Happy Valentine's Day!!!

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Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I'd take it too, Charlie Brown!

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Theological Valentine

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield was one of the most brilliant theologians America has ever produced. As a bulwark against the liberal theology of the 19th century, he was the last conservative to occupy the Charles Hodge Chair of Theology at Princeton Seminary. He was the principle of that seminary from 1887 to 1921. His defense of the inerrancy of Scripture is unmatched to this day and was responsible for stemming the tide of neo-orthodoxy and countering the influence of German higher criticism. His work made it acceptable to be a thinker and still hold to the doctrinal tenets of Scripture. The teaching and voluminous writings of Warfield have had an essential and enduring impact on all theological conservatives and biblical inerrantists. His impact on today’s Bible believing church is immeasurable.

But despite the impact of his scholarly contributions, they were not his greatest accomplishment. As a matter of fact, theological endeavors were not even the most important events of his daily routine. The most important events of each day of B. B. Warfield’s adult life concerned something that most people never knew about him. It was a part of his life that was never publicized. Even today, although many people are familiar with his theology, most are unfamiliar with how his theology played out in his own home.

In 1876, when Warfield was a young man of 25, he married the love of his life Annie. He was studying in Germany at the time, so they decided to honeymoon there. As they were hiking in the Harz Mountains outside of Leipzig, they were overtaken by a tremendous thunderstorm. Fear and panic from the storm left the newly wedded Mrs. Warfield practically incapacitated from neurological trauma. From that point until the day she died in 1915, she was an invalid who required the constant attention and care of her husband.

Although in constant demand, for the rest of Annie’s life, Dr. Warfield refused to travel the lecture circuit. European tours were out of the question. By all accounts, he seldom left her bedside for more than two hours at a time.

In today’s world, many might ask, why would such a brilliant scholar limit himself in such a way? The reason is simple, yet profound. He didn’t limit himself. His life was full—of love. The great scholar, Dr. B. B. Warfield, understood many things about God and the way He chose to reveal Himself in Scripture. He had a deep and profound understanding about God’s covenant love for His people. But more than that, he also understood how to live out that covenant love in the covenant love he had for his own wife.

Warfield understood that his marriage was a picture of Christ’s love for the church and even though we are broken and marred and stained and worthless to Him, He loves us anyway. He loves us enough to care for us and nurture us and never leave our side.

Warfield understood theology. Do I know that because of the 10 volumes of his works on my shelf which I occasionally attempt to muddle my way through? In a way—but even more so, I know that he understood theology by the way he treated his wife. Although she had nothing with which to offer him, he loved her anyway and emptied himself for her.

Romans 5:6-8

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True Valentine Love

The best Valentine’s Day quote I’ve seen this year:

Humid professions of undying love and tear-stained sonnets are all well and good, but they can’t compete with the earthy love of Deb helping me change and drain my catheter pouches each day…

Thanks to Tony Reinke for digging this up from New York Times editor Dana Jennings’ (pictured) Valentine’s column.

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The Reason for the Season

Valentine’s Day is upon us! I write that with an exclamation point, not out of excitement, but out of panic. If you are like me, you are feeling the same panic because you realize that it’s the day before Valentine’s Day and you have yet to get anything for your wife. While I personally think it’s all part of a vast conspiracy created and propagated by Hallmark, I still am forced to participate. But aside from my vague protestations concerning the crass commercialization of another holiday (a smug-sounding way of saying I hate shopping and dread it further because I’ve waited till the last minute again)—Valentine’s Day is another wonderful opportunity to recognize the sacredness of marriage. Each year at Christmas, we encourage each other to remember the true meaning of the season. We ought to do the same at Valentine’s Day. It is a season for romance and a celebration of sweethearts—each of which is an expression of the marital love between a husband and wife.

But it goes even deeper than that, because even the gift of marriage is a picture. God instituted the covenant of marriage as a beautiful picture of the intimately loving, self-sacrificial, covenantal relationship between Jesus Christ and His church. As Jesus is to His church, so a husband is to be toward his bride. And as the church is supposed to be toward Christ, so is a bride to be toward her husband. The Lord has given us a beautiful picture of the way He loves us in the covenant bonds of marriage.

Of course, that picture is often distorted because of the fact that we are fallen people living in a fallen world. With divorce, abuse, infidelity, nagging, neglect, selfishness and a host of other issues, we have allowed the stain of sin to permeate the picture. But even though the picture is often marred in reality, it is beautiful in the ideal—as is the church.

The ideal marital relationship is highlighted in Ephesians 5:22-33. And not incidentally, that passage also highlights the ideal church relationship. So this year, as you go out to buy your sweetheart a card and some chocolates, don’t stop there. Cards fade and are quickly forgotten. Chocolates get eaten—quickly in my house. But the best things of marriage last forever—just like Jesus’ relationship with His church. This Valentine’s Day, purpose in your heart to strive for God’s best, both at home and at church.

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