THE SPIRIT IN THE RESURRECTION

Revelation February 24, 2023 Leave a comment

PMW 2023-016 Geerhardus Vos Life giving

Gentry note:
This insightful article is a section of a longer study by Geerhardus Vos which is found in Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation available at P & R Publishing. Its original title is “Paul’s Eschatological Concept of the Spirit.” This is slightly edited to break up long sentences and paragraphs into smaller sizes and to replace Greek characters with English transliterations

Vos’ article:

In 2 Corinthians 5:5 Paul declares that God has prepared him for the eternal state in the new heavenly body, as may be seen from this that he gave him the arrbon to pneumatos. The arrabon consists in the Spirit. “Of the Spirit” is epexegetical, just as in Galatians 3:14 the epaggelia to pneumatos to pneumatos means the promised thing consisting in the Spirit. But the Spirit possesses this significance of an arrabon because it is a preliminary installment of what in its fullness will be received hereafter. The analogous conception of the aparche to pneumatos, Romans 8:23, proves this. The figure of the arrabon itself implies this relation no less than that of the aparche for it means “money which in purchases is given as a pledge that the full amount will be subsequently paid.” Continue reading →

VOS ON THE RESURRECTION OF BELIEVERS

Resurrection February 21, 2023 Leave a comment

PMW 2023-015 by Geerhardus Vos

Vos book cover

Gentry note:
This insightful article is a section of study by Geerhardus Vos which is found in Richard Gaffin, Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation available at P & R Publishing. This is slightly edited to break up long sentences and paragraphs into smaller sizes.

Vos’ study:

The resurrection of believers bears a twofold aspect. On the one hand it belongs to the forensic side of salvation. On the other hand it belongs to the pneumatic transforming side of the saving process. Of the former, traces appear only in the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 5:9; 22:29–32; Luke 20:35, 36). Paul clearly ascribes to the believer’s resurrection a somewhat similar forensic significance as to that of Christ (Romans 8:10, 23; 1 Corinthians 15:30–32, 55–58). Continue reading →

GNOSTICISM ARISING

Christ, hyperpreterism February 17, 2023 Comments: 4

PMW 2023-014 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.Gnosticism

Sadly, gnosticism is arising within the evangelical church, despite Paul’s refutation of it in 1 Corinthians.

In his incarnation Jesus entered history as the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), becoming a true and full human, body and soul (John 1:14). Thus, he came into this world as a whole person, body and soul (Heb. 10:5). And he died for our sins as a whole person, body and soul (Heb. 2:14). Then he ascended into heaven, body and soul (Acts 1:9–11), where he now lives, body and soul (Col. 2:9). Continue reading →

POSTMILLENNIALISM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

New Testament February 14, 2023 Comments: 4

PMW 202NT3-013 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In my last article I presented a brief summary of postmillennialism from the Old Testament. In this one, I will present a brief summary from the New Testament.

Immediately upon entering the New Testament record, we learn of the Messiah’s coming into history. He is “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1) around whose birth we hear echoes of Old Testament victory theme, showing that his first coming begins the fruition of the promises to the fathers (Luke 1:46–55, 68–79). Continue reading →

POSTMILLENNIALISM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Old Testament February 10, 2023 Comments: 4

PMW 2023-011 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.OT hope

In this article I will briefly summarize the case for postmillennialism from the Old Testament.

Scripture opens with the creation account, which teaches that man, the world, and the universe were created by God, not by random, impersonal, evolutionary forces. Within this opening narrative we discover God’s purpose for history. He creates man in his own image (Gen 1:26) as a material-spiritual being (Gen 2:7) and places him in the world to bring honor and glory to his Creator. He is called to exercise godly dominion throughout the world (Gen 1:26–30), beginning in Eden (Gen 2:15). Continue reading →

LOOKING FOR SOME POSTMILLENNIAL BOOKS?

Books February 7, 2023 1 Comment

PMW 2023-009 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.Mess of books

Unfortunately, as you wade your way through books on eschatology, you will find thousands and thousands and thousands of titles promoting dispensationalism. Some of these are very practical works that are actually able to name the coming Antichrist, which could prove helpful if are planning a trip to whatever county he will arise in. Still others are very insightful, giving you the latest date for the secret rapture (which is only know to televangelists). This is extremely valuable to anyone wanting to get in a nice vacation before all hell breaks lose at the disappearance of believers at that moment. Continue reading →

HYPERPRETERISM AND MELLO IN ACTS

Uncategorized February 2, 2023 Comments: 15

PBible stack 2MW 2023-009 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Hyperpreterism is a new theological paradigm that stands against universal historic Christian orthodoxy. It holds that the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment occurred in AD 70 with the destruction of the Jewish temple. Consequently, it also holds that earth history will never end (resulting in God’s tolerating a rebellious universe for ever and ever and ever). One method hyperpreterism uses to seek to topple the 2000 year old eschatology of Scripture is to focus on the Greek word mello.

In two previous articles (PMW 2022-014 and 015) I focused on Acts 24:15, which speaks of the resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. The word mello appears in this text and is interpreted by hyperpreterists to mean: “there is about to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.”

In those articles I noted that a study of mello showed that it has several meanings, and does not simply mean “about to,” per the hyperpreterist approach. In fact, Greek scholar Daniel B. Wallace has written an important Greek grammar titled, Greek Grammar: Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (1996). On p. 536 of this work he speaks of “the ambiguity of the lexical nuance of mello (which usually means either ‘I am about to’ [immediacy] or ‘I will inevitably’ [certainty]).” An ambiguous term is not sufficient to overthrow the historic Christian faith. Continue reading →