Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin on the Psalms. ISBE: Genesis. Keil: 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. EDT. CCC. Westminster Larger Catechism, 114.

For Psalm 18, Prof. Calvin observes that David allusively refers to the Red Sea and the omnipotence of God in Exodus.

ISBE on Exodus: Prof. R. K. Harrison covers similar ground on Exodus as was done for Genesis from Astruc, Eichorn, Geddes, Hupfeld, Graf, Wellhausen and other literary-destructive speculators with JEDP, ever-failing to even remotely demonstrate underlying sources. The inadequacy and inaccuracy from this 19^th century heyday has been mitigated by those observing compositional unity, although Eissfeldt in 1956, not be outdone, postulated another source, “L” for a layman” and Morgenstern, himself not to be outdone, dissected another source as “K” for a “Kenite” document.

For Genesis 1: Prof. Keil comments on the absolutely necessary role of the sun and moon for organic life on earth, the sun ruling by day and the moon by night.

For Joshua 19, Joshua concludes the section on land allotment for the tribes. Joshua 20 will deal with distributions to the Levites.

For Isaiah 6.1-4, Prof. Henry notes that Isaiah’s vision “fixed” and firmed him up for a tough ministry to come. Success will not be measured by the numbers since a 90% failure rate will soon be predicted.

ISBE on Mark: Dr. R. P. Martin interestingly notes that Mark’s Greek Gospel shows an underlying Aramaic flavor.

For Mathew 5.1ff., Prof. Jamiesson begins the Sermon on the Mount, the law, to estrange the listeners from the notion of privilege based on birth as Jews. Grace is handmaiden of God’s sovereignty, not necessarily genes-and-lineage. So, the laws of the kingdom are given in keeping with His and John the Baptist’s message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

For Romans, Prof. Hodge discusses the moral law as the basis for divine judgment, including the elect.

For Revelation 14, Prof. Henry describes the blessed, preserved elect in heaven, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb who is central again.

In the Global Anglican, Henry Blocher asks how the 16^th century Reformers should be viewed. Pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers, or apostles in view of Eph. 4.11. He proposes to deal with Luther and Calvin while not dismissing lesser luminaries either.

For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge comments again about belief that lives with incomprehensibility: all the cardinal doctrines of the faith, but also who can explain gravity, how the stars hang in the universe, or other such issues.

For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond holds forth descriptively about God’s retributive and remunerative justice.

For Ecclesiology (locus 6), Prof. Berkhof notes discusses the development of the communion sanctorum from the apologists, apolegetes, Cyprian and Augustine, increasingly stressing the institutional aspect in response to the heresies of Montanism, Marcionism, Novatianism and Donatism. Although Augustine does preserve the reality of the elect as Christ’s Church.

For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (0-100) Prof. Schaff describes Palestine: the size of Maryland, smaller than Switzerland, and half the size of Scotland.

For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff describes the geography, land, vegetation, rivers and surrounding oceans of the Islamists’ world.

For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff describes the receptivity of the French Huguenots to Farel’s preaching. Also, we are told of Farel brutal handling by the Bishop and canons in Basel. “Kill the Lutheran dog! Come thou, filthy devil!” Farel affirmed he was no trumpet of sedition.

EDT on Process Theology: a brief is given on Cobb, Ogden, Williams and Pittenger, turning from the dying neo-orthodoxy of the 1960s to process theology, theorized that this “new source” was suitable for modern Christian experience and was more “world-affirming.” Nice try, fellas.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff describes how Rationalism, Naturalism and Pantheism were ascribed to the “Protestant heretics” for handing judgment over to individuals. However, Bishop Strossmier objected, noting that Protestants in North American, England and Europe produced scholarly refutations of such and that these “isms” were also around in pre-Reformation days in some forms of humanism. Strossmeir’s effort was shouted down as “execrable” but it secured an amendment to the draft proposal.

1994 CCC: the Romish catechism gives, actually, a good handling of the Scripture as God’s Word, far better than anything out of the Piskie fogs and silence. Yet, we know what’s coming, Da’ Papas’ Diktats and Obiters Dictas.

Westminster Larger Catechism 114:

Q. 114. What reasons are annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, The LORD thy God, and, For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, are, because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us; especially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, albeit many such escape the censures and punishments of men.