Ministry notes
This quarter I’ve begun two new projects for the Bible Framework Ministry.
The first project is finally putting the finishing touches on the 45 Lessons on 1 John. The first 11 lessons are now complete with clear handouts and slides. It’s taking a bit longer than I had planned because the posted handouts given out during the series at Fellowship Chapel in 2013 were of poor quality or completely lacking. The slides of many of the lessons are missing from the website and have to be retrieved and cross-correlated with the handouts. These will be helpful tools to those listening to the series on the website.
1 John is an important series to provide a New Testament example of Framework truth to complement the Deuteronomy series that provides an Old Testament example. The 1 John series goes beyond the special revelation God gave over the centuries of Old Testament history because it deals with the Incarnation. Whereas the Trinity is implicit in Old Testament theology [see studies like that of John Metzger, Discovering the Mystery of the Unity of God (Ariel Ministries: San Antonio, TX, 2010)], it forcefully confronts all who take seriously the New Testament record of the Incarnation.
To help us to think about the Trinity in practical terms about our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I included in this series the work of Dr. Nathan R. Wood, a theology professor and administrator of Gordon College in Massachusetts. In the Introduction to the 1932 edition, G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “Here is a book, startling, challenging, scholarly, sane, courteous. . . . that will surely make men stop-look-listen. I would like to put a copy first in the hands of every theological student. . . .” Dr. Wood’s book about the implications of the Trinity is entitled The Secret of the Universe: God, Man, and Matter and has been published in many editions over the years. I used the tenth edition published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., reprinted in 1959.
He argues that it is not unreasonable that the Triune Creator has left finite analogies to His unity-plurality in the fundamental structure of the universe and of man made in His image. He writes of the “outer universe” of our physical environment: “To see Him invisibly and yet visibly everywhere in triune Space! To recognize the mighty working of the Triune Master of the world in energy, motion, and phenomena! To feel in the endless generation and procession of Time the presence of Him who is Father, the begotten Son, and the proceeding Spirit!” He writes of the “inner universe” of mankind that “there is something in man which exactly resembles in a finite way the Triunity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit . . . . a likeness in man . . . a vivid evidence of the Original.”
The slides in 1 John include Dr. Wood’s exposition of observable triunities in both man and matter that will help the listener visualize them. I find that these finite analogies not only give us illustrations that defend the Trinity doctrine against the attacks from Islam and the various Arian heresies like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism, but also help us understand better our personal relationship with God.
Because we are studying the writing of the apostle John, I also include in this series some observations from an actual grape vineyard so we better understand Jesus’ use of vineyards in His Upper Room Discourse (John 15). In his first epistle John continues with the vineyard terminology (the Greek verb meno variously translated “abide”, “continue”) to describe our sanctification relationship with the Lord. Several slides show some features of a vineyard that will help us understand spiritual truths taught throughout the New Testament but especially in John’s writing.
The second project I am working on is reviewing an impressive work by a Chinese couple who spent over two years developing more than 50 lessons from the Framework website to teach their teenage sons. They also tested their illustrated lessons on several groups of Christian parents and high-school aged children. One mother commented after reading and discussing the material, “you’ve made me hungry for the Bible!” If I find that this series accurately portrays Framework theology, I expect within a year you will be able to see it on the Bible Framework website.
Thank you for your continued faithful support by prayer and financial aid. Without that, I could not continue improving the Framework material. We continue to be encouraged by new viewers from Europe and Australia. When queried about good teaching material for fortifying their young people, a friend of mine who works in a special ministry responded, “Go to the Bible Framework website. It’s the best combination of Bible study and apologetics hands down!”
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Announcements
Bayside Community Church
Guest Speaker November 17, 2019
3333 Bayshore Blvd,
Tampa, FL 33629,
Adult Sunday School 10 AM, Worship Service 11 AM
28th Pre-Trib Study Group
December 11-13, 2019
Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dallas-Ft.Worth
There will be an exhibit for Bible Framework Ministries. If you also attend, please stop by our display and pick up some free Framework materials.
Prayer Requests
Praise to our gracious Lord for the largest enrollment ever at Chafer Seminary.
Thanking our Lord for the ability of those in remote parts of the world to have access to the Framework lessons.
For continued exposure of the BFM website to the global community.
For continued financial support that the teaching materials can be used by the poor, particularly in third-world countries.
For wisdom and good health in creating new materials for the site.
For wisdom and discernment for those developing and reviewing the Framework materials for children.
For the enhancing of the quality of the Framework audio files. |
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