Feb 14, 2010
Interadvental Temple Services?
If the earth was created to be a temple in which God’s special presence was enjoyed by God’s sons/priest-kings in communion with Him, and if the church is God’s already/not-yet interadvental temple, where God’s sons/priest-kings offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, and if the Lord’s Day has been appointed by the Lord for His interadvental sons/priest-kings to offer up sacrifices as templeites in anticipation of the eternal state which is described in temple-garden-city language in Rev. 21-22, then I cannot see anything more important on the earth than when the church gathers and functions as the Bible states. It is the closest thing to the eternal state, when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, all His sons/priest-kings will be there, and the tabernacle of God will be among men. The local church in its function as a worshipping community is a microcosm, a faint type of what matters most in the Bible – the glory of God manifested in the Son of God as redeemer taking image bearers where Adam failed to take them. What we will one day enjoy without interruption in the eschatological state is what the whole Bible tends toward – special revelation is eschatological. As a matter of fact, as Vos said, in the Bible, eschatology precedes soteriology. What we enjoy today with six-day interruptions is a glimmer of what we will one day enjoy without interruption – sons/priest-kings of God in the New Heavens and New Earth serving our Lord, glorifying and enjoying Him forever. Those are some of the reasons I think interadvental temple services are the most important events on the earth.
"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate." -John Piper
"Public worship is to be preferred before private. So it is by the Lord, so it should be by [H]is people." - David Clarkson
“Above all, we must prize the blessing of corporate worship. The church of the Lord, gathered for worship, marks the pinnacle of our fellowship with the Lord and with one another. The church is the people of God, the new humanity, the beginning of the new creation, a colony of heaven …. In corporate worship we experience the meaning of union with Christ.” Edmund P. Clowney
Comments
David Charles on Feb 15, 2010 6:05pm
Rich, thank you for applying your learning to this vastly important matter of public worship! May God help us not to give up one inch of ground to lesser concerns.
Robert Briggs on Feb 15, 2010 9:06pm
Rich this is an interesting assertion that I believe needs to be tested exegetically. I know how you love Biblical Theology, but I do think our Systematics needs to play a part too and thus develop a more comprehensive definition of worship as it is to be understood under the New Covenant. I am brainstorming here brother, so bear with me. This is not me trying to criticize but discuss this with you.
New Covenant worship clearly calls us to be worshipers of God all the time, in other words 24x7. I know you understand that. An aspect of that reality is that we become part of a covenant community who gathers together at appointed times to ascribe greatness to God and to be mutually edified.
I think your assertion 'possibly' sets up a dangerously false dichotomy in what Scripture constitutes a true worshiper under the New Covenant. In other words I see your assertion as elevating the corporate aspect of being a worshiper to a level that 'potentially' denegrates the personal aspect, or put another way you set one thing above another in a way scripture does not. Hence my comment about systematics and exegesis. It seems your biblical theology approach whilst important is for you the whole picture.
The New Covenant makes us worshipers of God 24x7, ie Romans 12v1-2, an important aspect of being such is our coming together with other worshipers for mutual edification, but it is not 'THE MOST IMPORTANT'. It is no less important to God that I am living godly in Christ Mon-Sat,as a husband, father, workman, citizen, than I am gathered on Sunday with my co-worshipers.
Indeed gathered on Sunday without being a true worshiper Mon-Sat is actually condemned in Scripture as no more than hypocrisy, hence the danger I see with the emphasis you are making.It is not comprehensive, it is lop-sided and therefore dangerous because of where it leads. It has huge implications for our pastoral ministry and the climate and emphasis of our church.
DA Carson's book 'Worship by the Book' has been useful to me in wrestling with this issue. I am sure you have read it.
I am not so sure Piper would be with you on your emphasis, Clowney probably would.
I look forward to further interaction with you on this brother, this is stimulating stuff.
I have been enjoying Dessie Alexander's book.
Warmest regards
RB
Robert Briggs on Feb 17, 2010 1:41pm
'Under the terms of the New Covenant, worship is no longer primarily focused in a cultus shaped by a liturgical calendar, but it is something in which we are continuously engaged' DA Carson 'Worship by the Book'
Here is the balance we must not violate when we consider worship under the New Covenant. As New Covenant worshipers of God private and public worship are of equal importance in the sight of God.
The spiritual implications of over emphasis either way are immense.
Warmest regards
RB
David Charles on Feb 17, 2010 8:38pm
Robert,
The Risen Lord has promised His people His presence (particularly praesentia spiritualis sive virtualis) when they are gathered in His name. This happens according to the NC “liturgical calendar” at least once a week on the Lord’s Day.
You are correct to remind us that we are to always to live “coram Deo!”
There is a grave danger however to press this in such a way that mitigates the Scriptural teaching of the “gathered church.”
Steve Clevenger on Feb 18, 2010 3:24pm
Robert,
I think there is much more to corporate worship than your comments above suggests. Christ comes to us by His Spirit through the ordained means of grace in our corporate gathering. He graciously comes to us in “Word and Sacrament” in saving and sanctifying power. Corporate worship is most important because Christ has promised to meet us there.
Secondly, have you considered why the Lord calls us the qahal or the ekklesia of God?
Steve Clevenger
Robert Briggs on Feb 18, 2010 4:29pm
Glad to see you comment Steve and challenge, I appreciate the spirit of your posts too.
I have not denied that the Lord promises His people His presence when they gather, although I would like to have that teased out in terms of exactly what it means and in what sense it elevates the corporate gathering of the church above the times when the church is not gathered?
It seems to place emphasis on the Cultus aspect of New Covenant worship in a way that misunderstands the transition from Old to New. This does not surprise me from paedo-covenantalists as they do this in other ways too, but I am not persuaded as a Reformed Baptist that I should follow them.
You say that 'Corporate Worship is most important because Christ promised to meet us there' am I to conclude that when I read my bible this morning and prayed and enjoyed singing that Christ did not meet with me? I think I understand what you are saying but maybe you could explain it for me more.
My basic point Steve is really this, where as Rich's position and it seems yours too is that more importance is to be placed on the public worship of God by the New Covenant believer than on private.
My contention is that this is a false dichotomy and one that misunderstands the nature of being a New Covenant believer and life under the New Covenant as opposed to the Old. There is no such dichotomy under the New, I am to be a worshiper 24x7 and part of that involves the glory of the Lord's Day and the public gatherings of the church where I enjoy worshiping God and edifying and being edified.
The introduction of a 'more important' category or 'most important' category is simply unbiblical and dangerous. It has all sorts of implications for the Christian life and pastoral ministry and the climate of our churches. An emphasis on the other side regarding individual worship has similar issues to, but that is not our concern here.
My plea is simply to see the 'both and' and not 'either or' and maintain biblical balance in the issue. Believe me brother I love my Lord's Days, I love my gatherings with other New Covenant worshipers before our King, but I also love my King in my closet and every day of the week as He has equally called me to.
I hope that helps you understand more my position and why I have written as I have. I do believe we must be careful in Biblical Theology not to allow paedo-covenantalists to be who we lean on too heavily as we know in key areas they have not transitioned from Old to New Covenant safely. Elevation of Cultus in the New Covenant is in my judgment a vestige of that.Qahal OT to Ekklesia NT falls into this very issue for me.
Warmest regards
RB
David Charles on Feb 18, 2010 6:09pm
Robert,
You state: My plea is simply to see the 'both and' and not 'either or' and maintain biblical balance in the issue
Has it appeared to you that Rich (and others) are saying that it is “either or”? If we were guilty of teaching our folks that they only are to worship the Trinity on the Lord’s Day, we would be insuring them of something approaching hypocrisy. If that is your concern, then you do well to warn us!
However, it still stands that the corporate gathering of the church on the Lord’s Day is the most important event of the believer’s normal week.
Many Blessings!
Richard Barcellos on Feb 18, 2010 6:40pm
Nice to see some interaction on this. Rob, I was not attempting to present a comprehensive definition of worship or anything close to it. If I did, I don't think I would limit worship prior to the New Covenant to only public/corporate acts. God's sons have always been priests - Adam was a priest prior to his fall, Israel was a kingdom of priests (not only during public worship), our Lord Jesus Christ was a priest, and His body, the church is comprised of priests. Priests, by definition, offer special service to God. Also, I think biblical theology is/ought to be the result of exegesis. Making statements like I did assumes exegesis, which I know you know. Biblical theology gives us the big picture of exegetical fruit. Also, a systematic theology of worship might be comprised of two major headings (at least at some point in the formulation) - public worship (performed by a community) and private worship (performed by the individual). Worship is a priestly function under both headings. My point was this: That which approximates itself most closely to the eschatological goal of Scripture is a more important activity than that which does not. The church in its corporate functions on the Lord's Day approximates itself more toward the eschaton. Priests are gathered as God's temple, offering acceptable sacrifices (singing, praying, reading, preaching, tithing, etc.) in God's special presence (sacred space), on God's appointed day (sacred time; which is a foretaste of that which is to come).
You said: "I think your assertion 'possibly' sets up a dangerously false dichotomy..."
A little after, you said: "... an important aspect of being such is our coming together with other worshipers for mutual edification, but it is not 'THE MOST IMPORTANT'."
If something is most important, then the assumption is that other things are important, but not as much. There's no false dichotomy here; just a dichotomy (i.e., a division into two parts). It's not either or but both/and - and both/and in their proper place and mutual relations.
As far as private Bible reading, prayer, and singing goes, they all have their place. However, to assert that they have the same place as public worship seems to neglect the following: 1. the NT Christians did not have Bibles; 2. many believers since the NT era have not had Bibles; 3. private worship is vertical and limited (cf. 4, 5, and 6 below), whereas public worship has both vertical and horizontal elements (Eph. 5:19); 4. private worship has no sacraments; 5. private worship has no preaching; 6. private worship has no tithing.
Off to teach on imperfect indicatives! :-)
Richard Barcellos on Feb 18, 2010 7:14pm
PS: Rob, I have not read Carson's book. I liked Alexander's book very much, as you know. Beale's Temple and the Church's Mission is much more thorough. Dumbrell's The End of the Beginning is great, too.
Robert Briggs on Feb 18, 2010 7:58pm
Rich
Thanks for the input brother, I appreciate the clarification. Still not sold on it though in terms of emphasis, of course I know and believe you are not advocating hypocrisy, would not even dream of thinking that, we are friends who know and understand that.
I do think that the dichotomy made is of our making and not the Scriptures. The more I read and wrestle with it, and I am enjoying this interaction by the way, the more I am wondering about the Cultus issue of the New Covenant and the way we RB's have really allowed our Paedo-covenantal cousins to define it, the more I do think we need to consider the emphasis made regarding public worship as the most important of important things.
I appreciate your point 'in their proper place and mutual relations' the issue for us needs to be what exactly is that?
I am not persuaded that we do justice to the New Covenant when we flatten the distinction between Old Covenant Cultus worship and New Covenant, yet and this is where I am at, I recognize the danger of failing to do justice to the Unity of the Qahal or Ekklesia too.
My present resting place on this is then to take the NT texts and the weight of their emphasis regarding New Covenant worship and to go with that. It is here I found DA Carson most useful and in my judgment most convincing.
I am genuinely not seeking argument, division or contention with anyone, but I am committed to thinking this issue through from a credo-covenantal perspective and not simply following the emphasis of Clowney or Vos whom although I love I know I do not agree with them on key issues moving from Old to New.
Be assured brother that at no point in my interaction with you do I assume anything less than what our friendship has established over the years, I am simply desirous to discuss these issues from the perspective of what I believe has practical implications for our churches in the way we emphasize things.
I would appreciate knowing what NT texts we establish the idea that public worship is the most important event in the New Covenant worshipers week? It is one thing to assert it but proving it helps.
Warmest regards brothers
RB
PS - Always appreciate the book recommendations Rich, thanks.
David Charles on Feb 18, 2010 9:41pm
Robert,
It is good for you to caution us when reading our paedobaptist brethren. We must be careful and recognize that at important points our hermeneutics will result in different ecclesiastical convictions and liturgical practices.
Yet, we must also be cautious with other good men, even DA Carson. He rejects many of our theological convictions and which sets him in a different trajectory then us. His view of the Sabbath is one example (which is particularly germane to this topic!)
As for Scripture that speaks of an ascending order or priority of worship (public verses private – or better Frame’s language of broader verses narrower), it appears to me that those passages that regulate public worship are a good place to begin. Paul’s rebuke of the Corinthians “Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God …” speaks volumes about the priority of the public gathering of the church. In addition, the book of Hebrews contrasts the worship under Moses with that of Christ in chapter 12 verses 18 and following. The conclusion of which is the weighty warning that we “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.” The concern for the God now speaking in His Son runs throughout the entire book of Hebrews; “today if you hear His voice …” and this can only be understood in hearing the Son as He is now “will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee”
Do you have the works of David Clarkson? The eighth sermon in volume three may prove to be of help here as well. It has been a few years since I have read that sermon. However, Rich preached here last year ;-)
May the Lord help us to be faithful in this matter!
Steve Clevenger on Feb 18, 2010 9:42pm
I also appreciate the spirit of the discussion.
Robert wrote:
>I am genuinely not seeking argument, division or contention with anyone, but I am committed to thinking this issue >through from a credo-covenantal perspective and not simply following the emphasis of Clowney or Vos whom >although I love I know I do not agree with them on key issues moving from Old to New.
Keep in mind, as we continue this conversation, that my position (as well as the position of others) is the classic Reformed position as held by Calvin. We are not advocating anything new. See the following link:
http://reformedbaptistfellowship.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/calvin-and-the-worship-of-god/
Also, the Reformed position is the view and tradition of our Confession.
Concerning the corporate means of grace, the Baptist Catechism (which helps to explain the doctrine of our Confession) says:
Q. 94. What are the outward means, by which Christ communicates
to us the benefits of redemption?
A. The outward and ordinary means, by which Christ communicates
to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the
Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer; all which
means are made effectual to the elect for salvation.
Q. 95 How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching
of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting
sinners; and of building them up in holiness and comfort through
faith unto salvation.
The ordinary means of grace as listed above are corporate activities (i.e., the preaching of the Word of God, the administration of the Lord’s Supper, etc.).
Steve Clevenger
Richard Barcellos on Feb 19, 2010 1:23am
Rob, great discussion! How was the tri-tip? :-)
You said, "I would appreciate knowing what NT texts we establish the idea that public worship is the most important event in the New Covenant worshipers week?" I find this a very interesting question. On the one hand, I understand the question and think it is a fair question. On the other hand, I wonder what things are assumed in such a question. For instance, if we asked that question of a NT author he would probably do two things - 1. make a statement and 2. prove it from the OT. I realize my statements are not on the same level as a NT author - not even close! It appears to me, though, that what you have done is taken the entire OT out of my hands. What if I said, "I would appreciate knowing what NT texts we establish the idea that parents can spank their children?" I think you would say something like, "Hey, what about the OT?!" and rightly so. This makes me wonder if we are approaching this issue from different hermeneutical standpoints. For instance, again, you said, "I would appreciate knowing what NT texts we establish the idea that public worship is the most important event in the New Covenant worshipers week?" When you bring up the issues of "New Covenant," "worshipers," and "week", my mind immediately goes back to the OT (cf. Genesis 1 and 2, etc.). But, according to the way you framed the question, I cannot go back in redemtpive history (i.e. to the OT, which is full of New Covenant typology and is the authoritative basis upon which the NT rests) to answer your question. Now, I believe I can answer your question from the NT. But I also believe that an answer from the NT alone on this subject does not allow God to speak fully on the issue.
I hope to give some time in the next few days to answer your question.
PS: Here are two more book recommendations - Biblical Interpretation Then and Now, Dockery (great stuff here) and TYPOS, Goppelt (dated, but still worth plodding through).
Eliza Huie on Feb 19, 2010 1:44pm
I was glad to see some response to Mr.Briggs comment. I kept checking back just to see if anyone would respond. I think he raises a valid point. Thank you Rich for responding to it. Certainly worship on the Lord's day is unique but I also agree with Mr. Briggs in that worship takes place 24/7. Ultimately we worship in everything we do. Our lives are constant displays of allegiance. As far as what is "most important" one thing came to my mind in reading the original post. Those words reminded me of 1 Corinthians 15:3. Thanks to all of you for responding with such humility. It can be tricky at times responding to people when you are friends but you do not fully agree. Well done.
"The people who love me the most and help me the most are those who make me feel uncomfortable" -John Loftness
Richard Barcellos on Feb 19, 2010 3:04pm
Eliza, glad you are reading this. I hope it is sharpening you. It is helping me think through things. Robert's point about worship 24/7 is valid and important. But just for the record, I never denied that. My point was the primacy of public worship on the Lord's Day - that simple. If I made the statement "the cardiovascular system is the most important in the body" on a medical blog, do you think I would have fellow doctors saying "so, the gastrointestinal system is not important?"? The issue is not either/or but both/and, and one more than the other.
BTW, be careful how you respond, I have moderatorial power and can reject anything you try to post! :-) Actually, everyone so far has "always approve" status.
PS: I borrowed the M.D. illustration from elsewhere.
Robert Gonzales on Feb 19, 2010 3:50pm
Rich,
A very thought provoking article. Robby offered a minor caveat regarding the scope or breadth of New Covenant worship. I'd like to suggest that your conclusion, namely, "interadvental temple services are the most important events on the earth," needs qualification.
To label Sunday worship services as "most important" is to accord that event a kind of ethical priority in the Christian's life NOW. This conclusion follows, you think, from the acknowledged eschatological goal of all history.
But I would argue that our present ethical duties are circumstantially conditioned by our present situation of "life under the sun." And as Piper, whom you cite, notes, "Missions exists because worship doesn't." Accordingly, I would argue that fulfilling the Great Commission (which includes interadvental corporate worship where the saints are equipped for works of ministry) is the larger duty with which we are to be preoccupied, and that duty extends beyond the Lord's Day and the sphere of the gathered church.
"Worship is ultimate," as Piper and you affirm. But THE ultimate is NOT YET. In the meantime, the church militant must be preoccupied with much more than merely meeting together on Sunday if she is to storm the gates of hell effectively. And, as John Frame as suggested, a church that's not concerned with fulfilling the Great Commission is not just a weak church; it's not a church at all.
Your servant,
Bob Gonzales
Robert Briggs on Feb 19, 2010 7:36pm
Rich
Great stuff, thoroughly enjoying this, and glad brothers are reading MCTS blog.
I fully agree with you that the whole of Scripture needs to speak to an issue. However whilst we obviously must always factor Old Testament typology surely the NT is normative for the New Covenant too, at least we would argue such in regards to baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the New Covenant community's life whether gathered or not.
Is it not unreasonable to expect to see clear emphatic fulfillment of OT typology in the New Testament to affirm the point that the Lord's Day gatherings are the 'most important event of the week'? My question did not discount the OT and indeed would not desire to, I simply would like to consider the texts that support your assertion. My present light on this is that those texts that refer to the gatherings of the church for worship on the Lord's Day whilst existing, do not support the emphasis you place on them regarding the idea of 'the most important event'.
I appreciate your analogy of the heart and the body, not so convinced it is an apples to apples analogy though. The cardio-vascular system is indeed at the center and the most important in the sense that if it goes down the patient dies, however if the public worship of God goes down New Covenant believers do not lose union or communion or the presence of Christ in their lives. The church gathered is definitely affected, but the New Covenant believer is not done for.
On a connected note here, I am beginning to wonder if the real issue for us here is more in relation to the issue of the Sabbath and its special place in the New Covenant, it may be this is an area that needs looking at in connection with this whole issue too. Just had GGN send me his work on this for further reflection.
Warmest regards
RB
PS Great stuff Rich from you on John Owen at the end of Nehemiah Coxe Covenant Theology, erudite and clear, immensely helpful for me, I am in your debt my brother.
Robert Briggs on Feb 19, 2010 7:38pm
Rich
Correction - should say 'not reasonable' instead of 'not unreasonable'.
Thanks
RB
Richard Barcellos on Feb 20, 2010 9:04am
Bob G, just when Briggs and I were getting somewhere, you come in with a left jab. :-)
Let me make sure I understand what you are saying. You said, "Accordingly, I would argue that fulfilling the Great Commission (which includes interadvental corporate worship where the saints are equipped for works of ministry) is the larger duty with which we are to be preoccupied, and that duty extends beyond the Lord's Day." Are you claiming that worship [public] exists because missions doesn't/in order that missions might? Piper also said, “Missions is not the goal. It is the means. And for that reason it is the second greatest human activity in the world.” I have claimed that the greatest human activity in the world is public worship on the Lord's Day by New Covenant priests, etc. That's what the discussion is about.
Are you claiming that the greatest human activity in the world is the Great Commission, under which corporate worship occurs? If so, of the various facets of the Great Commission, what's the most important to God? If not, never mind. :-)
Also, you said, "the church militant must be preoccupied with much more than merely meeting together on Sunday if she is to storm the gates of hell effectively..." While I agree with this, I do not see how this contributes to our discussion. Neither of us have affirmed anything about public worship on the Lord's Day being the exclusive preoccupation of the church. If I believed that I would not have preached on the Great Commission as a mandate for church planting two weeks ago, I would not have spear-headed the move to plant a church in IN last year, I would not have let Jim B. go to BC, Ron M. to So. Cal., Lyn W. to...etc. As a matter of fact, I would not have moved to KY if I believed that the exclusive preoccupation of the church is public worship.
As far as the Frame statement goes, you said, "And, as John Frame [h]as suggested, a church that's not concerned with fulfilling the Great Commission is not just a weak church; it's not a church at all." Well, ok. But again, I think both Rob and I are very concerned with the fulfilling the Great Commission. He moved from Northern Ireland, remember. :-) I am of the opinion that it is much safer to label a church not concerned with fulfilling the Great Commission as a deficient church or a church in need of repentance or reform. Calling such churches non-churches seems to be a bit much to me.
Ladies and Gents, there are all sorts of issues we could talk about. Let's try to keep it to the point of the discussion. (After typing that, I realized I broke my own canon.)
David Charles on Feb 20, 2010 10:33am
Speaking of Professor Frame: " …. in Worship we acknowledge the greatness of our covenant Lord. This is the goal of missions. Why do we want to save people? Ultimately, the answer is so that they will glorify God, so that they will worship him. Jesus says that throughout history God has been seeking worshippers (John 4:23). That is what missions is, God seeking worshipers"
Steve Marquedant on Feb 20, 2010 12:33pm
Just a brief comment. It seems that historically RB's have always maintained a 24/7 attitude toward worship along with seeing the corporate gathering as the highest form of worship.
Steve C. quoted the Baptist Catechism toward that end. Our Confession speaks of it too in Chapter 22 paragraphs 5-8.
A brief snippet
LBCF 26.6 ...but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself; so more solemnly in the public assemblies...
Steve Marquedant on Feb 20, 2010 4:09pm
Oops. I did mean chapter 22 above. Not LBCF 26:6, but LBCF 22:6. Sorry for the typo.
Steve Clevenger on Feb 20, 2010 4:37pm
I am not aware of anyone in this discussion calling the importance of a life of worship (24/7) or the importance of missions into question. As I understand the discussion, some seem to be struggling with the priority of corporate worship and the importance of the ordinary means of grace in connection with corporate worship.
Sam Waldron on Feb 23, 2010 8:17am
Richard,
I have to admit that I am a little shocked by how controversial your post seems to have been. To me, to be perfectly honest, what you wrote was entirely uncontroversial. The fundamental identity of the church is a temple. The main function of a temple is to worship God. The focused expression of this worship are the church's formal assemblies in which the spiritual sacrifices of hearing, singing, praying, and giving are offered. 1 Peter 2:4-5 says all of this, I think: "4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Robert Briggs on Feb 24, 2010 12:46am
Brothers,
Brothers
Actually all I have been concerned with is what seemed to me to be the lack of qualification to Rich's statement regarding 'the most important event on earth' and the implications that it 'could' have left if unqualified. I think Rich did clarify it, even if he still holds it is an alright statement left unqualified, which is of course his right and liberty.
I personally have concluded a lot of the heat that is created in this wonderful medium of communication called blogs arise often out how we are wired and where we at in our pastoral ministry and what we are dealing with. It can cause us to read a comment in a particular way with particular concern when perhaps there is no need to.
I have no doubt that we all agree that the emphasis we place on things matters and the manner in which we teach truth also matters. There will be practical implications all round. In the wonderful world of blogosphere we can often over-react to a comment because of where we are presently at.
I am bowing out of this one brothers, committed to the Lord's Day, the corporate gatherings of the New Covenant community as a holy priesthood and the importance of living as a New Covenant worshiper 24x7, I am convinced you are all with me on these things, recognizing the need to present them all as biblically as we understand them.
Thanks for the discussion and the spirit of it.
Warmest regards
RB