Tests of Faith

 

Tests, temptations, distresses, and tribulations are ordained, permitted, bounded and limited by God, in order to strengthen the faith of believers, as well as for other reasons.  A test of faith should, in the end, strengthen our faith, though during the testing we may have many questions.

Beware, therefore, if the tests of faith actually serve to weaken your faith.  Beware if the fear of God leads you away from God.  These are all signs of Satan's getting a grip on your life.

Confess your sins always, let the fear of God drive you to your Father, let the tests of faith make you rely utterly on the Word of His Promise of a free salvation and ultimate victory.

The Inward and Outward Face of the Church

There is much talk in the blogs in our time about the disease of the "inward-facing church," and the health of the "outward-facing church."  The "inward-facing church" is perhaps described as living in the "complacency of the club."  The "outward-facing church" is perhaps defined as "friendly," or "attractive," or perhaps "evangelistic."  The purpose of church leadership is then to convert the church from being complacently self-satisfied into a church that is actively interested in outsiders who might be attracted into the church and to Christ via the ministry of the church.  The terms "inward-" and "outward-" are almost exclusvely used in negative and positive senses, respectively.

But, there is another view to be taken.

It is clear from many sources in the Scripture that the inward health of a church -- that is, only "health" in Scriptural terms -- is the key to the outward ministry of a church.  Our Lord speaks to this issue repeatedly in the Upper Room Discourse and Prayer in the Gospel according to John, Chapters 13-17:

John 13 New King James Version (NKJV) 

[my comments are in square brackets]

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. ...  ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  ...  ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  ...   ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

³⁵ By this all will know [inside and outside the church] that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another [inside the church].” ...

 The first thing to notice is that the love of those inside the church for one-another -- the kind of love that knows one another, loves one another fervently, prays for one another, and serves one another inside the church -- is the kind of love that impresses the world that Christ has come and saved a people.  To those who are being called by the Spirit (and by the preaching of the gospel) this love is attractive, and they will approach the church.  This kind of inward relationship in the church is by no means the complacency and self-satisfaction that is often called "inward-facing" by those who point it out and complain about it.  Also, the replacement of the complacency and self-satisfaction by programs which attract visitors will not reform the church, if she is not reforming inwardly in spirit all along.

We continue with the text:

14 ²⁸ You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.  ²⁹ “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. ³¹ But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. .  ...

15 ¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ... ¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that you love one another. ¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ... ²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

⁶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.  ⁹ “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.  ²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Being and Function

The church needs to learn that Being precedes Function.

Example:  We all know the reasons for the Incarnation.  Jesus Christ must be a man in order to make the sacrifice for man's sin.  Jesus Christ must be God to sustain that manhood, and lead it in perfection.  But, then, is that all?  What about the glory of the Being of the God-Man?  Is the glory only his Function?  The Scripture not only describes his sacrificial work, but also forcefully points out that it is the radiance of his glory (Being) perceived spiritually by us in the Word of the Gospel (the Bible), which transforms us into his image!  We worship him for his works, but we must also worship him for his being!

Use:  What about each other in the church?  We major on "function" in our busy lives, perhaps even glorying in it.  But Function is meaningless without a doctrine of Being.  Who are the Beings which we serve, and why?  I think this is greatly underplayed.

Being is superior to Function.  It was the Being of dead sinners, souls lost and gone, which moved our Father in Heaven to Function on our behalf by sending His Son to save us.  Being grounds Function. 

Respect for the Being (Personhood) of your spouse is the ground of your love.

Ultimate Function is the expression of self-sacrificing, divinely motivated Love.  But, Love is a meek and lowly Attitude and Function, done by me to you, that is motivated only by my appreciation of your Being (Personhood), regardless of your qualities.

This applies to us all.

Intellect, Mystery and Worship

As good Presbyterians, we are especially attracted to the system of theology.  Biblical interpretation and the establishment of systematic theology through the rational investigation of the teaching of Scripture is one of our "forte's."

But, what do we do with the mysteries?

For one, we seem to believe that we should try to eliminate them :-) .  But, without in any sense wanting to disparage the investigation of questions, I might broaden the base of the inquiry by making the following suggestions:

1)  Since God is incomprehensible (cannot be fully comprehended by the creaturely mind), then there must be mysteries.  This fact should not be resisted.

2)  We do need to investigate mysteries, not only to seek explanations, but also to seek not to explain them away, but to see their true bounds.  What exactly is a mystery?  What are the reasons for its existence?

3)  We are masters at "using" the doctrines we think we understand -- at least by repeating the words, but also perhaps having inadequate illumination about their true scope.  But, of what use is a mystery?

I conclude that mysteries are at the root of worship.  Insofar as our theological efforts try to explain everything -- an impossible and unScriptural goal -- then our efforts tend to do away with real aspects of Christian worship. 

Let me give an example:

Why am I a true believer in Christ?  Is it because of anything I did?  No.  In fact he did not have to choose me for salvation.  He could have chosen someone else in my place, and left me in my sins.  How should I feel and think about this?  With wonder, admiration and gratitude!  Every day I spend in Heaven, in the fellowship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and all my fellow saints, and the holy angels, I will think with abounding and daily increasing holy gratitude how all this is a gift.  I, who am nothing, and have been a sinner and rebel, have been brought to this by the grace of God, for no reason but his goodness and grace.  How can the contemplation of his goodness and grace, and the mystery of his choice of me, not result in ever-increasing worship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit now and forever?

Or, consider the Fatherhood of God.  I know what a human father is, having known my human father.  I know what being a father is, for my own part, though I cannot boast.  But, how can we ever exhaust the simple meaning of this word "father" as we live under the fatherhood of our Father in Heaven?  Will we ever cease to extol his greatness, the more we perceive of it forever?  We will be eternally worshiping, marveling and saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you -- I never realized before how much you have cared for me!"

Incarnation: A Catechism of Awe

We must not forget that, according to our orthodox understanding, the Person of the Incarnate Savior is the self-same divine Second Person of the Trinity who has always existed forever and ever, and who took on flesh for our salvation.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, one never conversed with a "Mr. Jesus" who was at times only vaguely conscious of his divine mission.  One only conversed with the divine Second Person, God himself.

He is that Person through whom the world was made;
He is that Person who took on flesh and was conceived in the womb of Mary;
He is that Person who was born in the stable;
He is that Person who grew up as a child;
He is the "Lamb of God" pointed out by John the Baptist;
He is that Person who was tempted just as we are, yet without sin;
He is that Person who hungered and thirsted;
He is that Person who raised the dead;
He is that Person who is the heir of David the King;
He is that Person who died for our sins and was raised again;
He is the Second Man;
He is that Person who sits at the right hand of God;
He is that Person who says,
        "He who has seen me has seen the Father";
He is that Person who is the Word of Life;

To trust in Him means eternal life.

The Testimony of Glory

Our Lord Jesus prays for us in the Upper Room:

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You -- that they also may be one in Us, in order that the world may believe that You sent Me.

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, in order that they may be one just as We are one -- I in them, and You in Me -- in order that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.   John 17:20-23.

In this prayer, we see that our destiny, as a result of our Savior's prayer and sacrifice, is that we shall be and now are one in the fellowship of the Father and the Son, just as the Father and the Son are one in each other.  Furthermore, this unity is created by the same glory now given to us which was first shared by the Father and the Son before all worlds.  This union in glory, visible to the world, effectually converts the world.

In the unity and glory being revealed in us, things ordinarily considered incommunicable to the creature have become ours, such as having God the Father of the Eternal Son also be our Father, a present sharing in the blessings of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4), and present participation in his glory (Rom 8:30).

Contemplation of these astounding facts ought to lead to boundless spiritual astonishment and love for the Father and his unique Son who think of us this way. Wherever we see Christ speak of the love and glory between the Father and the Son we ought to recognize that this love and glory is meant for us, too.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

As the Son was full of grace and truth, so are we, by his grace.

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  John 1:18

No one has seen God at any time -- but we have seen him in Christ, and the world will see him in us.

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  John 3:35

For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  John 5:20

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.  John 14:12-14

By Christ's authority, from his works and signs, comes to us a testimony of like kind.  Built upon this foundation we glory in his Name, and shed forth his glory before the world, and do signs in his name and power which continue the witness to his glory and majesty through us, that the world may believe that Christ is the Savior.

Divine Mysteries and Worship

Good systematic theology of the Great Mysteries of the Faith (Trinity, Incarnation, and others) teaches us not only about the essential dimensions of these mysteries which we must know, but also how to understand that these are mysteries which we must contemplate in worship with awe and wonder.

In other words, a mystery is not a "wall," shutting out our thoughts with intellectual complexity.  Rather, it is a revelation of the unfathomable depth of the greatness, glory and goodness of God.  A divine mystery is, therefore, a well of life, by which we contemplate God's glory.

The mystery of the Trinity and the mystery of the Incarnation are things about which we must speak, according to the terms of Scripture.  We must know these facts, insofar as they are revealed.   This is part of accepting the gospel.  We need to get the revealed dimensions right.  But, do not think that a mystery of the Divine Nature and Divine Works is simply an intellectual thing that only experts might understand, neither let it only function as an object of rote memorization.  Rather, understand such a mystery as leading to the worship of God, where we peer into Him and His works with ever-increasing joy and wonder for all eternity.  The more "expert" we become in the contemplation of such mysteries, the less we have intellectual complacency in our knowledge, and the more we appreciate the unfathomable depth of the great glory of God.

The function of good systematic theology, therefore, is to bring these awesome mysteries before us to stimulate our worship, by which we are moved by God's Glory, in our mind, emotion, and will to serve Him as our God.

In this way, the theological discipline is at the root of all liturgical art and thought. 

A Brief Illustration of the Means of Grace

The term “Means of Grace” refers to God-ordained religious practices (hearing the Word preached; receiving the Sacraments) which are used as instruments by the Lord in converting and edifying his people.

Since these religious exercises are physical, mental and spiritual in nature, some understanding ought to be sought from the Word concerning the relationship between these activities and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Let me introduce a physical model which might help explain what I mean: Think of the physical activity of hearing the Word preached, coupled with God’s work in making the Word spiritually understood by us.

Consider the following figure #1:

                                             The Holy Spirit Works

                                                          |

                                                          |

                                                          V

The Word Preached --------------->    Hearer

The idea being portrayed here is that the preaching of the Word and the actual work of the Spirit to sovereignly prepare hearers are independent activities that may even take place at different times. There is a “right angle” between the effects of the ministry of the Word preached and the ministry of the Spirit giving understanding of the Word. Word and Spirit come at the hearer in different ways and at different times, according to the sovereignty of the Spirit.

Now consider the following figure #2:

            Holy Spirit ->Word preached -> Hearer 

In this image the work of the Spirit is pictured as happening in intimate conjunction with the preaching (without intending to imply that the Spirit never works independently).

These two figures convey two different impressions of the function and significance of the “Means of Grace.” 

In Figure #1, the “means,” which in the example is the preaching and hearing of the Word, is decoupled from the Spirit in some measure (without in any sense denying the profound necessity for the Spirit’s ministry). The Spirit works independently from the “Means of Grace,” and we have no sure connection between the exercise of the “Means of Grace” and the work of the Spirit.

In Figure #2, a peculiar supernatural significance is attached to the preaching. There will be times when the dead will be command to live – and they will. The preaching takes on a significance beyond the conveyance of information to hearers who have been prepared by other means, independently of the preaching. There is real supernatural power in the preaching, which from time to time may even become visible to us, just as Jesus raised Lazarus, not by supernaturally waking him from the dead so that he could hear his name being shouted, but simply by the shouting of his name:  Just as “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

Now the same approach can be used with respect to the Sacraments. They preach. In a sense, they do nothing more than preach, since there is no Sacrament without the Word. A Sacrament is the gospel in Word, and in seen and felt Images (taste, etc.). Figure #1, illustrating the “uncoupled,” or “distant” connection between Sacrament and Spirit leads to one conception of the “Means of Grace” in the sacraments, namely, that they are not means by which grace is received at all, but are testimonies to grace already given by the Spirit in another way, and perhaps at another time. On the other hand, Figure #2 intends to show the strong correlation between the Spirit’s work and the preaching of the Gospel, and also the Spirit’s work and the administration of the Sacraments. There is real supernatural power there.

Significance of the Two Figures

When the angle between the religious exercise and the work of the Spirit is large (independent), then we have a “low church” view of the “Means of Grace,” if they are granted at all to be “means.” When the theological angle between the religious exercise and the work of the Spirit is small (parallel), then we have a “high church” view of the “Means of Grace.” This extends not only to Word and Sacrament, but even to liturgy, etc., which takes on a kind of quasi-sacramental character. Indeed, it extends to the spiritual fellowship of the church herself.

In the “low church” view, there is no chance that the “means of grace” will be substituted for Christ. But, the full understanding and usage of “means,” and the respect that goes with them, will be lacking except for the preaching. The exclusive emphasis on preaching can then change the church into a school, where information is mainly conveyed, along with a few rudiments of worship. A high view of sacraments, or of the real character of preaching, of liturgy, and of the real nature of the church herself, will probably be lacking – though the fellowship in the Lord among the people is certainly enjoyed. The “high church” way of life will be rejected, because “the Spirit doesn’t work that way.” He doesn’t work through means like that, or to that extent. They believe fully in the works of the Spirit, but that independency between the religious exercises and the work of the Spirit dominates the thought.

In the “high church” view, there is more respect for the “Means of Grace,” and more edification through them, according to the terms of Scripture. However, it is also possible for the “means” to be exalted unduly, or for Pharisaism to set in as people pride themselves on mechanically operating the liturgical machinery. The centrality of evangelical preaching again comes to the fore here, as the salvation of the spiritual “highness” which is accorded to the Means of Grace.

How do we characterize the relationship between Means of Grace and the Holy Spirit?

With a high view of the Means of Grace, we have to have a Scriptural balance on what we think of these Means.  For example, in Romanism, the elements of the Supper are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. That is, Christ is himself “incarnate” in the sacrament. (I realize this is a misuse of the word “incarnate,” but please bear with me). Since Christ himself is really there in the elements of the Sacrament, he should be worshiped there. But, we see no evidence of this in Scripture. Christ is not “incarnate” in the elements of the Supper. So, how is he present? I suggest that we may speak of the elements being used as “instruments” or “mediators” of Christ’s bodily presence. Likewise, Baptism is an instrument of Christ’s presence, and preeminently preaching is an instrument of Christ’s presence. There is a high degree of “parallelism” between the use of the Means of Grace and the ministry of the Trinity through the Spirit. But, by maintaining the “instrumentality,” we are preserved from an unscriptural reverence for bread, wine, water, Bibles, or the persons of preachers. They are real mediators of the real thing, but they are not the real thing in themselves.

Now, we don’t have any idea how the Spirit works. We do not understand the spiritual “engineering.” It is helpful to take Calvin’s approach here, and say that the Scripture revelation is “accommodated” to our babyish understandings.

Therefore, when we read

1 Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

we must admit that the bread and cup are a (real) participation in the body and blood of Christ through the elements as instruments or “mediators” in the hand of God. We do not make them instruments of grace to ourselves by the force of our own faith, but they are real instruments in the hands of the Spirit for grace which we receive by faith.

When we eat and drink, we may rest in the true and living faith of the gospel, that by receiving this sacrament I do receive the forgiveness of sins, and participation in all the virtues of Christ, as well as commit myself to him and his body, the church.

Boyd Murrah

23 October 2008 

revised 14 Dec 2009
revised 3 June 2011 for the blog

Holy, Holy, Holy

John on Patmos saw into heaven:

^{Rev 4:6} Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

      “ Holy, holy, holy,
      Lord God Almighty,
      Who was and is and is to come!”

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

       ¹¹ “ You are worthy, O Lord,
      To receive glory and honor and power;
      For You created all things,
      And by Your will they exist and were created.”

When I was a spiritual kid I naively thought that there was something mechanical about this worship of the living creatures and elders, eternally repeated.

That was before I understood that each act of worship, repeated eternally and ever sincerely from the heart of each, was, every time, a consequence of their ever new and eternally increasing amazement at the infinite depth of the unfathomable glory of the Triune God!

Following Christ the Savior

^{John 12:20} Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. ²¹ Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 

²³ But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.  

²⁷ “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 

The inquiries of the Gentiles provoke our Lord to think of the sine qua non of his mission, the sacrifice of himself.  The overflow of the church into the whole world is now called for.  In fact, the world has come "knocking."  Therefore, our Lord must not shrink back, but die -- and multiply.  He preaches to himself, but also to us!

In this, we see our Lord as the author or pioneer of our salvation.  He does not ask us to go where he has not gone before.  He leads the way!  All we need to do is to follow him.  We do not go alone, but in the company and footsteps of the Great Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.

What ambition, what riches or fame in this dying world counts compared to the fellowship of the Son of God?  He who loses worldly riches, fame or comfort gains eternal riches, fame and comfort in the family of God the Father!

Our Lord, paradoxically points out that his suffering is his glory!  What we shrink back from instinctively, just as a soldier shrinks back from death in his feelings, our Lord shrinks back from, too!  But, he also recognizes that in his suffering he is glorified.  Like a soldier-hero who gives his life for others, our Lord lays down his life under the wrath of God, enduring the pains of hell in body and soul which we shall never see, and all for his love of poor sinners such as we are!

Shall we not trust him with our souls and bodies?  Shall we not follow him, even in his sufferings?  Let us serve him and be with him where he is, forever!  Glory and honor from God our Father await us!

Singing in Harmony

It's not uncommon to hear people seriously affected by certain traditions of worship object to singing in harmony in the church.  I suppose that the usual reason for this is that singing in unison (actually octaves) is supposed to be more emblematic of the unity of the church.  This idea is very old and goes back to the traditions of the post-apostolic church in its Greek philosophical environment.

The only problem with this, as I see it, is that to limit our singing to monophony is similar to limiting our gifts to be of a single kind.  Would it be a better expression of unity in the church if all of us were eyes?  I don't think so.  If the harmony of the different parts of the body is emblematic of the harmony of the gifts of the Spirit in the church, why isn't it reasonable that a harmony of voices in the church could be a chord, rather than an octave?

The Son of God in Church

Matthew 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

This presence of Jesus Christ in the midst of the gathering of his church is not just omnipresence as we normally conceive of it.  It is a special presence by which he makes himself present "in the midst of the church" when we gather in his name.  He is a Person, and he is really there.  We have company.  Or, rather, we have come into His company.  This is not just the presence in our hearts that we always carry with us.  This is his special presence in our gathered worship.  He is "in the room with us," in the Temple of his Church.  It is like Isaiah in the Temple, but only seen by faith:

Isaiah 6:1  In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"  And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

Or, John on Patmos:

Revelation 1:12  Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,  and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;  His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;  He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

We are all familiar with how we behave in the court of civil authority, all sitting so quietly, hearing the bailiff say "All Rise" as the judge comes in, seeing the judge's robe, and his commanding presence, the deference and orderliness of the attorneys (and defendant) in their suits, the ritual and process of court business, the seriousness, the oaths, the testimony of the witnesses, ... and hearing the Verdict.

Knowing how we respect God's civil authority, how much more should we be filled with awe, gratitude and joy, in gathered worship in the gracious court of God's Presence, where we meet our Lord literally among us and hear him speak his Word through his servants, where we confess our sins to him and receive his forgiveness and teaching, where we glorify him as he showers his grace upon us, and where we present to him our offerings of gratitude as he feeds us with Himself at his table!

More on Feast Days in the Reformed Tradition (v 2)

This is Version 2 of this blog post.  Version 2 rewrites the final exhortation which you might have read in the initial version of this post written previously.

One reads in the Second Helvetic Confession, concerning the "church calendar":

CHAPTER XXIV

Of Holy Days,
Fasts and the Choice of Foods

THE TIME NECESSARY FOR WORSHIP. Although religion is not bound to time, yet it cannot be cultivated and exercised without a proper distribution and arrangement of time. Every Church, therefore, chooses for itself a certain time for public prayers, and for the preaching of the Gospel, and for the celebration of the sacraments; and no one is permitted to overthrow this appointment of the Church at his own pleasure. For unless some due time and leisure is given for the outward exercise of religion, without doubt men would be drawn away from it by their own affairs.

THE LORD'S DAY. Hence we see that in the ancient churches there were not only certain set hours in the week appointed for meetings, but that also the Lord's Day itself, ever since the apostles' time, was set aside for them and for a holy rest, a practice now rightly preserved by our Churches for the sake of worship and love.

SUPERSTITION. In this connection we do not yield to the Jewish observance and to superstitions. For we do not believe that one day is any holier than another, or think that rest in itself is acceptable to God. Moreover, we celebrate the Lord's Day and not the Sabbath as a free observance.*

THE FESTIVALS OF CHRIST AND THE SAINTS. Moreover, if in Christian liberty the churches religiously celebrate the memory of the Lord's nativity[1], circumcision[2], passion[3], resurrection[4], and of his ascension[5] into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon his disciples[6], we approve of it highly. but we do not approve of feasts instituted for men and for saints. Holy days have to do with the first Table of the Law and belong to God alone.

Finally, holy days which have been instituted for the saints and which we have abolished, have much that is absurd and useless, and are not to be tolerated. In the meantime, we confess that the remembrance of saints, at a suitable time and place, is to be profitably commended to the people in sermons, and the holy examples of the saints set forth to be imitated by all[7].

FASTING. Now, the more seriously the Church of Christ condemns surfeiting, drunkenness, and all kinds of lust and intemperance, so much the more strongly does it commend to us Christian fasting. For fasting is nothing else than the abstinence and moderation of the godly, and a discipline, care and chastisement of our flesh undertaken as a necessity for the time being, whereby we are humbled before God, and we deprive the flesh of its fuel so that it may the more willingly and easily obey the Spirit. Therefore, those who pay no attention to such things do not fast, but imagine that they fast if they stuff their stomachs once day, and at a certain or prescribed time abstain from certain foods, thinking that by having done this work they please God and do something good. Fasting is an aid to the prayers of the saints and for all virtues. But as is seen in the books of the prophets, the fast of the Jews who fasted from food but not from wickedness did not please God.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FASTING. Now there is a public and a private fasting. In olden times they celebrated public fasts in calamitous times and in the affliction of the Church. They abstained altogether from food till the evening, and spent all that time in holy prayers, the worship Of God, and repentance These differed little from mourning, and there is frequent mention of them in the Prophets and especially by Joel in Ch. 2. Such a fast should be kept at this day, when the Church is in distress. Private fasts are undertaken by each one of us, as he feels himself withdrawn from the Spirit. For in this manner he withdraws the flesh from its fuel.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FASTING. All fasts ought to proceed from a free and willing spirit, and from genuine humility, and not feigned to gain the applause or favor of men, much less that a man should wish to merit righteousness by them. But let every one fast to this end, that he may deprive the flesh of its fuel in order that he may the more zealously serve God.

LENT. The fast of Lent is attested by antiquity but not at all in the writings of the apostles. Therefore it ought not, and cannot, be imposed on the faithful. It is certain that formerly there were various forms and customs of fasting. Hence, Irenaeus, a most ancient writer, says: "Some think that a fast should be observed one day only, others two days, but others more, and some forty days. This diversity in keeping this fast did not first begin in our times, but long before us by those, as I suppose, who did not simply keep to what had been delivered to them from the beginning, but afterwards fell into another custom either through negligence or ignorance" (Fragm. 3, ed. Stieren, I. 824 f.). Moreover, Socrates, the historian, says: "Because no ancient text is found concerning this matter, I think the apostles left this to every man's own judgment, that every one might do what is good without fear or constraint" (Hist. ecclesiast. V.22, 40).

(The quotation of the Chapter from the Confession will stop here.)

OPPOSITION TO "CHRISTMAS"

There is enough here, I think, to pretty well undermine claims that the Regulative Principle of Worship denies the use of Christ-centered elements of the "church calendar" by a Christian assembly  -- at least on the grounds of the doctrine of this Confession.

One can have one's free opinions on the subject of special days, and the church cannot impose observance of any special day, fast-day, or feast-day against a man's conscience, but all these are left to the free use of individuals, and the churches.

To deny the evangelical character of an individual or church because Christ-centered elements of the "church calendar" are used therefore cannot be accomplished on the grounds of the Regulative Principle without having a "tighter" principle than is established in this Confession.  One is free to have a "tighter" principle, but one is not free, on the grounds of history, to deny the evangelical or the Reformed character of an individual or church, simply because Christ-centered elements of the historic "church calendar" are used.

All who feel bound in conscience to stay away from all church celebrations of this character should certainly be free to do so, but it is likely that they will also miss out on opportunities for edification in the knowledge of Christ.

A TIP ON OBSERVING HOLY DAYS

I suspect that those who oppose the Christ-centered holidays are in churches which don't observe them.  Most believers' conceptions of these holidays may then be filled with the vision of the civil and secular manifestations which surround a holiday (such as Christmas).  Not being in liturgical churches, they may not realize that Holy Days are celebrated religiously with worship services, singing, praying, reading the Scripture, sermons, and the Lord's Supper in the church buildings and also in the homes of the Christians.  This means that a Holy Day is an evangelical opportunity for edification in the knowledge of Christ.

AN EARNEST EXHORTATION TO THOSE WHO OPPOSE "HOLY DAYS"

The use, or opposition to the use, of Christ-centered "holy days" in the church ought to be done only in good conscience and in truth, using the Scriptures, accurate doctrine and good knowledge of relevant history, without casting unfair aspersions on other brethren, thereby promoting division in the Church.

Furthermore, for anyone arguing on this issue to bear any kind of false witness historically, doctrinally or morally, either directly or by hint or slur, just isn't the way of truth.  All sides must argue in a spirit which desires as much unity with other believers as conscience permits and as the Scripture demands.  The Moral Law does not allow me to fight, willy-nilly, "just because I'm right and it makes me feel good," even if I am right.  This can be a real temptation.  I know.  I like a good fight, too.  Pardon me, but I'm trying to hold down the flesh in this regard, as I write this! 

If free observance of Christ-centered days in the Church Calendar is the right of the church, as I allege, then I have to discipline myself not to wound your conscience by insisting that you ought to do something which is actually against your conscience, just as it is not your right to deny my use of my liberty to have extra days to worship Christ, as long as I don't do it in such a way as to cause you to sin.  All the rules of policy about things like this are spelled out by the Apostle Paul.

We ought all to fight like Christians, according to the Moral Law and the rules of Scripture, and fight for "hills worth dying on," by spending our time defending big stuff -- like the Gospel, instead of fighting one another while the Spirit grieves.

May the Lord Jesus deliver us from this!

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* This is not the same doctrine as the Westminster "Puritan" Doctrine of the Sabbath, which sees the Lord's Day and Sabbath as synonymous, nor is the nature of the "rest" the same, either.

[1] This is the so-called "Christmas Day."
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision_of_Christ
[3] This is the so-called "Good Friday."
[4] This is the so-called "Easter," or "Resurrection Day."
[5] This is the so-called "Ascension Day."
[6] This is Pentecost.
[7] This is to be done any time, but the so-called "All Saints Day" can be used for this, too.

Fast Day, Feast Day

In certain corners of the conservative Christian public space this time of year (the Christmas Season) there emerge feisty discussions of the meaning, validity and Christian "legality" of observing Christmas.

My contribution is as follows:

THESES

1)  According to the Regulative Principle of Worship, the Church may declare "thanksgiving days" in recognition and remembrance of major events of divine providence.

2)  Reasoning from the lesser to the greater, it is therefore within the church's liberty to declare "thanksgiving days" in remembrance of greater things, such as major events in the life of Christ.

3)  But, this liberty of the church to remember major events in the life of Christ has been decried by a false application of the Regulative Principle of Worship, which stems from anti-Roman Catholic sentiment.

4)  As a result of the church denying herself the use of her liberty to declare "thanksgiving days" in remembrance of major events in the life of Christ, the emphasis and development of these major gospel events is lowered within the life of the church, and

5)  The "church calendar" has been secularized to contain only civil holidays and days of remembrance.

DISCUSSION

I read somewhere that the tradition of "public days" called for by Church and State was carried to this country from European origins, and that in this country the tradition was carried forward, probably initially mostly by New England Puritans.  They would call for days of fasting as well as days of thanksgiving, in response to events of providence, such as wars, plagues, famines, victories, deliverance from enemies, etc.

Therefore, as they saw it, the Regulative Principle of Worship, in harmony with Scriptural (Old Testament) examples of days of feasting and fasting, in no way prohibited the declaration of fasting- and feasting-days in modern times when it seemed appropriate in the providence of God.

But, the non-Anglican Reformed and Baptist believers took considerable exception to the traditional "church calendar," including any recognition of the days devoted to remembrance of major events in the life of Christ.  There are several reasons for this that I can think of quickly:

1)  The "church calendar" was cluttered with all sorts of saints days and other inappropriate material, distracting attention from Christ.

2)  There were probably legal requirements requiring participation in church holidays, rather than permitting free participation in good conscience.

3)  But, perhaps most important of all, the "church calender" was "Catholic," and therefore to be avoided.

As I see it, anti-Romanism is the reigning thesis in this argument opposing Christmas, not the Regulative Principle of Worship.  Anti-Romanism distorts the pure application of the Regulative Principle.

Anecdotally, it is alleged that some Puritans would prostrate themselves (lie on their faces) on the floor in private prayer, but would not kneel.  Kneeling was "idolatrous" because Catholics did it.

I can't verify the accuracy of that anecdote, but the alleged reason for avoiding kneeling illuminates the well-known attitude of many of the advanced Puritans and Baptists of the 17th and 18th centuries to Romanism in general:  It was considered to be entirely a cult of the anti-Christ, and therefore, all religious behaviors in public and private had to avoid doing anything that looked "Catholic."  Besides kneeling, this includes use of "holy days" from the traditional "church calendar," even "holy days" in remembrance of Christ.

CONCLUSION:

It seems to me that the fast-days and thanksgiving-days of the early American and Puritan experience have now evolved to become a new, secularized "church calendar."  New Year's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc., etc. have become the new "feast days," and are often mentioned or possibly observed in some churches.  But the church has denied herself the right to declare "thanksgiving-days" in honor of Christ!

Nowadays, in churches which profess to adhere to the Regulative Principle, all you might have for an extraordinary meeting during this season could be a meeting on Thanksgiving Day or New Year's Eve.

What a loss!

The Radiance of His Glory

It seems to me that the meaning of the word "glory" needs a good deal of contemplation.  We should never skip over this word casually when we read it in the Scripture  
(quotes from the ESV):

John 17:1-5  When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Jesus speaks of his earthly ministry as glorifying God the Father on earth.  This was Christ's work that he was sent to do, and he accomplished it.  In this phrase, Christ encapsulates a way of looking at his work which we need to ponder.

Notice that he does not simply describe his work as ethical teaching, though an ethic is certainly taught.  Nor does he merely inculcate right religious doctrine, though right doctrine is vital.  Neither is he merely a miracle worker, proving the benevolence of God.  Nor is he merely an example.  He does not just fill the mind with teaching, or the emotions with love, or the will to action only.  What he does is show forth the glory of God.  It is the sight of the glory which saves us from our sins.

John 1:14   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

At Cana, after turning water to wine:

John 2:11   This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The glorious thing was not the supply of better wine, but the spiritual vision of Christ's personal glory that radiated through the incident.

Regarding the sickness of Lazarus, who died, and who was raised by Jesus:

John 11:4  But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

and

John 11:39-40   Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"

Lazarus' coming out of the tomb was not the glory of God.  The fact that there was a miracle was not the glory.  The glory to be seen spiritually is the glory of the person and nature of Christ himself, which is radiated through his saving action.  The nonbelievers at the funeral never saw the glory, because after seeing the miracle they went to the Jewish leadership, who promoted Jesus' destruction.  But, the believers saw the glory.  Those who were being saved saw it.  The saving knowledge of Christ came by the manifestation and vision of his glory.

John 12:36-41   While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.  Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."  Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

Radically, we find that Christ has shared his glory with us!

John 17:22-23   The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Therefore, our ministry to one another is a manifestation of this same glory, and when this glory is seen and understood by the world, it testifies (savingly) to the world that Christ has come and saved his people.

To act like a Christian in spiritual love to one another, and then to the world, radiates Christ's glory.  To preach the gospel is to radiate the glory of Christ.

This is why the preaching of the gospel is not merely the teaching of right doctrine, nor just the exhortation to right affections, nor only the call to right actions.  All of these follow from something else:

2 Corinthians 3:7-11   Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?  For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.  For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 

2 Corinthians 4:3-6   And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1-3   Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ...

Lord Jesus, deliver us from our spiritual dimness!  Show us your glory, so that we may truly glorify you!

The Constitution of the Church

There is only one Lord's Table, because there is only one Body and Blood of Christ.  When the church meets at the Lord's Table, the whole church is always there!  There is only one meeting for worship!  The whole church is with us and we are with them, in heaven and on the earth.  That seeming boundary between heaven and earth is transcended in the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  

We ought to recognize this and be convinced of it by faith as we gather for worship, even though we see nothing, and it seems so quiet.  Believing this does not make it true.  We believe it because it is objectively true!  As we approach for worship we ought to begin hear that ongoing Holy! Holy! Holy! in the distance!

Where two or three are gathered together, Jesus says, I am there!  And, where Christ is, is the whole church, his body.

The whole glory of God is here, though unseen!  When Isaiah's eyes were opened, he was aghast at his own sinfulness, then was called into the service of his Lord!  When John heard the mighty voice and saw the blazing visage of the Lord on Patmos, he fell as though dead, but was raised to behold the unveiled glory by those words, "Fear not!"

May it be so for us!  As we gather in worship, may we quake, and then be strengthened by his words of peace!  May we see ourselves as we are, and then, gloriously, see him as he is, and be transformed by this vision!

 

How Scripture Regulates Worship

It seems to me that a good deal of our inherited practice of the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) is based on patternistic observations in the New Testament.  There are a lot of patterns that can be discerned in connection with worship practices, and a good deal of difference of opinion, and sometimes schism, can originate over varying conceptions of the relative importance of different aspects of the patterns seen.

I would suggest is that it's better to look at the theological reasons for any patterns.  The theology behind a pattern is the cause of the visible practice.  If we would stop looking at the "outside" of liturgical behavior observed in the Scriptures, and start looking at the "inside" -- the reasons for things being done the way they are -- we would tend to make more valid progress.

Example:  Musical Instruments

In the Temple they used musical instruments.  In the Apocalyse they are seen using musical instruments.  In the earthly teaching of Christ and his apostles, and in the historical records of Acts and the Epistles, no instruments are seen.  There were no (known) instruments in the synagogue.  Does this mean there should be no instruments used in the worship of the church on earth?

The patternistic response to outward forms is to say that there should be no instruments.  The response that makes sense, however, is to say that God has ordained the existence of musical instruments, and they are permitted in worship.  It is our job as mature sons to use them wisely.

The same logic can be used for church choirs, for creating "new songs" (instead of singing only psalms), and for using a patterned worship with lots of sung and verbal interactions, etc.

Sometimes, in the RPW discussion, it is asserted that the Temple worship was precisely specified to the smallest detail, and so we should take the same approach to the New Testament worship.  However, a real study of actual material (such as from Edersheim, The Temple - Its Ministry and Services), will show that the Mosaic institutes prescribed certain portions of the Temple liturgy in precise detail, but that a very considerable part of it had to be instituted by well-instructed elders and priests.  There's just not enough Mosaic instruction to prescribe every aspect of the liturgy of the Tabernacle or the Temple in real life.

And, too, what did the Temple priests do when they made a mistake?  It's easily verified that there is little in the inspired Scripture to cover all kinds of liturgical mistakes in detail.  Recovering the integrity of broken ceremonies was necessary, and also had to be instituted by authority (see the Mishnah for samples).

Concerning liturgical rigidity, the Lord himself was prone to allow such things as celebrating the Passover in the wrong month, or letting unclean people eat the Passover, or letting the show-bread be eaten by non-priests -- for good reasons at the time.  I'm sure there are other instances of this.  Therefore, the idea that we deal with a God who is absolutely so rigid in his liturgical requirements as to strike people down for merely formal or patternistic discrepancies is just not in accord with his character.  There is almost always a discernable moral component of sin in such cases.  It is true that there are a very few instances of the Lord appearing to be rigid -- but he is mostly not.  A close inspection of the lapses and irregularies in Tabernacle and Temple worship throughout the Old Testament shows considerable misbehavior that little is said about by the Lord.  He's infinitely more concerned about their idolatry than he is their formal worship.

This is no excuse to cavalierly disobey him in the liturgy of that worship that he specifies for us in the Scripture, but let us honor him for who he really is, and obey him for the right reasons.  Especially in the New Covenant, we are freed from the servility that was intentionally inculcated by the Law in this respect.  We should have the maturity to make mature use of the Scripture in discerning what worship must be.

The Regulative Principle of Worship (Edited)

The writing has been revised to speak more accurately and clearly.

It's in accord with so-called "Reformed" fundamental theological principles to emphasize continuity in the purposes and accomplishments of our redeeming God from Eden to the New Jerusalem, but not such that we are blind to the transcendent glory of the New Covenant.  We study to rightly teach the real center of the Scriptural doctrine of covenantal continuity and covenantal distinction.

On this basis it is clearly the case that our professed "Regulative Principle of Worship" (RPW) needs re-thinking.  This is because our tradition of the RPW unduly discounts the worship principles of the Old Testament when formulating the worship principles of the New.  That is, there is too much covenantal discontinuity.

In Reformation time, the thought in Lutheranism was to very conservatively reform the inherited catholicism, especially after the fruits of radicalism were seen.  The thought in "reformed" areas, on the other hand, was to almost entirely "reboot" the church on Scriptural principles, which, in liturgical detail, mainly meant New Testament principles of worship.

The downside of the "reformed" approach is that there isn't a lot of data in the New Testament which can thoroughly and cogently define what the whole, integrated New Testament order of worship should look like, in the very practical sense.  We just have pieces of it.  The implementation of the RPW on this ground tends to be accomplished by looking for things that are essential elements (such as Paul's recitation of the history of the institution of the Lord's Supper in 1 Cor 11), and making use of hints and remarks in the Scripture text about various ongoing practices in the churches.  However, these may often not be explained in enough detail to enable us to understand how to formulate a whole worship service.  Clearly, the church had a form of worship, but it is hard to tell what it was in detail from the New Testament only.

We can say for sure, however, that Jewish worship informed church worship.  And, Jewish worship which was imitated by the church wasn't limited to the synagogue, as some try to teach.  The New Testament is full of "temple language" when referring to the church, and it is therefore clear that the New Testament "synagogues of God" partook of both the practice of the synagogue and the practice of the Temple.

It has to be the case, then, that the reformation of New Testament worship must take into account the moral law inherited in the worship principles which are found in both Testaments!  The church's worship is connected with the sacrifice our Lord made as high priest in the Temple of Heaven, to which we ascend each Lord's day!

The original conception of the RPW was, I suppose, a good experiment.  But, a thorough inspection of that early history shows that in the most idealistic sense, the experiment was a failure (see Horton Davies, Worship of the English Puritans, for a sympathetic but revealing disclosure of this).  Surely, some of the reasons for this failure were due to the reaction against incorporating historic principles of worship (from the Temple) into the worship of the New Covenant.

Nowadays, most talk about the RPW among Reformed folks (or the "Church of Christ," which also has a stake in this) has hardened into a tradition -- a tradition which differs a good deal from church to church, in those churches which profess to abide by it.  Therefore, it has been, and is, an excuse for personal and corporate schism, and is so even today with some of my own friends.

This RPW tradition has historically served to drive out much art and beauty, often instruments and choirs, sometimes hymns, almost always cyclic feasts centered on the life of Christ, and much verbal congregational participation in the worship of God.  Until the liturgical revolution of the 20th century (which didn't happen in "evangelical" churches), the RPW tradition often served to make the protestant church into primarily a lecture hall.  Much of the breezy mod worship seen today, and perhaps much of pentecostalism, too, could be a reaction against this error, but they have not found the way to go.

What we need to discern in Scripture is the true RPW -- not just an aesthetic jump to ancient forms.  We need a thinking reformation of worship, which incorporates beauty and corporate response as a reflection of God and his Glory -- based on the whole Scripture.

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It is said that the last Mass in Zurich was very well attended.

After that, the activity at church meetings seems not to have been described by ordinary citizens as "worship."  It was described as "listening to sermons."  They certainly needed the sermons for their basic instruction, because Scripture teaching had been absent from the church so long.  We need the sermons, too.  But we ought to get back to a holistic conception of worship!

It's been 50 years since this goy was last invited to worship in the (conservative) synagogue (kippa and all).  And, of course, the "modern" synagogue is certainly not the ancient synagogue, but it used a prayer book, appeared to be extremely ritualistic to that low-church protestant, a good deal of everything was sung, and almost all the words were, I think, in Hebrew.

The Gospel and Cultural Transformation

A magazine article on this subject ends with the statement:

"In both testaments, believers extend God's kingdom both to spiritual and earthly realms.  We are to teach the gospel of Christ to all nations so that people may be transformed spiritually, but this spiritual renewal is for the sake of extending the lordship of Christ to every facet of culture around the world."

I'm sorry to say it, but this has the cart before the horse.

It is true that the impact of Christ on culture is the consequence of the transformation brought about by the gospel.  But, the gospel, and spiritual conversion by the gospel, is the truly great thing.  Souls by this are brought into the family of God, the new, redeemed race, and this way they experience the life of Christ in fellowship with each other and with the Holy Trinity.  The impact on culture is a wonderful consequence.  But, we dare not make the cultural impact the higher purpose, and the gospel merely an instrument to that end.

Putting cultural impact as the purpose (the "telos") is a lower vision.

Real Word and Sacrament

We are accustomed to think that Word and Sacrament convey information, primarily, and that the information conveyed serves to strengthen our faith and to strengthen our union with Christ.  So, when we hear the gospel preached, we think of ourselves receiving the information in the spirit of faith, and therefore we are edified by it.  Likewise for the sacraments.  The Lord's Supper conveys information, by words, by sight, and by taste.  This information is received in a spirit of faith, and therefore, we are edified by the Spirit through faith.  This is true, as far as it goes.  But, consider the raising of Lazarus:

Lazarus, though dead, heard the words, "Lazarus, come forth."  And, hearing the words, he was raised from the dead.  This certainly involves the communication of information, but the primary power is the power of the Word of God to create reality.  So it is in the church.

Men who hear the gospel are raised from spiritual death and come to spiritual life in Christ, and not simply by the conveyance of information!  Being dead, they nevertheless receive Christ "by ear."  And, having received Christ, they continue to receive him afresh by the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Gospel.  Our receiving is not merely the receiving of information.  It is also the receiving of Christ himself.

When we hear the word to our spiritual edification, we are receiving Christ by ear -- by actual participation.  When we are baptized, we are also receiving Christ by water -- by actual participation.  When we receive the Supper to our spiritual edification, we are also receiving Christ by mouth -- by actual participation.  (This has nothing to do with "consubstantiation.")

One writer from the 19th century gives an example:  A blind person who receives the gospel by applying his lips to the feel of the letters on the paper, receives Christ "by mouth," because it was by mouth that he understood it. 

So it is when we receive the Supper.