This will be one of those posts where I am afraid that I will make no one happy. But . . . oh, well. Torture is much in the news, and so — to the law and to the testimony. Let us begin by offending those who are recycling Joseph Fletcher’s situation ethics from back …
The Oil of Gladness
Book 2/Chapter 15 The King of blessing (section 4) 1. How must we fight throughout our lives? 2. Where does Calvin locate our happiness? 3. In the midst of our trials here, what must we be content with? The anointing oil (section 5) 1. What was the oil of gladness that anointed Christ? 2. If …
Freedom From and Freedom To
In a recent post responding to William Cavanaugh, I said a few things about some current misapplications of the Pauline definition of freedom. True freedom is the freedom to obey God, and no one is truly, ultimately free without that freedom. Amen. A slave who has it is Christ’s freedman, and ought not to worry …
Prophet, Priest, and King
Book 2/Chapter 15 Three-fold office (section 1) 1. According to Calvin, the office assigned to Christ consisted of what three parts? 2. Is it enough to acknowledge the right names of these offices? The prophet (section 2) 1. Which of the offices does the title Christ apply to? 2. Is the prophetic office extended to …
Lewis the Prophet
“‘Both, honey, both,’ said Miss Hardcastle. ‘Don’t you understand anything? Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other? That’s how we get things done . . . Of course we’re non-political. The real power always is.'” (That Hideous Strength, p. …
The Right to An Opinion
We began this series of exhortations by noting that worship is a particular kind of occasion, and so it requires a particular kind of music. Related to this was the point that not all our music has to be church music, but that all of it should be fundamentally consistent with what we sing here. …
Double Gratitude
This is a meal that should be bookended with gratitude. We come to the Table in the first place because we are grateful, and we are looking for a means to overflow, a way to express that gratitude. One of the names for this meal is the Eucharist, which comes from the Greek word for …
Historical Forgetfulness
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. Father, we confess that we do not understand our own history. …
Two Natures, One Person
Book 2/Chapter 14 Two natures (section 4) 1. Those who stumble over the question of Christ’s two natures do not consider what? 2. What does it mean when Christ calls His body a Temple? Hypostatic union (section 5) 1. How does Calvin define the hypostatic union? Son of God, son of man (sections 6-8) 1. …
In Which Post There is No Photo of Miss California 2009
Our discussion of this issue can now continue without anybody having to speed scroll past the picture. I would have responded sooner, but was out of town at a conference. So here I am, getting up to speed. There were a number of good comments in the previous thread, but out of all of them, …