The Christian Life: The Promise of Hardship

The Christian Life is one of Promised Hardship and not ease. For this reason, the health and wealth gospel is an assault on the gospel itself, and it should receive direct and regular condemnation in the same way that the Fathers battled the Gnostics, Arians, etc.

It is true that living according to Biblical principles reduces financial stress and surely builds up the family. However, Christ does not ensure us a long life without affliction, persecution, and physical pain associated with a fallen world. It is a great tragedy when those who have severe chronic pain and/or paralyzing conditions are deceived into thinking that they lack the faith needed to be healed. This is heresy, for Our Lord Himself and most of the Apostles died humiliatingly painful deaths.

Therefore, let us be slow to judge those who endure hardship. Rather, let us pray for God's grace to heal and restore according to His will, and let us pray for the grace to endure when God ordains hardship to continue. Ultimately, this life is a preparation for the next, so suffering unto the glory of God is not in vain.

To Him be the glory! Amen!

Scripture and Tradition

Today we consider Church Tradition as a body of teaching and rites solely derived from man, so we tend to think little of Tradition in in light of the testimony of Sola Scripture. However, the early Church placed a high value on both Scripture and Tradition, though Tradition was never the usurpation of Scripture. Tradition was understood as the concise body of doctrine which came from Christ to the Apostles and finally to the Fathers successively. This, in turn, was critical in binding the faith and refuting heretics. Tradition had to conform to Scripture, but early formulated Traditional Doctrines were used as evidence to crush the deceptive interpretations of Scripture by dangerous groups like the Gnostics.

Taken out of Early Christian Doctrines, J.N.D. Kelly (page 31 1978 revised edition) quotes Athanasius in defining Tradition as it was understood early on. Kelly writes, "The ancient meaning of the term is well illustrated by Athanasius's reference to 'the actual original tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church, which the Lord bestowed, the apostles proclaimed, and the fathers safeguarded'." As a side note, Catholic Church is not a reference to Rome here but rather the Church as a whole.

Therefore, we concur with the early Fathers that Tradition is not something to be tossed aside, for it helps us grasp the early teachings of the Church as bestowed by Christ and proclaimed by the Apostles. We use such Doctrinal Traditions to rightly interpret the Scriptures, yet, with that being said, there are doctrines that have been introduced over time with little explicit or implicit Scriptural warrant. These are are certainly worth debating, of which some may or may not have sbustantive support. For this reason, the analogy of faith (Scripture intereprets Scripture) is critcal in formulating right Doctrine.

Authorship of Isaiah

The authorship of Isaiah has been attacked in the modern era with great veracity. However, the reasons for this are unfounded because of an anti-presuppositional bias against prophetic supernaturalism. If one presupposes a materialistic worldview, then one must attempt to reinterpret Isaiah and give it a later date.

To begin with, the Masoretic (Hebrew Old Testament) was questioned for years by materialists, yet the finding of the great Isaiah scroll in the Dead Sea area collapsed the dating of the text just over a thousand years! The Word of God is always vindicated because it is the Word of God.

Even so, the date of Isaiah is still questioned, especially in light of the Cyrus prophecy that occurred many years before Cyrus was born and before the Persian Empire rose to such great heights of power. However, the text nor the evidence warrants against an early date for Isaiah. Rather, it is a defective pressupositional bias that forces these convoluted interpretations.

I reccomend Motyer's Commentary on Isaiah for further study.

To God be the glory! Amen!

The Bible, Law, and the Constitution of the Unites States

Though many detest the Bible, it is the only true source for Absolute Law because it is inspired by God. Apart from the Bible, man is left with vastly different and absurd human philosophies that grope in the wind for a basis of law. Though we do not and should not advocate a theocracy this side of the Cross, the Bible does provide us with key principles that establish and uphold justice within a fallen society.

It is from Biblical principles that the Constitution of the United States is derived, yet, apart from self-regulation, this Constitution is not sustainable, which is something the Founders were quick to point out. This has become especially evident in our present post-modern decadent society. Likewise, because those who oppose the Constitution in favor of relativistic law tend to be anti-Christian, they are inevitably drawn to detest it.

Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal

An investigation has shown that widespread cheating on standardized tests has occurred within the Atlanta Public Education system for the past decade or so. Not only is this exhibit A for why dumping gobs of cash into public education is futile, but it is also a testament to the depravity of our day. In stead of confession, there appears to be immediate justification! How godless!

I have heard over and over again this morning on talk radio of reports where numerous people are sympathetic to this cheating scandal. Instead of condemning it, it has simply become the result of pressure upon the system to produce higher test scores. There you go folks! The means have justified the ends, and we should all hold hands and gloss over this systematic widespread government run cheating scandal!