Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Joshua: Desultory Musings, Marcionism, & Liberals

Joshua: Desultory Musings

An on-going effort against indifference, modern Montanism (think Costals), functional Marcionites (think abbreviated lectionaries, Sunday readings, mainline liberals), non-covenantalists (think Dispensationalist/Baptists) and more, including our own neglects and serious incompetences. Some day I'll have to tell the story of an imposed, very liberal set of Sunday School lessons--vigorously imposed by a liberal TEC cleric on the rest of us. He was a "flaming liberal," an ex-Southern-Baptist (trained in an SBC seminary)-turned TEC cleric and on a march and vendetta. The old boy just didn't do too well with this scribe; he always ran like a coward upon quiet cross-examination; I was gentler in those days; but fear gripped him. He was not too well received either. The material was--well--pure-breed and unabashed Marcionism without reference to the philosophic dualism. I chatted with RC about it and he noted that, early in his career, he reviewed all sorts of liberal SS materials; they were all Marcionitic. That meany God in the OT; how could anyone believe that a holy, infinite and Sovereign God of love, kindness and Gnostic niceness would be a life-taker and a heart-breaker? Oh no, can't be. One has to do one’s own homework these days.

Author: Unknown. The theories range from Joshua (Talmud) to post-exilic theories (varied).

Date/Context:

• References to “to this day” suggest a time between Joshua’s death
(24. 29-31) and Samuel (1050 B.C.)

• Sidon is still a leading city in Phoenicia (11.8; 19.28)

• Jerusalem remains unconquered (15.6ff.) but later conquered by David (2 Sam. 5.6-11)

• Gezer still not under control (16.10), but yields during Solomon’s time (1 Kings 9.16)

• Introduction to Joshua overlaps with the conclusion of Deuteronomy (Josh. 1.1; Dt. 34.1-12, notably, v. 5)

• Similarly, conclusion of Joshua (24.29-31) overlaps with introductory note to Judges (2.6-9).

• Broadly, probably from Joshua himself, to shortly after his death, until Samuel’s time

Interpretative Issue: Archaeology and Joshua

• Some believe that violent conquest (destroyed and burned cities) warrants a date of 1250 B.C. for the conquest

• Others, also believing in a violent conquest, citing Jericho, believe the conquest was around 1400 B.C. Such cite: 1 Kings 6.1; Judges 11.26; Ex. 12.40

Doctrinal Orientation:

• God’s fidelity to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his descendants (Gen.12.7)

• Successful entry to the land (2.1—5.12)

• Dispossessions (5.13—12.24)

• Land allocations to the Twelve Tribes (13—21)

• While wide success, yet more is to be done (13.1; 23.5); fuller and wider occupancy awaits David and Solomon’s time

• While more is to be done, yet, essential fulfillment has widely occurred. Joshua 21.45: “Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

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