R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 543

The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism

Since my son is now only a year or two from entering elementary school, I look forward to sharing with him the historical treasures of the Reformed faith. In a culture that pants after the new and that wearies of the old, the church ought to be one place that prizes her own history. We prize history not because we are arcane antiquarians but because we are called to run our race "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." God has something to teach both our children and us from the halls of history.

If your children are not quite ready for Merle D'Aubigne's multivolume histories of the Reformation-era church (and mine are not), then undoubtedly you are looking for resources to acquaint your family with some of the leading figures and events of our Reformed heritage. The Quest for Comfort is just such a work. Simply written by William Boekestein and attractively illustrated by Evan Hughes, this little book tells the story of how the Heidelberg Catechism came to be written. I won't retell that story here: Boekestein does a wonderful job of it. I do want to note a few highlights from Boekestein's narrative that are worth passing on to your family.

First, we are introduced to some compelling examples of godly young people. We see Caspar Olevianus taking a bold stand for the truth of the Scripture – and suffering dearly for it. We see Zacharias Ursinus, in the midst of pastoring a froward congregation, bearing the burden of the death of a dear Christian friend. We see how God blessed the home of Frederick III, Elector of the Palatinate, through his brave and godly young wife, Maria. Ours is an age when many young men forgo marriage, children, and other adult responsibilities for a protracted adolescence, and in which young people are tempted and pressured to defer godly living until they are much older. How encouraging it is, then, to have these examples to set before our children.

Second, we learn something about the providence of God. Boekestein traces the ways in which God had prepared over many years Olevianus, Ursinus, and Frederick before bringing them together to produce this magnificent catechism. What a wonderful instance of the all-wise, sovereign God ordering his people's steps in ways that we cannot presently fathom. We also see how these men – both before and after the drafting of this catechism – were called to suffer for the faith that they professed. Their lives remind us and our children that God often calls his disciples to suffer in this age, and that, out of this suffering, lasting spiritual fruit can be borne to the glory of God and the strengthening of the church.

Third, Boekestein offers an appetizer to the Heidelberg Catechism. He introduces young readers to the alliterative outline, "Sin, Salvation, Service" as a way for them to grasp the catechism's basic structure. He also points out that this outline is most importantly an outline of the Scripture's teaching about salvation. Sharing this little book with your children is therefore a way to help them grasp the gospel.

If you are looking for an engaging read with your children before bedtime or on a Lord's Day afternoon, get hold of this book. After you read it, you just may find their appetite, and yours, whetted to learn more about this stirring chapter in the church's history.

Dr. Guy Prentiss Waters is associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He is author of The Federal Vision and Covenant Theology: A Comparative Analysis.

A Child's (Mis)understanding

Like many, I have watched my fair share of films over the years, and the vast majority have been quite forgettable. There are a small number that I enjoyed enough to purchase in order to watch them again. But there are very, very few that were so powerful in one way or another that they have stayed with me years after seeing them. (I am still not sure I will ever forgive Walt Disney for the trauma inflicted by Old Yeller.)

When I think about the films I’ve seen as an adult that have really stayed with me, three come to mind. One is The Straight Story, a film based on the true story of seventy-three-year-old Alvin Straight, who drove his riding lawnmower 240 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin to visit his brother, who had recently suffered a stroke. The look on his brother’s face when he realizes what Alvin has done is deeply moving.

Two foreign-language films also fall into this category. The first, Sophie Scholl, is a German film based on the true story of a teenage girl who was arrested by the Gestapo for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets during WWII. Again, the final scene is powerful, but the questions this movie makes you ask about yourself and what you would have done in that situation are what stay with you long after the credits roll.

The second foreign-language film that I have never been able to forget is Ponette, a French film about a fouryear-old girl attempting to deal with the death of her mother. Ponette is not an easy film to watch. There are few things more heart-wrenching than the grief of a young child, and the performance of the young actress portraying Ponette is truly nothing short of amazing. The most fascinating aspect of the film for me, however, had to do with the questions it raised about the way young children interpret (and misinterpret) the words of adults.

Continue reading A Child’s (Mis)understanding, Keith Mathison's contribution to the February issue of Tabletalk.

Introductions: Numbers

Who wrote it? When was it written and why?

These are some of the important questions to answer as you explore any book of the Bible. To aid you in your study of God's Word we have been adapting and posting some of the detailed book introductions found in The Reformation Study Bible. Today, we continue a series through the Pentateuch. 

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The Book of Numbers

Author | Date & Occasion | Characteristics & Themes

Author

Numbers has traditionally been ascribed to Moses.

Together with the rest of the Pentateuch, Numbers has traditionally been ascribed to Moses. This conclusion is based upon the unitary character of the Pentateuch and upon the clear witness of both the Old and New Testaments ascribing these books to Moses. It is further supported by the obvious antiquity of the materials contained in the Pentateuch. The Book of Numbers itself refers to Moses' activity chronicling the events described in the book (33:2). That much of the book comes from Moses' hand does not rule out the possibility of later editorial activity and the likelihood that some portions were added after Moses' death (e.g., 12:3; and Moses' obituary in Deut. 34).

Date and Occasion

Numbers was evidently written as a warning to the generation of Israelites born in the wilderness, that they should persevere in faith and obedience where their parents had not.

We may reasonably date the composition of the book to the period after the wilderness wandering (which followed the Exodus) and before the death of Moses in about 1406 B.C. The book begins with the preparations for the march across the wilderness, tells of experiences along the way, describes the failure of faith that led the exodus generation of Israelites to refuse to undertake the conquest of the Promised Land, tells of the forty years of waiting until a whole generation would die, and ends with the preparation for entering Canaan. Given its content, Numbers was evidently written as a warning to the generation of Israelites born in the wilderness, that they should persevere in faith and obedience where their parents had not. For future generations of God's people, the book would speak a similar message.

In the Hebrew Bible it was customary to designate each of the five books of Moses by the word with which it began. For Numbers, this practice was modified by using the fifth Hebrew word as a title. This word, translated "in the wilderness," is an apt description of the book's content, since it describes the nation's experience during forty years in the wilderness.

When the Bible was translated into Greek, its books were given Greek names. In the case of Numbers, the Greek translation abandoned the excellent Hebrew name, and used a Greek word meaning "numbers" (arithmoi) that actually describes only a few of its chapters. This somewhat inappropriate Greek title was carried over by translation into the English Bible tradition.

Characteristics and Themes

Even the best of persons are still sinners and are saved only through the merits of Christ—salvation comes only through the grace of God.

Two themes—the gracious faithfulness and the sovereign power of Israel's covenant God—are vital to the message of Numbers. The events of Numbers vividly portray the faithfulness of the covenant God despite the failures of an erring humanity. God directs His people as they prepare for their journey through the wilderness, comforts them in difficulties, deals with their fears and failures, and rebukes or punishes them when necessary.

This portrayal of God's covenant faithfulness is in sharp contrast with the book's repeated depiction of human faithlessness, the utter failure of humanity to meet God's standards by its own strength. Human failures are clearly portrayed and contrasted with the wise measures of the ever-faithful covenant God. Even Moses, the greatest leader of all, sinned and was not permitted to enter the Promised Land, although he saw it from a distance (20:9–11 note; 27:12–14). This shows that even the best of persons are still sinners and are saved only through the merits of Christ—salvation comes only through the grace of God.

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Adapted from The Reformation Study Bible, © 2005 Ligonier Ministries.

2012 National Conference Preview — Michael Horton

Dr. Michael Horton is a scholar, pastor, professor of systematic theology and apologetics, and president of White Horse Media where he co-hosts the weekly radio program. He is also the author of many books including For Calvinism.

Dr. Horton was asked to give a word of admonition to lay Christians:

Know what you believe and why you believe it. Faithfully submit yourself to your shepherds. Find supplemental Christian education where you can. Be ready to have an answer for everyone who asks you for the hope that you have, and be able to articulate that winsomely, gently, and with clarity. We're living in a time when the average non-Christian has such a corrupt view of Christians and Christianity because of so many of the visible representations of Christianity that non-Christians see. They need to come in contact with the real thing. They won't know what a counterfeit is like until they actually come into contact with the real thing.

This desire to see Christians knowing what they believe, why they believe it, and being prepared to have an answer, will be evident in Dr. Horton's message at our 2012 National Conference.

Here's a preview of what to expect from Dr. Horton in Orlando this March.

The Fear Factor by Michael Horton

In the centuries following the Enlightenment, the flood of challenges to Christianity has been ongoing, and in the last century they have increased at a rapid rate. Scientific advances have become challenges. As the world has grown smaller, encounters with other religions have also raised challenges. In this message, Michael Horton looks at the way many Christians have responded in fear rather than taking up the challenge and offering a reasoned defense of the faith.

Growing in Grace & Knowledge White Horse Inn Live Recording

This is an optional session and includes an audience Q & A

Knowledge and truth have fallen on hard times in contemporary American culture. We are distracted from thinking deeply about anything because we are too busy focusing on ourselves and our own entertainment. Sadly, this problem is not merely "out there," in the world. Overnight, contemporary churches have become entertainment centers and purveyors of self-centered spirituality. Encouraged by smiling television preachers to have our best life now, modern Christians have almost lost sight of Jesus and his saving work. We desperately need to follow the advice of the Apostle Peter, who encouraged believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18). That's what's on tap for this special live taping of the White Horse Inn: "know what you believe and why you believe it."

The Christian Mind: 2012 National Conference

Registration | Speakers | Schedule | Trailer (Video)

On March 15-17, 2012, we invite you to come and hear Michael Horton and the White Horse Inn at our 2012 National Conference, "The Christian Mind." It will be an edifying time of fellowship and teaching together, helping prepare you to think like a Christian in an anti-Christian culture.

Register today

Theology and Doxology

In December 1967, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gave an address to what was then known as the Puritan Conference, speaking on what some might have considered an esoteric topic: the teachings of a small eighteenth-century movement known as Sandemanianism. Ever a believer in the value of church history for guidance in the present, Lloyd-Jones argued that the errors of this movement had much to teach his hearers, for he felt that there were far too many in contemporary evangelical circles who were replicating the central Sandemanian error, namely, that true faith can be held without deeply felt affections.

Robert Sandeman, the Scottish theologian after whom this error is named, maintained that saving faith is “bare belief of the bare truth.” Sandeman was insistent that faith becomes a work of human merit if it includes anything beyond simple assent to the truth of what God has done through Christ’s death and resurrection. In a genuine desire to exalt the utter freeness of God’s salvation, Sandeman sought to remove any vestige of human reasoning, willing, or desiring in the matter of saving faith. He was wrongly convinced that if the actions of the will or the affections are included in saving faith, then the Reformation assertion of “faith alone” is compromised. Thus, in the Sandemanian system, saving faith is reduced to intellectual assent to the gospel proclamation about Christ.

Continue reading Theology and Doxology, Michael Haykin's contribution to the February issue of Tabletalk.

The Promise to Abraham — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology

Key to Genesis and a Pivotal Point in Redemptive History

The call of Abram in Genesis 12:1–9 is a pivotal point in redemptive history. According to Gordon Wenham, no section of Genesis is more significant than 11:27–12:9.i It is, as Bruce Waltke observes, "the thematic center of the Pentateuch."ii While the first eleven chapters of Genesis focus primarily on the terrible consequences of sin, God's promises to Abram in Genesis 12 focus on the hope of redemption, of restored blessing and reconciliation with God. God is going to deal with the problem of sin and evil, and he is going to establish his kingdom on earth. How he is going to do this begins to be revealed in his promises to Abram.iii The remaining chapters of Genesis follow the initial stages in the fulfillment of these promises. Thus Genesis 12:1–9 sets the stage for the remainder of Genesis and the remainder of the Bible.iv

The key section of Genesis 12:1–9 is the explicit call of God to Abram found in verses 1–3.

Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

The theme of God's call to Abram is evident in the fivefold repetition of the key terms "bless" or "blessing." Also important is the repetition of the word "you" and "your." Man's sin has resulted in God's curse (Gen. 3:14, 17; 4:11; 5:29; 9:25), but here God promises to form a people for himself and to restore his original purposes of blessing for mankind (cf. Gen. 1:28).v Abram is somehow going to be the mediator of this restored blessing.

Four Promises

Within God's call of Abram there are four basic promises: (1) offspring, (2) land, (3) the blessing of Abram himself, and (4) the blessing of the nations through Abram.vi In verse 1, God commands Abram to leave his home and go to the land that he will show Abram. The promise of land is not explicit in this initial command. It is only made explicit when Abram reaches the land of Canaan. At that point, God promises Abram, "To your offspring I will give this land" (12:7). This promise of land becomes a key theme throughout the remainder of the Old Testament.vii It is especially prominent in the remainder of the Pentateuch and in the books referred to in the Hebrew canon as the "Former Prophets" (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings). In terms of God's kingdom purposes, the land promise indicates that God has not abandoned his plan to establish his kingdom on earth. The land promise would have certainly been important to Israel at the time the Pentateuch was originally composed. As Israel stood on the plains of Moab, they were assured that the land they were about to enter had been promised to Abraham and to his offspring by God himself.

In Genesis 12:2, God promises that he will make of Abram "a great nation." This promise will be fulfilled initially in the birth of the nation of Israel.viii This promise necessarily implies that Abram will have offspring, but like the promise of land, the promise of offspring is only made explicit when Abram reaches Canaan (cf. 12:7). The promise of offspring is also related to God's ultimate kingdom purposes. Just as the land promise provides a realm for God's kingdom in the midst of his creation, the promise of offspring anticipates a people for his kingdom. God then promises to bless Abram and make his name great so that he will be a blessing.ix The fourth element of God's promise is that in Abram "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (12:3). Abraham will be the head of the "one family by whom all of the other families of the earth will be blessed."x In fact, the blessing of all the families of the earth is the primary purpose behind God's calling of Abram. His calling and the promises he is given are not ends in themselves. Abram is promised offspring, a land, and personal blessing in order that he might be the mediator of God's blessing to all the families of the earth.xi As we proceed, the eschatological significance of God's promises to Abram and his determination to bless all the families of the earth will become clearer. As we will see, this blessing will come through the establishment of God's kingdom. From this point forward in Genesis, "the writer's primary concern is to trace the development of God's resolution to bless."xii

i Gordon Wenham, Genesis 1–15 (Waco: Word Books, 1987), 281.
ii Bruce Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 208.
iiiPaul R. Williamson, Sealed With An Oath: Covenant in God’s Unfolding Purpose, NSBT 23 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2007), 77; William J. Dumbrell, Covenant and Creation: A Theology of Old Testament Covenants (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1984), 47.
ivBruce Waltke (Genesis, 209) elaborates on this important point, “The call of God to Abraham is the sneak preview for the rest of the Bible. It is a story of God bringing salvation to all tribes and nations through this holy nation, administered at first by the Mosaic covenant and then by the Lord Jesus Christ through the new covenant. The elements of Abraham’s call are reaffirmed to Abraham (12:7; 15:5–21; 17:4–8; 18:18–19; 22:17–18), to Isaac (26:24), to Jacob (28:13–15; 35:11–12; 46:3), to Judah (49:8–12), to Moses (Exod. 3:6–8; Deut. 34:4), and to the ten tribes of Israel (Deut 33). They are reaffirmed by Joseph (Gen. 50:24), by Peter to the Jews (Acts 3:25), and by Paul to the Gentiles (Gal. 3:8).”
vSee Thomas E. McComiskey, The Covenants of Promise: A Theology of the Old Testament Covenants (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985), 15–58.
vi As Willem VanGemeren observes, Abraham (22:17–18), Isaac (26:3–4), and Jacob (28:13–15) each received God’s fourfold promise. See The Progress of Redemption (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 108.
viiSee Philip Johnston and Peter Walker, eds. The Land of Promise (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000).
viiiDumbrell, Covenant and Creation 66–67.
ix Williamson (Sealed With An Oath, 78–79) argues that the words weheyeh berakah at the end of verse 2 should be translated as a second command, “Be a blessing,” rather than as a certain consequence “so that you will be a blessing” because of the imperative form of the verb. This is a possible translation, and the ASV does translate the words in this way, but it is not required. In this type of sentence, the imperative verb can express a consequence (See GKC, § 110i; cf. also Joüon, § 116h).
x NIDOTTE, 4:665.
xi T. D. Alexander, From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), 85–86. Allusions to this promise are found in prophetic texts such as Isaiah 19:24 and Jeremiah 4:2.
xii Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1988), 253.

Adapted from From Age to Age by Keith Mathison. ISBN 978-0-87552-745-1
Used with permission of P&R Publishing Co. P O Box 817, Phillipsburg N.J. 08865 www.prpbooks.com

From Age to Age is available in the Ligonier store.

Twitter Highlights (2/19/12)

Here are highlights from the various Ligonier Twitter accounts over the past week.

The only ideal place in which to serve God is the place where he has currently set you down (Eric Alexander).

— Tabletalk Magazine (@Tabletalk) February 14, 2012

In Christian marriage, love is not an option. It is a duty. —R.C. Sproul

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 14, 2012

The jealousy of God is nothing else but the vehemence and ardour of His paternal love (Calvin).

— Ligonier Academy (@LigonierAcademy) February 17, 2012

NEW courses coming soon: Luther and the Reformation, The Person and Work of Christ, The Doctrines of Grace & more! bit.ly/yhlQG6

— Ligonier Connect (@LigonierConnect) February 17, 2012

Prospective college students, enjoy brunch with RBC faculty & receive FREE tickets to the @Ligonier National Conference bit.ly/yGipFX

— RefBibleCollege (@RefBibleCollege) February 17, 2012

No unborn baby has ever had the right to choose or deny its own destruction. —R.C. Sproul

— Reformation Trust (@RefTrust) February 18, 2012

The Bible’s truth does not depend in any way on whether a person believes the truth. —R.C. Sproul

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 18, 2012

You can also find our various ministries on Facebook:

Ligonier Ministries | Ligonier Academy | Ligonier Connect
Reformation Bible College | Reformation Trust | Tabletalk Magazine

Treasure In, Treasure Out

My beautiful wife loved nothing more than to beautify. She devoted herself to creating a beautiful home. She planted flowers, bushes and trees outside. Inside she hung, placed, painted and etched. Even when she was not well, this was where her heart was. Over the course of the last nine months of her life, most of it spent in sundry hospitals, she watched, I suspect, more Home and Garden Television than all of HGTV's executives combined.

Her pursuit of beauty, however, did not have its end in a pretty house, but in a godly home. She worked to beautify me, and our children. This morning while I shaved I looked to the shelf she placed between our sinks. There she had placed two small plaques. One reads- "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you" (I Peter 5:7). The other reads, "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:25). I cried in gratitude to hear her voice, and to hear His gospel.

As the tears dried, and I began to mentally work on this brief piece, I thought about the simplicity of it all. My eyes passed over God's Word, and everything changed. I thought in turn about what usually enters not just my eye gate, but ear gate. Like most Christians I live in a decadent culture, and consume far too much of its "wisdom." My eyes are filled with images made in Hollywood, my ears filled with the wisdom of Nashville. My soul is a veritable sluice gate through which pours more filth than my ancestors could have dreamed of. It should not surprise me then that I don't speak with the wisdom, the grace, the discretion, the honor with which my ancestors spoke.

Nor should it surprise me that my wife spoke into my life such graces. She adorned her home with God's Word, and so adorned her life with the words of life. A godly woman builds up her house. She did not know, when she placed those plaques on the shelf, that one day I would be anxious about living without her. She did not know that the loss of her light would dim my hopes. She did not intend to whisper to me this morning from a better country. But she did. She whispered the gospel to me.

The next time you are alone in your car, turn on the oldies station. Sing along with as many songs as you can. Then turn off the radio, and begin to sing the Psalms. Then ask yourself what I ask, having failed the test so miserably- who has the words of eternal life, the Beatles, or Jesus?

Uptight evangelicals, which might just be a synonym for fundamentalists, are quick to decry the baleful influence of the broader culture. It's all too terribly true. Better, however, that we should celebrate the influence of God's Word. Treasure in, treasure out. Hope in Him. He cares for you.

No $5 Friday This Week

We're taking a break from our usual $5 Friday sale this week as we perform maintenance on our website.

Join us again next Friday, February 24 when we’ll return with more resources on sale for $5.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Punctuating the Bible: Ephesians 4:11-12

In speaking, we indicate emphasis and pauses simply by the way we pronounce the words. Punctuation and other ways of marking a text are used to attempt to accomplish with the written word what it cannot do, that is, imitate the spoken word. Thus someone might say the three simple words "I love him" in three different ways. He might say, "I love him," putting the emphasis on "I," which is indicated here by putting "I" in italics. The meaning communicated is that "I" as opposed to others, love him. Or he might say, "I love him" putting the emphasis on the verb (again, indicated here with italics). Thus the meaning is I love him as opposed to "hate" or "like" or "put up with." Or he might say, "I love him;" communicating the idea of loving that particular person as opposed to others. The pauses and emphasis indicated by punctuation therefore help clarify the meaning of what is written, in place of the emphasis provided by voice and facial expression in conversation.

The importance of proper punctuation is well-illustrated in Lynne Truss's recent bestseller, Eats, Shoots & Leaves. This is particularly pointed out in the publisher's note (p. xv) to the effect that the book is written in English English as opposed to American English, and so follows the rules of English rather than American punctuation. All of this is to say that the punctuation of the text of the Bible in English serves an important interpretive function that might be easily overlooked by the causal reader.

Ephesians 4:12 provides a useful example. For context, I have also included verse 11. In the KJV, the verses read, "11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" Notice that the commas in verse 12 indicate three purposes for the work of the officers listed: perfecting the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ.

In the NKJV, the passage reads, "11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." In this version, there is only one comma in verse 12, indicating a two-fold purpose for the work of the officers: equipping the saints for the work of ministry and edifying the body of Christ. The whole range of modern translations, from the NASB to the NLT, does exactly the same thing that the NKJV does, indicating two purposes for the work of the officers.

The modern reader probably reads only one English version, and for the most part probably pays little attention to the punctuation. Therefore, he might not notice the different possible understandings that the verse provides.

The question is which of these possible interpretations is right; and how do we determine that? The first place to go is to the original language, in this case Greek. The problem that results is twofold. First, the modern editions of the Greek text punctuate the passage in the same way as the translations do. Second, the vocabulary and grammar of the passage are not capable of eliminating one interpretation or the other. Both interpretations are possible, based on the Greek vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. That leaves context as the last means of determining what the punctuation ought to be, and hence what the meaning of the passage is.

Does the passage say that God has provided these officers in the church in order to equip the saints in two ways: 1) for the work of ministry, and 2) for the building of the body of Christ? Or does the passage say that God has provided officers in the church for three purposes: 1) to equip the saints, 2) for the work of ministry, and 3) for building up the body of Christ.

The modern versions prefer the former explanation. One reason for this is the current emphasis in the church on every-member ministry. Such an emphasis is certainly healthy, and supported clearly by such passages as Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. In addition, in the past the second approach to Ephesians 4:11-12 has perhaps been used to support "clericalism," which is the idea that only the members of the clergy really carry on the work of the ministry of the church.

However, when considered in its context, it appears to me that the second interpretation (that supported by the punctuation of the KJV) is in fact the correct one. Paul's concern in this portion of the epistle is not, like Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, on every-member ministry. Instead his focus is on the doctrinal foundation and stability of the church. Paul wants all to attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God; to mature manhood, no longer children tossed about by winds of doctrine. This can only be achieved if those specially gifted and appointed by Christ for the instruction of the church are careful and faithful in carrying out their particular ministry in the church. They are to equip the saints doctrinally, that is their ministry by which the body of Christ is built up.

This is not clericalism, nor does it deny the importance of every-member ministry. Instead it emphasizes the importance of the faithful ministry of men called by Christ to that necessary doctrinal work in the church, for the safety and preservation of all the church. For these reasons, it seems clear to me that the KJV had it right when they punctuated Ephesians 4:12 in the way they did.

Dr. Benjamin Shaw is professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Greenville, South Carolina.