THEOLOGY FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN

 

 

From the Preface

There are many textbooks on Christian theology but J Oliver Buswell’s Systematic Theology published in 1962 by Zondervan is, as far as we know, the only one that expresses a Reformed and yet Pro-Israel Premillennial system of theology.

The Bible Presbyterian Church as founded by Carl McIntire in 1937 is the ecclesiastical representative of the Reformed and Pro-Israel Premillennial system of theology. Timothy Tow, the father of the Bible-Presbyterian Church and movement in Singapore and Southeast Asia, studied Buswell’s Theology under Buswell himself at Faith Theological Seminary (1948-50), and Jeffrey Khoo in turn learned it from Tow at the Far Eastern Bible College (1985-9).

Besides Calvin and his Institutes, Buswell—our teacher and grand-teacher—has been our guide in the Reformed tradition, and we hereby acknowledge his contribution herein. But let it be known that the Holy Scriptures are the rock foundation of our studies, and the sole and supreme authority of our faith and practice.

Satan hates God’s Word, and from the beginning has tried to undermine it. This he did by demoralising our first parents, “Yea, hath God said?,” and they succumbed. The theologians before us have done well in declaring the Bible to be verbally and plenarily inspired, infallible and inerrant. This has confirmed our faith in the Scriptures. But in order to spoil us again, Satan tries to erode the foundation of our faith by subtle new tactics. This he does by questioning the verbal and plenary preservation of the Holy Scriptures, casting doubt on the text of Holy Scripture through Westcott and Hort. He cunningly contrives rules for interpreting, yea, rather misinterpreting, Scripture which he hides under a big word “hermeneutics,” and “historical criticism,” and “textual criticism.” Last but not least, he twists the meaning of Scripture, right and left, by a new method of translation called “dynamic equivalence.” In order to unmask Satan’s masquerading, this book is not only didactic but also polemic, in obedience to the apostolic injunction, “that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

Reformed Theology is known for its emphasis on the sovereignty and faithfulness of God. On this account, this book does not shun to teach the special providence of God in preserving (1) the inspired words of the Holy Scriptures in the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus on which the Reformation Bible—the Authorised/King James Version—is based, (2) the Church universal comprising all the elect who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and (3) the chosen nation of Israel which will see greatness when Christ returns to rule on this earth for a millennium.

Appreciation is hereby expressed to the Evangelical Theological Society for permission to reproduce herein Jeffrey Khoo’s paper—“Dispensational Premillennialism in Reformed Theology: The Contribution of J O Buswell to the Millennial Debate”—originally published in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 44 (2001): 697-717.

Our sincere thanks to the Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy—the editor of Bible Witness, and the staff of Bible Witness Media Ministry, for their kind assistance in getting this book ready for publication. If this book will accomplish the Pauline exhortation—“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2)—its publication will not have been made in vain.

Timothy Tow and Jeffrey Khoo
Singapore, 2007

 

God’s Covenant Faithfulness
Dr Arthur Steele
(Abstract of the Message Delivered to the Bible Presbyterian Synod on August 5, 2007, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA)

David who praised God for His covenant faithfulness said in Psalm 105:8, “He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.” In Psalm 100:5 David said, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” David here and in other quotations praises the faithfulness of God’s Word. Psalm 93:5, “Thy testimonies are very sure.” The Old Testament prophets received the Word of God as God’s words given not only to their generation but to all generations including our own today. Psalm 12:6, “The words of the LORD are pure words;” verse 7, “Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” As a little boy, I well remember my father emphasizing to me “God means what He says.” My mother said that dad received the Lord as his Savior during a Billy Sunday Crusade in 1925, when I was 5 years old. As the first child of Swedish immigrants my father tended to be very European. His statements were not to be questioned. He would quote a Bible verse and then state with emphasis that “God means what He says.” So I learned very early to believe that GOD MEANS WHAT HE SAYS. I still do.

Later in life facing decisions and reactions, I tried to figure out why individuals do what they do and say what they say. God in His faithfulness to me caused me to be aware that in any circumstance that “God knows,” and that He knows every detail, every objective, and every thought about everything, including what anyone else is thinking. Our Covenant God is perfectly faithful, and He knows.

When God says everlasting life he means just that and all that it implies. For us there is no death. Acts 7:59-60.  Remember the last words of Stephen as he was being stoned to death, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep,” and was transported royally to heaven to be with the faithful Mediator of the everlasting Covenant of Grace.

God’s Covenant faithfulness is assured for every moment of our lives. David said in Psalm 90:4, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” And in verse 9, he adds these words, “we spend our years as a tale that is told.” James raises the question in James 4:14, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Prophets of old who served God well are each alive as we speak. God was faithful in reminding them that they would “be gathered together” with the company of the redeemed. As God said to Moses in Deuteronomy 32:50, “And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people.” God was faithful in assuring Abraham that in death he would “go to thy fathers in peace” (Gen 15:15). What a company of faithful ministers await our arrival. 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

A Heavenly Gift
Mike Tan Tze Chang

Sharon and I were baptised 12 years ago on 22 October 1995 at Life Bible-Presbyterian Church (Chinese Service) by Pastor Qiu Feng Yuan. On 1 January 1997, Sharon and I were married in Life Church, solemnised by Pastor—Rev Dr Timothy Tow.

We worshipped and were blessed in the Chinese Service until a time when we thought Rev Dr Timothy Tow had retired, and someone else took over. We felt that the services somehow became very dry and not spiritual anymore. So we chose to worship the Lord in Calvary Pandan B-P Church at the evening services, although we did not transfer our membership.

In the year 2004, my wife (who is Shanghainese) and I left to work overseas in China. We returned to Singapore in 2006 and attended the Calvary Pandan services again.

At the end of 2006, we came to know from Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew that Pastor Timothy Tow had started True Life B-P Church in his old age. We were moved to support the services held at RELC too. We thank God that He has preserved and blessed Rev Timothy Tow and all other faithful pastors who fully honour the Holy Word and our All-Powerful and Almighty God. I thank God that He continues to preserve the King James Bible at Calvary Pandan and True Life B-P Church even in these end-times.

On 22 July 2007, God has given my wife and me a heavenly gift after 10 years of marriage, our baby boy—Juhan—was born. Eight days later, it came to our mind that Juhan has to be baptised

This is our testimony and we wish for Juhan to be baptised on 7 October 2007, and at the same time, my wife and I could also transfer our membership from Life BPC to True Life BPC.

 

INFANT BAPTISM
1. Tan Juhan
s/o Mr and Mrs Tan Tze Chang

BAPTISM
2. Chng Yeow-Kong Jennifer Homemaker
3. Tan Ming Wei Student
4. Tan Yoke Lin Tina Web Developer
5. Wong Wei Jin Samuel Student
6. Xu Huiling Bernice Student

TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP
7. Jeyakaran T. Joseph Engineering Manager
8. Patricia Joseph Teacher
9. Tan Boon Kian Billy Manager
10. Loh Shufen Catherine Company Secretary
11. Tan Teng Yung Timothy IT Consultant
12. Goh Lilian Financial Adviser
13. Tan Tze Chang Mike Project Officer
14. Zhu Siwen Sharon Wafer Fab Specialist
15. Tan Weng Suan IT Manager
16. Tan Irene Homemaker
17. Tay Poh Wah Roland Manager
18. Chong Siew Yin Ruth Accounts Officer
19. Tay Hui Yi Esther Student