I watched The Book of Eli because BARM's Justyn M. recommended it in one of the threads. I do admire some elements of the film:
It calls us back to Bible reading. Eli read it everyday.
It calls us back to Scripture memorization.Eli dictates the whole English Bible to a secretary from his memory.
I like Eli's strong conviction like the way he resisted the temptation of Solara
It reminds me of Pastor Jun Malazo's teaching that we are immortal until the work assigned to us is finished. Eli was supernaturally bullet-proof until the later part of the film.
But it did not solve a large problem. Its tragic because in the film, the Hebrew and Greek texts were lost forever!
The tragedy is aggravated further because the bible that will be used in the new world will be the NKJV (which Eli mistakenly calls the KJV!!!).
"The only reason for retaining the NKJV is if you are among the less than one-tenth of one percent of all textual critics in the world who actually think the KJV and NKJV did use the better manuscripts... Time to put the NKJV on the shelf if you own one and get a modern translation that uses an accurate textual base." (-Craig Blomberg)
"... the NKJV revisers eliminated the best feature of the KJV (its marvelous expression of the English language) and kept the worst (its flawed text)... This is why for study you should use almost any modern translation rather than the KJV or the NKJV." (-Gordon Fee)
Nakakatawa ang mga sinabi ni James White bago niya ipangaral ang kanyang sermon. Buti na lang daw at may mahaba-habang break sa pagitan ng pagsasalita niya at ang pagsasalita ng naunang speaker na si Steven Lawson para magkalimutan nang kaunti. Sa husay ni Lawson sa preaching, magmumukha daw siyang kawawa kung paghahambingin sila… hahaha…
Mas kilala nga naman si Dr. White bilang apologists at debatista, hindi niya forte ang preaching. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, maganda ang pagkakahatid ni Dr. White sa kanyang sermon na pinamagatang “Living Out Sola Fide”
As an introduction, Dr. White asked the listeners why were they not afraid of the wrath of God when they woke up in the morning. There are many persons who wake up daily without the fear of the wrath of God because they don’t think about the wrath of God; they don’t know the gravity of their sins. On the other hand, Christians know they are deserving of God’s wrath because of their sins, but why are we not afraid of God’s wrath?
The answer is because someone died on the cross on as a substitute for us, and by his merits, we were declared righteous by God. If we look within ourselves, we are looking at the wrong place.
He used several texts in this sermon. The first one is Romans 5:1. I guess Dr. White uses the 1995 update of the NASB so I will use it in this review.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
He asserts that the gospel of Rome with the introduction of sacramentalism, merits, mediators, etc. offers no peace. Roman Catholics are unsure of their standing because they are not sure if they have fulfilled “all the requirements necessary for justification”.
Contrary to the Roman Catholic system, biblical peace looks back at God’s finished act of justification. Justification is something that God has done in the past. “Having been justified” is past tense.
Dr. White also tackled a textual variant on this verse since some Catholic apologists used it. On same manuscripts, there is a one-letter difference: a. The widely accepted reading is in the indicative mood: “we have peace with God” b. The other reading is in the subjunctive mood: “let us have peace with God”
The first reading is preferred but even if it is in the subjunctive mood, it is simply an exhortation to the effect “let us enjoy peace with God”
He also tackled the meaning of the Greek word eirene translated as “peace” in the verse. It is the counterpart of the Hebrew word Shalom. It is not merely a ceasefire. It is a wellness of relationship. He likens the Roman Catholic system with the situation of Israel and Gaza where there are tanks and other weapons are lined-up along the border. For in the Roman Catholic system, one mortal sin could eradicate justification. He recalls one of his debates with Fr. Mitchell Pacwa, a Jesuit scholar who is very knowledgeable in languages. Even Dr. Pacwa admitted that he doesn’t know how to reconcile the Roman Catholic system with the Hebrew concept of Shalom.
He also laments the inroads of inclusivism and pluralism within evangelicalism. According to the polls, over 50% of evangelicals believe that there is another way of salvation aside from explicit faith in Jesus. We cannot compromise on this issue because if we do, we are saying in effect that God sacrifice his precious Son when there are other ways.
He informs the listeners that in the modern Roman Catholic catechism, there are more sections on indulgences that on justification. They can no longer sell it but they can still obtain it.
There are other texts that he tackled but to make this post shorter, I will go immediately to James 2. This is where a Roman catholic will go to once he learns that you believe in Sola Fide. The Roman Catholic apologists will be quick to point out that the phrase “by faith alone” only appears once in the Bible,
“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24) He stressed the importance of reading James with its main purpose: “an exhortation for believers to live according to their profession of faith”. The key to understand this is to start at verse 14, “if someone says”. Someone makes a claim that he possessed faith, yet there is no evidence in his life.
Dr. White used an illustration of a man who claims before airport authorities that he has a passport. “ I have it”. Yet he is unable to show it. The claim is not enough. A man who claims to have faith yet have no love for God does not possess faith at all.
He says that the proper translation is found in NASB and ESV, “can that faith save him”. I found that NIV has the same effect with “can such faith save him”. The answer is obviously NO. We cannot be save by a faith that cannot demonstrate its existence because God has a purpose in saving us—that is Christlikeness.
Naturally, upon discussing James 2, he proceeds to address a perverted version of Sola Fide called Easy Believism, those who believe that a mere intellectual assent to the gospel secures salvation for a person. WALANG PAGBABAGO sa BUHAY. He quotes 1 John 2:25, “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:”
He concludes: “ When we talk about the solas, we talk about the gospel… God has a purpose in building his church and the only way he does it is throught the proclamation of the gospel.”
This exposition of Deuteronomy 6 was delivered by the SBTS president to students of another seminary, SEBTS. Albert Mohler, being an expert on cultural and contemporary issues begins with a lament that by the time American students leave high school, they also leave the Christian home. And when they do, they manifest that they think not as Christians but as pagans.
He also observes that the media repaganizes not just the culture but the church as well. What is happening in the church is similar to Israel's experience of paganization-- that is when they imitated their pagan neighbors in religious practices such as idol worship .
Mohler reminds us that since the family is God's gift, it must be ordered with biblical priorities. And if we will not heed the word of the Lord, we would raise pagans by default.
From Deut. 6, he draws three points: 1. Doctrine 2. Diligence 3. Discipline
1. DOCTRINE- Deut 6:7 "and you must teach them to your children" (ESV) The first priority for parents who do not want to raise pagans. The particular mode of teaching in view here is Didactive teaching-- one that has doctrinal content. The Shema of verse 4 is not just a declaration of monotheism but a declaration of monotheism as a matter of allegiance to draw them away from the gods of their pagan neighbors.
2. DILIGENCE- Deut 6:7-9 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Biblical teaching for our children is not a once a year thing (Vacation Bible School); it is not a once-a-week thing (Sunday School). Parents should make the most of every oppurtunity to tech their children. If parents will not be diligent, other voices (TV, Internet, friends) will teach them.
3. DISCIPLINE- Deut 6:24 "And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day." We must teach our children that violation of biblical teaching requires punishment.
--------------------------------------------- Other interesting things Mohler brought up is are: i. the trans generational responsibility of a Patriach- a father must not not stop with his wife, children and grandchildren. Rather, they must look forward for the generations to come. If we will get it wrong in this generation, there will be devastating consequences for the generations that follow. ii. When we will live differently from our non-Christian neighbors, our children will eventually ask why. We should tell them that we are different because we are a people that belongs to someone. We have been redeemed. He will judge our neighbors but we will be spared-- not because we are better than them but because we are saved by grace.
You can find the video here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
