Category: Westminster Larger Catechism Study

Mike’s discussion raises some serious issues. And the passages in the Bible about persecution are numerous. As for Revelation, I have not found a more complete study of that book, than what Dr. Steven Dilday has done. You can get an introduction from his translation work from Heidegger’s Bible Handbook: Revelation: Inscription, which is here: https://www.fromreformationtoreformation.com/post/heidegger-s-bible-handbook-revelation-inscription

The work comes at the conclusion of his NT Class and goes on for 4 parts, with the class lesson video and notes.

He also has two longer Revelation studies, including his current translation of Matthew Poole’s work….where his latest posting this July was Rev 9:12.

https://www.fromreformationtoreformation.com/blog/categories/poole-revelation

That work is now linked back to 5 years of sermons which can be found on Sermon Audio. I highly recommend these, but must advise the study is extremely detail, verse by verses, with a lot of review in each lesson. He makes excellent points in the introduction and warns that it is best to understand the details in the first 5 chapters before getting into the the rest of the book, which people often jump to in trying to interpret and apply.

The most important point is it’s a Revelation not a Hiding! So don’t ignore it.

Anyway if the Lord lingers there is time to work through it and perhaps 🤔 some years from not Dr. Dilday will finish the work. I recall even Matthew Henry never finished his own commentary on Revelation, and was added after his death.

Solid thoughts.
“ Make God’s glory your object in life; live in His sight; dwell close to Him…”

Shorter Catechism

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Btw the KJV has the passage Mike quotes translated this way. Both are great readings.

2 Peter 1:1-11 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Good thoughts Mike, passing them on.
Always impressive how strongly Jesus emphasized taught how the Scriptures spoke so directly about him.

John 5:45-47 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Later after the resurrection Jesus spoke these words of confirmation about the Scriptures.

Luk 24:25  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luk 24:26  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Luk 24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

And notice how directly Jesus confirms has teaching his disciples this truth, like we read in John 5 above.

“These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you…”

Luke 24:44-49 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Which we too are to pass on to those who can hear and believe.

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Good words from yesterday’s reading.

Another Pastor I follow has said …..Truth in doctrine is a necessary part of church unity. It’s not alone sufficient but necessary.

Morning
“Sanctify them through thy truth.” — Joh 17:17
Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God infuses into man that new living principle by which he becomes “a new creature” in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways-mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under; and vivification, by which the life which God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. This is carried on every day in what is called “perseverance,” by which the Christian is preserved and continued in a gracious state, and is made to abound in good works unto the praise and glory of God; and it culminates or comes to perfection, in “glory,” when the soul, being thoroughly purged, is caught up to dwell with holy beings at the right hand of the Majesty on high. But while the Spirit of God is thus the author of sanctification, yet there is a visible agency employed which must not be forgotten. “Sanctify them,” said Jesus, “through thy truth: thy word is truth.” The passages of Scripture which prove that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God are very many. The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and doctrines of truth, and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do of God’s good pleasure. The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Do not say of any error, “It is a mere matter of opinion.” No man indulges an error of judgment, without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold fast the truth, for by so holding the truth shall you be sanctified by the Spirit of God.