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Volume 31, Number 2 Fall 2020 The Master’s Seminary Journal Seminary Master’s The The Master’s Seminary Master’s The The Master’s Seminary Journal Seminary Master’s The Sun Valley, CA91352-3798 Sun Valley, 13248 Roscoe Blvd. V olume 31, Number An Analysis of Geerhardus Vos’ Nature and Method of Biblical Theology RICHARD C. BARCELLOS 2 A Methodology for Janus Parallelism NATHAN LEMASTER The Eternal God of a Vanishing Creation: Recovering the Doctrine of Divine Timelessness PETER SAMMONS Toward the Worship of God as Actus Purus ALAN QUIÑONES Martyn Lloyd-Jones on “Unity” KEVIN D. ZUBER Recent Scholarship and the Quest to Understand Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 PETER J. GOEMAN The Hermeneutics of the American Revolution Fall GREGG L. FRAZER 2020 Postmodernism and the Gospels: Dancing on the Edge of Disaster Permit. No. 99 Van Nuys, CA Van U.S. Postage Organization Non-Profit F. DAVID FARNELL PAID TMS.edu THE MASTER’S SEMINARY JOURNAL published by THE MASTER’S SEMINARY Sam Horn, President Nathan A. Busenitz, Dean of Faculty Edited for the Faculty: Lucas Alemán Michael A. Grisanti Roberto Sánchez Brian Biedebach Carl Hargrove Paul Twiss Nathan A. Busenitz Brad Klassen Michael J. Vlach Austin Duncan Steven J. Lawson Iosif J. Zhakevich F. David Farnell John MacArthur Mark Zhakevich Josiah Grauman James Mook Kevin D. Zuber Bryan J. Murphy by Sam Horn Editor Nathan Busenitz Co-Editor Peter Sammons Managing Editor Kevin D. Zuber Production Supervisor Michael J. Vlach Copy Editor John Stone Book Review Coordinator Jack Smith Editorial Consultant Anastasia Prinzing Style Guide Consultant The views represented herein are not necessarily endorsed by The Master’s Seminary, its administration, or its faculty. The Master’s Seminary Journal (TMSJ) is published semiannually and distributed electronically. For information about articles, policy, or journal access, contact [email protected]. TMSJ is indexed in Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus of Biblica; Christian Periodical Index; and Guide to Social Science & Religion in Periodical Literature. Articles are abstracted in New Testament Abstracts; Old Testament Abstracts; and Religious and Theological Abstracts. This periodical is indexed in the ATLA Religion Database®, (ATLAS®) collection. Both are products of the American Theological Library Association. Copyright is waived if articles are used in a classroom or congregation and if the number of copies (to be distributed free of charge and marked, “Copyright (year). Reprinted from The Master’s Seminary Journal.”) does not exceed one hundred. For any other use, advance permission is required. ISSN #1066-3959 Volume 31 Fall 2020 Number 2 THE MASTER’S SEMINARY JOURNAL CONTENTS Editorial ...........................................................................................................149 Sam Horn An Analysis of Geerhardus Vos’ Nature and Method of Biblical Theology ...........................................................151 Richard C. Barcellos A Methodology for Janus Parallelism ................................................................173 Nathan LeMaster The Eternal God of a Vanishing Creation: Recovering the Doctrine of Divine Timelessness ...............................................189 Peter Sammons Toward the Worship of God as Actus Purus ......................................................213 Alan Quiñones Martyn Lloyd-Jones on “Unity” ........................................................................231 Kevin D. Zuber Recent Scholarship and the Quest to Understand Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 .................................................................................243 Peter J. Goeman The Hermeneutics of the American Revolution .................................................275 Gregg L. Frazer Postmodernism and the Gospels: Dancing on the Edge of Disaster .......................................................................301 F. David Farnell Reviews............................................................................................................321 An Introduction to Biblical Greek: A Grammar with Exercises by John D. Schwandt ........................................................................................321 Reviewed by Paul Twiss The Suffering Servant of the Lord: A Prophecy of Jesus Christ by David J. MacLeod ........................................................................................323 Reviewed by Kevin D. Zuber TMSJ 31/2 (Fall 2020) 149–150 EDITORIAL Dr. Sam Horn President of The Master’s University and Seminary * * * * * Whenever there is a transition in institutional leadership—especially within the office of the president of a conservative evangelical seminary—a question naturally arises regarding transitions in fidelity. The history of academic institutions, and of seminaries in particular, has proven this to be a reasonable concern. Thus, with this passing of the baton, I am committed to the reaffirmation of our doctrinal convictions in order to maintain doctrinal fidelity and to guard the theological integrity of The Master’s Seminary. One of the goals of The Master’s Seminary Journal (hereafter TMSJ) is to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the same doctrinal truths that have marked this institution since its inception. You can expect from TMSJ what you have always expected: faithful scholarship for the edification of the church. Historically, TMSJ has been written for laymen. In essence, TMSJ acted as a precursor for what is today The Master’s Seminary Blog, and yet as blogs have inundated the internet, pastors and laymen have more blog articles than they can read. This popular-level trend in Christian literature has created a vacancy in the intellectual sphere. Pastors and church members need faithful academic resources. The church waits for the scholarship of men and women who fear and tremble before the Word of God, and then speak truth into issues thus far saturated with liberal scholarship. This is the new direction for TMSJ as we strive to serve pastor- theologians charged to lead, feed, and guard their local churches, as well as the godly laymen who are called to support and serve alongside them in the work of the ministry. Without question, the mind of the pastor must be multi-disciplined. He must be versed in New Testament, Old Testament, linguistics, biblical languages, systematic theology, historical theology, and biblical theology, to name several. His calling requires him to weave these disciplines together each week in his study. The Master’s Seminary exists to serve and benefit the church, and to do that well, we must serve in ways that equip the pastor to better exposit the Word and to guard the truth entrusted to him. This will be the goal of every issue of TMSJ. This issue addresses a variety of theological disciplines with articles we believe will serve our readers in a number of important ways. 149 150 | Editorial In the field of biblical theology, Richard C. Barcellos (Ph.D.) writes on the scholar Geerhardus Vos—the Reformed theologian who entered the field of biblical theology after it had been dominated by “the literal/critical biblical-theological enterprise” for a century. Despite cultural trends, Vos assumed the chair of biblical theology at Princeton. Through a hermeneutic grounded not only in how Scripture is formed, but in what it says and how it says it, Vos would one day be considered “an all-time master in the field of Biblical Theology.” We have much to learn not only from his research, but from his desire to let the Word speak where the world has dominated. In the field of linguistics, Nathan LeMaster (Ph.D. candidate) seeks to establish a methodology for identifying Janus Parallelism, the masterful Hebrew literary device used to intentionally exploit a single word with two meanings. While much has been written on this subject, little work has been done to demonstrate a consistent method for identifying this ancient linguistic tool. The purpose is to better understand the mind of the Hebrew writers of the Old Testament, so as to better understand the authorial intention of Scripture. In the field of theology, Peter Sammons (Ph.D.), Alan Quiñones (Ph.D. candidate), and Kevin Zuber (Ph.D.) write on a variety of issues. Sammons enters the current debate over the foundational doctrine of classical theism: Divine timelessness. Quiñones explores the claim, first articulated by Aristotle, that God is Actus Purus—eternally all that He can be. And Zuber seeks to understand the perspective of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the critical issue of unity and ecumenism within the church. In the field of biblical languages, Peter J. Goeman (Ph.D.) analyzes Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 to address one of the most debated issues in Old Testament scholarship—the phrase “as one lies with a female.” Pushed by cultural shifts, biblical scholarship rages over this issue, and Goeman intervenes with biblical precision and fidelity. In the field of hermeneutics, Gregg L. Frazer (Ph.D.) explores the hermeneutics of the American Revolution. He examines how the political climate of the time resulted in various interpretations of Scripture by analyzing the sermons of two preachers: a loyalist and a patriot. In the field of New Testament historiography, F. David Farnell (Ph.D.) explores postmodern influence on the interpretation of the Gospels, reminding readers of the power and simplicity of the natural meaning of Scripture. I am humbled by the institutional legacy that has been entrusted to me. At The Master’s Seminary, I am surrounded by some of the most thoughtful
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