We have no right to legislate morality in any area unless God has spoken to that issue clearly and directly. Apart from this, all things are lawful in their substance. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it. We have already considered that all men are covenantal partakers of something. God has embodied …
Israel After the Flesh
As we come to the Table, Paul tells us to “behold Israel after the flesh.” Look, he says, at Israel in the Old Testament, and take special care to note how their condition was similar to yours. We partake of Christ in the bread and wine. They were partakers of the altar as they ate …
Do Communion? Or Have Communion?
As we come to the Table, we are charged to flee from idolatry. We do this in two ways. The first is that we leave all pagan idols behind. Whether these idols are actual gods made of wood or stone, or are idols of the heart and mind does not matter. We leave them behind …
Broken Bread
One of God’s great patterns is that of taking apart, and then restoring fully. The restoration, the resurrection, is fuller, deeper, and richer than the original unity ever was. But before God tears, we consistently tend to panic, afraid that this time He will not be able to put anything back together. But He always …
Rationalism and Superstition
We must always remember the importance of eating. Food is not a consequence of the Fall, and the nourishment of creatures was no afterthought on the part of God. God created us as eating creatures. As we eat, and grow, and mature, and multiply, we find that God is in the process of turning inorganic …
Showing Up at the Wrong House for the Bible Study
Lane and I continue the discussion. In this segment, Lane repeats Venema’s argument that receiving the sacrament of bread and wine is just like receiving the Word, and that it is necessary for someone to be able to do the latter before they can be admitted to the former. Both require “active engagement” by the …
A Paper Plate Tied to the Chest
Just a few quick comments on Lane’s latest post so that we can continue to work through Venema’s book. Lane says that baptism “means” inclusion in the visible church, according to the Confession, and that all the other stuff (regeneration and so forth) only applies when the individual baptized has the thing signified. Lane goes …
Slicing It Lengthwise
Just a quick response to Lane’s latest, and then we can continue to move on through Venema’s book. I believe that the issues Lane raises here are really worth pursuing, and I hope we do that as our discussion proceeds. Lane says that baptism belongs to the administration of the covenant of grace because it …
Dead Silence
Time to reengage with Lane on the question of paedocommunion. First, just a few comments on his post, and then on to Venema’s treatment of the historic Reformed position on all this. Lane uses the example of citizenship and certain privileges like driving or voting. He wants to say that just because covenant children are …
Sacramental Tomfoolery
The next chapter of Venema’s book addresses paedocommunion in the history of the Church, and he provides us with a judicious and fair treatment. Lane’s response to that chapter is here. Venema handles the material from the fathers competently, grants clear evidence where clear evidence is present, and also gives a fair hearing to the …