Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul - December 08, 2020

A Christology of Feeling 1 John 1:1–4 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes…and heard we proclaim also to you" (1 John 1:1–3). Yesterday we focused on the impact of the radical immanentism of G.W.F. Hegel in the nineteenth century. Hegel's theories, however, were not universally embraced. Schools like Princeton Theological Seminary, for example, held fast to Christian orthodoxy in the 1800s. Others attempted to hold to the uniqueness of Christ and yet were unable to totally break away from an immanentistic bent in their theology. The most influential of these men was Friedrich Schleiermacher. Schleiermacher maintained that there was a divine element in all men, which illustrates his affinities with immanentism. Yet unlike Hegel, Schleiermacher maintained that Jesus was different from other men in that He represents the supreme perfection of the divine element in humanity. This is particularly evident in Christ's "God-consciousness": Jesus was acutely aware of His "absolute dependence" on His Father and thus He was rendered sinless. Of course, it is true that we are all absolutely dependent on God, for "in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). But Schleiermacher did not emphasize this absolute dependence in any objective kind of way. Rather, he subjectivized the Christian faith, saying that the essence of religion is the feeling of "absolute dependence." Jesus really "felt" His dependence upon the Father and that made Him the perfect man, the authentically religious man. Combined with his unbiblical view of immanence, Schleiermacher's view of religion shaped the theological liberalism that came to the fore in the second half of the nineteenth century. Soon Jesus became the great teacher and model for what it means to be dependent upon God — whether or not He was God Himself. To be sure, Jesus is the supreme teacher and model, but this is not the whole story. He is also God incarnate who reconciles repentant sinners to the Almighty through bearing the Father's wrath on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Biblical Christianity is not pure subjectivism. There is an objective content — Christ's life, death, and resurrection — that undergirds our faith. Without this content there is no way to know if we are depending upon the right God. Coram deo: Living before the face of God Hegel, himself no friend of biblical Christianity, criticized Schleiermacher, saying that if the essence of religion was the feeling of absolute dependence, then the dog, being absolutely dependent upon people, is the most divine creature of all. Many people feel dependent on their spouses, their jobs, or the teaching of other religions, but this does not make them truly pious. Only those dependent upon the biblical Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, will ever find salvation (John 14:6). For further study: 2 Kings 20:20 The Bible in a year: Hosea 5:1–6:11

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Copyright Information INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries. Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on BibleGateway.com. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact us. *Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions —  *Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally R C Sproul R.C. Sproul (Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) was the founder of Ligonier Ministries and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible. A prolific author, he wrote more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Chosen by God, What Is Reformed Theology?, The Glory of Christ, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and Getting the Gospel Right. Dr. Sproul was professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale until 2004 and, before that, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, Sanford, Florida, and taught on the national daily radio program Renewing Your Mind. Want to buy R. C. Sproul books on Alibris?

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul - December 09, 2020

Neo-Gnosticism Colossians 1:24–29 "I became a minister…to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints" (Colossians 1:25–26). The liberal theology that emerged from the nineteenth century and still plagues the church even today was not only influenced by the radical immanentism of Hegel and the radical subjectivism of Schleiermacher. Naturalism, a view that holds nothing exists except the physical universe, also had a profound impact on liberalism. The result was a crop of liberal theologians who did not believe in the miraculous. Some of them even denied the existence of the personal God altogether. These men tried to explain away the many supernatural references in the Gospels, viewing the miracles purely in materialistic terms. The feeding of the five thousand, for example, was not a supernatural multiplication of a few loaves and fishes. Instead, Jesus was able to convince those in the crowd who had brought food to share with those who had not. This theory might provide a naturalistic explanation, but it ignores the details of the Gospel accounts completely (Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17; John 6:1–15). It also shows how far those with such biases will go to deny the work of God in Christ. Rudolf Bultmann was a well-known figure who denied the reality of the miracles as supernatural events. He taught that the disciples, because they did not live in the twentieth century, explained the significance of Jesus through legendary stories (myths). He argued that the New Testament contains a kernel of historical truth, around which are found myths like the resurrection, the ascension, and so on. Completely denying the apostolic witness (1 Cor. 15:14), Bultmann said the historicity of the resurrection was unimportant. Only the faith of the disciples matters. Like them, we can have a personal encounter with Christ and find our "real humanity." Bultmann's meaning is unclear, but at the least he is advocating some kind of mysticism over against biblical faith. This enables people to make a Christ in their own image. If faith is not based on historical events, how do we know if we are all following the same Jesus? How can Christ be the object of the Christian faith if, as Bultmann's schema makes possible, we all meet a different Jesus? Coram deo: Living before the face of God Gnosticism, a heresy rampant during the early church, said salvation was only available to those who possessed the hidden truths of Christ. Bultmann espouses a kind of neo-gnosticism, a wholly subjective encounter with Jesus, which is the basis for many people's professed Christianity. A personal encounter with Jesus is necessary, but we do not believe simply because He "lives in our heart" (1 Cor. 3:16). We believe because He truly came, truly died, and truly rose again. For further study: Deuteronomy 10:21 The Bible in a year: Hosea 7:1–10:15

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Copyright Information INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries. Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on BibleGateway.com. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact us. *Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions —  *Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally R C Sproul R.C. Sproul (Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) was the founder of Ligonier Ministries and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible. A prolific author, he wrote more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Chosen by God, What Is Reformed Theology?, The Glory of Christ, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and Getting the Gospel Right. Dr. Sproul was professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale until 2004 and, before that, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, Sanford, Florida, and taught on the national daily radio program Renewing Your Mind. Want to buy R. C. Sproul books on Alibris?

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul - December 10, 2020

Jesus Stands Before Pilate Matthew 27:11–23 "Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all said, 'Let him be crucified!'" (Matthew 27:22). Our study of Matthew's gospel has highlighted the opposition of Israel's leaders to Jesus (Matt. 2:16–18; 12:22–32; 16:1–4; 22:15–46). This hatred is seen most clearly in Christ's trial and execution. Having had Jesus betrayed into their hands, the high priest Caiaphas and the other religious authorities have falsely convicted our Lord of blasphemy, a capital crime according to the Mosaic code (Matt. 26:47–68; 27:1; see Lev. 24:16). Since Rome does not allow the Jewish leaders to enforce the death penalty, Jesus is taken before Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:2), and we find ourselves in his court today as we return to Matthew. To understand why Pilate finally condemns Jesus to death, we need to know something of Pilate's character and his relationship with Israel. From his appointment as governor of Judea (circa AD 26), Pontius Pilate has shown little but contempt for his Jewish subjects, raiding the temple treasury to finance the construction of an aqueduct and even murdering some Galileans while they offered sacrifices (Luke 13:1). As such, Pilate will not be moved to kill Jesus simply because Jesus violates the Sanhedrin's religious sensibilities. In fact, Pilate's hatred for the Sanhedrin is well-known. Therefore, the Jewish leaders do not charge Jesus with blasphemy before Pilate's bench; rather, they accuse our Lord of claiming to be "King of the Jews"                (Matt. 27:11-12). In riot-prone Judea, this is the best way to convince Pilate that Jesus must die, for the Roman authorities will do nearly anything to prevent uprisings against the Empire. Pilate, however, is not convinced that Jesus is guilty. After all, he does not immediately deliver Jesus to be crucified, but offers to the gathered crowd the chance to have Him released (Matt. 27:15–17). Most commentators believe that Pilate knows of the popular acclaim surrounding this Jesus and thinks that the crowd will call for His release. In offering Jesus to the crowd, the governor is attempting to set the populace against the Sanhedrin. Ever the politician, Pilate will not do the right thing and acquit our Redeemer based on the flimsy case against Him. To preserve the peace he will put the innocent to death (Matt. 27:26), becoming an infamous character in world history. Coram deo: Living before the face of God Our God is a God of justice (Deut. 10:18) and is angered any time justice is not done. We likewise must be moved to work for justice, and being reminded that Rome did not deal with Jesus righteously should make us hate injustice all the more. We should be doing all we can to make sure justice is done, and some ways we can do so in our communities is by voting for honest judges and politicians and supporting ministries that work to extend justice to the unborn. For further study: Proverbs 21:3 The Bible in a year: Hosea 11:1–14:9

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Copyright Information INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries. Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on BibleGateway.com. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact us. *Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions —  *Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally R C Sproul R.C. Sproul (Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) was the founder of Ligonier Ministries and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible. A prolific author, he wrote more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Chosen by God, What Is Reformed Theology?, The Glory of Christ, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and Getting the Gospel Right. Dr. Sproul was professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale until 2004 and, before that, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, Sanford, Florida, and taught on the national daily radio program Renewing Your Mind. Want to buy R. C. Sproul books on Alibris?

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul - December 11, 2020

Sentenced to Death Matthew 27:24–26 "Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified" (Matthew 27:26). Ultimately, Pontius Pilate does not believe that Jesus wants to supplant the caesar and destroy the Roman Empire as an Israelite king. Several factors explain why he finds no fault in Jesus (Matt. 27:11–23). First, whether through outside sources or his own intuition, Pilate sees that Caiaphas and the other leaders seek Jesus' death out of envy, not the truth (Matthew 27:18). Secondly, his wife has had a nightmare about the events transpiring (Matthew 27:19) and sees involvement in the death of Jesus as disastrous for Pilate. Finally, the response of Jesus Himself to His accusers strongly refutes their accusations. John's gospel tells us that at one point in the trial our Savior assures Pilate that His kingdom is "not of this world" (18:36) and therefore not interested in the violent overthrow of the caesar. Coupled with this is Jesus' appearance before Pilate bound and beaten, which likely convinces him that the Nazarene is no real threat to the Empire. Jesus' innocence, however, makes Pilate no less willing to give in to his fear of a riot and have Jesus crucified to prevent an uprising (Matt. 27:26). Ultimately, this compounds his guilt — to commit the great sin of executing the Lord of glory Pilate must unashamedly cast justice aside. Moreover, the gathered mob is not excused for demanding Christ's death simply because they are following their leaders (Matthew 27:20). But if in this mob there are those who once hailed Jesus as David's heir (Matthew 21:1–11), why do they follow along? It is because they want a violent conqueror and their expectations cannot accept that this bound man is God's Messiah. Barabbas is willing to overthrow Rome by any means necessary (Mark 15:7); thus, the people prefer him over the humble Jesus (Matt. 27:21). Pilate futilely tries to shift blame to the crowd, and, tragically, the crowd's acceptance of responsibility for Jesus' death has been used over the centuries to justify anti-Semitism (Matt. 27:25). Many professing Christians have literally brought blood upon Jewish people, a gross misuse of the text given that Jesus and His disciples are Jewish and that the crowd is speaking for itself, not an entire ethnic group. In reality, all people are guilty of having Christ killed, for our sin made His death necessary in the first place (Rom. 3:21–26). Coram deo: Living before the face of God A select group of corrupt religious leaders and unjust Roman officials are those who enacted the legal procedures that resulted in Jesus' death. Yet in a sense, we all killed Jesus, because had we not sinned, there would have been no need of His death. It is sobering to realize that we put Jesus on that cross; still, He went there willingly so that we could be forgiven of our sin. How amazing is God's marvelous grace! For further study: Genesis 3:17–19 The Bible in a year: Joel 1:1-3:21 For the weekend: Amos 1:1–6:14

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Copyright Information INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries. Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on BibleGateway.com. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact us. *Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions —  *Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally R C Sproul R.C. Sproul (Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) was the founder of Ligonier Ministries and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible. A prolific author, he wrote more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Chosen by God, What Is Reformed Theology?, The Glory of Christ, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and Getting the Gospel Right. Dr. Sproul was professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale until 2004 and, before that, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, Sanford, Florida, and taught on the national daily radio program Renewing Your Mind. Want to buy R. C. Sproul books on Alibris?