New Series: Profiles in Reformed Spirituality

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Steve Weaver
This advertisement appeared recently in a Reformation Heritage catalogue.
Click on the image to expand for better viewing.

A new series titled “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality” is being published by Reformation Heritage Books. The series is edited by Michael Haykin and Joel Beeke. The first volume, A Consuming Fire: The Piety of Alexander Whyte of Free St. George’s has already been published. Three additional volumes are due to be released this year: Jonathan Edwards (May), Hercules Collins (July), and Horatius Bonar (November). According to the publisher’s website:

This series is designed to introduce the spirituality and piety of the Reformed tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives of notable Christians with select passages from their works. This combination of biographical sketches and collected portions from primary sources gives a taste of the treated subjects’ contribution to our spiritual heritage and some direction as to how the reader can find further edification through their works.

I am privileged to serve as co-editor for the upcoming volume on Hercules Collins. I am working now at finding and editing selections from the writings of Hercules Collins for inclusion in the volume scheduled for publication in July. Please pray for me as I complete this project.

Filed under: Books, Hercules Collins | 2 Comments »

The Blessings of the King (Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12)

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Steve Weaver
Blaise Pascal, the 17th Century French mathematician and philosopher, wrote in his Pensées (which was a collection of his “thoughts”):
All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves. Quoted by John Piper in Desiring God, 19.

Similarly, the late 19th Century American pastor, J. R. Miller has written that:

The quest of happiness is universal. Men’s conceptions of happiness differ and they seek it along widely divergent paths: yet in every heart the desire is for the same end. J. R. Miller The Master’s Blesseds, 17

In Matthew 5:1:12, Jesus provides the definition and source of true happiness.

There were two kinds of oracles by the Old Testament prophets: Words of Cursing (woe) and Words of Blessing. This is carried over from the language of the Old Covenant in which curses are pronounced upon those who break the Covenant and blessings pronounced upon those who keep it. Jehovah God says in Deuteronomy 11:26-28 regarding the Old Covenant,

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

Jesus here begins with words of blessing, not cursing because by His sacrificial death He will provide the ability to keep the demands of His New Covenant.

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:1-12

I. The Meaning of “Blessed”.
The word translated “blessed” in these verses can also be translated “happy.” Thus, some have translated the beatitudes “Oh, how very happy is the man . . .” But, there is an important reason to use the word “blessed” as opposed to happy. Happiness, to our ears, denotes our positive response of good feeling to a particular circumstance in our life. Happiness, then, depends on “happenings.” But the happiness which Jesus pronounces in these verses is not subjective, but objective. In other words, those described in these verses are “blessed” or happy in the eyes of God. They have been declared to be “blessed” by God.

This blessedness does not depend upon circumstances. Despite outward appearance and how those described may feel, these are blessed by God.

This should not surprise us, since the nature of the Christian life. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Things are not always as they appear to the natural eye.

Among these poor, meek, despised, persecuted Galilean fishermen are heirs to the Kingdom that will never end!

The same is true today! You may not feel “happy” this morning, but if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ then you are truly blessed. As I look at you, I don’t see much. When you look at me, you don’t see much. But with the eye of faith, we are heirs of a Kingdom that will never end! We may be poor in spirit, mournful, meek, and persecuted, but we have been declared by our King to be “Blessed.”

We often focus on our physical blessings, because as 21st Century Americans we are prosperous! But most Christians throughout the ages and around the world have not been able to sing, “I have shoes on my feet and I have plenty to eat.” They’ve not been able to sing, “I’ve got a roof above me and a good place to sleep. There’s food on my table and shoes on my feet. . . . Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me!” But they were blessed.

To people like these, the blessings of the King in these Beatitudes mean something. While we’re singing about cars in our driveway, food on our table, roofs over our head, shoes on our feet, and clothes on our back; they’re rejoicing in their place in the Kingdom of Heaven. They’re rejoicing in the hope of seeing God. This is true happiness, which doesn’t depend upon our current happenings.

II. The Identity of those “Blessed”.
Just as Galatians 5:22-23 describes 9 different characteristics of the one “fruit of the Spirit,” I believe that the Beatitudes provide eight different characteristics of one group of people. In other words, Jesus was not talking about eight different groups who had only one of each of these characteristics and received a completely different blessing. Instead, Jesus is describing one group of people, His true disciples which belong to His Kingdom. All those in Christ’s Kingdom demonstrate the characteristics listed.

They are the poor in spirit, they are the mourners, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the persecuted for righteousness sake. This is the profile of the recipients of the “Kingdom of Heaven”. These are the recipients of the blessings of the New Covenant outlined in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:26-28.

It is in this description of the truly happy, or blessed that the standards of the world are turned upside down. Instead of the rich, it is the poor. Instead of the slap-happy, it is the mourners. Instead of the mighty, it is the meek. Instead of the hungry for success, it is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Instead of the mercenary, it is the merciful. Instead of the calculating head, it is the pure heart. Instead of the power-brokers, it is the peacemakers. Instead of the powerful, it is the persecuted which are the ones whom Christ has declared to be blessed!

There are parallels in the first three beatitudes to the prophesied ministry of the Messianic King found in Isaiah 61:1-4.

The blessing upon the meek that they will inherit the earth is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. God promised Abraham that he and his seed would inherit the land of Canaan. Paul expands upon that promise in Romans 4:13 to include the world. Jesus is the Seed of Abraham who receives the inheritance of the entire earth. Those who are united to Christ by faith are also recipients, by virtue of our union with Christ, of the inheritance of the blessing of Abraham. Christ was “meek and lowly” and calls upon us to take His yoke upon us in order to find rest for our souls (Matt. 11:29). His triumphal entry as King was meek, as He rode in on a donkey in fulfillment of prophecy.

Additionally, meekness is a fruit of the Spirit which helps us to understand that the description given in Matthew 5:3-10 is not one which we must produce in order to receive these blessings, but a product of the King’s rule in our hearts through His Spirit.

Persecution was not merely hypothetical for those who Jesus words of blessing upon those persecuted for righteousness sake. Note the shift from the 3rd person to the 2nd person. “You” will experience persecution, but when you do leap for joy! For your reward in heaven is great.

I don’t believe it will be very long until persecution ceases to be theoretical for the church in America! If we continue to proclaim that Jesus is the only way of salvation, that homosexuality is a sin against God, and the biblical roles of male and females in the church and home; we can expect to be persecuted in the near future. But when it happens, rejoice, you’re in good company!

III. The Nature of the Blessing.
The blessings described in these verses appear to be diverse, but I believe they describe the same blessing in seven different ways. This one blessing is in essence the Kingdom of Heaven. We can tell this by the fact that the first Beatitude and the last Beatitude give the same blessing: the Kingdom of Heaven. By using the inclusio literary device, Jesus indicates that everything in between the first and last beatitudes has to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. This indicates that Jesus meant for the entirety of these blessings to be understood as related to the theme of the Kingdom. Note the interrelatedness of the blessings in verses 3-10.

Since the Kingdom is both a present and a future reality (already/not yet), the blessings of the beatitudes are both already true of believers today, and yet they await their full consummation in Christ’s eternal earthly Kingdom. These blessings can be claimed right now by those who are true disciples of Jesus, but their ultimate fulfillment is yet to come. We can see most, if not all, of the blessings of Matthew 5:3-10 fulfilled in the New Heaven and Earth described in Revelation 21:1-7:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

Conclusion:

  • Would you enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
  • Would you be comforted?
  • Would you inherit the earth?
  • Would you be satisfied?
  • Would you obtain mercy?
  • Would you see God?
  • Would you be called a son of God?
  • Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There’s Wonderful Pow’r in the Blood!

Bow your heart to King Jesus! Acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior! Trust in His sacrificial death for you! The characteristics of the “blessed” of Matthew 5:3-10 will become true of you through the Spirit. You will be blessed! Receive the blessing of the King! Become truly happy! Become blessed by the King of Kings!

Filed under: Expositions, Matthew | 1 Comment »

"God is the Gospel" by Hercules Collins

Posted on February 26, 2007 by Steve Weaver
The following excerpt is from Hercules Collins’ A Voice from Prison (London: 1684), 17-19.

All men value and esteem things according to their judgment of them. One man placeth his happiness in one object, another in a different object, and makes that their chief supreme good and happiness, which their judgments and apprehensions esteems such.[1]

The covetousness man’s chief good is his white and yellow clay with which he lades himself withal,[2] because his pur-blind[3] eye seeth nothing in his judgment better, and there he placeth his happiness. So honor and applause is the proud and ambitious man’s chief good and happiness, pleasure and delights the carnal man’s chief good. Give each of them their desires, they will conclude there is no happier men in the world than they.

But on the contrary, a believer who hath the eyes of his understanding enlightened, his judgment and apprehension is, God is the chief good, and supreme happiness, an interest in God, a conformity to God, the enjoyment of God here and hereafter.[4] According to men’s apprehensions of things, so are their endeavors and pursuits after them. And as a covetous and an ambitious man, and a man given to carnal pleasure, will go through much difficulty, to have their respective desires fulfilled; so will a believing soul suffer the loss of all, so he may win Christ. None but Christ, saith an illuminated believer: Whom have I in heaven but thee, or in the earth I desire in comparison of thee?[5]

There are many good objects in heaven and earth besides thee. There are angels in heaven, and saints on earth. But, what are these to thee? Heaven without thy presence, would be no heaven to me. A palace without thee, a crown without thee, cannot satisfy me. But with thee can I be content, though in a poor cottage. With thee I am at liberty in bonds. Peace and trouble; if I have thy smiles, I can bear the worlds frowns. If I have spiritual liberty in my soul, that I can ascend to thee by faith, and have communion with thee, thou shalt choose my portion for me in this world; “For in the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul.”[6]

This is the esteem a believing soul hath of divine objects, Christ is precious to him, because he seeth him, and believeth in him.[7] But the ignorant soul will make excuses when invited to the best of blessings, as those who were invited to the supper, Luke 14. One had married a wife, another bought a yoke of oxen, another had his farm and they could not come. Had they but known the worth of this supper, and what choice dainties there was, they would never have made such pitiful excuses. Had they but known the reconciling grace there, and seen the want of it, the pardoning, justifying grace there, and seen the want of it, had they but known that sanctifying, adopting grace, and seen the want of it, they would have left their farm, their oxen, their wife, children, and all. The soul which was once blind, and now seeth, saith of Christ and his benefits, as once the Queen of Sheba of Solomon’s wisdom and grandeur, half was not told me by the minister of that glory, beauty, excellency, grace, goodness, that I now see in him.[8] Now, I believe not by report, as the men of Samaria said, but we have seen him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.[9] Now, we know what is the hope of the calling of God, and what the riches of the glory of the inheritance is of the saints in light.[10] Such a soul he enjoyeth temporal things, as if he enjoyed them not, he may have gold, silver, wife, children, possessions; but his affections, the best of his affections God hath. He hath those things, but is not defiled with them, he useth those things as the traveler doth his inn to help him to his journeys end, but as for the world, he hath all the things of it under his feet.[11]



[1] Luke 12:20

[2] A clay bath which was evidently a luxury enjoyed by the rich of the 17th century.

[3] i.e., totally blind

[4] Psalm 17:15

[5] Psalm 73:25

[6] Psalm 94:19

[7] 1 Peter 2:7

[8] 1 Kings 10:7

[9] John 4:41-42

[10] Ephesians 1:18

[11] 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Filed under: Hercules Collins | Leave a Comment »

I Knew It Would Happen: Ken Griffey, Jr. Rediscovered

Posted on February 24, 2007 by Steve Weaver
I knew this would happen eventually. With the increased attention on crediting/blaming steroids for the astronomical numbers put up in the recent past by baseball stars like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey, Jr.‘s career keeps looking better and better. As Jeff Pearlman writes, “Griffey is a baseball legend — perhaps not the best player of his generation, but undeniably the best clean one. He can sleep at night and never worry about federal agents or a grand jury or a tarnished legacy.” A recent article by Jeff Pearlman on ESPN.com’s Page 2 powerfully contrasts the careers of Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey, Jr.:

Following the 1998 season, during which Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa launched the Home Run Chase that Really Wasn’t, Griffey and Bonds — near-lifelong acquaintances — met up in Florida. Bonds confided in Griffey that he was about to start taking some “hard-core stuff” to keep up with the big boys.

Griffey nodded, but knew all along it wasn’t for him.

At the time, the decision was mostly about the reality at hand: Griffey already ranked near the top of the profession. Why be greedy?

Yet with what we know now, that day should go down as a landmark. It was the day when Barry Bonds decided to cheat and break all the records, and Ken Griffey Jr. decided to be honest and fade. It was the day when Barry Bonds decided he was bigger than the game, and Ken Griffey Jr. decided the game was bigger than him. It was the day Barry Bonds committed himself to greed. It was the day Ken Griffey Jr. committed himself to happiness.

You can read the entire article by clicking here. Along the same line of thinking, I look for players from the pre-steroid era to get a second look from Hall of Fame voters in the near future. Go Murf! (If you don’t know who that is, you need to get a life!)

Filed under: Baseball | 4 Comments »

Russell Moore’s Audio from Baptist Identity Conference Now Available

Posted on February 23, 2007 by Steve Weaver
The audio of Dr. Russell Moore’s address at the recent Baptist Identity Conference is now available for MP3 download. The title of his presentation was “Learning from T. T. Eaton and 19th Century Baptists”. You can download the audio of this session by clicking here.

Filed under: Baptist Identity Conference, Conferences | Leave a Comment »

A Theology for the Church Now Available for Pre-Order

Posted on February 21, 2007 by Steve Weaver
B&H is releasing a new systematic theology in May. It is titled A Theology for the Church and is edited by Daniel L. Akin. This nearly 1,000 page work will include contributions from Paige Patterson, Timothy George, Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, Mark Dever, and others. The following description is available on the publisher’s product page:

A Theology for the Church, an immense 992-page work edited by Daniel Akin, with contributions from leading Baptist thinkers Albert Mohler, Jr., Paige Patterson, Timothy George, and many others, addresses four major issues in regard to eight Christian doctrines.

What does the Bible say? Each Christian doctrine is rooted in the Bible’s own teaching in both the Old and New Testaments.

What has the Church believed? Christians have interpreted these doctrines in somewhat different ways through the centuries.

How do the doctrines fit together? Each Christian doctrine must cohere with the other doctrines.

How does each doctrine impact the church today? Each Christian doctrine must be meaningful for today’s church. It’s sure to become a widely-used resource in systematic theology study.

As I’ve said in the past, I’m very encouraged by the direction of B&H, especially their commitment to produce substantial theological literature. This looks to be a great contribution to the theological literature of Baptists. You can pre-order A Theology for the Church, which will retail for $49.99, for only $32.99 by clicking here.

Filed under: Books | 1 Comment »

Reflections on the Baptist Identity Conference

Posted on February 20, 2007 by Steve Weaver
Haddon and I had a great time at the Baptist Identity Conference hosted by Union University last weekend. The audio for all the sessions (except Dr. Moore’s on T.T. Eaton) is now available for free and links are located in the schedule. As promised, I would like to post my reflections on the conference. My reflections are mainly in three different categories. These include my observations about the venue, the attendees, and the speakers.

First, Union University was a wonderful host for the conference. Dr. David Dockery and all the faculty and staff provided a magnificent venue for the conference. The meeting space was great (with tables for meals and laptops). The meals were delicious! The staff and students of the university were very helpful. Nothing about the physical settings for the conference could be improved. This conference was obviously well-planned and it seemingly went off without a hitch.

Second, the attendees appeared to me to be an eclectic mix of pastors, denominational employees, bloggers, and Union faculty and students. It was interesting to meet some of each during the conference. Since I am the “stereo-typical” shy and reclusive blogger I didn’t meet as many people as I would have liked. However, I did meet several people and got to see many more from a distance. Especially interesting to me was to watch the “famous bloggers” interact with each other and other attendees. They are an interesting lot! I did enjoy visiting again with friends like Jeff and Christie Wright, Robbie Sagers, Russell Moore, Scott and Pearl Lamb, Timmy Brister, Tom Ascol, Ed Stucky, Ray Van Neste, and Tim Ellsworth. It was also nice to meet Brad Hughes, Steve McCoy, Joe Thorn, Greg Thornbury, Ben Dockery, Joel Rainey, Bill Nettles, and Tom Walters. It was also good to speak briefly with David Dockery, Timothy George, and Thom Rainer.

One encouraging aspect of the conference was the many Union University students who attended the conference. They were both friendly when approached and attentive to the speakers. They even asked some great questions during the Q&A sessions. It is easy to see the impact that Dr. Dockery and Dr. Thornbury (along with the rest of Union’s faculty) upon the formation of the next generation.

Finally, the speakers and topics were well chosen. They were each excellently qualified spokesmen for the topics for which they spoke. I’m not sure which were chosen first, the topics or the speakers. But whichever was the case, a near perfect match was made for each.

One of the recurring themes in the conference was the recovery of Baptist distinctives. This was not surprising since this was a Baptist Identity Conference! But what was surprising was the identification of those distinctives clearly as a recovery of a proper administration of the ordinances, pursuit of a regenerate church membership, recovery of church discipline, and an emphasis on expository preaching. These are the very issues which many of us perceive to be an uphill battle in the SBC. To hear men in the leadership positions of the Convention express their convictions in these matters was refreshing, to say the least. I was grateful for the strong leadership in these areas by David Dockery, Russell Moore, Paige Patterson, and Jim Shaddix.

Another recurring theme from the conference was a call for humble repentance. This call was heard in the lectures by Frank Page, Thom Rainer, David Dockery, Ed Stetzer, and Timothy George. This was a quite a contrast from the usual SBC emphasis on new programs as the secret to success. While I don’t think I agreed with everything these men said, I do appreciate the fact that these men called for self-examination, humility toward God and man, and repentance.

In conclusion, let me address what I believe to be the lasting impact of this conference. In my opinion, there were two key contributions made by this conference. First, the opportunity for open and, for the most part, civil discussion of issues of high importance for Southern Baptists. This opportunity for dialogue has been severely lacking in the past and although the blogosphere has emerged as a means of dialogue between individuals, it cannot replace face-to-face opportunities for the exchange of meaningful issues. Dr. David Dockery and Union University should be commended for facilitating this discussion by all interested Southern Baptists.

Second, I believe that the topics of this conference can provide a helpful framework for the kinds of discussions we need to continue to have in the days ahead. Serious issues such as these require serious thinking and debate. At this conference we have seen a model of how such issues can be engaged in a amiable way, even with those with whom we disagree. If this conference raises the level of debate among Southern Baptists by providing helpful categories for debating the issues and a model of Christ-like humility for all of us to emulate, the legacy of this conference will be one of eternal significance for the millions of lost souls that could be reached with the gospel through our cooperation.

Filed under: Baptist Identity Conference, Conferences, SBC Life | 2 Comments »

Sorry for the Delay . . .

Posted on February 20, 2007 by Steve Weaver

I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to post my reflections upon the Baptist Identity Conference. I have been in bed sick the last two days and I am only now beginning to feel better. I am working on a post of my reflections now which should be online later today.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Baptist Identity Conference Audio Online

Posted on February 18, 2007 by Steve Weaver
The audio from the just completed Baptist Identity Conference is now available. You can access the individual addresses (except for Dr. Moore’s on T.T. Eaton) on the conference schedule.

Filed under: Baptist Identity Conference, Conferences, SBC Life | 2 Comments »

Isaac Watts Weaver is Three Years Old!!!

Posted on February 18, 2007 by Steve Weaver
Haddon and I returned home from Jackson, TN tonight just in time to have a delicious birthday dinner with my and Gretta’s third child, Isaac. His official birthday party with his cousins and family will be on Monday night, but tonight was our opportunity to give him the gifts we purchased for him. He seemed to enjoy as the following photos show:

Isaac/Superman in his new “inflato-muscle suit”

Isaac/Superman showing his newly discovered physique and showcasing his
laser-beam vision (click on the picture to enlarge, then look at his eyes)

Isaac/Superman causing Superman and Lex Luthor to do battle in the air.
The battle between Superman and Lex Luthor moves to the ground!

Filed under: Birthdays, Family | 5 Comments »

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