Concerning Genesis 6

The first eight verses of Genesis 6 were referred to me for exegesis yesterday, and I thought that the handling of these verses warranted immediate attention. The questions that were raised concern the various translations and interpretations of two phrases in particular: sons of God and the Nephilim. 

The single most important point in beginning this discussion is to recognize its position in the narrative and its purpose to the story. Genesis 6 is best known for the beginning of the Noah narrative. Therefore, to justify the flood, we must first understand the problem to which God was reacting. God has set out an instruction to man to multiply and fill the earth. This is the context of the preceding chapters and is summarized again in verse 1. The accompanying quality of man that must not be forgotten is that he has filled the earth with increasing wickedness. So, who then are these sons of God? 

Three interpretations are offered historically for this phrase. The first is based upon the use of this phrase in Job, known as being the oldest text in the Bible. In Job 1:6, the idea of fallen angels is implied by the inclusion of Satan among them. However, the Job passage is not used in this context at all. The phrase sons of God is meant to imply a heavenly court and the sons of God are heavenly kings. (Since God exists outside of his creation, and therefore outside of time, it is not completely without logic to extrapolate these kings to include the Apostles, but this isn’t necessary for the discussion.) What is important is that the conversation of the sons of God draws the attention of Satan onto Job. It is clear from Job 1 that Satan was not numbered among the sons of God, but that he was there also. 

More importantly, this notion of fallen angels does not speak to an evil of man that would justify the flood. This element is critical for our notion of a just God. If the Christian notion of justification is the cornerstone principle of understanding of Christ’s mission, then the premise of a just God is equally important as the rationale for that cornerstone. 

Mark 12:25 is a second problem for this interpretation as Mark suggests that angels in heaven are not sexual beings. The actual passage states that angels do not marry nor are given in marriage, but this is yet another Biblical reference to the role of marriage in procreation. The implication is clear: immortal creatures such as angels to not procreate, particularly not with creation, i.e. humans. Matthew 24:38 and Luke 17:27 both refer back to this verse (Genesis 6:2) by saying that in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Jesus is speaking, and the antecedent for the pronoun they does not in any way imply anyone other than man on earth. 

Two alternate interpretations are either tyrannical human judges or kings versus followers of God from the male descendants of Seth. The first of these two explanations is helped again by the same Job passage we addressed above. The phrase “sons of…” is an idiomatic Hebrew expression that means a group of men who are led by a figurehead known as the “father.” Similarly, the word “satan” means an adversary of that group, not necessarily the proper name Satan. In the Job passage, there is similarity to the Genesis 3 narrative and compelling reason to use the proper name Satan in that place. So, to follow this analogy into Genesis 6, a group of tyrannical human judges or kings who took daughters for themselves in a violent manner or outside of marriage would be contrary to God’s purpose of procreation and therefore sinful. 
The major problem with this explanation is that it is contrary to the grammar of the passage, at least at first glance. We have in Genesis 6:2 the sons of God and the daughters of man. This would imply that the sons of God were the righteous ones, while the daughters of man were the sinful lot. Any union between the two would, consequently, be sinful and taint the sons of God with sin. The elephant in the room is Jesus who most frequently uses the title “Son of Man” for himself. 

Nonetheless, the above logic yields the third interpretation that the sons of God are the male descendants of Seth, who are a Godly line, with the daughters of man being the female descendants of Lamech, a quite ungodly line, who are possibly demon possessed. What is important context to all three of these interpretations is what is laid out in Genesis 6:5-8. Man is described as wicked, while there is a remnant of righteousness in Noah. We are not told whether there are others who are also blameless in their generation only that Noah is. We are told that God intends to blot out all of the flesh on the earth and start over with Noah’s line. We know that subsequently the line of Noah fails to remain faithful and righteous. This makes clear that the problem of man is the condition of sin, which remains in the flesh. It is to this condition of sin that God is reacting. God must certainly know that His action (the flood) will have no lasting consequence on this condition, and yet we are given a demonstration of the wrath of God toward sin. The purpose of this flood must therefore be to graphically demonstrate man’s offense to God with sin, as the lessons of Eden are lost from the consciousness of man.  

The phrase Nephilim has inspired equal supernatural subversion of the text. The Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible used the word “giants” in this place. This is the start of the problem. This phrase also appears in Numbers 13:33, where the Greek translation has imbued itself into the modern thought stream. In Numbers, these Nephilim are attributed with great stature or height. And yet this is not the Greek notion of “giant” that permeates some interpretations. The Greek understanding of giants was a race that was not human and akin to the gods. This Greek overlay on the Hebrew hides the truth of the matter. The Nephilim were a group living in Canaan at the time, a group mighty warriors. This could be an expression of fear from the Israelites of these Canaanites. The Hebrew word itself means the “fallen ones,” a phrase and translation that has much greater cohesion with this passage. Reading into Genesis from Numbers the stature of this people is fraught with peril as the meaning here is much better suited by the original Hebrew meaning of the word. The fallen ones is much more consistent with the context of the whole passage. 

In summary, the purpose of this passage is to demonstrate the rampant wickedness of man on the earth, not to imply supernatural beings meddling in human affairs. We are quite good at mucking things up ourselves without any help due to our fallen natures. We are given a picture of the state of man to which God will ultimately react in vengeance and wrath. Without the notion of justice to give moral foundation to the story, God can appear capricious to man. However, what is laid out in Genesis 6 is more than adequate justification for God’s wrath, the true vision of what God’s wrath means for fallen man.

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Isaiah 59

Yesterday, we were subjected to the most theologically bankrupt “message” on Isaiah 59 that I could have possibly imagined.  I could talk about what was wrong with it, but rather than dwell in a negative tone, let us instead reexamine the chapter with proper categories and with an eye to redemptive historical context.

In all of the Old Testament, few passages have the richness of prophecy of Isaiah 59.  Tim LeHaye would have been doing back flips to point out the obvious messianic prophesy of this passage.  In this, he is spot on.  It is inconceivable that any proper expository preaching could fail to mention Jesus in discussion of this passage.  And yet our standard bearer is…Rick Perry?

Evil and Oppression

59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 No one enters suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
5 They hatch adders' eggs;
they weave the spider's web;
he who eats their eggs dies,
and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
6 Their webs will not serve as clothing;
men will not cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8 The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
no one who treads on them knows peace.

9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan and moan like doves;
we hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

Judgment and Redemption

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
which the wind of the Lord drives.

20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

The whole book of Isaiah is worth the read, but chapters 40-66 are the meat of the prophesy section.  In chapter 59, we see two very important themes that will be echoed in the New Testament: the sinful nature of man who is therefore incapable of righteousness, and the path put forth by God on our behalf.  The close parallel of Isaiah 59 with Romans 3 is almost staggering.  And yet, Isaiah 59 has a richness of context that Paul merely assumes that his readers in Rome know.  The build up to 59 is perhaps in the context of a hypothetical court room, in which Isaiah, the covenant attorney, is first listening to the arguments of Israel against God, for they accuse God of forsaking them and breaking covenant.  Finally, in chapter 59, Isaiah speaks on behalf of God and levels Israel with his words.  Israel is left broken, defeated, desolate and dead.  The second half of the chapter is the revelation of the messiah.  God Himself will come down and put on the body of man and save His people.  Let’s look at the text.

We know from the first two chapters of Isaiah that God is not pleased with Israel.  We learn that God is going to spread His Glory to the whole world, but only a remnant of people will be saved.  We learn of the Wrath of God, and His impending coming through the line of David.  Now, we pick up at verse one with God responding to charges leveled at Him by Israel.  Israel wonders if God is not truly all powerful, that His arm is too short to intervene.  Israel wonders if God is not omniscient, that He is unaware of the woes of His people, Israel.  Watch how Isaiah rounds on Israel.  The sin of Israel have covered their path to God.  Read all of the charges against Israel above in verses 2-13.  Compare them to Romans 3:1-20.  Now, finally, we come to verse 14, where the reading started yesterday.

See how much we missed by starting the reading at that point.  The whole tone and context of verse 14 was lost and easily contextualized to absolute malarkey because it was ripped from context.  Notice the relative lack of explanation by me.  Just let the passage speak for itself.  It is very straightforward.  Justice is turned back and righteousness is far away.  This is a courtroom scene.  This is about Judgment Day.  Righteousness is required to enter Heaven.  Israel was well aware of this theme.  The Pharisees believed that they had this righteousness in Jesus’ day.  Isaiah is telling the Jews of the Diaspora the reasons that they were banished from the land.  The reason is sin, and they are filled to the gill with it.  The righteousness that they require to enter into eternal life is far from them.  Justice does not exist in this world.  Uprightness, that is righteousness, cannot enter into this world.  Isaiah is passing judgment on the whole world in much the same way that Paul does in Romans 3.  The purpose of this judgment is to bring Israel and the whole world to their knees.

And now, in verse 15b, God begins to show his mercy and Grace.  Isaiah reveals the mechanism of salvation.  God is displeased by sin.  God sees and knows that man is totally incapable of satisfying the requirements of His justice.  So, God, in His infinite Mercy and Grace, puts on the mantle of the warrior.  He condescends to enter into the battle on behalf of man.  He Himself with be the standard bearer.  He will come in terrible judgment one day.  Each will receive that which they deserve.  And we all deserve death.  But He will also send a Redeemer (verse 20) to Zion to those in Jacob who repent. 

It bears some discussion about who exactly is included in this statement.  The first comment is that Isaiah refers them to Zion, not Sinai.  The mountain in question is the heavenly mountain, the one for which Sinai was supposed to be a type and shadow in this world, in this present evil age: Zion.  Jacob means Israel, but only those who recognize that they are sinners and then repent.  Going back to Isaiah 2, it is clear that the whole world will come to Zion and to Jacob.  (I have included the whole chapter so that you can see just how angry God really is with sin.) Therefore, while the dispensational interpretation of this passage is that it applies only to Israel, it is not a great leap at all that Paul takes to interpret that Isaiah himself spiritualizes Zion to include all nations, through the Redeemer of Israel.  It is also equally clear that not all will repent.

And finally, the last verse of the chapter concerns covenant.  Remember that Israel, who have been banished from the land and dispersed to the four winds, has the audacity to suggest that God has abandoned them and broken covenant.  They would rather infer this than face the fact that they are a wicked and sinful people, as we all are, and unworthy of the promise of God.  This whole Old Testament episode has been about God and Covenant.  Man is wholly incapable of fulfilling the Covenant of Law, and God called in the chips.  Man was left with nothing.  Now, God turns round and says that His Word and His Spirit is among His people, and shall be forever more.

For those of you who read me regularly, you will need no decoding of that Trinitarian passage.  John 1 refers to Jesus, the Son, as the Word.  The Holy Spirit is named quite clearly as well.  Man cannot save himself.  Therefore, God is going to do all of the work for man through the work of the Word and the Spirit.  That, my friends, is called the Gospel.  And we just found it in the middle of the Old Testament.  That, my friends, is a far better understanding of Isaiah 59 than to what we were subjected yesterday.

For completeness, finish Romans 3.  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—  Does it start to fit together for you?  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Back to the first half of Isaiah 59!  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  There He is keeping his covenant through the Word that was sent to us.  And all who receive the gift of grace and faith will be redeemed. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.  And finally, both Jew and Gentile alike will be redeemed by the same mechanism, through the work of Jesus, through the gift of grace from the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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Heidelberg Catechism: The First Part--Misery

This first part is only three Lord's Days, so we will tackle them all at once.  This section is titled Of the Misery of Man.  This will obviously be about original sin, total depravity, the condition of sin, God's Wrath, truly happy stuff.  The point is to demonstrate to us the desperate nature of our situation and to impress upon us the absolute need of some divine help.  Let's begin with Lord's Day 2.

Question 3. Whence knows thou thy misery?

Answer: Out of the law of God. (Romans 3:20)

Question 4. What does the law of God require of us?

Answer: Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt. 22:37-40, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)

Question 5. Can thou keep all these things perfectly?

Answer: In no wise; (Romans 3:10, 20, 23; 1 John 1:8,10) for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor.(Romans 8:7, Ephesians 2:3, Titus 3:3, Genesis 6:5, 8:21, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 7:23)

If anyone every wants to tell you how wonderful they are, deep down in their heart, just run that last group of verses at them.  Start with the Jeremiah quote and go from there.  It isn't just Paul who says that the Law is impossible to keep.

Question 6. Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?

Answer: By no means; but God created man good, (Genesis 1:31) and after his own image, (Genesis 1:26-27) in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him. (Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:23-24, 2 Corinthians 3:18)

Question 7. Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?

Answer: From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12, 18-19) hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. (Psalms 51:5, Genesis 5:3)

Question 8. Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Answer: Indeed we are; (Genesis 8:21, John 3:6, Genesis 6:5, Job 14:4, 15:14, 16, 35, Isaiah 53:6) except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. (John 3:3, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 3:5)

Did we create the situation that we are in?  No, Adam as our federal representative did it for us in the Fall.  Are we so completely lost that we are incapable of good?  Unfortunately, yes, but fortunately, we may be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  Amazing stuff.

Question 9. Does not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in his law, that which he cannot perform?

Answer: Not at all; (Ephesians 4:24, Ecclesiastes 7:29) for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil, (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Genesis 3:4) and his own willful disobedience, (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12, Genesis 3:13, 1 Timothy 2:13-14) deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts.

Question 10. Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?

Answer: By no means; but is terribly displeased (Genesis 2:17, Romans 5:12) with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally, (Psalms 5:5, 50:21, Nehemiah 1:2, Exodus 20:5, 34:7, Romans 1:18, Ephesians 5:6, Hebrews 9:27) as he has declared, "Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them." (Deuteronomy 27:26, Galatians 3:10)

Question 11. Is not God then also merciful?

Answer: God is indeed merciful, (Exodus 34:6-7, 20:6) but also just; (Psalms 7:9, Exodus 20:5, 23:7, 34:7, Psalms 5:5-6, Nehemiah 1:2-3) therefore his justice requires, that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul.

OK, God made us capable of fulfilling the Law, but we blew it.  Because He is just, these sins must be punished, and the punishment is steep.  Yes, God is merciful, but that doesn't mean that justice can be overlooked.

Therefore, we have the problem laid out for us quite plainly: man, since the fall, is incapable of fulfilling the Law, and is therefore doomed under the Law.  God's justice must be satisfied, and the punishment is extreme.  These Heidelberg guys are sounding a bit depressing thus far.  Remember that you can track down the full document from this link called CRTA.  I highly recommend reading the passages.  It is important to see that this catechism and others are taken directly from the text.  The doctrine flows from the text rather than imposing some random doctrine on the text. 

This is the end of part one.  In the next post, we will start on part two, Of Man's Deliverance.

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The ThirtyNine Articles: 15-18, Sin, Election and Salvation

This next section of the 39 Articles will put some stress on the supposedly Arminian bent of the Anglican clergy.  After one more chance to discuss original sin and Christ without sin, we will have a concept of unpardonable sin to discuss.  Election will fill a good deal of the topic this time.  Finally, we will return to salvation in the name of Christ alone.  This will be another dense section of theology and doctrine.

XV. Of Christ alone without sin. 

Christ in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things (sin only except) from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh, and in his spirit. He came to be the lamb without spot, who by the sacrifice of himself once made, should take away the sins of the world; and sin, (as S. John said) was not in him. But all we the rest, (although baptized, and born again in Christ) yet offend in many things, and if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not is us.

While this section seems obvious enough, this is heavily grounded in the idea that while we live, although we are Baptized, we remain under the curse of Adam.  What this means in terms of Salvation and any works righteousness system is that we are doomed to fail in our attempts to keep the Law.  The Roman Catholics exploit this weakness in man in their system of indulgences.  But the Reformed man believes that his sin has been covered by the blood of Christ.  This section affirms the Pauline doctrine of simultaneously regenerated and sinful, as Paul discusses in Romans 6-8.  As we get to Article 18, we will come back to this principle to understand how salvation and just righteousness before God on the Last Day can make sense.

XVI. Of sin after Baptism.

Not every deadly sin willingly committed after baptism, is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after baptism. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God (we may) arise again and amend our lives. And therefore, they are to be condemned, which say they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.

I admit that I am not comfortable with the wording of this Article.  It seems to deny the notion of the perseverance of the saints on one hand, while giving the Pauline model of repentance and renewal through Grace on the other.  The phrasing of the first sentence seems to imply that there are some deadly sins that are unpardonable.  But the second sentence seems to undo that damage.  The rest is a condemnation of the notion that Baptism cleans our slate of original sin.  This idea is alien to the Covenant model of Law and Grace.  Roman Catholics and other works based theologies will argue that Baptism cleanses the person of all sin at that moment and makes him spotless as Jesus was spotless.  The Anglican view and the Reformed view is that man remains under the curse of Adam until death or the Second Coming, whichever comes first.  This leaves room for the imperfection of man without compromising salvation.  There are two expectations of man that result.  Man should not be so arrogant as to believe that anyone other than Jesus is without sin, even after Baptism.  And man needs to repent of his sin from time to time and receive absolution from the office of the church, which will be discussed in the next post.

XVII. Of predestination and election.

Predestination to life, is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby {before the foundations of the world were laid) he has constantly decreed by his council secrete to us, to demure from curse and damnation, those whom he has chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honor. Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God’s purpose by his spirit working in due season; they through grace obey the calling; they be justified freely; they be made sons of God by adoption; they be made like the image of his only begotten son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works, and at length by god’s mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity. 

   As the Godly consideration of predestination, and our election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of  the spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing Up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it does greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it does fervently kindle their life towards God; So, for curious and carnal persons, lacking the spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the devil does thrust them either into desperation, or into recklessness of most unclean living, no less perilous then desperation. 

   Furthermore, we must receive God’s promises in such wise, as they are generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture; and in our doings, that will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God.

OK, this will be heavy going.  Predestination is specifically mentioned throughout the Bible.  Americans in particular hate the idea that we have no control over our own destinies.  The notion of predestination seems unfair to us.  Justice is not served in this model, we say.  If some were predestined to be a part of the elect, then others were predestined to receive the Wrath of God under the Law.  How can God be just, merciful and full of Grace if He selected some for eternal damnation?

This is going about the problem backwards, of course.  The 39 Articles have spent a good deal of time agreeing with Romans 3.  Now, in this article, we will see agreement with Romans 9.  But let’s not be trapped into bashing Paul.  Predestination goes back to Genesis 25.  How can the unborn twins be predestined to different paths?  Is this just?  Of course it is just.  We are all doomed under the curse of Adam.  We all deserve eternal damnation.  It is by our own doing that we are cursed.  It is by the Mercy and Grace of God that some are saved.  It is not to us to understand why one is saved and another is damned.  But it is only by God’s Mercy and Grace that any are saved at all.

The next paragraph states that we will be so transformed by the knowledge of the Love of Christ that we will act in accordance with His will.  The reprobate, however, will become desperate when they are made aware of their predestination to damnation.  I’m not sure that I agree with this statement.  I would find apathy to be the chief emotion of the reprobate, with denial being a close second.  Regardless, the section ends with the call of the elect to follow the will of God as set forth by the Scriptures.

XVIII. Of obtaining eternal salvation, only by the name of Christ.

They also are to be had accursed, that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professes, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of nature. For Holy Scripture does set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

This seems to be a condemnation of Jews, Roman Catholics, Greeks (in other words all of us) and other applicants of moral codes.  No law of God or man can be followed that will lead to salvation.  Salvation is only through the name of Jesus Christ.  That is what it is to be fallen.

This section has been a rough tumble through some difficult topics.  The idea of election I have recently heard preached in isolation from justification.  The application of Arminian theology to election has no logical connection, and therefore, as you might expect, it turned into and emotional plea to become a better person to demonstrate your election.  It was completely weird.  Without the categories as outlined thus far, election is not just or merciful.  It is no wonder that there is so much resistance to the idea.  The problem is the lack of grounding in Law and Gospel distinctions.  Without understanding Original Sin, the rest of this will never make sense.

The next section will cover Articles 19-21.  They cover issues of the corporate church.  The key issue will be in contradistinction to the Papacy.

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Forgiveness

This post is in response to a conversation I had yesterday.  I suppose everyone, if you have lived long enough, has been wronged by someone.  I know that I’ve been on both sides of that divide more times than I can imagine.  Today, I want to look at a transgression and to work through the theology of forgiveness.

Let us say that your home was violated and many of your belongings were liberated from your possession.  Among those items, most of which were replaceable, was one item that had particular sentimental value besides having enough absolute value that it was stolen.  For the loss of this one item you were heartbroken.  After some time, your emotions changed to anger and distrust.  You did not have an object for your emotions, no accused upon whom you could heap blame, but you were just angry in general.

In this first example, you have sinned against God.  You have placed an idol above your love of God.  Under the standard of the Law, you have failed in perfection.  You have done nothing wrong, in fact you are the victim of a crime, in the world of man.  But at the same time, in the Kingdom of God, you have sinned.

Now suppose that a young vagrant is arrested for the crime.  One of your blankets and some cash is found in his possession.  Now you have an object of your emotional rage.  You hate this man.  He denies his culpability in the crime and says that he found the blanket and some clothes by the side of the road.  He needed the blanket and so he kept it, but he sold the clothes to a second hand store to get the cash.  You don’t believe him.  You hate him.

In this second example, you have sinned against God.  You have committed murder.  According to Jesus’ interpretation of the Law, and He wrote it, so He is allowed to explain it to us, hateful thoughts are just the same as murder.  Now you have violated another commandment.  You have not actually done anything to the man, according to the law of man.  But according to the Law of God, you have committed murder.

The police realize that the man in question actually spent the night in the drunk tank at the local jail on the night that your house was robbed.  He could not possibly have committed the crime.  In fact, his whole story checks out and he is released from custody, uncharged and vindicated.  The police return your blanket and the cash from the sale of your clothes to you.  As you stare at the items, you realize that you have not forgiven the man.  You find that you cannot release your hatred towards this man, partly because you have no other place to put your anger.  You grab your blanket and the cash and storm home.  You have just wronged your neighbor.  You had identified a person who had a greater need of those things, and you took them from him.

In this third example, you have sinned against God and your neighbor.  In addition to all of the above, you have now added direct transgressions against your neighbor.  Consider this line from the prayer of confession.  We confess that we have sinned by thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  You left undone the Love for your neighbor.

Summarizing the events, your house was robbed.  You have done absolutely nothing wrong from beginning to end according to the law of man.  You have done nothing but sin against God from beginning to end according to the Law of God.  Right now, you are not exactly on top of your game.  What should you do?

First of all, notice where your pile of debt resides.  What is required is repentance.  Whether you agree with every theological point of your pastor and church, this person is by office the representative of Christ’s church in this world.  Go to church.  Take the confession of sins seriously.  Whether it is done individually or corporately, this repentance is sorely needed.  Afterwards, the priest or pastor will say a prayer of absolution.  I wish sometimes we could ask him to slow down so we can savor every word of that prayer.  By office, you can believe that you have received absolution for your sins.  This is vitally important.  Although we as reformed Christians believe that our sin is completely covered by the justification that occurred through Jesus Christ, we remain in this world under the curse of Adam.  This process of repentance, absolution and reconciliation that occurs every Lord’s Day is crucial in maintaining our spiritual growth and sanctification throughout our lives.  Listen to this portion of the service clearly and carefully.  Receive the Grace of God through the Holy Spirit.

Now that you are feeling right with God again, you might go looking for the vagrant.  You might plan to give him the blanket and the cash, two blankets and twice the cash.  Perhaps you might want to feed him.  You might try to clothe him.  You might want to get him plugged into civil aid services.  You may know of a job.  The trouble is that you can’t find him.  Now what?

You take your donations to the local aid center.  You notice a sign that asks for volunteers.  You volunteer.  You learn about what aid is really needed and you learn how to give it.  This isn’t at a church sponsored aid mission.  Who says you have to help your neighbor through the church?  Who says the church is responsible for developing programs for aid?  The church doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to be effective.  The church membership can be very effective through secular missions.  So, you volunteer.

Six months later, a man, who has been avoiding your town, wanders into a soup kitchen.  By chance you are there working.  He doesn’t recognize you, but he is very edgy.  After all, besides being homeless and hungry, he’s had a very bad experience in your town in the not too distant past.  Now is your chance.  You walk over to him….

Who knows?  Perhaps even God smiled that day.

--Ogre--