Justin Taylor's Blog, page 289

What Is "The Fear of the Lord"?

"According to the book of Proverbs, 'the fear of the Lord' is a continual (Prov. 23:17), humble, and faithful submission to Yahweh, which compels one to hate evil (Prov. 8:13) and turn away from it (Prov. 16:6) and brings with it rewards better than all earthly treasures (Prov. 15:16)—the rewards of a love for and a knowledge of God (Prov. 1:29; 2:5; 9:10; 15:33), and long life (Prov. 10:27; 14:27a; 19:23a), confidence (Prov. 14:26), satisfaction, and protection (Prov. 19:23)."

—Douglas Sean O'Donnell, The Beginning and End of Wisdom (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011), p. 37.

HT: Jeff Brewer

The Sermon on the Mount

Matt Carter of The Austin Stone Community Church (Austin, TX) reads the Sermon on the Mount standing before the Sea of Galilee.

Is Spanking Your Child Ultimately Unbiblical?

William Webb's first book, Slaves, Women and Homosexuals (IVP, 2001), advocated a "redemptive-movement hermeneutic."

He argued that certain things in the Old Testament (like slavery and the treatment of women) are "less than ultimate," "not so pretty," and "problematic." Webb argues that "God in a pastoral sense accommodates himself to meeting people and society where they are in their existing  social ethic and (from there) he gently moves them with incremental steps  towards something better. . . . Incremental movement within Scripture reveals a God who is willing to live with the tension between an absolute ethic in theory and the reality of guiding real people in practice towards such a goal."

In that book he concluded that the spirit or movement in the biblical text itself suggests the abolition of slavery and the establishment of egalitarianism with regard to men and women, but that the commands regarding homosexuality are transcultural.

In 2002 Tom Schreiner provided a long review of the book, taking pains to explain Webb's position and to highlight many of his good insights, and then showing some of the book's key weaknesses. For example:

Many good insights are contained in these principles, but his approach to solving the questions raised falls prey to abstraction and overlooks the rich texture of redemptive history. Despite some good insights, the book tends towards an artificial workbook approach in solving the issues raised. In other words, the book fails because it is not clearly founded on biblical theology.

In other words, Webb "tends to raise issues of application in an abstract fashion instead of integrating them well with the story line of the Bible."

Webb now has a new book out, applying his hermeneutical paradigm to the issue of spanking: Corporal Punishment in the Bible: A Redemptive-Movement Hermeneutic (IVP, 2011). One of his arguments is that contemporary evangelical advocates of spanking (e.g., James Dobson, Focus on the Family, Wayne Grudem, Albert Mohler, Andreas Köstenberger, Paul Wegner) have gone "beyond the Bible" and "softened" what the Bible really teaches about corporal punishment. Webb sees this as a good thing—he just thinks they are inconsistent and that they don't go far enough to the true redemptive spirit of the biblical texts, which would be no corporal punishment at all for children.

Once again, Schreiner has taken the time to work through this work and provides for us a helpful review at TGC Reviews.

Here, in summary form, are Schreiner's critiques of this new work: "First, Webb doesn't understand redemptive history, even though he calls his hermeneutic 'redemptive-movement.'" Second, "Despite Webb's protests, he fails to perceive the genre differences between regulations in the Torah and proverbial statements." In other words, he "merges and mashes together different genres of literature in drawing his conclusions." Schreiner explains:

Proverbial statements are of a different nature than legal material, requiring insight and reflection in terms of application. They shouldn't be equated with punishments in legal contexts, for it seems rather heavy-handed and hermeneutically lead-footed to conclude that since physical punishments are mentioned in the same texts they must have been understood in the same way.

Webb seems to think if one recognizes that proverbs require discernment in application, then one will endorse his view. But how does that follow? I would argue that such a principle means that wisdom and prudence should be applied in understanding Proverbs, which means corporal punishment for children is not administered in the same way it is applied to law-breakers and adults.

Nor is it evident, just because both fools and children are flogged, that the punishments would be of the same nature and to the same extent. Again, such readings are mechanical and forced, failing to see what anyone with wisdom in ancient Israel would see: There is massive difference between adult fools and children. Using the same word for children and fools does not mean they are in the same category! It seems to me that the wise application of what we find in Proverbs is well represented by those Webb criticizes: Dobson, Mohler, Wegner, Grudem, and Köstenberger.

I am thankful for Schreiner's careful work on these issues. You can read his whole review here.

How Calvinists Should Engage in Controversy

John Newton, writing in a letter to a correspondent on controversy (Works of John Newton, 1:270-272), suggests that of all people Calvinists should be the most humble and gentle. But sadly this is not always the case:

Of all people who engage in controversy, we, who are called Calvinists, are most expressly bound by our own principles to the exercise of gentleness and moderation. . . .

The Scriptural maximum, that "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God," is verified by daily observation. If our zeal is embittered by expressions of anger, invective, or scorn, we may think we are doing service to the cause of truth, when in reality we shall only bring it into discredit. . . .

Whatever it be that makes us trust in ourselves that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party, is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit. Self-righteousness can feed upon doctrines, as well as upon works; and a man may have the heart of a Pharisee, while his head is stored with orthodox notions of the unworthiness of the creature and the riches of free grace.

Newton himself is not against controversy and polemics; he sees it as an essential activity post-fall and pre-eschaton:

It seems a laudable service to defend the faith once delivered to the saints; we are commanded to contend earnestly for it, and to convince gainsayers. If ever such defences were seasonable and expedient, they appear to be so in our day, when errors abound on all sides, and every truth of the Gospel is either directly denied, or grossly misrepresented.

But we must be careful to guard our hearts and to watch our tongues:

And yet we find but very few writers of controversy who have not been manifestly hurt by it. Either they grow in a sense of their own importance, or imbibe an angry contentious spirit, or they insensibly withdraw their attention from those things which are the food and immediate support of the life of faith, and spend their time and strength upon matters which at most are but of a secondary value.

This shews, that, if the service is honourable, it is dangerous. What will it profit a man if he gains his cause and silences his adversary, if at the same time he loses that humble, tender frame of spirit in which the Lord delights, and to which the promise of his presence is made! Your aim, I doubt not, is good; but you have need to watch and pray, for you will find Satan at your right hand to resist you: he will try to debase your views; and though you set out in defence of the cause of God, if you are not continually looking to the Lord to keep you, it may become your own cause, and awaken in you those tempers which are inconsistent with true peace of mind, and will surely obstruct communion with God.

Be on your guard against admitting any thing personal into the debate. If you think you have been ill treated, you will have an opportunity of shewing that you are a disciple of Jesus, who, "when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not." This is our pattern, thus we are to speak and write for God, "not rendering railing for railing, but, contrariwise, blessing; knowing that hereunto we are called."

The wisdom that is from above is not only pure, but peaceable and gentle; and the want [i.e., lack] of these qualifications, like the dead fly in the post of ointment, will spoil the savour and efficacy of our labours. If we act in a wrong spirit, we should bring little glory to God, do little good to our fellow-creatures, and procure neither honour nor comfort to ourselves.

If you can be content with shewing your wit, and gaining the laugh on your side, you have an easy task; but I hope you have a far nobler aim, and that, sensible of the solemn importance of Gospel truths, and the compassion due to the souls of men, you would rather be a mean of removing prejudices in a single instance, than obtain the empty applause of thousands. Go forth, therefore, in the name and strength of the Lord of Hosts, speaking the truth in love; and may he give you a witness in many hearts, that you are taught of God, and favoured with the unction of his Holy Spirit.

In particular, Newton offers this practical advice for critiquing someone's theology:

As to your opponent, I wish, that, before you set pen to paper against him, and during the whole time you are preparing your answer, you may commend him by earnest prayer to the Lord's teaching and blessing. This practice will have a direct tendency to conciliate your heart to love and pity him; and such a disposition will have a good influence upon every page you write.

If you account him a believer, though greatly mistaken in the subject of debate between you, the words of David to Joab, concerning Absalom, are very applicable: "Deal gently with him for my sake." The Lord loves him and bears with him; therefore you must not despise him, or treat him harshly. The Lord bears with you likewise, and expects that you should shew tenderness to others, from a sense of the much forgiveness you need yourself.

In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ for ever.

But if you look upon him as an unconverted person, in a state of enmity against God and his grace, (a supposition which, without good evidence, you should be very unwilling to admit,) he is a more proper object of your compassion than your anger. Alas! "he knows not what he does." But you know who has made you to differ. If God, in his sovereign good pleasure, had so appointed, you might have been as he is now; and he, instead of you, might have been set for the defence of the Gospel. You were both equally blind by nature. If you attend to this, you will not reproach or hate him, because the Lord has been pleased to open your eyes, and not his.

7 Reasons in Support of Consecutive Exposition of the Scripture

New Testament professor Clint Arnold offers 7 Reasons in Support of Consecutive Exposition of the Scripture. Here they are in outline form.

It is the best way to feed the sheep a balanced diet.
It enables you to treat hard topics without being second-guessed.
It helps to insure that you preach the Scripture and not yourself.
It doesn't have to be boring and lacking in relevance.
Expository preaching is and should be application oriented.
Expository preaching models how to read Scripture in context.
There is a long history of this kind of preaching in the church—with great impact!

Read the whole thing for a brief explanation of each point.

Poverty and Missions

Here's a thought-provoking article by Steve Saint. Even if you don't agree with all that he has to say here, his perspective and experience are well-worth considering.

Here's the conclusion:

Giving handouts creates more problems than it solves. It is like casting out demons with long leases. Break the lease or they will come back and bring more roommates (Lk 11:24-26). Where the Church is being established among people that perceive themselves as powerless, there is a great need for deep discipleship, wrestling with the roots of poverty at the community level rather than concentrating on the individual.

Financial help that does not develop sustainable, local, financial self-sufficiency is much more likely to create poverty than it is to meet real needs. Until we realize that we can't overcome poverty with handouts, we will never be much help in completing Christ's Great Commission.

As followers of Christ we must fight poverty through discipleship rather than covering it with spiritual frosting. Either we do God's will God's way or we aren't doing His will at all. Discipleship means teaching others what we have learned so they can teach others to care for their community's physical, economic, emotional and spiritual needs on a sustainable basis! (2 Tim 2:2, Mt 28:19-20)

This is one where you'll want to read the whole thing to understand where he's coming from and what he's advocating.

When an Unreached People Group Hears the Storyline of the Gospel for the First Time

If you've never seen this old-school video about the moving EE-TAOW story, it is very much worth 25 minutes of your time to fan the flames for frontier missions where Christ is not yet named. Make sure to watch to the end.

That's My King!

This video never gets old to me, from a sermon by Dr. S.M. Lockridge:

The Last Adam

"It was by the death of the last Adam that the serpent of old encountered death and the first Adam found life.

"The nails that pierced the feet of Christ would bruise the heel, but they would crush the head of the serpent (1 Cor 2:8).

"The last Adam wore the thorns of the first Adam, but by these wounds he was healing his people (Isa 53:5).

"Christ knew the nakedness of Adam, but by this shame he was clothing his people in righteousness (Gal 3:27).

"For the first Adam the tree of knowledge brought death. But the last Adam knew death upon the tree bringing life (1 Pet 2:24).

"Adam had made a grave of a garden, but Christ would make a garden of a grave (Luke 24:5)."

—Warren A. Gage, The Gospel of Genesis: Studies in Protology and Eschatology (Eisenbrauns, 1984), 46-47.

HT: Dane Ortlund

Romans 5:12-21 is worthy of careful study. The main point is that Adam "was a type of the one who was to come" (v. 14), and that "the free gift" (of Jesus) is not like the first "trespass" (of Adam) and that the "the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin." (vv. 15-16).

Here is how Paul breaks down the negative side of the one man's trespass/disobedience and its result:

v. 15
through
one man's trespass
many died


v. 16
following
one trespass
the judgment . . . brought condemnation


v. 17
because of
one man's trespass
death reigned through that one man


v. 18
leading from
one trespass
condemnation for all men


v. 19
by
one man's disobedience
the many were made sinners

And here is how Paul celebrates the positive side of the one man's gift/righteous-act/obedience and its glorious result:

v. 15
by
the grace of that one man Jesus Christ
the grace of God and the free gift abounded for many


v. 16
following many transgressions
the free gift
brought justification


v. 17
because of
one man Jesus Christ
death reigned through that one man


v. 18
leading from
one act of righteousness
justification and life for all men


v. 19
by
one man's obedience
the many will be made righteous

A Hymn on Union with Christ

'Twixt Jesus and the Chosen Race

Subsists a bond of sov'reign grace,

That hell, with its infernal train,

Shall ne'er dissolve, or rend in twain.

This sacred bond shall never break,

Though earth should to her center shake;

Rest, doubting saint, assured of this,

For God has pledged His holiness.

He swore but once the deed was done;

'Twas settled by the great Three One;

Christ was appointed to redeem

All that the Father loved in Him.

Hail, sacred union, firm and strong

How great thy grace, how sweet the song,

That rebel worms should ever be

One with incarnate Deity!

One in the tomb, one when He rose,

One when he triumphed o'er His foes

One when in heav'n He took His seat,

While seraphs sung at hell's defeat.

Blessed by the wisdom and the grace,

Th' eternal love and faithfulness,

That's in the gospel scheme revealed,

And is by God the Spirit sealed.

(Written by John Kent [1766-1843])