Best Reads of 07'

Continuing the short tradition, I thought I'd post my top ten reads of the year in no particular order:

• By Faith Not By Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation by Richard Gaffin - This book is the best work on soteriology (doctrine of salvation) that I have ever read. Gaffin is an excellent systematic theologian in the CalvinVos/Ridderbos/Murray tradition who sees exegesis as the life-blood of theology. Union with the risen Christ is central, where it ought to be.
• The Bible and the Future by Anthony Hoekema - This book is must reading for all eschatology students. Ribblebarger has updated this work in some ways but Hoekema is still must reading. His other two monographs, Created in God's Image and Saved by Grace are phenomenal as well.
• The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen - This is an excellent book primarily on biblical theology with an emphasis on worldview and missional living. These guys have drunk deeply from the N.T. Wright and Leslie Newbigin wells for an insightful and enjoyable book. Read my review here.
• The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God by John Frame - This one is not for the light hearted but is a very helpful and theocentric book on theological and apologetic method and theological epistemology. Review here.
• The Servant King: The Bible's Portrait of the Messiah by T.D. Alexander - Another one on biblical theology, tracing the theme of kingship from Genesis to Revelation.
• Van Til's Apologetic by Greg Bahnsen - This book is encyclopedic in regards to presuppositional apologetics. This volume includes Bahnsen's writing and tons of excerpts of Van Til's writing with analysis in footnotes by Bahnsen. Read my review here.
• The Saving Righteousness of God: Studies on Paul, Justification, and the New Perspective by Michael Bird - In light of the current justification controversy, this is a very helpful book. Bird seeks a via media between the Reformed tradition and the best of the new perspective on Paul. Justification includes covenant membership, imputation located in union with Christ, righteousness not simply forensic in Paul all the time, etc. Read my review here.
• Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey - This one is philosophically heavy-going at times but is must reading for all Christians. She covers many topics well in this book: culture, apologetics, history, feminism, evangelicalism, Darwinism, Christian worldview, etc.
• Creation Regained: Bibilcal Basics for a Reformational Worldview by Albert Wolters - The subtitle says it all. Its a classic and the updated version has a great addition by Michael Goheen, who did his dissertation on Newbigin's missional ecclesiology. Short review here.
• Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Dempster - Using the ordering of the Hebrew Bible Dempster walks through the storyline of the Old Testament tracing the two unifying themes of dominion (geography, land) and dynasty (seed, genealogy). This is probably my favorite book on biblical theology and definitely one of the most important!

Embracing Accusation

The father of lies coming to steal, kill, and destroy all my hopes of being good enough.

I hear him saying, 'cursed are the ones who can't abide.' He's right. Halleluiah, he's right. The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed. That I am cursed and gone astray.

I cannot gain salvation, embracing accusation. Could the father of lies be telling the truth of God to me tonight? If the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine.

I hear him saying, 'cursed are the ones who can't abide.' He's right. Halleluiah, he's right. The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed. That I am cursed and gone astray.

I cannot gain salvation. Oh the devil is singing over me an age-old song. . . that I am cursed and gone astray. Singing the first verse so conveniently, he's forgotten the refrain.

Jesus Saves.

(From Shane & Shane's 'Pages')

Celebrate His Faithfulness!

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
(Gen 3:15)

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
(Gen 12:1-3)

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'"
(2Sam 7:12-16)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
(Isa 9:6-7)

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
(Isa 11:1-5)

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
(Mat 1:1)

Christmas in America

(HT: Creation Project)

Success?

I love Acts 29 and all of the guys mentioned below, but I have to wonder what message they are sending with this conference invite. What about the pastor in the small town of the small congregation that is absolutely faithful? You tell me:

Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle that is pushing 7,000 in attendance. He is the co-founder and President of Acts 29 Network and author of multiple books. Dr. Ed Stetzer holds two doctorates and is Director of LifeWay Research and Missiologist in Residence in addition to his insightful books on church planting. He is considered to be the premier missiologist for church planting. Dr. Mark Dever holds a PhD from Cambridge and is the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. He founded 9Marks Ministries and is the author of several books on church health. Darrin Patrick founded The Journey 5 years ago and is running 2,000 in attendance. He is pursuing his D.Min at Covenant Seminary and is Vice President of Acts 29 Network. D. A. Carson (PhD, University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author or coauthor of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God, and An Introduction to the New Testament.

Bahnsen's cross examination of Stein

Here is an excerpt from 'The Great Debate' between Greg Bahnsen and Gordon Stein written in "Pushing the Antithesis."

Bahnsen: Are all factual questions answered in the same way?

Stein: No, they are not. They're answered by the use of certain methods, though, tat are the same--reason, logic, presenting evidence, and facts.

Bahnsen: All right. I heard you mention logical binds and logical self-contradictions in your speech. You did say that?

Stein: I said. I used that phrase, yes.

Bahnsen: Do you believe there are laws of logic, then?

Stein: Absolutely.

Bahnsen: Are they universal?

Stein: They're agreed upon by human beings. They aren't laws that exist out in nature. They're consensual.

Bahnsen: Are they simply conventions, then?

Stein: They are conventions, but they are conventions that are self-verifying.

Bahnsen: Are they sociological laws or laws of thought?

Stein: They are laws of thought which are interpreted by men and promulgated by men.

Bahnsen: Are they material in nature?

Stein: How can a law be material in nature?

Bahnsen: That's a question I am going to ask you.

Stein: I would say no.

Moderator: Dr. Stein, you now have an opportunity to cross-examine Dr. Bahnsen.

Stein: Dr. Bahnsen, would you call God material or immaterial?

Bahnsen: Immaterial.

Stein: What is something that is immaterial?

Bahnsen: Something not extended in space.

Stein: Can you give me an example of anything other than God that is immaterial?

Bahnsen: The laws of logic.

Moderator: I am going to have to ask the audience to hold it down please. Please. Refrain from laughter and applause. Can you hold that down please?

Bill Hybels Repents?

Bill Hybels is more or less the father of the seeker-sensitive church model, that has been adopted by thousands and thousands of churches. His church, Willow Creek in Chicago, is one of the largest and most influential churches in the nation. They recently did some research to see the fruit of their method and found out that a consumerist methodology (church as vendor of religious goods for you) is not producing genuine disciples. Crazy thought huh? I do appreciate the humility demonstrated by the Willow Creek folks. In his own words:

Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for.

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.

Read the article here, or watch Hybels talk about it here.

Schreiner's Biblical Theology of Law

"Central Themes in Biblical Theology' edited by Scott Hafemann and Paul House is must reading for pastors. Our own Tom Schreiner contributed by writing a chapter on the commands of God and it is phenomenal! Here are his concluding points:

1. Sinners are unable to keep God's law, and hence no one can stand in the right before God by means of the law.
2. In the scriptural storyline God did not give the law to establish a relationship with himself.
3. The new covenant is superior to the old, for most members of the Sinai covenant were uncircumcised in heart.
4. True obedience is always the obedience of faith.
5. Those who keep God's law are enabled to do so by the work of the Holy Spirit.
6. The New Testament teaches that the Sinai covenant was a temporary covenant, not intended to be in force for ever.
7. The content of the law for believers is the 'law of Christ,' which centers on Christ himself and his interpretation of the law.

Wilson's Conclusion

"Now I know that if you have read this far, it is probably because you are just "indulging the preacher.' But I do want you to know that I know that this sounds like gibberish to you. As an argument, I know that is seems beyond strange. "A Jewish carpenter was executed by the authorities of Jerusalem two thousand years ago, and this happened so that our sins could be forgiven?" So why do I repeat it then, knowing how strange it sounds to you? Well, the answer is that God has promised to transform the entire world--a multitude beyond all counting was promised to Abraham--as people listen to this particular story being told. And for two thousand years He has been doing exactly that. And so Christians will continue to tell it until He stops fulfilling His word, which means that this is the story that will be told to the end of the world. May the Lord call you to Himself, on the basis of this kind gospel. But whether He does this or not, if we ever meet, I wold love to buy you a beer."