Peremptory Prep Flashcards
Personal Knowledge
Principles of Church Polity
Christ is Mediator and Head of his church (Eph 1:23)
Christ’s Teaching is therefore authoritative for the church (2 Tim 3:16-17)
Elders may not lord over each other, nor churches (Acts 14:23)
Churches that are unified in faith should seek federation (Acts 15:22)
Federated churches benefit from each other in much counsel (Proverbs 11:14)
Ephesians 1:22-23
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all
-Christ is Head of church
2 Tim 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
-Biblical principle is Christ’s rule
Acts 14:23
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
-Elders are local, they may not lord over others, nor churches over other churches
Acts 15:22
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
-Churches that are one in faith should seek federation
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety
-Federated churches benefit from much counsel
Principles of Covenant Preaching
Address the congregation as covenant members (Eph 1:1)
Example of covenant address (Deuteronomy)
Listener’s experience can be addressed (LD 31, CoD 1, xiii, xvi)
Principles of Covenant Worship
Our God is the holy, covenant God (Deut 6:1)
Covenant parties are not equal, worship is done according to God’s rule (Commandments 1-4, LD 34-39).
We are covenant breakers, thus the law must be taught, understood, and sins repented of (Psalm 19, 51, 119, 130).
Our children are members of the covenant and belong in worship (LD 27)
As a covenant service, the “revelation-response” mode is standard (Joshua 24)
Teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, alms are prescribed (Acts 2).
Cod 1
1) All mankind condemnable
2) Sending of God’s Son
3) Preaching of the Gospel
4) Twofold Outcome
5) Cause of Unbelief, Source of Faith
6) God’s Eternal Decree
7) Election Defined
8) One Decree of Election
9) Election not based on foreseen faith
10) Election based on God’s Good Pleasure
11) Election Unchangeable
12) The Assurance of Election
13) Value of Assurance
14) How Election is to be Taught
15) Reprobation Described
16) Responses to the Doctrine of Reprobation
17) Children of believers who die in infancy
18) Not Protest by Adoration
CoD 2
1) The Punishment God’s Justice Requires
2) The Satisfaction Made By Christ
3) The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death
4) Why His Death Has Infinite Value
5) Universal Proclamation of Gospel
6) Why Some Do Not Believe
7) Why Others Do Believe
8) The Efficacy of the Death of Christ
9) The Fulfillment of God’s Counsel
CoD 3/4
1) Effect of the Fall
2) The Spread of Corruption
3) Man’s Total Inability
4) The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature
5) Inadequacy of the Law
6) The Need for the Gospel
7) Why the Gospel is Sent to Some and Not Others
8) Earnest Call by the Gospel
9) Why Some Who are called Don’t Come
10) Why Others Who Are Called Do Come
11) How God Brings Conversion
12) Regeneration is the Work of God alone
13) Regeneration is Incomprehensible
14) How Faith is a gift of God
15) Proper Attitude with respect to God’s Undeserved Grace
16) Man’s Will Not Taken Away by Made Alive
17) Use of Means
CoD 5
1) Regenerate Not Free From Indwelling Sin
2) Daily Sins of Weakness
3) God Preserves His Own
4) Saints May Fall Into Serious Sin
5) Effects of Such Sins
6) God Will Not Permit His Elect To Be Lost
7) God Will Again Renew His Elect To Repentance
8) The Grace Of The Triune God Preserves
9) The Assurance Of This Preservation
10) The Source Of This Assurance
11) This Assurance Not Always Felt
12) This Assurance Is An Incentive To Godliness
13) This Assurance Does Not Lead To Carelessness
14) The Use of Means in Perseverance
15) This Doctrine Hated By Satan But Loved By Church
Indwelling Sin in Saints
1 John 1:8
Salvation is still available for saints who sin
1 John 1:9
Christ is covenant Surety
Heb 7:22
Covenant in the Canons
CoD 2.viii
Fruits of election
Christ’s appointment as mediator
Christ’s confirmation of the new covenant by his blood
By way of the covenant, Christ effectually redeems elect
Elect are people from every people, tribe, nation, tongue
Elect are elect from eternity
Elect are given to Christ by the Father
Christ gives faith to those given to him
The Holy Spirit works faith
There are other saving gifts
Christ cleanses elect from all sins - original and actual, before and after faith
Christ guards the elect to the end
Christ presents the elect to himself in splendour
Christ makes our final state without any spot or wrinkle
Arminian covenantal errors
CoD 2, error ii - Christ’s death annulled the old covenant only.
CoD 2, error iv - After Christ’s death, the Father, through the mediation of Christ’s death made a new covenant in which the old demand of perfect obedience is revoked and regards faith (though imperfect) as perfect obedience (condignity).
CoD 2, error v - The grace of this so-called new covenant makes no one liable to condemnation on account of original sin.
Key Dates Involved in CoD
1609 - Arminius’ death
1610 - Remonstrants written
1611 - Counter Remonstrans by Festus Hommius
1618 - Sententiae
1618-1619 - Synod of Dort produces Canons
“eodem modo” or “non eodem modo”
Are election and reprobation considered in the same way? Not so. The conclusions of the Canons actually state that they detest this wholeheartedly.
Pastoral Considerations of CoD
Balanced Use (CoD 1.xv, xvi)
Evangelistic Use (Prov 21:1)
Humility (Rom 3:27)
Worship (Luke 7:47)
Confidence (Acts 2:42)
Correcting Automatism (Rom 11:21)
Election and “decretum absolutem”
Barth’s critique of the Canons of Dort
His hyper-Christo-centrism leads him to say that the CoD do not focus appropriately on Christ.
Answer: CoD 1.vii - Election Defined practically drips with Christology.
Woelderink et al.
Many others in the Reformed world who critique the CoD do so more carefully. Their issue is the “causal” nature of election and reprobation. In response, these critics “actualize” election too much.
Answer: Election and reprobation are “non eodem modo.” Reprobation is never considered apart from sin, which is man’s own fault. In this sense, the CoD leans in an infralapsarian direction. Election and Reprobation both regard the “common mass of sinful humanity.” But election is based on God’s sovereign good pleasure, whereas reprobation takes sin into account.
Such critics should be more careful of “actualizing” election. As far as I understand, this means that they no longer regard election as a degree, but regard it as an act of God in history, conflating it with the covenant.
Pentateuch Themes
Genesis - “Seed of the Woman”
Exodus - “Redeemer and Redeemed”
Leviticus - “Purity in God’s place of worship”
Numbers - “Covenant Rebellion/Remnant in Exodus”
Deuteronomy - “Covenant Renewed”
