Mike Horton possesses both a brilliant mind and a passion for the gospel. Both were on display recently.
First up is Mike’s chapel address at Westminster Seminary California on Luther’s theme of “Let God Be God” (to commemorate the Reformation).
Next is the premier episode of his new podcast, “Know What You Believe” (from Sola Media)
These are really worth watching!
To watch and/or listen, follow the link below
Read MoreCourtroom scenes on television or in film often make for good drama–especially when the case takes a surprising turn, or when justice itself is on the line. In Psalm 50 we have a dramatic courtroom scene in which YHWH himself summons the whole world to the foot of Mount Zion to appear before his divine tribunal. But when the charges are read, those assembled in the court realize that the defendant is not who or what we expect. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord.
A Psalm of Asaph
Various Psalms were written by David, Moses, and the Sons of Korah. But Psalm 50 is one of twelve Psalms attributed to Asaph. In addition to Psalm 50, his name is also attached to Psalms 73-83). There are Psalms of praise, Psalms of trust, royal Psalms, wisdom Psalms, and Psalms used during worship in the temple. Psalm 50 (which appears in Book Two of the Psalter–which includes Psalms 42-72) is yet another genre (or type) of Psalm called a prophetic (or oracular) Psalm, because in this Psalm, God appears in a theophanic vision, apparently to accuse the nations and warn them of a judgment certain to come, before calling them to repentance.[1]
We begin by looking at this Psalm’s place in Book Two of the Psalter. Psalms 46-49 speak of God’s rule over his creation from a cosmic perspective. In Psalm 50, God declares that he has no human limitations. He does not hunger. He does not need sacrifices. He hates pious platitudes and self-righteous religious speech. Psalm 51, which follows, speaks of human sinfulness and guilt before God, as well as reminding us of God’s forgiveness and mercy. Psalm 52 contrasts human folly and God’s wisdom, while Psalm 53 mocks the fool who says in his heart, “there is no God.”[2]
One of the most interesting historical questions surrounding this Psalm has to do with its authorship. We know that Asaph was one of the musicians or singers in the temple choir founded by Heman during the reign of David. This circle of temple singers/musicians also includes the sons of Korah and Jeduthun (Ethan). According to 1 Chronicles 16:4-7,
then [David] appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief . . . . Asaph was to sound the cymbals . . . . Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.
Asaph is mentioned again in 2 Chronicles 29:30. “And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.” Whether Psalm 50 was written by Asaph, or dedicated to him is not clear. But we do know Asaph was appointed by David for this role, and that Asaph was considered a seer (or had some sort of prophetic gift). Asaph’s prophetic office is reflected by his composition of those twelve Psalms attributed to him.
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Read MoreWhat follows is an excerpt from season three, episode ten of the Blessed Hope Podcast which covers chapter six of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
Only Americans could love Judge Judy–the über-mom, as I call her, because of her uncanny ability to make grown men look like disobedient children. Yet I’m sure that if the Corinthians had the technology we have, they too would love Judge Judy. The public airing of personal grievances makes for great theater. This explains Judge Judy’s huge audience in contemporary America. Public quarreling and exposing one’s laundry before an audience was also popular in first century Corinth. To Paul’s chagrin, the Corinthians joined right in.
Roman courts of the first century distinguished between criminal trials and civil disputes. In chapter 6, it is clear that Paul is speaking of civil matters involving litigation (lawsuits or “small claims”),[1] not criminal matters (i.e., murder, assault, theft, etc.). Criminal trials were formal legal procedures and in many cases a jury was present.[2] In Corinth, common legal disputes were usually settled in large public buildings called basilicas which were part of the city’s agoura (marketplace). Whenever the court met to deal with a civil case, the public often gathered to take in the spectacle of well-known townsfolk accusing each other of all kinds of wrongdoing before the court, while a leading citizen appointed by a magistrate served as judge.[3]
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Read MoreWhat follows is an excerpt from episode three of season three of the Blessed Hope Podcast which covers Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
What was characteristic of Paul’s preaching was its content–Christ and him crucified. Even though he was not worldly-wise, nor did he seek to impress the Greeks, nevertheless, in verse 4 of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks of his preaching as accompanied by “a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Readers of 1 Corinthians have long debated what Paul means by this.
The context tells us that Paul does not mean by this demonstration of the Spirit’s power what we might call “signs and wonders” as contemporary Pentecostals contend. Rather, “the power of the Spirit is linked with the proclamation of the cross.”[1] Or, as Ciampa and Rosner put it, Paul’s stress upon his own weakness being overcome by the power of God in his preaching of Christ crucified, means that “power here is about moral conviction, not miraculous display.”[2] God’s power supplants the preacher’s weaknesses.[3] Paul said much the same thing to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”
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Read MoreWhat follows is an excerpt from episode four of season three of the Blessed Hope Podcast which covers Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
In verse 17 of the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul defines his mission as apostle to the Gentiles. “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
There are a number of points about the cross of Christ we can draw from his declaration.
First, the great commission includes the command from our Lord to make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the triune God (Matthew 28:18-20). But as apostle to the Gentiles, Paul understands that his divinely-appointed mission is to preach the gospel and not to become overly involved in the day to day affairs of church life. The office of apostle was centered in the responsibility of preaching in an evangelistic context (establishing churches), with the day to day responsibility for church life assigned to the successors of the apostles–the ministers of word and sacrament, elders, and deacons. The calling of the first church officers begins with Jesus’s call of the twelve disciples during Jesus’s Galilean ministry, and moves on to the establishment of the office of deacon (as recounted in Acts 6:1-6), then to those who hold the office of elder identified in the book of Acts, throughout the letters of Paul, and with the qualification and duties of the church offices of elder and deacon defined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13.[1]
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Read MoreIt Isn’t About Me
One of the most famous and well-known passages in all the Bible is the famous hymn to Christ (the Carmen Christi) of verses 6-11 of Philippians 2. Martin Luther writes in his famous essay The Freedom of the Christian, that this passage is a prescribed rule of life which is set forth by the Apostle Paul, who exhorts us to devote our good works to the welfare of our neighbor out of the abundant riches of faith. John Calvin tells us that anyone who reads this passage but fails to see the deity of Jesus and the majesty of God as seen in his saving works, is blind to the things of God.[1] The passage contains a very rich Christology, but is included in this letter not to settle any debate over the person and work of Jesus, but to instruct Christians how to imitate Jesus in a profound and significant way. The Carmen Christi speaks directly to our modern world by reminding us that the self-centered narcissism of contemporary culture is not a virtue, but runs completely contrary to the example set for us to follow by Jesus in his incarnation.
As many of you know, our system of chapters and verses are not in the original biblical text and were first introduced in the 16th century. While they are very helpful in allowing us to find “chapter and verse,” there are times when the chapter breaks disrupt the flow of thought of the original author. We find this in the transition from the opening chapter of Philippians as we move into chapter two. As we go through our passage, we will see that Paul’s exhortation which opens the second chapter is really an expansion of his desire for the Philippians to stand firm (vv. 12-30) and is the basis for his introduction of the Christ hymn (which we will cover momentarily).
Standing Firm in the Face of Persecution
In expressing his candid thoughts to the Philippians, the apostle is reflecting upon the persecution which he himself had faced, particularly in the light of the news which just reached him from Philippi that the Philippians were still facing significant persecution. When Paul was first in the city of Philippi, he was arrested and thrown into jail (Acts 16:12 ff.). Paul was miraculously delivered, the jailer and his household came to faith in Jesus, and as recounted in Acts 17, shortly thereafter, Paul left the city to continue his missionary journey to the Greek cities of Thessalonica and Berea, before finally making his way to Athens.
When Paul writes this letter to the Philippians about ten years later, he is in jail again–this time under house arrest in Rome. Paul knew something about persecution. He knows that the Philippian Christians are facing persecution as well. The Philippians may not be in chains, but they are finding that their fellow Greco-Romans are not accepting nor tolerant of their faith in Jesus. And then there are the Judaizers who have arrived on the scene and are now disrupting church life in Philippi.
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Read MoreA Reading for Easter -- Luke 24:1-12 (ESV):
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
A Collect for Easter (URCNA Forms and Prayers):
Holy Father, giver of all perfect gifts, we join the heavenly choir to herald the news that you have defeated the powers of sin, death, and condemnation by the victory of Jesus Christ your Son over the grave. We confess that the circumstances of this present age often rise up to testify against the promise that you have declared in your Word. Nevertheless, we bring the experience of our hearts under your judgment: You have raised Jesus Christ from the dead as the first fruits of the whole harvest at the last day. As in his resurrection you have brought the new creation into this passing evil age, raise us up and seat us with Christ—in this life, through faith, and in the next, beholding with our own eyes the resurrection of our bodies in life everlasting. All of this we pray, with joy and thanksgiving, in Christ’s name.
Amen.
Lord’s Day 17 (from the Heidelberg Catechism)
Q 45. How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us?
A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he obtained for us by his death.
Second, by his power we too are already raised to a new life.
Third, Christ’s resurrection is a sure pledge to us of our blessed resurrection.
Read MoreFor Good Friday, a reading from Luke 23:44-49 (ESV).
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
The Collect for Good Friday (The Book of Common Prayer):
Almighty God, we ask you now to graciously look upon your people, for whom our Lord Jesus was betrayed and given over into the hands of wicked men, to suffer death upon the cross for us and for our sins. Lord you have made all men and women and do not desire the death of a sinner, but rather that they should turn from their wickedness and live, have mercy upon all those who neglect your gospel, and especially have mercy upon your ancient people Israel; take from them ignorance of the gospel, hardness of heart and contempt from of your word, return them to Christ, so that all Israel may be saved; and so that they, together with believing Gentiles, might be joined together into one flock, under one shepherd, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.
A Collect for Good Friday (URCNA Forms and Prayers):
Our Father, who so loved the world that you gave your only-begotten Son, we acknowledge and marvel at your mercy. Even while we were enemies, you reconciled us; even while we were strangers, you made us co-heirs with Christ of all eternal blessings; even while we stood condemned, you redeemed us; even while we were imprisoned, you delivered us from the tyranny of sin, death, and the devil. On this solemn occasion, we loathe our miserable estate and celebrate your marvelous grace. Beneath the cross of Christ, we come to know that ours is the guilt, but yours the forgiveness; ours the condemnation, but yours the gift of justification; ours the bondage, yet yours the freedom of adoption and new obedience. Even the faith with which we confess our dear Savior’s sacrifice was won for us by his death. Therefore, we cry out to you in sorrow for our sins and in thanksgiving for your gift. Give us the grace, we pray, to receive again this word of the cross which alone can refresh us on our pilgrim way, and send us out again into the world as witnesses to “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Read MoreJesus Continues His Farewell Discourse Before His Death and Resurrection
As Jesus and his disciples sat on the Mount of Olives, directly across the Kidron Valley from the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus began to answer those questions put to him by his disciples regarding a statement he made a short time earlier. As they were leaving the temple complex on Tuesday afternoon of Easter Week–the disciples remarked about the grandeur of the temple and the huge stones which were used in its construction. Upon hearing their comments, Jesus told them, “`Do you see all these great buildings?’ . . . `Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’” This shocking comment from Jesus prompted the disciples to ask Jesus privately, “`Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?’” Jesus answered their questions, taking their second question first. This section of the gospel has come to be known as the Olivet Discourse. These words constitute our Lord’s most significant teaching about the future course of history. In this passage, Jesus sets out those things his people should expect until he returns at the end of the age.
Having completed the first part of the Olivet Discourse (verses 1-23 of Mark 13), when Jesus set forth those signs which would precede the destruction of the temple, we now move into the second portion of the discourse, which deals with Jesus’s return at the end of the age to raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new. The Olivet Discourse is a significant discourse (taking up all of chapter 13 of Mark’s gospel) given by Jesus to explain to the disciples what is soon to come to pass with the events of A.D. 70. Jesus predicts that the Roman army, led by Titus, will destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem, thereby scattering the Jews into the ends of the earth as a tragic consequence. While explaining the signs that precede these momentous events–in effect, answering the second question put to him by the disciples first–Jesus goes on in the last half of the discourse to speak of a new event, his own second coming at the end of the age.
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Read MoreA Farewell Discourse Given by Jesus During Easter Week To Prepare The Disciples for What Is to Come
Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and then went to the temple, where he forcibly cast the merchants from the court of the Gentiles. Almost immediately, Jesus was confronted by members of every religious office and sect within Judaism. The Herodians, Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders took turns confronting Jesus whenever he entered the temple precincts. Each time they did so, they found themselves thoroughly confounded by Jesus as he exposed their scheming for all to see. Jesus was fulfilling biblical prophecy and demonstrating that he was the Christ–making him a threat to the power and prestige of the Sanhedrin. He also exposed the self-righteousness of the religious leadership of Israel. Since Jesus was gaining popular support among the thousands of pilgrims in Jerusalem who were there to celebrate the Passover, the religious leaders of Israel decided to stop confronting Jesus in public. Instead, they hatched a plot to have Jesus arrested, tried, and then executed. Meanwhile, Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was soon to come–his death and resurrection.
In Mark 13 we find an account of the Olivet Discourse, so named because Jesus spoke these words while sitting upon the Mount of Olives, directly across the Kidron Valley from the Jerusalem Temple. It also takes the form of a farewell discourse offering important instruction, hope, and consolation to his disciples before his death. This is an important and well-known section of Mark’s gospel, because it is here that Jesus informs his disciples about what is yet to come after his death and resurrection. This is also one of the most hotly-debated passages in the Bible, since virtually all end-times views must claim their view is in accord with what Jesus taught his disciples in this passage.
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Read MoreThe Following is taken from “For Freedom,” my exposition of Galatians prepared for listeners to the Blessed Hope Podcast (scroll down to the link under the Blessed Hope tab)
If anything is worth defending it is Christian freedom. In the face of the threat to such liberty posed by the Judaizers, Paul issues a stern warning to the Galatians– “for freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Anyone who seeks to be justified by obedience to the law of Moses, through receiving circumcision, through the keeping of Jewish dietary laws, or in observing the Jewish religious calendar, will fall from grace and come under God’s curse (Galatians 5:4).[1]
Paul has already pointed out that those who seek to be justified on the basis of works of law (Galatians 2:16), or place their confidence in what Paul identifies as the basic principles of the world (stoichiea) will find themselves in eternal danger (Galatians 4:3). In Galatians 5:1-12, Paul contrasts the Judaizing campaign of enslavement to the law with Christian liberty in Christ. This is yet another important plank in his case against the Judaizers.
In the first four chapters of Galatians, Paul issues several responses to Judaizing legalism. In chapter 5, we move into what some identify as the “practical section” of Paul’s Galatian letter, when the apostle takes up the practice of Christian liberty and exhorts the Galatians to defend it.[2] While Paul does change focus a bit from those redemptive historical events which culminate in the death of Jesus and justification through faith, here he describes the Christian life in light of the gospel revealed to him by Jesus Christ.[3] The apostle continues to set out sharp contrasts between opposing positions. Readers of Galatians are now well aware that Paul is fond of antithesis (contrast) as a rhetorical critique and he uses it repeatedly.
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Read MoreThe following is from my forthcoming exposition of Paul’s Thessalonian Letters, “When the Lord Jesus Is Revealed from Heaven” which will be made available as a free download for those who complete season two of the Blessed Hope Podcast.
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Paul answers the question asked by the Thessalonians, “do those who die before Christ’s return miss out on the benefits of our Lord’s return”?
In verse 15b, Paul responds, stating that “we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” There is no diminished blessing for those who die before our Lord’s return. They don’t miss out on anything so there is no need to worry about them. They already possess eternal life as spoken of by Jesus in John 5:24—“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” All those who have died in Christ will return with Jesus when he does (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
Paul describes Jesus’s return as his parousia (παρουσία), a term with a very rich cultural background. According to Gene Green, parousia is . . .
a term that commonly meant the glorious “coming” of a deity or the official visit of a sovereign to a city, who himself was often honored as divine. An imperial visit was an event of great pomp and magnificent celebrations, with rich banquets, speeches that praised the imperial visitor, a visit to the local temple, rich donations, celebration of games, sacrifices, statues dedicated, and arches and other buildings constructed. Money was minted to commemorate the event, crowns of gold might be given, and at times a new era was inaugurated. . . . The officials and a multitude of people would head out of the city to receive the one who came, all dressed with special clothing.[1]
When Jesus returns with his heavenly host, his people who are living at that time will be caught up to join him in his triumphal return.
Read MoreJesus Came to Save us from Our Sins
Jesus is the eternal word, who took to himself a true human nature, and was born of a virgin. Jesus did this to save us from our sins. The incarnation is truly a wonder of wonders, but one implication of our Lord’s birth the first Christmas often goes unspoken. If Jesus is the only savior and salvation can be found in no one else, then Christianity is the only true religion and we as Christians are making the claim that all other religions are false no matter how sincere non-Christians may be, and despite how much self-flattery and false comfort these religions bring to their adherents. But to dare say such a thing (and to make such an exclusive claim to truth) is to commit the unpardonable sin in modern America. So this implication which arises from Jesus’ birth is a point well-worth considering now that Christmas has come and gone. The birth of Jesus Christ—that mere babe in the manger—changes everything, for Christians and non-Christians alike.
We are not the first Christians to face these implications of Christmas and we won’t be the last. In fact, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the importance of his incarnation as a truth claim becomes clear in the opening chapters of the Book of Acts when the apostles begin proclaiming the gospel to the Jews. Jesus had been crucified and buried just weeks earlier, although his followers believed that he had risen from the dead.
Better Than Silver or Gold
The first 22 verses of Acts chapter 4 record some of the fall-out associated with the dramatic events which just transpired in Acts 3, where we read that near the gate called “beautiful” (which was between the inner and outer court of the Jerusalem temple), Peter and John encountered a man who had been handicapped from birth. When this man (who survived by begging for alms) asked Peter and John for money, we read in Acts 3:4ff that . . .
Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, `Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, `I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
Those who knew the man and had passed him daily came running to see what was going on. According to Luke, the people “were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
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Read MoreThe Babe in Bethlehem
In their opening chapters, the synoptic gospels give us a wonderful picture of God incarnate, a helpless babe in a manger, virginally conceived, and born to a young woman named Mary. When we see him in Bethlehem, the Christ-child is like a defenseless lamb, anything but a roaring lion.
Yet, in Revelation chapters 4 and 5, the Apostle John gives us an entirely different perspective on this newborn’s true identity. John recounts being caught away by the Holy Spirit where he was given a vision of God’s throne in heaven–a much different perspective upon our Lord’s advent from that given to us in the gospels.
A Different Perspective–The Throne of Heaven
Struggling to describe the scene he is witnessing, John sees one who is both a lion and a lamb. The glory of the one sitting upon the throne, says John, has the appearance of precious gems and reflects virtually every color of the spectrum. A rainbow encircles the throne, from which emanate flashes of lightening and peals of thunder. Surrounding the throne are twenty four elders, representing God’s redeemed people from both testaments. Also present are four living creatures (angels) who have six wings and who are covered with eyes. The living creatures represent all of creation. Together, with the elders, the living creatures worship the one seated on the throne. But they also worship another—a Lamb who was slain and yet who is also the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5). He alone is worthy to open the mysterious scroll containing God’s plan for the future chapters of redemptive history.
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Read MoreThe Question Put to Paul by the Thessalonians
In light of the broad background of the New Testament’s teaching regarding the second advent of our Lord, we consider Paul’s teaching regarding Christian hope in verses 13-14 of 1 Thessalonians 4. Paul is addressing the question brought to him from the Thessalonians by Timothy regarding the fate of those who die before Christ returns. Since Paul had been gone from Thessalonica for but a short period of time, many have wondered about how it is that this question would arise, since it is not likely that many people in the congregation would have died during the short time span between Paul’s departure and Timothy’s return trip to the city. Perhaps some were martyred due to persecution, but this is improbable. Although many proposals have been put forth as an explanation, Gene Green wisely cautions us,
The reconstruction of greatest merit argues that at the moment of confronting the reality of death, the Thessalonians did not allow their confession to inform their reaction to this human tragedy. Alternately, they may simply have not understood fully the reality of the resurrection from the dead, especially in light of the general Gentile consensus that such things simply do not happen.[1]
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Read MoreBackground
One of the best-known Psalms among our contemporaries is Psalm 40. No doubt, this is because for many years the Irish rock band U2 closed out their concerts with a very moving rendition of it, in which huge audiences sang along with the band. As written, Psalm 40 reflects the author’s (David) thanksgiving for deliverance from urgent danger. In light of this sense of immediate need for deliverance of which David is speaking, John Calvin–who was very reticent to speak about himself–describes his conversion as being pulled from the mire of his addiction to the papacy, a direct reference to verse 2 of this particular Psalm. Calvin goes on to say, “God by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more hardened in such matters than might have been expected from one at my early period of life.”[1] In light of this Psalm’s historic importance, and current familiarity, an exposition of Psalm 40 would be beneficial.
The Book of Psalms was the hymnal of ancient Israel. The Psalter is also one of the most beloved portions of God’s word, provides Christ’s church with much of its song, and also serves as the foundation for the devotional life of God’s people. The more we know about the Book of Psalms, the greater our desire to read, reflect upon, and sing them as God’s people have done throughout the ages.
The Five Books of the Psalter
The Psalter is composed of 150 songs which reflect the entire range of human emotion, from despair to jubilation. Although the Psalter was written by different authors over the course of much of Israel’s history, most Psalms are closely tied to the life and times of David (Israel’s most prominent king). Many of the Psalms reflect Israel’s worship of YHWH during this turbulent period in the nation’s history. There are a number of different types and genres of Psalms. There are Psalms of praise, Psalms of lament (67 of them), there are imprecatory Psalms (which invoke God’s judgment on his enemies), there are messianic Psalms (which prefigure the coming of Jesus Christ), there are “enthronement” Psalms (which speak of God as king and ruler of all), there are wisdom Psalms (which reveal to us wisdom from God), and there are Psalms of trust, (which express confidence in God’s power, and in God’s faithfulness in keeping his covenant promises).[2] And then, there is the famous “shepherd Psalm,” the twenty-third Psalm.
There are also a number of names attached to the 150 Psalms (i.e., David, Solomon, Moses, Asaph, the Sons of Korah). 73 of the Psalms are ascribed to David (king of Israel). 12 Psalms are ascribed to Asaph (who was one of David’s three temple musicians, along with Heman and Jeduthun). 11 Psalms are ascribed to the Sons of Korah (who were a guild of temple singers), 3 are ascribed to Jeduthun (a Levite), 2 are connected to Solomon, as well as one each to Moses, Heman (a grandson of Samuel), and Ethan (a symbol player in David’s court and thought by some to be another name for Jeduthun). The remainder of the Psalms are unattributed. With the exception Moses, the others to whom various Psalms are ascribed are mentioned throughout the two books of Chronicles, so we know certain details about them and their service of YHWH. Even though not all of the Psalms were written by David, it is reasonable to speak, as many do, of the “Psalms of David” since the vast majority of them are ascribed to David or his known associates.
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Read MorePaul’s two age eschatology can be seen in various ways throughout Paul’s letters.[1] Here are several examples:
• First, the contrast which Paul develops in Romans 5:12-19 and in 1 Corinthians 15:42-49, between Adam (the first man, the biological and federal head of the human race, whose disobedience brought about sin, guilt, and death) and the “last” Adam (Christ), whose one act of obedience brings righteousness and life to his people. Adam is of this age, Christ is of the age to come.
• Second, Paul’s contrast between “flesh,” (what we are in Adam, fallen, and “jars of clay”–2 Corinthians 4:7) and “the gift of the Spirit.” Those who are indwelt by the Spirit possess eternal life according to 2 Corinthians 2:4-18, where Paul contrasts what is seen with what is unseen.[2] Paul also speaks of those who are sealed by the indwelling Holy Spirit until the day of the redemption of our bodies at the resurrection (Ephesians 1:11-14).
• Third, Paul contrasts death as the inevitable outcome of life in this present evil age with eternal life, which is described as participation in the new creation, inaugurated by Jesus at his resurrection (Romans 8:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47; Colossians 1:15-17).
• Fourth, Paul speaks of the wrath of God, which is the fate of all things associated with “this age” in contrast with the reception of the promised inheritance (all that is ours in Christ, i.e., resurrection life, eschatological glory, etc., as in I Thessalonians 1:10; Ephesians 2:3, 5:6).
• Fifth, Paul contrasts the law (associated with this age, and a major point of discussion in Galatians 2-4) with the gospel (God’s work of redemption in Christ). This, of course, is a major theme in confessional Protestant theology.
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Read MoreFrom the Heidelberg Catechism . . .
Q & A 45 How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us?
A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he obtained for us by his death.
Second, by his power we too are already raised to a new life.
Third, Christ’s resurrection is a sure pledge to us of our blessed resurrection.
Read MoreThe Great Commission and the Great Tribulation Run Concurrently
It is common for Christians to discuss the Great Commission in a missionary context and to consider and develop its role as the final marching orders coming from Jesus to his church. In Matthew 28:18–20, we read, “And Jesus came and said to them, `All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.’”
It is also common for Christians interested in eschatology to discuss and debate the nature of the great tribulation (i.e., “when?” and “how long?”). In a previous essay (The Great Tribulation -- When and How Long?), I wrote,
In light of the tendency to relegate a time of "great" tribulation to the distant past or the immediate future, it is important to briefly survey the biblical teaching on this topic. When we do so, it becomes clear that the time of “great tribulation” cannot be tied exclusively to the events of A.D. 70, nor to the seven years immediately before our Lord’s return. The Bible does not speak of tribulation in this manner, and as we know, many of God’s people have already faced periods of horrific tribulation following the days of Christ’s redemptive tribulation on the cross, and that such tribulation for the people of God will continue until Jesus returns at the end of the age to raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new.
But it is not often that the Great Commission and the tribulation are discussed in relation to each other (they are connected), and seen as running in parallel throughout the entire inter-advental age. Each give us quite different perspectives on the same period of time—this present evil age. In what follows, I will attempt to draw out and highlight the connection between the mission of the church to go out among the nations, and the opposition from those nations which that mission generates. Jesus himself tells us that this mission extends throughout this present evil age (“I am with until the end of the age”), and provides the context of the nature and mission of the church which Jesus established—to make disciples. It also is apparent that this mission will be conducted in an atmosphere of hostility—i,e., the age of tribulation.
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Read MoreAlthough I grew up in “Bible Churches” in which exposition of the Bible was standard fare (if given through a dispensational interpretive grid), I don’t recall hearing any discussion of Paul’s use of the term “Maranatha” found at the end of 1 Corinthians 16:22. But when I occasionally attended Calvary Chapel, I noticed the word Maranatha, was ubiquitous. Everyone seemed to know it came from an Aramaic word which means “the Lord Come.” Maranatha appeared on bumper stickers and tee-shirts. Calvary’s rapidly growing music enterprise was labeled “Maranatha Music,” which had its own a slick logo complete with the Calvary Chapel dove. At the time, this struck me as odd since Paul was obviously referring to the parousia of Jesus when using Maranatha and not Pentecost.
A quick internet search will reveal a surprisingly wide range of businesses, churches, and other enterprises which use Maranatha as a title—presumably to identify themselves as evangelical Christians of a particular sort even if not directly affiliated with Calvary Chapel. I use the term to end each of my podcasts, since it is the perfect way to end any discussion of Paul’s letters, just as he closes out his first Corinthian letter in the same way (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22).
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