Category: Theology Proper (The Study of God)

Book Review: The Holy Trinity by Robert Letham

The Complex Made Simpler

One of the long standing “cardinal” doctrines of Orthodox Christianity is the teaching that God is one in essence and three in person, and yet it is one of the most difficult of doctrines to comprehend of the whole lot. Robert Letham writes, “For the vast majority of Christians, including most ministers and theological students, the Trinity is still a mathematical conundrum, full of imposing philosophical jargon, relegated to an obscure alcove, remote from daily life.”

However, due to this lack of understanding and grappling with the ramifications of this doctrine most Christians view God in the abstract and as a result have a detached and almost deistic relationship with the God of the Bible who is actually transcendent and immanent in our world. In this book the author seeks to bring about a new revitalization to the church and its witness to the world by having a deeper understanding of the Triune God as revealed in the Scriptures.

In this very cogent book Dr. Letham seeks to give a broad overview of the Triune doctrine by canvassing the Scriptures, church history, modern discussions with contemporary theologians of the past few centuries (their orthodox and unorthodox views), and Critical Issues – including the incarnation, worship, prayer, missions, and union with Christ.

This book is a challenging read, but I think Dr. Letham maintains a good balance between the scholarly aspects of the discussion and its practical applications – which ultimately lead us to worship. Many of the chapters end in prayer and focus on actually worshipping God, not just discussing Him. Two excellent articles reviewing books by Gilbert Bilezikian and Kevin Giles on the Trinity conclude the work as appendixes. A helpful glossary and bibliography conclude the work.

I am grateful to the Triune God of Scripture for Dr. Letham’s excellent contribution to theological reflection in this book. It is a readable and comprehensive study of the doctrine of the Trinity in the unfolding revelation of the Bible, in its breadth of reflection from church history, amid the loci of influential systematic theologians, and in the life and application of the evangelical community. I think anyone will benefit from reading this book. It will definitely sharpen your understanding of the Triune God we worship and inform and influence the way you relate to Him in your daily life.

How Then Should We Choose? Three Views on God’s Will and Decision Making edited by Douglas S. Huffman

Balanced and Helpful Discussion of God-Centered Decision-Making

One of the most practical things we can learn as Christians is to know how God’s revelation in the Scriptures, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and our walk with Christ help us to make decisions that are well-pleasing to God. This thought provoking multi-view book contains three distinct and sometimes overlapping views on how to know and do God’s will. This book is “about Christians making decisions in the light of God’s guidance, that is, in accordance with God’s will…and encouraging Christians toward greater freedom in their decision-making responsibilities to the glory of God who is with us.”

The strategy of this book is that each writer presents his view using biblical, historical, personal, and various practical articulations of it. At the end of each presentation the writer shows the practical ramifications of their view by articulating how they would advise people in seeking out God’s will and make the best decisions possible with reference to three case studies:

Case 1: A Career/College Decision

Case 2: A Relationship Decision

Case 3: A Stewardship Decision

The three views presented are as follows:

View #1 – The Specific-Will View – This view is presented by Henry (earned a ThM and BD from Golden Gate Baptist Seminary & has received four honorary doctorates) and his son Richard Blackaby (PhD in church history from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary).

The essence of this view as articulated by the Blackaby’s is this: “We have presented what some call the traditional view of God’s will. Simply put, it holds that God does have a specific will for your life and He will guide you to find it.”

View #2 – The Wisdom View – This view is offered by Garry Friesen (ThD from Dallas Theological Seminary and currently teaching at Multnomah University in Portland, OR).

The way of wisdom (in decision making) is summarized in four principles:

(1)  Where God commands, we must obey.

(2)  Where there is no command, God gives us freedom (and responsibility) to choose.

(3)  Where there is no command, God gives us wisdom to choose.

(4)  When we have chosen what is moral and wise, we must trust the sovereign God to work all the details together for good.

View #3 – The Relationship View – This view is articulated by Gordon T. Smith, president of ReSource Leadership International (PhD from Loyola School of Theology).

Gordon T. Smith Summarizes his view in these seven “Working Principles:”

(1) There must be clarity about one’s ultimate allegiance.

(2) It is essential that we attend to what is happening to us emotionally, as the history of the spiritual practice of discernment reminds us.

(3) God leads one step at a time.

(4) We need to sequence our decision making, attending to what needs to be decided first.

(5) We need to be clear about our circumstances.

(6) We need time and space to choose well.

(7) We need accountability – “We need other voices and perspectives, in part because we recognize our capacity for self-deception and rationalization.”

In concluding these seven principles Smith writes, “In all of this, nothing is so pivotal to our capacity to discern well, and then to choose well, as the character and quality of our relationship with Christ.”

I was hoping I would wholeheartedly buy into one of the views presented in this book when I began wrestling with it. After a careful reading I lean toward a blend of the Wisdom and Relational views. I think that Dr. Friesen did the most thorough job of articulating his view – especially with careful exegetical support from the Scriptures, and many practical illustrations of how the “Wisdom View” actually works in decision making. Smith’s “Relational View” was strong in its application of history and in developing a Biblical Theology of Christ and our intimacy with Him in the relational process. I thought the Blackaby’s did a better job in explaining their position and critiquing the other positions in their responses to the Wisdom and Relational Views. However, I was not convinced in any way shape or form that we can know God’s “Specific” will for us – especially in the case studies given.

Douglas S. Huffman (the editor) writes the final two chapters of the book. He does an amazing job of summarizing and articulating the views – their strengths and weaknesses, how they compliment one another, and what can learn from each of them. He also gives a very helpful chart of over 100 books on decision making from the past century and has a geometric way of showing how they are all similar or different to the three views presented in this book. He also makes a very strong case for striving for balance in the positions, and showing how different factors come into play depending on various variables (personality, maturity, emotions, etc.) and circumstances for each individual.

A Christian can’t help but benefiting immensely from reading this book. I highly recommend this book primarily because it is very helpful in at least five specific ways:

1)    Helping you understand the process of decision-making – as opposed to making rash or whimsical decisions. I especially enjoyed the exegetical discussions from the Scriptures and the way each writer demonstrated how the principles from their unique views were used in the very practical case studies.

2)    Seeing the value of each of the writer’s views. I learned something new from each of them – in order to help me better make decisions that are pleasing to God. I was particularly helped in seeing how the emotions, how the Holy Spirit, and our relationship with Jesus are involved in the process of decision-making.

3)    They all did a good job articulating and critiquing one another’s views. It helped me to see that personalities, experiences, education, emotions, spiritual maturity, God’s plans for us, our unique relationship with Him and other elements all play major factors in decision-making – so there is no “one-size-fits-all” process of decision-making that works for all believers across the board. However, various principles and suggestions by each of the writers were very helpful.

4)    It challenged me to continue to read more especially in some of the views that I had not been exposed to before. I witnessed that oftentimes agreement and blending in the various views can help you be more balanced and less rigid in the decision-making process.

5)    I could see how sometimes I’ve made some bad decisions that could have been avoided had I previously read this book (e.g. In the “Relational View” chapter Dr. Smith talked about not making important decisions when you are highly emotional, discouraged or angry). I had a lot of my good decisions confirmed by some of the wisdom shared in this book. I was encouraged that for the most part, I’ve made a lot more good decisions than bad decisions and could see that I have used elements of each author in the process.

 

 

Book Review: “How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens” by Michael Williams

How All The Books of The Bible Point to Jesus

I have been waiting for a book like this to be written for a long time. In 1999 in a Doctor of Ministry course at Westminster Theological Seminary I was convicted and convinced that all Bible study, teaching, counseling, discipleship, and preaching must be done with Christ at the center of it all, if it’s to be deemed “Christian.” Jesus Himself said, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them the things concerning himself” in Luke 24:27 on the road to Emmaus. Ever since that time I have sought to read resources that would help me understand and interpret the Scriptures in light of the fact that all of the Scriptures – according to Jesus – are about Him. Yet, the mind-blowing thing to me is how few preachers and Bible teachers ever even get to Christ – unless he is a “tag on” at the end of a lesson or sermon (if that).

I am really excited about this book. Michael Williams has written an easy to read guide that is focused on how to read the Scriptures with a focus on Jesus. In 62 short chapters (about 4-6 pages per chapter) Williams covers the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. In each chapter there is an introduction to all the Scriptures showing the historical redemptive development that leads us to Jesus. He then gives a short theme for each book. Each chapter has a Scripture memory passage, followed by “the Jesus lens” section, and then contemporary implications from the book discussed, and “hook questions.”

The back of the book has a helpful series of charts containing five sections of each book of the Bible with a title for each book, the theme, the Christ-focus of the book, the implications, and the key questions that “hook” you. I am going to make it one of my goals to memorize the charts, along with the memory verses for each book of the Bible by putting them on flash cards. I will be consulting this book regularly and can already say with almost absolute certainty that this will be in my top ten for 2012 (of the 150 books I will read and review this year).

Thank you Michael Williams for your gift to everyone who has been waiting for a book like this: a book that answers what the key theme of each book of the Bible is; a book that shows how all of the Scriptures point to Jesus; and a book that gives us the practical implications of Jesus at the center of the Bible and our very lives. I hope that this book will launch a plethora of books in this genre that help lovers of Christ see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, and passionately worship and declare Him so much more from the Scriptures than is currently practiced.

*Michael James Williams in his own words: “After my conversion in the U. S. Navy (in a submarine beneath the North Atlantic!), I entered Columbia Bible College, where I received a B.A. (1985). This was followed by an M.A. in Religion at Westminster Theological Seminary (1987) and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania (1999). In 2000, I was ordained in the Christian Reformed Church, and since 1995 have been teaching at Calvin Theological Seminary. I have also taught courses at Westminster Theological Seminary, the University of Pennsylvania, and brief stints in Limuru, Kenya; Donetsk, Ukraine; and Warsaw, Poland. In addition to articles on Old Testament topics in various reference works and academic journals, and contributing to and editing “Mishneh Todah: Studies in Deuteronomy and Its Cultural Environment in Honor of Jeffrey H. Tigay” (2009); I have authored “Deception in Genesis: A Comprehensive Analysis of a Unique Biblical Phenomenon” (2001); “The Prophet and His Message: Reading Old Testament Prophecy Today” (2003); and, most recently, “How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture” (2012). My amazing wife, Dawn, and I enjoy hiking and all things outdoors.”

Book Review: Die Young by Hayley and Michael DiMarco

The Paradox of “Death to Self” Meaning “Abundant Life”

In this short book Hayley and Michael DiMarco offer seven chapters that cover seven paradoxes of the Christian life. Each chapter contains Bible verses, practical principles based on those verses, and short sidebars by both husband and wife as to how these principles have impacted their personal lives. This is essentially a handbook focusing on how Christianity teaches the opposite of what your flesh desires – which ironically leads to death – and how dying to self and living for Christ leads to an abundant life. Therefore, the younger you die the longer you will live. They carefully weave a model of robust Christ-like discipleship and articulate the importance of the gospel, justification by faith alone, and sanctification based on Christ alone. However, they also show that our faith does “work” itself out in the way Christ changes us from the inside out as we die to self and live for Him.

The seven chapters include these paradoxes:

1) “Death is the New Life” deals with what it means to die to self, learn contentment, and how suffering can be a very positive outworking of God’s working in our life. It also tackles what it means to be holy, and live a life of faith, hope, peace and love. One of the questions for reflection in this chapter was very thought provoking: “Will suffering destroy your hope and your faith, leaving you with nothing solid to stand on, alone and empty, or will your suffering destroy the parts of you that tie you to the things of this earth and keep your focus off the God of heaven?”

Some other gems from this chapter include:

“There is no fruit that grows from a seed that refuses to die.”

“When your life and all that it entails isn’t your portion, but God is your portion, then it will never diminish no matter what the world may bring.”

“There is a death that comes that isn’t meant to destroy you but to destroy that in you which was never meant to replace the hand of God in your life.”

“In the economy of Christ, love isn’t meant for self but for others.”

2) “Down is the New Up” is described perhaps best in the chapter as “the bottom isn’t such a bad place because it is only from the perspective of your own lowest point that you are able to see your sinfulness and need for a loving Savior and to be saved.” The chapter focuses on the importance of humility and contentment as opposed to pride. The perfect model of humility led to Christ becoming a man who died on a cross and procured our salvation.

3) “Less is the New More” is about how God gives more than anything we can get from the world. The less we have – the more we see how much we have in Christ. One of the key points of this chapter was, “The less there is that competes for our attention and favor in life, the more attention and favor we can give to God.”

4) “Weak is the New Strong” focuses on how waiting and depending upon God to work inspite of our weaknesses actually leads to great strength and a servants attitude that contributes to God’s working through us in a powerful way.

5) “Slavery is the New Freedom because slavery to God gives those of us who embrace it freedom from all the other gods which express their hold on us in the form of struggles, addictions, fears, worries, and all other sins in our lives.” They also articulate how “our submission to God and to others proves our faith in God’s sovereignty.”

6) “Confession is the New Innocence” is all about the crucial importance of confession and ongoing repentance in the believer’s life. Here are some excellent quotes from this section:

“Without confession of guilt there is no innocence for the sinner…Confession precedes forgiveness…Our resistance to confession does two things: it keeps us from the forgiveness our sins need, and it also calls God a liar because to fail to confess is to say ‘I have not sinned.’…Confession of the biblical sort is the act of verbalizing not only error and remorse but also truth…So proper confession calls out the sins we committed and not just the pain we inflicted…Confession is best done instantly, and immediately…In the life of a Christian there are two kinds of confession. There is the confession that we make to God regarding our guilt and need for His forgiveness. This is the saving kind of confession that saves us from our guilt and makes us innocent. And there is the confession that we make to man regarding our guilt and our need of healing. Repentance is your changing your ways, determining what sin is in your life and how to avoid it from here on out…To refuse to be honest about our sin is to refuse to agree with God that there has never been and will never be a perfect person besides Jesus…Confession reveals not only our sinfulness but God’s righteousness.”

Hayley and Michael are very transparent about their struggles with sin throughout the book – Michael commenting on this fact writes: “That’s why the majority of our sidebars in this book are confessional; they destroy pride in us, create healing, and maybe even encourage the same action/reaction in you. Confession lets the confessor and the hearer (or reader) know that they’re not alone both in the pursuit of healing and the dismantling of a double life.”

7) “Red is the New White” – is on the necessity of Christ’s atoning blood to make us “white as snow.” The author’s write, “As red covers white so well and so permanently, so blood covers the sins of man…You must, in order to receive justification, believe that the blood is enough. You must die to the part of you that insists it do its part to participate in this salvation thing and help God out…If your heart has a hard time believing justification by the blood, then consider killing the part of you that would argue against God’s gracious and necessary gift.”

I highly recommend this book – especially for new Christians, young Christians – mature teens and college students. This book is loaded with good practical theology and will help you die to what’s killing you, and help you live a more abundant life in Christ by mortifying the flesh.

*Note: I was given an advanced copy of this book by Crossway and was not required to write a positive review.

 

Book Review: Preaching Christ in All of Scripture By Edmund P. Clowney

How To Preach Sermons Leading You to Worship Jesus

I was trained in an Evangelical University and Seminary where I had an excellent Biblical education and training in Systematic Theology. After being a preaching pastor for about five years I realized that the best preachers I was admiring had been trained in Biblical Theology and so I enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry preaching program at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California.

I vividly remember one of my professors talking about how the story of David and Goliath wasn’t just about “David and Goliath” but pointed to the greater David – Jesus. It’s taken me years to learn how to preach Christ and not just moralistic sermons. However, one of the masters of preaching Christ from all of the Bible is Edmund P. Clowney. As a matter of fact a lot of preachers today are excited about the teaching ministry of Tim Keller in New York – who really learned most of what he knows (that’s what he will tell you) from the author of the sermons of this book – Dr. Edmund Clowney.

One of the first things I learned about at WTS was Redemptive Historical Preaching – which essentially follows the “big story line” of the Bible with an eye on Jesus and His Person and redemptive work in history. In my opinion, what Clowney does teaches and models in this book is the greatest need of the 21st century – getting back to preaching Christ from all of Scripture.

If you are a pastor who like me – has had trouble with “getting to Christ” from the passage – especially in the Old Testament – you will find some great examples of how to do this from the various genres in the Old and New Testaments from a brilliant and humble preacher who knew the Bible and the “big story” well.

Edmund Clowney’s book is an outstanding contribution in helping preachers do what the prophets and the apostles did – preach Christ. Clowney begins with a chapter demonstrating how all of the Scriptures point to Christ – and he makes a wonderful case for this reality. In the second chapter he gives his methodology for “preparing a sermon that presents Christ.”

The remaining chapters are sample sermons from different genres in the Old and New Testaments showing the application of the principles articulated in the first two chapters. The sermons are as follows:

“Sharing the Father’s Welcome” based on Luke 15:11-32

“See What It Costs” based on Genesis 22:1-19

“When God Came Down” based on Genesis 28:10-22

“The Champion’s Strange Victory” based on Genesis 32

“Can God Be Among Us?” based on Exodus 34:1-9

“Meet the Captain” based on Joshua 5:13-15

“Surprised by Devotion” based on 2 Samuel 23:13-17

“The Lord of the Manger”

“Jesus Preaches Liberty” based on Luke 4:16-22

“The Cry of the God-Forsaken Savior” based on Psalm 22:1

“Our International Anthem” based on Psalm 936:3

“Jesus Christ and the Lostness of Man”

“Hearing Is Believing: The Lord of the Word”

As of the writing of this review you can still hear Edmund P. Clowney and Tim Keller co- teach a class for free called “Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World.” It has 37 lectures and question and answers sessions from RTS and covers the full gamut of issues related to Christ–centered preaching. I highly recommend that you download this course and listen to it until you get it. It will make a huge difference in your teaching and preaching – and you will see real life change in yourself and your hearers as a result.

If you are a preacher, or teacher of the Bible you will definitely benefit from this book. More importantly, I hope that you will be influenced and impacted by this book so that your sermons and Bible lessons will be filled with Christ, lead to Christ, and bring glory to Christ in a way that articulates with passion and excitement – the greatest story ever told. I have been blessed in my own worship of Christ, understanding of Christo-centric preaching, and have become a better preacher and teacher as a result – going from teaching moralistically to Biblically and thus leading others to worship Christ the Lord.

Book Review – F.F. Bruce: A Life by Tim Grass

Possibly the Most Influential New Testament Scholar of the 20th Century

Shortly after being “called” to the ministry at the age of seventeen I remember talking with a Christian bookstore owner and asked him, “of all these books in the store – which authors would you recommend?” He answered quickly and without hesitation, “Anything by F.F. Bruce, you simply can’t go wrong with F.F. Bruce.” That short little conversation took place in 1985, just five years before Professor Bruce went home to be with the Lord. Since then, I’ve gone on to purchase 40 of Bruce’s 50 published books (25 are still in print as of this review).

In reading F.F. Bruce’s books I always found him to be clear, textually illuminating, and always helping me in understanding the context and cultural factors elucidating my interpretation of the text. In reading this book the author highlights three aspects of Bruce’s life: his influence on the worldwide Brethren movement, his academic achievements, and his overall influence in the evangelical movement – especially as a world class scholar who was respected by liberals and conservatives alike.

It is very likely that my forefathers on my paternal side came in contact or ran in similar circles with F.F. Bruce’s family who were very heavily involved in ministry and missions throughout Scotland. My grandfather was a Plymouth Brethren “faith missionary” who grew up in Scotland, immigrated to Belfast in Ireland, and then was a life long missionary in Argentina. I personally have never been involved in an “assembly” as they call their gatherings – but have had the opportunity to speak at their gatherings on several occasions in Argentina.

One of the things I am personally grateful for is the Brethren’s focus on reading, studying, memorizing, and teaching the Scriptures. I believe that Grass brings this out early in the book and it was Bruce’s knowledge of, and love for the Scriptures that made him such an outstanding Biblical scholar. One of the things I will be eternally grateful for is that the love for the Scriptures that the Brethren have passed down from generation to generation. Peter Bruce passed down to his son this advice that served him well for his entire life, “never accept anything offered in the way of the Christian faith unless you see it clearly for yourself in the Scriptures.”

Bruce was known not for being a theologian, but a classicist, linguist, and biblical scholar. He was a prolific author, editor, and reviewer of over 2,000 books – mostly technical. He was the doctoral advisor to some of the finest scholars of the 20th century on into the 21st century.

In reading this book there were three primary lessons I learned from F.F. Bruce.

He was what former student Ward Gasque (and great NT scholar in his own right) called an “unhyphenated evangelical.” Even though he was brought up, and involved in Brethren Assemblies he did not tow-the-line in any particular system or practice. He was leery of buying into any system of theology. He was more concerned with being “biblical” in getting at the sense of the author’s original and cultural intent. Tim Grass writes, “The issues which, for Bruce, were non-negotiable may be summarized as the reliability of the New Testament, the person and work of Christ, the Christian life as one of forgiveness and liberty as befits those who are being led by the Spirit, and the right and duty of every believer to use whatever gifts God has given them.”

F.F. Bruce was very charitable, gentle, and respected those he disagreed with, and those who disagreed with him. He seemed to be genuinely humble, teachable, and diplomatic (in a loving sense, not in a political sense). Therefore, as a result of reading about Bruce, in my own reviews, teaching, writing, I will seek to see the positive side more than the negative side of things. He was a bridge builder in his involvement in the Brethren church, among fellow professors, and in the academic arena.

I love what J.I. Packer had to say about Bruce, “No Christian was ever more free of narrow bigotry, prejudice and eccentricity in the views he held and the way he held them; no man ever did more to demonstrate how evangelical faith and total academic integrity may walk hand in hand.”

F.F. Bruce was passionate about the gospel and for people to read about, hear about, and discover Jesus and for them to have a personal relationship with him. He would spend countless hours answering questions, replying to letters, and speaking, writing, and teaching at every possible opportunity to talk about Jesus. Even though he spoke in a monotone, and often read his lectures and sermons, he had a deep passion to communicate the gospel. From Bruce, we learn to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t do for the sake of Christ. He was a tireless worker as an editor, writer, speaker, involved in the lives of his students, and in the academic world for the cause of Christ.

Lastly, as person, Laurel Gasque (a well respected cultural historian) described Bruce as “the most genuinely free person I have ever known.” I think this is what most stood out to me about F.F. Bruce in this biography. He was brilliant, prolific, and well respected. However, he saw himself as a common man and would do anything that was asked of him by others. He seemed to have had a tremendous amount of confidence in God’s sovereignty and that no little assignment or task was beneath his dignity for him to always do his best.

I am grateful for my heritage and for men like F.F. Bruce who have served the Lord well with his mind and soul. I hope that many young Bible scholars, pastors, and missionaries will be inspired by his life and work. Many consider his biography on the Apostle “Paul: The Heart of the Apostle Set Free” to be his Magnum Opus. He truly was like the Paul the Apostle in so many ways – tireless in his work and love for the churches, expounding on and writing for the cause of the gospel, and at home with students, academics, intellectuals, and lay people. And yet he did all this with great joy and with much freedom – unfettered by anything other than a desire to please his Lord and Savior.

I close this review/tribute with the words of Robert Mounce, who sums up why he believes Bruce was so influential:

“It is evident…that Bruce lays before us no new and innovative perspectives. Concern for historical accuracy coupled with a high view of the Biblical text inevitably restricts the role of the imagination, that prime mover in theological and higher critical ‘breakthroughs.’ Bruce’s lasting contribution to Pauline studies is his careful and informed treatment of the life and the letters of Paul in their historical, social, religious and cultural setting. The fact that his interpretations are traditional has no bearing on the question of their value for Biblical study. We are indebted to F.F. Bruce for his lifelong commitment to a balanced and biblical interpretation of the life and thought of the apostle Paul.”

I am indebted to Tim Grass for this labor of love on F.F. Bruce. I am grateful to have learned more about my own heritage as a beneficiary of the Brethren movement, as an evangelical, and as a lover of the Word, a teacher in the church, and an evangelist with a pastor’s heart for the sake of Christ.

Book Review: Mere Apologetics by Alister E. McGrath

An Outstanding Primer on Apologetics to Post Moderns

What C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity” was to “Moderns” this book is a very helpful primer in how to communicate and build foundational bridges of truth leading to the gospel in a postmodern context. Tim Keller’s book “The Reason for God” would be the 21st equivalent of Lewis’ aforementioned book – addressing post moderns, rather than moderns. In McGrath’s book we have a bridge building handbook of sorts in how to show post moderns that the Christian ship is safe to board and sail in troubled waters and land on islands of truth in this journey of life.

Dr. McGrath shows how apologetics has changed over the years, what remains the same, and what we can learn from the biblical and historical apologists as they have cogently articulated the faith in their own cultural milieus, as we seek to reach post moderns in the 21st century with the unchanging gospel. He makes an excellent case for the fact that we need many approaches as we address the differing mind-sets of those we encounter with the gospel – just as Jesus, Paul, Peter, Jonathan Edwards, and C.S. Lewis did in their times. He then gives numerous examples from our own times in how we can dialogue and build bridges with the “new atheists” and others to pave a way for the gospel.

Throughout the book McGrath weaves in and out of discussions applying the benefits of apologetics as a precursor to evangelism. Perhaps the best description of this aspect of the book is noted in chapter five where he writes, “Yet conversion is ultimately the task of evangelism. Apologetics is about preparing the way for such conversion by showing that it makes sense to believe in God. It’s about clearing away rubble and debris in the path of evangelism. We may not be able to prove—in the absolute sense of the word—that there is a God. But we can certainly show that it is entirely reasonable to believe that such a God exists, in that it makes more sense of life, history, and experience than anything else—and then we can invite someone to respond to this loving God and trust this God’s promises.”

McGrath has written cogently, concisely, and lovingly in this outstanding handbook of how we can build bridges with our hearers to pave a way for the gospel, and how we can do this successfully where God has placed us in an ever changing world of ideas, with a never changing gospel. I highly recommend this book as a resource that Christian apologists can benefit from for years to come with an amazing array of helpful examples of how to tackle the issues of our day defensively, offensively, and most importantly with gentleness and respect so that it may benefit our hearers and give them a reason for our hope in Christ.

Book Review: Perspectives On Our Struggle With Sin: 3 Views Of Romans 7 edited by Terry L. Wilder (contributors: Stephen J. Chester, Grant R. Osborne, Mark A. Seifrid, and Chad O. Brand)

Intense Exegesis For Serious Students of The Bible

One of the most difficult passages to interpret in the New Testament is found in Romans chapter 7. Was Paul writing about the experience of all Jews and Gentiles in their struggle with sin? Was it descriptive of his battle of sin in the past as an unbelieving Jew from his current perspective as a Christian looking backward? Or was he simply describing his own current struggle with sin? The answer to these questions and many others are addressed in this helpful book.

D. S. Dockery has stated the importance of a correct interpretation of this passage of Scripture in this manner, “Since the passage is located at the heart of Paul’s explanation of the outworking of one’s salvation, the view which is adopted will have a tremendous impact upon one’s theology of the Christian life.” In other words, what this book grapples with is not just at the periphery of the Christian life, but at the center. A proper understanding of our struggle with sin entails our views of justification (the doctrine upon which Christianity stands or falls – according to Martin Luther) and sanctification – which cannot be properly understood and applied without understanding our justification rightly. Therefore, what the writers of this book tackle involve “high stakes.”

The strength of this book lies in the fact that it allows the reader to consider the various views that have been carefully articulated by the biblical scholars exegesis of the passage, and from these views evaluate which argument entails the most strengths/pros and least weaknesses/cons. Scholars who have each done advanced studies on the book of Romans present the three views.

Grant R. Osborne teaches at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He argues the point that in verses 7 to 13 Paul is describing himself as an unregenerate Jew and then in verses 14 to 25 as a regenerate follower of Christ. He holds that the believer in Christ wants to do what is right, but often fails due to the ongoing battle with the flesh in its war against sin.

Stephen J. Chester is a professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. His view – seemed to me the most complicated of the three – is that Paul is writing in Romans 7 of his pre-conversion experiences with sin in retrospect now as a follower of Christ. He points out that Paul’s references in the passage are historical presents, which point to past experiences with sin.

Mark A. Seifrid is a professor at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Mark expresses the view that Paul refers in the passage to both regenerate and the unregenerate and vacillates between these two as human beings that are being confronted with the reality of the law. Mark articulates the reality that Paul is focusing on how our failure to obey the law confronts us with our need of Christ’s righteousness to be imputed to us by faith in His fulfilling the just requirements of the law on our behalf.

In the final analysis I agree with Osborne who states in the introduction to his essay, “A general consensus never has been and never will be reached on its meaning, for simply too many viable options seem to fit the context of Romans 5-8. All of the options presented in this work fit the data, and it would be arrogant to try to claim that only my view can be correct. This text is another of the many biblical passages where we simply have to admit that we will not know the true meaning until we get to heaven—and then Paul can tell us what he meant!”

Of all the views/perspective books I’ve read – so far, this was the most challenging. The discussions are very technical (especially in their usage of the Greek language – and theological depth). All the scholars have definitely done their homework and have given much food for thought. In my opinion I thought Seifrid’s argument was the most persuasive, followed by Osborne, and then Chester. I must say that I learned a lot from each of the contributors and they all did an excellent job on the passage. I will definitely be consulting this book again if I ever teach through Romans again (I preached through Romans for two years about a decade ago).

No matter which view you currently have on this passage, or even if you don’t have a view – you will learn much from this book and it will be well worth your effort. I highly recommend this book for serious students of the Bible, teaching and preaching pastors, and scholars who desire to have a better understanding of this difficult passage. It can’t help but equip you more in your understanding of the law, sin, justification, sanctification, and in elevating your view of what Christ has done for you in His life, death, and resurrection on our behalf. Chad Brand’s concluding chapter was excellent tying in the practical ramifications of this passage and the contributions in the book for practically dealing with sin, salvation, and sanctification in the new covenant community.

Book Review: The Cross Is Not Enough by Ross Clifford & Philip Johnson

The Cross Only Has Meaning Because of the Empty Tomb

 As a pastor for over twenty-four years now, I am amazed at how fresh and new and exciting the depths of my understanding of the gospel keep getting – largely due to books like this one. This insightful book offers a very refreshing and much needed look at the necessity of a paradigm shift in our thinking through the lenses of the resurrection rather than through the cross as the appropriate symbol of the church in today’s world. In this book the authors make the very effective case that the resurrection is the lynchpin upon which Christianity stands or falls: without it – there is no atonement for sin, no justification by faith alone, no empowerment for living a holistic life, and no basis for ethics, spiritual growth, human rights, and missions.

One of the most important contributions this book makes is how they cogently and with convincing evidences show how a theology of the resurrection was in the thoughts and heart of the worldview of the most missional Christian of all time – the apostle Paul. The authors also demonstrate how resurrection theology is present in all of Biblical revelation. This book is not so much a case for the evidence of the resurrection, but a case for the necessity and reality of our belief and application of the ramifications of the resurrection for all of life.

I immensely enjoyed this book and will be adding it to an increasing list of books that I will be reading on a yearly basis to remind me of the importance of the resurrection lenses through which I should be seeing all of life each and every day – until Jesus returns – of course, made possible because of His literal bodily resurrection from the dead. As a result of my reading of this book I believe and feel even more empowered and equipped to live out and share the past, present, and future realities of the gospel consisting of the death, burial, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ the Lord.

Book Review: Defending Inerrancy Norman L. Gesiler and William C. Roach

A Rock in a Sea of Pluralism

We live in a culture where cultural preferences continue to overtake the foundational beliefs of the scholars who train the leaders of our country and churches. Many scholars are feeding our institutions, churches, and future leaders with doubts about the truth, authority, and sufficiency of the Bible. This book is a tour de force dealing with the history, challenges, and practical ramifications of whether or not the Bible is indeed God’s Word and thus true for all faith and practice for all time.

One of the most beneficial aspects of this book is how the authors address modern attacks on the Scriptures by the likes of Clark Pinnock, Bart Ehrman, Peter Enns, and others. Also, the last six chapters on the nature of God, truth, language, hermeneutics, incarnation, and answering objections to inerrancy are outstanding.

Living in a sea of doubt, confusion, and cultural preference does not mean that we should succumb to the anti-supernaturalistic bias of our culture, but Geisler and Roach cogently demonstrate that God doesn’t change, and neither does His authoritative inspired Words from Genesis to Revelation. I highly recommend this book to fortify your faith via the plethora of evidence there is for God’s revelation to man – and thus the most important place we can go for truth resulting in faith and practice for all mankind. God’s Word like the Word Incarnate is the Rock we need to believe and stand firm on in a stormy sea of cultural change. As the great hymn says, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Our reason for living, purpose in life, how to know God personally, and all the greatest issues and answers of our time are contained in the Bible – we have reason to believe – and evidences galore that the Bible is absolutely true and contains the message of hope that the world needs to desperately hear about Jesus Christ – who is Savior and Lord.

The Bible is not one voice among many – it is the one voice through which all others must be filtered. Thank you Norm and William for giving us such an excellent book on the Book of Books.