R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 69

The Theater of God's Redemption

In every generation, every culture there is a dominant prevailing spirit. The Germans coined a word for it, Zeitgeist, a term that joins two common ideas together. Zeit is the German word for "time," Geist is the German word for "spirit." So Zeitgeist means "spirit of the time" or "spirit of the age."

The contemporary Zeitgeist in which the Christian lives is one of secularism. The emphasis is on this world, on this time. Little attention is given to things that are above and beyond this world. Eternity is rarely considered, save for brief moments at a graveside. What counts is the here and now. To live for the moment, for the gusto of the present, is the spirit of this world.

The secular spirit of this world has its own modern trends and emphases, but in its essence it is not new. Every generation has its own form of secularism. We are earthbound creatures. Our focus is on this world.

The same was true in Jesus' day. He repeatedly called His disciples to look beyond the present. He lifted our gaze to the eternal. "Store up treasures in heaven," He said. He called us to weigh the matters in the balance of eternity "What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

The world or the soul? Please the world or please God? This is the issue of every generation. To be conformed to this world is to risk the loss of one's eternal soul. The world places little value on the soul. A body in the hand is worth two souls in the bush, according to the Zeitgeist of our generation. The world spirit invites us to play now and pay later, though the emphasis is on the now. This is the popular way to go.

For the Christian to resist the seduction of this world he must risk going against the tide. He must be willing to risk the loss of pleasing men to gain pleasing God. Hence Jesus said, "Blessed are you when they shall revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:11-12).

The key words in this beatitude are "for my sake." The nonconformity we are called to is not simply nonconformity for nonconformity's sake. Anyone can call attention to himself by being a maverick. It is the "for my sake" that separates cheap nonconformity from the genuine article. There is no virtue in being "out of it" indiscriminately. Our nonconformity must be selective. It must be at the points that matter.

It is easy to trivialize nonconformity. We can reduce this to simplistic externals as the Pharisees did. Authentic nonconformity rests upon transformation. The apostle Paul adds a positive mandate to the negative prohibition. He said, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

It is the prefix that must be changed. The prefix "con-" ("with") must yield to the prefix "trans-," which means "across," "beyond," or "over." It is not enough for Christians to drop out of society. The call to transformation does not mean withdrawal from the world. We need no more monasteries. We are to go beyond the forms of this world. We are to effect changes in the world. The perspective of Jesus is beyond the forms of this world. We neither surrender to the world nor flee from the world. We are to penetrate the world with a new and different spirit.

There is a timeworn Christian saying that has become a cliché through its use: "We are to be in the world, but not of the world." To be of the world is to be worldly. It is to conform to t his world. To drop out of the world is to be a nonconformist without transformation.

The theater of God's redemption is this world. It is to this world that God came in Christ. Christ refused to allow His disciples to hide in an upper room with the doors locked by reason of fear. No booths were allowed to be built on the mountain of Transfiguration. We are called to be Christ's witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jerusalem is in this world. Judea is in this world. Samaria is in this world. The ends of the earth are still on this earth. So we should not flee this world. But, oh, how many Christians try to do so. And in doing so, they may actually be displeasing the God who wants the world to be redeemed, not escaped.

This excerpt is adapted from Pleasing God by R.C. Sproul.

Will You Pray for Awakening? Download Your Free Prayer Guide

We live in a world that needs awakening. Millions of people do not know Jesus Christ. The church itself needs renewed zeal for the truth, for spiritual growth, and for missions. Scripture reveals how this awakening comes about: by a powerful movement of the Spirit of God. It also tells us that when just two men—Paul and Silas—prayed, the earth itself shook (Acts 16:25–26). So we are dedicating the entire year of 2020 to pray for awakening, and we hope you will, too.

To help as many people as possible, we produced this free prayer guide. Download it today at PrayForAwakening.com, find it in the PrayerMate app, or order the prayer booklet in packs of ten to share with your loved ones.

To use the guide, find the prayer that corresponds to the current week. Each week of the month focuses on a different group to pray for, starting with you and your family and expanding to the world and the global church. You can also share your desire to #PrayForAwakening on social media.

JULY PRAYER FOCUS:

Week 1: Pray that you and your family will put no confidence in the flesh or human methods but rather lean on God to bring awakening. “We are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil. 3:3)
Week 2: Pray that your church will be committed to making true disciples of the next generation so that renewal continues. “You shall teach [God’s commandments] diligently to your children.” (Deut. 6:7)
Week 3: Pray that your nation will be turned upside down and changed through the preaching of the biblical gospel. “They dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.’” (Acts 17:6)
Week 4: Pray that God will raise up Christians who are willing to go to the ends of the earth, to the most out-of-the-way places in order to proclaim the gospel to those who haven’t heard it. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

We hope this prayer guide encourages you this year and in future years. Join us in praying fervently for a mighty movement of God’s Spirit today, thankful that He has graciously promised to hear us, and confident that He will answer our prayers according to His will.

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What Is an Evangelical?

The term “evangelical” has meant different things to people at different times. In this brief clip, W. Robert Godfrey explains where the word comes from and how it was used from the 16th to the 20th century.

Transcript:

The word "evangelical" was widely and popularly used amongst American Protestants in the 19th century. Almost all American Protestants would have been willing to say that they were evangelical. And that's the irony in the middle of the 20th century, that we end up with non-evangelical Protestants who get the label "mainline." Who made them the mainline? Now, I don't know exactly where the phrase "mainline" came from. If I were a better historian, I'd know. I know if you live in Philadelphia, "mainline" just means the rich people who live out in the posh suburbs. I don't think that is probably where "mainline Protestant" came from. It assumes that there are these mainline denominations who represent the sort of history of American Protestantism, and then in the later part of the 20th this kind of large conservative evangelicals. Well, the irony of that is in the 19th century, almost all Protestants thought of themselves as evangelicals. The label "evangelical," the phrase of "evangelical Christians" really originates in Germany in the 16th century, where the Protestants there identified themselves as evangelicals over against the Roman Catholics. And so, in the 16th Germany, "evangelical" meant someone who accepted the authority of the Bible to understand the gospel. “Evangelical,” after all, is just a Greek word for the gospel, for the good news. To this day, the German Lutheran Church is known as the Evangelische Kirche, the Evangelical Church. In the 19th century, something parallel went on. Although there were Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, and many others, they were also still thinking of themselves very significantly as evangelical. Because, what united them was their commitment to the Bible, their commitment to the gospel, and their commitment to evangelism. So, almost no Protestants in America had much trouble with the label “evangelical.” Indeed, it was very, very positive because it was a way of giving expression to the unity of Protestants across denominational lines.

How Has Your Book Surprised by Suffering Helped You to Face Your Own Health Challenges?

Over the years, countless people have been encouraged and comforted by R.C. Sproul’s teaching on the topic of suffering. From one of our live events, Dr. Sproul conveys how the truth of God’s Word ministered to him amid his then declining health.

Just ask Ligonier to get clear and trustworthy answers to your biblical and theological questions.

Read the Transcript

What Is Self-Discipline?

Growth in personal holiness is largely determined by our progress in self-discipline. Without this foundational discipline, there can be no advancement in grace. Before other disciplines can be administered, whether in the home, business, or church, there first must be self-discipline.

Admittedly, personal discipline is not a popular subject today. In our society, any insistence upon self-discipline is largely resisted, even among many Christians. Legalism, they cry, defending their rights of Christian liberty. These free-spirited believers maintain that discipline restricts their freedom in Christ, binding them in a spiritual straightjacket.

But many of these believers have so abused their freedom in Christ that they have virtually no spiritual discipline. They have swung the pendulum so drastically toward Christian liberty that their spiritual lives are out of balance. Such neglect of self-discipline prolongs their spiritual immaturity, leaving them with little self-control to resist temptation and sin.

Let us be clear, if there is no discipline, there is no discipleship. If we do not discipline ourselves, God Himself will discipline us (Heb. 12:5–11). One way or another, there will be discipline in our lives. Given our tendency toward sin, we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, lest we be disciplined by God.

What Is Self-Discipline?

The Greek word translated "discipline" (enkrateia) comes from the root krat, which denotes power or lordship. Self-discipline means to exercise power over one's self. It is the ability to keep one's self under control. The word indicates self-mastery over one's inner desires, thoughts, actions, and words. It is the control a believer must exercise over his life (Gal. 5:23).

This same word is used in 1 Corinthians 7:9 to indicate the "self-control" one must show over unlawful sexual desires. Likewise, elders must be "self-controlled" (Titus 1:8), disciplined in their inward attitudes and outward actions. Mastery of self is non-negotiable for spiritual leadership.

The opposite of self-discipline is a self-indulgent lifestyle that produces "the works of the flesh" (Gal. 5:19-21). Any lack of self-control will inevitably result in sinful deeds. But where self-mastery exists, there is a strong resistance to sensual appetites and sinful choices. Self-rule brings every thought, word, and deed captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Any advance in personal holiness demands self-control.

What Self-Discipline Is Not

To best understand what self-discipline is, we need to see what it is not. Two erroneous views of the Christian life—Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism—distort the truth of self-discipline.

In the fourth century, a British ascetic named Pelagius (AD 354–420) taught the fatal error that man has the inherent ability to both save and sanctify himself. By a person's sheer force of will, he claimed, he is able to accomplish the divine will. By this, Pelagius denied original sin and the total depravity of mankind. The mere knowledge of the divine law, he insisted, is all that is needed. By his own free will, man may discipline himself by self-determination.

Pelagius was denounced as a heretic by the Council of Carthage for this fatal teaching (AD 418). Tragically, however, Pelagianism remains with us. Many today falsely assume that they can simply will themselves to be whatever they want to be. This mindless mantra is found in today's self-help movement and prosperity gospel, chanting, "What the mind can conceive, the will can accomplish." The ability of self-discipline, they claim, is within us.

A second erroneous view is semi-Pelagianism. This syncretistic approach assumes that man has some ability to save and sanctify himself. A person must supply his willpower in partnership with God. In this joint venture, God and man are co-contributors to self-discipline. God gives a measure of grace, but man supplies the rest.

Semi-Pelagianism is only half-Christian. This compromising position was likewise declared heretical by the Western Church in the Second Council of Orange (AD 529). Yet tragically, this tainted legacy remains to this day in the man-centered theology of Arminianism and in the pragmatic methods of Finneyism.

Instead, the truth was taught by another fourth century teacher named Augustine (AD 354–430). This gifted leader asserted that God is the sole author of man's salvation and sanctification. By His sovereign grace, God monergistically regenerates spiritually dead sinners.

Every Christian is responsible to pursue holiness, yet God must work within us to produce personal godliness (Phil. 2:13– 14). Augustinian teaching rightly understands that only God can produce authentic self-discipline in the believer.

Who Produces Self-Discipline?

This virtue of "self-control" is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). As a vine produces fruit, self-discipline is created exclusively by the Spirit. Self-control is never self-generated; rather, it is a work of grace within us. Though we are active in practicing it, we simply bear this fruit of self-discipline. We never produce it.

Jesus maintained, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). In our own willpower, we cannot do anything that pleases God. Only by God's enabling grace can we exercise self-control in our ongoing war against sin. The Apostle Paul affirms, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). That is, Christ must be mightily working within us.

As sap flows into the branch, producing fruit, divine grace must fill the believer, producing self-control. The self can never produce self-discipline. Only as Christians live under the Holy Spirit's control can they live self-controlled lives.

In Galatians 5:22–23, we read that there are nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. Self-discipline appears last on the list. By occupying this final position, self-discipline assumes a place of strategic importance. In reality, self-discipline is the summation of the previous eight qualities that the Spirit produces. The work of the Spirit reaches its consummation in self-control. This virtue enables us to realize every other aspect of spiritual fruit.

What Does Self-Discipline Look Like?

The Apostle Paul compared the self-discipline required in Christian living with an athlete training for and competing in the ancient athletic games: "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in small things" (1 Cor. 9:25). If a runner would win the prize, he must bring his entire life under the strict discipline of rigorous training. The strenuous workout of the athlete demands that he seriously restrict his personal liberties. If he is to be victorious, he must refuse many individual freedoms. Liberties are largely for spectators, not a champion athlete. He must pursue a proper diet, sufficient rest, and arduous drills. Every area of his life must be brought under control.

So it is in the Christian life. Paul urges, "Train yourself for godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7). To pursue holiness, a believer must hear biblical preaching and teaching, and participate in corporate worship, the Lord's Supper, Bible reading, meditation, prayer, and fellowship. Further, he must deny many legitimate pleasures if he is to win the prize.

This kind of self-discipline is a rebuke to half-hearted Christians who do little to train for spiritual victory. They are out-of-shape believers with flabby faith. They are spiritual couch potatoes with bulging spiritual waistlines. Their lifestyle is self-indulgent due to their lack of self-control.

Paul adds, "I box in such a way, as not beating the air" (1 Cor. 9:26). A champion boxer must have a clearly-focused aim in the ring. But an undisciplined fighter throws wild punches, never landing a blow on his opponent. An undisciplined believer suffers great defeats in his bout against sin. To the contrary, a believer must live with self-control in fighting against sin.

A champion athlete must beat his body into submission. If not, he will be disqualified from the race. Paul warns: "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (v. 27). The Apostle urges us to discipline our bodies and resist sinful desires. If we do not, we will forfeit the prize.

What Is the Price?

Believers have liberty in Christ to pursue what is not forbidden in Scripture. But we cannot afford for anything to gain mastery over us. Victory always comes at a price. The Christian life is no different.

This necessitates that we exercise self-discipline in areas like food, drink, sleep, time, and money. We must exercise self-control in the entertainment and recreation in which we engage. We must restrict our liberties in whatever would hinder us from winning the prize.

If we are to exercise self-control, we must relinquish the control of our lives to Jesus Christ. Here is a paradox of the Christian life: We must give up the control of self if we would gain self-control. May God enable us to exercise self-discipline, an absolute necessity for victory over sin.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

$5 Friday (And More): Reformed Theology, the Holy Spirit, & Fellowship

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week’s resources include such topics as reformed theology, the Holy Spirit, fellowship, scripture, worship, the Trinity, and more.

Plus, several bonus resources are also available for more than $5. These have been significantly discounted from their original price. This week’s bonus resources include:

What Is the Relationship between Church and State? by R.C. Sproul, Paperback book $2 $1
The Shema: May 2013 Tabletalk , Magazine $2 $1
Honor: February 2019 Tabletalk , Magazine $2 $1
The Church and the Parachurch: September 2014 Tabletalk , Magazine $2 $1
Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism by R.C. Sproul, Magazine $17 $10
By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me by Sinclair Ferguson, Hardcover book $10 $7
Rules for Walking in Fellowship by John Owen, Paperback book $10 $7
Pulpit Aflame by Various Authors, Hardcover book $25 $12
Bought with a Price: 2006 National Conference , DVD $75 $15
Willing to Believe with R.C. Sproul, DVD $48 $15
The God We Worship with R.C. Sproul, DVD $30 $15
Knowing Scripture with R.C. Sproul, Audiobook CD $15 $10
Who Is the Holy Spirit? with Sinclair Ferguson, CD collection $31 $15
Who Is the Holy Spirit? with Sinclair Ferguson, Study guide $15 $8
What Is Reformed Theology? with R.C. Sproul, Study guide $15 $8

Sale runs through 12:01 a.m.–11:59 p.m. Friday ET.

View today’s $5 Friday sale items.

Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, July 2020

The July issue of Tabletalk provides an overview of biblical anthropology by considering the fourfold state of humanity. From ancient figures such as Augustine to eighteenth-century churchmen such as Thomas Boston to modern theologians, the greatest Christian thinkers have recognized that Scripture presents a coherent doctrine of humanity (theological anthropology) that defines our dignity, our needs, our purpose, and our destiny. Sadly, too many people today lack a basic grounding in the Bible’s doctrine of man, leaving them unprepared to deal with the many attacks on who we are as God’s image bearers. In the interest of helping readers better grasp who they and who their fellow human beings are, this issue considers the doctrine of humanity in its fourfold state, explaining what the Lord says about us, how sin has affected us, and how those who have been redeemed in Christ will bear His perfect image in glory.

For a limited time, the new TabletalkMagazine.com allows everyone to browse and read the growing library of back issues, including this month's issue. You can also purchase the issue or subscribe to get the print issue every month.

Who Am I? by Burk Parsons
The State of Innocence by Richard P. Belcher Jr.
The State of Nature by William VanDoodewaard
The State of Grace by Cornelis P. Venema
The State of Glory by Sinclair B. Ferguson
Peace as a Fruit of the Spirit by Joel E. Smit
Supporting Missionaries by Craig Sheppard
Salt and Light for the World by Bill Green
When Did the Church Begin? by Robert Rothwell

Read the Entire Issue

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Daniel’s Vision of the Son of Man

The vision recorded in the seventh chapter of Daniel is central to the book, and understanding it is crucial to grasping the meaning of a number of otherwise obscure passages in the New Testament.

Daniel received this vision in the first year of Belshazzar (v. 1), so it occurred sometime after the events of chapter 4 but before the events of chapter 5. In the vision, Daniel sees the winds of heaven stirring up the sea (v. 2). From the sea, he witnesses four great beasts arise, each different from the other (v. 3). The first beast is like a lion with eagles' wings (v. 4). Its wings are removed and it is made to stand on two feet like a man. The second beast is like a bear (v. 5). It is raised up on one side and has three ribs in its mouth. The third beast is like a leopard (v. 6), but it has four wings and four heads. The fourth beast is almost indescribable (v. 7). It is terrifying and strong. It devours with its iron teeth and crushes what is left with its feet. It also has ten horns. As Daniel considers the horns, he sees a little horn arise among the ten (v. 8). The little horn has the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things.

In the remainder of the vision, Daniel witnesses a scene of divine judgment at the very throne of God. As he looks on, the Ancient of Days takes his seat on his throne (v. 9). As tens of thousands stand before God, the books are opened and the court sits in judgment (v. 10). As the little horn is speaking, the fourth beast is killed and its body given over to be burned with fire (v. 11). The dominion of the remaining beasts is taken away, but their lives are spared for a time (v. 12). Daniel then sees "one like a son of man" coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days (v. 13). The one like a son of man is presented before the Ancient of Days and to him is given "dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him" (v. 14a). His is "an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed" (v. 14b). In the remainder of the chapter, an angelic being interprets Daniel's vision giving particular attention to the fourth beast (vv. 15–28).

The parallels between the vision of chapter 7 and the dream in chapter 2 are obvious. In both cases, a symbolic image is used to reveal a succession of four earthly kingdoms, which are judged and followed by an everlasting kingdom established by God. There is much debate over the identity of the four kingdoms. The traditional view is represented by John Calvin, who identifies the four beasts as the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires respectively. Calvin identifies the "little horn" of verse 8 with the line of the Caesars, while admitting that this interpretation of the little horn is not universally held. According to Calvin, then, the establishment of God's kingdom occurred at the first advent of Christ. The conservative twentieth-century Old Testament scholar E. J. Young agrees with Calvin on the identity of the four kingdoms, but he identifies the "little horn" as the antichrist, whose power is to be manifested at the end of the present age. A variation of the Roman view is the dispensationalist interpretation. According to this view, the fourth beast, or Roman Empire is to be revived in some form at the end of the present age. According to the dispensationalist interpretation, the coming of the one like a son of man to receive the everlasting kingdom will occur at Christ's Second Advent.

Not all conservative scholars have adopted the Roman view of the four kingdoms. Both Robert Gurney and John Walton, for example, have proposed that the four beasts should be identified as the Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek Empires. Gurney argues that most conservatives have rejected the Greek view because the coming of Christ occurred during the period of the Roman Empire (cf. 2:44). He observes, however, that the Roman Empire did not end for many centuries after Christ's first advent. In support of his own position, he notes that Christ was born around 6 B.C., "very soon after the final obliteration of the Greek empire in 27 BC, when Egypt was made a Roman province." Others who argue for the Greek view point out the similarity between the "little horn" on the fourth beast (7:8) and the "little horn" on the goat in Daniel 8:9. The "little horn" of chapter 8 is universally identified as the Greek Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes. If the two "little horns" are identical, it adds weight to the argument that the fourth beast is to be associated with the Greek empire.

The two interpretations of the four beasts, then, are:

(1) the traditional Roman view, which identifies the four beasts as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

(2) The Greek view, which identifies the four beasts as Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece.

Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

A strength of the Greek view is the similarity between the "little horns" of chapters 7 and 8. A strength of the Roman view is the use in chapter 8 of a single symbolic animal to represent the Medo-Persian Empire (cf. 8:3–4, 20). A weakness of the Greek view is a lack of explanation for Daniel's failure to say anything here about the Empire that was to be in power at the first advent of Christ. A weakness of the Roman view is the continuation of the Roman Empire for centuries following the first advent of Christ. While not without its difficulties, the Roman view is strongest.

The coming of one like a son of man to the Ancient of Days (vv. 13–14) is the climactic section of this vision, and it is of crucial importance. Much confusion has been caused by the assumption that this text is a prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ. The context precludes such an interpretation. As this section of the vision begins, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days take his seat upon his throne (v. 9). The Ancient of Days is God, and the scene is set in his heavenly throne room. While Daniel himself experiences this vision on earth from his bed (cf. 7:1), the vision itself is a vision of the heavenly throne room. After God is seated at his throne, the court sits in judgment and the books are opened (v. 10). The fourth beast is then judged and destroyed, while the remaining beasts are given a temporary reprieve (vv. 11–12). This sets the stage for Daniel's vision of the one like a son of man.

In verse 13, Daniel witnesses "one like a son of man" come with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days to be presented before him. The Aramaic phrase bar 'enash, literally translated "son of man," is a Semitism that simply means "human being." What Daniel sees, then, is one "like a human being," as opposed to another beast "like a bear" or "like a leopard." This one like a son of man comes to the Ancient of Days and is presented before him (v. 13). The "coming" that is seen in this vision, then, is not a coming of God or a coming of the one like a son of man from heaven to earth. It is a coming of one like a son of man to God who himself is seated in heaven on his throne. The direction of the "coming" is not from heaven but towards heaven. It is for this reason that this vision is not a prophecy of the Second Coming of Jesus from heaven to earth. Rather, as Calvin long ago explained, it is better understood as a prophecy of Christ's ascension to the right hand of God after his resurrection (cf. Acts 1:9–11; 2:33; 5:31).

The one like a son of man is presented before the Ancient of Days for the purpose of his investiture. When he is presented before the Ancient of Days he is given a dominion and a kingdom that all should serve him (v. 14a). There seems to be an allusion here to the event described in Genesis 1:26, when the first man was given dominion over all the creatures (cf. Ps. 8:4–8). The establishment of the kingdom will restore God's creational purposes. This kingdom given to one like a son of man is to be everlasting (v. 14b). As in the vision of Daniel 2, we see here a depiction of four human kingdoms followed by the establishment of God's eternal kingdom.

This excerpt is adapted from From Age to Age by Keith Mathison. Used with permission of P&R Publishing Co. P O Box 817, Phillipsburg N.J. 08865

Free to Stream through August 31

As Bible studies, small groups, and Sunday school classes around the world continue to be affected by restrictions on gatherings, Ligonier Ministries is here to help you maintain your daily growth and the discipleship within your family and community.

For a limited time, our entire library of hundreds of teaching series is free to stream. Download the free Ligonier app today and stream thousands of messages from R.C. Sproul, the Ligonier Teaching Fellows, and other gifted pastors and teachers. Or browse more than 2,500 messages on our website. This represents 1,000+ hours of time-proven, trusted teaching covering topics in biblical studies, theology, church history, Christian living, and worldview. Our entire video and audio teaching series library will now remain open through August 31.

Not sure where to begin? Try these series:

Surprised by Suffering with R.C. Sproul
The Providence of God with R.C. Sproul
Dealing with Difficult Problems with R.C. Sproul
The Book of Job with Derek Thomas
The Attributes of God with Steven Lawson
A Time for Confidence with Stephen Nichols
The Great Commission with Burk Parsons

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A Time for Confidence with Stephen Nichols
The Great Commission with Burk Parsons

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Welcoming New Church Members

Here’s an excerpt from Welcoming New Church Members, Don Bailey's contribution to the June issue of Tabletalk:

In considering the welcome of new church members, 3 John invites reflection. The object of concern for John was Diotrephes, who liked to put himself first, not acknowledging Apostolic authority (v. 9) and speaking “wicked nonsense” (v. 10). Moreover, John writes that he “refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church” (v. 10). Diotrephes not only pulled up the welcome mat for these newcomers, but he actually sought to disrupt and excommunicate anyone who did welcome them. This lack of respect is a heinous sin and worthy of John’s warning to the church at large.

Continue reading Welcoming New Church Members, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3-month trial.

For a limited time, the new TabletalkMagazine.com allows everyone to browse and read the growing library of back issues, including this month’s issue.