Man under the Law

"Man under the law lives in a state of tension. He knows what is right; he approves what is right; but he lacks the power to do what is right."

—F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), 331.

The Message of the Whole Bible

Many scholars, as many of you are no doubt familiar, have proposed a "center" to the whole Bible. There is nothing like consensus in this matter, and many believe that the attempt to find a unifying center is the errand of folly.

Well, here goes my tentative junior attempt at suggesting a unifying center for the whole Bible:

The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments together, narrates and declares the grace-filled good news of the new creation kingdom of God, promised and fulfilled in King Jesus, the Son of God, as crucified and risen, and in his redeemed people, by the Spirit of God—all to the glory of God the Father, who is all in all. 

Dealing with the Old Testament in Isolation from the New

In his influential popular-level book According to Plan, Graeme Goldsworthy comments on an unhappy development in Old Testament Studies:

Over the years Christian scholars have developed specialization in either Old or New Testament studies. The trend has been toward a study of the Old Testament in and of itself. This is not a Christian approach to the matter. Christians in increasing numbers have written books on the Old Testament, which hardly even mention the fact that the New Testament exists. It has become a common feature of theological and Bible college curricula that the Old Testament is dealt with in complete isolation from the New Testament. 

So he concludes: "There seems to be a failure in allowing the New Testament to determine how we relate the Old Testament to Christ."

This is lamentable. And of this tendency and failure there needs to be repentance.

Not So Fast

J. I. Packer:

"The conclusions supposed to have been established by last-century biblical criticism were really the presuppositions on which it was based. Therefore they cannot be held to have been proved by biblical criticism at all."

—J. I. Packer, Honouring the Written Word of God: Collected Shorter Writings on the Authority and Interpretation of Scripture (Vancoover: Regent College Publishing, 1999), 54–55.

Calvinism Everywhere, Part 18

Reviewing the names of David's mighty men, 2 Sam. 23:9ff recounts the victories wrought by the Lord: "And YHWH brought about a great victory that day . . . and YHWH worked a great victory" (2 Sam. 23:10,12).

Now break your brains over these two texts juxtaposed: 2 Sam. 24:1 and 1 Chr. 21:1. Very likely here we have important critical issues (like time of composition) to consider when considering this sort of tension. But theologically (after all, I'm arguing, along with the Bible, that we live in a theocentric universe!) something like the cosmic stage of Job 1:6-12 undoubtedly undergirds the historical unfoldings in 2 Sam. 24:1. Ponder the scene of Satan getting permission from the Lord in Job 1, and ask yourself if the same sort of scenario might not fit 2 Sam. 24:1 and 1 Chr. 21:1. Although, I'll venture an addition: that God himself is said to incite David on account of anger makes this scenario slightly different from that of Job 1. For there Satan initiated; here YHWH initiates.

Oftentimes these texts are spoken of as problem texts. Okay, I know what is often meant, and I'm okay with this after a fashion. However, more and more I have a felt sense that the problem is in me, the problem is in us, not in the text. My head and heart are out of step with the Spirit, and my wisdom, as Job's (Job 38-41), falls far short of the counsels of the everlasting, infinitely wise triune God of Scripture—who has to lisp in infinite condescension to speak intelligibly to us!

So "I lay my hand on my mouth" (Job 40:4). And I tremble at "putting God in the wrong" (Job 40:8). I fear "darkening counsel by words without knowledge" (Job 38:2). I fear hearing the living Lord say: "Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me" (Job 38:3). His judgments, they are upright—they are altogether true and just, good and wise, faithful and everlasting! How "unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Rom. 11:33). "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true . . ." (2 Sam. 22:31). A joy to declare it—yes!—this "LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation" (2 Sam. 22:47). Amen, and amen.