God talk

Before we even begin to think about the purpose and function of the law; What is a purpose and a function?    Our local rabbit who came to say hello and have some lunch!     Purpose: From my understanding a purpose is a reason for something: The online Cambridge encyclopaedia gives us a whole list of definitions carrying many different shades of meaning;   https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/purpose Function:   A function is do with action and something is achieved at the end of the process. I found it interesting that Bavinck uses ‘Purpose or function’ not ‘purpose and function’ in his minor title to this section.   In society in general the law’s purpose is to regulate human activity and make the world a safer place to live in.   The law functions in such a way that those who break the law can be punished and or reformed in some way and become better citizens.     Bavinck in this very small section gives us three u...

  04 08 2021 The Object of the Law (Reformed Ethics; Herman Bavinck; edited by John Bolt; pgs 224-226) I made these coasters last year by hand   As a generalized starting point, we begin by looking at our disposition in light of the law.   This is his general introduction to this section. The law then can only measure the outward disposition of the mind.   It cannot pass judgement on the inward disposition of the mind (Schleiermacher pg 224).   To a certain extent Bavinck agrees with this but not completely: “However, the law also regulates the essence, the nature of a human person.     Notwithstanding, there is some truth in Schleiermacher’s statement.”   The law for Bavinck is directed towards the human ‘will’ which is the ‘seat of morality’.    To a certain extent then it regulates ‘our essence and nature’ which comes from the actions we do.   For these reasons then the law does not care about what we look like or how tall...

 Last Week we looked at God being the author of the law.  This Week we are going to tackle the question of the content of the law from Reformed Ethics; Herman Bavinck ; Edited by John Bolt;page 223.    We cannot always see everything; The legal people of Jesus time completely missed the point; We also need to humble ourselves   When we look at the content of the law Bavinck mentions the three branches: 1.        Ceremonial 2.        Judicial 3.        Moral He hits the nail on the head when he says that the law has not been abolished but fulfilled.   Bavinck ebbs the Bible when he says:   “The shadows vanish when the body is present. What was merely a type in the Old Testament is now exactly what is completely spiritualized and realized. The form has changed; the essence is the same. All sacrifices and priests culminate and find their full realization ...