This Week’s Sponsor - Banner of Truth

Please don’t stone this old converted Jew. (me) I have made numerous purchases from Banner Of Truth. Banner of Truth has done many good things, but there are also areas of concern.
Respectfully, I wanted to say that the Puritans had their place and are to be appreciated, however, I believe they are to be viewed primarily in the light of their time and culture and we should read them as we continue our journey back to 66 books. They are resources, no doubt, but we dont stop there like many have. I personally own many, many works from the puritans for reference works. Some had good things to say and some did not. John Owens wrote very positive things about the future of the Jews, but Luther was quite predjudice when it came to the Jews. Sinners in the hands of an angry God may have been used by God for that time, but we live in a different culture which smiles or smurcks at sermons like that. These puritans, while they were free from the clutches of Rome, still had Rome within them.

My question is always the same; did they take us back to a religion rooted in Judaism or did they ask us to hang out with them while we get through our pilgrimage? Like the followers of Calvin, they were only men. No one wants to talk about the errors of these men after reviewing their teachings as a whole. Had the puritans had their way every church would be identical. One hymnal and one design for all buildings. That would not be godlike to go to Afric and enforce such a view onto a culture different from ours.
Secondly, we have men like Douglas Wilson who are hanging their hat on Calvin and some of his erroneous teachings, i.e the validity of Roman Catholic baptism and its promotion in the Presbyterian churches today. Sinclair Ferguson has practically endorsed Douglas Wilson and his theology. Is anyone paying attention to the FV and the followers?

Why bring this up? Are you warning the flock in your conferences? Banner of truth is selling books by Piper. Piper has asked Douglas Wilson to share a platform with him at the Desiring God conference. Douglas Wilson believes Roman Catholics are our brothers and sisters if they had been baptized as infants and we as protestors of Rome should hold them to their baptism. Does that concern others as it does me?
Use the godly men, but get past them to a greater source.

I have seen more commentaries on the puritans commentaries than the commentaries by the puritans. Biographies have gone too far. We are to focus and study the writings of men who spoke as they were moved by the Spirit of God. I contend the puritans would ask us to return to the Law, the writings and the prophets, whether pre-Messiah and post Messiah. As a converted Jew I am saddened to see an on-going campaign to pick a spot in history and camp out there. I am not trying to degrade them in any way. I am saying they were only men, however, men have made icons out of sinners saved by grace by their ongoing promotion of these men and their theologies.

I recently saw a limited offer on a coin with the picture of Calvin on it being sold through a reformed website. guess what? The coins sold out. what does this tell you? This is wrong, wrong, wrong and I would hope you would agree in the light of the word of God. Calvin is not a false god nor a man who rules the Roman Empire. He would be angry to see his face on coins.

I contend that we are to return to our roots and that is found in the 66 books. We have enough on our plates and do not need to add more to it. I would like to see a return to biblical judaism. Gentiles forget that salvation is from the Jews. The Jews, by the plan of the Lord, may be blinded for a time, but that does not excuse the Gentile from pursuing that which they refused. Where are the books on a return to a Jewish religion? How are you going to explain Calvin’s face on a silver, bronze or gold coin? How can you argue against idolatry when it is being practiced in the Church? Where are the books speaking on the 1st Century Jews who believed the Messiah is the Son of God? Why the on-going push for Puritan or Reformed material alone?

We have more than they had! We have software programs that would have blown their minds. Our sermons should be even greater quailty then theirs, filled with more facts because we have things like the dead sea scrolls.

What is the point I am making in general? When the Lord does open the eyes of the Jews how many of you will be able to speak their language? Have you picked up a Targum and looked through it in order to make a case for the Messiah in Isaiah 9 or Isaiah 53? Do the Bof T conferences teach you how to evangelize a Jew or be like the puritans? Do you understand the structure of the writings of both the Old and the New? Are you able to show them Messiah from the Scriptures or do you limit yourselves to the reference works of puritans and reformers? Will you hand them a book by the Puritans and say read?

Finally, the Church has gotten too comfortable with book after book. They have neglected the 66 scrolls to pursue the thoughts and philosophies of men. As I said earlier, we have Wilson promoting paedo baptism and paedo communion and when B of T sells books that can link others to their works, this is dangerous. Piper is now an outlet to Wilson and has given an audience that Wilson may never have had.

This is my persepctive as a converted Jew. My problem with books and conferences and men from the reformation, but no trail leading back to the 66 scrolls as the final destination. Only a trail leading back to Creeds and Confessions.
Moshe