Take Up and Read

In the spring Douglas Wilson went to Bloomington, IN and gave lectures on God's Design for Sexuality. You can get the lectures and the trailers here. The lectures are a fascinating glimpse into the modern world and how we can expect our proclamation of biblical sexuality to be greeted in the coming years.  I highly commend them, especially since we live in a university town.

Denny Burk also has some wonderful thoughts on Pastor Wilson's lectures. I think his comments bring to the forefront how we should respond to gay activists and what the future holds for us.

Here is an interesting op-ed from the New York Times. It gives some good insight into how the expectations of congregations have changed over the years and how that has affected the pastors who serve those congregations. I disagree, by the way, with his statement, " that the church exists, as it always has, to save souls by elevating people’s values and desires."  People are not saved by "elevated desires." Still the article is worth the read. 


The Bayly Brothers wrote an insightful post last week on what the Jerry Sandusky verdict means. Jerry Sandusky was a long time coach on the Penn State football team. Last week he was convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse of boys. The paragraph that begins, "A nation that refuses to..." is gold. They point out clearly that Sandusky is the product of our society. Why did we convict him when we made him? He represents in flesh and blood what our society thinks of children. The post is sobering. 


George Grant mentions a project started by Margaret Sanger on June 27th, 1939, that aimed to exterminate blacks by using African Americans ministers to promote birth control.  How do these facts not make it into our history books? 


Finally, here is a longer article on why evangelicals cannot write. The author lists three things that Flannery O'Conner got from the Roman Catholic Church that helped her write fiction. He meditates on how evangelicals can learn from her about how to write good fiction. 

Broken Reeds

Here are some of my sermon notes from this past Sunday.  If you would like to hear the sermon you can go to christchurchofmorgantown.org

1.       We should rejoice in Christ’s ministry to us.

a.       First, Christ is the only one who meets our needs. There is no hope for us outside of Christ.  It is easy for us to believe that hope lies outside of Christ. In real life we tend to depend on other things. Christ is the delight of the Father.  Beloved is only used in two other places in Matthew, chapters 3 and 17.  Do you want the Father to delight in you? Then you must be in the Son. 

b.      Second, Christ’s ministry to us is ordinary. He avoids worldly pomp and show.  He is not like the rulers of this world, who crush and destroy the weak.

                                                              i.      Who in Matthew is most likely to have a ministry opposed to Christ? It is not Rome. It is the religious leaders.

                                                            ii.      Does our ministry look like the oppression of the Pharisees or the liberation of Jesus.

c.       Third, Christ will not destroy us.  He is here to redeem us, to save us, to drag us up out of the pit. Christ delights in healing broken people. Christ is not going to crush you.  You are a bruised reed. You are a smoking wick. Guess what? Christ is not going throw you in the ditch.

                                                              i.      To rejoice in Christ’s ministry we must recognize our need. We must realize that we are broken. We are bruised. We are useless.  You have nothing to offer Christ.  We are all bent and broken. Illustration: David’s travelling companions. I Samuel 22:1-2. Jesus’ choice of the twelve Apostles, Paul in I Corinthians 1:26-31.  We tend to nod our heads and go yes, yes, that is how Jesus works. But then we don’t put ourselves in that category.  We think of ourselves as the exception to the rule. Yes, Jesus you normally work through losers, but I am the exception. Your bruises should drive you to Christ.

d.      Fourth, Christ’s ministry to us is effective. He will lead justice to victory. He would bring justice to the nations. The point is not that the Messiah will not win. Matthew is not saying all is lost. He is saying all will be won, just not how men expected.  By his gentleness and sacrifice he would win the world.

e.       Fifth, Christ’s ministers to us through his Spirit, his Word, and his people.  Jesus is gone, but his ministry extends until the end of time. But how? Where do we find our Lord?  How do we meet with Christ as those people did 2, 000 years ago?

Battle Plan for Lust and Pornography

There are no easy answers in the battle with pornography. There is hardly a man around who is not been exposed to it. Many men have been addicted to it for extended periods of time. It has also become a much bigger problem among females over the last decade. The marriage bed is often compromised because of it. For pastors, it is one of the dominant themes of our ministries. It does not go away.  If it is not being addressed regularly that is not because it is not there, but rather because it is being ignored. 


As a pastor, one the questions I ask the men in my church is, "Are you looking at pornography/sexually provocative materially?"  If they say, "Yes." I pester them until I get a good idea of how much and how often they look at it.  Then I develop with them a plan to fight against it. Pornography and lust die hard deaths, but by the Spirit and the Word, they can die. Here are some of the things I tell the men at my church to do to battle lust and pornography.  There are other things I say and not all of these points are equally effective for all  men. But they do get them going down the right road. They are not in any particular order. 

a.   Memorize verses to renew your mind.  I encourage memorizing two types of verses. First, memorize what I call practical verses, such as II Timothy 2:22, "Flee youthful lusts, etc." Second memorize verses that call to mind the glory of Christ and his work. I call these doctrinal verses.  Anything from Ephesians 1 or 2 would do. These two types of verses remind you of what you are to do and who you serve and have been saved by. 

b.   Pray frequently, especially before entering tempting situations. Prayer reminds you that God exists and will help you and it fixes your mind on the battle ahead. I know for many men the work environment is one of the worst situations, as women often dress immodestly. I would encourage regular prayer before and during the work day. 

c.   Remember that your sins are truly forgiven in Christ. He does not forgive partially. He does not forgive based on you overcoming your sin. He forgives abundantly and completely and frequently. This great truth will keep you from despair as you fight. 

d.   Pornography is about worship. Learning to worship God is a key to overcoming pornography. Worship drives who we are. Sunday worship is one of the greatest tools God uses to drive out our idols. Let the songs, prayers, preaching, and fellowship all reshape you. It is a mystery how all this happens, but if you throw yourself into the Lord’s day and expect him to meet you there, you will be changed.

e.    Pornography is about desire. We must not just fight porn, but we must replace our desires for what is evil with our desires for what is good. We must learn to want what is righteous. This is probably the most difficult of all tasks. We look at porn or lust after women because we want to. We must learn to not want it.

Take Up and Read

This month is Gay Pride Month. The mayor of Pensacola, Florida officially sanctioned a "Pensacola Pride Festival Week" in honor of all the sodomites, etc. in his area. The faithful pastors at Providence Church in Pensacola, Florida wrote this letter in response.  The letter is gracious, but firm. This is a good example of prophetic speech in our modern age.

Here is amazing infograph about how much data is being uploaded or shared on the internet every minute.  Take some time to process that every minute of every day users are uploading 48 hours to Youtube. Or that 571 new websites are created every minute. It makes me wonder where exactly this is all going?

Conrad Mbewe talks about the negative effect motivational speakers have had on the church. I am always glad when someone takes a shot at Joel Osteen. Pastor Mbewe does that here. Pastor Mbewe shepherds a flock in Zambia, Africa.

Here is a list of ways to share Christ. I liked it because it was simple and applies to all people.  I especially liked 3 and 4, be attentive and get close.

Denny Burke tells a disturbing story about a forced abortion in China. Read it and weep.  Then pray for America, that the Spirit would move and turn our hearts back to him. Warning: The post contains a link to a graphic image.

The Antichrist in John's Epistles: Part III

Another line of argument for a future Antichrist is the phrase “is coming” in 2:18. The verb is in the present tense. Normally it would be translated as “you have heard that antichrist comes.” However, most translations take this as “futuristic present.” This is described by Daniel Wallace as when “the present tense may describe an event that is wholly subsequent to the time of speaking, although as if it were present.”[1] Wallace adds this use of the present tense is commonly found with the verb “erchomai,” which is the word “is coming” in our text. Whether or not this is futuristic is difficult to determine. Even if it is, the question still remains as to whether it is future to the time of John writing or was future when he told them about it in the past (you have heard).  Notice the parallel between 2:18 and 4:3:

 

2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.

4:3 This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

It is possible to read 2:18 as, “you have heard that Antichrist is coming in the future, but even now there are many antichrists who prefigure that coming antichrist.”  This is how Pastor MacArthur reads the passage.   

Or it could be read, “You heard in the past that antichrist would come and now he/they have arrived." The second reading fits better with the rest of John’s references to the antichrist, while the first reading does not.

Either way, this is not a slam-dunk argument for making the Antichrist an end times world leader.

One final argument is used to say antichrist refers to end times world leader.  John says in 2:18 and in 4:3 that the people “have heard” that the antichrist is coming.  Some pastors take this as a reference to II Thessalonians 2. They will say that Paul speaks of the Antichrist in II Thessalonians and that is where John’s readers heard about it. While this is possible, it is sheer speculation. There is nothing in I John that indicates he was writing to the same group that Paul wrote to or that his readers had access to Paul’s letters.  There is no direct connection in words or concepts between I John 2 and II Thessalonians 2.  It is just as likely that John has previously told them about the antichrist when he planted or visited the church he was writing to.

Everything in I and II John points to antichrists and the spirit of the antichrist being present during the time John was writing.  There are no verbal or conceptual parallels with other passages which speak of an end times leader, even in John’s book of Revelation. John’s epistles are pastoral in nature, discussing particular problems that were facing his readers. There is nothing in the text that demands we read antichrist as The Antichrist.

So what is the antichrist? The simple answer is that antichrist was a set of doctrines or beliefs that denied that Jesus was the Christ. This set of beliefs denied especially the Incarnation.  Any man who holds to these beliefs is a deceiver and the antichrist. So antichrist is both the set of beliefs and the men who hold those beliefs. By the way, Pastor MacArthur implies that all Christians are antichrists. This is overstating the case.  I think this was in his second sermon on this passage.  

            Readers may ask, “Why does this matter?”  First and foremost, all Christians should desire to be faithful to the biblical text. Before we move on to “practical” considerations, there must be a foundational desire to know exactly what the text says.  So our love for Christ demands that we properly understand what I and II John are teaching. Second, by showing that I and II John do not teach us about an end times leader called the Antichrist we are able to focus more clearly on what the text does say. Someone who believes that John is talking about a world leader who shows up during the Tribulation ends up spending a lot of time on passages that have nothing to do with I John. I think this can confuse the flock. Third, John is talking about religious leaders, false teachers who went out from the Apostles. The modern depiction of the Antichrist is that he is a political leader. Again this muddies the waters and causes a focus on nations and world leaders instead of teachers and pastors. Finally, too often when I and II John are preached they are couched in speculation. The flock does not get practical exhortations on how to fight the antichrist who shows up at their door, like the Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormons, Unitarians, or the liberal Presbyterian. (In fairness to Pastor MacArthur he only spends half of one sermon on the world leader. Most of his three sermons are devoted to how to combat present day antichrists.)

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[1]  Wallace, Daniel B., Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996),  p. 536.

The Antichrist in John's Epistles: Part II

One of the other arguments used to show that John is referring to some future world leader is the use “anti” on the front of Antichrist. “Anti” is a preposition, which can mean in the place or against. Usually what happens is that someone takes “anti” to mean someone who seeks to replace Christ. Then they are able to find the Antichrist in all sorts of places he is not mentioned, such as II Thessalonians 2:3-4 and the beast in Revelation 13. Here is long quote from Pastor MacArthur where he does this exact thing:

“Now without needing to go into all of the rest of what's in this wonderful section, we can sort of focus, to begin with, on this matter of Antichrist, a term that has become very familiar to Christians in this generation, as I'm sure in many other generations. The word Antichrist is well known to us. It occurs in the New Testament only in John's letters. It occurs in 1 John several times, and then it occurs in the seventh verse of 2 John. And though it is limited as a term to John's epistles, it expresses a widely known reality that is dealt with in other portions of the Bible, not only in the New Testament but even in the Old Testament as well. The term "Antichrist" which John uses is antichristos in the Greek. Christos obviously means Christ, anti can have two possible meanings. It is a Greek preposition that can mean either against or in the place of...against or in the place of. Antichrist can then mean either someone who is against Christ, or someone who seeks to replace Christ. Someone who is an adversary of Christ, or someone who is a false representation of Christ. We can take it then to mean the one who opposes Christ. In that case, the opposition is clear, it is plain. Or we can take it to mean one who seeks to be put in the place of Christ and then the opposition becomes more subtle and more disguised. And antichrist can mean either of those, or both. We don't need to choose between them. Clearly antichrist is one on some fronts who is openly and overtly against Christ. That is to say they speak lies concerning Christ, such as in verse 22 that I just read. They deny that Jesus is the Christ, a denial of the nature and identity and work of Jesus Christ. This is clearly an antichrist perspective.”

By focusing on the anti at the beginning of the word, Pastor MacArthur finds the Antichrist in places where the word is not used and where John’s picture of the antichrist is absent. For example, II Thessalonians 2 describes a man of lawlessness who exalts himself and tries to take the place of God. This fits with Matthew 24:17 and Daniel 9:27. However, this idea is absent from I and II John. The same thing is done with the beast of Revelation (see Revelation 13). The beast is someone who is worshipped, who makes war on the saints, etc. But none of these ideas are found in John’s teaching on the antichrist, which is all the more odd since John wrote Revelation. In other words, the man of lawlessness and the beast are not the Antichrist. 


D.A. Carson warns against what he calls the “root word” fallacy.[1] This is where the root of a word is used to determine its meaning instead of the context. This is what has happened here. Because “anti” can mean “seeks to replace,” and the person in II Thessalonians seeks to replace God then it must be the Antichrist. However, just because a word can mean something does not mean that it does. The context of I and II John must determine the meaning of antichrist, not the various uses of “anti.”  I and II John are clear on the character traits of antichrists. They are false teachers, who have left the Apostles, gone out into the world, so that they might deceive churches by teaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh and that he is not the Christ. Of course, Pastor MacArthur will agree with these points, but by using “anti” he can drag in another point, that Antichrist is the beast and man of lawlessness, which is foreign to I and II John. 

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[1] Carson, D.A. Exegetical Fallacies (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), p.26-32.

Two Types of Fear

Pastor Leithart commenting on I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love”

“John is not contradicting the rest of Scripture when he says that perfect love dispels fear.  He assumes, with the rest of Scripture, that here are different sorts of fear.  We have a right fear of God if we are awed by his power and majesty.  We have a right fear of God if our fear of God draws us close to him. We have a right fear of God when we honor him as our Maker, Lord, and Savior.  John is talking about a cowering fear, the fear that God is out to get us, the anxious worry that we will not stand in judgment.  Johns is talking about the fear of Adam, the fear that came from a bad conscience and drove Adam to hide in the garden. This kind of fear is driven out by the love that God has shown us…fear moves us, and the difference between right and wrong fear is the direction it moves us. Adam feared God, and hid in the garden. Wrong fear drives us away from God’s presence.  Right fear draws us closer, in awed fascination and quaking love toward the God who is a consuming fire.” (From Beyond the Veil, p. 157-158)

The Antichrist in John's Epistles: Part I

Perhaps no vision has shaped contemporary eschatology like that of the Antichrist. He is the epitome of evil and will reign over all the earth supplanting Christ and bringing in  the rule of Satan. However, "antichrist" is only mentioned in I and II John. He is not mentioned in Revelation, where one would expect to find him, especially since John wrote both books.  As I read I and II John I tried to determine if John actually teaches what so many people think he teaches. The exegesis of the antichrist passages in John’s Epistles is usually informed, not by careful examination of the text, but rather by a prior commitment to a certain eschatological viewpoint.   A good example of using prior commitment to examine the text is Pastor John MacArthur’s sermons on I John 2:18-26.[1] He preaches three sermons on these verses. The second half of his first sermon covers passages like II Thessalonians 2, Daniel 8-10, and Revelation 13, not I John 2:18-26. It is interesting that the first part of his sermon, (and in his remaining two sermons on this passage) when he focuses on I John is all about contemporary antichrists. He does a great job exegeting the text. He lays open exactly what the text says. He tells us who these antichrists are and how they behave. But this is not enough. He believes in a final, all powerful Antichrist. But to find the one he must go to other passages. (By the way, I really enjoy Pastor MacArthur, but I disagree with him on this point.)

Before we begin exegesis of the Apostle John’s passages on the antichrist we need to ask, what is the commonly held view of the antichrist?   Pastor MacArthur sums it up well:

“The Bible is clear that one man will be the final, most complete and powerful Antichrist. He will appear in the future history of the world in a time which is called the time of the Tribulation. This is a time that will end man's day. It is a time, a seven-year period of time divided into two three-and-half year sections in which Satan releases his power in the world, at the same time God releases judgment in the world. And there will be in that day a world ruler who is identified as the Antichrist. He is the culminating and final one, that's why we have here the singular "Antichrist is coming.”

So the Antichrist is the final culmination of all evil and will come at the end of the world to set up a kingdom that is opposed to Christ. But does John actually teach this?

Let’s look carefully at the text in John’s Epistles which mention the antichrist and then determine if the commonly held view of the antichrist is correct. I will begin with what is agreed upon and then move to the areas of disagreement.  The following passages will be in discussed: I John 2:18-27, I John 4:1-3, and II John 1:7.  I would recommend having your Bible open has you read.

There are several areas of agreement between those who see the Antichrist as a culmination of all evil at the end of history and those who do not. Let me list those briefly. First, all parties agree that antichrists live in the world. This is clear from I John 2:18. John says explicitly that there are many antichrists who have gone out into the world. Second, all parties agree that these antichrists prove that it is the last hour. Of course, there is much disagreement about what exactly that means. Third, all parties agree that the antichrist is someone who denies Jesus came in the flesh (II John 1:7) and denies the Father and the Son, especially the Son as Christ (I John 2:22).  Fourth, all parties agree that anyone who is an antichrist is not a Christian. They do not know have the Son or the Father (I John 2:23).  On all of these major points and several minor ones most commentators agree.

However, does I and II John teach that we are to look for a future all powerful Antichrist?  There are numerous arguments used to back up the claim that John is talking about an end times leader: the use of a singular antichrist in 2:18, the use of anti in the term antichrist, the phrase “is coming” in I John 2:18, and the phrase “have heard.”  I will address these items in order. By the way, I am not arguing against an end times, all powerful figure.  I am simply asking whether John teaches us about this end times figure.

What Does the First Amendment Prohibit?

Pastor Leithart commenting on I John 4:1, “ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”

“We live in a dazzling carnival of religious options. You can find a hundred and one varieties of Christianity, anything to suit your taste-classical Christianity, country Christianity, crunchy Christianity, be-bop Christianity and hip-hop Christianity. And that’s not even to mention the hundreds of NRMs-New Religious Movements-invented every year in this country. Our culture wants to persuade us to just accept it all: let a thousand flowers bloom. Celebrate the diversity and richness and variety of the American religious life. Above all, make no judgments. Don’t examine, test, judge.  That is the main thing the first Amendment prohibits, which, freely paraphrased, says, “Thou shalt not test the spirits.” 

Book Review: Jesus Loves the Little Children

Jesus Loves the Little Children: Why We Baptize Children by Daniel R. Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best brief introduction to infant baptism I have read. Hyde is long enough to cover the basics, but short enough to be of use to any believer. There were several things I enjoyed about the book.

1. Hyde is gracious, but firm. His understands that good Christians differ on this issue. But he believes the Bible is firmly on his side. I liked this approach.

2. He emphasized the covenant of grace.

3. He discussed the status of children in the NT. I think this particular angle has been overlooked by both paedo and credo baptists.

4. He showed how the mode was irrelevant.

5. He used church history as a secondary source, but clearly put the Scriptures above it.

This will become my go to book for new parents or people looking into infant baptism.

View all my reviews

Prayers for the 3rd Sunday of Trinity

Prayer of Praise: Psalm 132:13-18

            Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of Heaven and Earth, You have chosen us for Your dwelling place. You have promised that You will be our God and we will be Your people. Because of your great promises we have come to your tabernacle and now seek to worship at your footstool. We cry out to you that would keep these promises as we enter the heavenly sanctuary. We ask you to clothe us, your priests, with salvation and put shouts of joy in our mouths.  We pray that all our enemies would be put shame and that for the sake of Christ we would flourish like a well-watered vine. This we pray in the strong Name of Jesus. Amen!

Prayer for Illumination: Psalm 119:65-72

            O Lord our God we praise you for your Word, which is mighty unto salvation for all men. We give you thanks for you have dealt well with us according to your Word. O Lord speak to us now as we hear your Word read and preached. Afflict us if we have gone astray and help us to keep your Word.  For we know that it is good to be afflicted that we might learn to keep your statutes. Above all teach us to delight in the Scriptures, for the law of your mouth is better to us than a thousand gold pieces. In the strong name of Christ we pray. Amen!

Eucharistic Prayers

Bread: Noah’s Ark

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, it truly, right and good and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give You thanks and magnify Your Holy Name, therefore with the Angels, the Archangels and all the company of heaven we praise You saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Glory be to You, O Lord Most High.

            We praise you Almighty God for the great flood you sent upon the earth so long ago. The earth was corrupt. The wickedness of man was great. Indeed, every thought of his heart was evil. Yet Noah found grace in your eyes and you delivered him through the flood. He came forth upon a purged earth and gave to you a burnt offering in thanksgiving. We like Noah have been delivered from your wrath because of your grace. As we eat , nourish us upon Christ and give to us hearts of thanksgiving for your great salvation. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen!

Wine: Titus 3:3-8

O Lord you are worthy of blessing and honor for you sent your only begotten Son into the world to deliver us from sin and the Devil’s snare. We know that we were once disobedient fools, serving our lusts and pleasures, full of malice, envy and hate. But then your kindness appeared and you saved us, not by works of righteousness, but according to your abundant mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. For this great salvation we give you hearty thanks and praise. As we drink this wine, strengthen us upon Christ that we might be a people zealous for good works. For the sake of Christ and His Kingdom. Amen!

Leaving Sin Outside

Yesterday afternoon my son innocently brought his fishing pole into the basement.  We have rules about these types of things.  Fishing poles belong in the shed or possibly on the porch. They do not come into the house.  Fishing poles are in like sticks, big rocks, snakes, and lizards. They belong outside. My son knows this.  But like all of us, he sometimes does not do what he is told.

The bait on the pole looked like the one pictured above. It was big with numerous hooks designed to snare some large fish lurking beneath the surface of a local lake or river.  Each of these hooks has a barb designed to keep the fish from getting off the hook.  These barbs make extraction of a hook only slightly easier than extracting a tooth.   

Now what do you think happened when my son brought his rod into the house?  Do you think that lure just slid across the tile floor and caused no trouble. No. The hooks, all three of them, were promptly snagged on a blue couch cushion. (Lures do this. They gravitate, almost like they are alive, towards the place they can do the most harm.) I think my son tried to remove them, but hooks are designed to embed themselves deeper the more you mess with them.  By the time the cushion was laid contritely on my desk the hooks were entangled deep in the pillow. 

Open God's Ears by Opening Your Own

“When our hearts are assured by God, we have confidence in prayer. We can ask whatever we want because we keep his commandments and live in a way please to God [I John 3:22].   John is not talking about ‘works righteousness,’ as if we could coerce God into doing us favors by our good works.  But he does say there is a causal connection between effective prayer and obedience: ‘whatever we ask we receive from Him, because [hoti] we keep His commandments.’ If you prayers are not being answered, examine yourself. Ask if you are walking in obedience. If you want God to open his ear to you, open your ears to him.” (Peter Leithart, From Beyond the Veil, p. 127)

Take Up and Read

Tim Challies summarizes an article by Al Mohler on preaching. I found this insightful and a good reminder of some of the places I might be tempted to compromise in my preaching.

Kevin DeYoung summarized Dr. Lloyd Jones on Ephesians 6:4.  The exposition is a wonderful, practical exhortation on how not to provoke your children to wrath.

As science continues to advance we find that instead of it being a wonderful way to glorify God it becomes a way to shake our fists at his law.  This article by Jon Knight explains that genetic scientists are learning how to map a child's DNA while they are still in the womb. His point is plain and terrible. More children will be killed as this technology continues to improve. In one of the more striking lines in the article he notes that a child with spina bifida or Down Syndrome is likely to be killed. More children are killed with these diseases than live with them.

Recently I was listening to talk on ministry. The man said, "Do you want to look good or do you want to change lives?"  What is a church supposed to be about? It is there to make disciples who then make more disciples who then make more disciples. All of this is done to the glory of the Father and Son and Spirit. Eric Geiger makes this exact point in a wonderful post about what is the ultimate criteria for a successful church.

If you do not love G.K. Chesterton you should. Here is a great collection of quotes from Chesterton. What I love most is the post by an Thabiti Anyabwile. So you have an African-American Baptist living in the Grand Caymans quoting a white Roman Catholic from England who has been dead for many years. The picture of Chesterton at the top of the page is worth a click.

Finally, I know Father's Day is here, but if you forgot to get something or would like to work on being a better father or son, Canon Press is running a special for Father's Day. All the items will help you imitate "Our Father who art in Heaven."

False Teaching is Immoral

         In II John 1:7-11 John brings us to the primary reason for his letter.  The verse begins with Greek word “hoti.” This word often shows a connection between the verses that follow and the verses that come before.  The connection here is that a failure to guard against false teachers will lead this “elect lady” and her children to leave the Christian faith. The truth and love are of the utmost importance. But there are many deceivers, men who will lead you away from the truth. These verses are important because they show how doctrine and the Christian life interlock. 

a.       The issue here is not a moral false teaching, but rather a theological one. The problem is not that false teachers are sexually immoral. But rather they are teaching that Christ did not come in the flesh. This is important because we often put theology and action in two separate spheres. A pedophile is wicked.  A moral man who denies Christ came in the flesh is not usually put in the same category.  But for John, a theological failure, especially one so closely connected to Christ and his work, is a moral failure. 

b.      To attack Christ’s person and work is a sin of the first order.  It puts someone in the category of “antichrist.” So many of the moral failings we see in society today, pornography, abortion, sodomy, etc., began with theological heresy, especially heresy about Christ.  The person and work of Christ ought to be our highest possession. Those who tamper with Him and his work are to be cursed.

c.       Like I John, II John gives us a clue as to who the real Christians are. Anyone who does not abide in the doctrine of Christ is not regenerate. They do not have God.

d.      John is telling the church that he is writing to avoid false teachers.  Unlike Adam, John is protecting his bride from the serpent.  He tells them to not give any official recognition to these false teachers. If they do they are sharers in their evil. This is an important truth.  It is not okay to give a public forum to those who deny Jesus or teach some heresy about his person or work.  You do not dialogue with heretics. You kick them out.

Do You Act Like an Alien?

“Unfortunately the modern church has too often tried hard to avoid being strange. Modern Christians have adjusted to the world’s standards.  We don’t want to sound unscientific, so we find ways to reinterpret Genesis 1 so it fits with current scientific theory.  We don’t want to look odd, so we conform our fashion sense to that of the world, without considering whether or not God has something to say about our clothing. We don’t want to be uncool, so our tastes become identical to the world.  This makes things a lot easier.  There’s no conflict between the church and the world when the church imitates the world. We don’t seem alien and strange, as if we have come from another planet, but we are acting against our nature: we are children of God, children of the resurrection, but we behave the same as the children of the devil, as if we were still in the same old, dead flesh as everyone else.” (Peter Leithart, From Beyond the Veil, p. 115)”

You Still Need Teachers

Peter Leithart commenting on I John 2:27, “His anointing teaches you all things.”

“Christians have sometimes taken John’s statement out of this context and concluded they don’t need any human guidance or instruction. Even Christians who do not renounce teachers in principle act as if they don’t need any help, as if they the can survive and flourish in the Christian life without any instruction from anyone. The rebellious child who refuses to listen to his parents; the husband who won’t take counsel about how to deal with a troubled marriage; the young man with credit card debt who keeps trying to solve the problem without getting help: refusal to hear instruction is not a sign of spirituality, but a sign of arrogance, and a sure prescription for failure. Teachers are God’s gift to the church; we can’t prosper if we are contemptuous of God’s gifts.” (From Beyond the Veil, p. 104)

Biblical Decision Making

This past Sunday evening I taught on discerning God's will, specifically discerning God's will for those areas where there is no biblical guidance. In other words, how do we know what God wants when we are dealing with a non-moral issue?  Perhaps the most important point was that God does not guide us mystically or supernaturally. God generally guides us through people, prayer, circumstances, common sense, wisdom, and our own desires. God does occasionally guide us through a "gut feeling" or a "hunch."   But these feelings are not infallible and they are not normative. Below is my pattern for biblical decision making. I am talking here mainly about major decisions, though there is some application to more minor ones. 

1.      Drink deep and long at the well of God’s Word. Here we learn godliness, wisdom, and the path of righteousness.

a.     "As we become more intimately familiar with God’s Word in Scripture, we become more intimately familiar with God, his ways, his habits, his characteristic reactions. We can pray according to his will, finishing his sentences. This doesn’t come from looking over God’s shoulder, but from diligent study of the Scripture, faithful participation in worship and sacraments, the usual means by which God reveals himself and his will to us."  (Peter Leithart,  From Beyond the Veil, 177)

b.      But do not rely on random Bible verses. Verses must be interpreted in context.  God of course, can use random Bible verses, but that does not mean we should make it our habit to interpret God's Word this way.  

c.       Make sure it is not sin.  This means specific breaking of God’s law.  You can be sure sin is not God’s will.

                                                              i.      What if something might be a sin, but you are not sure? Here you should follow Romans 14:23. If your conscience is pricked, that is if you feel guilty, do not do it. 

d.      Make sure you are loving God and loving your neighbor. Examine your motives. Why are you doing what you are doing? It is possible to make the right decision for the wrong reason. 

2.      Pray over the decision, but do not sit around until an answer comes in the mail. Pray over it and trust that God is going to answer your prayer. Don't pray over it until you get a lighting strike from Heaven telling you what to do. 

A Good, Firm Support

"We have already seen how God has sufficiently declared to us that if we have and possess his only Son, Jesus Christ, we have the full perfection of all good, so that if we cast our eye upon him, we may see all that can be desired. And thus, although there are many blameworthy things in us, and even though we find nothing but frailty in ourselves, yet we have a good, firm support to lean on, in that our Lord Jesus Christ call us to him an tells us that the things he has received from God his Father are for us all, and that although we do not yet enjoy them  to the full, we cannot come short of them.  In short, our Lord Jesus Christ is set at the right hand of God his Father, in order that we might be sure that all things are under his control, and that he rules the whole world, and that all good things are from him and he is able to prevent all injuries, so that if we are under his protection, we may defy the devil and our enemies." (John Calvin, First paragraph of a sermon on Ephesians 1:19-23)

The Truth in II John

1.      Truth dominates I John 1:1-4. It is used five times.  John says he loves the elect lady and her children “in truth.”  He then says all who have known the truth love her also. This truth abides in them and will be with them forever. Jesus is the Son of the Father “in truth.” Finally, John rejoices that some of her children are walking in the truth. These verses show the various ways John uses the word “truth.”  Truth is a path, a way of living (See I John 1:6, 2:4). Those who claim Christ, but do not obey Him are not walking in the truth. Truth also abides within us.  In particular this is a reference to the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth who lives in us (John 14:17, 15:26, I John 4:6, 5:6).  The truth also binds us together in love. John loves this elect lady because they are both in the truth. Truth is something we know (John 8:32).  But ultimately truth is Jesus Christ himself (John 14:6).  He is who we know, the foundation for all our doctrine and theology. He is the one who showed us the Father’s love that we might love one another. He is the one who binds together various people and churches in truth.  He is the one that sent the Spirit of truth to dwell among us. Finally, he is the path of truth we are to walk. If we want to know if we are walking in truth, we need only look as far as Christ himself.

2.      Verses 4-6 undoes many of our ideas about truth, love, and obedience. We like to separate these things.  For example, truth and love are often put at odds with one another. Love is a feeling for someone. It is usually seen as warm and affectionate.  Truth is doctrine. It is usually seen as cold and harsh.  But for John he easily transitions from truth to obedience to love.  They are not enemies, but companions. Note the flow of thought:

a.       John rejoices that some are walking in the truth, just as they received a commandment from the Father. (For some reason, the ESV turns the noun “commandment” into a verb “commanded.” It makes it easier to miss the connection between verse 4 and the following verses.)

b.      This commandment is an old one.

c.       This commandment is to love one another.

d.      We love one another by obeying his commandments.

e.       We should walk in this commandment.

John does not see any conflict between love, truth, and obedience. For him they are all threads in the same tapestry.  If you pull one string out the whole thing begins to unravel.

Book Review: The Word Became Fresh

The Word Became Fresh: How to Preach from Old Testament Narrative Texts by Dale Ralph Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A really good introduction to preaching OT narrative. Pastor Davis doesn't just tell you what to do. He shows you how to do it. Also, he has an easy to follow writing style. I especially enjoyed his gentle critique of some of the negative aspects of the "Christ-centered preaching" movement. His chapter on the nasty portions of the Old Testament was excellent as well.


View all my reviews

The Elect Lady in II John

1.      John opens his second epistle by referring to the elect lady and her children.  In verse 13 John closes his letter with a very similar phrase; “The children of your elect sister greet you.” It is usually thought that these two references are to a literal woman and her children. For example, my Reformation Study Bible says these two verses cannot refer to churches, but refer to real women for whom John had pastoral care. It is possible that John is referring to two blood sisters that he knew. However, it is more likely that this is a reference to two churches, especially when we examine his use of the term “children.”  John’s uses the term “children” frequently in I John (See I John 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28, 3:1, 2, 7, 10, 18, 4:4, 5:2, 21).  The only place where it is possible he is referring to real children is 2:12-13, but even here it is not likely.  So here in II John, where children is used three times (vs. 1, 4, 13), it is likely John is referring to disciples, not to literal children. This means the phrases “elect lady” at the beginning and “elect sister” at the end are probably referring to two churches.  Paul frequently sends greetings from one church to another (See Romans 16:23, I Corinthians 16:19, II Corinthians 13:13, and Philippians 4:21-22). John is doing the same thing here though using different language. 

2.      This also has some bearing on John’s command in verse 10 about avoiding false teachers.  He tells the church that if someone does not teach that Jesus came in the flesh (vs. 7) they are to not “receive him into your house or greet him.”  We usually interpret this as meaning we should not allow a person teaching this doctrine into our home. However, if the letter is to a church, it is more likely that “house” here means the church. John is exhorting them to make sure they do not give these false teachers any welcome or any opportunity to teach in the church. It might have application in our homes. But the more direct application is that churches and denominations should not give any forum to false teachers. 

3.      The term for “lady” in verses 1 and 5 is, kuria, the feminine form of lord, kurios. It is only used in II John.  This is not just any woman. She is a queen who sits beside her Lord.