The Whole Counsel

Grace and Law XI: Rejecting the Lies of Antinomianism

It’s been a few weeks since John Snyder and Steve Crampton came together to discuss Ernie Reisinger’s The Law and the Gospel. But this week they are back and they are tackling the topic of antinomianism.
This term, which we believe to be coined by Martin Luther, describes a doctrine in which God’s Law has no place in the Christian life. Paul himself was accused of being an antinomian, as was Martyn Lloyd-Jones, because they preached a full picture of the gospel.
But at the heart of the accusation is a misunderstanding of God’s Law and its role in the New Testament Christian life. It is not a heavy burden by which we achieve justification with God. It is a path we are permitted to walk to be near our King.
Get your copy of Reisinger’s book here: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
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How to Respond to ”Gay Christianity”

While we don’t typically focus on contemporary issues on the Whole Counsel, we wanted to take one episode to introduce you to an author that we trust on a topic that has become the source of unexpected confusion in many churches.
Michael David Perkins, in his recently released book Dangerous Affirmations, provides a clear perspective on the recent trend of affirming “gay Christianity.” In a careful, thorough, and Christ-honoring way, Michael leads the reader through the fundamental beliefs behind this trend, as well as the Biblical reason for rejecting these beliefs.
Michael Perkins and John Snyder discuss the various misconceptions in many churches that have arisen from the misdiagnosis of homosexuality and the misdirected expression of compassion that has surfaced in many churches.  While guiding us to a more Biblical and loving approach to those who have embraced this lifestyle, Michael and John also speak of the need for the believers to consider the “respectable sins” they themselves may be embracing. Perhaps you will find Michael’s book helpful in answering the question: How do we share the truths of our King, Jesus, with humility and reverence, in a world that craves affirmation for its newest expressions of self-rule?
For more information regarding the new book Dangerous Affirmations, visit www.dangerousaffirmations.net.
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10 Years of Beholding God | Anthony Mathenia, Pt 2

Ten years ago we were working hard on creating the study that became Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically. Part of that work included conducting interviews that would come at the end of each video session.
Those interviews often went on for more than an hour, but due to the time constraints of the study, only about 20 minutes of each interview has ever been seen. As a way of celebrating the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically, we are releasing complete interviews from each contributor.
Because the interviews are so long, we are releasing them in podcast-length segments. This week is part two of our interview with Anthony Mathenia and this episode, Anthony answers the questions:
The western church seems unsure that personal holiness is essential or even helpful in reaching the lost. How do you see a biblical rethinking of God's character influencing personal holiness?
How do you promote the highest views of God in your teaching? And what do you see in modern religious practice which you feel dangerously distracts from focusing on God in the corporate setting?
What can those who are not in leadership positions do to promote a biblical rethinking of God in their church and in their home?
How do you see a biblical rethinking of God as necessary in ministering to the entire body of Christ?
How do you see idolatry manifested in congregations who believe themselves to be careful, healthy, Bible-believing churches? And can you mention specific areas where people are embracing an idolatrously low view of God and church?
When a people worship an idol in God's name, God rejects it. Is there evidence of this reality in modern churches? Can you speak to earnest worship that is rejected by God today?
Respond to the pragmatist who has heard everything in this study but now says, “But what we are doing is working. People are coming in the door. How could this not be pleasing to God?”
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10 Years of Beholding God | Anthony Mathenia, Pt 1

Ten years ago we were working hard on creating the study that became Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically. Part of that work included conducting interviews that would come at the end of each video session.
Those interviews often went on for more than an hour, but due to the time constraints of the study, only about 20 minutes of each interview has ever been seen. As a way of celebrating the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically, we are releasing complete interviews from each contributor.
Because the interviews are so long, we are releasing them in podcast-length segments. This week is part of our interview with Anthony Mathenia.
If you haven't gone through our flagship study, Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically, check it out for yourself here: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/products/behold-your-god-workbook 
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Grace and Law X: A Law Divided?

Is it necessary for the New Testament Christian to observe and obey the totality of God’s Law? In one sense, the answer is clearly “YES!” But upon closer inspection, the answer requires more nuance.
To answer the question, we must first define what we mean by law. Throughout Scripture, the word is used to describe the entire Old Testament, the Torah, the rules laid out by God, or the 10 Commandments. But we must be more specific than this; there is a division within the law between the civil, ceremonial, and moral law of God.
In this week’s episode, John Snyder and Steve Crampton discuss the three division of God’s law and how the New Testament Christian relates to each.
The Grace of Law: A Study of Puritan Theology: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638
The Law and the Gospel by Ernie Reisinger: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
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Grace and Law IX: Approaching the Second Table

Last week John Snyder and Steve Crampton began discussing how a New Testament Christian should approach God’s moral law (the 10 Commandments). For help, they are using Ernie Reisinger’s book The Law and the Gospel. In his book, Reisinger gives us seven principles. John and Steve added a few of their own to make it an even 10.
These principles are not laws in themselves. We are not adding to God’s moral law. However, we are working to understand how we are to appreciate, approach, and apply these laws now that we are under grace. We pray these principles will help you walk closer with our King.
Principle 1: Context is king!
Principle 2: Progressive revelation.
Principles 3: These commands demand outward and inward obedience.
Principle 4: These commands are summaries of God’s moral demands on humanity.
Principle 5: Where a sin is forbidden, and by implication a positive act of obedience is commanded, then those things which lead to that sin are also forbidden.
Principle 6: Whatever is forbidden or commanded of us, we are bound, according to our position and opportunity, to discourage and encourage others.
Principle 7: There is a priority that is revealed in the order.
Principle 8: These laws are for your good.
Principle 9: What is forbidden is never to be done; what is implied or required is to be done as your have opportunity.
Principle 10: The sum of all the law is LOVE (Romans 13:13).
The Ten Commandments by Thomas Watson: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/theology-books/the-ten-commandments/
The Grace of Law: A Study of Puritan Theology: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638
The Law and the Gospel by Ernie Reisinger: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
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Grace and Law VIII: Approaching the First Table

It has taken us some time, but our discussion of the Gospel and the Law has finally gotten around to discussing the Law. This week, Dr. John Snyder and Steve Crampton take a look at the first table of the 10 Commandments. They also take a look at a historic, Baptist catechism and John’s initial hesitation to recommending it to the church he and Steve shepherd.
The Grace of Law: A Study of Puritan Theology: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638
The Law and the Gospel by Ernie Reisinger: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Grace and Law VII: Help from John Calvin

This week John Snyder and Steve Crampton continue gaining help from John Calvin through his writings on the law. Just a reminder, we are not spending two episodes highlighting Calvin’s quotes because we idolize his words. We do, however agree with Ernie Reisinger that these particular quotes, along with much of Calvin’s writings, are clear and very helpful.
The quotes we are focusing on this week are:
The peculiar office of the Law [is] to summon con- sciences to the judgment-seat of God. John II:140
[On Heb. 10:1] Under the Law was shadowed forth only in rude and imperfect lines what is under the Gospel set forth in living colours and graphically distinct.  To
both the same Christ is exhibited, the same righteous- ness, sanctification, and salvation; and the difference only is in the manner of painting or setting them forth. Heb. 222.
When Christ or the Apostles are treating of a perfect life, they always refer believers to the Law. Four Last Books of Moses III:69.
He who is the foundation of the covenant of grace, held also the highest rank in the giving of the Law. Gal. 102.
The law was the grammar of theology, which, after carrying its scholars a short way, handed them over to faith. Gal. 108.
If the Law be separated from Christ, it is a dead letter; Christ alone gives it life. Ezek. II:176, 177.
In all the ceremonies of the Law [faith] beholds the salvation which has been manifested in Christ. John ll :241.
Moses had no other intention than to invite all men to go straight to Christ.
John I:217
What Calvin is illustrating in each of these quotes is that God’s law is truly a treasure to the believer. It shows us how to live a pleasing life to the God Who rescued us. It teaches us what a happy life is. It leads us to repentance. It reveals Christ to us. It makes us lean more heavily upon Christ.
Keache’s Catechism: https://founders.org/library/the-baptist-catechism/
The Grace of Law: A Study of Puritan Theology: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638
The Law and the Gospel by Ernie Reisinger: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Grace and Law VI: The harmony between Moses and Jesus

Scripture often draws a sharp contrast between the ministry of Moses in the Old Covenant and Christ in the New Covenant. Hebrews says the New Covenant in Christ is so glorious the Old Covenant has no glory in comparison. John, in his gospel, says truth and grace are realized and embodied in Jesus Christ. Reading these without careful attention can lead one to believe the Old and New Covenants in opposition to one another, at war even.
But in reality we have one Bible, one gospel, one God, one salvation. Rather than conflict, there is a wonderful harmony between Christ and Moses, law and grace. A good illustration of that harmony is to think of the law as the root and the New Covenant as fruit. There is a living connection between the two and one would be incomplete without the other.
In the book John Snyder and Steve Crampton are using for this podcast series, The Law and Grace by Ernie Reisinger, there are several quotes from John Calvin we have found incredibly helpful. Due to time, we will only get to half the quotes in this episode. We will discuss the rest of them next week.
The Grace of Law: A Study of Puritan Theology: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638
The Law and the Gospel by Ernie Reisinger: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Grace and Law V: Is the Law Enemy of Friend?

The way we approach an object reveals what we think of it. Consider a child approaching a plate at dinner filled with broccoli versus that same child approaching a plate with dessert on it. So how do we approach the law of God? Or, to ask a more important question: how does God want us to approach His law?
 
The first step to answering that question is to realize that the moral law is a reflection of God’s moral perfection. It gives us an expression of God’s character applied to our human experience. Consider that it also expresses God’s authority as Law-Giver.
 
As we consider our approach the the law, we have to be aware of some ditches we can fall into. For example, we can fall into the ditch of divorcing the law and the gospel. We are tempted to put a deep division between the two. But we must realize it was God the Father, as much as God the Son and the Holy Spirit, who delivered the 10 Commandments to Moses. The law and the gospel are not opposed, though they do have different roles in redemption.
 
The Grace of Law: A Study of Puritan Theology: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638
The Law and the Gospel by Ernie Reisinger: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app