Book Review – The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander

The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry On the Gospel
By Mark Dever and Paul Alexander
Crossway Books, 2005
Category: Church Helps
ISBN: 1581347383
Paperback
202 pages
Indexes: General Subject and Scripture
$14.99 MSRP

Let me begin by stating what many may wait to share until the end: I loved this book. I have read and reviewed Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, which is interestingly, the most visited page on my blog. Church leaders from all over the world have Google’d its title and landed on my page, however, I seem to be one of the few in the blogosphere that did not like the book. I presume folks have merely moved on until they found a more satisfactory review to suit them. I am curious if this review will spark as much interest. I suspect not for a few reasons: first, The Deliberate Church is over two years old (published in 2005) which signifies – by church-growth model standards – it is beginning to get info in the mail from AARP. Second, The Deliberate Church is not one of those books that will easily satisfy those who are looking for a church-growth model. Seemingly contradictory, let the author’s explain:

”We have called this book The Deliberate Church because we wanted a title that might serve to throw us into the fray of the church methodology debates. American evangelicalism is now dripping with the various kinds of churches: The Emerging Church, The Purpose Driven Church, The Connecting Church, The Disciple-Making Church, a critical assessment called The Market Driven Church, and almost any other kind of church you could possible want. We thought keeping the format of “The _______ Church” for a title might get our foot in the door of the debate. “Deliberate is the best word we could find to succinctly describe what we’re talking about (22-23).

And the title to this two hundred page work will not disappoint you because the subtitle really defines its intention “Building Your Ministry on the Word.” For Mark Dever and Paul Alexander, this is precisely what they have done.

Contrary to Simple Church, The Deliberate Church is heavy laden with Scripture which a quick glance at the Scripture index will prove. However, these Scriptures are not merely pulled from thin air in order to accomplish the author’s purpose, but rather, the author’s derive there purpose from Scripture. A competent and faithful expositor of God’s word, Mark Dever founded IX Marks Ministries with the hopes of helping other church leaders develop their ministry based upon what the biblical calling for ministry is – not what the next great statistician has to say about trends and growth models. Therefore, The Deliberate Church is not only heavy laden with Scripture, it is heavy laden with GOSPEL – the good news that the God of this universe Who is there has revealed Himself faithfully throughout the course of history, ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ, and is continuing to summon men to Himself as He seeks worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). From the introduction:

This Gospel, then, is that God is our holy Creator and righteous Judge. He created us to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever, but we have all sinned, both in Adam as our representative head, and in our own individual actions (Rom 5:12; 3:23). We therefore deserve death – spiritual separation from God in Hell (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:3) – and are in fact already spiritually stillborn, helpless in our sins (Ps 51:5; Rom 5:6-8); Eph 2:1) and in need of God to impart spiritual life to us (Ezek. 37:1-14; John 3:3). But God sent His Son Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man (Phil. 2:5-11), to die the death that we deserved, and He raised Him up for our justification, proving that He was God’s Son (Rom. 5:1; 1:4). If we would have Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to us, and the penalty for our sins accounted to Him, we must repent of our sins and belie in Jesus Christ for salvation (2 Cor. 5:21; Mark 1:14-15)

This Gospel alone (Gal 1:6-9) is the one we are commanded to preach (2 Tim. 4:2). This Gospel alone contains the theology that must drive our ministry methods. This Gospel alone is the one God uses to create a people for Himself. This Gospel alone both enables and informs our participation in God’s redemptive purposes. Consequently, this Gospel alone deserves to shape and evaluate both our methods and our ministries (28-29)”

A lengthy quote, yes, but an important one, for this theme repeats itself over Andover again throughout the book. The Gospel is what transforms enemies of God into worshipers. The Gospel is what transforms cultures enraged against the Truth to individuals who seek to love God and love neighbor. Without the Gospel, the true Gospel – the BIBLICAL GOSPEL – you do not have a church. You may have a quaint gathering of morally upstanding members of society, but you do not have a church. You may have a country club, a rotary club, lion’s club, or even the Red Cross, but without the Gospel you do not have a church. And without the Gospel, the church loses her purpose.

This book is divided into four major sections (following two forewords, two prefaces, and an introduction. With an intro like this – it better be good! And it is!) They are as follows:

1. Gathering the Church
2. When the Church Gathers
3. Gathering Elders
4. When the Elders Gather

Given that the final two sections of the book deal with the election and function of elders, I presume many will not give this book a second look (at least those coming from a Baptist background). However, I believe that Dever presents a balanced view of the elder polity. I will be the first to say that I am not fully equipped to formulate judgments as to which form of church government is the most biblical , but be sure that Dever’s thrust is not to accept elder polity, but rather promoting church unity.

Having said this, let me point to a few highlights from each section. Let me remind you: if you are in any position of church leadership – this book will be of benefit to you.

Dever says that there are four primary responsibilities of any pastor: Preach the Word, Pray for Your Flock, Develop Personal Discipling Relationships, and Be Patient. With these four in mind, a minister is set to begin to build his ministry on the Word. Preaching the Word may be a given, but not unless it is understood in Dever’s context. To “Preach the Word” means to preach the WHOLE Word. To preach expositionally, not topically, through the Scriptures is to let the point of the text be the point of the sermon, not to seek Scriptures to fit with the point you are intending to get across. Dever asserts (and is also a reoccurring theme throughout the book):

”What you win them with is likely what you’ll win them to. If you win them with the Gospel, you’ll win them to the Gospel. If you win them with technique, programs, entertainment, and personal charisma, you might end up winning them to yourself and your methods (and you might not!), but it is likely that they won’t be won to the Gospel first and foremost (44).”

The danger and pitfall of any ministry organization, but specifically a local church, is to fall into the snare that program’s are what win people. Sure, it is great to offer free pizza on Friday nights in an effort to provide a safe haven for the high school students to hang out, and it is good to provide “Mother’s Day Out” programs so that moms can have a safe place to leave their children while they run some errands. It is also good to offer workout facilities, Book Stores, and divorce care support groups. These are all “good” things that benefit the society as a whole. However, if there is no gospel, then they are not truly good things. If there is no gospel there is no life change. If there is no life change, there is no true Christian. If there are no Christians, there is no church. See the progression? Without the gospel, the church ceases to be the church and is no different than the aforementioned Lions and Rotary clubs. Thus, programs do not truly effect life change. The only thing that effects true life change is God’s word accurately preached under the Holy Spirit’s initiative. Therefore, programs may be used as an inroad to preach the gospel, but it can not serve as a substitute for it.

Dever then discusses his policies for taking in new members and doing what he calls “responsible evangelism.” What does he mean by this?

”The way we do evangelism will inform the way our hearers understand the Gospel. The way our hearers understand the Gospel will inform the way they live the Gospel. The way our hearers live the Gospel will have a direct bearing on the corporate witness of our churches in our communities. The corporate witness of our churches will in turn make our evangelism either easier or harder, depending on whether that witness is a help or a hindrance (51).

In other words, if we are to be “responsible” in our evangelistic efforts we are not allowing ourselves to rise to the level of the individual who is “responsible” for another’s salvation – only the Holy Spirit is capable of causing regeneration in the life of another. But, where we are “responsible” is in the way that we accurately present the Gospel. Do we clearly present that all creation is created by God and subject to His rule? If we truly are a random process of time plus chance, then where is accountability to anything? If we are indeed created, which we are because Scripture affirms such, then there needs to be a concept and understanding of sin or rebellion or estrangement from God. Then, and ONLY then – never before, do we offer the solution. Premature decisions are simply premature. Therefore, we should never feel the pressure to “close the deal” and attempt to bring an individual to a decision point at any given moment. We must be sure that the individual is responding to the Holy Spirit and the authority of God’s word – not our own personality or persuasiveness.

Section 2 deals primarily with the “how” and “why” the church gathers together. The church may gather at times for regular corporate worship, Bible study, budget meetings, discipline issues, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, etc. Dever then examines what he believes to be the specific role of the pastor in each of these gatherings. Before this, however, he does offer a brief synopsis of worship styles comparing the Regulative Principle to the Normative Principle. Simply, the Regulative says we will only worship in such a way which is commended to us in Scripture. The Normative says that we will not worship in such a way that is prohibited by Scripture. Thus, the Normative is much less stringent than the Regulative. Dever prefers the Regulative. In turn, he says that we must read the Bible, preach the Bible, pray the Bible, sing the Bible, and the see the Bible. He uses the “see the Bible” as a way that we partake in the Lord’s Supper.

“[Everything] that happens up front in a corporate worship gathering is part of the teaching ministry of the church. Everything teaches, whether you intend it to or not. The songs teach people doctrine and the proper affections for God. Your prayers (or lack of them) teach people how to pray themselves. The kinds of prayer you pray (or don’t pray) teach people about the important differences between prayer of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. The way you administer the ordinances teaches people about their meaning, and even the very meaning of the Gospel. Your preaching teaches people how to study and use the Bible appropriately. Everything from the call to worship to the benediction counts as teaching. Teaching is everything (90).”

This concept caused me to think about our worship services specifically and I began to see how true this really is. When we pray, how we pray, why we pray began to show up quickly. What we sing, how we sing, and when we (congregationally or led by a choir or soloist) began to teach me immensely how our church and its leadership viewed them (or at least seemingly). I say seemingly because the message that was conveyed may not be the message that was intended to be conveyed. But, much like every other conversation the intended message is often lost in the reception of the hearer. This caused me to think greatly but will have to wait for ruminations of another time.

Sections 3 (Gathering Elders) and 4 (When Elders Gather) were less intriguing to me, probably most due to the fact that I am not a church elder, nor am I in a position of governance in our church. Thus, it was good for informational purposes; however, I did not find much direct application. But, for the elder or pastor, this section will provoke great thought and possible change in structure if read thoroughly. Dever discusses the purpose and importance of a plurality of elders that leads a church. Being that his church, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, is a Baptist church, this is not a popular concept among many, but I believe one that needs to at least be considered. Dever makes his case for a plurality of elders from the familiar Biblical texts Acts 6:1-4; 20:17-38; and 1 Timothy 3:1-3. Dever says that the plurality of elders accomplishes six major goals:

1. It balances pastoral weakness
2. It diffuses congregational criticism
3. It adds pastoral wisdom
4. It indigenizes leadership
5. It enables corrective discipline
6. It diffuses “us vs. him” (133-135)

I have never bee actively involved in a local fellowship that practices the plurality of elders so I can not attest the practical validity or not. However, I do follow Dever’s argument for such an instance. Be clear, Dever does not say that this is the ONLY way to govern a church, but one he believes to be the most faithful to the Biblical model. Some who advocate for the single elder system state that it is not so much that the single pastor desires to have ultimate control, but that ultimately someone has to be the one to take final responsibility for the matters of the church. Someone has to be the Truman of the bunch to let the “buck stop here.” I can sympathize with both sides of the argument. Either way, the emphasis needs to be placed upon faithful shepherding of the local body – whatever form that takes. Elder boards and deacon boards have a tendency to be power hungry and attempt to throw their weight around on every issue of the church from the color of the carpet to how much should be spent funding oversees missions. This, I believe, is completely contrary to Scripture. Scripture is clear that deacons are not to run the church, they are to serve her. Thus, unity of the body is what should be strived for, not that which suits a few individuals. In some congregations this will mean plurality of elders, in some it will mean single elder.

Were I to return this book and reread it, which I am sure will happen at some juncture in my tenure, I believe I will read the conclusion first. Here, Dever and Alexander tie together several threads that seem to have been sown throughout the beginning of the book. Here is the main thrust of the book:

”The biblical hallmarks of church health – holiness, faith, love, sound doctrine – are cultivated in us as we are captivated, by Him.

What this means is that we want to build our churches in a way that makes this corporate captivation with Christ a normal part of our lives together…If people are transformed ever more perfectly into the image of Christ by gazing at Him, then the job of the pastor and evangelist is not to come up with more innovative or clever methods. It is rather to present people with the clearest picture possible of biblical truth. The more clearly we present Christ’s person and work to our local churches, the more clearly we will come to reflect His glory together as if in a mirror.

This is why it’s so important to begin (and continue!) a work by expositional preaching that clarifies the Gospel and makes much of God. This is why we want to present God and Christ clearly and frequently in evangelism. This is why we want to keep all our methods as plain as possible – so that we don’t obscure our message with our method…Nothing else has transforming power for the church but the Word of God plainly set forth in preaching and in living…What is needed most today is a commitment to being deliberate about setting forth the truth plainly, because the truth as we gaze on it is what transforms us, what builds us up and sets us free (John 17:17; Acts 20:32; John 8:36).” (195, 196, 197)

This is really what the Gospel ministry is all about: the Gospel. Nothing else transforms. The Deliberate Church will be a valuable edition for any church leader, pastor, elder, and even church member who desires to know how to help establish his ministry in the word. May we all be deliberate in our worship and seek to bring others to worship around the throne as well.

Lord, cause us to be the true “church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth” (1 Tim 3:15).

Book Review – Understanding the Bible by John Stott

Understanding the Bible: Expanded Edition
By John R.W. Stott
Zondervan, 1972 rpt 1999
Category: Biblical Studies
ISBN: 0310414318
Paperback
216 pages
Indexes: Person and Subject
$14.99 MSRP

Books whose goal is to provide a broad sweep of the entire Bible will never go out of style. It seems as though each Biblically-centered publishing arm cranks out one or more “Bible Overview” type books every two years or so. This book just happens to have enjoyed its first printing thirty-five years ago. However, as the message of the Bible is timeless, any overview of the Bible should remain timeless as well and endure the test of time.

Dr. John Stott’s biography may be found here. I must be clear that I do not agree with Dr. Stott on all things theological. Stott does not believe in a literal six-day creation (544-55). Stott does not believe that the flood in the days of Noah was a worldwide flood but only a localized one (56). He has written elsewhere that he no longer believes in a literal Hell, but rather favors the doctrine of annihilationism and he hints at this idea in view of an uncertainty concerning the nature of Hell (151). Nonetheless, in Understanding the Bible Dr. Stott has written a great work that would be beneficial to any student of the word. He states in the preface that this book is written for two people: first, the new convert and second, the long-standing Christian. Broad categories, sure, but here is his explanation:

“In particular, our Christianity is mean because our Christ is mean [meager, lacking not unkind]. We impoverish ourselves by our low and paltry views of Him. Some speak of Him today as if He were a kind of hypodermic to be carried about in our pocket, so that when we are feeling depressed we can give ourselves a fix and take a trip into fantasy. But Christ cannot be used or manipulated like that. The contemporary church seems to have little understanding of the greatness of Jesus Christ as Lord of creation and Lord of the church, before whom our place is on our faces in the dust. Nor do we seem to see His victory as the New Testament portrays it, with all things under His feet, so that if we are joined to Christ, all things are under our feet as well.

It seems to me that our greatest need today is an enlarged vision of Jesus Christ. We need to see Him as the One in Whom alone the fullness of God dwells and in Whom alone we can come to the fullness of life (Col 1:19; 2:9-10).

There is only one way to gain clear, true, fresh, lofty views of Christ, and that is through the Bible…

In order to apprehend Jesus Christ in His fullness, it is essential to understand the setting within which God offers Him to us” (10).

And with these statements, I was hooked. Indeed, our need today, every day prior, and every day yet to come is to have “an enlarged vision of Jesus Christ.” If we were to be a people who saw Christ glorified as He truly has revealed Himself in Scripture we would make of our world by making much of our Lord. And thus Dr. Stott sets us on a quest to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ through contextualizing Him within the Biblical roots pf culture that He has chosen to reveal Himself through to us.

The overarching theme of the Bible is this: God’s glory as revealed in redemption’s unfolding plan for His people. Stott states that the supreme purpose of the Bible is a book of salvation. He cites the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy where Paul affirms that the Scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” (2 Tim 3:15) (14).

According to Stott, the Bible is primarily a book about salvation in that “its intellectual instruction (its “wisdom,” as the Greek word implies) is given with a view to the moral experience called “salvation” (Stott 15). Initially, I would say that this definition does not travel far enough, but then Stott adds, “Salvation is far more than merely the forgiveness of sins. It includes the whole sweep of God’s purpose to redeem and restore humankind, and indeed all creation. What we claim for the Bible is that it unfolds God’s total plan” (16). Many Dispensationalists disagree that the Bible is not a book primarily concerned with salvation, but that it is rather a revelation of God’s glory. I think that this may be semantics and the debate is not as far reaching as one might conjecture, but it may prove to be a greater distinction than I realize in other circles.

The Bible is a book concerned with the revelation of God’s glory, but, God’s glory is most evidently revealed in redemption. Those who are outside of Christ do have the opportunity to witness God’s glory as it is revealed in creation so that all are without excuse (Ps 19:1-6; Rom 1:20) though many fail to do so. Instead, they find themselves “[serving] the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom 1:25). But those who are in Christ have an unparalleled opportunity to give witness to and then be witnesses of the glory of God. This evident in that that the Holy Spirit is able to illuminate to the them the Scriptures by guiding the redeemed into all truth, and will take what is Christ’s and declare it to others (John 16:13-15). Further, the redeemed in Christ are privileged in the matter of salvation as these are “things which angels long to look” (1 Pet 1:12). Peter further declares that “you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). Thus, Peter does not deny the fact that the Scriptures give testimony to the glory of God, but it is under the umbrella of God’s glory (as 1 Cor 10:31 declares that all things are to be done for this) that salvation is revealed and that those who have come to salvation are then fit to glorify God as an object of mercy rather than a vessel of wrath (Rom 9:22-24).

Therefore, operating under the auspices of the Bible being a book that deals primarily with the message of salvation, Stott’s book seeks to illustrate the plan of redemption as it has developed through Scripture. This book is NOT a commentary or Bible handbook. This book is a narrative depicting the truths found in the most published book in world history.

Chapter Two of Stott’s book is titled “The Land of the Bible” and admittedly, I was a little less than hooked when I read the first few pages of this chapter. He speaks of vegetation, annual precipitation, and geography – areas in school where I have not always been the brightest. However, he reveals much of the importance to these facts and figures if we are to accurately interpret the Scriptures in their literal, grammatical, historical contexts. Why was rain so important to the Israelites? Why did they view its presence or lack thereof as a direct signal to God’s blessing or curse? What is the significance of each of the three annual festivals that Israel was to observe? Read the Scriptures…then read the book.

The next two chapters are truly a grand sweep of the Biblical narrative. In about eighty-five pages, Dr. Stott covers both the Old and New Testaments, highlighting many of the major events that happened along the way. Again, this is not a commentary or a handbook so he does not go book by book, verse by verse. Rather, he allows you to see the grandiose account of Israel’s history throughout the various covenant’s ultimately leading up to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, followed by the beginnings of the first century church. Yes, eighty-five pages. But he does so in a manner that is of a rapid flow where you sense that you are sitting with your grandfather as he recounts your genealogy in a matter of minutes.

Stott then follows with two chapters concerning “The Message of the Bible” and “The Authority of the Bible”. In “The Message of the Bible,” Stott asserts that there are two things that we need to know about God. First, He is living and sovereign, and second, the He is consistent (Stott 139). If God is not both “living and sovereign” then he is therefore by default dead and not in control. If God is not consistent and therefore mutable, we can not trust anything that He has to say because what He says today may be different tomorrow which may be different from the next day, and so on. Thus, since He IS living, sovereign, and immutable we can trust that the word that He has given to us – the revelation of Himself – is indeed authoritative and accurate for yesterday, today, and all days in the future. He then continues to describe the outworking of the covenant of redemption that God has with His people. He does not follow a complete ordo salutis as it were, but he does offer insights into the theological concepts of what he calls Redemption, Adoption, and Glorification.

Next is a brief introduction into the interpretation of Scripture which is merely a preface to the literal, grammatical, historical method of interpretation.

Stott concludes his work with a synopsis of five “uses of the Bible” but should be understood as what the Bible’s effect should have on a “doer” and just a “hearer” only. They are: Worship, Repentance, Faith, Obedience, and Witness. It was in this section that I derived my favorite quote from the entire book.

“Worship is impossible without a knowledge of the truth…[T]he more we come to know Him, the more we shall realize that He is worthy of our devotion. For to worship is to praise God’s name, to glory in Who and What He is in the splendor of His being and works…Since worship is always a response to the truth of God we perceive, it is supremely the Word of God (His self-revelation) which evokes worship in God. Therefore the Bible has an indispensable place in both public and private worship…Only when God speaks through His Word, making Himself known in the greatness of His glory and grace, do the congregation truly bow down and worship” (211).

I would recommend Understanding the Bible to anyone seeking a broad overview of the Bible and to see an introductory glimpse into the outworking of God’s covenant of grace with His people.

Book Review – Getting the Gospel Right by Cornelis P. Venema

Getting the Gospel Right: Assessing the Reformation and New Perspectives on Paul
By Cornelis P. Venema
Banner of Truth Trust, 2006
Category: Theology
ISBN: 085151927x
Paperback
92 pages plus preface and advertisements
$6.00 MSRP

In one form or another, the topic of the “New Perspectives on Paul” came up over a short period of time and I realized that I do not have much to contribute to the conversation being that I am uninformed as to what the “new perspective” entails. Some folks claim that this is a “raging debate” among evangelical Christians and others portend a much subtler affinity to the contest. Largely, this debate exists among scholars of New Testament and Systematic Theology at the seminary level as I have not seen many pastors seeking to challenge either view from the pulpit. However, just because I have not been exposed to the arguments in a preaching setting does not mean that they are not out there somewhere. All this said, I am thankful that I picked up Dr. Venema’s little ditty which is a MUCH condensed version of his then forthcoming book and since published Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ: An Assessment of the Reformation and the New Perspectives on Paul, also published by the Banner of Truth. (Oh, hello there Steve!)

Dr. Cornelis P. Venema is the president of Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, IN and also serves as the professor of systematic theology. Given the name of the seminary that he leads, you can imagine that he believes in the “classic Protestant view” which he says that believers are “justified before God by grace alone (sola gratia) on account of the work of Christ alone (sola Christo), and this free justification becomes theirs by faith alone (sola fide)” (7). The remainder of Getting the Gospel Right is thus a brief explanation of the reformation perspective on justification, an overview of three of the leading “new perspective” theories, and finally a refutation of the new perspective based on a literal, grammatical, historical form of exegesis. In short, the New Perspective is the idea that when Paul wrote concerning the law he was referring to what it means to be a part of the community, not necessarily a refutation of the legalistic Judaism that was ruling the day (as the classical Protestant reformation view holds). This may seem to be an issue of semantics, but what is at stake is a true understanding of what the gospel is and is not and what in fact makes it “good news.”

Venema offers a brief explanation of the three “sola” statements that characterized the reformation’s perspective on justification during which he offers that “the Reformers [Luther and Calvin specifically]regarded the question of justification not as one question among many, but as the religious question, the paramount question in life and death” (10). Thus, the way that we answer and define what justification is and is not has bearing on the totality of our Christianity; and, according to the reformers (whom with which I would agree) is an indication as to whether or not we are indeed a Christian at all.

Venema then attempts to sum up the contributions of EP Sanders, JDG Dunn, and NT Wright to the new perspective theory acknowledging that they are considered to be experts in this field and collectively have helped the new perspectives to take shape.

According to Venema, Sanders believes that the reformation view wrongly understands Second Temple Judaism as a legalistic religion whereas he points to writings that indicate the Second Temple Judaism “was fundamentally a religion of grace” (28). Dr. Venema then poses this question: “If Judaism was not a legalistic religion, what are we to make of Paul’s vigorous arguments against claims to find favour with God on the basis of works?” (29). Venema then explains that Sanders offers the idea that Paul saw Christ as the solution to the human sinful condition (which He is) and he then formulated his doctrine of the law to conform to the notion that Christ was the fulfillment of the law and therefore, Savior of the world. I need to read Sanders firsthand before I can truly make a judgment on this, but if Venema represents him accurately, this would be contrary to the idea that the human condition is sinful, the law reveals man’s inability to conform to it requirements, and therefore, man is in need of a savior because he cannot save himself.

Venema then offers an overview of the works of James DG Dunn who, similar to Sanders, believes that the reformers did not have a proper understanding of Paul’s relationship with Judaism. Dunn brings this further, however, by stating “that Paul was objecting to Jewish exclusivism and not legalism” (33). In other words, Dunn understands Paul to condemn “the ‘works of the law’ to exclude Gentiles from membership in the covenant community” (33). Basically, Gentiles were “unable” to perform the works of the law because they did not have the Law in their background and the Jews were seeking to keep the Gentiles out of the covenant community because of their lack of skill or knowledge of the law.

NT Wright, Bishop for the Church of England, is the final proponent of the New Perspectives that Dr. Venema takes issue with

.“One of the unfortunate features of the Reformation and of much evangelical thinkng, according to Wright, is that they reduce the gospel to ‘a message about “how one gets saved”, in an individual and ahistorical sense’[…and] the basic message of Paul’s gospel focuses upon the lordship of Jesus Christ […] Rather than the salvation of individual sinners, the theme of Christ’s lordship is the primary focus of Paul’s preaching” (39, 40, 41).

The prevailing idea of Wright’s view on the New Perspectives, according to Venema, is that the phrase “righteousness of God” refers to “his covenantal faithfulness in action” (43). Further, “[Wright] maintains that the Reformation’s idea of the imparting of God’s righteousness to believers makes no sense” (43). Venema then quotes Wright as saying, “Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom” (43). Justification is then, according to Wright, “about who belongs to the number of God’s covenant people” (46). Again, if Venema represents Wright accurately, I would need to disagree with the Bishop in that justification is represented throughout the new testament as a legal declaration of right standing (or at least the need to be) in front of God. This justification is only achieved through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ who then imputes His righteousness to those who call upon Him for the salvation of their souls. This imputation should not be understood to deal with the inward qualities of an individual, but of the legal standing only. Sanctification confronts the inward change that is to be wrought by the Holy Spirit after regeneration while justification is solely to be thought of in terms of legality. Yes, in a sense, it does result in “who belongs” for those who have not been justified do not “belong” to the community of believers, but the doctrine of justification must first be considered in light of its soteriological function (salvation) before its ecclesiological (church).

Dr. Venema sums up his understanding of the gospel of grace by sharing a concise statement of Biblical truth that resonated within my spirit to the sounds of joy:

“Against the background of the Old Testamen idea of God’s righteousness, the apostle Paul is affirming that the gospel of Jesus Christ reveals God’s judicial action in securing the righteous status of his people before him. What is remarkable about the gospel of God’s righteousness in Christ is that God has, in the Person and work of His Son, entered into judgment on behalf of the ungodly (Rom 4:5). All who receive the free gift of right standing with God on the basis of the work of Christ, are beneficiaries of God’s righteousness. They are freed from condemnation and accepted by God, the Judge. God’s righteousness reveals His covenant faithfulness to secure His people’s salvation, to be sure. But it especially reveals God’s powerful intervention in His own court to grant a righteous status to believers on the basis of Christ’s work on their behalf” (73-74).

As stated before, this is a wonderful example of Biblical, gospel truth and I would do well to read this little passage every day!

Getting the Gospel Right is a good introduction into the concepts of the New Perspectives on Paul and I hope to read more this year. I have not personally read any contribution by Sanders, Dunn, or Wright and therefore have only attempted to offer the manner in which Dr. Venema has represented these scholars.

For another review on this same title visit David Booth.
Also, for an interesting Q&A concerning NT Wright visit here.
Or Read a review approved by Banner of Truth

Book Review – The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

The Pilgrim’s Progress
By John Bunyan
Barbour Publishing, 1988 (originally published in 1678)
Category: Puritan Fiction / Christian Living
ISBN: 1577489160
Hardcover
303 pages
$9.97 MSRP

In 1660 a young preacher burning with a passion for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was arrested and imprisoned in the “County Goal” in England. His crime? Non-conformity to the rules of the state religion. During the next twelve years of his sentence, John Bunyan wrote some of the greatest works of all time, and, having something more to articulate than to simply to get your best life now, many of these books are still being published over 340 years later! The Pilgrim’s Progress was officially published in 1678 and is continuing to minister to the hearts and minds of its readers – fellow Pilgrims along the path – and I am the latest Pilgrim to benefit.

The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegorical tale of the Christian’s life following his conversion. For those unfamiliar, an allegory is “a literary, dramatic, or pictorial device in which each literal character, object, and event represent symbols illustrating an idea or moral or religious principle” (American Heritage Dictionary). This work is a masterwork because Bunyan masters the allegory as it relates to the Christian’s life. Every detail, every character, and every scene rings true with the Christian’s soul even today. Every character’s name represents his or her personality. We meet folks such as Evangelist, Faithful, Hopeful, Ignorance, Mr. Honesty, Mr. Great-Heart, and the main character of the first part, Christian. Christian is his name because that is what he is, a Christian. And the events circling his life are in every way the events that you and go through from time to time. Every location is named in association with the activity that occurs there. Christian (in the book and Christian’s in real life) meet with places such as The Slough of Despond [depression, dejection], Hill of Difficulty, Valley of Humiliation, and Doubting-Castle. I kept reading thinking, surely, at some point Bunyan would slip and fall out of his allegorical mystery, but as the master that he is, he staid the course until the very end.

Bunyan writes in his apology for the book before Part I begins, “This book will make a Traveller of thee, / If by its Counsel thou wilt ruled be; / It will direct thee to the Holy Land, / If thou wilt its Directions understand: / Yea, it will make the slothful, ,active be; / The Blind also delightful things to see” (13). I wrote in the margin of my book after this statement, “What a claim for a book!” Indeed, a high and lofty claim for one to make about his own book, that it will direct me to the Holy Land and it will cause me to see in ways that I had never thought possible. Having now arrived at the Celestial City at the end of his work, I gladly confess that Bunyan was dead on.

Pilgrim’s Progress is divided into two parts and the version that I read does not have chapters or any other divisions other than Part I and Part II. Part I chronicles the life of Christian, a man who sets out on his pilgrimage, leaving his wife and children because they would not have him in his new self. Part II illustrates the life of Christiana, Christian’s wife, along with there four children who, after hearing tale of Christian’s travels, set out the course to find this Celestial City for themselves. Being that this writing is now in public domain, countless publishers have included it with their repertoire. There are versions in “modern English” and others for children. I chose the version by Barbour because I wanted to read Bunyan in (what I think to be) the original tongue. This version is also helpful because there are some editorial comments made in the margins and even Scripture references when the need arises. The copy I read is a hardbound edition, but I must mention that if you are looking for a ultra-high quality piece of bookmanship, you should check the edition published by Banner of Truth. Plus, its never a bad idea to help my friend Steve Burlew eat. While you’re there, ask how you might qualify for free shipping!

I will not attempt to make a vast summary of Bunyan’s work for I am convinced that I will not give its due justice, to say the least. Therefore, I have chosen to select a few passages and highlight them for you to give you a flavor if you have not read this wonderful work.

Christian had left his wife and children having “put his fingers in his ears, and ran on crying, Life! Life! Eternal Life! So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the Plain” (17). This occurred after Christian begun to read the Word of God and asked Evangelist, “What shall I do to be saved? (16). Many can identify with such a testimony that the Word of God is what has convicted men throughout the ages to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. For, indeed, without the Word of Christ, no man will be saved, as Paul declares “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). And thus Christian sets out on his pilgrimage onward towards the Celestial City.

During his time in the Valley of Humiliation, Christian meets with one who is known as Apollyon, his first enemy:

“Now the monster was hideous to behold: He was cloathed with scales like a fish; (and they are his Pride) he had wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, and out of his belly came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question with him.
Apollyon. Whence come you? And whither are you bound?
Christian. I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the Place of all Evil, and am going to the City of Zion.
Apol. By this I perceive thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the Prince and God of it. How is it then that thou has run away from thy King? Were it not that I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to the ground.
Chr. I was born indeed in your Dominions, but your Service was hard, and your wages such as a man could not live on; for the Wages of Sin is Death; therefore, when I was come to years, I did as other considerate persons do, look out, if perhaps, I might mend myself. […]
Apol. …But it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his Servants, after a while to give him the slip, and return again to me: Do thou so too, and all shall be well […]
Chr. What I promised thee was in my non-age; and besides, I count that the Prince under whose Banner now I stand, is able to absolve me; yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my Compliance with thee: And besides, (O thou destroying Apollyon) to speak Truth, I like his Service, his Wages, his Servants, his Government, his Company, and Country, better than thine; and therefore leave off to persuade me further, I am his servant, and I will follow him” (59-60).

Apollyon obviously represents Satan, or at least one of his minions and his prime duty is to detract pilgrim’s from the way, bring guilt and shame upon them, and inflict as many wounds as they possibly can. I love how Christian chooses to respond to Apollyon, calling him by name, as though he were calling all truth into light. And he gives Apollyon the understanding that Christian has so far of his new relationship with Christ. He likes the Service (serving Christ), his Wages (eternal life), his Servants (the Lord’s Church), his Government (willing to live under the Lordship of Christ as He rules in a spirit of grace), his Company (the pleasantness of being with Christ and being known by Christ), and his Country (the general state of knowing that the Lord is sovereign).

Apollyon is none too thrilled that he has run upon a defector. Here is a portion of their battle:

“Apollyon fast made at [Christian], throwing Darts as thick as hail; by the which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot. This made Christian give a little back…But, as God would have it, while Apollyon was fetching his last blow, thereby to make full end of this good man, Christian nimbly reached out his hand for his Sword, and caught it, saying, Rejoyce not against me, O mine Enemy! when I fall I shall arise; and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving that, made at him again; saying, Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors, through him that loved us” (62).

Again, when under the attacks of Satan, it initially seems as though we are powerless. He afflicts blows to our head (our minds, our understanding, and our assurance), our hand (our effectiveness for ministry), and our foot (limiting the fruitfulness of our spiritual walk with Christ). But the growing Christian will understand that he has the ability to fight back with the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God. Christian quotes from Micah 7:8 and Romans 8:37 in his final defeat of Apollyon. Christian escaped this battle alive, but it was a battle that he would never forget again.

Again, it is almost magical the way that Bunyan causes the narrative to flow along the lines of the Pilgrim’s path. His theology shines through the characters that he brings in and there is always the element of truth that cannot be escaped. While Christian was on the road with his friend, Faithful, they run along another traveler named Talkative. Talkative lives up to his name in that he is simply one who likes to talk of matters of truth, but when it comes to applying them and living them, he does not see the benefit. Here is a portion of their discourse together:

“Talkative. For to speak the truth, there are but few that care thus to spend their time (as they are in their Travels) but choose much rather to be speaking of things to no profit; and this hath been a Trouble to me…If a man doth delight to talk of the History, or the Mystery of things; or if a man doth love to talk of Miracles, Wonders, or Signs, where shall he find things recorded so delightful, and so sweetly penned, as in the Holy Scripture?
Faithful. That’s true; but to be profited by such things in our talk, should be that which we design.
Talk. That is what I said; for to talk of such things is most profitable; for by so doing, a man may get Knowledge of many things; as of the vanity of Earthly things, and the benefit of things Above…the necessity of the New birth; the insufficiency of our Works; the need of Christ’s righteousness, etc. Besides, by this a man may learn what it is to repent, to believe, to pray, to suffer, or the like…” (77).

The conversation starts out well, but as Faithful turns to Christian it is revealed, “This man, with whom you are so taken, will beguile, with this Tongue of his, twenty of them that know him not” (78). Christian then explains to Faithful that this man, Talkative, is all talk and no action. Therefore, Faithful engages Talkative in conversation that is intended to induce action, but the actions never come. Christian quips,

“Hearing is but as sowing of the seed: Talking is not sufficient to prove that fruit is indeed in the Heart and life; and let us assure ourselves, that at the day of Doom, men shall be judged according to their Fruit: It will not be said of then, Did you believe? But were you Doers or Talkers only? And accordingly they shall be judged…
Faithful. This brings to mind that of Moses, by which he described the beast that us clean. He is such an one that parteth the hoof, and cheweth the cud; not that parteth the hoof only, or that cheweth the cud only. The hare cheweth the cud, but yet is unclean; because he parteth not the hoof. And this truly resembleth Talkative; he cheweth the cud, he seeketh Knowledge, he cheweth upon the Word; but he divideth not the hoof, he parteth not with the Way of Sinners; but as the hare, he retaineth the foot of a dog or bear, and therefore is unclean” (81).

This was indeed something that I had never thought before. I am not sure if Bunyan is making this allusion simply to fit his narrative, or if this indeed was the thrust behins the provisions Moses was given as to the cleanness and uncleanness of animals. Wow.

To sum up, Christian finally makes it to the Celestial City (Heaven). Part II begins with his wife and children setting out on their pilgrimage for they have decided that life in the City of Destruction is not profitable and will end in sure death. Christiana seems to have a much better trip as she does not go this alone. She takes her friend Mercy with her, as well as her four sons. Also, she enlists the help of a man, Great-Heart, who will accompany her and protect her throughout the entire journey. What a great picture that this gives us as to how the fellowship of the Body of Christ should be lived together in community. We are all part of one another and should “live life together”, fighting battles and blazing this trail that is set before us.

I will share only one lengthy passage regarding Christiana’s pilgrimage to the Celsetial City as she crossed over the same ground as her husband did before, but without as much difficulty as he had while there. Christiana’s friend Prudence (whom was met along the way) was given leave by Christiana to catechise her four sons to “see how Christiana had brought up her children” (217). What follows is truly great teaching and theology all wrapped up in a succinct conversation. I hope my children will be able to fair as well as these four did:

“Prudence. And she said, Come, James, canst thou tell me who made thee?
James. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
Prud. Good boy. And canst thou tell me who saves thee?
James. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
Prud. Good boy still. But how doth God the Father save thee?
Jam. By his Grace.
Prud. How doth God the Son save thee?
Jam. By his Righteousness, Death, and Blood, and Life.
Prud. And how doth God the Holy Ghost save thee?
Jam. By his Illumination, by his Renovation, and by his Preservation.
Then said Prudence to Christiana, You are to be commended for thus bringing up your children. I suppose I need not ask the rest these Questions, since the youngest of them can answer them so well. I will therefore now apply myself to the youngest next.
Prud. Then she said, Come, Joseph, (for his name was Joseph) will you let me catechise you?
Joseph. With all my heart.
Prud. What is Man?
Jos. A reasonable Creature, made so by God, as my brother said.
Prud. What is supposed by thie word Saved?
Jos. That Man, by Sin, has brought himself into a state of Cpativity and Misery.
Prud. What is supposed by his being saved by the Trinity?
Jos. That Sin is so great and mighty a Tyrant, that none can pull us out of its clutches, but God; and that God is so good and loving to Man, as to pull him indeed out of this miserable state.
Prud. What is God’s design in saving of poor men?
Jos. The glorifying of his Name, of his Grace, and Justice, etc. and the everlasting Happiness of his Creature.
Prud. Who are they that must be saved?
Jos. Those that accept of his Salvation.
Prud. Good boy, Joseph, thy mother has taught thee well, and thou hast hearkened to what she has said unto thee.
Then said Prudence to Samuel, who was he eldest but one:
Prud. Come, Samuel, are you willing that I should catechise you also?
Samuel. Yes, forsooth, if you please.
Prud. What is Heaven?
Sam. A Place and State most blessed, because God dwelleth there.
Prud. What is Hell?
Sam. A Place and State most woful, because it is the dwelling-place of Sin, the Devil, and Death.
Prud. Why wouldst thou go to Heaven?
Sam. That I may see God, and serve Him without weariness; that I may see Chrust, and love him everlastingly; that I may have that fullness of the Holy Spirit in men, that I can by no means here enjoy.
Prud. A very good boy also, and one that has learned well.
Then she addressed herself to the eldest, whose name was Matthew; and she said to him, Come, Matthew, shall I also catechise you?
Matthew. With a very good will.
Prud. I ask then, if there was ever any thing that had Being antecedent to, or before God?
Matt. No, for God is Eternal; nor is there any thing, excepting Himself, that had a being, until the beginning of the first day. For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is.
Prud. What do you think of the Bible?
Matt. It is the Holy Word of God.
Prud. Is there nothing written therein, but what you understand?
Matt. Yes, a great deal.
Prud. What do you do when you meet with places therein that you do not understand?
Matt. I think God is wiser than I. I pray also that he will please to let me know all therein that he knows will be for my good.
Prud. How believe you as touching the Resurrection of the Dead?
Matt. I belive they shall rise, the same that was buried; the same in Nature, tho’ not in Corruption. And I believe this upon a double account. First, Because God has promised it. Secondly, because he is able to perform it.
Then said Prudence to the boys, You must still hearken to your Mother, for she can learn you more. You must also diligently give ear to what good talk you shall hear from others; for your sakes do they speak good things. Observe also, and that with carefulness, what the Heavens and the Earth do teach you; but especially be much in he meditation of that Book that was the cause of your Father’s becoming a Pilgrim. I, for my part, my children, will teach you what I can while you are here, and shall be glad if you will ask me questions that ten to Godly edifying” (217-219).

Absolutely incredible. My heart leaps for joy as these truths are repeated as I see the Lord’s truth coming through a man who has long since passed into the Celestial City. This is a marvelous book that can not be described, it must be experienced. For, as you read through the progress of another Pilgrim, you will indeed see similarities to your own pilgrimage and have new ways of defining the invisible war that exists between the Darkness and the Light. May we always be progressing, Pilgrims.

*******
Also, for a great series of sermons, using the Pilgrim’s Progress as a guide, refer to Jackson First Presbyterian where Dr. Derek Thomas will take you through the Pilgrim’s journey and, in his words, “point you to the Scriptures from whence Bunyan draws those truths.” In addition, while you are there, you will be edified by listening to or reading just about anything that he or Dr. J. Ligon Duncan have to offer!

For more on John Bunyan, click here, here or the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, where you can read or listen to some of Bunyan’s works or many other great theologians of yesteryear.

Book Review – The Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford

The Green Letters: Principles of Spiritual Growth
By Miles J. Stanford
Zondervan Publishing House, 1964, 1975
Category: Spirituality / Christian Living
ISBN: 0310330017
Paperback
91 pages
$6.99 MSRP

I am sure that this is one of those books that is the classic in many minds, however, I must confess that I had never heard of it until a few months ago. This was recommended to me first by an associate pastor, and then, within a few weeks time, I was asked by another gentleman if I had read Stanford’s book. As I had some time this past week, I set it as a priority to read this short work and I am thankful that I did.

The Green Letters was a refreshing book to read as it examines some of the simple, yet complex, truths of Christianity. This is the first in a series of five books documenting the growth of a Christian as he moves into an understanding of the statement “Not I, but Christ.” After reading the first installment, I will be sure to look for the remainder as well.

Stanford’s book rests heavily on the wisdom of others. He offers some of his own thoughts, but is quick to quote from various sources in order to illustrate his point. One might assume that his philosophy is that he was not intending to write anything new, but rather assemble a collection of “letters” from the wise voices who have gone on before. Although I would not agree with all of the theological positions of some of the contributors, I am thankful that Stanford states from the onset: “The many authors quoted have been carefully selected for the explicit purpose of this book; however, this does not necessarily mean that we advocate all that these writers teach” (Preface). I needed to be reminded of this fact when, much to my surprise, I found myself agreeing with those whom I would normally disagree with in other areas of study. This thought primarily holds true for those who hold a different eschatological position than I do. This was a great reminder for me that there is always something to learn from those who think differently than I, for I am far removed from being an expert in any field.

One of the great reminders that I gained from this book is that spiritual growth takes time. Sanctification is a lifelong process and even though I would like to say that I have finally “arrived,” I will never be able to affirm such a statement on this side of eternity. Stanford quotes George Goodman as saying, “To taste of the grace of God is one thing; to be established in it and manifest it in character, habit, and regular life, is another” (14-15). Later Graham Scroggie chimes in stating,

“All growth is progressive, and the finer the organism, the longer the process…There are great days, days of decisive battles, days of crisis in spiritual history, days of triumph in Christian service, days of the right hand of God upon us. But there are also idle days, days apparently useless, when even prayer and holy service seem a burden. Are we, in any sense, renewed in these days? Yes, for any experience which makes us more aware of our need of God must contribute to spiritual progress, unless we deny the Lord who bought us” (15).

Oh if it could just happen overnight! But our Lord in His wisdom has chosen to grow us slowly and in intermittent intervals so that we might learn to trust Him wholly with and for our future. He alone is sovereign.

Stanford then asks

“two questions that every believer must settle as soon as possible. The one is, Does God fully accept me? and, If so, upon what basis does He do so? This is crucial. What devastation often permeates the life of one, young or old, rich or poor, saved or unsaved, who is not sure of being accepted, even on the human level” (18).

Indeed, how one answers these two questions will have ramifications that may be traced to every aspect of the individual’s life. Our complete identity and everything about us may be revealed in our own concept of who God is. If I am accepted by God, this means that I have been given a new nature and experienced the new birth (2 Cor 5:17). If I am not accepted by God, however, it is because I am still unregenerate, unrepentant, and dead in my trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Therefore, if I am repentant and I am placing my trust in Christ and Christ alone for my salvation, I can be assured of my acceptance in Christ by God the Father. Understanding that I am accepted in Christ, does not remove the old man of my sinful nature, and in that area as well, I must see Christ and Christ alone. Stanford quotes William R. Newell at this point with “To ‘hope to be better’ (hence acceptable) is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.” “To be disappointed with yourself is to have believed in yourself.” “To be proud is to be blind! For we have no standing before God, in ourselves” (21). It is this “hope to be better” that I find myself reciting, oft times seemingly unknowingly. I say or think things along the vein of “Lord, help me to be better.” Or, “God, I want to try to fight harder against sin next time.” My, what a dangerous thought process this is, and is sinful at its core. For, it is not some unharnessed power within me that is able to fight sin, but it is Christ Jesus Himself. Paul declares, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). It is this verse that Stanford formulates his thesis around. It is not I, but Christ who has the power to defeat sin, and it is He Himself who has indeed defeated sin once and for all.

Stanford later offers this quote from Norman Douty in regards to our devotion to the Lord. As one who fights the temptation to reduce God to an object to be studied, rather than the Christ to be worshipped, this was of utmost encouragement:

“…You cannot do it; just withdraw; come out of it. You have been in the arena, you have been endeavoring, you are a failure, come out and sit down, and as you sit there behold Him, look at Him. Don’t try to be like Him, just look at Him. Just be occupied with Him. Forget about trying to be like Him. Instead of letting that fill your mind and heart, let Him fill it. Just behold Him, look upon Him through the Word. Come to the Word for one purpose and that is to meet the Lord. Not to get your mind crammed full of things about the sacred Word, but come to it to meet the Lord. Make it to be a medium, not of Biblical scholarship, but of fellowship with Christ. Behold the Lord” (26).

I do not have much that I may add to this wise counsel. The idea of truly beholding the Lord for Who He is is marvelous and magnificent and is the essence of true worship. May we all worship the Lord as we meet Him in His Word.

Stanford then sets out through the remainder of The Green Letters to help the believer understand his completeness in Christ, his identification with and in Christ, and the denial of self so that we may proclaim, “Not I, but Christ.” And at every turn, Stanford is quick to remind the reader that it is no self-actuating power that enables us to be victorious in our quest to fight sin and know Christ. Rather, it is the reality that we must be crucified with Christ. Watchman Nee notes, “God sets us free from the dominion of sin, not by strengthening our old man but by crucifying him; not by helping him to do anything but by removing him from the scene of action” (83). Having set forth the need, the reader is left wanting for the “how.” This, I believe, beckons the need for the continuation of the series and I hope to have my hands on a copy soon.

Book Review – The Art of Manfishing by Thomas Boston

The Art of Manfishing: A Puritan’s View of Evangelism
Thomas Boston
Christian Focus Publications, 2006 (originally written in 1699)
Category: Puritans / Evangelism / Christian Living
ISBN: 1857921062
Paperback
104 pages including Introduction by JI Packer
$6.99 MSRP

Although this little book does undertake the question of a Christian’s responsibility in evangelistic efforts, I do not think that this work has been rightly titled. In our day, we tend to classify areas of a Christian’s life, especially when it comes to the topic of worship and evangelism. When we discuss “worship” it is typically in the context of our corporate gatherings on the Lord’s Day and the style of music found therein. Rarely do we say, “While I was worshiping the Lord the other day…” and the immediate thought that comes to the mind is one of Bible study, prayer, or fellowship with the saints. And thus is true of evangelism. We tend to think that this is more something that we do rather than a part of who we are. Sadly, I must confess that this is indeed the case for me – so it might be that this is more personal than is true for the rest of the body of Christ. All this said, if I were to title this book, I would have called it The Art of Manfishing: A Puritan’s View of One’s Life in Christ. Thomas Boston makes his case so clear that evangelism is not to be relegated to an event, but rather is something that is incorporated into the fibers of the Christian as he lives his life in Christ.

JI Packer writes in his introduction that “as Boston had a sensitive spirit, so he had a first-class mind, a retentive memory, and a way with words” (9). This is indeed appears to be the case as The Art is my first introduction to Boston. A minister of the gospel in Scotland, he came to trust in Christ as Lord under the ministry of Henry Erskine when he was eleven years old. Hungry for the word of God, Boston said that he often traveled the four miles to hear Erskine preach, “without so much as the benefit of a horse to carry me through Blackadder water, the wading whereof in sharp frosty weather I very well remember. But such things were then easy, for the benefit of the word, which came with power” (8). This devotion to the ministry of the word of God prompted Boston to write The Art while he was yet twenty-two years old.

Boston begins The Art with a confession that he is unworthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ let alone to be a minister of it. “[I] am a poor fool, having a weak heart and a shallow head; who might rather be learning of others than teaching them…But yet seeing I am called out to preach this everlasting gospel, it is my duty to endeavor, and it is my desire to be (Lord, thou knowest) a fisher of men” (20). And thus, Boston makes his first assertion that a fisher of men, must be humble to confess that it is not the minister who works in his own power, but one who relies on the power of Christ. The effective minister must first realize than any efforts he puts forth in his won strength will be an eventual failing, compared to the surety that the power of Christ affords. “O my soul, then see that gifts will not do the business. A man may preach as an angel, and yet be useless. If Christ withdraw His presence, all will be to no purpose” (28). And later,

“What thinkest thou, O my soul, of that doctrine that lays aside this power of
the Spirit, and makes moral suasion all that is requisite to the fishing of men?
That doctrine is hateful to thee. My soul loaths it, as attributing too much to
the preacher, and too much to corrupt nature in taking away its natural
impotency to good, and as against the work of God’s Spirit, contrary to
experience; and is to me a sign of rottenness of the heart that embraces it.
Alas! that it should be owned by any among us, where so much of the Spirit’s
power has been felt” (30).

Oh that my soul would hate self-sufficiency half as much as Boston’s did! I agree with his statements that the power of Christ must not be removed or curtailed if any preaching of the gospel is to be effective, but how often am I tempted to look for eloquence of speech and delivery in “rating” the effectiveness of any given sermon. I know the error of this thinking; O Lord, that You would change the inwrought wretchedness of my heart!

Boston then moves on to ask and answer the question “What following Christ supposes and implies.” He answers this by stating, “It presupposes life” (47), “implies a knowledge of the way that Christ took” (56), “supposes sense of weakness, and the need of a guide” (57), “renouncing of our own wisdom” (59), and “that we must not make men our rule, to follow them any farther than they follow Christ” (65). As the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…But God…made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:1, 4, 5), Boston rightly asserts that the Christian’s life is characterized by life, as those who are without Christ remain dead. Boston, like many, questions the validity of his won salvation because of what he calls “the prevailing of corruption” (47). However, through further examination he may give witness to the transforming grace of Christ because he testifies

“I have light that sometimes I had not…It lets me see my heart sins, my
imperfections and shortcomings in the best of my duties; so that God might damn
me for them…It makes me to see Christ precious…preferable to the world…It lets
me see my need of Him…I feel help in duty from the Spirit…I find a threefold
flame, though weak, in my heart. A flame of love to Christ…A flame of desires
after the righteousness of Christ…some heat of zeal for God, which vents itself
first, by endeavoring to be active for God in my station…I am more acquainted
with Christ and His ways than before…I think I discern a growth
of…love…faith…watchfulness…[and] contempt of the world (48-56).

When we get to a point where we ask ourselves, “Where is the evidence of grace in my life?”, what a pleasant reminder it is to ask such probing questions that direct us back to the cross and relive our first experiences of grace. What a marvelous treasure this is!
Boston then moves on to his second chief question, “Wherein is Christ to be followed?” This section of the book hit home with me the most. It may very well be that it is because I am one who senses the call into the gospel ministry and desires to do so with the right intentions. Boston attempts to examine how the Lord Jesus approached His earthly ministry and imitate certain aspects it.

“I am not called to follow Him in converting sinners by my own power; to work
miracles for the confirmation of the doctrine that I preach, etc. But there are
some things wherein He is imitable, and must be followed by preachers, if they
would expect to be made fishers of men” (67).

Boston concludes that all preachers should have a call to preach, or a call to gospel ministry, whichever term is more preferable, given that not all are called to preach in its formal setting, but all are called to proclaim the gospel message and Christ as its central figure. A minister’s call to vocational ministry should include “knowledge of the doctrine of the Christian religion above that of ordinary professors”, “aptness to teach”, “a will some way ready to take on the work of preaching the gospel” unless there is a “want of clearness for entering on such a great work at that time”, and “the call of the church” (68-69).

Boston next seeks to assert that the minister must seek not his own glory, but only the glory of the Christ he proclaims lest he be considered hypocritical and an object of vileness in the eyes of God. This preaching is self centered and deplorable. Paul says that “some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will…What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (Phil 1:15, 18), but these preachers will still incur a greater judgment.

“Thou pretendest to preach Christ to a people; but seeking they own glory, thou
preachest thyself, not Him” (72). Boston further warns, “look not after popular
applause; if thou do, thou hast thy reward (Matt 6:2), look for no more…trample
on thy own credit and reputation, and sacrifice it, if need be, to God’s honour”
(70). “Consider that the applause of the world is worthy nothing…and when it is
got, what have you? A vain empty puff of wind. They think much of thee, thou
thinkest much of thyself, and in the meantime, God think nothing of thee…Let
this scare thee from seeking thyself” (72).

Following this is the greatest portion of the book that is devoted to “evangelism” per se. However, any speaking engagement where Christ should be presented is always to be evangelistic in some measure. Even though it may not be characterized by the tent meeting or revival service that we have become so acquainted with from the previous era, this should not be the first thought when one thinks of an evangelistic message. To be evangelistic simply means to present the need for Christ to be supreme in all areas of life. For a non-believer, this begins by confessing Christ as Lord. Before this is done, Christ is of no eternal benefit if He is sought after only to following His teachings on morality and service. Thus, Boston stated before that following Christ “presupposes life.” The basic premise of this section is that all preaching should be centered on Christ and the sinners need for Him. Every preacher, and every Christian for that matter, should be concerned with the souls of men. I must confess that all too often, I am concerned with my own affairs and do not give a passing thought to the eternal affairs of men. I began to think today about a friend of mine who died when he was twenty-one. To my knowledge, he had never made a profession of faith in Christ, and for all that I know, he is to spend an eternity apart from Him. I confess that I do not often think this way, and I should “let the good of souls be before thee; when thou preachest, let this be thy design, to endeavor to recover lost sheep, to get some brands plucked out of the burning” (75).

Boston then turns to the importance of prayer in the gospel ministry if we are to be effective witnesses to Christ. “Thou wilt not dare study without prayer, nor yet pray without study, when God allows the time for both. It is a weighty work to bring sinners in to Christ, to pluck the brands out of the fire. Hast thou not great need then to be serious with God before you preach?” (86). Prayer should be central to any minister’s life and is an area of mine that is more than wanting. Boston even goes so far to say that after the day’s preaching, a minister should not retire to the fellowship of the brethren, but rather, should persist in a state of prayer throughout the rest of the afternoon.

“It is better to do this, than go away with the great people in the afternoon,
which I shun as much as I can…Pray to God, O my soul, that thy labours be not
unsuccessful; that what thou hast delivered may not be as water spilt on the
ground. Pray for pardon of thy failings in public duties…that He would not
withdraw His blessing because of thy failings…Think not, O my soul, that thy
work is over, and thou hast no more to do when the people are dismissed…the
devil was as busy as thou wast, when thou wast preaching; and afterwards He is
not idle” (88, 89).

I would be delighted to have a tenth of the devotion that it appears Thomas Boston had to the ministry of the word and the ministry of prayer. This was a powerful little book delving into the mind of a twenty-two year old preacher that all of us could stand to imitate.

Book Review – God Is the Gospel by John Piper

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself
By John Piper
Crossway Books, 2005
Category: Theology / Christian Living
ISBN: 1581347510
Hardcover with Dust Jacket
179 pages plus Subject Index and Scriptural Index
$17.99 MSRP

If there has ever been a book that has one central theme and every chapter, section, page, paragraph, sentence, and word attempts to hammer that theme one inch further – God Is the Gospel is the one. This is – in a complimentary way – redundancy at its finest. Piper’s theme here is this:

“The acid test of biblical God-centeredness – and faithfulness to the gospel –
is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at
the cost of His Son, He enables you to enjoy making much of Him forever? […] If
the enjoyment of God Himself is not the final and best gift of love, then God is
not the greatest treasure, His self-giving is not the highest mercy, the gospel
is not the good news that sinners may enjoy their Maker, Christ did not suffer
to bring us to God, and our souls must look beyond Him for satisfaction […] When
I say that God Is the Gospel I mean that the highest, best, final, decisive good
of the gospel, without which no other gifts would be good, is the glory of God
in the face of Christ revealed for our everlasting enjoyment” (11, 12, 13).

And thus follows the theme of this book. Every paragraph is dripping with the intensity of understanding that God Himself is the greatest good. God Himself is what we get when He chooses to grant us salvation. Salvation was never intended to be reduced merely to a “Get Out of Hell Free” card. Rather, God grants us that which is the highest, greatest, and best treasure that the world has ever or will ever know – Jesus Christ Himself. Yes, we get spiritual gifts. Yes, we receive new life, but the greatest treasure of the gospel, that which truly makes it “good news,” is the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord” (Phil 3:8). He is the all-sufficient, all-satisfying, all-encompassing reality of everything that we could ever want or need. I must confess that although I know this theological truth, I often do not live this way. But, Lord willing, I am moving toward a greater understanding of the practical implications that this has for my life and God’s glory.

The chief text from which Piper draws his conclusion comes from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth:

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers,
to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as
Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let
light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:4-6
ESV)

During one of our group discussions, our executive pastor made the comment that he had never thought of his own salvation in context of creation when God said “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3). And neither had I. But Paul makes it clear in this passage that there is a parallel to be drawn between the creation of the heavens and earth and the creation, of a new creature in Christ. One nanosecond before I became a Christian, I was spiritually dead in my trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). I was also “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (Col 1:21). But at the appointed time the Lord chose to “let light shine out of darkness” and suddenly, praise the Lord, I knew Him and have known Him ever since.

Piper then explains the use of the term “εὐαγγέλιον” [euangelion, or “gospel”, or “good news”]. It is crucial to our understanding of the gospel, of the “good news” what it is and what it is not, for us to understand the plan of redemption. It should be understood that the “gospel” is more than Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection. We should the see the gospel as God’s revelation of Himself beginning in Genesis and concluding in Revelation. God did not have to reveal Himself to anyone. He was and is completely self-sufficient and needs nothing to complete Him; He is complete in and of Himself. Yet, for the purposes of His own glory, He has sovereignly chosen to reveal Himself throughout history, and our authority for this understanding comes from His divinely inspired Scriptures. According to Piper, then, the God’s revelation of Himself then is to be understood as including the following components at a bare minimum (26-37:

1. There is a Living God
2. The Arrival of God’s Imperial Authority
3. Jesus: A Savior Who is Christ, the Lord
4. Christ Died for our Sins in Accordance with the Scriptures
5. Jesus, Risen from the Dead
6. The Gospel is Not Good News without the Promise of the Spirit
7. The Promise of Salvation for All Who Believe
8. What the Cross Purchased Makes the Cross Good News
9. The Good News Promises Eternal Life
10. All Nations Will Be Blessed Through Abraham’s Seed, Jesus Christ
11. Jesus’ Death Makes God’s Gospel Grace Just
12. The Grace of the Gospel Is the Ground of Every Good Promise
13. No Good Thing in the Gospel Is Good Without the Final Supreme Good: God

To this final point Piper adds:

“That good is God Himself seen and savored in all His glory. Focusing on facets
of a diamond without seeing the beauty of the whole is demeaning to the diamond.
If the hearers of the gospel do not see the glory of Christ, the image of God,
in all the events and gifts of the gospel, they do not see what finally makes
the gospel good news. If you embrace everything that I have mentioned in this
chapter about the facets of the gospel, but do it in a way that does not make
the glory of God in Christ your supreme treasure, then you have not embraced the
gospel. Until the gospel events of Good Friday and Easter and the gospel
promises of justification and eternal life lead you to behold and embrace God
Himself as your highest joy, you have not embraced the gospel of God. You have
embraced some of His gifts. You have rejoiced over some of His rewards. You have
marveled at some of His miracles. But you have not yet been awakened to why the
gifts, the rewards, and the miracles have come. They have come for one great
reason: that you might behold forever the glory of God in Christ, and by
beholding become the kind of person who delights in God above all things, and by
delighting display His supreme beauty and worth with ever-increasing brightness
and bliss forever” (37-38).

To this, I must clarify what I hope to be what Piper is and is not saying. Many in our discussion group were perplexed as to intention of this paragraph. Most heard Piper to say something to the effect that in the moment of our conversion, we must have a full understanding of our need to treasure Christ above all things and we must focus our entire being on what we get (Christ) as opposed to what we do not get (Hell) in order for a genuine salvation experience to have occurred. Most opinions of this sort were centered on Piper’s comment that if we do not “embrace God Himself as your highest joy, you have not embraced the gospel of God.” Further, the understanding of embracing the gospel was embracing for salvation. Having revisited this statement in its context, I believe that Piper is using “embrace” not as a term synonymous with the initial receipt of salvation, but embracing as coming into a deeper of understanding of how redemption has been accomplished and applied, thus leading us to further revel in the glory of God as revealed in the face of Christ. As one of the brightest and thorough Biblical expositors in the last half century, I do not see Dr. Piper moving what has been clearly revealed in Scripture. I believe that he would attest that our salvation is not dependent on us embracing the gospel, but rather that the gospel has embraced us. The only understanding that we have in our salvation experience is that which God graciously chooses to give to us when He “[gives] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). We are saved by grace; not by knowledge, understanding, or intellectual affluence or ability. Merely, but gratuitously, as result of His sovereign good pleasure. Having said this, if our salvation is reduced to nothing more than not going to Hell, and remains with the “elementary doctrine of Christ” without “[going] on to maturity” (Heb 6:1), then we have missed the abundant life that the Lord came so that we may have. All the while, we realize that He is life, not merely an aspect of it. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

And this is the theme of God Is the Gospel – hammered over and over and over again. I had been having similar thoughts regarding the message of the gospel prior to reading this book, and was delighted to find many of them confirmed through Piper’s writing. I could never have eloquently penned them in such a way as Piper did, but my thoughts were birthed after someone asked me the question what does it mean to be “ashamed of the gospel.” I began to think that the gospel had to be much more than what was found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. If the gospel were to truly be good news, then the rest of Scripture had to play a part as well, else all we would have would be the first four books of the New Testament.

Piper concludes the fourth chapter with an analogy that collided with my own experience. “When God declares the omnipotent word of creation and ‘shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,’ the curtains are pulled back in the window of our Alpine chalet, and the morning sun, reflected off the Alps of Christ, fills the room with glory” (74). What a majestic thought that, for me, originated while honeymooning with my wife at Mt. Hood in Oregon. Kimberly, who had never seen a mountain before, made a stunning comparison to the appearance of Mt. Hood with the glory of God. It was so bright, so radiant, and so awe-inspiring. And what drove it home is that even though the brightness, radiance, and brilliance was blinding, there was a sense in which it was not that we could not look, it was the reality that we could not not look. May the glory of the Risen Lord draw each of us to Himself to behold His glory!

I believe this book to be a must read for all Christians who have the twinge of desire for something of a greater understanding of the glory of God as revealed in the face of Christ. I believe that all believers have the desire, but many of us are content to remain where we are with the elementary doctrines of Christ and not move on to maturity. I echo the wisdom of Paul when he affirms,

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to
make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not
consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are
mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal
that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained” (Phil 3:12-16)

Book Review – Their God is Too Small by Bruce Ware

Their God is Too Small: Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God
Bruce A. Ware
Crossway Books, 2003
Category: Theology / Contemporary Issues
ISBN: 1581344813
Paperback
129 pages plus General Index and Scriptural Index
$10.99 MSRP

Although I have been a Christian now for almost twelve years, it was not until these last five years that I have really begun to develop spiritually. I thank the Lord for His sovereignty and for His infinite wisdom and planning that moved me half way around the country to get me to the point where He wanted me to be. It was at this point in Birmingham that He led me to a Bible-believing, Christ-honoring church, friends who feared the Lord, and a place where I eventually met my wonderful wife. This is a right and God-glorifying response to His activity in my life. However, according to the “Open View” of God (also known as Open Theism), I should not thank God for these occurrences of events, for He was just as surprised as I was to see how things have turned out. The Open View of God is the belief that God does not know the future, nor can He predict it. Instead, He watched history unfold with his limited involvement in divine initiatives (unless prompted by a human to do so). We ought not to think this way, and our brothers and sisters who do have done so to their own detriment as they serve a deflated and powerless God.

Bruce Ware serves as the Senior Associate Dean of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY and is revered as an expert in the area of God’s sovereignty. I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Ware speak at the Living Truth Conference hosted by Hunter Street in September (Order Audio CD’s Here), and I was impressed first by his humility and second by his apparent grasp of God’s sovereignty and its interaction with man. During this time, Dr. Ware defined God’s sovereignty as this: “God plans and carries out His perfect will as He alone knows best, over all that is in Heaven and earth, and He does so without fault or regret or defect.” I had purchased Their God is Too Small before the conference, but it was not until the conference’s end that I realized my great need to read this book.

In somewhat of a twist, I would like to quote from the conclusion of this book in order to set the stage for what is to follow. Dr. Ware is quoting AW Tozer from his book, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: Harper & Row, 1961. 11-12) when he writes,

“The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are
unworthy of Him. It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of
worship has taken place…So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God
that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and
her moral standards declines along with it. The first step down for any church
is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.”

Thus is the reason why it is so important for us to think rightly and highly of God. Dr. Ware is clear to point out that those subscribing to the Open View, simply create a god in their own image who is more human, and more manageable. According to Ware, we are to be concerned with the new wave of open theists because “first, the very greatness, goodness, and glory of God are undermined by the open view of God” and “second, the strength, well-being, faith, hope, and confidence of Christian people in and through their God are undermined by the open view” (17, 19). Dr. Ware then begins to examine the Open Theist’s arguments of God’s Foreknowledge, Suffering, Prayer, and Hope with a chapter devoted to each in this short work.

What I appreciate most about Their God is Too Small is Dr. Ware’s use of scripture as the basis for all of his arguments. He does not delve too deeply into all of the philosophical questions and that lie behind this worldview, but rather he attacks it head on from the supreme source of all authority – the Scriptures themselves. In light of an elementary understanding of the Scriptures, I am still puzzled as to how Open View proponents bolster their arguments. And according to their view, neither does God.

I was encouraged by Dr. Ware’s arguments the Christian who prays to a sovereign God may have much more confidence in his prayer life than can the one who holds the open view. According to the Open View, “for the sake of dynamic and real relationship with God, and to underscore the authenticity of prayer that really matters…we must move from any model in which God knows in advance all that we will ask or think” (88). According to one proponent of the Open View, Greg Boyd, through prayer, “[God] graciously grants us the ability to significantly affect Him…He enlists our input, not because He needs it, but because He desires to have an authentic, dynamic relationship with us as real, empowered persons” (88). This makes me want to vomit.

Contrast this view of prayer with that of Christ Jesus Himself when He gave His disciples the model prayer: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” (Mat 6:10). Apparently Christ believed that the Father had a perfect will that was pleasing in His sight and best for all creatures. Dr. Ware asks us then, “Whom should I believe: Jesus, or John Sanders?” (90).

Well, Dr. Ware, I think you would be right in choosing Jesus. The Open View of God offers no hope in suffering, no confidence in prayer, and no hope for a future because this small god has no capability of knowing, predicting, or affecting the future. Those who worship the god of the Open View, worship a god who is limited, man-made, and completely un-scriptural. I heartily agree with Dr. Ware in stating that, indeed, their god is too small!

Book Review – Truth & The New Kind of Christian by R. Scott Smith

Truth & The New Kind of Christian: The Emerging Effects of Postmodernism in the Church
R. Scott Smith
Crossway Books, 2005
Category: Contemporary Social Issues / Theology
ISBN: 1581347405
Paperback
190 pages plus Bibliography and Index
$15.99 MSRP

Over the past year I have attempted to develop an understanding of the emerging church and postmodernism. However, in every attempt to do so I have ended my search more frustrated than I began. Our church staff has attempted to understand these two phenomena corporately so that we may be biblically discerning when it comes to the need to confront false ideologies, yet have fallen in our attempts at gaining further clarification. The only thing that my modern mind has come to terms with regarding postmodernism and the emerging church “conversation” is that it is like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall: most of it just won’t stick.

Enter R. Scott Smith and his new book Truth & The New Kind of Christian published by Crossway last year. The title receives its name as Smith attempts to interact with Neo, a character contrived in the mind of Brian McLaren, an emerging church leader, in his book A New Kind of Christian published by Jossey-Bass. The only problem with this is that the very ideology of a postmodern mindset is that all truth is relative and is subjectively measure by each individual. Smith, however, attempts to put truth and the postmodern in the same room and further the conversation. It is interesting to note that Tony Jones, another leader in the emerging church culture, has endorsed this book when he says, “[R. Scott Smith] is a careful reader of my work, and he writes with a gracious and generous tone. Interlocutors like Scott will be a helpful challenge to all of us in the “emerging church.” I consider him a friendly critic and a brother in Christ” (back cover).

To begin, Smith gives a brief overview of the progression of thought that has led us to “postmodernism.” Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant all attempted to change the way the individual was to think during their respective eras. Kant had the greatest impact on what we would call “postmodern” though even though his days of thinking were in 1700’s. “According to Kant, we (as individuals) are trapped behind our experiences, and we cannot know things as they really are (in themselves)” (29). Kant is also partially responsible for the false notion that there is a dichotomy between scientific and religious thought. According to this line of thought, “science gives us knowledge and facts, but other disciplines, such as religion, can only give us values, or personal opinions and tastes” (29). Although originally delivered over 200 years ago, has it been that long that you have heard someone say something to the effect of “This discussion is not about religion, this is about facts and what is best for our nation to ensure freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!”? I can not even begin to describe how wrong this statement is. Thankfully, Smith will do it for us throughout the remainder of his book. Before he gets there, however, he observes that “the modern era emphasized the confidence that human reason, apart from divine revelation, could know universal truths in all subject matters. But postmodernism stresses the fallibility of human reason, as well as its biases and how it all too often is used to oppress people” (31).

So, the question is then raised, what is the Gospel? How do we know it is truth? And how doe we know what truth even is? For example, for the Kant-ish thinkers and postmoderns in the room, groups of people can not be completely sure about anything other than the language that they are confined to identify the subject with. The problem with this thought process is that once we decide that words do not have meaning outside of their own localized contexts, then nothing can be certain, for the vocabulary that I just used in order to construct this last sentence may mean nothing at all to those outside my realm of understanding. If this was completely confusing for you, then be fairly sure that you are of a “modern” mindset. Don’t worry, this is a good thing.

Smith then inserts an examination and critique of the emerging church which is much easier said than done. Since the ideology of postmodernism is driving the emerging conversation, it is next to impossible to stake claim on any standard set of beliefs or doctrinal statements. The emerging church is not another denomination of evangelical churches on the rise. It is a completely different line of thought where it is OK to question and doubt the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, the truth of God’s word. In fact, doubting – in the emergent context – reveals that you are really more enlightened than your fellow brethren who may “think” that they are sure about any given topic. Like I said, it’s like nailing Jell-O.

Smith completes the rest of his work by addressing how postmodernism has heavily impacted the university scene in the United States and most of the world. To me it has always been ironic that the institutions of higher learning pride themselves on challenging students to think for themselves as long as their though processes do not contradict the worldview of the university, or make any claim to absolute truth. Jell-O. Smith then gives his basis for why we CAN know things and be assured of our own realities. Thus, we CAN know that the Gospel is truth, not only in its historicity, but also in its eternal claims concerning the deity of Christ, the fallen nature of man, and redemptions plan as it is unfolding to the glory of God.

Christ said, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). I guess it is just ludicrous for me and my modern mind to think that He actually meant it.

Book Review – Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger

We have a church staff reading group that meets every Thursday. Our pastor set this forth as a means to challenge each of us to think biblically, stretch ourselves theologically, and avoid the mind rut that many church staff members find themselves in post-seminary. As a result, I have had the opportunity to meet with this group of church leaders and read several books in the past year. Here is my take on the most recent.

Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process For Making Disciples
Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger
B&H Publishing, 2006
Category: Church and Ministry Helps
ISBN: 0544390880
Hardcover with Dust Jacket
252 pages (but larger print and spacing makes up much of this)
$19.99 MSRP

I should state from the onset that although I am part of a church staff, I am not a pastor or church administrator, or any other senior ministerial position. Not that these are the only members of the church who are interested in seeing healthy church growth, but it needs to be clear that I’m just the BookStore manager. Also, it needs to be stated that I am not a church staff veteran who has hopped from First Baptist City A to First Baptist City B. This indeed is my first church staff position and I have been afforded a wonderful opportunity of learning and growth while under the watchful care of many gifted and talented ministers. Having said this, if the Lord is willing to give me many years in ministry, my views on this book may change over time. But until then, I came away somewhat disappointed from this book, albeit not completely.

Thom Rainer is the CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, one of the largest publishing wings of western Christendom, and is also a former pastor. He co-authored this book with Eric Geiger who serves as the Executive Pastor for Christ Fellowship in Miami, FL. Rainer and Geiger completed extensive research consulting several hundred churches to discover what qualities in a church cause it to be “vibrant” and achieve significant growth. According to their research, these “vibrant” churches have simple processes, thus the title Simple Church. According to the authors, a simple church is defined as “a congregation designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth” (61). They utilize two church scenarios to illustrate their point. The simple church is named “Cross Church” and the complex church is named “First Church.” (Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, you know.)

At First Church, they have assembled a superstar staff “full of gifted people, but they are running in different directions. The stated philosophy is “hire thoroughbreds and let them run” (51). First Church is loaded with programs, activities, and a major event around every corner. There is something for every age bracket from the bed-babies to the blue hairs. Each ministry area is committed to reaching and educating, and each area follows the vision for the minister of that age group. Cross Church “is more concerned with having a united staff than an all-star one” (53). Their desire is to see their members move to a greater level of commitment within the church as they utilize their gifts and talents to worship God and serve others. These two churches seems to have the same goal, but each staff approaches it differently. As a staff should be the ones directing the vision for the church, if all are not in agreement as to what that vision and direction is, chaos is sure to result. When individual staff members are attempting to run “their ministry” area in a certain way that is contrary to the way other ministries are run, the purpose of the church is not clear and will lead to division and competition amongst ministers for precious resources. Thus, a simple church will have a simple process that seeks to lead their members (and potential members) through their process. Each staff member should be on board with this and attempt to utilize their area of ministry to facilitate others through the process.

Well, what’s the process? This process will vary from church to church, but in order to qualify for a “simple church” the process must be, well, simple. A simple process will be easy to follow, navigate, and communicate to all those who are involved. Rainer and Geiger say that there are four steps to becoming a simple church:

1. Clarity – Understanding, first as a church staff, what the purpose is for the church and also having a process in place in order to achieve the purpose. This process must then be able to be clearly communicated to other church leaders and church members.

2. Movement – Members must always be in a constant state of movement within the process (ideally from one step to the other, always working towards a greater level of commitment). This prevents “congestion” and seeks to move people into a greater and deeper relationship with Christ, the true Head of the Church.

3. Alignment – This is a key ingredient in becoming a simple church. Alignment means that all ministries – ALL ministries – within the church exist for the same purpose that the church has overall. It also means that all ministries work together in order to establish clarity and movement among the members. This reduces competition between ministry areas. One practical application of this step is to utilize or develop ministry areas that are already in place rather than begin new ones. Often times, a seemingly “new” need may be met by a ministry that is already in place much easier than it can be by forming a new one altogether.

4. Focus – This element means that you “say no to almost everything” and “abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process” (203). This is a difficult step for any church or organization to implement as this means that you must not only say “no” to upcoming events/opportunities, but you must also eliminate some ministries that are already in place, yet no serving the overall purposes of the church. Because people’s feelings are often tied to the ministries that they are involved in (as they should be), this inevitably means that someone’s feelings will be hurt. However, if the process of clarity has been set in place, this will make for an easier transition as everyone involved understands the reasoning behind the process.

Simple Church was an easy read, even with the statistical data that the authors decided to throw out, but still left me wanting. It was good to examine whether our church would be classified as “simple” or complex and I believe that consensus was that we need to be “more simple” even if we are already simple. We have a clear purpose statement and seek to align all of our ministries behind this purpose, yet as a large church, we still must resist the temptation of doing more. Bigger is not always better and more is not always best. Rather, we are to focus on what we do and do it well. I am excited about this next year as we have made a commitment as a church family to focus on Sundays and Wednesdays to make them the best that they possibly can be. Not a novel idea, but one that will help us each achieve a simple focus. However, Simple Church, although it does not claim to be the next church-growth model, seems to be simply a formulaic model for doing church. There is a glaring lack of biblical support for the “simple” model given in the book. Not that there is not biblical evidence that can be used to support how the church ought to be simple in its focus, but this evidence is not given in Simple Church. It is not void of scriptural references, but it seems to rely on the survey data that the book was complied around, rather than a biblical approach to how Christ sees His Church and how it ought to function. The subtitle, “Returning to God’s Process For Making Disciples” is therefore misleading as we are not called to return to anything other than statistical analysis.

All this said, even for the busy church leader, this book will not be overwhelming or mentally taxing. It is always good to examine where we are in light of where we want to be, and Simple Church may be a catalyst to do so. It could be that if I worked for another church, I may have found more of the book helpful. As stated previously, one day I may be more convinced of the value of this work.

Should you be inclined, you may go to this website to take the “Simple Church” Survey.