Posts with the category “theology-thursday”

Q. 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.Westminster Shorter CatechismAcross history, Kings & Rulers have sent ambassadors and heralds to speak their will to their subjects. God sent prophets. Ordinary humans given the privilege of speaking the very words of God....  Read More

Q. 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.Westminster Shorter CatechismI’m a Dad. It’s one of my ‘offices’, along with ‘Pastor’, ‘Husband’ and ‘Brother’ (in the Christian sense). An office is a God instituted role that comes with specific respon...  Read More

Q. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?A. Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of her yet without sin.Westminster Shorter CatechismMythology contains many stories of ‘gods’ taking on human form. The Greek gods were described as devious ch...  Read More

Q. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.Westminster Shorter CatechismOk, don’t get tripped up by the ‘God’s elect’ bit. This question is all about the nature of Jesus. To explain, let me come at ...  Read More

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?A. God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.Westminster Shorter CatechismOurs is a tale of two estates (think household -...  Read More

Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.Westminster Shorter CatechismYep. We skipped a couple of questions. Sometimes the old English Puritans could be a bit too thorough. But that can also be hel...  Read More

Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.Westminster Shorter CatechismI think today’s topic is one of the more controversial/strange theological realities, at least to modern eyes an...  Read More

Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein thy were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.Westminster Shorter CatechismWell they did love to break it down these Catechism writers. Ok, so Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit. But what was it about the forbidden fruit? The Ge...  Read More

Q. 14. What is sin?A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.Westminster Shorter CatechismThe Church I grew up in didn’t talk about sin much, but when it did, there was one common analogy; an archer shooting an arrow and missing the bullseye. It’s not a bad one. It comes from the literal Hebrew meaning of sin.And it’s true. God made us to be straight shooters, doin...  Read More

Q. 13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.Westminster Shorter CatechismThe news often makes for pretty grim reading. Quick recap of today; war in Ukraine, war in Palestine, murder in Sydney, Celebrity says dumb thing, Journali...  Read More

Q. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. Westminster Shorter CatechismWhat are the conditions necessary for life to thrive and exist on ea...  Read More

Q.11. What are God’s works of providence?A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.Westminster Shorter CatechismWe are over 10 weeks into the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Written in the 1600’s, it was designed to teach people all they needed to know about what God has revealed in the Scriptures using what...  Read More

Q.10. How did God create man?A. God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.Westminster Shorter CatechismWell, nothing controversial here! But worth noting, for thousands of years, God’s people have celebrated His creative work and the order established therein. Honouring God’s intention for differences, between ...  Read More

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.Westminster Shorter CatechismI thought it might be worth spending another day on this Q/A of the catechism. The misconception of many, Christian and non-Christian, is that there is a war between Science and the Bible.And you can un...  Read More

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.Westminster Shorter CatechismBefore sexuality, gender and same sex marriage - the battleground was creation. For centuries it had been taken for granted that six days meant six days. That Genesis 1-3 was literal and so on. But from...  Read More

Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.Westminster Shorter CatechismGoogle docs doesn’t like executeth… how sad. The Westminster Catechism was written by a bunch of very intelligent and godly men in the 17th century (1647). And yeah they use some big words and different words than common speech today. But more importantly, what d...  Read More

Q.7. What are the decrees of God?A. The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.Westminster Shorter CatechismWhy? Why does our earth exist? Why humans and their seeming uniqueness in our world? Why does gravity keep the planets spinning? Why do some live and some die? Why do empires ris...  Read More

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?A. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.Westminster Shorter CatechismWhat do eggs and ice have in common? Both favourites of Youth Leaders to illustrate the Trinity. The truth is that no illustration from our world can truly captur...  Read More

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?A. There is but one only, the living and true God.Westminster Shorter CatechismLong before John 3:16 (for God so loved) or Matthew 7:1 (judge not), Israel had a favourite Bible verse. It was called the ‘Shema’. Deuteronomy 6:4 - Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. For millennia, this is what differentiated Israel’s worship from the surrounding nati...  Read More

Q. 4. What is God?A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.Westminster Shorter CatechismIt’s a question that sounds like it would be coming out of the lips of someone who may have smoked something they shouldn’t have. What is God? It’s a profound question.In Exodus, God introduces humanity to His name. Yahweh. It me...  Read More

Q.3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of manWestminster Shorter CatechismAcross the centuries people have turned to the Bible for a variety of reasons. Still today - the likes of Jordan Peterson engage with the Scriptures as an interesting sociological and psychological document. Snippets ...  Read More

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.Westminster Shorter CatechismI don’t know about you - but I’m not great at being told how to do something. Give me a task - no worries. Let me figure it out. In my own way....  Read More

Q1. What is the chief end of man?A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.Westminster Shorter CatechismOver the coming weeks/months - it’s going to be Theology Thursdays using the Westminster Shorter Catechism as our textbook. This helpful document was put together by some faithful Christians in the 16th century to help God’s people learn what the Bible says about well… every...  Read More

Q1. What is the chief end of man?A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.Westminster Shorter CatechismOver the coming weeks/months - it’s going to be Theology Thursdays using the Westminster Shorter Catechism as our textbook. This helpful document was put together by some faithful Christians in the 16th century to help God’s people learn what the Bible says about well… every...  Read More

39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at...  Read More

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures1 Corinthians 15:3-4This is the second last week in our Biblical Theology series where we have traced many themes as they develop across history and the Scriptures. It seems fitting that we s...  Read More

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.James 1:12On Thursdays we are delving into Biblical Theology, that is tracing themes as they unfold across the Bible and history. Today, we consider the theme of Christian trials.And the trial begins in the garden of Eden. Have yo...  Read More

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,    and his kingdom rules over all.20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,    you mighty ones who do his bidding,    who obey his word.21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,    you his servants who do his will.22 Praise the Lord, all his works    everywhere in his dominion.Praise the Lord, my soul.Psalm 103:19-22At the heart of Biblical Theology (t...  Read More

23 Can an Ethiopian change his skin    or a leopard its spots?Neither can you do good    who are accustomed to doing evil.Jeremiah 13:23Today we look at a Biblical Theology of sanctification. Now there’s a big Christian word. A helpful one. Sanctification (theologically speaking) refers to the ongoing work of God in the sinner to change them to become more like Jesus - that is, to sin less and to ...  Read More

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were al...  Read More

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.Revelation 22:14Genesis has a lot about blessing. God promises that Abraham will be blessed and all nations blessed through him. But we often have a confused relationship with this word blessed. What does it mean to be blessed? What does it mean for Abraham? What doe...  Read More

19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22...  Read More

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has be...  Read More

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the ser...  Read More

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disci...  Read More

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.1 Peter 2:11We are doing a series on Biblical Theology. Tracing Biblical themes as they are revealed throughout the Bible and reach their ultimate expression in the person, work and effects of Jesus.At the beginning of human history we were in God’s place, as God’s people under God’...  Read More

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!2 Corinthians 5:17We are doing a series on Biblical Theology. Tracing Biblical themes as they are revealed throughout the Bible and reach their ultimate expression in the person, work and effects of Jesus.In the beginning God created humanity in His own image. We were made to reflect His goodness and gr...  Read More

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” John 3:14-15We are doing a series on Biblical Theology. Tracing Biblical themes as they are revealed throughout the Bible and reach their ultimate expression in the person, work and effects of Jesus.By Numbers 21 (in the Bible), Israel had been w...  Read More

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures1 Corinthians 15:3-5We are doing a series on Biblical Theology. Tracing Biblical themes as they are revealed throughout the Bible and reach their ultimate expression in the person, work and e...  Read More

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.Luke 24:25-27Thursdays are for theology and for the next few months we are going to spend Thursdays expl...  Read More