The Blessed Hope Podcast will launch soon! Just a couple of technical matters remain to wrap up, and then we are off and running.
Meanwhile, lots of stuff and updates added to the Riddleblog—especially in the “Book Reviews and Recommended Reading” section. More updates to come!
Read MoreI was recently a guest on the Distilling Theology Podcast, talking about amillennialism.
To listen to our discussion, go here: The Distilling Theology Podcast -- Episode 46: Amillennialism
Read MoreAn honor and a privilege . . . For more information and links to live streaming, go here: 2021 den Dulk Lectures
Read MoreIt is common to hear people say that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God–the so-called “Abrahamic Faiths.” The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike those who worship Allah, or those Jews who claim to worship the God of Abraham, Christians worship the true and living God, who reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Often it has been said that Christianity’s most distinctive doctrine is that of the Holy Trinity. Even though in many ways the doctrine of the Trinity is beyond our full comprehension, nevertheless we do as the Athanasian Creed exhorts us to do–we worship the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. We do so because this is how God reveals himself to us in his word, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one true God.
To read the rest of this article, click here: Belgic Confession Article Eight -- The Trinity
Read MoreI am one of the first people to acknowledge that the contemporary debate over apologetic methodology between the “evidentialists” and the “presuppositionalists,” however unpleasant, nevertheless can be a vital and healthy exercise. It is very important to have a biblically based and carefully honed apologetic methodology in place before confronting the learned paganism of our age. In those instances when this is the goal of the evidentialist-presuppositionalist debate, it ought to be greatly encouraged.
I am perplexed, however, that the parties to this in-house debate spend little time analyzing the Apostle Paul’s apologetic speeches in the Book of Acts. It is here, in Luke’s record of the ever-extending reign of the Risen and Exalted Christ, that we are given a clear picture of how the Apostle Paul sought both to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and defend the Christian truth claim, and this not only in the synagogues of the major cities of Greece and Asia Minor—before Jews and “God-fearing” Gentile proselytes—but also before magistrates as well as in the marketplaces of those Roman and Greek cities where little or nothing was known of the God of Israel and the inspired texts of the Old Testament.
To read “For the Sake of the Gospel” — click here
Read MoreThroughout my time as a pastor, people often asked me, “why do you talk about death so often?” My response usually took them by surprise. “Some day I may have to bury you, or someone you know and love. I am doing my grief counseling now, before the death comes.”
Although many people expect their pastor to be a wise counselor, problem solver, motivator, dynamic leader, or even a skilled teacher (all good things), Scripture assigns to the pastor the role of a shepherd of souls–or more precisely, an under-shepherd of Christ’s flock (1 Peter 5:2-4; Acts 20:28-29). In this role, the pastor’s primary job is to prepare people for death. This entails making sure that those whom God has entrusted to our care regularly hear the promises of the gospel, so that they live joyfully and confidently in light of eternity to come. These promises need to understood well before a crisis comes, because it is difficult, if not impossible, to learn these promises (or even cling to them) when people are griped by fear or wracked with pain.
To read the rest of this article, follow the link below
Read MoreI have been thinking about doing a podcast for some time, and have decided to go ahead. I hope to launch the Blessed Hope at some point after Easter, tentatively in mid-April (about a month out).
The Blessed Hope introductory episode will discuss the topics I’ll be covering, my goals and hopes for the podcast, as well as laying out my tentative schedule. There will be show notes accompanying each episode, with lots of bibliography, and a format to ask questions which I hope to answer in subsequent podcasts.
I’d be grateful, if you’d give the podcast a listen once it launches, and if you find it of value, spread the word! Watch for updates in the weeks ahead.
Read MoreVirtually every pseudo-Christian cult and false religion is founded upon the following premise: “Of course, we believe the Bible. But . . . we have additional holy books that no one else has. We receive new revelations from God which you do not have. We have sacred tradition in addition to the Bible. We have an inspired prophet or teacher who interprets the Bible correctly unlike everyone else.” The essence of false religion is this: We believe in the Bible, plus, we have an additional religious authority which corrects or explains what the Bible really teaches, or else supplements what the Bible supposedly leaves out.
Article Seven of the Belgic Confession deals with the sufficiency of Holy Scripture. While this article comes at the end of that section of our confession which deals with sola Scriptura (Articles Three-Seven), in effect, Article Seven sets out the meaning of the sufficiency of Scripture, and spells out the ramifications of what it means when we as Reformed Christians believe and confess the inspiration, authority, and canonicity of Holy Scripture, God’s word written.
To read the rest, Article Seven -- The Sufficiency of Scripture
Read MoreIt is common to hear Christians claim that America is a “Christian nation.” What, exactly, does that mean? One thing it does not mean is that America has a divinely established national covenant with God similar to God’s covenant with Israel.
Because our Lord’s promise of divine protection and deliverance is given to the church (Matthew 16:18), the temptation is ever-present for Christians to mistakenly assume that our Lord’s promise extends beyond the church to that nation in which they live. Support for such divine protection is found by an appeal to 2 Chronicles 7:14 — “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
The claim that “God is on our side” usually surfaces when politically active American evangelicals see themselves in another skirmish in the ongoing culture war–contending with secular-progressives for the soul of the nation in a Manichean struggle between good and evil. In the heat of battle, Christians invoke covenant promises made by God to national Israel, mistakenly assuming these promises apply to the United States because the United States is a “Christian nation,” and therefore like ancient Israel, allowing appeal to God’s promise of protection and eventual victory upon the condition, “if my people humble themselves.”
To read the rest of this post, click on the link below
Read MoreThe Book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible and completes the New Testament canon. This easily overlooked fact directs us to view the Book of Revelation as one of the most practical and important of all the New Testament epistles. John’s apocalyptic vision is Jesus Christ’s final word to his church until he returns.
Likely written near the end of the first century, Revelation comes in the form of a circular letter addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor (chapter 2-3). The order of Jesus’s prophetic word of encouragement and rebuke to each of these seven churches mentioned follows the postal route from Ephesus to Laodicea reminding us of the both the letter’s purpose and its original audience.
The Christians in these churches lived in an empire that was openly hostile to all who proclaimed that Jesus is Lord, not Caesar. This guaranteed a wary eye from Roman officials who often, but mistakenly, saw Christians as insurrectionists. These Christians lived in the midst of a pagan culture which worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator. It was an age of bizarre rituals, magic, and sacrifices. Christians also faced the ire of those Jews living in the area who saw Christians as threat because so many of their fellow Jews had become followers of Jesus. This book is written to them, surely, but also to the people of God across the ages. There is no book quite like it in all the Bible.
To read the rest of the article, follow the link below
Read MoreThe theological equivalent of the age-old question, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is the question, “which comes first, the church or the canon of Scripture?” This was a pressing issue when the Belgic Confession was written, and it remains a pressing issue today. Does the authority of the church precede the authority of Scripture? Does the church give the Bible its authority and determine the extent of the canon? Or is the Holy Spirit alone fit to bear witness to those books which owe their origin to the inspiration of God? These are important questions.
As we saw in Article Three of our confession, when we speak of the inspiration of Scripture we mean that Scripture is breathed forth by God through the agency of various human writers. This is done in such a way that what the human writers produce are the very words of God. Yet this does not sublimate the author’s personality nor override the historical circumstances at the time of their writing. The very essence of Holy Scripture is that it has its origin in the will of God, not in the will of men. Because God breathes-forth Holy Scripture, the Bible comes to us with the full authority of its divine author. In the Bible, God speaks to us in words and sentences, revealing to us his will (the law), as well as revealing to us how he saves sinners from the guilt and power of sin through the person and work of Jesus Christ (the gospel). This is why Scripture alone is suitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This is why we base what we believe and confess solely upon God’s word, and not upon mere human opinion or religious experience.
To read the rest of this article, An Exposition of Articles Four and Six of the Belgic Confession
Read MoreB. B. Warfield died of an apparent heart attack on February 16, 1921. I thought it might be a fitting tribute to talk about Warfield bibliography.
One hundred years after his death, Warfield's collected works are still readily available: The ten-volume “Oxford” set reprinted by Baker Books, or the five-volume set from P & R (several volumes are still in print, but e-book editions of the others are easy to find), and the two-volume set Warfield's Selected Shorter Writings, published by P & R in 2001, includes many important essays.
A huge (and free) collection of Warfield’s books, essays, and articles about Warfield can be found at Monergism.com. Monergism's Warfield Resources.
To see my short Warfield bibliography, follow the link below
Read MoreOne of great strengths of premillennialism is its apparently straightforward reading of Revelation 19 and 20. If John depicts the Second Advent of Christ in Revelation 19, and in Revelation 20 he describes the millennial reign of Christ which follows, this would seem to establish some form of premillennialism. At first glance, this appears to be a strong argument in favor of premillennialism.
When amillennarians attempt to challenge this point by contending that Revelation 20 is part of a different vision which recapitulates the events depicted in Revelation 19, we run headlong into the premillennial argument that amillennarians “spiritualize the Bible.” Supposedly, we don’t take John seriously when he speaks of a “literal” thousand year reign and a bodily resurrection (the “first” resurrection) associated with the second coming of Jesus Christ.
To read the rest of this post, follow the link below
Read MoreWilliam Tapley’s “Gloom and Doom” was one of the most popular posts on the old Riddleblog. He’s the rare Roman Catholic Prophecy pundit. He’s no Billy Joel, but the tune will very likely get stuck in your head. Tapley made national news in 2011 for his video series “exposing” the hidden phallic symbols throughout the art in the Denver International Airport.
Follow the link below to watch the video
Read MoreJohn Calvin once declared: “The Scriptures obtain full authority among believers only when men regard them as having sprung from heaven, as if there the living words of God were heard.” Since the Bible comes to us from the hand of God, through the agency of men inspired by the Holy Spirit, when we read the Bible or hear it read aloud, we can be assured that God is speaking to us. The Bible is God’s word written and the same Holy Spirit who breathed it forth, assures us that the words of Holy Scripture are the very words of God.
We now skip ahead to Article Five of our confession which deals with the authority of Scripture. But why defer discussion of Article Four which lists the canonical books of the Bible until later? The reason is a practical one. Recall that in Article Three our confession deals with the subject of the inspiration of Scripture. Scripture has its origin not in the will of humanity, but in the will of God. It is God who breathes forth his word (the Bible) through the agency of human writers without sublimating their individual personalities or negating the historical circumstances under which these books were written. This is what our confession means in Article Three when it speaks of God’s revealed word being committed to writing.
Since Scripture is God-breathed, it is suitable for religious purposes, i.e., teaching, correction and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Only in the Bible do we find the will of God fully revealed (the law) and only in the Bible do we find God’s means of rescuing sinners from the guilt and power of their sins (the gospel). While in nature we see the hand of the Creator, we do not learn of the gospel by contemplating the beauty of a sunset. The gospel is only revealed in God’s word written. This is why we as Christians have a sure and certain knowledge of God and of his will (unlike secularists and pagans), and why we base neither our doctrines nor our practices upon the mere opinions of men (the essence of all false religion). God has spoken to us in his word and we must listen to what he says.
To read the rest of this article, click here: Article Five -- The Authority of Scripture
Read MoreWhat are we to make of the "Christian buzz" which once swept throughout Orange County? As religion writer Jim Hinch points out in his Orange County Register article of June 24, 2013, "the future of religious America is all over Orange County. And that future, like the county itself, is diverse, entrepreneurial, stratified by economic extremes, innovative and endlessly fascinating" (Hinch on OC Religion in 2013). Hinch is certainly right about the endlessly fascinating part of the OC's religious future. What comes next? Only the Lord knows the answer to that question. But to anyone who grew up in the OC, it is self-evident that the OC is not the same place in 2013 that it was in the 1960's-70's-80's-90's. The Christian buzz which dominated the religious life of the OC during those bygone years has, for the most part, gone quiet. This is not a bad thing in my estimation.
To Read the Rest of This Article, Follow the Link Below
Read MoreIf the Christian buzz in the OC was generated by larger than life personalities who promulgated a revivalist, dispensationalist, and charismatic evangelicalism, that buzz was surely sustained by a number of Bible teachers who faithfully taught the Scriptures and defended the faith. While there are a number of men who labored to keep the faith during those years, two significant figures come to mind as we look back at that era. The first is Charles R. Swindoll, pastor of the Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton (or "E-V-Free" as it was known in the OC). The second is Walter Martin, the original and authentic "Bible Answer Man."
The Chuck Swindoll of the late 1970's was one of the best expository preachers I have ever heard. When I first became aware of the buzz, and then finally settled the question as to whether or not I was going to be a Christian, the time came to find a church and join. There was little question that my choice was going to be EV Free. The preaching and teaching at Calvary Chapel was repetitive and weak, and places like Melodyland (and later the Vineyard) were just too wild to suit my tastes. My family had attended the Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton off and on back in the days when Wes Gustafson was still pastor, and when the church was still located on Woods Ave. This was well before Chuck Swindoll arrived in the OC in 1971 from Irving, TX.
To read the rest of this post, follow the link below:
Read MoreCalvary Chapel may have created most of the Christian "buzz" in the OC, but surely the OC's most famous church (building and grounds) was Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral [note: Robert Schuller died in April of 2015]. The sheer scale and grandeur of the Cathedral dominates the heart of the OC. In an area with few tall buildings, the Crystal Cathedral is clearly visible from three of the freeways which pass through central Orange County.
In one sense, the Crystal Cathedral and Robert Schuller were not really part of the OC "buzz." Schuller's message of "self-esteem," and the Cathedral's highbrow manner of worship, were much more typical of the Protestant mainline than the evangelical and charismatic churches which did generate local buzz. But if you had family coming to town from the Midwest or the East Coast, they wanted to see the Crystal Cathedral and they knew all about Robert Schuller, even if they had never heard of the two "Chucks" (Smith or Swindoll) who were much more appreciated by the local evangelicals.
Follow the link below to read the rest
Read MoreYou simply cannot talk about the Christian "buzz" in the OC apart from Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel. If there has been one dominant church in the development of the OC's evangelical subculture, it is Calvary Chapel. Calvary Chapel made being a Christian "cool."
In 1965, "Pastor Chuck" as he's affectionately known, wanted to reach young people, especially the throngs of hippies and surfers found throughout South-Central Orange County (the so-called Jesus People). This was the era of free-love and Vietnam War protests, kids with long hair, tie-dyed jeans, girls in halter-tops, experimentation with drug use, and fascination with Eastern religions. Those young adults were asking questions about life, the future, and especially about the Christianity in which they were raised. Many of them found that the churches of their youth were not all that interested in them, or their questions. Their churches wanted nothing from them but conformity. Conformity, of course, was the one thing that was not going to happen. The Jesus People had "dropped out" and "tuned in." Why bother with them?
To read the rest, follow the link below
Read MoreThere was a time when much of the Christian "buzz" in the OC centered around the nightly doings of Paul and Jan Crouch and their must-see "Praise The Lord" program. "Praise the Lord" is still broadcast live each evening (Monday through Friday) and the world-wide and gigantic TBN empire remains a force. But the local buzz TBN once generated is now long gone.
In my circle, the "Praise the Lord" program was known as the "Pentecostal follies." Of course, most Pentecostals I know felt about TBN the way in which I feel about former CRC elder Harold Camping--the guy is a crackpot. We felt bad laughing at Paul and Jan at first, but then you realized that these people were broadcasting this stuff into my home because they wanted me to watch them. And frankly, much of what they did was funny--even if it shouldn't have been. If some of us were taken aback by Paul and Jan, many more just lapped this stuff up.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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