The Riddleblog

Eschatological Patience

In an age of economic difficulties, sweeping cultural change, political upheaval and tribalism, along with with the fear generated by nuclear threats coming from Vlad the Invader, people have questions about the end times. Understandably so.

Although we find general signs of the end (i.e., wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilence and famine—cf. Matthew 24:3 ff), the Bible does not give us the kind of specifics people often want. One of biggest sources of speculation surrounds a future Antichrist—Who? When?

Here we find helpful words of wisdom from Geerhardus Vos, the father of Reformed amillennialism. As Vos puts it in regard to Antichrist speculation, “2 Thessalonians belongs among the many prophecies, whose final and best exegete will be the eschatological fulfillment, and in regard to which it behooves the saints to exercise a peculiar kind of eschatological patience.” (Pauline Eschatology, 133)

My Vos to English translation goes like this. “Many of the things we speculate about won’t become clear to us until they happen. We’ll know it when we see it. Until then, we must wait patiently!”

Yes, Jesus Christ will return to bring about the final consummation on the day appointed by God, but not on the day we might wish or expect. In the meantime, we wait and go about our mission of preaching Christ to all the nations (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20) all the while praying with Paul (1 Corinthians 16:22), “Maranatha, Lord come!”

Episode Two of Season Two of Our Study of Paul’s Thessalonian Letters Is Ready! "Paul's Theological Categories"

Synopsis of Episode Two: “Paul’s Theological Categories”

Paul was converted about 33 AD when Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus Road, revealing to Paul the content of the gospel he was to preach. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was written around 50 AD, just short of twenty years after his conversion. By this time, Paul has a settled theology–his basic theological categories are in place. He applied these categories in Galatia in opposition to the Judaizers, and he now applies them in an entirely different set of circumstances in Thessalonica. Paul is not making his doctrine up on the fly. So, what was this “settled theology” and how does Paul apply these basic theological categories in his letters to the Thessalonians?

To see the show notes and listen to the podcast, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerNovember 11, 2022 Comments

The Basics: In the Beginning--God

The Bible opens with a remarkable statement in Genesis 1:1– “In the Beginning, God . . .”

This simple assertion is packed with meaning. Some of the most fundamental truths of the Christian faith are found in this short declaration, and it is important to give them due consideration.

The first thing this passage tells us is that before anything was created, God was (Psalm 90:2). In fact, God always was, without beginning or end. Since God alone is uncreated, we speak of him as eternal. God exists before time, and is not bound by the succession of moments (time) as are we.

As the creation account unfolds in the subsequent verses of Genesis 1, we learn that the eternal God creates all things. Whatever now exists, exists only because God created it. There is no such thing as eternal matter. There is no eternal realm of mental forms (or ideas) as Plato led us to believe. There is no primordial world with an eternal convulsing of matter–ever expanding, ever contracting–as taught in much of contemporary science. There is only the eternal God who created all things, and who already was in the beginning. This indicates that nothing exists apart from the will of God, and all created things (the heavens and earth, humans as well as angels) are necessarily contingent, and depend upon God for their existence (Amos 5:8, Nehemiah 9:6).

To read the rest, follow the link below

An Exposition of Article Thirty-Seven of the Belgic Confession -- The Lord's Return and the Final Judgment

There is coming a day when all injustices will be made right, all human suffering will cease, and every tear will be wiped from our eyes. One day our blessed Lord Jesus will suddenly return from heaven to earth to raise the dead, judge all men and women, and renew the heavens and earth by removing every hint and trace of human sin. For those who know not Christ, this will be the most terrible day imaginable. In Revelation 6:15-17, John describes this day as follows:

“Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

But for those who are Christ’s, this will be the most blessed day imaginable. In Revelation 21:3-4, John depicts how God’s covenant promise will come to fruition:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, `Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”

We conclude our exposition of the Belgic Confession, as we come to the final article (Thirty-Seven). It is quite appropriate that the last article of our confession deals with the final events of human history, the second advent of our Lord and those events associated with it–the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the renewal of all things. Not only is our Lord’s second advent the glorious concluding chapter to the biblical drama of our redemption from sin, but this doctrine is also the capstone of our confession of faith.

To read the rest, Article Thirty Seven -- The Lord's Return and the Final Judgment

Kim RiddlebargerNovember 7, 2022

B. B. Warfield on the Inspiration of the Bible -- "Here We Find a Christ to Love, Trust, and Follow"

This is the concluding section from Warfield’s 1894 essay, “The Inspiration of the Bible” originally published in Bibliotheca Sacra. It was republished in the Warfield anthology The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible (P & R), 105-128.

Let it suffice to say that to a plenarily inspired Bible, humbly trusted as such, we actually, and as a matter of fact, owe all that has blessed our lives with hopes of an immortality of bliss, and with the present fruition of the love of God in Christ. This is not an exaggeration. We may say that without a Bible we might have had Christ and all that he stands for to our souls. Let us not say that this might not have been possible. But neither let us forget that, in point of fact, it is to the Bible that we owe it that we know Christ and are found in him. And may it not be fairly doubted whether you and I, - however it may have been with others, - would have had Christ had there been no Bible? We must not at any rate forget those nineteen Christian centuries which stretch between us and Christ, whose Christian light we would do much to blot out and sink in a dreadful darkness if we could blot out the Bible. Even with the Bible, and all that had come from the Bible to form Christian lives and inform a Christian literature, after a millennium and a half the darkness had grown so deep that a Reformation was necessary if Christian truth was to persist, - a Luther was necessary, raised up by God to rediscover the Bible and give it back to man. Suppose there had been no Bible for Luther to rediscover, and on the lines of which to refound the church, - and no Bible in the hearts of God's saints and in the pages of Christian literature, persisting through those darker ages to prepare a Luther to rediscover it? Though Christ had come into the world and had lived and died for us, might it not be to us, - you and me, I mean, who are not learned historians but simple men and women, - might it not be to us as though he had not been? Or, if some faint echo of a Son of God offering salvation to men could still be faintly heard even by such dull ears as ours, sounding down the ages, who would have ears to catch the fulness of the message of free grace which he brought into the world? who could assure our doubting souls that it was not all a pleasant dream? who could cleanse the message from the ever-gathering corruptions of the multiplying years? No: whatever might possibly have been had there been no Bible, it is actually to the Bible that you and I owe it that we have a Christ, - a Christ to love, to trust and to follow, a Christ without us the ground of our salvation, a Christ within us the hope of glory.

To read the rest of the concluding section of Warfield’s essay, follow the link below

B. B. WarfieldKim RiddlebargerNovember 5, 2022The inspiration of the BibleComment

Jesus, the Greater Melchizedek

Abraham Encounters Melchizadek

In Genesis 17, Abraham is returning from battle with local tribes when the man of faith encounters the mysterious king of Salem (Jerusalem) named Melchizadek. According to verses 18-20, “Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed [Abram] and said, `Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’ And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” Who is this mysterious Melchizadek, and why would Abraham pay tithes to him?

In Psalm 110:4 (which is one of the most often-cited Old Testament passages in the New Testament), the Psalmist speaks of Melchizadek as follows. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, `You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’” Given the fact that Jesus quotes this same passage while debating with the Pharisees about whether or not he is the true “son of David” (Matthew 22:44), it is clear that the passage has strong messianic implications–as a prophecy (Psalm 110:4) fulfilled by Jesus–the one of whom the Psalmist had been speaking.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Biblical EventsKim RiddlebargerNovember 3, 2022Melchizadek Comments

Musings (10/31/2022)

Riddleblog Readers will very much enjoy Dr. Scott Clark’s Reformation Day lecture given at Westminster Seminary California. A must listen: Dr. Scott Clark's Lecture on Reformation Day 2022

Here’s yet another important reminder that, “yes, our Reformed theological forefathers were indebted to Aquinas for a number of things.” Acknowledging this to be true is a fact of historical theology, not necessarily a step on the slippery slope to Rome as some fear. Here’s a great example of what I mean. David VanDrunen on "Standing on Aquinas' Shoulders"

Another important short essay on “appropriations” and Christology from Fred Sanders. Distinctions and correct terminology matter. Fred Sanders on Important Christological Distinctions

If you don’t think that things have gotten absolutely crazy among Christian nationalists, here are three links which should disabuse you of the notion that this movement is not theologically problematic.

To read the rest of my “Musings” follow the link below

MusingsKim RiddlebargerOctober 31, 2022Aquinas, Christian nationalism, Free commentaries, Spam is cool again, Reformation DayComment

Season Two of the Blessed Hope Is Here! Episode One is Up! "An Introduction to Paul's Thessalonian Letters"

Synopsis of Episode One: “An Introduction to Paul’s Thessalonian Letters”

We are about to embark on a study of Paul’s Thessalonian letters. Our season two series is entitled “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven” (from 2 Thessalonians 1:7), a text which captures Paul emphasis in these two letters upon the key event in biblical eschatology — the second coming (advent) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of you know that in these two letters Paul discusses our Lord’s return in great detail–when and what happens when Jesus returns, the appearance of Antichrist, what happens on the Day of the Lord, and Paul’s warning about the coming wrath of God. But I wonder how many of you have ever gone through the entire text of both these letters in any detail. The context for Paul’s teaching on eschatological matters is a series of questions raised by a congregation of mostly Gentile Christians living mid-first century in the city of Thessalonica.

In this first episode of season two we’ll take a look at the Macedonia Call, Paul’s second missionary journey, and learn a bit about the Thessalonians and their city–men and woman who embraced the word of God as preached to them by Paul, who turned from serving idols to worshiping and serving the living God. We’ll also learn a bit about the fierce opposition the apostle Paul faced while in Thessalonica, and how this opposition to his preaching lead to the gospel being proclaimed in other Greek cities including the heart of Greek history and culture, the city of Athens.

To read the rest and listen to the first episode of season two of the Blessed Hope Podcast follow the link below

An Exposition of Article Thirty-Six of the Belgic Confession -- The Civil Magistrate

In Judges 21:25 we find a remarkably insightful description of what happens when sinful human nature goes unchecked by legitimate governing authority–“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Where there is no legitimate civil government, lawlessness reigns, even in the covenant community. Because God is gracious to his sinful creatures, he has given us civil government to protect us from ourselves and from each other, as well as to provide a certain level of order and protection so that the church can go about its own divinely-appointed mission of preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments. In Romans 13:1-7, the apostle Paul speaks of the pagan Roman Empire with Nero as the current emperor as a “minister of God.”

As we near the end of 37 articles of the Belgic Confession, we come to Article Thirty-Six, which deals with the Christian view of civil government. Like so many of the other articles of our confession, this article must be considered against the historical circumstances at the time it was written. As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, the Anabaptist kingdom of Münster is clearly in his mind when Guido De Bres composed this article in 1561. During the years of 1534-35, a number of Anabaptist radicals led by John Mattys and then after his death, John of Leyden, overthrew the city government of Münster and instituted what is now known as the “Anabaptist kingdom of Münster.”

Claiming to receive direct revelation from the Holy Spirit, and appealing to those Old Testament passages which refer to Israel’s unique role in redemptive history as a theocracy ruled by divinely-appointed kings, and then applying those verses to himself as though he himself were a Davidic king, John of Leyden and his followers declared all forms of civil government to be illegitimate–except, of course, that government which they claimed God was establishing through them.

Not only did John declare all existing contracts and marriages null and void, he abolished all private property and established a city-wide communal form of living. Seeing Münster as the locale of the millennial kingdom of God then dawning upon the earth, John and his followers took up arms, and for nearly two years held off the poorly trained local armies, claiming these military victories proved that God was on their side. John’s soldiers were not defeated until the local prince finally brought in paid mercenaries for whom the Anabaptists were no match.

The Anabaptists were not only guilty of heresy (for their Christology and rejection of justification sola fide), but of anarchy as well. With the fall of Anabaptist kingdom of Münster and the execution of all those who brought this horrible thing to pass, all of Europe was determined never to let such a thing happen again. In fact, some have argued that the roots of modern Europe’s current secularist mind set can be traced to this very event–if religious zealots can do such things, then religious zeal is a bad thing. If the Reformed wing of the Reformation was to have any legitimacy at all, Reformed theologians and confessions had to be very clear that they had no sympathies for the Anabaptists, not only on a theological level, but they must also clearly state that the Anabaptist view of civil government was unbiblical and those who perpetrated this disaster got everything they deserved–harsh as that was. God gives the sword to civil government to defend its citizens from the likes of John of Leyden.

As our confession takes up this very important subject, De Bres must not only set forth a biblical view of civil government–especially its legitimacy (indeed, its necessity), but he must distance the Reformed view of civil government from that of the Anabaptists, since it was a common Roman Catholic tactic at the time to contend that the Anabaptist’s behavior was the inevitable consequence of the Reformation’s challenge to Rome’s authority. The Roman church saw itself as the glue which held together all of the various institutions of life. So, if Protestants attack the authority of Rome, they are sowing the seeds which came to full flower in Münster.

To read the rest, Article 36 of the Belgic Confession -- the Civil Magistrate

Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerOctober 25, 2022Civil Magistrate, Belgic Confession Art 36Comment

"To the Church in Laodicea" -- Letters to the Seven Churches (8) -- Revelation 3:14-22

A Stern Warning

The church in Laodicea thinks of itself as wealthy, very well-off, and without any apparent needs. But the reality is far different. While this congregation may have an exalted opinion of itself, Jesus describes this church in completely different terms: wretched, pitiful, poor, and naked. This church is lukewarm and is about to be spit out of Christ’s mouth. With these words of rebuke, the church in Laodicea joins the church in Sardis as the only two congregations among the seven addressed by our Lord which receive no word of praise. Instead, these two churches receive only a word of rebuke and a command to repent, lest they face Christ’s judgment.

With this letter we come to the end of John’s opening vision of the resurrected Christ which began in Revelation 1:12 and which ends in chapter three with Jesus’ words of encouragement, admonition, and rebuke to those congregations struggling to remain faithful in the face of paganism, persecution from the state, as well as from those Jews who lived in significant numbers in several of these cities.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Seven ChurchesKim RiddlebargerOctober 22, 2022The church in Laodicea, Lukewarm, Jesus tands at the doorComment

Warfield's Inaugural Address on Inspiration and Criticism

Here are a few excerpts from Warfield’s Inaugural Address upon induction as Chair of New Testament Literature and Exegesis at Western [Pittsburgh] Theological Seminary, given on April 20, 1880. This was Warfield’s opening salvo in a career largely dedicated to defending the inspiration and authority of Scripture against all comers—especially critical scholarship.

We risk nothing in declaring that modern biblical criticism has not disproved the authenticity of a single book of our New Testament. It is a most assured result of biblical criticism that every one of the twenty-seven books which now constitute our New Testament is assuredly genuine and authentic.

Warfield notes that critical scholars have a bad habit of eating their intellectual predecessors (metaphorically, of course).

To read the rest, follow the link below

B. B. WarfieldKim RiddlebargerOctober 20, 2022Inspiration and criticismComment

Speaking of Podcasts . . .

Shane Rosenthal, the long-time producer of the White Horse Inn and dear friend, has developed a new podcast, The Humble Skeptic. The Humble Skeptic is highly recommended and is devoted to sane and thoughtful dialogue about religious truth claims. Be sure to check it out!

Lydia McGrew says,

Shane Rosenthal’s fascinating new podcast, The Humble Skeptic, aims to show that a Christianity founded solidly on evidence can boldly answer the “outsider test” for truth in religious matters. With an emphasis on eyewitness testimony, careful thinking, and common sense, it promises to be an excellent addition to the apologetics podcast menu.

Mike Horton says,

Shane Rosenthal’s Humble Skeptic podcast is superb! I was drawn in by the subject matter and narration of the first episode and am looking forward to hearing what’s next. Humble Skepticism — what a concept!

You can listen to the pilot episode here.

History and Culture, Reformed ResourcesKim RiddlebargerOctober 17, 2022Humble Skeptic

Coming Soon! Season Two of the Blessed Hope Podcast -- “When the Lord Jesus Is Revealed from Heaven: Paul’s Thessalonian Letters”

Look for new episodes of season two of the Blessed Hope Podcast to drop before the end of the month!

In season two, we will tackle Paul’s Thessalonian letters in a verse by verse in-depth manner (as we did in season one when we went through Galatians—you can find season one Here).

If you are interested in eschatology, you’ll likely enjoy this series. We will discuss our Lord’s second advent and related matters (the center of all New Testament eschatology), the Antichrist, and Paul’s warning of the coming wrath of God to be revealed on the day of Christ’s return.

We’ll also consider Paul’s words of encouragement to the Thessalonians, a new congregation composed of mostly Gentiles in the heart of Macedonia, and the fruit of the Macedonian Call and Paul’s second missionary journey. Throughout these letters, Paul reminds us that Christianity is, at its heart, a missionary religion.

To read the rest follow the link below

Kim RiddlebargerOctober 15, 2022

An Exposition of Article Thirty-Five of the Belgic Confession -- The Lord's Supper

Nothing offended the Pharisees any more than when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Since the Pharisees regarded such sinners as “unclean,” it was unthinkable to the Pharisees that Jesus would sit down to eat a meal with such notorious people–since at that time eating a meal with someone was considered a bond of fellowship. Because Jesus ate with people of whom they did not approve, the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a drunkard and a glutton. And what was Jesus’ response to such criticism? “And Jesus answered them, `Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’” (Luke 5:31). As we consider the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, we begin with pointed reminder that Jesus still invites tax collectors and sinners to join him in a fellowship meal–a meal which we call the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

As we consider that section of our confession which deals with the sacraments (articles Thirty-Three through Thirty-Five), we now come to Article Thirty-Five, which deals specifically with the Lord’s Supper. Recall that our confession defines a sacrament as a visible sign and seal of God’s invisible grace. We believe that where the visible signs and seals are present (bread, wine, water) so too the reality is present (Christ’s body and blood, regeneration and the forgiveness of sins). This means that the sacraments are real means of grace because God works through material means. God graciously gives us these visible signs and seals of that which is promised to us in the gospel–namely all the saving benefits of Jesus Christ. Because we are weak and sinful and often insensitive to the things of God, he gives the sacraments to us to nourish and sustain that very same faith which he creates in our hearts through the preaching of the gospel. The sacraments are an essential element of a healthy Christian life, since they confirm all the promises of the gospel, and since they sustain and nourish our ever-weakening faith.

Article Thirty-Three of our confession deals with the sacraments in general. Our confession is careful to distinguish the Reformed view of the two sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) from that of Rome (which not only teaches that there are seven sacraments, but that the sacraments draw their efficacy from the power Jesus supposedly invested in the Roman church and its sacrificing priesthood) as well as the view of the sacraments held by Anabaptists. The latter denied that the sacraments are in any sense means of grace, since many Anabaptist leaders had difficulty conceiving of God working through material means and not directly upon the human heart. It is important that our confession not only summarize biblical teaching about these two sacraments, but at the same time it distinguish the Reformed view from that of Rome, from the Anabaptists, and from the Lutherans as well.

To read the rest, Article Thirty Five -- "Living Bread"

Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerOctober 13, 2022The Lord's SupperComment

"To the Church in Philadelphia" -- Letters to the Seven Churches (7) -- Revelation 3:7-13

No Words of Rebuke

Jesus has no word of commendation whatsoever for the church in Sardis. Because of their lax attitude toward doctrinal matters and because of their compromise with paganism, the congregation in Sardis receives only a stern word of rebuke from the Lord of the church. But to the church in Philadelphia, Jesus utters no words of rebuke. For the Christians living in Philadelphia, Jesus only has words of commendation. Unlike the church in Sardis, Christians in this church have kept Christ’s word and refused to deny their Lord even though their church was weak and struggling. Because of their faithfulness, Jesus promises to deliver them from the trial which is coming upon the earth and to grant them entrance into the heavenly city.

Shakin’ All Over — The Great Earthquake of A.D. 17

Knowing something about each church and its particular environs is very critical in understanding the promised blessing or threatened curse given by Jesus. Philadelphia was a city which had experienced wide-spread damage as a result of an earthquake in A.D. 17. In fact, the recent history of this city factors greatly into word of encouragement Jesus gives to this struggling congregation.

The ancient city of Philadelphia (modern day Alashir) was founded about 140 B.C. by Attalus II, whose surname was Philadelphus. Out of love and admiration for his brother, Eumenes, Attalus named the new city Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love.[1] Located along the strategic road which linked Asia with Europe, Philadelphia became an important center of commerce and trade. As such an important crossroad, the was city a kind of open door through which Greek culture spread south and east into Asia Minor, Syria, and Persia, and through which, in turn, Asian goods passed to the north en route to Greece and Rome. Philadelphia was, in a sense, a kind of gateway between east and west.

The city was built on a very fertile volcanic plain and the local vineyards produced renowned wines and fermented beverages. But given the proximity of the city to an ancient volcano, the area was often hit by powerful earthquakes. A massive quake did, in fact, hit the area in A.D. 17. The damage was so severe and widespread that the Roman government under the emperor Tiberius exempted the city from paying tribute (taxes) for some time. Tiberius even donated a vast sum of money to help the city rebuild. But the aftershocks from this quake were so strong and persisted for so long that people slept outside of their dwellings for years afterward. According to ancient records, a number of people maintained homes and businesses in the city, but at dusk left the city to sleep in the surrounding countryside because of fears that the next quake would bury them in their sleep. The people lived in fear for generations and the city continually suffered damage from aftershocks.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Seven ChurchesKim RiddlebargerOctober 10, 2022The church in Philadelphia Comments

A Few of My Favorite Books on World War One

World War One is not on the radar of many Americans. In many ways the Great War ends the cultural optimism and colonialism of the nineteenth century. American emerges as a true super-power. The Great War marks the dawn of the modern age. If I have piqued your interest, here are a few suggested titles readers of the Riddleblog may enjoy. All but one of my choices deal with geopolitical consequences of the war, not with battles, tactics, or weaponry. That list of recommendations might come later. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section.

To read my recommendations, follow the link below

The Great Tribulation -- When and How Long?

I am often asked whether or not the “tribulation” is a seven year period which immediately precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ, or is it the entire period of time between Christ’s first and second advent, the so-called “great tribulation?”

This is an important question for several reasons. First, when most people think of the “tribulation,” they are thinking of the popular dispensational notion that at (or about) the time of the Rapture, the world enters a seven-year period— “the tribulation”—in which the Antichrist comes to power after the unexpected and instantaneous removal of all believers. The Antichrist then makes a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, only to turn upon the nation after three and a half years, plunging the entire world into the final geopolitical crisis which ends with the battle of Armageddon. Dispensationalists believe the seven year tribulation is a time of horrific cruelty and persecution for those who are “left behind,” and that the only way to be saved during this period is to refuse to take the mark of the beast, and not worship the beast or his image, which will likely result in martyrdom. The critical flaw with the dispensational doctrine of a future seven-year tribulation is that it is nowhere found in Scripture—although dispensationalists make appeal to Daniel 9:24-27 (more on this below).

A second reason why this question is important has to do with the rise of various forms of preterism. Full-preterism is properly considered a heresy. But so-called “partial” preterism is not. Preterists (I am speaking here of the orthodox, “partial” variety) contend that Jesus Christ returned in the clouds in A.D. 70 to execute judgment upon apostate Israel, the city of Jerusalem, and the Jewish temple, and its sacrificial system. Those who hold to the various orthodox forms of preterism believe that the great tribulation spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:21, has come and gone with the events associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by the Romans. All that remains is the Lord’s return.

To read the rest, follow the link below:

Charles Hodge on the Trinity

I’ve always found this definition from Charles Hodge to be succinct and helpful.

“The Father says I; the Son says I; and Spirit says I. The Father says Thou to the Son, and the Son says Thou to the Father; and in like manner the Father and the Son use the pronouns He and Him in reference to the Spirit. The Father loves the Son; the Son loves the Father; the Spirit testifies of the Son. The Father, Son and Spirit are severally subject and object. They act and are acted upon, or are objects of action. Nothing is added to these facts when it is said that the Father, Son and Spirit are distinct persons; for a person is an intelligent subject who can say I, who can be addressed as Thou, and who can act and be the object of action. The summation of the above facts is expressed in the proposition, The one divine Being subsists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This proposition adds nothing to the facts themselves; for the facts are (1.) That there is one divine Being. (2) The Father, the Son and Spirit are divine. (3.) The Father, Son and Spirit are in the sense just stated, distinct persons. (4.) Attributes being inseparable from substance, the Scriptures, in saying that the Father, Son and Spirit possess the same attributes, say they are one in substance; and, if the same in substance, they are equal in power and glory”

From Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, I.444

Musings (10/01/2022)

According to CNN, "Rapture anxiety” is really a thing. An improper understanding of our Lord’s return leads to anxiety on the part of God’s people (when the second coming is to be thought of as the “blessed hope”) and mockery on the part of unbelievers who, barring faith and repentance, should be terrified of the Lord’s return.
If Rapture anxiety is really a thing, it is time to check the "Rapture Ready Index" which tells us it is time to "fasten our seat belts!" The cynic in me asks if the whole point of the Rapture is to be caught up with the Lord in the air, why should I put on a seat belt? That might leave a mark.
Califonia’s governor, Gavin Newsom, sans mask and while dining at the French Laundry, went after Grace Community Church during the Covid lock-down. Newsom has also paid for billboards around the country with grossly misused Bible verses encouraging women seeking abortions to come to California as a sort of abortion haven. John MacArthur, who won his court case against Newsom, and who clearly occupies the high-moral ground, calls Gavin Newsom to repentance in a very public manner. John MacArthur's "open letter" to Governor Newsom.
Read it and weep. Ligonier’s annual doctrinal survey is a sad and serious indicator of the fruit of a whole generation of American evangelicals telling us that doctrine doesn’t matter. Evangelicals know premarital sex is wrong (nearly 90% agree), but nearly half embrace the most serious heresy in church history without knowing it (Arianism). Evangelicalism has been swamped by the “subjective turn” — “I think, I feel . . .” Ligonier's "State of Theology" Survey

To read the rest of my “Musings,” follow the link below

An Exposition of Article Thirty-Four of the Belgic Confession -- The Sacrament of Baptism

Before our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, he left his disciples with the following command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Based upon these words of the great commission, it is now the mission of Christ’s church to go into the world, preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. And how do we make disciples? We baptize them in the name of the Triune God.

We are working our way through articles Thirty-Three through Thirty-Five of our confession which deal with the sacraments. Previously, we made the point that the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are visible signs and seals of invisible grace, given to us by a gracious God who is ever mindful of our hardness of heart and insensitivity to things of the Lord.

In Article Thirty-Three, our confession makes the point that the sacraments draw their efficacy from God’s word through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is quite unlike the view of the medieval Roman church. Rome held (and still does) that the sacraments are efficacious because Jesus Christ vested this gracious power in the church through a sacrificing priesthood. Therefore, Rome’s errors regarding the sacraments are two-fold. The water of baptism supposedly regenerates, washing away the guilt of original sin, while the essence of the Lord’s Supper (the Mass) is an unbloody re-sacrifice of Christ’s broken body, which is offered daily by the priests to appease God’s wrath and anger.

Article Thirty-Three also makes the point that the sacraments are means of grace and that God communicates his grace through material things, specifically the water of baptism and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. The material language of our confession is drawn from New Testament, and our confession is a response to the Anabaptists of the 1560's, who believed that God works directly upon the human heart apart from means. Since Anabaptists did not understand baptism in the context of God’s gracious covenant, they denied baptism to children of Christian believers. As they saw it, baptism has nothing to do with our ratification of God’s gracious promise to us and to our children. Children are not members of the covenant of grace–contrary to what is taught throughout both the New and Old Testaments. Rather, the Anabaptists understood baptism as an act of obedience on the part of someone able to make a decision to follow Jesus. Therefore baptism is our promise to be faithful–not our ratification of God’s promise to be faithful to us and to our children. Baptism is the public confirmation of our personal decision to follow Jesus.

To read the rest of this exposition click here: "The Son of God Is Our Red Sea"

Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerSeptember 29, 2022The sacrament of baptismComment