Lessons on the Incarnation of Christ from Hebrews 2:5-18

1. Jesus was not ashamed to call his people "brothers." His brothers are the church (Heb. 2:12). He does not call all people brothers, but those whom he was given to save (2:13-14), those who are in time sanctified through faith in him (2:11). He helps, not angels, but the offspring of Abraham (2:16). Though man had fallen from honor to bondage (2:8), yet Jesus did not shrink back from calling them brothers to restore them to glory.

2. Therefore, while remaining God, he took on flesh and blood, that is, mortal human nature. He became like you in every respect, except that he was without sin (2:17, 4:15). He took on human nature, body and soul: human biology, human desires, human will, human affections, human thinking - all without sin and all freely subject to his divine will. He did not come as superman, a man of steel, but a man in our humble and mortal condition, capable of suffering. He hungered and he got tired. As a youth he studied and grew in wisdom. He wept and sighed and sweat in anguish as he approached death. He experienced the fear of death and yet pressed on for the joy that was set before him, entrusting his spirit into his Father’s hands. It was not enough to merely take on a visible appearance to talk with humans, as angels have done, but it was essential to become one of us, in order to die our death and raise us to new life and immortality, to raise up our nature in his person.

He made this flesh and blood his own. This union of two distinct natures in one person is such a union that we can say that Mary bore God in her womb, and that the church was obtained by God’s own blood (Acts 20:28), because the one who was born and who died according to his human nature was God.

3. In this way Jesus humbled himself, making himself lower than the angels (2:9), in the form of a servant. And this, even though he was much greater than the angels, as Hebrews 1 points out.

4. He took on flesh and blood to become a merciful high priest for his people (2:17). He is able to sympathize with your weakness, having been tested by trials himself. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward. As a priest he offered an atoning sacrifice for the sins of his people and continues now to intercede for us. And this sacrifice was himself:

5. He took on flesh and blood so that he might suffer death on our behalf (2:17). He came to die as a propitiation for his people’s sins. He bore your sins and satisfied divine justice by dying your death. This death is how he destroyed the devil (2:14). This death is how he destroyed the devil’s work and took away his power and released his captives. He used the devil’s weapon against him. The devil’s greatest weapon was death and condemnation - and Jesus willingly received that blow, exhausting its power, disarming the devil, and rising again. He disarmed the demonic powers and put them to open shame, triumphing over them in the cross.

Jesus offers this salvation to all who share in flesh and blood. Receive and rest upon him: own him as yours, and he will own you as his and wash away your sins. Do not linger in bondage and fear. He is bringing many sons to glory. This is why he was born in Bethlehem. This is why we rejoice when we remember his birth.

The Lord's Supper

A Scottish Sacrament, by Henry John Dobson

"The Lord's Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace." (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 96)

The Lord's Supper was instituted by the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed, to be observed by his church until he comes again. I have written before on its place in the church's worship here and here, and against the idea of "livestream communion" here, but here I would like to expand more on the significance of the Lord's Supper.

One of the first things to note is that this supper is not a propitiatory sacrifice that we offer to God. Christ's sacrifice on the cross is not again offered for our sins. "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). But in the Lord's Supper his death is showed forth and proclaimed (1 Cor. 11:26). Christ crucified is portrayed and presented to believers in the gospel and in the sacrament, the bread and wine being symbols of his body and blood. We partake of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of the Lord Jesus and his once-for-all sacrifice of himself on the cross. And we do not merely remember that he died, but that he died for us. For this supper is a sign and seal of his promise to believers, his promise that this body and blood was given for them and the remission of their sins (Matt. 26:28). This sacrament is a seal of the covenant of grace in the way that people shake hands to confirm a deal. The physical act confirms the words spoken. Jesus holds out his hand and tells us to shake on it. 

As we respond to this sign and seal with faith, it works as a means of grace by which Christ feeds us with himself. In this supper, he invites us to take and eat of his body and blood. The apostle Paul calls this bread and wine a communion (or "participation") in the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16). It is akin, he says, to the sacrificial meals of the Old Testament, in which those who ate of the sacrifice were participants in the sacrifice (1 Cor. 10:18). The sacrifice on the cross happened long ago, but we continue to feed on it and draw strength from it today. As 1 Corinthians 5:7 says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” The lamb was slain long ago. Yet 1 Corinthians 5:8 goes on to exhort believers: “Therefore let us keep the feast.” We continue to feed on the Lamb that was slain, participating in the benefits of his death. And in our case the Lamb is risen and alive and we abide in him (John 6:56), like branches in a vine (John 15:1-7). This sacrament is one means by which he gives himself to us, bringing us life from heaven.

While we do feed on Christ in this supper, we do not do so with our teeth and stomach. Jesus did not say that the bread and wine become his body and blood, or that his body and blood is inclosed in the bread and wine. His body remains a human body even when glorified. It remains visible and limited to one place. So his flesh is not found in the bread in all churches around the world - his body is in heaven. Nevertheless, Christ's words of institution do indicate that his body and blood is truly offered to believers in this supper and is truly received by them through faith. Those who outwardly partake of the visible elements in a worthy manner do inwardly by faith receive and feed upon Christ’s body and blood, receiving life and strength from him. This is done by the Spirit, who makes us living members of Christ’s body, participants in all the benefits of his death, branches which partake of the life of the vine (1 Cor. 12:12-13, John 6:63). 

Now a covenant not only has promises. It also has obligations. Those who have been redeemed by Christ's blood are bought with a price, to no longer live for themselves, but for him who loved them and gave himself for them. This supper engages us to gratefully serve our Lord. It also engages us to love each other as fellow members of his body. "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). 

In this supper, Jesus holds out his hand to us. By it he testifies to his death, his promise, and our blessings and obligations as his people. But in this supper we also reach out and take his hand. We take and eat. By receiving the bread and wine, we claim Christ's redemptive death on our behalf, expressing our faith in him. We testify and renew our thankfulness, our engagement to God, and our mutual love and fellowship with each other, as members of the same body. It is important to approach the Supper with this intent. To do otherwise is to partake in an unworthy manner, bringing judgment upon oneself (1 Cor. 11:27-31). We must not treat holy things with contempt. We must not cross our fingers behind our back while shaking hands with God. Instead, we should examine ourselves and consider the meaning of the supper as we approach it. Examine your knowledge of Christ, faith in Him, repentance, and love. And not only do we have a responsibility to partake in a worthy manner, but the church also has a duty to guard the holy things (1 Cor. 5, Matt. 7:6, 16:19, 18:15-18). Thus, the Lord's Supper is given to those who have been baptized, have publicly professed faith in Christ, and are members in good standing of a faithful Christian church. 

At the same time, this does not mean we must wait until we feel worthy of Jesus. He came to save sinners and promises remission of sins to those who believe in him. This sacrament is meant to increase our assurance, faith, and spiritual vitality. This supper reminds us that Jesus is our strength, that apart from him we can do nothing, that it is through him that we have peace with God. So come to Jesus and find rest, refreshing, and nourishment for your weak and weary soul. 

Augustine on Promoting Peace on Earth

In his book, The City of God (AD 426), Augustine makes the following comments about how the city of God, driven by love for God and others, promotes "well-ordered concord" in society. In particular, he notes that this is especially worked out in the life of the household. 

"But as this divine Master inculcates two precepts — the love of God and the love of our neighbor — and as in these precepts a man finds three things he has to love —God, himself, and his neighbor — and that he who loves God loves himself thereby, it follows that he must endeavor to get his neighbor to love God, since he is ordered to love his neighbor as himself. He ought to make this endeavor in behalf of his wife, his children, his household, all within his reach, even as he would wish his neighbor to do the same for him if he needed it; and consequently he will be at peace, or in well-ordered concord, with all men, as far as in him lies. And this is the order of this concord, that a man, in the first place, injure no one, and, in the second, do good to every one he can reach. 

"Primarily, therefore, his own household are his care, for the law of nature and of society gives him readier access to them and greater opportunity of serving them. And hence the apostle says, "Now, if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Timothy 5:8). This is the origin of domestic peace, or the well-ordered concord of those in the family who rule and those who obey. For they who care for the rest rule — the husband the wife, the parents the children, the masters the servants; and they who are cared for obey — the women their husbands, the children their parents, the servants their masters. But in the family of the just man who lives by faith and is as yet a pilgrim journeying on to the celestial city, even those who rule serve those whom they seem to command; for they rule not from a love of power, but from a sense of the duty they owe to others — not because they are proud of authority, but because they love mercy." (Augustine, The City of God, 19.14, available online here.)

 

The Keys of the Kingdom

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)

In the last post, I looked at Jesus' promise in verse 18 to build his church (see here). Here I want to focus on his words in verse 19 where he goes on to give the "keys of the kingdom." 

This verse does not teach the idea that Peter is sitting at the gates of heaven. First, this confuses the kingdom of heaven with heaven (we pray his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven). Second, the exercise of these keys is for the earth, corresponding to what God does in heaven. Jesus is the one who receives his people at death and welcomes them into the consummated kingdom of heaven at the last judgment. Third, as we saw last time, the rest of the apostles share the same office as Peter. Peter is being treated as the model apostle and their spokesmen. The binding and loosing power of the keys is ascribed to all the apostles in Matthew 18:18 and John 20:21-23.

So what are the "keys of the kingdom"? Keys are symbols of delegated authority and management. The steward of a household would be entrusted with the keys. So the keys of the kingdom refer to authority and stewardship over the church, the household of God. Jesus gives the keys - he is the head of the church - but he entrusts them to men. Jesus appoints a government for his church. 

Is this unique to the apostles? No, while the apostles have a unique role as we saw in the last post, we also find that they ordained men to carry on this delegated authority over the church. Matthew 18:15-20 makes it clear that their exercise is an ongoing part of church life. The church and its officers continue to be entrusted with the keys. Elders are described as mangers of God’s household in 1 Timothy 3. They are stewards, entrusted with the keys to the house. Elders work as overseers of the church, although they are bound to govern and order the church according to apostolic doctrine and pattens in Scripture. The apostles were unique as those who set up the structure of the NT church. But elders are overseers of the church, shepherds of the flock, leaders who keep watch over your souls (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Heb. 13:17). 

As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, “The Lord Jesus, as king and head of his Church, hath therein appointed a government in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate” (30.1). Thus, no other authority should usurp this authority. No father, magistrate, city council, or individual may assume to himself the exercise of church authority. For example, they should not administer the sacraments or interfere with or take over the church discipline. The civil magistrate has some authority over what happens in the four walls of a church building - if you murder someone there he will still call you to account - but he has no authority in sacred things. In fact, he is responsible to protect the church and maintain its liberty to do its sacred work. 

Another point to make with the symbol of keys is what they do. What do keys do? They open and close. In this case they open and close the kingdom of heaven. This is done through the preaching of the word, the administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline, all in accord with Scripture. That brings us to what this verse says about the exercise of church authority: binding and loosing. 

Church officers exercise the keys by binding and loosing people’s sins, by retaining and remitting sins  (Jn. 20:21-23, Matt. 18:18). In this way they close the kingdom to some and to open it to others. In other words, on the basis of God’s word, they declare God’s word, his condemnation of sinners on the basis of his law, and his forgiveness to repentant believers on the basis of Christ.

This binding and loosing is done in two basic ways: by the ministry of the word and the exercise of church discipline.

1. The ministry of the word includes the reading, preaching, and teaching of Scripture, including the instruction and proclamation given by the pastor throughout the worship service and the personal instruction, counsel, and admonition which he and the elders give.

2. Church discipline, which is done by the council of elders (the session), includes receiving to the sacraments and membership, as well as correction and rebuke, suspension from the Supper, or excommunication from membership, as well as receiving again those who repent after being disciplined.

The Westminster Confession of Faith summarizes the exercise of the keys in this way,

“To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed, by virtue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins, to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.” (30.2)

Jesus has promised to protect and build his church. He fulfills this promise in a couple ways, but an important one is by the means he has appointed in the church. He makes these ordinances effective. He has appointed the ministry of word and sacrament. He has taught us to pray. He has given diverse gifts to his church for its mutual edification. He has appointed a government in his church. Through these means, he gathers his elect into the kingdom, holds his church together amid opposition, and disciples its members in his ways. 

Christ and His Church - Matthew 16:18

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach on Matthew 16:13-20, which teaches us about the creed of the church, Christ's promise regarding the church, and the keys of the kingdom. You can listen to the sermon here. I had eagerly looked forward to preaching on this text because it is an encouraging and doctrinally rich passage. It also happens that my namesake and name play an important a role in it. After Peter had confessed the true identity of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus turned to speak of Peter's identity as his apostle. "Peter" (in the Greek, Petros) is the word for "rock" (petra) but in the masculine gender. But does this mean Peter is the foundation of the church? And if so, in what way? What does Christ's promise mean for us today?

1. "You are Peter, and on this rock" 

Despite claims to the contrary, Jesus did not here establish the papacy. What is said about "this rock" does not refer only to Peter, nor does it refer to his successors. 

First, Peter spoke on behalf of all, as he often did (Matt. 15:15, Acts 2, 5:29). Jesus had asked, “Who do you (plural) say…” Jesus then treats Peter as the model apostle on the basis of his confession of faith. The rest of the apostles shared the same office with Peter. And elsewhere in Scripture it is always the apostles (not just Peter) who are the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20, Rev. 21). 

Second, the apostles had a unique foundational office, distinct from all ministers who followed them. Ministers today are responsible to build well upon the apostolic foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-11). The apostles witnessed to the resurrection and proclaimed Christ’s teachings by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:21-22, John 14:25-26). Their message was recorded for future generations in the New Testament. To be apostolic is to be faithful to the message of Jesus through his apostles as it is recorded in Scripture. The church is built upon the word of God and especially its teachings about Jesus, who is central to the whole Bible. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:20, the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone..." 

Jesus promised to build his church on Peter and the other apostles who like him confessed this faith. The apostles would teach the teachings of Jesus, and on these teachings the church would be built. An attribute of the true church is that it is apostolic, true to the teachings of the apostles recorded in Scripture. 

2. “I will build”

Jesus will build his church. He does not merely make it possible for the church to come into existence. He builds it. He makes its ordinances effective. He draws in the lost to salvation. He disciples and purifies his people. He uses instruments, but he is doing the work.

And Jesus will not fail to build it. It will be built. It will continue to grow. He will not let it fall apart.

So use his ordinances and participate in his church with confidence, knowing that he is at work among his people by his word and Spirit.

3. “My church”

The Greek word for church is ekklesia. Its basic meaning is "an assembly." As commonly noted, it is a compound word, from "called" and "from." Yet this idea of the "called out ones" is not primarily a doctrinal point about being called out of the world - it refers to those called out of their homes to the assembly. The word was used to refer to civil assemblies and political bodies (as in Acts 19:32, 39). And, importantly, it was used to refer to Old Testament Israel (the “congregation of Israel”), both as the whole people and its representative assemblies. 

And not only does Jesus refer to a church, but to "my church." Jesus is the head of the church. Its common identity is found in him. This church includes OT Israel, for its common identity was in the promise of Christ made to Abraham, but Jesus came to renew and restructure his church for the new covenant age. Our source of unity must be in Jesus Christ, and through him, in the Father and the Spirit, not in any side issue or cultural fad or demographic.

Christ has one church. Though we unite in local churches, yet his church is one. Whether considered as the elect, or as his church visible in time, it is one church, his church. The visible church consists of all who confess Christ and their children. This is why we seek to be involved in the regional, national, and international church, working together for Christian education, missions, and relief, and holding councils for coordination, controversies, and appeals.

4. “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it”

There are two Greek words commonly translated "hell." In this passage, the word is hades (the place of the dead, the state of death) not gehenna (the place of final judgment). The "gates" refer to the power of hades, whether you think of the gates of a city as its center of political power in the ancient world, or imagine it as the mouth of death which swallows everyone and lets no one come back (the dominion of death, Rom. 6:9). The power of death and destruction is proverbially strong. 

In other words, hostile powers of death and destruction shall not overpower the church of Christ. Do you see these forces which seek to tear the church apart? Temptation, scandal, hypocrisy, heresies, divisions, strife, apostasy, lukewarmness, compromise, hostility, ridicule, persecution, and slander. The fallen world, the evil one, and our indwelling sin wage war against Christ's church, seeking its destruction. But the church shall not crumble. It shall stand. It shall continue to proclaim the faith once delivered to the saints unto the end of the age. 

Jesus triumphed over the gates of hades when he rose from the dead. As Scripture says, his soul was not abandoned to hades, and death lost its dominion over him on the third day (Acts 2:27-32, Rom. 6:9). He burst through the gates of death and triumphed over the grave. 

And so his church, risen with him, is free of the dominion of sin, death, and the evil one. There will be conflict, but these forces will not prevail against it. They will not overpower it, because Jesus is building it and he is more powerful than death itself. He has overcome the world and the evil one.

In fact, he sends his disciples to go on the offensive, to go to all the nations and make them his disciples, delivering people from the dominion of sin and death. We are storming the gates of hell to set its captives free.

Therefore, do not despair when you behold the forces of destruction. But boldly advance into the fray, and do not despair. Our King fight for us and makes his ordinances powerful to overcome all odds. The church shall triumph over these forces, as it has in ages past, all to the glory of Christ our king. 

Hugh Latimer on the "Goodly Art" of Shooting Practice

One of the important English Reformers during the time of Henry VIII and Edward VI was Hugh Latimer. He would be burned at the stake for heresy during the reign of Queen Mary in 1555 as one of the "Oxford Martyrs." He was a remarkable preacher, and a number of his sermons can be read online at this link. I wanted to share one interesting point I came across while I was skimming through his sermons this Reformation Day. This sermon was the sixth that he preached before King Edward VI. After rebuking the sexual immorality and wasteful gaming of his day, he turned to exhort the people to a "wholesome kind of exercise," that of shooting practice. 

"For the love of God let remedy be had, let us wrestle and strive against sin. Men of England, in times past, when they would exercise themselves, (for we must needs have some recreation, our bodies cannot endure without some exercise,) they were wont to go abroad in the fields a shooting; but now it is turned into glossing, gulling, and whoring within the house. The art of shooting hath been in times past much esteemed in this realm: it is a gift of God that he hath given us to excel all other nations withal: it hath been God's instrument, whereby he hath given us many victories against our enemies: but now we have taken up whoring in towns, instead of shooting in the fields. A wondrous thing, that so excellent a gift of God should be so little esteemed! I desire you, my lords, even as ye love the honour and glory of God, and intend to remove his indignation, let there be sent forth some proclamation, some sharp proclamation to the justices of peace, for they do not their duty: justices now be no justices. There be many good acts made for this matter already. Charge them upon their allegiance, that this singular benefit of God may be practised, and that it be not turned into bowling, glossing, and whoring within the towns; for they be negligent in executing these laws of shooting. In my time my poor father was as diligent to, teach me to shoot, as to learn me any other thing; and so I think other men did their children, he taught me how to draw, how to lay my body in my bow, and not to draw with strength of arms, as other nations do, but with strength of the body: I had my bows bought me, according to my age and strength; as I increased in them, so my bows were made bigger and bigger, for men shall never shoot well, except they be brought up in it: it is a goodly art, a wholesome kind of exercise, and much commended in physic.

"Marcilius Phicinus, in his book De triplici vita, (it is a great while since I read him now,) but I remember he commendeth this kind of exercise, and saith, that it wrestleth against many kinds of diseases. In the reverence of God let it be continued; let a proclamation go forth; charging the justices of peace, that they see such acts and statutes kept as were made for this purpose." 

The Reformers, and after them the Puritans, were not against recreation and play, but only against recreation which was immoral, immoderate, or unwise. In fact, they wrote in the Westminster Larger Catechism that one of the duties of the sixth commandment is "a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations" (WLC, Q. 135). While they warned of the dangers of sin, they also affirmed the goodness of creation and taught that the alternative to sin was not to be found in monastic asceticism but in a grateful enjoyment of lawful and refreshing pleasures given us by God (1 Tim. 4:1-8). A good historical study of how this teaching was worked out in practice can be found in Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation in Colonial New England by Bruce C. Daniels. These principles are very useful in our day, with its unprecedented opportunity for entertainment. We face the dangers of immoral entertainment, wasteful and unwise entertainment, and excessive consumption and addiction. One part of the Christian response is a wise and grateful use of lawful recreations which are refreshing and wholesome. 

While Latimer referred to archery, the Puritans continued to affirm shooting practice as a wholesome recreation once guns became more prevalent. In fact, it is one of the recreations we know was practiced at the first Thanksgiving. As Edward Winslow recorded in Mourt's Relation, "at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Arms..." While we no longer have laws requiring shooting practice, it remains a useful and wholesome exercise to be commended today. 

A Simple Church History Timeline

I have been teaching an ancient history course at a local homeschool co-op. In doing so, I have found that beginning with the worldwide flood of Noah's day, church history can be nicely summarized in five hundred year increments. Of course, church history begins with Adam and Eve, but the five hundred year increments do not work as nicely for the pre-flood period. I should also note that the two dates for the flood and for Abraham depend on how you calculate the length of time Israel spent in Egypt.

2500 BC - Great Flood (c. 2518 or 2348 BC)

2000 BC - Abraham (born c. 2166 or 1996 BC)

1500 BC - Exodus (c. 1446 BC)

1000 BC - King David (became king c. 1010 BC)

500 BC - Temple rebuilt (516 BC)

AD 1 - Jesus (born c. 4 BC)

AD 500 - Fall of Rome, conversion of the "barbarians" begins (last Roman emperor deposed in AD 476) 

AD 1000 - Vikings come to Christ, effectively completing the conversion of Europe.

AD 1500 - Protestant Reformation (Luther published his "95 Theses" in 1517)

AD 2000 - Christianity is worldwide 

Thoughts on "Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden"

Earlier this month, a group describing themselves as "Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden" issued a short statement explaining their support for Joe Biden for president, asserting that "Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump." That is a bold claim and I think it warrants some criticism.

I think the biggest error in the statement is when it compares the failure of the government to provide more healthcare and childcare with the civil government’s protection and support for murderers (in the case of abortion). Healthcare and childcare are natural responsibilities of the family - even the church needs to be careful to not supplant the family in caring for the needy (1 Timothy 5:3-6). But the civil government's foundational mandate is to punish the one who sheds innocent blood (Gen. 9:6). 

(Besides healthcare and childcare, the other Democratic policy it mentioned is raising the minimum wage, but President Trump has expressed openness to raising the federal minimum wage, although he prefers to gives the states the freedom to make their own decisions on the matter.)

Ironically, while opposing “one issue” political thinking, the statement still boils everything down to being “pro-life.” It neglects the importance of private property and religious liberty, the protection of which are also important duties of civil government. And both are being threatened by present trends in the Democratic party. It also neglects the issue of what role the civil government has in promoting a "biblical shaped ethic of life." The civil government is but one tool in the toolbox in the work of preserving the life of ourselves and our neighbors. 

I agree that a “biblically balanced” agenda is important. If you want to know what I think that looks like, check out this post: The Duty of Civil Government. Both political parties in our country fall short in some ways. Yet I am far from being convinced that Joe Biden’s policies reflect this biblical agenda more than Donald Trump’s. 

The Liberty of the Church

It is important for the well being of a nation for its civil government to protect and bless the church of Jesus Christ. The church of Christ is a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:2-3, Matt. 5:13-16, Acts 13:47), and Jesus takes the treatment of his church personally (Acts 9:4, Matt. 25:40, Zech. 2:8). 

In Genesis 12:2-3, God told Abraham, "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Some people use this today to argue that the civil government should support the modern state of Israel. There might be political reasons to support Israel, but this passage does not apply to it. It applies to Jesus Christ and his church. 

In Galatians 3 we learn that Jesus is the offspring of Abraham and heir of these promises, the one who brings blessing to the nations (Gal. 3:14-16). Blessed are the nations and rulers who submit to the Lord Jesus. We also learn that those who are in Christ are the offspring of Abraham and heirs of these promises (Gal. 3:29). Abraham is the father of those, Jew or Gentile, who walk in the footsteps of his faith (Rom. 4:11-12). Christ's church can claim the promises made to Abraham. The church of Christ, Jew and Gentile, is a continuation of Israel (Rom. 11). 

Isaiah contains prophecies of the restoration of God's people, particularly with the coming of the Messiah. This restoration and expansion includes an inclusion of the Gentiles and the support of the nations' civil rulers. These prophecies began to be fulfilled when the rulers of Persia supported the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. But combined as they are with the coming of the Messiah, they continue to speak to the present new covenant age. 

God tells his people that "Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers" (Is. 49:23). He promises the church that "Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you" (Is. 60:10). God tells his people, "You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob" (Is. 60:16). Not only is this a prediction, but this is also his will and desire, for God also gives a warning concerning those who do not support his church, "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste" (Is. 60:12). 

Our Presbyterian doctrinal standards reflect this point. It its exposition of the Lord's Prayer, our larger catechism teaches us to pray that the church be "countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate." The confession of faith also address this in its chapter "Of the Civil Magistrate." In short, it says that while civil magistrates may not take over the church's functions, yet it is their duty to protect the church as "nursing fathers" (a reference to Isaiah 49:23 and 60:16), such that "ecclesiastical persons" (church officers) are free to discharge "every part of their sacred functions." Here's the full statement:

"Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And, as Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance." (23.3). 

Fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies have been seen throughout much of church history. Historically our country has sought to protect the freedom of religion and to be supportive of the church through policies like tax-exemption and sabbath laws. But over the last century there has been a growing hostility to any special favor and protection to Christianity, the church, and the practice of religion. Many Christians themselves have grown skeptical or lukewarm about the church and organized religion. In some cases, this zeal for Christ's church has been replaced with a religious zeal for the modern state of Israel. Sometimes America itself replaces the church as the object of religious zeal and hope. Often the church is neglected due to a conception of the faith centered on the individual and subjective experience, the church serving as an optional boost to a person's spirituality. We should not expect society to value the church and take religion seriously if Christians treat it lightly. I hope that the trials of this year may awaken American Christians to the importance of the visible church and its ministry, community, and public worship. May God grant us good rulers who value the church and promote its freedom, and may he direct us to use this freedom well. 

How Not to Receive God's Word

"St. John the Baptist preaching before Herod Antipas" by Pieter de Grebber

A week ago, I preached on Matthew 13:53-14:12, which tells of the rejection of Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth and the beheading of John the Baptist by Herod at the request of Herodias. You can listen to the full sermon here. Something I pointed out in this text are the hinderances which led astray the people of Nazareth and Herod and Herodias. May we beware these hinderances so that we might receive the word of God with benefit. 

1. Familiarity. As the saying goes, “familiarly breeds contempt.” The people of Nazareth were familiar with Jesus and his family and this led to their contempt for his messianic claims. Your familiarity with Jesus can lead to apathy if you are not careful. And your familiarity with those who preach Jesus and share his word can also be a hinderance. You know his disciples and his preachers are normal people, flawed, weak, inconsistent at times; who are they to correct you and show you the way to life? 

2. Offense at Jesus. The people of Nazareth took offense at Jesus and his claims. Jesus is a stumbling block for some. He is not the man or message they wanted. Some are offended at his mercy. Some at his judgment. Some at his humble condition. Some at his message (repentance, atonement, grace, self-denial). Blessed are those who are not offended by him (Matt. 11:6). As Calvin said, “We are not liberty to imagine to ourselves a Christ that corresponds to our fancy, but ought simply to embrace him as he is offered by the Father.”

3. Unbelief. Jesus did not do many miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief. They saw, but did not truly see. You need faith to receive benefit from Jesus. If you think of salvation like water, then faith is like a bottle - without faith you cannot receive salvation. Without faith, all the grace remains out there, of no benefit to you. And Jesus takes away what is not received. He does not "cast pearls before swine" (Matt. 7:6). 

4. Resentment at rebuke. Herod and Herodias grew hostile when they were corrected by John. Do not let your pride and lust get in the way of faith and repentance. Hunger and thirst for righteousness, so much that you are willing to be corrected and to deny your desires. The kingdom of heaven is for the humble. Be willing to listen to reproof. 

5. Pleasures. Herod was ensnared at a birthday feast by a dance. Beware lest pleasures and entertainments leave you unguarded. Always be vigilant against sin, even in your mirth. Beware lest entertainments lead you astray into pride, lust, and folly. Do not be a slave of your passions like Herod, easily manipulated, led from one sin to another. Be discerning with the movies you watch, the songs you listen to, and the events you go to. Entertainments are often good in principle, but can be corrupted by design or by your use of them. 

6. Rash oaths and the praise of man. Herod carried out the execution of John because of the oath he had made and because of the crowds. Oaths cannot make sin a duty. But when an oath requires sin, in that case they are vain oaths (and it is wrong to use oaths in that way) and they serve as a temptation to sin (because of social pressure). So beware of the commitments you make. And beware the love of man’s praise. Do not be driven by the crowd lest they steer you to do evil. 

So be wary of these hinderances and receive the word of God with faith, that you might be fruitful disciples of Christ and heirs of the kingdom. Even though the men of Nazareth and Herod and Herodias fell prey to these hinderances, yet others steered clear of them and received the word. While many in Nazareth rejected Jesus, yet Jesus’ mother and brothers would believe in him and formed part of the early church in Acts 1:14. And while Herod opposed John, yet we find that his steward’s wife Joanna became a disciple and helped support Jesus financially (Luke 8:3) and that Herod’s life-long friend Manaen became either a prophet or teacher in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1). The word bore fruit, even though it was rejected by some. Praise be to God who opens the eyes of the blind that we might turn and be saved. May we all be good soil for the word of God, turning at its reproofs, trusting its promises and claims, and obeying its commands as disciples of Jesus Christ. 

William Tyndale on the Need for Reformation

On this day (October 6) in 1536, William Tyndale, Bible translator and Protestant reformer, was burned at the stake for heresy. His desire and goal can be seen in the following salutation and prayer from the preface to his book, "An Answer unto Sir Thomas More's Dialogue" (1531). 

“The grace of our Lord, the light of his Spirit to see and judge, true repentance towards God’s law, a fast faith in the merciful promises that are in our Saviour Christ, fervent love toward thy neighbour after the ensample of Christ and his saints, be with thee, O reader, and with all that love the truth, and long for the redemption of God’s elect. Amen.” 

And the beginning of the book, he described the need for reform in the church in this way, 

"This word church hath divers significations. First it signifieth a place or house; whither christian people were wont in the old time to resort at times convenient, for to hear the word of doctrine, the law of God, and the faith of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and how and what to pray, and whence to ask power and strength to live godly. For the officer, thereto appointed, preached the pure word of God church only, and prayed in a tongue that all men understood: and the people hearkened unto his prayers, and said thereto Amen; and prayed with him in their hearts, and of him learned to pray at home and everywhere, and to instruct every man his household.

"Where now we hear but voices without significations, and buzzings, howlings, and cryings, as it were the hallooing of foxes, or baitings of bears; and wonder at disguisings and toys, whereof we know no meaning. By reason whereof we be fallen into such ignorance, that we know of the mercy and promises, which are in Christ, nothing at all. And of the law of God we think as do the Turks, and as did the old heathen people; how that it is a thing which every man may do of his own power, and in doing thereof becometh good, and waxeth righteous, and deserveth heaven; yea, and are yet more mad than that: for we imagine the same of fantasies, and vain ceremonies of our own making; neither needful unto the taming of our own flesh, neither profitable unto our neighbour, neither honour unto God. And of prayer we think, that no man can pray but at church; and that it a nothing else but to say Pater noster unto a post: wherewith yet, and with other observances of our own imagining, we believe we deserve to be sped of all that our blind hearts desire."