1. Reymond’s “Systematic Theology,” the nature and foundation of the church and miscellaneous after-thoughts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson), 805-820.
2. TBN, Pentecostals, Arminians, Liberals, Emergents, and Contemporary Evangelicals. Do they have a doctrine of the church? We believe there’s not much doctrine amongst many of them. Why? They have no ear or connection to the church’s history, theologians, confessions, liturgies, and hymns. A good doctrine of the church would dispel the Dispensationalism of John Hagee and Rod Parsley. It would also correct the Anabaptist error of exclusion of children from the Church.
3. The “Assembly in the Old Testament.” Multiplied references of “qahal,” the “assembly” or the “congregation.” Assembly under Moses at the Tent of Meeting plus varied references to the Festal Days of Passover, Pentecost, and Feast of Ingathering/Day of Atonement. Numerous special days are called: Joshua summoning the nation for covenant renewal as well as the “whole assembly of Israel” for the liturgical rehearsal of the covenant obligations on Mt. Ebal (Josh.8.30ff). Other special occasions are listed.
4. “Assembly in the New Testament.” A useful footote, page 830, no. 13, is worthy replication. Figures for the Church of Christ. An appreciation here brings an understanding of the covenant of grace, baptism for infants, anti-dispensationalism, respect for church history, liturgies, confessions, and writers, along with the "profound distrust" of moderns thinking "they have arrived."
(1) One flock Jn.10.16
(2) The body of Christ 1 Cor.12.27; Eph.1.23; Col.1.18
(3) The temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16; 2 Cor.6.16; Eph.2.21-22; 2 Thes.2.4
(4) The new Jerusalem Heb.12.22
(5) The heavenly Jerusalem Rev.21.2
(6) The pillar and ground of the truth 1 Tim.3.15
(7) The salt of the earth Mt.5.13;
(8) The light of the world Mt. 5.14
(9) A letter from Christ 2 Cor. 3.2-3
(10) Branches of the vine John 15.5
(11) The olive tree Rom.11.13-24
(12) God’s field 1 Cor.3.9
(13) God’s building 1 Cor.3.9
(14) The elect lady 3 Jn. 1
(15) The wife or bride of Christ Eph.5.22-31
(16) Wearers of the wedding garment Mt.22.1-14; Rev. 19.7
(17) Fellow citizens of the saints Eph.2.19
(18) God’s house Eph.2.19
(19) Strangers in the world 1 Pet.1.1; 2.11; Heb.11.13
(20) Ambassadors 2 Cor. 5.18-21
(21) The people of God 1 Pet.2.9-10
(22) A chosen race 1 Pet. 2.9
(23) A holy nation 1 Pet.2.9
(24) A royal priesthood 1 Pet.2.9
(25) The circumcision Phil.3.3-11
(26) Abraham’s sons Gal.3.29; Rom.4.16
(27) The tabernacle of David Acts 15.16
(28) The Remnant Rom. 9.27; 11.5-7
(29) Israel Gal. 6.15-16
(30) God’s elect Rom. Rom.8.33
(31) The faithful in Christ Jesus Eph.1.1
(32) A new creation 2 Cor.5.17
(33) A new man Col.3.10
(34) The kingdom of God (or of heaven) Mt. 13
(35) Disciples Mt.28.19
(36) The Way Acts 9.2; 19.9, 23; 22.4; 24.14,22
(37) Slaves of God, of Christ, and of righteousness Rom.6.18, 22
(38) Sons of God Rom.8.14
(39) The brotherhood 1 Pet. 2.17; 5.9
(40) Christians Acts 12.26
5. Reymond spends several pages on Mt. 16.16-18 and thoroughly dispels the Papistic claim to Petrine supremacy. Calvin does the same in Book IV of the Institutes, a blistering blast against Petrine arrogance. Reymond levels 15 excellent questions that Roman apologists must face exegetically.
6. On Mt. 16.16-18, the famed statement on the entablature beneath and around the dome of St. Peter's (Vatican), we get this well known citation from a Roman Archbishop, Peter Richard Kenrick. These ideas were to be read as a paper... delivered at Vatican One, 1870, but objectors were silenced. Cardinal Dollinger was silenced also. See Philip Schaff, “Creeds of Christendom.” Here’s Kenrick as cited by the great Anglican divine, W. H. Griffith Thomas, in “The Principles of Theology: The Thirty-nine Articles” (London: Longmans, Green, 1930), 470-471 .
20% of the church fathers supported the Romanist read of Mt.16.16-18. There was not consensus fidelium on the matter. Rome's been in the "duping business" like the Pentecostals.
(1) The church was built upon Peter in his person. 17 church writers. (Normally called “church fathers” but we call them “writers.”)
(2) The church was built on all the apostles. 8 church writers.
(3) The church would be built upon the “same profession of faith” that Peter uttered, to wit, “You are Messiah [the Christ], the Son of the Living God.” 44 church fathers, among the best and most representative, including Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, Isidore of Pelusium, Hilary, Theodoret, Theophanes, Theopylact, John of Damascus and Augustine.
(4) The church would be built on Jesus Christ. 16 fathers or church writers.
(5) The church would be built upon the faithful themselves as living stones. Very few with no numbers given.
7. TBN, Pentecostals, Arminians, Liberals, Emergents, and Contemporary Evangelicals. Do they have a doctrine of the church? We believe there’s not much doctrine amongst many of them. Why? They have no ear or connection to the church’s history, theologians, confessions, liturgies, and hymns. A good doctrine of the church would dispel the Dispensationalism of John Hagee and Rod Parsley. It would also correct the Anabaptist error of exclusion of children from the Church.
Pentecostals think they are the beginning of a new church with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Waves. That’s how TBN billed and advertised themselves recently. The doctrinal statement of the Assemblies of God is an illustration of arrogance, ignorance and Cowboy Yahoo-ism.
No comments:
Post a Comment