J.I. Packer has a section in Knowing God dedicated to the same issue. You can read the section on images of Christ here .

HT: Alex Brown

1. Puritan exegetes…do not bring to the Bible the pervasive sense of difference and distance between cultures and epochs that is so much part of today’s mind-set; nor do they bring with them the imaginative ideas of religious evolution that cripple so many modern biblical scholars and corrupt so much of their expository work. Instead of feeling distant from biblical characters and their experiences because of the number of centuries between them, the Puritans felt kinship with them because they belonged to the same human race, faced, fear, and fellowshipped with the same unchanging God, and struggled with essentially the same spiritual problems.

2. Puritan grammatical-historical exegesis of texts, though often naively expressed, is remarkably competent, as any knowledgeable reader of Matthew Henry’s great expository commentary on the whole Bible will soon see.

3. Puritans exegeted Scripture in order to apply it, and as application was the focus of their concern so it was the area of their special strength…

The Church That Christ Builds

The Church That Christ Builds

When we come to the New Testament we see that God’s people need the greater than Solomon, who is Himself the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1). We need one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We need Him to rule us with His saving grace and wisdom. He is the one who fulfills the promise to Abraham and who rules the true descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:9; 29) with His wisdom. In Him a people from every tongue, tribe, nation and language are redeemed (Rev. 5:9). We need the seed of Abraham and the greater Solomon to redeem us and rule us with His wisdom. But we also need the wisdom that Christ provides. This is why James writes: “If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach. But let him ask in faith with no doubting…” We are to come to the greater than Solomon so that we also may receive wisdom and understanding. Our God will give us largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore if we ask for it as Solomon did. Ministers especially need to ask for wisdom since they have been called to watch over, and care for, the people of God. Oh that the Lord would grow his flock and give his shepherds wise and understanding hearts.

Chapter 2 : Faith not Works

Chapter 3 : Promise (Gospel) not Law

Chapter 4 : Sons not Slaves

Chapters 5 and 6 : Spirit not Flesh

The logical connection between these contrasting principles forms the basis for the argument of the epistle. If one is to be justified (accepted by God as righteous) it must be by faith, not by works. The reason for this is the difference between the promise and the law. Once someone has been justified by faith he has been adopted into God’s family–he is a son of God, not a slave. The freedom that we have by faith in Christ, that makes us sons, is not a freedom to live in the flesh (i.e. the sinful, natural, unconverted lifestyle). We are given the Spirit when we believe and we are called to walk in the Spirit. Chapter 5 is most properly a discourse on the agency and nature of sanctification. If we are in the Spirit our lives will reflect “faith working through love.” The context is not about how we are accepted by God, but how we live once we have been given the liberty of the sons of God. Understanding the contrasting principles of Galatians is the most important thing we can know.

The Preeminence of Christ (Joshua Harris)

Christ’s Incarnation (D.A. Carson)

Christ’s Life (Kevin DeYoung)

Christ’s Death (C.J. Mahaney)

Christ’s Resurrection (Sinclair Ferguson)

Christ’s Return (Sinclair Ferguson)

HT: Justin Taylor

His Sufficient Word – 2 Tim. 3

His Eternal Election - Ephesians 1

His Transforming Spirit - Romans 8

HT: Iain Campbell

Lane Tipton “The Theological Contributions of Richard Gaffin”
Lane Keister “The Federal Vision”
Gary Johnson Reforming or Conforming
Drew Dinardo Reformed Church Growth
Mark Garcia Union with Christ and Two-Fold Grace
R. Scott Clark Recovering the Reformed Confessions
J. Ligon Duncan The Westminster Confession into the 21st Century
Derek Thomas “The Pastor and the Academy”
Rick Phillips “Cultural Relevance, Mercy Ministry and the Social Gospel”
Jeff Jue “The Eschatology of the Westminster Divines”
D.G. Hart “J. Gresham Machen”
Martin Downes “The Emergent Church and Cultural Captivity”
Greg Reynolds “Preaching in an Electronic Age”
David Hall “The Calvin Quincentenary”
Scott Oliphant The Defense of the Faith
Ron Gleason Herman Bavinck
John Fesko The Reformed Doctrine of Justification
John Carrick The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards
Russel Moore Christ’s Kingdom: Gospel Priorities and Politics
John Muether Cornelius Van Til: A Life
Carl Trueman “A Brief History of Trinitarian Thought”
Stephen J. Nichols Getting the Blues
James White Apologetics and Islam
Peter Lillback Calvin and the Development of Covenant Theology
Phillip G. Ryken Thomas Boston: Preacher of the Fourfold State
D.G. Hart Deconstructing Evangelicalism
Stephen J. Nichols Jesus Made in America
Lane Tipton Van Til’s Trinitarian Theology
Highlights from 2008
Jim Cassidy Reformed Catechesis and the Ordinary Means of Grace
Vern Poythress Redeeming Science
William Dennison The Young Bultmann
G.K. Beale The Erosion of Inerrancy
Dave Garner The Eschatology of Adoption
Cornelius P. Venema Peadocommunion
Richard B. Gaffin Sanctification and the Gospel
Guy Waters N.T. Wright’s Doctrine of Justification #1
Guy Waters N.T. Wright’s Doctrine of Justification #2
T. David Gordon Why Johnny Can’t Preach
Michael Haykin The Church Fathers
James T. O’Brien Puritan Theology
Danny Olinger Geerhardus Vos
R. Fowler White and Keith Mathison The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
Michael Horton Christless Christianity
Douglas Kelly Systematic Theology: vol. 1 The Holy Trinity
Iain D. Campbell “The Song of David’s Son”
Jon D. Payne In the Splendor of Holiness
Eric J. Alexander A Life in the Preaching Ministry

Upcoming Conference speakers include Paul Jones, Joel Beeke, and Carl Trueman. Jones will be speaking on “The Music of the Protestant Reformation” in 2009. Dr. Beeke will be lecturing on “The Dutch Reformation” in 2010; and Dr. Trueman will focus on”The English Reformation.”

This really is a well thought out Conference. There are not many Conferences that focus on a nation by nation contribution to the Reformation. If you are not familiar with Dr. Jon Payne, I want to encourage you to look out for the forthcoming Christ the Center episode where I talk with Jon about Reformed Worship. Jon has authored two books : John Owen on the Lord’s Supper and In the Splendor of Holiness .

You can find more sermons I preached over the past two years at Sermon Audio, Monergism, and the New Covenant Presbyterian Church Website. If you know people in the Savannah area who are looking for a church home please direct them to these links and the New Covenant website.

If you will be traveling at the time of the conference, you can still listen to this live web cast or other GPTS recorded sermons using your smart phone. If your cell phone has a web browser, try out our new Mobile pages at http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://mobile.gpts.edu . The mobile website also contains sermons by faculty members as well as maps to the seminary and the conference site that can be downloaded onto most smart phones.

Matthew opens with the words: “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Why only mention David and Abraham? Simply put, they were the two Israelitish covenant heads who were organically related to Christ. Jesus did not come from Moses’ seed, but he did come from Abraham and David. Note also the way that Matthew mentions David first, then Abraham. As the genealogy unfolds he starts with Abraham, moves to David, goes through the exile and finally comes to the fulfillment of the promises. This structure sets the grid for understanding Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew could have chosen to take the genealogy back to Noah and Adam (as Luke chooses to do) but it appears that he wanted to stop at Abraham to explain the Israel/Christ typology. This is further developed by the reference to Hosea 11:2 in Matthew 2, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Then by the baptism, the temptation in the wilderness, the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the multitudes, the references to David and Solomon, the pronouncement of ‘woes’ on the leaders of Israel, and His death on the cross (i.e. the great exile).

In summary, Jesus, the Son of Abraham, is therefore the true Israel. He go does down into Egypt, come up from Egypt, passes through the waters (see 1 Cor. 10:1-2 for a reference to the crossing of the sea as baptism), goes into the wilderness, goes up on the mountain to deliver the law, miraculously multiplies bread from heaven, parallels the life of David and his mighty men when he walks through the grain fields on the Sabbath with His disciples, parallels the life of Solomon with His wisdom and His entry into Jerusalem on a lowly animal, parallels the ministry of the prophets by pronouncing ‘woes’ on the rulers of Israel, and is finally cut off (i.e. exiled)from the land of the living, at the cross, on account of disobedience–i.e. He is made a curse because of the disobedience of His people.

This is some of the strongest evidence that Jesus was the true Israel, God’s Son who obeyed in every way that Israel disobeyed, and who, by His obedience merited the blessings that Israel forfeited by its disobedience. I would also suggest that Matthew’s purpose, as so many have argued, was not to write to a Jewish audience so as to win them to faith in Christ, but it was to show that Jesus is the true Israel. Now, I know that some may disagree with this and may chalk it up to being something fanciful or allegorical, but the evidence is there, and unless it can be clearly refuted ought to be given serious attention.

In our last few posts we’ve been plowing through Bavinck’s analysis of original sin and what was lost by the fall. Human beings did not become ‘sub’ creatures after breaking the covenant or works, but something changed. The original relationship and integrity with God was destroyed when sin took advantage of the commandment. Here is a brief look at Bavinck’s analysis of the nature of sin in what he describes as ‘mystery in variety’.

Sin is not mere heredity, explains Bavinck, it is universal and cannot be summed up in one type of transgression. From a host of scriptural examples, everyone from Augustine to the scholastics argued that the first sin of humans was ‘pride’ or ‘disobedience’ (Rom. 5:9). Protestants emphasize doubt and unbelief occasioned in Eve’s trial. Bavinck asks; was it really one thing or another? Original sin contained within itself a whole variety from disobedience, to self-elevation, pride, homicide, theft, covetousness. It triggered in a range of emotions, feelings and thoughts within the intellect, will, and body. We might say that sin is similar to reading: it takes the whole person to do it. One of the great mysteries of sin is how it is imputed through Adam. Sin is not a physical substance; if it were then it would have been positively created by God and, “[sin] has no efficient but only a deficient cause” (Augustine). Supposing sin is like to a disease or disposition that is ‘handed down’ merely describes symptoms and characteristics; the essence is more elusive.

Whatever it is, sin initiated and continued separation from God. It breaks the health of relationships: Adam blamed Eve, Cain killed Abel, and the world crucified Christ. It is grace, says Bavinck, that after the fall humanity still retained the consciousness that things ought to be different. There is a notion that human beings should conform to the law of God but the reality of that desire is the reverse. The conscience is not the consciousness of communion with God, but rather the “subjective proof” it has been broken. Here we are confronted with a grave dilemma: is the silence of conscience peace or separation ? Bavinck argues the more the conscience functions (develops) and is articulated the more it validates the scriptural view of humanity (Rom. 2:14-16).

Bavinck has presented a very weighty matter for consideration. He has a strong case and quite a command of the data …but … what? Some have put forward that Bavinck’s view of God’s law is much more positivistic than Calvin intended (Helm). A comparison between Bavinck’s treatment of universal guilt (the outset of chapter 3) and Calvin’s (especially Ins . Bks. I. xvi & II.vii) views on providence and natural law indicates the parting nuance. The perspective here is not ‘should I lose sleep over this?’ but rather, ‘I should study this when I can’t sleep.’

So it is, as we approach the New Testament revelation that we find a shift in focus, not away from the Person and work of Christ, but on the fulfillment of that work, and the fruit that flows from His death and resurrection. This is naturally coupled with the prospect of the consummation of that work in His second coming. It is these two architectonic events that structure the New Testament, even as they were alluded to in the Old; and it is these two events that structure the book of Revelation. Everything that occurs within this book–all the people, places and events–find their meaning in regard to these advents. So, it is the theme of the book that John has in mind when he writes:

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

The saving work of Christ crucified is the ground for what John sees, concerning the people of God, in his vision. In Revelation 7:9-10 we read, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

It is the Lamb–the One who was slain and who redeemed a people to God with His blood–who is the focus of the entire heavenly vision. The title “the Lamb” binds together in unbreakable unity the Person of Christ and His saving work at Calvary. It is on account of His shed blood that sinful men and women, boys and girls, are made worthy to stand before the throne of the thrice Holy God. This theme reoccurs throughout the book and differentiates the righteous from the wicked. Even when the righteous are spoken of in regard to their spiritual purity–denoted by the most felicitous term “virgins” (as is the case in Rev. 14:4)–they are said to be “the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes,” and who “were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” The death of Christ makes ALL the difference for all the people of God. The blood that He shed is efficacious blood, in that it secured eternal life and happiness for all for whom it was shed.

But, the saving work of Christ is incomplete, if I may say it reverently, without His return to bring about the full fruition of that atoning death. The Christ who died, is also the Christ who is risen. The Christ who is risen is the Christ who is ascended on High. And the Christ who ascended is the Christ who will one day come again in glory to bring about the full redemption accomplished by His death. This is the great hope of all the saints who are suffering tribulation in this present age.

We must always keep the Person and work of Christ before our minds. We must ever remember that it is His saving work, in all of its fulfness, accomplished in His first and second coming that structures redemptive history; and it is this that gives us the master key to unlock the mystery of the Apocalypse. Let him who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Nursing Home ministry is a responsibility and privilege that is often overlooked by the church. I think there are a several reasons for this. First, you will never grow a church by ministering in a Nursing Home. You will never get a sudden surge of people into the church pews (or cushion seats if you are more cutting edge) by focusing on Nursing Home Ministry. Your church will not visibly grow, but Jesus’ church will. I imagine that there have been many elderly men and women who have come to saving faith on account of some loving child of God coming into a Nursing Home, or Assisted Living Center, and spreading the love and the word of Christ. The fields are rip for harvest in a Nursing Home.

Another reason Nursing Home/Assisted Living ministry has not received greater emphasis is on account of the fact that it takes a great deal of commitment and care. Most of us, if we are honest, do not want to commit to or care about things like ministering to needy, sick and dying people. Sadly, I know that this is true in my own life.

The final reason nursing home ministry is not carried out more frequently is on account of the lack of training. It takes a great deal of training to understand how to ministry to needy people. It can often be difficult, because of our lack of knowledge. We cannot lay all the blame on the first two reasons. It is on account of this that David Apple and I brought Ed Verbeke, former chaplain of the RPCNA Retirement Home, to Tenth to do a one day training seminar. Ed is a dear friend, who preached at Anna and my wedding. Ed has "Brittle Bone Disease" and has been the subject of care and need for most of his life. Despite (or perhaps on account of ) this malady, Ed is one of the most productive Christians I know. The grace of God, working through Ed’s own needs, has enabled him to care for and serve those who are needy. Ed has a unique gift in ministering to the elderly and shut-ins. I think you will find that this seminar contains some of the best training for Nursing Home Ministry available. You can find the videos here .

You can also find a Nursing Home manual, written by Tom McCormick, posted below the videos. Tom has served in Nursing Home ministry for many years and had his introduction to it through Dr. Skilton.

We like to think of the double crucifixion, envisaged here, in theatrical terms. There stand the world, and there stand I, and between us stands the cross. Viewed from the world’s side I am crossed out, because branded with that hateful cross the world has no time for me. Viewed from my side the world is crossed out, for through my faith in Christ’s death I have also died to the world; so that I and the world are agreed on one thing, and one only; that through Christ we have equally and mutually no time for each other.