I have posted a new essay (the Affirmative Rebuttal Essay) in the Atonement Debate.
Enjoy!
-TurretinFan
Monday, February 02, 2009
1 comment:
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Yes, enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteThis is thorough and long. I encourage those clicking onto it to go the distance.
There are a lot of implications jumping off the page as I go along and read this article.
I would note some.
The first thing is an encouragement to Nick, that I believe he is "not" far from the Kingdom! I sense a "sanctification" work of the Holy Ghost as I read what he is pointing out by Scripture. I guess you can say, it's a matter of time?
The second thing is this in Matthew 20:28 and the Greek Word "life" found in that verse. That word is "psuche". The definition centers around one's mind, thoughts, emotions and will. These things happen in one's "head".
This word is the same one used by John in 1 John 3 when he writes:
1Jn 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
The words in this verse, "life" and "lives" is the same Greek word, psuche.
Also, there is an interesting implication which is the point that I believe needs to be underscored here some more about the "head".
The firstborn is the "new leadership" or "new headship" of the household. It is the "father's" responsibility to prepare the firstborn son for what is coming to him. The father has the experience. The son is going to by "right" of inheritance assume the headship of that household. He needs to "experience" from the father what must be experienced to assume the responsibility of Headship.
What seems more significant to me in the institution of the law of the passover, is the slaining of the innocent lamb with regard to Egypt. Egypt holds for the Reformed the "God"/"devil" headship struggle even in this present world, by implication.
Paul wrote this in Acts:
Act 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
The Work of God is intended to "open" one's eyes. The eyes as we know are in the "head".
Paul later on when writing to the Romans focuses the True Believer on their thoughts, their way of thinking in the world. There are two "Headships" at war with each other right now and in order for you to be joined to the one, you must be "separated" from the other. The sacrifice made separates you from your "life" or the "headship" that governed you before your own Salvation experience through the separation experience Christ experienced when He was separated from God the Father and God the Holy Ghost:
Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
I was reading this morning these words from Psalms that underscores the penal substitution implied in this debate:
Psa 92:1 A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
Psa 92:2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
Psa 92:3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
Psa 92:4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
Psa 92:5 How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!
Psa 92:6 The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this:
Psa 92:7 that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever;
Psa 92:8 but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
It seems to me what I am being taught here by this debate has a lot to do with the "way" I "think" and "Who" truly is my "Head", God or the devil.
We Reformed Theologians will always point to Christ as the Messiah, or the Head of the Church. That indeed is something lacking with regard to the RCC throughout history as they always point to the Pope and his decrees instead.
Remember what the Psalmst wrote there in Psalm 92? We are encouraged by the Psalmst to understand "Whose" Work it is that makes us glad and want to sing and play instruments praising Him for that work He did.