C.H.E. Sadaphal's Blog
August 22, 2019
ROMANS CHAPTER 1 (COMMENTARY): by Dr. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES
The bottom line: One of the best ever exposits one of the Bible’s most important chapters.
Serious students of the Bible tend to agree that all the foundational truths of the Christian faith are contained in the Book of Romans. Of course, Romans begins in chapter one, which sets the tone for the entire epistle (letter). Handling this chapter is thus critically important and with this first-in-the-series commentary from the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, you will not be let down—in fact you will be energized and inspired. That is, in Romans: The Gospel of God, the reader is gifted by the extraordinary teaching of Dr. Jones whose analytical mind, careful attention to detail and enthusiasm for the Word cry out through the pages and whisk your cerebral faculties into shape. (And when I say “attention to detail” let us not forget that he devotes just under 400 pages to 24 verses in this volume. Even more, it took him thirteen years to finish teaching his series on Romans before he ended at 14:17). In this commentary, the late preacher masterfully accomplishes what he always does best: not only plainly articulating what the passage really means, but revealing how that understanding fits into the Christocentric, God-glorifying big picture.
Romans chapter 1 (1:1-24) begins to talk about the gospel, a message that is as supremely necessary and urgent now as it was 2,000 years ago. This message contains divine truth worthy of the attention of the entire world, as God explains how all of humanity is “not right” with God and how any man can “get right” with God (how = who = Jesus Christ). Dr. Jones makes the message plain through frequent engagement with the original language (Greek), revealing links to other New Testament epistles and explaining Old Testament connections when necessary. Truly, although you are merely reading words on paper, what you can feel is the warming of your heart so that above all else, God is glorified and a man will see Christ as the most beautiful reality.
If you are like me, after finishing this text, you will feel like you will owe the late Dr. Jones an incalculable debt for his full-bodied exposition. My highest possible recommendation for any preachers, Bible teachers, or serious Bible students (not only for this volume but for the entire series). And for those seeking more from Dr. Jones, be mindful that you can get every message that Dr. Jones ever preached/taught for FREE on mltrust dot org.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
April 25, 2019
PENTESCOST TODAY? by IAIN H. MURRAY
The bottom line: A sober, balanced assessment of the biblical basis of revival.
In short, this timely book is well worth reading, especially if you are a church leader and/or a Bible teacher. Why? Because it provides clarity on an often-misunderstood subject: revival, a word that refers to the reality of the church experiencing larger measures of the Holy Spirit. This outpouring bestows grace and produces new spiritual life in the church and brings many of the unconverted to Christ. Accordingly, Pentecost Today? equips people with a thorough education on the subject of revival while considering alternative views (e.g. those of Charles Finney). This is done with careful balance so that overall, Murray’s analysis is neither zealously fanatical nor is it rigidly restrictive. Murray asserts that revival is biblical but ultimately is not conditional on human works, cognizant of the sovereignty of God.
Many other books talk about revivals (which give some peripheral information) but do not get to the core of the matter. The main thrust here gets to the heart of things by establishing a biblical theology of revival that explains and justifies the phenomenon. In doing so, the doctrinal focus of the book is predominantly on pneumatology with much crossover into Christology and ecclesiology.
Pentecost Today? proceeds in logical fashion: it begins by discussing what revival is (“How Do We Understand Revival?). It then discusses how theology affects understanding of revival, and reveals how extreme understandings either way can lead to disastrous errors. The author ultimately concludes that God is sovereign in revival, but this never supplants human responsibility. As with anything else in the Christian life, what prepares the way for revival is God’s truth and a recovery of knowledge and faith in God. Murray then expounds upon how Spirit-inspired preaching is the usual means by which revival happens (“The Holy Spirit and Preaching”) and how to ascertain if revival truly is the real thing (“The Interpretation of Experience”). The author ends the book explaining six things revival will bring and draws heavily on accounts from church history. He also draws out the practical implications of incorrect views of revival.
So the book’s title asks, “Pentecost Today?” The short answer is no because Pentecost is a historical event. Revival, on the other hand, is a Spirit-mediated reality possible for God’s people at all times when they earnestly seek divine truth.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
January 17, 2019
August 16, 2018
PREACHING AND PREACHERS by DR. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES
5.2 of 5.0 (No typo)
The bottom line: Legendary advice on preaching from a legendary preacher.
What is preaching? Why does it matter? How do you prepare a sermon? How do you take your preaching to the next level? How does the messenger prepare himself to better deliver the message? Are you called to preach? How can you be sure? What role does the congregation play? It is ok to be funny? To tell stories? To make an altar call? Where does a man find the unique preaching ‘fire’? Preaching and Preachers answers all these questions (and much, much more) with careful consideration. The book also calls your attention to what is at stake, and what is at stake is far more than delivering a message on a Sunday morning—it is the life of the church and the salvation of souls. As the author himself says on the opening page of the book, true preaching is the highest and greatest calling and it is the most urgent need in the church today. In a world where God and the Bible are relentlessly trivialized, Preaching and Preachers is both desperately needed and intimately practical.
The late Dr. Lloyd-Jones is a legend for a reason. But you don’t have to take my word for it. All one has to do is listen to the Doctor preach and you will have your proof. Lloyd-Jones preached with precision, clarity, authority, and power. He had a unique gift that convicted the listener of God’s Truth and imparted a sense of the Lord. Yes, many of his prescriptions in this book are grounded in personal opinion, but if the effects of taking that advice are effectual and glorify God, then is there anything to fuss about? Truly, a preacher who is not convicted of his own method raises many doubts.
In general, the book proceeds from the most objective to the most subjective. The author begins by establishing how preaching is integral to the life of the church (“Primacy of Preaching”), what it truly is and why is has declined. He then explains how preaching is the only thing that exposes humankind’s real need and how the only remedy for that deficiency it is God (“No Substitute”). The book then goes through the mechanics of preaching (“The Sermon and the Preaching,” “The Form of the Sermon,” “The Act of Preaching” and “The Shape of the Sermon”). What is made readily obvious in these chapters is how the sermon itself (content) is distinct from the delivery of that sermon (the fire and thunder). The author then expounds on the preacher himself (“The Preacher”) and how self-preparation before the preaching is as important as the act itself (“The Preparation of the Preacher.”) The book closes with Llyod-Jones providing personal advice and relaying life lessons that he had learned through his career as a prolific preacher (“What to Avoid,” “The Pitfalls and the Romance” and “Demonstration of the Spirit and the Power”).
Indeed, as the book’s title suggests, this is not a book for everyone—it is a text written for preachers by a preacher. As a preacher, my personal opinion is that you ought not to begin preaching without first reading this book. In fact, you ought not to even start thinking about preaching until you read this classic. Certainly, you will emerge from the text different than when you stepped into it—you will be radically invigorated, inspired and convicted that what world so desperately needs is genuine preaching by genuine men of God.
Highest possible recommendation for any man called by God to preach the Word of God.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
April 22, 2018
GOD, RACE, MLK and THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
The date you will read this is April 23rd, but I am writing this article on April 4, 2018. The latter date is relevant because it is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The late Rev. Dr. King still has a profound impact on society at large, and it seems that over the past few weeks, whether I was reading a secular newspaper or listening to a Christian podcast, someone has reflected on Dr. King’s life.
Here, I will revere Dr. King’s legacy by synthesizing his work with what the Bible says about race and the role of a Christian in modern society. The conclusion that I draw is not the conclusion that you might expect, and that conclusion is that today, many have forgotten why Dr. King championed the civil rights of the American Negro. As a result of this amnesia, we have become confused about Dr. King’s core spiritual convictions that animated his legendary political work, but his political beliefs were distinct from his faith.
Still, my conviction is that Dr. King’s political reform was successful because of his faith, and that, in turn, was because his political agenda was not grounded in naturalism but rather was rooted in the transcendent Word of God. I will unpack what all this means in the following sections, and my discussion will touch upon what the Bible says about race, the social gospel, and the prophetic voice of the Church in matters of injustice. In the end, Dr. King passed away five decades ago, but his political wisdom can still bring us back on track so that we may face the challenges of a new age and chart a bold course toward the future.
First, we must embrace that God never, ever separated people based on race. Race is purely a human classification system that superficially divides people. Biblically speaking, God uses one primary criterion for classifying groups, and that criterion is whether one trusts God or not.
Thus, people are primarily divided into two groups: those who are for God, and those who are against Him (i.e., those that are in the Church of Christ, and those who are out). The Bible is crystal clear that, ultimately, it does not matter what you look like on the outside—what ultimately matters is whether you believe in your heart that Christ is Lord.
March 29, 2018
HEALING AND THE SCRIPTURES by DR. MARTIN LLOYD-JONES
The bottom line: A sharp, knowledgeable analysis of healing from a medical and biblical perspective.
Healing and the Scriptures is a collection of lectures that the late Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones gave over a twenty-one year period (1953-74) to various medical societies and academic groups.
What this book therefore contains is the applied wisdom of a man who has both practical medical knowledge and a profound understanding of the Bible. Subsequently, Dr. Lloyd-Jones masterfully applies his insights to draw a map of how healing is acquired for the “whole person”—that is, healing on the spiritual, psychological and biological level.
Specifically, Dr. Jones looks at the doctor-patient relationship, the role of pharmacological agents (prescription drugs) in mental illness, the construct of ‘mental illness’ in general, universal health care and the role that the supernatural plays in the healing of natural diseases. Moreover, he provides philosophical analysis to topics that appeal to a wider audience: the role of the Church and the State, the power of faith as a healing agent, demonic oppression vs possession, technology and science and the Christian, the self, Christian protest, pastoral counseling, and material success in the life of a believer. As a medical doctor myself, I found Dr. Jones’s analyses remarkable in that he not only foresaw where medicine was accurately going 50 years in the past, but it was almost as if he was sitting next to me making observations about the state of medical affairs in the present day.
For those who are unfamiliar, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones was a Protestant minister and medical doctor who preached for nearly three decades in the Westminster Chapel in London. He was a strong advocate of Reformed theology and the influence of his work still reverberates today.
Healing and the Scriptures is but one of the many books of Dr. Jones that I have read, and whenever he puts his pen to paper, what results is magnificent.
I highly recommend this book to all Christians, and in my humble opinion, if you are a Christian in the medical field or pastoral ministry, this is a must-read.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
4.8 of 5.0
The bottom line: A sharp, knowledgeable ana...
The bottom line: A sharp, knowledgeable analysis of healing from a medical and biblical perspective.
Healing and the Scriptures is a collection of lectures that the late Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones gave over a twenty-one year period (1953-74) to various medical societies and academic groups.
What this book therefore contains is the applied wisdom of a man who has both practical medical knowledge and a profound understanding of the Bible. Subsequently, Dr. Jones masterfully applies his insights to draw a map of how healing is acquired for the “whole person”¾that is healing on the spiritual, psychological and biological level.
Specifically, Dr. Jones looks at the doctor-patient relationship, the role of pharmacological agents (prescription drugs) in mental illness, the construct of ‘mental illness’ in general, universal health care and the role that the supernatural plays in the healing of natural diseases. Moreover, he provides philosophical analysis to topics that appeal to a wider audience: the role of the Church and the State, the power of faith as a healing agent, demonic oppression vs possession, technology and science and the Christian, the self, Christian protest, pastoral counseling, and material success in the life of a believer. As a medical doctor myself, I found Dr. Jones’s analyses remarkable in that he not only foresaw where medicine was accurately going 50 years in the past, but it was almost as if he was sitting next to me making observations about the state of medical affairs in the present day.
For those who are unfamiliar, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones was a Protestant minister and medical doctor who preached for nearly three decades in the Westminster Chapel in London. He was a strong advocate of Reformed theology and the influence of his work still reverberates today.
Healing and the Scriptures is but one of the many books of Dr. Jones that I have read, and whenever he puts his pen to paper, what results is magnificent.
I highly recommend this book to all Christians, and in my humble opinion, if you are a Christian in the medical field or pastoral ministry, this is a must-read.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
February 21, 2018
WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW (WCSK) VOLUME ZERO EPISODE SEVEN: IS EVOLUTION COMPATIBLE WITH THE BIBLE?
I will get straight to the point. The answer to this episode’s central question—Is evolution compatible with the Bible?—is absolutely not. The theory of evolution by natural selection is never compatible with either the biblical narrative of creation or the doctrines of the sovereignty and providence of God. In fact, belief in the theory of evolution tacitly demands the declaration that God is wrong and therefore, by logical necessity, one ought to reject Scripture as a whole (after all, why would you trust a God who got it wrong or who isn’t Lord over life?). As I mentioned in Episode 0.6, there is no discrepancy between what the Bible says and science, because all truth is coherent. Hence, as I shall explain, evolution has very little to do with actual science and much to do with philosophical assumptions and pseudoscience. There are many ways to arrive at the conclusion that evolution is not true and is therefore incompatible with the ultimate truth found in God’s Word. In this episode, I will guide you along two different routes that arrive at the same end: I will explain how the Bible refutes evolution and I will explain how science refutes evolution. Ultimately, evolution is not compatible with the Bible because evolution is not true.
February 1, 2018
GENESIS 1-11 by JOHN MacARTHUR
The bottom line: A strong introduction to Genesis from a strong Bible preacher/teacher
This neat little book is a solid introduction to the first eleven chapters in the Book of Genesis. Without a doubt, Genesis 1-11 will teach you, guide you or equip you to make concrete big themes and ideas found in the Bible’s initial foundational chapters.
For those unfamiliar, each book in the MacArthur Bible Study Series wears many hats: Bible study workbook, general commentary, verse-by-verse commentary, and question-and-answer reflection diary.
The book begins with an introduction that discusses authorship, historical background, grand theological themes and interpretive challenges. Each subsequent chapter focuses on a chunk of verses and follows the same general pattern: (i) “Drawing Near” which prompts you to reflect upon the text (ii) “The Context” which describes the scene in which the Biblical events happen (iii) “Keys to the Text” which is essentially a brief verse by verse commentary (iv) “Unleashing the Text” are questions that quiz you on what the text says (iv) “Exploring the Meaning” goes over the key take-home points (v) “Reflecting on the Text” and (vi) “Personal Response” asks questions and their purpose is self-explanatory.
The only critique I have of this book in no way takes away from its valuable content. Pastor MacArthur makes clear that the biblical account of creation is in no way shape or form ever compatible with evolution, but this point is repeated ad nauseum. Also, Pastor MacArthur has been teaching the Word longer than I have been alive. I want to read what he has to teach me, not to pollute his book with my personal reflections and answers to questions. The punch of the book would be just as strong without all the prompts for the reader to give their two cents.
Genesis 1-11 is the first title that I have read in Pastor MacArthur’s Bible Study Series and I recommend it to anyone who seeks to augment their own study either individually or as a member of a group. I personally used it to prepare my own Sunday school lesson that gave as introduction to Genesis. As a whole this book focuses on major themes so it is very accessible will not bog you down in gobbledygook.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
January 4, 2018
HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM GOD’S WORD by JOHN MACARTHUR
The bottom line: A solid introduction to what the Bible is, how to read it, and what it means.
How to Get the Most from God’s Word is another solid book from John MacArthur who has been preaching and teaching longer than I have been alive. He is well-known in Reformed circles as one who is fearlessly dedicated to God’s truth contained in the pages of Scripture.
This book essentially is an introduction to the Bible so that when you are done, you will not approach the pages of Scripture from a posture of ignorance but from a posture of clarity. By understanding what everything means, a big picture that may have been fuzzy now comes into clear focus. Furthermore, the book cuts to core of God’s Word so that you can use it effectively and apply it to your own life.
MacArthur provides clarity by devoting individual chapters to answering a crucial question such as:
How can we know God?
How did God inspire the Bible?
How can we prove that the Bible is true?
How does God’s Word change us and make us free?
What does the Bible mean?
What does the Bible say?
Pastor MacArthur is a powerful, straight-to-the-point, no nonsense teacher who doesn’t waste time on fluff. Personally speaking, I believe he is a gifted man of God and any project that he executes is biblically sound and worth your time. Subsequently, I recommend this book to anyone serious about their Bible study or any Bible teacher who seeks a succinct book that will equip your students with the fundamental, “big ideas” of the Bible. The fact that a book so valuable is available used for $0.10 (December 2017) is amazing.
Rev. Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
