Monthly Archives: September 2013

WCF. II. Of God, And of the Holy Trinity – 1-2. Q & A

WCF & Reformed Theology

Blogging through and answering the questions from G. I. Williamson’s The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes for personal review and comprehension.

WCF. II. Of God, And of the Holy Trinity – 1-2.

1. Where is the proof to be found of the true God’s existence?

Hebrews 11:6 says, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Thus, Williamson says, “The doctrine of God begins, therefore, with the assertion that God is. And to the truth of this assertion (as Scripture informs us) everything testifies” (23).

2. What do we mean when we call God a “Spirit”?

God is pure Spirit, meaning he does not have a body like men.

3. Why does Scripture speak of God as having hands, feet, etc.?

In such instances, Scripture is speaking metaphorically and/or (oftentimes) synecdochically.

4. What is meant by the term “incommunicable”?

This term is used to describe the attributes of God that are not and cannot be communicated to man (image bearer of God).

5. What is meant by the term “attributes”?

“Attribute” in reference to the Divine denotes those qualities belonging to God.

6. What are the incommunicable attributes of God?

The incommunicable attributes of God are: eternity, infinity, immutability. God alone has these attributes.

7. What is meant by the term “communicable”?

The term is used to describe the attributes of God that are and can be communicated to man (image bearer of God).

8. What are some communicable attributes of God?

God has qualities that he bestows (“in a measure”) upon creatures, i.e., the sevenfold list: being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

9. Does our knowledge of a particular fact or truth (for example) have the same qualities as does God’s knowledge of that fact or truth?

No. God’s knowledge of a particular fact or truth is eternal, infinite, and immutable knowledge. That is to say, God’s knowledge of a particular fact or truth is Divine knowledge. Our knowledge is not Divine knowledge. We are creatures. Therefore, we have creaturely knowledge. Creaturely knowledge is finite; it does not have the same qualities as does God’s knowledge.

10. What does God receive?

God receives nothing because His Divine knowledge is eternal, infinite, and immutable. All that we give to God is merely a re-interpretation (reflection) of his Divine knowledge.

11. What simple truth of the doctrine of God is seldom consistently maintained in the thinking of (even Christian) men?

The simple truth of the doctrine of God that is seldom consistently maintained is that all is derivative of God, meaning, “God is the great original. Everything else is, in one way or another, a mere reflection of him” (25). Everything else is analogically related to the doctrine of the knowledge of God.

Evangelical Christian

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“We must learn to know the Scriptures again, as the Reformers and our fathers knew them. We must not grudge the time and the work that it takes. We must know the Scriptures first and foremost for our salvation. . . . But one who will not learn to handle the Bible for himself is not an evangelical Christian” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 54-55).

An Ideal Curriculum

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“God not only gives us inspired teaching in the Bible, but inspired songs too. Songs often do as much as sermons (if not more) to shape our faith. The Scriptures preached and Psalms sung provide an ideal curriculum for shaping the faith of the church” (Michael LeFebvre, Singing the Songs of Jesus: Revisiting the Psalms, 38).

WCF. I. Of the Holy Scriptures – 10. Q & A

WCF & Reformed Theology

Blogging through and answering the questions from G. I. Williamson’s The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes for personal review and comprehension.

WCF. I. Of the Holy Scriptures – 10.

 1. What is the difference between the Roman Catholic and Reformed Churches with regard to the supreme judge in matters of religious controversy?

WCF clearly teaches that Reformed Churches regard the Holy Spirit speaking through Scripture as the “supreme judge” in all matters of religious controversy, e.g., “decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits.” Roman Catholic churches do not believe this: Roman Catholics believe (a) the Roman Church can “infallibly interpret the infallible Word of God” and (b) the Pope can speak officially regarding doctrinal controversies, i.e., the doctrine of Papal infallibility.

2. Can the Church speak infallibly? If not, then how can it speak with authority or value?

No. Only God speaks infallibly (God is infallible, thus, he can speak infallibly). The Church can speak with authority and value insofar as it declares the Word of God.

3. In the Synod of Jerusalem did Peter act as pope? Who made the decision? Upon what was this decision based?

Peter was not acting as pope at the Synod of Jerusalem. The Church made a decision by appealing to the Old Testament (see verses 14-18).

WCF. I. Of the Holy Scriptures – 9. Q & A

WCF & Reformed Theology

Blogging through and answering the questions from G. I. Williamson’s The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes for personal review and comprehension.

WCF. I. Of the Holy Scriptures – 9.

1. False religions deny that the Bible is God’s complete revelation. What other aspect of revelation do they deny?

False religions (and Christian viewpoints that are not fully Biblical) deny the sufficiency-and-perspicuity of Scripture, and they also deny that Scripture interprets itself (since they believe Scripture is deficient, they insist it needs an outside interpreter).

2. In such religions is the Bible important or necessary to the individual believer (according to the view of that religion)?

In such religions the Bible is not necessarily important, since it is not the ultimate standard or authority. The outside interpreter is the authorial matrix; the outside interpreter becomes the standard, thus it becomes necessarily important. (And this is over and against Scripture; it is a myth to insist that Scripture and the outside interpreter, e.g., Tradition, are parallel standards/authorities.

3. Reconcile any apparent conflict between the Reformed insistence that the Bible is self-interpreting and the Reformed teaching that there are to be ministers of the Word ordained with authority to teach the Word in the Churches.

There is no conflict. The Bible is self-interpreting, but the Bible still needs to be studied in depth and taught; there are many hard things in Scripture, but they are understandable. It takes effort and time, it takes exertion and care. Pastor’s are ordained to “study” Scripture (see 2 Timothy 2:15), and after studying to preach!

 4. Are all portions of the Scripture equally simple to understand? If not, does this change the fact that they are self-interpreting? Explain.

No. All portions of Scripture are not equally simple to understand. This is why we say Scripture is self-interpretive – “that difficult places are clarified by the parallel passages which speak more clearly” (18), i.e., oftentimes this is referred to as the “analogy of faith” – all of Scripture is united, “the sense of Scripture is one (not many)” (18) – and since all of Scripture is harmonious and without contradiction you are able to clarify difficult passages by the passages that are not difficult.

 5. Why is creedless Christianity a perversion of this doctrine?

Creeds are evidence that the teaching of Scripture is clear and has perspicuity. If you say, “No creed but Christ!” then you are denying the clarity of Scripture.

6. Why do creeds (which are agreeable with Scripture) have authority?

Creeds, while subordinate to Scripture, are both “useful” and “authoritative”, but this is only to the “degree that they are ‘agreeable to and founded on the Word of God.” Because Scripture is self-interpretive we are able to formulate creeds, and “creeds are evidence that the Bible is clear” (19).

Tuesdays with Blaster at Tree & The Seed: TMWAJ – Tracks 13, 14, and 15

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*I started this weekly review last year, but now finishing it. This is one of my favorite punk rock records by the band Blaster the Rocket Man.* 

**This post is technically a day late.**

Today’s installment is over Tracks 13, 14, and 15 of Blaster the Rocket Man’s 1999 release, The Monster Who Ate Jesus.

Go here for initial comments on album and the linear notes.
Go here for comments on Tracks 1, 2, and 3.
Go here for comments on Tracks 4, 5, and 6.
Go here for comments on Tracks 7, 8, and 9.
Go here for comments on Tracks 10, 11, and 12.

Track 13 – Frankenstein’s Monster Wants a Wife

Jazzy-rhythmic guitar chord progression throughout the song. The first minute-and-a-half is an instrumental opener with an infectious double-picking lead guitar that functions as a refrain throughout the song. Musically this is one of my favorite tracks.

Lyrically this song derives its subject matter from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In that novel, Frankenstein’s monster demands – threatens – that his creator make a wife for him. Frankenstein begins to, but aborts the process. I believe Blaster is allegorically using this scene from Frankenstein to illustrate how sin is a vicious monster that then demands more sin from its creator (man). Thus, Frankenstein’s dilemma: “Just cut this hand off, it’s offending me!” 

She’s much too fresh.
Where did you get her?
Now, don’t confess
for I must wed her
to my abomination
son of man.

“Doc Frankenstein!”
Who said that?
“Won’t you be mine?”
Now, cut that out!
I’ve got cuttin’ to do.
I’m not finished with you.
No chit chat till this is through.

It’s no easy operation
to apprehend the apparition,
to make the phantom corporeal,
substantial stuff for us to feel.
Scalpel, please. Make incision.
Scissors! Oh, these quick decisions!
It takes a steady hand…
Curse my monster’s sick demands!

How does she look?
Do the scars show?
She’s all sewn up
with no place to go,
save on a hellish honeymoon
that ends all too soon
in hell, well…

“Doc Frankenstein!”
Who said that?
“Won’t you be mine?”
Baby, how you been?
Oh my, your hand’s so cold.
But I’ll be bold
and hold it anyhow.

It’s all so thrilling 
When you’re willing
To fudge and fake
To make a killing
Still I want to tear it apart!
Stop the beating of this hideous heart!
Why do I abandon my endeavor to sever
To pick up the needle and sew it back together?
Oh, it’s neverending, can’t you see?
Just cut this hand off, it’s offending me!
Once dead, but now…
It’s alive!
It’s alive!

Track 14 – I Like Lycanthropy

Lycanthropy (or Lycanthrope) = Wolfman/Werewolf. To get this song you have to know something about the reality-mythology of man-to-beast shapeshifting. Werewolves are mythological creatures, humans who shapeshift into wolves. You are probably most familiar with Werewolves from the film Teen Wolf starring Michael J. Fox.

In any case, while shapeshifting is truly mythological, what is not mythological is the truth (reality!) that God does curse sinners by turning them over to their sins and their minds become clouded, and, as a result, they become beast-like. As Paul says in Romans 1:21-25:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. 

And because they worshipped the creation (beasts of the field) in place of God, they became like the thing(s) they worshipped (as the saying goes, “You are what you worship.”). In the subsequent verses (vv26-32), Paul denotes that God gave them up to “vile affections” and a “reprobate mind”. When God does this, the human is given over to sin (perhaps even given over to demons), and sometimes this includes becoming beast-like, e.g., Nebuchadnezzar becomes beast-like, he becomes like a Cow/Ox (Daniel 4), and Jesus cast a Legion (many devils/demons) out of a man who had become beast-like (Matthew 8 and Luke 8) — the text says that this man had been bound with chains and in fetters but had broken them, and was wandering naked in the wilderness; also, fornication, homosexuality, and bestiality are sins whereby God gives humans over to their sins and they become beast-like, i.e., in the same way that the animals do not exercise discipline and self-control in sexuality, so too humans who have been given over to “reprobate minds” are beast-like through promiscuous sexuality. All that to say, the Bible depicts that humans becoming beast-like is a symbol of God’s judgment.

This is a classic punk rock tune. (May their tribe increase!) Distorted guitars. Power chords. Palm mutes. Pick-slides. Opens with vocal refrain overlaying drumming, “I like lycanthropy!” All of this, obviously, is tongue-in-cheek, because the point of the song is that all those given over to sin (those who are beast-like, like the Werewolf in this song) must humble themselves like the Cow-King, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; sinners must humble themselves and look to Heaven, i.e., as Blaster says, “There’s no way for new life to begin, No! Unless you confess and turn away from your sin You’ve got to die with Jesus to know the Resurrection.”

I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!
I like it!

Don’t call it murder when I feed
It’s just the nourishment I need
I cannot curb this appetite
or I’ll disturb my natural plight

So what if’ I’m a wolf on full moon nights
I’m still part man and I’ve got rights
I’m sniffin’ out the blood and I take bites!

If you are walking by
and I transmogrify,
be prepared to run or die!

I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!

The wolfman is back!
Don’t call it a curse.
Sticker on my car
Read it and weep
for the ones you love.
Says, “Equal Rights for Werewolves!”

I’m sniffin’ out the blood and I take bites!
Why do you look at me with a look of fright?
So what if I’m a wolf on full moon nights!

If you are walking by
and I transmogrify
be prepared to run or die!
Run or die!

I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!
I like lycanthropy!

The wolfman in me
I like lycanthropy (He likes it! He likes it!)
The wolfman and me
I like lycanthropy (He likes it! He likes it!)
Wolf!
Claw! Bite! Sniff! Bark! Scratch! Tear! Growl!
Howl!

Like king Nebuchandezzar
You gotta’ turn your eyes to Heaven
Like King Nebuchandezzar
You gotta’ turn your eyes Heavenward!

There’s no way for new life to begin, No!
Unless you confess and turn away from your sin
You’ve got to die with Jesus
to know the Resurrection
You’ gotta’ die, die, die with Jesus
to know the Resurrection
You gotta’ die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!
with Jesus
to know Life!

I like lycanthropy!
I like it!

(The Mysteriously missing third verse:)

A chorus of Redeemed Ones shouts the truth in 
unison to the werewolf:
“Your throat is an open grave!”
Our Lycanthrope Hero responds in despair:
“I know no other way to behave!”
The Redeemed Ones keep shouting in Love:
“You must repent, you Cursed Wretch!”
The werewolf snarls in defiance:
“I’ll not relent. Your flesh I’ll fetch!”

Despite the Lycanthrope’s unrepentance,
The Crucified One Who is Lifted Up
continues to offer forgiveness to all
monstrosities who will believe on Him.

Track 15 – Tundra Time on Thulcandra

This is another song that is lyrically derived from C. S. Lewis’ Sci-Fi Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. Ransom is main character throughout the trilogy. In the first book he travels from earth to Mars, in the second he travels to Venus (and fights/defeats the Unman), and in the third he is the Pendragon of Logres (i.e., the Leader of King Arthur’s realm in Britain), and he and his team are instrumental in assisting in the war against the “Macrobes” (fallen angels/demons).

Down in the handramit [this is the canals on Malacandra where breathable air can be found]
I wanna’ be on the harandra [the suface of Mars]
An alien on this planet
On my way back to Thulcandra [Planet Earth]

Malacandra [Planet Mars] on my mind 
Perelandra [Planet Venus] all the time
Nevermind, it’s tundra time

Get cozy in the cockpit
Snuggle in the turret
Grunts gotta’ make the best of it

Warmth from the blast of the laser cannon
Keeps me goin’
When it won’t quit snowin’

Man the console
Console the man

Malacandra on my mind
Perelandra all the time
Nevermind, it’s tundra time

South wind blows
We know summer is coming soon
Lightning flashes
We know the Son is coming again

And what will the silent planet, Tellus [Latin for Earth]
tell us when they pull Deep Heaven
down on their heads?
I guess this is life during wartime

when Thulcandra is the battlefield.[Earth is the battlefield of incredible spiritual warfare in That Hideous Strength.]

Next week will be the last installment for Tracks 16, 17, and 18!