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Christ for All of Life and the Lordship of Jesus Christ Theology : Bestial but Legitimate, Legitimacy Not Sanctity

Briefly, it is this common grace , distinct from special grace, which is the basis of civil society —distinct in its turn, and for this reason, from religious society— with its science, its industry, its philosophy, and its politics . Émile Doumergue, “Music in the Work of Calvin,” The Princeton Theological Review VII, no. 1–4 (1909): 534–535.  Common grace is understood to be the unmerited favor of God toward all men whereby (1) he restrains sin so that order is maintained, and culture and civil righteousness are promoted; and (2) he gives them rain and fruitful seasons, food and gladness, and other blessings in the measure that seems to him to be good. It is evident from this definition that the doctrine of common grace is closely related to a number of other important matters of theological interest.   It is directly related to the doctrine of God, for it is concerned with his attitude toward all men, sinners outside his saving grace as well as those within. It is concerned...
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Must we then go back to the old doctrine of Papias, Irenaeus, Tertullian: and interpret the Millennium literally?

 We have already said that, although many in the early Church accepted the belief in the Millennium as a part of orthodoxy, many did not. The historian Eusebius almost contemptuously dismisses Papias’ report. ‘I suppose he got those ideas’, he says, ‘through a misunderstanding of the apostolic records, not perceiving that the things said by them were said mystically in figures. For he seems to have been of very limited understanding’ William Barclay, Revelation of John, vol. 2, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 213–214. And Papias, of whom we are now speaking, confesses that he received the words of the apostles from those that followed them, but says that he was himself a hearer of Aristion and the presbyter John. At least he mentions them frequently by name, and gives their traditions in his writings. These things, we hope, have not been uselessly adduced by us. But it is fitting to subjoin to the words of Papias which have be...
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