The Riddleblog

Mike Horton's New Book -- Shaman and Sage

Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

The first volume of Michael Horton’s magisterial intellectual history of “spiritual but not religious” as a phenomenon in Western culture
Discussions of the rapidly increasing number of people identifying as “spiritual but not religious” tend to focus on the past century. But the SBNR phenomenon and the values that underlie it may be older than Christianity itself.

Michael Horton reveals that the hallmarks of modern spirituality—autonomy, individualism, utopianism, and more—have their foundations in Greek philosophical religion. Horton makes the case that the development of the shaman figure in the Axial Age—particularly its iteration among Orphists—represented a “divine self.” One must realize the divinity within the self to break free from physicality and become one with a panentheistic unity. Time and time again, this tradition of divinity hiding in nature has arisen as an alternative to monotheistic submission to a god who intervenes in creation.

This first volume traces the development of a utopian view of the human individual: a divine soul longing to break free from all limits of body, history, and the social and natural world. When the second and third volumes are complete, students and scholars will consult The Divine Self as the authoritative guide to the “spiritual but not religious” tendency as a recurring theme in Western culture from antiquity to the present.

Mike’s been working on this for some time. I was privileged to read an early draft. This a profound and an important work. This is the first of three volumes. You can order it here: Michael Horton, Shaman and Sage

History and Culture, Reformed ResourcesKim RiddlebargerMay 17, 2024Spiritual but not ReligiousComment

A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast -- "Washed, Sanctified, Justified" (1 Corinthians 6:1-11)

Episode Synopsis:

Corinth was a booming city with lots of new money and great stress upon the power and prestige that goes with it. One way to enhance your public image was to take advantage of those who had something you wanted or needed, or to shame a rival or get a leg up on someone you didn’t like, was to sue them in civil court. Corinth was a very litigious place with one citizen complaining that there were far too many lawyers in the city. The legal system in Corinth was rigged to favor those of means who could bribe a judge or hire a lawyer to obtain a favorable verdict over someone who had no means of defending themselves. Court proceedings took place in the city’s marketplace, so such lawsuits became a public spectacle.

Upon learning that Christians were participating in this kind of civil litigation, Paul addresses the matter of how such practices harmed the church and its witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter who won such a lawsuit. Paul reminds the Corinthians that the church is the spiritual temple of God, composed of those redeemed by Jesus Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Paul rebukes them for using the courts to exploit each other, an affront to the body of Christ. He reminds them that since one day they will judge the world, what business do they have to engage in such practices before the watching pagans. Such personal disputes are to settled within the church.

Paul reminds the Corinthians of what they once had been–sexually immoral, liars, drunkards, swindlers, and the like. But now, they are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus Christ. Given what they were in light of what they now are, how can the Corinthians continue to drag each other into court to gain advantage over a fellow believer? This is a defeat for the Corinthians, no matter who wins or loses in court. Better to lose than to participate in such an unjust system.

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

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerMay 15, 2024Christian Liberty, sexual immorality, sexual purityComment

I Was a Recent Guest on the “Lets Ask a Theologian” Podcast

To watch/listen to the podcast (YouTube), follow the link below

“Faith God’s Gift” -- Article Seven, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 7: Faith God’s Gift

But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction receive this favor solely from God’s grace—which he owes to no one—given to them in Christ from eternity.

______________________________

Since our race has fallen in Adam, and we are sinful by nature, we can do nothing on our own to come to faith in Christ. Indeed, we cannot even do anything to prepare ourselves to come to faith apart from a prior act of God on our behalf (calling and regeneration). The Canons remind us yet again that faith does not arise because fallen sinners have the power, desire, or the ability to believe the gospel when it is preached to them.

The Scriptures repeatedly tell us that faith is a gift from God. In fact, faith only arises within when the Holy Spirit creates it in the human heart through the preaching of the gospel. As Luther once pointed out, God creates faith in the heart, just like he created the world from nothing. Unless and until God does this, we gladly remain unbelievers.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerMay 13, 2024Faith as gift from GodComment

On John Wesley's “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”

John Wesley’s vexing book, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (London: Epworth Press, 1952), is an altogether miserable read, and known by its critics for its glaring imperfections (pun intended). Written in 1766, you can find it in its entirety here: A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.

John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism, was for a time an evangelical luminary—people in such circles often spoke of him on a par with the Protestant Reformers. But Wesley has fallen out of favor of late—no doubt due to the rigorous obedience tied to his “Methodist” system. The Methodist church which he helped to found has for the most part gone the way of all flesh, making the news recently for a whole bunch of reasons completely beyond the foresight of the movement’s founder. Wesley is, no doubt, turning in his grave over the path the Methodists have taken to full apostasy.

In the evangelicalism in which I was raised, Wesley was held in high esteem largely because of the story of his dramatic conversion at Aldersgate St. in London in 1738. He was “strangely warmed”when hearing the “preface” to Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans read aloud. It is often quipped that it is too bad Wesley didn’t go on to read the entirety of Luther’s commentary. Anyone who reads Wesley’s A Plain Account discovers a mass of confusion and contradictions as he affirms one thing, and then quickly backtracks on much of his prior teaching so as to define and defend his doctrine of “Christian perfectionism,” also called “sinless perfection,” or “entire sanctification.”

On occasion, when I mention his perfectionism, people will often challenge me, saying something like, “it can’t be that bad.” No, in fact, it is worse. When I tell them what Wesley actually taught in A Plain Account they simply can’t believe it. So, I keep my Kindle close by to show the quotations replicated below. I recently addressed Wesley’s take on election and good works to make much the same point—Wesley was an Arminian in his soteriology and taught a very confusing, and conscience burdening doctrine of Christian perfectionism.

To read the rest (and excerpts from the book) follow the link below

"Servant and Lord -- The Carmen Christi" (Philippians 2:1-11)

It Isn’t About Me

One of the most famous and well-known passages in all the Bible is the famous hymn to Christ (the Carmen Christi) of verses 6-11 of Philippians 2. Martin Luther writes in his famous essay The Freedom of the Christian, that this passage is a prescribed rule of life which is set forth by the Apostle Paul, who exhorts us to devote our good works to the welfare of our neighbor out of the abundant riches of faith. John Calvin tells us that anyone who reads this passage but fails to see the deity of Jesus and the majesty of God as seen in his saving works, is blind to the things of God.[1] The passage contains a very rich Christology, but is included in this letter not to settle any debate over the person and work of Jesus, but to instruct Christians how to imitate Jesus in a profound and significant way. The Carmen Christi speaks directly to our modern world by reminding us that the self-centered narcissism of contemporary culture is not a virtue, but runs completely contrary to the example set for us to follow by Jesus in his incarnation.

As many of you know, our system of chapters and verses are not in the original biblical text and were first introduced in the 16th century. While they are very helpful in allowing us to find “chapter and verse,” there are times when the chapter breaks disrupt the flow of thought of the original author. We find this in the transition from the opening chapter of Philippians as we move into chapter two. As we go through our passage, we will see that Paul’s exhortation which opens the second chapter is really an expansion of his desire for the Philippians to stand firm (vv. 12-30) and is the basis for his introduction of the Christ hymn (which we will cover momentarily).

Standing Firm in the Face of Persecution

In expressing his candid thoughts to the Philippians, the apostle is reflecting upon the persecution which he himself had faced, particularly in the light of the news which just reached him from Philippi that the Philippians were still facing significant persecution. When Paul was first in the city of Philippi, he was arrested and thrown into jail (Acts 16:12 ff.). Paul was miraculously delivered, the jailer and his household came to faith in Jesus, and as recounted in Acts 17, shortly thereafter, Paul left the city to continue his missionary journey to the Greek cities of Thessalonica and Berea, before finally making his way to Athens.

When Paul writes this letter to the Philippians about ten years later, he is in jail again–this time under house arrest in Rome. Paul knew something about persecution. He knows that the Philippian Christians are facing persecution as well. The Philippians may not be in chains, but they are finding that their fellow Greco-Romans are not accepting nor tolerant of their faith in Jesus. And then there are the Judaizers who have arrived on the scene and are now disrupting church life in Philippi.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Biblical Events, Biblical TheologyKim RiddlebargerMay 8, 2024kenosis, The Christ Hymn, Philippians 2:1-11Comment

“God Has Numbered the Days of Your Kingdom” Daniel 5:13-31 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Eleven)

The Final Bash in the King’s Palace

It was a party like no other. Wine was flowing freely and the thousand or so royal guests seemed completely oblivious to the fact that within hours the party’s host (the Babylonian king Belshazzar) will be dead and the Persian army will have captured the city and the palace in which his guests were partying. King Belshazzar and the great Babylonian empire will be no more. Yet, the events of this fateful evening should not come as a surprise to Belshazzar.

YHWH warned Belshazzar’s more famous predecessor (Nebuchadnezzar) of this very night in a dream recorded in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar saw a gigantic metallic statue with a head of gold (representing Nebuchadnezzar and his empire). But that empire would at some point give way to the Persian empire (represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue). It was the Hebrew prophet Daniel, who, when interpreting the dream, told Nebuchadnezzar of these events yet to transpire. On this very night, YHWH issued a warning of impending judgment in the form of a mysterious handwritten message which suddenly appeared on the wall of the palace for all to see. Daniel is summoned to the king’s palace yet again. This time, Daniel is to interpret a mysterious handwritten message which terrified Belshazzar as well as his guests. The message brings ominous news to Belshazzar. It is YHWH’s declaration of judgment, fulfilling the scene in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

To read the rest follow the link below

The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerMay 6, 2024Belshazzar, Handwriting on the Wall, Fall of BabylonComment

Christ's Spotless Bride -- More New Testament Images of the Church (Part Three)

This is part three of a series on the doctrine of the church entitled Christ’s Spotless Bride. In the previous post, I introduced how the New Testament images of the church are but one way of approaching the doctrine of the church (attributes and marks are other such categories). To understand the value of these images, an analogy to the doctrine of God (theology proper) is in order. Scripture teaches us about God (who is incomprehensible in himself) not only by ascribing certain attributes to him (e.g., justice, knowledge, power) but also by identifying him as a certain kind of person or having a certain kind of role (e.g., king, shepherd, warrior). These New Testament images are analogical and anthropological. God is like but also unlike human kings, and being a king does not exhaust who God is.

The first half of this list of New Testament images of the church can be here. This essay picks up where I left off last time.

Bride of Christ

The imagery of the church as the bride of Christ illustrates the relationship between Jesus and his church as well as his authority to rule over it. According to Michael Horton,

This covenantal relationship [between God and his people] can also be expressed in terms of the marriage analogy, rooted first of all in the union of male and female, becoming “one flesh,” a point that will be developed more fully . . . [in] consideration of the body of Christ. It is especially in the prophets that the marital analogy is appealed to, particularly as a way of highlighting the gravity of Israel’s infidelity to the covenant.[1]

Paul describes the church as Christ’s bride in Ephesians 5:25-31. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus uses the term explicitly in 21:2, 9; 22:17 (cf. 19:9). “Bride” is the last designation used of the church in the New Testament . The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is said to await the people of God when the bridegroom returns for his bride on the last day.

to read the rest, follow the link below

Kim RiddlebargerMay 3, 2024

“Unbelief Man's Responsibility” -- Article Six, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 6: Unbelief Man’s Responsibility

However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault.

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At this point, the authors of the Canons must respond to the perennial and nagging question raised by the biblical teaching about the death of Christ. “Why is it that if Christ died for all, not all are saved?” This is especially the case in light of the Reformed distinctive that Christ’s death was designed to save God’s elect, not merely make all people hypothetically “savable” if they do what God asks them to do–repent and believe.

You have undoubtedly heard questions such as the following. “If the preaching of Christ crucified is the power of God unto salvation, why do not all believe the gospel when it is preached to them?” Where does the fault truly lie when someone does not believe the message of Christ crucified and then perishes eternally?

Since Reformed Christians contend that God alone can save those dead in sin, and since not all are saved, the Arminian will object that the Reformed understanding of the atonement makes God to blame when someone is lost, because God supposedly did nothing to provide for their salvation–the death of Christ being “limited” to the elect. On the Reformed understanding of particular redemption (God will save his elect), is not God himself to blame because he is not being fair in not choosing everyone to be saved? Does this mean that God somehow prevents certain individuals from believing and coming to faith in Christ when he chooses others to be saved, as is so often charged?

To read the rest, follow the link below

Thank You for Listening!

Fifty episodes, so far!

Two full seasons completed (Galatians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians), a seven episode prophecy conference by podcast (“The Future”) completed, and Season Three (on 1 Corinthians) well underway!

Lord willing, many more to come! Romans? The Prison Epistles, the Pastoral Epistles, the Book of Revelation?

And a big milestone for downloads is coming up . . .

Thank you!

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerApril 29, 202450 Episodes

"A Man Has His Father's Wife" -- (1 Corinthians 5:1-13) A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast!

Episode Synopsis:

When passing through Ephesus, where Paul was living at the time, members of Chloe’s family informed Paul of a situation in the Corinthian church of such a serious nature that Paul is taken aback. A man in the Corinthian church (presumably known to the church but unnamed by Paul) is cohabiting with his father’s wife. Such conduct was scandalous to the point that even the sexually libertine Greco-Roman pagans were offended by it. While the man’s conduct was shameful, what troubles Paul more is that the leaders of the Corinthian church had done nothing about it.

In chapter 5 of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorts them to excommunicate the man so as to turn him over to Satan so that he might be saved on the day of judgment. What Paul means by this is a matter of some controversy and we will address it in detail in this episode. Paul tells the Corinthians that he has already pronounced judgment about the matter, and even though he cannot come to them in person, he is with them in spirit. They must act and remove the man from the church.

Paul’s exhortation to act must be seen in light of the removal of leaven in an act of “cleansing the temple,” along with the practice of the removal of all leaven from Jewish homes on the eve of the annual Passover celebration. Leaven symbolizes uncleanness, and the danger it poses is that even a small amount quickly spreads throughout the loaf rendering the whole unclean. Since the Corinthian church is the spiritual temple of Christ they cannot allow such scandalous immorality in their midst.

Paul also learns that the Corinthians had badly misunderstood his prior letter to them. They took his exhortation not to be “mixed up” with sexually immoral people as though Paul meant that they should avoid contact with all non-Christians. Paul takes this opportunity to correct them. The Corinthians have it backwards. They are not to judge non-Christians. God will do that. But they are to judge those in their midst who claim to be followers of Christ but who still live like pagans.

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

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerApril 29, 2024excommunication, Judging othersComment

Calvin’s Summation of Christ's Saving Work in the Apostles' Creed

One of my favorite sections from Calvin’s Institutes is his summation of Christ alone, wrapping up his brief exposition of the Apostles’ Creed (Institutes 2.16.19). Calvin writes,

We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ (Acts 4:12). We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is “of him” (1 Cor. 1:30). If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects (Heb. 2:17) that he might learn to feel our pain (cf. Heb. 5:2). If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross (Gal. 3:13); if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other. Some men, not content with him alone, are borne hither and thither from one hope to another; even if they concern themselves chiefly with him, they nevertheless stray from the right way in turning some part of their thinking in another direction. Yet such distrust cannot creep in where men have once for all truly known the abundance of his blessings.

Amen and Amen!

B. B. Warfield on the Formation of New Testament Canon

B. B. Warfield’s magisterial essay “The Formation of the Canon of the New Testament” was published in 1892. You can find the essay here. It has also been included in the various editions of Warfield’s The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible.

Here a few gems from that essay.

Warfield reminds us that the apostolic church did not “invent” the idea of a canon of New Testament books. The church possessed a canon of inspired and authoritative books from the very beginning–the Old Testament. The church was, therefore, never without a “canon.”

In order to obtain a correct understanding of what is called the formation of the Canon of the New Testament, it is necessary to begin by fixing very firmly in our minds one fact which is obvious enough when attention is once called to it. That is, that the Christian church did not require to form for itself the idea of a “canon” — or, as we should more commonly call it, of a “Bible” — that is, of a collection of books given of God to be the authoritative rule of faith and practice. It inherited this idea from the Jewish church, along with the thing itself, the Jewish Scriptures, or the "Canon of the Old Testament." The church did not grow up by natural law: it was founded. And the authoritative teachers sent forth by Christ to found His church, carried with them, as their most precious possession, a body of divine Scriptures, which they imposed on the church that they founded as its code of law. No reader of the New Testament can need proof of this; on every page of that book is spread the evidence that from the very beginning the Old Testament was as cordially recognized as law by the Christian as by the Jew. The Christian church thus was never without a “Bible” or a “canon.”

To read the rest, follow the link below

B. B. WarfieldKim RiddlebargerApril 24, 2024The NT CanonComment

“There Is a Man in Your Kingdom” Daniel 5:1–12 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Ten)

A Dream Becomes Reality

Nebuchadnezzar foresaw this terrible night in a dream–a great empire, crumbling by the day, now entering its final hours. In his visionary dream of a gigantic metallic statue with a head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar saw the greatness of his own empire, even as Daniel warned him that both the king and his empire would come to an end–crushed by a rock cut from a mountain without human hands. Now, Nebuchadnezzar is long since dead and gone with the last of the Babylonian kings (Belshazzar, co-regent with his father–Nabonidus) on the throne. The year is 539 BC. Although Daniel does not reveal the circumstances behind the debauchery seen in the opening verses of chapter 5 until the closing verses of the chapter, this is the Kingdom of Babylon’s last night. Persian armies are about to take the city of Babylon through a daring commando raid using the city’s dried-up water supply. Instead of leading the city’s defenders in an effort to save the city, Belshazzar hosts a massive drunken party as though all were right with the world. On this night, the last hours of the great Babylonian empire, Belshazzar spends it drinking and mocking YHWH, even as YHWH takes his kingdom from him and gives it to another–the Persian conqueror of the city, Darius the Mede. All of this was foretold in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of Daniel 2.

In Daniel 5, the circumstances are greatly different from those at the end of Daniel 4 (v. 37), when Nebuchadnezzar confessed–even if reluctantly–“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC–twenty three years before the events recounted here. A list of short-term successors had taken Nebuchadnezzar’s place. The first was the king’s own son, Amel-Marduk, who was assassinated by his brother-in-law in 560 (reigning just two years). One of those who plotted his death (Neriglessar) ruled until 556, and was succeeded by his own son, Labashi-Marduk, who was brought down just a few months into his reign by a coup lead by Nabonidus, an unpopular eccentric known for his devotion to the god “Sin” instead of the traditional and most favored Babylonian god, Marduk (Bel).

To read the rest, follow the link below

Spring Musings (4/19/2024)

Riddleblog and Blessed Hope Podcast Updates:

The missus and I have a busy schedule coming up so there may be a short interruption or two in the Blessed Hope Podcast release schedule. Also, I’ll be taking a break after I complete chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians.
I am making my exposition of Paul’s Thessalonian letters available as a free download to listeners of the Blessed Hope Podcast. You can check it out here: “When the Lord Is Revealed from Heaven”
You can also download “For Freedom!” my exposition of Galatians: "For Freedom!" -- An Expositional Commentary on Galatians

Thinking Out loud:

My YouTube feed keeps popping up reruns from the old Carol Burnett show. One is Tim Conway as the old man shuffling along. I can’t watch it and not think of Joe Biden!
MLB must do something about umpire Angel Hernandez—he’s harming the integrity of the game and has become a laughing stock.
When will pro-Palestinian protesters get it? Making death threats, interrupting speeches and public meetings, blocking roads, bridges, and airports is anything but helpful to their cause. It infuriates people. Just stop already!
I am taken aback by how those who were screaming for Bill Clinton to be impeached because of his tortured definition of “is,” now seem to have no problem at all with Trump paying off Playboy bunnies and porn stars.

To read the rest , follow the link below

"The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All" -- Article Five, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All

Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.

__________________________________________

Having labored in articles 1-4 to establish that the purpose of the death of Christ is to be found in the satisfaction of God’s wrath toward sinners who have sinned against his infinite holiness, the Canons now make the point that the very nature of the saving work of Christ demands that it be proclaimed universally to sinners. The proclamation of the cross of Christ (i.e., the gospel) is the primary means by which God calls his elect to faith.

In article 3 of the first head of doctrine, the Canons teach that God has not only ordained the ends (who will be saved), he has also ordained the means by which he will save them (the preaching of the gospel). Scripture connects the end (the salvation of God’s elect), with the means by which God saves his elect; the death of his only begotten son, whose shed blood is more precious than gold or silver.

The previous articles under the second head of doctrine (1-4) make the case that the death of Christ is the only possible means by which God’s anger towards sinners can be satisfied and turned away from them (as a propitiation). Therefore, it is the gospel–defined by Paul as the proclamation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) proclaimed in such a way that Christ’s death is publicly placarded before sinners (Galatians 3:1)–which must be proclaimed to sinners. This is so that sinners might understand that God’s anger toward them is satisfied only by the death of Christ. Called to faith through the message of Christ crucified, sinners will trust in the satisfaction of Christ to save them from God’s anger toward their sin. Once in Christ through faith, sinners receive the forgiveness of sins, and the free gift of eternal life.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerApril 17, 2024Evangelism, Preaching the gospelComment

"Shall I Come With a Rod?" Paul Deals With Challenges to His Apostolic Office (1 Corinthians 4:1-21)— A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast!

Episode Synopsis:

Paul expressed a fair bit of righteous anger in his letter to the Galatians–calling those taken in by false teachers foolish people who have been all-too easily bewitched by false teachers. In 1 Corinthians 4, the apostle again expresses his frustration, speaking sarcastically of those who think of themselves as rich (when they are poor), and as kings who act as though they rule the church (when they are not). But Paul will have none of it. It matters not to him what the immature in Corinth think of him. What matters is that God is judge of such things, not the Corinthians.

Paul reminds them that ministers are God’s servants who proclaim the gospel of Christ crucified, not faction leaders who seek to draw followers unto themselves. God has entrusted the mysteries of the gospel to his ministers and he will judge their motives. Neither Paul nor Apollos have sought to please them–both men sought to be faithful to the charge given them by Christ to preach the gospel. Addicted to pagan ways of thinking and doing, the Corinthians still think and act like citizens of this present evil age, not as citizens of the age to come. Since the Corinthians are puffed-up by their misguided pride, Paul reminds them of all that he has suffered for the sake of Christ so as to preach the gospel and conduct his missionary journeys. When reviled he blesses. When persecuted he presses on. When slandered he is gracious. Yet, he is still treated as scum and filth. These immature Corinthians are unwitting slaves to their own pride and have earned the sarcastic rebuke from Paul we find in 1 Corinthians 4.

As their father in the faith, Paul is not writing to shame them, but to urge them to imitate him. So far, he has been prevented from returning to Corinth, so he sent Timothy in his absence. Lord willing the apostle will make his way back to Corinth, but until be does, he reminds them that through this letter and in the power of the Holy Spirit he is present with them. The question with which Paul leaves the Corinthians is, “when I come, shall I bring the rod, or shall I come in a spirit of love and gentleness?” The choice is up to them. Mend their ways and embrace humility, or face the discipline of the apostle.

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

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerApril 15, 2024Challenges to Paul's AuthorityComment

A Request from Monergism.Com

Monergism.com is an invaluable resource. John Hendryx, the proprietor, has been providing great free resources for over a decade. Here’s the purpose statement from the “about” section of the Monergism.com website if you are not familiar with them.

Monergism.com is a free, comprehensive online theological library comprised of Reformed Christian resources designed to bring glory to Jesus Christ alone. The directory consists of original and aggregated content from around the world emphasizing the good news that salvation is God's free gift for guilty sinners, not a reward for the righteous.

John sent out the following request earlier this week. Monergism.com is well worth supporting. Check out the links provided at the end of the request if you wish to sample the sort of resources they provide.

You can read John’s request and check out their free resources by following the link below

Reformed ResourcesKim RiddlebargerApril 13, 2024monergism, monergism.comComment

Free to Blessed Hope Podcast Listeners -- "When the Lord Jesus is Revealed from Heaven"

When I am not yelling at clouds and chasing the neighbor kids out of the yard, I have stayed pretty busy in retirement.

As you may know, I have been going through the letters of Paul in historical (not canonical) order in my Blessed Hope Podcast. So far, I have completed Galatians, Paul's Thessalonian letters, and I am now deep into 1 Corinthians.

As a premium for listeners who make it through each season of the pod, I make an expanded version of the manuscript available free of charge as a PDF download. I figure if people can stand to listen to me for twenty plus hours of each season, they ought to get something for free.

My expositional commentary for season two, "When the Lord Jesus Is Revealed from Heaven" is now ready for download. Note, these have not been professionally edited (which is expensive) so that I can offer them at no cost.

You can find more information and downloading instructions here: The Blessed Podcast Season Two, free PDF download

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerApril 12, 2024Paul's Thessalonian LettersComment

X Marks the Spot, Or So The Prophecy Pundits Say . . .

According to Jonathan Brentner at Rapture Ready, the recent solar eclipse is the harbinger of God’s coming judgment upon America. The judgment will come about for two reasons, Brentner writes. One is the moral decay in America, specifically among the politicians. This includes the pressure Biden has put on Israel to back off the pursuit of Hamas. Any nation which does not support Israel will be cursed, based upon a bad misreading of Genesis 12:3. The second reason he offers is that such events are signs of the coming seven-year tribulation.

Of course, there is great moral decline—especially of late. We all see it. Yes politicians are corrupt—when has that not been the case? Yes, there are difficult decisions facing the American president in regard to Israel and Hamas (and Iran). But what does the eclipse have to do with any of this? Well, says Brentner, it has happened before:

Brentner writes,

The first solar eclipse occurred on June 16, 1806, with the second completing the X on September 17, 1811. The intersection happened over the New Madrid fault area, which includes an area from Cairo in southern Illinois to nearby New Madrid, MO.

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End Times NuttinessKim RiddlebargerApril 10, 2024The Solar Eclipse Comment