satisfaction is the culmination of the purpose and work of Jesus Christ laying the path of salvation to his elect and providing the Gospel message of hope, faith and love to the world, but especially to the adopted family of God. Bavinck’s main point is that this is the Gospel, that Christ perfectly obeyed God in a way that we could not, that he was sacrificed for us, satisfying God’s divine justice and thus providing eternal life for those who have faith in the covenant promises of God to his people by Jesus Christ alone.

First there must be a sacrifice or the shedding of blood to make atonement for our sins, our transgressions. Within the ordinance of the Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16 reveals the vicarious process of laying our sins upon a sacrificial animal, placing the wickedness, disobedience and transgressions of the elect upon the goat to cleanse them before the Lord making them holy and blameless. Isaiah 53: 10 connects the sacrificial atonement to the future coming of the Lord who would be our guilt offering, who’s blood would be shed vicariously in place of ours.
This shedding of blood is the method by which we are redeemed or our debts are paid on our behalf. Satisfaction has been made by redeeming the elect and paying the debt of our sins and our transgressions. Redemption is the second way in which we see Christ’s vicarious satisfaction come to fruition, as Isaiah 53: 5 says, “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.” It is our sin, our debt to pay to God to redeem ourselves from the punishment of his divine justice, but it is Jesus Christ who takes this debt upon himself and makes restitution on our behalf.

That leads us the third view of Christ’s vicarious satisfaction in the expiatory gift of reconciliation given to the elect. Not only does Jesus Christ shed his blood, paying our debt, but he also averts God’s justice and brings about an eternal reconciliation between the created and the Creator. 2 Corinthians 5: 18, 21 says, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…God made him who had no sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Paul shows us here that through our reconciliation, our sins are removed from our account and God’s justice is expatiated from us and placed on Christ. Though he himself was never sinful, our sins were hung upon the cross in Him, so that we may be reconciled before God as holy and blameless creatures resting in Jesus Christ alone.

Finally, the culmination of the sacrificial blood spilled, which bought and paid for our redemption and which provides an excitatory reconciliation between us and God reaches its apex in the propitiation of God’s righteousness applied to us through the vicarious satisfaction of Jesus Christ. We are not only cleansed of our sin, not only purchased by the ultimate act of sacrifice, but also covered over by the pure blood, covered over by the freedom from debt, covered over by the freedom from divine justice, but ultimately covered over by the righteousness that is Christ’s alone. Again, 2 Corinthians 5: 21 ends with, “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”, which is Christ’s watershed, propitiatory act of salvation for his elect providing vicarious satisfaction and eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Discuss the teaching of John 1 and Hebrews 1 on the doctrine of Christ's Person.

2008-05-10T20:05:00.002-07:00

The second person of the Trinity, the God-man, Jesus Christ was eternally present with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. As John 1 shows Jesus Christ is the Word of God which was also with God and is God from all eternity. The Word of God as Hebrews 1 shows is the reality of God speaking to us and shows the power of His word through the act of creation that both John 1 and Hebrews 1 testifies. The person of Christ was not only present at creation but was through whom all things were made. Through this creative act in the beginning and the re-creative act through salvation, Christ becomes the giver of life and light shining out through the darkness.

This light and life are shown forth through the image of God that man bears, the fuller image that the Christian bears and the even fuller image that the person of Jesus Christ bears to all of creation. This can only be seen through the flesh that Jesus Christ takes on as John 1 describes which enables us to see his glory and as Hebrews 1 describes a radiant glory as the perfect and exact representative of God in the flesh. Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God, as the elect are to be in Christ alone, shining this glory before the entire world.

John 1 continues to unfold the person of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the law given to Moses, as the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. The law continuously points us towards the righteousness of God, as that is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ by the fullness of his grace and truth revealed to the world through his word and redemptive act as the pure sacrifice on the cross. It is because of this sacrifice that Hebrews 1 shows us that Jesus Christ is the superior and supreme Son of God, the King and Lord of all creation. His humiliation leads directly to his exaltation as he receives a higher adoption as the already existent Son of God, magnified and loved by the Father, and given the reward as the exalted Son to sit at the right hand of God as King.

What is the position of Chalcedon on the Person of Christ? Add your evaluation if you wish.

2008-05-10T20:05:00.001-07:00

Chalcedon was the definitive council and subsequent creed that proclaimed from the foundation of scriptural truth and evidence and by the counsel and influence of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ was indeed two natures in one person. The two natures were one of the divine or the very nature of God or as Colossians 1: 19 says, “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him”. The infinite entered time and space, the invisible became visible, the transcendent became immanent. The second nature in the one person was that of a truly physical man, born into the world able to breath, bleed and die, so that he could identify with us, be humiliated for us and finally exalted before us.

The God-man existed eternally as the second person of the Trinity, but only entered into time and space when the fullness of time had come, so that he could accomplish his eternal purpose of salvation for his elect brethren. He suffered a humiliation in life, which consisted of restraining his rightful powers within this singular person, the humbling of himself taking on the role as servant, the suffering of his temptations and eventual death on the cross. Finally he was humiliated by experiencing a death that that removed him from that perfect communion with God the Father.

The glorious nature of his exaltation however is what lies before us as we see his resurrection, ascension, placement at the right hand of God the Father and power to judge the living and the dead. In the God-man’s exaltation we have the promises of redemption and reconciliation laid before us in the promise of eternal life as adopted sons and daughters and brethren to our Lord Jesus Christ. All those that are in Christ have this promise applied to them and can rest in the righteousness of the God-man, who can both fully indentify with their suffering and fully satisfy the divine justice of God.

Discuss: after the Fall, man remains the image of God.

2008-05-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

In the creation of man God did not impute a substance of righteousness into his creation, nor was man created with the capacity not to sin, but to choose between an ethical obedience to his creator or a marred disobedience to the one that breathed life into his nostrils. Therefore, even after the fall and man has been ethically and morally corrupted by sin, he is not totally corrupt through and through because he still bears the glorious image of God his creator.
Genesis 5: 1 says, “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God” but there is no substantive righteousness given there, only the image of the immutable God the creator. When the fall of man occurs there is no account of a substantive change with Adam and Eve but a moral implication of withheld blessing and no longer withheld cursing upon them both because of the choice they made to disobey God’s command not to eat of the fruit.

1 Corinthians 11: 7 says of man’s creation that “he is the image and glory of God”, and there is no scripture that points to this image being removed from man. There is a corruption, pollution and eventual carnal death as a result of the curse, but the fingerprint, the breath of life and the image of God are still present within the created glory of man. This cannot be removed from man and is eventually restored, recreated and redeemed by the life giving Spirit for those elect that are promised the blessing of eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ.

James 1: 18 says, “He chose to give us birth through the word and truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created”. Here again we see that much like a child who has disobeyed his parents does not lose the image that he bears as a child of his mother and father, but has made a moral choice to disobey. Those that are in Christ are now like the child who obeys their father in word and truth, so that they can properly bear the image of God as a first and most beautiful fruit of his creation. We recognize that all men subsequent to the fall continue to bear the image of God, albeit in a polluted way, but all those that are in Christ Jesus bear the image of God as it is meant to be and will one day bear that image in Heaven fully as it is meant to be.

A reason to hope

2008-04-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Assignment:
This is a major research paper, and should reflect a solid amount of scholarly exploration of any theological interest of your choice, within the ST 2 topics (such as image of God, sin, person and work of Christ, etc.). Your reference points should be what Scripture says and the Reformed Confessions, on the one hand, and what is being affirmed today, on the other. Plenty of critical engagement with theologians on your topic is expected. Though you may choose to focus mainly on 1-2 figures or books, be sure to bring in plenty of other scholarly voices to enrich the discussion. The paper must have a clear central argument (thesis statement), which you argue throughout by presenting evidence in a logical development.

Regulative Principle of Worship

2007-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Assignment:
A response paper of 6-7 pages on the topic of student presentations (“God’s revelation defines Christian worship as it does Christian doctrine” – pro and con).

The goal of the response paper is for the student to interact critically with the primary source material. The student must consider carefully and fairly both sides of a debated issue before coming to a conclusion. The response paper must include footnotes and a brief bibliography.

Discuss Murray’s view of the import of baptism.

2007-12-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Baptism is important to the family of God because it is to be our initiation into this family. God communicates this familial relationship through his covenant promises and covenant blessings. Baptism is the sign and seal of being engrafted into the covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, just as Abraham and his descendants were engrafted into the covenant relationship with Yahweh by circumcision.

When God gave this promise to Abraham, he sealed it with a sign of shed blood which symbolized the cutting off of sin and thus making one pure. The New Covenant realization of that purity is found in the washing away of sin by baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28: 19). Because the former sign pointed to Christ on the cross and the new sign points us back to the promise given to Abraham to “increase your numbers” (Gen 17: 2), we are able to see that this is a more perfect sign. The sign of baptism breaks open the watershed event that is the cleansing of God’s people by offering it to more than just Jewish males, but now to the woman and to the Gentile. This makes baptism vital to the modern church as she seeks to bring the message of salvation to the world.

It is that message of salvation that baptism conveys in the seemingly simple sign of washing. This is a symbol of God’s mercy, his act of propitiation that makes an unclean, unrighteous people the sons and daughters of the living God. The importance of baptism is the gospel message it conveys to us so clearly that our sins are covered and Christ’s righteousness is placed upon us. This is the nature of union with Christ, that we are in him and he is in us.

Baptism is the sign and seal of this covenant promise for salvation in Christ alone. The importance of that comes into even clearer focus as we realize that in God’s keeping of his covenant promises there is no guarantee of covenant blessing. This blessing is only for those that have been called out before the foundations of the world to bear the name of Jesus Christ on their hearts. For those individuals their baptism is a constant reminder of their being set apart from the world, that their baptism was made effectual by faith alone and by their enjoyment of God’s covenant blessings. However, for those that do not receive their baptism by faith they are reaping the grave consequences of God’s covenant cursing. This is why baptism is so important and why teaching children and adults the reality of God’s promises as realized in this sign and seal thereof upon their heart is vital to their souls.

“When Jesus broke the bread and said ‘This is my body,’ he surely was not saying that in giving it, he was distributing his flesh.”...

2007-12-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

“When Jesus broke the bread and said ‘This is my body,’ he surely was not saying that in giving it, he was distributing his flesh.” (Clowney, p. 289) What was he saying and what does the action of eating and drinking mean?

Jesus’ broken body and shed blood are a New Testament fulfillment of the promise given to the Israelites in Egypt, when they were given the promise of salvation through the Passover Lamb. Jesus was telling his disciples that he was about to become their Passover Lamb and that the hour had finally arrived for him to begin his journey towards the completed work on the cross. He was showing them a picture, an illustration of a reality they were about to experience and he was preparing them to witness God’s judgment. Just as Moses prepared God’s covenant people by giving them instructions for the coming judgment and a way towards salvation, so Christ was preparing his disciples and even us now for a still future judgment to come.

Here again we have the gospel given to us in a very particular way. It is proclaiming a single act of judgment poured out once and for all on Jesus Christ and in his words of institution, “do this remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24) an ongoing process of salvation or sanctification that is to be done all our lives. That is what eating and drinking means to the saved sinner, that Jesus Christ is actively sanctifying us and providing nourishment for our soul. He is promising us a continual communion with him in the body of Christ, in the covenant relationship he has established and he is pointing us towards the ultimate wedding feast we are to enjoy with him in glory.

Zwingli, Luther and Calvin had different views of the meaning of Jesus’ words “this is my body.”...

2007-12-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

Zwingli, Luther and Calvin had different views of the meaning of Jesus’ words “this is my body.” How were their views related to their respective views of Christ (be specific)?

As we examined in class that our sacramentlogy is closely related to our Christology, so we see how we view the God-Son will shape how we view the sacraments. For Zwingli the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was a real absence of Jesus Christ and a memorial of what the historical Jesus Christ had done.

Luther held a view that Jesus Christ’s humanity and divinity took on properties of one another, so that in glorification the physical body of Jesus Christ could take on the divine properties. This led specifically to Luther’s view of the Lord’s Supper that while not transubstantiation was viewed as consubstantiation. This meant that while he didn’t believe that the priest’s actions are what made the bread and wine the physical body and blood of Christ, but that it was God’s grace that brought the physical body and blood into the elements. This opens the door for a Roman Catholic view of grace that would be undoing the very justification that Luther preached. It also shows us a Jesus Christ who could not be fully human anymore and thus could not pay the penalty for our sins.

Calvin however, believed in a God-Son who had the divinity engrafted into a divine person and a humanity that was engrafted into a divine person. This view allows for Jesus Christ to be both fully God, divine and having all the attributes of God and to be fully human, physical, confined to this world, to a body and to be just like us. The personhood of Jesus Christ is what allows him to pay the penalty for our sins and this is what the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is to call us to remember. That the wrath of God was poured out into the broken body and the shedding of blood, like the Passover Lamb, provides salvation for all who partake in a worthy manner. This reality is what allows Calvin to say that there is a spiritually real presence in the sacrament as we partake because Luther’s fleshly eating and Zwingli’s absent sacrament both deny the divine personhood of Jesus Christ.

Discuss Poythress’ position on “indifferentism and rigorism” and their relation to baptizing small children.

2007-12-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

Poythress argued for a view that allowed for earlier and earlier baptism through his articles in an attempt to bring the credo-baptist view or one who believes in believers’ baptism to a padeo-baptist view or one who believes in infant baptism. He slowly moves his reader from one to the other.

The indifferentism view Poythress takes is to define a person who believes in infant baptism erroneously. This is a view that we baptize and forget about it, that once a person receives this sign and seal of union with Christ that they are automatically saved and regeneration is assumed. The fatal error here is that there is no real reason for the person to remain living a life that seeks after Christ and their lives will not be marked by true faith in Christ, but in a baptism that ultimately condemns them to a covenant cursing. Since the covenant blessing of baptism is salvation, is ever-lasting life, is union with Christ, then we can not be indifferent by showing our lack of concern for this amazing gift of grace.

Unfortunately, many have strayed too far into the other direction and shown a legalistic view of baptism that would only allow baptism when regeneration can be proven. The heart of this view is attempting to prevent the covenant cursing and to take faithfully the charge of the church to keep the keys of heaven, but it does so at grave peril to what baptism actually stands for and against. The rigorist view wants absolute assurance of regeneration, of saving faith, so that only those who show it can be a part of the visible church by proving their membership to the invisible church.

However; Jesus Christ himself commands that baptism should be a perpetual action of the church as they make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18). Every family that is a part of the covenant has children that they are raising as disciples of Christ and thus these children should be baptized. And the Apostles of Christ follow this command in practice when Peter proclaims baptism for the forgiveness of sins as a sign for those that believed and their children (Acts 2: 38-39). We cannot afford to be indifferent, callous, uncaring, and slothful regarding baptism in the covenant family and in our own lives; nor can we afford to be rigoristic and legalistic, fencing the covenant community beyond what Christ and scripture allows. By baptizing small children we are showing the continuity of the Old Testament church with the New Testament church and we are shining the light of the gospel into the hearts of those participating in our communion and those watching our familial relationship with God and one another in the body of Christ.

Related Articles:
Indifferentism and Rigorism in the Church: With Implications for Baptizing Small Children
Linking Small Children With Infants in the Theology of Baptizing

Briefly explain: signa nuda, ex opere operato...

2007-12-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Briefly explain: signa nuda, ex opere operato, “sacramental relation,” “visible words,” Protestant idea of grace/Roman Catholic idea of grace, “the efficacy of the sacraments is by faith alone.”

The view that “signa nuda, ex opera operato” is the Roman Catholic point of departure with the Protestant church on the sacraments. Roman Catholics believe that a view of the sacraments that is unlike theirs essentially signifies nothing because to their view it is the works worked, or the performance of the Church in administering the sacrament that bestows grace, that brings about the fulfillment of the sign and seal that the sacrament is meant to be. This view is in line with a works based righteousness and therefore they are consistent with their doctrine when they hold the power of grace in the hands of the Church. They are not correct though in their view that the Protestant sacrament is empty, though others in history like Zwingli have given that impression. Ultimately the Protestant view drinks in a spiritual reality in the sacraments that links heaven to earth and not the naturalistic and yet mystical way the Roman Catholic view takes.

The “sacramental relation” is the relationship that these signs and seals of outward promises by inward grace have in the covenantal union of God to his people. Our sacramental theology is worked out in our covenantal theology, so that we can experience the joy and familiarity that the sacrament brings to our familial relationship with our God.

We experience our initiation into the Church through our baptism as we are cleansed with water and the promise of God’s covenant with Abraham as realized through circumcision is applied to us by Christ’s shed blood and not our own. Then we experience our salvation in the Lord’s Supper as the Passover Lamb provided salvation for Israel, so we experience the covenant of grace.

By the Lord’s graces alone he has provided us a way to see and experience our salvation, his Gospel anew and in tangible visible signs. Because of our weakness and lack of faith, God has provided us “visible words” or pictures of the thing signified through the sacraments. Our baptism shows us God’s grace, shows us the cleansing we receive as we become sons and daughters of God the Father by the shedding of Christ’s blood for the remission of sin. It shows us righteousness and a propitiatory cleansing. By participating in the Lord’s Supper, we see the broken body and shed blood that Christ poured out for us on the cross. This is a retelling of the Gospel truth we receive when we hear the word, but done so by God’s authority and with the power of his grace in way that allows our eyes to see, our mouths to taste and provide a real nourishment. The sacraments call us to an understanding of our spiritual cleansing and our spiritual nourishment that is only made possible by faith alone.

The Protestant idea of grace is that of an attribute of God, while the Roman Catholic view is that of a mystical substance to be obtained. Holding to a Protestant view of grace we have the freedom to rest in who God is, how he loves us and how completely undeserving of that love we are. We can understand that there is no action of our own that we can take that will make us right with God and that it is only by act of compassion on his part that we receive salvation through grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone. A Roman Catholic view of grace as a mystical substance puts the power of that substance in the hands of the clergy and power to bestow that saving substance upon who they wish. This is tightly related to their view of the sacrament because they view this substance of grace as something that can be obtained through the sacrament pointing inward, rather than the Protestant who receives the sacrament and points outward to Jesus Christ.

The “efficacy of the sacrament is by faith alone” because the sacrament is only a real sacrament when the presence of the Lord is in it. Because his presence is what seals the promise that is signified in the sacrament we may only receive the benefits or those covenant blessings when we receive the sacraments by faith alone. Since this is the gospel and since the sacrament is a retelling of the gospel in picture form it is no mistake that the power of the sacrament will only be realized when participated in faithfully, in covenant relationship and by faith alone. Neither water nor bread and wine can confer the power of Christ upon a person; it is only by the grace of God that they receive the covenant blessing emblazoned in the sacrament.

Discuss Gaffin’s statement: “the locus of Christ’s ascension-power is the suffering church.”

2007-11-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

The ultimate promise of Christ’s ascension is that we, as his church, will walk the same path of suffering as he did as we are brought into perfect union with him and his death and resurrection. We can not partake in the beauty and hope of his resurrection without first being married to his death and suffering.

John the Baptist foretold of this suffering to come in John 1: 32-34, when he said, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” This baptism with the Holy Spirit will truly be a propitiatory event as Christ will take upon himself the suffering that we should endure and cover us up with his righteousness uniting us with Christ. If we are united to Christ and are to gain everlasting life it will only come at the expense of this life and the uniting of our lives to his death and suffering.

Paul experienced this suffering throughout his ministry as he was forced to bare many hardships and pain, so that he could also bare witness to the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. He expounds in 2 Corinthians 12: 10, “That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” This strength comes from the sufficiency of God’s grace as seen earlier in 2 Corinthians 12. As we are united to Christ’s sufferings and hardships, his grace, his power, his love are seen through our lives.

Finally, we see that our salvation only comes as our lives are united to Christ and life becomes intertwined with death. In similar passages of Luke 9 and Mark 10 Jesus Christ says, “…and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In order to gain life, we must die and must suffer. We must always act in contradiction to the old man, the sinful nature that seeks to preserve life and comfort at all cost. Jesus Christ calls us to forsake our comfort, to forsake our lives for a life of service to those around us. We are to take up his cross daily and follow him in suffering, in death, but ultimately in hope and life. For being united to Christ’s death, also means being united to Christ’s resurrection, which is our ultimate hope. Even in our daily suffering for Christ, there is hope that is made perfect in our weakness and fragility. That is how Christ’s ascension-power is realized through the suffering of the church.

According to Clowney, what is the structure of Christ’s church (be specific)?

2007-11-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

Edmund Clowney provides the marks of the Christ’s church as the orderly worship of God, the proper administration of the sacraments and the faithful observance of church discipline. The marks of the church are realized through the preaching of God’s word, through the discipleship of God’s people and through the mission of God’s people to the world.

First off, our God is a God of order as seen through creation and through the giving of his law and word to his people. God does not call us to worship in any way other than one that is pleasing to him. Clowney quotes Calvin on this subject as focusing our worship on only what the Bible says is appropriate and not adding anything more to it than that.

The second mark of the church is the proper administration of the sacraments. Because our worship is meant to be orderly and because God has given the honor and responsibility of the means of grace to his officers of the church, they must exercise that responsibility properly. The means of grace while a blessing for God’s covenant people, are also a curse for those that would not know the Lord. God has established within his new covenant assembly the responsibility to administer the sacrament of baptism or the sign and seal of faith in Christ, and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as an ongoing participation in the covenant promises.

The third and final mark of the Christ’s church according to Clowney is the faith observance of church discipline. All church discipline should be carried out in such way to lead a sinner back to the life saving grace that is only found in Jesus Christ. This observance can be carried out through the proper withholding of the sacraments, but is only done so to lead one to repentance and humility. Again, this a great responsibility that Christ has given to his church to mark it has his.

We will see these marks of Christ’s church as the faithful, biblical teaching of God’s word is heard, as God’s people are nurtured and disciplined in their sanctification process of becoming more and more like Christ and as those that call on the name of Christ as their savior share this message in word and deed with the world to bring about healing, love, hope and ultimately saving faith in Jesus Christ’s name alone.

How is the New Testament church related to Old Testament Israel?

2007-11-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

There is continuity between the people of God in the Old Testament and the people of God in the New Testament. This relationship is established through the coming together or assembly of the people, the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham, and in the coming of the King of Israel to establish his earthly kingdom.

The definitive historical event for Israel’s covenant assembly or quhal was established at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 when God said to the house of Jacob, “out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” God set this people, this assembly apart for himself to establish his covenant relationship with them as he promised to preserve them. This continuity is preserved in the New Testament with the coming together of God’s covenant assembly or ekklesia when in Matthew 16 Jesus Christ says, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” Jesus Christ fulfills the promises to the Old Testament people of the assembly by preserving for himself the people of the New Testament assembly.

This preservation was promised to Abraham in Genesis 17 when the Lord said, “You will be the father of many nations…I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants.” The Apostle Paul reveals to us in Galatians 4 that being united to Christ has made us sons of the free woman, the true sons of Abraham. Jesus Christ has fulfilled his promise to Abraham in the New Covenant sons of Abraham with the grafting in of Gentiles into the family of God.

Finally, Jesus Christ is the coming of the true King of Israel as he forever binds his Lordship to his New Covenant people, the Church. In Matthew 18: 18 - 20, Jesus Christ once again reveals his kingship to forgive or loose and to bind or judge those on earth as he promises this to his new covenant assembly. The son of David has brought about the fulfillment of his promises to return and bring with him the Kingdom of Heaven as seen throughout the Gospel of Matthew.

The uniting of the Kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Kingdom of Heaven, together with the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham and the parallel between the Old and New covenant assemblies grafts the new covenant believers to the covenant made with God’s people in the Old Testament. The church of today calls on very same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bring about salvation to the world and make Abraham a true father of many nations.