Round the Sphere Again: Gospel Favorites

Beginning With the Cross
Here’s a quote from one of my favorite books:

[A]ny really serious attempt to understand the Christian way must begin with the cross. Unless we come to see what the cross means we do not understand Christianity. 

Can you guess which book is quoted? Hint: I’ve recommended it over and over, but only a few have followed my advice.

Read the entire quote and find out which book it’s from (Of First Importance). 

Standing on This Truth
Shane Lems quotes R. C. Sproul:

If I have to trust in my righteousness to get into heaven, I must completely and utterly despair of any possibility of ever being redeemed. But when we see that the righteousness that is ours by faith is the perfect righteousness of Christ, we see how glorious is the good news of the gospel. The good news is simply this: I can be reconciled to God.  I can be justified, not on the basis of what I do, but on the basis of what has been accomplished for me by Christ.

Yes, double imputation is “the very heart of the gospel.” And it’s one of my favorite doctrines, too.

Explaining the Depths
Fred Sanders on the Trinitarian character of the experience of salvation:

If I have to trust in my righteousness to get into heaven, I must completely and utterly despair of any possibility of ever being redeemed. But when we see that the righteousness that is ours by faith is the perfect righteousness of Christ, we see how glorious is the good news of the gospel. The good news is simply this: I can be reconciled to God. I can be justified, not on the basis of what I do, but on the basis of what has been accomplished for me by Christ.

Read the whole article at Credo Magazine. (This is another bit of doctrine that makes my heart sing.)

Theological Term of the Week

Pentecost
The day on which Jesus poured out the Spirit on his people gathered in Jerusalem, fifty days after the Passover on which he was crucified.

• From scripture:

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes andElamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” (Acts 2:1-13, ESV)

• From Christian Faith by Michael Horton:

Acts 1 marks the transition from the ascension to Pentecost. Jesus ordered the disciples to remain in Jerusalem “for the promise of the Father”: the baptism with the Holy Spirit” not many days from now” (Ac 1:1-5). About 120 people were gathered in the upper room, near the temple, where pilgrims had gathered for the feast from far-flung regions.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Astonished that uneducated Galileans were proclaiming the gospel in their own languages, the visitors were provoked to reactions ranging from “amazed and perplexed” to outright incredulity: “They are filled with new wine” (vv. 12-13). 




Just as the Spirit’s presence in Christ’s ministry was identified with his proclamation of the gospel (Isa 61:1-2; Lk 4:18-21), the consequence of the Spirit’s descent at Pentecost was not unrestrained pandemonium but the public proclamation of the gospel by Peter, with the other apostles standing at his side (Ac 2:14-36). The one who had cowardly denied Christ three times was now risking his life for the message that the one who had been crucified a short distance from there had been raised, was at God’s right hand, and would return to judge the earth. Stringing together a series of citations from the prophets and the Psalter, Peter proclaimed Christ and this remarkable descent of the Spirit as the fulfillment of everything the Scriptures had foretold. “Cut to the heart,” three thousand people embraced Peter’s message and were baptized (vv. 37-41). 

Learn more:

1. The Bible: Acts 2:1-41
2. Got Questions.org: What is the day of Pentecost?
3. Blue Letter Bible: What Happened on the Day of Pentecost?
4. George Knight III: Pentecost
5. Ligonier Ministries Blog: Babel Reversed
6. Bob Deffinbaugh: Putting Pentecost in Perspective, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
7. R. C. Sproul: Pentecost (video)
8. D. A. Carson: Pentecost (audio)

Related term:

• ascension of Jesus
• Holy Spirit
• resurrecton of Jesus

Filed under Work of the Holy Spirit

Do you have a term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

A Catechism for Girls and Boys

Questions about the Word, the Church and the Ordinances

127. Q. What two ordinances did Christ give to his Church?
         A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

(Click through to read scriptural proofs.)

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