Sad Moments in Church History: Kublai Khan

In the early 1300’s the Kublai Khan of China requested, through his friendship with Marco Polo, that the Pope send 100 monks to teach them about Christianity. This request was never fulfilled because the church was too busy with their military operations. Mark this: sad moments in Church history.

Doug

Christianity, The Church, and Government

Why is it that many Christians who decry Christian political involvement (read Tony Campolo types) because power and politics are tools of Satan, then go on to argue for government solutions to global warming and health care? Do they really want Satan and his tools cooling our plannet and running our health care? Perhaps a more balanced approach is needed.

Should Christians be involved in government? Isn’t Christ our hope not politics? Is any influence of Christian thought on the state a violation of the separation of church and state? In this episode of Apologetics.com radio, Dean, Donald McConnell of Trinity Law School, Doug Eaton, and Lane Chaplin discuss several questions that pertain to the Christian’s role in government and the governments role in Christianity.

http://www.apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=385:christianity-the-church-and-government&catid=43:kkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74

This show can also be downloaded for free as a podcast in itunes. Simply search for apologetics.com in the itunes store.

Persecution: Your Suffering Will Not Be Noble - Paul Washer

Reformation Radio Show

Oct. 31, 1571, It was a Wednesday morning and everything seemed normal. Business was going along as usual in the German province of Saxony. In fact, most people were most likely not focusing on this day since the following day was "All Souls Day". A day when Frederick the Wise would bring in religious relics for the city to see, and offer the people a chance to buy indulgences. But little did the world know that an unknown emaciated Augustinian monk with a hammer and a piece of paper with 95 thesis was on his way to the Castle Church in Wittenberg. And God was going to use this hammer to shake the world and call light out of darkness.

This weekend I had the privilege to be a guest on the apologetics.com radio show in Los Angeles with host Chris Neiswonger. The topic was the reformation. We spent the majority of the time discussing the five solas of the Reformation.

Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone
Sola Christus - Christ Alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Soli Deo Gloria - To the Gloria of God Alone

If you would like to listen to the program you can download the mp3 version at the Apologetics.com radio page. Just scroll to the bottom and you should see a link for there. You can also go download it as a podcast in itunes. Simply search for Apologetics.com.

Happy Reformation Day!

Doug

The Lord Who Doeth All These Things

“The Lord Who doeth all these things.” …
“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.”
Acts 14:27 - Acts 15:18

The meaning of such repeated phraseology cannot be mistaken. God is here presented as the one agent or actor, and even the most conspicuous apostles, like Paul and Peter, as only His instruments. No Twenty verses in the word of God contain more emphatic and repeated lessons on man’s insufficiency and nothingness, and God’s all-sufficiency and almightiness. It was God that wrought upon man through man. It was He who chose Peter to be His mouthpiece, He whose key unlocked shut doors, he who visited the nations, who turned sinners into saints, who was even then taking out a people for His name, purifying hearts and bearing them witness; it was He and He alone who did all these wondrous things, and according to His knowledge and plan of what He would do, from the beginning. We are not reading so much the Acts of the Apostles as the acts of God through the apostles.

A.T. Pierson

Jesus: The Center of All History

Jesus Christ, the God-Man, the prophet, priest, and king of mankind, is, in fact, the center and turning-point not only of chronology, but of all history, and the key to all its mysteries. Around him, as the sun of the moral universe, revolve at their several distances, all nations and all important events, in the religious life of the world; and all must, directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously, contribute to glorify his name and advance his cause. The history of mankind before his birth must be viewed as a preparation for his coming, and the history after his birth as a gradual diffusion of his spirit and progress of this kingdom. "All things were created by him, and for him." He is the "desire of all nations." He appeared in the "fullness of time," when the process of preparation was finished, and the world’s need of redemption fully disclosed.

Phillip Schaff, - History of the Christian Church, Vol. 1 p. 56

More Great Theology Lectures (MP3)

Gospel Prizim has put together a great list of resources if you are looking for more theology lectures. See the link below.

Virtual M. Div.

Enjoy,

Doug

The Surpassing Value of Christ

The following quote is from John Bunyon describing the period in his life before salvation as he feared the wrath of God because of his sins. In it he makes two profound observations regarding the surpassing value of salvation over all that is temporal…

While I was thus afflicted with the fears of my own damnation, there were two things would make me wonder; the one was, when I saw old people hunting after the things of this life, as if they should live here always: the other was, when I found professors (people who professed to be Christians) much distressed and cast down, when they met with outward losses; as of husband, wife, child, etc. “Lord,” thought I, “what a-do is here about such little things as these! What seeking after carnal things, by some, and what grief in other for the loss of them! If they so much labor after, and shed so many tears for the things of this present life, how am I to be bemoaned, pitied, and prayed for! My soul is dying, my soul is damning. Were my soul but in a good condition, and were I but sure of it, ah! How rich should I esteem myself, though blessed but with bread and water! I should count those but small afflictions, and should bear them as little burdens. ‘A wounded spirit, who can bear!’”

-John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners-

Reformation and Revival

At times men think of the two words, reformation and revival as standing in contrast one to the other, but this is a mistake. Both words are related to the word restore.

Reformation refers to a restoration to pure doctrine; revival refers to a restoration in the Christian’s life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture; revival speaks of a life brought into its proper relationship to the Holy Spirit.

The Great moments of church history have come when these two restorations have simultaneously come into action so that the church has returned to pure doctrine and the lives of the Christians in the church have known the power of the Holy Spirit. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation; and reformation is not complete without revival.

Such a combination of reformation and revival would be revolutionary in our day—revolutionary in our individual lives as Christians, revolutionary not only in reference to the liberal church but constructively revolutionary in the evangelical, orthodox church as well.

May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival, so that this poor dark world may have an exhibition of a portion of the church returned to both pure doctrine and Spirit-filled life.

-Francis Schaffer, Death in the City-

Outline for the Book of Acts

The College and Career class at our church just finished reading through the books of acts. Here is the outline we will be covering tomorrow for review. I thought I would post it in case any of you might find it helpful.

Introduction (1:1-26)

I. The Birth of the Church Through the Ministry of Peter. (2:1-12:25)

A. The Spread of the Gospel in Jeruslem.

1. Pentecost (2:1-47)


2. The Roots of the Gospel in Jerusalem (3:1-5:16).


3. Aggressive Opposition (5:17-42)


4. The Appointment of the Seven and Stephen’s Martyrdom (6:1-8:4).

B. The Spread of the Gospel in all Judea and Samaria (8:5-12:25)

1. Philip the Evangelist: The Gospel Goes to Samaria (8:5 – 12:25)


2. The Conversion and Baptism of the Ethiopian Enuch (8:5 – 25)


3. The Conversion of Saul (9:1-31)


4. The Continuation of Peter’s Work in Judea: the Gospel Goes to the Gentiles (9:32-10:48)


5. The Contention in Jerusalem Regarding Christianity for the Gentiles (11:1-18)


6. The Penetration of the Gospel to Areas Adjacent to Palestine (11:19-12:25).

II. The Missionary Expansion of the Church Through the Ministry of Paul (13:1-28:31)

A. The Ministry of Saul and Barnabas; The First Missionary Journey (13:1-14:28)

B. The Jerusalem Conference: The Church’s Formal Extension of the Gospel (15:1-35)

C. The Confirmation of New Churches (15:1-35)

D. The Ministry of Paul and Silas: the Second Missionary Journey (16:1-18:22)

E. The Ministry of Paul and Silas Continues: The Third Misssionary Journey (18:23-21:16)

F. Paul Takes the Gospel to Rome (21:17-28:31)

1. Paul is Arrested in Jerusalem (21:17-36)


2. Paul Speaks to His Countrymen (21:37-22:29)


3. Paul Speaks to the Sanhedrin (22:30-23:11)


4. Paul Goes to Caesarea (23:12-35)


5. Paul Speaks to Felix and is Imprisoned at Caesarea for two years (24:1-27)


6. Paul Speaks to Festus (25:1-12).


7. Paul Speaks to Festus Agrippa, and Bernice (25:13-26:32)


8. Paul Sails for Rome (27:1-28:10)


9. Paul Arrives in Rome; Under House Arrest for two years (28:11-31)

-From the "Believer’s Study Bible"- W. A Criswell

Through Many Tribulations

After reading this…

Christians Crucified by Terrorists in Iraq

The following verse came to mind...

They [Paul and Barnabas] returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, [where they had been persecuted] strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts: 14:21-22

Along with this quote by John Calvin...

“God doth oftentimes spare the wicked, and doth fat them with prosperity, [Yet] he is more sharp and hard toward his Children. For besides common molestations, they are oppressed peculiarly with many discommodities, and the Lord doth humble them with such exercises, keeping their flesh under correction lest it wax wanton; he awaketh them, lest they lie sleeping upon earth. Unto these are added the reproaches and slanders of the wicked; for they must be, as it were, the offscourings of the world. Their simpleness is laughed at; but they are most stung by wicked mocks and scoffs, principally against God. Last of all, the lust of the wicked breaketh out into open violence; so that they have need to strive with many tribulations, and it cannot be but that all their life shall be envied and unquiet amidst so many enemies. But this is the best comfort, and which is sufficient enough to confirm their minds, that his way (though it be hard and sharp) leadeth unto the kingdom of heaven, for we gather by this that the miseries of the godly are more happy than be all the doting dainties of delights of the world.” –John Calvin-

We must strive against wickedness by proclaiming the truth of Christ, and we must do it expecting ultimate victory. But when it seems that the enemy’s stronghold on this world only seem to be getting stronger and we are beaten and bruised, we must praise the Lord that it is us who are being bruised and under the Lordship of Christ, and not the ones involved in the prevailing wickedness. For it is only by his grace that we have been brought under his banner, and His banner over us is Love.

Let the persecutions and any other kinds of troubles that war against your faith prick your heart and bruise your soul, by the grace of God you are being led into His kingdom. You must not flee from them, by neglecting your Christian duty to proclaim Christ Crucified, resurrected, and coming back to judge the living and the dead. And as the world looks on and sees us dying to the things of this world, the Lord will use it to bring spiritual birth to all those appointed to eternal life. Then we will be able to cry out with Paul, “So then death is working in us, but life in you” (2 Cor.4:12).

Do not let the death of these martyrs be in vain. Praise God for their faithfulness, and may He use it to wake us of any spiritual slumber from which we suffer. Then, when we see them in glory, we can say, death was working in you, but God used it to work life in us.

For the Glory of God,

Doug

The Puritans on Holiness - J.I. Packer

The Puritans knew that Scripture is the unalterable rule of holiness, and never allowed themselves to forget it. Knowing also the dishonesty and deceitfulness of fallen human hearts, then cultivated humility and self-suspicion as abiding attitudes, and examined them selves regularly for spiritual blind spots and lurking inward evils. They may not be called morbid or introspective on this account, however; on the contrary, they found the discipline of self-examination by Scripture (not the same thing as introspection, let us note), followed by the discipline of confessing and forsaking sin and renewing one’s gratitude to Christ for his pardoning mercy, to be a source of great inner peace and joy. We today, who know to our cost that we have unclear minds, uncontrolled affections, and unstable wills when it come to serving God, and who again and again find ourselves being imposed on by irrational, emotional romanticism disguised as super-spirituality, could profit much from the Puritans’ example at this point.

-J.I. Packer; A Quest for Godliness-

The Da Vinci Code and Christians

I realize that posting a VLOG on Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" Is like kicking a dead horse and telling it to die. But when someone asks you an honest question you want to give an honest answer, even if the answer has already been given in a much better way to the extent that the mere mention of the book now makes you yawn. With that said, I was asked to give a response to someone who was asking why Christians take such issue with the "Da Vinci Code" when it is a work of fiction. Below is my response.







The Da Vinci Code and Christians

Christian vs. Christ Follower - Which is better

If you haven’t yet seen the new Christian parody of the Mac vs. PC commercials, you can see all four of them here, here, here and here. In the commercial you have a somewhat strange fundamentalist with his bumper stickers collection and suit who is called “Christian” and then you have the laid back, hip, even a bit witty “Christ-follower.”

At first glance the video seem to strike a cord because we have all run into that “Christian” guy or girl who was just a little off. It is true that sometimes Christians can get carried away with strange little things, dare I mention the Test-a-Mints if you need to have your breath freshened. Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with poking a little fun at ourselves and the strange things Christians do, but these videos are doing more than that. They have a message which comes into play at the end of each video that says “Christian no more.”

Though it is not completely spelled out, the message is this. Let’s not call our selves Christians anymore, and instead let’s call ourselves Christ-followers. The reason for this change is that the term Christian carries with it too much baggage. Which ends up being a stumbling block for anyone trying to reach out to the world. Thus, the answer to this dilemma is to call ourselves Christ-followers instead because it is more precise and hasn't been misused as much.

Is the solution really that simple? The way to get people to stop making Jesus look bad is to simply change what we call ourselves. I am going to argue no. At best this is a shallow answer to the problem. Here are three reasons why.

1. Even the term Christ-follower carries baggage with it and it will only end up getting more baggage as more people start to use the term. There are some who are in the emergent church (notice I didn’t say all), who are pushing this change who are so bitter against the local church and the flavor of their lives puts a negative spin on the term Christ-follower. Making the term already some-what embarrassing to wear. And do we think that the world will really buy the name change? Doesn’t scripture teach us that the name of Christ is a stumbling block to many? And which Christ are we following, the Christ of the Christians that have lived in the entire history of the Church? You know, the ones Peter calls Christians in 1 Peter.

2. It segregates the strange amongst us, instead of embracing and loving them. Instead of saying "don’t associate me with that person," we should own up to the fact that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ even if we don’t agree with everything they do or say. Even though both the term Christian and Christ-follower carries with it baggage that the world will not like, we should be willing to embrace both of them, because they actually mean the same thing. And even though I am in strong disagreement with some of those who are pushing for the name change, and I think they cause problems for the way the we relate to the non-Christ-followers, I must not be afraid to bear the name simply because of some of the problems I might face because of the attitudes of one of my brothers or sisters in Christ. Yes, they may be strange, but I still love them. In fact, the world will know we are His disciples by our love for each other. Even our love for those who persecute us and disagree with us within the Church.

3. It assumes a wrong soteriology or understanding of salvation. It paints a picture that the world is just waiting to accept Christ, but Christians and some of their strange antics are keeping them from coming in. The problem with this is that Scripture paints a completely contrary picture. The natural man is not waiting to accept Christ. Instead he is doing everything in his power to suppress that truth. In fact, the message of the cross and of Christ is foolishness to him. Now it is true that when Christians do stupid things we add fuel to their fire in the same way that riches can make it even harder for a man to comes to faith. But money is not the reason why the man won’t accept Christ. He won’t accept him because he is sinful, and riches only fuel that rebellion. But praise God all things are possible with Him.

So what is the solution to the problem set out by these videos if it is not a name change? It seems a call to clarity as to what it means to be a Christian is in order, and the place we will find out what it means is in Scripture. We must be people who study the Word and then live it in love. We must realize that the world will always hate us because it hated Him. But as we respond with the truth in Love, through the Holy Spirit’s work some will come to faith, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

When a non-believer meets a Christian or Christ follower like this, much of the false baggage of the term “Christian” will begin to fall off, but don’t get your hopes up too much, because without the Holy Spirit working in their lives they will not accept Christ's message. In fact there have been many who loved there enemies and were so Christ-like that they were put to death.

Live the life of a Christian and a Christ-follower, since both terms mean the exact same thing. Proclaim the truth in love, contend for the faith, and live lives of Holiness, and you will be blessed, whether or not the world finds you foolish. And remember our goal is not to try and make the world like us. We are to live to please God and love the world whether they like us or not.

You can see my video response here.

God Bless,

Doug

On The Church

Christianity has thus passed through many stages of its earthly life, and yet has hardly reached the period of full manhood in Christ Jesus. During this long succession of centuries it has outlived the destruction of Jerusalem, the dissolution of the Roman empire, fierce persecutions from without, and heretical corruptions from within, the barbarian invasion, the confusion of the dark ages, the papal tyranny, the shock of infidelity, the ravages of revolution, the attacks of enemies and the errors of friends, the rise and fall of proud kingdoms, empires, and republics, philosophical systems, and social organizations without number. And, behold, it still lives, and lives in greater strength and wider extent than ever; controlling the progress of civilization, and the destinies of the world; marching over the ruins of human wisdom and folly, ever forward and onward; spreading silently its heavenly blessings from generation to generation, and from country to country, to the ends of the earth. It can never die; it will never see the decrepitude of old age; but, like its divine founder, it will live in the unfading freshness of self-renewing youth and the unbroken vigor of manhood to the end of time, and will outlive time itself. Single denominations and sects, human forms of doctrine, government, and worship, after having served their purpose, may disappear and go the way of all flesh; but the Church Universal of Christ, in her divine life and substance, is too strong for the gates of hell. She will only exchange her earthly garments for the festal dress of the Lamb’s Bride, and rise from the state of humiliation to the state of exaltation and glory. Then at the coming of Christ she will reap the final harvest of history, and as the church triumphant in heaven celebrate and enjoy the eternal sabbath of holiness and peace. This will be the endless end of history, as it was foreshadowed already at the beginning of its course in the holy rest of God after the completion of his work of creation.

-Philip Schaff-

On Church History (Part 2)

The history of the church is the rise and progress of the kingdom of heaven upon earth, for the glory of God and the salvation of the world. It begins with the creation of Adam, and with that promise of the serpent-bruiser, which relieved the loss of the paradise of innocence by the hope of future redemption from the curse of sin. It comes down through the preparatory revelations under the patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets, to the immediate forerunner of the Saviour, who pointed his followers to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. But this part of its course was only introduction. Its proper starting-point is the incarnation of the Eternal Word, who dwelt among us and revealed his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; and next to this, the miracle of the first Pentecost, when the Church took her place as a Christian institution, filled with the Spirit of the glorified Redeemer and entrusted with the conversion of all nations. Jesus Christ, the God-Man and Saviour of the world, is the author of the new creation, the soul and the head of the church, which is his body and his bride. In his person and work lies all the fulness of the Godhead and of renewed humanity, the whole plan of redemption, and the key of all history from the creation of man in the image of God to the resurrection of the body unto everlasting life.

-Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church-

On Church History (Part 1)

The central current and ultimate aim of universal history is the Kingdom of God established by Jesus Christ. This is the grandest and most comprehensive institution in the world, as vast as humanity and as enduring as eternity. All other institutions are made subservient to it, and in its interest the whole world is governed. It is no after-thought of God, no subsequent emendation of the plan of creation, but it is the eternal forethought, the controlling idea, the beginning, the middle, and the end of all his ways and works. The first Adam is a type of the second Adam; creation looks to redemption as the solution of its problems. Secular history, far from controlling sacred history, is controlled by it, must directly or indirectly subserve its ends, and can only be fully understood in the central light of Christian truth and the plan of salvation. The Father, who directs the history of the world, "draws to the Son," who rules the history of the church, and the Son leads back to the Father, that "God may be all in all." "All things," says St. Paul, "were created through Christ and unto Christ: and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence." Col_1:16-18. "The Gospel," says John von Müller, summing up the final result of his lifelong studies in history, "is the fulfilment of all hopes, the perfection of all philosophy, the interpreter of all revolutions, the key of all seeming contradictions of the physical and moral worlds; it is life — it is immortality."

-Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church-

Tertillian, Baptism, and Roman Catholic Last Rites

It is always interesting to track down certain rituals that are practiced under name Christian which have no founding in scripture in order to find out where they originated. One specific ritual worth looking into is the Roman Catholic practice of giving someone on their deathbed their last rites.

To find out where this practice came from we have to go back to Tertillian who was a theologian who lived during the second and third century AD. Tertillian was as materialist. Not the kind of materialist we think of today, but the kind of materialist who believes that even spirit, including God himself, is material even though it was clearly a higher more refined type of material. This is close to what Mormons believe even today.

This played heavily into his views on baptism. Tertillian believed that the more refined spirit matter could bond quite well with the lower types of matter such as water. So when a person was baptized, the Holy Spirit would bond with the water and somehow wash the person clean who was being baptized. Thus making baptism part of regeneration.

Tertillian also believed that children should not be baptized. This is why many Baptist like to point to him in the early church. But the reason he did not think children should be baptized had nothing to do with Baptist beliefs as they are held today. Tertillian believed that once you were baptized you could no longer sin. If you did sin willingly, you would loose your salvation and have no chance of getting it back. Thus you should not baptize children because they are certainly going to sin as they grow up. So Tertillian suggested that a person wait until they were about 30 years old before being baptized.

Many people in the church were influenced by Tertillian’s beliefs, but they realized that people would still sin even after the age of 30. In order to protect people from sinning and losing their salvation, the church started performing deathbed baptisms. This is why Constantine was not baptized until the end of his life, if you’ve looked into his history.

Needless to say the Church eventually began to see more scripturally regarding baptism. This correction began to put baptism in a more biblical light which corrected the practice. But something the latin Church never let go of was the need to continue doing some ritual at the deathbed, and this is from where the practice of last rites comes. It all stems from Tertillian’s bad theology regarding baptism.

Doug Eaton