Quotes | A People for His Name

Jesus' Warning That Spammers Need to Heed

June 16, 2011

I have been blogging since February of this year and have learned much about writing, blogs, PHP, CSS—and the practices of spammers. Having to deal regularly with many spam messages, I think that spammers need to consider solemnly that Jesus taught, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matt. 12:36). He

emphasizes the importance of what people say by speaking of every careless word they utter. When people speak lightly without paying serious attention to what they are saying, the careless word, the word uttered without any thought of the effect that it will have on other people, then that word shows something of what they are, deep down . . . This makes it more significant than the person uttering it may think, and it will be taken into account on Judgment Day. Jesus is saying that in the end we must all give account of ourselves and that words we take lightly will then be seen to have meaning, for they show our innermost being.—Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 322; bold words are in italics in the original

Based on the content of the spam messages that I am receiving on my site, I believe that their authors are sadly storing up for themselves wrath from God in the Day of Judgment.

Every spam message that supposedly comments on a post but does not have anything to do with the post itself displays a failure to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Spammers fail to obey the Golden Rule of doing to others what they would want to have done to themselves.

May God grant spammers repentance of their multiplying idle words through their worthless messages that display their lack of love for their fellow man.

In Interpretation, Quotes

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"

June 8, 2011

Saint Augustine noted long ago a lack of proper consideration by man of the marvelous nature of the creation of man by God:

Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering. —Quoted in Fearfully & Wonderfully Made: A Surgeon Looks at the Human & Spiritual Body, 5

More recently, Spurgeon made comments along the same lines:

We need not go to the ends of the earth for marvels, nor even across our own threshold; they abound in our own bodies. —The Treasury of David, Vol. III, 262

In support of these remarks, consider that

the simple act of walking into a room and immediately recognizing all the objects in it requires more computing power than a dozen of the world’s top supercomputers put together. —The Wonder of Man, 19

The human frame is so admirably constructed, so delicately combined, and so much in danger of being dissolved by innumerable causes, that the more we think of it the more we tremble, and wonder at our own continued existence. . . . To do justice to the subject, it would be necessary to be well acquainted with anatomy. I have no doubt that a thorough examination of that ‘substance which God hath curiously wrought’ (verse 15), would furnish abundant evidence of the justness of the Psalmist’s words; but even those things which are manifest to common observation may be sufficient for this purpose. —TOD, 277

Those who were skilful in Anatomy among the ancients, concluded from the outward and inward make of a human body, that it was the work of a Being transcendently wise and powerful. . . . Galen was converted by his dissections, and could not but own a Supreme Being upon a survey of this his handiwork. —Ibid, 280

We today have much more knowledge of anatomy than any of the ancients ever had. For example, imagine putting the whole Bible onto one photographic slide in such a way that it would still be readable. Though doing so would be an incredible feat, compare that with the fact that to put the equivalent of the information contained in one DNA molecule onto one photographic slide would require our being able to put 7.7 trillion readable copies of the whole Bible onto that one slide:

If we want to obtain the DNA packing density on a [single] photographic slide . . . we would have to divide its surface into 2.77 million rows and 2.77 million columns and copy an entire Bible in a readable form in each of the tiny rectangles formed in this way. . . . Even if it were possible to achieve such a photographic reduction, then we would still only have a static storage system, which differs fundamentally from the dynamic storage system of DNA. —In the Beginning Was Information, 192-93

Learning of such wonders as that of the DNA molecule certainly supports the following comments:

The all-seeing God is also almighty, the resources of whose power are already revealed to me by the amazing complexity of my own physical body, which he made for me. Confronted with this, the psalmist’s meditations turn to worship. —Knowing God, 86

Has it ever been the case for you that contemplation of your physical body has led you to worship God, its Creator, for how fearfully and wonderfully He has made you?

In Quotes

Quotes from Flavel and Barrow

June 5, 2011

This last act of Christ, namely, his judging the world, is a special part of his exaltation and honour bestowed upon him, ‘because he is the Son of Man,’ John v. 27 . . . In this will the glory of the Christ’s sovereignty and power be eminently and illustriously displayed before angels and men. And this is that great truth which he commanded to be preached and testified to the people, namely, that it is ‘he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.’

—Sermon XLII. Christ’s Advent to Judgment, being the fourth and last degree of his Exaltation, illustrated and improved in The Works of John Flavel, Vol. 1, 525

THESE words are part of a sermon preached by St. Peter to Cornelius and his friends, wherein the apostle briefly declareth unto them the chief particulars in the history of Christ, together with some main points of Christian doctrine most fit for them to know; particularly he doth in these words express the point concerning the future judgment; reporting that our Lord especially did charge his apostles to preach unto the people and testify; that is, first publicly to declare and explain, then by convenient proofs, especially by divine attestations, to evince and persuade this point; the importance whereof, and eminence among other Christian doctrines, doth hence plainly appear, that the author of our faith did make so especial provision, and gave so express a charge concerning the promulgation and probation thereof: the which circumstance is indeed remarkable and weighty; but I shall insist on it, meaning immediately to set upon considering the point itself, as it is here laid down in these terms; that it is he which was ordained by God to be Judge of quick and dead: in which words are couched three particulars most considerable.

—The Works of Isaac Barrow, D. D. with a Life of the Author, 383-384

In Quotes

"Burnt Alive"

May 28, 2011

As Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons went to sleep in their station wagon on January 22, 1999, they surely had no idea what was soon to happen to them:

. . . [Dara] Singh and his mob approached [them] at around 12:20 a.m. . . ., running [in] from the fields, armed with lathis [sticks] and trishuls (tridents – three-pronged spears). . . . [A]s they approached [the station wagon], they began screaming.
Singh struck first, wielding an axe at the tyres, deflating them. The others broke windows and prevented the Staines from escaping. Graham was beaten mercilessly and his boys were not spared either. All three were pierced with trishuls. Singh then put straw under the vehicle and torched it. In seconds, the vehicle was on fire. Graham held his two boys close to him. Anyone who knew him would say that the one name on his lips would be—Christ Jesus.
The killers stood there and watched the three roast alive as the fire consumed the vehicle.

—Burnt Alive: The Staines and the God They Loved, 35

As the news of the martyrdom of this great man and his two sons spread around the world, speedy and widespread criticism abounded for this horrific display of inhuman wickedness. The authorities dealt with the perpetrators, punishing them for murdering these helpless people.

Graham Staines and his sons suffered martyrdom for the sake of their faith. Let us allow the memory of their martyrdom to motivate us to be true to Him even as they were.

In Quotes

Quotes from Church Fathers & "The Apostle's Creed"

May 25, 2011

In the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, we read of apostolic proclamation of Christ as the God-appointed Judge:

But after ten days from the ascension, which from the first Lord’s day is the fiftieth day, do ye keep a great festival: for on that day, at the third hour, the Lord Jesus sent on us the gift of the Holy Ghost, and we were filled with His energy, and we ‘spake with new tongues, as that Spirit did suggest to us;’ and we preached both to Jews and Gentiles, that He is the Christ of God, who is ‘determined by Him to be the Judge of quick and dead.’

—The Anti-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325, Vol. VII, 448; emphasis added

In the Apostle’s Creed, we read concerning people who desired to be baptized:

Although the received text of the Apostle’s Creed occurs first in the eight century, the contents are essentially an expansion of the positive form (the Old Roman Symbol) of the questions asked candidates for baptism at Rome at the end of the second century. The baptizer asked the one to be baptized, ‘Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?’ After the confession, ‘I believe,’ there was the first immersion. Then the baptizer asked, ‘Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, who was crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate, and died, [and was buried,] and rose from the dead and ascended in the heavens and sat down at the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead?’

—Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, Second Ed., Vol. 1 A-K, 90; emphasis added

These historical records show that Apostolic and post-Apostolic ministry continued to include proclamation of God’s appointment of Christ as Judge and belief in that truth. We need to include the same points in our evangelism today. This is especially true because people have taught in our day that we should just tell people of the love of God for them and not speak to them of judgment.

In Evangelism, Quotes

"The Key to Victory Over the Devil"

May 17, 2011

. . . [I]f you and I are to wrestle triumphantly against the devil and all his powers, the first essential is assurance of salvation. There is no hope for us in this conflict unless we know God’s power and God’s might. But if we are uncertain about our relationship to Him we cannot stand and withstand in the fight. In other words the key to victory over the devil is assurance of salvation, certainly concerning our relationship to God in Jesus Christ. That is but another way of saying, ‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.’ You cannot give a testimony if you do not know your position. It is only one who is certain who can give a testimony, and who can act as a witness. The saints’ testimony in the Book of Revelation is that the blood was on them, that they belonged to Christ; they possessed assurance of salvation.
By assurance you are made ‘strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’

—D. M. Lloyd Jones, The Christian Soldier: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10 to 20, 62

Are you certain that you are saved?

In Quotes

Illegitimate Intra-Trinitarian Transfer

May 15, 2011

James Barr coined the term illegitimate totality transfer to signify the unwarranted reading into a particular occurrence of a word every possible meaning of the word. The Semantics of Biblical Language (Oxford: Oxford University, 1961), 218. In my dissertation, I coined the term illegitimate intra-Trinitarian transfer, which I patterned after Barr’s term, but I did not use it with reference to semantics.

The phrase illegitimate intra-Trinitarian transfer refers to the error of attributing a role or activity to one member of the Godhead in a given text when a careful examination shows that the passage is attributing that role or activity to a different member of the Godhead.

Illegitimate intra-Trinitarian transfer (IITT) obscures a right perception of the apostolic focus on testimony to both God and Christ by taking statements about the Father and attributing them to Christ or speaking of them as if they are only about Christ. Such use of these statements, especially on a repeated basis, hinders and obscures the full appreciation of their primary teaching.

Two examples from printed works illustrate IITT clearly. First, Warren Wiersbe’s explanation of Colossians 1:13-14 displays this error when it attributes multiple actions to Christ that the passage does not attribute to Christ but to the Father:

Sinners need a Saviour. These two verses present a vivid picture of the four saving actions of Christ on our behalf. . . . We could not deliver ourselves from the guilt and penalty of sin, but Jesus could and did deliver us. . . . Jesus Christ did not release us from bondage, only to have us wander aimlessly. He moved us into His own kingdom of light and made us victors over Satan’s kingdom of darkness. Earthly rulers transported the defeated people, but Jesus Christ transported the winners. Be Complete: How to Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1981), 45-46.

This explanation of Colossians 1:13-14 attributes actions to Christ that the passage does not attribute to Him but to the Father: the Father, not Christ, “rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

Second, Paul Enns’ writing similarly displays IITT:

The Son has redeemed the believer (Eph. 1:7), removed the wrath of God from the believer (Rom. 3:25), justified the believer (Rom. 5:1), provided forgiveness (Col. 2:13), and sanctified the believer (1 Cor. 1:2). The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody Press, 1989), 341.

Colossians 2:13 actually teaches that the Father has “quickened [us] together with Him [Christ], having forgiven [us] all trespasses.”

I have heard a number of people over the years commit IITT in their prayers by praying something like this, “Father, thank You for dying for us on the Cross.” The Father did not die on the Cross, and we should not pray this way.

These examples of IITT should alert us to be more careful in what we write and say. We must be diligent to handle the Word of God as accurately as possible (2 Tim. 2:15).

In Interpretation, Quotes

The "World's Greatest Classic"

May 12, 2011

The Bible was not so neglected a Book when the great revivals of 1857-59 swept over the United States and Great Britain. Neither was it so neglected in Moody’s time. During the late Manchu dynasty, scholars were expected to know the classics of their sages by heart. How do the scholars of so-called Christian lands measure up to that standard as regards the “World’s Greatest Classic”? It is nothing short of pathetic how so many, who come professedly to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in China, know so little of His Word. Thirty years ago the missionary ideal was to know the Bible so well that one would not have to carry around a concordance. Is the indifference to the Bible today on the part of so many missionaries due to the fact, perhaps, that they have discovered some better means with which to meet the needs of a sin-sick world?

—Jonathan Goforth, By My Spirit, 136

In Quotes

"The Nearest Place to Heaven"

May 7, 2011

But to them the happiest days of all were not those high days and holidays. Through the mists of childhood the brightest associations lingered about one dear figure in the repose that always seemed to accompany a white crêpe shawl and satin gown. Sunday was the day on which mother gave herself to them as she could not through the week, and if there was one thing she cared about, it was that that day should be to every member of the household the happiest and most helpful of the seven. In the morning the children went with her regularly to the House of God, and there was more leisure to enjoy companionship at home on Sunday. But in addition, Mother had ways and means for making that day different from all others and much to be desired. The nicest toys and picture-books belonged to Sunday, as well as the prettiest frocks and a cosy fire in the drawing-room because the piano was there. Mother’s sweet voice made hymn-singing a delight. No talks were like her talks over the Bible, not to speak of Pilgrim’s Progress and other books that only appeared that day. Then she always had a basket of fruit for her little people in the afternoon. And just to see her looking so sweet and restful as she shared their enjoyments was not the least part of the happiness of the day.
Yes, home was home indeed and the nearest place to heaven, because it held that mother in whose heart was shed abroad the very love of God.

—Hudson Taylor in Early Years: The Growth of a Soul, 57

In Quotes

Spurgeon on The Mediator as Judge and Savior

May 6, 2011

In his message, “The Mediator-Judge and Saviour,” on the Lord’s Day morning, May 30, 1880, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, C. H. Spurgeon said,

OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIRST OFFICE OF THE MEDIATOR IS EXCEEDINGLY NECESSARY TO OUR ACCEPTANCE OF HIM IN HIS SECOND CAPACITY. This is why Peter preached it: this was why Paul before Felix reasoned concerning righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. This is why the Holy Spirit himself convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Dear hearers, if you do not believe in Christ as your Judge you never will accept him as your Saviour (caps in original).

—Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit: Sermons Preached and Revised by C. H. Spurgeon During the Year 1880, Vol. 26, Pilgrim Pubs. Pasadena TX, 1972, 321

What do you think?

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