The catechism now turns from the disciplines of prayer and Scripture to the sacraments or, as we Baptists most commonly call them, the ordinances. These two practices, baptism and the Lord's Supper, were instituted by Christ Himself and given to His church as what Thomas Watson calls visible sermons that proclaim the gospel. They are …
Continue reading Question 43: What Are the Sacraments or Ordinances?
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying… All of the Bible is God-breathed, and all of the Bible is profitable. Each portion of Scripture teaches us and reproves us, but God’s Word does not leave us in rebuke. It is also profitable for correction. God’s Word is the instrument of our loving Father for correcting …
Continue reading The Light, the Bread, & the Name | Leviticus 24
After addressing how we are to speak to God in prayer over the past four questions, the catechism now turns to the other chief spiritual disciplines: the intake of Scripture, hearing and reading the Word of God. Don Whitney rightly calls it Scripture intake because, while we often only think of reading the Bible, hearing …
Continue reading Question 42: How Is the Word of God to Be Read and Heard?
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying… All of Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. It is profitable for teaching, for proper doctrine. God’s Word is also profitable for reproof. While being reproved is never pleasant, it is necessary and for our good. David once prayed: “Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let …
In the Great Commission, our Lord commanded us: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of …
Many Christians have the Lord's Prayer memorized, but few take the time to regularly meditate and prayer from it. Our familiarity can so easily become our peril. We cognitively know the prayer's contents, but has it entwined itself into our very DNA? When considering this most excellent of all prayers, we should note three things. …
Leviticus 21-22 are now before us, which brings us to a new section in the chiastic structure of Leviticus. Chapters 17-20 gave us laws of holiness following the Day of Atonement in chapter 16. These correspond to the laws of purity in chapters 11-15, which preceded the Day of Atonement. Before the purity laws, we …
Continue reading The Holiness of the Priests | Leviticus 21-22
Now that we have learned how to pray with reverence and confidence. Now comes the question: What should we pray? The answer rightly sets our sights upon the Scriptures: The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray. Praying in accordance with God's will ought to be our supreme desire, …
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying… The text before us is a portion of God’s holy Scriptures, and as 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable…” The Bible is God-breathed; it is the very Word of God. But it is also profitable, useful, or beneficial (Greek, ωφελιμος). Paul …
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying… In 2 Timothy 4:16, Paul tells us that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” Every word was inspired by the Holy Spirit, as He carried God’s prophets along (2 Peter 1:21). The Scriptures were physically written by men, even maintaining the individuality of each author, but they …
Continue reading Love Your Neighbor as Yourself | Leviticus 19
B. C. Newton 