Monday, April 30, 2018

Sermon Recap from April 29

Here is what you'll find: after each sermon title, there's an "audio" link that allows you to play or download that sermon's audio file. Then there should be an embedded Youtube Link to the sermon.

If you'd like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBGluSoaJgYn6PbIklwKaw?view_as=public

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Thanks!


Monday, April 23, 2018

Sermon Recap for April 22 2018

Well, first it was a disastrous day for me at the mic. Several moments of stumbling over words, but that’s the way it goes. Then, we had one too many hands on the video camera in the morning, but you can listen and imagine what I look like!

Here is what you'll find: after each sermon title, there's an "audio" link that allows you to play or download that sermon's audio file. Then there should be an embedded Youtube Link to the sermon.

If you'd like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBGluSoaJgYn6PbIklwKaw?view_as=public

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Thanks!

Morning Sermon:

Evening Sermon

Monday, April 16, 2018

Matthew 12:30-50 #eebc2018

This section starts with a bang. Our modern society does not care much for absolutes and hard choices--after all, "only a Sith deals in absolutes" was a well-applauded line (despite the irony of that statement being an absolute)--and casting things in shades of gray has been a long-running habit.

But Jesus makes it very, very plain, that anyone who is not with Him is against Him. That is not the world's way. We want to join in for some of the effort, pull out for others.

The Christian life is not so--we are either fully committed to the Lord or we are involved on the other side. This is one of the errors of our modern society. We want to take a little Jesus here, try a little Christianity over there, when all the while God's Word tells us that we have to choose.

This is the challenge of Christian discipleship: to understand that we live by grace. Full stop. Without grace, we have nothing. We can do nothing. Without Christ, we have no grace.

The next step, though, is to respond to grace. I fear too many times we've stopped without responding to the command of God, and that this is the source of so many of our difficulties in life as Christians. We continue to attempt to live as if nothing is expected of us because we are forgiven. Nothing may be required of us, but is that the way to respond to God's grace?

Sermon Recap for April 15

Well, Tax Day is upon us….here are the sermons from April 15. We observed the Lord’s Supper in the evening service, so the audio and video may seem a bit odd.

Here is what you'll find: after each sermon title, there's an "audio" link that allows you to play or download that sermon's audio file. Then there should be an embedded Youtube Link to the sermon.

If you'd like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBGluSoaJgYn6PbIklwKaw?view_as=public

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Thanks!

Morning Sermon:

Evening Sermon:

Friday, April 13, 2018

Matthew 11:25-12:29 #eebc2018

One of the challenges we have in reading the Bible comes from something added to the text as a helpful tool: the chapter and verse markings. Apart from the Psalms, there are no divisions like this within the original text. The Psalms are all individual, and the strange case of the titles is for a post on the Psalms.

The chapter divisions, if we are not careful, can lead us to make a separation that does not belong. For example, in this section of text, the well-known phrase "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30) is in a different chapter from the events of chapter 12 where Jesus both reasserts the importance of the Sabbath and clears out the additions that the Pharisees had added to it.

If we do not read carefully, we will make an artificial and unhelpful division between those two sections and miss an important point. Take a look at how these go together: Jesus promises a burden but one that is restful. The Sabbath, under the structures of the cultural situation, was anything but restful. There were many details to follow--but there was no way around it!

Jesus re-emphasizes the idea of mercy, rather than stringent legalities, as worship. Which, when the Gospel breaks out into the Gentile world, will also push against the Roman world. The Roman world ran constantly, with never a break or moment to pull back. A Sabbath of mercy would be a challenge to their system, and being people who participated and encouraged others to rest would have been a challenge to that world.

Then we see a natural break: Matthew 12:15 where it speaks of His withdrawal from the crowds. Here is a natural shift in the events, a place where one segment of the story fades into another. Matthew cites Isaiah 42 and applies it to Jesus. This passage speaks of the Servant of YHWH, and talks of His compassion.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Book: Biblical Leadership

Attempting to catch up on life…and not doing too well with that. Here’s one that’s up against a hard deadline, though, so making progress.

Biblical LeadershipAs we get to today’s book, Biblical Leadership, it’s important to start with an understanding of what the discipline of “Biblical Theology” is. While the source of all the theology we do as Christians should be the Bible, “Biblical Theology” is the specific study of what the Bible has to say in certain sections about a theological topic.

To that end, Biblical Leadership, edited by Benjamin K. Forrest and Chet Roden, is a Biblical Theology text regarding leadership. This is a compiled work from Kregel Academic, with various contributors focusing on different portions of the Biblical text. For example, Joseph Hellerman, author of Embracing Shared Ministry and the EGGNT volume on Philippians, handles the chapter on Pauline theology. As with any multi-author work, some of the authors are more ‘favorites’ than others. Other authors include Andreas Kostenberger, now of Midwestern Seminary and Walter Kaiser of Gordon-Conwell. Forrest and Roden are both at Liberty University, so it is no surprise that several contributions come from their co-workers. (I’m currently trying to shepherd a group project, I’d give a toe to be able to walk into the next office and ask a co-author where his chapter is.)

Now, on to the content: let’s start in the middle. Chapter 20 presents a study in the various words of the Greek New Testament that are used to illustrate leadership. It’s a valuable starting point, even being in the middle of the book, because it links the whole of the text. Further, it helps centralize the study in the text of Scripture. I’ve seen it said that the Bible only speaks around the idea of leadership, but Robert Wayne Stacy’s chapter here is a great counterpoint to that thought.

Each of the Biblical sections are useful, though I found William Osborne’s chapter on the divided monarchy a step above. He had one of the more challenging areas of history to wrestle with, and managed to not have it feel forced or artificial. I also enjoyed Hellerman’s work on Pauline theology, but that may be my predisposition for his viewpoint.

Benjamin Merkle’s chapter on titles and roles in the Early Church is helpful both for leadership and history. He takes note of those who led officially, led unofficially, and those who held authority beyond the local congregation. When dealing with apostles and prophets, he focused on the clear Biblical material without commenting on whether these titles endured past the New Testament.

In all, this a good resource for learning how leadership can seen across the Biblical texts. Rather than starting with leadership principles, it starts with the text and then shows what concepts are there. Stylistically, it is more academic in tone so it will take a bit of attention to the details. It is well worth the effort, but don’t expect to find too many cliches and poster board sayings here.This is for those who want to think deeply about the matter.;

And if my own liking of this book wasn’t enough, the first endorsement blurb is from J. Daniel Hays, Dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies at Ouachita Baptist University. Dr. Hays doesn’t endorse lightly—take it from someone who has had him not grade lightly!—and I will give his endorsement a hearty agreement.


I received a copy of this book in exchange for the review. Kregel Academic provided the book, and I’m greatly addicted to their work.

Exodus 3 #eebc2018

Get to work.

Seriously, get to it.

You think that the flocks you pasture, the wealth you acquire, the security you have, is what God has for you to do all the time.

It is not.

It is not your greatest good to enlarge the financial well-being of yourself. It is not your greatest calling to comfortably relax at home at the end of the day.

Your calling, based on on Matthew 28:18-20, is to go forth and make disciples of all nations. Just as God called Moses, here, and sent him out from comfort and ease, so He has commissioned every one of us to make the priority of our lives sharing the Gospel with the nations.

So get to work.

You are not going to get a burning bush, an engraved invitation, or a vision in the Temple, because God has already given His word.

And the sooner we will be about it, the better we will find our lives to be.

You may wonder, "But what about...."

Realize that God is keenly aware of your needs. Who is the better provider, you or Him? Is He not able to handle the needs before you?

Place your faith and action into following the commands of God. He will handle the details.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Exodus 2 #eebc2018

One might argue that the story of Moses begins here, in Exodus 2. For narrative purposes, that would be a good statement. But really, Moses' story begins way back in Genesis. The word that we translate as "basket" in Exodus 2 is the same word that is translated as "ark" in Genesis 7. In the variety that is the English language, the "Ark of the Covenant" that we will get to later in Exodus is not the same word for "Ark." So, if you want to make a connection from Genesis to Exodus, you should make it between the boat and the basket, not the boat and the box.

Which is a valuable lesson on two fronts. First, the overall Biblical languages front: we must remember that the Bible was not originally in English. English is one of hundreds of receptor languages for translations of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that the Bible was written in. Therefore, if you want to fully engage with the text you need to access those languages. I recommend a mixed approach, especially if you cannot afford the time/money/energy to learn the languages themselves (remembering that your language learning is only as good as its sources, at that): have multiple translations in your language (if they exist) and have good tools available. What are good tools? Sound Bible commentaries and study notes--this is the value of Study Bibles as a genre--as well as learning to use a concordance and a Bible dictionary.

If you only read the Bible in one translation and never consult the vast wealth of information that is available to you, English speakers, then you are not using all that God has given you to understand His Word. Start with some basics: Journey into God's Word and How to the Read the Bible for All its Worth are great starting points. Find your pastor and commit to a basics of Biblical interpretation class! The other tools, like sound Biblical commentaries, will take some investment but they are worth it.

The second valuable lesson is this: God works in His own ways, and sometimes there are similarities without identical happenings. In Genesis, God saves only the people in the Ark, rebuilding the population from those eight. In Exodus, God saves only one person through an ark, and will use that one to save the people of Israel. The expectation that God must do the exact same thing in all lives is not a good one--He has done the exact same thing for all by Jesus death on the cross for our salvation, but beyond that? Walk in obedience and let God work according to His ways, rather than expecting a photocopy of what He did in someone else's life.

For most folks, the Moses story is pretty well-known. He's drifted off down the Nile in a basket (ark) and pulled out by Pharaoh's own daughter. Now, technically, Moses's family obeyed Pharaoh's command: they put the baby boy in the river. Obviously, he was after something far more sinister. Tough break for Pharaoh.

Worth considering: there are almost no ancient stories where a king/noble/tyrant tries to eliminate a threat from an upcoming generation and succeeds. Check Greek mythology (Perseus, Oedipus), other mythologies, and you'll find that to be the case. Moses is a true example of this--and many of the other stories probably have a basis in truth. Brutality wins a day, but it rarely wins in the end.

Pharaoh's daughter draws out Moses, saves him, and gives him to his own mother for her to take care of. Then Moses grows up, kills an Egyptian, and flees the country. At this point, he meets Reuel, Zipporah, and the rest of a family of Midianites. He's been in Egypt for 40 years, and now he will be in Midian for 40 years.

As to the facts of the matter: we are not sure which Dynasty of Egypt is involved here, and I won't try to thread that needle. There are several historical examples of the "M-s-s" consonant group in Egyptian names, so consider those areas. Midian has typically been identified in modern-day Saudi Arabia. If you take the tradition that Moses' Mount Sinai is on the modern Sinai Peninsula, then you will have to put some Midianites there as well, but I would side with the view that tradition put Mount Sinai in the wrong place, resulting in the Sinai Peninsula being a misnomer. I think you find both, and the bulk of the Exodus-Numbers-Deuteronomy setting, on the Arabian Peninsula.

Practically? Catch the end of the chapter: Exodus 2:23-25. The Israelites cried out, God heard, God saw, and God knew. Whatever you are going through, cry out to God. He hears, He sees, He knows.

But His response may take longer than you want, because He may work in your situation alongside a few million others, too.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Genesis 50:22-26, Exodus 1 #eebc2018

Genesis ends with the death of Joseph, but not before he saw his great-grandchildren and had his descendants swear to take his bones from Egypt and bury them in the Promised Land. Worth considering here is that, apparently, some change had occurred in Egypt and the surrounding areas that prohibited Joseph from being buried like Jacob was--directly transported to the land of Canaan (remember, it's not Israel yet) and buried. Exactly what the problem may have been is not certain, but there's something going on here.

That's how Genesis wraps up--from "In the Beginning, God..." to a temporary burial in Egypt. It's a narrowing scope.

Exodus then begins with a reminder of who came down to Egypt. Then the news turns bad. The new Pharaoh does not "know" Joseph. There are a couple of meaning points here. First is the obvious one: Joseph is dead, so the Pharaoh does not know Joseph--he's never met him, like you've never met George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.

But using the same illustration, if you're American, you should "know" Washington and Jefferson, because you should know the heritage they left in this country. You should know the benefits received for what they had done.

The Pharaoh in question does not know Joseph in this way, either, and that is what makes him dangerous. He has power over the lives of those in his land, and he sees this group of Israelites who have maintained their separate culture, kept their identity, and because of those differences he sees them as a threat. He does so with complete disregard for the centuries the Israelites have lived in Egypt and not been problems...

He then sets out to destroy the Hebrews (used as the broader term for the descendants of Jacob here) through infanticide. Well, first he tries forced labor, then goes on to infanticide. As a side note, while one must be careful arguing through slippery slope claims, history (including this history) bears it out more often than not. First it's one thing, then a worse thing--here it's forced labor, then more forced labor, then it's infanticide, and then it's throwing babies into the Nile River.

Had Pharaoh simply decided at the outset to throw the Hebrews out of his country, the outcome would have been better.

A few other notes here: we have no name for Pharaoh, but we do for the midwives. It's probable that Shiphrah and Puah were the top midwives, because two midwives wouldn't be enough for the population. Or, the direct efforts of Pharaoh were aimed at Hebrew leadership and these were the midwives to the nobility, such as it was.

All told, there's a lesson here about judging people's value--midwives, foreigners, Hebrews, etc., and it's this: rather than being afraid of who they are, pay attention to who they are and what they do. Live and let live, as much as possible. Please note, though, as you look at 'policy' in light of this, that the Hebrews had no intention to overthrow Egypt or go on murderous rampages within it.

The Hebrews don't start trouble, the Egyptians do. The Hebrews finish it, though.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Matthew 10:40-11:24 #eebc2018

This segment of Scripture goes from good to bad, in just about 30 verses. We start with the positive, cheerful idea that those who support and encourage a ministry or a follower of Jesus are rewarded just as those who are encouraged and keep on in their good works. Then we finish with the idea that judgment day will be better for Sodom and Sidon than for the cities that rejected Jesus...

That's a mood shift in your daily Bible reading for you. Let's take the pieces and put it together:

First, there is a unifying theme in these segments: the work of spreading the message of the Gospel. The first section deals with those who encourage the messengers, the second with the discouraged messenger, and the last with those who ignore the proclaimed message. The thread of messages and messengers tracks across this set of passages.

So, what about it? First, to recognize that some people are charged with spreading the message--the opening section deals with prophets, righteous people, and little ones. In this context, each of these terms deal with those fulfilling a responsibility in a religious context. (Other places, "righteous people" is a general term and "little ones" is more about children/younger folks.) Here, though, you should these as people serving God. Some are well-known, easy to see, like prophets. Others have distinguished lives, like righteous people. Others are simply those walking humbly through life--the little ones. (Mostly derived from: Morris, Leon. The Gospel according to Matthew. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992.)

Jesus is pointing to the idea that these folks cannot fulfill their tasks without support, and the supporters are equal partners in the work. A side note would be the counter-condemnation that the supporters of those who do evil, down to simply offering a cup of cold water to aid those doing evil, should expect the same reward as the ones doing evil.

Then we see the twelve disciples sent out to preach, but Jesus does not leave their hometowns untouched. Instead, He goes and preaches there. This is a direct pushback against the mindset that we do not need to do missions because there are plenty of needs here: both need to be done, and God is sovereign and capable of meeting the needs here if we go there.

John the Baptist gives us an interlude, as he struggles with his time in prison. He's not entirely sure Jesus is who John thought He was, but then Jesus uses that to highlight the work of John.

Finally, Jesus points out the condemnation due those who reject the message. He highlights the amount of mercy shown to the cities He has visited and how other places would have responded with repentance had they seen what the current cities experienced. That raises this question: of all the blessings we have received, have we met the Lord God in repentance for our sins?

Or do we hold on those sins? What judgment will we face for embracing the very sins God has condemned?

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Genesis 47:20-49:33 #eebc2018

Jacob and family are now settled in the land of Goshen. For the time being, it is their salvation from the famine and the place where their family will build its identity. Eventually, it will become something far worse. That's a truth worth considering: sometimes a place is good at one time and bad at another. It may go from bad to good, or do what occurs here and go from good to bad.

But remember that one's life should not be welded to a geographic location. Instead, the relationships you have with God and with others are what should define you.

During the famine, Pharaoh acquires all the land of Egypt, turning the economy to more of a serfdom-based system than it was before. After this time, the people of Egypt are not free to do as they wish, but instead must work land belonging to Pharaoh. The exceptions? The priestly groups of Egypt and...that small Hebrew family that just moved into Goshen. Their land was on loan from Pharaoh, but the flocks were their own. And their food came from Joseph's power and authority, not Pharaoh, so they remained free.

Jacob, though, knows his death is at hand. Since that is the case, he requires a promise of Joseph to bury him back in the land of Canaan (it's not Israel yet) and Joseph promises. Further, Jacob essentially claims Joseph's first two sons as his own, replacing Joseph in his family tree. This is why there is no "Tribe of Joseph" in the further narratives of Israel.

In a recent reading, an author made much of the decision of Jacob to bless the younger son over the older, claiming it was an intentional and designed to reset the whole of economic ideas. I think it's simpler than that: Jacob was the younger brother, and here he chooses to bless the younger brother. I would suggest to you that blessing belongs to the one who is giving it, and they have a right to make the decision about who and how they bless.

Jacob then goes through and prophesies over his sons, telling what he believes will happen to them in the years to come. A noteworthy moment is Genesis 49:10, which some interpreters hold as a messianic promise. (After looking in several commentaries, the books I have tend to list that as a "possible" understanding and cite other sources, including Gerhard von Rad, on this. I will punt...) If there is an implication of the Messiah here, then we have Genesis wrapping up with a promise similar to the one near the beginning in Genesis 3:15.

After speaking over each of his sons, Jacob dies. Take note that he wishes to be buried with Leah and not with Rachel, perhaps because Leah is the one buried in the family tomb with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah. The terminology for dying, "he was gathered to his people," is a comforting one. It is from this idea that we structure our belief in family reunification after death--for those who know Jesus.

What do we do with this?

Take a look at the prophecy over each of the sons. I think there's something to Jacob's understanding of who his sons were, how they would behave, and how they would raise their children. He knew that his people were a large enough group, and an isolated enough one, to not have to intermarry too much into Egypt. He knew that his family would not fully assimilate and become Egyptian, that's why he made them promise to bury him back home!

And so he could predict, easily, what they would become. Some flashes of insight seem to have come from beyond his ability, but he is 147 years old at this point. Most of this is his wisdom and understanding.

So the question comes to you: what would someone say is your future? The future of your children?

Based on who you are now? Based on your current actions?

Take heart, because there is grace enough even for that picture. There is time, even now, to turn our hearts more toward God and more into the ways He has given us. Because no future is completely sealed--God in His grace may give you a better one. Turn your heart to Him, and your ways to His ways, and see what He does.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Genesis 46:8-47:19 #eebc2018

This passage opens with the lineage of Jacob, showing his sons and their sons. One of the purposes here is to establish a total number: seventy people. This includes Joseph, Asenath, and their two sons. It's not a huge number of people, which is the point. This is not an invasion force, it's just a family.

Next we see Joseph guide his family to settle in the land of Goshen, which is in the Nile Delta area. It is less reliable for farming, but still excellent as a grazing land. A fringe benefit? The family does not have to get all the way into Egypt, down amidst the temples and government. (There is no archaeological evidence that Joseph wanted to be far  from On, where his mother-in-law lived.)

Where does this fit in Egyptian history? That's a great question. One major theory puts it during the Second Intermediate Period, during the ascendancy of the Hyksos. I prefer a date in the Twelfth Dynasty, placing these events in the Middle Bronze Age of Egypt.

Joseph settles his family, then takes his father and five of his brothers to meet Pharaoh. His brothers report on their occupation and little else.

Jacob appears to have more a conversation with Pharaoh. Pharaoh asks his age, and Jacob laments that his life has been (and will be) shorter than his ancestors. Now, in comparison to Pharaoh, his 130 years were probably longer, but compared to Abraham or Noah? Jacob's still quite young.

Then you get the difference in what happens to the Egyptians and what happens to the family of Israel. Joseph, by way of his position,  provides for his family. Meanwhile, many of the Egyptians find themselves deeding over their lands and their freedom to the central government to survive the famine. This provides some insight into how Egypt's economy operated at the time.

What do we see here?

First, help your family if God has given you the ability. It sounds simple, but some folks miss that point.

Second, consider what your testimony would be if you stood before the most powerful government official you've ever known. Has your life been short and bitter? If so, what can you do today to start changing that?

Third, are you willing to go wherever it is necessary to follow God's commands? To live out that which you are supposed to do? Even if it means a sojourn in Egypt?

Monday, April 2, 2018

Matthew 8:28-9:17 #eebc2018

The Pharisees were convinced they knew Scripture well. And they did, many of them having dedicated their whole lives to the study and practice of the Word of God. Yet they did not fully understand the facts that they knew, they did not grasp the implications of the words.

This is why Matthew 9:13 records Jesus pointing them back to Hosea 6:6. The Pharisees had facts, but those facts were empty. They did not understand how the Word of God was given to them so that they could treat others differently, treat others with the mercy which God had for both the Pharisees and everyone else.

The problem echoes in the question of John's disciples about fasting. The disciples of Jesus did not fast enough, did not mourn, did not weep, but instead were generally joyous and celebratory. Why the difference?

It is the difference in those who know about God and those who know God. It is the difference of a life in a relationship compared to a life lived at a distance. Consider the difference in reading about being in love and actually being in love.

Or the difference in seeing food on television and seeing food in your own kitchen. One may give you knowledge, the other brings nourishment and joy. (Well, hopefully joy.)

So what are you doing with your knowledge of God? Is it changing your life?

Are you more joyful, no matter what comes your way? I know that some difficulties pull you down from exuberance, but there's a substantial gap between exuberant and peaceful joy through Christ. It is in Christ we have peace, we have joy, and we find a relationship with God that is real.

Remember that we have a relationship with the living Christ--guided through His Word, certainly, but our relationship is with the Living God.

Let Him transform you, within and without.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Sermon Recap for Easter Sunday

We didn’t record the Sunrise Service because, well, that was one more complication that I wasn’t up for. Here is the sermon from this morning:

Book: Readings in Historical Theology

Readings in Historical TheologyWhile this is a somewhat older book (for Internet reviews), the content is fairly stable. It was a gift from Kregel Academic back in January. I’m running behind on book reviews.

Before you dig into Robert F. Lay’s Readings in Historical Theology, it’s worth understanding what “Historical Theology” is. Historical Theology is the study (basically) of what the church has believed about certain things during various times. For example, tracing the understanding of what has been believed about the return of Christ in different eras is a function of “Historical Theology.” This is compared to “Biblical Theology” which examines what specific sections of Biblical texts (individual books, Old Testament, New Testament, Paul, John) teach about an issue or “Systematic Theology” which takes the whole of Scripture and sees what it teaches about specific subjects.

Usually, one uses the categories from Systematic Theology to organize the other disciplines, but also uses the Bible to define the categories and consults the wisdom of those who have gone before to formulate an understanding. In other words, these are interdependent concepts.

Now, if you’re still awake, you’re going to be interested in this book. Why? Historical theology is heavily concerned with others have said about what the Bible says. The best way to study this is from the primary sources, from the documents and writings of history themselves. But which ones? And is it possible to get the critical materials all in one place?

That is the purpose of Lay’s work here. He has provided English translations of important documents from the first century through the nineteenth, with a brief intro to each item, giving its dates and origin. Certainly, one could quibble about some items that were left out but there must be a limit somewhere. From reading here, one can see what Arminius and Calvin actually taught rather than reading what other people say that they taught.

A further benefit here is the CD that contains more material. I know that some of us are working with computers that don’t have media drives anymore, but it’s worth borrowing one to upload to your computer. There are extended versions of the documents as well as some that are not included in the print edition.

As a student of Christian History, I cannot recommend this book enough. We need to understand our roots as Christians and reading what has been said in the past is a crucial part of that.

At my request, Kregel Academic sent me this book in exchange for the review.

Sermon Add-on for March 10

 Continuing the use of Artificial Intelligence to try and generate discussion questions from the sermon, here's what it gave me this wee...