Morning 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, 115.

For Psalm 18, Prof. Calvin again enlarges on David’s enemies and God’s omnicompetence in protecting him.

ISBE on Exodus: Prof. R. K. Harrison knee-caps and decks the Graffies. They were deficient in theory and practice. They made assumptions. They armed themselves with a prioris. Claiming “assured results of scientific criticism,” an embarrassment, they showed no basic knowledge or application of the scientific method. They required no evidence. They made no use of ANE archaeological evidence. The blew with the wind of evolution. They refused admonishment. They assumed long interludes between oral transmission and written documents. They refused to understand that ANE scribes wrote down significant events shortly after occurrences for primary use or accuracy of the record, to avoid memoria lapsus, and for the purpose wide dissemination and oral transmission. That is, the ANE scribal practices were the exact opposite of GW assumptions and diktats.

For Genesis 1: Prof. Keil further discusses the luminaries on creation day 4.

For Joshua 20, Joshua discusses cities of refuge for those guilty of manslaughter. If an intentional homicide, the judges are to hand him over for punishment. If an unintentional homicide, the person may live in the city of refuge. The issue of “intent” in homocides is a very early legal construct.

For Isaiah 6.1-4, Prof. Henry comments on King Uzziah’s death, a largely successful and prosperous reign of fifty years until his pride, assumption of priestly prerogatives, and the imposed judgment of leprosy. Prof. Henry notes that Uzziah died in a “hospital” while the Eternal King lives eternally. Earthly kings come and go, but not the LORD of hosts.

ISBE on Mark: Dr. R. P. Martin further comments on the Aramaic grammar and syntax underlying but revealed in translation to Greek.

For Mathew 5.1ff., Prof. Jamiesson discusses whether the Sermon on the Mount occurred in one or two instances. We anticipate this meditation to come.

For Romans, Prof. Hodge overly-complicates Romans 2.6ff. and this has the sense of being quickly written. A skein of exegetical and good points, but not put forward clearly. As an aside, we are assembling 50 top commentaries on Romans, already owning many already. If Romans informs, shapes and governs a congregation, they won’t drift into this-and-that.

For Revelation 14.6-12, Prof. Henry gives three angels: one announcing the Gospel, another announcing judgment, and another, apparently, guarding hell’s boundaries—fire and brimstone, burning and anguish. Guess we won’t hear any sensible sermons on this.

In the Global Anglican, Henri Blocher, an admirer of Turretin, Barth, and Yves Congar, proposes to compare the “Reformers” as a category per se in comparison with “the Fathers,” per se, an oft-invoked category, e.g. “The Scriptures and the Fathers.” The backdrop is Eph. 4.11: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” A peculiar set-up and question.

For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge seems to be aimlessly wandering around on the value and limits of reason. This is no minor matter and we’re watching.

For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond is still expounding the righteousness and justice of God and, we’d add, unpopular themes in a relativistic and nihilistic culture where “my truth is my truth and your truth is your truth.”

For Ecclesiology (locus 6), Prof. Berkhof notes that the ecclesiology in the middle ages was largely inherited and undeveloped, other than the continuance of focus on the institutional church and hierarchy. We are not convinced of this—seems a tad simplistic. The Prof. notes that Augustine’s “communion sanctorum” as the invisible church is in the background.

For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (0-100) Prof. Schaff waxes poetic and romantic—as he occasionally does—about the land of Palestine. Colorful and engaging.

For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff describe Mecca and Medina.

For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff describes the series of disputations at Geneva in 1534 between William Farel and Dr. Furbity, a Dominican. It’s a partial victory for both sides, although Dr. Furbity concedes that he cannot substantiate his assertions from the Bible.

EDT on Process Theology: describes 666-Pittenger’s efforts in Christology, to wit, Christ is not the eternal Son of God per se, but is “becoming” divine. Pittenger, an Anglican clerk and leader at General Theological Seminary, will advocate for “process and progress” towards pan-sexuality, one of the lawless results of the cursed fig tree.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff of the 700-plus at Vatican 1, about 668 vote for the dogmatic decrees: (1) Apostolic, Petrine Supremacy, (2) Perpetuity of Petrine Supremacy, (3) Power and nature of Petrine Supremacy, and (4) Infallibility of the Pope.

1994 CCC: affirms the Scriptures as without error, to be read with the “Living Tradition” (Canon still open and Rome can add as needed) and with the sensus plenior—literal, allegorical, moral and anagogical

Westminster Larger Catechism 115:

Q. 115. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.