One of Carey’s Many Sons
Striving for true doctrine, right action, and spiritual feeling amidst the mine fields on all sides.Book Reviews
Seth's bookshelf: read
The argument is tight and convincing. 9/10I could wish that they had dealt with Rom. 7:2-3 in its own chapter. Also, the syllogism of Eph. 5:25:
1. A husband must be like Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus Christ never divorces His wife.
Conclus…
Though he ought to have loved his wife by listening and asking better questions, Sir Percy took risks in a noble cause and devoted his life to preserving the lives of others.
Geography heavily influences the politics and economies of the world’s nations.An interesting and perhaps important book which educates the citizen to vital factors about the region and country to which he is obligated to vote, pray, …
Perhaps the greatest book ever written outside the Bible.For its glorious and compelling presentation of Christ as well as intensity that comes straight from Scripture, this book deserves more honor than Pilgrim’s Progress.
Plot:
1….
Feminism is one more wave of attack on Western culture. 7/10.
Can You Accidentally Break the Third Commandment?
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Recently, David de Bruyn has been insightfully plowing up the ground of the third commandment. But in my context, another question has been raised.
I have heard church members commonly say under their breath, “Isus” or merely “Sus” as an exclamation when something surprising happens, as they’re playing ball, or just in general language as a “filler.” However, this comes from the Afrikaans’ name for Jesus Christ. As such, they are breaking the third commandment if it is strictly interpreted.
Is it possible to dishonor God’s name even if you are using a language that you do not know? Is this kind of dishonoring so serious that it should be church disciplined?
The first question I’d answer in the affirmative. But for the second question, I would lean toward the negative for these reasons.
1. We are all ignorant about God to some degree at all times on all issues. All sins are committed within the context of some kind of ignorance. Yet this lack of knowledge does not remove our culpability seeing as we have a responsibility to prize God, thinking clearly and consistently enough about Him that we will be able to obey all His commands perfectly.
2. The Bible has examples of people who sinned ignorantly. When Uzza touched the Ark of the Covenant, he was probably not thinking that he would be required to pay the ultimate price for that seemingly insignificant action. (1 Chronicles 13)
The next question is trickier to answer for me. How should the church posture itself toward someone who openly takes the Lord’s name in vain, but yet wants to join the church and be involved? I want to say “Yes” but can I?
The name of God represents His infinite dignity. So young people in church should not be allowed to speak of it in a flippant, trite, or passing manner. But our God is a Father who knows that we are dust. So young believers should receive from us a generous allotment of time as they grow in this particular command.
Posted in Ethical dilemmas, Orthopathy
Tagged Church culture, Ethical difficulties, Third Commandment
7 Comments
Birthday of the Church
When was the church born? When did it start? Here’s two well-known voices:
His [the Holy Spirit] coming to fill the assembled disciples at Pentecost establishes the church of the New Covenant. Clowney, The Church, 28.
On this point we cannot agree with those Premillenarians who, under the influence of a divisive dispensationalism, claim that the Church is exclusively a New Testament institution, which did not come into existence until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost… Berkhof, 571.
If the church began in some sense at Pentecost (Clowney), then how can Covenant Theologians (CT) affirm that the OT believers were in the church?
If the church began in the OT (Berkhof), then what was the point of Pentecost? Was it merely a helpful add-on to their faith, but really not essential? If it was essential, then how can we explain that the OT believers did not have it?
I recognize that CT will argue that the church existed as believers in Israel during the OT, but the point still remains: if you press for an OT church, the worth of Pentecost is downplayed to some degree. If you flatten the distinctions between the two sections of Scripture, then the most obvious distinction–the coming and permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit–is also ironed out. To exalt the meaning of the Spirit’s coming in Acts 2 is to speak of distinction from the OT, and that is a very difficult shibboleth for many CT’s.
Is this a possible explanation for why Robert Reymond in his otherwise very helpful Systematic Theology devotes a mere 4 pages out of 1,093 to the third member of the Godhead?
Posted in Hermeneutics
Tagged Berkhof, Clowney, Covenant Theology, Holy Spirit, Pentecost
3 Comments
The Complete Package: Prosperity Theology Doesn’t Come by Itself
Jesus came to save us from poverty not the wrath of God. That is probably the most succinct definition I can muster for the money message so common in the churches of the developing world. But this one doctrine–like any doctrine in all systems–can’t stand alone. Below is a brief catalog of the ingredients that prosperity stew needs to taste right to the contemporary connoisseur.
Redefined Faith
So to the aid of this New Testament distortion comes a renovated teaching about faith. Thomas Goodwin, leader in the Westminster Assembly, defined faith in these transporting terms:
As the soul sees the spiritual excellency and the glory that is in Jesus Christ, so the will doth set the highest value and esteem upon that excellency that is in him, a value and esteem far above what a man hath for all things whatsoever; and this is to believe.
A lesser son of greater sires wrote,
Saving faith is an ability given by God to agree with the historical facts of the Gospel and to commit to those facts and their implications.
However, the prosperity gospel requires faith to be a kind of force that actually creates reality. In this skewed universe, God has faith and He has to obey those who have this supreme, new age power. Faith is disconnected from believing the Bible and resting in Christ, and has mutated into mindless positive thinking.
I have even been told by business men when they failed to provide the services that I needed and they offered, that I must refrain from saying anything bad or disappointed because I will attract more business failure to myself. How’s that for a convenient way to avoid offering customer service?
By insisting that faith is a power that Christians must harness to get what they want, the leaders have a way to get off the hook when their people are poor. The prosperity gospel cannot handle a robust, Biblical treatment of faith. A faith that is Christ-centered, otherworldly, rejoices in tribulation, hates sin, and is content to be poor as long as God is glorified.
The Little Gods Doctrine
The prosperity gospel also needs an emphasis on the divine nature of humans. Men have to convince themselves that they are actually god. It actually amazes me that this can even be considered Christian doctrine. Yet, there it is on YouTube waiting for all self-professing Christians to walk out on this blasphemy.
As the shtick goes, men are gods because they were made in God’s image. They are gods because God makes us His children which supposedly infuses or releases divinity in humans. But mainly, men are gods because that’s the only way they can defend their unbiblical thinking about money and comfort. Because of our godlike status, we can demand Jehovah to do things for us, and He has to obey.
Charismaticism
At this point some Christians who had previously followed the point and agreed may be frustrated. Yet, agree or not, charismaticism plays a major role in the prosperity gospel. Not all charismatics love money, but all those who love money as it is embodied in the prosperity gospel (that I have ever met, read, or can imagine) also hold to the continuation of the sign gifts.
How do spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, and miracles support prosperity theology? Prosperity needs visible demonstrations to offer to their adherents. Rather than looking not at what is seen but what is unseen, they follow modern revivalism with a fixed addiction to tangible shows of power, excitement and interest. Very Wimber-esque, or more properly Finney-ish.
So, here is a brief delineation of the key cogs in the machinery of prosperity theology. Others could be added, but these three are essential. They cannot be eliminated from the system without losing something integral.
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In case it is not widely known, Hank Hanegraaff and John MacArthur have done excellent jobs in serving the church by offering some highly readable book-length critiques of this movement. They both quote widely from original sources, and the quotes alone are worth the price of both books.
Another Self-esteem Corrective
Ah! If you had no devil to tempt you, no enemies to fight you, and no world to ensnare you, you would still find in yourself evil enough to be a sore trouble to you, for “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.”
Charles Spurgeon
Who Needs the Gospel the Most?
Sometime ago, I made this chart in an attempt to rank the need among the least-reached people groups of the world. This chart was made to supplement the excellent work done by the Joshua Project which places a majority of their weight on the category of “percentage of evangelical.”
If you can offer improvements please do. There’s also a longer version available upon request–sethmeyers@odbm.org.
Should a Pastor Cancel Church Services for a Funeral?
Funerals are common in Africa with an average life expectancy under 50 in most countries. In South Africa, funerals are often held on Saturday or Sunday, and rarely in the middle of the week. Furthermore, it is culturally expected for funerals to have a large attendance. (Somewhere around 300-500) The service and burial are held in the mornings around 7-10 am.
If the service is on Sunday, should a pastor go? Should he go if it means he has to cancel church? Should he encourage the church service to be canceled so that all the members can support the bereaved? In Luke 9:60 when Jesus said, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the Kingdom of God.” is this the kind of thing He was talking about?
Experience in a village setting, a few years of pastoral care, and reflection on the nature of man suggest these observations and conclusion.
- Families can choose what day they want to bury the deceased. There is no cultural requirement to do it on the Lord’s Day morning. And this seems to fit other patterns I’ve noticed. Children are often scheduled to pick up their grade reports on Sunday morning from the schools (why not any other day of the week?). Civic meetings are often held on Sunday mornings. Sunday burials seem to be—for the most part—an expression of a cultural ambivalence toward a consistent prioritization of the Lord’s Day.
- Funerals are common. First, the services may be canceled several times a year or more. Secondly, because they are a sadly normal way of life, you will have the chance to support the community at other times. And since so many people attend each one, it is not as if the pastor will be shockingly conspicuous by his absence (unless the pastor is the only drop of milk in a bowl of chocolate).
- African funerals are multi-day events. Often the funeral will begin a week in advance with nightly meetings at the house. The attendance grows throughout the week culminating in the morning burial service. The weeknight meetings begin throughout the afternoon as people drop in to visit and talk. Some stay for hours, some for less time. On Wednesday-Friday, the grave is dug as well as cleaning and preparations at the house. After the service, those closest to the family have to break down the tent and clean up. If a pastor wants to communicate love and support, these times are more opportune than the burial service to be involved.
- Burial services come in stages. The first service is at the home for an hour or so. Then everyone shifts to the grave for another hour while the men shovel the dirt and place the bricks on top. Then everyone regathers at the house for a full meal. It is possible, though not common, to leave before the meal if the attendee is willing to forego a well-cooked, free meal and conversation.
- Our commitment to Jesus Christ should be of such intensity that others could mistake our natural affections as being a kind of hatred. “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”
From these observations, I’ve reached the conclusion that services should not be canceled.