Abraham Conference at John Owen Centre Day 2

Messers Salter (seated) and Gibson (standing) 

We are a bit behind here but the second day at the Abraham conference was a fine one. We opened with a paper from David Shaw of Oak Hill and the whole matter of Abraham and justification by faith. He helpfully brought us up to speed with regard to the current debate with plenty of references to Wright and Barr et al. Perhaps the one failure was to relate this more directly to Abraham and not just to Romans 4 but this was a worthwhile paper. We then tried something a little different as David Gibson and Martin Salter presented papers arguing the paedo- and credo- Baptist positions respectively. Again Abraham was slightly lost in all this but it was a worthwhile exercise even if it shifted nobody's view. Dr Robert Strivens the LTS principal rounded off with an expansive and final paper on Abraham and Paul, arguing that Paul was consciously working out the promises made to Abraham.

I guess when we looked at Adam and Noah it was a little easier to focus simply on them and their times. Both being the first man of creation any extrapolation is both universal and individual to me. Abraham, on the other hand, is the father of the faithful and perhaps counter-intuitively that makes him a much bigger figure, one not so easily surveyed in a two day conference. Perhaps it will be possible to return to this towering figure another time and look at Abraham the prophet, Abraham the liar, Abraham and the land, etc, etc.

The recordings will be online in a few weeks I understand and a conference is planned for next year September 7 and 8.

Abraham Conference at John Owen Centre

I spent yesterday at the John Owen Centre here in London, with about 50 others, at the Abraham Conference they have organised. Garry Williams, Director of the centre, began by outlining the work of the centre and then we were into the first session in which former LTS principal Philip Eveson helpfully outlined what we have in Genesis about Abraham, using diagrams to show the various chiasms and drawing out some interesting points about the careful way the Book of Genesis appears to be constructed. We had more of that sort of thing in the session after lunch when LTS Vice-principal David Green took us through the text showing us the significance of the word Ra'ah to see and its cognates and sometimes homonyms too. Again this was very interesting and helpful.

Personally, I found the third paper from James Mulrooney, an Edinburgh PhD candidate, who will be lecturing at LTS from this term, the most stimulating even though he used the phrase iconic mimesis at one point. He took us through Genesis 22 arguing for a nuanced typology that helpfully understood Abraham, Isaac and the ram in specific bounded terms. The paper generated a good discussion, most people being favourable to what was proposed while others were more sceptical.

In the evening we had the Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture, which was open to the public. Peter Law, a local pastor who regularly lectures in the middle east, was given the subject The great Abrahamic faiths? and he gave us some of the background to this phrase then argued, leaning on Daniel Strange, for a subversive fulfilment, that is a balanced acceptance of commonalities while seeking to expose and challenge differences.

Looking forward to day two.

SBM4 Tests of Abraham

The Twelve Tests of Abraham

Abraham’s faith was tested at least twelve specific times. Some of them were not what we might call big tests, but together they establish a picture of Abraham as a person whose faith was genuine. After the last of these, God said, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Genesis 22:12). Each of Abraham’s tests can have applications for us:

(1) Genesis 12:1-7

•Test: Abraham left Ur and Haran for an unknown destination at God’s direction.

•Application: Do I trust God with my future? Is his will part of my decision making'

(2) Genesis 13:8-13

•Test: Abraham directed a peaceful separation from Lot and settled at the oaks of Mamre.

•Application: Do I trust God with my interests even when I seem to be receiving an unfair settlement'

(3) Genesis 14:13-18

•Test: Abraham rescued Lot from the five kings.

•Application: Does my faithfulness to others bear witness to my trust in God’s faithfulness'

(4) Genesis 14:17-24

•Test: Abraham gave a tithe of loot to the godly king of Salem, Melchizedek, and refused the gift of the king of Sodom.

•Application: Am I watchful in my dealings with people that I give proper honour to God and refuse to receive honour that belongs to him'

(5) Genesis 15:1-6

•Test: Abraham trusted God’s promise that he would have a son.

•Application: How often do I consciously reaffirm my trust in God’s promises'

(6) Genesis 15:7-11

•Test: Abraham received the promised land by faith, though the fulfillment would not come for many generations.

•Application: How have I demonstrated my continued trust in God during those times when I have been required to wait'

(7) Genesis 17:9-27

•Test: At God’s command, Abraham circumcised every male in his family.

•Application: In what occasions in my life have I acted simply in obedience to God, and not because I understood the significance of what I was doing'

(8) Genesis 18:1-8

•Test: Abraham welcomed strangers, who turned out to be angels.

•Application: When was the last time I practiced hospitality'

(9) Genesis 18:22-33

•Test: Abraham prayed for Sodom.

•Application: Am I eager to see people punished, or do I care for people in spite of their sinfulness'

(10) Genesis 20:1-17

•Test: Abraham admitted to wrongdoing and took the actions needed to set things right.

•Application: When I sin, is my tendency to cover up, or confess? Do I practise the truth that an apology must sometimes be accompanied by restitution'

(11) Genesis 21:22-34

•Test: Abraham negotiated a treaty with Abimelech concerning a well.

•Application: Can people depend on my words and promises'

(12) Genesis 22:1-12

•Test: Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.

•Application: In what ways has my life demonstrated that I will not allow anything to come before God'

(Source unknown)

Carey 04

So we've had a good start here in Swanwick. I stayed up quite late chatting and then blogging but had a good night's rest and was able to be up for the prayer meeting. Our first session was Tom Schreiner's second message from Romans. I chaired. We skipped Romans 3:21-26 and then worked through 3:27 to the end of Chapter 4.
Again we started with an apt quote from Luther. Yesterday it was the hammer of the law and today a reminder that we always have more to learn with regard to the matter of justification by faith. Again we had an excellent walk through interacting especially with the new perspective on Paul, acknowledging insights where possible but more often pointing out its misreadings. We also had a few anecdotes such as his wondering at one time why his Christian life was such a struggle and then remembering that we have no reservoir of strength but need to rely always on God and about praying for things with faith and realism. Abraham's perseverance in faith is a great example to us and reminds us that justification is only by faith.
There was time for a few questions on the new perspective and assurance and then it was time for coffee.

Children of Abraham

John 8:9 Abraham is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham's children, said Jesus, then you would do the things Abraham did.

Often in John's Gospel we find Jesus and the Jews talking at cross purposes and misunderstanding each other. Jesus has spoken to them about being free. They have responded that they have always been free – though what was going on in Egypt on this basis is hard to see. Part of their claim to freedom is tied to their being descendants of Abraham. It is a nationalistic argument. What Jesus is talking about is spiritual freedom – freedom not to sin. He is quite happy to acknowledge that they are Abraham's descendants but they are also children of the devil as sure as he is the Son of God. Of course, they do not follow his argument and reassert that they are Abraham's children. But Jesus counters that if they were truly Abraham's children in the fullest sense then they would not be planning to kill Jesus but would embrace him and his teaching. Paul later takes up this point that the true children of Abraham are those with the same faith not those with a mere biological connection to him. An adopted son who truly loves his father can be much more of a son to him than one who is biologically linked yet opposes all that his father holds dear. What matters is not being a direct descendant of Abraham, Jewish or whatever, but doing the thngs that Abraham did, which sprang from faith in God.

Sarah & Mary compared and contrasted

Sarah and Mary compared
1. Both Sarah and Mary were women in Scripture unable to have children in the normal way but who did. (Sarah had a double disability. She was barren and had then passed childbearing age. Cf Gen 16:2, 18:12; Rom 4:19, Heb 11:11. Mary's problem was at the other end. She had reached mature enough years to conceive but was a virgin until after Jesus was born).
2. Both Sarah and Mary were reminded of God’s power to do the impossible. (Gn 18:14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son. Lk 1:37 Nothing is impossible with God.)
3. Both Sarah and Mary received special revelations that they would give birth to a special son. (Mary was visited by Gabriel, Sarah overheard the Lord talking to Abraham, cf Gen 18 and Lk 1)
4. Both conceived their first born sons in a supernatural way.
5. Both Sarah and Mary were women of faith and virtue and examples to people today, especially women. (Compared with Mary, Sarah lacks faith but Mary was not perfect. 1 Pet 3:6 commends Sarah's attitude to her husband. Heb 11:11 may commend her faith. Paul likens here to the Jerusalem above (Gal 4). Lk 1:38 shows Mary was a woman of faith and virtue.)
6. Both Sarah and Mary knew God’s grace and gave birth to sons, to children of promise. (Gen 21:1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. God’s grace to Mary is evident too. Cf Lk 1:50. Gal 4 calls Isaac a child of promise ie one promised before he was born. Believers are children of promise but Christ is particularly one in that he is the long promised OT Messiah.)
7. Both Sarah and Mary had their sons circumcised. (Gen 21:4, Lk 1:21).
8. Both Sarah and Mary travelled down into Egypt at one point. (Gen 12, Lk 2)
9. Both Sarah and Mary's sons were later taken by their fathers, made to carry wood and laid on it to be sacrificed on a mountain. (Cf Gen 22 and the Gospel accounts).

Sarah and Mary contrasted
1. Sarah was an old woman, Mary was a young woman. (God uses all sorts).
2. Sarah tried her own means of securing a child, Mary only waited for the Lord to do his will. (Cf Gen 16)
3. Sarah’s husband was told about her son first, Mary was told about her child before her husband. (Why should that be? Perhaps because Mary was to be the mother of Christ in an exclusive way. Joseph had no part in the conception. It is typical of the Bible to subvert the order too.)
4.Sarah overheard what God said about her son, Mary was spoken to directly by an angel. (Gen 18; Lk 1. Mary is singled out for greater honour.)
5. Sarah laughed at the idea of giving birth, Mary believed what she was told. (Gen 18:12; Lk 1:38).
6. Sarah’s presence when pregnant closed wombs, Mary’s presence when pregnant enlivened a womb. (Cf Gen 20/Lk 1:39-45)
7. Sarah rejoiced after the birth of her son, Mary before the birth of her son. (Gen 18:6, 7 Sarah said, God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. And she added, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age. Lk 1:46-49 My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name. Etc.)
8. Sarah went down to Egypt before Isaac was born, Mary went down to Egypt after Jesus was born. (Gen 12, Lk 2).
9. Sarah's son was taken to Moriah to be sacrificed, Mary's was taken from Moriah and actually sacrificed. (Gen 22, etc. Isaac was replaced by a lamb from the thorns; Christ is the Lamb of God crowned with thorns).
10. Sarah died before her husband, Mary probably died after her husband. (Gen 23).