No Rest Til Heaven: The Life of Richard Baxter

Posted on 3 September 2024 by Seth Meyers

Youth and conversion

  1. On 12 November 1615 in England, Richard Baxter was born.
  2. He lived with his grandparents because his father was ungodly.
  3. About 10 years old, his father was converted and took his son back so that he might lead the boy to Christ.
  4. Baxter came under great conviction of sin:
    1. “I was much addicted to lie that I might escape [correction].” 8
    2. “I was much addicted to the excessive gluttonous eating…” 8
    3. “I have often gone into other men’s orchards, and stolen their fruit…” 8
    4. “I was somewhat excessively addicted to play…” 8
    5. “I was extremely bewitched with a love of romances, fables, and old tales, which corrupted my affections, and lost my time.” 8
    6. “I was guilty of much idle foolish chat…” 8
    7. “I was too bold and irreverent towards my parents.” 8
  5. Baxter was led to saving faith by his father’s prayers and reading as well as privately reading other godly books.
  6. To the end of his life, Baxter believed reading good books—after manly preaching—was the best way to see a sinner saved.
  7. Even after finding the truth, Baxter doubted his own conversion for years.
  8. He later thanked God for these doubts since the doubts (15):
    1. Taught him to hate his own sin since they were the cause of the doubts.
    2. Kept him from wasting his youth with too many sports.
    3. Made Christ and salvation very important and desirable to him.
    4. Showed him that the world was like a dead carcass.
    5. Urged him to study the Bible and theology in detail.
  9. These years of doubt and introspection prepared him to deal with the complex problems in the souls of many others.
  10. Baxter only had an informal education with private tutors, but he read carefully and was able to feed himself.
  11. From age 20 to 76 Baxter was constantly sick writing many things like, “being seldom an hour free from pain (40),” or “God was pleased so greatly to increase my painful diseases (108).”
  12. Because of sickness, he was often confined to bed, but he said that the pain was not nearly so hard to endure as the loss of time. 60

Pastor at Kidderminster

  1. At 24 years old, Baxter was invited to preach in Kidderminster.
  2. His sicknesses were still so great that he wrote, “[they] made me live and preach in some continual expectation of death, supposing still that I had not long to live.” 27
  3. “[My sicknesses] I found, through all my life, to be an invaluable mercy to me for: 27
    1. They greatly weakened my temptations.
    2. They kept me in a great contempt of the world.
    3. They taught me to highly esteem time. If any of it passed away in idleness or unprofitableness, it was so long a pain and burden to my mind.
    4. They made me study and preach… as a dying man to dying men.”
  4. “Time hath seemed to me more precious than gold, or any earthly gain…” 27
  5. In Kidderminster, he preached for 17 years seeing a miracle of revival in the town.
  6. At first, he recorded the names of all those who were converted, but then so many came to Christ that he stopped the list.
  7. After two years he was taken with such a violent sickness that he thought again he would die.
  8. At this time, he wrote The Saints’ Everlasting Rest about the glory of Heaven.
  9. When he was stronger, he began the practice of visiting, evangelism, and catechism two days per week.
  10. They continued to expand the church building in the small town until more than a thousand could squeeze in.
  11. When Baxter arrived, there was less than one family per street who were true believers. After a few years there was less than one family per street who were unbelievers.
  12. He influenced the pastors around him by meeting with them on a consistent pattern so that he could say, “[The pastors in this area now] were wholly addicted to the winning of souls.” 51
  13. He devoted himself to youth evangelism since they were the most likely to be converted and it is easier to prevent than repent.
  14. He wrote a book to encourage pastors to be humble and evangelize, The Reformed Pastor.
  15. Now his books were becoming so popular that he devoted himself to writing while relaxing by preaching.
  16. Baxter wrote on average 3 books per year for 50 years.
  17. About this time, the king offered Baxter a very large church with a high salary, but he turned it down.
  18. Baxter often supported missionaries even writing a book touching on how to reach unreached areas.
  19. Throughout this time lies commonly circulated about him.
  20. “I had long been learning not to overvalue the thoughts of men.” 76

Marriage to Margaret

  1. He had resolved to live a single life so that he could give God more of his time.
  2. Yet a woman in his church Mrs. Charlton urged him to marry her daughter Margaret.
  3. She had come to Christ under his preaching, and now they were married though he was 46 and she was 22.
  4. They loved each other dearly and she even accompanied him when he was sent to prison.
  5. At her death, Baxter wrote a biography of his wife professing her deep spirituality and spiritual insight.
  6. He said she has more ability to help souls in sin than most pastors.
  7. They lived together for 19 years before she passed away at 41.

Suffering

  1. Baxter lived and ministered during the great plague when men would get sick in the morning and die in the evening.
  2. Burying the dead overwhelmed the people and villages were devastated and emptied.
  3. He was sent to prison more than once for preaching the gospel.
  4. At the end of his life, his books and even bed were seized by the government authorities.
  5. He urged his people to remember that “the design of Satan was more against their souls than their bodies.” 90
  6. As a 70 year old man, he was unjustly sent to court and then prison while he was sick and widowed.
  7. During his last sermon, he nearly died in the pulpit.
  8. On his death bed, his friends visited him, and heard him say, “You come hither to learn to die; I am not the only person that must go this way. I assure you, that your whole life, be it ever so long, is little enough to prepare for death.” 127

Lessons from the life of Richard Baxter

    1. Time is a special and limited gift from God. We must be especially hard working, not losing a day or even a minute if we can help it. In this sense, men are all the same. They are all given the same amount of time: One life.
    2. The human soul is infinitely valuable because it will live without end and because it has a unique role in honoring God.
    3. The wise man will give himself to reading good books. Even without formal education, we can be teach ourselves through careful reading and discipline.
    4. Souls will not generally be won to Christ without a great deal of hard work in prayer and conversations. If we truly believe Heaven, Hell, sin, and Christ, we will study how to speak in a persuasive, lively way.

    Thesis

    • Seeing that life is so short and eternity so long, let us serve the Lord and the souls of men with all our might while we have might.

    Bibliography

    • Richard Baxter’s abridged Autobiography by Christian Focus.
    • “Richard Baxter” Meet the Puritans.
    • “Memoir of Richard Baxter’s Life” The Practical Works of Richard Baxter.
    Posted in Biography, Book reviews | Leave a comment

    Another Christ-less Pastor

    Posted on 28 August 2024 by Seth Meyers

    Saturday* my boys and I picked up a sharp and friendly Tsonga man who needed a lift. For about 30 minutes he was in our car resulting in this conversation as best as I can reconstruct it.

    Seth: “Do you call yourself a Christian?”

    Man: “I am a pastor.”

    Seth: “How do you know that you are a Christian?”

    Man: “My lifestyle; I live the way I should.”

    That answer is strike 1. Maybe I’m pitching too fast.

    Seth: “Is there anything else? Any thing else that you would say you are trusting in?”

    Man: “And prayer. That too.”

    Seth: “There is something else that you are forgetting. What are you forgetting? When I tell you, you will say, ‘Oh, I knew that.’ But you need to ask why you didn’t know before you were told. Can you think what it might be?”

    Man: “Can you remind me? I can’t think of it.”

    Seth: “I will tell you, but before I do, I want you to know that you are very similar to most of the people that I pick up. When I speak with them, they answer like you are answering. Where do you worship?”

    Man: “I started a church in my house.”

    Seth: “Why did you start a church? Is it different from the other churches? What is your main reason for wanting a new church?”

    Man: “We saw that many people were chasing these prophetic ministries so that prophets would tell their futures. But I told the people, you cannot be prophesied over until you prophesy for yourselves.”

    Seth: “So that is the main reason you started your church? Is there anything else you would add to that?”

    Man: “No.”

    Seth: “What about Jesus Christ? What about the Cross? Heaven, Hell, Life, Death, repentance, and humility? Why didn’t you say anything about these matters?”

    Man (smiling): “I forgot.”

    Seth: “Christ did not come out of your mouth because He is not in your heart. But this is not my first and second time to hear these kinds of answers. Nearly everyone answers without Christ as you did. Let me ask, Have you ever read the whole Bible: Genesis to Revelation?”

    Man: “No.”

    Seth: “The entire NT, it is only 260 chapters and takes about 15 hours to read?”

    Man: “No, and I will tell you, I am not accustomed to read the Bible. When I preach, I just open and find a verse. Then I talk.”

    Our conversation went on, but you now have the salient points faithfully narrated. Later that same day, I met again two other pastors who had been with me at one of the preaching points for nearly a year. Neither man was able even to recite the 5 Solas though we had repeated these week after week. In less than 6 months they had forgotten Bible Alone, Christ Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Glory To God Alone.

    *This took place in October 2023.

    Posted in Accounts of African Religion | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

    11 Reasons Christians Should Not Use Curse Words

    Posted on 27 August 2024 by Seth Meyers

    Yesterday while making a purchase, I was the only person in an office with several employees. Speaking to the man helping me, a woman inserted an English curse word into her Afrikaans comments. Since they were friendly, I asked the man helping me if he could think of anyone who did not curse. Another man came from the back to join this conversation, and the three of them could only think of one name, an old woman who did not curse.

    Even senators and representatives use crude words while debating bills or appointees in the US Congress. A Christian news source recently lost my business because they continued to speak shamefully. Though I have found some of Jordan Peterson’s observations insightful and Dennis Prager’s videos inspiring, they both argued that inserting the divine name as an expletive is not wrong.

    But cursing is a sin. How do we know?

    The laws of Christ with words

    1. Christians cultivate a pure heart, but curse words are not pure. Matt. 5:8
    2. Christians are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and a city known for good works, but curse words are worldly words. Matt. 5:13-16
    3. Christians watch every word from their mouths because they will be judged by their words, but curse words come out without careful screening. Matt. 12:36-37
    4. Christians strive to be perfect like their heavenly Father, but curse words are far from perfect. Matt. 5:48
    5. Christians bear good fruit, but curse words are not good fruit. Matt. 7:17-19
    6. Christians put away all bitterness, wrath, clamor, anger, slander, filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking, but curse words fit into several of those categories. Eph. 4:31-5:3
    7. Christians refrain even from speaking about the sins of sinners, but curse words often name these evil actions with a mixture of mockery and anger. Eph. 5:12
    8. Christians speak words that bring their thoughts to true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous things, but curse words are none of those things. Phil. 4:8
    9. Christians put on a spirit of holiness, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, longsuffering, and love, but curse words contradict all those graces. Col. 3:12-14
    10. Christians follow the patterns of the most godly Christians, but godly Christians do not use curse words. Heb. 13:17
    11. Christians labor for the reward Christ is bringing for faithful service, but curse words will never produce a reward. Rev. 22:12

    Kinds of curse words

    1. Crude words

    These refer to body parts and functions, but without the privacy, dignity, delicacy, or shame that those things deserve. God made Adam and Eve put on clothes because certain parts should not be displayed to eyes or to our ears. Solomon’s Song teaches us how to speak about the pleasure of marriage—discreetly, with veiled terms, preserving mystery. If there is a necessity to communicate about such matters, then judgment should control to whom we speak so that the required dignity or shame still comes across in our communication.

    2. Sacrilegious words

    These refer to the divine name or holy matters used in a light, flippant way. To speak of such a Person or such high realities lightly is, of course, breaking the third commandment even if there are other ways to break the third command as well.

    3. Euphemisms

    These replace a sacrilegious or a crude word with another term that people have become accustomed to using. Though the connotation has been softened, the message is, “I want to say a harsh word, but I will soften it a little while still keeping a part of the offense.”

    Connotations

    1. Denotations

    Words have a dictionary definition such as “wench” for a female servant, or “religion” as a system for relating to God, or “bribe” for paying someone to overlook your crime. These are the denotations.

    2. Connotations

    But each of these terms has connotations only recorded in the culture. A wench brings to mind a dishonorable girl. When a man says he has a relationship with Jesus Christ, not a religion, he is meaning something like “legalism”—“I am not overwhelmed with law, but with the person of Christ.” All that in the connotation of religion. A mother might say she is bribing her son to finish his chores when she actually is trying to say something about motivating with grace and joy.

    Good judgment

    Sinners have found profane words to use for many good things. A godly husband will not use the same words flirtatiously with his wife that a fool would use with a prostitute. A father may have righteous anger with his son, but he must not use the same words as an angry fool.

    If we have grown up with English as a first language, we all understand using words according to the accepted meaning now current in society even if it has not reached the dictionary yet. We used email, text, and now gaslight before they reached the dictionary.

    Using words is an act of judgment. If we have bad judgment, we may be sinning without even realizing it. If a man were not taught in the Scriptures, he might say salvation is by the waters of baptism. At best those words are a bad judgment which are untrue. At worst, his bad judgment is a terrible sin. A man who apologizes to his wife for “his abomination” when he arrived 8 minutes late has made a bad judgment with that word.

    When bad judgment leads to sin, then it is itself sin. Did we not have a duty to obtain better judgment before now? Judgment is a crucial part of the Christian life in which we must grow (Heb. 5:14).

    Posted in Pastoral | Tagged | 1 Comment

    Forgetting Christ and Loving Money: 2 Venda Pastors

    Posted on 22 August 2024 by Seth Meyers

    Two men climbed into my vehicle for a 20 minute ride. After learning that they both call themselves Christians, I asked the first what his church teaches.

    First man, Mr. Rambau*: I attend United.

    Seth: I don’t know that church, United? Does it have a full name?

    Rambau: United African Apostolic Church.

    Seth: I’ve never heard of that one. What is its teaching?

    Rambau: [Pause] What?

    Seth: What does it teach? When you meet together what things do you learn? If a man wanted to go to Heaven, what would your church tell him?

    Rambau: Keep the 10 Commandments.

    Seth: Anything else? You are forgetting something. What are you forgetting?

    Rambau: No, I am not forgetting. You must keep the commands.

    Seth: There is one Big Thing you are forgetting! If you forget This, you are a goat, not a sheep; in the dark, not the light; a child of Satan, not of God; an unbeliever, not a believer.

    Second man, who had been quiet up until now, Mr. Sithole: Christ!

    Seth: Yes, that’s it! Mr. Rambau, you forgot Christ just like most other people who ride with me. For 20 years I have evangelized, and most people forget Jesus just like you. He does not come out of their mouths because He is not in their hearts.

    After some more discussion, I turn to Mr. Sithole who had surprised me with the correct answer “Christ” a few moments earlier.

    Seth: I’m glad and surprised that you answered with Jesus, Mr. Sithole. But may I ask if your church loves money?

    Sithole: [Pause] That is a tricky point. I can say that we do love money. That is something we need to work on.

    Seth: I am afraid because I see very few churches or pastors that love Jesus more than money.

    Sithole: Yes, that is the truth. We all love money even when we are at church.

    Seth: In your opinion, do we still need missionaries for the Tsongas and the Vendas?

    Sithole: Yes, we do because our churches are still filled with false teachers. There are very few like you. [He has only known me for 15 minutes.]

    Having offered them both tracts with my contact information, I encouraged them to read their Bibles and think much of the Son of God. Then 2 different Venda pastors from two different areas, who both made important admissions about the state of the church in this area, disembarked.

    *Names were changed. Find more stories like this in the “Accounts of African Religion” Category to your right.

    Posted in Accounts of African Religion | Tagged , | Leave a comment

    What is a Christian?

    Posted on 7 August 2024 by Seth Meyers

    We are a people who seek first the Kingdom of God. That means when treated badly, we turn the other cheek. We love and pray for our enemies returning good for evil. When taken advantage of, we go the extra mile, offer a coat when our shirt has been fraudulently taken, and give to those who ask. Though we fail, though it seems impossible, we long and strive to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

    Our minds are set on things above not on things on the earth so that we count all things but loss if only we could somehow know the Son of God, the one chosen to be the King of Kings. When we see a Christian’s death, we think he is merely sleeping, he is exchanging his shack for a sturdy and glorious mansion, he has received a bonus, and therefore, we cannot mourn like others. In fact, we actually would rather die to be with Christ because that is far better, but as long as we can help Christians here on the earth, we are willing to go on living.

    Our earthly ambitions could be summarized as laying up treasures in Heaven, not on earth. Everything to us is religious so that we cannot even drink Pepsi without doing it to the glory of God. When we see a marriage we think of Christ’s love for sinners. When we see a child, we think of being born again and the humility that it requires. We see Christ constantly, whenever we look at a door, or bread, or a road, or a flower, or a tree with branches, or a son, or the sun. When we rest, we think that He is the rest for the people of God. When we wake, we think that He is our life and resurrection. When we read books or poems, we are amazed that He is the Word and the Truth. We see Him everywhere and in every mark of beauty because He is all and in all and by Him all things hold together. We wistfully cry after Him in every absence of goodness in a politician, dishonesty in business, and injustice on earth.

    When we pray, we ask for things other religions do not ask for, things like, the eyes of our hearts to be opened so that we would see the hope of our calling, the riches of our glorious inheritance, and the shocking power of God. We pray that our inner man would be strong and healthy, that the Son of God would dwell in our hearts, that we would comprehend incomprehensible love, and that we would be filled up with divine fullness. We pray that all men would be saved, and that when believers speak, the Word of God would run. Our prayers are much more commonly spiritual than physical because our Lord taught us to pray that we would not enter into temptation, that our faith would not fail, that missionaries would be sent out, that the Holy Spirit would come, and then to rejoice only that our names were written in the book of life.

    We know that a real man marks his stature by the fullness of Christ when he speaks the truth in love, when he bears the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. We are very happy when we are poor in spirit, weeping for our sin, hungry for holiness, thirsty after more obedience, and actively working to stop fighting and tensions. The only way we can be happier is if we are maligned, rejected, or attacked for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ for whom we are willing to lose all things.

    And we expect to enter the Kingdom through many hardships. We know that every godly person will suffer. We think that suffering is a light and brief problem that actually brings about amazing and glorious benefits that are very real even though they are unseen. We are ready to endure any evil if by so doing, God’s chosen ones will come to faith. We believe our lives are simply passing mists, and if all humanity were gathered together it would only amount to dust on the eternal scales. When we reflect on our service to God, we say we are unprofitable slaves having barely done our basic duties. As we draw nearer to God, so we speak worse of ourselves as the least of all the saints, then the least of all the sinners. We strive to hate and deny ourselves so that it might be said, we do not live, but Christ lives in us. We confess our sins to God and to each other because we call ourselves wretched men.

    The Second Coming of Jesus occupies our minds very much because we are eagerly waiting for Him. Our watching for His return keeps us from sin. We believe He is coming soon, and we call it our happy or blessed hope.

    We love the promises of the OT prophets that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. He will rule from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth. All kings will bow down before Him, and all the Gentile nations will serve Him. Missions and evangelism will be obsolete activities because all men will know Him. We love to think that in that day, wars will have ended since men will beat their swords into plows. And it is constantly in our minds that in this final day, Jehovah will shake the earth terribly and then He alone will be exalted.

    Our minds are at peace because they are set on the things of the Spirit. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

    Posted in Orthopathy | Tagged , | 1 Comment

    The Glories of Mark

    Posted on 1 August 2024 by Seth Meyers

    Facts about Mark

    1. 678 verses
    2. 11,304 words in Greek
    3. 77 different “events”, most are only a few verses.
    4. 21 miracles in Mark
    5. 5 parables in Mark

    Words repeated by Mark

    1. “Immediately”—More uses in Mark than the entire Bible combined.
    2. “Amazed, astonished, afraid”—And other words are used by Mark for emotional responses to and by our Lord: hardened heart, sighed, grieved, wept, worshipped, rejoiced

    Lines unique to Mark

    1. “Repent and believe the gospel.” 1:15
    2. “Rising up a great while before day…” 1:35
    3. “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” 2:27
    4. “After looking around at them with anger…” 3:5 cf. 10:14 (Only Mark says that our Lord was ever angry.)
    5. “Come away… and rest.” 6:31
    6. “I see men as trees walking.” 8:24
    7. “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” 9:24
    8. “Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:44, 46, 48
    9. “He took them up in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them.” 10:16
    10. “How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God.” 10:24
    11. “Have faith in God.” 11:22 (Imperative: “Possess divine faith! Acquire this faith!”)
    12. “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 12:34
    13. “The common people heard him gladly.” 12:37
    14. “It is not you that speak, but the Holy Spirit.” 13:11
    15. “Preach the gospel to every creature.” 16:15

    Facts that we only know from Mark

    1. During the 40 days of temptation, Jesus was with wild beasts. 1:13
    2. James and John are called the “sons of thunder” only in Mark. 3:17
    3. His family and friends called him insane. 3:21 Religious leaders will later call him insane (John 10:20) as well as demonic, and his family had rejected Him, but only Mark tells us that those whom Christ grew up with said He is out of His mind. Cf. John 1:11 and 7:3-5 or Matt. 12:46-47.
    4. The parable of the sower is the simplest of all parables. 4:13
    5. All the devils begged Jesus to enter into the pigs, and the herd had 2,000. 5:12-13
    6. Jesus said, “Talitha kum” meaning “Little girl, I say to you arise.” 5:41
    7. Jesus also worked as a carpenter, not merely the “carpenter’s son”. 6:3
    8. Jesus wondered at the unbelief of his family and friends. 6:6 The only other reference to Jesus being amazed is His response to the faith of the centurion (Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:9).
    9. The Pharisees added many rules such as ceremonial washings. 7:4
    10. Jesus loved the rich young ruler. 10:21
    11. Bartimaeus was the name of the blind man. 10:46
    12. The chief priests were afraid of Jesus not merely the crowds. 11:18
    13. The false witnesses at the trial were contradictory. 14:56, 59
    14. The crucifixion began at 9:00 AM. 15:25

    3 Accounts in Mark alone

    1. Mark 4: 26-29—The parable of the Farmer who Sleeps
    2. Mark 7:31-37—The healing of the Deaf and Dumb man
    3. Mark 8:22-26—The healing of the blind man at Bethsaida

    3 Accounts expanded in Mark

    1. Mark 6:14-29—The death of John the Baptist
    2. Mark 9:21-28—The discussions when casting out a demon
    3. Mark 16:15-20—The Great Commission

    Observations about Mark’s accounts

    1. He does not record the sermons, except one, and very few parables.
    2. He mainly records the events and miracles.
    3. Mark believes the events will speak for themselves. History can bring us truth contrary to the postmoderns and deconstructionists.

    Main point of Mark

    • Short: Amazed by the actions of Jesus Christ
    • Long: When one action after another fills the page, we are amazed and afraid at the same time because this One is so high above us in power, mind, and heart.
    Posted in Hermeneutics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

    5 Reasons Mark’s Account of Divorce Should Take Priority

    Posted on 26 July 2024 by Seth Meyers

    Mark 10 and Matthew 19 both record a discussion of divorce between Jesus, the Pharisees, and His disciples. There are some differences in the two accounts, but there are some similarities. Both are longer accounts, several hundred words in Greek. Both accounts show Jesus rejecting divorce at His first response to the Pharisees. Both accounts quote Genesis 2.

    But only Matthew adds the words “except for fornication.” This exception is found twice, the Sermon on the Mount (5:32), and also in the discussion with the Pharisees (19:9). In Luke 16:18 there is no exception: Divorce is wrong and produces adultery. This is Mark’s position as well. And the position of Romans 7:1-4. In an entire chapter on marriage including discussions of divorce, Paul does not mention “except for fornication” in 1 Corinthians 7, and in 7:39, he summarizes his discussion of marriage by saying only death can end a marriage.

    The exception clause “except for fornication” is only found in two verses in Matthew. Why is it not recorded in Mark, Luke, Romans, or 1 Corinthians? The answer is an assumption. Men who believe that divorce is permissible say that Mark’s readers assumed that divorce was a Biblical option. And Theophilus who received Luke’s gospel assumed the same thing. And the Roman Christians assumed the same thing. And Paul assumed the same thing when he wrote to the Corinthians. These 4 books of the Bible assumed that divorce was possible “for fornication.”

    That assumption gives the authority of Matthew’s account over Mark, Luke, Romans, and 1 Corinthians. Is that a valid assumption? Should we assume that our Lord allowed divorce whenever there was fornication, and then add those words into Mark, Luke, Romans, and 1 Corinthians whenever we are reading or teaching them?

    No, we should assume that Mark’s account of no divorce and no remarriage controls our interpretation of “except for fornication” in Matthew 19:9 and 5:32.

    1. Clarity: Mark is clearer than Matthew. There are no disputed terms in Mark’s account of divorce. Clear passages should interpret unclear passages. We can more easily find a reason that Matthew included “except for fornication” than we can find that Mark excluded those words.
    2. Cross references: Mark’s lack of support for divorce on the grounds of fornication is supported by Luke, Romans, and 1 Corinthians. There are no NT cross references from other books for Matthew’s use of the exception clause. Our reading of Matthew should follow the authority of Mark because we find similar revelation in epistles.
    3. Example: Mark’s account should control our interpretation of Matthew because of the book of Hosea. In chapter 1 of that book, Hosea was told to marry an immoral woman who subsequently returned to her immorality in chapter 2. There was fornication in this marriage, but Hosea was not told to divorce.
    4. Easier explanation: Mark’s priority over Matthew explains more easily the differences between all the accounts. For example, if Matthew controls Mark, then we need to find a reason why several books of the Bible did not include the exception clause. More than that, these other books deny any exceptions. Why would Mark and Luke and Romans pass over those 3 words in Matthew 19:9 and then proceed to deny any other ways out of marriage and even call remarriage adultery? Why would they write that way? Why would they neglect the exception clause? Those questions are really one question, and answering it is more difficult to explain than the reverse. Here is the question reversed for Matthew: Why would Matthew include those 3 words (“except for fornication”) if divorce was completely forbidden? So there are two questions: why would Mark skip the exception in light of Matthew? Or why would Matthew include it in light of Mark?

      The answer that is offered to the first question by those who hold to divorce and remarriage is that all the readers of those books assumed that Jesus Christ permits divorce, and so those books did not include the exception.

      The answer to the second question is that Matthew includes an example of Jewish betrothal in Matthew 1:18-25. Therefore, he references the exception clause twice in 5:32 an 19:9 since he already gave an example of the exception clause in his first chapter when Joseph thought to divorce Mary before they came together.

      Which is an easier answer to accept? Readers spread throughout the world knew in advance that Jesus Christ permitted a wife to divorce when a husband was immoral? Or, since Matthew included the account of Jewish betrothal in chapter 1, he referenced it again in chapters 5 and 19?
    5. Holiness: If Mark’s account shows us that there is no Biblical divorce, then the church of Jesus Christ will move away from divorce as a sin which introduces adultery many times. The no divorce position discourages adultery. Human nature and history show us that men are easily conquered by sin and need holy helps to stave off temptation to sin. Some well-known Christian authors even allow divorce for verbal abuse, looking at filthy pictures on the internet, and even for lack of sexual intimacy in marriage. If we assume that Matthew’s exception should be naturally read into the other gospels and the epistles, then we will set the stage for an increase of both divorce and the adultery that results from remarriages.

    All Scripture is breathed out by God. Both Matthew and Mark were moved along by the power of the Spirit. On this all godly pastors agree. But when we interpret the heavy matter of divorce, we should let Mark’s revelation be the final authority. Matthew’s additional information of the exception clause should be interpreted to fit under the conclusions that we have reached from Mark’s clear teaching.

    Posted in Divorce | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

    The Best Exegetical Case for No Divorce

    Posted on 16 July 2024 by Seth Meyers

    What Christian can disagree with these basic statements?

    1. All men will be judged by the law, and condemned miserably for their constant failure of it.
    2. This absolute standard holds except for those who have been completely separated from the law by the work of Christ.

    Don’t we all agree on this? We’re in great trouble with no way out. Only Christ can save us. Without Him, we are doomed by the law.

    For professing Christians, there should be nothing controversial here. And Paul the apostle feels a great necessity to press this point on the Roman believers. How can he do that? What will he say to cement in their minds these most basic, unquestionable truths? Is there a basic metaphor that everyone could immediately relate to? A picture cannot be easily forgotten, or misunderstood—it’s worth a thousand words.

    God is a Rock—unshakeable, unmoved, eternal. He is a Shepherd—full of love for His sheep. Wisdom is a prudent young lady—making life wonderful and pleasing for a young man who listens.

    What does Paul use with the Romans? Marriage: We had been married to the law. “The law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives” (Rom. 7:1). How can I understand this “dominion” (KJV) or this “jurisdiction” (NASB)? The Holy Spirit uses marriage, and no woman can be separated from her marriage except by death (Rom. 7:2). The first words of 7:3 are logical consequences: “So then.” It logically follows that if a woman cannot be free from her husband without death, then she cannot be remarried without death either.

    Based on that, you were made to die to the Law so that you might be married to another, even Jesus Christ. You could not have been joined to Christ without having been freed from your first union.

    Are there two ways to be freed? Are there multiple possible options whereby a man can come out from under condemnation? Is there any Savior beside our Lord? Did He not take the title Lord because He is the exclusive Way, Truth, and Life?

    How could you press these truths on new believers? Very simply by showing them the picture of marriage, but only if marriage has no options for divorce.

    It is very common to allow Christians to divorce if their spouse was unfaithful according to Matt. 5:32 or 19:9. But Romans 7:1-4 is a very clear passage that should be used to interpret the less clear phrase recorded by Matthew.

    Regarding divorce and remarriage, I cannot think of a clearer statement in Scripture than Romans 7:1-4. We all agree with Paul’s theology and illustration in that passage. If we allow believers to divorce, what happens to his main point? Can we say there is only salvation from the law through Christ except for some other cases? May it never be. If Christ alone is our watchword, then the permanence of marriage is a picture of that doctrine.

    In the question of divorce and remarriage, there are difficult passages (actually only two difficulties and they are phrases such as “except for fornication”), but the clear should interpret the obscure. The use of marriage to communicate the exclusive power of Christ alone to save from our union to the law in Romans 7:1-4 is a very clear passage.

    Posted in Divorce, Family | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    Defense of Sola Scriptura

    Posted on 15 July 2024 by Seth Meyers

    Does the Bible teach that the Bible alone is the highest authority for the Christian? Recently, I heard a debate about Catholicism, and when this question was raised, the Christian struggled to give a good answer. Bible believers may be surprised to see this raised for debate, but they may be even more surprised in their search for a proof text. This doctrine has historically been called Sola Scriptura as the first of the five doctrinal emphases commonly marking the Reformation.

    What is the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, the Bible Alone? The Bible is the highest authority for any Christian. There is no church council, no pastor, no priest, no self-styled prophet, no collection of voters, no contemporary leaders whether acting by themselves or in a group, and no modern revelation that can outvote or overwhelm or contradict or correct the words of the Bible.

    If you had to give a Bible verse defending this teaching, what would you choose? What the Bible says about itself is so exalted that it must be the final and unrivaled authority. Every verse that shows the Bible being exalted above other sources of authority is a proof text for the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

    1. The new birth comes from Scripture.

    “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth…” James 1:18

    Peter follows James in teaching that the Bible produces the new birth (1 Pet. 1:23). This is the power and unique status of the Bible. This Book can produce spiritual life. But the doctrine has a negative: The Bible Alone. John explicitly adds the negative when he says that we are born again not by blood, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man (John 1:12), but by God. Peter and James teach the positive glory of Scripture while John adds the negation of all other agencies on a level with the Bible.

    Scripture is unique in that it alone holds the truth that can produce regeneration.

    1. Scripture alone is inspired.

    “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” 2 Timothy 3:16

    What can claim such a status outside the Bible? Though Peter’s writings are short, he holds a very high view of Scripture making sure to tell us that the writers were moved along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). On what authority could someone else claim to be moved along by the Spirit like the apostle Peter?

    1. Scripture alone is the source of truth.

    “Your word is truth.” John 17:17

    The Son of God calls Himself both the Word of God and the Truth, both names which He applies also to the Bible. These titles are not given to apostles, prophets, or elders. We will live blessed lives if mercy and truth are bound to our hearts, but where could we find truth? Peter is rebuked not only by Jesus, but by Paul. Paul calls himself wretched and the first among all the sinners. But Jesus says hearing and obeying His words is a solid foundation. Is anything else exalted like that?

    1. The Spirit inspires lengthy treatments of the high glory of Scripture.

    Psalm 119 is a very long production of meditations on the glory of God’s Word. It heals, makes alive, gives wisdom, carries a value greater than all the world’s gold, cleanses from sin, and teaches the fool. But that is not enough, because Psalm 19 though only 14 verses treats the same topic. Would anyone be so unscriptural as to claim that a man can do these things?

    Now the things that are claimed for the Bible in these psalms are things of great spiritual authority. Thus, no man or group of men whom David by inspiration refers to as dust (Ps. 103:14), worms (Ps. 22:6), a mere breath (Ps. 39:5), and even dead dogs (1 Sam. 24:14) should occupy the same authority with the Word about which David also told us it is exalted above all things (Ps. 138:2). Did David not see the Word as raised higher than the judgment of all men?

    1. Jesus and the Apostles appeal to Scripture as their authority.

    Our Lord opposed Satan and the leaders of the Jews sometimes by quoting Scripture. Can we do better than He? Should we search for a higher court of appeal? But sometimes He brought His doctrines simply from His own intrinsic authority (Matt. 5:22, 28, 32, etc.). Now with the revelation of the prophets, apostles, and the Son of God, should we turn to a group of men or worse still a single man as the final standard?

    1. The Christian church should be uniquely Word centered.

    “Preach the Word.” 2 Tim. 4:2

    What is this Word that is to be preached by a young man in a relatively new church plant? What else was this young man supposed to teach? Nothing except the revelation given to the apostles by inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Tim. 4:5, 6, 11, 13, 16; 2 Tim. 2:14-16). How did the first churches judge the words of any teacher? By searching the books they had been given at that time (Acts 17:11). And these observations go through the book of Acts and the epistles so that the Word of God is constantly honored in the early church. Should we place something else in its place?

    This list could be longer because the Bible claims that its writings produce spiritual growth (1 Pet. 2:2), preserve the saving doctrines (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and evaluate pastors (Tit. 1:9-11). Any of these 6 sufficiently defend the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, but taken together they form such a vital part of the faith that to remove Sola Scriptura really eviscerates the religion of its Christian content.

    And nonetheless, I do not think these reasons are the most persuasive for those who unconvinced. It seems to me that only those who are already convinced by Sola Scriptura will find the previous items compelling. One final reason is the best I can offer to persuade someone who disagrees with this foundational stone in the building.

    1. Only Sola Scriptura produces Bible readers.

    Though we cannot know the answers to these questions, they may still serve a very profitable purpose. How many days per week do the people of the world read the Bible? How many minutes per day on average are spent on Bible reading? Should more people read the Bible? Would the world be a better place if more people spent more time reading the Old and New Testaments? If we could know—which we cannot—how many minutes per day any given people group spends reading or meditating or memorizing the Bible, would it be good or bad for that people group’s spiritual, social, psychological, economic, and political health for that number to increase on average? If all the Mexicans on average gave 2 minutes per day to the Bible, would it be good for them if the number went up to 5 minutes? If everyone in Thailand picked up a Bible 1 day per week as an increase from most not even owning a Bible, would there be a parallel and connected decrease in crime, corruption, abortion, divorce, and church growth?

    It seems hard for me to think that any one who claims to follow Christ would deny that it would be a significant good, and one much hoped for that more people would look more often at the Bible. Do you call yourself a Christian? How would you feel if your young child or grandchild began spending more time each morning reading the book of Proverbs or the four Gospels? Perhaps there are some atheists who believe that the Bible produces evil results when read more widely, but I cannot imagine any professing believer would say that. I would think that even a small increase in daily Bible reading spread out over a people group of 10 million or more would be a massive religious and social good.

    Among the groups of the world that pick up their Bibles most often, and within the groups that read and memorize the Bible more than other groups, what factors raised them from among groups that do not read their Bibles? If many people believed that the Bible had errors they would tend to have less devotion than those who saw it as preserved from error. If many people believed that their prophet could give them an updated revelation of equal authority to the Bible, they would tend to listen to their prophet at least equally to their Bibles. The same could be said for councils, bishops, or popes. The highest authority of a man’s life will always gain more space in his limited affections and time for calculation in spiritual matters.

    Every man naturally puts into the daily thoughts and habits of his life that which he raises to the highest level. If his authority is a text, then this will show up like a Muslim placing dua’s (prayers to be repeated) over his doors. Athletes may turn to a winning coach, or businessman to whatever sources they have become convinced of. Those who see the Bible as above all else, will act like all men in raising that Book in their daily lives. Since the Bible is so long and diverse, they will tend to study it more.

    When I served as an assistant pastor in Chicago, Illinois from 2001-2004, I had the chance to speak to many Catholics on door-to-door evangelism. Commonly, I would ask at the door, “We are inviting people to Bethel Baptist. Do you have a church home?” Then after a few moments, “Most importantly, if you died, and stood in front of God, how would you know that you could enter Heaven?” My memory wants to say that I never heard a reference to the Bible, but perhaps I did once or twice. Regardless, it was very rare. Over the course of hundreds (maybe thousands) of doors, I did several times meet people from other churches. If they gave answers with the Bible, it was always from a person who attended a church believing in a very high view of Scripture’s authority.

    In 2002, I had the chance to pose this question publicly to Cardinal Frances George from the diocese of Chicago at the Evangelicals and Catholics Together symposium held at Wheaton College. When I asked him why Catholics cannot answer the question about going to Heaven, he answered that the magisterium of the church plays an important role in their thinking. The average man will not answer with Scripture on the most fundamental questions of salvation if Sola Scriptura is not taught clearly.

    Sola Scriptura simply means to the common man that this Book deserves more thought, more time, more respect, more affection, and more understanding than any other source of information. This is why Baptists read their Bibles more than Catholics. Raise the Bible higher and the people’s habits of reading it will go up as well. Presbyterians who hold to the inerrancy of the Westminster Confession will read their Bibles more than theologically liberal Presbyterians who have rejected the inerrancy of the Confession. In a syllogism it would look like this.

    Proposition 1: That which we hold up as the highest authority is that which we will tend to build daily habits around.

    Proposition 2: That which we hold up as the highest authority is the Bible.

    Conclusion: The Bible is that which we will build daily habits around.

    In other words, Sola Scriptura is true because it will make more Bible readers. A family or nation will not read widely without this doctrine. Since we know that is a good thing, then what reason would keep us from thinking more highly of Scripture?

    Posted in Pastoral | Tagged , | Leave a comment

    Godly Men Who Died Young

    Posted on 9 July 2024 by Seth Meyers
    1. William Borden, 26—Son of rich businessman, missionary to muslims
    2. Jim Elliot, 28—Missionary, murdered along with 4 of his friends
    3. Conrad Grebel, 28—Godly Baptist killed by reformers
    4. Robert Murray McCheyne, 29—Pastor with unusual devotion and humility
    5. David Brainerd, 29—Missionary, risked his life and saw revival
    6. George Boardman, 30—Missionary to Myanmar, died after baptizing converts
    7. Henry Martyn, 31—Missionary to Iran, brilliant mind
    8. Jonathan Edwards, 54—Unusual mind and godliness, died from vaccination
    9. George Whitefield, 55—Saw thousands converted when he preached
    10. Charles Spurgeon, 57—Perhaps used more than any other Christian

    Conclusions

    • God could have prolonged the lives of any or all of these men, but He was pleased to allow their lives to have what we might call “few” days.
    • Such a surprising number of very gifted and godly men died young, that we should not think highly of ourselves or much of our own lives, but rather be very content if only our King is obeyed, and as the essence of sweetness and beauty, is adored.
    Posted in Unusual character | Tagged | 1 Comment