Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

For Psalm 18, Prof. Calvin notes that the visible church is a mixed multitude. The history of saints and scoundrels. The book of Judges as a theme, we are pondering. Ups-and-downs, but kept by the power of God alone.

ISBE on Exodus: Prof. R. K. Harrison lands on quintessential authenticity of Exodus, leaving room for soft grammatical, geographical updates, e.g. the NIV reworking the KJV, as it were. Retaining the essence with very minor updates for intelligibility.

For Genesis 2.4ff.: Prof. Keil is belaboring the creation of man as a breathing creature made of dust.

For Joshua 24, Joshua sounds the note about remaining depravities that obtain and will continue despite the rousing reaffirmation and resounding promises of fidelity at this covenant renewal service at Shechem. Not so fast, says Joshua.

For Isaiah 6.9-13, Prof. Henry continued discussing the importance of the 10%, the stem or root that remains, while the tree gets the axe and 90% are gonners.

ISBE on Mark: Dr. R. P. Martin finished his discussion favoring Mark as the author. A resounding vote on that one.

For Mathew 5.13-16, Prof. Jamiesson talks about the effect of salt on restraining corruption in life and churches.

For Romans 3.1-8, Prof. Hodge again is exegetical mud that makes the exposition difficult to follow. Prof. John Murray is better. God willing, we hope to assemble 70 volumes on Romans and, God willing, to work this Epistle for the remainder of life.

For Revelation 16.1-7, Prof. Henry will recalibrate an iron-head, if possible. God is sending those angels out from heaven to work woe and destruction.

EDT on Higher Criticism: Prof. R. K. Harrison warns the speculations have come and gone. Caution is the watchword. Prof. Schaff says somewhere that the 19^th century is the stage for one theory coming and dying, followed by another, ad seriatim.

In the Global Anglican, Matthew Paynes continues the argument that “perseverance of the saints” is included in the Anglican formularies. This much: he’s putting this on the map for review.

For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge shifts to a discussion of mysticism in the middle ages, a period he says goes from Gregory 1 to the Reformation. An huge subject.

For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond continues the focus on the “Son of God” and “Son of Man” passages, noting Christ’s Messianic Self-consciousness and Self-disclosure.

For Ecclesiology (locus 6), Prof. Berkhof focuses on the hard-fought battle for Christ as the Head of the Church, notably our Scottish brothers and sisters, versus the State Erastianism, notably, the English claims

For ODCC: Papias (60-120ish AD), a friend of Polycarp and the Elder John, wrote a 5-volume commentary on the Gospels. Portions of that reappears in Irenaeus and Eusebius.

For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (0-100) Prof. Schaff spend time discussing Hillel, Shammai and Gamaliel as rabbis.

For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff offers negative views of the Koran from varied writers. The charge of tedium, illiteracy, and repetition accords with this scribe’s readings (twice) of the dull Koran.

For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff continues to describe the 10-fold category of Calvin’s works.

For Dr. Cranmer, Prof. MacCulloch continues to take notice of Cranmer’s marginalia—he clearly does not like Luther’s hot tongue and evinces strong Conciliarist views, something that runs through his theological development, including the desire for a pan-Protestant, Conciliarist response to Trent. It never materialized.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff notes that the Vincentian Canon—everywhere, over all times, by everyone—doesn’t apply at all to the 1854 decree of Immaculate Conception or Vatican 1, 1870.