This is where it really starts. I will begin to use this blog space as an area to gather thoughts and material on Baxter's theory and practice of church discipline (the subject of this years dissertation). Other material will continue to appear but Baxter will be my main topic of concern.
Here he is in "The Reformed Pastor" (Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh; 1656 rpr. 2001).
Prayer and discipline p. 108: "[Prayer] should be done in every case of discipline, but particularly if the offender will not be present to receive admonition, or gives no evidence of repentance, and shows no desires for the prayers of the congregation... let us be very earnest in prayer for him, that the congregation may be excited affectionately to join with us; and who knows but God may hear our prayers, and the sinner's heart may relent under them, more than under all our exhortations?... If ministers would be conscientious in performing this duty entirely and self denyingly, they might make something of it, and expect a blessing upon it".
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Lordship of Jesus
John Frame (in the Doctrine of the knowledge of God and Apologetics to the Glory of God, at least) talks about Lordship in the Bible containing 3 main attributes... authority, control and presence. Guess what, we find them in Christ at Matthew 28.
Authority: Matthew 28:18 "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"
Control: Matthew 28:19-20a "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you"
Presence: Matthew 28:20b "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"
Conclusion: the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is Lord
Authority: Matthew 28:18 "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"
Control: Matthew 28:19-20a "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you"
Presence: Matthew 28:20b "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"
Conclusion: the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is Lord
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Baxter the preacher
Richard Baxter created an art of preaching based on his theology of man: created and fallen. Because of these truths he knew what was in mens hearts when he got up to preach, consider Packer:
"They are slow to grasp divine truth, not merely through natural stupidity, but becasuse their wills are fundamentally apathetic towards it. They dislike it; they do not want to learn it; their thoughts wander during sermons, and what they hear and remember they misunderstand and misapply "I am daily forced to admire how lamentably ignorant many of our people are, that have seemed diligent hearers of me these ten or twelve years, while I spoke plainly as I was able to speak!" Baxter wrote in 1665. To combat this ingrained, wliful obtuseness, Baxter strove to be as plain and pungent as he could...
"The plainest words are the profitablest oratory in the weightest matters. Fineness is for ornament, and delicacy for delight, but they answer not necessity...It is hard...to hear or read a neat, concise, sententious (ed - ?) discourse, and not to be hurt by it; for it usually hindereth the due operation of the matter, and keeps it from the heart, and stops it in the fancy, and makes it seem as light as the style. We use not to stand upon compliment...when we run to quench a common fire, nor to call men out to it by an eloquent speech. If we see a man fall into fire or water, we stand not upon mannerliness in plucking him out, but lay hands on him while we can without delay" (Baxter).
"They are slow to grasp divine truth, not merely through natural stupidity, but becasuse their wills are fundamentally apathetic towards it. They dislike it; they do not want to learn it; their thoughts wander during sermons, and what they hear and remember they misunderstand and misapply "I am daily forced to admire how lamentably ignorant many of our people are, that have seemed diligent hearers of me these ten or twelve years, while I spoke plainly as I was able to speak!" Baxter wrote in 1665. To combat this ingrained, wliful obtuseness, Baxter strove to be as plain and pungent as he could...
"The plainest words are the profitablest oratory in the weightest matters. Fineness is for ornament, and delicacy for delight, but they answer not necessity...It is hard...to hear or read a neat, concise, sententious (ed - ?) discourse, and not to be hurt by it; for it usually hindereth the due operation of the matter, and keeps it from the heart, and stops it in the fancy, and makes it seem as light as the style. We use not to stand upon compliment...when we run to quench a common fire, nor to call men out to it by an eloquent speech. If we see a man fall into fire or water, we stand not upon mannerliness in plucking him out, but lay hands on him while we can without delay" (Baxter).
Monday, July 24, 2006
Baxter on heaven
Richard Baxter laid out 10 points about what he shall know better in heaven...
1. I shall know God better
2. I shall know the universe better
3. I shall know Christ better
4. I shall know the church, his body, better, with the holy angels
5. I shall better know the methods and perfection of the Scripture
6. I shall know the methods and sense of disposing providence better
7. I shall know the divine benefits, which are the fruits of love, better
8. I shall know myself better
9. I shall better know every fellow-creature
10. And I shall better know all that evil, sin, Satan and misery, from which I am delivered
let's go!
1. I shall know God better
2. I shall know the universe better
3. I shall know Christ better
4. I shall know the church, his body, better, with the holy angels
5. I shall better know the methods and perfection of the Scripture
6. I shall know the methods and sense of disposing providence better
7. I shall know the divine benefits, which are the fruits of love, better
8. I shall know myself better
9. I shall better know every fellow-creature
10. And I shall better know all that evil, sin, Satan and misery, from which I am delivered
let's go!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Japan is cloudy!!!!
Am currently in Japan, the people here are ready to receive the gospel.. and they need it! Some friends of mine are coming over as missionaries within the next three years - praise God! (pray for the Lord of the harvest). I have a missionary friend in Lithuania also and he has just had a summer camp where he saw the Word of God bear fruit for the one who gave it to us. As Adam wrote himself, the Word "will not return fruitless".
Missionary work is very important!
Missionary work is very important!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Repentance for the Gentiles
Repentance seems such a dreadful thing. Face to face with the sin we commit and lying in the dust before a holy God - the one we sinned against.
But take a look at Acts 11:18 when repentance comes to the Gentiles - "God has granted repentance that leads to life"
Firstly, "God has granted repentance". That which we find so hard and humbling and humilitating is a gift of our blessed saviour.
Secondly, "repentance that leads to life". Just as the suffering Christian in this life is certain of glory in the next, so the repentant Christian is certain of a glorious life with Christ his Lord.
Thirdly, "repentance that leads to life". Luke has not recorded this sentance with the word "repentance" as interchangeable, it is fixed and it is what leads to life. Life is only available through repentance, which "leads to" it.
We can be very thankful for repentance, knowing who graciously gave it to us, knowing where it leads, and knowing it is the only way to where it leads.
But take a look at Acts 11:18 when repentance comes to the Gentiles - "God has granted repentance that leads to life"
Firstly, "God has granted repentance". That which we find so hard and humbling and humilitating is a gift of our blessed saviour.
Secondly, "repentance that leads to life". Just as the suffering Christian in this life is certain of glory in the next, so the repentant Christian is certain of a glorious life with Christ his Lord.
Thirdly, "repentance that leads to life". Luke has not recorded this sentance with the word "repentance" as interchangeable, it is fixed and it is what leads to life. Life is only available through repentance, which "leads to" it.
We can be very thankful for repentance, knowing who graciously gave it to us, knowing where it leads, and knowing it is the only way to where it leads.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
The man and his mind
a lot of the chapter called "the man and his mind" in Packer's thesis on Baxter is about the way theologians are very good at taking their first idea on a subject as an absolute truth...
"The majority prefer to treat their first ideas as the last word and to defend them to the last ditch"
Baxter is quoted as saying that many argurements have been had in the church over "unsearchable things, which neither side understood, or about ambigious words, which one party taketh in one sense, and another in another"
I've lots to learn...
"The majority prefer to treat their first ideas as the last word and to defend them to the last ditch"
Baxter is quoted as saying that many argurements have been had in the church over "unsearchable things, which neither side understood, or about ambigious words, which one party taketh in one sense, and another in another"
I've lots to learn...
a picture of fun from Malta
Here is a photo of the trip (not all of it just a tiny part)... I promise you all I did gospel ministry too
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Malta is hot!!!!
Just so everyone knows whats going on... am in Malta at the moment working For Oak Hall Holidays. We are looking at Galatians over our time here and learning about the way God in his grace has provided for sinners to be right with him through faith in Christ Jesus. Striking when you see alters and 15 foot candles (no exaggeration) in Catholic Cathederals out here...
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Spurgeon in a house (2)
The next time Spurgeon was quoted over the weekend was another story he told... It was in defence of the fact that we should listen to God's Word above any other experience, and was given when he preached on Galatians 1:8 - "But if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed."
There once was a preacher who after giving his sermon was walking back to his seat in the congregation. As he did so an angel from heaven stood before him and in a loud voice proclaimed "I have a word for you!" The preacher said "I don't want you to tell me it". The angel replied "I have a very important word for you!" The preacher said "I suspect you are going to tell me it, but I do not want to hear it." The angel said to the preacher "your name is written in the Lambs book of life!" The preacher replied "I did not want you to tell me this word and now that you have I am very angry. For before you told me, I could trust that message from the Word of God, now I have you competing with my God for authority!"
...even if we or an angel from heaven...
There once was a preacher who after giving his sermon was walking back to his seat in the congregation. As he did so an angel from heaven stood before him and in a loud voice proclaimed "I have a word for you!" The preacher said "I don't want you to tell me it". The angel replied "I have a very important word for you!" The preacher said "I suspect you are going to tell me it, but I do not want to hear it." The angel said to the preacher "your name is written in the Lambs book of life!" The preacher replied "I did not want you to tell me this word and now that you have I am very angry. For before you told me, I could trust that message from the Word of God, now I have you competing with my God for authority!"
...even if we or an angel from heaven...
Spurgeon in a house
I've been away with church this weekend, and here is a parable by Charles Spurgeon which was quoted/ paraphrased:
There was a man who lived in a kingdom. He was a vegetable grower and was growing a prize carrot. It turned out that this carrot was an amazing carrot, huge and worthy of first place in any horticultural show. The man uprooted his carrot and because of his love and respect for his king, took it to him and laid it at his feet. He gave his prize carrot completely over to his king. The king in return said 'thank you for this gift which you have given me out of the abundance of your heart, here I will give you a field in return'.
Now a noble man standing in the kings court overheard these things and said to himself 'I will get the king my prize horse, that is sure to get me a gift from the king'. So he went, found the best horse he had and laid it at the kings feet. He gave his prize horse completely over to the king. But the king took the horse and walked away. The noble man was furious with the king but the king turned around and said 'I gave the gardenener a field because he gave me a gift for the simple reason that he wanted to bless his king, whereas you gave me a gift for the simple reason that you wanted a field - you are a foolish man, but I will keep your horse'.
If we give to God so that we might inherit something (heaven etc.) we are doing it for our own sake, we are not doing it to bless the king...
There was a man who lived in a kingdom. He was a vegetable grower and was growing a prize carrot. It turned out that this carrot was an amazing carrot, huge and worthy of first place in any horticultural show. The man uprooted his carrot and because of his love and respect for his king, took it to him and laid it at his feet. He gave his prize carrot completely over to his king. The king in return said 'thank you for this gift which you have given me out of the abundance of your heart, here I will give you a field in return'.
Now a noble man standing in the kings court overheard these things and said to himself 'I will get the king my prize horse, that is sure to get me a gift from the king'. So he went, found the best horse he had and laid it at the kings feet. He gave his prize horse completely over to the king. But the king took the horse and walked away. The noble man was furious with the king but the king turned around and said 'I gave the gardenener a field because he gave me a gift for the simple reason that he wanted to bless his king, whereas you gave me a gift for the simple reason that you wanted a field - you are a foolish man, but I will keep your horse'.
If we give to God so that we might inherit something (heaven etc.) we are doing it for our own sake, we are not doing it to bless the king...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Living with a giant
Over the next 8 months or so of my life on this earth I am going to be spending much time in the theory and practice of Richard Baxter in regard to church discipline. I hope to post much of my findings but here is a taste of why I am going to undertake this endeavour...
"Either we must have Churches without the Discipline of Christ," wrote Baxter, "or else we must utterly undo our people, body and Soul forever, and plunge them into a desperate state, and make all our following labours in vaine to multitudes of them." Or else," he determined, "we must take another course, than to admit all our Parishes to Adult Church-membership, as was formerly done, without preparation, and fitness for such a state"
Quoted in J. William Black, From Martin Bucer to Richard Baxter: "Discipline" and Reformation in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century England page 662.
"Either we must have Churches without the Discipline of Christ," wrote Baxter, "or else we must utterly undo our people, body and Soul forever, and plunge them into a desperate state, and make all our following labours in vaine to multitudes of them." Or else," he determined, "we must take another course, than to admit all our Parishes to Adult Church-membership, as was formerly done, without preparation, and fitness for such a state"
Quoted in J. William Black, From Martin Bucer to Richard Baxter: "Discipline" and Reformation in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century England page 662.
God rejoices over his Saints
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
- Zephaniah 3:17
as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
- Isaiah 62:5
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
- Luke 15:10
- Zephaniah 3:17
as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
- Isaiah 62:5
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
- Luke 15:10
Faith, hope and love in Paul's letters
it occurs, i think, three times
1 Corinthians 13:13 - "So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love"
Galatians 5:5-6 - "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love"
Colossians 1:4-5a - "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven"
are there more?
1 Corinthians 13:13 - "So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love"
Galatians 5:5-6 - "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love"
Colossians 1:4-5a - "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven"
are there more?
Monday, June 12, 2006
A Clam Structure!!!
See the great way Paul orders his material around the acts of the sinful nature and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:14-26.
v15 biting and devouring each other and becoming destroyed.
...v16 command to live by the Spirit.
......v17 desires of the sinful nature and Spirit (opposed).
.........v18 led by the Spirit then you are not under law.
............v19-21 ACTS OF THE SINFUL NATURE.
............v 22-23a FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
.........v23b led by the Spirit then you are not under law.
......v24 desires of the sinful nature and Christ (opposed).
...v25 command to keep in step with the Spirit we live by.
v26 provoking and envying each other and becoming conceited.
Notice that the acts of the sinful nature are plural and the fruit of the Spirit is singular
Both of these things must mean something awesome...
v15 biting and devouring each other and becoming destroyed.
...v16 command to live by the Spirit.
......v17 desires of the sinful nature and Spirit (opposed).
.........v18 led by the Spirit then you are not under law.
............v19-21 ACTS OF THE SINFUL NATURE.
............v 22-23a FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
.........v23b led by the Spirit then you are not under law.
......v24 desires of the sinful nature and Christ (opposed).
...v25 command to keep in step with the Spirit we live by.
v26 provoking and envying each other and becoming conceited.
Notice that the acts of the sinful nature are plural and the fruit of the Spirit is singular
Both of these things must mean something awesome...
Edwardation, edwardation, edwardation
here he goes again...
"Roses grow upon briers, which is to signify that all temporal sweets are mixed with bitter. But what seems more especially to be meant by it, is that true happiness, the crown of glory, is to be come at in no other way than by bearing Christ's cross by a life of mortification, self-denial and labour, and bearing all things for Christ"
From Jonathan Edwards, Shadows of Divine Things
"Roses grow upon briers, which is to signify that all temporal sweets are mixed with bitter. But what seems more especially to be meant by it, is that true happiness, the crown of glory, is to be come at in no other way than by bearing Christ's cross by a life of mortification, self-denial and labour, and bearing all things for Christ"
From Jonathan Edwards, Shadows of Divine Things
Friday, June 09, 2006
What mercy, what can we do but the same...
In Matthew 18:21-35 the question that comes to Jesus and of which Jesus' teaching is responding to, is this:
"Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him?" v21.
Jesus' story is about "a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants". Note this is not saying the king wanted to forgive all his servants but that if their is any imbalance in the accounts he has with his servants, the king wants them sorted. God is a God of justice, he will by no means clear the guilty.
In the story the servant who is brought to the king owes him "ten thousand talents" (v24). The ESV helps us by pointing out in the footnote that a talent was "worth about twenty years wages for a labourer". So this man owed the king ten thousand x twenty years wages which equals... 200,000 years wages!
This is contrasted with the mercy of the king:
1. he had pity (v27a)
2. he released the servant (v27b)
3. he forgave the servant (v27c)
Later in the story, after the servant has been accused (rightly) of not forgiving a FELLOW SERVANT (for the reapeated use of this name in the story see vs. 28, 31, 33), the moral of the stroy shines through...
v33 - "should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?"
The punishment seems worse now than it would've been before he was forgiven...
before - sold with family until payment had been made (v25)
after - the master is acting "in anger" (v34a) and the servant was delivered to the 'torturers' (v34b - see ESV footnote).
Jesus is of course teaching on the Father's response to covenant members who do not forgive their brothers from their hearts (v35), it seems it would've been better for them not to be forgiven if they were going to be such wicked (v32) servants.
Let us not be wicked, strangling our brothers and demanding recompense (v28) by not forgiving our brothers from our hearts. Let us be like the Father in heaven who has had mercy on us, let us forgive our brothers seventy times seven times (v22).
"Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him?" v21.
Jesus' story is about "a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants". Note this is not saying the king wanted to forgive all his servants but that if their is any imbalance in the accounts he has with his servants, the king wants them sorted. God is a God of justice, he will by no means clear the guilty.
In the story the servant who is brought to the king owes him "ten thousand talents" (v24). The ESV helps us by pointing out in the footnote that a talent was "worth about twenty years wages for a labourer". So this man owed the king ten thousand x twenty years wages which equals... 200,000 years wages!
This is contrasted with the mercy of the king:
1. he had pity (v27a)
2. he released the servant (v27b)
3. he forgave the servant (v27c)
Later in the story, after the servant has been accused (rightly) of not forgiving a FELLOW SERVANT (for the reapeated use of this name in the story see vs. 28, 31, 33), the moral of the stroy shines through...
v33 - "should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?"
The punishment seems worse now than it would've been before he was forgiven...
before - sold with family until payment had been made (v25)
after - the master is acting "in anger" (v34a) and the servant was delivered to the 'torturers' (v34b - see ESV footnote).
Jesus is of course teaching on the Father's response to covenant members who do not forgive their brothers from their hearts (v35), it seems it would've been better for them not to be forgiven if they were going to be such wicked (v32) servants.
Let us not be wicked, strangling our brothers and demanding recompense (v28) by not forgiving our brothers from our hearts. Let us be like the Father in heaven who has had mercy on us, let us forgive our brothers seventy times seven times (v22).
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Edwards' three stage awakenings
Marsden notes the three stages in an awakening as noted by the Edwards family:
1. A 'sense of a persons sad estate with reference to eternity'.
2. Humiliation: A backsliding into sin that would lead them to realize the terribleness of their sins and that God would be entirely just in condemning them to hell.
3. If God graciously granted it - God's regenerating 'light', or a 'new spirit created in them,' so that they truely repented and sin would no longer reign in them, but rather they would be guided by the Holy Spirit 'dwelling in them' and they would receive the gift of faith in Christ alone as their hope of salvation and would experience a 'glorious change' to a life dedicated to serving God.
1. A 'sense of a persons sad estate with reference to eternity'.
2. Humiliation: A backsliding into sin that would lead them to realize the terribleness of their sins and that God would be entirely just in condemning them to hell.
3. If God graciously granted it - God's regenerating 'light', or a 'new spirit created in them,' so that they truely repented and sin would no longer reign in them, but rather they would be guided by the Holy Spirit 'dwelling in them' and they would receive the gift of faith in Christ alone as their hope of salvation and would experience a 'glorious change' to a life dedicated to serving God.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Jesus, in his glory
When studying the transfiguration today, another moment of Jesus in glory came to mind...
Transfiguration: Matt 17:6 - Peter, James and John fell on their faces and were terrified
Revelation 1:17a "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead"
Transfiguration: Matt 17:7a - Jesus touched them
Revelation 1:17b "But he laid his right hand on me"
Transfiguration: Matt 17:7b - Jesus told them to have no fear
Revelation 1:17c "saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last'"
Jesus, standing in his glory, loves to bless and to tell his followers not to fear.
Transfiguration: Matt 17:6 - Peter, James and John fell on their faces and were terrified
Revelation 1:17a "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead"
Transfiguration: Matt 17:7a - Jesus touched them
Revelation 1:17b "But he laid his right hand on me"
Transfiguration: Matt 17:7b - Jesus told them to have no fear
Revelation 1:17c "saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last'"
Jesus, standing in his glory, loves to bless and to tell his followers not to fear.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Jesus is God in Luke
Luke's use of the name Lord For Jesus Christ on earth and God in heaven provokes our faith to see that Jesus Christ is God....
2:9 - "an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them"................2:11 "unto you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord"...........................................2:15b "let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us".
5:12 - "when he saw Jesus he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean"......5:17 - "and the power of the Lord was with him (Jesus) to heal".
cool. :)
2:9 - "an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them"................2:11 "unto you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord"...........................................2:15b "let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us".
5:12 - "when he saw Jesus he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean"......5:17 - "and the power of the Lord was with him (Jesus) to heal".
cool. :)
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