Morning Prayer

For Psalm 26, Prof. Calvin notes David’s appeal (again) to his conscience void of offense before God and men. Zondervan Pictorial Bible: “Deuteronomy:” gives a written summary and correlation of Deuteronomy’s structure in parallel to the 2nd millennium BC suzerainty treaties. ISBE on “Leviticus:” authorship and date is introduced. Buckle up. For Genesis 17.1ff: Prof. Keil comments on the covenant of chapter 17, noting the temporal distances between chapters 15-16. This time, God reveals Himself as El Shaddai. For Judges 9.1ff., Prof. Keil continues on the conflict between the Shechemites and Abimelech. For Isaiah 11.1-9, Prof. Henry concludes this messianic passage with the echoes of optimism of a postmillennial angle? ISBE on Johannine Theology, Prof. I. Howard Marshall comments on the "Logos" as a divine name for Jesus. For Mathew 9.27-34, Prof. Jamieson reminisces on the on-going impact of the two blindmen who were healed. They went out and told the story. Sight restored. For Romans 6.12-23, Prof. Hodge goes wonky again. This is not a volume for the average reader or Churchman. For Acts 1.15-26, Prof. Henry comments on the constituency of the 120 who gather for prayer in the pre-Pentecost period. Frederick Copleston’s “History of Philosophy: Greece and Rome (1.1):” further details on the One and the Many in the thought of Anaxagoras, a Pre-Socratic philosopher. EDT: “Kenosis Theology:” what does it mean that Christ did not know the time of the second coming (Mark 13.32)? For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge gives credence to the cosmological argument as inescapable. For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond continues his exquisite march through the NT noting God’s sovereignty, eternal counsel, election, predestination and effectual calling. For Eschatology (locus 7), Prof. Berkhof deals with erroneous views of the Final Judgement: a metaphor, an immanent event and premillennial views. ODCC: Gregory 1 (540-604): the false claim is made that Augustine converted England; a palpable fiction often made. For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (1-100) Prof. Schaff notes the world-changing effect of Paul’s conversion, a notable statement. For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff comments on the place of clergy in the medieval period—friends of Kings and Princes, tutors, advisors and literate. For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff continues to give the exquisite letter by Calvin to Sadolet. A pious slap-down done very well. For Dr. Cranmer, Prof. MacCulloch gives some instances where Dr. Cranmer was on the short end in disadvantageous land leases and deals. For the Creeds of Christendom, Vol. 1, Prof. Schaff discusses the Augsburg Interim of 1548 and the Leipzig Interim of Dec 1548, impositions by the Papist Emperor. 1994 CCC: our infallibilists in paragraphs #638-640 does an excellent job on Christ’s resurrection, as expected, and in distinction from decadent Protestants. Westminster Confession of Faith 9.3: 3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.