Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin on the Psalms. ISBE: Genesis. Prof. Kiel: Genesis. Keil & Delitzsch: Joshua. Matthew Henry: Isaiah. ISBE: Matthew. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown: Gospels. Romans: Prof. Hodge. Matthew Henry: Revelation. Prof. Hodge: Systematic Theology. Dr. Robert Reymond: Systematic Theology. Prof. Berkhof, Systematic Theology: Soteriology. Dr. Philip Schaff, Apostolic Christianity, Medieval Christianity, Swiss Reformation and Creeds of Christendom. Westminster Larger Catechism, 191.

For Psalm 16, Prof. Calvin talked about the “conspicuous marks of God’s people—visible escutcheons."

ISBE on Genesis: Prof. Harrison talks about the increasingly fragmentation amongst the literary “dissectionists” (Prof. Archer’s term). Eissfeld, another atomizer and dissectionist, puffed about “L” source for a “layman.” “L” is added to JEDP

For Genesis 1, Prof. Keil begins his exposition about creation, but also bringing in redemption and eschatology. To wit, the “whole enchilada,” the big picture.

For Joshua 15, we get more land-allocation issues. This is wearisome in detail, but it reminds the reader that “every square inch” in heaven and earth are under God’s meticulous providence. If one learns one thing, although forgetting all the Hebrew villages and hamlets cited, he will learn of God’s attention to detail.

For Isaiah 4.2-7, Prof. Henry refreshingly reminds the reader that Jesus is the Branch of Righteousness and the Stem of Jesse—Is. 4.2; 11.2; Jer.23.5; 33.15; Zech.3.8; 6.12). Again, beautifully, predictive prophecy, the cradle of faith to the elect and the car accident for the unbeliever.

ISBE on Matthew: Dr. Hagner adds another paragraph about the 5-fold structure of Matthew.

For Mathew 3.13-17, Prof. Jamiesson notes that Jesus prayed during his baptism, saying, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 40.7-8). It is a beautiful point made by the Professor. We would add that it is definitely connected to the work of the Atoning Lamb—the perfect, sinless Lamb keeping the law perfectly, perpetually and in His Person, vicariously for His people.

For Romans, Prof. Hodge begins his exposition of Romans by introducing Paul in the context of Judaic and non-Judaic worldviews of the Graeco-Roman world.

For Revelation 10.8-10, Prof. Henry notes that the Angel has commanded St. John to eat the little book and to “thoroughly digest the predictions and to be himself suitable affected with them.” Meanwhile, we add, that the lying theists, AKA Humean and Bultmannians metaphysicians from hell, reduce (in their minds) God and divest (in their minds) God of predictive prophecy. As believers, we are a rancid stench to such theologians, but the sweet savor to Christ’s elect. God can do predictive prophecy with one arm behind His back.

For Systematic Theology, Prof. Hodge speaks of systematic theology as a science—to authenticate, arrange, and exhibit the facts of Scripture in their internal relations. It is not an easy task.

For Theology Proper, Prof. Reymond notes that St. Paul and the apostolic witness did not practice or use evidentialist apologetics, but, instead, called people to repentance unto life and saving faith—a sweet savor to those believing and a stench to those not believing.

For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof again talks about “faith”—notitia, assensus, and voluntas.

For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff speaks of 1^st century Judaism and non-Judaism, sometimes called “heathenism.”

For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff finished the story of the imperious Boniface, Anglo-Saxon Apostle from England to the Germans. He was knowledgeable in Scripture, but imperious and punctilious about trifles, akin to Augustine of Canterbury. Quite often, when one talks about “conflicts in religion,” the issue is not about “religion” but rather it’s about pride, self-righteousness, power or, in some cases, simply about “bread-and-butter and a bigger kitchen.”

For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff discuss the political situation facing Zurich with the second, impending battle of Cappel, the conflict in which Zwingli would be fatally wounded.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff talks about the Tridentine Confession and the Romanist claim, extra quam memo salvus esse potest, or, without which [the Church] no one can be saved.

Westminster Larger Catechism 191:

Q. 191. What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come), acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in; the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate; that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted: that Christ would rule in our hearts here, and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever: and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.