America's Most Important Theologian, Jonathan Edwards

 Many regard Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) as the most important theologian in American history.  Edwards was a pastor, theologian, and philosopher.  He was a brilliant man who entered Yale at the age of 13.  Jonathan Edwards was one of the most prominent figures of the Great Awakening in the 1730's and 1740's.  He was pastor of Northampton Church, a missionary to American Indians, and president of Princeton College.  

Jonathan Edwards grandfather, father, father-in-law, a son, and several grandsons were all ministers.  He was also the grandfather of the third vice president of the United States, Aaron Burr.  Jonathan Edwards married Sarah Pierrepont in 1727.  The couple had 11 children.  

Jonathan Edwards wrote several books including, "Religious Affections" and "Freedom Of The Will." In Religious Affections he dealt with issues of true religious experience and true Christian conversion.  In Freedom Of The Will he dealt with the issue of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.  

Jonathan Edwards most famous sermon was "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God." He was a Reformed Christian theologian with a high view of God and the Bible.  Edwards has been referred to as the Last Puritan.  Many of his works are now available in modern English.   

Who Was Melito?

 Melito of Sardis was a bishop who lived around A.D. 170.  He was a well known writer of many books, most of which have not survived.  Melito was a Christian apologist who wrote a defense addressed to Marcus Aurelius, who was Roman emperor from A.D. 161-180.  

Melito provides us with our earliest known Christian list of Old Testament books.  His list of books is very close to the Protestant Old Testament we have today.  Much of the information we have about Melito of Sardis is provided by the early church historian, Eusebius (A.D. 260-339).  

What Does The Word Hallelujah Mean?

 The term hallelujah is an expression of praise.  It means Praise the Lord or Praise Yahweh or more precisely Praise Yah.  Psalms 146-150 are sometimes called the Hallelujah Psalms.  In the New Testament hallelujah is found in Revelation 19.  

(ESV) (Psalm 150:1)"Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!" 

(LSB) (Psalm 150:1)"Praise Yah! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse."  

(CSB) (Psalm 150:1)"Hallelujah! Praise God in his sanctuary.  Praise him in his mighty expanse."  

What Is The Greatest Commandment?

 (Matthew 22:36-40)"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?  And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (ESV) 

A lawyer or scribe asked Jesus what is the great or most important commandment?  Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.  This passage is also found in Mark 12:28-33.  

We are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.  This means we are to love God with our entire being and be totally devoted to him.  We are also to love our neighbor.  This means we are to care for other people and to want what is best for them.  

Love God, Love people.   

Romans 12:9 (Short Commentary)

 (Romans 12:9)"Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." (ESV) 

This verse can be called the mark of a Christian.  Love is to be authentic, not hypocritical.  Love seeks the good of the other person, it is not self centered.  True love hates what is evil and clings to what is good. 

Good is that which aligns with the character and law of God.  Evil is that which opposes the character and law of God.   

What About The Ending Of Mark's Gospel?

 Bible readers will notice that Mark 16:9-20 in most translations has brackets around it, along with a note saying some early manuscripts do not include 16:9-20.  So is Mark 16:9-20 (the long ending) part of the original Gospel of Mark?  

There are three options with the ending of Mark's Gospel.  The first option is that 16:9-20 is authentic and part of the original.  The second option is that Mark ended his Gospel at 16:8.  The third option is that the original ending of Mark has been lost.  

Mark 16:9-20 is found in most of the Greek manuscripts, all except two.  The two manuscripts that do not contain it are also our earliest copies of Mark 16 (Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus) both of which date to around A.D. 350.  These two manuscripts are considered to be very reliable overall.  Also some manuscripts that do contain 16:9-20 have notes stating that some manuscripts of Mark end at 16:8.  

Eusebius (A.D. 260-339) states that most of the manuscripts that he has of Mark' Gospel end at 16:8.  Jerome (A.D. 347-420) also says that most of the manuscripts do not contain 16:9-20.  But on the other hand Irenaeus (A.D. 130-202) seems to quote from Mark 16:9-20.  

Mark 16:9-20 does not seem to fit with 16:1-8.  But Mark ending his Gospel at 16:8 would seem to be an unusual and abrupt ending, that does not contain resurrection appearances, although the resurrection is mentioned in 16:6.  It seems unlikely that the original ending of Mark has been lost.  

The issue of the ending of Mark's Gospel is complex and perplexing.   

The Old Testament And The Resurrection Of Christ

 Does the Old Testament predict the resurrection of Jesus?  The New Testament writers say yes.  

In Acts 2:25-28 the Apostle Peter quotes from Psalm 16:8-11 which was written by David.  Peter makes the point that David died and was not writing about himself, but was writing about his descendant who was Christ Jesus.  

(Acts 2:27)"For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption." (ESV) 

(Acts 2:31)"he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption." (ESV) 

In Acts 13:32-41 the Apostle Paul quotes from Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalm 16:10 to prove the resurrection of Christ.  

(Acts 13:33)"this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, You are my Son, today I have begotten you." (ESV) 

(Acts 13:34)"And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David." (ESV) 

(Acts 13:35)"Therefore he says also in another psalm, You will not let your Holy One see corruption." (ESV) 

(Acts 13:36-37)"For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption." (ESV) 

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," (ESV)  

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 the Apostle Paul may have in mind Hosea 6:1-2 and Isaiah 53:10 or he may just mean the entire Old Testament points to Christ.