The Prophetic Presbyterian & His Narrow Way

Strictly speaking, the Bible doesn’t prohibit drawing a distinction between kinds & types of elders.  All overseers are elders, but not all all elders are overseers.    Why would Luke use these two terms if they were synonymous? Probably because the Ephesian Church was composed of a number of smaller units & the elders serving one unit at times oversaw one or more units with the general community.  Think of the Ephesian Church as a multiune entity like God. Unit 1 is paracleted by the Father, 2 by the Son, & 3 by the Spirit.   The entire church is paracleted by them All.   Does this mean that Unit 1 is not paracleted by the Son &/o Spirit?   No, insofar as the 3 Persons of the Godhead are also perichoretic. The earliest elders were too.  There is no reason to think at least some of the elders paracleting & teaching in Unit 1 did not help oversee Units 2 & 3.  In extrabiblical literature, an episkopos was an inspector -...

State Senator Ralph Hise says he does not represent Democrats.  By way of reply… The Bible teaches the 3fold use of the Law & Gospel.   The Sermon On the Mount comes to us in the form of a suzerain covenant.  Therefore, its precepts obtain for individuals, ecclesiastical, & civil institutions.  Matthew 5:41 - 48 is clear:  …if someone forces you to go one mile, p  go with him two miles. q   42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ r  and ‘Hate your enemy.’  44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, s   45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?  47 And if you greet...

From time to time, Hyper-Calvinists & others will point to Romans 9 & Malachi 1:2 - 3 “  Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  ( Romans 9:13 , ESV)  & allege that these two texts and similar texts (like Psalm 5:5) teach that God literally hates either all sinners or the Elect but not the Reprobate. Is that at all true?  No, it most certainly is not true. How so? But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35  And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38  This is the great and first commandment. 39  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”  ( Matthew 22:34–40 , ESV) God is a Spirit, infinit...

From time to time Christians on the internet are confronted by Village Atheists, Metaphysical & Methodological Naturalists, & others about the alleged truth of Macroevolution.   How should we respond? Answers In Genesis  responds by engaging the alleged science behind Macroevolution,e but most of us aren’t scientists who are familiar with the topic.  Therefore, I prefer to let the Macroevolutionist drone on & exhaust their arsenal, after which I challenge them on their metascience.  Why should we approach this issue as Methodological Naturalists?  Methodological Naturalism is the handmaiden of Metaphysical Naturalism.    Has science proven either one?   All it takes to dismantle Metaphysical Naturalism is the Numbers Argument.  See  Here  &  Here .  Since we do not live in a naturalistic universe, then why should we deploy methodology with naturalistic bias at its root?   The propaganda teaches us that...

  Shema   14  “ And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation . John 1: 1:    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2  He was in the beginning with God.  3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  4  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Historical Prologue 15  “ I   know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  Growing up, I understood this text to refer to individuals & churches who had grown complacent.  Laodicea as a church was cruising on mediocrity & in increasingly desperat...