Thursday, October 23, 2008

Is anything too Hard for HaShem (The Lord) ?

הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵֽיהוָֹ֖ה

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Quotes from: Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts: Affirming Extraordinary Works of the Spirit within Cessationist Theology

The Book of Revelation is inspired. Modern visions, auditions, and “prophecies” are not inspired, because the canon of the Bible is complete. However, these modern visions and auditions may be analogous to the Book of Revelation, just as modern preaching is analogous to apostolic preaching. Like modern preaching, modern intuitive speech has authority only insofar as it bases itself on the final infallible divine authority of Scripture.

Modern intuitive phenomena must be subject to the same restraints that are placed on preaching. Everything must be checked for conformity to Scripture.

The three categories of prophetic, kingly, and priestly gifts are not rigidly separated from one another.

All the gifts mentioned in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 can be roughly classified as prophetic, kingly, or priestly.


Vern Sheridan Poythress




Friday, October 17, 2008

Machen, What is Faith. p. 129

Certainly if there be no absolute law of God, there can be no consciousness of sin; and if there be no consciousness of sin, there can be no faith in the Saviour Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that many persons regard Jesus as a "Christ life" into which they are perfectly able, without more ado, to enter; it is no wonder that they regard their lives as differing only in degree from His. They will never catch a real a glimpse of the majesty of His person, they will never understand His redeeming work, until they come again into contact with the majestyof the law. Then and then only will they recognize their sin and need, and so come to that renunciation of all confidence in themselvees which is the basis of faith.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Biblical Gospel

In the midst of all my uncertainty, I sense the gravity of that injunction to preach the Gospel. This presupposes I understand what was preached and that injunction to preach. The biblical Gospel is not an all inclusive message in terms of content. That is, the biblical Gospel is not just any good news. According to the Scripture, it is the message preached through which men and women are saved, are being saved, and will be saved, meaning that there is something from which they must be saved and that there is a means of Salvation procured.

Certainly, the Gospel is not the law, namely “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength or love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). How could it be? For the law brings about death. The law is the enunciation of God's standard that men are obligated to observe and do, for if God has spoken, men must listen. The Law emphatically exposes our inability to obey and fulfill it. Even Paul reveals “I would not have known what sin was except through the law” (Romans 7:7). Earlier in Romans Paul employs a falling short metaphor for sin speaking about the infinite depth, width, height and breadth that man - of his own will or work - cannot ascend or cross. Man cannot remedy sin.

The primacy of this sin problem is not that it is an offense against government or brother. Sin is an offense against God, Himself. Consequently, God stands over and against men and women in judgment. The Biblical Gospel is a heralded message declaring what God has done in Jesus Christ reconcile us to God propitiating God's just wrath held because of sinners who have offended Him.

Jesus has completely and perfectly obeyed the Law for sinners and God haters who couldn't and wouldn't keep it. "He was obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8) “becoming sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Again, “He died to save His people from their sins” Matthew 1:21 vicariously, made the substitutionary atonement for sinners. God who is rich in mercy demonstrated His own love toward His people so that they will be delivered from the curse of the law so that they will taste and see and know the salvation of the Lord.

The declarative announcement that Jesus saves begs the question, “How does He save?” which, according to Jesus, is the same as asking, “How shall a man be born again?” because God has chosen to work by means. Answer: “For by grace are you saved through faith not of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Therefore, Biblical faith is faith in “Christ and Him crucified.” It acknowledges "Jesus is the Christ and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). The great credo is wonderfully articulate. Salvation is wrought by the Spirit through means of the Scriptures alone by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.





The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.


http://www.creeds.net/ancient/nicene.htm


Symbolum Nicaenum A.D. 325

Πιστεύομεν εις ΄ενα Θεον Πατερα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ορατων τε και αοράτων ποιητήν.

Πιστεύομεν εισ ΄ενα κύριον `Ιησουν Χριστον, τον υ΄ιον του θεου, γεννηζέντα εκ του πατρος μονογενη, τουτέστιν εκ της ουσίας του πατρός, θεον εκ θεου αληθινου, γεννηθέντα, ου ποιηθέντα, ΄ομοούσιον τωι πατρί δι οϋ τα πάντα εγένετο, τα τε εν τωι ουρανωι και τα επι της γης τον δι ΄ημας τους ανθρώπους και δα την ΄ημετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα και σαρκωθέντα και ενανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, και αναστάντα τηι τριτηι ΄ημέραι, και ανελθοντα εις τους οθρανούς, και ερχόμενον κριναι ζωντασ και νεκρούς.

Και εις το ΄Αγιον Πνευμα.
Τους δε λέγοντας, ΄οτι ΄ην ποτε ΄ότε οθκ ΄ην, και πριν γεννηθηναι ουκ ΄ην, και ΄οτι εξ ΄ετερας ΄υποστάσεως η ουσιας φάσκοντας ειναι, [η κτιστόν,] τρεπτον η αλλοιωτον τον υ΄ιον του θεου, [τούτους] αναθεματίζει ΄η καθολικη [και αποστολικη] εκκλησία.

Martin Luther - 16th century


"O Lord, we are not worthy to have a glimpse of heaven, and unable with works to redeem ourselves from sin, death, the devil, and hell. For this we rejoice, praise and thank you, O God, that without price and out of pure grace you have granted us this boundless blessing in your dear Son through whom you take sin, death, and hell from us, and give to us all that belongs to him."