Thomas Watson: "As he will make a resurrection of bodies, so of names."

I have been reading Thomas Watson's commentary on The Lord's Prayer (first published in 1692).  In his meditations on the preface to the prayer Watson spends much time reflecting on the Fatherhood of God ("Our Father which art in heaven").  In one section he discusses the ultimate vindication of God's saints at the last day:  "As he will make a resurrection of bodies, so of names."  This seems to have been an especially important concept for the Puritans in particular, many of whom experienced persecution and slander from their opponents and suffered ejection from their pulpits. Matthew Henry makes a similar point in his commentary on Matthew 10:26 ("there will be a resurrection of names as well as bodies").

Here is the Watson quote in context: 

If God be our Father, he will put honour and renown upon us at the last day. [1] He will clear the innocence of his children. His children in this life are strangely misrepresented. They are loaded with invectives — they are called factious, seditious; as Elijah, the troubler of Israel; and Luther, the trumpet of rebellion. Athanasius was accused to the Emperor Constantine as the raiser of tumults; and the primitive Christians were accused as infanticidii, incestus rei, ‘killers of their children, guilty of incest.’ Tertullus reported Paul to be a pestilent person. Acts 24: 5. Famous Wycliffe was called the idol of the heretics, and reported to have died drunk. If Satan cannot defile God’s children, he will disgrace then; if he cannot strike his fiery darts into their consciences he will put a dead fly to their names; but God will one day clear their innocence; he will roll away their reproach. As he will make a resurrection of bodies, so of names. ‘The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away.’ Isa 25: 8. He will be the saints’ vindicator. ‘He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light.’ Psa 37: 6. The night casts its dark mantle upon the most beautiful flowers; but the light comes in the morning and dispels the darkness, and every flower appears in its orient brightness. So the wicked may by misreports darken the honour and repute of the saints; but God will dispel this darkness, and cause their names to shine forth. ‘He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light.’ Thus God stood up for the honour of Moses when Aaron and Miriam sought to eclipse his fame. ‘Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ Numb 12: 8. So God will one day say to the wicked, ‘Wherefore were ye not afraid to defame and traduce my children? Having my image upon them, how durst you abuse my picture?’ At last his children shall come forth out of all their calumnies, as ‘a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.’ Psa 68: 13. [2] God will make an open and honourable recital of all their good deeds. As the sins of the wicked shall be openly mentioned, to their eternal infamy and confusion; so all the good deeds of the saints shall be openly mentioned, ‘and then shall every man have praise of God.’ 1 Cor 4: 5. Every prayer made with melting eyes, every good service, every work of charity, shall be openly declared before men and angels. ‘I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: thirsty, and ye gave me drink: naked, and ye clothed me.’ Matt 25: 35, 36. Thus God will set a trophy of honour upon all his children at the last day. ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.’ Matt 13: 43.

JTR

The Vision (6/17/10): The true Light which gives light to every man

Note:  This article is the "Pastoral Reflection" for the June 17, 2010 issue of The Vision, the weekly e-newsletter for Christ Reformed Baptist Church.  To be added to the list to receive the full issue weekly, email info.crbc@gmail.com.

We have begun a study of John’s Gospel during our Wednesday mid-week Bible Study and Prayer Meeting. Last Wednesday we read John 1:9: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” The question was raised as to what it means that Jesus gives light “to every man”? Arminians have typically taken this verse to say that God provides prevenient grace to every human being making each man capable of either accepting or rejecting Christ. Salvation is then “conditioned” on man’s response.

But is this what this verse means?

I made the argument in our study that if this verse is read in context we would understand that John is saying that all men benefit to some degree from Christ, even if they never become disciples of Jesus. At the least they were made by Christ (“All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made” [John 1:3]) and so they carry the distinction and dignity of being made in the image of God. Psalm 145:9 notes that “The LORD is good to all.” Consider as well the benefits that have come to human society through the Christian movement (human rights, respect for women, end of slavery in Western world, literacy, etc.). One attendee also added that the phrase “every man” could refer to the fact that God saves all kinds of men (Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free). If we believe that all men are savingly enlightened by Christ we would embrace the unbiblical teaching of universalism (the idea that God saves all men regardless of their response to Christ).

This conversation got me thinking about what some of the faithful old teachers had to say on this passage. Here are two insights:

First, John Calvin in his commentary on John 1:9:

This passage is commonly explained in two ways. Some restrict the phrase, every man, to those who, having been renewed by the Spirit of God, become partakers of the life-giving light. Augustine employs the comparison of a schoolmaster who, if he happen to be the only person who has a school in the town, will be called the teacher of all, though there be many persons that do not go to his school. They therefore understand the phrase in a comparative sense, that all are enlightened by Christ, because no man can boast of having obtained the light of life in any other way than by his grace. But since the Evangelist employs the general phrase, every man that cometh into the world, I am more inclined to adopt the other meaning, which is, that from this light the rays are diffused over all mankind, as I have already said. For we know that men have this peculiar excellence which raises them above other animals, that they are endued with reason and intelligence, and that they carry the distinction between right and wrong engraven on their conscience. There is no man, therefore, whom some perception of the eternal light does not reach.

But as there are fanatics who rashly strain and torture this passage, so as to infer from it that the grace of illumination is equally offered to all, let us remember that the only subject here treated is the common light of nature, which is far inferior to faith; for never will any man, by all the acuteness and sagacity of his own mind, penetrate into the kingdom of God. It is the Spirit of God alone who opens the gate of heaven to the elect. Next, let us remember that the light of reason which God implanted in men has been so obscured by sin, that amidst the thick darkness, and shocking ignorance, and gulf of errors, there are hardly a few shining sparks that are not utterly extinguished.

Second, Matthew Henry on John 1:9:

But how does Christ enlighten every man that comes into the world? (1.) By his creating power he enlightens every man with the light of reason; that life which is the light of men is from him; all the discoveries and directions of reason, all the comfort it gives us, and all the beauty it puts upon us, are from Christ. (2.) By the publication of his gospel to all nations he does in effect enlighten every man. John Baptist was a light, but he enlightened only Jerusalem and Judea, and the region round about Jordan, like a candle that enlightens one room; but Christ is the true light, for he is a light to enlighten the Gentiles. His everlasting gospel is to be preached to every nation and language, Rev. xiv. 6. Like the sun which enlightens every man that will open his eyes, and receive its light (Ps. xix. 6), to which the preaching of the gospel is compared. See Rom. x. 18. Divine revelation is not now to be confined, as it had been, to one people, but to be diffused to all people, Matt. v. 15. (3.) By the operation of his Spirit and grace he enlightens all those that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him perish in darkness. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is said to be in the face of Jesus Christ, and is compared with that light which was at the beginning commanded to shine out of darkness, and which enlightens every man that comes into the world. Whatever light any man has, he is indebted to Christ for it, whether it be natural or supernatural.

Yes, Christ is the Light, and he has given light to all men, and he has given special light to those who are his own. To Him be all praise and glory!

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Reflections of a Recovering Southern Baptist

Photo:  SBC Messengers vote on the "Great Commission Resurgence Task Force" Report with President Johnny Hunt presiding on the big screen.

I grew up in Southern Baptist churches, was a Royal Ambassador, did Bible Drills, gave to Lottie Moon, attended a Southern Baptist seminary, served as a Journeyman missionary with the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board), and then spent 18 years in ministry in two SBC churches. As a Pastor, I often interpreted SBC church life to folk from non-SBC backgrounds who came to the congregations I served. I facilitated a good number of Presbyterians, independent Baptists, and non-denominational types into becoming Southern Baptists (or at least joining the church I was serving). I attended denominational meetings and tried to keep abreast of the latest happenings. Now I am part of an independent, Reformed Baptist church plant and, for the first time in my life, I am not involved in a Southern Baptist church. A friend of mine recently asked how it felt to be out of SBC circles. My answer: liberating.

I was reminded of that this week as I watched online some of the annual SBC meeting in Orlando (you can view the archives here). I didn’t even realize they were meeting this week until I read a blog article about this year’s big issue, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report (the key issue seems to restructuring SBC agencies and allowing the IMB to operate in the USA and Canada, much to the chagrin of the NAMB, who previously held exclusive “rights” to these areas—Doesn’t that sound absurd?).

After watching some of the proceedings I was struck by several things:

For one thing, you see the denominational machine at work. Don't get me wrong.  I support the whole idea of churches being denominated as Baptist, Presbyterian, etc., but where is such an organization as this mentioned in Scripture?

For another, you see the zaniness of conducting “democratic” processes with 10,000 plus “messengers” when, in fact, most decisions are made behind the scenes. It also reminded me of the programmatic view of ministry and the unbiblical “democratic” church “business meetings” I have seen firsthand in SBC churches.

For another, you see the Finney-esque evangelistic showmanship. Wade Burleson posted a devastatingly on target critique of the “invitation” that was held on the last night of the meeting with “evangelist” Tony Nolan and the Christian rock group “Casting Crowns” (if you like this group, you really ought to ask why they support Nolan and invited him to be their “speaker” on their most recent “tour”—OK maybe putting things in quotes gets redundant, but it’s hard to overcome the irony of the terms).

Finally, I was really struck by the denominational hubris and triumphalism expressed by outgoing SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman in his report. He boldly stated, “I believe that our convention is the last hope for a great spiritual awakening.” This sort of view was also expressed in discussion of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. The sense seems to be that if Southern Baptists don’t pursue evangelism and missions in North America (and the world) then God isn’t going to be able to accomplish very much. Poor little god.

I know that there are those who are encouraged because they feel that evangelical Calvinism is on the rise in the SBC. Al Mohler was right there in the thick of it with the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. Perhaps God will move and reform will happen but hopes for this now appear to me to be naïve. Yes, I am grateful for many things I gained from experiences in SBC circles and there are many good things happening in some SBC churches and institutions. I thank God for that. But, again, how do I personally feel about now being outside those circles? Liberated.

JTR

Exposition of Jude: Part 19 of 25

Note: This is a series of occasional verse by verse expositions of Jude. An archive of this and past commentaries may be found under the Jude Exposition label below.

Jude 1:19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

This is the final description that Jude offers of the false teachers he has been combating throughout this little epistle. The word order in the original Greek is reflected better in the Authorized Version: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” Jude offers three descriptions:

First, these men separated themselves from others. They caused divisions. They created cliques. Such men organize whisper campaigns. They sow discord in the body. They undermine the peace and tranquility of the family. They are schismatics who rend the robe of the church. They follow in the tradition of Korah, who led an uprising against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 15.

Second, they are “sensual.” The word in Greek is psychikoi. A literal translation might be “soulish,” but in fact the word means “unspiritual,” “physical,” or “material.” Some, therefore, would render the word as “worldly.” Such men use worldly thinking and worldly tactics rather than godly thinking and godly actions. They want to run the church the way one might run a business or a secular social organization.

Third, they do not have the Spirit. This means, of course, the Holy Spirit of God. Here we see the doctrine of the trinity in Jude. These men were unconverted. The Spirit which blows where it will had not blown down upon them. They were not born from above. Such men cannot authentically profess that Jesus is Lord (cf. 1 Cor 12:3). They are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is not their teacher, comforter, counselor, advocate, and encourager. They are natural men, and “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The unspoken warning to believers is that we are to be the opposite of these men in our character, word, and deeds. First, we are not to cause unnecessary divisions in the body of Christ. We are to seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11; Psalm 34:14). As much as depends on us, we are to “live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Second, we are to be “other-worldly.” We are not to act like secular men or attempt to solve problems according to worldly solutions. Third, we are to be Spirit-filled men. If not already converted, we must pray for God to reveal himself to us. We must listen to the preaching of the gospel, and if the Spirit should wipe the scales from our eyes, unclog our ears, and clear the haze from our minds, then we must repent and believe in the one who is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25).

Reflections:

• Have you been prone to cause divisions within the body of Christ? Have you suffered others to sow discord?

• Why is the church not to be run like a worldly business?

• What does the Holy Spirit provide the believer? How do we know that we have the Spirit?

2010 HEAV Conference

Photo:  HEAV Exhibit Hall

Llewellyn and I are here again in Richmond for the annual HEAV homeschooling Conference. This time we brought Hannah and Lydia along with us.

We got here early this morning and pulled in right behind an Amish family. It was a reminder of the diversity of the Christian homeschooling community. There are Amish and Mennonites alongside Vision Forum wannabees and mainstream evangelical families. As Hannah said, the conference is great for people watching.

We skipped the morning keynote and visited the exhibition hall. Lydia and I then went to the “Dinosaurs Explained” breakout with Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis (Llewellyn and Hannah went to “What Christians Should Know About College” with Jonathan Brush). As for the session I attended, Ham’s view is simply that dinosaurs were created on the sixth day along with other land animals and became extinct post-flood. He noted that the word “dinosaur” was not coined till the 19th century and that Biblical references to the “leviathan” and the “behemoth” may well have been references to dinosaurs.

We had lunch with the McGonigals and Overstreets from CRBC and made it back to visit the used curriculum sale and then to attend Philip Telfer’s afternoon session on “Media Choices: Convictions or Compromise?”. Telfer of Media Talk 101 stressed the amount of time people (especially youth) spend using various forms of media. The average Americans watches nearly 5 hours of television per day and spends at least 2 hours surfing the web. 77% of teens have cell phones and the average teen sends or receives 100 text messages a day. Much of what he stressed could be summed up as time management. Given the 8 hours spent in work and 8 in sleep, how much of the remaining 8 in a day do we want to spend immersed in media? Telfer asked: What if we treated our Bibles like we do our cell phones? What if we would not leave home without it? What if we checked it several times a day for messages? He noted that you can read the entire Bible aloud in about 70 hours. But how often do we read it?

We visited the exhibition halls again and then made it back to hear Ken Ham do the evening keynote “Standing on Biblical Authority.” He traced moral and spiritual compromise in the US to the erosion of Biblical authority including especially the traditional interpretation of Genesis 1-11.

We then went to supper with our longtime friend and former church member Renee Shockley who is here from Warsaw attending the conference.  It's up early tomorrow to go at it again.

JTR 

The Vision (6/10/10): Dagg on the Design of the Lord's Supper

Note:  The article below is from the "Pastoral Reflections" column in The Vision, the weekly e-newsletter of Christ Reformed Baptist Church.  To receive the complete newsletter weekly, send your request to info.crbc@gmail.com.

J. L. Dagg was one of ablest Baptist theologians in the South in the nineteenth century. His Manual of Church Order was published in 1858. In his discussion of the “design” of the Lord’s Supper, Dagg describes three aspects of this ordinance: “The Lord’s Supper was designed to be a memorial of Christ, a representation that the communicant receives spiritual nourishment from him, and a token of fellowship among the communicants.” In his discussion of the second of these three aspect (the Lord’s Supper as “representation”), Dagg makes the following comments:

While it shows forth the Lord’s death, it represents at the same time the spiritual benefits which the believer derives from it. He eats the bread, and drinks the wine, in token of his receiving his spiritual sustenance from Christ crucified. The rite preaches the doctrine that Christ died for our sins, and that we live by his death. He said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:53). These remarkable words teach the necessity of his atoning sacrifice, and of faith in that sacrifice. Without these, salvation and eternal life are impossible. When Christ said, “My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (John 6:55), he did not refer to his flesh and blood, literally understood. He calls himself the living bread which came down from heaven (John 6:51). This cannot be affirmed of his literal flesh. To have eaten this literally, would not have secured everlasting life; and equally inefficacious is the Romanist ceremony, in which they absurdly imagine that they eat the real body of Christ. His body is present in the eucharist in no sense than that in which we can “discern” it. When he said, “This is my body,” the plain meaning is, “This represents my body.” The eucharist is a picture, so to speak, in which the bread represents the body of Christ suffering for our sins. Faith discerns what the picture represents. It discerns the Lord’s body in the commemorative representation of it, and derives spiritual nourishment from the atoning sacrifice made by his broken body and shed blood.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Note from Judi LaGrange

Dear brothers and sisters,

I have leaned heavily on your loving care over the past few years (more so in the last few months!).

Your faithful prayers have brought comfort and strength; your cards, emails and calls have lifted my spirits and knowing that you genuinely loved both as your Bill and me as your own brother and sister has given us assurance and stability to continue when at times the path seemed rocky and unpleasant.

Be assured that both of us have uttered many praises and prayers for His blessings on each of you. We are thankful for this special “family” God has called us to.

I look forward to continuing to grow and serve together.

With love and gratitude, Judi LaGrange

Piper and Creation

John Divito offered an analysis back on June 2  on Illumination, the blog of the Midwestern Center for Theological Studies, of John Piper's recent comments of the doctrine of creation and scientific dating of the age of the earth.  Piper has indicated that his views are in line with those of Old Testament scholar John Sailhamer.  His comments raise questions about how we are to interpret the creation account in Genesis.  Though Piper upholds many traditional Biblical interpretations (God made the world; Adam was a real person; etc.) he stops short of affirming a literal six day creation.  This taps into another issue relating to "Reformed" theology.  Namely, must one affirm that God created the world "in the space of six days" (as the Westminster Confession and the Second London Baptist Confession affirm) in order to be "Reformed"?

JTR

Sermon of the Week: Review of "Crazy Love"

Nick Batzig offered a thoughful review of Francis' Chan's book Crazy Love on the Reformed Media Review back on May 20th that warns against the development of evangelical monasticism.  Worth hearing.

JTR

Common Misuses of the Word "Legalism"

I just read and can commend another of Robert G. Spinney's TULIP booklets.  This one is titled "Are You Legalistic?  Grace, Obedience, & Antinomianism."  In the excerpt below, Spinney discusses common misuses of the word "legalism" before grounding true legalism in denial or ignorance of the doctrine of justification by faith.

Here are some unbiblical uses of the word legalism.

We see a believer applying the Bible to a real-life situation.  He’s careful to obey God’s commands, even God’s seemingly little instructions. He’s serious about his Christian life, perhaps more serious than we are. This brother has convictions or practices that seem odd to us (which often only means not like our convictions or practices). We don’t say it publicly, but we think, “He’s way too serious about obeying God. He should lighten up.” And we look at that brother and think, “He’s legalistic.”

We see Christians discussing the meaning of a Bible instruction, like the Ten Commandment’s “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The discussion makes us uneasy, largely because we are unsure how to implement such a command today. Instead of joining our brothers and contributing to the difficult task of applying God’s Word to our life, we dismiss the issue as unworthy of our time. We think, “I don’t even want to consider how to obey that commandment. Obeying that command in any way today would make me look weird. I don’t want to be legalistic.”

We are having a discussion with a brother in Christ, and he suggests that we reexamine our ethical behavior in some area.  We ask our friend for the biblical warrant for making such reforms, and he points us to a passage in the Old Testament. We respond by saying, “Oh, but I am a New Testament Christian. Jesus fulfilled the law, so I don’t have to obey any part of it. All Old Testament laws are abolished.” We walk away thinking our brother who values the Old Testament is legalistic.

A friend encourages us to apply God’s Word to a seemingly small issue. He may suggest that we make financial restitution for a sin we committed years ago. He may suggest that our clothing is immodest. He may suggest that we should be more faithful in attending the church’s Wednesday night prayer meeting. This strikes us as being too picky, an unnecessarily conscientious application of Bible teaching. We regard this careful (we would say overly careful) faithfulness as legalism.

In a local church, pastors do what the Apostle Paul did: they call upon the flock to fulfill biblical duties. These godly elders reprove, rebuke, correct, and exhort. They are even willing to say, “That particular unbiblical behavior will not be tolerated here. God’s people must obey God’s Word.” Church members criticize such church leaders as legalistic.

A local church attempts to conform itself to the Word of God. In order to do so, the church establishes biblical standards of conduct. Maybe they write these biblical guidelines into their church’s constitution and expect church members to honor them. But for some, the very appearance of rules and standards (regardless of how scriptural they are) provokes anger. They complain about legalistic church rules.

All of these uses of the word legalism demonstrate common misunderstandings of this concept. The unfortunate thing is that there is something called legalism. It is alive and well in the Christian world today; in fact, many of God’s people are being wounded and burdened by genuine legalism. However, we rarely recognize it. Real legalism flourishes right under our noses—undetected—while we wrongly call obeying God’s commandments legalistic.

CRBC Sermon Topics June 2010

Note: Lord willing, in June we will continue our series in 1 Peter in morning worship (10:30 am) at CRBC. We will also continue our series on the ordinances in afternoon worship (1:00 pm) on June 6 and 13 and then begin a new series on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) on June 20 and 27.

June 6:

AM Be of one mind (1 Peter 3:8-12)

PM The Lord’s Supper: Questions and Answers

June 13:

AM Ready to give a defense (1 Peter 3:13-17)

PM The Lord’s Supper: Questions and Answers (Continued)

June 20:

AM The just for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18-22)

PM The Lord’s Prayer: “Our father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-13)

June 27:

AM Practical Implications of the Cross (1 Peter 4:1-6)

PM The Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9-13)

The Vision (6/3/10): Five Things

The "Pastoral Reflections" article below was written by Justin Longacre and appeared on the Reformation Baptist Fellowship blog back on March 10, 2010. To receive the complete edition of the Vision, the weekly e-newsletter of Christ Reformed Baptist Church, email your request to info.crbc@gmail.com.

Dear Pastors:

I was asked to write to you about why I go to a Reformed Baptist church. The answer is simple: my church does what I need a church to do. Since you are probably told much about what your congregates need, I thought I might take the time to give you some inside information. Here are five things I as a lay congregate need church to do for me, and five things I can do without.

5 Things I Need Church to Do:

1. Preach the Gospel

I need to be told over and over again that I am a sinner, and that Christ died to save sinners. Both parts are crucial. Without an understanding of sin, its weight and its consequences; salvation becomes incoherent and Christianity is simply reduced to a set of arbitrary cultural signifiers. I’ve got my pick of cultural signifiers. I need to understand sin, I need to understand redemption, and I constantly need to be reminded of the reality of both. That is what Church offers exclusively over everything else that I could be doing on Sunday morning.

2. Administer the Sacraments

Once, I needed to be baptized. Now, I need to see other people baptized. I need the Lord’s supper. Often, if it is up to me. It is strange and beautiful that the only picture we have of Christ is the consumption of bread and wine. He must have thought that we needed those things to remember and understand Him. I’m inclined to agree with Christ. In a way I can’t fully explain, I need these things like you wouldn’t believe.

3. Teach me the Bible

The Bible is the most complex book I have ever read. The Bible is not just any book, but it is a book. I need men who are going to approach that Book with the intellectual rigor it deserves. The Lord has richly blessed us with a book that bears the weight of a lifetime of serious study. There are connections to be made, there are genres to be understood, there are symbols to be analyzed, there are cultural contexts to be applied, there are translation issues to be recognized, there are motifs to be united, and most of all there is the over-arching plot of redemption. I need church to help me understand those things.

4. Love

The first sermon I really heard didn’t come from behind the pulpit; it was the love displayed by God’s people towards one another and towards me. Paradoxically, nothing destroys my pride like the unconditional love of God’s people. This love is not the same as flattery. It’s active and concrete. I need encouragement. I need instruction. Sometimes I may need discipline. I might need a ride to work. God’s people have offered me all of these things. God has offered me all of these things through His people. Never forget that I too need the opportunity to do these things for others.

5. Provide an Opportunity to Sing to God and About God

If I could sum up my advocacy for traditional singing, it would be this: every individual voice becomes so important, that no individual voice is particularly important. People forget themselves and remember Christ, good and bad voices swell together, and nobody is really paying attention to anyone because everybody is paying attention to everyone. Sometimes, I feel like it is not my voice coming out of my mouth at all, but all the congregation’s voice together. That is when I most understand why God commanded us to do this.

5 Things I Don’t Need Church to Do

1. Sell

Christianity is not a “brand.” Don’t treat it like it is. If you act like a salesman, I’m inclined to treat you like one and shop around. Your focus groups are pointing you to the middle of the road, which is a dangerous place to try to build a house. Stop looking for what I want and give me what I need, otherwise I probably won’t get either from your church.

2. Entertain Me

I am really good at entertaining myself. You are probably not as good at it. You don’t know what I want. I can listen to the music I like, watch the movies I like, and play with the toys I like at my house. What I can’t do is preach to myself and shepherd my soul. That’s where you come in. If your goal is my entertainment, send me an itunes giftcard and let me sleep in.

3. Be Just Like Me

I don’t know if I could bear to stay in a congregation that was just like me. Not because I hate myself, but because it would be perverse. Imagine a body made entirely of eyes, or tongues or livers. Gross. I love my congregation because most of them are nothing like me. Christ ministers to me through their experiences, idiosyncrasies, weaknesses, and gifts. I get to call people from a confounding array of backgrounds and circumstances brothers and sisters. Why would I want you to try and guess who I am and imitate it? I know me; we’ve already met. I need a body.

4. Make Me Laugh

The world we live in is a funny place, and God has probably blessed us with a sense of humor to retain our sanity in it. Because of that, sometimes things you say will be funny. We will laugh. However, the message of the gospel is one of eternal seriousness. If I am in danger of mistaking you for a standup comic, I am in danger of mistaking Christ for a joke. I’m serious about my soul, and I need you to be too.

5. Enlist Me as a Soldier in the Culture Wars

Our religion ought to inform our politics as it ought to inform our whole life. There are some political issues we should not be silent on (abortion comes to mind). However, the “culture wars” in America have duped Christians into enlisting in causes that have nothing to do with their religion. Worse still, it makes our religion into simply one aspect of a larger subsuming culture complete with its own schools, dress, music, television shows and diets. It doesn’t take a large jump before those things all become of similar importance, and Christ takes his place in the pantheon between Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck (or Obama and Al Franken, as the case may be). It’s the devil’s old bait-and-switch. Christ didn’t have a problem with the Pharisee’s actual righteousness, he had a problem with assuming that adherence to arbitrary cultural conventions was righteousness. Christianity is not a culture, it is trans-cultural. When we engage in evangelism, it should not be to make people more like us, but rather more like Christ.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Fraser's Wife: “A cold, unfeeling, bold, unheeding worldly woman was his wife.”

In last Sunday's morning's message from 1 Peter 3:7 on "The Christian Husband" I used this illustration:

The Days of the Fathers in Ross-Shire (Northern Chronicle, 1927) gives an anecdotal history of some of the great Reformed and evangelical men who preached the gospel in the Northern Scotland region of Ross-Shire. One of the ministers profiled in the book was named James Fraser (d. in 1769 in his 69th year of life after 44 years of ministry), and one of the things the book notes was that Fraser had a very unhappy marriage.

The account of Fraser's unfortunate marriage begins, “A cold, unfeeling, bold, unheeding worldly woman was his wife.” It continues, “Never did her godly husband sit down to a comfortable meal in his own house, and often would he have fainted for sheer want of needful sustenance but for the considerate kindness of some of his parishioners.” His friends would hide food near his home so that he would not starve to death!  On long and cold winter evenings his wife denied him a fire in his study.  "Compelled to walk in order to keep himself warm, and accustomed to do so when preparing for the pulpit, he always kept his hands before him as feelers in the dark, to warn him of his approaching the wall at either end of the room.  In this way he actually wore a hole through the plaster at each end of his accustomed beat...."

The story is also told how Fraser once went alone to a Presbytery dinner with his fellow ministers. One liberal minister suggested that they raise a toast to the health of their wives and winking at his companions he asked Fraser, “You, of course, will cordially join in drinking to this toast.” Faser responded, “So I will and so I ought…for mine is a better wife to me than any of yours have been to you.” “How so?” they all exclaimed. “She has sent me," was the reply, “seven times a day to my knees when I would not otherwise have gone, and that is more than any of you can say of yours.”

JTR

"At the risk of their lives": A Memorial Day Sermon

Back in 2006 I preached a sermon titled "At the risk of their lives" from 1 Chronicles 11:10-19 on the Sunday before Memorial Day which offered some Christian reflections on this national holiday.  My dear friend Ed Brown (now with the Lord), a veteran of the WW2 "Battle of the Bulge," read the Scripture that day in worship.   

JTR

The Vision (5/27/10): A famine of hearing the word of the Lord

An article in the local newspaper last weekend described a recent new age “Whole Life” Conference that was held in Charlottesville. In reviewing the various opportunities the conference presented, the writer observed: “Today you can heal through gratitude and zero balancing, chase your shadow to expand your spiritual growth and dance, dance, dance.” Classes offered last Sunday included “advice on birthing, Afton Mountain’s spiritual legacy, Tibetan Bon Buddhism meditation and balancing the body through charkas.” Other courses included ones on how to “talk to your angels” and how to communicate with your pets (or “animal partners” as the article refers to them).

We could echo Paul’s observations concerning the ancient city of Athens, “Men of Charlottesville, I perceive that in all things you are very religious” (cf. Acts 17:22). G. K. Chesterton’s quip comes to mind that when men stop believing in the God of the Bible the problem is not that they will believe nothing but that they will believe anything. When Old Testament Israel battled with false worship and syncretism, the Lord spoke through the prophet Amos to announce, “Behold the days are coming …. That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). We will meet many spiritual seekers in our community, but they are usually not seeking the jealous God of the Bible. As Paul put it, “There is none who seeks after God” (Romans 3:11b).

It is to such a time and such a place that the Lord has called us to be his witnesses. We need not be dismayed. Our call is to announce to this city, as Paul did to Athens, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given us assurance of this by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). Let us be compassionate, bold, and confident in bearing witness to the risen Lord in this community.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

The Vital Place of the Prayer Meeting

Photo:  CRBC midweek prayer meeting in the home of one of our attendees.

We will gather tonight (actually, in about 15 minutes) for our midweek prayer meeting at CRBC.  Here's the start of Erroll Hulse' article "The Vital Place of the Prayer Meeting":

It is said that the weekly prayer meeting is the spiritual barometer for any local church. You can tell with a fair degree of accuracy what the church is like by the demeanour or substance of the weekly prayer meeting. Is there genuine evangelistic concern? If so it will be expressed in the prayers. Is there a heartfelt longing for the conversion of unconverted family members? If so that is sure to surface. Is there a world vision and a fervent desire for revival and the glory of our Redeemer among the nations of the world? Such a burden cannot be suppressed. Is there a heart agony about famine and war and the need for the gospel of peace among the suffering multitudes of mankind? The church prayer meeting will answer that question. Intercession in the prayer meeting will soon reveal a loving church that cares for those who are oppressed and weighed down with trials and burdens. Those bearing trials too painful or personal to be described in public will nevertheless find comfort in the prayer meeting, for there the Holy Spirit is especially at work.

To read the rest of this article look here.

JTR

Watson: "Oh! What blottings are there in our holy things."

Another gem from Watson on the way in which God views our attempts to live upright and holy lives (from The Ten Commandments):

Though the prayers of the righteous are mixed with sin, yet God sees they would pray better. He picks out the weeds from the flowers; he sees the faith and bears with the failing. The saints’ obedience, though short of legal perfection, yet having sincerity in it, and Christ’s merits mixed with it, finds gracious acceptance. When the Lord sees endeavours after perfect obedience, he takes it well at our hands; as a father who receives a letter from his child, though there be blots in it, and false spellings, takes all in good part. Though the prayers of the righteous are mixed with sin, yet God sees they would pray better. He picks out the weeds from the flowers; he sees the faith and bears with the failing. The saints’ obedience, though short of legal perfection, yet having sincerity in it, and Christ’s merits mixed with it, finds gracious acceptance. When the Lord sees endeavours after perfect obedience, he takes it well at our hands; as a father who receives a letter from his child, though there be blots in it, and false spellings, takes all in good part. Oh! what blottings are there in our holy things; but God is pleased to take all in good part. He says, ‘It is my child, and he would do better if he could; I will accept it.’

JTR

Watson on the usefulness of afflictions

Some quick quotes on God's use of suffering from the homiletical wordsmith Thomas Watson's All Things for Good [original title, A Divine Cordial, 1663]:

"Afflications to the godly are medicinal."

"A sick bed often teaches more than a sermon."

"When you dig away the earth from the root of a tree, it is to loosen the tree from the earth; so God digs away earthly comforts to loosen our hearts from the earth."

"When God brings a deluge of affliction upon us, then we fly to the ark of Christ."

"The worst that God does to his children is to whip them to heaven."

"When God lays men upon their backs, then they look up to heaven."

JTR

The Vision (5/20/10): In Memoriam: R. William LaGrange (1936-2010)

On Wednesday afternoon, May 19, 2010, our brother Bill LaGrange went to be with the Lord. Bill was born in Endicott, New York and worked for over 35 years with IBM. While a student at Rider University Bill met and married Judi. The Lord blessed their union with three daughters and twelve grandchildren.

The biggest event in Bill’s life happened when he was 38 years old. At the time, the LaGranges were living in Northern Virginia. Some friends at Bill’s workplace kept bugging him about going to their church. He finally went and was converted under the preaching of the gospel. A month and a half later, Judi was also converted. Bill’s life began to change dramatically. Before his conversion he was a self-confessed “golf bum” with an overly competitive spirit. The only reading he did was Golf Digest and Sports Illustrated. After he was converted he gave up golf completely. He developed a passion for reading and studying the Bible. That led to reading other Christian books, especially the works of Reformed writers like D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and R. C. Sproul.

After Bill retired from IBM he threw his life into Christian service. He and Judi became founding members of a church plant in Burlington, Vermont that was meeting in a classroom at a local university. Bill became an Elder there while Judi became the church secretary. That little plant, Christ Memorial Church, eventually became a thriving congregation and the mother church for numerous church plants across New England.

Just a couple of years ago, Bill and Judi decided to retire and move to Charlottesville. Bill had suffered with a blood disease, and he wanted to escape the harsh New England winters. Soon after moving to Virginia, however, Bill’s health began to decline. Most troublesome was the development of an aggressive skin cancer on his arm. Last November, Bill was told that the skin cancer was beyond treatment and that he would soon die. Bill’s prayer was that he would be able to “to finish well.”

Though told he had mere weeks to live, the Lord had other purposes and Bill’s life was graciously extended for more than six months. During that time, he and Judi became founding participants at another church plant, Christ Reformed Baptist Church. Bill was there on the very first Lord’s Day when we met in January and missed only one Lord’s Day gathering up until four weeks ago. Over the last few months I often sought Bill’s valued counsel as we moved forward with our church.

We will miss Bill greatly. We grieve alongside Judi and her family but not as men who have no hope. We find great comfort in knowing that Bill has finished his course and is now engaged full time in the very thing he enjoyed most while here on earth, worshipping his Lord.

There will be a service of worship to offer thanks to God for Bill’s life at 11:00 am on Monday, May 24th at the Hill and Wood Funeral Home in Charlottesville. A graveside service will follow at Riverview Cemetery. There will also be a reception following the graveside service at 1410 Incarnation Drive (Suite 202-B) hosted by CRBC.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

What would you say if you knew you had only a little time to live?

Here's a stirring video made by a man named Zac Smith, several months before he died of colon cancer:


The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

What will it profit Billy if he gains the whole college scholarship but loses his own soul?

Yesterday, I read Robert Spinney's little booklet Did God Create Sports Also?  Here's an excerpt:

Pastors are hearing something today that they didn’t hear forty years ago: “We won’t be at church meetings this coming Sunday. Billy has a soccer game.” When kicking a soccer ball is regarded as more important than worshipping God and hearing God’s Word taught, sports are too big. “But Billy’s absence will let his teammates down.”  You and Billy have a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and His church that is far more critical than any commitment to Little League teammates; your absence from the Body of Christ will let the church down. “But Billy’s soccer is his ticket to a college scholarship.” What will it profit Billy if he gains the whole college scholarship but loses his own soul? Parents, demonstrate to your children what it means to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Your children should see that your priorities rest with God’s kingdom.

The Vision (5/13/10): CRBC Update

“you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house….” (1 Peter 2:5)

Christ Reformed Baptist Church has now been meeting for Lord’s Day worship for four months. Here are some of the things we have seen God do among us thus far:

• We have established a regular pattern of morning worship, lunch, and afternoon worship on the Lord’s Day. We have had preaching and teaching series on Matthew 10 and 1 Peter (ongoing) in morning worship and the doctrine of the church (CRBC series) and the Ten Commandments in afternoon worship.

• The average attendance in Lord’s Day worship has doubled.

• We have established a regular meeting site at 1410 Incarnation Drive which we have improved by painting and decorating.

• We have established a website and sermonaudio site for CRBC.

• We have seen a core group come together who are committed to the planting of this church.

• We have entered into a partnership agreement with Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Warrenton for oversight in our church planting process.

Here are a few things on the horizon:

• We have completed a draft of our CRBC Constitution and Membership Covenant (prepared by Jeff Riddle and Daniel Houseworth) which we will be sharing with the pastor and elders at Covenant Reformed Baptist Church. After receiving their feedback and approval we will be sharing these documents with our regular CRBC attendees as we move toward “particularizing” as a church.

• We will begin a three part series sermon series on the sacraments (ordinances) this Sunday afternoon in preparation for commencing our body’s initial observances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

To this point, we can definitely see how the Lord has graciously provided for our needs. We look forward to seeing how He will be pleased to continue to work through us as we go forward.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Audio from Radford Conference Available

You can now listen to the messages from the "All Things New" Conference that was held at Wilderness Road Baptist Assembly earlier this month.

JTR

Book Review: E. S. Williams' "The Dark Side of Christian Counseling"

E. S. Williams, The Dark Side of Christian Counseling (Wakeman Trust & Belmont House Publishing, 2009): 155 pp..

This book, written by a Christian physician in the United Kingdom, is an expose of what the author calls “the Christian Counseling Movement.” The book asks two basic questions: Is the type of counseling advocated by the contemporary Christian counseling movement a legitimate part of Christian ministry? And does the church benefit from the attempt to integrate secular psychological studies with Biblical truth?

The work begins by noting that “the flame of psychological counseling burns brightly in the Christian church” (p. 7). From church based counseling centers, to courses in psychology and counseling in Christian colleges and schools, to sermons that address “self-esteem,” to popular Christian speakers like Larry Crabb and James Dobson, this movement has made deep inroads among evangelical churches.

Williams first traces the history of the movement beginning with Clyde Narramore in the 1950s whom he dubs “the father of Christian counseling” to its widespread acceptance by the 1990s. The fruit of this movement has been the introduction of “a new therapeutic ‘gospel’ that aims to meet the psychological needs of the congregation” (p. 14).

Those who advocate the integration of psychology and Scripture often claim that they are merely making use of truth that has been revealed even to non-Christians by common grace. Williams offers a review and critique of the worldviews of the various leading lights of modern psychology, including Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Albert Ellis. His verdict is that the man-centered humanism and often virulently anti-Christian attitudes of these men cannot be integrated with the Biblical worldview. According to Williams, those who turn to secular psychology are saying that Biblical truth, sound doctrine, and the gospel are not enough to meet the needs of sinful men.

Williams offers a particularly stinging critique of the ministry and writings of Larry Crabb, concluding, “It is a fair question to ask whether Crabb truly understands the gospel” (p. 107). He proceeds to present a trenchant critique of the “self-esteem” emphasis in the Christian counseling movement and as this concept is advocated by ministries like James Dobson’s “Focus on the Family.” According to Williams this emphasis distorts Biblical teaching on sin, downplays the role of the moral law, blames and undermines Biblical parenting, and promotes permissiveness. He concludes:

Those who follow Jesus do not spend time learning to love themselves. The idea that a Christian should strive for healthy self-esteem is contrary to the teaching of Christ. The teaching of the Christian counseling movement that I should be kind to myself, trust myself, is to put me at the centre. I become self-centred, focused on myself. This is not the mind of Christ; this is anathema to Christian faith (p. 143).

For Williams there is a distinct “dark side” to the Christian counseling movement. In answer to his original two questions, the author clearly and forcefully answers, “No, counseling, as it is practiced in this movement, is not a legitimate part of Christian ministry.” And, “No, the church does not benefit from integrating secular psychology with Biblical truth.” In fact, this combination has produced a “false gospel” (p. 147).

One might ask, “What about ‘nouthetic counseling’ that is embraced by many Reformed men today?” Although he is less critical of nouthetic guru Jay Adams, Williams notes that “as Adams’ influence declined during the 1970s the CCEF [the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation, an organization founded by Adams] has become increasingly psychological in its orientation” (p. 11).

This book is to be commended to minister and laymen alike. It would be especially helpful for those who have been hooked by the typical line of self-help books that roll off the presses of many evangelical publishers. It might also help “de-program” those who have drunk deeply from the well of secular psychology and counseling. For pastors, reading this book might help one consider how the pervasive “counseling culture” might have seeped its way into his own preaching and teaching ministry. It also helps one understand how those to whom they minister have been influenced by secular psychological categories like “self-esteem” and why these are not compatible with the Biblical gospel.

Jeffrey T. Riddle, Christ Reformed Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia

The profitability of a theology degree

A Yahoo article today lists the top ten "Worst Paying College Degrees."  Theology appears at number three on the list, just nudged out by Elementary Education (No. 2) and Social Work (No. 1).

JTR

Burning Wycliffe's Bones

Image:  Burning Wycliff'e's bones. From Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

I was struck recently by a biographical note on the proto-Protestant John Wycliffe (1324-1384). Wycliffe, an Oxford theologian, was one of the first to translate the Bible into the English language which ran him afoul of the Roman Catholic authorities. He is called the “Morningstar of the Reformation.” Despite strong opposition from Catholic leaders, Wycliffe’s teachings were never officially denounced by church authorities during his lifetime, and he died peacefully on December 31, 1384.

The interesting thing is what happened decades after his departure. When John Hus pressed some of the ideas of Wycliffe even further, the Council of Constance (1415) not only condemned Hus to be burned at the stake but also ordered that Wycliffe be punished posthumously. His books were ordered to be burned; his body was exhumed from the consecrated ground where it had been buried; his remained were burned, and the ashes were scattered on the River Swift.

It is amazing what vindictive and insecure religious authorities will do to defend themselves from the truth. They will even burn Wycliffe’s bones.

JTR

The Vision (5/6/10): What is a Reformed Baptist Church?

Note:  The Vision is the weekly e-newsletter of Christ Reformed Baptist Church.  The article below is from the "Pastoral Reflections" column.  To subscribe to the full version of The Vision, email your request to info.crbc@gmail.com.

Note: The following article was written by Dr. Robert Spinney while he was an Elder at Grace Baptist Church of Hartsville, Tennessee. He is now on the faculty of Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia.

A Reformed Baptist church is a Bible-centered, doctrinally conservative, Christ-focused, and grace-emphasizing church. It embraces both the truths championed in the Protestant Reformation as well as a Baptist understanding of believer's baptism and local church autonomy.

Some refer to Reformed Baptists as Historic Baptists. This is because Reformed Baptists affirm the same doctrinal positions:

• That the English Puritan Baptists affirmed in the 1600s (these English Baptists, like Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan, were the founding fathers of most of today's Baptist denominations);

• That prominent Baptist leaders like Charles Spurgeon and William Carey affirmed in the 1800s; and

• That the Southern Baptist Convention affirmed up until the late 1800s.

Today's Reformed Baptist churches (like most Baptists before 1870) regard the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith as a concise summary of the Bible's main doctrinal teachings.

Reformed Baptist churches - like their Baptist forefathers - accept the foundational truths of the Protestant Reformation as essential to correct doctrine. These truths include the so-called Five Solas of the Reformation:

• Sola scriptura, or Truth based upon Scripture alone;

• Sola gratia, or salvation by grace alone;

• Sola fide, or salvation through faith alone;

• Solus Christus, or salvation through Christ alone; and

• Soli Deo gloria, or to God alone be all glory.

In practice, this means that Reformed Baptist churches hold to an inerrant and wholly sufficient Bible. The Word of God is our only rule for matters of faith and conduct.

It also means that Reformed Baptist churches emphasize salvation by grace alone (apart from man's works) based upon the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Sinners are declared righteous (or justified) by faith in Christ alone. And we respond to questions like, "Why did God create the world?" and "Why does God save sinners through Jesus Christ?" and "Why does God intervene in men's lives today?" by answering, "To showcase and draw attention to His glory." Accordingly, Reformed Baptists frequently summarize their life's purpose (or their chief end, as the Puritans put it) as glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.

While Reformed Baptist churches have great respect for godly men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards, they nonetheless are Baptist churches. They believe that although the Old Testament covenant community consisted of the physical offspring of Abraham (and therefore circumcision was administered to all male Hebrew infants), the New Testament covenant community consists of the spiritual offspring of Abraham, or only those who have embraced Jesus Christ by faith and have been born again. Accordingly, we administer baptism only to members of the covenant community- that is, only to those who have been regenerated, converted, and made partakers of the New Covenant. We also differ from Presbyterian churches regarding local church autonomy. Reformed Baptist churches often cooperate with one another and labor together, and even create associations to encourage mutual spiritual health and accountability. However, we locate local church authority in particular local churches and their own ordained elders/pastors, not in a denominational hierarchy or council.

Reformed Baptist churches are committed to evangelism and global missionary projects. Some assume (erroneously) that a Reformed church (i.e., one that embraces the total depravity of man, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints) will not be committed to fulfilling the Great Commission. Not true! Reformed Baptists are eager to preach the Gospel to every creature, not only because God has commanded that we do so but because we are confident that God will save His people when His Gospel - which is the power of God unto salvation - is proclaimed. Over the past three hundred years, Reformed Baptists have been at the forefront of many of the church's global missionary endeavors.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Wider Applications of the Ninth Commandment

Below are my notes from last Lord's Day afternoon's sermon outlining six "wider" applications of the Ninth Commandment forbidding false witness against one's neighbor:

1. It forbids falsehood in our speech generally (lying).

This includes everything from outright lies to exaggeration.

2. It forbids slander.

Slander is malicious speech against our neighbor in order intentionally to ruin his character and reputation.

Some quotes from Thomas Watson:

“The scorpion carries his poison in his tail, the slanderer carries his poison in his tongue.”

“The wounds of the tongue no physician can heal; and to pretend friendship to a man, and slander him is most odious.”

“As it is a sin to raise a false report of another, so it is to receive a false report of another before we have examined it.”

“We must not only not raise a false report, but not take it up. He that raises a slander, carries the devil in his tongue; and he that receives it carries the devil in his ear.”

“The slanderer wounds three at once: he wounds him that is slandered; he wounds him to whom he reports the slander, by causing uncharitable thoughts to arise up in his mind against the party slandered; and he wounds his own soul, by reporting of another what is false.”

He concludes, “You may kill a man in his name as well as in his person.”

3. It forbids even sharing things that might have some truth in them if we do so uncharitably and indiscreetly:

Pink says we violate this commandment “even when we speak the truth, if we speak it unnecessarily and from improper motive.” He quotes John Dick:

“We injure the character of our neighbor when we retail his real faults without any call to divulge them, when we relate them to those who have no right to know them, and when we tell them not to promote any good end but to make him lose his estimation in society.”

4. It also forbids failing to speak up on behalf of a person who is unjustly attacked.

John Dick: “Nay, we transgress this precept when we do not speak at all, for by holding our peace when something is injurious is said of another we tacitly give our assent by concealing what we know to the contrary.”

Watson: “A man may wrong another as well by silence as by slander, when he knows him to be wrongfully accused, yet does not speak in his behalf.”

5. It forbids flattery.

If slander is saying false things negatively about your neighbor, flattery is saying false things positively in order to manipulate or win the good graces of your neighbor.

6. It forbids rumor-mongering, tale bearing, and gossip:

I remember when we were living in Eastern Europe that rumor and gossip were rampant. There was a shampoo being advertised and the rumor was that if you used this shampoo your hair would fall out. It was completely false, but it ruined the sales of the product, and it has to be withdrawn from the market.

Compare:

Leviticus 19:16 'You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.

Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Proverbs 20:19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

Proverbs 26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

JTR

Resource: Spinney Booklets

I recently discovered the series of practical booklets by Robert Spinney, published by TULIP Books and distributed by Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service.  TULIP Books is a ministry of Grace Baptist Church in Hartsville, TN where Spinney, who now teaches at Patrick Henry College, once served as an elder.

Among the titles:

• Looking for God in All the Wrong Places:  An Appeal for Word-Based Corporate Worship
• How to Survive Your Pastor's Sermons:  Six Ways to Make Pulpit Messages More Profitable to Your Soul
• Peeking Into the Devil's Playbook:  Satan's Strategies for Tempting Christians to Sin

The cover picture for How to Survive Your Pastor's Sermons is classic.

You can also read the text for these booklets and other articles for free online at Grace Baptist's website (click here).

JTR

Scenes from Radford Conference

I enjoyed the conference last weekend in Radford sponsored by the Wilderness Road Baptist Assembly. The theme was  "All Things New."  Steve Clevenger was the "bad cop" preaching two messages on Galatians 1:3-5 on "this present evil age," while I got to be the "good cop" preaching two messages from Revelation 21 on the coming new age.

Photo above:  Pastor Steve Clevenger, Covenant Reformed BC; Terry Walters, Wilderness Road Baptist Assembly; and Jeff Riddle, Christ Reformed BC. 

The meeting was held in the public library in Radford.  Here's a park bench just outside.

 Photo:  Conversation before the Saturday evening meeting.

Photo:  Some of the Wilderness Road folk pose after the Saturday meeting.

JTR