The works of God which shall be done after this life, are both the general raising up of the dead, and the last judgement: and also the manifesting of God’s glory to all eternity. The general raising up of the dead, is . . . Continue reading →
Eschatology
Watson On The State Of Believers In The Judgment
What shall be the modus, or the manner of trial? (1.) The citing of men to court. The dead are cited as well as the living. Men, when they die, avoid the century of our law-courts; but at the last day, they . . . Continue reading →
Trelcatius On The State Of Believers In The Judgment
The last (or extreme) judgment is a judicial act, whereby Christ, in the last day, with great majesty in glory, shall give sentence upon all men universally. The principal efficient cause as touching indeed the judicial power and authority is God the . . . Continue reading →
Turretin On The State Of Believers In The Judgment
VII. Christ will be the judge in that very visible nature in which he was condemned for us. For although judiciary Power is common to the whole Trinity, still it will be specially exercised by the incarnate son. Judgment is said to . . . Continue reading →
Luther On The Comfort Of Christ’s Return
45. Without a doubt, He has spoken this comforting word also for the fainthearted, who, though they are godly and prepared for the Last Day, are yet filled with great anxiety and [thus] hinder their desire for this coming, which is especially . . . Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (10): Sojourners And Exiles Before The Gentiles (1 Peter 2:11–12)
It is not often that the news coincides with a sermon or biblical commentary so as to provide abundant illustration but it is so in this case. A Christian minority are among those who are fleeing the chaos and violence in Syria. . . . Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (11): Silencing Critics Through Submission (1 Peter 2:13–17)
When, c. 64–66 AD, the Apostle Peter wrote to the churches in Asia Minor (the areas named cover most of modern Turkey) Christians were a small, minority religion in the Greco-Roman world. Nero was Caesar and his reign was shortly coming to . . . Continue reading →
Audio: Sojourners And Exiles (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Here’s the audio of the sermon from last Lord’s Day evening (11-29-15) at the Escondido URC from 1 Peter 2:11-12, Sojourners And Exiles:
Strangers And Aliens (12b): Servants Imitating The Suffering Savior (1 Peter 2:18–25)
18Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it . . . Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (13c): Living Among The Pagans (1 Peter 3:1–6)
1Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3Do not let . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 99: The Noah Paradigm
Christians in the USA live in an increasingly confused, confusing time. Hostility to the faith seems to be increasing. We seem to be witnessing a growing hostility even to the very idea that there is such a thing as nature with fixed . . . Continue reading →
Southern Presbyterian Church On Dispensationalism In 1944
1. Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Changes in the Confession of Faith and Catechisms THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE TYPE OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION KNOWN AS DISPENSATIONALISM IS IN HARMONY WITH THE CONFESSION OF FAITH The Ad Interim Committee appointed . . . Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (15c): Turning The Other Cheek (1 Peter 3:8–12)
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that . . . Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (16c): Defending The Faith (1 Peter 3:13–17)
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15but in your hearts . . . Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (16d): Defending The Faith (1 Peter 3:13–17)
The pagans have no frame of reference by which to understand what we are saying. The Christian faith is a mystery. We claim that a Jewish rabbi was crucified and raised on the third day, that he was and remain, in fact, God the Son incarnate. There is nothing about paganism that prepares them to understand that. Further. the pagans think about religion as a matter of works, as a matter of a quid pro quo. They think that the gods are powers to be controlled and manipulated. We make offerings and we perform duties and thereby, they think, we have obligated the gods to be good to us. That is not the Christian faith. We say that God has been gracious to us in that while we were sinners (disobedient and judgment deserving), God sent his Son to obey for us, in our place, and to die for us, as our substitute. We say that we are right with God not by anything we have done or can do but merely because God has credited to us who believe all that Jesus did for us. That is a supernatural religion. The pagan has a natural religion. He elevates nature (works) into a religion and seeks to use it to control the gods. Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (16e): Defending The Faith (1 Peter 3:13–17)
We might think about this passage relative to how to defend the faith. We might discuss it under the method of apologetics (about which Peter says nothing) or we might discuss it under the message to be defended. Again, Peter says relatively little about what is being defended. Of course, he has already addressed that earlier and he will return to it again but here it seems evident that he was at least as interested in how we defend the faith as what we are defending. Continue reading →
Two Points On Left Behind And The Secret Rapture
I’m not certain how many “Left Behind” films there have been so far but since the 1970s there have been several evangelical thrillers—beginning with “Thief In The Night”—based on the eschatology of John Nelson Darby (1800–82) et al that anticipate a “secret . . . Continue reading →
Berger: There is Nothing Nore Inane
…there is nothing more inane than the claim to be “on the right side of history” —Peter Berger
Strangers And Aliens (18a): As It Was In The Days Of Noah
Sometimes Peter gives an exhortation followed by a reminder of the gospel and redemptive history. Sometimes, however, as in this case, he grounds his exhortation in the objective accomplishment of redemption for us by Christ. We live our Christian life in a sometimes hostile environment in light of Christ’s suffering for us. Peter begins v. 1 with a grammatical construction (genitive absolute) that establishes the circumstances of our existence and Christian experience. The Messiah suffered in the flesh (σαρκὶ). This reality, of course, was quite contrary to the popular expectation and contrary even to the expectations of the scribes and pharisees. Continue reading →
Strangers And Aliens (19a): The End Of All Things
It is an article of faith among a certain school of critics of the New Testament that Jesus and his apostles had an apocalyptic eschatology, which believed that the end of all things was immanent. In this paradigm, Jesus is seen as a disappointed, failed, apocalyptic preacher. According to this view apocalypticism makes a sharp dualism between this age and the age to come. According to G. E. Ladd, this “age will finally come to its end, and God will inaugurate the new age of righteousness. However, this final redemptive act has no bearing upon the present” (G. E. Ladd, “Apocalyptic Literature,” ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–88), s.v., “Apocalyptic Literature.” Because of this disjunction and the loss of confidence in the divine work in history Jewish apocalyptic was pessimistic. According to Ladd, for these apocalyptic writers also see the course of this age as determined to fixed periods, which leads to what he calls “ethical passivity.” Continue reading →