The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. It is Jesus' favorite title of Himself. I chosen this title because Jesus loved this title of Himself. We ought to never forget that Jesus is fully God and fully man: two natures in One Person. He is the God-man, the Incarnate Second Person of the Trinity. May we mediate on His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension that we may be conformed to the image of the divine Son of Man! This blog web site will be a Christian defense of the Reformed doctrines of the Incarnate Son of Man. May all glory be to His name!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

A Theological and Historical Study on the Sermons of Theodore Beza: A 95-Point Study of the Sermon entitled “the Law and the Gospel”: 20-Points on Beza’s Sermon on the Law and the Gospel, Part 1: A Reformed Exposition of the Bible


  1. Beza calls the Word of God in two parts “the Law and the Gospel.”  That is, the Bible is made up of the law of God and the Gospel of God.

  1. Beza calls the Word of God after the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the eternal Son of God and the living Word of God; however, this is contained in both Old and New Testaments.

  1. The Gospel is the free grace of God whereas the law is the standard by which we are judged; that is, the Bible can be broken down to these two categories.

  1. Beza distinguishes the Law from Gospel and the Gospel from the Law, because the Bible is gathered into these two headings.

  1. Beza says that the Law is written on our hearts; that is, it is the Ten Commandments in its brief summary. 

  1. Beza says that the Law sets out what righteousness we owe to our God and our neighbor; that is, if there is disobedience it means eternal doom but if there is obedience it means life.

  1. Beza says that the Gospel is not by our nature; that is, it “surpasses natural knowledge.”

  1. Beza says that Christ saves freely and that we ought to apprehend Him by faith; that is, “we [must] embrace Him as our only wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).”

  1. Beza says the Lord testifies to these things; that is, it renews our persons that we may embrace the benefits offered to us.

  1. Beza says the confusion of the Law and the Gospel without separation or distinction leads to a corrupt Christianity.

  1. Men are blinded because of the just judgment of God due to the curse of the Law, but they are confused on why He ordained it in the first place; that is, God ordains judgment because of sin.

  1. The confusion has led to the ruin of the benefits of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. The Law and the Gospel are from the one true God, being always consistent with Himself (Heb. 1:1-2).

  1. Beza says that the Gospel does not abolish the essence of the Law, but on the contrary the Law establishes the essence of the Gospel (Rom. 10:2-4).

  1. Beza says that the Law and the Gospel come from the God and the same righteousness (Rom. 3:31); that is, it is perfect love of God and neighbor; however, there are different things to consider and “the means of obtaining this righteousness.”

  1. Beza says that the Law is to the natural man; that is, God has put it on his heart since creation (Rom. 1:32, 2:14, 15).

  1. Beza says God made the Law in two tablets of stone; however, it did not make a new law but was to restore our first knowledge due to sin; that is, sin was being obliterated from the heart of man (Rom. 7:8-9).

  1. Beza says that the Gospel is supernatural; that is, we would never think of it because of our sinful natures because it is a special grace of God (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:14).

  1. He says that promise of the Messiah was revealed in Genesis 3:15 to Moses, the prophets and patriarchs until He was manifested in Person.

  1. It is Christ who is announced in the Gospel and it will continue until the end of the world (John 17:18; Mt. 28:20; 2 Cor. 5:20).
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