In the Bible study titled, Behold Your God, Paul Washer states, “I believe that one of the greatest needs in Christianity today is to have a greater understanding of God.” You will appreciate this short segment from the study that can be purchased in full at BeholdYourGod.org.
The Difficult Duty of Discipline – “The word that gets translated “punishment,” is epitimía. It’s a technical, legal term that in secular Greek refers to an official disciplinary act. And this official act of discipline was carried out “by the majority.” That is to say, the church had a formal gathering, and deliberated upon this matter, and rendered a verdict. This is none other than the outworking of the process of formal, organized, official church discipline.”
$5 Friday: Scripture, the Arts, & Jesus – Some good books for Friday only – take advantage of the offers.
Pastor, Are You Okay? – I found this to be especially helpful and I commend it to other pastors.
It appears that President Trump is willing to accept LGBT as a protected class – For all of the applause among conservatives about Trump’s direction, here is one area where conservatives need to be concerned – and it’s really no surprise.
None Other, New from John MacArthur and Reformation Trust – This looks like another good book by John MacArthur.
The Pronouns of the Gospel – “As our society has come to view gender as a less-than-static social construct, there has been some wrestling over what to do about our personal pronouns.”
Romans 5:20–6:2: Do I Have Any Righteousness of My Own? – This is a good Look at the Book video by John Piper.
Debate: Can Christians Lose Their Salvation? – Part 2 – At the recent 2017 G3 Conference, James White engaged in a formal debate with Trent Horn of Catholic Answers, on an important subject that’s not only at the core of the gospel, but directly linked to the deity of Christ. You an view part 2 of the debate that’s now published (view part 1 here).
Theology Word of the Week: Anointing
Anointing. The practice of anointing, either with oil or with ointment (chrism), was widespread in antiquity, and had various purposes, religious and secular. In the OT, both priests and kings were consecrated in this way, and it is for this reason that English (British) monarchs, since Anglo-Saxon times, have been anointed during their coronation service. The Heb. title ‘Messiah’ (Gk. christos), meaning ‘anointed one’, also arose from the custom of anointing kings, since it was prophesied that the saviour would spring from the royal house of David.
In the OT, there is a link between anointing and the Spirit of God (1 Sa. 16:13; Is. 61:1, 3), and when in the NT Christians are spoken of as anointed, the meaning is sometimes simply that they have received the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21f.; 1 Jn. 2:20–27). In the 2nd century, however, the practice arose of literally anointing Christians at their baptism, as either an alternative to laying hands on them or an addition to it, and these ceremonies, when separated from baptism, became the modes of confirmation.
In the NT, literal anointing is spoken of as a Jewish custom, when one anoints the head of a guest, or anoints a body to prepare it for burial. As a Christian practice, it occurs in the context of healing (Mk. 6:13; Jas. 5:14). It is noteworthy in the latter passage that ‘the prayer of faith’ is said to heal the sick, and not the anointing as such; so the promise of healing should be interpreted in the same way (and with the same qualifications) as the promises that God will answer prayer.
The anointing of the sick continued in the church for many centuries, but in the 9th-century West its purpose changed. From then on it was conferred simply for the benefit of the soul, after expectation of bodily recovery had been abandoned. Hence the so-called sacrament of extreme unction, which is one of the rites given in the Church of Rome to the dying.
Extreme unction was abolished in the churches of the Reformation. A short-lived attempt was made in England to restore the ancient anointing of the sick for their healing, in the 1549 Prayer Book. Other attempts are being made at the present time. It is quite widespread in churches and circles influenced by the Pentecostal and charismatic movements.
- Sinclair B. Ferguson and J.I. Packer, New Dictionary of Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 25.
