You can find this over at Doug Wilson’s blog. I’m reposting it here because I’ve just spent over an hour responding to Doug R. and John B.’s good objections to comments on Shakin’ The Tree, so I’ve not got time to write anything new. Also, posting it here means I can find it more easily in future! So, at the risk of becoming the anti-paedobaptist/anti-hyperpreterist blog…
Fig leaves without fruit are a false covering. Nathaniel (“gift of God”) was “covered” by fig leaves like Adam, but he did not image the serpent. Jesus “saw” him and he was guileless. [1] Years of Bible teaching and a godly upbringing bore the fruit of righteousness. He was a true Israelite, a victorious prince of God. He would see heaven and earth united in Christ.
The debate over infant baptism at Doug Wilson’s blog continues. Pastor Wilson writes:
“The Gentiles were threatened with removal from the same tree the unbelieving Jews had been in. But if this were the tree of salvation, then the elect can lose their salvation — which cannot be defended biblically. And if this is the tree of the covenant, then the point stands” (To a Thousand Generations, p. 36)
This looks logical enough, but trees are a process of maturity, from seed to fruit. So is righteousness, and so is sin.
Some Notes on Liturgical Etiquette by James B. Jordan
We all now live in the age of slob worship thanks to the “sixties.” I never experienced sitting for prayer until 20 years ago. Jesus was unhappy when His disciples could not watch and pray for one hour. Today’s slob Christians complain if they have to stand for five minutes. It’s pretty pathetic when you get right down to it. Our forefathers would be amazed. The only people who sat for prayer in the entire history of the church were the infirm and the elderly. Sitting for prayer is one generation old.
So, for younger readers, here are some basic rules of liturgical etiquette.
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When Adam saw the two trees at the centre of the Garden, he was looking at the heart of the Trinity.
Doug Wilson writes:
“The Levitical administration brought strong curses for disobedience (Heb. 2:2-3); the New Covenant administration brings much greater curses (Heb. 10:29; Heb. 12:25). Christians commonly assume that the really terrifying curses for disobedience were given in the Old Testament, and that under the New Testament all is grace. But this is precisely the opposite of the New Testament’s teaching on the subject” (To a Thousand Generations, pp. 28-29).
This is certainly a side of the New Covenant that Christians are never taught. The first time I ever heard of it was in David Chilton’s Revelation commentary The Days of Vengeance in 1989. But along with baptism (just had to throw that in), a rediscovery of the Old Covenant hammer makes everything in the New Covenant look like a nail. The Revelation is, after all, a book about the end of the Old Covenant.
“In the battle to renew and rebuild the wobbling edifice of the Church in the 21st century, I’d put my money on the 30-something apprentice with an iPod, some business experience and a day job over the 20-something with a piece of paper and a huge load of debt every time.”
Bursting the Seminary Bubble – Part 2
There is great advantage in tracking the shape of God’s work in history through the Old Testament. This is because God is consistent. Everything He does has the same shape, even though He does it in new and surprising (and sometimes devastating) ways.
One of the big handles in Scripture is the five-fold Covenant pattern, described by Ray Sutton in his book, “That You May Prosper: Dominion by Covenant.” Continue reading
Filmmaker Darren Doane (“Collision” www.collisionmovie.com) reviews Mike Bull’s Bible Matrix: An Introduction to the DNA of the Scriptures, and then lets a 12 year old Veritas Hall student explain the basics for the grownups.
“We have been using your Bible Matrix book during our time of staff training and it has proven to be a huge blessing and is reshaping the way we think as both a staff and school. Thank you.”
Dennis Deutsch
Veritas Hall
bmxreview
When it comes to the miraculous spiritual gifts, I’m a bit of a hybrid.
Bible Matrix blog
