"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." - Jerome

Sunday, July 12, 2009

"I'm first a Christian, next a Catholic, then a Calvinist, fourth a Paedobaptist and fifth a Presbyterian. I cannot reverse this order."

-John Duncan. a Scottish minister

3 comments:

A said...

I don't get it, but it sounds profound.

Jared Nelson said...

I take it that he defines himself as Christian, in a sense of the catholic faith held throughout time and geography with the majority of those who have claimed the title Christian who have lived in Trinitarian unity. Within that stream, he identifies Calvinist, by which he means Reformation, understanding of the implications of Trinitarian and Chalcedonian Christology impacting all doctrines of the faith, from ecclesiology to soteriology in it's Christ-centered all consuming narrative. Of those who think that way he identifies himself with those who see the household as reflective of that community of faith and how God works with Abraham and with Christians mirroring his God's community within the Godhead rather than individualistic understandings. Finally, he believes in a Presbyterian form of government as in line with such ideals. Each description is of value, but beginning with the most important and moving to matters of lower importance.

That help? :)

A said...

ya, that sounds alot better. I was kind of thinking it was something like that. It was reminiscent of Richard Baxter's "mere Christian" speech. (though I guess the opposite).