A Brief Introduction to the Heart of Abraham Kuyper: “Honey from the Rock” – LogosTalk

Last year Lexham Press released a book of daily devotions from the young Abraham Kuyper, Honey from the Rock.

Though most know Kuyper now for his Christian cultural engagement, in his time he was better known for his personal meditations.

George Harinck, professor of history at the Free University of Amsterdam and Theological University of Kampen, writes in his endorsement of the book:

Kuyper is best known for his Christian vision of cultural engagement. This is his legacy, but in Kuyper’s times he was beloved among the Reformed people in the first place for his weekly meditations. In these reflections on a Bible verse, Kuyper opened his heart to his readers by meditating about the personal relation with God in a creative, personal, and inspiring way. Of all Kuyper’s publications, his volumes with meditations sold best. His meditations seem largely to have been forgotten, and therefore it is more than apt that James de Jong translated one of the most famous volumes and presents the religious Kuyper to a new audience. If you want to learn to know Kuyper, his meditations are the best entree to his biography and work. (Emphasis mine)

So begins this introduction to a major new translation of an important part of Kuyper’s voluminous writings – his meditations. These meditations are some of his first published works, representing the “young” Dutch theologian and churchman. Originally written for the Sunday weekly De Standaard (later De Heraut), these meditations appeared in the years 1877-1882. Later they were published in two volumes in 1880 and 1883 under the title Honig Uit Den Rotssteen (both of which may be found in the PRC Seminary library).

And now comes the first English translation, through the work of Dr. James A. De Jong, former Calvin Theological Seminary president and professor, as commissioned by the Dutch Reformed Translation Society with collaboration from Lexham Press (2018). This is a fine work – in content and quality – and it is a blessing to see all 200 meditations of the original two-volume Dutch set in English in one, large hardcover volume (see cover image).

For the rest of this post, we pull out a portion of De Jong’s “Translator’s Preface” as quoted in the LogosTalk post linked below. In the future, we plan to pull some choice quotations from these Kuyperian meditations to give you a taste of the sweet honey he found in the Word of God.

One cannot understand Abraham Kuyper apart from his meditations. The more one delves into them, the better one comes to know Abraham Kuyper.

…As a theological professor, he produced major theological works, many now being translated into English for the first time. Kuyper’s amazing stamina and productivity, seen in these initiatives, were nurtured by the spirituality so transparent in his meditations. Kuyper did not wear his heart on his sleeve, but his meditations are the lens through which we are privileged to look into his soul.

The title Honey from the Rock is based on Psalm 81:16: “But you will be fed with the finest of wheat. I will satisfy you with honey from the rock.” While Kuyper never did write a meditation on this verse, it perfectly captures how he felt about meditating on Scripture. Communion with the Lord is sweet. It feeds the deepest hungers of the human spirit.

Spiritual nourishment comes from all parts of the Bible. This collection draws heavily from the Gospels, Psalms, New Testament Letters, and Old Testament Latter Prophets. But it also includes meditations based on passages from the Pentateuch, Former Prophets, and wisdom literature.

The themes and topics in this collection are rather wide ranging. Emphasis on personal assurance based on God’s covenant promises is prominent. So is God’s patience and long-suffering with his often-indifferent people. The power and glory of the Christian life are frequent motifs. Endurance and perseverance in the face of hardship appear consistently. The responsibilities of Christian parenting are regularly treated, as are the sad consequences of neglecting them. Formal, empty, powerless religious practice is often denounced, as are hypocrisy and religious practice for social recognition.

The meditations are equally emphatic against cultivating subjective religious experience as the basis for assurance; Kuyper unmasks the spiritual peril of such piety. He is graphic and candid about the power of sin in the lives of Christians as well as among unbelievers. For him, the Devil, sin, and hell are looming realities regularly referenced in his material. He emphasized the ministering power of angels in Christian experience. He stressed the urgency of vibrant Christian community, the Sabbath as a time of sacred refuge and renewal, and the centrality of worship and preaching and sacraments in the ministration of grace. Worldly diversion and the pursuit of material gain and human recognition elicit his warnings.

Kuyper does employ theological terms in these meditations: calling, election, adoption, regeneration, sanctification, atonement, and others. But he does so not to teach doctrine; he assumes that readers understand this vocabulary. He uses these terms only to stress the riches of fellowship with God. Kuyper’s handling of his chosen themes and topics, and his occasional use of theological terms, occur in a surprisingly fresh, creative style. His meditations are spiritually gripping and memorable.

For more on this new title, visit the Logos link below. And yes, the seminary library has a copy of this English edition now added to its collection. And I have one added to my personal library. 🙂 I am making these meditations some of my post-supper reading at present.

Source: A Brief Introduction to the Heart of Abraham Kuyper – LogosTalk

A Few More Dordt 400 Items

We have a few more remaining Dordt 400 items to bring to your attention in this post.

First, we want to point out that a personal friend and friend of the PRC has specially commissioned replicas of the original Synod of Dordt medallions given to the delegates. You may find these for sale at the Dort Store for $179 for the set, and we hope to have some of these sets available at the PRC Seminary’s Dordt 400 Conference coming up in April. We have been given a set as a gift and have it on display currently in our rare book case at the seminary.

Here is the information on the medallions found on the website:

Presenting the Limited Edition of the prestigious Dort Medallions presented in antique gold to the international delegates and in antique silver to the Dutch domestic delegates of the Great Synod of Dordrecht 1618-1619.

The unknown 17th Century artist depicts with startling detail the iconic Synod itself on the obverse side with Mount Zion on the reverse.

The historic medallions professionally minted according to the exact Dordrecht specifications of the expansive 58.5mm in diameter (4mm/90g).

Includes premium velvet burgundy showcase with a Certificate of Authenticity explaining the unique history and exquisite detail of the medallions awarded the esteemed divines of the august assembly meeting from November 13, 1618 to May 9, 1619.

At that special Dort 400 website you will also find some books related to the “great Synod” and its work.

Second, we want to point our readers once again to the special PRC Seminary Dordt 400 website. Here you will find information on the upcoming conference (April 25-27), which is introduced in these words:

The Synod of Dordt, held 400 years ago in the Netherlands was monumental in the history of Christianity.  The very truths that God had restored to His church only 100 years earlier in the Reformation—the doctrines of grace—were being threatened again, by another denial of grace. But this time by men from within the Reformed churches themselves. The separate existence of Reformed churches from the Roman Catholic Church was explained by Rome’s denial of grace. The new betrayal of grace came in a form different than Rome’s. It mutated (as the lie always does) to appear more acceptable to undiscerning Christians and their generations. But the mutated form of the lie was the same lie, the lie that man contributes to his salvation. Grace was “no more grace” (Romans 11:6).

The Synod and Canons of Dordt exposed that lie for what it was, and confessed biblical truth about grace—what today are sometimes called the “Five Points of Calvinism.” These Canons are the 400-year-old fruit of God’s work preserving His true church in the world.

And at that site you will also find a highly profitable blog, where the story of God’s work through the Synod is being retold in fascinating detail. Sign up to receive the posts and don’t miss out on the story of God’s amazing grace preserving the truth of His amazing sovereign grace.

As a sample, here’s a portion of the latest post – “The Expulsion of the Arminians”:

The Synod was growing frustrated with the Remonstrants. The Acts helps us understand why (see the category “400 Years Ago” in this blogsite): the Remonstrants would not directly answer questions put to them; they tried to divert the discussion to other matters; and they repeatedly referred to the Synod as a conference, viewing themselves as equals with the delegates. They would not submit to the Synod or cooperate with its investigation into their views.

At the momentous 57th session, on January 14, 1619, the matter came to a head: President Johannes Bogerman expelled the Remonstrants from the Synod.

Bogerman’s Speech
His expulsion speech is not recorded in the official Acts, but several eyewitness accounts exist. He told them (I quote from Gerard Brandt, The History of the Reformation and other Ecclesiastical Transactions in and about the Low-Countries [London: T. Wood, 1722], 3:151-152):

“The Synod has treated you with all gentleness, mildness, friendliness, patience, forbearance, and long-suffering, plainly, sincerely, honestly, and kindly; but all the returns made by you have been nothing but base artifices, cheats, and lies. . . . All your actions have ever been full of tricks, deceits, and equivocations. . . . [S]ince your obstinacy has been very great and complicated, and has discovered itself even in opposition to the Resolutions of the Synod, and of the supreme Powers, care will be taken to inform all Christendom of it, and you shall find that the Church wants [lacks] no spiritual weapons for punishing you. . . . I therefore dismiss you in the name of the Lords Commissioners, and of this Synod: Be gone.”

The Opening Prayer at the Synod of Dordt (Plus, a Hymn and a Psalm by a Dutch Men’s Choir)

The Fall issue of the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal contains a new translation (the first known complete one) of the prayer offered at the opening session of the great Synod of Dordt on Nov.13, 1618. The prayer was made by local pastor Balthasar Lydius, and the translation is a combined labor of Prof. D. Kuiper (PRC Seminary) and Dr. H. D. Schuringa (former CRC minister and seminary professor at Calvin and Westminster, CA).

Prof. Kuiper gives this historical introduction to the prayer and the nature of the translation:

Balthasar Lydius was a Reformed minister in Dordrecht from 1602-1629, and was delegated by the particular Synod of South Holland to attend the national Synod of Dordt. As the local pastor, two honors fell to him on November 13, 1618: that of preaching a Dutch sermon in the morning before the synod opened, and that of opening the first session of the synod with prayer. He prayed in Latin, in which language all of the business of the Synod was conducted until the foreign delegates were dismissed. Two partial English translations of the prayer have been available for centuries, one of which is based on the memory of some in the audience.  What follows is a new and complete translation, based on the Dutch translation of the prayer in the Acts of the Synod of Dordt. After the translation the reader will find the Dutch original.

The prayer is ornate. It breathes the language of Scripture. Its long sentences include many subordinate phrases and clauses. As is the Dutch custom, in these long sentences the subject is near the beginning and the verb at the end. This translation divides the long sentences into shorter ones so that the English reader today can better understand the prayer, Biblical citations and allusions are footnoted.

For our purposes tonight, we quote the first part of the prayer, encouraging you to read the rest at the link provided above to the PRT Journal. The prayer will give you a new appreciation for the times in which Dordt met, the seriousness of the issues it faced, and the humble dependency on their sovereign Lord the godly men at the synod showed . In addition, the prayer will feed your soul and teach us how to pray – for the present church and for the state under which we now live.

*(Note: In this post I have removed the footnotes, including those added by Dr. Schuringa showing the thoroughly biblical language of Lydius’ prayer. By all means pay attention to these in the original article as published in the Journal.)

Almighty, eternal God, Fountain of all wisdom, goodness and mercy, compassionate Father in Christ! We pray that Thou wilt open our lips so that our mouth may declare Thy praise.

We are unworthy of all Thy mercies which Thou hast bountifully bestowed upon the work and workmanship of Thy hands. Not only hast Thou created us according to Thy image, but also, when we through sin had become by nature the children of wrath, Thou didst recreate us according to Thy image. Since we already are indebted
to Thee because Thou hast created us, how much more do we owe because Thou hast also freely redeemed us?

It is great and marvelous that man was made in Thy image. How much greater it is that He who thought it not robbery to be equal with God made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in our likeness, who of God was made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption!

Also with these benefits Thou wast not satisfied. We were a people dwelling in the darkness and shadow of death, without hope of salvation, cast off in the unworthiness of our souls, for whom an unknown treasure would be of no use. But Thou hast enlightened us by the revelation of the Sun of righteousness and truth! Without this, we would have perished everlastingly in these errors, not knowing what way we must walk.

The enemy of mankind sowed tares among the wheat while men slept. This darkness gradually gained the upper hand. Yet through the light of the Reformation Thou hast delivered us from a greater darkness than that of Egypt. In these places Thou hast planted Thy vine, whose shadow has covered the mountains and whose branches are the cedars of God.

This prayer was also published in the Nov.1, 2018 issue of the Standard Bearer, the first of two special issues planned for the 400th anniversary of the Synod of Dordt (the second one will appear May 1, 2019, D.V.). These issues will be available online approximately six months after publication.

To this prayer we also add this beautiful and appropriate arrangement of the hymn “Thanks Be to God” sung in Dutch by “Urker Mannenkoor,” a men’s choir from the Netherlands.

And if you enjoyed that one, you will also love this version of Psalm 42 (by combined men’s and women’s choirs):

Older Useful Works on the Synod/Canons of Dordt

This week we are focusing on the Synod of Dordt and her work in connection with her 400th anniversary (1618-19/2018-19). Two days ago we looked at some of the new items being produced and published in connection with that historic event. Tonight we will look at a few of the older but still valuable books from the past.

The PRC Seminary library has several older works in Dutch, of course, and one could wish that some of these were translated or could be translated. One such work marks the 350th anniversary of Dordt and is a colorful illustrated history of Dordt.

But there are also plenty available in English, some major works and other minor. Here are a few.

The Deeper Faith: An Exposition of the Canons of Dort by Gordon Girod (former pastor of Seventh Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI), Baker Book House.

Crisis in the Reformed Churches: Essays in Commemoration of the Great Synod of Dort, ed. by Peter Y. DeJong. One finds this description online:

Forty years ago the Board of Reformed Fellowship commissioned nine men, who today would be considered a ‘Who’s Who’ in Reformed theology, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Synod of Dort. Under the leadership of the editor, Dr. Peter Y. De Jong, these giants in the faith wrote on a variety of topics regarding this great event in Reformed history. Their contributions brought to the Christian community a greater understanding of the history and necessity of the Synod of Dort, the key figures involved in the Synod, and the application of the decisions made at the Synod to the tumultuous times within the church during the sixties. Each article reflected not only the expertise of the writer, but also his love for the Reformed faith…” With these words Wybren Oord, editor of The Outlook, begins the introduction to this new printing of Crisis in the Reformed Churches. Contributing authors: Peter Y. DeJong– pastor for several churches in the CRC; Professor of Practical Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary; one of the founders of Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Simon Kistemaker– Professor of New Testament Emeritus, RTS; past president and secretary-treasurer, Evangelical Theological Society. Fred H. Klooster– professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. John Murray–professor of Systematic Theology and co-founder, Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia. Edwin H. Palmer– minister in the CRC; professor at Westminster Theological Seminary; executive secretary, Committee on Bible Translation (NIV). Louis Praamsma– minister in the CRC; professor of Church History, Calvin Theological Seminary. Klaas Runia– professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological College, Geelong, Australia; professor of Practical Theology, Theological Seminary, Kampen, Netherlands. Cornelius Van Til– professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary. Marten H. Woudstra– professor of Old Testament, Calvin Theological Seminary; translator, NIV.

But For the Grace of God: An Exposition of the Canons of Dort by Cornel Venema, about which we find this information on the Reformed Fellowship website:

Dr. Cornel Venema, President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, clearly and engagingly leads the reader not only to understand the background and the doctrine of the Canons of Dort but also to see how its faithful exposition of biblical truth gives us great comfort and confidence in God’s promises.

• Nine chapters, with study questions after each chapter
• Excellent resource for study groups
• Includes the full text of the Canons of Dort.

A larger work is Revisiting the Synod of Dordt (1618-1619), ed. by A. Goudriaan and F. Lieburg (Brill, 2010), part of Brill’s Series in Church History (V. 49). The publisher has this information on this title:

The Synod of Dordt (1618-1619), the international assembly which ended the yearslong dispute between Arminians and Calvinists, was a defining event in the history of the Dutch Republic. This collected volume presents new facts and analyses concerning the Synod, its context, and its legacy. It includes contributions on the Synod’s international character (Genevan delegation, James Ussher), biased historiography ( John Hales and Walter alquanquall), scholasticism ( Johannes Maccovius), philosophical ramifications, and Arminian theology. New, manuscript-based details about the formation of the Canons of Dordt are presented. Other papers examine the Canons’ ascendency to confessional status, intentional pastoral style, and view on the salvation of infants. Finally, its reception in the Dutch context as reflected in prints and printed works is mapped out.

Last, but not least, we also want to call attention to another RFPA publication on Dordt and her Canons – Voice of Our Fathers: An Exposition of the Canons of Dordrecht by Homer C, Hoeksema (2nd revised ed.).

We hope these books lists will encourage you to do some serious reading on Dordt and her work, as we remember God’s preserving work through His church in the 17th century.

New Books on the Synod/ Canons of Dordt

This week we are focusing on the Synod of Dordt and some of the new items that are being produced and published in connection with its 400th anniversary (1618-19/2018-19). We have featured a few new titles already, but let’s review those again.

One was published last year by the Reformed Free Publishing Association: Grace and Assurance: The Message of the Canons of Dordt, written by Rev. Martyn McGeown, a graduate of the PRC Theological Seminary and currently serving as missionary-pastor in Limerick Reformed Fellowship on behalf of Covenant PRC in Ballymena, N. Ireland.

The RFPA gives this brief description of this new release:

In 1618-19 the great Synod of Dordt met to counter the Arminian error that was threatening the peace and welfare of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands. The fruit of their deliberations was the Canons of Dordt, a creed which has defined the Calvinist, Reformed faith for centuries.

This accessible commentary on the Canons leads readers through the comforting message of the creed: being wholly saved by God’s grace—not one’s own merit—comes with the steadfast assurance of eternal and unchangeable election.

Another we pointed to on Sunday in connection with this month’s issue of Tabletalk is Robert Godfrey’s Saving the Reformation: The Pastoral Theology of the Canons of Dort (Reformation Trust, Jan. 2019), due out in a few days.

Ligonier gives this summary of this book:

There has been renewed interest in the five points of Calvinism among many Christians today. But these doctrines are not a product of the twenty-first century. So where did they come from, and why are they so important? Dr. W. Robert Godfrey takes us back to 1618-19 when the Canons of Dort were written in response to a mounting theological assault on Reformed Christianity. Now, for its four-hundredth anniversary, he offers a new translation and pastoral commentary on the canons, equipping the next generation with these God-glorifying truths.

These two are more popular works, that is, written for the regular churchman and churchwoman. But there are other works being produced of a more academic nature, for the serious teacher, student, and and researcher. We also point to two of these tonight.

First is the second in a new series on the official “Acts” of the Synod of Dordt (“critical edition”), part of a projected nine-volume set. The first volume was published in 2014, while the second was published in 2017. That one is Acta Et Documenta Synodi Nationalis Dordrechtanae (1618-1619) : Early Sessions of the Synod of Dordt (Acta Et Documenta Synodi Nationalis Dordrechtanae (1618-1619), edited by Donald Sinnema, Christian Moser, Herman J. Selderhuis, Johanna Roelevink (Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2017, 964 pp.). Both of these volumes may be found in our seminary library.

The second was published late last Fall and is part of the Refo500 Academic Studies Series (#51): The Doctrine of Election in Reformed Perspective: Historical and Theological Investigations of the Synod of Dordt 1618-1619 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2018, 260 pp.). I have ordered this work and am anticipating its arrival any day.

Concerning this work, the publisher has this:

In 11 essays The Doctrine of Election in Reformed Perspective reflect ongoing investigations concerning the doctrine of election, with special focus on the Synod of Dort 1618–19. Important lines of demarcation between different Reformed orthodox groups and denominations find their root divergence, as well as historical concentration point, in relation to this very issue. The ongoing research presented in this collection can open up a fresh field of fertile investigation for theological discussion. Moreover, she may lead to interdisciplinary perspectives and a cooperative approach to research, also beyond the field of theology. For this too is the field of philosophers and historians, those who trace the history of Christianity or are studying early modern Europe.

The volume consists of three sections. In the first Part three essays reflect historical and philosophical issues before the Synod of Dort. Part Two explores aspects of the Synod of Dort itself. The focus in Part Three is on the reception of the Synod of Dort. Finally, the following question is answered: How were the Canons of Dort regarded in the 17th–19th century, and what does the history of their editions tell us?

The editor, Frank van der Pol, was the program leader of the combined research group Early Modern Reformed Theology (EMRT) of the theological universities Apeldoorn and Kampen. In cooperation with the A Lasco Bibliothek Emden the EMRT organized an international conference on Oct. 29 and 30, 2014 about the doctrine of election in reformed perspective. The research group is convinced that the dual line of research on history and theology of the Reformation tradition must continue and be strengthened. On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Synod of Dort, the researchers, wanting to do their work in a broader context with a wider dialogue, make their proceedings accessible for more people and institutes by publishing them in this volume.

Next time, we will point to some older but still profitable titles on Dordt and her work and theology.

What Is Arminianism? ~ J. I. Packer

What Is Arminianism?¹

Historically, Arminianism has appeared as a reaction against Calvinism, affirming, in the words of W. R. Bagnall, “conditional in opposition to absolute predestination, and general in opposition to particular redemption.”² This verbal antithesis is not in fact as simple or clear as it looks, for changing the adjective involves redefining the noun. What Bagnall should have said is that Calvinism affirms a concept of predestination from which conditionality is excluded, and a concept of redemption to which particularity is essential, and Arminianism denies both. The difference is this. To Calvinism, predestination means foreordination, whereas to Arminianism it means only foresight of events not foreordained. On the Calvinist view, election, which is a predestinating act on God’s part, means the foreordaining of particular sinners to be saved by Jesus Christ, through faith, and redemption, the first step in working out God’s electing purpose, is an achievement actually securing certain salvation—calling, pardon, adoption, preservation, final glory—for all the elect. On the Arminian view, however, what the death of Christ secured was a possibility of salvation for sinners generally, a possibility which, so far as God is concerned, might never have been actualized in any single case; and the electing of individuals to salvation is no more than God noting in advance who will believe and qualify for glory, as a matter of contingent (not foreordained) fact. Whereas to Calvinism election is God’s resolve to save, and the cross Christ’s act of saving, for Arminianism salvation rests neither on God’s election nor on Christ’s cross, but on a man’s own cooperation with grace, which is something that God does not Himself guarantee.

Drawn from Packer’s excellent introduction to John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (first published in 1647). The title to this introduction is simply “Arminianisms.” The work is also found in this collection of Packer’s writings: Puritan Papers – Vol. 5, 1968-1969. We hope to continue to pull some quotations from this work in the next few months, and you will see why in the next paragraph.

This week we will be focusing on some Canons of Dordt items in connection with the 400th anniversary (1618-19/2018-19). There are some new and exciting resources available on the “great Synod” and its work. Watch for these posts in the days to come!

If you wish to continue reading Packer’s essay, visit the link below.

Source: Arminianisms | Monergism

January 2019 Tabletalk: Commemorating the Synod of Dordt

We are overdue in noting the January 2019 issue of Tabletalk, Ligonier Ministries monthly devotional magazine. This month’s issue is a special one for all Reformed Christians and true Calvinists, for it is a tribute to the 400th anniversary of the great Synod of Dordt (1618-19).

Editor Burk Parsons gives a fine introduction to the theme with his “Five New Points of Old Heresy.” Here are a few of his thoughts:

If indeed we are Christians, we will care what we believe and, therefore, what we confess in our creed, for what we believe is the very basis of whether we are biblically orthodox or whether we’re heretics. The historic Reformed creeds and confessions summarize and systematically articulate what the Word of God teaches us, to the end that we might glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If we care about what we believe, we will care about the historic creeds and confessions of the church, and we will care about what happened in the Netherlands four hundred years ago and how the Reformed church responded.

Tonight we also wish to call attention to the first featured article, which is penned by noted Reformed historian Dr. W. Robert Godfrey. He writes the article linked below, “The Reason for Dort.” He provides a historical overview of the synod and its work, demonstrating why this “great synod” was necessary. That reason was chiefly the false teachings of James Arminius and his followers, known as Arminians, which made a defense of the absolute sovereignty of God and His saving grace so crucial.

We pull a few paragraphs from his article, encouraging you to read the rest at the link below.

The Dutch Calvinists decided that the synod should be more than simply a national synod. They invited representatives from most of the Reformed churches of Europe to attend and to be full voting members of the synod. The result was the greatest and most ecumenical gathering of Reformed churches ever held. (Lest my Presbyterian friends feel that I am slighting the Westminster Assembly, let me remind them that that assembly was not properly a church gathering but a gathering of theologians to advise the English Parliament.)

The Synod of Dort did its work carefully and thoroughly. It met from mid-November 1618 until late May 1619, first hearing the Arminians and then, when they were uncooperative, reading their writings. The greatest accomplishment of the synod was the preparation of what are known as the Canons of Dort. These canons or rulings of Dort respond to the five points of Arminianism. Strictly speaking, Calvinism does not have only five points; rather, it has the many points that one finds in the Belgic Confession or the Westminster Confession of Faith. Calvinism has five answers to the five errors of Arminianism. The canons respond point by point to the Arminian summary presented in 1610. The synod’s first head (or chapter) is on unconditional election. The second head is on limited atonement. The synod combines the third and fourth heads to show that total depravity is maintained only when the necessity of irresistible grace is taught. The fifth head teaches the perseverance of the saints because of the preserving grace of God.

And then, after pointing out some of the synod’s other work, Godfrey ends with this:

The Synod of Dort did outstanding work that is well worth celebrating four hundred years later. It preserved the true teaching of the Bible on salvation and provided in other ways as well for the well-being of the life of the church. The synod fought the good fight to which Jude calls Christians. The fight did lead to a fracture in the church. A small minority left to form the Remonstrant Brotherhood. But as Jude makes clear, such a division is not the fault of the orthodox but the fault of those who oppose the truth (Jude 19). The great accomplishment of the synod was that it kept, taught, and defended our faith, “our common salvation” (v. 3).

Source: The Reason for Dort

Additionally, and related to this, Ligonier will soon be releasing a new work on Dordt by Godfrey. The title is Saving the Reformation: The Pastoral Theology of the Canons of Dort (Reformation Trust, Jan. 2019). This is the publisher’s description:

There has been renewed interest in the five points of Calvinism among many Christians today. But these doctrines are not a product of the twenty-first century. So where did they come from, and why are they so important? Dr. W. Robert Godfrey takes us back to 1618-19 when the Canons of Dort were written in response to a mounting theological assault on Reformed Christianity. Now, for its four-hundredth anniversary, he offers a new translation and pastoral commentary on the canons, equipping the next generation with these God-glorifying truths.

2019 Reading Challenges: One for Kids and Teens and One for Adults!

As we are halfway through this first month of the new year, and as this blog is primarily about reading, it is high time we considered some 2019 reading challenges! 

We start with that of the “Redeemed Reader,” which introduced their 2019 version for teens and children last week (Jan.11). Here are a few lines from their introduction to it:

Our 2019 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens is back and better than ever! This is year 3 for our annual reading challenge, and we’ve added some different components to extend your reading life.

We’ve also packaged the whole thing up into a handy pdf you can download and save to your computer. Printing just the pages you want and/or referencing it throughout the year will be easier than ever!

Why a Reading Challenge, or, Why do YOU Want to Join a Reading Challenge?

Perhaps the most important question is not, “Which challenge should I do?” but “WHY am I participating in a reading challenge in the first place?” (Or, why does your son or daughter want to participate?)

The point of the Redeemed Reader 2019 Reading Challenge is not to encourage you to simply read more books. After all, speed reading merely to check a title off of a list does nothing to enrich your actual life.

No, the point of our reading challenge is to encourage you to be more intentional with your reading life. Depending on the habits you already have in place, different sorts of challenges will be more or less beneficial for you. Most readers need some nudges to diversify our reading, and our reading challenges below are directly geared to that.

You may want to get the whole family involved with this one. There is much more found at the link below about the “hows” and “whys” of a reading challenge like this. And, of course, “RR” has plenty of book ideas for you to get started and to sustain your commitment to reading in 2019.

Then, for us adults, Tim Challies has once again issued his yearly book-reading challenge. As you may remember, he breaks his down into nice categories, to accommodate all types of readers – from the casual to the serious. Here is how that looks:

The 2019 Christian Reading Challenge is composed of 4 lists of books, which you are meant to move through progressively. You will need to determine a reading goal early in the year and set your pace accordingly.

• The Light Reader. This plan has 13 books which sets a pace of 1 book every 4 weeks.
• The Avid Reader. The Avid plan adds another 13 books which increases the pace to 1 book every 2 weeks.
• The Committed Reader. This plan adds a further 26 books, bringing the total to 52, or 1 book every week.
• The Obsessed Reader. The Obsessed plan doubles the total to 104 books which sets a demanding pace of 2 books every week.

And this is how he challenges us with this structure (pushes hard might be the better word – but that’s good!):

Begin with the Light plan, which includes suggestions for 13 books. Choose those books and read them in any order, checking them off as you complete them. When you have finished those 13, advance to the Avid plan. Use the criteria there to choose another 13 books and read them in any order. Then it’s time to move to the Committed plan with a further 26 books. When you have completed the Committed plan (that’s 52 books so far!), you are ready to brave the Obsessed plan with its 104 books. Be sure to set your goal at the beginning of the year so you can make sure you’re reading at the right pace.

All you need to do is download the list (or buy a printed version—see below), choose your first few books, and get going. Happy reading in 2019!

To which challenges I can only add – read on, my friends! Scour the bookstores (online and the “brick and mortar” ones) and find those special titles that interest you and that will grow your heart and soul and life! As we go through this year, we can share our good finds and good reads. And, yes, by all means enjoy your reading!

Source: 2019 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens – Redeemed Reader

To Read Well, Enjoy (and Work Hard!) – K. S. Prior

Practice [for reading well] makes perfect, but pleasure makes practice more likely, so read something enjoyable. If a book is so agonizing that you avoid reading it, put it down and pick up one that brings you pleasure. Life is too short and books are too plentiful not to. Besides, one can’t read well without enjoying reading.

On the other hand, the greatest pleasures are those born of labor and investment. A book that requires nothing from you might offer the same diversion as that of a television sitcom, but it id unlikely to provide intellectual, aesthetic, or spiritual rewards long after the cover is closed. Therefore, even as you seek books that you will enjoy reading, demand ones that make demands on you: books with sentences so exquisitely crafted that they must be reread, familiar words used in fresh ways, new words so evocative that you are compelled to look them up, and images and ideas so arresting that they return to you unbidden for days to come.

A few more good thoughts on ‘reading well” in Karen S. Prior‘s new book by that title (On Reading Well, which I purchased at the local Barnes & Noble store last Fall. As I make my way through it this year, we will be sharing its wisdom with you. There is much to be found just in the “Introduction” (as I am discovering).

So what are you set to read this year? Are you making good choices? Will you read well, for virtue (Prior’s aim)? You may also read for pleasure as you do so – pleasure that comes from work, as you see above. Push yourself, while also enjoying what you read. I promise to do the same.

Thoughts on Worship as Living Sacrifice – R. C. Sproul

…God’s feelings are not hurt by insincere praise, but neither is He honored by it. God is never honored by flattery. That is why true worship must be sincere.

…The central element of worship in the Bible involved honoring, blessings, esteeming, and reverencing God. A sacrifice was offered as an outward sign of a heart that was filled with awe, reverence, and respect toward God. When a sacrifice was not given in faith, it was nothing more than an external rite, a formal pattern of behavior that was not an expression of true faith that held God in the highest possible esteem and reverence. It lacked what the Wisdom Literature calls the fear of the Lord, that sense of awe by which the heart is inclined to adore and honor the Creator. The very heart of worship, as the Bible makes clear, is the business of expressing, from the depths of our spirits, the highest possible honor we can offer before God.

[In connection with Romans 12:1,2] …It is as if Paul said to the Romans: ‘Think of the gospel. What is your response to what Christ has done for you – Christ, who spared nothing, who gave His life for His people, who made the ultimate sacrifice for His sheep? How do we respond to that? What is the reasonable response?’ Paul said, ‘Here is your reasonable service or your spiritual worship.’

So we are to respond to the gospel with a sacrifice – not a sacrifice of money, of time, or of material goods, but a sacrifice of our lives. Paul said we are to present to God our bodies – that is, ourselves – as living sacrifices. …He is not asking for martyrdom or for us to give our blood. He wants something more. He wants our lives. The response of faith is a giving of oneself, body and soul, to Christ.

And then, finally, reflecting on the fact that none of us has ever given such a perfect sacrifice to God, he comments:

…He would tell me [on judgment day] that every sacrifice I have ever offered has been marred, sullied, and compromised by the sin I have brought with it. If He were to look at the sacrifice that I offered, even if I offered it in the name of Christ, He would reject it as radically as He rejected the offering of Cain. My only hope is the glorious truth that the offering I give to my Creator today is carried to His presence by the perfect Mediator, who takes our sacrifices of praise and presents them to the Father.

This is another post following our Sunday discussion groups this year at our home church (Faith PRC), which met tonight. We are continuing a study of R.C. Sproul’s book on worship. It was originally published under the title A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity (Reformation Trust, 2006 – the copy I have), but has been newly published under the title How Then Shall We Worship? (David C. Cook, 2013, the Kindle version of which I also have). The above quotation is taken from chapter 3, “Living Sacrifices” (pp.39-47).