J. I. Packer and Gary A. Parrett
Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2010, 238pp, paperback,
ISBN: 978 0 8010 6838 6
J. I. Packer needs little introduction; his co-author Gary A. Parrett was one of Packer’s former students at Regent College, Canada, and he is now professor of educational ministries and worship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in the USA.
This book’s ‘Introduction’ (9-19) outlines the reason for these two men teaming together in this noble project, one that seeks to recover the practice of catechesis in the church. Their vision ‘assumes the existence of authoritative truth that needs to be taught’ (11). Every reader concerned about the rise of liberalism and doctrine-less Christianity within evangelicalism, will resonate with this book’s analysis, concerns and assessment of a widespread problem. The authors do not underestimate the challenge and they incisively write that there is a ‘resistance to authoritative instruction within the Christian community’ and that too often ‘today’s agenda is learning Bible stories rather than being grounded in truths about the Triune God’ (11).
This book contains an introduction, followed by ten chapters which argue for the recovery of doctrinal instruction, as something that has practical ramifications for the church. The first chapter ‘Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way’ contends that catechesis is derived from one of the NT words for teaching, katēcheō (Luke 1:3-4, Acts 18:25, for example). Their definition is: ‘Catechesis is the church’s ministry of grounding and growing God’s people in the Gospel and it’s implications for doctrine, devotion, duty, and delight’ (29). They helpfully outline that instruction can be for ‘seekers’, for children or baptismal preparation, and the ongoing teaching of believers (29). The second chapter, ‘Catechesis Is a (Very!) Biblical Idea’, is excellent, in that it spells out for the target audience, evangelical Protestants, that catechesis is not only biblical, but that it is a biblical imperative (50).
The third chapter is ‘The Waxing and Waning of Catechesis’. The authors comment that ‘within evangelical circles, conservative Presbyterians and other Reformed believers probably represent the only major groups that have regular acquaintance with the notion of catechesis’ (33). They pinpoint part of the waning of doctrinal instruction in the church to the rise of the Sunday school model for the teaching of children (71-72). They highlight that Baptists and other denominations would commonly reject reformed catechisms because they taught a different view on baptism, one that upheld that the infants of the members of the visible church are to be baptised (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 95). They propose that catechetical instruction was unfortunately replaced with a form of biblical moralism, one that lacks doctrinal content. This analysis is searching and it is a much needed exposé of a contemporary weakness, one that needs to be addressed within evangelicalism.
Some of the later chapters are perhaps too technical in their handling of this subject and their ecumenical approach, and sympathy with the Roman Catholic Church, most notably in Chapter eight, mars, what is otherwise a much-needed book; one that is highly recommended for ministers, elders and Sunday school teachers.
The recovery of catechesis to enable Christian’s and churches to know their faith well is undoubtedly counter-cultural and those churches that seek to be contemporary at the expense of a historic appreciation of the church would do well to listen to what this book suggests.
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
What do you Look for, when you are Looking for a Church?
This is a very important question, one that most often reveals our priorities or even the spiritual temperature of our Christianity. Maybe before you read on, with this blog article, you should pause for a few minutes, get a pencil and paper and write down a list of the things that are important to you when looking for a church.
If you have not made this list, perhaps do so later and examine what you have put down, and ask yourself if your list would match what the NT apostles would counsel you with, were you to live in First Century Corinth or Jerusalem. In talking to people I find it fascinating, illuminating but sadly quite often discouraging to hear what people are looking for when they seek out a church. It can include things such as a church in their own community, a church with a good range of activities for their children, a place where lots of students go, a church with a high quality 'praise band' and so on. However, are these the first priorities that our Lord Jesus Christ would expect his disciples to be looking for?
At the time of the reformation, the Christian church in the face of spiritual abuses, Roman Catholic idolatry and indulgences, they had to ask some hard questions as to what represented the marks or distinguishing features of a true church. In the light of Scripture they concluded that there are two to three marks of a true church. These are:
1. The preaching of pure doctrine.
2. The right administration of the sacraments (there are two only and these are baptism and the Lord's Supper)
3. Church discipline (this means a well-ordered church with discipline for members on moral and doctrinal matters).
Sadly, such distinguishing marks are rarely understood by many Christians or they are not sought for, when people look for a church. I have read a book recently on the church, one that seeks a so-called 'missional' approach to church, but this missional church does not consider that preaching, that is the public proclamation of pure doctrine, as something that is necessary for the advance of the church and the gospel. They claim to be gospel driven without gospel preaching that is public, propositional and filled with pure doctrine. Perplexing, but all too common!
In closing, let us hear the words of holy Scripture:
Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his apostles: 'That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations (Luke 24:47)'.
Paul told the church at Corinth that: 'For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor. 2:23)'.
Maybe some of us need to reevaluate what to look for when seeking a church. Certainly the preaching of pure doctrine is essential to our spiritual well-being and if this is not found in our neighbourhood then we need to be prepared to travel rather than commit ourself to a church which may be less-than-best for God's people!
If you have not made this list, perhaps do so later and examine what you have put down, and ask yourself if your list would match what the NT apostles would counsel you with, were you to live in First Century Corinth or Jerusalem. In talking to people I find it fascinating, illuminating but sadly quite often discouraging to hear what people are looking for when they seek out a church. It can include things such as a church in their own community, a church with a good range of activities for their children, a place where lots of students go, a church with a high quality 'praise band' and so on. However, are these the first priorities that our Lord Jesus Christ would expect his disciples to be looking for?
At the time of the reformation, the Christian church in the face of spiritual abuses, Roman Catholic idolatry and indulgences, they had to ask some hard questions as to what represented the marks or distinguishing features of a true church. In the light of Scripture they concluded that there are two to three marks of a true church. These are:
1. The preaching of pure doctrine.
2. The right administration of the sacraments (there are two only and these are baptism and the Lord's Supper)
3. Church discipline (this means a well-ordered church with discipline for members on moral and doctrinal matters).
Sadly, such distinguishing marks are rarely understood by many Christians or they are not sought for, when people look for a church. I have read a book recently on the church, one that seeks a so-called 'missional' approach to church, but this missional church does not consider that preaching, that is the public proclamation of pure doctrine, as something that is necessary for the advance of the church and the gospel. They claim to be gospel driven without gospel preaching that is public, propositional and filled with pure doctrine. Perplexing, but all too common!
In closing, let us hear the words of holy Scripture:
Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his apostles: 'That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations (Luke 24:47)'.
Paul told the church at Corinth that: 'For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor. 2:23)'.
Maybe some of us need to reevaluate what to look for when seeking a church. Certainly the preaching of pure doctrine is essential to our spiritual well-being and if this is not found in our neighbourhood then we need to be prepared to travel rather than commit ourself to a church which may be less-than-best for God's people!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Are you Looking for a Church in Sheffield?
Maybe you are coming to Sheffield to study at one of our Universities or perhaps you are looking for a church that is committed to biblical preaching. We would like to warmly invite you to come and worship with us at Sheffield Presbyterian Church.
We are a new church plant of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England and Wales and we were formally constituted in April 2011. As such we are not huge, but we are enthusiastic concerning the gospel of God and our sense of mission in our world, the North of England. There are a number of values that we consider essential in order for a church to be healthy.
Firstly, we are wholeheartedly committed to doctrinal preaching in order to feed the sheep and to evangelise the lost. We are a confessional church and this means that we uphold the Bible as having supreme authority over the church and our subordinate standards for doctrine are the Westminster Standards. We believe that holding to a historic church confession gives the church stability, like an anchor, and this means that we are connected to God's church historically but also geographically.
Secondly, we believe that our public worship should be ordered so that it is God-centred, focussing on simplicity with reverence, but also great joy at what our God has done in and through the mediator Jesus Christ. In an age where so many churches compete as to who has the best music band, we may seem a little different. However, we explain that our principles are firmly rooted theologically from the Bible's commands as to how God is to be worshipped. We maintain that simplicity marked the New Testament pattern of worship. The ingredients of our public worship includes the reading of the Scriptures, public prayer, the preaching of the Word of God, the singing of Psalms and hymns, with our worship beginning with a call to worship and closing with a benediction.
We have members who testify that they wish that they had found confessional presbyterianism 20 years ago. Our desire is to feed God's sheep, to care for them and to be faithful to the Lord. Confessional presbyterianism has a long history in Sheffield which goes back to at least to the seventeenth century. Presbyterianism was recovered through the Genevan reformation but it is a pattern which, we believe was established by the apostles and set in motion by the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church.
Our church website is www.sheffieldpres.org.uk
We warmly invite you to worship with us on the Lord's Day at 11.00am and 4.00pm and the details of our meeting place can be found on the website.
We are a new church plant of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England and Wales and we were formally constituted in April 2011. As such we are not huge, but we are enthusiastic concerning the gospel of God and our sense of mission in our world, the North of England. There are a number of values that we consider essential in order for a church to be healthy.
Firstly, we are wholeheartedly committed to doctrinal preaching in order to feed the sheep and to evangelise the lost. We are a confessional church and this means that we uphold the Bible as having supreme authority over the church and our subordinate standards for doctrine are the Westminster Standards. We believe that holding to a historic church confession gives the church stability, like an anchor, and this means that we are connected to God's church historically but also geographically.
Secondly, we believe that our public worship should be ordered so that it is God-centred, focussing on simplicity with reverence, but also great joy at what our God has done in and through the mediator Jesus Christ. In an age where so many churches compete as to who has the best music band, we may seem a little different. However, we explain that our principles are firmly rooted theologically from the Bible's commands as to how God is to be worshipped. We maintain that simplicity marked the New Testament pattern of worship. The ingredients of our public worship includes the reading of the Scriptures, public prayer, the preaching of the Word of God, the singing of Psalms and hymns, with our worship beginning with a call to worship and closing with a benediction.
We have members who testify that they wish that they had found confessional presbyterianism 20 years ago. Our desire is to feed God's sheep, to care for them and to be faithful to the Lord. Confessional presbyterianism has a long history in Sheffield which goes back to at least to the seventeenth century. Presbyterianism was recovered through the Genevan reformation but it is a pattern which, we believe was established by the apostles and set in motion by the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church.
Our church website is www.sheffieldpres.org.uk
We warmly invite you to worship with us on the Lord's Day at 11.00am and 4.00pm and the details of our meeting place can be found on the website.
Friday, 17 June 2011
Paying Tribute to a Living Church Historian: Iain Murray
Iain Murray, one of the founders of the Banner of Truth, has produced a range of excellent of writings. He has written many books and he is an excellent church historian; I would like to draw your attention to three books particularly. These are Evangelicalism Divided, Revival and Revivalism and his biography on Jonathan Edwards.
His biography on Edwards gave me a 'sense of God' unlike most other books. I often write comments at the front of the book and this is what I wrote in November 2005 after I had read it. 'An excellent biography that stirs me to greater holiness, dedication to study, and preaching ... this stirs up my zeal for God, theology, revival and missions'.
Revival and Revivalism became for me one of those books that marks a turning point in your pilgrimage. Murray nails the issues of our our day by returning to church history, especially 'The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858'. The philosopher George Santayana stated that “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and Murray applies this for the church's profit in his books.
Revival and Revivalism is a monument to biblical truth and I urge all Christian leaders, preachers and elders to read it with a pen or pencil in their hand, in order to underline every dynamic truth that applies to their current situation.
The last of the three books is not least, but it is probably least read. It is Evangelicalism Divided: A Record of Change in the Years 1950 to 2000. I have so many markings highlighted in this book, one that I read twice, it is hard to know where to begin. This book highlights the many inroads of liberal thinking into the current so-called 'evangelical' world. It is gracious but firm and it being read by many more people could possibly rescue many from an evangelical collapse that continues unnoticed in the absence of good confessional churches.
Murray writes: 'If we sacrifice the truth today for short term influence we cannot guarantee what our conduct will be tomorrow. When the day to fight is postponed the very will to fight may go from us (p 249)'.
We need to pause and think about this comment and better still go and buy these books, read them and and let church history deliver us all from many errors!
His biography on Edwards gave me a 'sense of God' unlike most other books. I often write comments at the front of the book and this is what I wrote in November 2005 after I had read it. 'An excellent biography that stirs me to greater holiness, dedication to study, and preaching ... this stirs up my zeal for God, theology, revival and missions'.
Revival and Revivalism became for me one of those books that marks a turning point in your pilgrimage. Murray nails the issues of our our day by returning to church history, especially 'The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858'. The philosopher George Santayana stated that “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and Murray applies this for the church's profit in his books.
Revival and Revivalism is a monument to biblical truth and I urge all Christian leaders, preachers and elders to read it with a pen or pencil in their hand, in order to underline every dynamic truth that applies to their current situation.
The last of the three books is not least, but it is probably least read. It is Evangelicalism Divided: A Record of Change in the Years 1950 to 2000. I have so many markings highlighted in this book, one that I read twice, it is hard to know where to begin. This book highlights the many inroads of liberal thinking into the current so-called 'evangelical' world. It is gracious but firm and it being read by many more people could possibly rescue many from an evangelical collapse that continues unnoticed in the absence of good confessional churches.
Murray writes: 'If we sacrifice the truth today for short term influence we cannot guarantee what our conduct will be tomorrow. When the day to fight is postponed the very will to fight may go from us (p 249)'.
We need to pause and think about this comment and better still go and buy these books, read them and and let church history deliver us all from many errors!
Monday, 6 June 2011
Is it OK to Evaluate Tim Keller's Approach to Scripture?
In the last 3-4 years I have been surprised how many people are influenced by Tim Keller. I say surprised because I had not read much by him and this left me understandably ignorant and a little non-plussed. Having first met the Lord in 1986, I have grown weary of the latest bestsellers, the latest hot names in the Christian world, and the latest methods in 'how can your church be successful?'. It may sound uninteresting but the ancient paths work best because they steadfastly seek to glorify God and do not need to change to pander to the next generations desires.
What has caught my attention though, has been that when I speak to people, especially Christian ministers who hold Tim Keller in high esteem, is that they often rave about Keller's preaching. One man described him to me as being 'outstanding' and probably the best he had ever heard. Recently, I took time to listen to Keller's sermon on the Trinity where he expounds the baptism of Jesus of from Mark's Gospel (1:9-13). The link is: http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/father-son-and-holy-spirit
Was I surprised? Well I would have been had I not read all of his books in the last year. He begins with the Bible passage and then makes quantum leaps to interpret the baptism of Jesus as a 'divine dance' between the three persons of the Trinity. His method of handling the Bible left me quite simply 'scratching my head'. Where does this 'divine dance' suddenly spring from regarding this passage? It could appear as mystifying at best or at worst to be a form of biblical eisegesis (an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text). In short, the lesson remains. No matter how successful someone is, we must not put them on a pedestal where they are beyond critical evaluation. (We are not talking about having a critical spirit which is always unhelpful.)
The apostolic injunction remains concerning all of us:
But test everything; hold fast what is good (1 Thess. 5:21) Testing everything, includes testing our favourite preachers also, in the light of Scripture!
What has caught my attention though, has been that when I speak to people, especially Christian ministers who hold Tim Keller in high esteem, is that they often rave about Keller's preaching. One man described him to me as being 'outstanding' and probably the best he had ever heard. Recently, I took time to listen to Keller's sermon on the Trinity where he expounds the baptism of Jesus of from Mark's Gospel (1:9-13). The link is: http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/father-son-and-holy-spirit
Was I surprised? Well I would have been had I not read all of his books in the last year. He begins with the Bible passage and then makes quantum leaps to interpret the baptism of Jesus as a 'divine dance' between the three persons of the Trinity. His method of handling the Bible left me quite simply 'scratching my head'. Where does this 'divine dance' suddenly spring from regarding this passage? It could appear as mystifying at best or at worst to be a form of biblical eisegesis (an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text). In short, the lesson remains. No matter how successful someone is, we must not put them on a pedestal where they are beyond critical evaluation. (We are not talking about having a critical spirit which is always unhelpful.)
The apostolic injunction remains concerning all of us:
But test everything; hold fast what is good (1 Thess. 5:21) Testing everything, includes testing our favourite preachers also, in the light of Scripture!
Monday, 30 May 2011
The Theology of the Hymns of Augustus Montague Toplady
Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-78) was a preacher. Most of the best hymn writers were. Toplady was an ordained Anglican minister before he left to become the preacher at the French Calvinist Church in London in 1775. What is particularly striking about many of the hymns that he wrote is that they are filled with tremendous biblical theology. Toplady was a thoroughly convinced Calvinist and here is a brief selection of some of his hymns.
The classic for which Toplady is known is 'Rock of Ages' and look at the theology of these words which affirm the doctrine of justification by faith, through trusting in the merits of Christ alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Toplady clearly believed and preached the truth displayed in Romans 3:24 'and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus'. The question is 'do we?'.
Toplady's 'A Debtor to Mercy Alone' is another classic; it is because the words are saturated with the 'apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42)'. He knew our just deserve outside of the gospel is the wrath of God as he pens:
A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on, my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God with me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.
In the mind of Toplady, God's covenant mercy alone, saves us from the deserved wrath of God. Paul states in Romans 1:17 and18 that there are two things revealed in the gospel; the righteousness of God and the wrath of God.
For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed ... For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
We need to pray for the recovery of these twin truths in the preaching of the gospel in churches.
Finally a Toplady hymn (actually it was altered by him but written by John Bakewell) that is not so well known is 'Hail, Thou Once Despisèd Jesus!'. The words of this hymn fill our minds with thoughts concerning the precious atonement made by our Lord Jesus Christ. The second verse should thrill the heart of every Christian.
Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, all our sins on Thee were laid;
by almighty love anointed, Thou hast full atonement made:
all Thy people are forgiven through the virtue of Thy blood;
opened is the gate of heaven; peace is made for man with God.
For those men who are involved in preaching the gospel, may we all make sure that we keep Jesus Christ and him crucified as central to the theme of our preaching and sermon preparation.
The classic for which Toplady is known is 'Rock of Ages' and look at the theology of these words which affirm the doctrine of justification by faith, through trusting in the merits of Christ alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Toplady clearly believed and preached the truth displayed in Romans 3:24 'and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus'. The question is 'do we?'.
Toplady's 'A Debtor to Mercy Alone' is another classic; it is because the words are saturated with the 'apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42)'. He knew our just deserve outside of the gospel is the wrath of God as he pens:
A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on, my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God with me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.
In the mind of Toplady, God's covenant mercy alone, saves us from the deserved wrath of God. Paul states in Romans 1:17 and18 that there are two things revealed in the gospel; the righteousness of God and the wrath of God.
For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed ... For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
We need to pray for the recovery of these twin truths in the preaching of the gospel in churches.
Finally a Toplady hymn (actually it was altered by him but written by John Bakewell) that is not so well known is 'Hail, Thou Once Despisèd Jesus!'. The words of this hymn fill our minds with thoughts concerning the precious atonement made by our Lord Jesus Christ. The second verse should thrill the heart of every Christian.
Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, all our sins on Thee were laid;
by almighty love anointed, Thou hast full atonement made:
all Thy people are forgiven through the virtue of Thy blood;
opened is the gate of heaven; peace is made for man with God.
For those men who are involved in preaching the gospel, may we all make sure that we keep Jesus Christ and him crucified as central to the theme of our preaching and sermon preparation.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
The Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ
Jonathan Edwards describes the incarnation in ‘The History of Redemption’ in these terms: ‘Christ's incarnation was a greater and more wonderful thing than ever had yet come to pass. The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for the Creator himself to become a creature.1
To hold a wrong view of the incarnation is to err regarding the atonement. Therefore in contemplating our subject, great care is needed, great joy is to be expected, and great shall be the praise of the redeemed, when they worship the risen and glorified Lamb of God in the New Jerusalem.
We must not regurgitate the same familiar phrases concerning our Lord week after week in the ministry of preaching. Paul the apostle said that he determined to know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Could the same be said of us among our flocks and in our preaching? Do we search the scriptures to gain fresh insights into Christ’s person and his work? This is why Christology is so vital to health of the church and the work of the gospel.
Matthew’s Gospel makes it irrefutably clear that the incarnation of Christ Jesus did not produce ‘a diluted form of God’. Our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood (this is a quotation from the Creed of Chalcedon).
Matthew introduces our Lord to be the Son of David and the Son of Abraham: He is God’s appointed king to fulfill all the biblical covenants and our Lord’s favorite title in speaking of himself is probably ‘Son of Man’. In healing the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8), Jesus openly explains his authority, in that he can do what God alone can do. Namely to forgive sins. The Son of Man is fully God and fully man. Again we meet the doctrine of the hypostatic union of the two natures of Christ as Chalcedon states.
[The] two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence.
The Incarnation and Preaching
Our aim must be to fill the hearts and minds of the worshippers of the Triune God with a rich knowledge of Christ Jesus. Paul reminds us in Colossians 1:18:
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Preaching is the high point of worship in the reformed tradition and therefore we need to study hard to ensure that Christ Jesus is centre stage but it must be Jesus without confusion, without notions that lead to error, without division from the Triune God. This is why the Creed of Chalcedon is so helpful and why our historic creeds and confessions must not be neglected.
To hold a wrong view of the incarnation is to err regarding the atonement. Therefore in contemplating our subject, great care is needed, great joy is to be expected, and great shall be the praise of the redeemed, when they worship the risen and glorified Lamb of God in the New Jerusalem.
We must not regurgitate the same familiar phrases concerning our Lord week after week in the ministry of preaching. Paul the apostle said that he determined to know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Could the same be said of us among our flocks and in our preaching? Do we search the scriptures to gain fresh insights into Christ’s person and his work? This is why Christology is so vital to health of the church and the work of the gospel.
Matthew’s Gospel makes it irrefutably clear that the incarnation of Christ Jesus did not produce ‘a diluted form of God’. Our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood (this is a quotation from the Creed of Chalcedon).
Matthew introduces our Lord to be the Son of David and the Son of Abraham: He is God’s appointed king to fulfill all the biblical covenants and our Lord’s favorite title in speaking of himself is probably ‘Son of Man’. In healing the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8), Jesus openly explains his authority, in that he can do what God alone can do. Namely to forgive sins. The Son of Man is fully God and fully man. Again we meet the doctrine of the hypostatic union of the two natures of Christ as Chalcedon states.
[The] two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence.
The Incarnation and Preaching
Our aim must be to fill the hearts and minds of the worshippers of the Triune God with a rich knowledge of Christ Jesus. Paul reminds us in Colossians 1:18:
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Preaching is the high point of worship in the reformed tradition and therefore we need to study hard to ensure that Christ Jesus is centre stage but it must be Jesus without confusion, without notions that lead to error, without division from the Triune God. This is why the Creed of Chalcedon is so helpful and why our historic creeds and confessions must not be neglected.
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