Feeding on Christ » Christology http://feedingonchrist.com Reformed theological resources Mon, 21 May 2012 00:59:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 The Astonishment of Jesus http://feedingonchrist.com/the-astonishment-of-jesus/ http://feedingonchrist.com/the-astonishment-of-jesus/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:47:23 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://feedingonchrist.com/?p=4187 Read more→]]> It is not often that we think about the way in which the sinless God-Man–living in the world that He and His Father had created, and yet, living among fallen mankind–was affected by His surroundings. The Scriptures speak of Christ’s astonishment at the unbelief and the faith of the men He had made–in response to His claims about Himself. William Law, in his though-provoking little book The Emotions of Jesus, offers some meditations on the astonishment of Jesus in His earthly ministry. Law noted:

Though little is directly reported of it in the Gospels, this also belonged to the perfection of our Lord Jesus. No one has ever lived in such a marvelous world as He, to whom “the glory in the grass and splendor in the flower ” continually revealed the diviner miracle of a Heavenly Father’s munificent love and care. No one ever felt as He did the wonder of God—the infinite majesty and the infinite tenderness, the infinite purity and infinite forgiveness of God. No one has ever felt as He did the wonder of man, of the human soul with its heights and depths, its heroisms of love and loyalty, virtue and self-sacrifice, its marvels too of baseness and ingratitude—the amazingness of sin.

Yet it was not the virtues or the vices of men that most excited the wonder of Jesus. What He is expressly said to have shown Himself astonished at was their faith and unbelief.1 When He came to His own and His own received Him not, He was stirred out of His habitual calm. He was not taken by surprise. He recognized that His was the common experience of God’s messengers: “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and among his own kin.” Still, He marveled at it. Such blindness, such perversity is really amazing, nor does it become less so by repetition. And when He came to those to whom He was a stranger, like a Roman centurion or a woman of Canaan, and they showed a penetrating insight into His character, and received Him with prompt welcome and vigorous faith, again He marveled. If. was wonderful that they whose faith had such distances to travel and such obstacles to surmount should unerringly find their way to Him—a thing to think upon with wondering thankfulness.

The instance of faith which specially excited His wonder and admiration was that of a Roman officer, who, when he sought from Jesus the healing of a favorite slave, expressed his conviction that Jesus could bring this about from the spot where He was standing as easily as by His actual presence at the sick-bed. “For I myself,” he says, “am a man of subordinate rank, owing obedience to my superiors; and I again have under me soldiers, and when I say to one, Go, he goes; and to another, Come, he comes; and to my servant, Do this, he does it” And he is sure that Jesus in the region of His activity is vested with an authority no less efficacious and far-reaching. If at the word of a centurion the well-drilled cohort moved like a piece of perfect mechanism, at the word of Jesus the legions of heaven, the angels of healing, will instantly obey. It was at this Jesus marveled. He had never before found faith like this, so swift yet so sure, flying like an arrow to the heart of truth. He had not found it in His own disciples; He had not found it in all Israel, not in a single representative of a nation whose history was shot through with religious ideas and hopes. It was reserved for this Gentile, this mere hanger-on to the skirts of the Chosen People, to form this original and daring conception of Christ’s power, to see under the humble exterior of the Prophet of Nazareth the great Commander of the invisible powers of the Kingdom of God, and to set on His head the Messiah’s crown.

It is evident that the element of unexpectedness entered into this wonder of Jesus. To find such faith in such a quarter was to come upon an Elim in an arid wilderness. The centurion was a pioneer soul, who followed no man’s lead, but made a path in which others should follow. The story of every mission field has to tell of such pioneer souls; everywhere, indeed, they are the makers of history in the Kingdom of God. Yet our Lord’s wonder is not merely the wonder of surprise; it is the deeper wonder of admiration. Such faith as the centurion’s is wonderful in itself, not merely because of its exceptional circumstances. There is something marvelous in all religious faith. So marvelous is it that to Jesus it once seemed a question worth asking, whether at His coming He should find faith in the earth. We think it wonderful if any man is an infidel, whereas really it is much more marvelous that any man is a believer. Just as we esteem it strange if any one is dumb, or lacks any of his senses, or is an idiot, whereas the true marvel is not dumbness but speech, not idiocy but intelligence; so, I say, the most wonderful thing about the human soul is not its worldliness, its atheism, but is its persistent and unconquerable faith in God and the spiritual world.

1 Wickedness has its marvels as well as goodness; unbelief as well as faith.

 

Nicholas T. Batzig is the organizing pastor/church planter of New Covenant Presbyterian Church, a PCA church in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/the-astonishment-of-jesus/feed/ 0 Enjoying The Son of Man http://feedingonchrist.com/enjoying-the-son-of-man/ http://feedingonchrist.com/enjoying-the-son-of-man/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:30:56 +0000 Michael Dewalt http://www.feedingonchrist.com/?p=3024 Read more→]]> John 1:51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 3:13-15 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Christ referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” so that He could relate with man. For the believer this is to be seen, as Christ showed Himself fully as the Man who would redeem mankind.

Jesus Christ referred to Himself with this title, “Son of Man,” very often. The way that Christ used it is of importance to understanding why He did so, and how it relates to mankind – particularly believers. A title such as “Son of Man” would have never been used by anyone at His time; so in using it, Christ showed His pre-eminence above all mankind in being The Man. It is important to make mention that the only instance of an individual making this claim in the New Testament besides Christ Himself, is in Acts 7:56 where Stephen says, “‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” One often wonders here at Jesus Christ Himself when He stated in Luke 12:8, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.” Stephen would have known these words of Christ to the Sanhedrin. It is a wonderful picture that he would have went home to, seeing Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God in the heavens.

For the believer it is significant to see how Christ made this claim, and in what senses it related to the believers of His day, and for the believer today. First, this claim was always and only used to refer to Himself. When Christ uses the term “Son of Man,” it is often used to mean “I” so that He could relate with the culture of the time. An example of this is found in Luke 9:35, where Christ says to His disciples, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”

Another way that Christ used this term was in emphasizing the importance of His full humanity, in that He would have to suffer and be put to death. The term “Son of Man,” used by the former Prophets speaking to the suffering aspect of the Messiah, was commonly used, but may not have been fully understood by the disciples at this time. Here Jesus Christ reveals exactly what it means: that the Son of Man would suffer – when in Mark 8:31 He states, “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Such a claim would have brought much enlightenment to the disciples in what was about to happen in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Lastly, the way in which Christ referred to Himself by the term “Son of Man” was a claim to authority that He had upon creation, showing His superiority over all things, and being the absolute truth. The Son of Man had full domain over all things, unlike common mankind. This term, then, was to show that Christ is The Man, over all things.

How great to see how important it is for Christ to reveal Himself to mankind, so that He could save mankind. The fact that Jesus Christ claimed Himself as one like mankind shows us the relationship that He had with His disciples, and has with His fellow brethren. The believer can boast in the fact that this title shows that He came to fulfill the scriptures in that the Son of Man was to suffer for them. To boast in the One who not only made a way to relate with the believer and suffer for the believer, but also to relate Himself like that of man, gives more of a reality to the suffering that He truly took on for His people. As believers, we must boast in the truth that Christ lowered Himself to be called “Son of Man.” But moreover, boast in The Man who is to be lifted high among all men for His suffering; and given dominion over all things, and is to be praised and thanked.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/enjoying-the-son-of-man/feed/ 1 Top 15 Books on the Cross http://feedingonchrist.com/top-15-books-on-the-cross/ http://feedingonchrist.com/top-15-books-on-the-cross/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:45:57 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/06/03/top-15-books-on-the-cross/ Read more→]]> For quite a while now I have wanted to publish a list of what I believe to be the 15 most beneficial books on the cross. This list does not include all of the various Systematic Theologies, such as Calvin’s Institutes, which include sections on Christology or the atonement. There are, of course, many Puritan works that deal with the atonement and the Person and work of Christ. This is a list of the particular individual volumes I have benefited from most:

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15

Editors Note: I am ashamed to admit that I forgot about this book. Thanks to Josh Walker for making me painfully aware of this unbelievable oversight. So I guess its top 16 now!

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/top-15-books-on-the-cross/feed/ 9 Vern Poythress Audio http://feedingonchrist.com/vern-poythress-audio/ http://feedingonchrist.com/vern-poythress-audio/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:35:57 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/06/01/vern-poythress-audio/ Read more→]]> Thanks to James Grant for pointing out these lectures. You will find numerous class lectures, lectures on books of the Bible and Sunday School lessons there. The Sunday school lectures look particularly interesting. I think you will find Dr. Poythress to be a brilliant theological with many thoughts that will help set you off on deeper theological investigation.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/vern-poythress-audio/feed/ 0 Calvin on Romans 2:13 http://feedingonchrist.com/a-response-to-mark-jones-critique-of-rick-phillips-pn-justification-according-to-works/ http://feedingonchrist.com/a-response-to-mark-jones-critique-of-rick-phillips-pn-justification-according-to-works/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 18:28:03 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/05/30/a-response-to-mark-jones-critique-of-rick-phillips-pn-justification-according-to-works/ Read more→]]> I have edited this post from it’s original form. I want to be exceedingly careful in what I say about subjects in which I have a formed opinion, but that need to be refined through more study. I hope that this quote from Calvin on Romans 2:13 will suffice as an explanation of my defense of Rick Phillip’s interpretation of it here. Commenting on Romans 2:13, Calvin wrote:

For the hearers of the law, etc. This anticipates an objection which the Jews might have adduced. As they had heard that the law was the rule of righteousness, (Deuteronomy 4:1 ) they gloried in the mere knowledge of it: to obviate this mistake, he declares that the hearing of the law or any knowledge of it is of no such consequence, that any one should on that account lay claim to righteousness, but that works must be produced, according to this saying, “He who will do these shall live in them.” The import then of this verse is the following, — “That if righteousness be sought from the law, the law must be fulfilled; for the righteousness of the law consists in the perfection of works.” They who pervert this passage for the purpose of building up justification by works, deserve most fully to be laughed at even by children. It is therefore improper and beyond what is needful, to introduce here a long discussion on the subject, with the view of exposing so futile a sophistry: for the Apostle only urges here on the Jews what he had mentioned, the decision of the law, — That by the law they could not be justified, except they fulfilled the law, that if they transgressed it, a curse was instantly pronounced on them. Now we do not deny but that perfect righteousness is prescribed in the law: but as all are convicted of transgression, we say that another righteousness must be sought. Still more, we can prove from this passage that no one is justified by works; for if they alone are justified by the law who fulfill the law, it follows that no one is justified; for no one can be found who can boast of having fulfilled the law.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/a-response-to-mark-jones-critique-of-rick-phillips-pn-justification-according-to-works/feed/ 4 The Contrasting Principles of Galatians http://feedingonchrist.com/the-contrasting-principles-of-galatians/ http://feedingonchrist.com/the-contrasting-principles-of-galatians/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 13:40:51 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/05/30/the-contrasting-principles-of-galatians/ Read more→]]> There is an interesting structure to the book of Galatians. Paul is, of course, writing this letter because of the threat of the Judaizers who came in to spy out the liberty of the Christians. The Judaizers were saying that one needed Christ and law-keeping (as represented by circumcision) to be accepted by God. The apostle Paul, as you well know, would not tolerate this perversion of the Gospel for even one minute. Therefore, in his defense of the Gospel and it implications he draws several contrasts. They are as follows:

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.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/the-contrasting-principles-of-galatians/feed/ 1 2009 Next Conference Audio http://feedingonchrist.com/2009-next-conference-audio/ http://feedingonchrist.com/2009-next-conference-audio/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 19:11:07 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/05/27/2009-next-conference-audio/ Read more→]]> Here is the audio from the 2009 Next Conference :

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

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/2009-next-conference-audio/feed/ 0 On the Nature and Necessity of Proof-Texting http://feedingonchrist.com/on-the-nature-and-necessity-of-proof-texting/ http://feedingonchrist.com/on-the-nature-and-necessity-of-proof-texting/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 14:44:45 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/05/22/on-the-nature-and-necessity-of-proof-texting/ Read more→]]> I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone in the church warn against proof texting. Proof-texting, of course, is that method of defending theological truth by means of appeal to one particular verse of the Bible. I readily admit that often proof-texting is abused and used to draw faulty conclusions. This is most evident in the false teaching of the cults and heretical sects of Christianity–specifically with regard to their doctrine of God, Christ, man and salvation. Within orthodox Christianity, it is seen in the realm of eschatology and ecclesiology.

But is all proof-texting wrong? I wonder if there hasn’t been an over reaction to the abhorrent theology of the cults and sects, and to the aberrations of sound theology in the dispensationalist and postmillennial camps of Christendom. Everyone practices proof-texting of some kind, and it is entirely right to do so. The Apostle Paul did it relentlessly. One only has to consider his method of defending justification by faith alone in Galatians 3, or his explanation of individual, eternal election in Romans 9, or his eschatology in 1 Corinthians 15. In fact, it could be argued that Paul defends every doctrine of Scripture by proof-texting from the Old Testament. The use of the OT in the NT is a systematic application of contextual proof-texting. So what is the principle that needs to be established before we can practice a biblical proof-texting? This answers to this question could fill, and have filled, volumes. It seems, however, that a very basic answer can be given based on discussions of exegesis being governed by systematic and biblical theology.

The relationship between these three theological approaches (or ‘sciences’ as they are so commonly called) has formed the basis for endless discussions in our day. In the spirit of brevity I would simply like to focus on Paul’s proof-texting in Galatians 3.:1-14. There are no less than six direct proof-texts that Paul brings forth in his defense of justification “by faith” not “by the law.” The first is a reference to the example of the justification of Abraham (Gal. 3:6) from Genesis 15:6: “just as Abraham ‘believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. ” (NOTE: Justification is not simply “table fellowship” as some have surmised because Abraham is not sitting at the table with anyone but God). The second is also from the Abraham narrative (Gal. 3:8), specifically from Gen. 12:3, and relates to the Gospel in the OT: “the Scriptures forseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preached the Gospel to Abraham beforehand saying ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed .” The third is in the context of the requirement of the law (Gal. 3:10) given to Israel in Deuteronomy 27:26 : “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them .” The fourth is a declaration about the nature of faith as the instrument, or means, of righteousness (Gal 3:11), and is taken from Habakkuk 2:4: “The just shall live by faith .” The fifth is a contrasting statement about the nature of the law, as a means of life, (Gal. 3:12) from Leviticus 18:5: “The man who does them shall live by them .” The sixth, and final proof-text in this section (Gal. 3:13), is part of a verse from Deut. 21:23, describing the nature of the curse of the law and the public manifestation of the curse: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree .”

It would be impossible, in this short post, to deal adequately with all the intricacies and exegetical issues surrounding each of these OT verses in their NT context. But the issue of context (i.e. specifically theological context) is the major issue that must be discussed. Paul does not proof-text at random, with no coherent relationship to a theological grid or system. Paul draws from the Old Testament revelation in order to support the biblical-theological and systematic theological truths he is setting forth. The Biblical theology (the progressive revelation of redemption) of the passage, from Abraham to Moses to Christ, is clearly the larger context of the passage. Paul is interested in defending the reception of the blessings of Abraham (i.e. justification and the reception of the Spirit) to Gentiles, as well as Jews, in their relationship to the Person and work of Christ. The entirety of the passage deals with the contrast between faith and works, law and Gospel, blessing and cursing.

The first two OT quotes are meant to root the concept of “justification by faith alone” in the first clear manifestation of the Gospel. There is one Gospel and one way of salvation. This was true of the first Jew, Abraham. The law had not yet been given, and Abraham was already justified. How was he justified? Paul reaches back to Gen. 15:6 to prove that it was by faith , not by what he did. Paul makes it clear that Abraham had the “Gospel” preached to him, when he alludes to Gen. 12:3. As he unfolds the relationship between the law and the Gospel, Paul now enters in on a discussion of the nature of the Law. The Judaizers were trying to get Gentile and Jewish converts to believe that it was necessary for them to keep the law, in addition to having faith in Christ, so that they may be accepted by God and ultimately saved. The final three OT proof-texts deal with the demands of the law and the penalty for failing to meet those demands.

Now, it could be argued that the OT texts that Paul appealed to in Galatians 3 could, each on their own, be pulled to defend any of the truths of the overall context of Galatians 3:1-14. Their meanings are not dependent on the further revelation of Galatians 3. It certainly helps us get a better grasp of their meaning as we see them woven together in their redemptive historical context. But, the truth and theological meaning of each verse is embedded within the particular verses. Here is the conclusion: Proof-texting is not only not illegitimate, it is actually supported and demanded by Scripture. The more important question concerns the biblical-theological and systematic moorings of the verses themselves. What is the meaning of the verse in its original context? What is the meaning of the verse in light of previous revelation? How does this verse relate to Gen.3:15 for instance? How does this verse relate to what we know about God, Christ, sin, salvation/judgment from the rest of the Scriptures? In short, everyone practices proof-texting (or at least everyone should).; but, is the proof-texting you are practicing accurate in relationship to the biblical and systematic theological truths of the Bible. The problem with the proof-texting of the cults and sects, as well as those with faulty eschatology and ecclesiology in Christian circles, is that their biblical-theological and systematic foundations are missing or wrong. If they were accurate it would be very beneficial to “proof-text” all day long. While these are not always easy issues to grapple with, we should not be ashamed of quoting particular verses to prove a particular doctrine. The problem is not in proof-texting, it is in the theology with which each group or individual approaches particular verses. Every word of God is inspired, as well as every verse. In John 10:35 our Lord quotes one word of Scripture (‘gods’), from Psalm 82, thus showing that every word is inspired and useful for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. Certainly He does so with the proper theological support. But would we rebuke our Lord for proof-wording? Praise God that He has given us the example of His Son, together with the NT prophets and apostles, to follow. We must defend the truth “line by line and precept upon precept,” but we must make sure that our line and precepts are governed by the theological truths of the whole of Scripture. We must be “workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/on-the-nature-and-necessity-of-proof-texting/feed/ 3 Sinclair Ferguson Lectures – Basics 2004 http://feedingonchrist.com/sinclair-ferguson-lectures-basics-2004/ http://feedingonchrist.com/sinclair-ferguson-lectures-basics-2004/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 17:38:14 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/?p=2170 The following messages were given by Sinclair Ferguson at the 2004 BASICS Conference:

His Sufficient Word – 2 Tim. 3

His Eternal Election - Ephesians 1

His Transforming Spirit - Romans 8

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/sinclair-ferguson-lectures-basics-2004/feed/ 2 Paul Helm on Consumer Religion http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-helm-on-consummer-religion/ http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-helm-on-consummer-religion/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 13:38:13 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/05/15/paul-helm-on-consummer-religion/ Here is the most recent article Paul Helm has posted on his blog. It is typical, insightful (and on this occasion, sarcastic) Helm on Christianity and culture.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-helm-on-consummer-religion/feed/ 0 Christ the Center Interview Index http://feedingonchrist.com/christ-the-center-interview-index/ http://feedingonchrist.com/christ-the-center-interview-index/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 13:06:06 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/05/08/christ-the-center-interview-index/ Read more→]]> Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, and I began interviewing theologians and pastors back in June 2008. Interviewing these men has been an enormous blessing. We have learned a lot and had a great time in the process. Below you will find an index that will be updated from time to time. Thanks for listening:

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

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/christ-the-center-interview-index/feed/ 0 Thomas, Hart, Murray, Trueman and Horton Conference Lectures on the Reformation and Reformed Worship http://feedingonchrist.com/thomas-hart-murray-trueman-and-horton-conference-lectures-on-the-reformation-and-reformed-worship/ http://feedingonchrist.com/thomas-hart-murray-trueman-and-horton-conference-lectures-on-the-reformation-and-reformed-worship/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:26:42 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/04/27/thomas-hart-murray-trueman-and-horton-conference-lectures-on-the-reformation-and-reformed-worship/ Read more→]]> Dr. Jon Payne, minister of Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, Ga, has been bringing in excellent preachers and speakers for the past 5 years for their Reformation Heritage Conference. In 2004, Derek Thomas came and gave a series of lectures on Calvin, Geneva and Reformed Worship. Darryl Hart spoke in 2005 on American Reformation Heritage. Iain Murray came in 2006 and spoke on The Scottish Reformation. In 2007 Carl Trueman spoke on the German Reformation; and in 2008 Michael Horton gave a series of lectures on the Reformation and the Means of Grace.

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 .

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/thomas-hart-murray-trueman-and-horton-conference-lectures-on-the-reformation-and-reformed-worship/feed/ 0 Douglas Kelly Interview and Sermon http://feedingonchrist.com/douglas-kelly-interview-and-sermon/ http://feedingonchrist.com/douglas-kelly-interview-and-sermon/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:18:01 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/04/24/douglas-kelly-interview-and-sermon/ Read more→]]> I had the enormous privilege of sitting down with Dr. Douglas Kelly, Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC at the Twin Lakes Fellowship to get an interview for Christ the Center. The first volume of Dr. Kelly’s Systematic Theology has been published by Christian Focus. I was able to talk with Dr. Kelly about various aspects of the doctrine of the Trinity. You can listen to the Christ the Center episode here.

Not long after Twin Lakes, I was speaking with my mother (who greatly appreciates Dr. Kelly’s preaching and teaching ministry) about the interview. She gave me a sermon tape of a message Dr. Kelly gave at the dedication of Golden Isles Presbyterian Church on St. Simon’s Island, Ga (The church I went to as a teenager). There is a note of interest in Rev. Al Baker’s introduction of Dr. Kelly. The message was delivered in 1997. Al mentions the fact that Dr. Kelly was just about to take a sabbatical to work on a new book–his Systematic Theology. You can listen to this message here.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/douglas-kelly-interview-and-sermon/feed/ 0 High Opinions of Christ that Dishonor Him http://feedingonchrist.com/high-opinions-of-christ-that-dishonor-him/ http://feedingonchrist.com/high-opinions-of-christ-that-dishonor-him/#comments Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:45:12 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/?p=1850 Read more→]]> At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples two questions (Matthew 16:13-17). The first was, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” The second was, “But who do you say that I am?” The disciples wasted no time in answering the first: “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, but still others, Jeremiah or one of the old prophets.” This is a striking answer on many levels. The people thought very highly of Jesus. They did not curse Him at this point. They did not yet spit in His face. But the answers they gave fell short, very short, of the true honor that He deserves. John H. Skilton once wrote:

According to the report of the disciples…some were saying that Jesus was John the Baptist. Those who expressed this view may have thought that they were paying Jesus a very high tribute indeed. John was the promised forerunner of the Messiah; he was a man, a messenger sent from God, (John 1:6); and he had been filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). Prophecy had been revived in him, the word of God came to him (Luke 3:2); in the spirit and power of Elijah, as had been said, he went before the Lord, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17). Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about the Jordan had gone out to him and been baptized in the river Jordan, confessing their sins (Matt. 3:5-6). Jesus Himself, in fulfilling all righteousness for His people, had come to John for baptism (Matt. 3:13-15). He had testified of John “Among them that are born of women there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist…

John, however, was now dead. To hold that Jesus was John the Baptist, in the sense that seems to be intended here (cf . Mark 6:14-16; Matthew 14:2; Luke 9:7-9), would be to regard him as risen from the dead–and risen, probably, to bring in the day of the Lord. This was a high view of Jesus, and its advocates thought that it did justice to the special revelation that God had given. But this view did not meet with our Lord’s approval. It did not confess the truth about Him. It would seek to honor Him by identifying Him with a forerunner of the Messiah and not with the Messiah Himself. It did not represent saving, Christian faith.

The disciples also reported that some were calling Jesus Elijah. John had come, as we have seen, in the spirit and power of Elijah, and accordingly could be regarded as fulfilling the promise that Elijah would come (Malachi 4:5-6; Matt. 11:14, etc.). But some men were maintaining, it would appear, that Jesus was actually Elijah, returned to this world to usher in the day of the Lord. Others were saying that Jesus was the highly regarded prophet Jeremiah or some one of the prophets (Luke 9:19). All these views accorded much distinction to Jesus. The men who held them regarded Him as a man favored by God, who had been singularly used by Him in the past, and had now by Divine power been brought back to this world in connection with God’s purposes for His people. But high thoughts all these views were, they were nevertheless infinitely inadequate. Those who held them did not elevate Jesus above a precursor or forerunner of the Messiah; they stopped short of affirming that He was the Christ. They did not have a right conception of Him or of His mission.1

The second question Jesus aims directly at the disciples. “But who do you say that I am.” This time Simon Peter quickly responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” This may have seemed to be an easy answer to an easy question, but nothing could be further from the truth. To his response Jesus explained, “flesh and blood have not revealed this to you but My Father in heaven.” The answer was one that must come supernaturally. Man is blind by nature and the question is one that requires spiritual sight to answer. We must not think that it is sufficient to have high views of Christ. We must, if we say that we have saving faith, make the good confession that Peter made at Caesarea Phillipi. And, if we do, we, together with Peter, will find that we are blessed because God the Father has revealed the true identity of His Son to us. Consider carefully what answer you give to this question. Who do you say that the Son of Man is?

1 John H. Skilton, “Confessions of Faith at Caesarea Philippi” in John H. Skilton ed. Scripture and Confession (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1973) pp. 79-80

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/high-opinions-of-christ-that-dishonor-him/feed/ 1 Reformed Preaching and Worship in An Electronic Age http://feedingonchrist.com/reformed-worship-in-an-electronic-age/ http://feedingonchrist.com/reformed-worship-in-an-electronic-age/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:25:09 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://feedingonchrist.com/?p=1826 Read more→]]> Here are some lectures, by Dr. T. David Gordon, on Reformed Worship in an electronic age. I remember that Dr. Pipa recommended an unpublished article by Dr. Gordon on the subject of Reformed Worship during our Reformed Worship course at GPTS. This is something that needs to be considered carefully, especially by church planters.

Greg Reynolds also has some interesting thoughts on the dynamics of the work of the church in a media age. You can listen to his lectures here .

Christ the Center interviewed Dr. Reynolds on preaching in an electronic age. You can listen to that interview here .

Along the same lines, here is the lecture that Dr. Reynolds gave at the 2007 GPTS Spring Theology Conference. The title of the talk was “Print and Pixels: How They Mediate Our Worldview.”

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/reformed-worship-in-an-electronic-age/feed/ 5 William Still on Truth in Love http://feedingonchrist.com/william-still-on-truth-in-love/ http://feedingonchrist.com/william-still-on-truth-in-love/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:16:04 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://feedingonchrist.reformedforum.org/?p=1809 Read more→]]> Here is a link to an article by the late Rev. William Still on speaking the truth in love. You will find the article published on page 27. Simply scroll down .

Editor’s Note: I do not necessarily agree with all of the arguments in this article.
]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/william-still-on-truth-in-love/feed/ 0 Some Background on Roe vs. Wade http://feedingonchrist.com/some-background-on-roe-vs-wade/ http://feedingonchrist.com/some-background-on-roe-vs-wade/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:30:26 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://feedingonchrist.reformedforum.org/2009/01/22/some-background-on-roe-vs-wade/ Justin Taylor has posted a link with some very helpful background on Roe vs. Wade. I was particularly surprised by the facts! You can read it here.

Updated Video

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/some-background-on-roe-vs-wade/feed/ 1 John McLaurin on Paradox and the Glory of Christ http://feedingonchrist.com/john-mclaurin-on-paradox-of-the-glory-of-christ/ http://feedingonchrist.com/john-mclaurin-on-paradox-of-the-glory-of-christ/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:20:00 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2009/01/john-mclaurin-on-paradox-of-the-glory-of-christ/ Read more→]]> In his famous sermon Glorying in the Cross of Christ, John McLaurin has a magnificent section in which he contrast the humiliation and the glory of Jesus. He wrote:
His birth was mean on earth below. But it was celebrated by Hallelujahs by the heavenly host in the air above; He had a poor londging, but a star [brought visitors] to it from distant countries. Never [did] a Prince have such [visitors] so conducted. He had not the magnificent equipage that other kings have, but He was attended with multitudes of patients, seeking, and obtaining healing of soul and body; that was more true greatness than if He had been attended by crowds of Princes. He made the dumb that attended Him to sing His praises, and the lame to leap for joy, the deaf to hear His wonders, and the blind to see His glory. He had no guard of soldiers, nor magnificent retinue of servants, but the Centurion who had both, acknowledged that heath and sickness, life and death, took orders from Him: even the winds and storms, which no earthly power can control, obeyed Him; and death and the grave dare not refuse to deliver up their prey when He demanded it. He did not walk upon tapestry, but when He walked upon the sea the waters supported Him. All parts of creation, excepting sinful men, honored Him as their Creator. He kept no treasure but when He had occasion for money, the sea sent it to Him in the mouth of a fish. He had no barns or cornfields, but when He inclined to make a feast, a few loaves covered a sufficient table for many thousands. None of all the monarchs of the world gave such an entertainment. –By these and many such things, the Redeemer’s glory shone through His meanness, in the several parts of His life.1

John McLaurin, Eight Sermons on Some of the Most Important Subjects (Glasgow: Printed by William Smith, 1782) pp. 62-63
]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/john-mclaurin-on-paradox-of-the-glory-of-christ/feed/ 2 Consider Him! http://feedingonchrist.com/consider-him/ http://feedingonchrist.com/consider-him/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:46:00 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2008/12/consider-him/ Read more→]]> The amazing thing about Scripture is that it provides so much comfort and instruction by way of example. When Christians are put through trials, or called to suffer, they are not alone. This is one of the primary reasons the writer of Hebrews wrote about the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11. We so often think about Hebrews 11 as the chapter that commends faith that leads to obedience. And while this is certainly true, the entire context is one of testing and trials and obstacles in which faith is to be exercised. After reminding his readers of all the great men and women of faith, who exercised faith in the midst of these extreme trials and situations (trials so great that it appeared as though everything was against them and the fulfillment of God’s promises–as in the case of Abraham offering up Isaac), the author of Hebrews adds:

the time would fail to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets–who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

Here is a list of several OT saints who were tested, tried or persecuted, and yet, who persevered in faith:

Abel was killed by his brother because he worshiped God in truth.

Jacob spent half his life fleeing from his brother, and then had his favorite son taken from him.

Joseph was thrown in a well and sold into slavery by his own brothers.

Moses chose the reproach of Christ rather than the passing treasures of Egypt. He faced the anger of the most powerful man in the world without fear. He was also put to the test by a complaining church of 2 million people in the wilderness for forty years.

Hannah was mocked by her husband’s other wife because she was barren.

David stayed alive by fleeing from Saul for many, many years. David also fled from his own son, Absalom, who spent many years trying to kill him.

Daniel was thrown into a lions den for his faithfulness to the LORD.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Adednego were thrown into a fiery furnace for their faithful to the LORD.

Jeremiah was put in a pit for preaching the truth.

Zechariah was killed by the alter of God.

But the greatest example of righteous suffering was, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ. He, unlike all the men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11, was sinless. This is precisely why they are commended for looking to Him by faith. This is why they were righteous sufferers. And, contrary to the idea that the life of Jesus was simply an example to follow, we learn that we are to look to Him by faith in the midst of our trials and temptations–because He has redeemed us. There is, however, a very real sense in which He is the supreme example of suffering and endurance. We see this as we transition from Hebrews 11 to Hebrews 12. There, at the beginning of chapter 12 were are reminded that Jesus “for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” It was all the wrong He suffered at the hands of sinners (even from sinners in the OT church), and for our salvation, that provides us with the strength to follow Him. We are to remember Him when we are wronged and spitefully treated. We are to look to Him who will one day judge the living and the dead.

There are many helpful books on suffering, trials and temptations but I would simply like to mention a few here:

John Piper and Justin Taylor’s Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. A free PDF version of this book can be found here.

James W. Bruce III’s From Grief to Glory. James Bruce also has a nice blog here.

Sinclair Ferguson’s Deserted By God.

William Henry Green’s Conflict and Triumph.

]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/consider-him/feed/ 1 Paul Helm on the Two Natures of Christ http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-helm-on-the-two-natures-of-christ/ http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-helm-on-the-two-natures-of-christ/#comments Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:51:00 +0000 Nicholas T. Batzig http://www.feedingonchrist.com/2008/12/paul-helm-on-the-two-natures-of-christ/ Read more→]]> Did Jesus act at one time in His human nature and at another in His Divine? Is this the way we can reconcile the words of and about our Lord in the Gospels when they seem to contradict one or the other essential attributes of the human or Divine nature? Paul Helm seeks to give (or you might say ‘not to give’) an answer to this all important question. You can read his thoughts here. ]]> http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-helm-on-the-two-natures-of-christ/feed/ 7