Not Being Able to Do it All

Have you ever heard a preacher or read an author who spouts statistic after statistic about the dying world and then charged you to do something about it, and then just felt worthless, not sure what exactly you are supposed to do next? Kevin DeYoung recently wrote a blog-post that is worth reading if you ever feel guilty that you don't have time to do more for the kingdom. It is long, but full of pastoral wisdom. If you are rushed, at least read the last two sections. Here is the conclusion:

"I’m not for a minute advocating a cheap grace or an easy-believeism. But the yoke still is easy, right? And the burden still is light, is it not? The danger–and it’s a danger I’ve fallen foul of in my own preaching–is that in all our efforts to be prophetic, radical, and missional, we end up getting the story of Pilgrim’s Progress exactly backwards. “Come to the cross, Pilgrim, see the sacrifice for your sins. Isn’t that wonderful? Now bend over and let me load this burden on your back. There’s a lot of work we have to do, me and you.” A cross, yes. Jesus said we would have to carry one of those. But a cross that kills our sins, smashes our idols, and teaches us the folly of self-reliance. Not a burden to do the impossible. Not a burden to always do more for Jesus. Not a burden of bad news that never lets up and obedience that is always out reach.No doubt some Christians need to be shaken out of their lethargy. I try to do that every Sunday morning and evening. But there are also a whole bunch of Christians who need to be set free from their performance-minded, law-keeping, world-changing, participate-with-God-in-recreating-the-cosmos shackles. I promise you, some of the best people in your churches are getting tired. They don’t need another rah-rah pep talk. They don’t need to hear more statistics and more stories Sunday after Sunday about how bad everything is in the world. They need to hear about Christ’s death and resurrection. They need to hear how we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. They need to hear the old, old story once more. Because the secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us."

(Props: JT)

Restless Rest

"Christians ought to be at one and the same time the most contented and yet dissatisfied people in the world, for they want something this world cannot offer."

-Brian Rosner in Beyond Greed, 99-100.

"The soul that loves God is at rest in God yet at the same time in restless movement toward God."

-Robert Wilken in The Spirit of Early Christian Thought, 309.

True Authenticity

In this week's Towers Magazine, Jim Hamilton writes,

"Do you want singles in their late 20s and early 30s confessing anxiety about finding a mate, asking you to pray for them to trust the Lord's providence in their lives? Do you want guys confessing their struggles with pornography as they seek to join the church? Do you want people with real problems (homosexual urges and the fallout from past sexual sin, whether lingering STD's or guilt from an abortion) joining the church and coming for counsel in their struggle against sin? Do you want guys coming to you because they're afraid of the way they've been rough with their wives and they don't want it to go any further, so they're seeking accountability?

You don’t get this from wearing cool clothes, having a trendy name for your church or learning to preach from comedians. If it comes—and if the authenticity about “big” sins is accompanied by authenticity about “acceptable” sins—it will come by the power of the Spirit through the preaching of the Word. The Bible convinces us to quit playing games. The Bible shows us the beauty of holiness. The Bible convicts us of the worth of this treasure, and we sell all we have-or risk exposing our sin- to buy the field in which the treasure lies."

Fall 09 Chapel

Southern has posted this semester's chapel schedule. It looks great. I am particularly excited about: Moore, Mohler, Ware, panel on the new perspective, Hamilton, David Prince, panel on multi-site churches, and Matt Chandler.

Will the Devil be in class with you this week?

Here are Dr. Moore's insightful thoughts.

More Seminary Reading

Related to the last post, here is a list of books that Dr. Hamilton thinks every seminary student should have read. Ouch.

Seminary Reading

This week starts, Lord-willing, my final year at Southern Seminary. Our time here has been invaluable. I have loved the vast majority of my classes. I have been formed and re-formed by the Scriptures. I realize that a seminary education is merely meant to be a foundation upon which to build for the rest of one's ministry. I fear though, that many students do not sufficiently value life-long learning. Having said that, I am a little disappointed in what we have not been required to read. Granted I still have a year left, but as of yet none of my classes have required any of the following 'classics': Justin Martyr's Apology or Dialogue with Trypho, Athanasius' On the Incarnation, Irenaeus' On the Apostolic Preaching, Augustine's Confessions or City of God or On Christian Teaching, Thomas A' Kempis' The Imitation of Christ, Luther's Bondage of the Will, Calvin's Institutes, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Packer's Knowing God, or anything by John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil the Great, very little of Aquinas & Jonathan Edwards, Whitefield, Wesley, Boyce, Owen, Lewis, Stott, or Lloyd-Jones. In my humble opinion, there are a few contemporary books that could be replaced by the older stuff (Lewis would probably agree). I don't intend this post to be a knock on the school, but an exhortation to future preachers to join me in adding these classics to your reading list if you graduate without having read them. We will have no shortage of good stuff to read throughout the rest of our lives.

Ministry Lessons from Chrysostom

This ended up being the summer of the "Fathers" for me and I have gained an immense appreciation for John Chrysostom (349-407), also known as 'Golden-Mouth" because of his eloquent preaching. He was raised by a single Christian mother, converted around age 20, became a monk, then became a deacon, then an elder at Antioch. In 397, he was forced to leave and become bishop at Constantinople, where he was faithful in his work until he stepped on the toes of the empress and was eventually exiled (in large part due to Theophilos, patriarch of Alexandria). He was old and sick and ended up dying on the journey. His dying words were, "In all things, glory to God." Here are some ministry lessons from the bishop:

• He felt unworthy of the task of ministry. Early in life, he bailed on a ministry opportunity to head for the hills. He viewed the priesthood with awesome dignity and terrifying responsibility.
  
• John was an "expositional" preacher, so much so that historians wonder if what we have are his sermons or are just written commentaries. Bryan Litfin writes, "There is scarcely any biblical book, moral topic, theological point, or issue of his day, that John Chrysostom did not tackle" (197). John preached through books of the Bible, verse by verse. The first of many such records we have are 67 sermons on Genesis, verse by verse, from beginning to end. This forces the preacher to tackle all sorts of things he normally could avoid.


• He was a dynamic preacher. The comment above may make it sound like he was simply a running commentary, but John, unlike some Fathers, was a favorite among the lay people. His illustrations were colorful and is topics timely (Litfin, 201). He was very concerned about making the literal meaning of Scripture relevant to his congregation's needs. As Wilken writes, he was "ever mindful of the limitations of his hearers" (47).
  
• Chrysosotom practices what we would call "grammatical-historical exegesis." He was a "stickler for literal exegesis" (Kelly, 60). Seeing the Spirit as the true author, he sought to explain Scripture in the plain historical sense and make application based off of that. As Kelly writes, he was always ready "to go beyond strict comment on the text and draw out whatever useful lessons he thinks he can discern in it" (Kelly, 95).
  
• John avoided allegory but pursued typology (what they called theoria). He writes, "One thing is to be watched: theoria must never be understood as doing away with the underlying sense; it would then be no longer theoria bu allegory. For whenever anything else is said apart from the foundational sense, we have not theoria but allegory." We would say that typology must have textual warrant.


• John set out to reform the clergy immediately upon arrival in Constantinople. He enforced higher standards for worldly clergy. Ministers are to be above reproach.


• He loved the poor and marginalized. He sold church treasures to help the poor and build hospitals. Kelly says he was indignant against conspicuous affluence. He was a champion for the poor. A person's true glory does not consist in things, but in gentleness, humility and charity.


• He showed no favoritism. Regardless of office, all were in need of the gospel, and were subject to the rule of Christ. In a memorial service to Emperor Theodosius I, John remarks that he deserves respect, not because he was royal, but because he had been a devout Christian. While many would have done all they could to stay on good terms with the imperial family, John referred to the emperor's wife as Jezebel.


• John was a practical theologian. Chris Hall writes, he had "an amazing ability to bring Scripture to life, both in its theological richness and practical implications" (94). He loved to explain and apply deep truths of Scripture to his people.


• John was a biblical theologian. He was equally at home in either the Old or New Testament, and understood the progressive nature of revelation (to my surprise). He argued that one must read the OT in light of the fuller revelation that Christ brings. Though I need to read more of his stuff, his comments on Galatians 3 and Matthew 5 is sympathetic to New Covenant Theology.


• He memorized vast portions of Scripture. Master the Bible. John believed that the cause of all evils was the failure to know the Scriptures well. He strove to see all of life from a biblical perspective. Calvin would say he never removed the "spectacles of Scripture."


• John accepted suffering as a gift from God. The gospel had effectively sucked the poison out of the Christian's suffering and now was used by God to conform us to Christ.


• John was an ascetic. He took self-control and discipline very seriously, and wasted little time on "vain" activities. He warned against the corrupting influence of the theatrical shows which "conspires to undermine moral standards, make men discontented with their wives, and break up homes" (Kelly, 97).
  
• The bishop was also characterized by an "incurable optimism." He was quick to give a favorable interpretation of providence and believed that the tomb is empty and that makes a world of differences.

Sources:
Getting to Know the Church Fathers - Litfin
Golden Mouth - Kelly
Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers - Hall
The Spirit of Early Christian Thought - Wilken

10 Weeks!!

The top one is the back of our baby, and the bottom one is the head and hand. Amazing.

Good Lookin' Out: Presuppositional Apologetics

Covenant Media and American Vision have come together to publish a book that the late Greg Bahnsen had written, but lost in a move!! They waited until now to publish it. It is 289 pages, and sure to be helpful stuff. American Vision writes: "This magnum opus of apologetics lays out the Biblical presuppositional method, provides rigorous Biblical proof, and defends the uniqueness of the method. This is the work we all longed for Bahnsen to write, yet never knew that he already had written it! Now rescued from the dustbin of history, this monument of apologetics will provide must-reading for Christian defenders of the faith for generations to come." Here is a link to some short posts I did on presuppositional apologetics.

From the website: Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen (1948-1995) provided perhaps the clearest, most faithful, and most powerful advancement of Cornelius Van Til's presuppositional apologetics of anyone. This statement holds true both for Bahnsen's written scholarly work as well as his practical applications in both formal and informal debates and exchanges. Those knowledgeable of Van Til's “Copernican Revolution” in Christian apologetical method will understand the enormity of this compliment to Greg Bahnsen. Those not formerly introduced to Van Til or Bahnsen will understand shortly after beginning this volume—for this book presents the most clear, systematic, and rigorous statement and defense of Van Tillian presuppositional apologetics written to date.

This volume presents the systematic counterpart to Bahnsen's earlier publication, Van Til's Apologetic: Readings and Analysis. While that previous work included a broad and topical overview and explanation of Van Til's contribution—which, though highly organized according to an outline, and much more accessible than Van Til's own massive corpus of writing, still does not fully execute the task of a systematic work—this volume gets closer to an apologetical version of “systematic theology,” as opposed to, say, “biblical theology.” Both approaches provide vital understanding, and now we have both.

Here is a John Frame's blurb: This book is an important part of the historical record. It is authentic Bahnsen, vintage Bahnsen. It displays brilliantly his intellectual gifts and his devotion to the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life. Despite my differences with Bahnsen, I revere him yet today as a great blessing of God tothe church and as one of the most brilliant apologists I have known. He seeks to set forth the comprehensive lordship of Christ over the human mind as over everything else, and he does that effectively. In that goal we should all be in agreement, and we should seek Bahnsen's help to become more consistent in our commitment to the Lord. So I commend this book to all who seek to think God's thoughts after him.

Good Lookin' Out: The End of the Law

Jason Meyer is assistant professor of Religion (New Testament and Greek) at Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana. I just grabbed his new book "The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in Pauline Theology" put out by B&H Academic. I have been waiting a while for this one. While I was doing research for my little book on the same subject, I read parts of Meyer's dissertation with joy and benefit. His doctoral supervisor was Tom Schreiner. I am clearing my schedule for this one. Here are the blurbs from Piper and Schreiner:

"For the last forty years of my ministry no biblical issue has proved more recurrent or more vexing than the nature of the Mosaic law as it relates to the gospel and the new covenant. The pastoral implications for how you preach the gospel, aim at sanctification, comfort strugglers, give assurance, and admit people to membership in the church, are huge. Jason Meyer is a good guide. I found myself writing 'YES!' in the margins repeatedly. And there were enough 'Aha' moments of fresh discovery to make me want to keep going. I thank God for this younger scholar. His book is a precious gift to the church." (Piper)

We will fail to understand the larger storyline of the Bible if we do not grasp the significance of the old covenant and the new covenant. Jason Meyer in this careful exegetical study unpacks the meaning of the new covenant over against the old covenant. One of virtues of this work is its elegant clarity. Meyer defines terms succinctly and clearly, so that readers are not lost in a forest of obscurity. Even more important, Meyer advances his case with in-depth and convincing exegesis. NT scholars are known for their exegetical skills, but Meyer’s exegesis is coupled with theological rigor and insight which one finds too infrequently among biblical scholars. The work concludes with the perceptive and practical and theological implications. To sum up, we can be grateful for Dr. Meyer's assistance in understanding the whole counsel of God." (Schreiner)