Morning Prayer: 10/9/2022

Halley’s “Bible Handbook:” comments are offering on “writing” in the Israelite community: Moses, the Judges, the historians of the Monarchy, but also other books like Jashar, Chronicles and others. For Psalm 31, Prof. Calvin again comments on divine providence, David, and assurance of salvation. Zondervan Pictorial Bible: “Israel:” commentary is offered on the Judges—12 in Judges and Eli and Samuel in 1 Samuel. Pre-monarchial narratives. For Genesis 28: Prof. Keil comments on Isaac’s departure to Haran in consequence to his ruse with Isaac resulting in Esau’s rage and intention to kill his brother. For Judges 17, Prof. Keil continues to describe the two appendices, chapters 17-21, particularized illustrations of depravity, idolatry and internecine, tribal rivalries. “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” For Isaiah 14.4-23, Prof. Henry continues to discuss the prophecied downfall of the future Babylon. ISBE on Johannine Letters, Prof. I. Howard Marshall comments on the proto-Docetists and proto-Gnostics that may underlay and be the subtext of 1 John. For Mathew 12.9-21, Prof. Jamieson comments on Jesus’s “anger” at the hardness of the heart of the Pharisees (cf. Mark 3.5). Jesus does “good” on the Sabbath by healing the man with the atrophied hand. For Romans 8.12-28, Prof. Hodge comments on “adoption,” Abba, and the gift of adoption to believers by the Holy Spirit. For Acts 2.14-36, Prof. Henry continues to hover like a helicopter over Peter’s Pentecostal sermon. Frederick Copleston’s “History of Philosophy: Greece and Rome (1.1):” discusses Plato’s trip to Sicily and Italy. He gets locked up as a slave in Syracuse, but is manumitted and sent back to Athens. He was interested in the Pythagoreans in Sicily. EDT: “Law of God:” comments on the civil, moral and ceremonial/liturgical laws. For Theology Proper (locus 2): Prof. Hodge in chapter 3 is lingering on the naturalists. Some long-talking but he’s coming to commentary on pantheism. For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond is continuing to discuss views on the “image of God.” A lot of ink on this. For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Berkhof is handling the incommunicable attributes—aseity, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternity, etc. ODCC: “Abraham Ecchelensis (1600-1662):” a Maronite scholar on oriental languages. A traveler to Rome and Paris with a return to Syria. He writes several books. For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (1-100) Prof. Schaff comments on Nero’s 32 years of rule—at first sage and restrained with Seneca as an advisor for 9ish years with the rest of his rule as one of brutality, murder, and show-boating egotism. For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff comments on Anglo-Saxon and Norman law in England from Alfred the Great through Edward the Confessor. The wisdom and spirit of Christianity and Moses are stamped into English law. For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff is still commenting on state supremacy over the church—across Europe and England, although, in principle and thwarted, Calvin’s view of the independence of the church is asserted. For Dr. Cranmer, Prof. MacCulloch comments on Cuthbert Tunstall’s back-channeling of information on the Anglo-Germanic negotiations at Lambeth in 1538. Henry’s listening to Tunstall and stalling on the Germans’ concerns—compulsory, clerical celibacy, communion in one kind, and private masses. Cromwell appears distracted and Cranmer thwarted. 1994 CCC: our infallibilists in paragraphs # 817-819 notes that there are Christians outside Rome. That is a significant change over Trent where Protestants were anathematized. Significant. And what of infallibility and the contradiction between these paragraphs and Trent? Rome can’t have it both ways. And infallibility? Westminster Confession of Faith: Assurance of Salvation 18. 2: This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.