Thomas Watson wrote:

What need does he have to complain of losses who has Christ?  He is His Father’s brightness (Hebrews 1:3), His fullness (Colossians 2:9), and His delight (Proverbs 8:30).  Is there enough in Christ to delight the heart of God?  And is there not enough in Him to ravish us with holy delight?  He is wisdom to teach us, righteousness to acquit us, sanctification to adorn us. He is that royal and princely gift.  He is the bread of angels (according to Bernard), the joy and triumph of saints.  He is “all in all” (Colossians 3:11). Why then are you discontented?

(Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment (Grand Rapids:  Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2001), 34.)

Hand to the Plow is Alexander Brown’s new website. Alex is an intern at Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Ga. I encourage you to visit it periodically to see what’s new!

The latest issue of Modern Reformation has unleashed the reformed conspiracy theorists.  As visitors to the Reformed Forum are well aware, the differences in the reformed world concerning the precise relationship of the benefits in the ordo salutis have been well-documented. Within the orthodox camp (NPP and FV proponents excluded) various explanations of the relationship between justification and sanctification are often boiled down to two primary groups.  Michael Horton is one of the most visible and widely published of the first group in the discussion.  Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. is often presented as the most prominent member of the other – the so-called “union with Christ school.”

There is no shortage of labeling from either side.  The “union with Christ school” gets likened to Federal Vision and New Perspective(s) on Paul theology, while those who agree with Horton are often termed “Lutheran.”  Though name-calling is never helpful, theological comparisons can prove useful in certain circumstances.  The latest issue of Modern Reformation continues this trend.  Or does it?

I realize things can get heated in the throws of theological discussion, so I offer this post as a light-hearted observation.  As one might expect, Volume 18, Issue 7 includes a series on John Calvin.  In the lead article, Is Calvin Still Relevant After 500 Years? It all Depends, Michael Horton describes the duplex gratia dei akin to the way he does in his Covenant and Salvation.  The next article, Christ at the Center: The Legacy of the Reformed Tradition (no relation to the podcast of course!) deals in part with the issue of union with Christ – presenting a Calvin more amenable to the “union with Christ school.”

What brings out the crazy uncle is that this particular article is written by Dennis E. Tamburello, a Roman Catholic priest.  As a friend of mine has said, it does seem a little odd that a Roman Catholic priest is writing for Modern Reformation.  Many will shrug this off – and probably for good reason.  Tamburello has written a book on Calvin and union with Christ and is a capable contributor.  But then again, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not really after you!

I am finally pleased to report back on Douglas A. Sweeney’s book Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word: A Model of Faith and Thought. This is a delightful book that is engagingly written for the non-specialist.  This book has the merit of being written for Christians so that the true place of the Scriptures in the life and thought of Edwards is not only not ignored or denied or explained away, but is put on display for all to see.  I only have two gripes.  The first is that Sweeney seems to be somewhat dismissive or satirical when he notes Edwards’ willingness to subscribe to the substance of the Westminster Confession and his preference for Presbyterian church government over his own home-grown Congregationalism (169).  Sweeney notes that Edwards’ comments have “thrilled the souls of Presbyterians everywhere.”  This may be a facetious statement on Sweeney’s part as he indicates his awareness of Presbyterians (like Charles Hodge and B. B. Warfield of Old Princeton) who were selective in their use of Edwards.  Hodge and Warfield were appreciative of Edwards.  However, the problematic heirs of Edwards rightly dampened Old Princeton’s enthusiasm for Edwards.  And here is the source of my other concern with Sweeney’s book.  Actually it is not so much with this book as with another (and this one too).  Sweeney seems to have it as one of his goals to rehabilitate the reputations of theologians of the so-called New England theology.  Frankly, this indigenous American school of theology is better left in the dustbin of history.  Or so I think.  But I am inclined toward Old School Presbyterianism so I cannot be said to be unbaised.  Anyway, with these two caveats aside, this is a very useful introduction to the life and thought of Jonathan Edwards.

We’re taking some time off this summer but it’s impossible to put Bavinck down. A set of Bavinck is difficult to stuff in a backpack, or suitcase and taking it through airport security is a joke. Fortunately Westminster bookstore has reprinted a great little Bavinck title and it’s the ideal size for travel. In just under 100 pages The Certainty of Faith makes a deep impression on the value and importance of knowing and understanding theology for the pulpit and in visitation. Here is a short quote on the practical application of theology contrasted with those of other sciences especially the medical field:

The theoretical knowledge of a doctor is doubtlessly very important, but his worth and the worth of his science only comes into its own when he heals people. Similarly, theology must prescribe medicine for the ailments of the soul. It must be able to say how and in what way we can be freed from our guilt, reconciled to God, attain to patience and hope amidst life’s tribulations, and find reason to sing praises in the face of death. A  theology that does not concern itself with these things and only dedicates itself to critical and historical studies is not worthy of the name theology. And a theologian who is acquianted with all the latest issues of science but who stands speechless at a sickbed and knows no answer to the questions of the lost sinner’s heart isn’t worthy of his title and office.

Where was this when I was in seminary? Could you image the note taking possibilities if you have a corporate note taking endeavor using Google wave?

When I was in seminary, my Hebrew professor, Dr. Benjamin Shaw, recommended an old hermeneutical volume on the Psalms–William Binnie’s The Psalms: Their History, Teachings and Use . The value of this work is that Binnie does not set out, first and foremost, to give a verse by verse commentary on the book of Psalms; rather, he categorizes Psalms and draws out principles of interpretation. For instance, he has a section on Messianic Psalms in which he considers those Psalms that are explicitly mentioned in the NT in regard to Christ, and then deduces principles by which other Psalms my be interpreted Christologically. It really is quite an impressive work. The book was so rare that you could almost never find a copy for sale online, let alone in a library. Klock and Klock republished it for a very short while. Now you can find a free PDF online here.  Spurgeon said of this work:

A highly valuable work. It is not an exposition, but can readily be used as such, for it possesses a good index to the passages treated of. Dr. Binnie reviews with great skill and intense devotion the various sacred poems contained in the book of Psalms, and gives the general run and character of each one. His work is unlike any other and supplies and great desideratum.

The Reformed Forum is going to host John Fesko once again on Christ the Center.  This time he’ll be discussing his newest book, The Rule of Love.  The interview will be streamed live along with an open chat room at http://www.reformedforum.org/video.  The Reformed Forum is working in conjunction with Reformation Heritage Books to give away two free copies of the book. In addition to the giveaway, anyone who listens to the interview live will be able to purchase the book for only $10.00 + FREE shipping! In order to be eligible for a free copy or the $10.00 book purchase you must be in the chat room at the time of the interview.

Monday, June 29, 2009
9:30AM Eastern / 6:30AM Pacific
http://www.reformedforum.org/video

As some of our readers will know, I have a special interest in the Song of Songs. I am greatly indebted to many of the Puritan expositions, not to mention the work of Jonathan Edwards, on this most wonderful book of the Bible. It is an understatement to say that it is bothersome to me to find so many in our day “stripping it” (pun intended) of its spiritual and Christological purpose. We, in the Reformed camp are quick to affirm that the Old Testament is about Christ and the redemption the Covenant God provides for us in Him. As one who espouses covenant theology, I am committed to the Christo-centricity of the whole OT. There is, however, a sad shift in our day in regard to one OT book–the superlative Song of David’s son. There is more than ample evidence that it was not meant to be a glorified sex manual, and yet, that is exactly what it has been reduced to, even in “calvinistic” churches. It is for this reason that I encourage our readers to check out Ben Shaw’s post here.  If you would like a more nuanced hermeneutical defense you listen to Iain D. Campbell’s interview with Christ the Center here.

As a guitarist and songwriter I have, for quite some time, been  fascinated by the life and music of Nick Drake. If you are not familiar with his music you really should watch the videos below. The first two videos are my personal favorite songs. Nick’s life exemplified both the the shear creative ability of the Imago Dei and the tragic hopelessness of a life without Christ.

I am pleased to share with our readers that a classic of Presbyterian polity is finally back in print.  Originally published in 1858, Stuart Robinson’s The Church of God: An Essential Element of the Gospel has just been reissued with a new cover and typesetting and introduction by Rev. Dr. A. Craig Troxel.  The Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church has produced a beautiful edition.  Robinson was professor of church government and pastoral theology at Danville Theological Seminary in Kentucky when the book was originally published.  Also included in this volume is a fascinating biographical chapter on the author by Thomas Peck.  This is must reading for men who aspire to the ministry in Presbyterian circles.

J.I. Packer, in his masterpiece A Quest for Godliness , highlights what he believes to be the three major principles of biblical interpretation in Puritan expositions. These are three principles we would do well to imitate:

1. Puritan exegetes…do not bring to the Bible the pervasive sense of difference and distance between cultures and epochs that is so much part of today’s mind-set; nor do they bring with them the imaginative ideas of religious evolution that cripple so many modern biblical scholars and corrupt so much of their expository work. Instead of feeling distant from biblical characters and their experiences because of the number of centuries between them, the Puritans felt kinship with them because they belonged to the same human race, faced, fear, and fellowshipped with the same unchanging God, and struggled with essentially the same spiritual problems.

2. Puritan grammatical-historical exegesis of texts, though often naively expressed, is remarkably competent, as any knowledgeable reader of Matthew Henry’s great expository commentary on the whole Bible will soon see.

3. Puritans exegeted Scripture in order to apply it, and as application was the focus of their concern so it was the area of their special strength…

Falkirk Free Church has a very helpful audio resource page with sermons and lectures by Edward Donnelly, Sinclair Ferguson, John L. Mackay and D.A. Carson. Among the audio you will find the following lectures by Sinclair Ferguson:

Daniel 1 “Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came to Jerusalem to besieged it.”
Isaiah 6 “I saw the LORD”

There is also a series there on the Ten Commandments by Edward Donnelly:

The purposes of the Law

The preface to the Ten Commandments

The first commandment

You shall have no other gods

How do we worship God?

The sins of the Fathers

Misusing God’s Name

Oaths, vows and promises

The Christian Sabbath?

Remember the Sabbath Day

The importance of the 5th commandment

How to keep the 5th commandment

We are not to kill unlawfully

Accessories to murder

The sinfulness of adultery

Flee from sexual immorality

You shall not steal

Will a man rob God?

The serious sin of falsehood

Speaking the truth in love

You shall not covet

Treasures in heaven

Here is a thoughtful post by Josh Walker, in which he seeks to refine a term used to emphasize the multiplicity of blessings that come to us in Christ in the ordo salutis.

In the previous post Bavinck suggested that religion has more of a connecting point to real life than people give it credit. Sacrifice was the hinge on which the everyday working life and the door of salvation turned in the ancient world. For Bavinck this is the stock and trade of all theology: the vicarious atonement of Christ. Dogmatics has (historically) had a difficult time processing and presenting this momentous truth, yet there is no doubt to its certainty. The humility of Christ assuming human nature supports this. Believing it, however, is another matter.

After studying the sacrifices of the Old Testament one might wonder if more ink has been spilled on the topic than blood. Christ’s sacrifice was puzzled over from Irenaeus to Anselm, and especially with the latter, no one followed without revision. The great theme behind the OT sacrifices is mercy. The sacrifices did not cover the whole of life, says Bavinck, they only served as a reminder of sin and typologically pointed to another, better sacrifice. How so? The Prophets (and those speaking in a prophetic spirit) teach the spiritual nature of sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6) and promise the Messiah (Ps. 110; Jer. 23:6). Prophetic testimony, in the estimation of the New Testament, prescribes the Messiah’s human nature, humiliation, sufferings, and the priesthood in Christ’s sacrifice: the Old Covenant is fulfilled in him.

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Richard C. Gamble, former OPC and present RPCNA minister and professor of systematic theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh and senior pastor of College Hill Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls, has authored the first of a three volume set that brings together the riches of biblical, historical, and systematic theology.  The Whole Counsel of God: Vol. 1/God’s Mighty Acts in the Old Testament has been much anticipated.  Dr. Gamble does theology as it ought to be done.  He brings the various disciplines of the theological encyclopedia together in a mutually enriching conversation.

Another much anticipated volume which I understand has been released (for now only) at the PCA GA in Orlando is the third volume of the highly acclaimed set The Westminster Confession into the 21st Century .  This book, like its two predeccessors, is capably edited by J. Ligon Duncan.  I would highly recommend the first volume and the second volume if you do not already have them.

Ligon Duncan just finished lecturing on Calvin’s doctrine of Christian living, or piety. Here is a summary of the lecture:

Many are familiar with Calvin’s Institutes as a handbook, a manual, to compliment his commentaries and sermons. Calvin understood the need to be both biblical and theological. You can be theological without being biblical but you cannot be biblical without being theological. There is almost no where better to go than to Calvin’s commentaries to see rich biblical expositions. Calvin did not understand the Institutes to be a comprehensive sum of theology in the way that Thomas understood his Summa Theologica . His Institutes are more a comprehensive treatment of piety, or the Christian life. His work was theological, Christological and rooted in the Gospel. The beginning of the Institutes shows that Calvin rooted the Christian life in what you think about God. If you were to ask Calvin to summarize his teaching on Christian living in one word, he would tell you it is in “piety.”
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One of the most influential individuals in my life is Dr. John Carrick. Dr. Carrick was my Homiletics Professor at GPTS. I listened to one of his sermons yesterday and realized why I am so grateful for him. Dr. Carrick is one of the clearest, most articulate, and most edifying preachers I know. My preaching has been, in large measure, shaped by his example. I recently noticed that many of his sermons are now available online. You can find them here. I want to recommend these sermons to you as a fine example of solidly Reformed and textual preaching. Dr. Carrick is also the author of several books on preaching, including The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards.

The following video was filmed at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. The lecture was given at a special Thursday evening service at PRTS.

The Church That Christ Builds

The Church That Christ Builds

The Barna Group has a recent article Americans are Exploring New Ways of Experiencing God on the culture shift in American Christianity. One of the things that they note is that "The rapid growth of the house church or simple church movement has been especially significant." The article goes on to note that "Barna has just released a new book, co-authored with simple church pioneers Tony and Felicity Dale, entitled The Rabbit and the Elephant. The book discusses the growth of the simple church movement, describing home-based churches as a form of “new wineskins” (i.e., a new approach) in an age when people are seeking faith experiences that are dynamic and genuine." The statement that struck me most was that this is a "simple church movement." While there would be many things that should concern us about new developments in American Christianity, there may be one very positive thing if we, following the Puritans, understand the nature of New Covenant worship. You can read any given Puritan work on worship and you will read the word "simplicity" several times on every page. This is what made the Puritan movement different, in part, from the Episcopalian and Roman Catholic Churches. Simple, biblical and spiritual worship was emphasized. While many of the Puritans preached in beautiful, historic buildings, others did not. It was not about the building as an architectural structure that mattered most to them; it was about the church as the Temple built by God. In his sermon on 1 Timothy 3:15 John Preston noted, Paul "says, in the house of God, & not in the Church of Ephesus, lest any should conclude (as now the Papists would) that the truth were so nailed and fastened to any one particular house or temple…" J.I. Packer notes, "Simplicity was to them the safegaurd of inwardness, just as Scripture was the fountain-head of truth. The austere simplicity of Puritan worship has often been criticized as uncouth, but to the Puritans it was an essential part of the beauty of Christian worship." John Owen once explained that if we do not worship God in the simple, spiritual way and means that the Holy Spirit has ordained we will inevitably look for the beauty of worship in external circumstances.

Josh Espinosa has recently posted somewhat related thoughts and helpful resources here .

Dr. James White recently played clips of a debate between William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens on The Dividing Line.  This was a great program that touches on several points in apologetics.  Dr. White’s lucidity and ability to isolate the issues is always appreciated.

Within the last few days a long standing member of the congregation I have the privilege of serving went home to be with the Lord.  She was promoted from the church militant to the church triumphant.  In God’s providence, I and other members of the session and congregation had been with this member last Sunday in order to pay a visit and administer the Lord’s Supper.  It was a privilege to be able to read from Revelation 21 and 22.  We noted that the Lord’s Supper is a looking back to Christ’s sacrificial death and a looking forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb.  Is it not amazing that the Lord uses such ordinary means of grace as bread and the fruit of the vine for such times as these?  While we ate ordinary bread and drank ordinary juice we were, by God’s good grace, able to feed upon our risen and reigning Lord by faith.  While we were physically located in this member’s living room standing around her hospital bed, we were by the secret energy of the Holy Spirit lifted into the heavenlies to commune with the Lord Jesus.

What we read about in Revelation concerning the New Jerusalem is our sister’s present reality.  She is in the presence of her great and glorious Triune God, falling down in worship at the foot of his throne.  This reminds me that what we do every Lord’s Day is a practice run for what we will be doing in eternity.  Years ago I met my dying grandmother and it was clear she was suffering from some sort of dementia.  However, when I asked her what she looked forward to when she went to heaven her mind immediately cleared up.  The clouds of confusion were dispersed as she described what she expected to do in the new heavens and new earth.  In addition to reuniting with my grandfather and a son she lost in infancy the most important thing was that she would see her dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and she would be able to worship him without interruption.  I am reminded that the departed saints are with the Lord even now and that their bodies, being united to Christ, do rest in their graves until that great resurrection morning.
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Has anyone out there compared Hendriksen’s translation of Bavinck on the Doctrine of God with the new translation? If so, could you tell us what the differences are and the benefits of one over the other?   Thanks, Jim

I very much appreciate the two responses I’ve gotten.  Perhaps a clarification will help.   I am doing a fairly intensive study of the doctrine of God.  I already own Hendriksen’s edition.  Is there significant gain in buying the first volume of the Bavinck set?  I do not anticipate  buying all four volumes.  Any further help would be appreciated!

Nick Batzig recently sat down with David Robertson pastor of St. Peters Free Church in Dundee, Scotland at Twin Lakes Fellowship where he lectured on Emergent Calvinism.  This interview has just been released through Christ the Center.  David spoke with Nick about his book The Dawkins Letters: Challenging Atheist Myths. David has been actively debating Dawkins supporters throughout the UK and shares his experience. This is an interesting discussion about how apologetics hits the road.

But wait, there’s more!  This interview is a double-feature.  Later on Nick asked David about Awakening: The Life and Ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne another excellent book detailing the life of the well-known minister.  I greatly enjoyed this discussion and would encourage the readers of Feeding on Christ to listen.

Elisabeth Elliot comments on  Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth:

Rosalind Bell-Smith, born in London in 1864, was twelve years old when she heard a sermon on John 3:16 at a revival meeting.  The love of God was presented with such fervor and intensity that she yielded herself absolutely to Christ and stood up, along with others, to confess Him publicly as her Lord and Master.

Her father having been an artist, she grew up with a great love for art and went to art school in Toronto.  But there was a strong pull in two opposite directions:  Should she give her life to painting or should she serve her Master to whom she belonged?  In her mind the two were mutually exclusive.  When she was twenty she began to pray that if married life was what God wanted for her, He would give her a husband “wholly given up to Him and His service.  I wanted no other.”

One day in June 1885, she joined a group of art students bound for a picnic at Niagara Falls.  On the same boat as they crossed the lake was another party, headed for a Bible conference.  She envied the latter group – her heart was more with them than with her own crowd.  On the return trip that evening both groups were on the boat again, plus others who had been at the Bible conference.  The Bible teacher recognized Rosalind as the organist in the church where he had spoken the previous Sunday and invited her to join a mission group the following Saturday. (more…)

The past three weeks have been spent on the Incarnation. All posts prior to these were an exciting prologue. The Incarnation is the very center of dogmatics and one must first understand the person of Christ before ascertaining what it is he does. Christ came to fulfill the law, establish grace, reveal the Father, send the Spirit, and atone for sin. And that just for starters. Bavinck says that this is an area which has seen little (satisfactory) treatment in dogmatics and for that we need to get busy.

There is a deep human need for redemption from sin and misery. Writing at the time of the industrial revolution, Bavinck notes that one of the greatest riddles of life is that it becomes shallow for all the cultural benefits streaming from civilization. The same can be said in the wake of a global recession. This is why there has always been religion. The needs of the human heart are greater than what culture can provide. It’s what sent Alexander the Great across Persia and subprime lenders on a similar campaign. All to say there is a wide array of civil and natural evils in the world which science and technology simply cannot hope to solve. As a general starting point, its safe to say that all ancient cultures and primitive peoples addressed the ‘problem of evil’ and the ‘possibility of redemption’ from evil and its affects through keeping laws, ‘divine’ commandments, golden rules and ratios, and above all: sacrifice. (more…)

There is a fascinating inclusio in 1 Peter 3:18-22 where Peter develops his doctrine of baptism and salvation. The text begins with a reference to the death and resurrection of Christ and ends with a reference to the resurrection and ascension of Christ.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

This leads to a sound conclusion that what comes between has a direct correlation to the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. As he moves from the death to the resurrection in verse 18 and 19 Peter takes, what seems to many to be, a strange hiatus in order to discuss the preaching ministry of Jesus by the Spirit. While many varied and sometimes strange interpretations have been attached to these verses, it seems fairly straightforward to understand Peter to be referring back to a doctrine of ministers speaking by the Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:10-11; 12). Introducing the time element certainly helps understand when it was that the risen Christ went and preached by the Spirit; it was in the days of Noah. Why Peter alludes to Noah is not entirely clear but it, in turn, introduces the section on baptism and salvation. Peter clearly states that the waters of the flood were typical baptism. One might easily come to these passages to prove covenantal, household baptism (because Noah and his family were all baptized on account of his faith), but the purpose of the text is to show that there is a reality, to which the antitype (i.e. New Testament baptism) points–the baptism of the heart by the Spirit. Peter is clearly drawing a comparison and a contrast between what water does outwardly and what the Spirit does inwardly. There is comparison because water baptism, that represents the washing of the filth of the flesh, represents the washing of the filth of the heart or conscience. Elsewhere in the Scriptures we are told that it is through the “washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5),” and through “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God,” that our consciences cleansed and we are rarsed from dead works to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).
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Here !

I am really excited about the recently released book Heralds of the King: Christ-Centered Sermons in the Tradition of Edmund P. Clowney. Edited by Dennis Johnson, professor of practical theology at Westminster Seminary California and author of such classics as Let’s Study Acts , Triumph of the Lamb , Him We Proclaim , and The Message of Acts in Redemptive History , this book serves as a tribute to the late Edmund Prosper Clowney of Westminster Theological Seminaries East and West. Eleven preachers, including Joe Novenson, Iain Duguid, William Edgar, and Arturo Azurdia, offer their memories of Clowney and sermons exemplifying the Christ-centered preaching taught and modeled by Clowney. I pray that this book would be read, digested, and that the manner of preaching would be duplicated over and over in our pulpits across this land and around the world. May it be so.

Christ the Center recently interviewed Michael Haykin of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary about the value of studying the early church fathers. If there was an area where Reformed scholars have failed to give a subject its due attention it is here. The Reformers and the Post-Reformation Reformed Scholastics knew their church fathers and we would do well to follow their example. Fortunately some recent books from InterVarsity Press have made that more likely. The first set I would like to commend has actually been around for a few years now and that is the Ancient Christian Commentary series. This is a set of commentaries on the books of the Bible edited by Thomas Oden which sample the expositions of various early church fathers. This set has recently been augmented by two additional series. The first is called Ancient Christian Texts. The first volume has been published and it is a commentary on Romans and 1st and 2nd Corinthians by Ambrosiaster. Most of the volumes in this new set are newly translated into English for the first time. The second set is called Ancient Christian Doctrine and is a patristic commentary on the Nicene (or more properly the Niceno-Constantinapolitan) Creed. Like the ACC this series involves snippets of various church father’s commentary on the creed. Currently the first two of five volumes are available. We really do need to read the fathers. Since they are not divinely inspired they should be read discerningly. And they should be read, as Michael Haykin reminded us, as the Reformers read them. But it would be a mistake to treat these fathers as if they were the property of the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches. They are part of our heritage too.

Mark Noll, the Francis McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, and author of such works as The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind and the controversial Is the Reformation Over? (co-written by Carolyn Nystrom) has written a new book entitled The New Shape of World Christianity .  Noll is sure to be a fascinating, if not controversial, read.  We should be aware of what God is doing in other parts of the world and Noll gives us one take on that.  Noll argues that what is happening with Christianity in the world mirrors in a non-causal way what has happened to the faith in the US.  It is arguable, if true, whether this is good or bad.  I would also recommend the works of Philip Jenkins as helpful to American readers to bring them up to speed with what is happening to Christianity in other parts of the world.  You can find his books here , here , and here .  At the very least reading these kinds of books will help us to pray intelligently for the various needs of the church in the world.

One of the chief promises God made to Abraham was that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea. The point is not that we try to calculate how much sand there is and then draw a numerical parallel. Obviously there is too much sand on the shore to number. Throughout the period of revelation, from the time of Abraham to Christ, we find hints that the LORD is fulfilling this promise. One such place is 1 Kings 4:20 where we read, “Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.” God had been faithful to His promises. He had multiplied Abraham’s descendants and given them a king after His own heart (i.e. David) and then a prince of peace (i.e. Solomon). Judah and Israel were prospering by the hand of the LORD. These words come right after the account of Solomon’s rise to the throne and right after God gave Solomon whatever he asked for–wisdom and understanding. The verse is crucial in this context. It is no small detail that Judah and Israel are said to have been “as the sand by the Sea in multitude.” There is a relationship between what is said in 1 Kings 4:20 and 1 Kings 4:29. Back in chapter 3 we learn that Solomon’s request for wisdom is based on the fact that he was called to rule and to govern God’s people. Solomon said, “Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours (1 Kings 3:8-9)?” God did just what Solomon asked and gave him the wisdom and understanding he needed to shepherd His people. In 1 Kings 4:29 we are told, “God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” God gave Solomon wisdom commensurate for the task. The people were as numerous as the sand on the sea so God gave Solomon a heart so full of wisdom it could not be measured. There is of course a typological relationship, between Solomon and Christ, at work here.

When we come to the New Testament we see that God’s people need the greater than Solomon, who is Himself the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1). We need one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We need Him to rule us with His saving grace and wisdom. He is the one who fulfills the promise to Abraham and who rules the true descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:9; 29) with His wisdom. In Him a people from every tongue, tribe, nation and language are redeemed (Rev. 5:9). We need the seed of Abraham and the greater Solomon to redeem us and rule us with His wisdom. But we also need the wisdom that Christ provides. This is why James writes: “If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach. But let him ask in faith with no doubting…” We are to come to the greater than Solomon so that we also may receive wisdom and understanding. Our God will give us largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore if we ask for it as Solomon did. Ministers especially need to ask for wisdom since they have been called to watch over, and care for, the people of God. Oh that the Lord would grow his flock and give his shepherds wise and understanding hearts.

Herman Bavinck’s theology is magisterial. One cannot put it down and fail to be impressed. But study alone, understanding alone does not produce spiritual life; it simply strives to explain it. As a supplement we’ve been reading á Brakel’s The Christians Reasonable Service (RHB, 1999), a four volume work that is written similar to a dogmatic but with much more pastoral application built in. This new series will explore some of the second half of á Brakel’s soteriology (vol. 4) which is loaded with application. If Bavinck is theological bread and butter, á Brakel is the hagelslag.

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As the week winds down, I figured I’d share a few preaching resources that have been of use to me lately.  R. L. Dabney’s book Evangelical Eloquence: A Course of Lectures on Preaching is an excellent book detailing the importance of preaching well.  I recently wrote a post at Historia Salutis explaining how Dabney considered preaching to be an art and that given the nature of the message, we have a duty not only to preach, but to preach well.

John Calvin’s sermons on Genesis 1-11 have now been published by Banner of Truth Trust.  This excellent hardcover edition is something every pastor in our tradition should pick up.  Though I prefer to leave it to the end of the writing process, reading sermons from Godly men who have gone before us is a tremendously edifying activity.

Another collection of sermons that demonstrates a healthy use of a redemptive-historical approach is Grace & Glory, a collection of sermons by Geerhardus Vos delivered at the chapel of Princeton Seminary.  The current edition in print includes a helpful foreward by R. Scott Clark.

Last week we attempted to follow Bavinck through the thick of Christology. He is an outstanding guide. Bavinck has insisted that the subtle nuance which takes Christ as a mere human personality steers him away from his place as the object of faith. This diminishes Christ’s teachings to formalities (and legalism) and constructs dogmatics as either a system of religious feeling or an ideal moral resource. This tendency does more than present formalities with little substance. For Bavinck it leads away from the life of God and renders the indwelling of the Spirit impossible.

The Old Testament anticipated the Messiah’s anointing of the Holy Spirit would be very unique (Isa. 61:1). Christ received the Spirit at baptism (without measure); the Spirit led him into the wilderness; gave him powers over spiritual authorities; and glorified his resurrected body (Rom. 1:4). He ascended into heaven, “to manifest himself to his own as life-giving Spirit who is the Spirit and who works by the Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17-19).” This goes to the virgin birth, says Bavinck, for it is not miracle enough to be born of a virgin: it doesn’t prove sinlessness. Christ is not a product of humankind, but sent to humankind. He remained exempt from original sin by the conception of the Spirit, so he was truly the Son of the Father and not a natural descendant from Adam. The great riddle of the Testaments, the Messiah is both David’s son and lord, is solved in Joseph. Joseph is civilly and legally Jesus’ father who was able to contribute the right and titles of David’s pedigree. The conception by the Holy Spirit helps to explain Christ’s sinlessness. But the real beauty is that it was the only way, “in which he who already existed as a person and was appointed head of a new covenant could now also be born in a human way … and remain who he is: the Christ, Son of the Most High” (Polanus).

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Usually attention is drawn to the three main enemies the church must fight against during her pilgrimage here on earth. The devil, the world and the flesh are the three great obstacles to holiness in this fallen world. If we are not fighting enemies without (i.e. the devil and the world) then we are inevitably wrestling with the enemy within (i.e. the flesh). The apostle John focuses on, and most clearly articulates, a theology of temptation in regard to these three enemies. In the course of his epistle he explains that there are three ways of overcoming. First, John notes in 1 John 2:14 that it is the written word of God that enables us to overcome the devil, “…I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” The written word is the means by which we overcome the evil one because it leads us to the Living Word–Jesus Christ. In 1 John 3:8 John writes, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” The devil was the one who “sinned from the beginning” and who tempted our first parents to sin against God. Everyone who sins is “of the devil.” The answer to this two-fold problem is the cross of Christ. Jesus came to bear our sins in His body on the tree and to disarm the devil. Finally, in 1 John 5:4 we are told that our faith is that which overcomes the world: “…this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith.” So these three, the word, faith and the Son of God are what overcome the world the flesh and the devil. The first two are really the means of victory that enable us to lay hold of Jesus Christ, the object and grounds of victory. It is as we read the word and believe the word that the work of the Son comes to bear in our lives. All of our enemies are conquered by the Christ crucified, risen and ascended. We need to be reminded of this constantly.

It is interesting that the word is the exclusive tangible means (non-existential, like faith) to spiritual victory. It is the God ordained means of making us “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Our Lord Jesus Christ constantly bore we witness to the necessity and sufficiency of the written word. But He also constantly bore witness to our need to believe the word. It was these two things, namely, the word and faith, that formed the substance of the parable of the sower and the seed. In this well know parable–in which only one of four soils receives the word in an effective, life-giving way–the three ingredients for overcoming that John mentions in his epistle are present in relation to the three enemies of the church. The first set of people are the wayside hearers. These are those “who have heard [the word of God]. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts , so that they may not believe and be saved (Luke 8:12).” The second set of people are the rocky ground hearers. These were people “who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away (Luke 8:13).” The third group mentioned in the parable are the thorny ground hearers. These are people “who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life , and their fruit does not mature.” You will notice that the particular things that keep the word from bearing fruit can be classified as the devil, the flesh and the world. So what exactly is the difference between the first three kinds of hearers and the fourth. Well, our Lord says that the good soil represents those who “hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” I believe that the answer must be understood in light of the three factors that John mentions above. The word of God that is sown through preaching is meant to bring people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. You cannot separate the ultimate fruitfulness of the fourth group in the parable from the One who is speaking the parable. He is on His way to the cross to make atonement for the sins of His people. He is going to Calvary to defeat the one who defeated man–the devil. And He is going to the Father to send the lif-giving Spirit to renew the hearts of men and women, giving them faith in Him so that they will persevere. This is the point of the parable of the sower and the seed. The word is central because it is what reveals the Son, in whom we are to believe.Our three enemies (the world, the flesh and the devil) will only be overcome by our three most precious means (the word, faith and the Son).

This is why I love Tommy Keene! Tommy, thanks for doing the work I was too lazy to do.

I am undertaking a new project. Since there is no single exclusively antiquarian theology book buying, selling and trading site online (which includes pictures and detailed descriptions) where various sellers can post their books, I have decided to make an antiquarian book page on Feeding on Christ. Over the next weeks/months I will be putting all of my antiquarian books there with pictures. I am not putting prices since it is not technically a bookstore, but I am open to receive offers (buying, selling or trading). You can visit the page here . I hope to open this up to others who would like to display their antiquarian libraries here in the future. If you are interested in doing so, or know someone who might be please contact me about the details. Please pass this on to others who might want to buy, sell or trade antiquarian theology books; and enjoy browsing.

For quite a while now I have wanted to publish a list of what I believe to be the 15 most beneficial books on the cross. This list does not include all of the various Systematic Theologies, such as Calvin’s Institutes, which include sections on Christology or the atonement. There are, of course, many Puritan works that deal with the atonement and the Person and work of Christ. This is a list of the particular individual volumes I have benefited from most:

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15

Editors Note: I am ashamed to admit that I forgot about this book. Thanks to Josh Walker for making me painfully aware of this unbelievable oversight. So I guess its top 16 now!

Edwards scholar Douglas Sweeney has produced a lively and enjoyable new book entitled Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word:  A Model of Faith and Thought. Sweeney, who teaches church history at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and heads up the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding, has previously edited one of the volumes in the Yale edition of the Works of Jonathan Edwards and served as a research fellow at the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University.  This book is unique (really!) in that it has a light touch backed with deep and rich scholarly research and assessment.  This is one of few books on Edwards for Christians and it takes advantage of the newly accessible Bible-centered writings of Edwards such as his “Blank Bible” (which takes up two volumes in the Yale set and comprises over 12oo pages of Biblical commentary text).  If you want to know what Edwards’ Word-centered life and ministry was all about, this will be one place to start.

I am pleased to note that Tom Nettle’s new biography of James Petigru Boyce is now available.  This is the latest volume in the American Reformed Biographies series published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishers, joining the biographies of Dabney, Nevin, and Van Til .  Dr. Nettles is professor of historical theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.  And it is altogether appropriate that he write this biography of one of the founders of that institution.  You may be wondering why P&R would publish a biography of a prominent Southern Baptist theologian and educator.  First, he was of staunch Calvinistic persuasion and second, he trained at Old Princeton under Samuel Miller, Archibald Alexander, and Charles Hodge.  So far what I have read has only whetted my appetite for more.  This biography looks like it will be an excellent addition to the series of which it is a part.

This afternoon I finished a book I have been nursing as bedtime reading for over a month now.  It is Stephen J. Grabill’s Rediscovering the Natural Law in Reformed Theological Ethics.  This is an utterly fascinating study of the Reformed use of natural law in JohnCalvin, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Johannes Althusius, and Francis Turretin.  What makes the book more than of mere antiquarian interest is that those of us within the presuppositional apologetics camp usually take a dim view of the very idea of natural law.  And for good reason.  Natural law, whatever its use by the early Reformers and Reformed Scholastics, eventually became disconnected from the God of Scripture and natural revelation.  In fact, the conclusion of the book, which is almost twenty pages in length, is worth the price of the whole book as it recounts the history of natural law theory subsequent to the heights of Reformed Scholasticism.  The book begins and ends with reference to Karl Barth and Emil Brunner and the famous “Nein!” debate on natural theology.  Cornelius Van Til is mentioned in the cast of characters along with Barth as one who rejected natural law.  However, it appears as if Van Til may have assessed the idea of natural law based upon its use in later scholars such as Grotius and Jean Alphonse Turretini (the son of Francis) who did decouple natural law from God in result if not in intent or because the concept is connected with Thomas Aquinas.

The upshot of the whole story is that it is clear that Calvin and his heirs clearly worked with a notion of natural law which looks to me very much like the moral aspects of natural revelation.  In fact, given that I affirm the covenant of works, it seems I must have something like a natural law doctrine.  At the end of the day, we Van Tillians need to do our historical spadework before dismissing the idea of natural law.  Yes, if we use the terminology we will have define our terms very clearly.  But we should be used to that by now.  After all, if I have to give up rich theological concepts because someone, somewhere has articulated a very poor version of the doctrine, then what would I have left?  Think about it, every major doctrine has been ill-conceived and poorly articulated at some point in church history.  In my humble opinion, Van Til’s doctrine of natural revelation is conceptually similar to Reformed and biblical accounts of natural law.  More work needs to be done.  Lets take the time to read the Reformers and their heirs.  Before we can pass judgment on our theological forebears we need to know what they actually believed.

Dave Garner and Carl Trueman interviewed Greg Beale about his new position at Westminster Theological Seminary among other things.  The video can be watched here.

Thanks to James Grant for pointing out these lectures. You will find numerous class lectures, lectures on books of the Bible and Sunday School lessons there. The Sunday school lectures look particularly interesting. I think you will find Dr. Poythress to be a brilliant theological with many thoughts that will help set you off on deeper theological investigation.

Reading Herman Bavinck is good for the mind and good for the heart. No doubt. Yet Bavinck’s applications and intents differ from what are usually described as devotional or popular works of theology i.e. less technical. Depending on the attitude, that can be taken to mean the content has been ‘dumbed down’ in some cases or ‘more readable’ in others. Bavinck’s ‘Our Reasonable Faith’ is the cream of his massive dogmatics, and is still counts for a good systematic theology, as is Berkhof’s volume and his smaller ‘summary of doctrine’ as well. How shall we then read?

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