4th Halo-halo Huwebes

MidTrib Out; PreWrath In

Zondervan has released a new edition of Three Views on the Rapture. The big surprise is that the MidTribulation Rapture position has been dropped in favor of the PreWrath view. Actually, it came not as a surprise to me anymore because I learned about the plan several months ago through a blog post by Alan Kurschner. I was then expecting Charles Cooper or Marvin Rosenthal to present and defend the position in this volume for they have been the primary advocates of the PreWrath view for nearly two decades now. What really came to me as a surprise is that the one chosen for the task is Alan Hultberg , a name I have not heard before. His profile at Talbot is found here. I am looking forward to Kurschner and Cooper's evaluation of Hultberg's presentation.

Douglas Moo who was also a contributor to the first edition returns to present and defend the PostTribulationism once again. Craig Blaising will stand for PreTribulationism. He is not new to the Counterpoints series since he stood for the PreMillenial position in the book Three Views on the Millenium and Beyond.

Watch Tower Vs. Watch Tower 

Because of this Christmas shopping advertisement in an old issue of Iglesia ni Cristo's (INC) Pasugo, I was reminded of two similar cases involving The Jehovah's Witnesses.

Case #1
The JW's believe and teach that Jesus was nailed on a stake, not a cross. They further believe that the cross is a pagan symbol and its use as a form of idolatry. Yet from January of 1891 to October of 1931, their publication Watch Tower displayed the cross symbol on the front covers.

case #2
The JW's believe and teach that saluting the flag is equal "to salute the Devil as the invisible god of the nation." Yet the May 15, 1917 issue of the Watch Tower contains this paragrah:

"Suppose the city or state officials should issue an order requiring, or even requesting that all persons display the American flag, what should we do? We answer, we think it would be right to display the flag in obedience to such an order or request. Everyone in America should take pleasure in displaying the American flag-- especially when requested so to do."
 

Sola Fide Safeguards Sola Gratia 

"The doctrine of free justification by faith only, which became the storm-centre of so much controversy during the Reformation Period, is often regarded as the heart of the Reformers' theology, but this is hardly accurate. The truth is that their thinking was really centered upon the contention of Paul, echoed with varying degrees of adequacy by Augustine, and Gottschalk, and Bradwardine, and Wycliffe, that the sinner's entire salvation is by free and sovereign grace only. The doctrine of justification by faith was important to them because it safeguarded the principle of sovereign grace."

 - J.I. Packer & O.R. Johnston

Historical and Theological Introduction

in Martin Luther's The Bondage of the Will

(Fleming H. Revell, 1957) p.58

Upon Hearing About a Friend's Death

"O, how I repent of our vain controversies when we last met, and we spoke so little of Jesus. O, that we had spoken more one to another! Lord, teach me to be always speaking as dying to dying."

-  Robert Murray McCheyne

Ecumenism in Heaven??? 

"Will there be in heaven saints saved according to a score sorts of gospel? Will these agree together to sing the same song? And what will the song be? Saved on different footings, and believing different doctrines, will they enjoy eternal concord, or will heaven itself be only a new arena for disputation between the varieties of faith."

            - Charles Spurgeon

Progressive Theology

Sword & Trowel (April, 1888)

An Unusual Birthday Meditation

It's my birthday! In years past, my favorite meditation for this occasion was God's love for me from eternity past to the present. I marveled about how that sperm cell out of millions ever found that egg cell. What a delight to think that God formed me in my mother's womb.

But this year is different. Its NOT because the great truths I wrote in the preceding paragraph are worthless now. Of course not! I still treasure those truths. I just can't shake-off the Villanueva-Quiboloy controversy out of my mind.

For the record: I have already observed Eddie Villanueva's slide to ecumenism a long time ago. During the 25th Anniversary of JIL (2003), he declared: "I don't care what your religion is. What's important is we are all the People of God. We cannot allow the Devil to have a fiesta on our nation." 

What did he mean when he said he doesn't care what your religion is as long as you belong to the people of God? Mine is just a suspicion but it makes sense. By that time he was (perhaps still is) the chairman of God's People Coalition for Righteousness, an umbrella organization of Evangelicals, Catholics, and Muslims (perhaps other groups were also represented). That organization was very visible during Armida Siguion-Reyna's stint as chairman of MTRCB. These religious groups actively opposed obscenity in Philippine movies which was then a trend.

In the past, he has already labeled those who deny the essentials of the evangelical faith as "God's people"  so calling the members of Quiboloy's cult as citizens of heaven is not really a new thing.

Also, in his 2004  Miting d'Avance, there was an interfaith confession of sin among Evangelicals, Catholics and Muslims.

This is an unusual birthday meditation. But it is good to be reminded that ecumenism is a dangerous thing. Let us learn from the mistakes of Bro. Eddie.

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