What in the world am I doing at 12:15 AM and
getting ready to prepare another Ministerial Musings? The answer is quite simple. When you listen to Dr. Jack Baskin speak
for two hours about strategic planning and post-Covid-19 locked down ministry
after telling a group of seasoned pastors their ministries will never be what
they were before the lockdown, how does one settle down and go to bed? The man
has the same broad vision and dynamism at the age of 89 when I first met him in
1976. His passion, zeal, and vision have not diminished at all. That’s why I’m
still awake.
Chapter 2 is titled The Reformation. In this chapter, the author’s subheadings are Martin Luther pictured), Lutheranism, The Anabaptists, The Swiss Reformation, The German Reformed Reformation, and Conclusion. In this chapter, I will continue my focus on the author's new facts, with comments that are called for.
The chapter begins, “The Protestant Reformation of
the sixteenth century was the greatest revival in the history of Christianity.”
I cite this verse because many of the gospel ministers I have known over the
last 45 years have expressed doubt that the Protestant Reformation was a
revival at all. Such a sad conclusion about an astonishing work of God is a
reflection of profound ignorance.
Are you interested in revival? Recognize that no
scheduled services are ever rightly called a revival. I suggest you read The Religious
Affections by Jonathan Edwards, Lectures On
Revivals Of Religion by W. R. Downing, Handbook Of Revivals by H. C. Fish, The Revival In Indonesia by K. Koch, Revival Of People Saturated With
God by Brian H. Edwards, Lectures On
Revivals by W. B. Sprague, Revival Sketches
& Manual In Two Parts by Heman Humphrey, Flame Of God - Distinctives Of Revival by Gilbert Edgerton, The Welch Revival:
Its Origin And Development by Thomas Phillips, The Revival Of Religion: Addresses
by Scottish Evangelical Leaders Delivered in Glasgow in 1840, The Great Revival In The Southern Armies by W. W. Bennett, Pentecost Today? The Biblical Basis
For Understanding Revival by Iain H. Murray, Revival and Revivalism: The Making
and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750–1858 also by Iain H. Murray, The Great Awakening:
A History Of The Revival Of Religion In The Time Of Edwards and Whitfield by Joseph Tracy, Revival by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Revival by Richard Owen Roberts.
Once you’ve read most of those books to find out
what revival is from a biblical perspective, then you might want to read Lectures On
Revivals Of Religion by Charles G. Finney to find out what revival most certainly is not!
There is no doubt among the informed and interested
that the Protestant Reformation was a great revival. Jonathan Edwards has
forever resolved the naïve belief that doubts, even during an incredible
outpouring of God, the devil is around and about stirring up controversy,
seeking to discredit, and producing false hopes in some.
In that portion of the chapter under the subheading,
The Anabaptists, the author opines that Anabaptism began in Switzerland and spread
throughout Europe to the Netherlands. My understanding of Anabaptist history
stands in disagreement with the author. However, I believe that the author’s knowledge
that Anabaptists focused on three primary issues is correct. First, they
rejected all infant baptism. Second, they taught that the only true believers
are part of the true church; a person must give a valid testimony in Word and
life to become a local church member. Third, they rejected all notions of a
state church.
I conclude my remarks in chapter 2 by
mentioning something that I am surprised to discover is missing from the
chapter, especially discussing the differences between Lutheranism’s view of
communion and the Reformed view of communion. The Swiss Reformers believed that
the communion of the Lord’s Supper was a symbolic ordinance. Luther, being the
very conservative man that he was, could not completely leave behind his Roman
Catholic view of transubstantiation and proceed all the way to the elements of
communion being purely symbolic. Therefore, he contrived consubstantiation, the
view that the bread and wine remain physically what they appear to be. At the
same time, spiritually, they are somehow transformed into the body and blood of
Christ.
The Swiss Reformers would have none of this.
The dispute gave rise to the controversy known as the ubiquity of Christ. Ubiquity
has to do with Christ being everywhere simultaneously, something that is
required if the elements of the Lord’s Supper are spiritually the body and
blood of Christ. The Swiss Reformers, to support their view that the elements
consumed in the communion service are in every way real bread and real wine,
and in no way other than symbolically the body and blood of Christ, pointed out
that the Word of God shows in 28 places that the risen from the dead, ascended
into heaven, and enthroned Son of God is physically in heaven.[1]
Obviously, the Swiss Reformers won the day because their position reflects the
Bible. Only Lutherans embrace the compromise view of consubstantiation.
The practical application of this dispute that
was not pointed out by the author of this book? The Lord Jesus Christ’s
glorified resurrection body is presently enthroned in heaven. That means He is
not, not even spiritually, in the elements of the Lord’s Supper. He cannot be physically
here with us and physically at the Father’s right hand on high at the same
time.
A practical evangelistic consequence of this
old Protestant Reformation fight? It is inappropriate for an evangelist to
encourage a sinner to ask Jesus into his heart. The Lord Jesus Christ, though He
is the God-man, He is a man. As such, He enters no sinners heart to save but
dwells in the justified person’s heart in the person of the Holy Spirit to
sanctify. As well, I have found by carefully interviewing; some sinners think asking
Jesus into your heart is equivalent to eating the host during Roman Catholic
mass. Why suggest that a sinner do something not called for in God’s Word?
There is no benefit and somewhat increased risk of confusion.
My next installment of ministerial musings
will be chapter 3, John Calvin.
[1] Psalm
16.11; 110.1; Matthew 26.64; Mark 12.36; 14.62; 16.19; Luke 20.42; 22.69; John
3.13; 13.1; 14.2-4; Acts 1.9-11; 2.33, 34-35; 7.56; Romans 8.34; Ephesians
1.20; 6.9; Colossians 3.1; Second Thessalonians 1.7; Hebrews 1.3, 13; 8.1;
9.24; 10.12-13; 12.2; 1 Peter 3.22; Revelation 19.11
