Countercult Apologetics

Here is an interesting lecture by Michael Heiser on the topic The Concept of a Godhead in the Old Testament. Click here to watch presentation.

Heiser is the Mike the Academic Editor of Logos Bible Software.

Listen to H. Wayne House as he lectures on The Jesus Who Never Lived: False Christs and the Authentic Jesus (from Oct. 22). According to House, this is will be the titled of a forthcoming book. I like the title!

Listen to Rev. Dr. A. Craig Troxel as he addresses The Emerging Church:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Seminar notes are located here.

Dr. Anthony Curto, professor at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary spoke last year at the Reformed Bible Conference for The Bible Presbyterian Church of Olympia. Olympia, WA 98506. His three messages are as follows:

Part 1 – The Leader of the Evangelistic Enterprise
Part 2 – The Agent of the Evangelistic Enterprise (note: Due to technical difficulties this file is missing the first portion of Dr. Curto’s message
Part 3 – The Motive of the Evangelistic Enterprise.

This Summer, Dr. Curto taught a course at the Pastor’s Summer Institute on the theme “A Reformed Witness in the Local Community.” From what I hear, this was some of the best lectures on this topic. GPTS did video tape the course and DVDs and MP3 are available, but I do not have all the information. I’m sure if you contacted the seminary they would put you through to the right person.

My friend Dustin Segers has put together an apologetics conference that might interest you if you are in the area. Here is the schedule:

Saturday, November 10, 2007
1:00-1:40 pm Rob Lundberg – Responding to Cultural Relativism
1:45-2:25 pm Rob Lundberg – Responding to Religious Pluralism
2:30-3:10 pm Rob Lundberg – Understanding Worldviews
3:15-3:55 pm J. P. Holding – Trusting the New Testament 1
4:00-4:40 pm J. P. Holding – Trusting the New Testament 2
4:45-5:25 pm J. P. Holding – Trusting the New Testament 3
5:30-6:20 pm R. K. MacGregor Wright – What IS “Islam? Introductory Considerations
6:25-7:05 pm R. K. MacGregor Wright – What is “Jihad”? Political Correctness vs. The Documentation

Sunday, November 11, 2007
10:15-11:05 am R.K. MacGregor Wright – Muhammed and His Qur’an
11:10-12:00 noon Julia Castle – Is The Muslim My Neighbor?
12:00-1:15 pm Agape Meal (Lord’s Supper Meal and Fellowship)
1:20-2:10 pm R.K. MacGregor Wright – Reaching the Muslim Mind. Islamic Apologetics

Here are two recent debates that might be of interest:

Dinesh D’Souza & Christopher Hitchens debate “Is Christianity the Problem?” You can also watch the debate here

and

John Lennox and Richard Dawkins “The God Delusion” Debate. You can also purchase a DVD of the debate by clicking here.

Thank you Frank Walton for keeping up on all of this.

I first mention Kim Riddlebarger’s new series back on Oct. 1. His series is not complete and ready for download:

Part 1 – The Biblical Doctrine of Antichrist (09/28/07)
Part 2 – The Man of Lawlessness: Nero? The Pope? Someone Yet to Come? (10/05/2007)
Part 3 – The Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet (10/12/07)
Part 4 – A Problem for Preterists (10-19-07).

Below is my summary of a book required this year for Presbyterian Church History at Greenville Presbyerian Theological Seminary:

Book Summary: Colonial Presbyterianism: Old Faith in a New Land (Pickwick Publication 2007)

Colonialism were exciting times then and they continue to be for those interested in this period of American history. In particular, the religious aspect of colonialism are riveting times, especially for Presbyterians. Recently published on this issue is Colonial Presbyterianism: Old Faith in a New Land (Pickwick Publication 2007), which is an addition to the Princeton Theological Monograph Series. This volume contains some of the finest scholars on Presbyterianism such as C. N. Willborn, D. G. Hart and David Calhoun, and is the most “comprehensive study of this formative period in American Presbyterian History” published in the last fifty years.[1]

While the book contains articles describing various individuals, events and movements, there is cohesion and a logical progression to the material. An appendix containing a chronology of Presbyterian history is included to chart a overview of the time periods, events and people.[2] Even though the book was published in 2007, it was written to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first Presbytery in American, which occurred in 2006. Resembling any history text, the authors rehash material that most of us do not think about, but their “hope is that these brief glimpses into the colonial period will change encourage the contemporary church to faithful service in God’s vineyard…believing that these founding fathers have something valuable to say to us.”[3]

In this short paper I will only discuss six of the ten chapters[4] beginning with “The Log College” by David Calhoun. What Calhoun addresses in this article should be of interest to many in the Church today, especially future pastors. While William Tennent, founder of the Log College, was himself trained (University of Edinburgh) at a prestigious institution his passion seemed to be in training (on a smaller scale) men for the gospel ministry. He started this with training his own family and “some other young men who wanted to study for the ministry.”[5] There is no indication that Tennent would have desired to see the Log College grow into the equivalent of our seminaries today.[6] The reader will certainly take notice of the fact that “most ministerial candidates…lived and studied with an experienced pastor.”[7] These were unique times, with pastors understanding their unique call to gospel ministry and entrusting the sacred words to other “worthy men.”[8]

While Tennent enjoyed the personal training of men for ministry he obviously had bigger plans than the few individuals he had in his home (including his children). Therefore, in 1727 Tennent opened the door to the Log College. While the college only last “less then twenty years”[9] according to Leonard Trinterud it was “the most important event in colonial Presbyterianism.”[10]

Forty years after the founding of the Log College, Jonathan Dickinson became president of the College of New Jersey, later becoming Princeton University. According to Bryan LeBeau[11], Dickinson “would become a leader in what has been called the formative years of American Presbyterianism.”[12] Dickinson was an early colonial Presbyterian/Christian apologist as he not only was involved (for good or ill, ) in “in-house debates”[13] as well as defending Christianity for its reasonableness.

The next chapter by C. N. Willborn is titled “Gilbert Tennent — Pietist, Preacher, and Presbyterian” which Willborn provides the reader with a great survey of the life of Tennent. Willborn conveys the good, bad and the ugly, and then again, the good of Gilbert Tennent. Stating it as an oddity Willborn begins by explaining that when it comes to the Great Awakening, Tennent is one of those men who are often overlooked.[14] Quickly after receiving his Masters degree and being licensed, “his ministry for the next several years was marked by hasty words, little respect for others, and an independent spirit.”[15]

Along with this independent spirit and his circuit preaching, Tennent, while a Calvinist, was highly concern with numbers and conversion experiences and looked for unity based on praxis, rather than unity based on orthodoxy.[16]

Tennent was very much involved with the schism between the Old Side and New Side Presbyterianism. Tennent was on the New Side, which consisted of individuals characterized by the revivalism of the day. His sermon The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry (1740) helped push along the schism that finally occurred in 1741 between the Old and New Schools.

Very shortly after the schism, we see Tennent beginning to come to terms with the error of his ways and seeing the errors of his fellow evangelists.[17] While he helped split Presbyterianism (in large part with his Dangers sermon), he also helped heal the two parties with a sermon as well.[18] Tennent’s life could be characterized by two statement, he sinned boldly, but as a man, he repented boldly.[19]

Next, D. G. Hart expands on the schism and reunion between the Old Side and New Side previously mentioned in the chapter authored by C.N. Willborn. Hart characterizes the division by stating “perhaps the most significant aspect of the conundrum…was theological. The new side party promoted revivals and in turn made an issue out of whether ministers supported these awakening as evidence of God’s work among them…. The Old Side was the conservative party that was trying to uphold strict subscription to the Westminster Standards as well as Presbyterian polity….”[20]

In some respects coming away from the Old and New Side controversies James A. Smylie picks up the next chapter discussing “Samuel Davies — Preacher, Teacher, and Pastor.” Davies, with his educational background, his love for people, his zeal to share the gospel and shepherd the saints, is a great example for any young man heading into pastoral ministry. Licensed to preach and set to go to Virginia as an evangelist at the age 20, “Davies was primarily a preacher, teacher and a pastor…. His sermons touched upon the educational, pastoral and emotional needs of his people.[21]

The final essay is by L. Gordon Tait titled “John Witherspoon’s Prescription for a Nation Strong, Free, and Virtuous.” The marvelous thing about John Witherspoon besides his important role in American government was that his “prescription for a strong, free and virtuous nation begins and ends with piety, no political theory, not constitutions, or ethics, but piety” and this piety sprang out of from the scriptures and ones love for God.[22]

As was mentioned earlier this book is a great introduction to early American Presbyterianism. In particular, this book is an excellent reminder of the failures and triumphs of men of God.[23] Colonial Presbyterianism is a reminder how young ministers of the gospel should conduct themselves in and outside of the pulpit. Not only do these founding fathers have something to say to us, but their actions speak louder then words. They are good example to follow as they did their best to follow Christ.

——————————————————————————–

[1] Mark Noll, an excerpt from the back cover of Colonial Presbyterianism.
[2] This is a very basic outline. One would do well to type the outline in a computer and as he reads, add other significant material that shaped the landscape during these times.
[3] S. Donald Fortson III, ed., Colonial Presbyterians: Old Faith in a new Land (Oregon: Pickwick Publication 2007), xi.
[4] The six I’ll mention are the ones I have read from this publication. This should be no indication the other chapters are not as important as the ones I will be referring to.
[5] Ibid., 48.
[6] I am not denying the idea that he would liked to have seen many individuals come to the Log College for ministerial training. But one can not help take notice of the intimacy he preferred to have with this students.
[7] Ibid., 49. It is mentioned a number of times the importance of mentoring between a pastor and those to whom he will pass the baton of the gospel to. Calhoun mentions that “the important role that mentoring plays in vocational training has become widely recognized today.” Ibid., 60. At this point in time, I am not convinced that Calhoun has correctly assessed our ecclesiastical training culture. While there are certainly pockets of pastors committed to training young men for the ministry, this is by far the exception today.
[8] See 2 Tim. 1.
[9] Ibid., 50
[10] Ibid.
[11] c.f. “Jonathan Dickinson and the Reasonableness of Christianity.” Colonial, 113-134.
[12] ibid., 113.
[13] For example, according to LeBeau, Dickinson “quite likely drafted the compromise that became the Adopting Act of 1729.” Ibid., 118. He also defended (among other things) Presbyterianism against the Baptists and Anglicans. Ibid., 120.
[14] Ibid., 135.
[15] Ibid., 138.
[16] Ibid., 142 & 143.
[17] I am specifically referring to George Whitefield, see page 149 in Colonial Presbyterianism.
[18] “Irenicum; or, a Plea for the Peace of Jerusalem”, preached in 1749.
[19] Ibid., 155.
[20] Ibid., 158. According to C.N. Willborn’s class lectures, Hart does not have it totally accurate at this point. Hart does not make the dichotomy between revival (which the Old and New Side were for) and revivalism (which the Old side was against).
[21] Ibid., 182 & 83.
[22] Ibid., 199.
[23] Where the chapter was worth reading and there was some good material therein, the chapter on Witherspoon was not as exciting as the others.

Click here.

Note sure how long this will stay up, so watch now!

I found this quote from Richard Bauckham on this blog:

‘When John uses “Word” in the opening verses of his Prologue, he means simply this: the divine Word, which all Jews understood on the basis of Genesis to have been active in the creation of all things. Moreover, there was no question of this Word being something or someone created. As God’s own Word, it was intrinsic to God’s own unique identity. To say that all things were created by the word did not compromise the belief that God alone was the Creator of all things, since his Word belonged to his own identity. In fact, to say, as John does, that all things came into being through the Word is precisely to categorize the Word as belonging to the identity of God rather than to the creation.’

The full article can be found here and the article (perhaps updated) will also be located in Bauckham’s forthcoming volume The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History, and Theology in the Gospel of John (Baker, 2007).