What I'm Reading - November 30, 2010

We are beginning to study Christological issues on Sunday mornings now so we are moving from Theology Proper to Christology.  This week we will be discussing the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  It should be a fascinating conversation.

Here are some of the basic books of theology I will read:

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (RE: Lit) by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth  by Charles Ryrie
Systematic Theology - 3 Volume Set  by Charles Hodge
Abstract of Systematic Theology by James Boyce
God and Creation by Thomas Aquinas
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem
Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, God/Creation by Norman Geisler
Manual of Theology by John L. Dagg
A Body of Doctrinal Divinity (Baptist Faith) by John Gill





























 

"Basic Chrstianity"

lAs a pastor I am always looking for easy-to-read and yet easy to understand basic introductions to the Christian faith especially for those who are new to the faith.  I have traditionally used the book Welcome to the Family: What to Expect Now That You're a Christian by John MacArthur and always give a copy of the book to baptismal candidates.  Another great book can now be added to this list:  Basic Christianity (IVP Classics) by the world renown author and theologian John Stott.

Stott needs no introduction, and by this point neither does his book chronicling what it means to be a Christian.  His book is a classic for good reason and I really enjoyed the time I spent reading this wonderful book.  Since much has been written on the book itself, I won't go into much detail here only to recommend it even if you know the Christian faith very well and have spent years studying theology and Scripture.  Even though i have an advanced Masters in Theology and Biblical studies and am continuing my education, I learned a lot from this book and gained some important insights that I hadn't thought about much before.

Stott discusses the cross, the gospel, God, depravity, justification, and sanctification.  In other words he discusses everything one would expect from a very basic book on basic Christianity.  One of the things that I enjoyed and learned from the book was Stott's discussion on how our reconciliation with God affects our relationship with others.  I've always known this, but Stott's gift in writing opens one's eyes in new ways.  Stott shows that unity with the Father as a result of the gospel ought to affect our relationship with others and we ought to see this reconciliation primarily in the church.  The church is the place where the gospel ought to be more obviously seen.  It is in the church were a diverse group of people find themselves unified under the gospel and the power of God brings us together to worship or Father in Spirit and in truth.

This is a classic for good reason and for those wanting to know more about what it means to be a Christian this is a good place to begin.  Stott is a great theologian and Christian leader and writer and this is among his most beloved and well-known books for good reasons.  It is imperative for Christians to return to the basics of our faith regularly because these basics take us back to the cross.

For more:
Reviews - "The Incomparable Christ" by John Stott

Reviews in Brief - The Trinity

Over the past two weeks, our church has discussed the doctrine of the Trinity and we will continue the conversation by discussing Christology in detail. What follows is a list of books that I read in preparation for these sermons.

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit  by Francis Chan - The author needs no introduction as his books (especially Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God) have been nation best-sellers and Chan has become well known for his writing ability and his skill at piercing the Christian heart with Biblical and gospel truths.  His book on the Holy Spirit is no different.  Unfortunately there seems to be two extremes when it comes to the third Person of the Trinity.  On the one side are those who go in the extreme of overemphasizing Him to the point that we act as if we can manipulate God.  This is prevalent among charismatics.  On the other side are those who never say a word about the Holy Spirit in fear that we might sound charismatic.  Chan, however, avoids both of these extremes and offers a book that brings balance and lays out the issue for us.  The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is practical and Chan shows us why.  This is a good book to start in your personal study of the Holy Spirit as it is theological and yet practical and easy to read.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance by Bruce A. Ware - This is by far my favorite book on the doctrine of the Trinity.  Ware, a professor at Southern Seminary, shows not just the biblical and historical proof of the doctrine, but also why it matters and how the Trinity relates to itself.  This is eye opening.  If we want to understand the meaning of love, unified diversity, submission, relationship, and community then we need to look at the Trinity.  I cannot emphasize the importance of this book and I will likely write a more lengthy review of this book as it is incredibly important for Christians to understand and be able to articulate.



In My Father's House: Finding Your Heart's True Home by Mary A. Kassian and Dale McCleskey - this is perhaps the most thorough and theologically aware books on the Fatherhood of God I have come across and read.  The author writes in great detail to every aspect of God's Fatherhood and why that is important.  I find it helpful that the book is written from a woman's perspective (and not a feminist perspective at that).  The applications are great and the author is careful to dot her theological i's and to cross her theological t's.  I was well pleased with this book for few are out there like it.  If God is our Father, then that means I am His child and what a wonderful truth that is!



The Trinity: Discovering the Depth of the Nature of God (Growing Deep in the Christian Life) by Charles Swindoll - Charles Swindoll has been one of my favorite authors to read and pastors to listen to since I was a young teenager.  I have read many of his books (and especially love his biblical biographies) and when I saw that he has written a book on the Trinity I had to jump on the chance to read it.  Though it is not as deep as I had hoped, Swindoll, as always, writes as a pastor always concerned for the average Christian reader he would expect to find in his congregation.  Though at times I wish Swindoll was willing to get more theologically deep, he still offers a orthodox theology always applying its truth.  Theology is much needed and over disregarded in our culture today, and Swindoll says as much, and books like this are a great introduction to doctrines like the Trinity which can be difficult to understand and hard to sees it application.


Classical Trinitarian Theology: A Textbook by Tarmo Toom - This is an extremely difficult and technical work.  Though the author provides 3 or 4 sections set up for various readers at various stages of theological depth to understand and study the Trinity, even the easier sections are difficult to understand.  What I liked about it is the author includes many charges, drawings, diagrams, lists, definitions, etc. to help the reader.  And honestly, if it wasn't for such helps, this would be an impossible read for me to understand.  I would not recommend this book to anyone in my congregation.  Only seminary students, budding theologians, and academics ought to read and reference this work.  Remember, the words a textbook aren't accidental in the title.


Fathercare by Charles Paul Conn - I appreciate that Conn has written a book on the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God, but his book is very simple and for the baby Christian.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but not for me.  There is a lot of good things in the book, but it remains more simple than theologically deep.  Conn offers theology, but very little and only when he is forced to offer it.  So I am not saying that this is a bad book, but that it is not for me.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGIES

A Body of Doctrinal Divinity (Baptist Faith) by John Gill - Gill offers a good summary and defense of the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.  Gill offers a lot of detail without being to boring or repeating himself.  His focus is on Scripture and drawing a theology from the Word of God.


Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth by Charles C. Ryrie - Ryrie offers a good summary of the doctrine of the Trinity including a look at some of thee heretical views of the Trinity.

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (RE: Lit)  by Mark Driscoll - Driscoll's chapter on God is essentially a chapter on the Trinity.  I find this a helpful (but limited) treatment on theology proper and of most theological books, Driscoll offers one of the most clear, precise, and easy to understand defense of the orthodox view of the doctrine of the Trinity dealing with most of the major issues that are raised (including the Trinity in the Old Testament and a brief history of the development of the issue).  What I loved is the practical application offered by Driscoll on why this doctrine matters.



Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem - As always, Grudem offers a detailed, yet precise look at this difficult issue that is understandable yet thorough.  I found myself returning to Grudem's discussion on this subject time and time again.  Though I disagree with some of Grudem's conclusions on Pneumentology, his book still remains among the best systematic theologies out there.

"Godly Jealousy"

A few weeks ago we discussed the Doctrine of Divine Jealousy on Sunday morning.  The Bible is extremely clear that God is a Jealous God and in fact God Himself states that He is so jealous that His name is Jealous (Ex. 34).  One would think that such a reality and clear teaching of Scripture and the gospel would lead to a greater conversation and development of the subject and doctrine.  However, in my study and research into this subject I was shocked to find that very little has been developed in depth.  Certainly a lot of theology books and pages discuss God's jealousy, but it seemed no one was willing to really go into any depth.  Of all the books in the world I found just one book (though there may be more) on the subject of God's jealousy and that book is Godly Jealousy: A Theology of Intolerant Love by K. Erik Thoennes. 

I loved this book.  So much so that its two main premises became foundational for the sermon I preached on the subject.  Thoennes proves that God's jealousy  is foundational to our Scriptural understanding of God and His nature would be incomplete unless He were jealous.  Thoennes offers hundreds, if not thousands, of Scriptural references, quotes, and exegesis to prove his point.

There are basically two aspects of God's jealousy, both connected together.  First, as the author points out, is that God is jealous for His own glory.  The author goes through a lot of detail and proof to make his point and one cannot read the Bible without coming to this conclusion.  The reason God created and continues to act in His creation is to ensure His glory in the end.  The second aspect of His jealousy regards idolatry.  Oftentimes in Scripture God's jealousy is mentioned in responded to clear idolatry of His people.  Why is God jealous towards those who worship other God's?  For two main reasons:  1) God seeks to His own glory and does not want to be robbed of His own glory, and 2) God is love.  If God was not jealous, He would not be loving and this explains why so many passages link idolatry to spiritual adultery.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It is thorough and it is exactly what I was looking for.  No one has written on the subject like Thoennes and for that I am very grateful.  I would not have understood the subject as well if it had not been for this book.  So if you want to know more about God and the doctrine of His jealousy, turn here.  In fact, this is about the only place to turn, but still worth it nonetheless.

"The God Who Loves"

God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.  We've all heard or even said ourselves similar phrases.  The love of God is central to our understanding of God, but unfortunately few actually understand this great doctrine.  Of all of the theology proper doctrines, the love of God is perhaps most abused.  Last week I preached on the Doctrine of Divine Love and read various perspectives and approaches to this issue.  one of the best books on the subject is Dr. John MacArthur's book The God Who Loves: He Will Do Whatever It Takes To Draw Us To Him.  In this book MacArthur guides the reader through what Scripture says on the subject, not what culture and pop-theology says about the subject.

One of the most fascinating parts of this book is how MacArthur deals with the issue of Divine justice and wrath.  If God is love, the question goes, then how can He send people to hell, order the genocide of nations, and be angry at sin?  MacArthur does not diminish or downplay the biblical record.  MacArthur goes further than the average person n presenting what the entire Bible says on the subject showing that the angry and jealous God of the Old Testament is still the same in the New Testament (anybody ever read Revelation?).

At the same time though, MacArthur balances the wrath of God with the love of God showing that both Testaments promote this understanding.  This is important.  Most postulate that there are either two God's (thus Dualism like in Marcionism) or that God has changed (thus rejecting the Doctrine of Divine Immutability).  What MacArthur shows is the consistency of the biblical record and the immutability of God.  God is both wrathful and loving and Scripture could not be more clear on the subject.

It is only when we appreciate the wrath of God, rooted in His holiness, can we truly appreciate his love.  If God is not just then His love becomes an avenue to excuse sin.  Imagine a judge letting a criminal go free because he simply "loved" him and didn't want to hold him accountable.  Likewise, God in His holiness cannot ignore sin.  This is the beauty of the gospel.  Only the gospel can bridge the wrath and love of God and offer us grace.  This is what MacArthur does best.  While surveying the biblical record without apologizing or minimizing what it says, MacArthur leads us to the gospel.  Of all of the books I read on the subject of God's love, this has to be one of the best.  If you start anywhere, start here. 


For more:
This is now the second time that I have written a review for this book.  To read the first review, click here.

"Sexual Detox" by Tim Challies

We live in an over-sexed pornified world.  With the rise of the internet and youtube-like sites, Westerners continue to do all that they can to have their 15 minutes of fame.   Shock seems to be the quickest way to stardom.  Now it seems every celebrity has their own sex tape and their careers themselves are driven by their physique and sexuality.  As a result, most today are addited to pornography and sex.

Christians have been, unfortunately, a little behind on this issue.  We say, "don't have sex before or outside of marriage," but have no deep theology of sex and sexuality.  We know what we reject, but articulate little on what we affirm.  Sex is good and the Bible affirms this.  Marriage itself is a picture of the gospel.  It is imperative that the Church return to the gospel and the biblical receord and articulate a more thorough worldview here.

But how do we minister to those struggling with porn addition and lust?  That's the question that author, blogger, and web designer Tim Challies offers in his book Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn.  Challies' book is brief and purposely so, but writes with a depth that is needed with such a subject.  He offers a biblical theology of sex and shows how pornography falls well short of what God wants.

What I loved about this book was Challies' willingness to deal with issues that most Christians act as if don't exist.  Not only does Challies deal with pornography, but he also deals with issues like masturbation - a subject Christians have recently debated.  Challies does not apologize for his honesty.  Regardless of what one thinks on the subject, it is important that Christians deal with it.  Every youth pastor in America has had too and it is time we think about such issues more seriously.  At the end of the day, however, Challies is right: marriage does not solve either problem of pornography and lust or masturbation.

I received a digital audio copy of this book for free through christianaudio.com.  The quality was the recording is what I expected:  good and acceptable.  Though I will admit that the quality was not as good as others I have listened to at the site, it was good nonetheless.  I always like to hear the author's voice when listening to books and Challies does that on this book.

Overall, this is a must read (or listen) for all Christians including men, teenagers, pastors, and ministers.  It is time we get serious about these issues and Challies certainly is leading us in the right direction.


Audio Link
Amazon link


For more:
Reviews - "Sex is not the Problem (Lust Is)"  
Reviews - "Dirty Little Secret"

"God's Word in Human Words": Full Series

Over the past week, I have daily posted a detailed critique of Kenton Sparks' book God's Word in Human Words: An Evangelical Appropriation of Critical Biblical Scholarship.  Clearly I disagree with the book on the grounds of both theological content and implications and I disagree with the evidence he supports.  However, I will say that I am a little disappointed with the lack of clear and overwhelming response from Evangelicals like myself to biblical criticism, higher criticism, lower criticism, etc.  Sparks' book is a big seller and lays out a clear argument against inerrancy and for many reading it, it seems like his argument is sound.  What I have written is in fact brief and does not even begin to scratch the surface of what needs to be said and pointed out.  I am praying that someone smarter than me would write and articulate against the biblical critics in a fuller account equally as powerful as this book.

Here are the links:


"God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 1
"God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 2
"God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 3
"God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 4
"God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 5

"God's Word in Human Words": A Detailed Critique - Part 5

JESUS, PARABLES, AND THE BIBLE AS MYTH

The complete rejection of Scripture as inerrant from a biblical criticism perspective naturally leads to the conclusion that much of the Bible is fiction.  Whether one uses words like myths, legends, allegories, folktales, or fables, it is still fiction.  Obviously this is a huge problem for inerrantists to suggest that any part of the Bible is mythical or simple folklore and Sparks admits this.  However, the author states:
  
Nevertheless, as we have seen already, it is very likely that the Bible contains more fictional literature than some evangelical readers can stomach.  If we aim to take the Bible seriously as God’s Word, this leaves us with only one possible solution: perhaps fiction is a more valuable genre for conveying truth than conservative evangelicals normally suppose.*

This is a striking statement to say the least!  What proof does Sparks have that fiction can be more valuable than inerrantist “normally suppose?”  The parables of Jesus.  Because Jesus’ favorite genre of teaching was fiction, Sparks concludes that even though portions of Scripture is not historically accurate that does not mean that it has no valuable.  After surveying the message behind the Parable of the Good Samaritan Sparks concludes, “In a very concrete sense, insofar as the parable describes and applies to may historical contexts rather than just one, we can reasonably claim that parables are more historical than conventional historical reports.  So works in fictional genres can be quite true, not only theologically but also historically.”**
  
This argument is problematic and for a scholar who makes careful arguments it is surprising he would go this far.  To compare the parables of Jesus to the historical books of the Old Testament is to compare apples and oranges. Jesus and the Gospel writers admit that the parables are simple stories to make a point but are not historical events.  However, when the Chronicler writes about certain kings and events, the writer implies that the events actually happened.  An honest reading of such passages and books force the reader to admit that, at least to the writers of the Old Testament, the events are historical.
  
Furthermore, it should be remembered that the parables themselves are told in a historical context.  The One telling the parable, Jesus, is a historical person that really told these parables.  Of course the parables themselves did not actually happen, but Jesus really did tell these stories.  So though the parables are not historical, they were historically told and the Gospel writers assume as much.  Oftentimes they introduce the telling of a given parable(s) to historical notes like in Luke 8:4 where Luke notes that a historical crowd “was gathering . . . from town after town” and so Jesus began to speak in parables.
  
There is one other point that should be added here.  If we assume that the “historical” events in the Bible (in both the Old and the New Testament) what does that say about doctrine, the gospel, and God Himself?  If doctrine is based on actual events (like Creation, the Fall, and the resurrection) and yet these events ought to be viewed as mythical, then is not our doctrine mythical?  What is sin if the Fall is a myth?  Does life still have inherent dignity if the creation account is bogus?  If God is not the Sovereign and Providential Creator of the universe, as Genesis implies He is, then who is God?***  If we deny the Sovereign acts and interventions of God as recorded in the Bible as historical, then what assurance do we have that God is Sovereign, Providential, Holy, Transcendent, Immanent, Eternal, Jealous, Just, or Loving?  If God did not act historically, then does He act historically today?
  
The implications of what Sparks is presenting here is extremely problematic and dangerous.  What is at stake here is more than just the question of the literary genres of the Bible, but the gospel and orthodoxy itself.  The cry for considering the Bible as myth has always led to a devaluing and redefining of the gospel and the Christian faith and no matter how hard Sparks may try at preventing that, it will not work.

CONCLUSION

In his effort to offer an alternative to the doctrine of Scripture that takes more seriously the conclusion of scholars, Sparks only reaffirms the many problems of adopting the many claims against the inerrancy of Scripture.  If one wants to know why the doctrine of inerrancy is imperative, then read those who reject it.  When one rejects the inerrancy of Scripture, the gospel immediately begins to unravel.  Though Sparks offers a carefully articulated book, well written with a respectable tone, his argument is extremely dangerous and problematic.  Unless Christians affirm a traditional view of Scripture they will inherently reject an orthodox view of the gospel.  It has always been this way and what Sparks offers here isn’t a compromise but a reminder as to why inerrancy remains central to the belief system of many Christians.



*  Kenton Sparks, God's Word in Human Words: An Evangelical Appropriation of Critical Biblical Scholarship, 214-215.
**  Ibid., 215.  Emphasis authors.
***  It should be noted here that Sparks does reject a traditional understanding of Creation and has written favorably on the BiosLogos website that promotes Theistic Evolution.  Clearly, then, Sparks rejects young-earth creationism and the historicity of Adam and Eve.


Reviews - "God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 1
Reviews - "God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 2
Reviews - "God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 3
Reviews - "God's Word in Human Words":  A Detailed Critique - Part 4