A Soul that has the Spirit may Say

"'The world hates me,' may such a soul as has the Spirit say; 'but my Father loves me. Men despise me as a hypocrite; by my Father loves me as a child. I am poor in this world; but I have a rich inheritance in the love of my Father. I am straitened in all things; but there is bread enough in my Father's house. I mourn in secret under the power of my lusts and sin, where no eye sees me; but the Father sees me, and is full of compassion.  With a sense of his kindness, which is better than life, I rejoice in tribulation, glory in affliction, triumph as a conqueror.'"

(Once again, balm from Owen's pen in On Communion with God, from the third division on communion with the Holy Spirit.)

Understand Thou What Thou Readest?

New Covenant Church pastor Doug O'Donnell's first sermon in a series on the Song of Songs, titled Understand Thou What Thou Readest?, provides a helpful orientation to the Song of Songs.  The title indicates that this is a book that requires explanation, that requires a guide, like the Ethiopian eunuch needed a guide to understand Isaiah's prophesy (Acts 8).  So Doug explains S. of S. 1:1 and gives "four guide posts" for approaching the book.

The four guide posts:

1)  This is a song (1:1 identifies the genre).
2)  It's a song about human love set in the context of marriage.
3)  This is a song about marriage love found in the Bible .
4)  It's written to give us wisdom (it participates in the wisdom genre). 

I found this sermon personally helpful and encouraging, especially the first guide post.  The first guide post tells us that we're reading poetry, not prose, or anything else.  And so we should let it function as poetry and have its full impact.  The sermon also has a number of healthy injuctions for the married and unmarried alike.

May we be doers of the word and not hearers only!

The Song of Songs Typological?

Does the Song of Songs include typology?

Here is Graham Cole's definition of typology taken from his book He Who Gives Life (p. 289):

The idea that persons (e.g., Moses), events (e.g., the exodus), and institutions (e.g., the temple) can—in the plan of God—prefigure a later stage in that plan and provide the conceptuality necessary for understanding the divine intent (e.g., the coming of Christ to be the new Moses, to effect the new exodus, and to be the new temple).

This definition seems to summarize fairly well most if not all that this biblical phenomenon intends.  (And, incidentally, the prefiguring or pointing is by way of patterns and models intended and warranted by Scripture itself.)

Now, assuming Cole's is a good definition, back to the question: Does the Song of Songs qualify as typology or contain typological elements?  A second question: May we discern typological authorial intention?  One more: If so, how?

Interpreting the Song of Songs

In part 2 of  John Owen's On Communion with God, the point of departure and then the place of exposition for describing communion with the Son is the Song of Songs.  I said in an earlier post that I wanted to come back to this and give some of my thoughts on the propriety of this approach, knowing full well what most today think of this.  I do believe that the Song of Songs is fundamentally human love poetry.  It is about married love, conjugal love, between a man and a woman.  No doubt about it.  And yet. . . .

Owen says this of the Song of Songs:  "In brief, this whole book is taken up in the description of the communion that is present between the Lord Christ and his saints."  Who would agree with this today?  But is there any sense in which this is true, even if we assert (as I believe we must) that the Song of Songs is love poetry expressing union and communion between a man and a woman in the context of a marriage covenant?

When Grace Dances

Isaiah 54:1, following the suffering and anguish of Isaiah 53, comes with an explosive change of tone and mood.  It shouts!  It sings!  It glories!  And Pastor Ray Ortulund says this of it and of us: 

Isaiah looks at the sin-bearing servant of the Lord and has one thing to say to us: 'Break forth into singing and cry aloud' (54:1).  In other words, 'Let joyful song explode out of you!'  We resist that.  Isaiah 54:1 may be one of the most disobeyed commands in the Bible.  Our exaggerated sense of decorum is the last bastion of pride holding out against the gospel.  Some churches make it a virtue.  But God doesn't.  In his exuberance he's creating a new world of boisterous happiness through Christ.  We must rejoice with him, or we risk making our hearts impervious to salvation, because that holy but raucous joy is salvation.

How are we doing?  Are we full of "that holy but raucous joy" that "is salvation"?  Are we marked by "boisterous happiness through Christ"?  Is this the feel of our corporate gatherings?  Or is there more of a cool and calm detachment about it all, perhaps on account of "our exaggerated sense of decorum"?  This may be "the last bastion of pride holding out against the gospel."  And it may betray more concern about what we think others would think of us (which is man-centeredness) if unrestrained praise and worship broke forth from full hearts moved by grace to dance and sing, to shout and leap for joy!

May God be pleased to overwhelm us with gladness in the glories of the Gospel of the grace of God!

Mohler on Evolution

Al Mohler on evolutionary theory in relation to Genesis and the Gospel:  "There is no way to affirm an historical Adam while holding to any mainstream model of evolution, and there is no way to affirm the Gospel without an historical Adam."  The quotation comes from Dr. Mohler's post today at AlMohler.com.  Here is the title and link: ‘Prettifying’ Darwin—A Timely Look at a Losing Strategy.

The Holy Spirit Versus a False Spirit

From the third division of Owen's On Communion with God, which addresses communion with the Holy Spirit, we're given this golden wisdom to help us discern the ministry of the Spirit of Christ versus a false spirit:

The Holy Ghost sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts . . . and thence fills them with joy, peace, and hope; quieting and refreshing the hearts of them in whom he dwells; giving them liberty and rest, confidence, and the boldness of children. This spirit whereof men now boast is a spirit of bondage, whose utmost work is to make men quake and tremble; casting them into an un-son-like frame of spirit, driving them up and down with horror and bondage, and drinking up their very natural spirits, and making their whole man wither away. There is scare any one thing that more evidently manifests the spirit whereby some are now acted not to be the Comforter promised by Christ, than this—that he is a spirit of bondage and slavery in them in whom he is, and a spirit of cruelty and reproach toward others; in a direct opposition to the Holy Ghost in believers, and all the ends and purposes for which, as a spirit of adoption and consolation, he is bestowed on them.

My response is simply this plea: O Lord, our Father, be pleased for Jesus' sake, to pour out more of your eternal love, through the pouring out of your Spirit into our hearts, as we look to the Christ in faith as our Pardon, Righteousness, Treasure, and King.  Amen.

Missionary Motivation: The Imperial Majesty of Jesus and the Glory of His Empire

A good follow-up to yesterday's post on the sermon by Matt Newkirk is this stirring word from John Stott's commentary on Rom. 1:5:

The highest of all missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God, verse 18), but rather zeal—burning and passionate zeal—for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Some evangelism, to be sure, is no better than a thinly disguised form of imperialism, whenever our real ambition is for the honour of our nation, church, organization, or ourselves.  Only one imperialism is Christian, however, and that is concern for his Imperial Majesty Jesus Christ, and for the glory of his empire or kingdom.  The earliest Christians, John tells us, went out 'for the sake of the Name.'  He does not even specify to which name he is referring.  But we know.  And Paul tells us.  It is the incomparable name of Jesus.  Before this supreme goal of the Christian mission, all unworthy motives wither and die.

So, my cushy American brothers and sisters, let's get fired up for the sake of the Name and either go with passionate zeal or send with equally passionate zeal, laboring in word, deed, and prayer until the earth is covered with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Jerusalem the Bride

Last week I posted part one of a two-part series on the book of Revelation preached by New Covenant Church pastor Matt Newkirk.  Here is the next bit: Part 2: Jerusalem the Bride.  Last week's sermon was good, this week's even better.  Don't miss this one.  Get a grand vision for the church, the world, and the world to come.

Here's an outline of the sermon from my wife's stellar notetaking skills (which I don't possess):

How should life in the new Jerusalem inform our lives now?
1) Life in the new Jerusalem is more communal than individual.
2) Life in the new Jersualem is more priestly than casual.
3) Life in the new Jerusalem is contingent upon a right relationship with the Lamb.

The biblical theology of this exposition embraces the sweep of the Bible's revelation.  The systematic theology undergirding the eschatology betrays coherency and care.  The pastoral theology models truly pastoral pulpit ministry.  The pastoral application, fitting for our day and our times (as application always should be!), is wisdom for the endurance of the saints. 

Only one question I have after listening, which you might ask yourself as you listen: how do points one and two (as they are fleshed out in the sermon) relate to each other?  How should our communal vision influence our priestly ministry?  Matt spoke of one way, that is, by adding to our number through evangelism.  And amen!  But what more could be said?  And, more importantly, practiced!

Open Your Eyes Christian: Higher Education

Thoughtful Christians (yeah, yeah, I know, these are in short supply nowadays) will want to take a look at breeders no more and then they are all mine.  For the love of God, please think about these issues.  It appears that many in the baby-boomer generation were too drunk with worldly pursuits to bother about such things.  But the damaging effects of that inebriation are upon us.  And those effects will be more horrifying if Christians don't get their heads out of the sand and, most importantly, call upon the name of the Lord of hosts for deliverance.  We're reaping what we've sown for generations now.

Great Texts

One of the great texts of Scripture: "Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself like he who takes it off" (1 Kgs. 20:11).  This is king Ahab's retort to Ben-hadad's taunt.  Love it.  Sounds like: "Walk the walk, don't just talk the talk."

The Peace of Christ

I'm going to begin a new category or two of posts that includes clear and concise definitions (sometimes with expansions) of important theological terms.  The term for this post is peace.  There is both a vertical and horizontal dimension to the experience and reality of peace, but the Godward dimension is primary and foundational in Scripture.  And I'll lean, as so often I do, on my beloved friend John Owen for help here.

Here is a definition of peace given by Owen as he comments on the work of the Holy Spirit from Jn. 14:27, which reads: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."  These are, of course, Jesus' words.  And Owen says of them: "The peace of Christ consists in the soul's sense of its acceptance with God in friendship."  That's it.  This is a good definition of the primary dimension of peace. Owen then expands: "So Christ is said to be 'our peace' (Eph. 2:14) by slaying the enmity between God and us and in taking away the handwriting against us.  'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God' (Rom. 5:1).  A comforatable persuasion of our acceptance with God in Christ is the bottom of this peace; it [includes] deliverance from eternal wrath, hatred, curse, condemnation—all sweetly affecting the soul and conscience."

Now as mentioned, there is also a horizontal dimension to peace, that is, between humans flowing from peace with God.  The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 almost certianly primarily has this horizontal dimension in view, as the context makes clear.  Yet, since peace with God is foundational to peace with others, the vertical dimension, I would argue, is not out of view even when horizontal peace is in view.  In fact, the vertical dimension of our lives is never out of view.  For we always live coram Deo, always before the face of God.

"Short-Cut" Word Study

Word studies are part and parcel of the exegetical process by which every preacher and teacher comes to terms with an author's intended meaning.  But most of the time an exhaustive word search is neither necessary nor possible for the finite preacher or teacher with limited time.  So Professor G. K. Beale's "short-cut" word study is very helpful.  Here it is in my own words:

1.  Check BDAG for the range of possible meanings.
2.  Check a Greek concordance to trace the usage of a word in the NT, especially within the corpus of the author whose writing you are studying.  (The same would be true for the OT, but using a Hebrew concordance, of course.)
3.  Give most attention to the usage by your author, especially where the word occurs in the book under study.
4.  Labor to discern which possible meaning works best in the context under study.  Comparing your findings with the best commentaries should be helpful at this stage.  When you are finished, you must justify your conclusions based on the context in which the word occurs, not based on etymology or usage elsewhere.

The Holy Spirit at Work

"When we find any of the good truths of the gospel come home to our souls with life, vigor, and power, giving us gladness of heart, transforming us into the image and likeness of it—the Holy Ghost is then at his work, is pouring out of his oil."—John Owen

Underestimating What Children Can Learn

Here is a good word from Dr. Peter Leithart about teaching children, from the preface of his book A House for My Name:

I encourage parents not to underestimate what children can learn about the Bible.  Unlike many books of theology, the content of the Bible is fairly easy to grasp.  Even (especially?) a two-year-old understands what happens when someone's head is bashed with a tent peg.  If trained to read properly, children can begin to see how parts of the Bible are connected to each other and to one big story.

It has been my experience that too often it is assumed, not least in Christian circles, that children need an adult brain before they can really start learning.  Alas!  It's probably then that it's too late for some of the most important learning to take place, with years of sponginess and inquisitiveness gone and forever lost.

(By the way, in case you missed it, the tent peg reference is from the book of Judges, when Jael pounded a tent peg through Sisera's head, just before one of the great songs of Scripture.)

Babylon The Harlot

Last Lord's Day, Pastor Matt Newkirk of New Covenant Church in Naperville preached the first part of a two-part series from Revelation.  It is a sturdy, strengthening word!  His grasp of how the antithesis in Revelation bears upon contemporary application is both insightful, and more important, a stirring call to flee idolatry, to flee Bablyon and align with the City of God.  In the first half of the exposition, Matt also gives a good overview of how to come at Revelation, full of apocalyptic imagery as it is, a much needed word of instruction in light of (or in the darkness of) the silly mishandling of the Apocalypse so prevalent in evangelicalism.  Here is the sermon: The Two Cities of Revelation: Part I--Babylon The Harlot.  See the same website next week for part two. 

A biographical word on Matt.  Matt is a full-time Ph.D. student at Wheaton College under Dr. Block.  He attended Reformed Theological Seminary prior to Wheaton, where he obtained the M.Div.  He grew up in a strong Christian home and within the PCA.  Before receiving the second blessing of the Spirit, Matt was part of a Christian rock band.  Most important of all, he is married to Caroline, his best friend, with whom God has recently brought forth their first little one, a lovely little girl named Lydia.  Blessed be God, Matt and Caroline are heading to Japan, when they finish up at Wheaton, to serve and strengthen the growing church there.  Matt will be working alongside and under the leadership of Michael Oh, president of Christ Bible Seminary.  Continue to look for Matt Newkirk, as no doubt you'll profit much from the instruction of this budding pastor-scholar.

Content with Notions of the Truth?

"When men content themselves . . . with notions of the truth, without laboring after an experience of them in their hearts, and the bringing forth the fruit of them in their lives . . . a decay must needs ensue."—John Owen

Who We Really Are

"Indeed, what men are in these duties [prayer and meditation] (I mean as to faith and love in them), that they are, and no more."—John Owen

Prophets or Professionals in Pulpits?

Do we want prophets or professionals in our pulpits, men of steel or boys of the cloth?  O, Lord, give us vertebrates!

A word from that prince of preachers, C. H. Spurgeon: "Give us all the vulgarities of the wildest back-woods' itinerant rather than the perfumed prettinesses of effeminate gentility."

Amen.

What a Piece of Work is a Man!

"What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties . . . in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god."—Shakespeare

Social Grace and Supernatural Grace

I think I've put my finger upon something about middle class and upper middle class conservative Christian society, not least of the Wheaton variety: social grace, it seems, may well be mistaken for supernatural grace.  So here's a question: Are tidy, clean-nosed Christians who live in affluent societies with significant social expectations more prone to mistake social grace for supernatural grace?  I think so.  I think it's a danger for my corner of the Christian world. 

And by the way, I'm not slamming social grace!  That can be a proper outworking of Christian faith.  However, it mustn't ever be more influential than or mistaken for supernatural grace.  A tidy, clean life can go to hell while observing all the acceptable and respectable social graces.

Heaven on Earth: Divine Love

Speaking of trinitarian love toward us—the fountain of divine love in the Father's sending of the Son, the purchase of the benefits of the Father's love, and the application of that love by the Spirit—John Owen speaks sanity to worldly madness: "What we have of heaven in this world lies herein." Oh for more of that sort of heaven on earth! For heaven is a world of trinitarian love.

Authentic Christian Experience: A Sense of God's Love on the Heart

"Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Rom. 5:5).  In On Communion with God, John Owen rightly points out that this is God's love for us, not our love for God, as the context makes crystal clear.  With genitival phrases, context is all.  Hermenuetics 101.  Owen got it.  Owen then says that the love of God in Scripture speaks of either God's love of purpose to do us good or of the love of acceptance and approval with God. 

Now, for the heart of this post, and the heart of Christianity: experiencing God's love on the heart. Owen asks this question: "Now, how can these [God's love of purpose to do us good and God's love of acceptance and approval] be shed abroad in our hearts?" Answer: "Not in themselves, but in a sense of them—in a spiritual apprehension of them." That's it. That's what's often missing in intellectualistic forms of religion that try to pass for Christianity.

To be sure, Christianity embraces the mind, the intellect. But that's not all. If that's all one has, a cognitive experience of the faith, one does not have Christian experience. Christian experience always includes this sixth sense of divine realities on the heart, melting it, moving it, satisfying it, rejoicing it. God's love is apprehended spiritually, that is to say, by the Spirit shed abroad in our hearts as we behold the glory of the once-crucified and now-risen Lord Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us. A sense of this on the heart, really tasted, really perceived, is worth more than ten thousand worlds, worth more than all the pleasures, experiences, and evidences this world can afford. And it goes infinitely deeper, down into the depths of eternity past, taking us into eternity future—and there holds us in divine love, sent by the Father, purchased by the Son, shed abroad by the Holy Spirit.

An Evident Sign of a False Spirit

"This is an evident sign of a false spirit, whatever its pretense be, if it glorify not that Christ who was now speaking to his apostles; and such are many that are gone abroad into the world" (John Owen commenting on Jn. 16:14).

Always ask:  Does this glorify Christ?  Is the dominant note the glory of Christ?  Is Jesus Christ being set forth as supreme and all-sufficient?  If not, this is a sure sign of a false spirit.  The spirit behind such is not the Spirit of Christ, the third person of the triune God. 

So how does the typical televangelist or teacher or preacher fare?