Then they asked him, 'Where is your father?' 'You do not know me or my Father,' Jesus replied. 'If you knew me, you would know my Father also.' John 8: 19.
Order online *The Virgin Birth of Christ* by J Gresham Machen, first published in 1930 and still unsurpassed in its depth of scholarship. A biography of this great Reformed theologian has been reissued by the Banner of Truth: *J Gresham Machen A Biographical Memoir* by Ned B Stonehouse.
You know you give me about five recommendations a day!! There's not a chance in the world I will get through them all but I love that you have so many references
Dear Anonymous: My discovery of Gresham Machen's book came in answer to a prayer. The virgin birth of Jesus is in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. The Apostle Paul never mentions it. This leads many writers to suggest that Paul never knew: Gresham Machen said everything Paul writes is consistent with belief in the virgin birth. Modernist writers said the virgin birth narratives were frequent in pagan mythology and folklore, and don't belong in a Judaeo-Christian framework. In about 280 pages Machen demolishes the modernist argument.
While pondering the Matthean and Lukean narratives, I prayed for understanding. Within a couple of weeks I discovered Machen's masterpiece in the bookshop of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Machen died of pneumonia in the 1930s. His colleagues had pleaded with him not to catch the train from Philadelphia to North Dakota, where he was returning home for the Christmas vacation. Before he died he sent a telegram to his friend John Murray: *I am so grateful for the perfect obedience of Christ. No hope without it.* His last written words.
John Murray wrote a brilliant short work on our salvation, *Redemption Accomplished and Applied* which I strongly recommend. John Piper has a good online article on Gresham Machen.
Shameful pregnancy? Only in the eyes of judgmental onlookers who didn’t know the whole story, the announcement by the angel Gabriel, the overshadowing of Mary by the Holy Spirit, the visit to Elizabeth when John the Baptist leapt while he was still in the womb of his mother (which ought to put to flight the belief that a fetus is not human). Shameful pregnancy? No. No way. No.
Seventeen syllables isn't enough room for nuance 😊 As Hamel surmises, I was talking about the way it may have been perceived. I hoped to convey hope not only through Jesus as son of God but also as an outsider who had influence..... ....tho the two are inseparable.....
I am sure Kylie means *shameful* in the eyes of the world, Rhymes. Joseph at first could hardly believe Mary's story about the visitation from Gabriel. Modernist theologians reject the Virgin birth of Jesus, which is why I commend Gresham Machen's book. There is the possibility that Jesus had to live with the slur of being illegitimate, *Where is your father?* (John 8:19) and when Jesus is called *Mary's son*.
Jesus endured the shame of the Cross. The world today finds the Cross offensive. People think they can get right with God through their own efforts. They reject Christ today as they rejected Him then.
YouTube. *The Transforming Effect of the Gospel by J Gresham Machen.* Read by Mark Fitzpatrick.
Machen makes it clear that modern thought is the deadliest enemy of the Gospel, and that the church must battle for her life. The forces against the Gospel today are so much more extensive than in Machen's day. Liberal Christianity is another religion, said Machen. Liberalism has reinvented itself as progressive Christianity and has embraced neo-paganism, gnosticism, New Age and gay marriage. This is the religion of Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Watch *Dr Peter Jones: The Gnostic Gospel.* YouTube.
How I wish that pregnancies were NEVER considered shameful. The shame is only ever directed at the mother too - which is also wrong.
ReplyDeleteYes, there's a big old double standard
DeleteEC is certainly correct. There are never unwed fathers.
ReplyDeleteNo, they are often far, far away
Deletelovely Kylie
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne!
DeleteThen they asked him, 'Where is your father?'
ReplyDelete'You do not know me or my Father,' Jesus replied.
'If you knew me, you would know my Father also.'
John 8: 19.
Order online *The Virgin Birth of Christ* by J Gresham Machen, first published in 1930 and still unsurpassed in its depth of scholarship.
A biography of this great Reformed theologian has been reissued by the Banner of Truth: *J Gresham Machen A Biographical Memoir* by Ned B Stonehouse.
You know you give me about five recommendations a day!!
DeleteThere's not a chance in the world I will get through them all but I love that you have so many references
Dear Anonymous:
DeleteMy discovery of Gresham Machen's book came in answer to a prayer.
The virgin birth of Jesus is in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38.
The Apostle Paul never mentions it. This leads many writers to suggest that Paul never knew: Gresham Machen said everything Paul writes is consistent with belief in the virgin birth.
Modernist writers said the virgin birth narratives were frequent in pagan mythology and folklore, and don't belong in a Judaeo-Christian framework.
In about 280 pages Machen demolishes the modernist argument.
While pondering the Matthean and Lukean narratives, I prayed for understanding. Within a couple of weeks I discovered Machen's masterpiece in the bookshop of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Machen died of pneumonia in the 1930s. His colleagues had pleaded with him not to catch the train from Philadelphia to North Dakota, where he was returning home for the Christmas vacation. Before he died he sent a telegram to his friend John Murray: *I am so grateful for the perfect obedience of Christ. No hope without it.* His last written words.
John Murray wrote a brilliant short work on our salvation, *Redemption Accomplished and Applied* which I strongly recommend.
John Piper has a good online article on Gresham Machen.
"Unmarried fathers" is a phrase never heard. I guess you could say god was one.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
It gets more weird if we consider the idea of a feminine God
DeleteShameful pregnancy? Only in the eyes of judgmental onlookers who didn’t know the whole story, the announcement by the angel Gabriel, the overshadowing of Mary by the Holy Spirit, the visit to Elizabeth when John the Baptist leapt while he was still in the womb of his mother (which ought to put to flight the belief that a fetus is not human). Shameful pregnancy? No. No way. No.
ReplyDeleteSeventeen syllables isn't enough room for nuance 😊
DeleteAs Hamel surmises, I was talking about the way it may have been perceived.
I hoped to convey hope not only through Jesus as son of God but also as an outsider who had influence.....
....tho the two are inseparable.....
I am sure Kylie means *shameful* in the eyes of the world, Rhymes.
ReplyDeleteJoseph at first could hardly believe Mary's story about the visitation from Gabriel.
Modernist theologians reject the Virgin birth of Jesus, which is why I commend Gresham Machen's book.
There is the possibility that Jesus had to live with the slur of being illegitimate, *Where is your father?* (John 8:19) and when Jesus is called *Mary's son*.
Jesus endured the shame of the Cross.
The world today finds the Cross offensive.
People think they can get right with God through their own efforts.
They reject Christ today as they rejected Him then.
YouTube.
Delete*The Transforming Effect of the Gospel by J Gresham Machen.*
Read by Mark Fitzpatrick.
Machen makes it clear that modern thought is the deadliest enemy of the Gospel, and that the church must battle for her life.
The forces against the Gospel today are so much more extensive than in Machen's day.
Liberal Christianity is another religion, said Machen.
Liberalism has reinvented itself as progressive Christianity and has embraced neo-paganism, gnosticism, New Age and gay marriage. This is the religion of Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Watch *Dr Peter Jones: The Gnostic Gospel.* YouTube.