Theological Term of the Week

You’ll find slightly different views in the quotes and links included. Good people differ on the issue and I’m still waffling a little.

threefold division of the law
The division of the Mosaic law into three categories: the moral law, the ceremonial law, and the civil (or judicial) law. Also called the tripartite division of the law.

• From the Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter XII, The Law of God:

For the sake of clarity we distinguish the moral law which is contained in the Decalogue or two Tables and expounded in the books of Moses, the ceremonial law which determines the ceremonies and worship of God, and the judicial law which is concerned with political and domestic matters.

• From the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 19, Of the Law of God:

II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man. III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament. IV. To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging under any now, further than the general equity thereof may require.

• From 40 Questions about Christians and Biblical Law by Tom Schreiner:

The distinction between the moral, ceremonial, and civil law is appealing and attractive. Even though it has some elements of truth, it does not sufficiently capture Paul’s stance toward the law. …Paul argues that the entirety of the law has been set aside now that Christ has come. To say that the “moral” elements of the law continue to be authoritative blunts the truth that the entire Mosaic covenant is no longer in force for believers. Indeed, it is quite difficult to distinguish between what is “moral” and “ceremonial” in the law. For instance, the law forbidding the taking of interest is clearly a moral mandate (Exod. 22:25), but this law was addressed to Israel as an agricultural society in the ancient Near East. As with the rest of the laws in the Mosaic covenant, it is abolished now that Christ has come. This is not to say that this law has nothing to say to the church of Jesus Christ today. …[I]t still has “a revelatory and pedagogical function.”

…Still, the distinction has some usefulness, for some of the commands of the law are carried directly over to the New Testament by Paul and applied to the lives of believers. It seems appropriate to designate such commands as moral norms. For instance, the injunction to honor fathers and mothers still spplies to believers (Eph. 6:2). Paul teaches that love fulfills the law (Rom. 13:8-10), but he clarifies that those who love will not commit adultery, murder, steal, or covet (cf. Rom. 2:21-22; 7:7-8). Those who live according to the Spirit fulfill the requirement of the law (Rom. 8:4). The prohibition against idolatry still stands, though Paul does not cite the Old Testament law in support (1 Cor. 5:10-11; 6:9; 10:7, 14; 2 Cor 6:16; Gal 5:20; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). Other commands and prohibitions that reflect the Ten Commandments are found in Paul. 

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions.org: What is the difference between the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the judicial law in the Old Testament?
2. Justin Taylor: On the Tripartite Division of the Law, A Primer on the Mosaic Law and the Christian
3. Richard Alderson: Law - Civic, Ceremonial and Moral
4. Mike Riccardi: Schreiner, the Threefold Division, and the Law of God

Related terms:

• antinomianism
• legalism

Filed under God’s Nature and His Work.

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.

Theological Term of the Week

wisdom of God
The perfection of God whereby he knows and chooses the best and highest goals, and assuredly attains them by the best possible means; “that perfection of God whereby He applies his knowledge to the attainment of His ends in a way which glorifies Him most”;1also called omnisapience.

• From scripture:

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24 ESV)

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

…so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10 ESV)

• From The Belgic Confession:

  Article 1: The Only God

  We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God — eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good.

• From Knowing God by J. I.Packer:

What does the Bible mean when it calls God wise? In Scripture, wisdom is a moral as well as an intellectual quality, more than mere intelligence of knowledge, just as it is more than mere cleverness or cunning. For us to be truly wise, in the Bible sense our intelligence and cleverness must be harnessed to a right end. Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.

Wisdom is, in fact, the practical side of moral goodness. As such, it is found in its fullness only in God. He alone is naturally and entirely and invariably wise. “His wisdom ever waketh,” says the hymn, and it is true. God is never other than wise in anything that he does. Wisdom, as the old theologians say, is his essence, just as power, and truth, and goodness, are his essence—integral elements, that is, in his character.

• From A Body of Doctrinal Divinity by John Gill:

The wisdom of God shines in the Gospel, the good news of salvation by Christ; in its doctrines, and in its ordinances; that itself is called, “the wisdom of God in a mystery; the hidden wisdom; the manifold wisdom of God”; (1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:10) every doctrine is a display of it; to instance only in justification, and the pardon of sin. Justification is by the free grace of God, and yet in strict justice; grace provided Christ to work out a righteousness; grace accepts of it in the room and stead of sinners, and grace imputes it to them: the righteousness of Christ, by which men are justified, is commensurate to the law and justice of God; so that “God is just, while the justifier of him that believes in Jesus”: the grace of faith is wisely appointed to receive this righteousness; it is of faith, that it might appear to be of grace, and that pride and boasting might be excluded; which, had any other been appointed, would not have been so apparent; this being a soul humbling, a soul emptying grace, which receives all from God, and gives him all the glory: pardon of sin is of free grace, and yet through the blood of Christ; and is both an act of grace and of justice; God is just and faithful to forgive it, as well as gracious and merciful; he forgives sin, and takes vengeance on the inventions of the sinner: pardon proceeds upon the foot of satisfaction, which grace provides; and so both grace and justice agree in it, and are glorified by it: the ordinances of the Gospel are wisely instituted to answer the end of them; baptism to represent the overwhelming sufferings of Christ, his burial, and resurrection from the dead: the ordinance of the supper, to show forth his death; the bread broken is a proper emblem of his broken body; the wine poured out, of his blood shed, and his soul poured out unto death for sinners. Wisely has God appointed men, and not angels, to minister the word and administer ordinances; “men of the same passions with others”; who may be heard and conversed with, without dread and terror; frail, mortal men, earthen vessels, in which this treasure is put, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of men; and a standing ministry is wisely fixed, to be continued to the end of the world, for the use, relief, refreshment, and comfort of God’ people, as well as the conversion of sinners; and all for the glory of God.

Learn more:

1. Bob Deffinbaugh: The Wisdom of God
2. John Gill: Of the Wisdom of God
3. Thomas Watson: The Attributes of God
4. Stephen Charnock: Discourse on the Wisdom of God
5. Robert Reymond: God’s Wisdom (mp3)

Related terms:

• omniscience
• providence
• righteousness (as an attribute of God)

Filed under God’s Nature and His Work.

This week’s Theological Term was suggested by Meredith. 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.

Theological Term of the Week

priesthood of all believers
The teaching that every believer is a priest; therefore all believers have direct access to God without an earthly mediator, and are called to praise him and do good works as sacrifices to him.

• From scripture:

…[Y]ou yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5 ESV)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

…so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10 ESV)

• From The Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter XVIII:

  PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS. To be sure, Christ’s apostles call all who believe in Christ “priests,” but not on account of an office, but because, all the faithful having been made kings and priests, we are able to offer up a spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ (Ex. 19:6; I Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6). … [T]he priesthood, as we have just said, is common to all Christians….

• From The MacArthur Study Bible Notes on 1 Peter 2:5:

  OT priests and NT believer-priests share a number of characteristics: 1) priesthood is an elect privilege (Ex. 28:1; John 15:16); 2) priests are cleansed of sins (Lev. 8:6–36; Titus 2:14); 3) priests are clothed for service (1 Pet. 5:5; Ex. 28:42; Lev. 8:7ff.; Ps. 132:9, 16); 4) priests are anointed for service (Lev. 8:12, 30; 1 John 2:20, 27); 5) priests are prepared for service (Lev. 8:33; 9:4, 23; Gal. 1:16; 1 Tim. 3:6); 6) priests are ordained to obedience (1 Pet. 2:4; Lev. 10:1ff.); 7) priests are to honor the word of God (1 Pet. 2:2; Mal. 2:7); 8) priests are to walk with God (Mal. 2:6; Gal. 5:16, 25); 9) priests are to impact sinners (Mal. 2:6; Gal. 6:1); and 10) priests are messengers of God (Mal. 2:7; Matt. 28:19–20). The main privilege of a priest, however, is access to God.

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions.org: Is the priesthood of believer’s biblical?
2. Theopedia: Priesthood of All Believers
3. P. G. Mathew: The Priesthood of All Believers
4. David Hagopian: Trading Places: The Priesthood of All Believers
5. Bill Webster: The Priesthood of All Believers (mp3)

Related terms:

• priest (as an office of Christ)
• vocation

Filed under Ecclesiology.

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.