The Riddleblog

The Legacy of John Warwick Montgomery (1931-2024)

Above — Dr. Montgomery as a Guest on the White Horse Inn (2007)

Dr. John Warwick Montgomery died in Christ on Thursday, September 25, from various complications associated with old age. He was 92. Dr. Montgomery had a huge impact on me, and I look back on my time with him as the major turning point in my life and career.

The first time I heard the name John Warwick Montgomery was when a salesman from Bethany Fellowship Publishers told me about Montgomery’s books on apologetics. He suggested that we carry them in our Christian bookstore. I did, I read them, and found them to be far superior to other Christian apologists I had been reading (i.e., Josh McDowell). When Walter Martin announced on his popular Bible Answer Man radio program (broadcast live on Saturday nights in the early 1980s) that he would be teaching at a new law school to be opened in Orange County by Dr. Montgomery, The Simon Greenleaf School of Law (SGSL)[1], I was one of the first to sign up. The school was named for the famed American jurist, who had written a masterful case for Christ’s resurrection marshaling evidence along the lines of a legal argument in a court of law—The Testimony of the Evangelists. Both A. A. Hodge and B. B. Warfield referred to Greenleaf’s work quite favorably. Montgomery used much the same method to defend the faith in the face of rejuvenated critical scholarship.

Montgomery’s massive list of accomplishments is simply amazing, and I won’t recount them here. But please do check out his Wikipedia entry and you’ll see what I mean. Absolutely mind blowing—eleven degrees including three earned doctoral degrees, and more than forty books on a variety of subjects—mostly apologetics. Shane Rosenthal, as well as the folks at 1517, have written eloquent pieces offering their take on Montgomery’s life, influence, and legacy. For a more exhaustive memorial, see Craig Parton’s Full Obituary. I encourage you to read them.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Digging Up the Treasures of the Gospel — Calvin on the Necessity of Prayer

In light of these uncertain and tumultuous times (see my previous post, In Times of Worry), Calvin addresses the matter of the necessity of prayer by making appeal to the promises of God, which he likens to finding treasure.

The Necessity of Prayer

It is, therefore, by the benefit of prayer that we reach those riches which are laid up for us with the Heavenly Father. For there is a communion of men with God by which, having entered the heavenly sanctuary, they appeal to him in person concerning his promises in order to experience, where necessity so demands, that what they believed was not vain, although he had promised it in word alone. Therefore we see that to us nothing is promised to be expected from the Lord, which we are not also bidden to ask of him in prayers. So true is it that we dig up by prayer the treasures that were pointed out by the Lord’s gospel, and which our faith has gazed upon.
Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable. Surely, with good reason the Heavenly Father affirms that the only stronghold of safety is in calling upon his name [cf. Joel 2:32]. By so doing we invoke the presence both of his providence, through which he watches over and guards our affairs, and of his power, through which he sustains us, weak as we are and well-nigh overcome, and of his goodness, through which he receives us, miserably burdened with sins, unto grace; and, in short, it is by prayer that we call him to reveal himself as wholly present to us. Hence comes an extraordinary peace and repose to our consciences. For having disclosed to the Lord the necessity that was pressing upon us, we even rest fully in the thought that none of our ills is hid from him who, we are convinced, has both the will and the power to take the best care of us.

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 30.20.2

John CalvinKim RiddlebargerSeptember 25, 2024The Necessity of prayerComment

It’s Fall — New Musings (09/23/2024)

Riddleblog and Blessed Hope Updates:

There’s a new picture of my family on my Instagram account if anyone is interested—taken at my 70th birthday celebration (Geezerfest 2024) thrown for me by my dear wife. I did get to chase all the guests off my lawn as a bonus. But there were no visible clouds to yell at, so I missed out on that.
Just passed 50K downloads on Buzzsprout! A huge milestone for the Blessed Hope Podcast! Thanks for listening!
I tackle the matter of idolatry in upcoming episodes of the Blessed Hope Podcast (1 Corinthians 8-10). I think you’ll find them both fascinating (given the Greco-Roman cultural context) and relevant to us—how does Paul’s discussion of “idol food” apply in the present?

Thinking Out Loud:

Why do presidential candidates keep telling us that “on day one” they’ll do x,y, and z, when what they claim to want done usually can only be done through legislation, something Congress must do. This is but another indication that Congress has ceded far too much power to the executive branch and that presidential candidates glibly make promises they know they cannot keep—“I’m shocked! Shocked to find that politiking is going on in here.”
A “now that I’m 70” rant . . . Do E-bikes drive anyone else crazy? The lakes and campgrounds of the Eastern Sierras were full of them. Far too often riders ignore basic rules of the road, placing themselves in danger. Dads take the point, often with the wife and kids in tow, with all on their own E-bikes. Then he leads his family off the bike trail and on to the roadway. Such folks don’t know what they are doing, and become a menace to themselves and others. Now E-bikes are all over Orange County. Keep out of my driveway!
I enjoyed the Netflix series Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War. Not perfect, but better than most “the real story” series. It will make Tombstone interesting to watch next time since much of the movie was not exactly accurate (but hey, it is still a great movie).
The 2024 USC Trojan football team has introduced this strange and long-forgotten thing called “a defense.” I recall such a thing back in the Pete Carroll days, but haven’t seen much of one since.
The Hitler Rant YouTube shtick is played out. Enough already.

To read the rest of my "Musings" follow the link below

MusingsKim RiddlebargerSeptember 23, 2024 Comment

“At the Time of the End” Daniel 11:2-45 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Twenty)

A Mysterious Visitor

It was April 23rd, 536 BCE. The prophet Daniel was standing on the bank of the Tigris River when a mysterious visitor appeared to him and revealed that Daniel was about to receive the next in a series of visions which YHWH had given him throughout his time as an exile in Babylon. The appearance of this mysterious visitor–the pre-incarnate Jesus–caused Daniel great fear. The very presence of the holy visitor exposes Daniel’s sinfulness, causing him to fall on his face.

Reassured of God’s favor by the visitor, the vision now given Daniel will foretell the future of those Jewish exiles who had recently departed from Babylon when Cyrus, the Persian king, released them in 538 BCE to return to Judah, rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the temple of YHWH. Jeremiah’s prophecy that Israel’s time of exile was limited to seventy years was now fulfilled. But Daniel learns that although the time of exile is over and the Jews have returned to the promised land, the glory days for Israel are over. Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt, but the nation of Judah will be trapped between two empires bent on waging war upon each other–the Seleucids (to the North) and the Ptolemies (to the South). As the vision comes to an end, Daniel will be given a glimpse into the distant future, a time when a mighty blasphemer will arise, boasting about himself and making threats to the people of God (an Antichrist), who, at the time of the end, will be destroyed by YHWH’s kingdom which triumphs over all on the day of resurrection and final judgment.

History In Advance

The vision recounted in Daniel 11:2-45 is utterly remarkable in that Judah’s future is foretold hundreds of years in advance with an amazing level of accuracy and detail. The vision reads like history written in advance, which is why critical scholars argue that this “vision” must have been written after the fact. We will turn our attention to the details of the passage shortly, but we must not miss the forest for the trees as we proceed. YHWH has ordained Israel’s future (seventy weeks have been decreed) and is directing all things to their appointed ends. Israel’s time in exile has now come to an end. The Jews have returned to Judah and begun to rebuild. But their troubles are not over.

As for their immediate future, the Jews will again possess the land, rebuild Jerusalem, its walls, as well as the temple of YHWH as recounted in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But in the period which follows (so-called “Second Temple” Judaism), Judah will function as a vassal state, first of the Persians, and then the Greeks, before finding themselves caught in the middle of a prolonged struggle between two kingdoms (one to the north and one to the south). Despite the troubles to come, YHWH is still fulfilling his purposes, which include the coming of a messianic age and the rise of a future Antichrist at the time of the end.

To read the rest, follow the link below

“The Error of Teaching That Forgiveness Depends Upon Our Free Will” — The Rejection of Errors, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort (6)

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

VI Who make use of the distinction between obtaining and applying in order to instill in the unwary and inexperienced the opinion that God, as far as he is concerned, wished to bestow equally upon all people the benefits which are gained by Christ’s death; but that the distinction by which some rather than others come to share in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life depends on their own free choice (which applies itself to the grace offered indiscriminately) but does not depend on the unique gift of mercy which effectively works in them, so that they, rather than others, apply that grace to themselves.

For, while pretending to set forth this distinction in an acceptable sense, they attempt to give the people the deadly poison of Pelagianism.

_________________________________

In order to use biblical terminology used of the cross, while at the same time denying that the death of Christ is a true satisfaction for sins, as well as a literal payment of our debt to God, Arminians have contended that the death of Christ is “for all,” but “not all” are forgiven until the merits of Christ are appropriated by the sinner through an exercise of the will.

To explain how this can be, the Arminian sets up a system in which the death of Christ is said to be for all, but is not effectual for any until it is actually “appropriated.” This means that the death of Christ does not accomplish redemption for anyone, but does have the potential to save everyone who believes. This means that only those who exercise their free-will and believe the gospel are saved, since the atonement is only provisory and ineffectual until actually appropriated by the sinner who supposedly retains the power of free-will to do so.

This enables the Arminian to argue for a doctrine of grace alone, speak of salvation in connection to the death of Christ, and still champion justification by faith alone. But in reality this is theological smoke and mirrors. In the words of one sage, this is mere “word magic.”

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerSeptember 18, 2024Forgiveness does not depend upon free willComment

Another Milestone!

The Blessed Hope Podcast feed on Buzzsprout has just passed 50K downloads! Not bad for a niche podcast doing a deep dive into the letters of Paul. Thanks to those of who listen, and please keep telling others about the pod because word of mouth recommendations really do work! And if you haven’t listened to the pod yet, give it a try — the Blessed Hope Podcast, available on your favorite podcast feed!

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerSeptember 17, 202450K downloads on Buzzsprout Comment

"You Can't Unscramble Eggs" -- A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Is Up! 1 Corinthians 7:17-40, and Paul's Instructions to Christians In Times of Trial

Episode Synopsis:

In 1 Corinthians 7:17-40, Paul teaches what I call the “you can’t unscramble eggs” doctrine. What should a new Christian do when they come to faith in Jesus Christ? Do they quit their current “secular” job to devote themselves full-time to Jesus Christ and to the work of ministry? Should they rush into marriage to avoid the lusts of the flesh? Or conversely, should they seek to end an engagement because the time of the end might be drawing near? What about those widowed, single, or divorced? Now that they are Christians, what are they to seek to do? Paul tells them all to “stay put.” What they’ve done, they’ve done. And as he cautions them, when a crisis is at hand, that is not the time to make big changes.

Paul is addressing a congregation in the midst of serious difficulties of some sort–a regional famine or the consequences of the divisions the church was then facing. Paul assumes his readers know to what he is referring, so he offers little clarification. But what he does offer is wise advice for those bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. Slaves ought not seek immediate freedom–in Christ they are free people. Gentiles ought not seek to be circumcised–now in Christ, the old covenant sign has been replaced by baptism. And for the time being, the unmarried ought not seek to get married–at least until the crisis has come to an end.

Paul tells the Corinthians to wait for the crisis in Corinth to be resolved before they make major life changing decisions. Christians would be wise to wait for things to sort themselves out, and then make an informed and not a rash decision about significant events in their lives. Paul’s instructions make plain that he’s not concerned with fixing all those things new converts may have done in the past, but rather with teaching them the traditions passed down so that they learn how to live the Christian life and become better able to move forward in their lives now set free from the guilt and power of sin.

To see the show notes and listen to this episode, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerSeptember 16, 20241 Corinthians 7:17-40, Stay Where You Are When CalledComment

“God Himself Is Judge” – An Exposition of Psalm 50

Courtroom scenes on television or in film often make for good drama–especially when the case takes a surprising turn, or when justice itself is on the line. In Psalm 50 we have a dramatic courtroom scene in which YHWH himself summons the whole world to the foot of Mount Zion to appear before his divine tribunal. But when the charges are read, those assembled in the court realize that the defendant is not who or what we expect. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord.

A Psalm of Asaph

Various Psalms were written by David, Moses, and the Sons of Korah. But Psalm 50 is one of twelve Psalms attributed to Asaph. In addition to Psalm 50, his name is also attached to Psalms 73-83). There are Psalms of praise, Psalms of trust, royal Psalms, wisdom Psalms, and Psalms used during worship in the temple. Psalm 50 (which appears in Book Two of the Psalter–which includes Psalms 42-72) is yet another genre (or type) of Psalm called a prophetic (or oracular) Psalm, because in this Psalm, God appears in a theophanic vision, apparently to accuse the nations and warn them of a judgment certain to come, before calling them to repentance.[1]

We begin by looking at this Psalm’s place in Book Two of the Psalter. Psalms 46-49 speak of God’s rule over his creation from a cosmic perspective. In Psalm 50, God declares that he has no human limitations. He does not hunger. He does not need sacrifices. He hates pious platitudes and self-righteous religious speech. Psalm 51, which follows, speaks of human sinfulness and guilt before God, as well as reminding us of God’s forgiveness and mercy. Psalm 52 contrasts human folly and God’s wisdom, while Psalm 53 mocks the fool who says in his heart, “there is no God.”[2]

One of the most interesting historical questions surrounding this Psalm has to do with its authorship. We know that Asaph was one of the musicians or singers in the temple choir founded by Heman during the reign of David. This circle of temple singers/musicians also includes the sons of Korah and Jeduthun (Ethan). According to 1 Chronicles 16:4-7,

then [David] appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief . . . . Asaph was to sound the cymbals . . . . Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

Asaph is mentioned again in 2 Chronicles 29:30. “And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.” Whether Psalm 50 was written by Asaph, or dedicated to him is not clear. But we do know Asaph was appointed by David for this role, and that Asaph was considered a seer (or had some sort of prophetic gift). Asaph’s prophetic office is reflected by his composition of those twelve Psalms attributed to him.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Biblical Theology, Biblical EventsKim RiddlebargerSeptember 13, 2024Psalm 50, The Heavenly Court, A Psalm of AsaphComment

Christ's Spotless Bride -- Holiness as an Attribute of the Church (Part Seven)

The Second Attribute in the Nicene Creed: Holiness

While the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and perhaps the Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC) have some claim to an outward unity that the Reformed do not have, they certainly have nothing of the sort when it comes to holiness. The Roman Catholic Church may be externally the Roman Catholic church, but it’s not externally the holy catholic church. This fact raises the question: “If the Roman and Orthodox churches need to look to an objective gift of holiness rather than focus on a visible holiness, does not this bolster the Reformed case that this is true for unity too?

Michael Horton makes an interesting big-picture comparative observation:

In both Roman Catholic and free-church ecclesiologies . . . . the church’s visible holiness is inherent, although for the former it flows from the one to the many and for the latter from the many to the one . . . . In both paradigms . . . , the means of grace employed . . . are oriented first of all toward an infused, inherent, and inward holiness . . . . Covenant theology has taken a different route than either of these paradigms. Regardless of the personal holiness of its members, the church . . . is holy because it is the field of divine activity, in which the wheat is growing up into the likeness of its firstfruits, even though weeds are sown among the wheat.[1]

To read the rest, follow the link below

EcclesiologyKim RiddlebargerSeptember 11, 2024The Holiness of the ChurchComment

In Times of Worry, Uncertainty, and Fear, God's People Pray!

We live at a point in time characterized by an unfamiliar uncertainty of a sort which generates great unease, worry, and far too much catastrophizing.

There are plenty of reasons why this is the case.

The most obvious is that there is an upcoming national election. Whichever candidate wins, about 35% of Americans will be thrilled, another 35% will be incredibly disappointed and deflated, the rest will ignore the outcome as same ole same ole and return to their daily lives as though nothing earth-shattering actually happened. The losing side may threaten civil disobedience, the courts will be overwhelmed with litigation, and more Americans will lose faith in our system of government. Many will despair that the American dream is but a mirage.

Many will retreat to social media where truth telling is increasingly rare, clever folk with no expertise or training use their cleverness to pass themselves off as experts to spread all kinds of nonsensical historical revisionism, personal attacks, bad advice, and “foil-hat level” craziness. Social media (which the vast majority of Americans thankfully ignore) is now a place for the “very on-line” where treating others as divine image-bearers is taken as a sign of weakness (or unmanliness).

And there are too many bad actors in the world. In many places on the globe, war is a reality and an increasing threat to our national peace and security (with possible escalation and American boots on the ground). Think of Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, the Middle East situation (Iran and Israel, particularly), and the looming possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

To read the rest, follow the link below

“Fear Not” Daniel 10:1-11:1 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Nineteen)

An Invisible War

Throughout our time studying the Book of Daniel, we have read of YHWH using dreams and visions to reveal to his prophet information about the future of the land of Judah, the people of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple of YHWH. The purpose of this prophetic revelation is to encourage those Jews then living as exiles in Babylon–the former capital of the Babylonian empire, now occupied by the Persians. The exiles find themselves under YHWH’s covenant curse because of Israel’s past idolatry and unbelief. The good news is that this time of exile is about to end. The bad news is that their struggles will not. Daniel now learns that there is an invisible and spiritual war behind the day to day struggles of God’s people, a war which will be won by a coming of the Messiah.

During his remarkable life in exile, Daniel was called and equipped by YHWH to serve two of the greatest kings of that age: Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) and Cyrus (the Persian empire). YHWH has also revealed to Daniel that four great Middle Eastern empires will successively rise and fall–the Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, and then finally, Rome. Through the prophetic revelation given to Daniel, the exiles learn that they are about to return home and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. But YHWH will also reveal that the glory days for Israel are past, and they will not return until the mighty fourth empire of these visions, Rome, is finally subdued after its direct opposition to YHWH and his kingdom. YHWH’s final conquest will take the form of a messianic kingdom which conquers all of God’s enemies apart from the use of armies and political power. This will be a victory won by a suffering Messiah who breaks the power of sin and undoes the curse.

YHWH – The Author and Lord of History

As recounted in chapter nine, Daniel was well aware that Judah’s seventy years of exile foretold by the prophet Jeremiah was coming to an end. Worried about his people, Daniel fervently prays for Judah (vv. 1-19 of Daniel 9). YHWH answered him by sending the Angel Gabriel who revealed to Daniel that a time of seventy weeks has been decreed for God’s people, a period which begins to unfold with the Persian king Cyrus’s decree in 538 BCE. This decree will allow the Jews to return to Babylon and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Furthermore, Gabriel explains that the seventy weeks will be fulfilled when a coming Messiah will finish the transgression, put an end to sin, atone for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal both vision and prophet, and anoint a most holy place (v. 24). Gabriel also reveals that in the process of the Messiah redeeming his people, both Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed, and then Jews will be dispersed into the ends of the earth. But the Messiah will complete his redemptive work and usher in the final jubilee and the eternal Sabbath at the end of the age.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerSeptember 6, 2024Daniel 10, Daniel's fnal vision Comment

“The Error of Teaching That All Have Been Reconciled to God” — The Rejection of Errors, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort (5)

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

Who teach that all people have been received into the state of reconciliation and into the grace of the covenant, so that no one on account of original sin is liable to condemnation, or is to be condemned, but that all are free from the guilt of this sin.

For this opinion conflicts with Scripture which asserts that we are by nature children of wrath.

_________________________________

This error is yet another fruit of the governmental theory of the atonement and notion of prevenient grace as championed by many Arminians. The Arminian Articles of 1610 state: “Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, died for all men and every man, so that he hath obtained for them all, by his death on the cross, redemption and the forgiveness of sins; yet no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sins except the believer.”

This brings us back to the root of the whole problem--the nature of God’s justice and the purpose of the atonement. For the Arminian, the atonement reconciles the entire world to God (all people inclusive), redeems the world unto God, and provides for the forgiveness of sin for each and every person who has lived in each and every age. Even the guilt of original sin is supposedly remitted.

But under the terms of the Arminian doctrine, the atonement–while having the potential to save everyone–actually saves no one. Indeed, countless millions of those whom Arminians believe Christ has reconciled, redeemed, and forgiven, will perish anyway--and this despite the fact that all of this has been done for them freely by Christ.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerSeptember 4, 2024Prevenient grace, Universal atonement Comment

“Mixed Marriages, `Holy’ Spouses and Children” A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast Covering 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

Episode Synopsis:

Paul’s Gentile mission was a huge success. A number of new churches were established throughout the eastern Mediterranean world–including fast growing churches in important cities such as Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus. But with the spread of the gospel into a previously unevangelized world dominated by Greco-Roman culture and religion, came a whole set of pastoral problems–problems which were not specifically addressed in the Old Testament or in the teaching of Jesus.

A number of such questions surface in Corinth–as we have seen. But one pressing matter facing the Corinthians is what should happen when one party to a marriage comes to faith in Jesus Christ, while the other spouse does not, creating a so-called “mixed-marriage.” Should the believer leave or divorce the unbeliever if they refuse to convert to Christianity? And what, exactly, is a Christian spouse’s status if their unbelieving spouse divorces them because of their new-found faith in Jesus Christ? Must they remain single and celibate until the deserting spouse dies?

And an even bigger question arises. What about the children of mixed marriages? What is their standing in the church and what is their status before God? Are they members of the covenant of grace, and therefore eligible for all of the benefits thereof, while assuming all the responsibilities of covenant membership? Are they eligible to receive the sign and seal of that gracious covenant, which is baptism?

Paul answers these questions by appealing to the “holy” status of a partner to a mixed marriage and applying that same status to the children of such a union. How can an unbeliever be said to be “holy.” How can Paul affirm that of children who are born in original sin? To make his case, Paul grounds this “holiness” in the Old Testament’s principle of covenant authority–the believing parent’s authority over those in the household and as seen in the five household baptisms found in the New Testament.

To see the show notes and listen to the episode, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerSeptember 2, 20241 Corinthians 7:14, Holy Children and spouses, Covenant authorityComment

Warfield on The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection

In an age when “spirituality” has replaced being “religious” (see, for example Michael Horton’s outstanding bookShaman and Sage), B. B. Warfield’s remarkable essay tying Christianity necessarily to historical events comes as a breath of fresh air—even if it has the slight sense of coming from more than a century ago.

Warfield’s essay, The Resurrection of Christ: A Historic Fact, begins with something quite obvious, yet too often assumed, overlooked, or rejected. Christianity is absolutely dependent upon what Jesus said and did (especially in his dying and bodily rising again from the dead), and not with any possible response to the message coming from the “spiritual self,” pushing me to find “my truth within” quite apart from the historical facts of the life of Christ. Warfield makes his view crystal clear in this regard.

It is a somewhat difficult matter to distinguish between Christian doctrines and facts. The doctrines of Christianity are doctrines only because they are facts; and the facts of Christianity become its most indispensable doctrines. The Incarnation of the eternal God is necessarily a dogma: no human eye could witness his stooping to man’s estate, no human tongue could bear witness to it as a fact. And yet, if it be not a fact, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins. On the other hand, the Resurrection of Christ is a fact, an external occurrence within the cognizance of men to be established by their testimony. And yet, it is the cardinal doctrine of our system: on it all other doctrines hang.

To read the rest, follow the link below

B. B. WarfieldKim RiddlebargerAugust 28, 2024Christianity and history, the risen Jesus, Christ's resurrectionComment

End of Summer Musings (8/26/2024)

Riddleblog and Blessed Hope Podcast Updates:

The Blessed Hope Podcast (which is available on most podcasting feeds) has migrated from Google Podcasts to YouTube. If you prefer to get the Blessed Hope Pod through YouTube podcasts, that is now an option. Be sure to like and subscribe as this will get the Blessed Hope deeper into the YouTube algorithm.
We have returned to season three of the Blessed Hope podcast, “God is Faithful”, a deep dive into 1 Corinthians. We picked up with chapter 7:1 and we are dealing with sex, marriage and divorce, and celibacy.

Thinking Out Loud:

There is something blissfully transformative about being in the mountains—Machen wrote about it
The Houston Astros’ Space City uniforms are absolutely ridiculous. Perfect for Altuve though . . .
Does anyone else not like the Seinfeld “100th” episodes? Seinfeld is not a “best moments” sort of comedy
Political virtue signaling—since I am not voting for either presidential candidate (the lesser of evils is still evil—especially when both candidates are positively terrible and neither should be president), I did not watch a single moment of either party’s conventions. Doesn’t sound like I missed anything, except Hulk Hogan tearing off his shirt and Joe Biden blathering on way past his and my bedtimes

To read the rest, follow the link below

New Devotional by Trevin Wax -- Reading Through the Letters of Paul in 30 Days

A new devotional based on the Letters of Paul, and prepared by Trevin Wax, is now available.

If you are a listener to the Blessed Hope Podcast you know that in every episode, I urge listeners to read through the letters of Paul (especially as we go through them), or listen to them read aloud. Trevin Wax has made reading all of Paul’s letters a bit easier to do. Wax has arranged Paul’s letters (along with several devotional elements) in short readings so that you can make your way through all the letters of Paul in but thirty days. I highly recommend this volume to you (albeit with a couple of minor caveats), if you are a listener to the Blessed Hope.

Caveat # 1: In order to make it through the body of Paul’s letters in 30 days, Wax suggests three readings per day (morning, noon, and evening). This is great for a disciplined reader or someone who is retired or works from home. This was done to achieve the goal of reading all of Paul in 30 days—a bit artificial. But I see no reason why you couldn’t set your own pace and do one reading per day and thereby read all of Paul’s letters in 90 days (Wax acknowledges this).

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Wisdom in John Calvin’s Exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:1-31

I have been spending a fair amount of time of late working through 1 Corinthians for the Blessed Hope Podcast, (Season Three — “God Is Faithful” A Deep Dive into 1 Corinthians) and for my re-edited exposition of 1 Corinthians in the Lectio Continua Series (Reformation Heritage Books). A couple of things have become very apparent to me.

First, although often overlooked among the Reformed (who seem more at home in Galatians, Romans, and Ephesians—Paul’s doctrinal epistles) I am repeatedly struck by how an occasional letter (like 1 Corinthians) speaks so powerfully to many of the issues the church is facing today—especially since a number of the same issues confronting Christians in a Greco-Roman pagan city such as Corinth have resurfaced before our very eyes. If you haven’t read or studied Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in awhile I encourage you to do so.

Second, having read much of Calvin’s commentary on 1 Corinthians for these projects, it is apparent that Calvin was very much interested in ecclesiology—a major theme in Paul’s letter. As Tadataka Maruyama points out, at the urging of Farel, Calvin completed this commentary in November of 1545 and saw it published the next year—at a time when Calvin was very much concerned with “the legitimate form of the church,” which, as Calvin argues, was revealed in the two marks of a church, Word and Sacrament. This explains why Calvin’s commentary has such sharp responses to the Anabaptists, Libertines, and Nicodemites of his day—the latter a reference to someone who conceals their true views to avoid persecution or conflict. Antecedents to the teaching of all of these groups can indeed be found in first century Corinth and Calvin made much of this fact in his commentary.[1]

Calvin’s work on 1 Corinthians might just be his best commentary and should not be overlooked. Calvin is feisty in places (as is Paul), at times he manifests a wry sense of humor, and his pastoral heart and wisdom come through in so many instances throughout. We ought to keep in mind that Calvin is doing something quite new when writing this commentary—he is looking to Paul for aid in developing a Reformed (Presbyterian) ecclesiology for the Genevan church while at the same time wrestling with the interconnectedness of like-minded churches in different locales with prominent and independent leaders (Farel, Bucer, Bullinger etc.,). This commentary is a real gem and you can find it here.

To whet your whistle to read and study 1 Corinthians and/or check out Calvin’s commentary here are a number of quotes from Calvin from his commentary[2]. These are but a few brief examples from the first chapter of 1 Corinthians.

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Paul on the Nature and Danger of the Issues Facing the Corinthians

During Paul’s absence false apostles had crept in, not, in my opinion, to disturb the Church openly with wicked doctrines, or designedly to undermine sound doctrine; but, priding themselves in the splendour and magnificence of their address, or rather, being puffed up with an empty loftiness of speech, they looked upon Paul’s simplicity, and even the Gospel itself, with contempt (Volume 1, Page 37).

Note: when Calvin speaks of “false apostles,” we may immediately think of the Judaizers in Galatia. But Calvin quickly clarifies who these individuals were—those enamored with Greek wisdom—and what was driving them, ambition.

They afterwards, by their ambition, gave occasion for the Church being split into various parties; and, last of all, reckless as to every thing, provided only they were themselves held in estimation, made it their aim to promote their own honor, rather than Christ’s kingdom and the people’s welfare (Volume 1, Page 37).

To rest the rest of Calvin's comments, follow the link below

John Calvin, Reformed Resources, Biblical TheologyKim RiddlebargerAugust 21, 2024Calvin on 1 CorinthiansComment

"Sex and Marriage" -- The Blessed Hope Podcast Is Back! What Does Paul Say About These Matters in 1 Corinthians 7:1-11?

Episode Synopsis:

Sex and marriage were pressing issues in Corinth. Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus Christ during Paul’s Gentile mission were learning the biblical sexual ethic for the first time. Grounded in the creation order, the Ten Commandments, and the teaching of Jesus, it did not take long for the Corinthians to understand that sex was not merely a pleasurable bodily function, but biblical sexuality has a strong moral foundation. That meant that much of the common sexual attitudes and practices of the Greco-Roman world were in direct conflict with Paul’s teaching regarding sexual ethics.

As these new Christians learned the teaching of Jesus, it was clear that Jesus limited sexual relations to marriage and taught that divorce was an illustration of fallen human nature. The Corinthians also learned that Christians understand sex as a part of something much larger–the way in which God created things, and that God assigned sexual activity to marriage which was intended to be a lifelong commitment centered around the family. It was difficult for the Corinthians to embrace Christian sexual ethics because they went against the grain of so much Corinthian culture and religion. It is also hard to both unlearn something you’ve embraced all your life (pagan sexuality) and then learn a new way to think about sex and marriage–a view which at first glance seems quite restrictive.

To see the show notes and listen to the podcast, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerAugust 19, 2024Sex and Marraige, 1 Corinthians 7:1-11Comment

“The Seventieth Week” Daniel 9:24-27 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Eighteen)

The Seventieth and Final Week of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” Prophecy

As famed philosopher-catcher Yogi Berra once quipped, “when you come to a fork in the road, take it!” When we come to Daniel 9:27 and read of one who makes a strong covenant with the many for one week (the seventieth), we have come to such an interpretive fork in the road. Is Daniel speaking about a future antichrist making a seven-year peace treaty with Israel which marks the beginning of the tribulation? Or is Daniel instead speaking of the coming of the Messiah, who makes a strong covenant on behalf of those whom he is about to redeem at the climax of his messianic mission? The choice is fundamental as to how we understand this prophecy. Christ or the Antichrist?

The Context for Daniel’s Messianic Prophecy

In the previous expositions of Daniel 9, we have been working our way through a passage which includes the famous prophecy of the “seventy weeks” (vv. 24-27). As we noted throughout our time in this chapter, this is one of the most disputed and difficult prophecies in all the Old Testament. But everyone does agree that it is also one of the most important Old Testament prophecies. Although those influenced by dispensationalism see this prophecy as predicting a future seven-year tribulation period and a peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel, the prophecy makes much better sense when seen as a messianic prophecy, predicting the coming of Jesus (Israel’s Messiah) with great accuracy and specificity–the so-called “messianic interpretation.”

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“The Error of Teaching That Faith Itself Is Reckoned as Righteousness” — The Rejection of Errors, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort (4)

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those:

IV Who teach that what is involved in the new covenant of grace which God the Father made with men through the intervening of Christ’s death is not that we are justified before God and saved through faith, insofar as it accepts Christ’s merit, but rather that God, having withdrawn his demand for perfect obedience to the law, counts faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, as perfect obedience to the law, and graciously looks upon this as worthy of the reward of eternal life.

For they contradict Scripture: “They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ, whom God presented as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (Rom. 3:24–25). And along with the ungodly Socinus, they introduce a new and foreign justification of man before God, against the consensus of the whole church.

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Because of the use of biblical terminology it is easy to miss the fact that the Arminian view of the justice of God and the nature of the atonement inevitably distorts the biblical doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone as confessed by the Reformed churches.

The Arminian does so by defining justification in such a way that the biblical ground of our justification (the imputed righteousness of Christ) is transformed into a doctrine of human merit. This can be confusing because Arminians do indeed use the biblical language of forgiveness, imputation, and “faith alone.” But all of these terms are redefined in a manner which does not comport with the biblical usage of these words, nor with the doctrine of the Reformers.

According to the Arminian system, justification should be understood as follows. Due to Adam’s fall all men and women have a universal tendency toward sinfulness. But the death of Christ secures a prevenient grace for all men and women, which enables people to use their free-will to seek after God and righteousness, and then come to Jesus Christ through faith. Since God has arbitrarily decided that he will regard the blood of a sacrificial victim as a sufficient demonstration of his love and justice (thereby allowing him to remit sin), he has also determined that when someone exercises faith in Christ, God will arbitrarily regard the personal exercise of faith as though it were righteousness.

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The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerAugust 12, 2024Imputing Faith as RighteousnessComment