At the center of Old Princeton’s confessional identity was the conviction that the doctrine of God is most important to shaping every other facet of theological speculation, in supplementation to informing one’s ability to accurately understand reality itself.
“This view … could allow for the ‘man of lawlessness’ to be the Roman Catholic church in its exaltation of the Pope, the bishop of Rome, to the position of vicar of Christ, asserting his infallibility ex cathedra, his granting of dispensations, and proclaiming of the meritorious status of pilgrimages, the doctrine of transubstantiation and the continual sacrifice of Christ.”
“Never budge on the principle of your freedom in Christ, but be pliable in your practice of your freedom before other Christians.”
“Despite the many glories of Old Princeton, there were still noticeable characteristics of the seminary that had ample room for reform.”
“Some identify the hinderer as some power in society that is in competition with the goals of the lawless one. They see the Roman emperor as the hinderer…. Paul, however, indicates that the Thessalonians already know about the operation of hindrance of evil…”
As Christians who are freedmen of the Lord, we must not live by the Rolling Stones motto of “I’m free to do what I want any old time.” We are free, but free to do what Christ wants any old time. We are slaves and bondservants of Christ.
The man of lawlessness, in the style of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:1-7 or Darius in Daniel 6:6-9, claims all the power and prerogatives of a god. He makes himself the final point of loyalty for all his subjects. He opposes every object of worship other than himself, exalts himself above them and even inserts his own authority above the God of the Bib
Christian liberty frees us from this kind of slavery to the traditions and impositions of men in order to follow the clear and objective Word of God.
“False teaching produces false living.”
Sometimes discussions on Christian liberty revolve around what Christians should or should not do. But our main focus needs to be on what Christ has already done for us.