-
Biblical Chronology Continued from page 19
which was completed in the 32nd year of Darius.
All the years from the rebuilding of the temple were 26
years.
The amount of time passed was 143 years.
FROM TIIB REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM TO THE INCARNA-TION OF CHRIST
WAS 483 YEARS.
It is mentioned in Daniel 9 that Jeru-salem would be rebuilt,
and that from that time unto the coming of Christ would be 67
weeks. Every week stands for seven years. So 67 weeks amount to 483
years. For from the 32nd year of Darius to the 42nd year of
Augustus of Rome, in which year our 'Savior Christ was born, are
exactly 483 years.
Therefore from Adam to Christ are 3974 years, six months and ten
days. And from the birth of Christ to this present year is 1560,
(the year this edi-tion of the Geneva Bible was pub-lished).
Then the entire number of years from the beginning of the world
to this pre-sent year of our Lord God, 1560, are just 5534 years, 6
months, and 10 or so days.
JOSHUA 1:8 "Let not this boice of the lAw departe
out of thy mouth, but meditate therein daye and night, that thou
mayest ob-serve and do according to all that is written therein: so
shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good
successe." 0
. -
By This Standard
The Authority or God's Law Today by Greg L. Bahnsen
Anyone interested in the place of God's Law in our lives and
society
today (and every person on the planet, especially every
Christian, should be
interested) should read this book. Available free for a $15.00
donation
The ou halcedon.
The Wrath of Grapes: Drink-ing and the Church Divided, by Andre
S. Bustanoby. Baker Book House, 1987. 135pp, 3 appendices, $4.95.
Reviewed by the Rev. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Reedy River
Presbyter-ian Church, Greenville, South Caro-lina.
As one who has himself recently pub-lished a book on the
question of alcohol consumption from a Christian perspec~ tive--and
by the same publisher, Baker Book House--, I was most interested in
reviewing Bustanoby's work. I had heard from Baker Book House that
Baker was going to be publishing this work, in addition to
reprinting my own. Baker felt that the books were different enough
in style and content to justify such. And having now read
Bustanoby's book, I agree.
The basic position taken by Busta- noby (a marriage and family
counselor and former Conservative Baptist pastor) is that presented
in my own book: The Bible allows the moderate and circum-spect use
of alcohol to God's people, if they choose to use alcohol. Perhaps
I should note the differences between this work and my own, so that
the reader may judge as to which book might be most suitable to his
needs, although I do recommend both.
At the risk of oversimplifying, it should be noted that the
presentation in my book, The Christian and Alcoholic Beverages,
focuses on the ethical matter from a rigorous . consideration of
the theological and biblical data. Hence, my presentation is
primarily exegetical and philosophical. Bustanoby's work does deal
ably with the biblical data, al-though not as extensively or deeply
His distinctive and helpful contribution to the debate lies
particularly in matters related to the chemistry of wine-making
(especially in Biblical days) and with counselling concerns. As the
review de" velops these observations will be de-monstrated.
Bustanoby opens his work with a chapter well-stating why
advocates of Christian liberty have published their positions:
"[T]he advocates of Christian liberty are not primarily interested
in the right to drink. They are concerned with the larger issue of
legalism, which denies the Christian the right to do anything the
legalist believes is sin." (pp. 10-11) With this observation I
wholeheartedly concur; certainly this is the raison d'etre of
Christian liberty publication. Elsewhere he states: "The
Christian's right to drink goes far be-yond the matter of rights.
The larger issue is the integrity of the Bible, our only
authoritative guide to faith and practice. The moment we permit
false exegesis in the support of any cause, no matter how noble, we
jeopardize the Christian faith." (p. 44)
On pages 12-18 the author provides two extremely helpful
surveys--one sur-veying legalism in the New Testament church; the
other considering legalism in the modern context. In this section
he comments: "Historical legalism of-fers an unbiblical substitute
for God's way of restraining sin under grace . . God's way is to
place on us the respons-ibility to set our own limits on prac-tices
that may be perfectly lawful." (pp. 15-16)
The most helpful chapters, in the pre-sent reviewer's
opinion--chapters well worth the purchase of the book--, are
Chapters 3 and 4: "Dispelling Myths About Wine" and "Grape Juice
and Other Myths." In these sections he dis-cusses the various
processes of fermenta-tion, pointing out the differences in aerobic
fermentation (i.e., with the help of air) and anaerobic
fermentation (i.e., without the help of air). He explains the
reasons for "stirring the lees" and "racking and topping off,"
explanations which are helpful to understanding the fermented
quality of wine in Scripture. He deals with such wine treatments as
sulfuring, boiling, fJ.J.tering, and recon-
The Counsel of Chalcedon, March, 1988
---------------------------Page 37
-
stituting. His discussion demonstrates that even new wine
("must") in Scrip-ture was of a fennented quality. Even more
significantly, he shows quite clear-ly, despite prohibitionist
arguments, that the ancient practice of sealing wine and storing it
submerged in cool lakes was not to prevent fermentation. but to
control fermentation. The references in ancient. (non-Christian)
literature to such practices show that the purpose of these
practices was to prevent wine from turning into vinegar. (cp. p.
22) Thus, a major (extra-Biblical) axgument of the prohibitionist
school is des-troyed.
In Chapter 6--entitled "Let the User Beware" --he deals with the
real dangers associated with alcohol. He speaks to these dangers
both from the biblicai record (e.g., Prov. 20:1; 23:29-35; Isa
28:9,10) and from statistics of alcohol abuse. He concludes this
chapter thus: "The Old Testament, in warning us about alcoholic
beverages does just this. We may be pennitted to use alco-hol, but
we must use it with caution!" (p. 67) In Chapters 7 and 8 he speaks
to the question of Jesus' use of wine and wine use in the New
Testament Church.
In Chapters 9-11 he offers helpful in-sights into the counseling
of alcohol-ics. Here he warns about the potential roles of those
associated with alcohol-ics: the drinker himself, the enabler, the
victim (i.e., the alcoholic's loved ones), and the provoker. (pp.
91-95) He is most appreciative (as I am) of both Alcoholics
Anonymous and Al-Anon, as well as with the "TOUGHLOVE" movement,
which deals with teenage alcoholics. He defends their approaches to
the alcoholic problem from various criticisms by certain
psychologists.
All in all, the book is a fine con-tribution to the debate. If
you are in-terested in the question of wine-drinking among
Christians, I highly recommend its purchase. However, to be both
honest and helpful, hopefully, to the reader, I must point out some
areas of weakness in the book. These weak-nesses do not destroy the
usefulness of the book, but they should be pointed out for the
interested reader. I will list
them in the order they occur in the text. First, despite the
position of the
book, Bustanoby is hesitant and am-bivalent in some areas. On
page 21 he writes, to my astonishment: "But the issue of alcohol
use is not that clear in Scripture .. .. Because this is an
inter-pretive issue and fraught with disagree-ment, we dare not
dogmatize on the use of alcohol." (p. 21) Later he states: "The use
of alcohol is clearly a de-batable matter and therefore falls under
the rule of Christian liberty." (p. 24) I believeand would have
thought from elsewhere in his book that Bustanoby believed--that
the issue of alcohol use in Scripture is clear.
Second, on the few quotations he gives that I was able to
verify, there were substantial errors of citation. Examples of
these errors are from David Wilkerson's Sipping Saints
(misquoted
o~ Bustanoby's page 26) and from Delitzsch's Isaiah (see page
54). These were clearly misquoted, thankfully how-ever, the
ntis-citations did not alter the points of the original authors.
Never-theless, it does leave one with the un-easy feeling that
other citations might be mistaken.
Third, although his discussion of the chemistry of wine-making
was most in-sightful, he seems overly dependent upon one source:
William Younger, Gods, Men, and Wine. For instance, in Chapter 4
there ate 38 footnotes, and 16 of these were from Younger. This, of
course, does not alter the points made, but the points would have
been more se-curely established had they been sub-stantiated from a
wider variety of sources. He does make use of at least one other
scientific source: Jan Adkins, The Craft of Wine Making, which he
cites 4 times in the same chapter.
Fourth, on page 50 he comments: "My personal preference is that
those who rule or hold high office in govern-ment be total
abstainers. And I like the idea of pastors being total abstainers
for the sake of example." I myself do not mind at all if such men
are abstainers, but to hold a "preference" in this regard would
seem an unnecessary condescen-sion to the legalist I expose the
fallacy of such a position in my book by
pointing out the Lord Jesus Christ, our prophet, priest, and
king, did not feel compelled to abstain. And since He is our
highest example, why should we prefer government officials and
min-isters do such "for the sake of ex-ample"?
Despite these differences of opinion, I highly recommend the
purchase of this book. It ought to be extremely helpful for both
theoretical (the biblical chemistry of wine-making) i~sights and
practical (counseling) insights into this lively topic.
Turning Point: A Christian Worldview Declaration, by Her-bert
Schlossberg and Marvin Olasky. Crossway Books, 1987, 158 page
paper-back, with glossary and index. Re-viewed by the Rev. Donald
D. Crowe, PCA minister teaching at Chalcedon Christian School,
Atlanta, Georgia
Schlossberg, known for his excellent work in ldnls for
Destruction, has teamed up with Marvin Olasky, general editor of
the new Christian Worldview series.
(From the back cover: "Turning Point provides dramatic examples
of how ordinary Christians, who combine piety, reason and the
boldness to act, can change the world.")
The book is illustrated by the use of "snapshots" or examples
from life of how Christians can put their faith into action. Some
of the snapshots show how anti-Christians carry on their
opposition.
The authors commend piety, reason, . and action based on
biblical principles. These are in contrast to pietism,
ra-tionalism, and an actiVism basedon so-cialism.
Anti-Christians want Christians to confine themselves to
"religion" narrow-ly defmed. If Christians agree, they are
effectively silenced in just those places where their voice is most
needed. "We cannot afford to remain neutral toward an
anti-Christian aggressor bent on our destruction." The Bible is a
comprehen-sive guide to life and we must use it. Pluralism is not
a: virtue to be praised; it is an excuse for neglecting our call-
.
Page 38 ---------------------------The Counsel of. Chalcedon,
March, 1988
-
ing to transform the world. A future-oriented hermeneutic is
needed. Since the Bible can help us pre-dict some problems that
are coming as a result of sinful practices, why should Christians
wait until the ninth inning to enter the debate? The Christian hope
is not escape from the struggle, but vic-tory.
Every movement needs its scholars and its popularizers. This
book may be recommended as a popularizer of the Christian
Worldview. Short, easy to read, and fleshed out by life stories
past and present; this book may well be a "turning point" in the
thinking of many readers.
Education, Christianity and the State, by J. Gresham Machen,
edited by John W. Robbins, The Trinity Foundation, 1987. 180 page
paperback. Reviewed by the Rev. W. Gary Crampton, Th.D.,
Greenville, South Carolina.
This book is a collection of essays on education written by the
late J. Gresham Machen over a period of years. In the essays the
author soundly defends the Christian faith and Christian
educa-tion. He also reveals the proper role of the civil magistrate
in the educational system. Dr. Machen was a staunch op-ponent of
non-biblically based school systems and an equally strong advocate
of Christian scholarship. Machen is himself to be considered one of
the greatest scholars and educators of the Twentieth Century.
Education, Christianity and the State contains nine chapters.
Three of these speak to the subjects of government controlled
schools (at best a necessary evil in the mind of the author) and
the concept of a Federal Department of Education. With regard to
this latter is-sue, one of the chapters (7) is a record of Machen's
testimony before Congress against the proposed department
Inter-estingly, the Department of Education was not established for
decades after this Congressional hearing in 1926. In other chapters
Machen condemns the anti-intellectualists of his .(and our) day
and
fields of endeavor. Every facet of life, contends the author,
must be built on a biblical base. And if we are to see a
flourishing society it must begin in the lowest levels of Christian
schooling. (Like all good covenant theologians, Machen believed in
Christian family catechetical training.) So strongly does the
author promote the Christian school system that he calls it "The
Hope of America." It is to be seen as a means of propagating the
Christian faith, bring-ing liberty to the country and
restructur-ing culture itself.
Machen defends Christianity as a ra-. tional system of religion.
He criticizes
the Kierkegaardian "leap in the dark" concept of faith. And he
shows, by numerous biblical examples, that sav-ing faith is
integrally related to proposi-tional truth. Theology and faith
cannot be separated. The anti-theology move-ment found within some
Christian cir-cles would be abhorrent to this man of God.
The last chapter of the book is the re-cord of Machen's address
at the opening of Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929. In it
we read of the purpose and plan for the school - biblically based
to the core. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
The present reviewer strongly recom-mends Education,
Christianity and the State. Hats off to Dr. John Robbins and The
Trinity Foundation for publishing these essays.
[Editor's note- It is good to see that The Trinity Foundation
has finally published a book worth recommend-ing!]
Letters on Practical Subjects to a Daughter, by William B.
Sprague. Reprinted by Sprinkle Publica-tions, Harrisonburg, VA.
Reviewed by Byron Snapp, Headmaster of Covenant Christian School,
Cedar Bluff, VA.
Of the many needs facing parents to-day, is there a greater need
than that of teaching the next generation about God and all issues
as they are related to Him? We dare not forget those somber words
recorded for us in Judges 2:10, "And all that generation aiso
were
gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation
after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had
done for Israel." The generation of Joshua's day had failed to
instruct their children in the ways of the Lord. The result? "Then
the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served
the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who
had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods
from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed
themelves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger."
(Judges 2:11,12)
God's Word is clear. The young (as well as the old) keep their
way pure by living in obedience to God's Word (Ps. 119:9).
Thus the reprint of William B. Sprague's book is such a welcomed
sight in our day. He wrote these letters to his motherless child,
pointing out to her the importance of God-centeredness in every
area of life. While writing to his own daughter his style is such
that any female (or male) can greatly benefit from his letters.
In twenty-thre.e brief letters, each ap-proximately eight pages
in length, he covers such subjects as friendship, education,
conversation, marriage, how to treat religious errors, humility,
how to use our time wisely and preparing for death, to name a few
topics.
How would you instruct your daughter (or son) what qualities to
look for in a friend? Note the author's wise counsel. "A rule on
this subject which you should never fail to observe is, not too
hastily to proffer your confidence -
not to consent to an unreserved intimacy with anyone, till you
have gained a thorough knowledge of the character. . . . I hardly
need to say that you are not to expect to find those who are free
from imperfection or sin. You will recollect that in common with
yourself, they belong to a race of fallen beings; and it would be
strange indeed, if there should not be occasion, both on your part
and theirs, for mutual con-descension to each other's infirmities,
and mutual forgiveness of each other's errors." (pp. 13-14) The
author goes on Ladvocates Christian scholarship in all The Counsel
of Cbalcedon, March, 1988 ---------------------------Page 39
-
to list at least nine more traits that should b6 seen in one's
closest friends.
Irt writing about humility Dr. Sprague explains Biblical
humility. All readers should read this chapter with great interest
In speaking of false humility he writes: "One of the most common,
and to me one of the most painful exhibitions of this spirit,
con-sists in the indiscriminate and often somewhat public
confessions of pro-fessed Christians in respect to their own
coldness and neglect of duties, when they manifest no disposition
to be more active and faithful." I mention this to remind you that
this book will prove to be instructional not only for the next
.generation but for ours as well.
The book does not contain a great deal of Scriptural references,
yet the material is Scriptural. The author has effectively taken
SCriptural truth and incorporated it into the book. He boldly sets
forth the claims of Christ and re-minds his daughter that true
living begins only as one repents of sin and fully trusts in Christ
as one's Saviour and Lord. It is on that basis that all other
instruction in this book is built.
One may well disagree with some small points of advice given to
his daughter. For example he sees no godly usefulness in her
reading Shakespeare (p. 69) or novels (p. 71). Certainly we could
agree unless these pieces of literature are read under the light of
Scripture. In regard to Christian bene-volence he advises that, for
greater efficiency, the two sexes ought to work apart While there
is nothing wrong with this, I believe one would be tlard pressed
from Scripture to make this practice the nonn in the practice of
Christian benevolence. These minor drawbacks do not diminish the
profit that the reader can obtain by reading this book.
As this book was written by a parent whose wife had died one can
immediate-ly see the benefits it can have for single parentfamilies
today. At the same time children who have both parents living can
clearly benefit from its study as well.
The book is practical. It deals with bedrock subjects that youth
need to be
taught In so doing it incorporates basic Scriptural doctrine.
Thus the book will be useful for parents as well as pastors,
teaching staff, and those involved in any way with youth. Its brief
chapters and good print enhance its value.
What have you taught your children recently about how to govern
them-selves, their relationship with the world, how to conduct a
conversation or proper reading habits? If you are uncom-fortable
with your answer to these ques-tions perhaps you need to read this
book and then prayerfully implement its teaching in your family
life. In so doing it could very well be that the next generation
will rise up and thank you while at the same time being better p
pared to teach their own children. D
NEWS UPDATE Continued from page 8
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The Counsel of Chalcedon
Page 40-----------------------------Tbe Counsel of Cbalcedon,
March, .1..7.,.., _ __,