Some good thoughts on the Lord’s supper from Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin… *** But as this mystery of the secret union of Christ with believers is incomprehensible by nature, he exhibits its figure and image in visible signs adapted to our capacity…. We now, therefore, understand the end which this mystical blessing has…
Category: Theology
Can Wrestlers Baptize? (Part 2)
In part one, I asked readers what they thought about something John Calvin said about baptism in his book Institutes of the Christian Religion. Several readers made good comments on my Facebook page, and I thought I’d share them: [V]iewing the sacraments as only being able to be administered by clergy takes the emphasis off ‘Christ…
Can Wrestlers Baptize?
Baptism scene from Nacho Libre In other posts, I’ve mentioned I’m wrestling my way though Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. I’m currently reading a section about sacraments. Calvin sees sacraments like communion or baptism as signs of the work of Christ. Baptism, for example, pictures our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. Baptism doesn’t only signify forgiveness. It…
Trees and Mountains
Early this morning, I lay awake for a short time. My mind wandered to Genesis. Two trees take center stage in the garden of Eden: The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There was a commandment associated with the latter tree: “You must not eat from the tree…
Slaves of Death
“Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death–that is, the Devil–and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Certainly, the above verses…
The Book of the Wretched Sins of Mankind (and Especially Yours)
“[T]he heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezek. 1:1). Ezekiel does not begin with man’s sin but with God. Sin is not the center of the universe, God’s thoughts, or His eternal plan. Unfortunately, in the way we often think about the Lord, sin usurps the place that belongs to God’s glory. …
Conversations with God
In other posts, I’ve talked about my conversion, talking myself out of my conversion, investigating eastern religions, and finally returning to Christianity. Soon after deciding to re-investigate Christianity, I ran into one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) and got entangled with them for six months. I will spare you a long description of that little foray. One…
Knowing the Satisfied God–Rabon Byrd
Knowing the Satisfied God–Rabon Byrd A few months back, one of my Facebook friends posted a quote that caught my attention. The quote was from a book he had written, and he was meditating on it. I asked for a copy of the book and a pdf version of Knowing the Satisfied God appeared in my…
More than Eden
Before the fall, Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden. They weren’t subject to sin or death. But they hadn’t eaten from the tree of life either. Had they eaten from that tree, the Lord wouldn’t have stopped them after the fall: “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good from…
The Fullness of Every Message
When it comes to the Bible, I am passionate about one thing above all others—seeing Christ in every scripture (Luke 24:44-46). While I acknowledge other messages in scripture, Christ is the fullness of every other message. We must see that Christ is the end of old covenant laws. He is the substance of the commandments…
The Voice of One 