That is the name of my friend’s new blog. It is dedicated to all things books. If you are a book nerd like the two of us then you will want to subscribe to Bilbo’s Birthday. I do not know of another blog that covers such a broad range of books and the impact of reading quite like BB. Ok, I may be using a bit of exaggeration since Kyle is one of my closest friends. Nevertheless, you should check it out. I guarantee that you will find something edifying there.

I just started a study on Tuesday nights with some guys at my church reading through A Basic Christian Theology by A.J. Conyers. It has been encouraging to see the guys, some of whom had never really picked up a theology book of this nature, commit to building a theology of their own based upon the Scriptures. Tonight we wrestled with the reality of general and special revelation as well as the transcendence and condescension of God. It is important to flesh out the significance of both types of revelation on the life of a Christian. It is also important to recognize the tension between the transcendence and immanence of God. It seems to me that Christians today emphasize the immanence (nearness) of God at the expense of his transcendence (beyond the world). Here’s an example of that (though painfully funny):

Jesus is my friend and homeboy. God is my bald-headed grandfather who secretly gives me jelly beans whenever I come over to the house (ok…so that was my Grandpa Lash). Though such comments seem like overstatements, they are not too far from the truth. In the process, we run the great risk of trivializing our great and mighty God. Realizing God’s transcendence along with his immanence gives us a greater confidence in the God who has created the entire universe, revealed himself to humanity, and authored our salvation. As Conyers says:

Nevertheless, this very realization of God’s transcendence and his incomprehensibility is also the ground of the confidence with which we respond to God’s revelation. The hiddenness of God, once we acknowledge that fact, “is the confession of God’s revelation as the beginning of our cognizance of God.” Therefore, we stand in our confession of faith, not on the fallible and uncertain strength of human intellect and imagination, but upon the certainty that if God is made known to us at all, it is from God’s side that this becomes possible.

A transcendent God has seen fit to reveal himself to us. He pursues us by revealing himself. Thanks be to God.

Yesterday I posted Matthew 22:1-14 concerning the parable of the wedding feast. I recently heard someone interpret this passage in a way that I had never heard before. It was stated that free will is demonstrated here since the king’s invitation can be rejected. From here the invitation is given to all people, not just an elect. I find this interpretation difficult on several levels. First, the rejection mentioned refers to the Jews unfaithfulness to God that we see in the Old Testament. The good news of the coming Messiah was first given to them. Yet time and again they turned their backs on God and chased after other gods. The invitation is indeed extended to all people as Christ dies on the cross. The way of salvation is opened to Jews and Gentiles.

What I find most interesting is verses 11-14. The invitation is given and many are gathered to the hall, “both bad and good.” The king looks at the guests and notices a man who is not wearing the wedding garments. This man is thrown out of the hall where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And this statement wraps up this section: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” It was peculiarly left out of the discussion on this passage. I would invite correction if I am wrong, but it seems to me that this final sentence is crucial to understanding the parable. Many are called by virtue of this invitation that has now been extended to Jew and Gentile alike. However, only a few are chosen from among those whom are called. A person cannot choose and also be chosen. The passage does not present such a scenario. The idea of being chosen must come from outside of ourselves. So the invitation is given to all but only some are actually chosen or predestined to eternal life. In my estimation, this passage is actually a greater support to the doctrine of predestination than the belief in the free will of man as it relates to salvation.

What do you think? Does Matthew 22:1-14 better support predestination or free will in regards to salvation?