My last blog on church dogmatics answered the question, “What is church dogmatics?” In this entry I’ll further seek to answer what church dogmatics is by listing a few of its characteristics? Our young daughter describes our dog by its characteristics. We might “get” church dogmatics better by seeing its characteristics.
The list below is taken from Bavink’s, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena. Prolegomena is a pretty big word, huh? Runners have a pep talk from their couch before a race. They tell the runner how to pace himself, what the goal is, how he will win, etc. The couch gives him a prolegomena. A prolegomena is a sort of pep talk. In church dogmatics there is always a pep talk before you get into the heavy stuff. This pep talk tells the reader how we can know God, what our goals are in knowing him, and where we find the knowledge of God.
Enough said of prolegomena, what are the characteristics of church dogmatics?
1. The Bible is the foundation, because the church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, whom the apostles and prophets proclaim. The NT church showed that all Jesus did, taught and accomplished was in accordance to the OT Scripture. Then the Spirit inspired the apostles to write the NT which became the tradition of the church. These Scriptures were and still are the foundation of all church theology, because they take us to the foundation of the church, Jesus Christ.
2. Church dogmatics act as go-between to faith and its true object: God in his living self revelation in Jesus Christ. The church doesn’t do dogmatics; at least it shouldn’t, so people can believe in dogmatics. It does dogmatics so people can believe in Jesus Christ. It serves preaching.
3. Church dogmatics does not have its own authority for its own sake. Its authority rests completely on the authority of God and can appeal to a “Yes, God hath said.”
4. Meteorologists describe the weather, church dogmatics describe the deeds of God “done for, to, and in human beings.” (Pg, 58).
5. Dogmatics serve ethics too. Why, because part of dogmatics is describing how the gospel changes human beings. The Bible describes what human beings are and do for God now; how with everything the are and have, with intellect and will and all their strength, they devote themselves to God out of gratitude and love. Dogmatics is the system of the knowledge of God; ethics is that of the service of God. The two disciplines far from facing each other as two independent entities, together form a single system.” (Pg, 58).
6. Church dogmatics seeks to think God’s thoughts after him. It tries to live out the childhood game “follow the leader,” in connection with God’s thinking about creation, salvation, and sanctification. It then attempts to describe God’s way and life, and proclaim it to the church. From this attempt and work comes church confessions and creeds. More on that next time.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
If there is no resurrection…then what? (Point #2)
This blog entry continues the study on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. The last entry covered verses 12 to 17, where the point is made that if there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ is not raised and we are yet in our sins. Thanks be to God the dead do rise as we see in Jesus; so there is the truth of the gospel in our world.
Today we look at verse 18 and 19. If the dead do not rise then, “those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (ESV). In other words if the dead are not raised then our loved ones who have died in the Lord have perished permanently.
The word “perish” describing what happened to the loved ones means “destroyed,” “abolished.” What he means is they are annihilated, and will never have life again!
If the dead are not raised then they are still in their sins, they have no hope of life after life after death, and there is no future for them of any kind…they perish along with the rest of mankind! To deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny our past (Christ died for our sins), deny our present (we live in him), and it is to deny our whole future.
If the resurrection were not true we would suffer miserably at losing a loved one. But because there is the hope of the resurrection when we are about to lose a Christian loved one we, like Robert Rayburn said, “can take his or her hand, and in the midst of that heartbreak and that desolation and through the tears of love, we smile, we really smile, inside as well as out, and say with absolute conviction, ‘We shall meet again in heaven and the resurrection’ And, then later, when the pain of the separation is still felt, we say to ourselves: It is only till the resurrection.”
But hearing the news that Jesus Christ did not rise and we will not raise either. Surely, that would make us the most pitiable of men and women.
Today we look at verse 18 and 19. If the dead do not rise then, “those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (ESV). In other words if the dead are not raised then our loved ones who have died in the Lord have perished permanently.
The word “perish” describing what happened to the loved ones means “destroyed,” “abolished.” What he means is they are annihilated, and will never have life again!
If the dead are not raised then they are still in their sins, they have no hope of life after life after death, and there is no future for them of any kind…they perish along with the rest of mankind! To deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny our past (Christ died for our sins), deny our present (we live in him), and it is to deny our whole future.
If the resurrection were not true we would suffer miserably at losing a loved one. But because there is the hope of the resurrection when we are about to lose a Christian loved one we, like Robert Rayburn said, “can take his or her hand, and in the midst of that heartbreak and that desolation and through the tears of love, we smile, we really smile, inside as well as out, and say with absolute conviction, ‘We shall meet again in heaven and the resurrection’ And, then later, when the pain of the separation is still felt, we say to ourselves: It is only till the resurrection.”
But hearing the news that Jesus Christ did not rise and we will not raise either. Surely, that would make us the most pitiable of men and women.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Church dogmatics lay out God’s treasures.
Dr. Suess once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you'll go.” How about relating this to church dogmatics? We could say, “The more church dogmatics you understand, the more you will know and love God. The more you know and love God, the more God will spread his glory through you.” Of course understanding church dogmatics in a way that leads you knowing and loving God is a work of God’s Spirit in us; and praise God he does this work. Also, praise God there is such a thing as church dogmatics!
Let’s begin by asking what are church dogmatics? Nope, this is not a new question. From Origen (185-254 a.d.) to today millions of paragraphs have been written to answer this question. Oh, by the way, the answers have been excellent and very helpful. Thank the Lord for the wonderful teachers he has given to the church. Of course people like Immanuel Kant, Adolph Harnack, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Rudolph Bultmann, and other German guys said we couldn’t really answer this question. Why did these people say no? Simply, because they did not believe Scripture set forth the true knowledge of God. They said Christian truth is a human invention, an act of the human will, a human experience, not truth given by God himself to reveal the truth about himself. This brings me to again, in hopefully understandable terms define what dogmatics is.
When you read a book on church dogmatics you are reading a book which has put what the Bible says about God, sin, salvation, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and other Christian topics, in an orderly way. The Bible has information about these subjects throughout its pages. Dogmatics studies the passages and puts the information together in an orderly way, and then declares… “God’s Word teaches that…”
One of the best books on church dogmatics is Herman Bavink’s, Reformed Dogmatics. A new edition of this great work was put out in 2003 by Baker Books. Bavink said, “Dogmatics is the laying out of the treasures of Sacred Scripture, a commitment to the standard of teaching [for the church, the Holy Bible], so that in it [dogmatics] we possess a form and image of the heavenly doctrine.” Herman Bavink, Reformed Dogmatics vol.1. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic), 55.
We will explore the features and task of dogmatics next time.
Let’s begin by asking what are church dogmatics? Nope, this is not a new question. From Origen (185-254 a.d.) to today millions of paragraphs have been written to answer this question. Oh, by the way, the answers have been excellent and very helpful. Thank the Lord for the wonderful teachers he has given to the church. Of course people like Immanuel Kant, Adolph Harnack, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Rudolph Bultmann, and other German guys said we couldn’t really answer this question. Why did these people say no? Simply, because they did not believe Scripture set forth the true knowledge of God. They said Christian truth is a human invention, an act of the human will, a human experience, not truth given by God himself to reveal the truth about himself. This brings me to again, in hopefully understandable terms define what dogmatics is.
When you read a book on church dogmatics you are reading a book which has put what the Bible says about God, sin, salvation, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and other Christian topics, in an orderly way. The Bible has information about these subjects throughout its pages. Dogmatics studies the passages and puts the information together in an orderly way, and then declares… “God’s Word teaches that…”
One of the best books on church dogmatics is Herman Bavink’s, Reformed Dogmatics. A new edition of this great work was put out in 2003 by Baker Books. Bavink said, “Dogmatics is the laying out of the treasures of Sacred Scripture, a commitment to the standard of teaching [for the church, the Holy Bible], so that in it [dogmatics] we possess a form and image of the heavenly doctrine.” Herman Bavink, Reformed Dogmatics vol.1. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic), 55.
We will explore the features and task of dogmatics next time.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
If there is no resurrection...then what? (Point #1)
Imagine a world where there is no forgiveness from God! This is the kind of world our world would be if there is no resurrection of the dead. If there is not resurrection of the dead, then Jesus did not raise, and we are still without forgiveness from God.
Scripture makes this point in 1 Corinthians 15:12-17.
To deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny the resurrection of the one who makes any and all resurrections possible…Jesus Christ. Notice the horror to sinners if Christ was not raised from the dead. If Christ is not raised we are in our sins still. But why? Three reasons…
Reason one.
If Christ is not raised we are still in our sins because Christ is still in your sins. Remember on the cross he became sin for us who knew no sin. There on the cross Jesus was in your sins as Robert Chandlish said. “They were on him, about him, before him; they were his. He owned them and felt them to be his.” Remember Psalm 40:12, “For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.” He himself bore our sins on the tree. He made his soul an offering for our sin.
Also, he was in your sins when he was buried. But did Jesus not say “It is finished…the sacrifice for sin is finished!” Yes, but there was that Saturday when Jesus’ body was still suffering the result of sin…death…separation of soul and body. Oh his soul went immediately into paradise into the Father’s presence for at death he said, “Into your hand’s I commend my Spirit.” The bitter cup was over. Yet, there was his body. It was cared for, perfumed, and it was no longer shamed; it even went into a new tomb. But still the separation was there. In a very true sense the body of Jesus in the tomb was still bearing the doom of our sin. Yet it was God’s will to redeem body and soul…but if he is not raised!?
This is my point here. Faith unites us to Christ Jesus. By faith we are one with him so that whatever his condition is, that is our condition too. Well, if Christ did not rise from the dead but is still in our sins, so we too are still in our sins. If we believe in a dead Christ we are not forgiven!
Reason two.
If Christ is not raised we are still in our sins because death’s power has not been broken. If Jesus has been raised, death’s power and fear over us has been broken. (1 Cor 15:26). This death has always come because of sin. Well, if this death has been destroyed, that means sin has been defeated too! If Christ did rise from the dead, God’s will to destroy sin by his Son has been accomplished! However, if he wasn’t raised from the dead, he wasn’t God’s Son, he wasn’t God, and death’s power and sin is not defeated.
Reason three.
If Christ is not raised we are still in our sins because then we are not justified. Read Romans 4:23-25. Jesus was raised so that we may be put right with God. The Lord’s resurrection, after his death on the cross, completed our redemption and vindicated Christ’s work of satisfying the wrath of God for our sin. The resurrection guaranteed that the benefits of the cross would be available. J. Murray: “If Jesus had not risen to life again, it could only have been because his sacrifice was not accepted, the price he paid was not sufficient, and we, therefore, remained in our sins!” When Jesus died for our sins, a full and sufficient payment was made for our forgiveness and justification. It was a perfect work!
Well, to leave Jesus in the grave would have been unjust, since he had so fully paid for our sin. So God raised him from the dead to vindicate the perfection of Christ and his atonement, and then in his grace God gave us Christ’s righteousness. But if Christ was not raised from the dead, it’s because it was not good enough and we are still in our sins.
Pretty horrible, hu? If there is no physical bodily resurrection there is no Christianity. But I don’t leave you on this note. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.”
Scripture makes this point in 1 Corinthians 15:12-17.
To deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny the resurrection of the one who makes any and all resurrections possible…Jesus Christ. Notice the horror to sinners if Christ was not raised from the dead. If Christ is not raised we are in our sins still. But why? Three reasons…
Reason one.
If Christ is not raised we are still in our sins because Christ is still in your sins. Remember on the cross he became sin for us who knew no sin. There on the cross Jesus was in your sins as Robert Chandlish said. “They were on him, about him, before him; they were his. He owned them and felt them to be his.” Remember Psalm 40:12, “For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.” He himself bore our sins on the tree. He made his soul an offering for our sin.
Also, he was in your sins when he was buried. But did Jesus not say “It is finished…the sacrifice for sin is finished!” Yes, but there was that Saturday when Jesus’ body was still suffering the result of sin…death…separation of soul and body. Oh his soul went immediately into paradise into the Father’s presence for at death he said, “Into your hand’s I commend my Spirit.” The bitter cup was over. Yet, there was his body. It was cared for, perfumed, and it was no longer shamed; it even went into a new tomb. But still the separation was there. In a very true sense the body of Jesus in the tomb was still bearing the doom of our sin. Yet it was God’s will to redeem body and soul…but if he is not raised!?
This is my point here. Faith unites us to Christ Jesus. By faith we are one with him so that whatever his condition is, that is our condition too. Well, if Christ did not rise from the dead but is still in our sins, so we too are still in our sins. If we believe in a dead Christ we are not forgiven!
Reason two.
If Christ is not raised we are still in our sins because death’s power has not been broken. If Jesus has been raised, death’s power and fear over us has been broken. (1 Cor 15:26). This death has always come because of sin. Well, if this death has been destroyed, that means sin has been defeated too! If Christ did rise from the dead, God’s will to destroy sin by his Son has been accomplished! However, if he wasn’t raised from the dead, he wasn’t God’s Son, he wasn’t God, and death’s power and sin is not defeated.
Reason three.
If Christ is not raised we are still in our sins because then we are not justified. Read Romans 4:23-25. Jesus was raised so that we may be put right with God. The Lord’s resurrection, after his death on the cross, completed our redemption and vindicated Christ’s work of satisfying the wrath of God for our sin. The resurrection guaranteed that the benefits of the cross would be available. J. Murray: “If Jesus had not risen to life again, it could only have been because his sacrifice was not accepted, the price he paid was not sufficient, and we, therefore, remained in our sins!” When Jesus died for our sins, a full and sufficient payment was made for our forgiveness and justification. It was a perfect work!
Well, to leave Jesus in the grave would have been unjust, since he had so fully paid for our sin. So God raised him from the dead to vindicate the perfection of Christ and his atonement, and then in his grace God gave us Christ’s righteousness. But if Christ was not raised from the dead, it’s because it was not good enough and we are still in our sins.
Pretty horrible, hu? If there is no physical bodily resurrection there is no Christianity. But I don’t leave you on this note. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.”
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A study of 1 Corinthians 15. Resurrection a historical event.
1 Corinthians 15 has been occupying my mind for 4 weeks. I just finished preaching through it at our church. The more our faith and understanding grips the truth and gigantic blessing of the resurrection, the more hope and holiness permeates our lives. John Calvin wrote in his Institutes, 3.10.5, “Let us consider this settled, that no one has made progress in the school of Christ who does not joyfully await the day of death and final resurrection.”
For the next 4 or 5 posts I will give some thoughts on the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15.
We start with some thoughts on the message of v.1 to v.11. The resurrection is a historical event. Jesus really did come into the world and we really did see his glory. Angels really did announce his coming on one particular night outside of the Judean village of Bethlehem. Wise men really did come from the East, Herod, really did try to kill the Christ child, his parents really did have to flee to Egypt, there really is an empty tomb, Jesus really did rise from the dead according to the Scriptures, and the resurrected Jesus was really seen by over 500 witnesses. All these these things happened by God’s will in God’s world!
The preaching of this gospel that Christ died and is risen again from the dead calls people to faith and repentance, and brings them to faith and repentance. God’s work in history saves sinners. R. Rayburn wrote, “What changes people's lives today, what sets men and women free from sin and guilt, what delivers them from the falsehoods that otherwise capture and oppress the human mind and heart, is not an idea, but a person, a person who was born, who lived, who died, who rose again, who ascended to heaven before the very eyes of his enemies and his friends and followers. We do not ask people to believe an idea, but to confess and trust and love a person, a person whose deeds are recorded in history.”
John Updike in his poem On the Resurrection has this stanza,
Make no mistake: if He rose at all it was as His body;
if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules
reknit, the amino acids rekindle,
the Church will fall.
The church has not fallen.
A missionary in Turkey attempt top bring the truth of the resurrection of Christ to Muslims. He said: "I am traveling, and have reached a place where the road branches off in two ways; I look for a guide, and find two men: one dead, and the other alive. Which of the two must I ask for direction, the dead or the living?" "Oh, the living," cried the people. "Then," said the missionary, "why send me to Mohammed, who is dead, instead of to Christ, who is alive!
For the next 4 or 5 posts I will give some thoughts on the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15.
We start with some thoughts on the message of v.1 to v.11. The resurrection is a historical event. Jesus really did come into the world and we really did see his glory. Angels really did announce his coming on one particular night outside of the Judean village of Bethlehem. Wise men really did come from the East, Herod, really did try to kill the Christ child, his parents really did have to flee to Egypt, there really is an empty tomb, Jesus really did rise from the dead according to the Scriptures, and the resurrected Jesus was really seen by over 500 witnesses. All these these things happened by God’s will in God’s world!
The preaching of this gospel that Christ died and is risen again from the dead calls people to faith and repentance, and brings them to faith and repentance. God’s work in history saves sinners. R. Rayburn wrote, “What changes people's lives today, what sets men and women free from sin and guilt, what delivers them from the falsehoods that otherwise capture and oppress the human mind and heart, is not an idea, but a person, a person who was born, who lived, who died, who rose again, who ascended to heaven before the very eyes of his enemies and his friends and followers. We do not ask people to believe an idea, but to confess and trust and love a person, a person whose deeds are recorded in history.”
John Updike in his poem On the Resurrection has this stanza,
Make no mistake: if He rose at all it was as His body;
if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules
reknit, the amino acids rekindle,
the Church will fall.
The church has not fallen.
A missionary in Turkey attempt top bring the truth of the resurrection of Christ to Muslims. He said: "I am traveling, and have reached a place where the road branches off in two ways; I look for a guide, and find two men: one dead, and the other alive. Which of the two must I ask for direction, the dead or the living?" "Oh, the living," cried the people. "Then," said the missionary, "why send me to Mohammed, who is dead, instead of to Christ, who is alive!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Great music with reformend theology
Two of my friends, Maartin Kenter and Pastor Scott Wilkenson just released their long awaited music CD.
They call themselves the Regenerates. Nice name I thought.
The CD is great on two accounts. One, the music is good. Scott's guitar playing and Maarten’s singing are well done; Two, the lyrics, and the stories and theology they tell is solid. They even sing a song about predestination! When was the last time you heard someone sing about predestination?
My favorite song is "Covenant Girl." Actually, our whole family loves it...especially my son Matthew who has just started courting a girl and went through the steps the song lays out. Here are the lyrics...
Covenant Girl
I've had my eye on you, your inner beauty shines likes beam of light
Could this be really true, the one I've prayed for, am I your Mr. Right?
And so I ponder, in my heart, my head caught up in the clouds
I think I know a beautiful girl, Is she the one God has for me?
Oh, yeah, I've met a covenant girl, so far I like what I can see
I know her father well, he’ll wanna make me tell him, how I’ll support a wife
He’ll wanna know what is my only comfort, both in death and life
And if he trusts me, He’ll ask his girl and see if she is agreed
I think I know a beautiful girl, she's got a walk that makes me glad,
Oh yeah, I know a covenant girl, I'm gonna go and see her dad.
*Phone Conversation*
I can't believe it's true All my fears are through, your father said OK
These months of seeing you have shown your virtue true, I love you more than I can say
So I ask you, take my hand and be my covenant wife
Here is the website. I heartily say, "check it out."
http://www.theregenerates.com/index.html
They call themselves the Regenerates. Nice name I thought.
The CD is great on two accounts. One, the music is good. Scott's guitar playing and Maarten’s singing are well done; Two, the lyrics, and the stories and theology they tell is solid. They even sing a song about predestination! When was the last time you heard someone sing about predestination?
My favorite song is "Covenant Girl." Actually, our whole family loves it...especially my son Matthew who has just started courting a girl and went through the steps the song lays out. Here are the lyrics...
Covenant Girl
I've had my eye on you, your inner beauty shines likes beam of light
Could this be really true, the one I've prayed for, am I your Mr. Right?
And so I ponder, in my heart, my head caught up in the clouds
I think I know a beautiful girl, Is she the one God has for me?
Oh, yeah, I've met a covenant girl, so far I like what I can see
I know her father well, he’ll wanna make me tell him, how I’ll support a wife
He’ll wanna know what is my only comfort, both in death and life
And if he trusts me, He’ll ask his girl and see if she is agreed
I think I know a beautiful girl, she's got a walk that makes me glad,
Oh yeah, I know a covenant girl, I'm gonna go and see her dad.
*Phone Conversation*
I can't believe it's true All my fears are through, your father said OK
These months of seeing you have shown your virtue true, I love you more than I can say
So I ask you, take my hand and be my covenant wife
Here is the website. I heartily say, "check it out."
http://www.theregenerates.com/index.html
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