Morning Prayer

For Psalm 20, Prof. Calvin notes that Psalm 20 is a Psalm penned by David for wider, liturgical use. Yesterday, an Anglo-Cat-n-Mut tried to get over on us about Calvin this-and-that. He was climbing a greasy pole and getting nowhere fast. Total ignorance (again). Simple people submit. Calvinist, when needed, are not push-overs. A take-down of this flea-bitten, fast-talking ignoramus was lawful and justified. Perhaps he’ll stop talking until he’s done much more reading.

ISBE on the dating of Exodus: 19^th dynasty: Prof. R. K. Harrison comments on W. F. Albright’s argument for the 13^th century BC date of the Exodus. Albright called attention to a sharp reduction of wine-jar sealing found at Thebes. The tomb reliefs show Hebrews working the vineyards of the northeastern delta. Albright thinks this was a revolt of “Asiatic dependents.” But, we’d add, why not the departure and loss of Hebrews earlier than the 19^th dynasty?

For Genesis 3.20-25: Prof. Keil comments on the cherubim who evict the couple from Eden or Paradise, protecting the tree of life.

For Judges 1.27-35, Prof. Keil comments on Manasseh’s moves militarily and theologically.

For Isaiah 8.1-8, Prof. Henry notes that chapters 8-11 for one or two sermons on destructions coming to Judah, Israel, Syria and Assyria. Mixed in with the judgments are Messianic messages and comforts to God’s remnant.

ISBE on Mark: Dr. R. P. Martin puts one to sleep on the comments about the “already not yet” angle of realized and future eschatology.

For Mathew 5.38-42, Prof. Jamieson talks about lending to a brother and owing no debts.

For Romans 3.21-31, Prof. Hodge marvelously talks of our justification “apart from the works of the law,” that is, our compliance to the law. He comments that even Papists in some 15^th century translations honestly retain the phrase “apart from the works of the law.” Papists hate that clause and hide behind their plastic masks.

For Revelation 18.9-24, Prof. Henry is still describing Babylon’s divine take-down.

EDT on the Theological Liberalism: Baur, the Tubingenists, and Graffies followed Hegelian evolution, questioned the authorship and dating of Biblical books, and utterly rejected the traditional understanding of the Scriptures as the divinely revealed oracles. Renan, Strauss, Seely and von Harnack dogmatically stripped traditional religion of dogmatic formulation—the war of two sides of dogmatists. In their dogmatism, they reduced confessional Christendom to an “ethic religion”—reduce their findings extracted from the theological smokescreen. Get behind the Christ of the Creeds and Confessions to the “Jesus of history.”

Westminster Theological Journal (Nov 2021) on “Theological Consequences of Q”: Dr. Dawson notes that 2DH with its trajectories has largely gone unquestioned and continues to be the supports to redaction criticisms and historical “Jesus research.”

In the Global Anglican, Philip Keen is offering his conclusions on “preaching the whole counsel of God.”

For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge argues that mysticism is unbiblical.

For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond picks up Colossians 1.15-20 with his high, incarnational Christology.

For Ecclesiology (locus 6), Prof. Berkhof discusses “law and gospel” in both testaments.  

ODCC: Melito of Sardis (d.190)—another apologist. He upheld the Quartodecemian views in Asia Minor. He was a prolific writer. He had a high Christology and opposed Gnosticim. He, like other apologists, wrote an Apology to Marcus Aurelius. Melito probably influenced Irenaeus and Tertullian.

For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (0-100) Prof. Schaff gives an exquisite tour of the eastern end of the Mediterranean as the stage of apostolic and post-apostolic Christianity.

For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff offers a few encomiums of Gregory 1.

For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff discusses Dr. Cranmer’s family life in Noyon, Picardy, France.

For Dr. Cranmer, Prof. MacCulloch talks more about the “literary” efforts of Dr. Cranmer in reworking the “Determinations.”

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff continues on Old Catholics, Dollinger and others.

1994 CCC: our infallibilists in paragraphs 283-285 speaks well of creation.

Westminster Larger Catechism 160:

Q. 161. How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted.