The Baptist Bulletin provides a link to a PDF version of new book by Paul Hartog on Calvin and the extent of the atonement.
I’ve not read it yet, but I’ve heard good things about Paul Hartog and expect it to be a worthwhile read.
by Brian
The Baptist Bulletin provides a link to a PDF version of new book by Paul Hartog on Calvin and the extent of the atonement.
I’ve not read it yet, but I’ve heard good things about Paul Hartog and expect it to be a worthwhile read.
by Brian
The latest edition of American Theological Inquiry has an article on the Irish Baptist pastor and scholar Alexander Carson that is well worth reading.
Clary, Ian Hugh. “Alexander Carson (1776-1844): ‘Jonathan Edwards of the Nineteenth Century.'” American Theological Inquiry 2.2 (July 15, 2009): 43-52.
by Brian
Radner, Ephraim Leviticus. Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. Edited by R. R. Reno. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2008.
Ephraim Radner recognizes the primary problem with a commentary on Leviticus is the relevance of the book to Christians today. He clearly states in the introduction to the commentary his dissatisfaction with critical and even Reformation approaches to the book of Leviticus.
Historical-critical approaches end up providing an account of the state of Israel’s religion at a certain period. At best, they may comment about the function of the book as a tutor that would lead God’s people into greater (and less opaque) spiritual truth in the future.
Radner criticizes Reformation approaches for being too repetitious. They are right, as far as they go, to make connections between the sacrificial system and Christ. But one can only make this point so often before growing tedious. Radner prefers the approaches of Origen and of medieval Jewish commentators.
In practice, Radner comments very little on the details of the sacrificial regulations but instead launches directly into figural interpretations that range from connections to Cain and Abel to Christological interpretations grounded in Hebrews.
In other sections, however, Radner’s comments are more traditional. In chapter 18, for instance, he addresses the modern questions raised by this passage’s treatment of homosexual behavior before moving to his figural interpretation of the passage as relating to the church as a family.
Overall Radner’s comments seemed distant enough from the actual text that I didn’t come away with a better understanding of Leviticus. In making his commentary relevant for Christians today, Radner seemed to leave Leviticus in the shadows.
by Brian
My pastor has been preaching through the Olivet Discourse.
Last week he worked his way through a synopsis of the discourse. I’ve adapted his handout into a BibleWorks synopsis file.
by Brian
A ban on dancing had already been introduced before Calvin’s time, but it is true the regulations had been tightened. Calvin thought that since the way people touch each other in dance is nothing less than a first step to adultery, the purity of the body would be better safeguarded by the complete avoidance of dancing. Even if nothing untoward was to happen it was . . . in Calvin’s words, ‘an invitation to Satan.’
Herman J. Selderhuis, John Calvin: A Pilgrim’s Life, 151.
by Brian
Lev. 19:15 “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
by Brian
Calvin took his task as a preacher seriously. He saw the preacher as God’s ambassador to the church. Calvin thought that when he spoke as a preacher, it was God himself who spoke. This also meant that Calvin would have to account for every word he uttered. It was for this reason that Calvin could not ascend the pulpit without careful consideration, because he thought of it as ‘the throne of God, and from that throne he wants to govern our souls.’ The presence of the pulpit meant that at church the congregation would come face to face with God’s judgment seat, where guilt must be confessed and where forgiveness would be obtained. For the preacher it meant speaking only after first listening respectfully to his Taskmaster. This was true not only for Calvin but also for every other preacher. If a pastor did not first become a student of the Word, ‘it would be better if he were to break his neck while climbing into the pulpit.’ ‘For God there is nothing higher than the preaching of the gospel . . . because it is the means to lead people to salvation.’ Calvin had enough self-knowledge to realize that he himself had to be subject to the Word as well. ‘When I climb into the pulpit, it is not simply to instruct others. I do not exclude myself, since I myself must remain a student as well, and the words that come from my mouth are to serve me as much as others. If not, woe to me!’
Herman J. Selderhuis, John Calvin: A Pilgrim’s Life, 110f.
by Brian
Godfrey, W. Robert. John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor. Wheaton: Crossway, 2009.
This book is an ideal introduction to Calvin’s life and theology. Godfrey begins not with Calvin’s birth but with Calvin at Strassburg producing his first commentary (on Romans), the first major revision of his Institutes, and his “Reply to Sadoleto.” The remainder of the first chapter places Calvin and his theology in his Reformation context by examining the reply to this Roman Catholic Cardinal.
Chapters two through five provide a brief survey of Calvin’s life. Chapters six though eleven provide a survey of various topics.
I found the biographical chapters enjoyable but without information that I hadn’t heard elsewhere. The chapter on worship was my favorite of the topical chapters. The chapter on the sacraments was, as expected, the chapter where I most disagreed with Calvin.
by Brian
Lincoln, Andrew T. Paradise Now and Not Yet: Studies in the Role of the Heavenly Dimension in Paul’s Thought with Special Reference to His Eschatology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991.
This book is reworking of Lincoln’s 1975 University of Cambridge dissertation (supervised by C F. D. Moule) (ix). Lincoln organized his material by biblical book in chronological order (Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians). The final chapter synthesizes the material.
Paradise Now and Not Yet contains many helpful exegetical discussions. I found his treatments of 2 Corinthians 5; Philippians 3:20-21; and Colossians 3 especially helpful. I often found myself making notes in BibleWorks to remind me to consult this book when working through these passages.
Philippians 3:20 provides one instance. Like other commentator’s Lincoln rejected the translations “citizenship” and “colony” and opted for “commonwealth” as the correct translation of πολίτευμα in Philippians 3:20 (cf. O’Brien, 360; Fee, 379, n. 17; Silva, 184; Bockmuehl, 233). Lincoln goes on to make the following observation: “The Christian’s commonwealth and government is εν ουρανοῖς and it is there because that is where his or her Lord is, as the following clause clearly implies. If Christ is to come from heaven, then he is envisaged as being there until that time” (101). In this comment Lincoln shows that Paul’s statement about our commonwealth being in heaven demonstrates connects to the return of Christ in that his return will establish this commonwealth on earth. Furthermore, Paul speaks of this in terms of the transformation of our bodies. Thus the previous reference to not having minds set on earthly things is not a critique of the material world. Instead, heavenly things are those things related to Christ and his kingdom since that is the current location of the reigning Christ. Earthly things are sinful because the earth is the sphere where sin is worked out.
The latter part of Lincoln’s concluding chapter is also very helpful. He notes, for instance, that Paul’s use of heaven can have “local, spatial or cosmological connotation[s]’” but that they also often develop “a qualitative force” (185). Or, Christ’s presence in heaven means that “this realm can be seen as the present sphere of fulfillment of God’s promises of salvation” (186). Though Lincoln develops this in a supercessionist direction, it need not be. I thought a better way to develop this insight would be to integrate it with Richard Gaffin’s proposals relating to walking by faith and not by sight. As Lincoln notes, our union with Christ connects us to Christ in heaven so that we can say that we are seated in heaven with Christ (Eph 2:6; cf. Col 3:1ff.) or that we are part of the heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26). Though we can’t see these realities, we must live in by faith in light of them. Lincoln helpfully discusses how the reality of our heavenly existence should affect our life on earth now. He also relates the fact of our present relation to heaven to the Holy Spirit, though this could have been developed further.
On the negative side, at times Paradise Now and Not Yet reads like a Cambridge dissertation. Sometimes Lincoln leads readers through a discussion of a possible Jewish apocalyptic antecedent to Paul’s thought simply to conclude that the possible parallel isn’t really justified. Even when Lincoln does think there are valid parallels, the exegetical insights they yield are do not seem significant enough to warrant the discussion. Lincoln also doubts the Pauline authorship of Ephesians (197, n. 29) and the integrity of 2 Corinthians (55).
For those interested in reading Lincoln’s work, I would suggest reading pages 184-95 first and then working through the previous chapters.
by Brian
. . . . . . . . . .
Such are the visible marks of a sanctified man. I do not say that they are all to be seen equally in all God’s people. I freely admit that in the best they are not fully and perfectly exhibited. But I do say confidently, that the things of which I have been speaking are the Scriptural marks of sanctification, and that they who know nothing of them may well doubt whether they have any grace at all.
Extracts from Ryle, Holiness, 24-29.