Justin Taylor's Blog, page 308

Francis Schaeffer on How to Read His Books (or, How the Gospel Saved Him as a Christian)

The key is to realize that they born out of his conversion, his dark night of the soul, and his rediscovery of the gospel as a Christian:

The way to read my books, then, is to realize that I came through a real struggle in those early days, and I've tried to be honest in my study ever since. I try to approach every problem as though I were not a Christian and see what the answer would be.

Later on in my ministry I faced another crisis that equally influenced the writing of my books. It came after I had already been a pastor for ten years in the U.S. and a missionary to Europe for five years. Throughout this period one thing was dinned into my thinking: "Why," I asked, "is there so little reality among orthodox evangelical Christians? Why is there so little beauty in the way Christians deal with one another?"

This led to doubts about the reality of spiritual things in my own life. I realized that although I had been studying for years and although I had been active in Christian ministry and although I was becoming more and more known in certain Christian circles, the reality of my own spiritual life was diminished. Somehow I had lost what I had when I first became a Christian.

For about two months I walked out in the Swiss mountains. When it rained, I walked in the old hayloft above our chalet. And as I prayed, I went all the way back to my agnosticism. With as much honesty as I could, I asked myself, "Was I right in becoming a Christian as a young man?" The unreality I had found in the Christian world, the ugliness I saw in Christian relationships, the fact that Christians were not able to talk to twentieth-century people—all these things made me ask, "Was I right?"

And finally the sun came out. I saw that my earlier decisions to step from agnosticism to Bible-believing Christianity was right, and I also discovered that I had been missing something vital in my biblical understanding. It was this: that the finished work of Christ on the cross, back there in time and space, has a moment-by-moment meaning. Christ meant His promise to be taken literally when He said that He would bear His fruit through us if we allowed Him to do so, not only in our religious life but in all of our life. Christ meant to be Lord of my whole life. This brought my life to a great shattering moment. What began as struggle ended in a song. Without that crisis, I could never have written True Spirituality, for that book is the outcome of that personal struggle.

—Francis A. Schaeffer, "Why and How I Write My Books," Eternity Magazine, vol. 24 (March 1973): 64f.

HT: Bill Edgar

Effemigate and Being a Man

In light of Mark Driscoll's comments about effeminate worship leaders, Kevin DeYoung suggests some wise counsel on moving an important discussion forward.

If I could recommend a couple of complementary (no pun intended) resources, I'd suggest John Piper's What's the Difference? and Randy Stinson and Dan Dumas's A Guide to Biblical Manhood.

Both are short reads.

Piper focuses more upon biblical definitions for manhood and womanhood, suggesting answers for a son's question, "Dad, what does it mean to be a man and not a woman?" or a daughter's question, "Mom, what does it mean to be woman and not a man?" If you can only answer that question in terms of biology or in terms of pop-culture traits, this book is worth reading in full. (It's online for free.)

Piper seeks to demonstrate the biblical basis for the following focus of masculinity:

At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for, and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships.

Stinson & Dumas focuses on practical suggestions for implementing the vision of being a godly hubsand, father, and leader. For example, they provide nine suggestions for how a man should lead with humble initiative in the home:

Vision: This is where we are going
Direction: This is how we get there
Instruction: Let me show you how
Imitation: Watch me
Inspiration: Isn't this great?
Affirmation: You're doing great
Evaluation: How are we doing?
Correction: Let's make a change
Protection and Provision: I'll take care of you

They go on to explain each of these suggestions.

Both resources combined serve us well.

Ten Things to Remember after a Summer Mission Trip

Some wise words here from Jeff Brewer, pastor of Hope Fellowship in Lombard, IL.

An Interview with David Platt

John Piper sits down with David Platt—both speaking at the forthcoming DG conference on mission—to talk about local discipleship, world missions, and the Word of God:

Conformers, Transformers, Deformers, and Reformers

In his essay "On Flying in Theological Fog" Millard Erickson provides an interesting grid for classifying theologies:

It might be helpful to classify theologies along two continua: the degree of traditionalism (conservatism) and of innovation (liberalism) of the doctrinal position, and the degree of traditionalism and innovation of the form in which those doctrines are expressed. Although all labels are somewhat arbitrary, I'll illustrate with a matrix with two continua and four quadrants:

[Conformers]

On such a model, it is possible to maintain the traditional doctrinal positions and express them in the traditional form. Those who minister in this way would be conservative in both respects. They would not necessarily attempt to contextualize the message to make it understandable in different cultures and different times. These are what I have described as "non-dialogical," or "transplanters," or what David Clark has recently termed, "transporters," those who simply take a message from one "culture" and "transport" it to another without providing for adaptation. They conform to the originating culture. Examples of this can be found in surprising places. One noted American pastor and specialist in church growth is known for giving the message an accent familiar to the culture in which it is being ministered. He was invited to Germany to lecture on church growth and used his familiar example of the baseball diamond, in which one must first get to first base, then to second, then to third base, and finally, home. My friend who lived in Germany at the time remarked to me, however, "Germans don't play baseball!" It was the equivalent of an Englishman speaking to an American audience and using an illustration drawn from the sport of cricket.

[Transformers]

The "transformers" are those who do not merely modify the form of expression but also the content of the doctrine, generally because they do not believe there is a permanent doctrinal content.

[Deformers]

Those who revise the doctrinal content but express it in traditional fashion would be "deformers."

[Reformers]

On this model, the theology we hope to develop will be situated somewhere in the upper right quadrant, holding firmly to the doctrines clearly taught in Scripture, but finding creative and effective ways of expressing them.

Reclaiming the Center: Confronting Evangelical Accommodation in Postmodern Times, ed. Millard J. Erickson, Paul Kjoss Helseth, and Justin Taylor (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, pp. 346-347.

Multidisciplinary Work on the Deity of Christ

Robert Peterson and Christopher Morgan have edited another helpful collection of essays in their Theology in Community Series, this time on The Deity of Christ. (Previous volumes covered The Glory of God and Suffering and the Goodness of God.)

As David Wells says, "This is a well-crafted, faithfully biblical, meticulously worked out study of the deity of Christ that brings us from the Old Testament through the New Testament, and into the modern world. This is a superb study."

You can read the introduction, table of contents, and Steve Nichols's essay online for free.

In the introduction they provide a "road map" for the volume:

We have mentioned a few reasons why Christ's deity is important. Stephen J. Nichols, research professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate

School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, winsomely explores these reasons and more in our first chapter, "The Deity of Christ Today."

Of utmost weight is the testimony of Scripture. For that reason, the heart of this volume is comprised of the work of noted biblical scholars. Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., formerly a seminary professor and currently pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee, pens "The Deity of Christ and the Old Testament." Noteworthy is the caution that Ortlund exercises as he does not overreach the evidence for Christ's deity in the Old Testament.

Key chapters on Christ's deity in the New Testament follow. Stephen J. Wellum, professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, contributes "The Deity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels" and "The Deity of Christ in the Apostolic Witness." Wellum's careful attention to both the big picture and individual texts shines.

Andreas J. Köstenberger, professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, also writes two important chapters, "The Deity of Christ in John's Gospel" and "The Deity of Christ in John's Letters and the Book of Revelation." Köstenberger's ability as one of the foremost evangelical Johannine scholars is evident in his treatment of Jesus' deity in John's Gospel, letters, and the Apocalypse.

Essays by biblical scholars make up the core of this volume, but not all of it. It is imperative to build a good historical and theological superstructure upon the solid biblical foundation.

Gerald Bray, research professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, writes "The Deity of Christ in Church History." Bray traces the history of the doctrine of Christ's deity from its beginnings until recent times, insightfully focusing

on current implications of truth and error concerning the person of Christ.

Robert A. Peterson, professor of systematic theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, authors "Toward a Systematic Theology of the Deity of Christ." Peterson attempts to bring together in a fresh manner some of the most important theological arguments for Christ's deity.

Alan Gomes, professor of historical theology at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, contributes "The Deity of Christ and the Cults." Gomes, a recognized authority on the cults and editor of the fifteen-volume Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements, shows that there is little new under the sun, comparing contemporary cults to ancient heresies.

J. Nelson Jennings, associate professor of world mission at Covenant Theological Seminary, writes "The Deity of Christ for Missions, World Religions, and Pluralism." Jennings takes readers in some surprising directions as he shows the indispensability of the church's confession of its Lord's deity for its worldwide mission.

We invite readers to join us on this contemporary, biblical, historical, theological, practical, and missional journey investigating a grand theme— the deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Registration Now Open for TGC's 2012 National Women's Conference

The Gospel Coalition's 2012 National Women's Conference will be held June 22-24, 2012, in Orlando, Florida. Registration opens today.

Below are some videos where you can hear Kathleen Nielson, director of TGC's women initiatives, talk to Don Carson and Nancy Guthrie about the conference and the vision.

John Piper Response to John Mayer on Tweeting

John Piper writes:

I began tweeting in 2009, and explained why in a blog post. Now, two years into it, do I think it's a good idea?

Let me answer that by responding to a confession by musician, singer-songwriter, John Mayer. A few weeks ago at Berklee College of Music he confessed his debilitating addiction to Twitter.

The tweets are getting shorter, but the songs are still 4 minutes long. You're coming up with 140-character zingers, and the song is still 4 minutes long. . . I realized about a year ago that I couldn't have a complete thought anymore. And I was a tweetaholic. I had four million twitter followers, and I was always writing on it. And I stopped using twitter as an outlet and I started using twitter as the instrument to riff on, and it started to make my mind smaller and smaller and smaller. And I couldn't write a song.

My experience of publishing three Tweets a day (usually written and scheduled a week or two ahead of time) is different. Mayer said, "I couldn't have a complete thought anymore." To me this is almost the opposite of what happens. But that may depend on what we aim to do with Twitter.

Read the whole thing here.

It Only Takes One Generation for a Church to Die

Sean Lucas, drawing on some of the lessons he is learning while researching the history of the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, MS, writes:

As part of the research work that I've been doing, I've tracked down various churches that are mentioned in biographical sketches or represented in various events. Just today, for example, I tried to find information about Point Breeze Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh (where Harold Ockenga ministered); Central Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga (where Wilbur Cousar pastored); United Presbyterian Church in Wheeling, WV (where John Reed Miller served for a time) and Central Presbyterian Church in Jackson (where R. E. Hough pastored). What do these congregations have in common? They were all thriving, large, significant churches, pastored by conservative, talented men: and they no longer exist today.

Now, the reasons why these churches no longer exist are as various as the congregations themselves. Still, as late as the 1950s, they all were thriving congregations; and if congregational death can happen to these congregations, it can happen to my congregation and to yours. God's mercy has been evident in the fact that FPC Jackson, a downtown church, has continued to thrive and prosper even as the city of Jackson, Mississippi, has changed several times through the decades.

But it would only take a generation for a church to show signs of decay: perhaps a poor pastoral choice; a failure to continue to preach God's Word faithfully; a transition in the church's understanding of mission; an inability to see and adapt to the neighborhood around it. It is enough to cause us as pastors to get our knees and to beg God to continue to grant mercy to our congregations and to grant them mercy in the generations after us.

You can read the whole post here.

Don't forget Don Carson's perceptive analysis and warning (my emphasis):

In a fair bit of Western evangelicalism, there is a worrying tendency to focus on the periphery. [My] colleague . . . Dr. Paul Hiebert . . . . springs from Mennonite stock and analyzes his heritage in a fashion that he himself would acknowledge is something of a simplistic caricature, but a useful one nonetheless.

One generation of Mennonites believed the gospel and held as well that there were certain social, economic, and political entailments.

The next generation assumed the gospel, but identified with the entailments.

The following generation denied the gospel: the "entailments" became everything.

Assuming this sort of scheme for evangelicalism, one suspects that large swaths of the movement are lodged in the second step, with some drifting toward the third.

. . . What is it in the Christian faith that excites you? . . . Today there are endless subgroups of confessing Christians who invest enormous quantities of time and energy in one issue or another: abortion, pornography, home schooling, women's ordination (for or against), economic justice, a certain style of worship, the defense of a particular Bible version, and countries have a full agenda of urgent, peripheral demands. Not for a moment am I suggesting we should not think about such matters or throw our weight behind some of them. But when such matters devour most of our time and passion, each of us must ask: In what fashion am I confessing the centrality of the gospel?

Sin, Promises, and Spirit: Mud, Windshield Wipers, and Windshield Washer

John Piper, Future Grace (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1995), pp. 55, 56:

Suppose you are in a car race and your enemy, who doesn't want you to finish the race, throws mud on your windshield. The fact that you temporarily lose sight of your goal and start to swerve, does not mean that you are going to quit the race. And it certainly doesn't mean that you are on the wrong race track. Otherwise the enemy wouldn't bother you at all. What it means is that you should turn on your windshield wipers and use your windshield washer.

When anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God's glory and the greatness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faithless, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked. At first blow, our belief in God's promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance—whether we  fight back against the unbelief of anxiety. Will we turn on the windshield

wipers and will we use our windshield washer?

. . . The windshield wipers are the promises of God that clear away the mud of unbelief, and the windshield washer fluid is the help of the Holy Spirit. The battle to be freed from sin, as we have seen, is "by the Spirit and by faith in the truth" (2 Thess 2:13). The work of the Spirit and the Word of the truth. These are the great faith builders.

Without the softening work of the Holy Spirit, the wipers of the Word just scrape over the blinding clumps of unbelief. Both are necessary—the Spirit and the Word. We read the promises of God and we pray for the help of his Spirit. And as the windshield clears so that we can see the welfare that God plans for us (Jer 29:11), our faith grows stronger and the swerving anxiety smooths out.