Our Lord quoted the Old Testament thusly—“love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” But the OT actually doesn’t say this exactly; Christ added the word “mind.” Why did he modify the OT injunction in this way for His disciples? Because He knew some of His disciples would—after the arrival of the Spirit who would initiate the period of inaugurated eschatology—dismiss the mental labor He expects, actually demands, all in the name of greater “Spirituality.” He knew His disciples of this epoch would need to hear this more than they would have “under the Law” (speaking in terms of historia salutis).

Alan Pontier;

Thanks for your additional comments. I too found the interview/discussion with Dr. Strange (the other Alan) beneficial. I’ve also listened to the Animus Conference recordings from a few years back. I certainly hope that within our circles (OPC) we can continue to discuss the exegetical and theological issues concerning creation with brotherly affection, as we continue to affirm God created all things of nothing by the word of his power.

-=Cris=-
Ruling Elder, Trinity Church, Hatboro
We meet at the Wheaton GA (or maybe the anniversary GA in MD)

If you take 21.5 and cross-reference it to 1.2 along with applying the Regulative Principle for Worship, there really is no option, but Exclusive Psalmody. Man-made hymns are not inspired and to sing them as a part of worship is a violation of both 21.5 and 1.2.

When I say academic I don’t refer to biblical doctrine. I see biblical doctrine as armor of God. I refer I suppose to a philosophical and theoretical distancing of oneself from the practical level of the faith.

For information the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church has an “explanatory note” on 21.5 that says, basically, that the ARP believes that 21.5, originally understood, requires EP and therefore the ARP has “modified” 21.5 to teach Psalms and man-made hymns.

Michael,

It doesn’t have to be an either/or. How are we to engage in Spiritual warfare without knowing what we believe and how that fits (or doesn’t) with the beliefs of our church? Paul teaches that many false teachers are in our midst. There are wolves seeking to devour the sheep. Part of the church’s responsibility is to maintain the purity of doctrine among its teachers. The animus imponentis is a critical element to understanding what it means to subscribe to a confession. It helps us ascertain whether our beliefs and the beliefs of others are within the bounds of our ecclesiastical body. That is absolutely and directly applicable to our spiritual warfare.

Best,

Camden

By any definition, what was happening on this show was not serious.

The knee jerk response from academics is a charge of anti-intellectualism. Got it. The political left does the same.

Then ironically the same academic-oriented Christians refuse to accept anything resembling terminal knowledge of the faith, choosing to be always learning, never able (or willing) to come to understanding.

I.e., I’ve encountered hard core Reformation era Reformed, Calvinist doctrine. OK. Hey, let’s see what Karl Barth was talking about over there… Why do I have to be so stuck in this orthodox stuff…

Get somebody on who can talk about being awake and loving your enemy, and doing it in a non-shallow, pious, pacifist way. Somebody who understands the doctrine as it’s carried out on the spiritual battlefield. Everyday. Myriad other examples.

What the newly-minted PhDs were talking about was not serious.

The reason I lay all this out is that it is in this very context that we *do* ‘spiritual warfare’, and in which we ‘test the spirits’, ‘examine the Scriptures every day to see if what X says is true’ (a la Berea) and ‘keep in step with the Spirit’. An academic approach to the faith is not illegitimate or farther removed from sincere heart-piety than the simplest farmhand’s wordless praise to the Lord as s/he sees the sunrise over a bountiful field of crops. We all speculate and need to continually seek and submit the Word and Spirit to discipline and guide our speculations, whether they are sophisticated and based on PhD level learning or on accumulated and quasi-instinctual experience. Jesus Christ is the Lord of his servants, and he has made some with gifts for mechanics and others with gifts for metaphysics. Let’s not dismiss either, nor the folks in between.

“speculations”/”arguments” (2 Cor. 10:5)