Look to the Cross: A Good Friday Meditation

Good Friday

At this moment, on the anniversary of the crucifixion, we pause to “look on Him whom we have pierced” (John 19:37) We are among those who pierced him since it was our sin that held Him there, since it was our sin “that drove the bitter nails.”

We look, and what do we see?

  1. We see the horror of our sin

We are prone to take our sin too lightly

See here what it took to pay for our sin. Our sin was so deep, so bad, so treacherous that it took the death of God the Son to pay for it.

“Was it for crimes that I had done, He groaned upon the tree?”

Yes,

“Mine, mine was the transgression, thine the deadly pain”

“It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished”

Look to the cross and see the hideousness of your sin.

2. We see the satisfaction for our sin

This is what it took to pay for our sin, and it was done! We see here that the sins of all those who will believe are paid for. This is why it is Good Friday.

“Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free

For God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me”

Look to the cross and know that your sin, all of it in all its horrible depths have been paid for, washed away, forgiven, if you are in Jesus. And if you are not, they can be if you will trust Him.

3. We see the love of God

Look what God was willing to do in order to rescue us from ourselves. Behold how he loves us!

“This is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

“God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

“Here is love, vast as the ocean, lovingkindness like a flood

when the prince of peace our ransom, shed for us his precious blood”

“What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul”

“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son, to make a wretch his treasure”

Look to the cross and see how deeply God has loved you. You are loved.

4. We see our pride shattered

There is nothing here of human accomplishment, but sin, rebellion, the rejection of God.

“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded” (Rom 3:27)

“my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride.”

Look to the cross and be humbled

5. We see the only way

Jesus pleaded with the Father not to have to go to the cross if there was any other way. He went to the cross so there must have been no other way for redemption to be accomplished.

This then, the work of Christ received by faith, is the only way to salvation. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we may be saved.

Look to the cross and see the only way of salvation. If you have not already trusted him do so. If you have trusted him, share that news with others.

“Thus might I hide my blushing face, While Calvary’s cross appears,

Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes to tears.”

“Here Lord I give myself away, ‘tis all that I can do”

Best Reads of 2021

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Each year I keep a list of the books I read all the way through, typically with brief notes, as a way of tracking my thoughts and a way to look back on each year and see some of what influenced me. So, in this post I have drawn from that list some of the best books I read this year with slightly edited versions of the notes I jotted down after reading them.

I selected a Top 10 from the books I read this year. These 10 aren’t listed in a particular order, and they made this list for various reasons ranging from sheer enjoyment to level of impact on me. Following the Top 10 are some more books I enjoyed reading this year (in no particular order) as well as some disappointing ones.

Top 10

  1. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, Carl Trueman- impressive work, wide ranging and explanatory of these ideas. Clarifying as to why BLM would include the LGBTQ+ agenda and opposition to the nuclear family. In fact, in light of this analysis I realize we should have expected it to rather than being surprised by it. This makes it clear that CRT and Intersectionality are no friends to Christianity.
  2. Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe, Voddie T. Baucham Jr.- Well reasoned, clear and direct. Convincing and devastating on CRT
  3. The Making of C. S. Lewis (1918–1945): From Atheist to Apologist, Harry Lee Poe- The second volume in Hal’s biography of Lewis (vol. 3 due out this coming year). Fascinating, insightful, and written with Hal’s wit.
  4. The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate, Michael Kruger- very good, carefully, calmly, intelligently, and overwhelmingly persuasively argued on the point that the establishment of a canon by Christians is not a later ecclesial intrusion but something that arose naturally from Christian teaching.
  5. When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II,  Molly Guptill Manning- Fascinating. I started it just because it was free and it looked interesting. I thought it might be about certain books written during the war, but it is an account of the effort to get books to our military personnel for free during the war. It is very interesting to see the interest in and concern for the intellectual life of soldiers as well and emotional health. I think emotional health still ranks high but I haven’t seen this sort of interest in intellectual stimulation. Fascinating info on the role and importance of reading material in the war as well as how much the soldiers enjoyed and appreciated the books. Makes me wonder how much this shaped the “greatest generation.” Also significant impact on the book publishing industry.
  6. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, E. B. Sledge- I had heard this was the quintessential war diary, and it was profound. No glorying in war here, but a frank discussion of the horrors of war, as well as how faith brought this man through.
  7. So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love, Cal Newport- Excellent. Useful for anyone, especially those starting college
  8. West Oversea: A Norse Saga of Mystery, Adventure, and Faith: Book 3 of the Saga of Erling Skjalgsson, Lars Walker- I finally read the follow up to Year of the Warrior and enjoyed it immensely. Walker gets in quite a bit of significant social commentary in this historical fantasy as well as numerous proverbial and witty comments which make it instructive and entertaining. I also read and enjoyed the other two books in the series: Hailstone Mountain: Book 4 of the Saga of Erling Skjalgsson, and The Elder King: Book 5 of the Saga of Erling Skjalgsson.
  9. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett- Very good, rich with lessons for today. I hope to write an essay on lessons from this children’s story for today.
  10. The Children of Men, P. D. James- fascinating. Striking since the story is set in this very year, though written 30 years ago. Shot through with Christian imagery and some characters openly struggle with Christian faith and whether or not there is a god and if there is if he cares. Clear on the inherent sinfulness of man. The hero is quite broken and self-centered, but goes through a transformation in the novel, learning to love and to care for another. Still at the end we see him drawn by the seduction of power. The novel closes without showing us whether he resists this or falls to it. The last sentence of the novel seems to have been constructed deliberately to close with the words “the sign of the cross.” [I also watched the movie, but it is a very poor approximation of the novel]

Theology/Bible/Christian Living

  1. Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved: A Handbook for Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, David King- I read this pre-publication and was happy to write a blurb for the book cover. An excellent resource for all pastors!
  2. The Ideal Bishop: Aquinas’s Commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles, Michael G Sirilla- Insights for the history of interpretation of the Pastorals and for historical understanding of pastoral ministry.
  3. In the Name of God: The Colliding Lives, Legends, and Legacies of J. Frank Norris and George W. Truett, O S Hawkins- Fascinating story, told in an engaging way. In the end I differ significantly with the way Hawkins applies lessons from the history, but I welcome any engaging interaction with Baptist history.
  4.  Being a Pastor: Pastoral Treatises of John Wycliffe, trans & ed by Benjamin Fischer- fascinating historical piece.
  5. The History of First Baptist Church, 1837-2005, Jack Hilliard- I enjoyed learning more of the history of the church where my family and I are members. Reminded me of the value of writing historical accounts and preserving information as we can.
  6. God’s Smuggler to China, Brother David- I really appreciated God’s Smuggler, so this book by someone who worked with Brother Andrew also caught my eye. More challenging and encouraging stories about bold risk-taking for the sake of missions.

History/Biography

  1. Co. Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War, Sam R. Watkins- Another celebrated war memoir. Far more literary than I expected and a significant book. The author regularly states he is not writing an official history, but just recording what he saw. But, this puts him at the forefront of the move to look at history not simply from the viewpoint of the leaders and people of high station, but to look at things from the viewpoint of the everyday person. Highlights the horror of war, talks about how much the lowly privates suffered which the leaders avoided, and he provides a very chilling portrait of the effects of war. Anyone who fall into the glorification of war, could do well to read this narrative.
  2. The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time, Will Durant- I love how Durant writes, even when I have to disagree with him. This is how history should be taught, with verve, attentive to people, and with an eye to lessons, even in tentative, we can draw from the past.
  3. The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books: Christopher Columbus, His Son, and the Quest to Build the World’s Greatest Library, Edward Wilson-Lee- Fascinating story, but the books draws it out too long. I had never heard about this library.
  4. The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived, Admiral William H. McRaven- a great little secular book on key virtues. McRaven tells stories well and draws from good sources, largely his own experiences. For natural revelation, this is a good book. We’d be a lot better as a culture if people heeded his lessons.
  5. Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot, Starr Smith- a fun read, good info on Stewart’s WWII career. Mentions his strong Christian upbringing, centrality of church to the family. When he left for the European theater, in his 30’s, his dad gave him a copy of Psalm 91 saying he was praying that psalm for Jimmy. Stewart was involved in serious bombing raids and aerial combat. He made some of the plans did the briefing for his group for the D-Day invasion.
  6. Agent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy, Ben Macintyre- I love Macintyre’s writing, and this was another good one.
  7. Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America, Jared Cohen- Interesting look at the transition of power when presidents have died in office. He tells the stories well, though his slant is apparent. He is very biased against Coolidge, and does not interact with Amity Shlaes at all. Then he fawns over FDR. He closes the book with the affirmation that the Constitution is a “living document.”
  8. Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors, Stephen E. Ambrose- Ambrose is always worthwhile reading, and the intertwining of these lives is interesting.
  9. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, Dee Brown- A long, sad, depressing tale. Saga of the depravity of man, and a resounding example of why we should not entrust our wellbeing to a government
  10. No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, Fawn M. Brodie- A well written account of Smith’s life, which seeks to weigh the evidence carefully.
  11. Terry Bradshaw: Man of Steel, Terry Bradshaw with David Diles (1979), and No Easy Game, Terry Bradshaw with Charles Paul Conn (1973).- I found these in a church library and was intrigued because I grew up liking Bradshaw. They were really engaging reads. I had no idea Bradshaw was so outspoken about his faith early in his career. Staubach wrote the preface and spoke highly to TB. Quite open about his struggles.
  12. Last Stands: Why Men Fight When All Is Lost, Michael Walsh- The opening chapter is worth the book as Walsh holds nothing back critiquing modern, Western culture in the ways it has turned its back on fundamental truths our forebears knew to be basic realities of the world. A ringing endorsement of heroism and manliness as essential to the survival of any culture.

Fiction

  1. John Macnab, John Buchan- This is one of Buchan’s I had inadvertently missed, and it’s a good yarn. It involves some of Buchan’s standard characters (Leithn, Lamancha. Palliser-Yeates, Archie Roylance), but it is not a thriller of the same sort. There is no international intrigue, in fact there is no real bad guy at all. There is adventure and danger, but tis time for the sheer sport of it rather than to rescue someone or some country. In a way the men are seeking to rescue themselves, since they have sunk into an ennui which they can’t shake. So, this is sort of an adventure comedy.
  2. Castle Macnab: Richard Hannay Returns, Robert J Harris- This was significantly better than Harris’s first new Hannay book (mentioned last year). I liked the first one, but it was a little stilted, too obviously an imitation. This one worked on its own, and was compelling. In fact, I read it in one day. On Jan 1 I decided I wanted a fun read and started the book during the day. Then I stayed up til 1 am to finish it! This one is not set after Buchan’s originals but in the midst of them, once again pulling together beloved characters into a new adventure. Harris plays well off of John Macnab.
  3. The Old Man and the Boy, Robert Ruark- I loved this book, and it just barely failed to make my top 10. It is a beautiful account of a boy growing up enjoying the outdoors, free to roam, fish, hunt, and learn under the tutelage of a wise and caring grandfather.
  4. Planet of the Apes, Pierre Boullefor- Very interesting and very different from any of the movies. In this one they really do travel to a different planet. Rather than a Cold War warning (as in the 1968 film), the novel seems to be making a point about the treatment of animals, and perhaps racism, as well as suggesting the eventual end of civilizations and further steps in evolution. Also, I did not realize the same author wrote Bridge over the River Kwai, and that he was a spy in WWII. He worked in Asia.
  5. The Heist, Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon series)- Another decent entry in this series. Silva has a gift for turning a phrase. A few examples:  “he came waddling into the bar a few minutes later with all the discretion of a train whistle at midnight.” “He wore a blue powersuit that fit his portly frame like a sausage casing ….” “Oliver Dimbleby was a sinner of the highest order, but his conscience bothered him not.”
  6. The Conqueror (Constantine’s Empire), Bryan Litfin- I enjoyed this historical novel.
  7. The Sky Pilot, a Tale of the Foothills, Ralph Connor- R G Lee said this novel played a part in his call to ministry. It is a well-told tale of ministry in the turbulent west, or faithful witness despite hardship.
  8. The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries), Agatha Christie- fun, the lighthearted humor was engaging, but it did get tiresome as well. Overall I enjoyed it, though it almost lost me early on. Strikingly similar to Bulldog Drummond and Richard Hannay, both in general topic and in the portrayed threat- criminal mastermind, socialist uprising with infiltration of Britain by sinister elements aided by fifth columnists.
  9. Skystorm (Ryan Decker Book 4), Steven Konkoly- I read the first three books last year. A former CIA operative now working to rescue children from trafficking. A fun listen, good action, moral compass.
  10. Furious and Free: A Novel about the Maccabees, Elmer L.  Gray- well done, helps bring to life the history of this period. It isn’t great writing, but workmanlike and efficient. I grasped better the ups and downs of the period and realized how I had flattened it out in my mind due to brief treatments of it.
  11. The Broken Gun, Louis L’Amour- I didn’t realize when I started this one that it is set in (then)modern day. L’Amour draws on his cowboy research to write a western crime/mystery story. It is almost certainly highly autobiographical, as the main character seems much like how L’Amour saw himself and was: Western writer, knowledgeable of the West in history, careful researcher, also a man’s man, able to ride and shoot, and fight. Fun story
  12. Sitka, Louis L’Amour- great fun! This one spans the continent but centers on Alaska, particularly intrigue leading up to the sale of Alaska to the US. The main character’s friend, Robert Walker, was indeed a senator from MS born in PA as the story mentions.
  13. I enjoyed several other L’Amour novels. High Lonesome (the hero, a young man who has ended up taking up with bandits, must choose his path, and in the end honor wins out) and The Proving Trail, were particularly good. I rank The Proving Trail among his best. Utah Blaine was also good. Comstock Lode was also good, though it seemed to be stretched longer than it needed to be. The Quick and the Dead and Guns of the Timberlands were fine, but not as good as the others. Bowdrie I chose because Reagan apparently referred to Chick Bowdrie when he honored L’Amour. This is a collection of stories rather than one continuous story, and, though it was fun, I don’t think his short stories are as good as the complete books.
  14. At the Earth’s Core: Book 1 of the Pellucidar Series, Edgar Rice Burroughs- fun story. Follows the same formula as the Mars stories so at first I wasn’t taken with it. The fun won me over though as a completely different world is discovered inside the earth’s crust. I find it fascinating to note the basic assumptions about life and humanity in older novels like this. Here as in any others the humans can quickly master another language. Is that just necessary for the stories, or was there a greater assumption in past days that this could be done? Also, there are great assumptions about nobility, courage, not abandoning friends, defending women (even if they hate you), etc. In this one, the zeal and excitement about introducing greater weapons was interesting. There seemed to be no fear that this could bring negative implications. The story was serialized in 1914 and published in book form in 1922. One would think the horrors of modern warfare would have been evident by that time. Perhaps, though, the unchecked eagerness of the characters is intended to be recognized as foolhardy by the reader.
  15. The G-man’s Son, Warren F. Robinson [acc to cover], Edward O’Connor [acc to title page]- Published in 1936 and dedicated to J. Edgar Hoover! One of the “boys’ novels” of the time so it was interesting to see how it came across. Not as good as the Hardy Boys, to which it has many similarities. Written to engage boys and to hold in high esteem the G Men. Much about their sterling character and honesty, as well as intelligence, physical fitness, and bravery. Funny how ready the dad is for his boys to engage in pursuit of killers and for them to go into harm’s way. None of the carefulness of Mr. Hardy.

Other

  1. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin- Plenty of good insights for leadership, illustrated by stoires from the authors’ experiences as Navy SEALs.
  2. Joining the Mission: A Guide for (Mainly) New College Faculty, Susan VanZanten- I don’t often like these kids of books but this one was very helpful- thoughtful, insightful
  3. John Wayne: The Official Movie Book, Topix Media Lab- a lot of fun, listed all his movies, many I had never heard of. Provides an intro to all of his major movies and an assessment of the how good the movie was, ranking all of them in order. Helpful reminder of ones I want to watch again with the kids.

Disappointments

  1. Seize the Day, Saul Bellow- I’ve heard much about this author, so I gave him a try. Maybe I chose the wrong book. It never grabbed me but I pushed through. When I finished, I thought, “So what?”
  2. Casino Royale, Ian Fleming- A real disappointment. Bond is a scumbag. I knew that at some level, but it’s worse in this novel (the first one). Plus, this story just isn’t very good. I can’t imagine anyone reading this book and thinking it ought to be a movie.
  3. Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, Kristin Kobes Du Mez- Full of insinuation, “seems”, “maybe”, lumping together disparate people and failing to note pieces that don’t fit her narrative. She documents sad things that have happened which we already knew were true. But her overall thesis is terribly overblown. Sad to see a Calvin prof scoff at inerrancy and to be shocked that 1980’s evangelicals would oppose the normalization of homosexuality.

Rutherford to a Pastor Under Trial

I really enjoy reading Samuel Rutherford’s letters. For several years now I have been slowly working my way through my 1891 copy, reading one letter most mornings. Many of the letters are great encouragement to pastors enduring difficult times. One I read in the last week is a prime example. Rutherford is writing David Dickson another leading pastor whose commentary on the Psalms is still available. Rutherford’s comments of trust in the final judgment and vindication by Christ are particularly helpful.

CCLX To Mr. David Dickson.

REVEREND AND WELL – BELOVED BROTHER IN THE LORD,

I bless the Lord, who hath so wonderfully stopped the on-going of that lawless process against you. The Lord reigneth, and has a saving eye upon you and your ministry; and, therefore, fear not what men can do. I bless the Lord, that the Irish ministers find employment, and the professors comfort of their ministry. Believe me, I durst not, as I am now disposed, hold an honest brother out of the pulpit. I trust that the Lord will guard you, and hide you in the shadow of his hand. I am not pleased with any that are against you in that.

I would [wish], I could make acquaintance with Christ’s cross, for I find comforts lie to, and follow upon, the cross. I suffer in my name, by them; but I take it as a part of the crucifying of the old man. Let them cut the throat of my credit, and do as they like best with it. When the wind of their calumnies hath blown away my good name from me, in the way to heaven, I know that Christ will take my name out of the mire, and wash it, and restore it to me again. I would have a mind, if the Lord would be pleased to give me it, to be a fool for Christ’s sake.  …

 Grace be with you.

Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus, 

S. R. 

ABERDEEN, Sept. 11, 1637. 

A Sermon Series through the Psalms

I have heard of several pastors planning or considering a series of sermons in the Psalms through the summer. That is what we are doing at my church. If you decide to plan such a series, one of the first questions you have to address is which Psalms to preach. Here are a few thoughts for those wrestling with that choice.

First, relax. You can’t go wrong here. It is good to make thoughtful choices, but it is also possible to overthink things. You are choosing between different portions of God’s inspired word. In my first pastorate there was little time for advanced sermon planning, and some of you are probably in similar settings. As long as you are working hard to understand God’s Word properly and to apply it to your people faithfully, you are doing well. Whichever Psalms you pick will be fine.

Then, as you have time to plan ahead, there are various ways you could approach your choice of Psalms depending on what you hope to accomplish. You could focus on repentance, lament, or praise, though 8 to 10 weeks on just one of those themes might not work as well. You could also preach through some of the specific units in the Psalms, such as the Psalms of Ascent (120-134) or the Hallel Psalms (113-118). Then, of course, your choices will be affected to some degree by what Psalms may have recently been preached at your church.

If you want to give a good overview of the Psalter as a whole, I’d recommend some of the following psalms. Psalm 1 and 2 introduce the whole book, so they would be a good place to start. Some people think of Psalm 1 as the introduction since it comes first, but it takes Psalm 1 and 2 to give a proper introduction. Psalm one points us to God’s word as our source of life and blessing. Psalm 2 then points us to God’s anointed king, the Messiah, as the one whom we must obey. We eventually discover that these two come together in the person of Jesus Christ. And properly understood, He is the focus of the Psalter.

Then, I would suggest another pair of Psalms, 22 and 23, the crucified Messiah and the God the Shepherd. Psalm 22 is one of the most clearly messianic Psalms. The NT confirms that this Psalm points to the cross (Jesus quotes verse 1 on the cross). Then Psalm 23 presents to us the care of God for his people with the image of a shepherd, and this image becomes a central theme throughout the rest of Scripture, not just for God but for those whom God calls to lead and care for His people. The crucified one is our Shepherd.

Then, it would be very healthy to preach on a psalm of lament. These are characterized in various ways, but any of the psalms which show the psalmist crying out to God, often complaining to God about the wrongs he is suffering will be helpful to our people. Our society tends either to ignore suffering, thinking it impolite to talk about or to be indicative of a lack of faith, or to wallow in self-pity. None of these are healthy or helpful. The psalms of lament are there to give us words and models for laying our complaints before God in faith. Two possibilities are Psalm 37 and 73 (they stick in my mind because their numbers are the inverse of one another). These psalms wrestle with the age old problem of the prospering of the wicked- “If God really exists, why am I suffering while I try to obey him and those people who have no concern for God have everything going their way?” It is helpful to learn that we can bring this complaint to God and to see some of the answer to such concerns.

Then, I would want to include Psalm 100 because it is a classic psalm of praise. Note the implicit missionary theme since the call to praise God is addressed to the whole earth. Note as well that we are commanded to praise God. Singing is not optional, despite the fact that some men say they just don’t’ sing. It is important for us to reckon with the greatness of God which is worthy of our praise and to recognize that in response to such a God we must either sin or sing. And, if you’re preaching Psalm 100, it would be great to sing the old metered version of this Psalm, “All People that in Earth Do Dwell.”

I mentioned the Psalms of Ascent earlier, and if I was seeking to be representative of the Psalter I’d pick a couple of them. Psalm 127 or 128 are great family psalms and can fit Fathers’ Day well. Lastly, I’d want to conclude a summary series with Psalm 150, which serves as a climax and conclusion of the book. The psalms stand as prayers and praises to teach the people of God how to talk to God. Thus, along the way they deal with sin, suffering and trouble. Lament psalms are the most common. But as the Psalter draws to a close the focus is more and more praise, until Psalm 150 is unmixed and unbridled praise. This does not ignore the suffering and sin in this life but helps us to see that history is moving toward the time when all care dissolves into praise when Jesus returns and wipes away every tear.

Psalm 97, “Rejoice the Lord is King”

A couple of weeks ago I preached on Psalm 97 at my home church, FBC Jackson, on Psalm 97, titling the sermon, “Rejoice the LORD is King.” The psalm calls us to joy rooted in the fact the Yahweh reigns, that He is supreme and sovereign over all. Sadly, too often the doctrine of God’s sovereignty has become a bone of contention, rather than the ground of contentment as it should be.

Here is the video of the sermon:

“Correcting the Record: The Reformers on Evangelism and Missions”

I am glad to see Sixteenth-Century Mission: Explorations in Protestant and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice, edited by Robert Gallagher and Ed Smither (Lexham Press, 2021) now available. My essay, “Correcting the Record: The Reformers on Evangelism and Missions,” is in this volume along with some significant missions essays.

Malcolm Yarnell called it,  “the most exhilarating collection of essays I have ever reviewed.” You can see the table of contents here with contributors and titles.

My hope for my essay is to debunk further the ahistorical idea that the Reformers did not care about missions. Good work has been done by others pointing out missions emphases in the writings of the Reformers. I seek to build on and add to this, while also dealing with the scholarly root of this idea. A condensed version of my essay has been published previously, but this book contains the full version.

On Education

Some of my favorite discussions of the value and importance of education, as well as discussions about approach to education, are found in surprising places. For instance, Robert Ruark’s The Old Man and the Boy is a charming, fun story set mostly in the context of the outdoors- hunting, fishing, sailing, etc.

However, in chapter 22, when the boy is doing poorly at school and sees no use for it, the old man surprises him with a defense of education. Amongst other things, the old man says:

“Knowledge is an accumulation, like a pack rat hides things. Things you never knew you knew have a way of popping up later. You’re supposed to fill your skull with a lot of things, against the day you might need one of them. And remember this, too: you can’t pour a gallon of knowledge into a one-quart brain. The idea is to make the brain big enough and flexible enough to handle what it has to handle. I want to see some better marks next month, or we might just find ourselves not shooting any quail this fall. That ain’t a threat. It’s a suggestion. Let’s go catch some fish.” (247)

The boy doesn’t take to this right away but begins to see the value of education and begins to thrive in school. One error we allow too often is the disconnect between education and the outdoors. There is no reason why they ought to be thought of as so separated. And, that is a great image: “you can’t pour a gallon of knowledge into a one-quart brain.”

I can’t capture the full chapter here, but it is well worth reading.

Great new book on Christ-Centered Preaching

David King’s new book is now available and it is excellent! I had the opportunity to read it prepublication and really appreciated it. Here is the blurb I wrote for it:

This is an excellent resource for all pastors! If you are not sure about preaching Christ from the OT, David King will help you see why this is necessary, valuable to your people, and possible for you. If you are already convinced that you should preach Christ from the OT, King will provide you with a very accessible guide to achieving this goal consistently and faithfully. And, this is a book for preachers, from an experienced preacher and pastor. His empathy for those engaged in this significant task is clear, and he gets right to the heart of the issue in practical terms. His pastoral heart also comes through guiding the reader to care faithfully for the flock by preaching Christ to them from all the Bible. This may be the most helpful book you could read on preaching this year.

Preaching and Academic Work

I enjoyed reading The Ideal Bishop: Aquinas’s Commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles by Michael G Sirilla, and am working on a proper review to be posted at PastoralEpistles.com.

In this post, i simply want to point out part of Sirilla’s discussion about the manner and goal of biblical exposition as understood by key masters of the Medieval period. Sirilla writes:

“…the scriptural doctrine…must then be applied pastorally for spiritual growth through praedicatio, preaching, which was considered an integral task of exposition or academic biblical study. The duty of preaching has become somewhat foreign to contemporary academic theology; but it was an essential component that crowned and completed the work of the theologian in the thirteenth-century academy. Thus, the interpretation of divine revelation was both an academic and an ecclesial task directed toward a pastoral end for the good of souls.” (91)

“Aquinas and his contemporaries inherited this exegetical approach, and thus they sought to develop a systematic, theological understanding of the biblical text with the explicit purpose of preaching for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.” (92)

While I have my significant differences with Catholicism in general and Thomas in particular, this is an important point that needs to be reclaimed. Too much of modern biblical scholarship finds it inappropriate to include any sense of churchly application and concern for salvation or the good of souls. In that case, biblical study looses its central point and becomes much ado about very little.