Robert Letham: Systematic Theology, Crossway, 2019

This tome will undoubtedly enrich the theology and ministry of the church for years to come. In what could be considered a magnum opus by Letham, his work spans 1072 pages including indexes. The most striking feature is the accessibility of the writing style of this work; something not easy to achieve for this kind of book. Yet, the style is free-flowing, easy to read and highly enjoyable. Structured with eight parts, it covers all the usual systematic headings, but I will elaborate upon two sections which I deem to be particular highlights. The divisions of subjects or parts are: The Triune God, the Word of God, the Works of God, the Image of God, the Covenant of God, Christ the Son of God, the Spirit of God and the People of God, and the Ultimate Purposes of God. What strikes you when you begin to read the first few pages is that Letham comes quickly to the doctrine of God, without what has become a typical and sometimes a cumbersome elaboration of the existence of God. Letham argues that the “Bible does not follow this method” (43); he then proceeds to introduce general revelation followed by special revelation (what the Bible reveals). In addition, for ease of reading, the chosen style leads to a sense of worship of the majesty of the triune God throughout. The opening first chapter concludes: “However, special revelation comes to its highest expression as God reveals himself to be Trinity (Matt. 28:19-20). This is the apex of covenant history. It is the supreme revelation of God’s name. It is the theme of the next three chapters” (65). Part 1 the Triune God is a particularly exciting series of writings. This is the clearest exposition of the Trinity as the doctrine of God and vice versa among other books in the same category of writing. This is enriching for theology in the season ahead, one which breaks the mould of handling God, followed by a thin small chapter on the Trinity. God himself is triune and this is how the subject is helpfully handled. The proceeding chapter is equally helpful, not least in that the author is anchored within the Westminster Confession of Faith and its unyielding doctrine of inerrancy and the scripture’s sufficiency. Chapter 8 on the interpretation of scripture is noteworthy and should be read by all. Part 6 Christ, the Son of God focusses entirely upon the incarnation of the Son of God. There are three sub-headings to structure the flow of material which are biblical teaching (incarnation 1), church formulations (incarnation 2) and ongoing questions (incarnation 3). This whole panorama of theological teaching is most excellent. All I can say at this point is: “take up and read”. Letham clearly believes the two high points of redemptive revelation are the incarnation of Christ and His resurrection. While I loved the writing on the incarnation, I would have equally enjoyed the same depth of treatment to be given to the resurrection. Perhaps a future writer of a systematic theology could do that. There is so much I could say to commend this volume for theological seminaries, pastors and elders, Christians who want to understand their faith better and missionaries. I hope that I have whetted your appetite enough for you to cross the bridge to fathom the unfathomable which is the knowledge of God. May this book aid you in that endeavour on this side of eternity. Kevin Bidwell, Sheffield, December 2020

Preaching with passion and emotion

This current focus on my blog is about preaching. There seems so much to say. I am not putting myself forward as an expert, but as a minister my primary task is that of preaching the written Word, twice every Lord's Day. That means that ministers must be committed to the primacy of preaching theologically, but also the primacy of preaching in their weekly schedule, preparation and time management. That is perhaps a different subject.

My concern is that in the preaching that I hear in conservative circles, sometimes it can be dry and technical and with little emotion. It may be that people think that theology and emotion must not go together, but the very opposite is true. True theology must impact the heart and mind and therefore theological preaching must affect the preachers affections.

In reading Luke's Gospel after the resurrection of Jesus here are a range of emotions experienced by the disciples, both men and women.

24:4 "they were perplexed".
24:5 "as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground".
24:12 "[Peter] went home marvelling at what had happened".
24:22 "Some women from our company amazed us".
24:32 They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?".
24:37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit".
24:41 "And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marvelling ... ".
24:52 And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy".

Perhaps we read the scriptures and do not allow the emotions of the people in the Bible to shine through. We are not talking about emotional excesses, something to be avoided. In the last two decades there has arisen an academic school of men who have begun to criticise the preaching of George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards and to begin to pin all kinds of blame at their feet. It is as if these well meaning but mis-guided academics consider that emotionless preaching is of value. It is not.

Whitefield and Edwards are two worthy preachers in the history of the preach. Oh that the Lord would raise up such preachers again. Men with rock solid doctrine and rock solid theology, but with hearts aflame for Christ. we need preachers with emotion and passion in the pulpit. Whitefield would speak of the church's need for a "felt Christ". Martyn Lloyd-Jones would write of preaching being "logic on fire" or "theology on fire". We need it in our day; pulpits aflame with the tender love of Christ and warm emotion being poured out on the substance of Bible exposition! Amen.

"Preaching and Preachers" by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake".

The subject of preaching is as vital for the church, as it is interesting. I would love these blog posts to cause a lively interest in the matter of preaching. There is a lack of true preaching and worse still there is a lack of desire for hearing true preaching. Preaching is the means by which the Lord has always primarily used to advance the church. Therefore the more we understand about it the better.

I myself am a preacher and I feel I have so much to learn. Want to be a better preacher and I lament the poverty of my own preaching currently and I would love to know something of the anointing of God in a fuller way when preaching. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of five marks of the preaching they heard at the first:

1. Our Gospel
2. Came not only in word
3. But in power.
4. And in the Holy Spirit
5. With full conviction (with fulness)

One of the classic books on preaching in print today, by a preaching maestro is "Preaching and Preachers". May I exhort all preachers to read this book or to read it again if you did so years ago. I am currently going through it again.

Chapter 6 is a "must-read" for those who are considering the ministry. Lloyd-Jones (MLJ) clearly does not believe in lay-preachers because the task is too important, I agree. MLJ explains in the first few chapters not only about the primacy of preaching but that there are two aspects to preaching: The preparation of the sermon and the delivery of the sermon. The two are distinct but obviously related.

Above all else, may we pray for Holy Spirit empowered preaching, a recovery of the sermon and the centrality of the pulpit in the church and full churches that honour the preaching of the Word of God. Let us also pray for the next generation of preachers in line with command of Jesus. Matthew 9:37-38 'Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" '.

Preaching that gets through!

Preaching that gets through is a vital subject to consider. We need orthodox preaching that is filled with sound doctrine, but it needs to get through to the hearers. The church is not simply about the process of, as it were simply communicating the truth, but in communicating the truth in a way that the truth gets through to the hearers. There are several points that are necessary for this to happen. I am a preacher and I am aware that I need to constantly work at my preaching, its delivery and its preparation as well.

However, a key question I need to ask myself after preaching is: Did the message get through to the hearers? They should not be bored during the delivery or distracted by unnecessary comments or be side-tracked by irrelevancies made by me during the delivery. Of course we need the assistance and help of the Holy Spirit.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Preaching is more than a human task and listening also requires diligence as well. From the preachers part we need to constantly evaluate if our preaching is getting through and if not, to ask the honest question: why not? Am I as a preacher needing to adapt my style, to pray more earnestly for the preaching or to make wholesale changes? The last thing we want is to bore people in the act of preaching?

I find this topic a searching one. A key question for me is: why does some preaching get through to people and some does not? I am willing to learn, so If you have comments on this matter, please make a comment on this blog to help me to improve by God's grace as a preacher.

Rediscovering Catechising

I began this blog to "sow seeds", in order to help people to move towards a clearer biblical and a Reformed approach to the Bible. It is amazing that today, we have two forms of Christianity at work within evangelicalism. One that takes the Scriptures (the 66 books of the Bible) as the final source of authority for doctrine and life; the other which adds many things to the Bible as a source of revelation.

For example a brother in the church in Sheffield explained to me that he was into prosperity teachings such as those promoted by Joel Osteen and others. One day he saw a TV program which included John MacArthur and Joel Osteen. They were challenged to answer about a biblical view of marriage and sexuality. Joel Osteen simply failed to give any kind of a clear answer; whereas John MacArthur nailed the answer with clear biblical evidence. This made this Christian think. He realised that doctrine matters.

Part of our dilemma in the Christian church in the West, has been our failure to catechise. This includes to catechise adults in the church, as well as children. At its core, to catechise means "to instruct using a question and answer method". We have the Larger and the Shorter Catechisms, both of which are now available in modern English without revisions. The Larger Catechism has 196 questions and the Shorter Catechism has 107 questions. There is also a children's catechism which is helpful as well.

The late Professor John Murray wrote this in 1962: "What was looked on as a necessary and beneficial practice by the early church and by the Reformers has now fallen into such disuse among Christian people that very few seem to have any understanding or appreciation of the subject. We believe it is to the discontinuance of this practice [of catechising] that we can trace much of the doctrinal ignorance, confusion and instability so characteristic of modern Christianity".

That was in 1962, and I believe that in 2019 things have not improved on the whole.

Why is catechising neglected? Could we begin to teach people to use the Shorter Catechism in the homes to discuss and memorise? Could congregations begin a catechism class for adults using the Larger Catechism? For those churches that have so called Sunday School Adult classes, could they be devoted to expounding the Larger Catechism instead of a general curriculum of Bible subjects?

Listen to the Lord Jesus Christ using questions to teach.

"And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” Mark 8:14-21.

May there be a rediscovery of catechising of adults and children in our own day!

Introducing Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones to this Generation

Who has heard of Dr David Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
Who has not heard of Dr David Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

Your answer to this question may well reveal quite alot about you spiritually.
Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was born in Wales, he practiced medicine to a high level and was called by the Lord to be a preacher. He is most known for the pastoral and preaching ministry that he exercised at Westminster Chapel after the war years. Recently, I heard a wonderful paper by Rev Geoff Thomas on Lloyd-Jones and it prompted me to write a blog post to introduce a whole new generation to this man's ministry.

He was best known and remembered in my opinion as a preacher. A model preacher. You can listen to his sermons online at a dedicated website called: https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/

It is kept up to date by the MLJ Trust.

He is also widely known as an author and his books have had a profound impact upon my own life. When I read his book "The Sermon on the Mount" in the late 1990's I realised that I had been paddling around in ankle deep water, as it were. This preacher opened the Scriptures up to me in that book and I have not looked back since. I believe that it is published by IVP. However, it is readily available online second-hand.

Two other books of his are the Roman series of sermons, now published. They cover Romans Chapter 1 to chapter 14. My favourite is his volume on Romans chapters 3 and 4.

What shall I say of his book "Preaching and Preachers". It is a classic!

May this current and next generation of Christians hear from this mighty preacher first hand through listening to his sermons and reading his books.

Celebrating 24 years of marriage!

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken" Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

Last week, Maria and I celebrated 24 years of marriage. We tend to let things slip by sometimes not mentioning these events, but a fellow minister, Johannes from Berlin Presbyterian Church, he exhorted me to make much of it. When I said 'why?', he explained that in a time when marriage is so down-graded in society, that this is an important milestone. We can only give the credit to the grace of God. First, for saving us as Christians and second for giving us a love for the Bible and each other. The grace of God and the enabling of the Holy Spirit are the glue to uphold a Christian marriage. It is the means by which you can be delivered from selfishness and stay the course.

Marriage can never be all bliss, because the miseries of this life affect all of us due the fall of Adam. However, trials turned to prayer are used to sanctify us.

So to the Triune God alone be the glory for 24 years of marriage! I count it an honour to promote a positive and biblical approach to marriage between a man and a woman and to express the joy of family life. May God recover a biblical understanding of marriage in our own day.

Can we Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams

The obvious answer to the question "can we trust the gospels?" is "yes!!". However, this is an excellent book to buttress our confidence in the gospels, their uniqueness, their trustworthiness and the wonderful authentic record of Jesus Christ. This book is easy to read, it is well written and gripping. It has eight shortish chapters and it includes information such as "did the gospel authors know their stuff?". The answer is yes and they could not have known this information in the first-century without being first-hand witness. Peter Williams leads Tyndale House in Cambridge and he is an excellent scholar, including for the NT Greek manuscripts. He is the co-editor of the Tyndale House Greek New Testament.

Evidence such as their knowledge of places including small villages though which Jesus passed, could only have been given with such accuracy through first-hand testimony. I was thrilled to hear that there is information on one other historical figure in antiquity, equivalent to Jesus Christ; that is Emperor Tiberius who is one of the most famous of the Roman Caesars. Peter Williams names that sub-point section "Four is A lot" (pages 39-42) emphasising that four gospels compared to other historical figures in antiquity is a lot. We often take this for granted that we have so much material about Jesus of Nazareth and to do so is a mistake.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 states: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work".

The Westminster Standards Chapter 1 emphasises the majesty of Holy Scripture in 1:5:

"We may be moved and induced [persuaded] by the testimony of the Church to a high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.

"The majesty of the style ... the scope of the whole" of Scripture is brought out by this book. It does prove the infallibility of Scripture, that is reserved for the Holy Spirit, but it enriches our appreciation for the transmission of the Greek manuscripts called the Gospels.

My advice is for people to buy this book, read it, enjoy it, and then pick up the gospels to read them again and be thrilled by the life, message and atonement of Jesus the Son of God.

"On preaching sermons; on hearing Sermons" Conference

Last weekend the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England (EPCEW) and Wales held an outstanding conference at Hill Top Chapel Sheffield. It was an opportunity to learn and grow in our understanding but also the practice of preaching. Furthermore the conference emphasised the art of the listening to the Word of God read and preached. According to the Westminster Standards there are three outward and ordinary means of grace (Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 88). They are the Word, the sacraments and prayer.

Of the administration of the Word there is a three-fold division given in the Westminster Larger Catechism questions 155-160 and these are "reading--preaching--hearing". Why not say this out loud to help you remember this? Question 155 reads.

Q. 155. How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace,8 and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

Question 159: How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto?
A. They that are called to labour in the ministry of the Word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory,6 and their conversion, edification, and salvation.

Question 160: What is required of those that hear the Word preached?
A. It is required of those that hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

These questions make good meditation material. If you would like to listen to the sermons they can be found at www.sheffieldpres.org.uk

Mark 4:9 "And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

January 2019 Pastors Conference in Uganda

This week I fly to African Bible University in Kampala, Uganda for a pastors conference. I will be travelling with a young man from the church in Sheffield and meeting up with a fellow pastor from EPCEW (Rev Drew Goodman) who will join in the teaching on the last day on Friday.

This Wednesday to Friday, pastors will join together on the ABU campus and we intend to teach on the 15 most relevant chapters in the Westminster Confession. We would love to teach all 33 chapters but time does not permit. We have many books on the Westminster Confession and on worship donated by Terry Johnson to give away to these hungry men.

Do pray that the Lord would "open eyes" of pastors spiritually, that Christ would interpret the Scriptures to them and show the men the sufferings and glories of Christ, just like Christ did to the disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24).

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:45-49.

We covet your prayers for long term fruitfulness. We believe that this teaching at this time to these pastors is a momentous occasion and opportunity. Do pray!!!!

2020 Reformation Bible Conference, Sheffield

The 2019 conference has just been completed and what a blessing it was! It was a "taste of heaven on earth" with excellent teaching, fellowship and the singing was so strong, I thought that the plaster would come off the ceiling. The newly expanded Hill Top Chapel worked really well, so much so that it is hard to imagine how we coped with the old facility, but I guess that you just do.

If you would like to listen to the talks, they are on the Sheffield Presbyterian Church website and here is the link: http://sheffieldpres.org.uk/sermons

Or you could access them via Sermon Audio as well. Andy Young's talks on "Why Creeds and Confessions" was wonderful, as was his final talk on "The Sacraments". Andy is the minister of the newly planted Oxford Evangelical Presbyterian Church. If you are considering going to University why not choose Oxford or Sheffield and you can come and join the EPCEW churches there and bring your support?

Rick Phillips from Second Presbyterian Church, Greenville in the USA, brought wonderful warm ministry with great Scriptural clarity on the roles of men and women, the sovereignty of God, God the Creator and also a valuable talk on a Christian worldview of dating; most practical.

The Chapel was packed and probably 40% of the room was under 25. We do not aim at young people, but they come and we make no apologies for that. All ages, backgrounds, nationalities and social situations attend, for which we praise God. I explained that though this was the fifth conference it had gone so well that we should consider a sixth conference in 2020. We will discuss this as elders here in Sheffield, but I had people queuing up to urge me to have another conference next year.

For 2020, the dates would be Friday 3rd (11.00am) to Saturday 4th January (finish at 4.00pm) 2020. Please pray for the right speakers and the right topics, for the organisation and for the Lord to bring the right people. It is a free conference hosted by Sheffield Presbyterian Church, and we have an offering to go towards Church planting.

To the Triune God be the glory!

2019 Reformation Bible Conference

This year's conference looks like it will be a spiritual feast. This conference began in 2015 and this will be the fifth conference. The purpose is to nourish the souls of Christians at the beginning of the year and it provides a great meeting place for like-minded believers. We have always had large numbers of young people as well from different parts of the UK. The format of the conference is based on straight-down-the-line preaching on topics of hoped for significance, from a biblical and reformed perspective. Each year the topics vary and here is the order of topics for 2019.

Venue: Hill Top Chapel, Don Valley, Sheffield S9 2AD (the home of Sheffield Presbyterian Church, www.sheffieldpres.org.uk).

Dates: Friday 4th and Saturday 5th January 2019.

The Programme

Friday 4th January
11 am - 11.30 Arrive, Tea & Coffee Served
11.30 - 12.15 Session 1: Andy Young (Why Creeds and Confessions?)
12.15 - 12.30 Break
12.30 - 13.15 Session 2: Rick Phillips
(The Masculine Mandate)
13.15 - 14.00 Bring Packed Lunch
14.00 - 16.00 Group Walk
16.30 - 18.30 Carvery Dinner at
Restaurant (around £5-£8pp)
19.30 - 20.15 Session 3: Rick Phillips
(The Sovereignty of God)
20.15 - 20.30 Tea & Coffee Break
20.30 - 21.15 Session 4: Kevin Bidwell (Christ in the Old Testament)

Saturday 5th January
9 am - 9.30 Arrive
9.30 - 10.45 Session 5: Rick Phillips
(The God of Creation)
10:45 - 11.15 Tea & Coffee Break
11:30 - 12.15 Session 6: Kevin Bidwell (Christ and the Gospel in Ezekiel)
12.15 - 13.45 Lunch Buffet Provided at
Chapel
13.45 - 14.30 Session 7: Rick Phillips
(Christian Dating)
14.30 - 15.00 Tea & Coffee Break
15.00 - 16.00 Session 8: Andy Young (Understanding the Sacraments)

You are welcome to come even if it is at last minute. There is no cost and there is no registration, just come along (The talks will be on the Sheffield Presbyterian Church Website after the conference).

New Covenant Theology: Weighed and found wanting by Kevin McGrane

This book called "New Covenant Theology: Weighed and found wanting" is a welcome publication. I aim to write a review on this book and I have read it through once so far. This publication exposes an unwelcome theological error: a branch of anti-nomianism. New Covenant theology has gained huge traction in the last decade, especially in Baptist circles, and it has had a devastating impact. Why? Its teaching leads people away from a historic and confessional church position.

New Covenant theology is at its heart, a non-confessional position, regarding the use of the law for the church and Christians. Therefore, Confessions have to be sidelined when you hold this theology, because all Reformed Confessions uphold a biblical and balanced view of the law of God.

My favourite chapter in the book was Chapter 6: "Replacement Lawgiver, Replacement Law". My aim here is not to write a review of this book, but to simply commend this book, as one that you may want to order online and read over Christmas or early in the new year.

Predestination and Public Worship

Predestination, when it is rightly understood as framed by Holy Scripture, it has many lines of application. If we understand for example Acts 4:28 and connect this with Ephesians 1:4, then public worship will not be used as a tool to attract people to the church.

Acts 4:27-28 reads "for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place". Therefore what happened to Jesus was decided in advance by the heavenly Father (predestination defined). Similarly there are a fixed number of people whom the Lord will save, and they have been chosen in eternity.

Ephesians 1:4-5 "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will".

These truths are stable and unchanging. They can guard us from a numbers and results driven approach to the church. Numbers are not our primary focus, but faithfulness to biblical principles in public worship and also in expounding and hearing the truth of Holy Scripture. When results come we will be quick to divert attention to ourselves and instead give credit and praise to the glorious grace of God (Ephesians 1:6, 7, 12).

A fresh meditation on the truth and doctrine of predestination can grant us all fresh spiritual rest and renewed spiritual stability. We want the church to be outward moving and evangelistic, while always being rooted in the doctrine of predestination. This guards us from worldliness and worldly methods in order to gain success. True success and genuine kingdom growth, only comes from the head of the church who is the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18).

My desire is that predestination could be freshly discussed and considered as to how its truth can be relevant in application to the church at this time.

Predestination and the Atonement stand together.

At the heart of the debate at the Synod of Dort, the truths of predestination and the atonement belong together. To fail to understand and accept the doctrine of predestination will always lead to a defective and unbiblical view of the atonement. This is why the following verses on predestination MUST be read, discussed, preached upon and taught to the church.

Acts 4:28
1 Corinthians 2:7
Romans 8:29
Romans 8:30
Ephesians 1:5
Ephesians 1:11

This is the definition of the doctrine of predestination from the Westminster Confession of Faith (3:6):

As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,6 and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

The connection between predestination and the atonement is unmistakeable. The Trinity did not simply make salvation available but a definite number of people were definitely purchased and in due season brought to Christ.

Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The heartbeat of redemption is the cross of Jesus and his sufferings at Golgotha. Let us read, study and discuss the atonement and here are some books to help us do just that.

Hugh Martin, The Shadow of Calvary.

Hugh Martin, The Atonement.

Frederick Leahy, The Cross He Bore.

Alec Motyer, Commentary on Isaiah (Read 52:12-53:12).

The Westminster Confession, Chapter 8 *Of Christ the Mediator".

When was the last time you heard someone mention "predestination"?

The very word "predestination" can be a conversation stopper. It is a truth that is like "smelling salts" and it often provokes a sharp reaction, especially from those who are opposed to the very idea that Almighty God rules over all. In the light of the 400th anniversary of the Synod of Dort next year, the word "predestination" is coming to the surface again and this is helpful and necessary.

One's view about predestination often reveals our individual understanding of the Scripture, of the character of God, of salvation and of our needed thankfulness for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So, what is your understanding of predestination?

The Greek word is found six times in the New Testament and we will summarise now each occurrence and give a brief explanation.

1). 1 Corinthians 2:7 "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed [predestined] before the ages for our glory". Here the word is translated as decreed, but elsewhere in the NT it is treated as the word predestined [proorizō). It means to "determine beforehand" and here in 1 Cor 2:7 it is reference to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus by the rulers of that age. The death of Jesus was no mere accident of history. Surely no serious evangelical Christian would disagree with that.

2). We find the same truth and idea in Acts 4:28 but let's also hear the verse before to understand the context: "... for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place".

Again, the purpose of God was planned before hand, indeed it was in eternity that the Son of God was decided by the Father, to be the lamb slain (Revelation 13:8).

3). Romans 8:29 "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers". This verse begins what William Perkins called the Golden Chain of salvation. Note the first link is whom he foreknew, he then predestined, therefore the very act of the Lord's predestination took place in eternity, before time and before the Creation.

4). Romans 8:30 "And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified".

Predestination means to simply decide beforehand the future eternal destination of every individual person in eternity. Some are predestined to be saved, by grace, and some are left in their sins. Here comes the offence for some people then. If it is God who chooses people to be saved and not us, then people get angry about the free will of man, but at heart that idea, is to then rebel against the teaching of Holy Scripture, and therefore to rebel against God himself.

5). "In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" Ephesians 1:5.

Again, this reference is in relation to the church and who constitutes the true church. It is those who are predestined for eternal life.

6). "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" Ephesians 1:11.

So, this little, but powerful word called "predestined" is a central spoke in the wheel of biblical revelation. Let's start discussing predestination with one another again and to rejoice in this liberating truth.

Re-discovering the meaning of TULIP

Do you know what the acronym TULIP means? It is the English version of remembering the essence of the settlement at the Synod of Dort. This was where an Arminian approach to salvation, Scripture and life was rejected. Though TULIP does not perfectly fit the Canons of Dort, it has proved remarkable effective to uphold the truth of Scripture in the English speaking world.

There were five points proposed by the supporters of Arminius. TULIP stands for this to rebuff those points which are biblically false. Though Calvinism is more than TULIP, it is not less than TULIP.

T Total Depravity

U Unconditional Election

L Limited Atonement

I Irresistible Grace

P Perseverance of the Saints

I remember working through the Scripture and the force of logic offered by the teaching of TULIP and it revolutionised my thinking, my direction of travel as a Christian and my understanding of the Triune God. Do you understand TULIP? Have you worked through each of these five points? Do you have a biblical framework to understand these five points? What difference does it make to your life by grasping these points?

I intend to expound these points on this Blog as part of the 400th anniversary of the Synod of Dort next year, but also to help people in their spiritual journey. If you want some helps, then Read Romans 9, John 6 and 10 as a starter. Perhaps Romans chapter 9 is one of the least preached chapters in the church. Here is a taster from this chapter of Holy Scripture:

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. Romans 9:15-18.

Creation Ministries International

Last week, at Sheffield Presbyterian Church, we had a mission emphasis week. This included an ongoing Christianity Explored course, a day of outreach in the city centre with a team of 7, which included street preaching, but also two meetings at Hill Top Chapel (home of Sheffield Presbyterian Church) with Creation Ministries International.

The plain truth concerning God as Creator has been under attack for about 150 years, however evangelical Christians today, they often do not see the truth about Creation to be important. It is traded off as a half way point with evolution, in order to attempt to make a compromise between what is in reality two mutually exclusive world views: biblical Creation and evolution. The teaching of Holy Scripture is clear:

Genesis 1:31-2:3
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

The LORD God created everything out of nothing, in the space of six literal days, which then implies a young earth.

Creation Ministries International have a very useful website (www.creation.com) and they did two presentations for us in Sheffield:

I. The age of the earth and its relevance to the gospel.

II. Dinosaurs and dragons.

Both were immensely useful, stimulating, encouraging and thought provoking presentations, of a simple view of biblical Creation. Do check out their website, especially if you are unclear on matters concerning Creation.

"Endure hardship": the example of Paulus Schneider in WW II

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry" 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

At a recent ordination service, I preached on 2 Timothy 4:1-5. The headings were: what, why and how? The last heading was 'how should ministers perform their task?' and I preached this in reference to 4:5. In this blog post I have in mind the phrase "endure suffering" which could also be translated "endure hardship". In our very comfortable Western world, this idea of hardship is almost never mentioned during sermons or in the church generally. But we must mention this truth, so that Christians can understand that the way of discipleship is never easy.

Endure suffering [afflictions] kakopatheō — suffer hardship, persevere.

It is not excitement that the life of the Christian is all about. Excitement comes and excitement goes! Living under the Word of God is about walking by faith instead and that includes hardship. Excitement comes and goes, but we must perform our task as ministers by faith. Hebrews 11 teaches us that we endure as seeing him who is invisible. That is how Moses was able to stay on course. This is especially the case during the times of trial, persecution, criticism, obstacles, difficulties, setbacks, and for some even martyrdom.

The example of Pfarrer (German equivalent of minister or Rev) Paulus Schneider, the first martyr in Nazi Germany. He was a German opponent of Adolf Hitler and Nazism. Paulus Schneider was installed as a minister in May 1934 at the age of 36. He had been in his pastorate for only a few weeks when he signed the Barmen Declaration, something against Nazi principles and state interference in the church. In his second pastorate, just after the birth of his sixth child, on May 31st 1937 two Gestapo agents burst into his study and arrested him. He was forbidden to preach in his church when he was released. What should he do? He returned to his church in Dickenschied and in the morning he preached on Psalm 145:15-21. The very act of preaching wrote Don Stephens led to the loss of all he held dear. (p 58, "War and Grace” by Don Stephens, published by EP). He was taken to Buchenwald concentration camp and despite continuing to preach in prison, he was killed by the Nazis in prison by lethal injection, at the age of 41 and his wife was only 35.

“Endure hardship”, both large and small and count it a joy. Any minister or Christian who is faithful to the LORD, you will face then, criticism, conflict, mis-understanding and there will be tears of various kinds. None the less the Word of God will bear fruit if you remain faithful to proclaim it or live it.

Samuel Rutherford once said: “You will not get to steal quietly to heaven, in Christ’s company, without a conflict and a cross”.

2019 is the 400th Anniversary of the Synod of Dort

How many have heard of the Synod of Dort? This synod took place in The Netherlands between the 13th November 1618 and 9th May 1619. This Synod convened in Dordrecht in the Low Countries, in order to settle the theological dispute with the disciples of Jacobus Arminius (known as Arminianism).

Next year is the 400th anniversary of this important Synod. May we learn more about its history, events and the theology of the settlement of this international Synod. If you would like some books to look at, here are some:

S. M. Houghton, Sketches of Church History.
John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.

The fact that I am struggling to find books to recommend on this subject, teaches us about the impoverishment in our church history on this subject. 1619 will change that I think, with a range of new books coming out, I am sure then, on the subject of the Synod of Dort.

The production of the Canons of Dort was one of the legacies of this church Synod. The main points of doctrine are:

1. Divine Election and Reprobation

2. Christ's Death and Human Redemption Through it

3. Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way it Occurs

4. The Perseverance of the Saints

If you want to read more here is a weblink: https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/canons-dort