John Owen on Stirring the Mind to Contemplate the Glory of Christ

In his treatise "Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ," John Owen offers six "directions" for stirring up the minds of believers to contemplate the glory of Christ (chapter 4):

1. Let us get it fixed on our souls and minds, that this glory of Christ in the divine constitution of his person is the best, the most noble, useful, beneficial object that we can be conversant about in our thoughts, or cleave unto in our affections.
   
2. Our second direction unto the same end is, that we diligently study the Scripture, and the revelations that are made of this glory of Christ therein.
   
3. Another direction to this same end is, that having attained the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ from the Scripture, or by the dispensation of the truth in the preaching of the gospel, we would esteem it our duty frequently to meditate thereon.
   
4. Let your occasional thoughts of Christ be many, and multiplied every day.
   
5. The next direction is, that all our thoughts concerning Christ should be accompanied with admiration, adoration, and thanksgiving.
   

There is a beautiful progression in these five directions. Owen begins by holding out the beauty of Christ as the highest end we could possibly pursue (1), and then directs us where to find that vision of Christ—the Scriptures (2). But he is not content to allow such a vision of Christ to remain in our times in the Word (whether through personal reading or hearing the Word preached and taught); he exhorts us to frequently reflect/meditate on the beauty of Christ that we have seen in the Word (3). Such meditation and reflection should not be limited to devoted time in the Word and prayer, but should spill over into our "occasional thoughts" throughout the day (4). He then concludes with the reminder that such reflections should not be merely an intellectual exercise, but should be joined with our affections (5).

CT Article on Tim Keller

Christianity Today recently posted a lengthy profile of Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City. It helpfully sketches the origins of this influential church in NYC and provides a window into how Keller approaches ministry in the largest city in the United States.

Luther on the Dangers of a “Perfect Record”

In re-reading Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton, I was amused by Luther's comments on the dangers of an impeccable religious record. As counsel to his overly scrupulous friend Melancthon, Bainton says that Luther suggested "that one sin is needed as medicine to cure another. An unblemished record engenders the worst of all sins, pride. Hence a failure now and then is conducive to humility. But the only sins which Luther actually recommended as record spoilers were overeating, overdrinking, and oversleeping. Such controlled excesses might be utilized as the antidote to arrogance" (p. 175). I think Luther said this somewhat tongue in cheek, but his warning about the dangers of pride that can result from our perceived impeccable obedience is wise to heed.

The Dangers of Prosperity

In the final section of his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes:

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." (4:12)

We often think of the unique challenges and opportunities that facing lack/need presents. In those situations we are faced with the choice of trusting God for provision, or grumbling as the Israelites in the wilderness did (cf. Exod 16–17). But less frequently recognized are the dangers that abundance/prosperity brings. There are at least four that come to mind:

1. Our hearts become more enamored with what God has given us than God himself. The more that we have, the easier it becomes for us to find our greatest joy in those things rather than God. It is this very danger that Jesus warned of when he said "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt 6:19-21).
   
2. We let our guard down against the enemy. We tend to think that Satan is most dangerous when we are facing lack/need, but he is just as dangerous (if not more) when we face abundance/prosperity. Suffering tends to sharpen our spiritual senses, driving us to realize our need for God. But when things are going well it becomes easy to put our lives on cruise control and start to doze off at the wheel. But our abundance/prosperity does not change the fact that "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Pet 5:8)
   
3. We conclude that our prosperity/abundance is the result of our godliness. There is a sense in which the OT points in this direction. After all, under the Mosaic Covenant God makes it clear to Israel that obedience/faith will lead to blessing, while disobedience/unbelief will lead to cursing (cf. Deut 28). But several qualifications need to be made to encompass the totality of the OT's teaching. First, the Mosaic Covenant functioned on the national level, indicating that the nation as a whole would be blessed or cursed based on their obedience or disobedience to the covenant. Applying this at an individual level is far more complicated. Second, one cannot conclude from a person's suffering or prosperity the extent of their obedience or disobedience. That is one of the major points of the book of Job; his friends were insistent that his suffering was proof of disobedience. God's answer makes it clear that Job's suffering was not the result of sin. Similarly, Psalm 73 describes how the wicked prosper in this life. Third, while there are passages that correlate personal obedience and God's blessing of abundance (e.g., Ps 112:1-6), we must not think of this as a quid pro quo in which man earns what he receives or that God is somehow obligated to bless in response to obedience. God does tend to bring blessing to those who are obedient, but even in those cases it is a gift of his grace since the very obedience in view is a product of God's own work in that person's life (Phil 2:12-13).
   
4. Our trust/confidence is placed in what we possess rather than who possesses us. Paul identifies this as a great danger when he writes to Timothy "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy" (1 Tim 6:17). Those who have abundance are less inclined to place their trust in God, because there is the appearance of security in their prosperity.
   

In Philippians 4:12 Paul claims he has learned the secret of contentment in either lack or abundance. That secret is knowing that our security rests not in our current financial situation but in the one who loved us and gave himself for us (Gal 2:20). No matter what your economic situation is today, whether rosy or bleak, God wants us to find our security in him. Beware the dangers of both lack/need and abundance/prosperity.

A Tribute to my Wife Kate on Mother's Day

On this day that we here in the United States set aside to honor moms, I wanted to offer this public tribute to my wife Kate.

The highest compliment that I can pay to you on this day is that you are the clearest reflection of the servant-heart of Jesus Christ that I have ever seen. The way that you empty yourself to care for our family as well as others is such a tangible demonstration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant (Phil 2:7). The way that you die to your personal comfort to show love to us and others is evidence that Christ is powerfully at work in you (Gal 2:20). The way that you point our children to Christ through his Word is establishing a foundation from which by God's grace they will never depart (Prov 22:6).

Aside from his Son Jesus Christ, you are the greatest gift that God has given to me, Jonathan and Jacob. If there were city gates where we live, we would be running to them today to declare your works (Prov 31:31).

Get to Know D.A. Carson

In this month's edition of the Next monthly wezine, Justin Taylor has written two very helpful and short articles on D.A. Carson. The first is a brief biographical sketch that includes his background and prodigious writing ministry. The second is focused on specific books that Carson has written organized around specific issues. Highly recommended!

Reflections from the Gospel Coalition

Earlier this morning I returned from the Gospel Coalition Conference. It was truly an amazing three days. So here I will simply list in bullet form a series of thoughts, reflections, highlights, etc. from the conference.

• While the conference is amazing on its own terms, it is so much better when you can enjoy it with others. I had the privilege of taking 12 students from Grace College and Seminary, and it was a blast. It was so fun to introduce many of them to some of the great speakers/teachers for the first time.
  
• I love getting to see friends both old and new. These conferences provide opportunities to catch up with individuals that I don't get to see very often and hear what God is doing in their lives. These conversations often lead to meeting new friends, and this conference was no different. In my estimation, this one of the primary benefits of conferences like these.
  
• The content of the teaching was fabulous. I especially appreciated the messages by Keller, Piper and Lig Duncan. But for me the absolute highlight was the post-conference event "The Pastor as Scholar, the Scholar as Pastor" with Carson and Piper. Carson's message on "The Scholar as Pastor" was the most helpful set of reflections of what it means to be a scholar who serves the church. Perhaps it will serve as grist for later post.
  
• On a different note, a friend passed along tickets to the Cubs game yesterday for me and five other guys. The seats were absolutely AMAZING. We were 11 rows from the field, behind the plate off to the 3^rd base side. When the batter was in the box he was closer to us that he was to first base. Talk about a completely different experience! The only downside was that the Cubs lost.
  

If you were unable to attend the conference, you should go to the Gospel Coalition website and download the messages. You will not be disappointed.

Gospel Coalition Conference

Tomorrow the Gospel Coalition Conference begins, and I have the privilege of taking a group of 12 students from Grace along with me. But for those who cannot attend and still want to be a part of the festivities, you have two options:

Live webcast

Audio & Video Downloads available within one day

Feel free to say hello. It is always nice to see friends old and new.

Mark Dever Interviews D.A. Carson on Books

This past weekend I listened to an interview with D.A. Carson conducted by Mark Dever. Dever asks Carson about many of the books he has written, as well as what he has in the works. Also enjoyable was the fact that because of his close friendship with Carson, Dever is able to "needle" him a bit, with the result that you get a sense of who Carson is as a person. Highly recommended. Here is the link:

On Books with D.A. Carson

History of Redemption Sermon 2

In this sermon JE introduces the three main divisions of his overview of the Work of Redemption (WoR). The first is from the Fall to Christ's incarnation, during which God was preparing for Christ's arrival. The second is from Christ's incarnation to his resurrection, during which Christ purchases redemption. The third is from Christ's resurrection to the end of the world, during which God brings about the effects of Christ's redemption.

In the interest of greater clarity JE then further divides the first period (fall to incarnation) into six periods: (1) Fall to the flood; (2) Flood to the call of Abraham; (3) Abraham to Moses; (4) Moses to David; (5) David to the Babylonian captivity; (6) Babylonian captivity to the incarnation.

The remainder of this sermon lays out the first four observations from the period from the Fall to the Flood. JE begins by noting that the mediatorial work of Christ began the moment man fell into sin. This claim stems from JE's assertion that "there is no mercy towards man but what is obtained through Christ's intercession" (130). From that point forward God would deal with man only through the agency of the mediator Jesus Christ.

Second, God gives the first announcement of the gospel in the so-called protoevangelium of Gen 3:15. JE admits that this is "an obscure revelation of the gospel" like the "first glimmerings of the light of the sun in the east" (133). In this promise God makes clear his intention to subdue all his enemies under the feet of his Son. The revelation of this promise was the first act of Christ in his prophetic office.

Third, God instituted the custom of sacrificing as a type of Christ's sacrifice that was to come. Although Scripture does not indicate this, JE claims that this custom had to be God-given, since only worship offered in faith can please him. Since faith has no foundation without divine appointment, God must have revealed this custom to Adam and Eve. God did this by offering the very first sacrifice to provide skins to cover Adam and Eve. These skins are a type of the righteousness of Christ that clothes believers. The entire sacrificial system that pervades the rest of the OT is the chief type of Christ, as it establishes the need for a propitiatory sacrifice for God's people.

Fourth, God very soon after the Fall begins saving souls through Christ's redemption. Adam and Eve were likely the first recipients, as they embraced the promise of the seed that would crush the serpent.

I admire the way JE explains the entire work of redemption as an outworking of the protoevangelium. In doing so JE manages to hold together two crucial aspects of the atonement that are too often separated: (1) Christ's defeat of Satan and his forces of wickedness and (2) Christ's substitutionary death for our sins. Both of these aspects flow out of the promise of Gen 3:15. And how beautiful is the imagery of the animal skins that covered Adam and Eve as a type of the righteousness of Christ that clothes believers!

John Owen on Beholding the Glory of Christ

"The revelation made of Christ in the blessed Gospel is far more excellent, more glorious, and more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness, than the whole creation and the just comprehension of it, if attainable, can contain or afford. Without the knowledge hereof, the mind of man, however priding itself in other inventions and discoveries, is wrapped up in darkness and confusion.

"This, therefore, deserves the severest of our thoughts, the best of our meditations, and our utmost diligence in them. For if our future blessedness shall consist in being where he is, and beholding his glory, what better preparation can there be for it than in a constant previous contemplation of that glory in the revelation that is made in the Gospel, unto this very end, that by a view of it we may be gradually transformed into the same glory?"

-From the "Preface to the Reader" in John Owen, "Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, in His Person, Office and Grace" in Works 1:275.

A Conversation with D.A. Carson, John Piper and Tim Keller

This past week I came across a series of video conversations between Carson, Piper and Keller on the Gospel Coalition website (I'm not sure when they originally were posted). There are ten "chapters" in all:

Chapter 1: Gospel Centered Mercy Ministry vs. The Social Gospel

Chapter 2: What do you look for in a pastoral candidate?

Chapter 3: The importance of continuing mentorship of the pastoral staff?

Chapter 4: What is Gospel-centered and why do you preach against legalism to evangelize libertines?

Chapter 5: How does the gospel and gospel centeredness work to sanctify believers?

Chapter 6: How does the gospel-centered approach work to help a guy conquer the sin of pornography?

Chapter 7: How does Gospel-Centered relate to God-Centered and Cross-Centered especially in conquering sin?

Chapter 8: Why does God appear so stuck on himself? Does this reflect moral weakness in God?

Chapter 9: John Piper and Tim Keller confess they have learned that God-centered and Gospel-centered need each other to be more biblical

Chapter 10: John Piper's Closing Prayer

Of these ten, I found chapters 1, 5, 7, and 9 to be most helpful. But if you can only watch one, I would recommend chapter 9, where Piper and Keller interact on how "God-centered" and "gospel-centered" connect. In the course of this interaction, Piper admits that his language of being "God-centered" at times has not been "Christ-centered" enough. But Keller also admits that in his emphasis on being "gospel-centered" that his language could be misunderstood to be strictly cognitive rather than penetrating to the affections. To whet your appetite, here is a snippet of Piper that captures it well:

"The apex of the glory of God is seen in Christ, and the apex of His glory is seen in the cross, and therefore to be God-centered leads to Christ-centered leads to cross-centered."

History of Redemption Sermon 1

Because this sermon begins the entire series, JE begins with the foundational text (Isaiah 51:8). From that verse ("For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.") JE draws a contrast between the happiness of the church of God and the fate of her enemies. The happiness of the church consists of God's righteousness and salvation. The former (righteousness) JE identifies as God's faithfulness to his covenant promises to the church (N.B. this is similar to some scholars today, though instead of it being faithfulness to the covenant of grace they would argue it is his faithfulness to his covenant with Israel). The latter (salvation) is the outworking of God's righteousness. Based on the mention of "forever" and "from generation to generation" JE asserts that the work of salvation began with the generation of man and will continue until the generations end at the end of the world. All that is left to do in the introduction is to state the doctrine that governs the entire series: "The Work of Redemption is a work that God carries on from the fall of man to the end of world."

Because this opening section sets the stage for the entire series I have given a sizeable summary, but from this point forward in this and the remaining sermons I will be much more selective.

From here JE moves to define terms (he's a Puritan, what else would you expect?). On the one hand the Work of Redemption is used narrowly in Scripture to refer to the purchase of salvation accomplished through the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ (what I might refer to as the micro-gospel). On the other hand, the Work of Redemption more broadly refers to all that God does towards the purchase of salvation, including both what God does to prepare for the purchase and the application of that purchase to his people (what I might refer to as the macro-gospel).

Although JE focuses on the Fall as the beginning point of the Work of Redemption, he takes pains to indicate that there were many things done for the Work of Redemption even before the creation of the world. Indeed, JE argues that God's creation of the world and his ongoing providence over it are for the greater purpose of the Work of Redemption.

The remainder of the sermon identifies five things God purposes to do in the Work of Redemption: (1) place all his enemies under his feet; (2) restore the ruins of the Fall with respect to both the elect and the creation itself; (3) bring into union all of the elect in Christ; (4) complete and perfect the glory of all the elect by Christ; (5) accomplish the glory of the Trinity to an exceeding degree.

Two things in particular strike me from this sermon. First, I appreciate how JE holds together both the micro and macro gospel. In our own day some focus on one to the neglect of the other. Some focus almost exclusively on the death and resurrection of Jesus and its benefits for the salvation of the individual sinner; consequently, they lose sight of the fact that the cross is the inauguration of the new creation that will eventually result in a new heavens and new earth. Others focus almost exclusively on God's plan to make all things new things; as a result, they lose sight of the need for personal repentance and faith to participate in the new creation that God is bringing about through Jesus Christ.

Second, the five distinct purposes of God in the Work of Redemption capture the different strands of the biblical testimony quite well. I know that in my own upbringing within the evangelical tradition that the focus was almost exclusively on God saving the lost. That of course is true, but it was not until I was introduced to the writing of John Piper that I became aware of God's greater end of glorifying himself. And it wasn't until sometime later that the purpose of God defeating his enemies came onto my theological horizons.

The History of the Work of Redemption by Jonathan Edwards

This past week I acquired a work of Jonathan Edwards that I have had on my radar for some time: The History of the Work of Redemption. It originated as a series of 30 sermons that he preached between May-August 1739. His goal in preaching the series was to trace God's work of redemption from the Fall all the way through to the consummation. In other words, it was similar to a biblical theology organized around tracing the storyline of Scripture. He chose as his keynote text Isaiah 51:8

"For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations."

Launching from this text JE laid out his "doctrine" for the entire series: "The Work of Redemption is a work that God carries on from the fall of man to the end of the world." He restated this doctrine at the beginning of each of the 30 sermons in the series, partly to retain the standard Puritan preaching template and partly to remind his hearers of the central thesis that shaped each sermon no matter where in the biblical storyline JE was.

Towards the end of his life JE expressed his intention to transform this sermon series into a treatise. In a letter to the trustees at Princeton expressing his reluctance to accept their invitation to become the president of the university, JE mentioned this project as one of his top priorities:

"But besides these, I have had on my mind and heart (which I long ago began, not with any view to publication) a great work, which I call A History of the Work of Redemption, a body of divinity in an entire new method, being thrown into the form of an history, considering the affair of Christian theology, as the whole of it, in each part, stands in reference to the great work of redemption by Jesus Christ; which I suppose is to be the grand design of all God's designs, and the summum and ultimum of all the divine operations and degrees; particularly considering all parts of the grand scheme in their historical order. The order of their existence, or their being brought forth to view, in the course of divine dispensations, or the wonderful series of successive acts and events; beginning from eternity and descending from thence to the great work and successive dispensations of the infinitely wise God in time, considering the chief events coming to pass in the church of God, and revolutions in the world of mankind, affecting the state of the church and the affair of redemption, which we have an account of in history or prophecy; till at last we come to the general resurrection, last judgment, and consummation of all things; when it shall be said "It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End" [Revelation 22:13]. Concluding my work, with the consideration of that perfect state of things, which shall be finally settled, to last for eternity. This history will be carried on with regard to all three worlds, heaven, earth, and hell: considering the connected, successive events and alterations, in each so far as the Scriptures give any light; introducing all parts of divinity in that order which is most scriptural and most natural: which is a method which appears to me the most beautiful and entertaining, wherein every divine doctrine, will appear to greatest advantage in the brightest light, in the most striking manner, showing the admirable contexture and harmony of the whole."

Despite his reluctance, JE eventually decided to accept the position as president of Princeton. Unfortunately, he died within a few months of arriving at Princeton from a smallpox inoculation that produced a fever which eventually killed him. Although he had begun collecting additional materials in his notebooks to be incorporated into the revision, he was never able to begin the revisions in earnest. At the urging of the Scottish clergyman John Erskine, JE's son Jonathan Edwards Jr. transcribed the sermon series and sent it off to be published in Scotland in 1774.

Had JE been able to make the intended revisions, I suspect that the finished product would have ranked among JE's most important theological contributions, right alongside works such as Freedom of the Will and Original Sin. As I continue to work my way through this work, I anticipate finding several things to post on in the weeks to come.

Two Very Interesting Articles from this Week

I'm not a big fan of Time Magazine, but as has been noted elsewhere in the blogosphere, they recently released an article entitled Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now. Third on that list is "The New Calvinism." Referring to individuals like John Piper, Mark Driscoll and Al Mohler, the article highlights how this resurgence of Calvinism is where much of the lifeblood of the broader evangelical movement is found.

Yet just earlier this week a quite different article was published entitled The Coming Evangelical Collapse. Michael Spencer argues the following:

We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.

Without implying that these two are the only options, do you find yourself encouraged by the growth of the new Calvinism and see it as a sign of good times to come for the evangelical movement? Or are you more inclined to see the end of evangelicalism as we know it? Or do you foresee some combination of the two?

ESV Study Bible Online - Free Access to ALL

Although I am generally not a fan of study Bibles, I have found the ESV Study Bible to be a fantastic resource. I even bought one for my lovely wife, who has clung to her NIV Study Bible for many years.

One of the features that I have most enjoyed is that the entire contents of the ESV STudy Bible are available online to those who have purchased a print copy. In addition to all of the articles, notes, maps, diagrams, etc. you have the ability to store personalized notes and other neat features.

For a limited time (through March 31), Crossway is allowing even those who have not purchased a print copy access to the online site. You can find the details here. If you are at all curious about the ESV Study Bible, this is your chance to check it out for yourself. I do not think you will be disappointed.

God’s Good Gift of Sleep

Psalm 127 is a well-known passage of Scripture. The first half (1-2) emphasizes the necessity of God superintending our work if it is not to be in vain, while the second half (3-6) extols the blessing that children are, picturing them as arrows in a man's quiver. But tucked away at the end of verse two is a little appreciated line:

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

 

What Solomon indicates here is that apart from the LORD's blessing of our labor, it is vain (cp. Eccl 1:1-18). But this last line also recognizes the good gift that sleep is to his people. When we rest our heads on the pillow at night, we are in effect implicitly trusting both the sovereignty and goodness of God. We are trusting his sovereignty because sleep is the cessation of our labor. It is us recognizing that whatever remains undone, God alone is sovereign over it. We are trusting his goodness in surrendering to the rest that our bodies need to enable us to function. It is us recognizing that we are not God.

If you're anything like me, it is easy for my mind to run wild at the end of the day as I lay in bed waiting to fall asleep. Often my mind turns to the things that did not get done, or what must get done for the next day. This can easily turn into sinful anxiety (cf. Matt 6:25-34). At the root of our anxiety is often the idol of control. Deep down we believe that we either have or must have control. And if we push that even further, it is at the root rebellion against the One who truly is Sovereign.

So tonight as you lie in bed, waiting for sleep to overtake you, and your mind turns to the things you did not get done, rest in the goodness and sovereignty of God. And then embrace sleep as God's good gift.

Idolatry in Christian Ministry

In my continuing study of Philippians, I have been working my way through Markus Bockmuehl's, The Epistle to the Philippians in the Black's New Testament Commentary. In speaking about some of his Christian brothers in Rome who were preaching Christ more boldly because of Paul's imprisonment, Paul writes In Philippians 1:17

"the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment." (NASB)

Sometimes one finds a one-liner that captures the essence of what the biblical text says. I found that statement in Bockmuehl's commentary when he writes:

"The robe of 'Christian ministry' cloaks many a shameless idolatry" (p. 80).

In this concise one-liner Bockmuehl identifies one of the most acceptable forms of idolatry in evangelicalism: ministry. In the name of serving the Lord far too many pastors, missionaries, professors and lay people are in fact furthering their own agendas for personal fulfillment and success. In a word, that is idolatry. It is placing ministry ahead of God himself, and it is so dangerous because on the outside it looks good.

Here in the context of Philippians 1:12-26 Paul provides the necessary corrective: to have as our highest aim the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So the question for each of us involved in ministry is this: do you care who gets the credit? Are you fine with others being recognized for their faithful gospel ministry while your own proclaiming of Christ remains under appreciated or recognized? What happens in your heart when someone else receives credit for something YOU did? Can you be content with rejoicing in the progress of the gospel rather than nursing resentment that you did not receive the recognition.

May we take seriously the admonition with which John closes his first letter:

Little children, guard yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)

 

 

 

The Gospel Coalition Conference

The folks at The Gospel Coalition have extended their early-bird registration discount ($200 instead of $250) until January 31. They also have a special rate for students ($100).

You can find out more about the conference here and register here. Here is a description of the Plenary Sessions:

The Plenary Sessions -- led by John Piper, Phil Ryken, Mark Driscoll, K. Edward Copeland, Bryan Chapell, and Ligon Duncan -- will expound the book of Second Timothy. It is through these expositions that we hope to model the sort of preaching through Scripture of which the church is in need, while teaching the glories of this gospel of the blessed God that has been entrusted to the care of the church. Tim Keller and Don Carson will each give addresses that seek to situate gospel-faithful ministry in the currents of the twenty-first century, and Ajith Fernando will discuss the global challenges and priorities of gospel-faithful mission for the next Christendom.

In addition to the main sessions there are two sessions of seminars that offer a wide variety of interesting topics from solid folks.

Also worth noting is a special event on the Thursday night immediately after the conference entitled "The Pastor as Scholar, and the Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry with John Piper and D.A. Carson." See the link for more details.

Like the Together for the Gospel Conference, this gathering is a great opportunity for pastors, students, and scholars to gather in unity around the richness of the gospel and its application to life and ministry.

RBL Goes RSS

The Review of Biblical Literature (RBL) is a publication of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), the largest "professional" guild for Biblical Studies. RBL publishes numerous book reviews that are an excellent source for getting a quick sense of a book and its contribution. They have recently begun a blog that announces the publication of these reviews that you can subscribe to through an RSS feed. It is now even easier to see what book reviews are available.

 

HT: Denny Burk

Top 100 Theology Blogs

ChristianColleges.com has released their list of the Top 100 Theology Blogs. They have broken down the list into the following categories: General Theology, Criticism, Politics, History, Academic, Clergy, Society and Culture, Writings. Admittedly some of the blogs mentioned span several of these categories. No doubt some will quibble with certain ones being included (such as this one!) while others were omitted, but overall the list looks very helpful.

Recent Paternoster Releases

My friend James Spinti at Eisenbrauns alerted me to three new releases from Paternoster of interest to me.

Congregational Evangelism in Philippians
The Centrality of an Appeal for Gospel Proclamation to the Fabric of Philippian
Paternoster Biblical Monographs-PBM
by Mark J. Keown
Paternoster Press, 2008
xxi + 360 pages, English
Paper, 6 x 9
ISBN: 9781842275108
List Price: $44.99
Your Price: $39.59
www.eisenbrauns.com/wconnect/wc.dll?ebGate~EIS~~I~KEOCONGRE

Imputation and Impartation
Union with Christ in American reformed Theology
Studies in Christian History and Thought - SCHT
by William B Evans
Paternoster Press, 2008
xiv + 296 pages, English
Paper, 6 x 9
ISBN: 9781842274361
List Price: $39.99
Your Price: $35.19
www.eisenbrauns.com/wconnect/wc.dll?ebGate~EIS~~I~EVAIMPUTA

Enabling Fidelity to God:
Perseverence in Hebrews in Light of Reciprocity Systems in the Ancient Mediterranean World
Paternoster Biblical Monographs-PBM
by Jason A. Whitlark
Paternoster Press, 2008
xvii + 225 pages, English
Paper, 6 x 9
ISBN: 9781842275733
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www.eisenbrauns.com/wconnect/wc.dll?ebGate~EIS~~I~WHIENABLI

Tyndale Bulletin Available Online

Tyndale Bulletin is one of the premier evangelical scholarly journals. They have now made all of their issues available online through 2005; check out the listing of issues here.

HT: Justin Taylor

Atheist Believes Africa Needs God

In today's Times on Line, an avowed atheist provides a unique perspective on the difference the gospel is making in the lives of Africans. Particularly striking is this quote:

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But this doesn't fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.

For this committed atheist it was the transformation the gospel brings that has forced him to admit that his own worldview cannot account for what he is observing. Would that the gospel do the same in our hearts so that those around us cannot deny the transformation even if it does not fit their worldview!

C.J. Mahaney on the Disturbing Nature of Christmas

While taking a brief break from preparing the Christmas Eve message for tomorrow night's service, I came across this helpful blogpost on the Disturbing Nature of Christmas. I commend the entire post, but to whet your appetite here is a juicy quote:

During this time of year, it may be easy to forget that the bigger purpose behind Bethlehem was Calvary. But the purpose of the manger was realized in the horrors of the cross. The purpose of his birth was his death.

Or to put it more personally: Christmas is necessary because I am a sinner. The incarnation reminds us of our desperate condition before a holy God.

This is a helpful reminder that if we preach the birth of Jesus without reference to his death and resurrection for our sins we are actually presenting a distorted picture of what Christmas is actually about.

May we all grow in our awe and wonder that God would take on flesh and be born in a filthy stable/cave to save sinners from the fury of his wrath that we deserve for our rebellion against him.

All Things are Better in Koine

For those of you who love both geek and Greek humor, this is a must see video. You will want to watch a few times over to catch all of the humor. And even if you do not know Greek, I think you can still appreciate some of the humor.





HT: Jim Hamilton

Announcing Bibleworks 8.0

Recently Bibleworks announced the release of their latest version, 8.0. The weblink provides further details on what is new in this release. Perhaps even more helpful are the series of posts at the Bibleworks Blog where Michael Hanel has been reviewing different feautures of the new version. I personally am looking forward to now having the OT Pseudepigrapha in Greek fully tagged and searchable, as well as the two new features called the Phrase Matching Tool and the Related Verse Tool. From everything I can tell, it looks like another major improvement. They have even included as standard now the grammars by Wallace, Waltke/O'Connor, and Juon Muraoka. Unbelievable! There are other fine Bible software programs out there, but NONE of them can match the bang for your buck that you get from Bibleworks.

As best I understand, they will not begin shipping for another two weeks or so. But you can place your order now. The amazing thing is that the cost for the package remains an unbeatable $349. And upgrade prices are also available: from 6.0 is $175 while from 7.0 it is $150. TOTALLY WORTH IT.

"Son of Man, Can this Blog Live?"

With all due apologies to Ezekiel 37:3, the remnant of you who have continued to check this blog may have begun to wonder something similar. This current semester that is now in its last days has been the most challenging of my young academic life, and in the midst of it all the blog has sort of fallen to the periphery. Here's just a taste of some of the things that have been keeping me busy:

A Full Academic Teaching Load. While I have taught a full load before, in light of some of the changes made here at Grace I have begun teaching some undergrad classes as well. In light of this the total number of students I have in my classes this semester has quadrupled. I have also been developing and overseeing a new class in our General Education Core called Exploring the Bible, which is an overview of the biblical metanarrative. While I have enjoyed these responsibilities, it has consumed much more time than in past semesters.

A Full Ministry Teaching Load. By this distinction I am not indicating that my academic teaching load is not ministry, of course. But outside of those responsibilities I have been busy teaching in the church context as well. I taught a 12 week Sunday School class on the Minor Prophets, which I greatly enjoyed. As part of our church's IMPACT Leadership Training Program I taught a 10 week course entitled "The Gospel-Centered Life." And every Monday night during the semester I led a mentoring group of Grace Seminary students through 1 Timothy. I have enjoyed each one of these opportunities to refine my thinking on these areas.

A Full Writing Load. In the midst of this I have been chipping away at my commentary on Philippians that I am writing for the Mentor series. I look forward to my time in Philippians, but things have been so busy that I have not made as much progress as I would have liked. I have a couple of other writing projects in the works at different stages as well.

A Full Family Load. This fall Kate began teaching English at a Christian Junior High / High School. She has enjoyed it a lot, but this change has resulted in some alterations to our family routine. Also, our oldest son played PeeWee football and our youngest is now playing basketball. And somebody has to play with Luther, our 20 month old Boston Terrier.

With all of that said, I do plan to resume regular posting. My intention is to take snippets of some of the things I have been working on this past semester and post them here. In particular, I would like to work through some of the material I used for the Gospel-Centered Life class.

Interesting Artifact Found

This article in the Israeli newspaper HAARETZ ("The Land") announces the discovery of a sarcophagus cover with the inscription "Son of the High Priest." Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority believe the artifact dates from 30–70 A.D., the formative years for early Christianity.

 

HT: Evangelical Textual Criticism

Envisioning the Temple

Justin Taylor has written a very helpful article on the Temple based on the resources that will be available in the forthcoming ESV Study Bible. What I especially appreciate is the fact that Justin does not stop with a description of the temple itself but identifies what the temple was pointing to all along: the true temple Jesus Christ.

Who is the Worst Sinner You Know?

    Paul never lost the wonder of the gospel of God's grace to him. Even after 30+ years of walking with Christ and serving as the lead apostle among the Gentiles, he remained blown away by the fact that God had saved him. In 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Paul recounts his testimony of how the grace of God transformed his life. Before Christ stopped him on the road to Damascus he "was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor" (1:13). But the grace of God was more than sufficient to save him, since "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1:15).

    At this point Paul makes a surprising statement. We might expect Paul to continue his thought by saying "among whom I WAS the foremost." Given his life before Christ, who could argue? He was a persecutor of the church and a blasphemer! But instead Paul says "among whom I AM the foremost" (1:15). In other words, Paul thinks of himself currently as the "foremost of sinners." It is not merely a description of his former life, but a statement of his current experience.

    So how could Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, think of himself as the foremost of sinners after 30+ years of walking with Christ? I believe the answer rests in his self-understanding and his God-understanding. Paul knew the mixture of his motives, the impurity of his desires, the extent of his failure to love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. As he grew in his understanding of God he progressively saw the depths of his sin in ways he never appreciated. Combined with his growing understanding of the perfections of God in Christ his sin became increasingly odious to him.

    Who came to mind when you saw the title of this post? Did you think of a mass murderer? A child molestor? Osama bin Laden? Hitler? I am becoming convinced that the biblical answer to that question for every single person is "me." Sure, I haven't committed the outward acts that would lead others to call me the worst sinner they know. But when we recall Jesus' exposition of the Law in Matthew 5–6, I reach a different conclusion. I am guilty in my heart of the very sins that Jesus describes. Even my best actions are tainted by sinful motivations, many of which I do not even fully recognize or appreciate.

    I am convinced that one of the marks of growth in holiness is paradoxically a growing awareness of the depth and extent of our sinfulness. As the Spirit continues his work in our lives, he exposes the idolatry in our lives in all its various forms. But he does this to cause us to abandon those idols and instead cling to Christ. And that is why we need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily.

    So, who is the worst sinner you know?

“Assumed Evangelicalism” by David Gibson

    One of the best biblical theology websites out there is http://beginnningwithmoses.org. Today a new article was posted by David Gibson, one of the editors. It is entitled "Assumed Evangelicalism: Some Reflections en route to denying the Gospel." After briefly describing the general pattern of movements as proclaiming the gospel, assuming the gospel, and eventually denying the gospel, he sets out to describe evangelicalism as it appears to be following this pattern. Assumed evangelicalism:

"believes and signs up to the gospel. It certainly does not deny the gospel. But in terms of priorities, focus, and direction, assumed evangelicalism begins to give gradually increasing energy to concerns other than the gospel and key evangelical distinctives, to gradually elevate secondary issues to a primary level, to be increasingly worried about how it is perceived by others and to allow itself to be increasingly influenced both in content and method by the prevailing culture of the day."

    From there he goes on to ask two questions to enable us to identify which phase (proclaimed, assumed, denied) best describes ourselves and our ministries:

1. To what extent does the gospel dictate our priorities in life, and the visions and strategies of our churches, movements and institutions?
   
2. To what extent do the key features of evangelicalism dictate our priorities in life, and the visions and strategies of our churches, movements and institutions?
   

Gibson has helpfully and concisely summarized many of the concerns that I have had as I have watched certain trends in evangelicalism. I strongly encourage you to read the whole thing.

What does Ray Ortlund Jr. take into the Pulpit with Him?

Part Four in Josh Harris's series on the sermon notes of several prominent preachers has now been posted here. The latest installment is Ray Ortlund Jr.

What does C.J. Mahaney take into the Pulpit with him?

Part Three in Josh Harris's series on the sermon notes of several prominent preachers has now been posted here. The latest addition is that of C.J. Mahaney.

A Website You Must See

One of the most common questions I am asked is "what's the best commentary on _________?" Answering that question is far more complicated than many people realize, as the answer depends on what one is looking to get from the commentary (technical information, solid application, close exegesis of the Greek or Hebrew, etc.).

This morning I learned of a fabulous new website that provides a treasury of information about seemingly every commentary out there, both OT and NT. It incorporates the volumes by Tremper Longman and D.A. Carson on commentaries, as well as many other resources. Commentaries are described and ranked. Not that I (or anyone else for that matter) will agree with every assessment of every commentary, but what a fantastic place to start when trying to answer the question "what are the best commentaries on ________"

Also nice from the curiousity end of things is the "forthcoming" section where future commentaries are listed by author, series, book of the bible, etc.

This is a must view site!

HT: Justin Taylor

What Does Mike Bullmore take into the Pulpit with Him?

Continuing the series that began earlier in the week, Josh Harris has now posted the notes of Mike Bullmore here. Although Bullmore is far less well-known than Mark Dever, he is every bit his equal in the pulpit. You can read more about him and his church here.

The sermon notes posted are from a message preached in February 2008 on Zephaniah. You can listen to the audio of the sermon here. One thing you will immediately notice is that Bullmore writes out his notes by hand, and that his handwriting is, shall we say, less than easily deciphered by those with untrained eyes.

On a personal note, I owe a great deal to Bullmore. He was my preaching instructor for all three of my courses at TEDS, and I consider that one of the highlights of my seminary education. No one person has had a greater influence on how I conceptualize and practice the task of preaching than him. If you would like a taste of his thoughts on preaching, here are three lectures that are available for free download:

Five Convictions about Preaching without which One Should not Preach

Things I've Learned About Preaching After Having Taught It for 15 Years

Watch Your Preaching: Effective Sermon Preparation

HT: Justin Taylor

What Does Mark Dever take into the Pulpit with Him?

It always fascinates me to see what various preachers take into the pulpit by way of notes. Some take nothing at all, having committed the entire sermon (or at least an outline) to memory. Others take word for word manuscripts. Most preachers are somewhere in between. While I do not think there is one right answer for everyone, I think some options are better than others.

Over at his blog Josh Harris has begun a series in which he is posting the sermon notes of some well-known preachers. In other words, he has taken the exact notes that the given preacher takes into the pulpit with him. I think this is a fascinating way to see a diversity of approaches.

The first entry is about Mark Dever, who clearly falls on the manuscript end of things. I think it is instructive in the PDF file that is posted to see the handwritten tweaks made, perhaps that very morning. Note also his notes in the margin at the conclusion where he reminds himself to slow down in delivery to make the words sink in more deeply.


HT: Justin Taylor

Online Resources by Tom Schreiner

One of the best NT scholars out there is Tom Schreiner at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is particularly helpful on difficult issues such as Paul's view of the Law, the role of women in ministry and a biblical understanding of perseverance and the warning passages. On his faculty home page, there are a number of links to articles, reviews and even chapter excerpts from some of his books. I highly recommend this page as a resource to you. You can find it here.

On a personal note, Tom has been very gracious to me personally. He was kind enough to give me an advance look at his now published NT Theology so I could use it in preparing for a course I teach here at Grace. This forum provides me with an opportunity to thank him publicly.

HT: Between Two Worlds

Individualism is the Problem, Community is the Solution - Or Is It?

In the most recent issue of Modern Reformation, Jonathan Leeman explores whether individualism is the problem that many today say it is and whether community truly is the solution. You can read the article here. I think Leeman is on to some very important observations that the church needs to consider before diving down the "community is the solution to all our problems" rabbit hole.

HT: Church Matters

Introducing a New Feature

On the sidebar I have added a new feature to the blog. Offered by the Joshua Project, each day a new unreached people group will be displayed with some basic information as to how we can specifically pray for the gospel to reach them (to add this to your own website, follow this link). It is my hope this very small feature will be a reminder to all of us to at least pray for the advance of the gospel into unreached areas and be mindful of ways we can contribute to those in darkness being exposed to the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6).

Survey on Religion and Public Life in America Reveals Evangelicals Have Their Work Cut Out For Them

Yesterday the results of a massive survey on religion in America were released, summarized in this article. It was conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Before I give the results, I will give my standard disclaimer on the limited value of surveys as tools to accurately reflect belief and practice. In addition to the role that the wording of questions plays in the results, we must also recognize that people's self-perception is not always the most accurate. For those interested in the details, you can find the full reports here. Because I do not have unlimited stores of time, I did not go through them, but based on their own summary of findings I wanted to make a few observations and their implications for the church in the U.S.

1. At the macro-level, we note that of Americans as a whole "92 percent believe in God, 74 percent believe in life after death and 63 percent say their respective scriptures are the word of God." One the one hand this is potentially good in that we likely do not need to spend significant amounts of time convincing people that God exists, or that there is an afterlife, or even of the divine nature of Scripture. But on the other hand what we will certainly have to do is explain that the God who exists is in fact the God definitively revealed in the incarnation of Christ, that the afterlife contains both a heaven and a hell that is predicated on repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ, and that the Bible itself is the final authority for truth, life, godliness, faith, practice, etc.

2. Continuing at the macro-level, "70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation" believe that "many religions can lead to eternal life," and "68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion." This is no surprise; the combination of pluralism and relativism havee produced a culture in which it appears arrogant to believe in only one way to God and presumptuous to contend that there is only one true way to interpret the Bible's central message.

3. Moving to the evangelical world, we find our most disturbing observation: "57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life." This number may in part reflect the increasingly broad use of the term evangelical (it is to such a degree that it may soon be wise to avoid the term as it loses its value as a meaningful distinction with other Christian traditions), but I am not ready to dismiss the statistic. The fact that so many who identify themselves as evangelicals deny such a central Biblical teaching as the exclusivity of Christ for salvation indicates a failure of the church to instruct her people through preaching, teaching, small groups and personal discipleship.

Let me close with a plea for those who read this blog. What are you specifically doing to help fellow believers understand the biblical roots of their faith and the practical implications of that faith in everyday life? We must be proactive in teaching, preaching, etc. to articulate and apply those aspects of biblical truth that confront the idolatries of our culture (in this case, relativistic pluralism) and then live them out.

In one sense everyone's life is controlled by a story. Sadly, for many Christians instead of the biblical story operating as the controlling story by which every other story must be evaluated, the reverse is true. The prevailing story of our current culture is allowed final say, and those bits and pieces of the Bible that can be accommodated into its framework are allowed while the rest is rejected. Brothers and sisters, we must understand the metanarrative of who God is and what he is doing in the world and then fit our own stories into that grand story, rather than arrogantly thinking that we must find some way to fit God into the story of our culture or perhaps more frequently our own personal story. And the primary responsibility for helping believers do that rests with those entrusted with the preaching and teaching ministry of the church. It must shape the way we teach everything, such that our people begin to develop a sort of Spirit-refined intuition for understanding all of life within the story of God revealed from Genesis to Revelation.

David Wells on Preaching

From David Wells' most recent book, The Courage to be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers and Emergents in the Postmodern World, page 230...

"Preaching is not a conversation, a chat about some interesting ideas. It is not the moment in which postmoderns hear their own private messages in the biblical words, one unique to each one who hears, and then go their own way. No! This is God speaking! He speaks through the stammering lips of the preacher where that preacher's mind is on the text of Scripture and his heart is in the presence of God. God, as Luther put it, lives in the preacher's mouth.

This is the kind of preaching that issues a summons, which nourishes the soul, which draws the congregation into the very presence of God so that no matter what aspect of his character, his truth, his working in this world is in focus, we leave with awe, gratitude, encouragement, and sometimes a rebuke. We have been in the very presence of God! That is what great preaching always does."

Sermon Audio - Setting His Face Towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-56)

Last Sunday I preached again at my home church. You can find the audio here.

International Survey on Biblical Literacy

I came across this article on a survey by the Catholic Biblical Federation and carried out by GFK Eurisko, described as a "sociological survey of sociological attitudes towards the Bible in various nations." Here is summary of some of the key findings, taken from the first article linked above:

• The United States has by far the highest level of its adult population that claims to have read at least one passage from the Bible in the last year (75%) and to have a Bible at home (93%), but it doesn’t score better than anyone else on tests of basic Biblical literacy. For example, large numbers of Americans, just like people in the other eight countries surveyed, mistakenly thought that Jesus had authored a book of the Bible, and couldn’t correctly distinguish between Paul and Moses in terms of which figure belongs to the Old Testament.

• Even within highly secularized nations such as France, the U.K. and Holland, broad majorities report a positive attitude towards the Bible, describing it as “interesting” and expressing a desire to know more about it.

• Broad majorities also describe the Bible as “difficult” and express a need for help in understanding it – suggesting, according to the authors of the study, a “teaching moment” for the churches.

• Fundamentalists, or those who take a literal view of Scripture, do not know more about the Bible than anyone else. In fact, researchers said, it’s readers whose attitudes they described as “critical,” meaning that they see the Bible as the word of God but in need of interpretation, who are over-represented at the highest levels of Biblical literacy. In other words, fundamentalists actually score lower on basic Biblical awareness.

• In virtually every country surveyed, those who take a “critical” view of the Bible represent a larger share of the population than either “fundamentalists” or “reductionists,” meaning those who see the Bible simply as literature or a collection of myths and legends. In the United States, “fundamentalists” are 27 percent of the population, “critics” 51 percent, and “reductionists” 20 percent. Interestingly, both Poland and Russia have a similar share of “fundamentalists,” despite lacking the strong Evangelical Protestant tradition familiar in the U.S.

• There is no apparent correlation between reading the Bible and any particular political orientation. In other words, it’s not the case that the more someone reads the Bible, the more likely they are to be a political conservative or liberal.

• Aside from the United States, there’s broad support in most nations for teaching the Bible in public schools, suggesting that large numbers of people attach cultural importance to the Bible even if it’s not part of their personal belief system. (The different result in the United States, according to researchers, flows from America’s unique tradition of church/state separation, in which families and churches rather than public schools have been the primary carriers of religious instruction).

• There no longer appear to be major differences in Biblical reading patterns and Biblical familiarity between countries with Catholic majorities and those with Protestant majorities, suggesting that, in the words of Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni, Italy, the president of the Catholic Biblical Federation, the Bible has become “the ecumenical book of all believers.”

There is a lot here to digest, and apparently this is only an interim report that covers the northern hemisphere. Results for the southern hemisphere will also be compiled. But the information available leads me to the following reflections.

1. Despite having a higher percentage of people actually reading the Bible, those in the US do not have a better functional literacy. I could suggest a variety of causes, but the bottom line is that this observation alone demands that the church must do a far better job of helping people see how the Bible fits together. This trend is only getting worse; biblical literacy among those entering Bible colleges is on a fast track downward with no sign of abating.

2. The fact that a large percentage of people remain interested in the Bible is an opening for the church to focus its preaching and teaching on the Bible. But we must do so in a way that is faithful to the text. We need to help people see what God said to his people and the world then AS WELL AS what God is saying to his people and the world now. If one of these elements is lacking we are not being faithful.

3. Broad majorities expressing that the Bible is difficult to understand would suggest opportunities for the church to explain how the Bible fits together. I have seen this myself with both Christians and non-Christians. Especially here in the US, people have bits and pieces of the Bible, but have little if any understanding of how the whole Bible fits together. It is one of the most rewarding things I do in ministry to help people see how the Bible is one unified story running from creation to new creation with Christ as the centerpiece of redemptive history.

4. Without having more detail on how they define "fundamentalism" and "critical" it is hard to know how to interpret the comment that fundamentalists actually score lower on biblical literacy. The way it is described here makes me suspicious at the least.

5. As with the last point, without seeing further definition of the terms "fundamentalist," "critical" and "reductionist" I can't comment beyond noting the interesting fact that the percentages are the same in the US and Russia.

6. I am not surprised at the lack of correlation between Biblical literacy and specific political persuasions. For the Bible to effectively shape one's politics in any meaningful way, it would have to form the worldview of a person. Short of that, people will easily read their own political beliefs into the Bible.

7. The wording of the last observation about countries with Catholic and Protestant majorities having little difference sounds fishy to me. But even if we take it at face value, the most likely explanation in my mind is that Catholics have made modest gains at best while Protestants have regressed significantly. In other words, this is not a point for the Catholic church to rejoice about so much as it is a point for the Protestant church to lament.

It would have been nice to know within the huge category of "Protestant" how evangelicals fared, but the sad news I would not be confident of a significant difference. By God's grace we must resolve to understand the Bible well ourselves and communicate it to others in a way that enables them to encounter Christ and be transformed by him.

HT: Bayly Blog

Understanding the Bible Christologically

In the latest issue of The Tie, the magazine of Southern Seminary, there are several articles on Reading the Bible Christologically. Worth particular attention are the articles by Wellum, Hamilton and Powlison. You can access the online pdf version free here.

HT: Jim Hamilton