Nearly twenty years ago when my husband and I found our church it was in a remote Midwest country area. The chapel’s architecture was traditional, lovely and peaceful. We quickly learned the believers were of strong reformed and Calvinistic traditions. This church was closely knit, loved the Lord Jesus and one another deeply. We were quickly woven into the fabric of this little family, as we were blessed each Lord’s Day with old and classic hymns (no instruments), an hour long sermon, followed with a pot luck meal, while concluding the day with an evening service. We formerly came together for Wednesday extended prayer service followed by Friday Bible study, as we also eagerly sought to serve one another, especially during times of suffering; all of which kept the body unified. My husband and I wouldn’t have traded these beginning years for anything; we were blessed in profound and sustaining ways. It was during those early years that I learned to appreciate the Doctrines of Grace, church history as well as many aspects of reformed Christianity. However, having been raised in a strict Roman Catholic family I had many deeply embedded traditions and beliefs which I needed to examine. Because my mother encouraged us children to read the Bible (which is rare for a Roman Catholic) and study church history, I had some vestiges of truth to separate from the Romish traditions. As a new believer, I determined to sort out, what theological and historical elements were truths. I believe because I had to wrestle with such a complex thing, it enabled me to later (years later) discern an even more complicated matter as a maturing Christian. Undoubtedly through God’s sovereign care and blessing He has richly blessed Christians with the work and writings of the church fathers and Reformers. In fact, I strongly believe the study of church history is a needed rudimentary foundation for all Christians to enrich their understanding of the Christian faith. However, I do believe one must be cautious and discerning while reading any extra-biblical source, as these great men (like all men) are flawed and have presuppositions and traditions. The church fathers and Reformers can be a true blessing if read with a solid and complete understanding of Scripture. I advise caution because this is the area in which years later that I discovered I had acquired a “tradition” which needed to be examined. It was in God’s perfect timing, my attention was brought to a “tradition” I had acquired during my early years as a Reformed Christian. I believed I had vigilantly guarded myself from error, yet through God’s amazing providence, my...
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Regarding John the Baptist Jesus earnestly declared, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist… [Matt. 11:11], yet there is very little written exclusively on this “great” man and the significance of his ministry. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias, he declared that his son John [the Baptist], was to be a Nazirite 1 and forerunner of the incarnate Christ–the herald for the coming of God to earth. (Luke 1:13-17, Jn. 1:6, 14). In other words, John was to pave the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. Amazingly, in eternity past Christ was in full glory and equal with the Father, but He emptied Himself, took on flesh and humbly ministered to mankind on earth. (Jn. 17:5, Phil. 2:6-7, Jn. 1:14, Luke 4:17-18). It’s mind-boggling to contemplate, that the God of the universe employed a mere man [John the Baptist], to be the precursor for His Son, Jesus Christ. In the prologue 2 to the John’s Gospel [the first eighteen verses], John the Baptist is referenced four times (Jn. 1:6, 7, 8, 15). The prologue is very important to John’s Gospel, because it outlines: 1) The eternal Christ (vv. 1-3); 2) the incarnate Christ (vv. 4-5); 3) the forerunner of Christ (vv. 6-8); 4) the unrecognized Christ (vv. 9-11); 5) the omnipotent Christ (vv. 12-13); and the glorious Christ (vv. 14-18). 3 Interestingly, the heretical system of Roman Catholicism deifies Jesus’ mother Mary and she sparsely appears in Scripture. John the Baptist on the other hand, is referenced numerous times in Scripture, yet there is little recognition of his greatness in the sphere of Christianity. This seems antithetical to the teachings of Jesus, who frequently gave strong testimonies to John and his ministry. For example He proclaimed: “You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth But the witness which I receive is not from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” (Jn. 5:33-35). Jesus also declared: “But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet.” (Matt. 11:9). And: “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him”. (Matt. 21:32). In John chapter five Jesus names John the Baptist as one...
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