MENU

Theology
Category

On January 8, 2016 By In Theology

The Upside-Downness of the Gospel: A Look at the Beatitudes, Part VII

Part VI, Part V, Part IV, Part III, Part II, Part I

We celebrate today the Epiphany of our Lord. The Epiphany refers to the visit of the magi to the Christ child, which is the appearance, epiphany of Christ to the Gentiles. Christ’s introduction to the Gentile world does not come as a teenager, but as a little babe; a stage of purity, and so it is appropriate that we meditate briefly on this portion of the Beatitudes.

Jesus says: [8] “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

The source of purity, according to Jesus, is not what goes into the mouth, but what is impure is what comes out of the mouth. Biblically, what defiles a person comes from the heart. To be pure in heart is very much connected with hungering and thirsting after righteousness, as our Lord has taught us. To pursue righteousness is to reflect the purity of God because God desires His image-bearers to be his reflections on earth. When impurity proceeds from our mouths, we are betraying our very image as those created in God’s image. (more…)

Read more

On January 5, 2016 By In Theology

12 Days of Christmas Carols- Here We Come A-wassailing

Guest Post by Steven Wedgeworth

The Christmas season concludes with Twelfth Night.  Associated with merrymaking and even mischief, Twelfth Night serves as a bridge between Christmas and Epiphany.  It seems appropriate then to finish up our survey of Christmas Carols with a wassailing song.  Wassailing was a practice that, in some ways, goes back to pre-Christian Europe, but took on most of its popularity in the middle ages.  It involved door-to-door caroling and, of course, the drinking of wassail.  “Wassail” is actually an expression, of Anglo-Saxon and possibly older Norse origins, which means “be hale” or “be healthy.”  The name was transferred to the drink, typically a hot mulled cider, over the years as people would offer “Wassail” as a toast.  And so the tradition of wassailing was that of door-to-door caroling with the drinking of wassail and the wishing of God’s blessing upon the residents of the house, and it was typically done on Twelfth Night.

Of course, wassailing also took on some other associations.  Much like certain later Halloween customs, the wassailers began asking for gifts and treats in return for their well-wishing.  They wanted more wassail, some beer, and even that famous “figgy pudding.”  The gift was a sort of reward for the singing, but it also became an incentive and attracted more and more children from about the town.  And you can imagine, as the night went on and the wassail drunk more and more, the carolers could become a bit rowdy.  Indeed, they might start demanding more and more treats, threatening violence and proclaiming, “We won’t go until we get some, so bring it right here!”  This led to a moderate amount of social unrest, and it gave the end of the Christmas season and Twelfth Night a rather sordid reputation. (more…)

Read more

On December 24, 2015 By In Theology

The Upside-Downness of the Gospel: A Look at the Beatitudes, Part VI

Part V, Part IV, Part III, Part II, Part I

G.K. Chesterton does a splendid job in demolishing the rationale of unbelievers. His great work entitled Orthodoxy is an apologetic for the Christian faith. Orthodoxy, which means “true and right thinking,” has fallen on hard times in our day. Thinking and living the Orthodox faith, the true biblical faith given to us once and for all, [1] is seen as hard, burdensome; “Why can’t we simply experience and privatize the faith?” But what we believe should influence the way we live. Chesterton understood this, and he understood that far from heavy and tedious, orthodoxy was “perilous and exciting at the same time.”[2] To be Orthodox for Chesterton was the sanest thing a human being could be.[3]

At Providence, we confess weekly the great Nicene Creed. By confessing the creed, we are confessing to one another that we are orthodox; that we believe what every Christian should believe. But more than that, we are also stating that we are willing to live out this creed, even if it means the mockery and verbal assaults of the world.

As we continue our short study on the Beatitudes, we need to be aware that living as Jesus called us to live is also our creed; it’s our way of life. You cannot affirm the incarnation of Jesus without living incarnational lives.

As we come to the second part of this poem, Jesus is building upon each beatitude.

Jesus says in verse 7:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Exodus 34 says:

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…”[4]

Jesus is Yahweh in the flesh. He embodies all mercy, because he became a merciful and faithful high priest,[5] so that He might become our substitute; the one who took our place and restored us. Yahweh is the embodiment/enfleshment of mercy. He was merciful in creation by giving Eden to Adam and Eve, and He was merciful when He gave the world to Abraham’s heirs.[6]

Of course, we need to cultivate mercy. But we don’t cultivate mercy to be merciful to ourselves, rather be merciful to others, just as God was and is merciful to us. To be merciful is an act of compassion; an understanding that there are those around us who are in need. And the way mercy looks like is by taking action on behalf of others.[7]

All of us here have felt the intense sting of our sins at one time or another. Our sins have left us paralyzed and broken. They have caused chaos. But in that dark night of the soul, as a believer in Jesus Christ, you find through repentance the forgiveness of sins and the ever-present mercy of God for you. When no one was forgiving, when no one was reaching out to you, God extended His right arm and pulled you out of your distress and depression and restored you. Why are we to extend mercy to others? Because God, in Jesus Christ, understood our plight and when others were merciless, He showed mercy.[8] You were broken in sin and in God’s mercy, He re-made you. But don’t be mistaken: your scars will remain, but they will not remain so you can grieve over a past sin, rather, so you can remember God’s mercy toward you in the present.

And it is this mercy that causes you not to be introspective, but extraspective[9] towards God and your neighbor; to look outside yourself. (Pause) People of God, how are you showing mercy to those who most need it? Showing mercy means to act on behalf of your neighbor; to alleviate a little of the pain, angst, and guilt.

Our hope is found in a God who continually showers us with deepest care and love. We may not receive the gratitude from the world nor from those we show mercy, but the pleasure of God should be sufficient for us. In his incarnation he has shown the world what mercy looks like; to show compassion to people that would show him little; to love and to live mercifully to a merciless world.
[1] Jude 3.
[2] Taken from the kindle edition of Orthodox.
[3] Ibid.
[4] English Standard Version
[5] Hebrews 2:17.
[6] Romans 4:13
[7] Peter Leithart, lecture on Matthew 5.
[8] Some of these ideas come from David Powlison’s excellent article I am making all things new http://www.ccef.org/i-am-making-all-things-new-0
[9] Powlison’s language.

Read more

On December 23, 2015 By In Theology

A long time ago in a Galilee far, far away

Guest Post by Dr. Scott Masson

It is that time of year when the cultures of Christmas past, Christmas present, and even Christmas future converge upon our family celebrations.  While there is always a sense of anticipation at what will come underneath the tree, for Christians the greatest gift of Christmas has already been unwrapped, and its message remains evergreen.  The Gospel of Matthew explains that the prophet Isaiah’s words were fulfilled in Jesus’ birth:  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matt. 1:23)

It was the day Love came down.

I have yet to see the latest installment in the Star Wars series, the futuristic film released this Christmas present.  My hope is that its plotline has improved upon Episode one, in which George Lucas revealed that the unfathomable mysteries of the Force lay in a microscopic material cause:  Darth Vader’s mother had conceived a son, not by a man, but by the mysterious power of the midi-chlorians that inhabit and flow through all of life. (more…)

Read more

On December 10, 2015 By In Interviews, Theology

Interview with Gary DeMar on his latest work: “A Beginner’s Guide to Interpreting Prophecy”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (16.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

bgtibp_Page_1_largeIn this interview, Uri Brito speaks with Gary DeMar, author of A Beginner’s Guide to Interpreting Prophecy. 

For many Christians, interpreting Bible prophecy is a complicated task. As a result, they often turn to so-called Bible experts and complicated charts that include gaps in time, outrageous literal interpretations, and numerous claims that current events are prime indicators that the end is near. Many Christians are unaware that the same Bible passages have been used in nearly every generation as “proof” that the end or some aspect of the end (the “rapture”) would take place in their generation.

They’ve all had one thing in common: They’ve all been wrong.

(more…)

Read more

On December 3, 2015 By In Interviews, Theology

Following up on Following Bell: An Interview with Dustin Messer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

dobsonIn this interview, Uri Brito talks with Dustin Messer, author of the article, Following Rob Bell: The Edges of Faith and the Center of the Zeitgeist at Kuyperian Commentary. The article has drawn over 60,000 views and continues to be discussed on social media. In this brief interview, Messer adds a follow up to the diverse response he has had since the article’s publication.

Listen now:

Download interview

Read more

On December 2, 2015 By In Theology

The Upside-Downness of the Gospel: A Look at the Beatitudes, Part V

[5] “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

There is a tendency to view meekness as weakness.1 The meek is not someone who capitulates over the face of threats. He doesn’t retreat and act as if it is all a lost cause. We need to re-orient our minds to how the Bible views these characteristics. Remember that the kingdom of God is upside down to those in the world; and in one sense, the way the people of God live is upside down in comparison to how the rest of the world lives. R.J. Rushdoony once wrote that meekness is strength that is tamed. The meek know that their strength comes from Yahweh; he trusts and places his trust in Yahweh to make the world right; he sees Jesus as the ultimate restorer of Israel and the world. The meek has been united to the kingdom of heaven and has a new Lord and Master. He is being built up in the strength and maturity of Christ, the King, but yet this strength is balanced by self-control. The meek does not use his strength to lord it over people or to belittle others inside or outside the kingdom, but he uses his strength as a means to reveal the power of God and his kingdom. Consider Moses. The Bible says he was the meekest man in all the earth (Num. 12:3). Moses was known for his strength. He led an army and shepherded a nation. And when he was accused by others he didn’t say: “Look at me; the all-powerful Moses; the rescuer of Israel, the destroyer of Egyptian forces.” No. Moses restrained his strength and humbled himself before God praying that God would vindicate him in light of his enemies. Are you beginning to see the picture?

The way God honors this controlled strength is by giving the heirs of the kingdom, the earth!

But why would God give us the earth? We are the heirs of the Abrahamic promise. In Romans 4, Paul says that the promise is that we will be the heirs of the world. This earth, this system, this land, this air, everything is given to us; to inherit and to embrace. This is our world, not the devil’s, it is our world given to us by the ruler of the world, Jesus Christ. And the way we begin to claim it and adorn it and fashion it according to the kingdom of heaven is by being meek.

Practically, this means controlling your strength. How often are we guilty of using our strength or our position of authority to deride or to put down another? How often have we used our strength or our position in life to abuse our authority? How do we as parents conquer our children and their hearts? Do we assert our authority or do we win them with the way of meekness? How we assert our authority without abusing our strength is precisely what it means to be meek. And if we are going to rule the earth as God’s army we need to begin by being meek.

Our Lord Jesus did precisely that. He could have come to earth and obliterated all those Pharisees who disagreed with Him. He could have used His angels to bring about perfect justice, but this is not the Christ we know. The Christ we know is the one who became meek for our sakes and because He inherited the earth in His death and resurrection, we too are called to follow in His steps. (more…)

Read more

On November 30, 2015 By In Culture, Theology

Following Rob Bell: The Edges of Faith and the Center of the Zeitgeist

UPDATE: My friend Uri Brito and I had a conversation about the impetus behind (and reaction to) this post here.

Several days ago, Kent Dobson, successor at Rob Bell’s famous Mars Hill Bible Church, stepped down as teaching pastor. He opened his announcement/sermon by reading the Scriptural story which gives name to the church, the account at Mars Hill. Dobson says when he first came to Mars Hill, he was animated by Paul’s example of cultural engagement. Paul quoted the poets of the people; he spoke their language. Dobson said he understood Paul to be preaching a traditional gospel message but using different, more relevant, packaging.

Likewise, he said the church was meant to have the same gospel but deliver the message in a more hip way. Specifically, he wanted a “cool church” with “cooler shoes” than the traditional church down the road. However, Dobson said he not only began to question the packaging of traditional “church,” but also the message – the gospel. To fully understand his evolution he says, “you’ll have to read my memoirs.” The CliffsNotes version, for those of us who can’t wait, goes thusly:

“I have always been and I’m still drawn to the very edges of religion and faith and God. I’ve said a few times that I don’t even know if we know what we mean by God anymore. That’s the edges of faith. That’s the thing that pulls me. I’m not really drawn to the center. I’m not drawn to the orthodox or the mainstream or the status quo… I’m always wandering out to the edge and beyond.”

If you don’t have time to watch the whole sermon, just picture Portlandia doing a Dane Cook spoof. Slouched in his flannel shirt, he swivels on his chair as he muses about his restlessness, his angst, and his exploration into the unknown. I don’t know how he actually came off in the room, in the moment. But watching from a distance, he seemed like a romantic vagabond, a sensitive soul longing for a home he’s never known—perhaps like Huckleberry Finn if Huck were super into Spiced Chai Lattes and self-indulgent journaling.

(more…)

Read more

On November 9, 2015 By In Theology

Two conferences on the Trinity in London, England

It’s a pleasure to announce two forthcoming conferences at Emmanuel Evangelical Church in London, England, in March 2016. Both conferences are on the subject of the Trinity, and our speaker is Pastor and Theologian Peter Leithart, President of the Theopolis Institute.

The Emmanuel Church Conference, The Very Practical Doctrine of the Trinity, is open to anyone, and takes place on Saturday 12 March 2016.

The Emmanuel Ministerial Conference, Rediscovering the Trinity, is aimed at Ministers, Elders and theological students, and takes place on Monday 14 March 2016.

(more…)

Read more

On November 4, 2015 By In Books, Culture, Theology

On the Mount, for the World: Ethics in the Kingdom of God


William Edgar’s contribution to Resurrection and Eschatology deals with the view of culture espoused by Geerhardus Vos. In describing the Vosian view of culture, Edgar shows the differences that exist between the Reformed and the Anabaptists vis-à-vis the kingdom of God. Edgar does this masterfully by contrasting the Reformed reading of the Sermon on the Mount with that of Richard B. Hays in The Moral Vision of the New Testament—arguably the most influential work on ethics written in the past 50 years. Says Edgar:    

“Contrary to Hays’s radical view, the point of the Sermon on the Mount is not to set up a special ethic for the church, but to proclaim a new world order, one where the kingdom of God has come, one where the blessedness of its members is for now, not just later. True enough, the sermon tells us about God’s radical love in Christ, a love that forgives enemies and gives good gifts to its children. But the sermon is neither ascetic nor revolutionary. There is no section of life to which it does not speak. The key to the sermon is Matthew 5:17, in which Jesus proclaims he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. His teaching explains the full extent of God’s law, and puts an end to casuistry.

(more…)

Read more