Theology Central
Theology Central exists as a place of conversation and information for faculty and friends of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Posts include seminary news, information, and opinion pieces about ministry, theology, and scholarship.Annunciation by Rilke
Translated by Anna Staples
This poem is a translation of Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Verkündigung,” from the Book of Images.
Playful and poignant, the poem envisions the confusion of the angel Gabriel in the presence of Mary, as he forgets his message and is overwhelmed with the immediacy of Mary herself.
You’re not more near to God than we.
To Him all things are far.
And yet your hands — how wondrously
Grown full of grace they are.
Such hands by woman never grew
So ripe, so fulsomely.
I am the day, I am the dew:
You are the tree.
I’m weary now (such leagues I’ve come!),
Forgive me, I’ve forgot
What he who sat within the sun
Told me to speak about:
He said to say to you who sense —
But space unsettles me.
Look: I am the Beginning, hence —
You are the tree.
I lifted up my wings abroad,
And spanned a mighty space;
And now my garments overflow
Your little dwelling-place.
And still you sit here so forlorn,
And hardly look at me.
I’m merely wind among the thorns:
You are the tree.
All angels are as shy as this,
And let each other be.
And yet I’ve never felt before
Desire so mightily.
Perhaps—perhaps It has occurred,
What you have dreamed and guessed.
All Hail, for now my soul beholds
How ripe you are at last!
You are a high and mighty Door
And soon will open wide.
You are the Wood, the sweetest ear
To which I sing; and yet I fear
My songs are lost inside.
And so I’ve come. A thousand dreams
Are now fulfilled through me.
God looked at me, the lightning flashed —
You are the Tree.
Questions:
- Contrast the theological particulars of this poem with its sensibility. Which is more powerful?
- Who is the Tree? Why is this an appropriate image?
This Week’s Nick
Jeff Straub talks about his visit to Winners Chapel, an African Pentecostal church.
Subscribe to In the Nick of Time here.
Ryrie’s collection update
New American Commentary on Genesis 1-11
Kindle version is under a buck right now.
![Genesis 1-11: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (The New American Commentary) by [Mathews, Kenneth]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bdDy1KQ5L.jpg)
Premodern Sensibilities
The deepest of worldly emotions in this period [the Middle Ages] is the love of man for man, the mutual love of warriors who die together fighting against odds, and the affection between vassal and lord. We shall never understand this last, if we think of it in the light of our own moderated and impersonal loyalties. We must not think of officers drinking the king’s health: we must think rather of a small boy’s feeling for some hero in the sixth form. There is no harm in the analogy, for the good vassal is to the good citizen very much as a boy is to a man. He cannot rise to the great abstraction of a res publica. He loves and reverences only what he can touch and see; but he loves it with an intensity which our tradition is loath to allow except to sexual love.
Lewis, C. S. The Allegory of Love (eBook Original) (Kindle Locations 202-207). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Homeschooling Today
Kerry McDonald says, “It’s a Great Time to Be a Homeschooler.” Read at the Foundation for Economic Education.
According to new data released this month by the U.S. Department of Education, the number of homeschooled children has doubled since 1999 to 1.8 million children in 2012, or 3.4 percent of the overall school-age population. (As a comparison, about 4.5 million children are enrolled in U.S. K-12 private schools.) According to the DOE data, the geographic distribution of today’s homeschooling population is evenly split, with about one-third each in rural, urban, and suburban areas. “Concern about schools’ environments” remains a top driver for homeschooling families, with 9 in 10 survey respondents indicating it was an important reason in their decision to homeschool.
John Kerry: An Israeli Perspective
Ruthie Blum, managing editor of the Algemeiner, evaluates Kerry’s performance as Secretary of State for Israel Hayom. Her article is entitled, “Good Riddance, John Kerry.” If that doesn’t give you a sense of how she feels, here’s a quotation:
Even Bozo the Clown would be better than Secretary of State John Kerry.
The Date of Christmas
Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? Is Christmas really a “baptized” pagan holiday? William J. Tighe answers these questions in “Calculating Christmas” at Touchstone Magazine.
Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance to Roman Christians. Thus the “pagan origins of Christmas” is a myth without historical substance.
Tozer on the Preacher’s Task
But my task is to give a report on the character of God, or as I like to state it, the perfection of God. I want to tell you what God is like, and when I am telling you what God is like, if you read and listen with an open mind, you will find faith spring up automatically. It takes the restored knowledge of God to bring forth our faith. I do not believe there was ever a time in the history of the church when we needed this more than we need it today.
Tozer, A.W. Delighting in God (Kindle Locations 342-345). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
YES.
Just, yes.
Thomas Oden Passes Away
Arguably, he was one of the very few theologians to cross the line from non-conservative theology to a version of orthodoxy. See a summary at Christianity Today.
Some of Charles Ryrie’s Library Sold
For the bibliophiles out there, check out this report by Dan Wallace on the sale at Sotheby’s of some of the books from Ryrie’s collection.
American Neoclassical Music
Yes, there was such a thing. Much of it was quite good. Not much is available now. So says Michael De Sapio at The Imaginative Conservative. His article is entitled, “The Forgotten Music of the American Neoclassicists.” He introduces a few names I didn’t know. My list of “recordings to listen to” just got longer.
Regrettably, just as American neoclassicism was in full flower in the years after World War II, its undoing was already underway. This was an era of musical politics, with composers and critics marshaling themselves into various ideological camps. The partisans of Stravinsky and the partisans of Arnold Schoenberg—the originator of twelve-tone or serial music—formed highly entrenched groups. The twelve-toners cast themselves in the role of the “progressives” and the neoclassicists in the role of retrograde conservatives. Avant-garde composer Pierre Boulez went so far as to declare that composers who did not follow the new trends were “useless.” Such aggressive polemics caused neoclassicism to become increasingly marginalized.
Stunning statement by FBC Dallas pastor a Robert Jeffress
The marriage question is over. The Supreme Court has decided. We need to move on to other things! Stunning statement! Start listening about 1:30!
Atheist Stephen Hawking Appointed to Pontifical Academy
Apparently belief in God is not a prerequisite for the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. See the report at Catholic News Agency.
Frankly, I’m beginning to wonder whether Catholicism is a prerequisite for appointment to the Papacy. Just saying . . . .
ACCC Expresses Appreciation for John McKnight
Dr. John McKnight served as president of the American Council of Christian Churches for many years. He is a remarkable individual who falsifies the common perception that to be a fundamentalist is to be a Baptist. The church that Dr. McKnight pastors was known until recently as Evangelical Methodist Church. It has renamed itself the Reformation Bible Church, perhaps because, as Dr. McKnight once explained to me, “We are Whitefieldian Methodists, not Wesleyan Methodists.”
During both his pastorate and his tenure with the ACCC, Dr. McKnight has proven himself to be a genuine Christian statesman. It is no surprise, therefore, that the American Council has chosen to honor him with a declaration of appreciation.
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
An Open Letter of Thanks to Dr. John and Diane McKnightDear Brother and Sister in Christ,
Our Savior admonished his disciples to understand their calling to leadership as servanthood. “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:26-28).
John and Diane, you both have been examples of that kind of leadership during John’s tenure in the office of President of the Council for over a decade. You brought enthusiasm, excellence, and energy to this important work. In this endeavor to lead is to serve, to work, to plan, to prepare, to encourage, to protect, to sacrifice, to battle, to console, and at times to suffer silently and patiently. Our “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10).
Thank you for that labor of love. Thank you for loving our Savior. Thank you for loving His truth. Thank you for loving Dr. Colas and Alice. They always esteemed you both very highly in love for your work’s sake. Thank you for your love shown to the current Executive Secretary and other officers who were privileged to work closely with you and learn from your vision, insight, and example. Thank you for your love for the Council, its stand, and its work. Thank you for your love for Christ’s Church.
The ministry you have fulfilled in our behalf required selfless dedication and dependence on the Lord’s sufficient grace. Together you found that grace and demonstrated that dedication. The Spirit-blessed power of your life and preaching, John, and the pleasantness of your supportive spirit and kind hospitality, Diane, especially have encouraged and furthered this work of the Lord in a needy hour. You are a man and a woman among us, who help to make up the hedge and who stand in the gap (Ezek. 22:30).
“The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26). And should He still tarry, may He grant us many more years of continued service together according to His will and by His grace.
With Sincerest Appreciation,
Your Fellow-Soldiers in Christ of the American Council of Christian Churches
Robert L. Sumner with the Lord
Here is the obituary:
Dr. Robert Leslie Sumner, 94, of Lynchburg, Virginia went to his heavenly home on December 5, 2016. He was born to the late Clarence and Gladys Sumner on August 3, 1922 in Norwich, NY. He accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at LeTorneau Christian Camp at Canadaigua, NY at age 17. Almost immediately, he felt the call to preach and enrolled in Baptist Bible Seminary in Johnson City, NY where he graduated in 1943. He married the former Orphina Mingori on August 16, 1942.
He was an ordained Baptist minister and evangelist. His first pastorate was in Pontiac, IL. He later served pastorates in Long Beach, CA, Graham, TX, and Portsmouth, OH. In 1955, Dr. John R. Rice, a nationally known evangelist and editor of the Sword of the Lord newspaper invited Dr. Sumner to become Associate Editor and a staff evangelist. Later, Dr. Sumner would write the biography, Man Sent From God, about the life of this good friend and mentor. For years, Dr. Sumner wrote a column for The Sword called Sumner’s Incidents and Illustrations which he later continued in his own paper after Dr. Rice’s death. Dr. Sumner has preached in all of the 50 states, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, and Brazil. He always gave an invitation for people to accept Christ whenever he preached. He signed his correspondence, “Sincerely for souls.” His messages were saturated with Scripture and he read the entire Bible through four times each year since 1946. He read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month, and read the entire Bible through hundreds of times.
He was the Founder and Editor of The Biblical Evangelist newspaper, which began in 1966 as the Regular Baptist Evangelist and thus just celebrated its 50th year. He was a prolific author of approximately 50 Christian books and booklets. A gospel booklet he wrote, Heaven Can Be Yours, has circulated more than 2¼ million copies in English, and nearly 400,000 in a half dozen foreign languages. In the mid-1960s, he served on the Council of 14 (now Council of 18) of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. He was inducted into the Fundamentalist Hall of Fame at the Lucerne Conference Center in Lucerne, CA in 1976. He was a Trustee Emeritus for Cedarville University. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Bob Jones University and a Doctor of Sacred Theology from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by Orphina, his wife of 55 years, and a sister, Evelyn Maurer. He is survived by his five children; Richard (Donna), Ralph (Masami), Ruth (John Purvis), Rita (Terry Phipps), Ron (Suzanne), their spouses and grandchildren, great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. He is survived by his second wife, Dorothy (Tullar Holm) whom he married on March 20, 2004. He was extremely proud of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Including Dr. Sumner’s children and his eight step-children through Dorothy, the spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren bring the total family number to 126.
A memorial service honoring his legacy and his Lord will be held in the Sanctuary at Timberlake Baptist Church, 21395 Timberlake Rd, Lynchburg, VA 24502, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 17. Dr. Paul Dixon, Chancellor of Cedarville University, will bring the message. Final interment will be at a private family ceremony at Lady Lake Cemetery in Florida where his first wife is buried.
New Themelios Available
The December edition of Themelios is available here. It’s available in PDF and Logos formats.
ACCC Resolution on Its Own History
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
“Resolution on the Conference Theme: ‘WW2 to T4G: 75 Years of Faithful Gospel Ministry’”
“It was 1941. A new house cost $4075, a new car $850, a gallon of gas, 12 cents. World War II raged in Europe. Franklin Roosevelt entered a third term as president, and on December 7 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the US to war.
“Other attacks raged, subtle and deadly. Liberal theologians attacked Scripture, denying its authority and reliability. Christians had to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Amid this fray and for this purpose, the American Council of Christian Churches arose to contend.
For many, battle lines soon blurred. Battle fatigue begat defectors who, like Demas, “loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:19). Some flattered the foe, naïvely hoping for good. Zeal for worldly respect drove men to truce with error and its proponents. Truth faded amid diminished obedience.
“Ecumenical evangelism, charismatic confusion, morality movements, manhood meetings, entertainment worship—innovations waxed and waned. Utopian hopes yielded disappointment in unfulfilled promises, soon to be replaced by another fad, another variation of the same theme.
“Among them, one seeks in vain the biblical admonition, “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). Absent is the exhortation, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Cor. 6:14-16a).
“Neither tradition, nor memories of the fathers, nor preoccupation with things old, but the unchanging, ever-new Word of God has been our cause and our standard as we rejoice together in 75 years of faithful gospel ministry. Faithful is He who has called us; He has done it (1 Thess. 5:24).
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches, at its annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine, blesses the God of heaven whose sufficient grace has preserved the work of the Council over 75 years for His glory. We are thankful for the gospel ministry of fellow-soldiers of Christ who have left us a lasting legacy of faithful obedience, which we determine to preserve for those who come after us. We resolve to keep that which has been committed to our trust (1 Tim. 6:20), depending on Him who alone can keep us from falling (Jude 24), looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).”
Ecclesiastical Separation
Why do we call it ecclesiastical separation? Some seem to think that we use this label because we are talking about separation that pertains to local churches, either in terms of their own membership or in terms of their outside fellowship. But that definition is both unhistorical and unworkable.
We call it ecclesiastical separation, not because it has to do with churches, but because it has to do with the Church. At the root of all Christian fellowship is this question: who is presumed to be within the Church? Only those who are united to Christ by His Spirit, and who are thus members of the Church Universal, are fit objects of Christian fellowship. Further, only those who have believed the true gospel are united to Christ by His Spirit.
Of course, we cannot gauge who actually possess true belief in the gospel. What we must do–what Scripture requires us to do–is to evaluate who professes faith in the true gospel. Only such individuals are presumed to be in the Church. Only such individuals are suitable subjects of Christian fellowship at any level (and Christian fellowship does have more than one level). Profession of belief in the true gospel is the minimal requirement for any Christian fellowship.
In sum, ecclesiastical separation is not fundamentally about the limitation of fellowship between churches, but about the limitation of fellowship to those within the Church.
APPLICATION & AID