Luke Welch, Author at Kuyperian Commentary

On July 29, 2013 By Luke Welch In Theology 1

Paedocommunion? A Simple Experiment to Test Your Views

See other posts in this series:

Part 2: Paedocommunion? – Saved by Some Kinda Faith or a Nuther

15 C. from the Cantoria by Luca della Robbia

AN EXPERIMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK THE BIBLE IS SAYING

Is true faith a normal expectation for Christians to have of their infant children? Today I offer you an experiment to test this question. You can find the instructions for the experiment at the last portion of this post.

If you and your wife or husband have been deliberating over the idea of paedobaptism or paedocommunion, it is likely that the question of infant-faith has arisen. Can an infant be faith-filled? Does the Bible teach us to feel a certain way about this?

I would like to help you cross a hurdle today – or to remove one significant barrier from your path. I want to show you that the Bible teaches you to teach your children that the norm in the church is for faith and salvation to belong to the children of believers. We must confess that infant faith is the norm…from the womb, no less. And we can show that from the Bible. But first, a word on where we are going.

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On July 11, 2013 By Luke Welch In Theology Like

Tithe Your Beer: Is Teetotalism Biblical?

by Luke A Welch

Wiki: J Amman – “The Brewer” – 16th C. engraving.

Many Christians believe that the Bible opposes the consumption of alcohol. Contrary to the thinking of these Christian abstainers, the Scriptures actually promote the wide cultural and individual use of alcohol. This is most evident in the command to drink wine in the Lord’s Supper, but today I want to take a fun little trip back to tithing laws in the Old Testament.

And what a fun topic! Partly because it is fun to get to release people from false laws and ungodly guilt. And partly because beer is designed to be fun, in and of itself; wine, indeed, maketh the heart merry (Ps 104.15). I may try to write several posts about this, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s start with something you missed in the Sunday School of a Teetotalling church.

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On June 15, 2013 By Luke Welch In Politics Like

Why Americans Always Choose the Wrong President

By Luke Welch

The United States Suggestitution

We seem not to know who we are, and we do not know who we are looking for. We have been surprised to find out whom we have already chosen. Most of us are under the impression that we can correctly identify political candidates and the promise they hold by an old idea we had about their parties.

I know many democrats who are supportive of their party, because they believe it will aid Americans. Despite their misgivings about abortion, they don’t think anyone will get out of poverty without assistance. If this were true that the choice were between assistance and exploitation, then it would be understandable that people would swallow the bitter democrat pill.

I also know many republicans who are supportive of their party, because they believe it will aid Americans. Despite their misgivings about the weak promise keeping of past candidates, they keep on voting (R), becuase they think America will never be free of hard times with all the enforced social assistance. If this were true that the choice were between a meddling government and freedom, then it would be understandable that people swallow the giant rotten elephant.

One of the most pressing problems when facing the future of America under the weight of her own political machine is the problem of the continuous stream of Statism. (more…)

On June 7, 2013 By Luke Welch In Culture Like

Putin, Manning, the NSA’s Verizon, Pop Tarts, Drones, and Me

Nathan and King David

by Luke Welch

Yesterday, Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila announced on state television that they are divorcing. Sometimes politicians hold these things together. But Putin’s 30 year marriage is ending. And so some argument or division that has been private within them now for who knows the length of time, is bubbling to the surface. And now we all know it.

Speaking of the former USSR, do you remember the KGB? How they used to read people’s mail? That used to be scary, but now it’s the cost of living without fear of imminent doom.

Speaking of imminent doom, it sure seems like the cap-gun and Pop Tart pistol patrolling has gotten out of hand. These school administrations must know something we don’t about the deep dark motives of 8 year olds. It may not have been a simple gun. It might have been that the Pop Tart resembled Idaho where you can carry a rifle over your shoulder in town. A child like that needs help. Or maybe they know something we don’t.

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On June 1, 2013 By Luke Welch In Politics Like

Cheerios, Racism, and the Plan for the Whole Earth

by Luke Welch

This is a wonderful video. Apparently 7% (about 1,000 out of 14,000 total) of the people commenting have given a thumbs down (at the moment I checked), because they disapprove of some people descended from Noah marrying other people descended from the same guy: Noah.

Hmmm. It occurs to me that lots of these people probably think the Bible tells us not to allow for so called “inter-racial” marriages.

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On June 1, 2013 By Luke Welch In Worship Like

Sex, Magic, Power, and Christ

800px-Veronese,_The_Marriage_at_Cana_(1563)

The Marriage at Cana, Veronese, (1563)

God created the world full of magic. He used his own divine magic to make men and women who would imitate him with glorious human magic. And God said it was very good.

He told them to fill the world with his glory, to be one flesh, to be fruitful and to multiply, to conquer the land with his power. And all along he had a plan that their obedience would, by image, preach the picture of his own union with humanity, his own son coming to conquer and be one with his creation. Glory. And divine magic.

Magic is a word in need of conquest. It’s a great word. A word for people who like Lewis and Tolkien. A word for people who treasure wonder and who long for great, out of nowhere surprises. The problem is that there are some very specific and awful actions (actions forbidden by God) that take up some of the real estate of the word magic. When I say magic, I am not talking about these things. I am not describing communion with demons, or the usurpation and manipulation of spiritual power. What I AM describing is the wonder and surprise at watching God do mysterious and powerful things. When you are a child, and the world is full of wonder, as it should be, you think of magic in this way. And that is what I am unwilling to give up. I intend to grow the land of real magic and crowd out the perverse. That’s how dominion works, and that’s what we should do even in language. So, you see, I am saying: don’t freak out if you see the “m” word.

And now for my next trick:

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On May 25, 2013 By Luke Welch In Family and Children Like

More Mouths to Feed

by Luke Welch

We worship God for his glory, and glory means he is ever overflowing with beauty, truth, and goodness. We go to him with praise, because that’s where all the praise worthy stuff is. And when we get there, the glory of God isn’t a mere morsel that we would consume if we tasted it. The glory of God is like the feast of a great chef. If you heard the finest chef was presenting his most triumphant culinary successes to you – you would go. You would go with your fork in hand. Hunger would be a virtue, and wide eyes would be welcome. Wanting what the maker gives would be a praise to the maker.

You have begun going to this chef all the time for his manna, and for his fish, and for his loaves, and for his oil. And over time you have realized that you can take as much food as you can eat, and that at the end of every feast there are twelve baskets of leftovers. Not even a myriad munchers can out consume the service of such a chef. He never runs out, and it is as if at his right hand are delicacies forevermore. As if. (more…)

On April 25, 2013 By Luke Welch In Politics Like

Government Free Childrearing

by Luke Welch

gluten free

Imagine you have celiac disease, you and all your children. You live in a land that demands that your children eat glutenous meals everyday. You are old enough to do what you want, but growing up you experienced the torment of being given shredded wheat every day, and you don’t want your children to suffer. But the land doesn’t care for your plan to feed them at home – they have to go to the public feeding centers, by force of law. The land says, “Celiac disease is a figment of your imagination.” So one day, you leave the land and go to a place that will allow you to serve completely gluten-free meals.

You thought you were safe, because everyone in the land of the gluten-free is free to be gluten-free. But after a while the GF country starts pushing you to go back home. “Sorry Folks, just because WE protect people with celiac, doesn’t mean you have a right to have that same protection, since you came from Gluteny.”

In the case against you, someone even says, “Come on! Your kids are free to eat gluten free all they want! Right after they come home from the gluten meal! So what are you complaining about!?”

But that’s not the point, is it? You aren’t hoping to get to give them SOME gluten free. You are trying to get them completely gluten free. Gluten-somewhat-free is not actually free.

Napp Nazworth, at the Christian Post, writes, “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit heard arguments Tuesday in a case, Romeike vs. Holder, that could (more…)

On April 5, 2013 By Luke Welch In Politics Like

What Saint Peter Really Said

“That’s just the funny thing about it, sir,” said Peter. “Up till now, I’d have said Lucy every time.” (Lewis: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)

In the last decade, a tragic conversation has taken place between people in the evangelical world over the meaning of the word “justification.” Part of the reason that the conversation has been tragic is because of the quick assumption by so many that grown pastors lie through their teeth when carefully and consistently reiterating their own theology. But it has also been tragic because the accusation has never been about the meaning of the word “justification” in the BIBLE. Rather, it has basically assumed that the biblical definition is the same as the definition in the Westminster Standards, and that if you talk about distinctions in the Bible, you must be denying the content of the Standards.

Now before I say too much more, I want to state on the record that I believe we enter into salvation by faith alone (not works) in Christ alone. It is all of grace.

I also want to point out that what has happened in the great debates on justification is in large part due to confusing the definition of two real things, a trap that means an attempt at fixing either definition sounds like the denial of the other. How does this work?

Imagine that there are people living in India. They are called Indians. And imagine you are traveling westward from Europe, instead of south and around Africa to get to the land of the Indians. You believe that the earth is round and small, and that you will get there quickly. When you do get to these Indies, lands of the Indians, lo and behold: you find Indians!

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On March 30, 2013 By Luke Welch In Politics Like

Jesus, Thief on Easter

Recently, I have seen two conflicting, yet equally helpful discussions of the use of the word “Easter” to celebrate Resurrection Sunday.

Dr. Tim LeCroy’s post argues that Easter, counter to common pronouncement, is not pagan in origin, but is a reference to the vernal equinox and the change of the sunlight in Spring, this change coming in the East. Tim also sees this as part of God’s design that the Lord should be raised at the vernal equinox, bringing the light to the world. This is more normal to the Bible than you might realize, since the Hebrew festivals are actually set according to things like moons and equinoxes…. Take a read of Tim’s work; it is high quality and worthy of a gander.

Doug Wilson’s CanonWired video takes the usual line of saying the name comes from a Germanic Fertility Goddess, and I don’t fault someone for thinking it is the same as everyone always says it is. (Tim provides good evidence to the contrary). Doug’s argument however, is that paganism is made void and we have seen the victory of Christ over this paganism. He cites Hosea 2.17. I like that Doug takes this approach, and while I favor Tim’s etymology, I know that Tim also values the reasoning that follows Doug’s initial assumption.

So I think both are helpful. And in the vein of etymology, and with the spirit of Doug’s acceptance of the word, Easter, I want to add the following note. (more…)