WM 381: The Bibliology of Bishop J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

 

JTR

WM 380: Book Review: Peter Barnes, Pain of a Particular Kind: The Loss of a Child

You can read the review on my academia.edu page here.

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The Vison (4.24.26): Stand fast in the Lord

 

Image: Spring evening sunset. North Garden, Virginia. April 2026.

Note: Devotion based on last Sunday's sermon on Philippians 4:1-6.

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved (Phil 4:1).

In the midst of whatever conflict the church might face, whether false teachers without (Phil 3:2) or disagreements within (4:2: Euodias and Syntyche), the apostle Paul exhorted the saints to stand fast in the Lord.

This command is still relevant for the church. There are many forces asking believers to change, to adapt, even to compromise, but God’s Word tells us we must stand fast.

As Paul said to the church at Ephesus, we must be “no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14).

The apostle and spiritual father of the church at Philippi addresses the saints first as “my brethren dearly beloved and longed for.” One of the great blessings of being a Christian is that we become part of a great family. We are spiritual “brothers.”

Paul says the saints were not only his brethren but also “dearly beloved.” This means they were loved by God (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19). It also means they were dearly loved by the apostle.

He adds that they were “longed for.” Paul expected to be released from prison and to have a face-to-face reunion with them (cf. Phil 1:23-26; 2:24).

The apostle then calls the saints “my joy and crown.”

First, they were his joy. Their love for Christ and their obedience to Christ’s commands had brought Paul great joy.

Think of the joy a father experiences when he sees the birth of a child, when he sees that child take his first steps, when he sees that child walking in a graduation ceremony, or when the son become a father himself. Paul had joy as a spiritual father. He had exhorted them: “Fulfill ye my joy” (Phil 2:2).

Second, they were his crown. This relates back to Paul’s image of being in a spiritual race and pressing toward the mark (3:13-14). The winner received a laurel crown. By coming to obedient faith these saints were to the apostle his crown, a reward, an honor, a sign of victory.

All these expressive titles of affection lead to his exhortation: “stand fast in the Lord.” This is a call to stability and rootedness in the faith (cf. 1:27).

The call to stand appears over and again in Paul’s writings to the churches (cf. 1 Cor 16:13: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith”; Eph 6:13: “and having done all to stand”). He also warns that a man who thinks he stands should “take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12).

Paul also at times used the organic image of the Christian being like a tree that was deeply rooted and not easily moved (cf. Eph 3:17; Col 2:7: “rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith).

We also see this in the Psalms where the godly man is described as “like a tree planted by rivers of water” (Ps 1:3; cf. Ps 52:8: “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God”; Ps 92:13: “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God”).

Just as a plant does not grow and flourish and bear fruit unless it is deeply rooted in the ground, so a believer does not grow and flourish and bear fruit unless he stands fast and is deeply rooted in the faith.

To cinch his affection, Paul concludes by calling them “my dearly beloved” (Phil 4:1).

As the saints at Philippi were exhorted, so are we today. Let us, then, dearly beloved brethren, stand fast in the Lord.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Theology in Particular Podcast (4.13.26): The Canon of Scripture with Jeffrey Riddle

 

JTR

Note: I enjoyed being a guest on this episode of TIP to discuss canon. Two corrections:

(1) At c. 3:56 I said the Greek word kanōn appears 4 times in the NT (2 Cor 10:10, 13, 16; Gal 6:16). I should also have noted its appearance in the TR at Phil 3:16: "let us walk by the same rule [kanōn]."

(2) At c. 19:08 I somehow gave the wrong citation for 2 Tim 3:16 as 2 Cor 3:16.

Errare est humanum. SDG!

The Vision (4.17.26): Walk by the Same Rule

 

Image: Dogwood tree, North Garden, Virginia. April 2026.

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Philippians 3:15-21.

Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing (Philippians 3:16).

When Paul writes to the Philippians, his spiritual children in the faith (see Acts 16), he positively encourages them to follow his apostolic example: “Brethren, be followers together of me…” (Phil 3:17).

He also negatively warns them against false teachers, whom he calls, “the enemies of the cross of Christ” (3:18).

Overall, Paul exhorts, “Let us walk [conduct ourselves in the Christian life] by the same rule, let us mind the same thing” (3:16).

There is an orderly way to live one’s life and a disorderly way.

In general, we need clear rules, standards, and guidelines in life. Take away the rules of driving (driving on the right side, lane markers, signs, speed limits, etc.) and getting anywhere will be chaotic and even life threatening. So too would our spiritual lives be without the rule of God’s Word.

This is why Paul urges the saints to walk “by the same rule.” The word for “rule” translates the Greek word kanon, from which the English word “canon” comes. As a theological term is related to the proper books received into our Scriptures.

Here, however, the term “rule” refers simply to right belief and right praxis (practice) in the Christian life.

This means, first, that we live according to orthodox (right-believing) Christian doctrine. Jude wrote that we should “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

This means, among other things, that we believe in the Trinity, the deity of the Lord Jesus, his atoning death, his glorious resurrection, and the second coming.

It also means living according to orthodox Christian praxis.

This includes obedience to these commands, among others: Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Love the brethren. Keep the moral law of God. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Pray without ceasing.

If we have no authoritative and common rule, we will have chaos and danger.

Therefore, brethren, let us walk by the same rule.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

WM 379: Reaction: ESV®-CE (Catholic Edition)

 

JTR

Zanchi on Christian "Perfection" (Philippians 3:15)

 

From X post:

Zanchi on Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:15, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect” and the idea of Christian “perfection”:

Paul “does not affirm that either the Philippians or himself are actually perfect… Rather and conversely, they said that Christian perfection consists in devoting ourselves to one thing: recognizing that we have not yet laid hold of or become perfect, having abandoned all confidence in the flesh and in our own works, content with Christ alone, Christian progress consists in advancing in this knowledge of Christ… struggling continually toward what is ahead until we arrive at the finish line.”

“…Christian perfection that can be had in this life consists in the knowledge of our imperfection and the pursuit of progressing.”

-Commentary on Philippians, 567-568.