Image: Wednesday evening session at the GPTS conference
We were back at the Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church for the second day of the GPTS conference today.
The first morning session was Bill Shishko of the OPC, Franklin Square, Long Island, NY on "The Witness and Seal of the Spirit." Noteworthy was his critique of D. M. Lloyd Jones' view of the Spirit's sealing in his Ephesians Commentary. Shishko said that Lloyd-Jones took a "Pentecostal" view of sealing as something subsequent to rather than concurrent with believing. He also noted the "blessed density" of John Owen.
The second morning session was Ryan McGraw, pastor of Grace PCA in Conway, SC with "John Owen on the Spirit." He gave a strong message with three points on Owen's views on the Spirit:
1. The Holy Spirit and the Trinity.
2. The Holy Spirit and the humanity of Jesus Christ.
3. The Holy Spirit and the believer.
After lunch on site and more book table browsing, the afternoon session was Dr. George Knight, III, OPC minister and adjunct NT professor at GPTS on "Cessation of the Extraordinary Gifts." He reviewed four passages in Acts relating to baptism in the Spirit (Apostles in Acts 2; Samaritans in Acts 8; Cornelius in Acts 10; disciples of John in Acts 19) and concluded that these were references to Spirit baptism at conversion and not a later event.
We enjoyed most excellent hospitality and supper with a Woodruff Road family (friends of Daniel and Casey) and a table full of other guests at the conference.
The evening session was Ian Hamilton again on "Sanctification." Solid message on sanctification as "the all absorbing focus of the Spirit's present ministry." We also thunderously sang Psalm 98, and I thought Daniel might have a mystical experience.
Other pics:
Image: Ian Hamilton in after-meeting conversation.
Image: Posing with Steve Lee of Sermonaudio (and his daughter).
Image: Posing with Dr. Pipa, GPTS President.
In teaching through Ephesians in Sunday School, I taught through Eph 1:13 a few weeks ago. I explained to the class that the verbs, "after that ye heard" and "after that ye believed", are both aorist participle active, modifying the main verb (aorist indicative passive) "ye were sealed", indicating that the acts were co-incident works of the Holy Spirit, not dependently subsequent events.
ReplyDeleteSorry Dr. Jones, though the English translations might, the Greek won't allow for it!