Dear Friends,
I wrote something about the sort of culture I want to create in my classes on my own blog here: http://scatterings1976.blogspot.com/2008/01/bucking-paradigm.html
I’d me most interested in any thoughts/comments you might have on this.
reFocus 2008 – Willingdon Church
Some of you may be interested in attending the second annual “reFocus” conference to be held at Willingdon Church, Burnaby, BC, April 14-16, 2008. As we did last year, we are offering the opportunity for students to attend the conference and do some post-seminar work for credit. This year’s theme is, “Leading with Biblical Authority” and the keynote speaker is Dr. Donald Carson. Our own adjunct faculty member, David Lee, will be doing the course which will be cross listed as a BT or CM elective. Syllabus will be available online soon.
For more information on reFocus, go to: http://www.willingdon.org/refocus/
DG
The Centrality of Christ in Psalm 25 by Eric Ortlund
Psalm 25
Psalm 25 begins by setting before us the poem’s central issue: shame in one’s walk with God (vv. 2-3). In an ancient Semitic context, shame means more than a socially awkward mistake; it refers to a public failure in some endeavor or (more specifically) to a failure of trust between two parties. The Psalmist is thus praying against a visible, public failure in his covenant relationship with Yahweh. He ends the first part of the psalm with an assurance that his prayer will not be in vain (v. 3), and that God does not expose those who wait for him to this kind of public failure.
The general, timeless assertion of v. 3 does not seem to be enough for the Psalmist, however, because he launches into a series of beautiful imperatives designed to keep the public failure in covenant relationship he dreads from happening (vv. 4-7), praying not that God would merely help, but would actually cause the Psalmist to understand and to walk in Yahweh’s paths. These requests resolve themselves into the assurances of vv. 8-11 and climax in the ideal picture of the kind of blessings a faithful, wise Israelite can expect in vv. 12-14. In a beautifully counter-intuitive move, the Psalmist begins by saying that the goodness and uprightness of Yahweh is the foundation for his teaching sinners his way (v. 8), i.e., the absolutely secure foundation (resting in God’s own nature) on which the Psalmist expects his requests in vv. 4-7 will come true. All Yahweh’s paths are hesed (covenant devotion) and faithfulness to those who keep his covenant (v. 10), so that they may enjoy a long and secure life in the land (v. 13).
This ideal in covenant relationship fades into the background, however, as the Psalmist turns to his present experience in vv. 15-21: he is lonely and afflicted, surrounded by enemies, burdened by great sin. He closes his prayer by echoing its opening: guard my soul and deliver it; let me not be ashamed, for I trust in you (v. 20). A final general wisdom aphorism in v. 21, paralleling v. 3, closes the psalm. The Psalmist is sure the requests of vv. 4-7 will come true, but they have not come true yet.
A final verse (breaking the acrostic pattern of the whole) moves from an individual to a national perspective, echoing the “troubles” of v. 17. While the editors of the Psalter respect the integrity of the poem as a whole, they see it as applying to situations beyond those of its original composition—in this case, probably to the exile and return of Israel.
What does this poem teach us about Christ-centeredness? Some prayers in the psalms quite directly apply to Christ in such a way that, for instance, if it is appropriate for an ancient Israelite to pray the lament of Psalm 22, it is far more appropriate for Christ to pray that in relation to the cross. I don’t think Psalm 25 quite fits into that category; there is too much about the confession of sin and asking for help in obedience—something the eternal Son of God doesn’t need to do. At the same time, it is in Christ that the Father delivers us from the shame of the failure we would otherwise inevitably experience in our walk with him (vv. 1-3). In Christ, the Spirit is shed into our hearts who creates in us the obedience God requires (vv. 4-7, 8-11), so that we enjoy not long but eternal life and rest in the new creation (vv. 12-14, especially v. 13). And Christ himself takes the sin and pain of vv. 15-19 so that we are delivered from its ultimate consequences. As a result, how can we learn from this psalm how best to position ourselves so we enjoy what the Father offers us through Christ to the fullest possible extent?
First, there is an unsparing, humble confession of sin and waiting on God (vv. 3, 11, 16-18). This is no quick fix. Second, the Psalmist does not draw any distinction between individual sin and its more public and social effects: he needs his sin forgiven and to be delivered from his enemies (vv. 2-3, 15-19). While I’m not sure of the exact connection between the two, it is as if the Psalmist understands sin in the broadest possible way, and fully expects God to quell and redeem sin in all its effects. Third, the Psalmist commits himself in integrity to Yahweh before Yahweh has done anything: integrity and uprightness will guard me, for I wait for you (v. 21). Fourth, the Psalmist seems not to be satisfied with the general, timeless, Proverbs-like pronouncements of vv. 3 and 21; he does not dispute them, but he asks for and expects Yahweh’s direct intervention (vv. 4-7, 15). He is both confident and somber. Finally, the Psalmist is able to avoid any illusions about his own present misery, while at the same time clearly and expectantly keeping in view Yahweh’s intervention in his life and his heart. This Psalm is teaching us to reach out for what God offers us in Christ, while still being unsparing with ourselves.
March 20 – Morning of Prayer
Please mark March 20 on your calendar for a morning of prayer. More details to follow.
In case anyone is interested . . .
. . . there is a Proverbs study group (no Hebrew necessary!) which meets once a week; all welcome. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 29, at 9:00 at the Point. Shalom!
Seminary student blogs
Are you a Briercrest Seminary student or alumni? Do you have your own blog? If so, please send the link to me so I can add it to our “Blogroll.”
David Guretzki
Christ-Centred Theology
Luke 24:13-35
When I think about what it means to do Christ-centred theology, I often turn to this post-resurrection account of Jesus appearing to these two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In my view, the passage provides a paradigm for what it means to do Christ-centered theology.
First, Christ-centred theology takes place in dialogue with Jesus. Notice that Jesus does not simply jump into a lecture, but inquires of the disciples and talks with them, and they with him. This resonates with what the ancients have always insisted when it comes to theology: Lex orandi, lex credendi, which when translated means, “the rule of prayer is the rule of faith.” To put it another way, the Christian only believes to the extent to which he or she is able to pray to Christ in the midst of it all. These disciples, though failing to recognize Jesus, were nevertheless engaged by Christ in two-way prayer—chastised, to be sure, but with the result being true spiritual knowledge. Likewise, theology that does not start, is sustained, or ends in prayer in the name of Jesus can hardly be said to be Christ-centred.
Second, I am fascinated that despite Christ’s living presence before these disciples, he does not simply point at himself and say, “Here I am! Just believe!” Instead, he points us to where we must look: the Holy Scriptures. Jesus takes these disciples on an amazing OT study in which he shows them “what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27). Thus, Christ-centred theology learns to read the Bible not primarily as a moral handbook of life, or even as a storehouse of theological information, but as a book that leads forward and backward to Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, and indeed, centre, of Scripture. As Martin Luther once put it, the Scriptures are the manager in which the Christ child is laid. Thus, a Christ-centred theological agenda and hermeneutic is driven by a desire to know Christ better through Scripture.
Third, Christ-centred theology, paradoxically, gives us glimpses of Christ, only to have those glimpses pulled back from us again. Amazingly, these disciples did not recognize Jesus physically, but only in the act of communing together with him in the breaking of bread were they able to recognize him in his glory—but then only for a moment! This illustrates what some theologians have spoken of as the “dialectic of veiling and unveiling” whereby God is revealed to us most fully in Jesus Christ (cf. Heb 1:3), but yet still remains hidden in unapproachable light (1Tim 6:16). So a Christ-centred theology actually guards against capturing Christ by our claims, and instead humbly allows our claims to be tested, and if need be, chastised by the Word himself.
Finally, Christ-centred theology leads to a response in the form of witness and proclamation. In the same way that these disciples proclaimed the risen Lord “immediately” after recognizing him, so, too, a Christ-centred theology compels us to testify of Jesus Christ the risen one, and not simply to spout doctrines about him. This is truly what it means to do evangelical theology—a theology oriented to testifying what has transpired in and among us, such that our hearts burn within us until we cry, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”
David Guretzki
A Christ-Centred Seminary?
As a seminary faculty we have been reflecting this past few months on what it means to be a “Christ-centered” seminary. To say that we are “Christ-centred” is easy, but what does this really mean? This is the question that I asked each of our seminary faculty members to write on this year, particularly from their disciplinary perspective. These reflections were first presented at seminary faculty meetings, but I am now presenting them you as our seminary community.
What do you think?
