There are two parts in the [Second] Commandment -- the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the second prohibits the transferring of the worship which God claims for Himself alone, to any of these phantoms or delusive shows. Therefore, to devise any image of God, is in itself impious; because by this corruption His Majesty is adulterated, and He is figured to be other than He is.

-- John Calvin, Commentary on Exodus [20:4]

P1: The church is commanded to baptize the nations (Matt. 28:20)
P2: Nations include infants.
C: Therefore, the church is commanded to baptize infants.

P1: If God has previously prescribed a standard, we are to assume it remains in force unless explicitly or logically deducibly told otherwise.
P2: In the Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic administrations all explicitly included children in the covenant and when God attached signs, the children also received them.
P3: There is no explicit or logically deducible command contrary.
C: Therefore, children remain in the covenant and recieve its signs.

If God had wanted to give us the Bible in film or movie format, he would have done so.

The Chosen and similar idolatries are just images and icons that move on a screen.

A covenant is a bond in blood sovereignly administered.

With the phrase "bond in blood," we may infer both that this is a life and death bond, and that it follows one's bloodline.

With the phrase "sovereignly administered," we may infer both that one's inclusion is not voluntary, nor are the terms of the administration.

The Book of Acts Is Not Normative:

It was written, along with Luke's gospel, to chronicle the extraordinary events of Jesus' coming and the ramifications thereof. Numerous errors arise from attempting to make it normative.

1) Charismaticism and continuationism, which ignore the later portions of the New Testament and attempt to make the sign gifts normative.

2) Credobaptists, who assume no children were present at Pentecost or in the households, and make adult confession the prerequisite for all.

3) Pacifists and anabaptists, who blot out the entire Old Testament in their pseudo-masochistic desire to make the church once again a persecuted minority with no power.

On reflection, it was unfair to compare journalists to prostitutes.
Prostitutes actually provide a service.

Only a Living Faith Justifies: WCF 11.2:

II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.


Bare assent is no better than the papists' "implicit faith." Cf. WCF 14.2.

Isaiah 1:11-17, BRP

“What to me is the multitude of your Bible studies?" says the Lord; "I have had enough of Bible studies and of prayers and small groups; I do not delight in evening services, or prayer meetings, or Wednesday services.

When you come to appear before me, who requires of you this trampling of my chuches?

Bring no more long sermons; the liturgy is an abomination to me. Hymns and catechism and the call to worship— I cannot endure iniquity and prayer meetings.

Your monthly communion and your fellowship meals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.

When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil,

learn to do good; seek my law, correct your anarchotyranny; defend the unborn, plead for those your laws oppress."

Presumptive Salvation of Covenant Children:

Since we are to judge of the will of God from His Word which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature, but in virtue of the covenant of grace, in which they, together with the parents, are comprehended, godly parents have no reason to doubt of the election and salvation of their children whom it pleaseth God to call out of this life in their infancy.

-- Canons of Dort, Article 17

God's name is profaned whenever any detraction is made from His supreme wisdom, infinite power, justice, truth, clemency, and rectitude. If a shorter definition be preferred, let us say that His name is what Paul calls to gnoston, "that which may be known" of Him.

-- John Calvin, Commentary on Exodus [20:7]

Christian Children Are in the Covenant:

All the children of those that believe are included in the covenant, and church of God, unless they exclude themselves. They are, therefore, also disciples of Christ, because they are born in the church, or school of Christ; and hence the Holy Spirit teaches them in a manner adapted to their capacity and age..... those are not to be excluded from baptism, to whom the benefit of the remission of sins, and of regeneration belongs. But this benefit belongs to the infants of the church.... He who will now diligently examine these testimonies from the word of God, will see that it is not only lawful, but that baptism ought to be administered to infants also; for they are holy; the promise is unto them; the kingdom of heaven is theirs; and God, who is certainly not the God of the wicked, declares that he will also be their God.

-- Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, Q74

Note: this differs from the view that only the elect are in the Covenant of Grace.

A Distraction from True Idolatry:

It has today become popular to condemn people for "making an idol" of their work, vocation, family, spouse, etc.

It's true in the abstract that these normally good things can become idols, but the Bible never speaks of them as such.

This is generally a red herring, a distraction from the real idols plaguing the church: social media, video games, pornography, partying, sportsball, news fearmongering etc.

Typology and symbolism are pervasive in Scripture. Jesus and the Apostles frequently employ these tools in their interpretation of Scripture, and so should we.

The answer to bad typology and symbolism is good typology and symbolism, just like the answer to bad didactical exegesis is good didactical exegesis. (Paraphrase of James Jordan in the lecture below)

https://youtu.be/IACY2BLIyzg?si=l2icTnkwk-VzTb2o

In this 10-minute conversation, James B. Jordan provides a fresh perspective on the Reformed confessional tradition.

https://youtu.be/gtrsA4t6C-g?si=DHQ_5IQbOMC1I-dZ

The object of this Commandment is that believers should exercise themselves in the worship of God; for we know how prone men are to fall into indifference, unless they have some props to lean on or some stimulants to arouse them in maintaining their care and zeal for religion. Under the Second Commandment we have already indeed made some remarks on the outward profession of piety, and under the First also brief mention has been made of some festivals, inasmuch as in the Passover and the offering of the first-fruits the people devoted themselves to God, as if by a solemn repetition of the covenant... that by their aid the people might be the more encouraged to maintain the unity of the faith and to preserve the harmony of the Church.

-- John Calvin, Commentary on Exodus [20:8]

I would rather someone be a good parent and a heretic than an orthodox bad parent.

Children are the most important thing.

Faith is a gift of God, poured into man from heaven, whereby he is taught with an undoubted persuasion, to wholly lean on God and his word; in this word, God freely promises life and all good things in Christ, and in this word, all truth necessary to be believed is plainly declared.

-- Heinrich Bullinger, Decades

Bullinger: Justification by Faith and Works:

Although we say that the faithful are justified by faith alone, or by faith without works, we do not say, as many think we do, that faith is posted alone, or is utterly destitute of good works. For wherever there is faith, there it also shows itself by good works; because the righteous cannot help but work righteousness.... So then, as often as the godly read that our own works justify us, that our own works are called righteousness, that a reward and life everlasting are given for our own works — he does not by and by swell with pride, nor forget the merit of Christ. But setting a godly and apt interpretation on such places, he considers that all things are by the grace of God, and that such great things are attributed to the works of men, because they are received into grace, and have now become the sons of God for Christ's sake. So that, in the end, all things may be turned upon Christ himself, for whose sake the godly know that they and all theirs are in favour and accepted by God the Father.

Bullinger: The Threefold Division of the Law:

In the moral laws, He frames our manners and teaches us what to do, and what to leave undone. With the ceremonial laws, he helps forward the morals; and under types and figures, he lays before the eyes of our body and mind the mysteries of God and his heavenly kingdom. And lastly, by the judicial laws he compels us to keep the laws, and preserves their integrity. Now all these together tend to this end only: that man may be saved, that he may worship God aright, and live according to the will of the Lord.