The Riddleblog

“I Am Unable to Attend” -- Charles Hodge’s Response to an Invitation from Pope Pius IX to Attend the First Vatican Council

Charles Hodge’s reply to Pius IX’s invitation to attend Vatican I (which convened in 1870) remains a theological gem—a classic and succinct Reformed response to Romanism. I doubt Pius IX ever actually saw it, much less read it. I can just imagine a papal secretary informing Pius in a meeting when the agenda came to correspondence received. “Your holiness, we have received a negative reply to attend the assembly from the sect of Presbyterians in America.” Who knows, it may have ended up the Vatican trash. In any case, thanks to Banner of Truth for maintaining this remarkable letter on on their website.

I simply post the first two paragraphs to whet your appetite to read Hodge’s entire reply, which he signed on behalf of the two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church in the USA.

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Believing as we do, that it is the will of Christ that his Church on earth should be united, and recognizing the duty of doing all we consistently can to promote Christian charity and fellowship, we deem it right briefly to present the reasons which forbid our participation in the deliberations of the approaching Council.
It is not because we have renounced any article of the catholic faith. We are not heretics. We cordially receive all the doctrines contained in that Symbol which is known as the Apostles’ Creed. We regard all doctrinal decisions of the first six ecumenical councils to be consistent with the Word of God, and because of that consistency, we receive them as expressing our faith. We therefore believe the doctrine of the Trinity and of the person of Christ as those doctrines are expressed in the symbols adopted by the Council of Nicea AD321, that of the Council of Constantinople AD381 and more fully that of the Council of Chalcedon AD451. We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are the same in substance and equal in power and glory. We believe that the Eternal Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul, and so was, and continues to be, both God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever. We believe that our adorable Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the prophet who should come into the world, whose teachings we are bound to believe and on whose promises we rely. He is the High Priest whose infinitely meritorious satisfaction to divine justice, and whose ever prevalent intercession, is the sole ground of the sinner’s justification and acceptance before God. We acknowledge him to be our Lord not only because we are his creatures but also because we are the purchase of his blood. To his authority we are bound to submit, in his care we confide, and to his service all creatures in heaven and earth should be devoted.

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You can read the rest here, at the Banner of Truth’s website: Charles Hodge's letter to Pius IX

My Ligonier Essay, "What is Meditation?"

From my recent essay on Ligonier.org:

Christian forms of meditation are closely associated with prayer. Prayer is a conversation with another to whom we turn—someone outside ourselves. We pray to God the Father, through the mediation of Jesus Christ in His role as intercessor between God and His people (1 Tim. 2:5), in the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:12–17). There is no possibility of prayer if we turn within. Who will answer me? Am I praying to myself? What if I get an answer? That is a sign of much deeper trouble.
Simply turning within ourselves offers no enduring hope for the relief from those stresses, pains, and frustrations that decidedly Eastern-religion practitioners of meditation are seeking. We need a Savior greater than ourselves, who, crucified for our sins and raised from the dead, has ascended to the Father’s right hand where He lives to make intercession for His people (Heb. 7:25). Such a Savior can and does hear our pleas, and He answers when we cry out to Him.

To read the rest, "What is Meditation"

Reformed ResourcesKim RiddlebargerAugust 9, 2022meditationComment

"The Triple Cure: Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King" -- Some Reflections on the Three Offices of Christ

Jesus Christ - Our Prophet, Priest and King

The diagnosis is not very good: we are ignorant, guilty, and corrupt.

As a litany of biblical texts reveals, we find ourselves as fallen sinners ravaged by this threefold consequence of our sins. Our foolish hearts are darkened (Romans 1:21) and our thoughts are continually evil (Genesis 6:5). Our minds are clouded by sin and ignorant of the things of God (Ephesians 4:17-18), although in our folly we often boast about our supposed knowledge and great wisdom. Paul tells us that we have exchanged God’s truth for a lie (Romans 1:25). Our minds are “blinded by the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Like a blind man pitifully groping his way through life, so our sin has blinded us to the truth of God. Intoxicated by our own self-righteousness, like boastful drunkards we stumble through life seeking to justify ourselves before God.

We labor under the tremendous weight of guilt–the penalty for our many infractions of the law of God. While many of us are quite adept at ignoring God's just verdict against them, many others feel like they will buckle under the weight of God's heavy hand. Not only are we guilty for our own individual violations of God’s law in thought, word, and deed, but we are also rendered guilty for our participation in the sin of Adam, whose own guilt has been imputed to all of us as his biological and federal children (Romans 5:12, 18-19). While we may delude ourselves into thinking that we have sinned against our neighbors only, David knew that this was not true. “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,” (Psalm 51:4). Because of our guilt, there is no way we can dare stand in the presence of God. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). He does keep such a record and we cannot stand.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Pilgrims on the Way -- Wisdom from Our Reformed Fathers in Uncertain Times

There is a good reason why Michael Horton’s volume The Christian Faith is subtitled, A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way. The Christian life can, perhaps, be best understood as a pilgrim journey to the heavenly city. This has long been a theme in Reformed theology—especially when our fathers were wrestling with the question, “what kind of theology do Christians possess in a fallen world?” John Bunyan’s beloved allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, explores this conundrum when his own pilgrim journey landed him in an English jail as a non-conformist. Bunyan took up his pen to explain his traumatic circumstances in light of his confidence in God’s sovereign purposes. Understanding the Christian life as a pilgrim’s journey resonates with us because Christian believers experience life’s ups and downs precisely as a journey to a better place.

A generation ago, many Americans Christians felt like the “pilgrim” moniker really wasn’t fitting, nor was it particularly useful. Yes, life has its ups and downs, but all in all, many (especially evangelicals) felt quite at home. Life was pretty good. The pilgrim’s journey will likely take us to better places. America was the world’s sole super power after all, making another destructive world war unlikely because the biggest and baddest kid on the block isn’t likely to be challenged. Despite occasional fears of recession and a few economic blips, America’s economy rolled along with relatively low inflation, with a good return on investments. Better yet, this was a time of great advances in consumer technologies and home electronics. American Evangelicals even had a seat at the table of political power, or at least thought they did—the reality was they were allowed a place in partisan politics because they represented an important voting block. Enjoying the post World War Two good times, American Christians easily fell victim to the malaise Francis Schaeffer identified as “personal peace and affluency.” Sure, many thought, we may be pilgrims, but our pilgrim journey doesn’t take us through genuine peril. Yes, there were still the usual annoying trials and troubles, but there was no real sense of urgency to reach the goal. All is well. We like it here and we are in no hurry to leave.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Using God

Using God — The Entrepreneurial Spirit of American Christianity

It has been said that pride is the oldest sin in the universe and that it shows no signs of growing weaker with age. Pride is the overestimation of our own worth and the inevitable tendency to exaggerate our own accomplishments. If the Bible is clear about anything, it is that ours is a fallen race and that human pride is the inevitable consequence of the fall. God warned the people of Israel to exercise great care in this regard, “lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery . . . . Beware lest you say in your heart, `My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’” In Romans 1:22, Paul speaks of human pride in these terms; “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” Because of sin, we suppress the fact that God is the source of all that we have. We see ourselves as far more important than we are. We act as though all of life rises and sets upon our own shadow. Therefore, we are constantly tempted to use God to suit our own sinful ends.

Perhaps it might help to frame the matter like this. When we become great in our own eyes, our estimation of God and his purposes is necessarily diminished. Like two people sitting on opposite ends of a playground teeter-totter, when the person sitting on one end goes up, the other person goes down. The same applies to our estimation of God. When our own desires and whims are elevated over God and his glory–the very essence of sinful pride–God is necessarily diminished in our estimation. When this happens, our own skewed self-estimation replaces the uncomfortable truth we seek to evade–that God is great and we are not.

To read the rest of this essay, click here Using God

Musings . . .

God told me to tell you to read, R. S. Clark on the Dangers of "God Told Me"

Sen. Ben Sasse on Tech Disruption, Political Addiction, and the Loss of Community. Sen Sasse is my go-to guy on these issues.

Guelzo's book on Robert E. Lee is finally here! Guelzo is the right historian to tell the story of the “Marble Man” in the post-Charlottesville era. I can’t wait to read it

Athanasius on the Death of Arius:

Granted, there is certainly a perverse temptation to take delight in the affliction experienced by others. But when it comes to the fall of an arch-enemy of the gospel, there is a slight measure of satisfaction when justice finally prevails. It falls to Athanasius to inform us of manner of Arius’ death, the very night before Arius was to be ordained as Bishop.

“When the Bishop Alexander heard this (that Arius had under oath declared that he held the right faith) he was greatly distressed, and entering into the church stretched forth his hands unto God, and bewailed himself; and casting himself upon his face in the chancel, he prayed laying on the pavement . . . . `If Arius is brought to communion tomorrow let me, Thy servant depart, and destroy not the pious with the impious; but if Thou wilt spare Thy Church . . . . take off Arius, lest if he enter into the Church, and the heresy also may seem to enter with him, and henceforth impiety may be accounted for piety.’ When the Bishop had thus prayed, he retired with great anxiety, and a wonderful and extraordinary circumstance took place. . . . Arius . . . talked very wildly, [but] urged by the necessities of nature withdrew, and suddenly, in the language of Scripture, `falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst,' and immediately expired as he lay, and was deprived both of communion and of his life together. Such has been the end of Arius” (Athanasius, “To Serapion, Concerning the Death of Arius,” in NPNF, Vol. IV. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1978), 564 ff.)

Athanasius, no doubt, felt a measure of divine vindication. “The antichristian gang of the Arian madmen has been shewn to be unpleasing to God and impious.”

Reformed Resources, History and Culture, MusingsKim RiddlebargerOctober 2, 2021Race and racism, God told me, R. E. Lee, Allen GuelzoComment

Some Thoughts on a Friday -- Mostly About Books

Thanks so much to the folks at Banner of Truth for reprinting Louis Berkhof’s venerable Systematic Theology. Not only does this volume include Berkhof’s Introduction to Systematic Theology, (a full book in its own right) but the entire volume has been given a refreshed typeset. I’m thrilled. I have used it constantly for the last forty years. My current copy is falling apart. Hope this one has a good binding and will lie flat when open. You can get it here: New Edition of Berkhof's Systematic Theology

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

If you’ve not been following the Christianity Today podcast series, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill,” I highly recommend it. The series (still incomplete) has been widely praised and generated much interest. It is superbly done. Essentially, it is the Mark Driscoll story.

But to my mind this sad tale is the consequence of a non-existent ecclesiology, which proves beyond all shadow of a doubt, how important it is that the church be governed according to biblical mandate, and by officers properly chosen and supervised as spelled out in the New Testament (i.e.,1 Timothy 3:1-13). I know, the chapters on ecclesiology are the least read chapters in any systematic theology text, but just because these chapters tend to come at the end, does not mean they are unimportant. A church with a sound ecclesiology is a bulwark against what happened with the “make it up as you go along” ecclesiology of Mars Hill.

To read the rest, follow the link below