Murray on redemption

Dr Ferguson quoted John Murray in his commentary on Romans thus:

 

It should be noted in addition that the apostle conceives of this redemption as something that has its permanent and abiding tenancy in Christ; it is "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". The redemption is not simply that which we have in Christ (Eph. 1:7) but it is the redemption of which Christ is the embodiment. Redemption has not only been wrought by Christ but in the Redeemer this redemption resides in its unabbreviated virtue and efficacy. And it is redemption thus conceived that provides the mediacy through which justification by God's free grace is applied.

JOC Lectures on Scripture 1

It was my privilege once again today to be among the privileged few at the John Owen Centre in nearby Finchley for lectures this time from fellow blogger Iain D Campbell on the doctrine of Scripture. We began with brief biblical introduction (taking in Psalm 19, John 10:35, 2 Timothy 3:16, etc). We then went on to look at Westminster Theological Seminary and Scripture. We began with Machen (see this Daryl Hart essay via here) moved on to Murray (in the Infallible Word symposium, outline here) and E J Young (Thy Word is Truth). We also looked at Sinclair Ferguson in Harvie Conn's symposium (outline here).

We then turned to Old Princeton beginning with Turretin (whose tome Hodge would have used), passing over Hodge himself and focusing on Warfield, especially his inaugural address at Western in 1881 and his essay with A A Hodge on Inspiration (see here). I notice that several Warfield articles are here. In the afternoon we looked at the opening chapter of the Westminster Confession which, though familiar, was worth going through together its finely balanced statements.

Catch the vision 2

Study questions part 2
4. D Martyn Lloyd-Jones: the recovery of the vision II: The multiplying of his influence (59-74)
IVF: The theologian of the IVF How do the statements at the bottom of p 61 about IVF fit in with earlier statements about it being one way the Reformed vision was being recaptured? Was Lloyd-Jones right to spend so much time on para-church student work? Would we encourage it today?
EMW: The people of the magazine Are campaigns typically Reformed? Why did Lloyd-Jones write on “Evangelical faith” not “Reformed faith”? (p 67) Was all this para church activity an entirely healthy thing? In what sense was there unparallelled liveliness in the witness in Aberystwyth in the sixties? (p 70) Is the significance of Packer's Knowing God underplayed here?
Westminster Fellowship: The pastor's pastor Why is the Westminster Fellowship so poorly attended today? Is there in the Lloyd-Jones story an argument for bishops?

5. Geoffrey Williams: 'the storehouse' (77-89)
Encouraged to read good books/Meeting Lloyd-Jones/The Library moves to London/Library Expansion Does the Library deserve a separate chapter? Again why 'Evangelical' and not Reformed? Is the story told in a rather romantic manner?

6. James I Packer: 'among God's giants' (93-105)
Early life/Student at Oxford What if Packer had come from Lincolnshire not Gloucestershire?
Discovering John Owen Why were the pages of the Owen set uncut?
Puritan Conference Do preachers today teach the greatness of God and the greatness of the soul? Why 'Puritan and Reformed' and not 'Evangelical'?

7. Iain Murray: 'the new dress' (109-125)
Discovering the true Gospel Why have we never heard of William Blatchley and F J Hobbs?
Preparing for the ministry/Discovering the English Reformers/Making history live Why would Lloyd-Jones have had reservations about starting the Banner? Was he right?
Launching the books Why start with Burrowes on Song of Solomon??

8. John Murray: 'the old school piety' (129-146)
Was Scotland different to England and Wales in the fifties because Reformed truths were more often kept alive?
Highland heritage How important is Murray's interesting statement about his father? (p 133)
Studying for the ministry And what do we make of his impression regarding his son? (p 133)
Call to Princeton and Westminster How important is the Machen link?
Reformed resurgence in England/Banner work and the Leicester Conference Wales was not represented at the first Banner Conference – any significance in that? Why did the conference not meet more regularly in the earlier years? Did Lloyd-Jones come more than once, if not then why not?
His contribution What do we make of the list of events here? And does the statement 'before a Puritan reprint had appeared!' make any sense? Does JJM contradict Iain Murray's statement? (p 150) Were the late fifties under Lloyd-Jones really anything like the days of John Knox?

9. Maintaining the vision (149-167)
Is there spontaneity in the events listed? (p 149)
Expecting revival Is revival related to a rediscovery of Calvinistic truths? Has God kept a remnant or raised an army of ambassadors? Have things 'gone wrong'?
A vision fulfilled

1 A leader How does this section square with the warning against man-centredness at the end of it?

2 Abiding armoury What can be done to mine the gold today?

3 Worldwide spread
A vision unfulfilled Is the impression is given that the Carey conference was a bad thing?

1 Full-orbed witness Would Lloyd-Jones have taken this line?

2 Maintaining zeal Was there an expectation of new church life and order?

3 Family Is this last point valid?
Why no mention or hardly any in the book for Francis Schaeffer, John Stott, Dick Lucas, Al Martin and maybe others? What about LTS or WEST and its predecessors? Are there other omissions?
Is a book aiming to do what this one does really possible to do?

Unfair slur 02

In the opening sentences of his essay on Machen in the new Themelios Carl Trueman writes

"In the lounge next to my office hang the portraits of a number of the founding faculty of my institution, Westminster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. There is one of John Murray, the dour-looking Scotsman with the glass eye. Legend has it that you could tell which eye was the real one because that was the one which did not smile."

I know he is writing for students but it is a shame that he is perpetrating a myth. My father-in-law, Geoff Thomas, knew Murray personally and gives quite a different impression (the man I have described as more full of God than anyone else I have known). The impression I am left with is of an Aslan type figure and if you know anything abut Aslan he was no cold fish.

In 1966, The 33rd OPC General Assembly recognized Murray's labors with a testimonial scroll which read (with my italics):

"You have been a warm friend and counselor to us, one and all, giving individual counsel whenever we sought always out of a rich wealth of knowledge and inspiring reverence for the written Word.
You have been a faithful presbyter, spending untold days in the service of our beloved church, both in its assembly services and as a member of many of its committees.
You have been a gracious reprover, a hearty encourager, and an un-bitter dissenter in our deliberations.
To many of us you have been a patient teacher and more, for you have taught us exactness in the study of Holy Scripture, and a deep reverence for its high doctrine.
We honor you in our hearts. We respect you for your scholarship and wisdom. We are grateful to our God for you, Professor Murray. But we are compelled to say more: we love you dearly, and it is with deep sorrow that it appears that we may not see your face or hear your voice in future assemblies. We pray God that He may lay His hand on you for a most useful and happy ministry during your retirement years in your native land. We "thank God on every remembrance of you.""