Under Jesus’ Authority We Go

Jesus and His all-earth, all barrier-breaking authority

“…the authority of Jesus Christ extends [to] those nations or people who do not yet acknowledge His authority but to whom He sends us. It is this that makes Christianity a world religion. In the ancient world there were scores of ethnic religions in which a god or gods were perceived as deities of a people but whose authorities were limited to that people only. Not so with Jesus. He was born in the ancient homeland of the Jews and spent nearly the whole of His earthly ministry among them, but His religion is not Jewish. No more is it Greek or Roman or Western European or American. It is an earth-embracing religion, because Jesus has been given authority over all the earth. His religion breaks all barriers of race, culture, language, sex and status.

John Stott summarizes,
The fundamental basis of all Christian missionary enterprise is the universal authority of Jesus Christ, ‘in heaven and on earth.’ If the authority of Jesus were circumscribed on earth, if he were but one of many religious teachers, one of many Jewish prophets, one of many divine incarnations, we would have no mandate to present him to the nations as the Lord and Savior of the world. If the authority of Jesus were limited in heaven, if he had not decisively overthrown the principalities and powers, we might still proclaim him to the nations, but we could never be able to ‘turn them from darkness to light, and from the powers of Satan unto God’ (Acts 26:18). Only because all authority on earth belongs to Christ dare we go to all nations. And only because all authority in heaven as well is his have we any hope of success.”

Quote from James M. Boice, Christ’s Call to Discipleship Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, pp. 162-163.

I am grateful for this reminder from Boice and Stott. Our Saturday door-knocking efforts rest upon the authority of the earth-embracing Lordship of Jesus Christ. The varieties of people, with their circumstances, do not surprise Him. Moreover, by His Word and Spirit, He ministers to each one in well-fitted and appropriate ways in accord with their questions, objections, doubts, fears and insecurities. He works to pierce hard hearts; He works to bring refreshing water to the thirsty. Daring, we go. Confident, we speak.

G. Mark Sumpter  

The Law is Not of Faith, Post 1

Notes on the reading material for Presbytery

Bryan D. Estelle, David VanDrunen, John V. Fesko, editors, The Law is Not of Faith, Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 2009

Three brothers of the OPC edited the eleven essays which make up The Law is Not of Faith—Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant. Bryan Estelle and I have shared a ton of chips and hummus. DVD and JF are dear OP men, whom I do not know.

OK

“…the divines saw that the law given to Adam was of a piece with that given to Israel at Sinai. In other words, in some sense, the covenant of works was republished at Sinai. It was not republished, however as the covenant of works per se, but as part of the covenant of grace, which pointed to the person and work of Christ.” p. 11

Sumpter Comment: the divines noted here are the writers of the Confession, Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism at the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s. The law as a mirror always reflects God’s holiness; and the law always reflects upon man and his sinful, miserable spiritual condition. It always points to the person and work of Christ—His sinlessness and His holy, harmless and undefiled ways. By His life—by Christ’s active obedience—we rest secure on the ground of God’s favor of eternal life. Also, the other significant thing to keep in view centers on their comment about the covenant of works, “It was not republished [re-presented, taught, revealed], however as the covenant of works per se, but as part of the covenant of grace...” That dog will hunt. That’s good stuff. Let’s stay tuned looking for more on how the covenant of works is a part of the covenant of grace. I like that.

Not so OK

“In terms of the classic threefold distinction on the uses of the law, the republication of the covenant of works falls under the pedagogical use of the law, that which drives the sinner to Christ by bringing the requirement for perfect obedience before the fallen creature, forcing him to turn to the only one who has been obedient.” p. 11

Sumpter Comment: Let’s bring in these summaries of The Larger Catechism. Take a look at these questions and answers:

Q. 94. Is there any use of the moral law since the fall?
A. Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.


Q. 95. Of what use is the moral law to all men?
A. The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives: to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.


Q. 96. What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?
A. The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from the wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon the continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and under the curse thereof.


Q. 97. What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
A. Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.

Sumpter Comment: I agree with the catechism’s take at question 94, “…yet, there is great use thereof…” Estelle, VanDrunen and Fesko (EVF from here forward) introduce the concept of usefulness. I am guessing they will have a lot more to say about usefulness. They start out by locating usefulness at the point of pedagogy. They mean that the law is our teacher—of God, who is holy, of Christ, the righteous provision, and man, the needy sinner. Christ is man’s only answer for his guilt and condemnation. Let’s see if when we read ahead we’ll find more on the lessons of usefulness. I’m sure we will. As well, on this topic of the pedagogical use of the law, I want to keep in mind that EVF might be presenting their interpretation of the position of the Westminster theologians and not their own. I will leave room for that. It appears that EVF draw our attention to a specific conlusion, “In terms of the classic threefold distinction on the uses of the law, the republication of the covenant of works falls under the pedagogical use of the law...” Is this the primary place where the republication of the covenant of works falls? Is there wiggle room for other uses? I want to keep in mind the Larger Catechism questions 94-97. Those questions point out more uses.  

A local Lutheran pastor reminded me recently of the law’s three classic uses: 1) a mirror, 2) a curb and 3) a map. EVF are focusing, so far, on the mirror.

Go back to Question 97: the writers of the Westminster Larger Catechism rightly introduce their answer on the special use of the law for the regenerate with the emphasis about God’s gift of eternal life coming as the declaration of reckoning sinners righteous, by imputation. But they do not stop there. They go on to speak on how God’s children are to find the law having the purpose “… to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.” There you go. There’s more than the pedagogical use in view here. The writers of the LC want us to keep our eyes on Jesus; and they want us to move forward in our union in Him to pursue application of living out God’s law. They speak to the map use. They speak of the will of God, the use of the law, for His children’s growth in obedience.

Some writers distinguish between men with their practice of a meritorious use of law-keeping in order to obtain God’s favor and the instrumental means of law-keeping as God’s own provision for receiving His blessings. This is interesting stuff. We’ll likely come back to this.

I’m guessing, too, that we’ll quote these same LC questions from time to time.

Let’s keep reading. These brothers from Westminster are incredible students. I hope I can stay up with them.

G. Mark Sumpter

Socked In and Soaked

The rain stayeth

The Flood Watch continues for the Rogue River at Eagle Point, below gold ray, and at Grants Pass affecting Josephine County. A very wet storm combined with snowmelt in the mountains will cause rivers to rise with minor flooding possible this until Sunday morning.

HT: Zach's Southern Oregon Adventures

The flood warning continues for the Rogue River near Agness from late tonight to late Saturday night. Minor flooding is forecast with a crest of 17 feet. If the river rises to this stage or above it may affect recreation interests along the Rogue River at and below Agness. Sudden river rises of a few feet may also affect home and business owners with boat docks on the river. This crest compares to a previous crest of 15.9 feet on January 19th of this year.


G. Mark Sumpter

Reflections on Lent

The Marketplace of the Word

Lent, the calendar time of late winter and early spring, the forty days—not counting Sundays—leading up to Easter, has been observed as a time for prayer and reflection on the life and ministry of Christ.  Reviewing Christ’s life of humiliation and suffering means: 1) giving attention to His wilderness temptations with Satan, 2) rehearsing the hard-hearted ways of men who resisted His teaching, 3) remembering His poverty and lowliness regarding the comforts of this life and 4) re-reading the trickery, deceit and envy of religious authorities during the week of His passion. Lent drives home: He was faced with the worldliness of the world. What’s the application for us? We can give ourselves to deliberate, sincere reflection on worldly and sinful ways with our own darkened heart.  I remember selling the puritan book, The Sinfulness of Sin. That might be a good selection to read during Lent.  This time of the church year can stir the Christian to go to the market place of the Word and purchase truth about Jesus, His mission in the face of worldliness, and His aim to honor His Father by giving up His life for His people. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

G. Mark Sumpter

Adam and the Garden: The Trivium

The Pattern of the Trivium in Genesis 1:26-2:4; see 2:15-20


Grammar—God names the things of His Garden—herbs, seed, earth, tree, fruit, food, birds, air, Sabbath, work, blessing, created, male, female and more.

Dialectic—God then explains to Adam what He means—see Genesis 1:28-29; and Genesis 2:15-16. God condescends to reason with Adam, to command him, to instruct him, to warn him, and to speak of resultant consequences.

Rhetoric—Adam imitates God, who is his teacher (Genesis 2:15 and 2:18-19). Adam names, classifies, categorizes, interprets, makes use of the creation. Adam acts and draws conclusions about the world around him.


G. Mark Sumpter

Psalm 8:1-9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens! From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.  O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth!

Little People Made in God's Image

Part of a powerpoint presentation on education of children

G. Mark Sumpter

Earthquake!

Remembering Sourdoughs along with March 27, 1964

I used to ride my bike along this area in Anchorage. We call it Earthquake Park now. Peggy and I would take long walks along various paths of what was once a neighborhood. We’d make our way on down to the edge of the Cook Inlet.

Back on March 27, 1964, Alaskans saw TVs shake and turnover and then crawl across the living room, and houses and cars and towers tumble and crumble. I used to stand next to the inside wall of the house, as a quake would hit, and I could watch the wall twist and turn like a copperhead slithering away into the woods.

Alaska has 12,000 earthquakes a year, more than any other state in the Lower 48. “One of those struck Alaska in March 1964, a 9.2-magnitude disaster that killed 131 people, including 16 in Oregon and California. And it wasn't the quake itself that caused most of the fatalities. As in the Japan disaster [last] year, it was the tsunami. The earthquake and resulting tsunami were especially destructive to the town of Valdez, where 31 people died.”

From the Anchorage Daily News

Many stories, many shared experiences surround the ’64 quake.

G. Mark Sumpter

Kids Sounding Off With Answers

Kids and Catechism: Sounding Off Back and Forth with Bible and Theology

“Catechetical training is as basic as asking good questions and expecting good answers. Quite simply, catechizing is the asking of set questions and the listening to set responses. There is not a lot of glamor to it, is there? However, when you press the concept a bit, you will find some encouragement. Most people associate catechism with instruction that comes through asking questions out loud.

The word catechism derives from the Greek word katecheo, which provides us with another helpful image. Indeed, it is a word with some beauty as an image for training our children in the faith. It is the combination of two Greek words. Kata is a word that generally means ‘down’ or ‘down towards’ You probably recognize the other word, echeo, meaning ‘to sound.’ We are familiar with the English word echo, which indicates a sound that repeats itself as it resonates.

This is exactly how the catechism works. You ask a theological question, and then you wait for your child to sound back the answer. This is a hopeful idea when it comes to teaching our children. Isn't this exactly what we want? Don't we want the truth of Scripture to echo in the hearts of our children? As we ‘sound down’ the truth of our Lord, we hope that this same sound will echo back in the hearts and lives of our covenant loved ones. Isn't that great! We want the truth of God's word to resonate in the souls of our children.”

For the rest of this article on Kids, Catechism and Character, see New Horizons magazine
 
We have the tendency to treat catechism class in our reformed churches much like a needle point class. Yawnsville. What about hand motions? What about Paste the Pastor? What about rhyme? What about a song? What about relay races? What about Pen, Lose or Draw? What about Catch-it, Cat?
 
At the end of the day, our goal is to have dialogue, sounding back and forth, with children about God’s truth. Different forms of communication, along with games and fun can set the stage for conversations and learning.
 
G. Mark Sumpter

Children and Worship

Friendship between God and Man—in worship, we go back and forth with dialogue

The great need is for the church to provide education for both young and older people as well as the children. All members of the Christian household need to know the meaning and methods of acceptable Christian worship.

              Robert G. Rayburn in O, Come Let Us Worship

We must be sure that what we do in worship nurtures the kind of people we want our children and ourselves to be as Church…All kinds of other things are being tried in the attempt to urge young people to get involved in our congregations’ worship. Why don’t they? Simplistically, youth don’t participate in worship because they don’t understand it.

            Marva Dawn in It is a Lost Cause?—
            Having the Heart of God for the Church’s Children

Ten and fifteen years ago, I would have jumped up and down screaming about the importance of OPC evangelistic and short-term mission teams as the means of discipleship and nurture of our covenant children and young people. I still jump up and down with enthusiasm about such things, but with less animation nowadays. Why? God sat me down as a pastor and parent to instruct me on the importance of worship.

OPC Pastor Larry Wilson reviewed with me somewhere between Seattle and Portland, driving home from a Presbytery meeting, the importance of capturing and making use of the dialogical principle of worship. I had known of and practiced such things before, but there are those times when truth is a providential trip wire. Fathers and mothers, you might explain it to your children as the friendship principle in public worship. God speaks to His people, and then, we respond. God and His people take turns in speaking and listening. He’s the living God: He welcomes us; He tells us Who He is and What He has done, and we get to return thanksgiving and adoration expressing words and actions to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Isaiah 6:1-13 provides the pattern about this. Note the taking of turns between God—with His angels of the heavenly realm—and Isaiah the prophet. Clearly, there’s dialog between God and man. But there’s more on the pattern.

Guide your children to see and join in these parts of worship:

First, there’s the call to worship—we receive God’s welcome to praise Him: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

                              We lift up our hearts to Him, and we remember that He is present with us.

Second, in order to be fit to pray, sing, read and commune with Him, we confess our sins and He promises forgiveness. Doug Wilson uses the figure of speech saying, we wipe our feet at the door of God’s house. With forgiveness comes the liberty to approach God to sing to Him, offer prayer and listen to preaching from the Bible, and in these ways, we are renewed, we are consecrated, for daily living.

                           He ministers to us with the words of the Bible, we respond with songs, prayer

                           and open hearts.

Next, after the sermon, we show our unity as church family by saying together words of what we believe, and then we receive nourishment at the Lord’s Table. This is communion.

                         He gives spiritual strength for our faith.

Last, God blesses us with His benediction; these are words of His goodness, kindness and favor. We leave commissioned to serve Him in the world.

                        We have been renewed in our relationship with God to live for Jesus Christ.

Children will catch on to your modeling, parents. They watch you and me like hawks. They watch to practice. One child, maybe a 4 year old, a little boy that I know, loves the Gloria Patri and Doxology. He mimics what he hears and sees. Since we sing these each Sunday, he’s grown to hum them, sing them and take part with the congregation. He knows his part! The other recitations shape his understanding too. In this way he’s being nurtured. One mom mentioned to me recently that she has grown to appreciate how dialogical worship calls for participation—you’re not to sit passively. Worship is not a spectator sport. She values the fact that she, her husband and children are engaged, active and share in the responses to the Lord.

G. Mark Sumpter

Go, Brandon, Go

Brandon Drury of Grants Pass, in the Atlanta Braves Farm System

Drury was a big riser on prospect lists this offseason after a year that saw him be named the Appalachian League co-player of the year. My expectations for Drury were a little more tempered than others, and I can definitively point at one stat to tell you why: Drury walked just six times in 278 plate appearances. That is a 2.2% walk rate. To put that in perspective, Yuniesky Betancourt had a 2.7% walk rate, Vladimir Guerrero was at 2.9%, and Alex Gonzalez, who we all loved and adored last season, was at 3.7%. Think about that: this guy walked 40% less than Alex Gonzalez. He might be an awesome pure hitter, and at just age 19, there is a huge chance he can improve. But I'm not puting him in my top ten until he walks at least 5% of the time, no matter how high his OPS may be.

Also, see this post:

Drury is officially on the helium bubble! After his outstanding 2011 performance, he received a lot of praise and hype from coaches, scouts, evaluators and analysts. Some already consider him the apparent heir to the Braves’ third base gig after future Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, retires. Eventually, Drury might have a special bat, he right now, he will not be able to replicate Chipper Jones’ production. He’s not going to compete for a batting title every year with a 2.2% walk rate, but his bat will not be as dreadful as his 2010 debut with the GCL Braves either. Both seasons’ stats are unsustainable with a .252 BABIP in 2010 and .378 BABIP in 2011.

This upcoming year, we want to see Drury produce in Low-A/Hi-A. Can he still square up more advanced fastballs and breaking balls? It’s obvious that he can turn on fastballs at the rookie level, but will his batting eye and pitch recognition keep up at the higher levels? Drury needs to take a step forward on defense as well. As of right now, we’re not ready to anoint Drury as the Braves’ future third baseman after Chipper hangs it up. For one, he won’t be ready for another 2-3 years. With more walks and more patience, Drury should hit for more power and that will only help his stock soar even higher!

G. Mark Sumpter

The Church and Politics

Teacher and Minister John Murray of Westminster Theological Seminary

HT: Justin Taylor

“When laws are proposed or enacted that are contrary to the Word of God, it is the duty of the church in proclamation and in official pronouncement to oppose and condemn them. . . . It is misconception of what is involved in the proclamation of the whole counsel of God to suppose or plead that the church has no concern with the political sphere. The church is concerned with every sphere and is obligated to proclaim and inculcate the revealed will of God as it bears upon every department of life.”

—John Murray, “The Church, Its Identity, Function, and Resources” in The Collected Writings of John Murray, vol. 1 (Banner of Truth, 1976), p. 241.

“To the church is committed the task of proclaiming the whole counsel of God and, therefore, the counsel of God as it bears upon the responsibility of all persons and institutions. While the church is not to discharge the functions of other institutions such as the state and the family, nevertheless it is charged to define what the functions of these institutions are. . . . To put the matter bluntly, the church is not to engage in politics. Its members must do so, but only in their capacity as citizens of the state, not as members of the church.”

—John Murray, “The Relation of Church and State,” in The Collected Writings of John Murray, vol. 1 (Banner of Truth, 1976), 255.

Over the years I have picketed businesses of pornography hoping to shut down such places of filth and walked city streets with Christians on Pro-Life Sunday aiming to communicate disagreement with the legalization of elective abortions of the unborn. About 25 years ago, I walked through the streets of downtown Washington, D.C. with some 18,000 taking part in evangelization of passers-by. That Walk on Washington was intended to hold forth a Christian voice to the lost. As a walk in the streets of Washington, D. C., it sought to set forth a symbolic witness before the political landscape of 1980s America.

I take the time to vote, and hopefully, with an informed opinion about the candidates. Back four-five years ago, I went to pray with a city manager.  I have responded to some appeals to Christians to register an opinion to my legislators on various matters of legislation.

Preaching, evangelism and discipleship remain key pegs upon which to hang how the church and the Christian must be salt and light; as Murray says, “The church is concerned with every sphere and is obligated to proclaim and inculcate the revealed will of God as it bears upon every department of life.”

G. Mark Sumpter

Lord's Supper Meditation

God's favor due to the righteousness of Christ, by faith alone

John 19:28-30 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.


It is finished…. Jesus did not say, “it has started…” He did not say, “I did my part, now you do yours….”

It is finished…. His life, His death, ---for Him at that point, His coming resurrection…. It is finished… that means favor, that means blessing, that means hope…. The Lord's Supper seals hope… confirms God’s favor…. He eats and drinks with you!

Who is admitted to the Lord's Table? It is my privilege as a minister of Christ to invite all Christians—those in Christ, who are in good and regular standing with His people, the church, to come to the Lord’s Table.

This means two things. First, it means you have been baptized and are a professing member of His church, under the care of elders or a church’s leadership, either here or in another Christ preaching church—for that to be the case, you and they have spoken together and there’s knowledge of your credible profession of faith in Christ Jesus alone. Second, as you have confessed Christ, you are trusting in Him, that is, you are living humbly before God—to be sure, you are not free from sin, but you are seeking to do His will. If so, come today and receive nourishment.

It is my solemn duty as a minister of Christ to warn those who are not trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, who are not baptized, who are not members under the care of the local church, or who are living in unrepentant sin; such are not to come to the table and partake unworthily, not discerning the Lord’s body, and so eat and drink condemnation to themselves. The Bible tells us we are to examine ourselves. In summary, let us come, as we’ve been taught just now-----to receive nourishment for our faith and our daily life together. We know that apart from Christ we are without hope; we come resting and trusting in Him for His life, death and resurrection. We partake to grow in the grace of Christ.

G. Mark Sumpter

The Important Place of Memorization for Children

Teaching Sunday School by Brian Freer (Evangelical Press, 1984)

If this little book were required reading for all Sunday School teachers in every church, our children would be the better for it. Freer writes out of the conviction that our Sunday School time must be used to its fullest potential, and he has taken the time to show us how that potential can best be reached. In the first three chapters, he very encouragingly expounds and illustrates the hope that we may have in teaching our children the Bible -- it is an exciting prospect indeed! In the remaining chapters he very carefully and clearly lays out principles and practical procedures for teachers to follow in order to achieve highest success in their work. He deals with everything from the church to the teacher to the lesson preparation to the delivery to the classroom experience. A very, very useful tool for the improvement of our Sunday School and the evangelization and edification of our children. Every church should by a copy this book for each of its teachers to read, re-read, and refer to regularly until its counsel is completely absorbed.

“There is great value in memorizing lessons and especially Scripture, even when the meaning is not fully comprehended at the time. Many children have learnt by rote passages of the Bible, or the questions, answers and proof texts of a catechism, without really understanding them. The truths learned have remained dormant for years. Unconsciously such knowledge has moulded their habits and attitudes, but, even more importantly, it has represented a golden store which has been tremendous benefit in later years, after they have been born again. Memorization is not the be-all and end-all of teaching, but it should have it place. If we cannot hide God’s Word in a child’s heart, at least we can attempt to hide it in his memory. To do this is like laying the paper and sticks for a coal fire and then placing on the dark coals. The fuel is ready and when it is eventually ignited what a blaze there will be! Men of previous generations were able to use Scriptures and preach sermons of great maturity within weeks or months of their conversion. How did they acquire such a facility? The answer is that they had the Scriptures already in store!” pp. 48-49

Retired reformed Baptist minister, Brian Freer underscores the work of parenting and teaching in our children’s nurture and evangelism; and specifically he addresses how kids are sponges. They soak up facts—the who, what, when and where—of Bible knowledge. They glory in facts. God has made them this way. We ought to take advantage of this. Facts guide. Facts inform. Facts are fuel. I read earlier today of the old Puritan William Gurnall, who said: “Knowledge may make thee a scholar, but not a saint; orthodox, but not gracious.” I disagree. Children—along with adults—learn the facts of Scripture, the scholarly stores of facts. They do so for saintly reasons. How? Jesus, for example, tells us before going to a brother to remove the offensive tooth-pick out his eye, we must first remove the offensive pile of lumber out of our own. That’s a fact; it’s a specific truth we’re to memorize, know, grasp—and be able to recall. Being grounded in the plain, surface points of Matthew 7:4-5 can preserve many from hardship in interpersonal squabbles. Facts of Scripture, such knowledge, guide in saintly ways.

As to more on children from Freer, I appreciate that he sees the role between the learning stages of Grammar and Rhetoric. He writes of young children storing away Scripture and catechetical doctrine—as fuel—and when the fire starts at later stages in life, they are ready. Did you catch that? He writes, “Men of precious generations were able to use Scriptures and preach sermons of great maturity within weeks or months of their conversion. How did they acquire such a facility? The answer is that they had the Scriptures already in store!” Students well prepared are those who have been grounded in the first level of learning—the grammar of knowledge; then, later they act on that knowledge—for understanding and wisdom.

G. Mark Sumpter

Luther Helps to Say the Creed with Meaning

The Apostles' Creed—The First Line

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth...

“I Believe that God has created me and all that exists; that He has given and still preserves to me my body and soul with all my limbs and senses, my reason and all the faculties of my mind, together with my raiment, food, home and family, and all my property; that He daily provides me abundantly with all the necessaries of life, protects me from all danger, and preserves me and guards me against all evil; all of which He does out of pure, paternal, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit of worthiness in me, for all which I am in duty bound to thank, praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.”

Martin Luther, 1500s A Lutheran Prayer Book, 1960

When I confess these words in worship, I need to remember God has made me and He takes care of me.

G. Mark Sumpter

Home with Family

Why is Christian Community Important?

God is community. He exists One God in Three Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God’s Word is community—over 40 authors, with partnering companionship between the voice of the Old Testament and New. God speaks in both. He, Himself converses—Old to the New; New back to the Old. When we were born from above, by the sole work of the Holy Spirit, we were born into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ; as individuals we are born—but into family. Jesus asked, “Who are my brothers and sisters and mother—those who hear and do the will of God.” We are born as members of the Body of Christ. The forgiveness we have received is not just a personal pardon—merely concerned with a right vertical relationship with God; but also the new creation, new-family relationship with one another.

G. Mark Sumpter

Life with Brothers

Thankfulness for Daily Gifts of Fellowship

“Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. We thank God for what He has done for us. We thank God for giving us brethren who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily. And is not what has been given us enough: brothers, who go on living with us through sin and need under the blessing of His grace? Is the divine gift of Christian fellowship anything less than this, any day, even the most difficult and distressing day? Even when sin and misunderstanding burden the communal life, is not the sinning brother, with whom I, too, stand under the Word of Christ? Will not his sin be a constant occasion for me to give thanks that both of us may live in the forgiving love of God in Jesus Christ? Thus the very hour of disillusionment with my brother becomes incomparable salutary, because it so thoroughly teaches me that neither of us can lie by our own words and deeds, but only by that one Word and Deed which really binds us together—the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. When the morning mists of dreams vanish, then dawns the bright day of Christian fellowship.” Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pp. 28-29.

There’s a phone call with a sister in the Lord regarding answer to prayer.

There’s another phone call from a medical institution who calls giving good news about our financial obligations to them.

There’s an old friend from years back that stops by unannounced—for friendship.

There’s a good long distance talk with a fellow-worker in the Gospel—we both need encouragement.

There’s the fellowship of good, solid, open talk with five others in a small group discussing Calvin’s view of the importance of having and beholding Christ given to us in the New Testament; Calvin writes: “They [Old Testament people] had but a slight taste of it; we [in the New Testament era of the Gospel] can more richly enjoy it.” (see p. 423, Vol. 1 Calvin’s Institutes from Westminster/John Knox Press)

Bonhoeffer says it well, “We thank God for giving us brethren who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily.”

G. Mark Sumpter

Playing Triple A Ball

Come again...What did you say?

What is God like? We say Triune (In one God there exists three Persons). We say Immanent (He is near). We say Transcendent (He is far). There are many times when what we say to express what God is like, we succeed!—we use Biblical terms and explanations coming from the Bible. We use terms and we readily understand.  Things hum along. When we do theology this way, we are using cataphatic speech—we say what we can say about God in appropriate ways: our grammar, comparisons and contrasts, and expressions are on target. On the other hand, there are times when we sputter. We know limitations of our grammar and expressions. When we search, when we grope, and when we’re in neck deep, we say things in an apophatic way—“well, let me tell you what I don’t mean… and that’s right too…..God isn’t like that either… and yes…you’re right again….. the Bible doesn’t mean that.” Sometimes our words do not quite pinpoint how to speak of God who is higher, greater, and loftier beyond our human comprehension. Here we say, “What I’m trying to say is He really is more unlike—He’s quite different—than this thing or idea in the world.”

“He is our rock (Psalm 18:2); and yet…. He’s not exactly a rock.”

Cataphatic—more positive words we use.

Apophatic—more negative words we use.

BIG terms—cataphatic expressions of God and apophatic expressions.

G. Mark Sumpter

Is Genesis 1 Poetry?

Young on Writing Style of Genesis 1

Brothers who are proponents of non-literal views of Genesis 1 set forth that the grammar and syntax call for a non-literal interpretation of the text. At Westminster Seminary we read Henri Blocher’s IVP 1984 publication, In the Beginning—The Opening Chapters of Genesis. He elaborates on the style in Genesis and offers a proposal saying it is “…like the utterances of a Wisdom writer…” (p. 34). Usually we think of wisdom literature as poetic.


E. J. Young writes, “Genesis one is written in exalted, semi-poetical language; nevertheless, it is not poetry. For one thing the characteristics of Hebrew poetry are lacking, and in particular there is an absence of parallelism. It is true that there is a division into paragraphs, but to label these strophes does not render the account poetic.” See WTJ Vol. 25 (1963), “The Days of Genesis Second Article” (pp.148-149).


G. Mark Sumpter