Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin on the Psalms. Keil & Delitzsch: Joshua. Matthew Henry: Isaiah. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown: Gospels. Matthew Henry: Revelation. Dr. Robert Reymond: Systematic Theology. Prof. Berkhof, Systematic Theology: Soteriology. Dr. Philip Schaff, Medieval Christianity and Swiss Reformation. Dr. Philip Schaff: Creeds. Westminster Shorter Catechism, 11-20. Prof. Calvin is adding little else than what he's offered earlier on Psalm 8. We see the splendor of creations and providence, including man, and God's condescension. Prof. Keil gives us a thud for moment as he bears down into the weeds of geography. The Pentecostals will complain that's it too academic, that is, if they've ever read Joshua. Well yes, it is academic, but thankfully the Church honors "workers and servants of the Word. It's not gonna gain "FB clicks" but it reveals a scholar. Prof. Henry is continuing his workup to Isaiah. A long history is given on the "school of the prophets." E.g. Where did Isaiah go to school? Manuscripts? Who and what was his reading? Mentors? Travels? Knowledge of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon? Where did he get his picture-perfect, classical Hebrew? Inquiring minds are asking. Prof. Jamieson in the introduction to the Gospels, decamps from the wonderful Irenaeus backwards in time to Papias of Hierapolis. UPSHOT: 4 Gospels and 4 Gospels only. For the medieval period, having commented on the Romano-Latin and Celtic species of the early middle ages, he turns north to the Germano-Teutonic world. In Revelation 3, Prof. Henry finally highlights the few good remarks and promises to the remaining few in the dead-beat church of Sardis, "The Church-with-a-Good-Name But is a Dead-Beat-Outfit." Those in the exile will be confessed by Jesus to the Father. Prof. Reymond detours to the Apocrypha, non-canonical works, and non-inspired works by contrast to the 66 canonical books. Prof. Berkhof wiftily and unhelpfully is drifting around on the ordo salutis for the Reformed view. Up-the-game Louis. Prof. Schaff begins to explore Zwingli's theology. He makes a few cheap remarks in his contrast with Luther. Schaff offers the values and objections to Confessions: Positives: (1) Establishes an identity to the unbelievers, pagans, Jews, Muslims and others; (2) Valuable for religious education, from child-hoods through to graduate training; (3) Provides a defined bond of union for confessors and the community. (4) Keeps insider-heretics and apostates out, showing them the door; (6) Sustains memories, doctrines, worship and piety, e.g. BCPs, hymnals including. Negatives as claimed by enthusiastists, Socinianians, Quakers, Unitarians, German subjectivists (called liberals), Methodists, Baptists, Charismatics, Pentelunes: restrictive, repressive, conscience-binding, intolerant, bigoted, divisive, etc. However, it is to be noted that the free-ballers enthusiasts and independenists EMPHATICALLY have their own authority. Confessional Christians "confess" the doctrines of the Sovereign Authority of the Bible, not free-flying selfisms. Scholarship[ is involved with Confessionalists. More could be said on Creeds, Symbols and Confessions.