Aslan on the Stone Table

Tomorrow at Dorothy Sayers Classical School here in Louisville, I am planning to teach the 5th and 6th grade boys about allegorical/heavily symbolic literature. As an example, we will be looking at the following:

“Aslan on the Stone Table” (excerpted from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)

Lucy and Susan held their breaths waiting for Aslan’s roar and his spring upon his enemies. But it never came. Four Hags, grinning and leering, yet also (at first) hanging back and half afraid of what they had to do, had approached him. “Bind him, I say!” repeated the White Witch. The Hags made a dart at him and shrieked with triumph when they found that he made no resistance at all. Then the others– evil dwarfs and apes– rushed in to help them, and between them they rolled the huge Lion over on his back and tied all his four paws together, shouting and cheering as if they had done something brave, though, had the Lion chosen, one of those paws could have been the death of them all. But he made no noise, even when the enemies, straining and tugging, pulled the cords so tight that they cut his flesh. Then they began to draw him towards the Stone Table.

“Stop!” said the Witch. “Let him first be shaved.”

…Snip, snip, snip went the shears and masses of curling gold began to fall to the ground. Then… the children, watching from their hiding-place, could see the face of Aslan looking all small and different without its mane. The enemies also saw the difference.

“Why, he’s only a great cat after all!” cried one.

“Is that what we were afraid of?” said another.

And they surged round Aslan, jeering at him, saying things like… “How many mice have you caught today, Cat?” and, “Would you like a saucer of milk…?”

When once Aslan had been tied [to the Stone Table,] [t]he Witch bared her arms… Then she began to whet her knife… Then, just before she gave the blow, she stooped down and said in a quivering voice,

“And now, who has won? Fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human traitor? … Understand that you have given me Narnia forever… In that knowledge, despair and die.”

The children did not see the actual moment of the killing. They couldn’t bear to look…”

 [C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia (HarperCollins 2001 edition), 180-181]

Sermon Notes from Philippians 1:1-11. Sermon by Jim Scott Orrick.

[The following notes are from the 10:45AM service this morning at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. The entire sermon should soon be available to hear on-line HERE.]

Philippians 1:1-11.

I. Introduction: Misconceptions of Love in the World and the Church.

A. In the world, love is often thought of simply as an emotion.

B. In the church, love is sometimes thought of simply as duty.

II. Godly Affections Associated with True Love:

A. Thankfulness

B. Confidence

C. Yearning

III. Practical Steps for Expressing Love within the Church:

A. Speak the truth to yourself.

B. Find ways to express thankfulness.

C. Pray for those in the church.

D. Partner together in gospel proclamation.

E. Remember our dependence on grace.

F. Find ways to meet the needs of others.

G. View people from the perspective of Christ.

H. Know that our sanctification will take place.

Commission of John to Write the Book of Revelation

[Below is my translation of Revelation 1:9-20. As always, I especially welcome comments/questions from any students of Biblical Greek that may sharpen the translation.]

9 I, John– your[1] brother and co-fellowshipper in the hardship and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus– came to be on the island called Patmos due to the message of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day when behind me I heard a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write[2] what you see into a book and send it to the seven congregations: to Ephesus,[3] to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 And I turned to see the voice of whoever was speaking with me; and, having turned, I saw seven golden lamp-stands, 13 and in [the] middle of the lamp-stands [one] like a son of man having been clothed in long flowing robes reaching down to his feet, and having been girded around the chest with a golden sash. 14 His head– that is, his hair– [was] white like wool– white as snow– and his eyes [were] like flames of fire. 15 And his feet resembled fine bronze as fired in a furnace, and his voice [was] like the sound of many waters. 16 And [he was][4] holding seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp, two-edged sword was going forth from his mouth, and his appearance [was] like the sun, shining in power.

17 And when I saw him, I fell before his feet like a dead man,[5] and he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, 18 the Living One, and I was dead– but look!– I am living from forever into forever, and I hold the keys to death and to Hades.[6] 19 Therefore, write down the things that you saw, and the things that are, and the things that are about to happen. 20 [As for] the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lamp-stands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven congregations and the seven lamp-stands are the seven congregations.

---

[1]This is the second person plural possessive [i.e., “y'all’s”], rather than the second person singular.

[2]The imperative “write” is brought to the forefront of this verse to convey the point that this verse is a command.

[3]Greek tends to separate all items in a list with a conjunction, whereas English uses commas to separate items in a list, only using a conjunction before the final item; therefore, many instances of kai will be left untranslated except by punctuation.

[4]A form of estin (rendered “he was” in translation) must have been understood by the original audience to be supplied in the readers’ thinking between kai and evcwn. This understood estin would have been the controlling verb for this verse, yielding “was” in the translation again after “appearance” (ovyiV).

[5]nekroV, being NMS and anarthrous, is translated “a dead man.”

[6]Kai is translated in different ways based on the context. The first kai is understood as epexegetical. Rather than forming the third part of a description [the First and the Last and the Living One], this should be understood as a further insight into the previous description of Christ’s eternality [the First and the Last, even the Living One].

Dr. Jimmy Draper on the Possibility of SBC Name-Change

"We recommend that the legal name of the SBC name not be changed, but that a descriptor name be adopted to go with the SBC official name."

[Via Dr. Albert Mohler, 9:07 PM, at the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Meeting, Name Change Task Force Report]


UPDATE: official recommendation, announced by Dr. Paige Patterson, "Keep SBC as a legal name. Approve 'Great Commission Baptists' as an informal name/tag line."

Live-blogging D.A. Carson at Liberty University

[I'm not at Liberty, just listening to Dr. Carson on live-stream. The live-stream is available HERE. The live-stream is a bit glitchy, probably because so many people are watching this.]

TITLE: "One Focus of the Gospel" (John 3:1-21)

Introductory question: "What is the gospel?" The gospel is, first of all, good news. What is it news about. Some people have said, preach the gospel, if it's necessary use words. But this is a bit like telling the newscaster on the evening newscast, 'Give the news, if necessary, use words.'

What God has done in Christ Jesus, primarily through the Cross and Resurrection, to reconcile sinners to Himself.

Legal dimension: how can guilty people be declared just before God?

We cannot understand the good news until we know what the bad news is.

Relational component: whereas the gospel itself is what GOD does, through the gospel God reconciles us to one another.

Eschatalogical component: we will have new bodies in a new Heaven and a new Earth on the last day.

I. What Jesus said about being born again (vv. 1-10)

A. Nicodemus
1. Pharisees would have been seen as theologically correct and upright.
2. Those on the ruling council would have been tremendously powerful.
3. Nicodemus was apparently known as the Teacher of Israel.
4. Nicodemus' coming at night, as recorded by John, was also indicative of his spiritual darkness.
5. Nicodemus' use of "we" comes across as slightly pompous.
6. Nicodemus recognized Jesus as coming from God.
7. Nicodemus claimed to see something important, but Jesus informed him that he could not see at all.

B. The Impossibility of Going Back in Time to Right Past Wrongs

C. Born of Water and the Spirit
1. The context must be considered.
2. Ezekiel 36:25-26.
3. "Born of water and the Spirit" = cleansing and transformation.

D. Wind: we can see the effects, even if we cannot explain the mechanics.

E. "You must be born again, if you are to see and enter the kingdom of God."

II. Why Jesus Could Speak So Authoritatively About Being Born Again (vv. 11-13)

A. "We"
1. Jesus uses "we," playing off of Nicodemus' earlier use of "we."
2. This is demonstrated in the fact that Jesus immediately switches back to the first person singular.

B. Jesus' Authority Rests In Who He Is
1. Our authority is not based on rationalism. (We cannot reason ourselves to God.)
2. Our authority is not based on mysticism. (We cannot feel ourselves to God.)
3. Our authority is based on revelation. (God reveals himself to us.)

III. How We Experience The New Birth (vv. 14-15)

A. Numbers 21:4-8.

B. "Whining is idolatry."


C. "We are sinful people... and we stand under God's curse."

D. The Good News
1. The Good News is bound up in what God has done on the Cross in Christ Jesus.
2. We experience the new birth as we cast ourselves on Jesus.

IV. Why Jesus Was Sent to Bring About This New Birth (v. 16)


A. "In John's Gospel, the world is a damned place."


B. God loves the world despite the fact that the world has made itself unlovely.

Sermon Notes from "Not Ashamed to be Called God." Sermon by Jim Scott Orrick.

[The following notes were taken during the 10:45AM service this morning at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. The notes were cut short because I ran out of paper in my note-pad. The entire sermon is available to hear on-line HERE.]

Hebrews 11:1-16.

I. Introduction. Illustration of faith: one who has been born and reared in a dark cave.

A. The person inside the cave can hear the outside world and develop theories about what makes the sound.

B. If a pinpoint hole were suddenly placed in the wall of the cave, then it would radically impact the people inside of the cave, and it would lead the people in the cave to crave the outside world.

C. The pinpoint of light from the outside world in the wall of a dark cave is a metaphor for faith in this world.

II. "God is pleased with people who have faith."

A. "By faith we look to God for the knowledge of good and evil."
1. Before Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were immediately dependent upon God to tell them the difference between good and evil.
2. Man has usurped God's prerogative of determining good and evil.
3. Illustration: the history of Mary Ingles;
a. Upon escaping, Ingles had to discern the correct river in order to return home.
b. In the Garden of Eden, Man began to follow the wrong river.
c. By faith, we return to following the correct river.

B. "By faith we stop working to please God."
1. Implicit in the practice of sacrifice is the idea that we cannot please God by ourselves.
2. Faith confesses that we can do nothing to reconcile ourselves to God and that we need the help of someone Else.
3. Illustration: the parent is happy to grant the desires of a submissive child, but must discipline the spoiled, fussy child.

C. By faith we enjoy God.

Confusion Can Kill

I am not one to usually write about a "left-wing conspiracy," but I have noticed a certain undeniable trend among journalists from major news outlets. In questions posed to the Republican candidates during the debates, and again in their coverage of the President's new insurance guidelines, it is abundantly clear that the main-stream media is dedicated to conflating the terms "contraception" and "abortion." In their treatment of these issues, members of the main-stream media demonstrate that-- either through ignorance or intent-- they are of one mind with pro-abortion advocates, who wish for the public to see abortion as just one more form of birth control.

Even when journalists from the main-stream media do make some distinction between abortion and contraception, they consistently make this distinction only in reference to abortion as a surgical procedure; overlooking the fact that abortions may also be chemically induced.

Note, for example, this week's "Friday News Roundup" on the Diane Rehm Show. As usual, Rehm directed a discussion about some of the most important issues in the news (this is why I always listen to at least the first 30 minutes of the Domestic Hour of the "News Roundup" each week), and she had a decent variety of panelists (Greg Ip of the Economist magazine, James Fallows of the Atlantic and Juan Williams of Fox News). But when they were discussing the Obama administration's new insurance policy, Rehm and each of her guests expressed surprise over the backlash the policy had received, saying more than once:

"We're not talking about abortion... we're talking about contraception."

And this sloppy distinction is made in other media outlets as well. But the truth is, some of the pills that journalists are calling "contraception" actually induce abortions. Contrary to what one may think from main-stream media news reports, not all pills are the same. Some birth control pills are designed to prevent the fertilization of the egg. Other birth control pills are designed to cause a woman's body to abort a fertilized egg before implantation. Both types of "birth control" would be covered under the President's mandate. This means that, at least as the directive was originally construed, religious medical centers would be required to distribute abortifacients.

We who are convinced that both science and our religion indicate that life begins at conception must work to maintain proper distinctions between abortion and contraceptives in general. We must further be willing and able to address the fact that some drugs that are called contraceptives are actually designed to induce abortions. We must insist on these distinctions in private conversations, in public forums (such as talk radio), and in political discourse (such as through letters to congressmen). A failure to maintain these distinctions will contribute to the further spread of government-sanctioned child murder in this land.

Russell Moore: "Bucket List" Antithetical to Christian Faith

In the 10AM chapel service this morning at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Russell Moore spoke on the kingdom of God. In one key part of the sermon, Dr. Moore spoke against the popular idea of a "bucket list." A "bucket list," according to Dr. Moore, presupposes the idea that this present, earthly life is all that there is: that "you only go around once." For the Christian, Dr. Moore pointed out, life is everlasting, and therefore there is not a limited time to accomplish one's goals.

Dr. Moore's concern in overthrowing the idea of a "bucket list" is that such an idea can lead to a life of stress and frustration. Also, trying to fulfill a "bucket list" turns a person toward selfishness, and away from being "others-directed." No one's "bucket list" includes "menial" jobs-- Dr. Moore gave examples such as scrubbing toilets or brushing the hair of the elderly-- but these jobs may be necessary for Christians who are serving the Lord through serving others. Dr. Moore proclaimed that our present, earthly life is an "internship for the eschaton" [the age to come].

Michael Scott as Pastor

The following comment was posted by Tom Chantry (pastor of Christ Reformed Baptist Church in Milwaukee) a couple of days ago in response to a Pyromaniacs article called "The Gospel as Performance Art"). I thought that it expressed an idea worth re-sharing here.

When I read this this morning I couldn't help but think about what it would be to have Michael Scott for your pastor. The boss on The Office tried to be a stand-up comedian, a hip-hop artist, an awards show emcee, and on and on it went. Of course, he wasn't particularly good at any of these things, but even that wasn't the point. The sheer impropriety of it all was staggering. The office needed a boss - someone with sufficient gravity to lead, and instead they had something worse than a clown: they had a wanna-be clown that wasn't all that funny. Stunningly uncomfortable moments ensued.


And yet, this is precisely the model for many evangelical pastors. They imagine themselves to be entertainers: and the consequences are disastrous. For one thing, they usually aren't quite as funny or entertaining as they imagine. For another, they entirely lack the sobriety and self-control which the Apostle said is a requirement for office. The resulting shenanigans are worse than uncomfortable - they are blasphemous.

Sermon Notes from "The Kind of Pastor This Church Needs" (Part 3). Sermon by Jim Scott Orrick.

[The following notes were taken during the 10:45AM service this morning at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. The sermon should soon be available to hear on-line HERE.]

1 Timothy 3:4-7.

I. Introduction

A. Re: Second Chances
-There is a time and place for second chances, but we must take care not to encourage sin.

B. We must avoid the danger of that we are different from everyone else, and that rules and precedents do not apply to us.

II. The Household of the Man of God

A. This passage is not primarily about the wife and children of the man of God, but about his own character.

B. How does the man of God respond to crises in his family?

C. A well-behaved child is a happy child.

D. The man of God must manage his family in a dignified manner.

E. How a man manages his family is a test-case for how he will manage the church.

III. The Maturity of the Man of God

A. Some people will let authority go to their heads.

B. "Not a recent convert:"
1. Q: How recent is recent?
2. A: It depends on the circumstance: for example, in times of intense persecution, a person's character may be proven quickly.

C. Refraining from calling a recent convert will protect:
1. The church,
2. The man himself.

IV. The Reputation of the Man of God

A. References from secular employment should be checked.

B. Neighbors can be asked about a potential pastor's character.

C. Is the man in debt?

Eric Metaxas spoke before President Obama

... and others at the National Prayer Breakfast yesterday.

Metaxas is probably best known as the author of the best-selling biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Metaxas gave his personal testimony, said some good works about prayer, and hilariously tried to pressure President Obama into reading his books.

Metaxas spoke powerfully about William Wilberforce and about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and made direct application to the political struggle against abortion.

Metaxas challenged evangelicals to love our political enemies.

One key quote:

"Human beings do not do the right thing apart from God's intervention."

John Calvin contra Abortion

"[F]or the fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, and it is almost a monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy. If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man’s house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light." [John Calvin, comment on Exodus 21:22-23. HT:: Reformed Baptist Fellowship.]