These are some notes i made on one of Jonathan Edwards’ most famous sermons. Edwards got to the heart through the mind, as all real preaching does. I re-post this because I was reminded of the sermon yesterday by a preacher I heard. Following the standard Puritan model of composition (outlined by William Perkins) Edwards gives a brief exposition of his text: Matt. 16:17. He then explains the doctrinal content of the passage, before closing with application. Exposition The knowledge …
Category: Theology
Part One The second argument, that there are covenantal elements in the Creation narratives, is somewhat dependent upon the first for its advocacy. Nobody denies that there is a repetition of parts of the Creation mandate in Genesis 9. But such a repetition was necessary seeing that God had just wiped out every living thing from the map. That necessity doesn’t extend however, to requiring a covenant given to Adam in the Garden. And we are not justified in drawing …
More material from the “big book”. There need not be much dissension from the view that Genesis 6:18 may refer to a previous understanding of covenant on Noah’s part.[1] It could equally mean that the covenant was “in God’s mind” before the waters came and He chose out Noah.[2] In either case the interpretation stresses the gracious (hen) movement of God towards Noah (6:8). But could it, indeed, should it, be construed as a reference to a “Creation covenant,” instituted …
I have been asked to put my stuff on Biblical Covenantalism in one place. These are the main posts which, I think, define and expound the concept and indicate where I am going with it. I hope placing them together helps out. The Main Articles, the ‘Book’, and the Videos: Biblical Covenants and Normative Hermeneutics 1, 2 Explaining why the Biblical Covenants provide a hermeneutics for the Bible. Dispensationalism & Biblical Covenantalism: What’s in a Name? (link) A comparison of …
The scenes from the story of Cain and Abel, up until the “sons of God”, and the global Flood cover a period of perhaps two thousand years. Genesis 4 properly belongs with the previous three chapters. It begins and ends with namings; the naming of Cain (“acquired”, or “brought forth”), and the naming of Seth (“granted [substitute]”), and then Seth’s naming of Enosh (“frailty”). In the beginning of this chapter we find two brothers, Cain and Abel, who are worshipping …
This question came to me via Spirit & Truth, a website I am privileged to have a part in. Question: Thanks very much for your TELOS series of Biblical Covenantalism. I stumbled upon this at just the time I needed it – and therefore believe God led me to your sight. The minister of our church is staunchly amillenialist, and I am involved in discussions with him. The question he will get me on, unless you can provide me with …
This (re)post is a “stand-alone.” But I think it is rather important in its own way. I apologize for the formatting. “When the Christian sets forth his outlook he will stress the kind of God to whom he is committed, the nature of the world in relation to God, and the nature of man as God’s creature. The Christian God is totally self-sufficient, and in Him there is an equal ultimacy of unity and diversity (being Triune). Everything outside of …
After a ridiculously long delay, I have started to finish off my series on the Parameters of Meaning beginning with this one on Typology. I believe these guidelines will help Bible students avoid many pitfalls in interpretation by setting limits on what constitutes legitimate hermeneutics. For those of you interested here are the previous installments: Parameters of Meaning – Introduction Parameters of Meaning – Rule 1 Parameters of Meaning – Rule 2 Parameters of Meaning – Rule 3 Parameters of …
Here’s an older piece which I thought worth bringing out for perusal. It’s fairly long, but I hope some folks will like it: Introduction The Christian must take his or her position upon the words of Scripture. Not after it has been granted that the Bible really is the very Word of God, but it must be the great presupposition, the ultimate commitment of every child of God. We must insist that there is, in fact, no alternative to the …
Part One God is not, in any of the great theistic traditions, merely some rational agent, external to the order of the physical universe, who imposes some kind of design upon an otherwise inert and mindless material order. He is not some discrete being somewhere out there, floating in the great beyond, who fashions nature in accordance with rational laws upon which he is dependent. Notice that Hart has in mind the general consensus among theistic religions about God, not …
