On being Reformed....
I came across a great description of Reformed theology on Monergism, the authoritative source for Reformed material on the internet...
What is Reformed Theology?
Reformed theology...
...presupposes God's Word alone as our ultimate authority.
...stresses the sovereignty of God, that is, His reign over all things, meticulously determining (Eph 1:11) all that comes to pass (i.e. God is never taken by surprise).
...emphasizes a Christ-Centered proclamation of the gospel, that salvation is wholly of God, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as revealed in the Scripture alone to the Glory of God alone.
...views the Bible as a redemptive-historical organic unfolding of revelation which is structured by three covenants (redemption, works and grace).
It goes without saying that those in the Reformed Tradition hold to the doctrines of grace (the five points of Calvinism), man's helpless condition apart from Christ, the necessity of evangelism and the work of the Holy Spirit who (monergistically) quickens the dead to life through the preaching of the word as God turning their heart of stone to flesh, and opening their eyes to the excellencies of the gospel (uniting them to Christ). In other words, RT stresses the way the objective, written Word together with the inner, supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit work together. For the Word without the illumination of the Holy Spirit remains a closed book. We (the church) cast forth the seed of the gospel and the Holy Spirit germinates it, so to speak, with the blood of Christ bringing forth life in people from every nation, tribe, language, and people (Rev 14:6). RT traces its historical and theological lineage back to the theology of Christ, Paul, Augustine and to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century.
Notice if you will that nowhere in that description do we see a requirement for holding to infant baptism or even holding to the Three Forms of Unity or all or any of the historic Reformed confessions. I find that odd given the insistence of some that part of the ever shrinking definition of who is "Truly Reformed" is holding to the Reformed confessions (except the Baptist ones). Monergism has links to Presbyetrian articles, Lutheran articles and even (gasp!) Baptist articles, all under the umbrella of Reformed. The Hall of Contemporary Reformers includes men like R.C. Sproul and Ligon Duncan, but it also includes men like James White, Albert Mohler and John Piper as well as other Baptists including John MacArthur who I disagree with on Dispensationalism but still recognize as a great Bible teacher, a brother in Christ and someone who holds to much of Reformed theology.
It seems to me that there are two ways in which we can, or should, use the word "Reformed"...
One use is to describe that stream of church tradition that defines church ecclesiology. There are church traditions that come in the form of Lutherans, Baptists and of course Presbyterian/Reformed. In that context, it certainly does make sense to exclude anyone who holds different ecclesiology. Baptists cannot, and should not, hold to Prebyterian & Reformed ecclesiology and sacramentology. But that is one narrow and specific use of the word. Just as Presbyterians baptize people but are not Baptists, others can be Reformed in theology without being Reformed in church government.
The use of Reformed in theology means something different entirely, as we see above. It is still my contention that it is not the holding to Reformed confessions that qualifies one as Reformed. The Reformed people I know, especially the Baptists, agree with most of the historic Reformed confessions and of course agree with or subscribe to the 2nd London Confession, but it is because we are Reformed that we agree with those confessions, we are not Reformed because we agree with them. It is a an issue of cause and effect.
There is a difference between being Reformed in the sense of belonging to the stream of Christian churches that fall into the category of Presbyterian and Reformed, and being Reformed in theology. Sure the old Reformed confessions contain much truth that is also Reformed in theology, but there are plenty of churches in the Presbyerian and Reformed tradition that dunk infants, hold to a liturgical service and post the Westminster Confession that have not a shred of Reformed theology in their teachings on Sunday morning.
Whenever anyone seeks to continually narrow down the definition of "Reformed" from a theological sense to fit one specific denomination or even worse to narrow it down so that only they can wear the SuperReformed suit with the big "R" emblazoned on the chest, making themselves the self-appointed arbiter, definer and defender of Reformed theology, you ought to beware!
I like this from the Reformation Theology blog...
We are a community of confessing believers from diverse backgrounds yet have solidarity in Reformed Theology. Our contributors include a wide diversity of traditions: Baptists, Presbyterians, Charismatic, Non-denominational and Independent. Even though we may have differences on non-essential matters of theology, we are all committed to the Biblical and Christ-exalting truths of the Reformation such as the five solas, the doctrines of grace, monergistic regeneration, and the redemptive historical approach to interpreting the Scriptures.
Sure we have differences, but we are united in the Gospel and in Reformed theology. That is what is the most important thing and it is high time that certain people start to recognize that and stop using the label "Reformed" to beat their brothers in Christ over the head.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Refusing to practice cunning or tamper with God's Word...
Heard a very good message on Wednesday night at Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Michael Jones preached on 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (I think he intended to cover more verses originally). It is pretty rare to have a Wednesday evening service be a 30+ minute expository sermon but it was good stuff.
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor 4:2 ESV)
What a clear and powerful statement by Paul, yet one that is freely ignored by so many men (and women, but that is a whole separate issue) in pulpits. God did not provide His Word as an outline, to give a rough idea of what to say. God did not give His Word to His under-shepherds as a series of examples and pithy stories to use when preaching whatever message they decided was worthwhile. The command is simple: preach the Word. Yes, explain it. Yes give application. But first and foremost preach the Word. The Word is the focus of worship. It ought be the focus of the sermon. It is not ancillary to the sermon, it IS the sermon. Men are not saved by marketing or slick packaging or emotional appeals. Men are saved by the working of the Holy Spirit, chagning hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, regenerating men who were dead into new creatures in Christ by the ministry of the Word of God. Any other method of evangelism is both doomed to fail and a violation of God's commandment. Those who seek new and innovative ways to "win people to Christ" have defied God and cheapened the Gospel, they have discounted the power of the Spirit and the Word and instead replaced it with their own methods, seeking to make disciple by their own efforts.
Heard a very good message on Wednesday night at Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Michael Jones preached on 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (I think he intended to cover more verses originally). It is pretty rare to have a Wednesday evening service be a 30+ minute expository sermon but it was good stuff.
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor 4:2 ESV)
What a clear and powerful statement by Paul, yet one that is freely ignored by so many men (and women, but that is a whole separate issue) in pulpits. God did not provide His Word as an outline, to give a rough idea of what to say. God did not give His Word to His under-shepherds as a series of examples and pithy stories to use when preaching whatever message they decided was worthwhile. The command is simple: preach the Word. Yes, explain it. Yes give application. But first and foremost preach the Word. The Word is the focus of worship. It ought be the focus of the sermon. It is not ancillary to the sermon, it IS the sermon. Men are not saved by marketing or slick packaging or emotional appeals. Men are saved by the working of the Holy Spirit, chagning hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, regenerating men who were dead into new creatures in Christ by the ministry of the Word of God. Any other method of evangelism is both doomed to fail and a violation of God's commandment. Those who seek new and innovative ways to "win people to Christ" have defied God and cheapened the Gospel, they have discounted the power of the Spirit and the Word and instead replaced it with their own methods, seeking to make disciple by their own efforts.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Back together...
Jake Long of Michigan and Chad Henne, also of Michigan, will be back together in Miami playing for the Dolphins. Jake Long, an absolute monster at offensive tackle, will be the man in Miami with a $57 million contract. His first purchase was an new Ford F-250. That is the kind of guy he is.
A couple of great players who will make a rock solid start to the rebuilding of the Dolphins franchise. Very cool that the guy that protected Chad Henne's blindside from the left of the offensive line will now be defending Henne from the faster, stronger and meaner defensive ends and linebackers of the NFL.
GO BLUE!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
On confessions...
This whole kerfuffle over who is and who is not properly called "Reformed" has gotten me thinking about the whole notion of confessions, what they are useful for and what they cannot replace.
This is a basic truth that should be embraced by all Reformed Christians, all confessional Christians, of all sorts: The Reformation did not spring out of the Reformed confessions, the Reformed Confessions came out of the Reformation. Luther did not hammer a copy of the Belgic Confession to the church door in Wittenberg. The issues at hand, and I would say the issues still at hand, are issues of what is the Gospel, how is sinful man reconciled to God, where does the authority of the church come from. Those are still issues that we must stand firm for, and that is why Together for the Gospel exists. The men on that stage, a godly men, all Reformed, all unified for the Gospel hold to different creeds and confessions but they all agree on the truth of the Gospel, and that is what the Reformation was and is all about.
I love the Reformed confessions (and yes the 1689 LCF is a Reformed Confession). I have copies of the Westminster Confession on my bookshelf, and it is a useful tool just like commentaries and theology books. But it is just a tool, a guide that does not replace the Bible but rather serves to lay out a series of beliefs. They are not magical, they are not inspired, they are only authoritative where they serve as church or denominational confessions but they always come under the authority of the Scripture and where they fall short of that standard, they err.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Together for the Gospel
(But apparently only to a certain point...)
I posted a brief question on the Heidelblog:
So does someone who does not hold to every point of doctrine in the Reformed confessions be considered “Reformed”. More to the point, can a credobaptist not be truly Reformed?
The question led to a full response from R. Scott Clark titled: Who or What Defines “Reformed?” (Updated)
The posting itself was pretty gracious. The comments that followed, not so much. Scott did say this which I found amusing:
Thus, the short answer to Arthur’s question is that yes, one must hold to every point of doctrine in the Reformed confessions in order to be Reformed. One might have Reformed sympathies or predestinarian sympathies or covenantal sympathies and the like and not be Reformed. I don’t know what Baptists who sympathize with us on certain points should call themselves. I wouldn’t presume to tell them.
So in the same paragraph he says he wouldn't presume to tell us what we should call ourselves, and yet says that we cannot, or at least should not, refer to ourselves as Reformed. Many of the following commenter's exhibited a incredibly graceless lack of charity and maturity in the responses, including the virtual outright labelling of Baptists as heretics. See comments from ZRIM and from dvopilgrim. What is glaringly lacking in any of these comments is any sort of Biblical defense of their position. These two commenter's use the blog equivalent of mudslinging to avoid a substantive discussion.
In other words, to be considered "truly Reformed" we can Reform the church this far (i.e justification and soteriology), but no further. The same sort of attitudes that prevailed in Romanism (Shut up Luther, these questions are settled!) show up in those who insist that we dare not question infant Baptism because to do so negates our Reformed credentials. To that I say: "Hooey!"
It is NOT blindly holding to the Reformed confessions without question that makes one Reformed, whether one holds to the Three Forms of Unity or the 2nd London Confession. I mean let's get past "My confession is more Reformed than yours". Being Reformed ought to be about getting back to the basics of the Reformation, and the Reformation was not about infant baptism (although it probably should have been since they left that doctrine un-reformed). Being Reformed is about the Gospel. That is what he Reformation was really about, was it not? The recovery of the Gospel of justification by faith alone and the authority of Scripture alone? The Five Solas of the Reformation are just that. Sola infante baptizo and Sola presbyterio ecclesio are not the sixth and seventh Solas, unless I missed the memo.
So what are we allowed to call ourselves? I guess we could call ourselves Calvinistic Baptists. But Calvin baptized infants (he also burned heretics at the stake but that is another story!) Or we could go old school and call ourselves Particular Baptists. Hey, tell you what, I am going to call myself a Reformed Baptist and I don't much care if some paedobaptists think that my holding to the Biblical doctrine of believer's baptism sets me outside of the Reformed circle of trust. With all of the assaults on the Gospel from all quarters, we should spend a little less time labelling each other as un-Reformed.
(But apparently only to a certain point...)
I posted a brief question on the Heidelblog:
So does someone who does not hold to every point of doctrine in the Reformed confessions be considered “Reformed”. More to the point, can a credobaptist not be truly Reformed?
The question led to a full response from R. Scott Clark titled: Who or What Defines “Reformed?” (Updated)
The posting itself was pretty gracious. The comments that followed, not so much. Scott did say this which I found amusing:
Thus, the short answer to Arthur’s question is that yes, one must hold to every point of doctrine in the Reformed confessions in order to be Reformed. One might have Reformed sympathies or predestinarian sympathies or covenantal sympathies and the like and not be Reformed. I don’t know what Baptists who sympathize with us on certain points should call themselves. I wouldn’t presume to tell them.
So in the same paragraph he says he wouldn't presume to tell us what we should call ourselves, and yet says that we cannot, or at least should not, refer to ourselves as Reformed. Many of the following commenter's exhibited a incredibly graceless lack of charity and maturity in the responses, including the virtual outright labelling of Baptists as heretics. See comments from ZRIM and from dvopilgrim. What is glaringly lacking in any of these comments is any sort of Biblical defense of their position. These two commenter's use the blog equivalent of mudslinging to avoid a substantive discussion.
In other words, to be considered "truly Reformed" we can Reform the church this far (i.e justification and soteriology), but no further. The same sort of attitudes that prevailed in Romanism (Shut up Luther, these questions are settled!) show up in those who insist that we dare not question infant Baptism because to do so negates our Reformed credentials. To that I say: "Hooey!"
It is NOT blindly holding to the Reformed confessions without question that makes one Reformed, whether one holds to the Three Forms of Unity or the 2nd London Confession. I mean let's get past "My confession is more Reformed than yours". Being Reformed ought to be about getting back to the basics of the Reformation, and the Reformation was not about infant baptism (although it probably should have been since they left that doctrine un-reformed). Being Reformed is about the Gospel. That is what he Reformation was really about, was it not? The recovery of the Gospel of justification by faith alone and the authority of Scripture alone? The Five Solas of the Reformation are just that. Sola infante baptizo and Sola presbyterio ecclesio are not the sixth and seventh Solas, unless I missed the memo.
So what are we allowed to call ourselves? I guess we could call ourselves Calvinistic Baptists. But Calvin baptized infants (he also burned heretics at the stake but that is another story!) Or we could go old school and call ourselves Particular Baptists. Hey, tell you what, I am going to call myself a Reformed Baptist and I don't much care if some paedobaptists think that my holding to the Biblical doctrine of believer's baptism sets me outside of the Reformed circle of trust. With all of the assaults on the Gospel from all quarters, we should spend a little less time labelling each other as un-Reformed.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Baptizing Unbelievers
I was skimming along the blogosphere and came across this line in a Pulpit Magazine posting:
"Here at Grace Community Church, we are firmly committed to believers’ baptism — meaning that we do not see Scriptural precedent for the baptism of unbelievers, including infants."
What a clear description of paedobaptism, which really amounts to the baptism of unbelievers. You would never baptize an adult, even the adult child of a believer, who showed no signs of regeneration, but that is precisely what happens with untold numbers of infants every year. My argument still is that by the logic of paedobaptism you ought to sneak up on people on the streets, throw water on them from behind and hope they turn into believers.
I was skimming along the blogosphere and came across this line in a Pulpit Magazine posting:
"Here at Grace Community Church, we are firmly committed to believers’ baptism — meaning that we do not see Scriptural precedent for the baptism of unbelievers, including infants."
What a clear description of paedobaptism, which really amounts to the baptism of unbelievers. You would never baptize an adult, even the adult child of a believer, who showed no signs of regeneration, but that is precisely what happens with untold numbers of infants every year. My argument still is that by the logic of paedobaptism you ought to sneak up on people on the streets, throw water on them from behind and hope they turn into believers.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Together for the Gospel 2008
Video Clips
There are a few video clips online already, kind of gives a flavor of the speakers. A few minutes of clips doesn't do them justice, but you see
Thabiti Anyabwile
Ligon Duncan (my favorite clip, that the atoning work of Christ should be reflected in the way we love our wives.)
Mark Dever
I am sure more are on the way!
Video Clips
There are a few video clips online already, kind of gives a flavor of the speakers. A few minutes of clips doesn't do them justice, but you see
Thabiti Anyabwile
Ligon Duncan (my favorite clip, that the atoning work of Christ should be reflected in the way we love our wives.)
Mark Dever
I am sure more are on the way!
I'm Back!
And I brought a bunch of books with me!
Back Home From Together for the Gospel
Still working on posting thoughts for the other speakers, but I made it home late last night after 2 jump starts of our rental car for a dead battery, a chance to "witness" to a police officer in Ohio who objected to my speed, a stop at BW-3 for wings for two of us and a bowl of custard for te guy who couldn't handle the wings. A stop in Vanderbilt, a stop in Indian River, dropped off the rental car and home around 12:30 AM. Very tired.
The final tally on free books, counting books given away in the cavernous book shop and the eight books at Band of Bloggers, was 25 (see the picture above). 25 books from the conference, all rock solid and many will be very helpful. My favorite, the one I am most looking forward to, is Pierced For Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution. One of the main themes of T4G was recovering and defending the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement and this is touted as the best recent defense of the doctrine. I was good and only bought one book, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, and I got a decent deal on it. The book room was so massive and has so many books that it was hard to shop effectively!
T4G 2010 is already scheduled for April 13-15, 2010. I am going to make hotel reservations as soon as they will allow so that I can get a room at the Galt House, which is attached to the Kentucky Convention Center, which will make it easier to get back and forth. Regardless, T4G 2010 is exactly two years away, and I already can't wait!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Together for the Gospel 2008
Audio Downloads
Sovereign Grace Ministries has made the mp3 downloads from the talks available for free here. Check out especially MacArthur and Sproul. If you listen to Mohler, make sure you are somewhere quiet where you can concentrate!
Together for the Gospel 2008
Panel Discussions
The panel discussions between the main guys (Mahaney, Mohler, Dever and Duncan) have been pretty cool. The first few not as much, but as they get loose and more into it, it is like they are forgetting the audience is there. Mohler, for example, was much better speaking off the cuff. His prepared remarks, as I will note when I post about it, are way over the heads of most people in the audience, myself included. This is what the conference is all about, godly men getting together and talking about the Gospel, working things out, asking hard questions and getting deeper in the world. T4G has created a cooperation map so that like minded brothers can come into contact with other like minded brothers who live near them, which will be a valuable resource once the conference is over.
Together for the Gospel 2008
Day Two
John MacArthur
So the message from John MacArthur today boils down to this: people are basically good.
Just kidding.
Wow, MacArthur was just methodical. Good stuff but he is like a Calvinist Terminator, just relentlessly marching through the Scriptural evidence that points unfailingly to the total depravity of mankind. I took more notes on MacArthur than I did for any of the other speakers.
MacArthur started off stating that the doctrine of total depravity is the most attacked of doctrines because it is the most despised. It is the most distinctively Christian doctrine because it affirms the inability of man to do anything for his own salvation. MacArthur also stated that, in light of this, lots of people claim to love God, but in fact they hate the true God. False belief systems all affirm man's inherent sufficiency and goodness. That leads to false church growth models. Those who advocate false church growth models nay be Christians, but they are terribly confused.
The Bible speaks of total depravity in terms that evoke the imagery of death. But no one wants to preach that. Pragmatism has swallowed up doctrine in the church. The church's common theology has been replace by a common methodology.
MacArthur went through a litany of Scripture, I am not going to go through all of them but the list includes Ephesians 2, 4:18; Col 2:13; John 1: 12-13; John 3:3; John 5:21; John 8:36; Romans 8:7-8; 1 Cor 12:3, 2 Cor 4:4 and on and on. All in all, just rock solid teaching on a doctrine we all believe in, but MacArthur articulated and defended this doctrine of total depravity as well as anyone I have ever heard. I will definitely download and listen to this talk in particular multiple times.
Together for the Gospel
Day One
Thabiti Anyabwile
Last night we were privileged to hear from Thabiti Anyabwile from the Grand Cayman Island (tough gig) He spoke on race from a Biblical perspective and it was pretty sobering and thought provoking. His main point was that race, like unicorns, doesn't exist.
Thabiti Anyabwile had four main points (1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base and home):
1st Base: Our unity in Adam
- Our solidarity is not just in out sin but in our common heritage and parents. We all stem from the first parents, Adam and Eve, and we are all made in the image of God, whether we are Christians or not.
2nd Base: Our unity in Christ
- John 17:20-26
- Our common heritage in Christ is a deeper source of unity. We shouldn't look at people based on skin color and say that person is like me, but when we see Christians we should see a descendant of Adam, like me. A sinner in need of grace, like me. A redeemed brother or sister, bought with the blood of Christ, like me.
- Christ's blood creates a greater unity, a deeper identity than our ethnicity.
3rd Base: Our unity in the church
- The penultimate display of unity in Christ before glory, the glorious assemblage of all of the redeemed elect, from every tribe and nation.
Home Plate: Our unity in heaven
- Revelation 5:9-10
- That is how we are going to end up, that is where we are headed, so why not live that way now?
One of the best talks I have ever heard on race, in any context. Hands down. Sober, provoking, challenging, Bible saturated.
"It isn't that we can't see the solution, it is that we can't see the problem."
Together for the Gospel 2008
Day One
Session One
Ligon Duncan
What a sober and yet quietly joyful man Ligon Duncan is. A man who you can tell loves people, loves the Gospel and loves his Lord. He is a man who is joyful without silly exuberance, and that is something I truly appreciate. A few notes I jotted down from his talk.
Truth matters
Doctrine matters
Theology matters
Theology is the source of living a blessed ever after.
The modern view of theology: The very idea of doctrine is held with suspicion. The mantra is Christianity is a lifestyle, not a doctrine.
Postmodernism says you worship God your way, and I will worship Him mine. I say, you worship God your way and I will worship Him His way.
Make theology a source of joy in Christ
Day One
Session One
Ligon Duncan
What a sober and yet quietly joyful man Ligon Duncan is. A man who you can tell loves people, loves the Gospel and loves his Lord. He is a man who is joyful without silly exuberance, and that is something I truly appreciate. A few notes I jotted down from his talk.
Truth matters
Doctrine matters
Theology matters
Theology is the source of living a blessed ever after.
The modern view of theology: The very idea of doctrine is held with suspicion. The mantra is Christianity is a lifestyle, not a doctrine.
Postmodernism says you worship God your way, and I will worship Him mine. I say, you worship God your way and I will worship Him His way.
Make theology a source of joy in Christ
Together for the Gospel 2008
Day One
A few opening thoughts, now that I have had time to mull stuff over…..
First and foremost, I feel completely unworthy to be sitting in the company I am sitting in. I don’t mean Mohler and Sproul and Piper and Dever, at least not primarily. Not many men match up to those brothers in terms of education, experience and gifts. What I mean is sitting among all of these faithful servants, men who have in many cases sacrificed a lot to be here and for the Gospel ministry. There are brothers here who flew in from Serbia, from India and from Australia. There is a brother here who has served as pastor of Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church for 50 years, since 1958. Half a century of faithful service. Men who have generally bad haircuts and maybe are a little goofy, but who love Christ, love His Gospel and seek His face. Then I look at myself, and find myself woefully wanting in comparison. The parable of the talents is pretty strong in my mind, although in my case I have been given much, had much expected of me and instead of honoring God I have hidden and squandered what was given me. God bless all of these men who serve week in and week out, laboring in the pulpit and the study, wrestling with the Word and seeking to feed their sheep. That is not false humility. When we sang It is well with my soul, I was broken like I haven't been since the end of October.
1Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
The other thought is that as pessimistic as I am normally, seeing this assembly of 5000 men gathered together for the Gospel, is encouraging. It gives me hope for the church as an institution, especially given the relative youth of the attendees. I would hazard to guess that at least 50% of the men here are under 40, and many are clearly under 30. This is the next generation and this is the hope, because by being here and sitting up the teaching of some of the great Gospel preachers of this generation, these men will go home with a higher regard for Scripture, for the unadulterated Gospel and for the sovereignty of God in salvation. That gives me hope.
Day One
A few opening thoughts, now that I have had time to mull stuff over…..
First and foremost, I feel completely unworthy to be sitting in the company I am sitting in. I don’t mean Mohler and Sproul and Piper and Dever, at least not primarily. Not many men match up to those brothers in terms of education, experience and gifts. What I mean is sitting among all of these faithful servants, men who have in many cases sacrificed a lot to be here and for the Gospel ministry. There are brothers here who flew in from Serbia, from India and from Australia. There is a brother here who has served as pastor of Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church for 50 years, since 1958. Half a century of faithful service. Men who have generally bad haircuts and maybe are a little goofy, but who love Christ, love His Gospel and seek His face. Then I look at myself, and find myself woefully wanting in comparison. The parable of the talents is pretty strong in my mind, although in my case I have been given much, had much expected of me and instead of honoring God I have hidden and squandered what was given me. God bless all of these men who serve week in and week out, laboring in the pulpit and the study, wrestling with the Word and seeking to feed their sheep. That is not false humility. When we sang It is well with my soul, I was broken like I haven't been since the end of October.
1Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
The other thought is that as pessimistic as I am normally, seeing this assembly of 5000 men gathered together for the Gospel, is encouraging. It gives me hope for the church as an institution, especially given the relative youth of the attendees. I would hazard to guess that at least 50% of the men here are under 40, and many are clearly under 30. This is the next generation and this is the hope, because by being here and sitting up the teaching of some of the great Gospel preachers of this generation, these men will go home with a higher regard for Scripture, for the unadulterated Gospel and for the sovereignty of God in salvation. That gives me hope.
Finally, this conference is not about Calvinism. It is not about Reformed theology. True, the speakers are a who's who of Reformed guys, but ultimately this conference is about Christ and His Word, Christ and His church and Christ and His Gospel.
A Mighty Fortress
Together for the Gospel 2008
Day One
Just a quick note. If you haven't ever heard 5000 brothers in Christ, full of enthusiasm if not talent, belting out A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, in an enclosed space, well then you just haven't lived. I am not a big music guy, but the music at these conferences is always God honoring and a blessing.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Together for the Gospel 2008
Day One
Band of Bloggers
Today we had lunch with a bunch of bloggers, mostly young reformed guys (there are lots of young, Reformed guys at T4G with cargo pants, groovy glasses and way to much hair care product going on). I met a few people in person, like James Lee from Deliver Detroit and Timothy from Broken Wills & Saving Grace that I only knew from the internet before.
Probably the most profound statement came from Thabiti Anyabwile (who I found to be engaging and incredibly bright). He said that when we blog, we blog as those redeemed by the blood of Christ, and as those redeemed b the blood, that blood should leave it's stain on our thinking. Very true, and a very serious warning for those who blog for the glory of God alone.
I also liked a couple of things Phil Johnson and Thabiti said regarding the idea that blogging is the dumbing down of news and information. Johnson remarked that blogging is the most egalitarian form of communication we have had in a long time, and Thabiti said that if he had to choose between the cult of the amateur and the cult of the elite, he would choose the elite. What bugs traditionalists about blogging is the same thing that bugs education people about homeschooling, the idea that we should leave this stuff to the experts. But when the experts have failed miserably, as they have in the media and in education, it is time for regular folk to take things back.
I am not sure I learned anything really profound, but it was nice to meet people, see other bloggers and remember the importance of perspective. Blogging is a great outlet for thoughts, but it cannot replace relationships with real people: people at church, family, friends. Be good at what it is, and use it to glorify God, but remember what it is and what it is not.
I am not sure I learned anything really profound, but it was nice to meet people, see other bloggers and remember the importance of perspective. Blogging is a great outlet for thoughts, but it cannot replace relationships with real people: people at church, family, friends. Be good at what it is, and use it to glorify God, but remember what it is and what it is not.
Monday, April 14, 2008
At last!
Together for the Gospel 2008 starts this week. We are on the way to Louisville, stopping over in Cinci. Band of Bloggers starts us off tomorrow,and then registration and Together for the Gospel 2008 begins. Should a great time of teaching and fellowship. More tomorrow...
Together for the Gospel 2008 starts this week. We are on the way to Louisville, stopping over in Cinci. Band of Bloggers starts us off tomorrow,and then registration and Together for the Gospel 2008 begins. Should a great time of teaching and fellowship. More tomorrow...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Anyone?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Ben Stein has a new movie coming up, unlike really anything he has done before. The movie is called Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed and in it Stein exposes the sheer irrationality of the Darwinian dogma that insists that life happened randomly, that the facts are settled and no one who questions those facts
Ben Stein has a new movie coming up, unlike really anything he has done before. The movie is called Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed and in it Stein exposes the sheer irrationality of the Darwinian dogma that insists that life happened randomly, that the facts are settled and no one who questions those facts
A great video has been circulating around the Internet, with R.C. Sproul interviewing Ben Stein, in all of his deadpan glory. The conversation is supremely intelligent and should set to rest the notion that we are all, as Stein says, "knuckle-dragging creationists".
Sproul and Stein ask the questions and raise the spectre that no one likes to deal with in academia or philosophy: if we are a random event, coming from nothingness and destined for nothingness, why bother getting up in the morning? Why not steal a car? Why not gas six million Jews? Who cares, it is all meaningless anyway. Creationism is not just a possible explanation, it really is the only logical explanation. Matter cannot spring into being from nothing. So there was supposedly a Big Bang. What came before that? Where did that matter come from?
I am looking forward to seeing this movie and seeing the predictable, frothing at the mouth, reaction of "academics" and "intellectuals" when it comes out. The movie opens in theaters this week (April 18th). Not up north in Michigan where we live now, but it is opening in theaters downstate where we will be living as of this weekend so I plan on attending for sure, perhaps with some friends we have made in the area. Check out the video, then check out the movie and then check out the reaction of evolutionist when their theories are shown to be logically untenable. Good times all around!
(In fine R.C. Sproul fashion, he barely lets Ben Stein speak! He may not quite the concept of how to interview someone else...it normally involves letting them answer your questions)
Sproul and Stein ask the questions and raise the spectre that no one likes to deal with in academia or philosophy: if we are a random event, coming from nothingness and destined for nothingness, why bother getting up in the morning? Why not steal a car? Why not gas six million Jews? Who cares, it is all meaningless anyway. Creationism is not just a possible explanation, it really is the only logical explanation. Matter cannot spring into being from nothing. So there was supposedly a Big Bang. What came before that? Where did that matter come from?
I am looking forward to seeing this movie and seeing the predictable, frothing at the mouth, reaction of "academics" and "intellectuals" when it comes out. The movie opens in theaters this week (April 18th). Not up north in Michigan where we live now, but it is opening in theaters downstate where we will be living as of this weekend so I plan on attending for sure, perhaps with some friends we have made in the area. Check out the video, then check out the movie and then check out the reaction of evolutionist when their theories are shown to be logically untenable. Good times all around!
(In fine R.C. Sproul fashion, he barely lets Ben Stein speak! He may not quite the concept of how to interview someone else...it normally involves letting them answer your questions)
Refutation of household baptism
The biggest obstacle that paedobaptists run into is the utter lack of explicit Biblical example or command to baptize infant children of believers. Because of that fact, paedobaptists are left with two streams of argument. The first is to emphasize (I would say over emphasize) the ties between circumcision and baptism. The second is to try to find some Biblical passages that at least imply infant baptism, which invariably leads to the household baptism passages in Acts. I have never found those passages to be all that persuasive, and they seem more relevant for what they don't say rather than what they do say. Pulpit Magazine recently ran a series of short blurbs from a new book, A Biblical Critique of Infant Baptism, and even these brief blog entries lay to rest the idea that the households mentioned in the book of Acts.
The biggest obstacle that paedobaptists run into is the utter lack of explicit Biblical example or command to baptize infant children of believers. Because of that fact, paedobaptists are left with two streams of argument. The first is to emphasize (I would say over emphasize) the ties between circumcision and baptism. The second is to try to find some Biblical passages that at least imply infant baptism, which invariably leads to the household baptism passages in Acts. I have never found those passages to be all that persuasive, and they seem more relevant for what they don't say rather than what they do say. Pulpit Magazine recently ran a series of short blurbs from a new book, A Biblical Critique of Infant Baptism, and even these brief blog entries lay to rest the idea that the households mentioned in the book of Acts.
Good stuff!
Just give us ignorant masses our guns and churches!
Barack Obama's inexperience is tripping him up again. Check out this comment from Obama regarding why working-class folks don't walk in lockstep with leftist policies.
"People don't vote on economic issues because they don't expect anybody is going to help them," Obama told a crowd at a Terre Haute, Ind., high school Friday evening. "So people end up voting on issues like guns and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. They take refuge in their faith and their community, and their family, and the things they can count on. But they don't believe they can count on Washington."
Yikes! Those were supposed to be remarks made in private to wealthy donors. This once more lays to rest the tired assumption that Democrats are all about the working people. Liberal elites like Clinton, Obama, Ted Kennedy care nothing about working people. All they care about is their own power, and getting working class Americans to vote for them by shameless pandering and fostering class envy. But when you get them alone, the mask comes off and you see the level of disdain that they really have for regular people. Whether it is their faith, their distrust of big city politicians or our love of the outdoors and our right to keep and bear arms, liberal elites cannot stomach the masses. They are little different from politburo members of the former Soviet Union, always talking about the class struggle while spending weekend in luxury at their lavish lake homes.
As one would expect, the Clinton and McCain campaigns are tripping all over themselves to make hay with this.
“Pennsylvanians don’t need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them,” Clinton said Friday afternoon at a campaign stop in Philadelphia. She said the Pennsylvanians she’s met aren’t bitter, but “resilient” and “positive.”
McCain adviser Steve Schmidt called Obama’s statement “remarkable” and “extremely revealing.”
“It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking,” Schmidt said. “It is hard to imagine someone running for president of the United States who is more out of touch with average Americans.”
Schmidt also said it shows Obama views the people he’s trying to relate to with “contempt.”
Barack is great when delivered canned speeches, but once you get him off script, look out! McCain is going to tear him apart in the debates.
Barack Obama's inexperience is tripping him up again. Check out this comment from Obama regarding why working-class folks don't walk in lockstep with leftist policies.
"People don't vote on economic issues because they don't expect anybody is going to help them," Obama told a crowd at a Terre Haute, Ind., high school Friday evening. "So people end up voting on issues like guns and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. They take refuge in their faith and their community, and their family, and the things they can count on. But they don't believe they can count on Washington."
Yikes! Those were supposed to be remarks made in private to wealthy donors. This once more lays to rest the tired assumption that Democrats are all about the working people. Liberal elites like Clinton, Obama, Ted Kennedy care nothing about working people. All they care about is their own power, and getting working class Americans to vote for them by shameless pandering and fostering class envy. But when you get them alone, the mask comes off and you see the level of disdain that they really have for regular people. Whether it is their faith, their distrust of big city politicians or our love of the outdoors and our right to keep and bear arms, liberal elites cannot stomach the masses. They are little different from politburo members of the former Soviet Union, always talking about the class struggle while spending weekend in luxury at their lavish lake homes.
As one would expect, the Clinton and McCain campaigns are tripping all over themselves to make hay with this.
“Pennsylvanians don’t need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them,” Clinton said Friday afternoon at a campaign stop in Philadelphia. She said the Pennsylvanians she’s met aren’t bitter, but “resilient” and “positive.”
McCain adviser Steve Schmidt called Obama’s statement “remarkable” and “extremely revealing.”
“It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking,” Schmidt said. “It is hard to imagine someone running for president of the United States who is more out of touch with average Americans.”
Schmidt also said it shows Obama views the people he’s trying to relate to with “contempt.”
Barack is great when delivered canned speeches, but once you get him off script, look out! McCain is going to tear him apart in the debates.
Alert Al Gore!
Global warming is alive and well, as demonstrated by the fresh two inches of snow in my yard and the downpour of snow coming down. We should have listened to Al when we had the chance! I blame Dick Cheney for the snow, it must be a nefarious plot by Halliburton to make us buy more of their oil!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Opposing Hillary=Misogyny?
Apparently it does according to uber-weirdo Elton John. In a recent Reuters article, Clinton supporter Elton John laments U.S. misogyny, Elton John chastises anyone who doesn't wholeheartedly embrace Hillary as a backwards, woman hating Neanderthal:
At the fund-raiser which Clinton's campaign manager said raised $2.5 million, John said there was no one more qualified to lead the United States into the next era.
"Having said that, I never cease to be amazed at the misogynistic attitude of some people in this country. And I say to hell with them," he said, drawing cheers from the crowd at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
"The reason I'm here tonight is to play music, but more importantly as someone who comes from abroad, and is in America quite a lot of the time (and) is extremely interested in the political process because it effects the whole world."
"I've always been a Hillary supporter," he said.
I love the not so subtle jab that because Elton John is not American, he sees the flaws of our country so much more clearly (but not so far as to turn down our money of course). Apparently it never occurred to Elton that people may not support Hillary because of her far left policies, or her questionable ethics or even just because she is a virulently unpleasant person. No, to the left if you oppose a liberal black, you are a racist. If you oppose a liberal woman, you are a misogynist. If you oppose a liberal Jew, you are anti-Semitic. If you oppose a liberal white guy, you are...well, you are just an idiot. This is part of why it is nigh impossible to have a conversation with most liberals. They are so caught up in their own self-importance that they cannot see the beyond the labels to the issues. Take your money and your fruity clothes and go back to England if you hate it here so much, we have plenty of nuts and fruits in our country as it is.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Peter in da house?
"When he steps off the plane, we will see Peter," the apostle whom Jesus told to "build my church, feed my sheep," says Archbishop of Washington Donald Wuerl. "He's coming to inspire, to affirm and to teach. He's not coming to scold us."
I guess these sorts of breathless, completely irrational comments shouldn't surprise me but this one made me kind of do a double-take. From USA Today on Joseph Ratzinger (aka Pope Benedict) visiting the U.S....
The pope will meet with President Bush at the White House, pray at the World Trade Center site and celebrate Mass in Washington's new Nationals Park and New York's Yankee Stadium. About 100,000 seats were available for the baseball stadium events; more than 200,000 applied for the free tickets.
"When he steps off the plane, we will see Peter," the apostle whom Jesus told to "build my church, feed my sheep," says Archbishop of Washington Donald Wuerl. "He's coming to inspire, to affirm and to teach. He's not coming to scold us."
Keep in mind that this is not some crackpot Opus Dei member, but a man who styles himself as an archbishop. It is a glimpse into a world that so many Protestants find bewildering, the exaltation of men whether Peter or the latest pope, the lifting up of the church hierarchy over and above the Word of God. I doubt that Peter would have styled himself as the rock of the church, nor would he approve of a man labelling himself as his successor and the sole infallible authority of the church.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
I wish I was in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana
If you have no idea what that means, you didn't grow up in the 80's when MTV first came out and actually played videos. No doubt that most of what MTV has put out has been a net negative on society, but you have to at least give them credit for Wall of Voodoo Mexican Radio!
If you have no idea what that means, you didn't grow up in the 80's when MTV first came out and actually played videos. No doubt that most of what MTV has put out has been a net negative on society, but you have to at least give them credit for Wall of Voodoo Mexican Radio!
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