Last year I submitted a question to John Piper’s “Ask Pastor John” (basically a question and answer system where people submit questions and John Piper answers them. Really very good). The question was this:

How does “I follow Paul, I follow Apollos” [in 1 Cor 3] differ from “I’m a Baptist, I’m a Presbyterian,” when Paul seems to say that Christians—and, by extension, churches—should identify only with Christ?

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This is for you, Bronnie.

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31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32- ESV)

Wifey has asked me to post something about these verses after they were discussed at a Bible Study she attended this morning. Dutifully, I am now doing so. My only problem is that, while I’m happy with my general understanding of this verses, I don’t think I’ve plumbed the depths of it. Feel free, anyone, to add your own understandings in the comment section.

One thing I do know for sure, however: this is not talking about using the Spirit as a swear word! (Just thought I’d head that one off at the pass). Continue Reading »

We are going through Luke in our Home Group right now and the question has come up a couple of times about why Jesus tried to keep his identity and miracles quiet. Here are a few biblical answers. Let me know if you have more.

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Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

Mark 11:23

Notice what Jesus actually says here: “whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea’…” In other words, Jesus is actually telling us we can talk to inanimate objects and tell them what to do!

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Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Corinthians 7:1-5

My motivation for writing this piece actually comes from a recent “Taste and See Article” written by John Piper called, Sexual Intimacy and the Rights Over a Spouse’s Body in Marriage, in which Piper offers excellent pastoral advice that he mistakenly reads right into the text.

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I really struggle with small group Bible studies (an essential part of our Church’s weekly Home Groups), which is ironic since I was until recently “Home Group leader to the Home Group leaders” in our church. Continue Reading »

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

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1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying:

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17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root [3] of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. Continue Reading »

The New Testament Reformation Fellowship has organised a free seminary course on the Lord’s Supper through the Internet Biblical Seminary.  I have no idea who the seminary is, but I’ve known NTRF for years, now, and I’d recommend the course to you.  Their perspective on the Lord’s Supper is well worth a look.

This may seem an odd post to those who do not share the assumptions of a basically Reformed view of the Bible.  So let me set the stage. Continue Reading »

That’s Job, the book found in the Old Testament part of the Bible.

Andrew Barry has an interesting take on why Job was accepted by God and his friends were not.

…this is the best series on the book I’ve heard.  And yes, I’ve listened to DA Carson’s Revelations messages.

Andrew Picard is the Pastor of Napier Baptist Continue Reading »

Over at Christians in Context, Dan Myers wrote a guest post called “The Polygamist Next Door” which attracted some very passionate comments from Hugh, who wrote in the 18th comment:

All the arguments for “monogamy only” are false. They’re just respectable because the lie has been believed by most of orthodoxy for such a long time. It’s still bunk. I’ll take them on for you ANYWHERE, ANYTIME against ANY OPPONENT. Not a problem.

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What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.  But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.  Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.  If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:26-33)

I’m stuck on this. I really am. I just can’t figure out what the problem is that people have with applying these verses to Church meetings today.

Of the arguments I’ve read, the most dogmatic is the necessity of the preaching of the Word. But how does that contradict these verses? Is not preaching meant to be God’s word to his people – a prophetic act? Can it not also be teaching (a lesson)? And evangelistic? (See 1 Corinthians 14:20-25) Is there not room for the all important singing (each one has a hymn)
and provision for weeding out false doctrine and words (let the others weigh what is said)?

I know and I’m incredibly glad that God has used the format of the one-man-preaching-band to bring about his wonderful purposes in so many people’s lives, but regardless of the pragmatic success of that format, here we have a description – no, a prescription! – for a Church meeting (When you come together) that otherwise Bible believing and following people cannot bring themselves to apply.

Why? I’m not a fan of the cynical reasoning that suggests that pastors and leaders are afraid of losing their power. Nor am I a frustrated pew-sitter chafing under thwarted ambitions to speak up the front – I actually preach pretty regularly. I am just lost for an explanation for the complete disregard of these verses.

Now this applies really only to the Protestant Church.  (The Catholic might well be considered to live in the times of Kings!)  But this is what I mean by the title.

• Throughout Church history, different Christian groups have existed, each doing what they thought was right.  (Judges 17:6)
• During that time, God has raised up different, often very imperfect, leaders to revive the Church.  (Judges 3:9, 3:15, 10:12)
• The Church always goes astray.  (Judges 10:11-13)
• It will be this way until the king returns.  (Judges 21:25)

You search the Scriptures…it is they that bear witness about me… (John 5:39) 

The account of the Fall has an incredible amount of types of Jesus - mostly anti-types.  Some are well known, some I haven’t heard so often. 

• The serpent (Satan - Revelation 20:2) tempted Eve (Genesis 3:1) - Satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2).

• the woman was a human who wanted to be like God (Genesis 3:5,6) - Jesus was God who was content to be human (Matthew 4:3-4).

• the woman doubted God would look out for her best interests and so acted (Genesis 3:5) - Jesus believed God looked out for his best interests and so did not need to act (Matthew 4:5-7).

• the woman followed Satan’s path to gain in the short-term but death in the long-term (Genesis 3:3-5, 19) - Jesus followed God’s path to death in the short-term but gain in the long-term (Matthew 4:8-10, Philippians 2:6-11).

• the woman took fruit from the tree to become wise like God (Genesis 3:6) - Jesus died on a tree in the “foolishness of God” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).

• Adam followed his bride, not God, and ate from the tree (Genesis 3:6) - Jesus followed God, not his bride, and died on the tree (John 19:30, 1 Corinthians 15:3).

• Adam and his wife were naked, then covered themselves (Genesis 3:7) - Jesus was clothed, then stripped naked (Mark 15:20, 24).

• Adam and Eve hid from God and God called out to them (Genesis 3:9) - God hid from Jesus and Jesus called out to him (Matthew 27:46).

• Adam and Eve passed on the blame that belonged to them (Genesis 3:12-13) - Jesus accepted the blame that belonged to others (1 Corinthians 15:3).

• God clothed Adam and his bride in animal skins (Genesis 3:21) - God clothed Jesus and will clothe his bride in a resurrected body (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 - refers specifically to believers, but also applies to Jesus).

• God drove Adam and his bride out of paradise in case they ate from the tree of life and lived forever (Genesis 3:22-24) - God welcomed Jesus into heaven (Hebrews 9:24) and we his bride will be gathered to him and live forever (2 Thessalonians 2:1).

The curses themselves also have Jesus in them.

1. Jesus is the offspring of the woman who crushes Satan’s head and who’s heel is bruised (dies) (Genesis 3:15).

2. As non-Christians (and too often as Christians) we desire to take our Jesus’s place as our husband, and his rule seems harsh to us (Genesis 3:16).

3. Jesus works to bring good out of his cursed creation and we produce thistle’s and thorns (Genesis 3:17-18).

Please alert me to any more you are aware of.