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Bernard Posts

  • May 10, 2012 by Jason Hood

    How Not to Argue for Premillennialism

    The Evangelical Free denomination recently modified its doctrinal statement, led by Greg Strand, Bill Kynes, and others. They did a fine job on this, and you can read the results in the book Evangelical Convictions.

    The Canadian branch recently revised their doctrinal statement also and eliminated the requirement of premillennial eschatology in keeping with essentials. The Americans attempted the same but were unable to do so (see Strand’s interview with Ed Stetzer). Too many of the older guard of that denomination have been taught that amil and postmil views were tantamount to liberalism. For instance, the postmil approach was favored by social gospelers who failed to take human sin seriously; the amil interpretation of Revelation (which is suspicious because it takes a symbolic approach and therefore, so the argument runs, does not take scripture literally) has been favored by non-evangelical interpreters in recent years.

    Admittedly, guilt by association is rhetorically powerful; but it’s also about the worst argument imaginable for a doctrine. It fails to note that the modern missionary movement spearheaded by Carey, Judson, and others was fueled by postmil expectation; and something like the amil position was held by Augustine, Aquinas, Bernard, Luther, and Calvin.

    Should we associate premil theology and interpretation with, say, Jim Jones or David Koresh?

    Categories: Bernard | biblical studies | Calvin | Eschatology | General | Jason Hood | Martin Luther | Revelation | Thomas Aquinas

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  • April 13, 2011 by Jason Hood

    This little that you have granted me to be

    One of Protestantism’s favorite medieval theologians is Bernard of Clairvaux, a thinker cited by Calvin and Luther in their bid for a soteriological shift. Bernard opens his 20th sermon on the Song of Songs with this paragraph:

    I would like to begin with a word from St Paul: “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus, let him be anathema.” Truly, I ought to love the one through whom I have my being, my life, my understanding. If I am ungrateful, I am unworthy too.

    Lord Jesus, whoever refuses to live for you is clearly worthy of death, and is in fact dead already. Whoever does not know you is a fool. And whoever wants to become something without you, without doubt that man is considered nothing and is just that.

    For what is man, unless you take notice of him? You have made all things for yourself, O God, and whoever wants to live for himself and not for you, in all that he does, is nothing.

    “Fear God, and keep his commandments,” it is said, “for this is the whole duty of man.” So if this is all, without this, man is nothing.

    Turn toward yourself, O God, this little that you have granted me to be; take from this miserable life, I beg you, the years that remain.

    In place of all that I lost in my evil way of living, O God, do not refuse a humble and penitent heart. My days have lengthened like a shadow and passed without fruits; I cannot bring them back, but let it please you at least if I offer them to you in the bitterness of my soul.

    As for wisdom — my every desire and intention is before you — if there were any in me, I would keep it for you. But, God, you know my stupidity, unless perhaps it is wisdom for me to recognize it, and even this is your gift. Grant me more; not that I am ungrateful for this small gift, but that I am eager for what is lacking.

    For all these things, and as much as I am able, I love you.

    Categories: Bernard | General | Jason Hood | repentance

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