Theological Term of the Week

materialism
“[T]he view that everything is ultimately material in nature,” that “everything that exists consists of nothing but matter and energy.”1

• Proof that materialism is unbiblical:

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”  (Isaiah 43:10 ESV)

• From the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 2, Section 1:

  I. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body … .

Click to read more ...

Heidleberg Catechism

Question 49. Of what benefit to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?

Answer: First, he is our advocate before his Father in heaven. (a) Second, we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as Head, will also take us, his members, up to himself. (b) Third, that he sends us his Spirit as an earnest, (c) by whose power we “seek, not on things that are on earth, but the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (d)

(Scriptural proofs after the fold.)

Click to read more ...

What the Resurrection Does

The resurrection of Jesus

• serves as indisputable proof that the message the he is Judge and Saviour is true (Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, 20).
• demonstrates his victory over death (Acts 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
• vindicates him as righteous (John 16:10).
• indicates his divine identity (Romans 1:4).
• guarantees the believer’s present forgiveness and justification (Romans 4:25).
• provides the basis of resurrection life in Christ for the believer here and now (John 11:25-26; Romans 6; Ephesians 1:18-2:10; Colossians 2:9-15; Colossians 3:1-4).

I’ve been doing research for my next post at Out of the Ordinary. While taking notes from the section on the resurrection of Jesus in J. I. Packer’s Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, I found this list [page 127]. 

I changed things up a bit, formatting it as list and adjusting the wording to make the items parallel, but the info and prooftexts are all Packer’s.