His Word Today

“¹Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. ² And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. ³ Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.” (Genesis 50:1–3 (ESV)

No matter how much you prepare for a loved one’s eventual death, it is still a shock when it occurs. Both my parents died following an extended illness and eventual hospice care. This was the same situation with my wife’s mother. Preparations were made and goodbyes were said prior to their demise. However, the arrival of their deaths was a disturbing moment.

Unfortunately, there are some families who do not have the opportunity to properly prepare for mourning. A longtime and dear friend of mine was suddenly killed in an automobile accident. There was no emotional preparation for her homecoming to heaven. Her death was sudden and severe.

In both scenarios, the sudden realization of the reality of death hits hard. Thankfully, the sting of death is softened by the reality that loved ones are believers in Christ.

Even though Joseph knew his dad was dying, the reality of Jacob’s death still impacted him emotionally. Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept over him and kissed him. His sorrow was real and sincere.

Today’s text goes on to say that Joseph instructed his Egyptian servants and physicians to embalm Jacob. As today, embalming was done to slow down the process of the body’s decay following death. The process then would involve anointing the body with perfumes.   

The Egyptians wept as a sign of their sorrow. It was an example of the respect the Egyptians had for Joseph and for his father.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Egypt holds Jacob in high esteem; the mourning period observed when he dies (Gen. 49:33–50:3) is only two days shorter than the one prescribed for a pharaoh’s death. They also embalm Jacob’s body, at Joseph’s behest, for the long journey ahead. Similarly, the Israelites buried their dead instead of burning them, because preserving the body intact exhibited a belief that God will renew what He made “very good” (1:26–31), a resurrection to life incorruptible (Dan. 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:42); thus, later Israelites continued to bury their dead. Cremation was avoided since it was applied to heinous sinners (Lev. 20:14; 21:9) and was practiced in ancient times by pagan idolaters.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV) says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

Believers in Christ are not immune to grief. Death occurs for believers and non-believers alike. However, a Christian’s grief is not a hopeless sorrow. There is a confident expectation beyond the grave for the believer in Christ and for their family.

Soli deo Gloria!    

²⁸ “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. ²⁹ Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— ³² the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” ³³ When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.” (Genesis 49:28–33 (ESV)

Moses recorded the final moments of the patriarch Jacob. Following Jacob’s blessings upon his sons he requested that they bury him in the land of Canaan. This paralleled his earlier request of Joseph (Gen. 47:29-31).   

Jacob said to them, ““I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— ³² the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.”

In effect, Jacob desired to be buried in the family plot. He possessed a strong sense of his family’s heritage.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Like Abraham and Isaac, Jacob demonstrates his trust in the Lord’s promise in asking to be buried with them at Machpelah, in the good land the Creator promised to his family (Gen. 49:29–32). God’s faithfulness to His word guarantees Jacob’s salvation, and he teaches his sons this lesson by having them bury him there.”

John Calvin writes, “Jacob did not wish to be carried into the land of Canaan, as if he would be nearer to heaven for being buried there; but that, being dead, he might claim possession of a land which he had held during his life…because it was profitable that the memory of the promise should be renewed, by this symbol, among his surviving sons, in order that they might aspire to it.”

Following his blessings and last instructions to his sons, Jacob died. Today’s text says, “When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.”

Dr. John Walvoord states, “So Jacob died after 147 years (Gen. 47:28) of struggle; his sorrow came to an end. Infirmities, he had many; sins, not a few. But Jacob had an unquenchable desire for God’s blessing. He had a deep piety that habitually relied on God in spite of all else. In the end he died as a man of genuine faith. He learned in his life where the real blessings came from, and he fought with God and man to be privileged to hand them on to his sons.”

It has been said that it is not as important how you start, but how you finish. Jacob finished well, by the grace of God. May we strive to finish well in the life the LORD has given to us.

Soli deo Gloria!  

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2022. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Thirty-One. Of Synods and Councils.

1. For the better government and further edification of the Church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called synods or councils.^a

a. Acts 15:2, 4, 6.

2. As magistrates may lawfully call a synod of ministers and other fit persons to consult and advise with about matters of religion;^a so, if magistrates be open enemies to the Church, the ministers of Christ, of themselves, by virtue of their office, or they, with other fit persons, upon delegation from their churches, may meet together in such assemblies.^b

a. Isa 49:23; 2 Chron 19:8-11; 29-30 throughout; Prov 11:14; Mat 2:4-5; 1 Tim 2:1-2. • b. Acts 15:2, 4, 22-23, 25.

3. It belongeth to synods and councils, ministerially, to determine controversies of faith, and cases of conscience; to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the public worship of God, and government of his Church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to determine the same: which decrees and determinations, if consonant to the Word of God, are to be received with reverence and submission, not only for their agreement with the Word, but also for the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance of God, appointed thereunto in his Word.^a

a. Mat 18:17-20; Acts 15:15, 19, 24, 27-31; 16:4.

4. All synods or councils since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err, and many have erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice, but to be used as a help in both.^a

a. Acts 17:11; 1 Cor 2:5; 2 Cor 1:24; Eph 2:20.

5. Synods and councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate.^a

a. Luke 12:13-14; John 18:36.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.” (Genesis 49:27 (ESV)

Jacob articulated his concluding oracle to his youngest son Benjamin. It was brief but not without significance.

Jacob directly compared Benjamin to a ravenous wolf. Jacob said, “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.”  The literal grammar in the Hebrew is “Benjamin, a wolf, is ravenous.” Notice the state of being verb “is.” This is a present and active state of being verb. More than comparing his son to a wolf by what he would do, Jacob compared Benjamin to a wolf on the basis of his character or who he was.

The word ravenous means to tear to pieces or to rend, slash and shred. Add the noun “wolf” to the equation and you have a man, and later a tribe, that would be predatory in their behavior because the man and the tribe was predatory in their nature. Not only would Benjamin become a predator but a ravenous predator.  

The predatory characteristic would be evidenced all the time. There would be no respite. Jacob said concerning Benjamin, “in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.” Whether by day or night, Benjamin and his progeny would be unrelenting in their violent nature and subsequent behavior.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The Bible is clear that our lives are in large measure molded by the sins (and righteousness) of our forefathers. Benjamin and his offspring are a good example of this truth. Jacob blesses his youngest son in today’s passage, revealing that this tribe will be like a wolf who devours its prey and in the evening divides its spoil (Gen. 49:27). Benjamin will satisfy himself and then divvy up what is left over. In other words, there is the potential for this clan to enjoy abundant success within the family of Israel. Benjamin went on to succeed and father many godly individuals. Ehud, a Benjaminite judge, rescued Israel from Moab (Judg. 3:12–30). Jonathan hailed from the tribe of Benjamin, and, unlike his father Saul, he loved David (1 Sam. 9:1–2; 14:49; 18:1–5). Esther, who saved her people from extinction during Persian rule, and her cousin Mordecai also counted Benjamin as a forefather (Est. 2:5–7). Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, was a Benjaminite as well (Rom. 11:1).”

Dr. Sproul continues by explaining, “Though they had sinful ancestors like the rest of us, all of these persons finally chose righteousness over evil. However, the wolf imagery is also forboding, warning of potential danger ahead for Benjamin. This tribe would also be capable of producing unfaithful men. Aside from King Saul, there is the ghastly episode in the period of the judges when certain Benjaminites raped a Levite’s concubine, leading to her death. The authorities in this tribe were unwilling to punish these evil men and compounded sin when they rose to defend them (Judg. 19–21)! These men chose to follow the sin of their clan, and they suffered the inevitable results.”

All believers in Christ have ancestors, near and distant, whose characteristics are seen in their own lives, whether positive or negative. May each of us resolve to emulate and demonstrate the character of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:1-2).

Soli deo Gloria!  

²² “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. ²³ The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, ²⁴ yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), ²⁵ by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. ²⁶ The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.” (Genesis 49:22-26)

It should not be a surprise that Jacob’s oracle concerning his son Joseph, and his posterity, should contain an abundance of blessings. The fact is, this oracle is filled with God’s prophetic blessings upon Joseph.

To begin with, Jacob compared Joseph to a fruitful bough by a spring. In the Hebrew language, a bough referred to a young animal, a son or a grandson. It was a reference to one’s descendants (Lev. 6:11; 19:18).

Secondly, Jacob acknowledged Joseph had been the victim of personal assault. Jacob likened it to archers shooting at him, attacking him and severely harassing him. Jacob used strong words with vivid imagery.

Third, Jacob extensively emphasized the future blessings of the LORD upon the life of Joseph. Jacob said, “by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you” (Gen. 49:25). These are acknowledged blessings, or divine favor, from the Almighty and from heaven above.

What is the scope of this future favor from the LORD upon Joseph? These are blessings from heaven above. These are blessing of the deep. They are blessings of the breasts. They are blessings of the womb.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “In these verses are several marvelous titles for God—the Mighty One of Jacob … the Shepherd (cf. 48:15), the Rock of Israel … your father’s God … the Almighty (šadday; cf. ’ēl šadday in 17:1)—the One who ensures blessings from the heavens above (i.e., rain for crops) from the deep … below (i.e., streams and wells for water), and from the breast and womb (i.e., abundant offspring). Jacob bestowed on Joseph the greater blessings because he was the prince among his brothers (cf. 41:41).”

Jacob concludes his oracle regarding Joseph and his posterity by uttering a concluding praise of the blessing from God. “The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.”

May each believer in Christ view life from the perspective of God’s generous blessings. May each of us be forever grateful.  

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him, all creatures here below,

Praise Him above the Heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen!

Soli deo Gloria!

²² “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. ²³ The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, ²⁴ yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), ²⁵ by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. ²⁶ The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.” (Genesis 49:22-26)

It should not be a surprise that Jacob’s oracle concerning his son Joseph, and his posterity, should contain an abundance of blessings. The fact is, this oracle is filled with God’s prophetic blessings upon Joseph.

To begin with, Jacob compared Joseph to a fruitful bough by a spring. In the Hebrew language, a bough referred to a young animal, a son or a grandson. It was a reference to one’s descendants (Lev. 6:11; 19:18).

Secondly, Jacob acknowledged Joseph had been the victim of personal assault. Jacob likened it to archers shooting at him, attacking him and severely harassing him. Jacob used strong words with vivid imagery.

Yet in spite of these attacks, Jacob indicated that Joseph remained unmoved. The reason for this resolute strong and courageous demeanor was that God was with him (Gen. 39:1-2; 21; Acts 7:9). As the LORD had been with Joseph’s Grandfather Isaac (Gen. 26:24-28) and Father Jacob (Gen. 28:15), He had also been with him.

Dr. R. C. Sproul states, “As with Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (Gen. 49:3–7), Jacob offers a succinct summary of Joseph’s life. “Archers bitterly attacked him” (v. 23), that is, Joseph’s brothers, Potiphar’s wife, and others did their best to destroy this favored son. Nevertheless, Joseph was not defeated. This emphasis on God’s presence is a lesson that we must never forget. Worldly success can blind us, making it easy to believe the lie that we can also prevail with God through our own efforts. In fact, this is what happened to the offspring of Joseph’s son Ephraim centuries later when they led the northern kingdom Israel into idolatry and self-reliance, and earned the Lord’s condemnation (Hos. 9). Those who profess Christ can do the same thing (see Jer. 18:1–10; 1 Cor. 5), and so we ought to beware of the dangers of complacency.”

Have a blessed day in the Lord. Remember, He is always with us (Heb. 13:5-6).

Soli deo Gloria!     

²² “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. ²³ The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, ²⁴ yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), ²⁵ by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. ²⁶ The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.” (Genesis 49:22-26)

It should not be a surprise that Jacob’s oracle concerning his son Joseph, and his posterity, should contain an abundance of blessings. The fact is, this oracle is filled with God’s prophetic blessings upon Joseph.

To begin with, Jacob compared Joseph to a fruitful bough by a spring. In the Hebrew language, a bough referred to a young animal, a son or a grandson. It was a reference to one’s descendants (Lev. 6:11; 19:18).

The word fruitful means flourishing and to produce an offspring or harvest of the same kind in a successive generation. Jacob proclaimed that Joseph, and his sons, were fruitful vines, or boughs producing fruit (Gen. 49:22).

The Theological Workbook of the Old Testament explains, “A bough means to flourish, i.e., produce an offspring or harvest of the same kind in a successive generation, implying an abundance (Gen. 1:22; 17:6, 20; 28:3; 41:52; 48:4; Lev 26:9; Ps 105:24+). It may also refer to a fruitful vine, formally, son of a fruit-bearer, or a very productive vine or bough producing fruit (Ge 49:22).”

Notice the emphatic use of the phrase fruitful bough. Jacob used it twice to place great emphasis on Joseph’s legacy.

A spring may refer to a spring of water, i.e., a water source which comes up from a ground water source and is a valuable spot in arid land (Ex 15:27). However, the word is metaphorically used in today’s text to mean understanding or to have mental perception (Gen. 3:5). It is the capacity to see and understand (Lev 26:16). Jacob prophesied that Joseph and his progeny would possess discernment and understanding in their abundance. Not a bad combination to have.

Dr. R.C. Sproul explains, “Appropriately enough, given that he has been the most righteous of Jacob’s twelve sons, Joseph receives a blessing that is paralleled only by the one Jacob gave to Judah (Gen. 49:8–12). Today’s passage is one more indication that Joseph’s years of faithful service to God and men have not been in vain, for he is rewarded for his devotion.”

May all believers have the same perspective in their service unto the Lord. Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹⁹ “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. ²⁰ “Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. ²¹ “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.” (Genesis 49:19–21 (ESV)

Jacob’s prayer for his children’s deliverance (Gen. 49:18) was well founded. His oracles concerning Gad, Asher and Naphtali indicate their future oppression by enemies and the need for the LORD’s salvation.  

Regarding Gad, Jacob declared raiders would attack him but he would give as well as he received. The reason for this ongoing conflict was because the tribe settled east of the Jordan River, on the border with other nations (Josh. 13:24–28). Jacob predicted that the tribe would overcome their enemies. Ultimately, the Tribe of Gad be known for their military skill (1 Chron. 5:18–22). 

Regarding Asher, he and his progeny would be prosperous and productive.  Jacob spoke of the tribe’s great wealth (Gen. 49:20). The Tribe of Asher would settle along the shore of the Mediterranean in a fertile area north of Mt. Carmel (Josh. 19:24–31). The trade routes enabled Asher’s offspring to provide “royal delicacies” (Gen. 49:20), which were food for palaces near and far. The prophetess Anna, who faithfully worshiped and proclaimed God’s redemption, came from the tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36–38).

Regarding Naphtali, the imagery here is difficult to translate. Perhaps, Naphtali, like a doe, would be a free spirited mountain people. Deborah sang of the people of Naphtali risking their lives “on the heights of the field” (Judges 5:18). That tribe settled northwest of the Sea of Kinnereth (Galilee).

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Jacob is possibly predicting that Naphtali will start off as a free spirit and then settle down with his family and the nation. Even the footloose Naphtali will one day have a permanent home in Canaan, near the Sea of Galilee (Josh. 19:32–39). Barak, whose army saved Israel from king Jabin of Hazor (Judg. 4), is one famous Naphtalite.”

Puritan Matthew Henry states, “Among God’s Israel is to be found a great variety of dispositions, contrary to each other, yet all contributing to the beauty and strength of the body.”

Believers in Christ should know that the Lord will use our various differences to build up the body of Christ today. How is the Lord using your unique gifts and personality for the benefit of the church? Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁷ Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward. ¹⁸ I wait for your salvation, O Lord.” (Genesis 49:16–18 (ESV)

Dan’s mother was Bilhah, maid of Jacob’s wife Rachel (Gen. 30:1–6). Dan’s descendants settled in Israel overlooking the Huleh Plain, in a territory actually assigned to Naphtali, Dan’s full brother (Gen. 30:7–8; 35:25; Jos 19:32–48). The two brothers are mentioned together in a number of references (e.g., Ex. 1:4).

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains, “Dan’s name was given to him not by Bilhah but by Rachel, who considered the child her own. Rachel had long been childless—a shame to women in ancient cultures—and she was jealous of Jacob’s other wife, Leah, who had already borne him four sons. Rachel viewed the birth of Bilhah’s son as averting her shame and as God’s vindication of her status as wife. The name Dan (“he judged”) meant that God had judged her and had vindicated her through the child’s birth (Gen. 30:6).”

In his oracle, Jacob explained that his son Dan would judge his people. The tribe intended to provide justice would in reality become like a treacherousserpent on the roadside. In the time of the Judges the first major practice of idolatry appeared in the tribe of Dan (Judges 18:30).

Moses would describe the tribe of Dan as being like a lion’s cub that leaps from Bashan (Deut. 33:22). This may have been a reference to the tribe’s northern settlement in Israel which included the forests of Bashan.

Following his oracle concerning Dan, Jacob prayed for the salvation from Yahweh. Why this interjection for deliverance by the LORD?

Dr. John Walvoord explains, “He may have been indirectly reminding his sons of their need for dependence on the Lord (if he needed it, certainly they did too). Or he may have been expressing his desire to enjoy the messianic hope, when he would be delivered from all trouble and grief (cf. “redemption” in Anna’s desires; Luke 2:38).”

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Israel’s affirmation of Dan implicitly affirms the full citizenship of his other eleven sons in the future nation, even those whom Leah and Rachel did not birth. Yet Dan will also show himself to be an Israelite through his powerful judgeship. Jacob calls him a serpent (v. 17), having in mind a poisonous yellow desert snake who would hide in crevices or burrow in the sand and strike unsuspecting people or animals. Like this serpent, Dan will be small compared to his prey but far deadlier than his victim suspects. The tribe of Dan does indeed end up as one of Israel’s smaller clans; however, perhaps the most well-known of all the judges emerges from this tribe centuries after Jacob. Samson, a Danite, would rescue the Israelites from the Philistines, usually by relying on his own craftiness (Judg. 13–16).”

Though Danite tribe, the serpent, saved Israel in Samson’s day, their remaining history would not be so celebrated. The Danites would steal an idol and slaughter a quiet, unsuspecting people (Judg. 17–18). Both of these activities flagrantly violate God’s word (Judges 18:27).

Believers in Christ must be on guard that we are not like the tribe of Dan. The tribe began well and then rejected God’s will. May we press on and persevere in faith “so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Heb. 4:11). Have a God honoring day.

Soli deo Gloria!  

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2022. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Thirty. Of Church Censures.

1. The Lord Jesus, as king and head of his Church, hath therein appointed a government in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.^a

a. Isa 9:6-7; Mat 28:18-20; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Cor 12:28; 1 Thes 5:12; 1 Tim 5:17; Heb 13:7, 17, 24.

2. To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed, by virtue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins, to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.^a

a. Mat 16:19; 18:17-18; John 20:21-23; 2 Cor 2:6-8.

3. Church censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren; for deterring of others from the like offenses; for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump; for vindicating the honor of Christ, and the holy profession of the gospel; and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer his covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.^a

a. Mat 7:6; 1 Cor 5 throughout; 11:27-34 with Jude 1:23; 1 Tim 1:20; 5:20.

4. For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition, suspension from the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for a season, and by excommunication from the Church, according to the nature of the crime and demerit of the person.^a

a. Mat 18:17; 1 Cor 5:4-5, 13; 1 Thes 5:12; 2 Thes 3:6, 14-15; Titus 3:10.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!