Albany Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
The lesson emphasizes the importance of holding fast to theological truth, particularly as articulated in the Second London Confession of Faith, to safeguard against deception and maintain a unified church. It highlights the confession as a tool for defining doctrinal competence among church leaders, fostering a shared understanding of beliefs, and relativizing contemporary issues in light of historical theological consensus.
Based on Crisis of Confidence by Carl Trueman, the lesson explores the enduring relevance of creeds and confessions, arguing that all churches inherently possess a system of belief, whether formally articulated or not. Drawing on historical examples and theological reasoning, it emphasizes that confessions offer succinct and thorough summaries of faith, delimit the power of the church, and provide moral guidance in a complex age. The discussion highlights that confessions are not meant to supplant Scripture but rather to provide a framework for understanding and upholding its truth, offering a reality check against shifting cultural trends and ensuring a consistent foundation for Christian belief and practice.
- A Word of Caution (vv. 1–2) 2. A Powerful Potential (vv. 3–5a) 3. A Corruptive Force (vv. 5b–6) 4. An Inconsistent Testimony (vv. 9–12) 5. The Tongue Tamer (vv. 7–8)
Crisis of Confidence by Carl Trueman Nicene and Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creeds (325 & 381 AD)
A presentation of paedobaptist-WCF covenant theology, and a friendly critique from a Reformed Baptist perspective.
- New Covenant Theology-2. Progressive Covenantalism-3. Baptist Covenantal Response on the Law
I. Introduction to the series-II. Classic Dispensationalism-III. Progressive Dispensationalism-IV. Response from Covenant Theology
A. Context -v.1--- 1. The Author-- 2. The Audience--B. A Perplexing Imperative -v.2--- 1. The Situation- -when you meet trials of various kinds--- 2. The Response--- -count it all joy---C. The Divine Purpose -vv. 3-4--- 1. Perseverance -v.3--- 2. Perfection -v.4-
A report on recent missions work in the Philippines and Australia, by Pastor Steve Hofmaier of Trinity Baptist Church, Montville NJ.
-Is Close Enough Good Enough----The first essential to salvation- A biblical understanding of the problem of my personal sin.
-Is Close Enough Good Enough----The second essential to salvation- A biblical understanding of God's plan of salvation.
-Is Close Enough Good Enough----The fourth essential to salvation- a biblically consistent life
-Is Close Enough Good Enough----The third essential to salvation- A biblical compliance with God's terms for salvation
- Sin corrupts our blessings -v. 16a-.-2. Sin incites conflicts -v. 16b-.-3. Sin has wide-spread effects -v. 17--4. Sin generates frustration -vv. 17b-19a-.-5. Sin is consummated in death -v. 19b-.--Grace in the midst of judgment.
The serpent's ultimate mortification-1- Accomplished when Christ died and rose again.-2- Accomplished in believers.-3- Accomplished by the collective seed, the church.-4- Accomplished altogether.
This lesson concludes a study on the biblical role of a prophet. The majority of the lesson then focuses on the importance of historical background and introduces the surrounding empires of Isaiah's day.
The serpent's implacable opposition.--A. There will be an implacable enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman.-B. This enmity will be kept up by God himself.-C. At length God will raise up a Champion.
I. The serpent's irreversible condemnation -14a--II. The serpent's conspicuous degradation -14b--III. The serpent's implacable opposition -15a-
- The -gap theory-- -ruin-restitution theory----Its description- it includes millions of years as well as six normal days, between Genesis 1-1 and 1-2 is a gap, which includes a great catastrophe.---Its origins---Its refutation- It doesn't satisfy the demands of uniformitarian geologists, it reads into Genesis 1-2 what is not there, the Scriptures used to buttress this view do not do so -Genesis 1-28, Isaiah 45-18, Jeremiah 4-23-, the Scriptures clearly teach that death and decay came through Adam's sin, in Genesis one what God had just made is called -good- six times, the gap theory contradicts the Sabbath command of Exodus 20-8-11, the gap theory postulates millions of years of life on earth without light or sun, which were not created until the first and fourth days.--2. The -historical creation-- -land- of Palestine theory.---Its description- the word -beginning- in Genesis 1-1 refers to an indefinite period of time, beginning with Genesis 1-2, the Hebrew word -eretz- means -land- not -earth----Its refutation- the word -beginning- in Genesis 1-1 does not mean an indefinite period of time, the transition from -earth- -eretz- to -land- -eretz- is not obvious, the Scriptures clearly teach that death and decay came through Adam's sin, this theory contradicts the Sabbath command of Exodus 20-8-11--3. The old universe, young earth theory---Its description---Its refutation- the interpretation of the Hebrew words translated -let there be- in Genesis 1-3, 14 instead as -appoint- stretches the natural meaning of the text, in Genesis one the Hebrew word -asah- means -make-, not -appoint-
- False Hopes- visible morality, head knowledge, form of religion, strong assurance of salvation.--2. The One and Only all-sufficient hope--3. Application
- The day-age view- the -days- of Genesis one and two are long periods of time of indefinite length, Genesis one represents six long periods of tine in correct sequence, since the sun was created on the fourth day, the first three days could not have been normal solar days.--2. The analogical view- The days in Genesis one are not human days but God's days, in Exodus 20- 8-11 the patter of God's work and rest is analogical, the developments in Genesis one represent ordinary providence at work, Genesis one is -exalted prose-, so it should not be taken literally, the days of Genesis one represent six chronological successive periods of undefined length. --3. A refutation of the day-age analogical views- The proponents of these views are driven by a desire to show how Genesis one doesn't contradict valid scientific methods, the ordinary biblical use of the word -day- refers to 24 hour solar days, Exceptions are plain from context, the order of days in Genesis one does not fit the evolutionary hypothesis, these theories assume that death was natural before the fall, and that death is -good-, these theories undermine the biblical doctrine of man, the rational given for the fourth commandment contradicts these theories, the New Testament assumes the historical and chronological veracity of Genesis 1-2, the analogical day view undermines the perspicuity -clarity- of Scripture.
- What did Paul refuse to boast in---2. What did Paul boast in-- The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, the fact of the cross, the doctrine of the cross.--3. Why did Paul boast in the cross-- In the cross he saw a vindication of divine justice, a display of divine love, a basis for our justification, a marvel of divine wisdom, a door of our hope, a foundation of assurance. --4. What was the effect of the cross on Paul-- The world was crucified to him, he was crucified to the world
- A Commentary- -The earth was desolation and emptiness.-, -Darkness was on the surface of the deep.-, -The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.---2. A Fallacy-the gap theory.--3. An Analogy-the Spirit's work in the new creation- the work of the spirit is the first work of grace in the soul, to this work man contribute nothing, there is nothing in the soul that is congruous to the spirit, the work of the spirit is effectual, the Spirit's work is carried to completion. --4. An Expectancy.
1- The location of this blessing--2- The language of this blessing--3- The lessons from this blessing- each of us must live one day at a time, each day bring its own peculiar demands, the blessing-promise is for sufficient strength answering to the variety and length of our days, the blessing-promise of sufficient strength is as certain as the day. --4- Living in the light of this blessing