Morning Prayer

For Psalm 19, Prof. Calvin comments on the Psalmist’s earnest petition to keep him from presumptuous, unknown, and secret sins.

ISBE on the dating of Exodus: Prof. R. K. Harrison talks about Te;l-el-Dab’a south of Qantir in the 13^th-14^th dynasties which were brought about by violent destructions. The Hyksos built it back up but was destroyed in the conquest of Lower Egypt by the 18^th dynasty and was rebuilt by the 19^th dynasty.

For Genesis 3.17-19: Prof. Keil discusses the Adamic curse bringing death to all without exception.

For Judges 1.17-21, Prof. Keil talks of Judah and Simeon in the Philistine areas.

For Isaiah 7.17-25, Prof. Henry comments on the agricultural and commercial devastation that God is bringing to offending regions—Judah, Syria and Israel. Count on it.

ISBE on Mark: Dr. R. P. Martin offers a few unremarkable comments about the Kingdom of God, although Kummel’s point echoes in other places—the already here, but not yet hermeneutic.

For Mathew 5.38-42, Prof. Jamieson discusses the lex talionis, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

For Romans 3.21-31, Prof. Hodge continues the classical discussion about justification.

For Revelation 18.1-8, Prof. Henry has two angels announcing “very loudly” the fall of Babylon. No soft voices there.

EDT on the Theological Liberalism: Kant’s ethical idealism limited knowledge. Theology become, on our view, the “As If” theology. Schleiermacher reduced doctrine, theology and confessions over-bloated (our words) and theorized feelings a postulate.

Westminster Theological Journal (Nov 2021) on “Theological Consequences of Q”: Dr. Dawson notes that the “canonical dam broke” and a flood of other texts rushed into the discussion about “lost Scriptures” accompanied by “obvious theological agendas. The relationship of the old Bultmannian bugbear of faith and historical debate continues in the ceaseless debate (with axes to grind).

In the Global Anglican, Philip Keen discusses the frequency of sermons and certain chapters from Genesis, Psalms and Isaiah.

For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge notes the mysticism and Romanism have a principle in common—both are infallibilists, one individualistic and the other institutional.

For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond begins the exposition of Titus 2.13 and its exegesis demonstrating the divinity-humanity of the God-man. Good exegesis again, as always.

For Ecclesiology (locus 6), Prof. Berkhof offers generic comments on the Word of God as the principium cognoscendi of theology. He notes that Rome downplays this and elevates the Church as the principal means of grace. Of note, this still exists but they’re recasting that image without changing their mysticism and co-coordinacy with the infallible writers of the Canon.

ODCC: Athenagoras was a 2^nd century Athenian apologist who wrote a “Supplication” or “Apology” ( = “Defense” in the Greek sense, not the English sense of saying “sorry”) to Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Commodus his son. He addresses atheism, charges of incest, the indissolubility of marriage and the Trinity as Three in One.

For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (0-100) Prof. Schaff comments on the NT canon, the Tubingen and the Leyden schools with their “smash and grab” theologies.

For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff shoots himself in the leg by the utterly fictitious claim that Gregory 1’s Augustinian converted England. This is sheer fiction and a gross mistake by Schaff.

For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff offers a quotation from Calvin himself on being “subdued and tamed” to a teachable frame, having been a superstitious obstinate Papist.

For Dr. Cranmer, Prof. MacCulloch, 56, refers to the “Libellus,” a 2-year old work product of Henry’s lawyers leading to the late spring Blackfriars debacle of 1529. An update of that occurs with Cranmer as a editor of the Censurae Determinations, encouraging Bishops to stand up to the Pope.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff cites the following Romanist leaders that protested Vatican 1: Dollinger, Friedrich, Huber, Michelis, Reush, Langen, Von Sculte, Lyson. At the time of the Prof’s writing, there were 100 congregations, 40 priests and 50,000 members, more scholastic than popular, drawing the educated rather than the enthusiasts.

1994 CCC: our infallibilists in paragraphs 273-278 embarrasses the Prottie-fundie-libboes on the Trinity. As for the fundie-libboes, shame about the brains.

Westminster Larger Catechism 158:

Q. 158. By whom is the Word of God to be preached?
A. The Word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.