jonathan edwards on love

American theologian and clergyman Jonathan Edwards combined an erudite mind with a warm pastoral heart in his voluminous writings. His treatise on love or, as originally titled "charity," display an exceptional grasp of human nature coupled with biblical mastery. Below are select quotes from this literary gem, still in print today.

General remark on love:

"It will dispose men to meekness and gentleness in their carriage toward their neighbors, and not to treat them with passion or violence or heat of spirit, but with moderation and calmness and kindness."

On harboring revenge:

We should not only control our passions when we are injured, and refrain from giving vent to outward revenge, but the injury should be borne without the spirit of revenge in the heart."

On envy or an envious spirit:

"A Christian spirit not only disallows the exercise and expression of envy, and tends to mortify its principle and disposition in the heart, but it disposes us to rejoice in the prosperity of others."

On humility or the traits of a humble man:

"If he does anything well, or does his duty in any respect with difficulty and self-denial, he does not affect that men should take notice of it, nor is he careful lest they should not observe it."

"On the contrary, humility disposes men to be of a yielding spirit to others, ready, for the sake of peace, and to gratify others, to comply in many things with their inclinations, and to yield to their judgments wherein they are not inconsistent with truth and holiness. A truly humble man is inflexible in nothing but in the cause of his Lord and Master, which is the cause of truth and virtue."

On controlling anger by exercising love:

"And what kind of anger have you indulged in the family? Has it not often been unreasonable and sinful, not only in its nature, but in its occasions, where those with whom you were angry were not in fault, or when the fault was trifling or unintended, or where, perhaps, you were yourself in part to blame for it?"

"The heart of man is exceeding prone to undue and sinful anger, being naturally full of pride and selfishness."

On judging others:

"How often, on thorough examination, have we found things better of others than we have heard, and than at first we were ready to judge! There are always two sides to every story, and it is generally wise, and safe, and charitable to take the best; and yet there is probably no one way in which persons are so liable to be wrong, as in presuming the worst is true, and in forming and expressing their judgment of others, and of their actions, without waiting till all the truth is known."

Wise words for our age, or for any age.

updates

Jonathan Edwards on Love (see right column this page)

April 15, 2012 Blog Entry:
"True Wisdom"

What is true wisdom and how can we attain it? The Bible has the answer, an answer worthy of our best efforts to seek it.

samblog

Some Kindle Steals: Outstanding "E" Books for Next to Nothing

I stumbled on the terrific books from the Kindle store (Amazon), all at rock bottom prices. Many of these older works are apparently in the public domain and therefore can be offered at very low prices. Here's a link to the Kindle theology browse page. Some of the titles I found include (not all theology books):

• Calvin's Institutes
• Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology
• James P. Boyce's Theology
• Eusebius' History of the Church
• Louis Berkhof's Summary of Christian Doctrine
• R. L. Dabney's Systematic Theology
• Augustus Strong's Systematic Theology

Recommended Book for Systematic Theology: Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology

Bibletruth recommends Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology as a basic text on Theology, even for students just taking up a serious study of theology. Grudem holds to biblical inerrancy and sets forth the doctrines of the Bible with both depth and clarity. Even beginners will profit from this well-written volume because Grudem writes quite conversationally, unlike some other authors of theology books.

But even experienced readers of theology will benefit from Grudem's book as he does delve into the deeper subjects of theology, yet always provides readers with helpful introductions to such themes.

You can pick up your copy by clicking here.

Free Theology Lectures for Your iPod from Reformed Theological Seminary

Click here for some free stimulating lectures from some highly capable professors from a conservative viewpoint.

Welcome to Bibletruth!

Welcome to Bibletruth! You'll find resources on this site that will help you study God's Word and reflect on His truth. We provide doctrinal summaries, helpful links, and reflect on some key theological issues. To begin your journey, we suggest our theology page. Though our site is for serious students, we do not necessarily mean "experienced" students only. In fact, new believers grow best when they obtain a solid grounding in the truth of God's Word.

what is systematic theology

Here's a simple definition of systematic theology: "What does the Bible teach us about a given topic?" (from Robert Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, xxv). "Biblical theology" examines truth in its historic unfolding (for example, the "Old Testament doctrine of the Holy Spirit," or "Paul's doctrine of the church"). Systematic theology, on the other hand, takes the completed revelation, or the Bible, and applies it to various topics. Professor John Frame puts it this way, "Theology is the application of Scripture to all areas of human life" (Salvation Belongs to the Lord, 72).

In order to effectively study theology, one needs to:

• Submit to God, and be willing to discard old biases and accept truth as God reveals it in his Word.
• Pray for insight and illumination.
• Commit to a disciplined and systematic habit of serious study.
• Walk humbly with God, and allow His truth to shape all of life.
• Compare your work with others in the field (see the previous point).

blessings to students of theology

God promises rich reward to those who seek Him (John 7:17; Ps. 119:130), and those who do will find Him (Jer. 29:13). Furthermore, doctrinal correctness furnishes structure to life, something we can ill-afford to live without. With God-given truth and boundaries, the child of God no longer walks around in darkness, but instead has the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). Additionally, students of theology can detect false teaching much more quickly than the typical Christian, who is often left to the mercy of unscrupulous "teachers" with mixed motives. Finally, theologically sensitive Christians notice the link between their growth in knowledge and Christ like character. They add knowledge to the other virtues of the sanctified life (2 Pet. 1:5-8).

blessings to the church

When lovers of God search His Word for truth then begin to apply that truth to church practice, everyone benefits. One problem today is church "practitioners" seek to build their ministries apart from biblical principles. I would caution students of theology to approach such ministries humbly and with a servant's heart. After all, they are doing God's will. Equally, however, church pastors and elders should welcome the concerns of theologians and not assume they don't need any help. Unfortunately, these two groups sometimes section off into two "camps," having no other dialogue other than near hostile exchanges. Internet forums will make no progress in influencing others if they adopt defensive and even offensive tones that do anything but encourage healthy exchanges.

Nevertheless, theology must govern all areas of church life and even life itself. Theologians call this the theocentric or "God-centered" life. It's the life we need to follow today. In a day of shifting winds and philosophies to match, we need to anchor our faith in that body of truth, "once for all delivered to the saints"(Jude 3).

For ages, pastors, teachers and students alike have blessed the church by carefully examining Scriptures and seeking God's help in applying them. When the Bible in all its fullness is brought to bear on church life, we all come out ahead.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Beginning A Study of Theology

• Study carefully the Bible and a good reference Bible, such as the ESV Study Bible, and set aside special times to study it.
• Pick up a copy of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology (click here) and begin working your way through it.
• Click here for our Introduction to Theology page.
• Keep developing a God-centered perspective on all of life, striving to accurately learn biblical truth, and then apply it to your life.
• Pray for Spirit-led insight, illumination, and guidance as you study theology.