Ken Baker: Wisdom Christian College Student Forum

1. New Testament Canonical Information

• Canon of Scripture
• The Christian Canon, by Don Closson
• The Old Testament Canon of Scripture

2. The Apostolic Fathers

• 1st Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians [ca 96]: A formal letter written on behalf of the Roman Christian community urging Christians who had been rebelling against church authority to be submissive and obedient. Tradition attributes it to Clement, allegedly one of the first bishops of Rome.
• 2nd Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians [ca 150]: Sermon thought not to be the writing of Clement himself. Advocates sound view of Christ, the resurrection, and holiness unto God. Enter into battle against the ways of this world, work out salvation through strength in Christ.
• The Epistle of Barnabas [ca 130]: This letter, probably not authored by the NT Barnabas, repudiates the claims of Jewish Christians at the time who advocated adhering to observance of the Mosiac Law. Argued that Christ provided salvation and man is no longer bound by the Law. Compares holy life to unrighteousness.
• Didache (Teaching of the Lord through the Apostles): Eleventh century MS discovered by Philotheus Bryennios. The Didache consists of various parts, starting with the “Two Ways” ethical instruction (see Barn 18-21) and including community rules for liturgical practices and leadership conduct, before ending with a short apocalyptic section. While some of the material might go back before the year 100, the current form of the document is probably mid-second century at earliest.
• The Shepherd of Hermas [ca. 150]: Written by Hermas, who is believed to be brother of Pius, the Bishop of Rome. The Shepherd of Hermas is an apocalyptic document (in the sense that it claims to be revealed), modelled after the Book of Revelation. It deals with practical matters of church purity and discipline in second century Rome.
• The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians [ca 130?]: Polycarp was a church leader (bishop) in Smyrna, Asia Minor. Exhorted the Philippians to holy living, good works, steadfast faith. Interested in ministry and practical aspects of daily life of Christians.
• The Martyrdom of Polycarp: The earliest preserved Christian martyrology, probably from the latter part of the second century (not too long after the event). Records the tradition of the trial and execution (burned at the stake) of Polycarp.
• The Writings of Ignatius: Bishop of Antioch in Syria [ca 1-2 century] martyred in Rome by beasts (ca 105-116). On his way to Rome, he visits and then writes to various churches, warning and exhorting them. He also writes ahead to Rome, and writes to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. Warned the church against heresies that threatened peace and unity, opposed Gnosticism and Docetism. In the Epistle to Smyrna, insisted Christ came in the flesh not just in spirit.

  • To the Ephesians
  • To the Magnesians
  • To the Trallians
  • To the Romans
  • To the Philadelphians
  • To the Smyrnaeans
  • To Polycarp

3. Patristic Texts

• The Epistle of Mathetes (Believer/Disciple) to Diognetus: This Apologetic treatise? written perhaps ca 200, presents a rational defense of Christianity and shows the folly of idolatry. The document also discusses Christian influence in the world.
• Origen (ca AD 185-254):

  • Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of John. Commentary from the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins.
  • Origen’s Contra Celsum Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 Book 8. Commentary from the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins.

• The Writings of Tertullian: Our earliest extensively preserved Latin Christian author [140-230], who aligned himself around 207 with the “Montanist” Christian movement that was considered “heretical” by the representatives of emerging mainstream Christianity.

  • The Apparel of Women (AD 197)
  • To the Martyrs (AD 197)
  • Spectacles (AD 197)
  • Prayer (AD 200)
  • Patience (AD 203)

• The Writings of Cyprian: Cyprian [200-258] was the Overseer of the church in Carthage, Northa Africa, during a period of fierce persecution. After many years of persecution during which the church existed underground he was captured and executed by the Romans.

  • To Demetrian
  • To Donatus
  • The Dress of Virgins
  • That Idols Are Not Gods
  • Jealousy and Envy
  • The Lapsed
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • Exhortation to Martyrdom, to Fortunatus
  • Mortality
  • The Good of Patience
  • The Unity of the Catholic Church
  • Works and Almsgiving

• Athanasius: On the Incarnation. Athanasius [270-336] was the overseer of Alexandria after the death of Alexander. He worte several theological treatises and was the chief defender of the Nicene Creed.

Hi guys, Just posting the first lecture in the-epistles-of-john.ppt series.

Please make sure you read right through all the assigned material (1 John, 2 John, 3 John) for next Tuesday’s discussion. Remember that we are assembling evidence for the historical context of the letters. An excellent (though densely argued) book on the subject is Martin Hengel’s The Johannine Question. His solution to the problem that I have set you is to begin at 3 John and work back through 2 John to 1 John. Hope that’s not too much of a hint!

The text of the Powerpoint is from Wikpedia (easy to spot!) which takes a very conservative line, so Hengel provides a helpful alternative viewpoint.

Here’s the first lecture on the the-biblical-foundations-of-mission.ppt . Well done to those who have got of the ground with their blogs and have started posting work!

 Your primary assignment now is to get hold of Glasser’s Announcing the Kingdom and start reading and annotating. Move promptly, because there are SIX texts to read and critique over the semester.

Also, I expect to see the new posts on Mission in the Pentateuch in your blogs ASAP. Enjoy your work!

Charles D. Myers, Jr., writes on the place of Romans in the genuine correspondence of Paul (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, v. 5, p. 817):

A relative chronology of the Pauline Epistles can be constructed by means of references in Paul’s genuine epistles to the Jerusalem collection. This collection was inaugurated at the apostolic council described in Galatians 2, when Paul agrees to “remember the poor” (Gal 2:10). The collection was introduced to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 16:1-4, where Paul provides directions for collecting money. Then in 2 Corinthians 8-9 (esp. 8:6, 10; 9:1) Paul exhorts the Corinthians to complete what they have begun. When Paul writes Romans, he is ready to travel to Jerusalem with what has been collected among the gentile believers in Macadonia and Achaia (Rom 15:25-26). Prior to the time of writing Romans, therefore, Paul had already written Galatians, and 1 and 2 Corinthians, in addition to 1 Thessalonians (believed to be Paul’s earliest extant epistle), and perhaps Philippians as well.

Myers writes on the relationship between the ideas in Romans and in his earlier epistles (op. cit., v. 5, p. 817):

Moreover, Romans is heavily indebted to those epistles that have gone before. As G. Bornkamm (1963: 2-14) has rightly pointed out, a number of topics that are present in Paul’s earlier epistles surface in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Among those topics are justification by faith and not by the works of the law (Galatians 3-5; Philippians 3; Romans 1-4); the fatherhood of Abraham (Galatians 3; Romans 4); Adam as the head of the old order of humanity and Christ the head of a new order (1 Cor 15:21-22, 45-49; Rom 5:12-19); the church as Christ’s body composed of diverse elements (1 Corinthians 12; Rom 12:4-8); the need to exercise personal freedoms with consideration for the consciences of others (1 Corinthians 8-10; Romans 14-15) - to name only a few. But in Romans, Paul does not merely reiterate these ideas; rather he reformulates and refines them. Romans, therefore, evidences a greater theological maturity than the other Pauline epistles.

Myers comments on the importance of Romans (op. cit., v. 5, p. 817):

The Epistles to the Romans has also contributed significantly to the history of Christian doctrine. Almost every influential Christian thinker has dealt with Romans. Origen, Thomas Aquinas, and Philip Melanchthon, to mention only a few, wrote noteworthy commentaries on Romans. And numerous theological notions have been derived solely or in part from Romans. Augustine acquired his idea of original sin from Romans 5, Luther gained his understanding of justification by faith alone from Romans 3-4, John Calvin obtained his doctrine of double predestination from Romans 9-11, John Wesley got his distinctive teaching on sanctification from Romans 6 and 8, and Karl Barth learned of the importance of the righteousness of God from Romans 1 and 2. In short, this epistle has exerted a powerful influence on all branches of the Christian Church, and its impact on the lives and thought of prominent Christian thinkers through the years has been second, perhaps, only to the canonical gospels.

Welcome to the Romans class.

Word to the wise: It is acknowledged that you have all been introduced to the finer points of NT Greek, so your exegesis work must take that into account.

The assignment this semester is on Paul and the Law, but we are approaching that vast subject in a number of ways, and working with multiple genres. The first section to which you have to bend your brain is a short interpretive study of Romans 3:21ff. Check the details in the handout sheet and start posting on your blogs.

Check out the Lampeter resources and also the Sconul, but, by way of kicking off, simply try the NT Gateway link on the sidebar here. Here is the second romans-lecture-2.ppt; a short note on the old-testament-quotations-in-paul.doc and a longer account of our discussion on the question what_is_the_status_of_paul_in_acts1.doc?

Greetings to Year 2/3 students joining us for Puritanism: History and Theology

Here’s a student essay defending the subject, asking why-study-puritan-theology.doc and here’s the powerpoint of Lecture 1 puritanism.ppt.

Your immediate task is to purchase Pilgrims Progresss and read through Part One.

Peace and Grace!

This article was posted over at Arminian Perspectives by Kangeroodort. In the article he discusses the differences between Calvinists and Arminians on this issue. He asks a question that I have asked in the past. In fact, when I first started to study Reformed Theology this was one of my first objections.

Kangeroodort said

Is a God who can only control His universe through cause and effect bigger or smaller than a God who can allow for true contingency in His creatures and still accomplish His will?

Likewise, Arminians consider that this view magnifies God’s power, in at least two interrelated ways.

1. God was able to create a being who was not merely “determined,” but an actor who also “determines” things, a being who is free and in His own image. He of the only true sovereign will was able to endow man with a will that really has the power of decision and choice.

2. God is able to govern the truly free exercise of men’s wills in such a way that all goes according to His plan. A God who created a complex universe inhabited by beings pre-programmed to act out His will for them would be great. But one who can make men with wills of their own and set them free to act in ways He has not determined for them, and still govern the whole in perfect accord with His purpose is greater.” [page 43, italics his]

This was my position. I can still understand the argument. After all, in what way is God more powerful…when He controls everything or when He allows his creatures to have free will and He is still able to have His will accomplished? The answer seemed obvious. It makes so much sense, doesn’t it? Well on the surface it does. But there is so much more to this. The biggest problem I now see with this position is that it does not accurately account for the depravity of man. The depravity is total meaning that it permeates our whole being to the point of enslaving our will. Click here to read a more thorough discussion of Total Depravity. When we understand the true condition that our will is in we can understand that we can not have free will.

A.W. Pink explains it this way in Ch. 7 of The Sovereignty of God. He said

To will is to choose, and to choose is to decide between two or more alternatives. But there is something which influences the choice; something which determines the decision. Hence the will cannot be Sovereign because it is the servant of that something. The will cannot be both Sovereign and servant. It cannot be both cause and effect. The will is not causative, because, as we have said, something causes it to choose, therefore that something must be the causative agent. Choice itself is affected by certain considerations, is determined by various influences brought to bear upon the individual himself, hence, volition is the effect of these considerations and influences, and if the effect, it must be their servant; and if the will is their servant then it is not Sovereign, and if the will is not Sovereign, we certainly cannot predicate absolute “freedom” of it.

All men have free will but they are only able to make choices within and in cooperation with their nature.  For unregenerate people that nature is the sinful nature inherited from the Fall.  For regenerate people that nature is the new nature given to them at the point they are made alive and freed from the bondage of the sinful nature.  The new nature is one that seeks after God and can respond when the Gospel is proclaimed to them.

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