The Briefing Revised Gospel Convictions Statement

You can see The Briefing's revised Gospel Convictions statement at www.gospelconvictions.com

On the above website, you can also find a PDF copy of the original statement with the 30 changes made in the light of feedback received.

You can see all the feedback recieved at on St Matthias Media's website.

It seems they hope the statement will have some kind of ongoing wider life as a rallying point for evangelicals / basis of working together, so it could be quite significant. They are seeking further feedback before aiming to produce a "final" version in the beginning of 2010. In the future it will be possible for individuals to sign-up to the statement on-line and for organizations to use it and so on.

A flavour of Nevin on anti-sacramental rationalism

I’ve been reading Mathison’s account of Nevin’s attacks on what Nevin calls “the modern Puritan theory of the sacraments” (which he associates with Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Hopkins, Joseph Bellamy, Timothy Dwight), in contrast to the traditional Reformed Doctrine. Nevin links this new view to the rationalistic sacramental views of the Socinains, the Arminians and the German rationalists. I’m not quite sure what all this is on about, to be honest, but I thought it rang bells!

Nevin argues the rationalistic tendency has worked itself out in sectarianism and schism. There may be religious pretention, an emphasis on the personal and experimental, the spiritual, excitement and action. It may be fanatical and wild in opposing outward forms and the existing order of the church. Rationalism is subjective, opposed to the idea of the Church and the authority of history exalting independent private judgement. The objective is rejected in favour of the supposedly inward. Ritual and forms are despised for the sake of spirit. The sacraments are mere outward rites. Their necessity is not clear. The soul is abstracted from the body. There is a defection from the doctrine of the Reformation.

See Nevin, Mystical Presence, esp. ch 2, pp107 ish – 153 and Mathison, Given for You, pp143-145

Questions for the Preacher

These may not be the only or even the most important questions to ask in assessing a sermon but they are good ones, it seems to me.

Here is Mark Meynell drawing on T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach?

All in all, we should strive for a combination of all 5 of these preaching hallmarks (which Gordon distils from the 7 ‘Cardinal Requisites’ in Dabney’s ‘Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric’):

1. Textual Fidelity: does the significant point of the sermon arise out of the significant point of the text?
2. Unity: if 10 people are asked after the sermon what it was about, will at least 8 give the same (or similar) answer?
3. Order: could hearers compare notes and restate how the sermon progressed from point to point?
4. Evangelical tone: Is the sermon Christ-centred? Do hearers get the impression that the preacher is for them or against them?
5. Instructiveness: does the sermon significantly engage the mind, or is the sermon full of commonplace clichés, slogans and general truths? Is the hearer likely to rethink his/her views of God, society, church, or self, or his/her reasons for holding current views?

Out of this world Eucharist

I'm not a great fan of the reserved sacrament or private Communion, but this is an extraordinary story. Someone in the Times Online comments calls this a lunatic communion but I'm inclined to think its rather a wonderful sentiment to wish to celebrate Christ's presence, give thanks and proclaim the universal Lordship of Christ. HT: Mark Meynell

The World's Strictest Parents

I thought the Bible-believing Christians from Alabama did a great job of having 2 unruly British teenagers stay with them for a week for The World's Strictest Parents (which was on BBC 1 tonight).

The teenage boy described himself as gay and the family seemed to cope with that!

Both kids left having found some things hard, and there was plenty of cursing along the way, but in the end they were sorry to leave the family and very thankful to them for the experience. They went home wanting so say "thank you" to their parents and show them more respect, help out at home etc. having discovered that they'd been rather selfish and self-absorbed prior to this programme was made. The boy said he wanted to get back to the happy smiley person he'd been before he became negative with his parents etc.

The family aimed to show unconditional love in an atmosphere of fun and respect with clear boundaries. The Christian guy lost his cool a bit at one point, but he and the girl seemed to apologise and make up the next day. It was very clear the family were on the kids' side and wanted the best for them.

The girl spoke of the man's sincerity and how she found she could talk to him and so on.

The family's own 3 kids seemed happy and well adjusted and the man spoke movingly about his own relationship with his father and previous problems with alcohol dependency etc.

Very highly recommended.

Me on "Do not steal"

With due acknowledgments to those mentioned in previous blog posts, here are some jottings on the 8th commandment which might have been on a handout had I provided one.

An audio recording of the sermon I preached this morning should appear on our church website in due course.

10 commandments: duties to God then duties to others

Respect others’ lives (6^th commandment), marriages (7^th), property (8^th)

Stealing – taking what belongs to someone else without right or permission

Stealing often born of coveting (10^th commandment) and virtually impossible without lying (9^th)

8^th commandment: actions; 9^th: words; 10^th: thoughts

Stealing widespread, serious, costly

God is the ultimate ruler and owner of all thing by creation (Ex 19:5; Ps 24:1; 50:10)

Christians belong to God by redemption (1 Cor 6:19f)

All stealing is a sin against God (Eden)

Stealing God’s honour and glory

Making a god / idol of money or possessions (Lk 16:13)

God has assigned property rights (Gen 1:28-30

Ps 115:16) – wise loving dominion under God

All “ownership” is really stewardship, a trust

Types of stealing:

At work (Col 3:22), expenses, tax return (Mt 22:17-22; Rm 13:6-7)

Dishonest selling or services – a stealing mentality, take if I can

Piracy of music / videos / illegal file sharing

Delayed payment or unpaid debt (Rm 13:8)

Permanent “borrowing”

Idleness, waste or avoidable dependency (2 Thess 3:10)

Cheating in an exam – stealing marks

Stealing someone’s spouse, reputation, dignity

Failure to give to God’s work (Mal 3:8)

Antidotes / positive counterparts to stealing:

Honest hard work (Eph 4:28; 1 Thess 4:11-12)

Living within our means and saving (Prov 13:22)

Trust in God who is a wise, able, generous giver (Mt 6)

Family (1 Tim 5:8) and church family (Gal 6:10)

Generous cheerful proportionate giving & sharing (also of time, effort, hospitality) (2 Cor 9:7-8)

Restitution – make amends (Ex 22:1; Num 5:7; Lk 19:8)

Salvation for the thief (Lk 19:9; 23:39-43)

Brian Edwards on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from Brian H Edwards, The Ten Commandments for Today (Day One, 1996, revised edition 2002):

“The Home Office estimates that more than 8% of the people visiting a large store are likely to be stealing.” (p218)

“Agur, the wise man of Proverbs, appears to have been well acquainted with the Ten Commandments, for in one powerful poem he includes the substance of at least seven of them. Here is the way he refers to four of the Commandments: ‘Keep falsehood and lies far from me (9^th); give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?” (3^rd). Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God (8^th). Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it (9^th). There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers…’ (5^th). (Proverbs 30:8-11).” (p218)

“In the United Kingdom half a million shoplifters cost the nation over 10 million pounds every day. In 1994 Marks and Spencer alone spent 20 million pounds in security costs and still lost 30 million in stolen goods.” (p224)

“Within a two-and-a-half hour period on one January day, British Rail Transport Police detained one hundred people on Victoria Station in London travelling without a ticket.” (p226)

“Pay as you would be paid” (p227)

“According to the UK Christian Handbook for 1996/7, British churchgoers give around 1.8 billion pounds each year to Christian organisations. That doesn’t sound too bad until we realise that it is approximately 2% of their average income!” (p228)

J John on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from J John's, Ten:Living the Ten Commandments in the 21st Century (Kingsway, 2000):

8^th commandment: actions; 9^th: words; 10^th: thoughts

1999 newspaper article headline, “Britain a nation of cheats and thieves” – ¾ of all Britons steal from their employers (p73)

“Consumer affairs programmes like Watchdog are full of stories of mail order firms that never delivered, investments that were spurious, workers who never worked, special offers that weren’t special, price reductions that weren’t reductions and dream holidays that were nightmares.” (p74)

Inland Revenue Officials estimate that tax evasion in the UK amounts to 7 to 15 billion pounds a year (p75)

Stealing (8^th commandment) arises from coveting (10^th) and is practically impossible without lying (9^th)

The epidemic of stealing in our society may be because we look to wealth and possessions for satisfaction and security rather than to the living God

When we steal we insult God’s generosity, denying his love and care for us, claiming that we know better than him, that we can provide for ourselves better than God has

“The Inland Revenue once received an anonymous letter: ‘I am having trouble sleeping because of my conscience. Please find enclosed £100. If this doesn’t cure my insomnia I will send you the rest.’” (p86)

John 10:10 – stealing satanic

“The French novelist Anatole France quipped, ‘Never lend books, for no one ever returns them. The only books I have in my library are books other people lent me.’” (p88f)

Pink on "Do not steal"

Jottings from Arthur W. Pink Ten Commandments (Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2003) on the 8th Commandment:

The first sin
The 1^st human sin was a theft: Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit
The 1^st sin in the promised land was a theft as Achan stole from among the spoils (Josh 7:21)
The 1^st sin in the primitive church was a theft as Ananias and Sapphira kept back part of the price (Acts 5:2) (p47) [though their crime is more the lie than the theft?]

The crime of Arminianism!

“God is robbed when we withhold from Him the glory which is His due, and we are spiritual thieves when we arrogate to ourselves the honor and praise which belong to Him alone. Arminians are great offenders here, by ascribing to free will what is produced by free grace.” (p47)

Idleness, extravagance and waste can be types of theft

Robbing God of the Sabbath

Lying adverts are a breach of this command

Packer on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from J. I. Packer, Keeping the 10 Commandments (Crossway) previously Growing in Christ / I Want to Be a Christian on the 8th Commandment "Stop, Thief!":

Love to your neighbour requires you to respect not only his life (commandment 6) and his marriage (commandment 7) but also his property (commandment 8) (p89)

Ownership is stewardship - I am God’s trustee – all I have is leant to me on a temporary basis to be used for his purposes - One day I shall be asked to give an account of what I have done with all that God has given me

Theft by doing a shoddy job (e.g. as a tradesman)

Leaving debts unpaid a kind of theft – Rm 13:8

Stealing someone’s reputation - Shakespeare: “Who steals my purse, steals trash … but he that filches from me my good name … makes me poor indeed.”

In the Belfast revival of 1922-1923, converted shipyard workers brought back tools and equipment that they had “knocked off” in such quantities that in one place an additional storage shed had to be provided to hold them.” (p93)

More Frame on "Do not steal"

Here are some further jottings from Frame's chapters on the 8th commandment headed "Respecting Property" and "Wealth and Poverty" (The Doctrine of the Christian Life, P&R):

Ultimately all property belongs to God (Ex 19:5; Ps 24:1; 50:10)

God has given men the right of private property & dominion over the earth – Gen 1:28-30; Ps 8:6; 115:16 - The land of Canaan given to Israel and certain portions of the land given to each tribe - The land is given to Israel (Ex 33:1-3) but it is ultimately the LORD’s (Hos 9:3)

Scripture often affirms the property rights of human beings - 1 K 21:3-6; Acts 4:37; 5:4

“Scripture endorses the concept of private property, always with the proviso that God is the ultimate owner of creation and the one who has the ultimate authority over it. The eight commandment assumes this concept. Stealing would have no meaning, unless there were a clear distinction between what belongs to me and what belongs to someone else.” (p798)

Work ethic - Cf. 4 commandment – work 6 days, rest & worship 1

1 Thess 4:11-12; 2 Thess 3:10

“To keep the eighth commandment is both to give everyone his due and, beyond that, to sacrifice our own goods in love for others, as Jesus gave his life for us. The eighth commandment mandates both justice and mercy.” (p799)

“If theft includes robbing God of his due, then we can understand how, in a sense, all sin is theft. So the eight commandment is a broad mandate upholding God’s whole law.” (p799)

Even hunger is not an excuse for stealing even if its more understandable (Prov 6:30-31)

Malachi 3:8 - "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.” - Failure to tithe (under Old Covenant) is robbing God

Tithe was not on wealth or income but agricultural produce - Other offerings also given to priests

Tithe to Melchizedek (Gen 14:20; Heb 7:4-10) - not just an Israel in the land thing

2 Cor 9:7-8 – giving to be voluntary, cheerful and generous - Acts 4:34-37 ; Lk 21:1-4

10% a good beginning of financial discipleship for the Christian believer

Firstfruits – Ex 23:16; Dt 26:2

Paying taxes: Mt 22:17-22; Rm 13:6-7

“… the eight commandment mandates responsible use of the funds God has entrusted to us…. we have responsibilities to our families (1 Tim 5:8), to the church (2 Cor 8-9), to the state (Mt 22:17-22), and to ourselves (2 Thess 3:10). These responsiblities, in turn, require a seriousness about the use of money.” (p806)

“… Scripture does not condemn the expenditure of money for relaxation, for entertainment, or even for the consumption of luxuries. But these must be balanced by a conern for others and for one’s future well-being.” (p806)

“On the whole, Scripture has a favourable attitude toward wealth. Wealth is a covenant blessing, the prosperity promised to those who obey God (Dt 8:18; 29:9; Josh 1:7-8; 1 Kings 2:2-3; 2 Chron 26:5; 31:21; Ps 1:3; 112:1-3; Mk 10:29-30).” (p808)

Abraham, Job & David wealthy. Lk 8:3; 1 Cor 1:26.

“… it is not sinful as such to be wealthy. Nor is it sinful to desire to enjoy God’s material blessings. God commanded Israel to feat before him (Dt 12:6-7, 17-19; 14:22-23; cf. Job 1:1-5). Jesus attended a wedding feast and supplied additional wine (John 2:1-11). He also ate with wealthy people (Lk 7:36-50; 11:37; 14:1, 12). He praised Mary’s extravagant homage to him, despite Judas’ insincere argument that her gift should have been sold for the poor instead (John 12:4-8). Indeed, as Paul says, in the context of a warning to the wealthy, God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17).” (p809)

“It is wrong to say that justice requires an equal distribution of resources as such. It does not. But when the rich oppress the poor, to defend the poor against them is simple justice.” (p815)

"The family was then [in biblical provision], and today remains, the first and most solid defense against poverty. In Israel, it was understood that parents would provide for their children, that children would provide for parents in their old age, and that parents would leave an inheritance for their children…. In Israel, this pattern was not compromised by income or estate taxes. In modern society, the breakdown of the family through illegitimacy and divorce is one of the major causes of poverty. Nothing can do more to alleviate the problem than the restoration if a biblical family structure.” (p816)

Hebrew slavery “was in fact a kind of household apprenticeship, where offenders, for a period not exceeding six years, learned habits of discipline and ways of making a living…. a family virtually adopted the servant for a time…” (p818)

Hospitality – Rm 12:13; 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Pet 4:9

This commandment rules out Marxism / Communism that is opposed to private property. It is idolatry to make the State the ultimate controller and owner of all things. (p826)

Gambling is not necessarily a sin

I've argued before that gambling is not necessarily a sin. If (1) we are not addicted, (2) we are doing useful work, (3) the money is not needed for our other duties to family, church, government or self, (4) we have the time to gamble and (5) we are not coveting riches or (6) making an idol of the Lottery, it is quite possible to gamble without sin. I'm glad to see that Revd Prof John Frame agrees with me! [Despite the potential dangers of gambling etc.] "This is not to say, however, that it is always wrong for an individual to gamble.” Entering the office football pool “can be a harmless bit of fun, strengthening personal relationships.” (The Doctrine of the Christian Life, P&R, p807)

Intellectual Theft?

I suspect this wont make it into my sermon on "You Shall Not Steal" but here's

John Frame, "The Other Shoe: Copyright and the reasonable use of technology" - calling for more liberal copyright laws, especially for church music

Vern Poythress, "Copyrights and Copying: Why the Laws Should be Changed"

John Frame on The Doctrine of Scripture

I've got to get on with my sermon prep. now, but I want to come back to these John Frame goodies on Scripture:

Four Favorites on the Doctrine of Scripture - a very brief reccomendation of B. B. Warfield, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible (new edition: Kessinger Publishing, 2008) virtually the same as Revelation and Inspiration (Baker, 2000); Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, volume one of four, on “Prolegomena.” English translation (Baker, 2003); Meredith G. Kline, The Structure of Biblical Authority (Eerdmans, 1972); Ned Stonehouse and Paul Woolley, eds., The Infallible Word (P&R, 2003).

Tim Ward in Words of Life was also especially enthusiastic about Bavinck's doctrine of Scripture.

Frame says: "Bavinck’s theology is the most important work of Reformed systematic theology in the past century. The section on Scripture is marvelously comprehensive and nuanced. In my judgment, there is no difference between his position and that of Warfield, but his vocabulary and emphasis are different. He and Warfield give us “two witnesses,” coming from different cultures, testifying to the truth of Scripture as God’s word. "

Frame calls Kline's book " the most important breakthrough in the doctrine of Scripture since Warfield".

Review of Andrew McGowan's The Divine Spiration of Scripture - useful stuff on Inerrancy

Review of Peter Enns' Inspiration and Incarnation

Review of N. T. Wright, The Last Word = Scripture and the Authority of God

Ways of Stealing

Have I mentioned how rewarding I'm finding John Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life (P&R), which I've been using to prepare sermons on The 10 Commandments?

Here he is on types of stealing according to the Bible (from p799) - no plagiarism here!:

In the narrow sense, Scripture notes the following forms of theft:

1. Property theft, normally requiring double restitution (Ex 22:4, 7)

2. Kidnapping or manstealing, a capital crime (Ex 21:16; Dt 24:7; 1 Tim 1:10)

3. Swindling (Jer 22:13-17; Amos 8:4-6; Hab 2:9-12)

4. Stealing from widows and orphans, which is especially heinous (Matt 23:14)

5. Defrauding employees (James 5:4)

6. Land theft (Isa 5:8)

7. Unjust weights (Lev 19:35-36; Dt 25:15)

8. Misleading someone for economic gain (Prov 20:14)

In the broader sense, Scripture speaks of theft in metaphorical, but important ways:

1. Stealing affections (2 Sam 15:6)

2. False prophets, who steal God’s word from the people and proclaim their own words as God’s (Jer 23:30)

3. False religious leaders as thieves and robbers (John 10:1)

4. Merchandising in the temple (Matt 21:13)

5. Robbing God of tithes and offerings (Mal 3:8; cf. Josh 7:11)

Lord's Prayer - hnadout / notes

Here's a Word document with a couple of pages of A4 notes / handout on The Lord's Prayer.

More Words of Life

I posted some first impressions of Timothy Ward, Words of Life: Scripture as the living and active word of God (Nottingham, IVP, 2009) a while back and I've posted a couple of other bits along the way. I’ve read it and written the review for Ecclesia Reformanda now. Here are some further jottings.

Doctrine of Scripture not a dispensible preface or appendix to Christianity. (p18) – “part of the heartbeat of theology itself” not “a kind of theological throat-clearing” (p18)

“I want to demonstrate how a proper doctrine of Scripture can and should make the way a Christian approaches Scripture day by day more fruitful, dynamic and life-giving.” (p19)

B. B. Warfield’s “writings on Scripture have set the agenda for many debates on Scripture in the last century, especially in the United States” (p20)

“Overall, then, this book intends to describe the nature and function of Scripture in explicitly biblical and theological terms, as well as doctrinal ones. I aim to offer an outline of the doctrine of Scripture that stands firmly in line with the best of the theological traditions that have come down to us, and that is also expressed in (p21) a form appropriate for the twenty-first century. If it turns out that this will help some readers to understand God’s actions in and through Scripture in a little more depth, and so worship the God of Scripture with greater assurance and joy, then my aims will have been fulfilled.” (p21)

“God creates by speaking” (p23) – “Following humanity’s creation by means of an act of speech, it is tragically fitting that humanity’s fall should also be precipitated partly by language.” (p23)

The Bible is fundamentally the book of the covenant (p56).

God is “semantically present in Scripture, and personally present in the person of the Spirit.” (p67)

Bavinck: Scripture as the handmaiden or servant of Christ (p74)

“this kind of analogy between Scripture and incarnation is of very limited value” (p77) – uniqueness of incarnation

Bible more as word or message less text or object (p79)

“… while ‘verbal’ inspiration is basically correct in what it affirms, its focus is not quite in the right place. It is the speech acts of Scripture (its units of meaning: sentences, paragraphs and books) that have their origin in divine authorship, because authors primarily author speech acts. The individual words are inspired (spoken out by God) to the extent that they come together to express these speech acts.” (p88) – p92 this helps with the problem of lost autographs and the corruption of copies & translations

“The Spirit acts to minister the meaning of the words of Scripture, not to manipulate or modify it.” (p96

Sola Scriptura – endorses Mathison’s formulation that “our final authority is Scripture alone, but not a Scripture that is alone”

“Sola scriptura means ‘Scripture supreme’” (p153)

‘Anabaptist’ approach of the Bible only solo scriptura which exalts individuals’ interpretations of Scripture over the consensus of the church down the years.

The canon of Scripture itself, the Bible’s contents page, is a result of tradition.

Individual believers private reading of Scripture “derivative of, and depenadant on, the corporate reading and proclamation of Scripture in the Christian assembly” (p173)

Willing to risk sounding “too Catholic” to some if it means being “more in line with the consistent views of the church fathers and the Protestant Reformers than modern evangelicalism often is.” (p174)

Our aim in coming to the Bible determined by what the Bible is and what God intends to do through it (p176)

A conference to sing about

Rearrange your diary, mug a granny and send a cheque to book in for a day conference on The Song of Songs with Revd Dr David Field and mainly Miss Ros Clarke, who knows about the SofS. You can expect treasures old and new, intellectual stimulation, spiritual refreshment and I hope even a giggle or two.

Lord's Prayer Resources

Among the no doubt many excellent studies on The Lord's Prayer are:

Richard Coekin, Our Father: Enjoying God in Prayer (IVP)

Peter Lewis, The Lord’s Prayer: The Greatest Prayer in the World (Paternoster)

Gerald Bray, Yours is the Kingdom: A Systematic Theology of the Lord’s Prayer (IVP)

Derek Prime, The Lord’s Prayer for Today (Day One)

Tom Wright, The Lord and His Prayer (Triangle / SPCK)

Peter Masters, The Lord’s Pattern for Prayer (Wakeman Trust)

Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Prayer (Banner of Truth)

J John, God’s Priorities: Living the Lord’s Prayer in the 21st Century (Kingsway) Your Kingdom Come Study Guide

I haven't used them all, by the way!

Lots of people will have preached on it so you'll find lots of free sermons on the interweb. I had a go myself - 4 sermons (Aug - Nov 08) available on our church website sermons page.

And check out books on the Sermon on the Mount (e.g. Stott, BST) and Commentaries on Matthew and Luke, of course.

See also Calvin's exposition of the Lord's Prayer in Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 3 chapter 20 parts 34-49, Ford-Battles edition vol 2 pp897-917

Anything else you'd recommend?

Church's ministry to Scripture

St Francis Turretin describes the church's ministerial function in relation to Scripture:

The church is charged to be the :

• keeper and preserver of Scripture
• guide, pointing to Scripture
• defender of Scripture, vindicating the genuine canonical books
• herald, proclaiming the truths of Scripture
• interpreter, unfolding the true sense of Scripture

Tim Ward, Words of Life (IVP, 2009) p154, citing Institutes 2.16.1-26

Similarly, Article 20 of the 39 calls the church "a witness and keeper of Holy Writ" (Ward, p155).