After my last post on justice, a good question was raised about the jurisdiction issues raised by the multitude of churches, presbyteries, and so on. The principial answer to this is easy — but the devil, as they say, is in the details. Christ requires us to be striving for like-mindedness. This does not mean …
Blood and Judgment
The outer sanctuary is the place where preparations are made for the entry to the inner Holy of Holies. And so we learn about Christ’s ministry in the heavenly Holy of Holies through the activity in the outer sanctuary, that is, the time of the Old Testament. “For where there is a testament, there must …
Throwing It Away
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 80 “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches” (Prov. 13:5). There is a little bit of doggerel from John Bunyan, which sums this up nicely. “There was a …
The Pagan Pendulum
“Knowing this, we infer that periods of the past must have been much more elevated than our own. This, of course, is a questionable conclusion. What does seem to be the case, however, is that often, as periods succeed each other, some of what takes place is driven by reaction. The Apollonian impulse is often …
The Elective System
“The market system works just fine when we are seeking the kind of toothpaste that suits us best. But when the true, the good, and the beautiful are made into elective courses, no one should be surprised when freshmen consistently sign up for the far more popular courses promoting the false, the wrong, and the …
Unjust Men
We have looked at the basic principles of justice, and considered their necessary foundation in Scripture. Now when these principles are neglected, the result has to be injustice, although sometimes the injustice is the result of ignorance, which is less culpable. It of course remains culpable, but it is not high-handed. Many Christian people have …
Textual Shoulder Rub
Some people have trouble understanding what actually happened at the Second Council of Nicea, a key point in church history, at which time a new ecclesiastical office was created. It became apparent to our fathers in the faith that Deuteronomy 5:8-10 was far too tight, and rather than try to correct the problem in the …
Once Carefree
“We have known too many kids, like the younger son in the parable, who have separated themselves from their parents, thrown off the traces, and heard in the lure of the far country . . . the promise of adventure and boundless pleasure. And for so many this has turned to ashes. The grand and …
Where the Problem Started
“The declension of culture in America is comparable to well-meaning but naive parents who raise a child without discipline and without instilling self-control and who are then shocked at the extent of the rebellion apparent when that child gets away from home. The extent of our current rebellion can be seen in our cultural parade …
It Horrifies My Heart
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Give Your Word back to Your slave On which You made me hope This is my comfort in my fears, Your quickening Word has made me live, Your resurrecting power is here. The proud have loved to laugh at me, And they …