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Book Reviewssay, that God (logically) decreedthat Christ should be the Mediatorofthecovenant, before (thatis, logically before) Goddecreedthe fall of man into sin, or thecreation of the world. By logicallybefore we mean that thedecree ofChrist is a higher goalthan the subsequent decrees, andthat those same decrees servethe decree ofChrist.·A more complete descriptionof the supralapsarian viewof the decrees of God could bepresented as follows:1. God decreed to glorifyHimselfas the triune, covenantGod.2. God decreed to do soespecially in and through Christ,the Mediator of the covenant.3. God decreed predestination,which includes election,namely, choosing specificpeople unto salvation in Christ,and reprobation, namely, rejectingthe rest, who would in turnserve the decree ofelection.4. To fulfill the decreeof predestination, God decreeda race of men, and the fall intosin.5. To serve the race andthe working out of predestination,God decreed to create aworld and decreed all ofhistoryand providence with it.The infralapsarian viewpresents God's decrees in thereverse order. It too maintainsthat the purpose ofall is to giveglory to God. To that end Goddecreed as follows:1. God decreed to createa world and a race of men.2. God decreed the fallinto sin.3. God decreed predestination,namely, He chose somemembers ofthe race unto salvation(election), and determinedto pass by the rest (reprobation).4. God decreed to sendChrist to save the elect.An examination ofthe twopositions reveals that thesupralapsarian view presents thedecrees in a logical order, witheach particular decree servingthe one preceding it, culminatingin the decree that God glorifiesHimself. The infralapsarianposition, onthe otherhand, givesthe decrees in the order in whichthey are carried out in time. Thenames themselves come fromthe position of the decree ofChrist in relation to the decreeof the fall (the lapse). Hencesupra-lapsarian means "aboveor prior to the fall" and infralapsarianmeans "below or subsequentto the fall."It must be understood thatNovember, 200179
there is room for both positionsin the Reformed faith. Both describethe decrees of God ineternity. Hence, both positionsmaintain sovereign, double, unconditionalpredestination ineternity, a predestination not inany way based on man or hisworks. Historical prooffor thatis that the Canons ofDordrechtare infralapsarian, but severaldelegates to the Synod ofDordrecht were supralapsarianand their position was not condemnedby the synod.Colossians 1 gives powerfulsupport to the supralapsarianview of God's decrees. For instance,Colossians 1: 16 teachesthat not only were all things inheaven and earth created byChrist, all things were also createdjhr Him. The word translated/oris the Greek word El so,which in many instances inScripture has the meaning of"with a view to." That all thingswere created with' a view toChrist supports the view thatthe decree ofcreation andprovidenceserve the decree ofChrist.In addition, Colossians1;20 teaches that God throughChrist reconciles all things inheaven and earth to Himself.Christ is presented as the goalofGod's plans, the one in whomheaven and earth will one daybe made one (as stated explicitlyin Ephesians 1:9-10).In these and other ways,Colossians exalts Christ and assignsHim the God-ordainedpreeminence.* The title of thebook by Dr. Alden A. Gannettis, therefore, most appropriate.The book, however, is mostdisappointing. In plain words, itdoes not present the glorioustruth that the title implies thatthe book will give. In the Preface,Dr. Gannett indicates hispurpose for writing the book. It"is not primarily to provide anothertechnical and scholarlywork on this timely epistle.Rather, my aim is to set forth apractical word by expoundingthe theme of the epistle-thepreeminence of Christ in ourdaily walk."Dr. Gannett's presentationofthe theme ofColossians givesan indication where he is going,and where, in my judgment, hewent wrong. No doubt Co-* For those interested in a morethorough exposition ofColossians1and ofthe preeminence ofChrist,I recommend Herman Hoeksema'sChapel Talks on Colossians, availablefrom the Protestant ReformedSeminary.80PRTJ
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ProtestantReformedTheologicalJourna
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EDITOR'S NOTESProf. Russell J. Dyks
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For there are many, even l unruly,
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happen to hold unwittingly to some
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tion oftheir false teachings. II Pe
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est, they are very weak, at worst,
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truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Ever
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Thomas Bradwardine:Forgotten Mediev
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ated grace and uncreated grace. Unc
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Bradwardine faces the question ofth
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the age, namely, that having set fo
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did not identify Thomas Bradwardine
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The first is that Bradwardine was a
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to Bradwardine as oneof"two pre-emi
Page 29 and 30: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Sir
Page 31 and 32: power of the papacy in Bradwardine'
Page 33 and 34: The Serious Callof the Gospel -Is t
Page 35 and 36: elieve th~s proclamation with uprig
Page 37 and 38: to bring good news with their "fig
Page 39 and 40: nation, we read of Melchisedek, the
Page 41 and 42: official activity ofa monarch's her
Page 43 and 44: 8): "Calling is ofthose elect and r
Page 45 and 46: ut all his posterity unable to obey
Page 47 and 48: alone, and He saves whom He will. E
Page 49 and 50: have moved away from the notion oft
Page 51 and 52: every member ofthe visible, institu
Page 53 and 54: fulfilling this calling is their pa
Page 55 and 56: contingent. Further, Calvin did not
Page 57 and 58: ofacceptance in terms of merit, ins
Page 59 and 60: covenant ofgrace and works, or it i
Page 61 and 62: Spiritual, Suffers Them to DefileTh
Page 63 and 64: the gospel is preached" (p. 212).In
Page 65 and 66: "They do not hold that JesusChrist
Page 67 and 68: II Corinthians 3:6 that "the letter
Page 69 and 70: is to oppose and to repulsethat sec
Page 71 and 72: Rightly Divided: Readings inBiblica
Page 73 and 74: is necessary speaks volumesabout th
Page 75 and 76: Guilt, Grace and Gratitude,Lectures
Page 77 and 78: 76ted under the new? If it wererigh
Page 79: er to keep himself holy; forthe Sab
Page 83 and 84: Dr. Gannett's eschatologyalso effec
Page 85 and 86: that, but man has a corrupt nature(
Page 87 and 88: the love of God is "universal"(p. 5
Page 89 and 90: ever, throughout the book thereis n
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