A Wonderful Testimony of God's Sovereign Grace

I have been blessed by John Farese's website over the years, where I have found many helpful resources. He has many good Reformed links to check out, including a set of links to Reformed Baptist (and other) online sermons. If you are looking for a Reformed Baptist church in your area, you may also want to check out his Reformed Baptist Church Directory.

I am thankful for God's work in John's life and wanted to share his testimony with all of the blog's readers. Soli Deo Gloria!

"Baptizoblogodebate"?

What is a "Baptizoblogodebate"? Well, that is the title that Justin Taylor has given to the informal "credobaptism-paedobaptism-membership-Lord's Supper debate" that has been taking place on the internet. It focuses primarily upon the recent discussion begun on the internet regarding the matter of baptism and church membership. This discussion began when John Piper responded to the changes Wayne Grudem has made in his most recent edition of his Systematic Theology, and then was followed by a posted letter from Grudem in response to Piper. I posted about this exchange back on August 9.

However, in a recent article at the "Between Two Worlds" blog, Justin Taylor has done a good job of bringing together the various contributions to the discussion made by other scholars and leaders, including Mark Dever of 9 Marks, Abraham Piper (John's son), Sam Storms, and Ligon Duncan.

I am grateful to Justin for helpfully putting this information together in one place and encourage those interested in this continuing discussion to read his August 21 blog entry entitled "Baptizoblogodebate Roundup (with Breaking News)".

Why Did "Mother" Teresa Lack Assurance?

A recent Time article entitled "Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith," reported the apparent double life led by the Nobel Peace Prize winner:

A new, innocuously titled book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (Doubleday), consisting primarily of correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors over a period of 66 years, provides the spiritual counterpoint to a life known mostly through its works. The letters, many of them preserved against her wishes (she had requested that they be destroyed but was overruled by her church), reveal that for the last nearly half-century of her life she felt no presence of God whatsoever — or, as the book's compiler and editor, the Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, writes, "neither in her heart or in the eucharist."

That absence seems to have started at almost precisely the time she began tending the poor and dying in Calcutta, and — except for a five-week break in 1959 — never abated. Although perpetually cheery in public, the Teresa of the letters lived in a state of deep and abiding spiritual pain. In more than 40 communications, many of which have never before been published, she bemoans the "dryness," "darkness," "loneliness" and "torture" she is undergoing. She compares the experience to hell and at one point says it has driven her to doubt the existence of heaven and even of God. She is acutely aware of the discrepancy between her inner state and her public demeanor. "The smile," she writes, is "a mask" or "a cloak that covers everything." Similarly, she wonders whether she is engaged in verbal deception. "I spoke as if my very heart was in love with God — tender, personal love," she remarks to an adviser. "If you were [there], you would have said, 'What hypocrisy.'"

Yes, hypocrisy is exactly what it should be called. But the really sad and truly tragic thing about this revelation isn't that it showed the hypocrisy of Teresa. The really pitiful reality that it shows is what happens to a person who trusts in good works rather than in the grace of God for salvation. Her horrible battle should remind us all that no amount of "good works," not even from the most renowned doer of good works in modern times, can bring assurance of salvation. The only thing that can bring assurance of salvation is trust in the work of Christ alone by the grace of God alone.

Ephesians 2:8-10 "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (NKJ)

Of course, only God can know Teresa's heart, but if her surviving letters -- the ones she tried to have destroyed -- are any indication, the poor woman never had the kind of assurance that the Scriptures say can be had by those who have a genuine faith in Christ.

"What is a Reformed Baptist?" Poll Update

After the first month of this poll, over half of those responding thus far do not think strict adherence to the Baptist Confession of 1689 is necessary to being a Reformed Baptist. Here is the breakdown thus far (found at the bottom of the page):

10% thought that one only had to be a Baptist who held to Calvinistic
soteriology.

35% thought that one must be a Baptist who holds to Calvinism and Covenant
Theology.

46% thought that one must be a Baptist who holds to the 1689
Confession.

7% thought that one must hold to the 1689 Confession for the most part, but
thought that this should not have to include adherence to the Sabbath
requirement.

This is taken from a small sample thus far, and I hope that there will be many other respondents to the poll over the coming year. There are 335 days left to vote, so if you haven't responded yet, scroll down to the bottom of the page and weigh in.

It is also interesting that the articles describing Reformed Baptists at both Wikipedia and Theopedia do not include adherence to the Baptist Confession of 1689 as necessary to being Reformed Baptist. For example, the Wikipedia article states that Reformed Baptists "typically adhere to the 1644 or 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith." And the Theopedia article states that they "quite often adhere to either the First or Second London Baptist Confession of 1644 and 1689 respectively." In addition, the Wikipedia article lists the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals among the associations considered to be Reformed Baptist, although it does not adhere to either of the aforementioned confessions. And both of the articles include Founders Ministries, which also does not adhere to either of these confessions.

Anyway, I am eager to see what this year's poll shows.

Grudem/Piper Exchange on Baptism and Church Membership

Wayne Grudem has rewritten a section of his Systematic Theology text entitled "Do Churches Need to Be Divided Over Baptism?" in the chapter on baptism. He changed his stance on whether or not baptism should be required for church membership by Baptist churches. He no longer advocates that membership without believer's baptism should be allowed. This was reported yesterday at Justin Taylor's Between Two Worlds blog.

Earlier today John Piper posted a blog article entitled Response to Grudem on Baptism and Church Membership taking exception with Wayne Grudem over the change. This should not be surprising given Piper's own stance on the subject in recent years. It is well known that he has advocated removing the requirement of believer's baptism for membership at his own church.

Anyway, later today at the Desiring God blog Wayne Grudem's Response to Piper was also posted. I hope this will result in a continued dialog between the two of them online. They have been good friends for many years and are both able representatives of their respective views. Their exchange is and can continue to be a model for loving Christian conversation about an important matter. In the process they could provide a valuable help for the rest of us in thinking through this important issue.

I know at Immanuel Baptist, where I currently serve as an elder, we have taken the same position as Grudem. So far I have found no reason to change my stance on the matter, but I certainly welcome the informed discussion and hope that it will continue for a bit.

Thanks Wayne and John!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Ubuntu Christian Edition

I have installed Ubuntu on an older PC, and it really is a nice Linux distribution. Setup couldn't have been easier. The main problem I have had with making a change from the Windows operating system, however, has been that it will not run e-Sword, my favorite Bible study software program (and it's free!). So I was really excited to discover Ubuntu CE (Christian Edition), which has integrated e-Sword.

The software is offered as a free ISO CD image download of around 700MB. I you have a really slow internet connection, however, you can get the CD for only $7.97. Here is the description from the Ubuntu CE website:

Ubuntu Christian Edition is a free, open source operating system geared towards Christians. It is based on the popular Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support.

The goal of Ubuntu Christian Edition is to bring the power and security of Ubuntu to Christians. Ubuntu Christian Edition is suitable for both desktop and server use. The current Ubuntu Christian Edition release supports PC (Intel x86).

Ubuntu Christian Edition includes more than 16,000 pieces of software, but the core desktop installation fits on a single CD. Ubuntu Christian Edition covers every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications to web server software and programming tools.

Along with the standard Ubuntu applications, Ubuntu Christian Edition includes the best available Christian software. The latest release contains GnomeSword, BibleMemorizer, the e-Sword Installer with Module Manager, The Word Installer, Firefox Web Browser with Bible Fox Theme, and much more.

Ubuntu Christian Edition also includes fully integrated web content parental controls powered by Dansguardian. A graphical tool to adjust the parental control settings has also been developed specifically for Ubuntu Christian Edition. These features are truly what sets Ubuntu Christian Edition apart.

You can view screenshots of Ubuntu CE here. I like that it offers OpenOffice, which I use all the time anyway. But I would definitely get rid of or not install the Virtual Rosary!

The Pope Has Done Us a Favor

There have been many reports recently about the Pope's reassertion of the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church as the one true church. For example, an article posted at Forbes.com declared:

Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

Benedict approved a document from his old offices at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that restates church teaching on relations with other Christians. It was the second time in a week the pope has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that modernized the church.

The document referred to in the Forbes article is called Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church. It answers five questions regarding the proper interpretation of Vatican II statements regarding the nature of the church. The fifth question is, "Why do the texts of the Council and those of the Magisterium since the Council not use the title of 'Church' with regard to those Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century?" The document gives the following answer:

According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called “Churches” in the proper sense.

In my opinion, such clarification by the Pope has done us a favor, and I hope he continues to assert more clearly what has always been the true position of the Roman Catholic Church on such matters. There have been far too many Catholics and Evangelicals who have been led to believe that the differences between them are really not that great after all and have involved themselves in many misguided and misinformed attempts at a unity that is nothing more than a mirage. Perhaps the most prominent such endeavor in recent years has been the astonishingly naive and foolish Evangelicals and Catholics Together document. The only way such documents can come into being and such attempts at "unity" can even be embarked upon in the first place is by either redefining or ignoring altogether what have been the actual doctrinal positions of both groups for centuries. I, for one, am glad that the Pope is clarifying anew what some of these positions are. The lines need to be clearly drawn on both sides so that Protestants can clearly see that the only way to true unity with the Roman Catholic Church is for them to admit and repent of their errors. I am not holding my breath!

"What is a Reformed Baptist?" Poll

Please scroll down and check out the "What is a Reformed Baptist?" Poll at the bottom of the page.

I am interested in how the Reformed Baptist community might answer this question. I have given four options for answers that I think basically sum up the various groups or individuals that I have found to be using the term.

I would appreciate the blog's readers weighing in and letting me know where they are on this question. Also, if you think I need to add another answer, let me know.

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

I saw this over on Steve Camp's blog, Camp On This, and just had to share it here as well. I would only add that I am not entirely sure what I think of Piper's final statement, that "God is most glorified in you when you are satisfied in the midst of loss, not prosperity."

While I think that this is generally true, I wonder about a statement like this from the Apostle Paul:

"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:12-13)

It seems that for Paul it took just as much of the strength of Christ to "abound" as it did to "suffer need." After all, for example, doesn't it require the strength of Christ to overcome the many temptations that times of prosperity can bring? Such as temptations to trust in money rather than God? Or to be satisfied with things other than God?

Perhaps we can say that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him whether in the midst of loss or in the midst of prosperity. It depends upon whether or not we acknowledge Him as more important than the things we might have in times of prosperity.

As always, I welcome the thoughts of the blogs readers.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Free Internet Filtering

I have tried several internet filtering services, such as BSafe Online, Christian-Net, and the Home & Family Internet Filter.

However, I have found K9 Web Protection to be just as good or better than these other filters... and it is completely free! If you have children who access the internet, or if you want to prevent temptation for yourself as I do, then I highly recommend giving this service a try. Not only does it allow you to set which categories you want to filter, it also keeps a log of all the sites that the computer's users have attempted to visit. These logs can be checked and reset and the settings can be changed only by the one who has the password.

Abstract of Systematic Theology

This past year Founders Press made available one of the best Baptist systematic theology texts ever written, the Abstract of Systematic Theology by James P. Boyce. Boyce was the founding president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He first published his Systematic Theology text in 1887, and it has been one of the best examples of Reformed Baptist theology ever since.

This work has been very helpful and influential in my own theological development, and I want to share it with the blogs readers. In fact, you can also download an earlier public domain version of this work for e-Sword at my personal website, PastorThroop.com, under the category "e-Sword-Theology."

Here is a partial description of the book from the publishers website:

A concise systematic theology by the principle founder of the first Southern Baptist seminary. Appendices include: "A Brief Catechism of Bible Doctrine," Abstract of Principles and a Scripture Index.

The doctrinal stream in which Boyce's views are found can rightly be called Calvinistic or Reformed. He, like most early Southern Baptist leaders, was clearly convinced of the doctrines of sovereign grace. John Broadus, Boyce's friend and colleague, made this observation about what he called "that exalted system of Pauline truth" expounded in Boyce's Abstract:

The people who sneer at what is called Calvinism, might as well sneer at Mont Blanc. We are not bound in the least to defend all of Calvin's opinions or actions, but I do not see how any one who really understands the Greek of the Apostle Paul or the Latin of Calvin or Turretin can fail to see that these latter did but interpret and formulate substantially what the former teaches.

May the Lord use this book from the pen of one of the greatest Southern Baptists ever to live to promote reformation and revival throughout churches everywhere.

--from the Publisher's Introduction

I also hope and pray that the Lord will use this book in the lives of this blog's readers as He has used it in the lives of myself and so many others, that they be be firmly established in the faith.

Soli Deo Gloria

Dr. Belcher on the Minister's Study Life

As any of this blog's consistent readers may have gathered, Dr. Richard Belcher is a man close to my heart. You may recall in particular my previous blog entry entitled, Unsung Hero of the "Calvinist Comeback".

Dr. Belcher was one of my professors at Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University), and the most significant mentor in my preparation for pastoral ministry. By God's sovereign grace and providential guidance, his teaching and example have helped to shape my ministry like no other single person.

This is why I wanted to share an audio message with the blog's readers from the 2005 conference of the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals (F.I.R.E.). It is a message delivered by Dr. Belcher, and it is entitled "The Minister's Study Life." The focus of the message is on having a "balanced study life." It will give you a taste of what I have learned from one of my favorite teachers, and it will help you to either be a better elder or to better know what to look for in an elder.

As the Apostle Peter taught the elders of his day, "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock...." (1 Peter 5:2-3). In my experience, their have been few better examples than my old friend and teacher, Richard Belcher. Listen to the message and see what I mean. If you don't come away with a renewed zeal for God's Word and a deeper passion for studying it and sharing it with God's people, you may want to check your pulse!

A Reformed Baptist's Disk: "Home of The BCF Assistant"

The Reformed Baptist's Disk website offers an easy way to download an ISO image in order to create your own CD containing all of the freeware offered at the site. The freeware includes, for example:

1) The First London Baptist Confession of Faith (2nd Edition,1646) including An Appendix to A Confession of Faith, written by Benjamin Cox.

2) The BCF Assistant, with the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1677/89. Here is the description of the BCF Assistant:

The BCF Assistant has several extended features to those found in the BCFHelp, program. Some of these
additional features include:

- Original 1677 Confession text.
- The opening letter to "the
Judicious and Impartial Reader" from the 1677 text.
- The Appendix to the
1677 text in which the authors defend their Baptistic Principles and
Convictions.
- Chapter Outlines taken from Samuel E. Waldron's book, A
Modern Exposition of the 1689 - Baptist Confession of Faith, (Evangelical Press,
1989).
- A section on the Doctrine and Theology of the Confession (various
authors included Pastors Sam Waldron and Greg Nichols, Grand Rapids, MI, USA).
- A section outlining some of the Historical Background of the Confession
and how it came to be, including some biographical information on some of those
who were signatories to the Confession in 1689. This section principally comes
from Dr James Renihan (Institute for Reformed Baptist Studies, Escondido, CA,
USA.).

The opening address to the reader and the appendix are of particular
interest because these are not commonly published in book form along with the
Confession.

3) The Children's "Prove It" Catechism: An Introduction to The Shorter Catechism: A Modest Revision for Baptists Today. This is a handy little tool that helps children to learn the catechism, along with the Scripture proofs.

Interview on the House-Church Movement

Last night I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Roderick Edwards for one of his Kingdom Commentaries. The primary focus of the interview was about the way in which many in the House-Church Movement are making requirements of certain practices that the Scriptures do not require. We discussed two of these requirements, meeting in homes and partaking of the Lord's Supper as a part of a larger meal, but for some reason failed to get to a third requirement, which is having completely open, spontaneous meetings with no one leading. We just didn't have time to get to every issue in a half hour, but I have addressed all three of these issues thus far in the series of articles I have been posting here.

Here is some of the evidence that at least one of the leading voices of the House-Church Movement is making requirements of these things:

1) With respect to meeting exclusively in homes, Steve Atkerson says in his article entitled Interactive Meetings, "In short, we believe that the patterns for church life evident in the New Testament are not merely descriptive, but are actually prescriptive (2Th 2:15 , 1Co 11:2). Thus, we believe in home-based and sized fellowships...."

2) With respect to having completely open meetings that are interactive and spontaneous, with no one leading, Steve Atkerson says in the same article, "Holding church meetings in this spontaneous, interactive manner is in fact declared to be imperative according to 1 Corinthians 14:37, 'If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.' Thus, 1 Corinthians 14 is not merely descriptive of primitive church meetings. Rather, it is prescriptive of the way our Lord expects meetings of the whole church to be conducted."

3) With regard to eating the Lord's Supper as a part of a larger meal, in an article entitled The Lord's Supper - Feast or Famine?, Atkerson argues in the same way he has about the Apostolic tradition and meeting in homes: "Why would anyone want to depart from the way Christ and His apostles practiced the Lord’s Supper? The apostles clearly were pleased when churches held to their traditions (1Co 11:2) and even commanded that they do so (2Th 2:15 ). We have no authorization to deviate from it."

Doctrinal Testimony Regarding Recent Errors

Mid-America Reformed Seminary has released a Doctrinal Testimony Regarding Recent Errors, a document in which the Board of Trustees and faculty declare that they "humbly but resolutely stand against the theological errors now current, propagated by certain teachings of what has become known as the Federal Vision, by certain teachings of what has become known as the New Perspective on Paul, and by certain teachings of other individuals and theological movements" (p.6).

The document includes discussion of errors with regard to the covenant of works, the covenant of grace, law and gospel, merit, baptism and church membership, paedocommunion, justification by faith, and assurance of salvation and perseverance of the saints.

As a Reformed Baptist, I of course cannot agree with every position espoused in the document. For example, I think it is inconsistent of them to adhere to paedobaptism and yet to deny paedocommunion, without seeing that the arguments they employ against paedocommunion are essentially the same at key points as those they condemn in Baptists with regard to paedobaptism. However, I am glad to see that on more essential points the folks at Mid-America are standing firm against the egregious errors of Federal Vision theology and the New Perspective on Paul.

Only Three Republican Presidential Candidates Do Not Believe in Evolution

Although it is sad that only three of the Republican presidential candidates in a recent debate said that they do not believe in evolution, I still have to admit being surprised that there were that many.

A Journey in God's Sovereignty

The most recent of Dr. Richard Belcher's Journey Series of theological novels should be of great help to many who are wondering about the debate over Calvinism versus Arminianism, especially for those Baptists unacquainted with the history of their own tradition.

A Journey in God's Sovereignty is the fourteenth in this series of truly helpful and informative books. Dr. Belcher has found a way to teach theology that is engaging and helps the reader not only to learn theology but to see how important theology really is for one's spiritual growth and daily life. By the grace of God Dr. Belcher has helped many, many believers come to a deeper appreciation for and desire to learn Biblical doctrine. Here is the description of A Journey in Sovereignty from the Richbarry Press website:

Arminianism! Calvinism! True Calvinism! Moderate Calvinism! Modified Calvinism! Hyper-Calvinism! These are all theological terms being used today to speak of various systems of theology. And one of the central issues of all of these systems seems to be the attempt to define the sovereignty of God in relationship to man in his fallen state, as one who still possesses a will. Is there any theological doctrine more difficult and problematical than dealing with the subject of the sovereignty of God in relationship to the will of man and its responsibility before God? Is man's will free or is it enslaved? If God is sovereign, then how can man be responsible? If man is free, then how can God be sovereign?

This is the theme of the present journey book - God's sovereignty over all things. Ira Pointer and Dink find themselves in serious trouble at the seminary where they teach, because of this doctrine. They face the possible loss of their jobs, simply because the board of trustees and others do not understand these truths nor the doctrinal history of their own denomination.

I look forward to the forthcoming A Journey in Evangelism and Missions, and I will let you all know when it becomes available.

PCA Study Report on Federal Vision Theology

As one who has had a friendly relationship with many in the Presbyterian Church in America, having attained my M.Div. at Covenant Theological Seminary and being sincerely appreciative of their involvement in my life, I have been watching with real concern the development of the controversy over Federal Vision theology within that denomination. I am pleased, however, by what I see as very good steps being taken toward responding Biblically and forcefully to this serious error.

As have other pastors of Reformed Baptist churches, I have encountered many Reformed brothers who have been influenced by Federal Vision theology. I have also known many of my Reformed Baptist brothers who have been influenced in one way or another by the writings of Doug Wilson, who is a leading proponent of this aberrant theology. For shuch as these, as well as any others who may be interested in following a good development in this controversy, I recommend reading the Report of Ad Interim Study Committee on Federal Vision, New Perspective, and Auburn Avenue Theologies. Here is the list of Declarations from that document:

In light of the controversy surrounding the NPP and FV, and after many months of careful study, the committee unanimously makes the following declarations:

1. The view that rejects the bi-covenantal structure of Scripture as represented in the Westminster Standards (i.e., views which do not merely take issue with the terminology, but the essence of the first/second covenant framework) is contrary to those Standards.

2. The view that an individual is “elect” by virtue of his membership in the visible church; and that this “election” includes justification, adoption and sanctification;
but that this individual could lose his “election” if he forsakes the visible church, is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

3. The view that Christ does not stand as a representative head whose perfect obedience and satisfaction is imputed to individuals who believe in him is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

4. The view that strikes the language of “merit” from our theological vocabulary so that the claim is made that Christ’s merits are not imputed to his people is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

5. The view that “union with Christ” renders imputation redundant because it subsumes all of Christ’s benefits (including justification) under this doctrinal heading is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

6. The view that water baptism effects a “covenantal union” with Christ through which each baptized person receives the saving benefits of Christ’s mediation, including regeneration, justification, and sanctification, thus creating a parallel soteriological system to the decretal system of the Westminster Standards, is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

7. The view that one can be “united to Christ” and not receive all the benefits of Christ’s mediation, including perseverance, in that effectual union is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

8. The view that some can receive saving benefits of Christ’s mediation, such as regeneration and justification, and yet not persevere in those benefits is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

9. The view that justification is in any way based on our works, or that the so-called “final verdict of justification” is based on anything other than the perfect obedience and satisfaction of Christ received through faith alone, is contrary to the Westminster Standards.

I am encouraged by this very positive step in the right direction. I pray that God will protect my PCA brothers from these errors.

e-Sword: The Best Free Bible Study Software

Next to BibleWorks, which I would not do without, I have been using e-Sword since 2001 as my primary Bible study software. Although it is free, it is better than most commercial Bible study programs. I currently use it every day for Bible study on my pc, laptop, and iPAQ. It has become an indispensable tool. There is also a wealth of third party tools and modules available for e-Sword, including many classic and contemporary Reformed resources. For those of you who may not yet have heard of e-Sword, I recommend reading the review by Holger Szesnat at the Bible Software Review website. Here is Szesnat's conclusion regarding e-Sword:

In my view, e-Sword is a highly useful tool for the study of the Biblical texts; I would currently rate it as the best free Bible software available for Windows OS. From the perspective of the teacher of Biblical Studies, the ease of installation and use, coupled with the programme's ability to show up to four Bible versions in parallel display, makes it a very useful tool for exegesis - that is why I try to introduce all my new entry-level students to it. After all, there are a number of inexpensive commercial programmes which are not as useful as e-Sword, so one must congratulate the author of the programme on his efforts.

I agree that e-sword is the "best free Bible software" and highly recommend it especially for its user-friendly appeal.

For those interested in many Reformed resources for e-Sword, check out my website. I am currently trying to complete all of John Piper's sermons by topic.

Keith

The Apostles' Creed: A Teaching Outline

I offer the following teaching outline for those who wish to familiarize others with the Apostles' creed. The outline assumes understanding of and agreement with the core doctrines of the faith expressed in the creed. Therefore, it only focuses attention on the later addition of questionable doctrines.

I. The Development of the Apostles' Creed

The late Church historian Philip Schaff gives an excellent brief summary of the development of the Apostles' Creed in the early Church:

As to the origin of the Apostles' Creed, it no doubt gradually grew out of the confession of Peter, Matt. Xvi. 16, which furnished its nucleus (the article on Jesus Christ), and out of the baptismal formula, which determined the trinitarian order and arrangement. It can not be traced to an individual author. It is the product of the Western Catholic Church (as the Nicene Creed is that of the Eastern Church) within the first four centuries. It is not of primary, apostolic, but of secondary, ecclesiastical inspiration. It is not a word of God to men, but a word of men to God, in response to his revelation. It was originally and essentially a baptismal confession, growing out of the inner life and practical needs of early Christianity. It was explained to the catechumens at the last stage of their preparation, professed by them at baptism, often repeated, with the Lord's Prayer, for private devotion, and afterwards introduced into public service. (Creeds of Christendom, Vol.1 “The History of the Creeds,” CCEL)

II. An Early Form of the Creed

Although not written by the Apostles themselves, the Creed does reflect Apostolic doctrine and a form of confession that is very ancient. It most likely originated in the form given here in the 3rd-4th centuries.

I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

III. A Contemporary Form of the Creed

The more common form of the Creed, which is often cited as a part of corporate worship in Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches, is also a fuller form of the Creed. An example of this is # 716 in The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration (Word Music, 1986), which is used by many Evangelical Christians. I have included it here with brackets indicating additional phrases.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth:

And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; [He descended into hades]; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian church, [the communion of saints], the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Notice that this version also alters the phrase “holy catholic Church” to read “holy Christian church.” This change is probably due to a desire to avoid confusion because many wrongly equate the term catholic with the Roman Catholic Church. However, the word as originally included in the Creed was simply intended to refer to the universal Church.

Neither the phrase “He descended into hades” (wrongly translated in some English versions as hell rather than hades) nor the phrase “the communion of saints” was included in early forms of the Creed, and I think it best that we not include them either.

IV. An Argument for Retaining the Earlier Form of the Creed

A. An Argument for Excluding the Phrase “He descended into Hades”:

First, as was noted above, this phrase was not a part of the earliest versions of the Creed, as Wayne Grudem correctly points out:

It is surprising to find that the phrase 'he descended into hell' was not found in any of the early versions of the Creed (in the versions used in Rome, in the rest of Italy, and in Africa) until it appeared in one of two versions from Rufinus in A.D. 390. Then it was not included in any version of the Creed until A.D. 650. Moreover, Rufinus, the only person who included it before A.D. 650, did not think that it meant that Christ descended into hell, but understood the phrase simply to mean that Christ was 'buried.' In other words, he took it to mean that Christ 'descended into the grave.' (The Greek form was hades, which can mean just 'grave,' not gehenna, 'hell, place of punishment.')" (Systematic Theology, p. 586)

Second, it does not seem wise to me to include such a questionable doctrine in a creed designed to set forth only some of the most basic and essential doctrines of the faith. For example, I and many other Christians do not think that the view that Christ descended into hades can be established with certainty from Scripture. This can be demonstrated by a closer examination of the primary texts often cited as a basis for the doctrine.

a) 1 Peter 3:18-20:

NKJ 1 Peter 3:18-20 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”

In my view, Peter is referring to Christ's having preached through Noah to those who had been alive while Noah was building the ark, but who are now "spirits in prison."

Observe that Peter tells us that Jesus was made alive by the Spirit and that it is also by the Spirit that He "went and preached" (past tense) to the spirits "in prison," which indicates their present status, but does not have to mean that they were "spirits in prison" at the time the preaching was done. Peter has previously spoken of the way in which the "Spirit of Christ" had been testifying through the Old Testament prophets and foretelling the coming sufferings of Jesus:

NKJ 1 Peter 1:10-11 “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”

So, it would not be strange if Peter were to speak of Jesus' having spoken also through Noah, as he prepared the ark, to those who are now "spirits in prison." As a matter of fact, Peter elsewhere speaks of Noah's having been a "preacher of righteousness":

NKJ 2 Peter 2:4-5 “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly....”

The Greek word Peter uses to refer to Noah as a "preacher" is kerux, which is the noun form of the same word used to refer to Jesus' having "preached" (kerusso) to the spirits now in prison.

In my opinion, all of this supports my interpretation of the text, an interpretation that has been around for quite some time, having been proposed, for example, by Augustine.

b) Acts 2:27:

NKJ Acts 2:27 “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

Here Peter is quoting Psalm 16:10 with reference to Jesus, which in the Hebrew refers to God's not allowing Him to remain in sheol, and which in this verse refers to the grave (not to Hades as a reference to the place of the intermediate state). That this interpretation is best is demonstrated by the reference in the latter part of the verse to "corruption." Unfortunately, the NKJV that I have quoted simply transliterates the Greek word hades (which is itself the Greek translation of the Hebrew sheol) and the KJV has "hell" (which is not a good translation of either the Hebrew sheol or the Greek hades).

c) Ephesians 4:8-10:

NKJ Ephesians 4:8-10 “Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.' 9 (Now this, 'He ascended'-- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”

The phrase "descended into the lower parts of the earth" is sometimes taken to refer to a descent into Hades, but the text certainly doesn't say this, nor does it need to be understood this way. The NIV, for example, brings out what is most likely the intent by translating the phrase, "he also descended to the lower, earthly regions." That is, Paul is referring to Christ's incarnation.

B. An Argument for Excluding the Phrase “the communion of the saints”:

As noted above, this phrase was not a part of the earliest versions of the Creed. It also suggests a later, improper understanding of our relationship to the saints in Heaven. Philip Schaff has observed:

The article 'Commumionem sanctorum,' unknown to Augustine (Enchir. c. 64, and Serm. 213), appears first in the 115th and 118th Sermons De Tempore, falsely attributed to him. It is not found in any of the Greek or earlier Latin creeds. See the note of Pearson On the Creed, Art. IX. sub 'The Communion of Saints' (p. 525, ed. Dobson). Heurtley, p. 146, brings it down to the close of the eighth century, since it is wanting in the Creed of Etherius, 785. The oldest commentators understood it of the communion with the saints in heaven, but afterwards it assumed a wider meaning: the fellowship of all true believers, living and departed. (Creeds of Christendom, Vol.1 “The History of the Creeds,” CCEL)

The discerning Evangelical Christian will quickly recognize the problem with this phrase, which is the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox overtones of praying to the saints, a practice rightly rejected by the Reformers and all who follow in their footsteps as incongruent with Scripture.

V. The Value of the Apostles' Creed for Contemporary Christians

I would suggest a number of benefits of using the Apostles' Creed in contemporary worship.

First, use of the Creed reminds us of our heritage as Christians and of God's past work in preserving the Church from error. It thus leads us to praise Him for His faithfulness to past generations and to be encouraged that He will be faithful to us also.

Second, through its simplicity the Creed reminds us of the child-like faith with which we must all come before God.

Third, through its Trinitarian structure, the Creed reminds us of the centrality of the doctrine of the Trinity to the Christian faith.

Fourth, it reminds us of the importance of maintaining our faith in our sovereign God as Creator. This is especially true in light of the modern error of evolution.

Fifth, through its emphasis upon the historical fact of Christ's birth and crucifixion (note, e.g., the references to Mary and Pontius Pilate), it reminds us of the great importance of the historicity of the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. This is especially important in the light of so much modern criticism of the Bible in which the account of Jesus is viewed merely as myth.

VI. The Inadequacy of the Apostles' Creed as a Primary Statement of Faith for Contemporary Christians

Although beneficial to Christians as a reminder of some crucial doctrines of the faith and beautiful in its simplicity, the Creed is nevertheless insufficient to provide a complete summary of essential doctrines. Philip Schaff wisely observes:

[The Apostles' Creed] is by far the best popular summary of the Christian faith ever made within so brief a space. It still surpasses all later symbols for catechetical and liturgical purposes, especially as a profession of candidates for baptism and church membership. It is not a logical statement of abstract doctrines, but a profession of living facts and saving truths. It is a liturgical poem and an act of worship. Like the Lord's Prayer, it loses none of its charm and effect by frequent use, although, by vain and thoughtless repetition, it may be made a martyr and an empty form of words. It is intelligible and edifying to a child, and fresh and rich to the profoundest Christian scholar, who, as he advances in age, delights to go back to primitive foundations and first principles. It has the fragrance of antiquity and the inestimable weight of universal consent. It is a bond of union between all ages and sections of Christendom. It can never be superseded for popular use in church and school.

At the same time, it must be admitted that the very simplicity and brevity of this Creed, which so admirably adapt it for all classes of Christians and for public worship, make it insufficient as a regulator of public doctrine for a more advanced stage of theological knowledge. As it is confined to the fundamental articles, and expresses them in plain Scripture terms, it admits of an indefinite expansion by the scientific mind of the Church. Thus the Nicene Creed gives clearer and stronger expression to the doctrine of Christ's divinity against the Arians, the Athanasian Creed to the whole doctrine of the Trinity and of Christ's person against the various heresies of the post-Nicene age. The Reformation Creeds are more explicit on the authority and inspiration of the Scriptures and the doctrines of sin and grace, which are either passed by or merely implied in the Apostles' Creed. (Creeds of Christendom, Vol.1 “The History of the Creeds,” CCEL)

VII. Summary Concerning the Apostles' Creed

The Apostles' Creed as originally developed and used by the Church should be cherished by contemporary Christians as a valuable and helpful part of our Christian heritage. It should not be dismissed so easily and glibly as is often done by modern Baptists in particular. However, we should use it with a proper awareness of the later additions to the Creed, not assuming that these later additions truly reflect the ancient consensus of the Church. And we should be careful not to use it as though it provides a complete statement of faith for the contemporary Church, for we have been obliged to make more explicit many crucial doctrines as they have later come under attack.