Union University: KJV 400: Legacy and Impact

The R. C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at Baptist-related Union University in Jackson, Tennessee will be hosting a conference titled "KJV 400:  Legacy and Impact," September 15-17, 2011.

It looks like a really wonderful idea and includes not only guest plenary speakers (Timothy George, Leland Ryken, and John Woodbridge) but also Union faculty across disciplines (from English to history to music to philosophy to biology) in break-out sessions.  There is also an exhibit of Bibles from a private collection that looks interesting.

Kudos to Union for hosting this event.  Wish I could go!

JTR

Guest Speakers Upcoming at CRBC

We will be blessed to have two special guests at CRBC over the next couple of months:

Sunday, September 11, 2011:  Gordon Taylor, Coordinator, Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America: 

Image:  Gordon and Reyna Taylor

Sunday, October 2, 2011:  Malcolm Watts, Pastor, Emmanuel Church, Salisbury, England and Chairman of the Trinitarian Bible Society:

Image:  Malcolm Watts

Andrew Fuller: "My Lord and Master Requires the Heart"

Last Sunday afternoon I gave a biographical message on The Life and Legacy of Andrew Fuller (1754-1815).  To prepare I re-read the biography of Fuller written by his son, Andrew Gunton Fuller and included in the first volume of Fuller's Collected Works.

There are lots of good anecdotes about Fuller that I did not have time to use on Sunday.  Here's one related to Fuller's fundraising efforts on behalf of the Baptist Missionary Society:

On a certain occasion he [Fuller] called on a pious and benevolent nobleman, who, though a churchman, was friendly to Dissenters, and was generous in his charitable contributions. Having laid before him the operations of mission; his lordship handed him a guinea [a British coin of the era worth about one pound]. Mr. Fuller, observing that it was given with an air of indifference, asked, --“My lord, does this comes from the heart?” “What matter is that?” inquired the nobleman; “suppose it does not come from the heart, it may answer your purpose as well. If you get the money, why should you care whether it come from the heart or not?” “Take it back,” said the man of God, “I cannot take it. My Lord and Master requires the heart.” “Well, give it me back,” said the nobleman, “it did not come from the heart.” He took the guinea, and stepping to his desk, drew a check on his banker for twenty pounds, and handing it to Mr. Fuller, said, “This comes from the heart. I know the principles by which you are governed. I love the Lord Jesus Christ and his cause, and know that no offering is acceptable to him unless it come from the heart.”

--From The Complete Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, Vol I: pp. 67-68.

John MacArthur on YRRs

John MacArthur has started a new series of blog posts directed to the YRR (Young, Restless, and Reformed) crowd.  You can read the first and second posts here.

You can also listen to an audio interview with Phil Johnson on the series.

JTR

Geneva Bible on Romans 10:4: "Christ salveth this disease"

The Geneva Bible, the first Protestant study Bible, note on the phrase "the end of the law" in Romans 10:4:

The end of the law is to justify them that keep the Law:  but seeing we do not observe the Law throught the fault of our flesh, we attain not unto this end but Christ salveth this disease, for he fulfilled the Law for us.

JTR

The Vision (7/28/11): Correspondence

When I checked the CRBC mailbox before church last Sunday morning I found an interesting collection of items. They included:

• A note from a faithful supporter of CRBC in Indiana who sent his regular monthly contribution along with a $500 gift to the SEED fund. What an encouragement!

• A self-published book on Exodus from the author who would like to see the book reviewed in The Reformed Baptist Trumpet.

• A letter from the pastor of the church in Alabama to which we had sent a contribution to help with a family in that congregation affected by the recent tornadoes in that region. The letter reads:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our blessed Savior and King. Thank you so much for your generous offering sent to help those affected by the tornado. We appreciate the sacrifice you have made in sending it, and we will carefully use it for the relief of those in need. The needs are great as the rebuilding has begun.

We covet your prayers for our congregation to be salt and light in our communities where the spiritual devastation is even greater. We are delighted to know of the work in Charlottesville and if we can ever be of assistance, please call upon us.

Pastor Mark L.

• An encouraging letter from a brother in New York state who reads my “stylos” blog:

Dear Pastor:

I want to write you a note and thank you for “Stylos.” I read it regularly and have profited especially from your posts regarding “text criticism”….

Please keep writing, and I’ll keep reading.

Yours in Christ, T.L.

All these reminded me of the vibrancy of Christ’s ministry through our little flock and the privileges we enjoy of serving him together.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Note: There will be no Vision next Thursday, August 4th. The next edition of The Vision will be sent out on Thursday, August 11, 2011.

Sermon of the Week: New Calvinism Considered

This message by British Reformed Baptist Pastor Jeremy Walker, titled New Calvinism Considered, is a charitable but discerning critique of the Neo-evangelical Calvinistic resurgence.  I highly commend it.

Andrew Fuller: "A pulpit is an awful place!"

While serving in his first pastorate at Soham, Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) wrote the following entry in his memoir on February 5, 1781:

A pulpit is an awful place!—An opportunity for addressing a company of immortals on their eternal interests—Oh how important! We preach for eternity. We in a sense are set for the rising and falling of many in Israel. And our own rise or fall is equally therein involved.

Boice's light bulb illustration

In his commentary on Romans 10:3, James Boice uses the following illustration to describe how Paul came to his own righteousness in comparison to the righteousness of Christ (p. 1160):

I have sometimes said it was as if Paul had been considering himself a 100-watt light bulb, surrounded by people who were only 75-, 60-, and 25-watt light bulbs. But, when, Jesus appeared to him, the righteousness of Jesus was like the brightness of the sun. When Paul realized that, he gave up trying to create his own righteousness and instead placed his faith in Jesus, which was the only sensible thing to do.

JTR

Text Note: Romans 10:1

1. The issue:

Is Paul’s prayer “for Israel [huper tou Israel],” as in the traditional text, or “for them [huper auton],” as in the modern critical text?

2. Comparison of English translations (underline added):

Based on the traditional text:

KJV Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Based on the modern critical text:

NASB Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

The unique dynamic equivalent reading of the NIV which follows neither the traditional nor the modern critical text by reading “for the Israelites”:

NIV Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

3. External evidence:

There are three textual variations:

a. The traditional reading (note: which includes the third persons singular of the verb “to be”): huper tou Israel estin

This reading is supported by the vast majority of manuscripts.

b. The modern critical reading: huper auton

This reading is supported by p46, the corrected hand of Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, and Vaticanus.

c. A slight variation on the modern critical reading (including estin): huper auton estin

This reading is supported by the second corrector of Sinaiticus, P, and Psi

4. Internal evidence:

The modern critical text choice seems to have been made purely on the assumption that the manuscripts bearing this reading are oldest and best. The Textual Commentary note on the traditional reading is particularly speculative, as Metzger conjectures that it “may have occurred when this verse was made the beginning of a lesson read in church services (cf. the reference to Israel in 9:31) (p. 524). John Murray is more reasonable in his support of the modern critical reading: “It is easy to understand how in the course of transmission the longer reading would have been substituted for the simple auton in order to make specific the reference which is unquestionably clear from the context” (Romans, Vol. 2, p. 47, n. 1). With all due respect to Murray, however, if the reference in context is “unquestionably clear” it also seems just as likely that one might have abbreviated “for Israel” to “for them.” Paul clearly is fond of explicit reference to Israel in Romans 9-11 (cf. Rom 9:6, 27, 31; 10:19, 21; 11:2, 7, 25, 26). The traditional reading, in fact, sounds very Pauline.

5.  Conclusion:

I see no compelling reason to abandon the traditional text of Romans 10:1.  It reflects a typical Pauline expression, and one can easy see how an effort to abbreviate could have entered into the transmission process.

The Prayer Life of Joseph Alleine

I used this illustration on prayer in yesterday’s sermon on Romans 10:1-4, specifically relating to how Paul’s prayer for Israel should stir us toward zeal in our own prayer life.

The wife of the Puritan minister Joseph Alleine (1634-1668) said this of her husband:

At the time of his health, he did rise constantly at or before four of the clock, and on the Sabbath sooner, if he did wake. He would be much troubled if he heard smiths or shoemakers, or such tradesmen, at work at their trades, before he was in his duties with God: saying to me often, “O how this noise shames me! Doth not my Master deserve more than theirs?” From four till eight he spent in prayer, holy contemplations, and singing of psalms, which he much delighted in, and did daily practice alone, as well as in his family.

--From Richard Baxter, et al., The Life and Letters of Joseph Alleine, as cited in Joel R.Beeke and Brian G. Najapfour, eds., Taking Hold of God (Reformation Heritage, 2011):  p. 225.

The Wedding Dress (new Grace Points devotional)

Here's the script for one our new Grace Points devotionals that will run on local talk radio (AM 1260; FM 107.5) August-September-October, 2011:

Welcome to Grace Points, a ministry of Christ Reformed Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia:

Think of a beautiful, pristine, white wedding dress. Then the woman wearing the dress drops one piece of food from her plate and it hits the dress and leaves a stain. When you look at the dress where is your eye going to go? It’s going to focus on the stain.

Now let’s suppose that this dress represents your righteousness before God. And let’s suppose that in your entire life you’ve only transgressed God’s law a single time. Then consider how the Lord with his perfect standard of holiness would look at that one unsightly stain. Just one sin will ruin a sinner.

Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Christ Reformed meets for worship each Sunday at 10:30 am at the Branchlands Professional Building, 1410 Incarnation Drive. You can also listen to worship services Sundays at 10:30 am on this station. Audio links can be found at christreformedbaptist.org.

The Vision (7/21/11): CRBC Radio Outreach Coming!

We were pleasantly surprised last spring when we ran our one minute “Grace Points” devotional spots on weekday local talk radio (AM 1260; FM 107.5) for 13 weeks. Before the spots ran I kept downplaying our expectations, but in that span the Lord blessed this ministry beyond our imaginings. We had 15 individuals or families visit our worship services who came as a direct result of hearing Grace Points. A couple of them have even stayed around! Doubtless there were many more who heard these devotionals whom we never saw.

Starting in August we are going to be entering a second three month radio campaign. This one will be a little different. We will again be running a new series of one minute Grace Points devotionals but less frequently. We will, however, be broadcasting part of our Sunday morning worship services from 10:30-11:30 am. The radio station will also be running a series of shorter spots to promote our Sunday service broadcast.

Let me ask if you will join us in doing the following:

1. Begin now to pray for those who will hear these broadcasts. It may be that the Lord will again bless us by sending people to visit our services. Pray, however, that these broadcasts will bless those who hear them, even if we never see them at CRBC. The heart of our mission is preaching the gospel and proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ. As the “old path” men were fond of saying, “Duty is ours; success is God’s.”

2. Consider giving an above and beyond offering to the SEED Fund (of any amount) to support this work. We will have an update on the SEED fund in next week’s Vision. In the first month since we announced this challenge the Lord has blessed us by allowing us to reach a little less than half of our $10,000 goal. We will be using these funds to support this broadcast. Pray that our needs are supplied.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Text Notes: Jude 22-23

The text of Jude 22-23 is much disputed. The degree of diversity in the transmission of these verses can be measured by the fact that Metzger devotes no less than three pages to them in his Textual Commentary (pp. 725-727). This is about the same amount of space given to discussion of the pericope adulterae (pp. 219-222)!

What are the issues?

A comparison of English translations, the KJV following the traditional text and the NIV following the modern critical text, will be helpful here (emphasis added):

KJV Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

NIV Jude 1:22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-- hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

We can highlight two major issues:

1. In v. 22 one issue is whether the participle from the verb diakrino (which can mean both “to make a difference” [to discern or to doubt] should be in the nominative form (diakrinomenoi, as it is in the traditional text), thereby modifying the subjects of the imperative verb, have compassion (BTW, which is written in the traditional text as eleeite and in the modern critical text as eleate), or in the accusative form (diakrinomenous, as in the modern critical text), thereby serving as the object of the imperative verb. Are the recipients of the letter to be discerning as they dispense mercy (no KJV) or are they being urged to have compassion on those who doubt (so NIV)?

External evidence divides as one might expect. The modern text is supported by p72 Sinaiticus A and B. The traditional text is supported by K P and the Majority Text. Metzger dismisses the traditional reading as “obviously a secondary development” introduced by copyists to agree with two nominative participles in v. 23 (harpozontes and misountes). The strongest internal evidence for the traditional reading, however, is the fact that Jude is a book that focuses on discernment (cf. v. 3).

2. In v. 23 the issue is whether there is one imperative verb in this verse (“save” sozete; traditional) or two (plus “have mercy” eleate; modern). The external evidence again divides along typical lines. The modern critical reading is supported by Sinaiticus A and B. The traditional reading, however, by the vast majority of extant manuscripts. Metzger concludes that the modern critical text “appears to be superior to any of the other readings.” He does not address, however, the possibility that the eleate in v. 23 was assimilated (either intentionally or by error) from v. 22.

Conclusion:

The texual issues in this verse illustrate the fact that textual concerns in the NT do not have to do with a one or two isolated cases. There are issues that arise in nearly every verse. How do we sort through these issues? Do we receive the traditional text that became the basis of the Reformation era print editions of the Bible in its original languages and the Protestant translations or do we abandon this text for the modern critical one? Jude 22-23 illustrates again that there is no compelling reason to abandon the traditional text and good reason to keep it.

JTR

Sunday in the Colonies

What were worship services like in colonial America?  Here's an excerpt from chapter XV "Sunday in the Colonies" in Alice Morse Earle's Home Life in Colonial Days (Grosset & Dunlap, 1898):

The services were not shortened because the churches were uncomfortable. By the side of the pulpit stood a brass-bound hour glass which was turned by the tithing-man or clerk, but it did not hasten the closing of the sermon. Sermons two or three hours long were customary, and prayers from one to two hours in length. When the first church in Woburn was dedicated, the minister preached a sermon nearly five hours long. A Dutch traveler recorded a prayer four hours long on a Fast Day. Many prayers were two hours long. The doors were closed and watched by a tithing-man, and none could leave even if tired or restless unless with good excuse. The singing of the psalms was tedious and unmusical, just as it was in churches of all denominations both in America and England, at that date. Singing was by ear and very uncertain, and the congregation had no notes, and many had no psalm-books and hence no words. So the psalms were “lined” or “deaconed”; that is, a line was read by the deacon, and then sung by the congregation. Some psalms when lined and sung occupied half an hour, during which the congregation stood. There were but eight or nine tunes in general use, and even those were often sung incorrectly. There were no church organs to help keep the singers together but sometimes pitch pipes were used to set the key. Bass-viols, clarinets, and flutes were played at a later date in meeting to help the singing. Violins were too associated with dance music to be thought decorous for church music. Still the New England churches clung to and loved their poor confused psalm-singing as one of their few delights, and whenever a Puritan, even in road or field, heard the distant sound of a psalm tune, he removed his hat and bowed his head in prayer (pp. 376-378).

Comma or no comma in Ephesians 4:12?

The “New Perspective” on Ephesians 4:11-12:

I was reading Peter Master’s booklet “Your Reasonable Service in the Lord’s Work” (Sword and Trowel, 1987, 2011) encouraging the active involvement in service and ministry of all Christians. I agreed with most of what Masters was promoting. I stumbled, however, on his interpretation of Ephesians 4:11-12 (see pp. 14-15).

Masters takes exception with the punctuation of v. 12 in the AV:

KJV Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

He would remove the first comma in v. 12, so that the first phrase reads, “For the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body.” Removing the comma interprets Paul's point here as meaning not that pastors and teachers themselves are given “for the work of the ministry,” but so that they might equip or perfect the saints to do the work of the ministry.

Masters then states his preference for the NASB rendering, which reflects this interpretation:

NAS Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

The NIV goes even further by rendering the phrase in dynamic equivalence as “to prepare God’s people for works of service”:

NIV Ephesians 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

The ESV also offers a dynamic equivalent spin, rendering v. 12: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

The Message does the same: “…and pastor-teachers to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body…”

The NKJV, as well, removes the comma:

NKJV Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Masters cites William Hendriksen’s commentary on this text to support his position, noting Hendriksen’s argument that Paul’s point is that “the entire church should be involved in spiritual labor.”

So also, the MacArthur Study Bible note on the phrase “for the work of ministry” explains that this refers to “The spiritual service required of every Christian, not just of church leaders (cf. 1 Cor 15:58).”

The ESV Study Bible, likewise, comments on v. 12: “Those church leaders with various gifts (v. 11) are to equip the saints (all Christians) so that they can do the work of ministry. All Christians have spiritual gifts that should be used in ministering to one another (1 Cor. 12:7, 11; 1 Pet. 4;10).”

The “Old Paths” Perspective:

One wonders, however, if the removal of this comma is justified. Is it justified on grammatical grounds or has this been theologically driven? Does its removal reflect a modern, democratic, egalitarian interest in “every member ministry” and even a subtle anti-clericalism? Does the pastor exercise his ministry by training non-ordained persons to minister? Or is he himself given “for the work of ministry”? No doubt if he exercises his ministry of word and prayer the saints will be equipped. Retaining the comma by no means negates the fact that each Christian is to find avenues for appropriate ministry and service at home and in the church. But has adding a comma also added an emphasis that is less in view here? In the Greek of v. 12 there are a series of three prepositional phrases. Pastor and teacher are given “for [pros] the perfecting of the saints, for [eis] the work of ministry, for [eis] the edifying of the body of Christ.” There are certainly grounds for arguing that Paul intended three distinct description of the work of pastors and teacher, rather than just two.

This is the way that the old Protestant commentators took verse 12. Examples:

John Calvin in his commentary on v. 12 exegetes each of the three phrases independently. He takes “for the work of the ministry” as a specific reference to pastoral labors, adding, “Paul asserts that a ministry is required, because such is the will of God.”

The Geneva Bible, like the AV, includes the comma in v. 12: “For the repairing of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ.” The note stresses that the verse shows “the end of Ecclesiastical function” as aiming for the unity of the church.

Matthew Henry comments on all three phrases noting that “for the work of the ministry” might be rendered “for the work of dispensation; that is, that they might dispense the doctrines of the gospel, and successfully discharge the several parts of their ministerial function.” Thus, he sees this phrase as relating directly to the pastors and teachers and not the saints in general.

Matthew Poole, likewise, takes “for the work of the ministry” as a reference to the minister’s work in particular. It is “for the work of dispensation, i. e., for dispensing the word, and all those ordinances which it pertains to them to dispense; and so it implies their whole work.” He even suggests that the middle phrase might be transferred to the front of the verse in meaning so that the work of the ministry is the perfecting of the saints and edifying the body of Christ “both in bringing in new members to it, and strengthening those that are brought in already, in faith and holiness.”

Conclusion:

So, we see a divide between the old Protestant translations and commentators and the new. The old include the comma and thereby see the reference to “the work of the ministry” as the word and sacrament ministry of the pastor. The new take away the comma and see “for the work of the ministry” as referring to equipping given to all saints. Masters, a conservative Baptist, sides with the new interpretation. As for me, I find that the old is better.

JTR

July Garden Produce

Tomatoes ripening in the window.

I love reaching the point in the summer when you actually begin to harvest, preserve, and eat the things you've grown.

Tomatoes still on the vine.

Cherry tomatoes.

Pepper Plants

Close-up of bell peppers

Cantaloupes

Llewellyn has been pickling and canning our cucumbers.

"Ye are gods": Jesus' quotation of Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34

We studied John 10:22-42 in our mid-week study at CRBC this week. We spent some time pondering the meaning of Jesus’ quotation of Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?”

In context, we noted Jesus’ declaration of his identity with the Father: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). His Jewish opponents certainly took this statement to be blasphemous, taking up stones to stone him (vv. 31, 33; cf. 8:59). The problem they told him was, “that thou, being a man, makest thyself God” (v. 33; cf. 5:18).

Then comes the statement in v. 34. What does Jesus mean by this quotation? How could the monotheistic OT have a statement about “gods”? Why would Jesu make use of it?

First, we need to read all of Psalm 82. It is a Psalm of Asaph. It begins, “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty (el); he judgeth among the gods (elohim).” In context the psalm denounces mighty men who serve as judges in Israel but who pervert justice (v. 2). They are exhorted to defend the poor and fatherless (v. 3). Then, in v. 6 Asaph repeats, “I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are the children of the most High.” He then reminds them that they shall die like men (v. 7). And he calls on God to arise and rightly judge the earth (v. 8). Was Asaph saying that these men were gods? That God is one god among many gods? NO! The cornerstone of Israel’s confession is that there is but one true God (Deut 6:4-5). Asaph is using the term ironically. These unjust judges use their authority corruptly. They have taken god-like power to themselves and used it to abuse the weak.

Now, going back to John 10:34, we can better understand how Jesus uses the quotation. He explains:

35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Did Jesus promote polytheism? Did he believe in many gods (theoi) and that he was one among many? Certainly not! He and the Father are one (v. 30). He is drawing an analogy from the lesser to the greater. If Asaph could call some men who were corrupt judges in his day “the mighty” and “gods,” how much more can righteous Jesus rightly take to himself the title of “the son of God” (v. 36)! The Scripture cannot be broken (luthenai from luo: loosed, destroyed, unraveled, undone; v. 35).

JTR

The Vision (7/14/11): Five Suggestions for Prayer Meetings

The last few Wednesday evenings in our CRBC midweek meeting I have been reading some excerpts from Peter Master’s booklet “The Power of Prayer Meetings” (Sword and Trowel, 1995, 2011) before our corporate prayer time.

At the close of the booklet, Masters shares five practical suggestions for prayer meetings under the heading “How should we pray?” Here are some notes:

1. We should pray with great feeling and earnestness.

2. We should use direct and plain language.

Our language should be straightforward and not a grand, florid production. On a practical level, in large corporate gatherings it might be good to stand while praying in order to be well heard.

3. There should be many contributors in the church prayer meeting.

Masters encourages as many as possible to pray audibly in the prayer meeting. If the average spoken prayer is about three minutes, then in a 40 minute prayer meeting about 12-15 people might voice public prayers. This means participants should avoid overly long prayers in order to give others the opportunity to pray. Prayers for more “pastoral” concerns should be given by more mature members. Participants are encouraged to come prepared to pray and to be bold in prayer, helping the prayer season to be continuous, without long gaps of silence.

4. Public prayer should be addressed to the Father.

Masters teaches that corporate prayer should be addressed to God the Father. This is the example of Jesus in the “pattern prayer” (the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9). He also encourages public prayers to end with “in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior” or some variation on this.

5. All should join in the loud “Amen.”

Finally, Masters encourages all participants in the prayer meeting to join with the one praying in saying “Amen” at the close of each public prayer. Again, Jesus closed the “pattern prayer” with “Amen” (Matthew 6:13; cf. 1 Chronicles 16:36; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6; 1 Corinthians 14:16).

Let us have the same spirit as the first disciples when they asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to prayer” (Luke 11:1).

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Owen Quotes on the Duty of Pastors

Gleanings from chapter five: “The especial duty of pastors of churches” in John Owen’s The True Nature of a Gospel Church and Its Government, Collected Works, Vol. 16 (pp. 74-96):

The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the word (p. 74).

But a man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul (p. 76).

If the word do not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us. And no man lives in a more woeful condition than those who really believe not themselves what they persuade others to believe continually (p. 76).

To preach the word, therefore, and not to follow it with constant and fervent prayer for its success, is to disbelieve its use, neglect its end, and to cast away the seed of the gospel at random (p. 78).

Men cannot preserve that for others which they are ignorant of themselves. Truth may be lost by weakness as well as by wickedness (p. 82).

Vain curiosity, boldness in conjectures, and readiness to vent their own conceits, have caused no small trouble and damage unto the church (p. 82).

Men may and do oftentimes prejudice, yea, betray the truth, by the weakness of their pleas for it (p. 82).

The ordinary means of conversion is left unto the church, and its duty it is to attend unto; yea, one of the principal ends of the institution and preservation of churches is the conversion of souls, and when there are no more to be converted, there shall be no more church on the earth (p. 83).

JTR