Scripture Readings:

Day 

1 2 Tim. 1:13

2 Heb 11:6

3 1 John 5:17

4 Acts 15:14-18

5 Acts 4:27-28

6 Eph. 1:3-5

_____

The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. [1]

_____

Dr James B. Green in his book "A Harmony of the Westminster Presbyterian Standards" chooses to treat the first five questions of the Larger Catechism and the first three of the Shorter Catechism along with the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter one as a unit. This being as it should be when trying to create a harmony of the three, but in this process he observes a truth of the whole section that any single portion would not sufficiently illuminate. Namely, in these questions we find, the chief end of man and Scripture along with the content of Scripture, and concerning the revelation of God; the necessity of it, the authority of it, and the completeness of it. He also notes in dealing with Larger Catechism # 5 in particular that here we find the principal parts of the only rule we should have, to wit 1. Truth to be believed. 2. Duty to be done. That is that Scripture is mainly concerned with two matters; doctrine and duty, faith and life, and that these are for God’s glory and man’s good. It was Green who also noted the divisions within the catechisms. Applying these divisions to the Larger Catechism he notes questions one through ninety are concerned with matters of faith while questions ninety-one through one hundred ninety-six deal with matters of practice. It is interesting to note that the Westminster Confession of Faith itself doesn’t give this same division an equity of attention. There we find a full twenty-two chapters concerned with faith (doctrine) and only two concerned with practice (life), and a third division not in the catechisms, in that the confession also devotes two chapters to discipline (polity). This emphasis on faith as opposed to practice can be contrasted with the Scriptures where in the Decalogue we find four commandments dealing with faith and six with practice, and Scripture as a whole spending much time on life, and apart from the specific commandments of the law, find that while faith is continuously and consistently in view, the focus is more on what you should do (practice).

Unlike question four where the shift was immediately to conversion (salvation), we might find it significant that the Bible doesn’t teach salvation. Salvation is proclaimed, but never taught as such. This absence reduces any argument for a work based salvation to rubble without one word being exchanged. This is similar to the book of Esther where one doesn’t find God named once, and yet His presence in His providential care of His people literally screams at you from every page.

I do not think I can overstate the importance of Scripture to not only the Divines of Westminster, but Calvin, Luther and others involved in the birth of the Protestant churches. There was a respect and reverence for the Bible that has long since passed from the American scene, and as a whole, the church world. Man has not been kind to the faith paid for with the blood of the martyrs of the sixteenth and early seventeenth century. While we can find several theological threads to pick at here, I agree with Dr. Green that these five really should be taken as a whole to be fully understood. This is a case of the sum of the parts being more than the whole and the whole being required to shed the necessary light to understand the parts. We like to take things apart and look at them in a systematic way. While this can reduce the material to small enough portions to digest, we need to remember that it all must also interact with the whole as a unity, and while valid for study purposes, most answers thus discovered will not get up and walk by themselves. While we can all find other things the Bible teaches, we need to remember in this question there was a qualifier, "principally." This has application to almost any doctrine we are studying and even more so when large bites of our faith have been reduced to such a concise statement.

Some of the greatest debates in the history of the world have been about man’s search for God, and man’s ability to know God. To boldly declare the Scripture reveals all this to a world torn asunder with wars over the Bible and the right to worship God in a particular way, this statement alone set the reformers apart from the world of their day. The Scripture references given to provide the proof text for this statement speak volumes, but only to the student who wants to dig in and find God. The references are as bare as the statement, by themselves. They are sufficient to place this statement within the Bible, but don’t define it. Were it our purpose, we could spend a hundred pages here and not finish the task. Appealing to one of the proof texts, Hebrews 11:6, I will leave much here to faith.

In my opinion the Scriptures teach all of this and so much more. The reformers here, have chosen for example to use Acts 15:14-5, 18 and 1 John 5:17 to show that Scripture make known God’s decrees and execution of those decrees. Both of these deal with salvation and clearly reveal the second, fourth, and fifth petal of the TULIP. Yet, God’s decrees are not only those that deal with salvation, for the doctrine of election preceded that of salvation. I believe it is just as much God’s decree that the universe itself is sustained by "natural" laws that were created by the word of God and thereby are decrees.

What is a decree anyway you may ask? Someone in authority has said something will happen or be done in a certain way. A sovereign has spoken! Thus God has said the seasons of the year will continue until the end of history as we know it. So while it is correct, and "very Reformed" to limit the decrees of God to certain areas, I don’t agree there is any such limit to God’s "eternal decrees." It is hard for the American mind, and most other Western nations to understand sovereignty. I think one of the best examples is found in the book of Esther. Here an earthly king has spoken, given a decree that on a certain day the Jews will be killed. He cannot change nor take back that spoken word, and all the more so if it has been reduced to writing and signed. In Esther, through the efforts of Esther (read in God’s providential care and direction) the king becomes aware he has made a bad ruling and it needs to be rescinded and fast. He can’t change his word, so he issues another decree that allows the Jews to defend themselves. We can’t grasp this, for we would have been defending ourselves anyway, with or without permission. However, if this is true of an earthly king’s inability to change his "decrees" and remain righteous, how much more so must it be of God?

I used to smile to myself when I was in the military and I told a soldier to do something. If it happened to be something they didn’t like or agree with, they always asked is that an order? To which I replied, "did I say it?" When in a position of authority over others, saying is doing, and the lesser is bound to obey it. God gave us then many decrees, that deal with all of life. Christ softened the terminology and gave us two rules of love, and said "if you love Me, you will obey My commandments", and "My true disciples will obey My commandments." It would seem Christ has given a choice to man, and these words (decrees) would only be binding upon those who were His disciples, or those who loved Him. Not so! Even at the moment Christ was speaking, He was subject to the rule of Rome. This empire had people from every nation and religion on earth. Do we suppose that the Roman emperor would have not executed someone for not obeying his commands because they weren’t Roman, didn’t agree with him, were not his people and followers of Rome? Everyone within the boundaries of Rome obeyed the Roman emperor on pain of death for disobedience. Now whom upon the earth then stands outside the decrees of God? Who by nature of their citizenship or allegiance have permission to disregard the King of Heaven’s commandments?

Concerning the part of the answer that says the Scriptures make known "what God is." Here there is a limit. The agnostic as well as the gnostic being opposites of the same continuum are wrong. I think perhaps that Scriptures makes known that God is, is a more correct statement. The difference of the "w" and "t" in this case make a vast difference. Though we can know something about God, and definitely see in Scripture that God is, the former cannot begin to be perfect, while by faith the latter can be complete. It was this sure knowledge that God is, which gave the strength and courage to those who have died for Christ throughout the centuries.

What then does the Bible reveal about God? How does Scripture impart this truth about God. I think the best description of God exists in examining His attributes. Scripture explicitly lists many of these, others are implicitly clear from the historical narrative of Scripture as we watch how He has interacted with His creation in the past. Being a perfect sovereign, God cannot change, and history as far as it reveals how God has spoken in the past, reveals how God will act in the future. Nonetheless, in the attributes we begin to see clearly what God is.

One of the first assignments I give to new disciples is to search the Scriptures and write down the attributes of God, then divide this list into two columns. First list those things which belong to God alone. Second list those things which belong to God in perfection, but which God has chosen to allow man to exercise the same attribute, though in a far lesser degree of perfection. God’s "omni" attributes would be an example of the first, while patience, love, and mercy would be good examples of the second.

Indeed we can know God is, and to a limited degree know what God is. The source of this information about God is only empirically given to us in Scripture. Life and experience will reveal God in many of the same ways, but this is subjective and we cannot live by these experiences (feelings). Christ said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (In case you haven’t noticed, this verse keeps popping up. The Word of God is our source of authority and power.)

Since Calvin the chosen order of teaching systematically has been to begin with knowledge of God, then Scripture, and third the Trinity. The Westminster Confession of Faith properly reverses the first two and begins with Scripture, then God and the Trinity. This isn’t a contradiction, but gives weight to the fact that God’s Word is in a sense God, for it cannot change nor be divided. While there cannot be any other God, and we don’t bow down to worship the Bible, we should pay it proper reverence, for it is the Word of God, and as the Ruler of the universe, seen and unseen, to be obeyed without debate nor doubt, God, has spoken, this word (decree) cannot, will not change. This is why Christ said "not one jot nor tittle will pass away." Here we can "know" about God, here we find the soil to plant our precious TULIP, knowing the foundation is sure, and despite the ravings of earthly monarchs, it will grow and blossom. The fantastic promise of the fifth petal stands firmly on this knowledge of God, and that He will not change. Here the Reformed church dares to point to the third petal and put to silence the universalist (One who believes all mankind has salvation in Christ and may choose Christ, or not). It is in these decrees that the second petal bursts into the world. The fourth petal would fall to the ground without the sure decree of a sovereign Creator who has spoken. Once more we find the whole five points of Calvinism in one short sentence. Dare the modern church leave off the teaching of this precious flower, and then wonder why we seemed to have lost our mooring? God has spoken!

The Bible speaks of God eternal decrees, I personally limit this to one decree, that of election and leave reprobation as the sure outcome for a creation already cursed because of sin, and doomed to eternal condemnation. Some do not like this "passive" position and choose to say God also decreed the reprobation of the non-elect. I disagree, and while exclusion from the decree of election just as surely sealed the end result of the reprobation, it was not an overt decree. Nonetheless, the Scripture is the only place we may find and believe what is said concerning the eternal decrees. It is the "official" and true record of how the decrees of God have been executed in history.

As I have presented the word here, we could use the lesser or those decrees that were not part of the eternal counsel of God with Himself as commands or statements, less we confuse what a decree is and not do harm to the doctrine we are studying at the moment. However as pointed out, when a sovereign speaks, it is a command and to be obeyed by all under His authority. Also as we progress through the Bible, you may find it helpful to review the lessons from the previous weeks. Bible doctrine builds precept upon precept, and when we forget the foundational tenets we find ourselves suddenly struggling to understand the material before us.

So far then we can say these are truth and will not change and thus are the foundation stones revealed so far:

God is the Creator and exercises complete sovereignty over His creation.

The Bible is the record of what God has revealed about Himself and tells us How God will interact with man.

The Bible reveals God to us, perhaps most clear by making His attributes manifest to us.

The Bible is the journal of record so to speak of God’s decrees, and how they have been made manifest in the history the Bible speaks of.

God has decreed the election of some (Ephesians chapter one).

We can conclude then that the Reformed doctrines will not stand if either of these foundation stones does not exist, God doesn’t exist and is not sovereign, The Bible is not God’s Word. God exists and has spoken to man leaving the Bible as the only record of His Word to mankind. The Bible revels this, nature and history testify to its truth. All of creation and the revelation of God by His own Word are for the glory of God whereby the duty of man and his destiny is revealed by the Creator.

For further thought: Did Jesus die for all mankind? (See Ephesians chapters one and two.) Compare with John chapter 3. In light of John chapter 3, is God just in not "electing all, or giving man the ability to choose life? Why?

For further study: Do you agree with all five points of classic Calvinism? If your answer is no, which verses of Scripture would you use to refute Calvinism’s teachings on that point? To what degree did God use man as if a mere writing tool in revealing His Word to man? Which Bible verse(s) testify to the truth of your belief?

_____

[1] Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:13 AV)

[2] But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 AV)

[3] All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. (1 John 5:17 AV)

[4] Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (Acts 15:14-18 AV)

[5] For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:27-28 AV)