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Tag Archive - Books
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Apr 17, 2012 • By David Murray • 0 Comments
Study Questions for Lit!
Mar 26, 2012 • By David Murray • 3 Comments
In last week’s “review” of Lit! by Tony Reinke I mentioned that I was preparing Study Questions for each chapter of the book to “encourage” my two teenage sons not only to read the book but to interact with it and apply it to their lives. We started yesterday and hope to complete it over the next few Sunday afternoons.
Here are the questions in both pdf and Word format. Feel free to take the questions and adapt them for your own personal, family, or congregational use (you’ll find a sample of the questions for the first few chapters below).
And while we are on the subject of literature, a young friend of mine has “a book review site for kids by kids.” You’ll find it here at There and Blog Again.
Sample Study Questions for Lit!
- Most the questions are directly related to the content of the book.
- The questions marked * are not answered in the book, but you should be able to answer them as you reflect on how to apply the book to your own life.
- Some of the “questions” are partial quotes from the book that you should complete.
Foreword
What does C J Mahaney say is one of the evidences of conversion?
Finish quote: “Thinking deeply about the Gospel is the only way to…
Introduction
What are the three meanings of “Lit”?
What are the two main sections in the book?
Chapter 1: Paper Pulp and Etched Granite
What was the most important day in the history of book publishing?
What six characteristics make the Bible different from other books?
What’s the relationship between Scripture and every other book we read?
Name the two genres of literature.
Finish quote: “Before we step into a fully stocked bookstore we must…
*What proportion of time do you give to the Bible compared to other books?
Chapter 2: Wide-Eyed into the Son
What impact does sin have on our reading of the Bible?
What will transform the way we read the Bible and all books?
“Discernment is the ability to do three things.” What are they?
What does John Owen say is the difference between the knowledge of believers and unbelievers?
Finish quote: “Christian book reading is never a solitary experience but an invitation…
* Describe a time when your reading brought you into communion with God
Chapter 3: Reading is Believing
What modern trend is threatening book reading?
Why does God ban images in His worship?
What four ways make words better than images at communicating precise meaning?
What did the Reformation recover?
* What will you change in your life to make sure that words have priority over images?
Chapter 4: Reading from across the Canyon
What seven truths of Scripture provide the foundation for a Biblical worldview?
What is a touchstone and how does a Biblical worldview act as a touchstone?
What three rules help us decide which books to avoid?
* Can you think of any other principles to help you decide what not to read?
* Are there books you wish you’d never read? Why?
Reading regrets…and resolutions
Mar 19, 2012 • By David Murray • 7 Comments
I’ve been reading two books that I wish I’d read 20 years ago. In my defense, they didn’t exist 20 years ago. However, although my last 20 years have been the poorer for that absence, I do hope that they will powerfully shape my remaining years here below.
The first book is Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading by Tony Reinke. The second book is Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree, which I’ll return to in the next few days.
Knowing Tony’s gifts, expertise, and experience in reading, I’d been very much looking forward to his book. But partly due to the kind of undisciplined reading habits that Tony addresses in his book, it’s taken me a few months to get round to it!
Bookphobia
C J Mahaney’s foreword stunned me straight away. I couldn’t believe how like my story was to his (minus the drugs, but not a lot else). Like him, I hated reading as a child and teenager; in fact I hated school. All I was interested in was soccer and planning to make my first million (preferably while playing soccer).
I managed to scrape through school without reading one full book – all I remember are a few weird chapters of Orwell’s 1984. I had no interest in College or University, and only applied for dentistry (don’t laugh) because my father was a dentist and the school said that I had to apply for something. Thankfully, I didn’t get the necessary grades, left school one year early and, aged 17, started work with a financial services company en route to my first million (thankfully I failed at that too).
Bookshops were still a foreign world to me, and the only thing I read regularly were the sports and financial pages of The Times. Oh, yes, and anything about Margaret Thatcher!
A new mind
When I was converted to Christ in my early twenties, everything changed (apart from Margaret). The Lord gave me a new heart AND a new mind. I immediately had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Although I’d been brought up in the church, I doubt I’d ever really listened to more than a handful of sermons. My parents had always instructed me in the Bible, but as a new Christian I felt I knew next to nothing.
After having to leave my job for reasons of conscience, in God’s good providence, I started working with a Christian friend in his fledgling small business. With few customers initially and lots of time on our hands, he started introducing me to Banner of Truth books. But, although I was eager to learn, reading books did not come easy. I’d never done it before and I didn’t have anyone to teach me how.
I started lots of books, but finished few. The ones I did get through took me forever, and I could hardly remember the beginning by the time I got to the end. Concentration was also a problem, mainly because I was often trying to read in the wrong places or at the wrong times of day (as I now understand from Tony’s book). Often I set apart a whole Saturday for reading a book, and usually lasted an hour or two at most; whereas, if I’d read Tony’s book, I would have learned how much can be accomplished by reading just one hour every day in three 20-minute blocks (70 books a year according to Tony).
From time to time I did try to preserve the fruits of what I was reading, but with no regular method, such as Tony helpfully explains, most of it fell through my fingers like sand.
“Worldly” books
I also limited myself to Christian books because I felt that all other books were “worldly.” Later, I gradually allowed myself to read more widely, especially in the areas of biography and leadership – political, military, business, and sports leadership. Again, Tony’s book would have given me the confidence and method to do this more widely, more wisely, more confidently, and more systematically.
When I was called to the ministry and started the long six-year trek through University and Seminary (having not even a Bachelor’s degree to my name), I had so much catch-up to do. I often sat at the Seminary lunch table hearing about the libraries of books everyone else had read and hardly recognized any of them. If Lit! had been written then, I could have smugly said, “Actually Tony Reinke (and John Piper) say it’s better to read a few books well and thoughtfully, rather than chalk them off like fighter pilots.”
Eventually pastoral ministry came along, and although from time to time I did manage to get a reading plan together and stick to it for a while, it was usually a bit ad hoc and almost always too ambitious and unsustainable. One of my problems was that I treated every book alike and felt that I needed to read every word in every book. Tony would have relieved me of such false guilt and helped me to understand the different strategies needed to read different books.
Parenting do-over
When children arrived, homeschooling certainly provided a much more reading-friendly environment than my public school did. I was stunned at the amount of reading my boys were doing (and they certainly aren’t the swotty bookworm type). By the age of seven or eight, they had read way more books than I had by the age of 20! I tried to keep them supplied with books, but I wasn’t really strategic or intentional about it. Lit! had me wishing I could re-do this aspect of my parenting. But hopefully it will help lots of other young parents for many years to come.
You’d think given my current calling that I’d now have lots of time and opportunity to carve out personal reading time; but most of my reading is still focussed on the next course, lecture, conference or sermon. I still struggle to prioritize my reading, to balance my reading, and to archive the best bits of my reading. Tony’s given me lots of new ideas and motivation on this front and I’ve already benefitted (and so has Amazon) from implementing some of them.
Highly recommended
So, thank you for this book, Tony. I highly, highly, highly recommend it to enthusiastic readers, reluctant readers, wannabe readers, and reading coaches (parents, teachers, pastors, etc). I’ve already got my teenage sons reading it (on their Kindles – sorry Tony!), and I’m planning to write some study questions to make sure they really get it. I’m so anxious to make sure that in 20 years time they don’t look back and say, as I do today, “I wish I’d read Tony Reinke’s book then.”
Loving the way Jesus loved
Mar 12, 2012 • By David Murray • 4 Comments
Philip Graham Ryken. Loving the way Jesus Loves. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 224 pages. $14.99.
I’ve never met Wheaton College president Phil Ryken, but as a long-term listener to his Tenth Presbyterian sermons, I feel as if I’ve known him for years. And after reading this sublime book on Christ’s love, I feel as if I’ve just looked into his heart.
Anyone familiar with Ryken’s preaching ministry will know how he skillfully combines an incredible knowledge of Scripture with a phenomenal knowledge of classical and modern culture, and a breadth and depth of reading in historic and current Christian literature—all the while keeping Scripture in its primary place. He’s also one of the most Christ-centered preachers that I know of, regardless of whether he’s teaching Old Testament or New, narratives or doctrine, poets or Gospels.
Love for Love
It’s that rare Rykenesque mix that is so beautifully embodied in this book on 1 Corinthians 13. Perhaps it’s the theme of love that plays so delightfully to Ryken’s strengths. I’ve always appreciated his love for Jesus and for souls in his sermons, and it comes to full-blooming flower in this book.
Phil Ryken loves love. In fact I’ve sometimes thought that to be rebuked by him would be one of life’s unusually unique pleasures. It would be so gentlemanly, so dignified, so measured, so reasonable, so compelling, so . . . well, so loving.
You will come away from his book softened, mellowed, calmed, entranced, even inspired, and all by an eloquently stunning exposition of love. As you read, you gently and enjoyably swing between praise: “Thank you, Jesus, for loving me like that!” to prayer: “Help me, Jesus to love you; and to love like you.” Or I could easily conceive of an unbeliever reading it and praying, “Lord Jesus, please love me like this.”
Pitfalls and Potholes
I don’t know what it is about well-known parts of Scripture that make them so hard to preach and teach from. But, as most preachers will tell you, for all our familiarity with 1 Corinthians 13, it’s not an easy passage to preach. Some get bogged down in the etymology of the Greek words or in philosophical abstractions. Others import too much of our culture’s understanding of love into it, or turn it into a dry list of do’s and don’ts. Still others turn these beautiful words into an ugly club with which they beat up their “loveless” listeners.
Ryken avoids all these pitfalls and potholes; he leads us to and leaves us with Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, he deals with the Greek and explains the philosophy; he compares and contrasts our culture’s views of love; he translates his teaching into practical Christianity; and he certainly doesn’t shy away from confronting us with our sinful lovelessness. However, all of these approaches and steps are but servants that he skillfully marshals to the one great, greater, and greatest end of setting forth Jesus Christ in all his gracious and irresistible love.
Too Much Cheesecake
I read this book in a number of sittings and over a few weeks, not because of time or work pressure, but because I wanted to savor each precious sight of Christ that Ryken gave me. To read another chapter at times seemed to be like eating an extra cheesecake after Sunday dinner. Why waste what you’ve enjoyed by cramming in more than you can comfortably digest? Why not keep the extra piece until you can really relish it? And I’ve been doing a lot of relishing these past few weeks.
At times I felt like I did when I was reading Samuel Rutherford’s letters; letters that were so full of Christ, that it seemed almost sacrilegious to read more than one at a time.
Multiple Openings
Due to Ryken’s method, this book will not only open up 1 Corinthians 13 for you, it will also give you new and fresh light on numerous Gospel narratives. Above all, it will open up God’s heart to you and show you his love as you’ve perhaps never seen it before. And if that doesn’t open up your own heart, nothing will.
This book will increase the knowledge, experience, appreciation, and imitation of God’s love in the world. I can think of no higher commendation.
This review was originally published at The Gospel Coalition Books Reviews. For more reviews visit here.
Reclaiming the Old Testament for Christian Preaching: Narratives
Jan 5, 2012 • By David Murray • 1 Comment
Reclaiming the Old Testament for Christian Preaching
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this book. The result of a 2009 Academic Study Conference in Cambridge, I wasn’t expecting too much, to be honest; but it’s far exceeded my expectations. Most of the writers have made a really good attempt at making their writing accessible and practical for preachers. I’ve just noticed that it also won the 2011 Preaching Today Magazine book award.
I’m going to post some summaries and comments on the best chapters over the next few weeks, which hopefully will motivate you to buy, read, and use.
The first chapter is by Lawrence Turner and covers the popular topic of preaching Old Testament narrative, with a specific focus on plot.
Avoid these two errors
1. Retelling the biblical account blow by blow and then appending a general moral obligation
2. Picking one point from the narrative and impaling it on the frame of Aristotelian logic
Don’t be averse to literary “criticism” (fancy word for scholarly studies)
1. Just because liberals have focused on narrative studies, doesn’t mean evangelicals should avoid them
2. Understanding the dynamics of narrative leads to theological and spiritual gains
A classic plot has a fivefold structure
1. Initial situation
2. Complication
3. Transforming action
4. Dénouement (or resolution)
5. Final situation
Look for how narratives vary
1. Consider what the narrator omits or includes
2. There can be any number of transforming actions before resolution and final situation
3. Resolutions can be full, partial, or open-ended
4. The difference between narrative time (how long a period the events take) and narration time (how much Scripture is devoted to the events) tells us what to focus on
Always connect the micro-narratives with the macro-narrative
1. How does this narrative relate to the rest of the book?
2. How does this narrative relate to redemptive history?
Use different ways to present narratives in sermons
1. Try to avoid imposing three-point sermons on narratives (I’ll come back to this)
2. Follow the five-part narrative structure (see above)
3. If following the five-part structure, connect each element of the plot with the world of the congregation (e.g move from the initial situation of the plot to the situation of the congregation, etc), resulting in two stories presented in parallel
4. Preach in the first person adopting the persona of one of the characters (please don’t do this!)
5. Identify the “big idea” in the resolution and relate it to the other parts of the plot
6. Individual micro-narratives should be preached as part of a macro-narrative series, resulting sometimes in unresolved plots in some sermons (which are also closer to reality)
Connect the plot to the overarching plot of the Bible
1. The whole message of the Bible matches the five-part narrative plot structure
2. OT narratives lead to the NT, are often resolved by the NT, and shed light on the NT
3. OT narratives should not ignore NT reflections on the OT story
4. To make a narrative sermon live, you need an understanding of other narrative elements (e.g. character – in the next chapter) and biblical theology
Comments
This chapter provides lots of practical help for preachers wanting to become better at communicating OT narratives. If I pick up one good tip from a book on preaching, I’m usually quite content. However, this one chapter alone has given me three or four things to try out in my preaching.
I agree with Lawrence, that we have much to gain from literary studies. Richard Pratt, Leland Ryken, and David Dorsey’s work in this area have greatly enhanced my appreciation for the literary characteristics of OT narrative. However, it can all get a bit over-complicated at times and the insights are often difficult to convey in a sermon, unless the congregation have some handout to follow along with.
While I understand Lawrence’s criticism of “story+moral” and “three points” approaches, he is over harsh on these older methods of preaching narratives. Although they have often been done badly, there are many excellent examples of such preaching styles in the past and the present. While we welcome new insights to freshen up our preaching, surely we don’t want to throw out all the old methods. One of the problems with the newer narrative-style approach to preaching narratives is that while it’s quite compelling at the time, it’s often difficult to remember a day or two after. Structure is so important to understanding and retention.
The fivefold structure insight is extremely helpful in working our way through the exegesis of a plot, but it shouldn’t become the regular structure of our sermons. We just become so predictable again.
I liked Lawrence’s idea of connecting the micro-narrative with the bigger OT and NT story line. But I also liked his idea that if the particular plot we are working on that week does not result in a total resolution, sometimes we should just leave it that way, because that’s what life is so often like. It’s more like people’s experience.
I would strongly advise to avoid the first-person persona idea. I know it’s novel and trendy, but as far as I can see it’s not a pattern we find in Scripture. It results in too much focus on the preacher, and virtually turns him from a herald into an actor.
I’d give the chapter 8 or 9 out of 10. A good start!
Top 5 Books (2011)
Dec 20, 2011 • By David Murray • 7 Comments
1. Note to Self
I’ve never been impacted so much by such a small book. Came at just the right time in my life. It’s a primer on “preaching to yourself,” which in Joe Thorn’s hands is a kind of meditation with muscles. Short, punchy, meaty, heart-searching, and encouraging chapters that make an ideal warm-up for daily Bible reading – at least that’s how I used it. I’ve also found it a great book for mentoring others. With this book, Joe Thorn became my favorite modern Puritan! Hope that doesn’t harm your ministry, Joe!
2. A Life of Gospel Peace
I can pay Philip Simpson no higher compliment than that his beautiful biography of Jeremiah Burroughs made me want to read all of Burrough’s works, which I’ve just started doing with much spiritual profit. This is a meticulously-researched book, yet one that manages to bring Burroughs and his period alive with so much that is relevant and helpful for our own times too.
3. The Next Story
I was expecting much from Tim Challies’ book on Technology and he didn’t disappoint. Maybe the biggest compliment I can pay Tim is that I’ve not read a book so slowly in a long time. Definitely one for your teenager’s stocking, and maybe try to read it first yourself! Further reflections here.
4. Equipping Counselors for Your Church
Bob Kellemen shifted my thinking with this visionary yet practical book. I probably don’t reach up to Bob’s optimism about this task (who could!), but he certainly made me hope and work towards a much greater role for every-member counseling ministry in the local church. More detailed thoughts here and here.
5. John Macarthur: Servant of the Word and Flock
Iain Murray’s biography is not the definitive bio of John Macarthur (that will be a 2 volume affari, at least), but it’s the best we have thus far and a huge encouragement to faithful pastors everywhere. As a relatively recent recent arrival in the USA (how can four and a half years pass so quickly?), it also filled me in on the historical and cultural context of the present trends (good and bad) in the American church.
Five honorable mentions: The Messianic Hope, The Masculine Mandate, Grace for the afflicted, Dealing with Depression, God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment.
Top of my reading list for the new year: Lit! by Tony Reinke, and Reclaiming the Old Testament for Christian Preaching.
And if you’re interested, here’s the 20 most influential books in my life.
The danger of making our experience the norm for others
Dec 13, 2011 • By David Murray • 21 Comments
Yesterday, while expressing admiration and appreciation for many parts of Tullian Tchividjian’s recent book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything, I highlighted a number of places in which I felt that he had confused justification and sanctification (please see Tullian’s helpful comments at the end of that post).
I ended by expressing the concern that perhaps he had ended up doing this by confusing his own personal experience with everyone else’s experience. In other words, I’m afraid that he may have erred by making his own experience a norm for every Christian, something that we’re all liable to do at times.
I’m not engaging in psycho-analysis here, as Tullian puts a lot of personal biography into this book; in some ways it’s what gives the book so much of its energy and appeal. But, it does lead him, I fear, into the trap of mistakenly extrapolating certain general truths from his own personal experience.
Addiction to human praise
Tullian is crystal clear about his besetting sin – the idolatrous desire for human approval and acceptance, his addiction to being liked and praised by men (e.g. pp. 22, 26, 41, 73, 74, etc.). It’s a sin many pastors can identify with, myself included. It’s in this area that the book helped me most, and continues to help me on a daily basis.
If that is our particular besetting sin, then our primary area of sanctification, of Christian growth and maturity, is going to be understanding our identity in Christ and putting our trust in Christ, rather than finding our identity in human praise and acceptance.
That’s not going to be just our way of being justified, or just the beginning of our sanctification; it’s also going to be a very large part of our ongoing day-by-day sanctification. Our days will be marked by a massive and constant internal battle: to die to the sins of pleasing man and of striving for human praise on the one hand, and to rest in our Christ-bought identity and live for the glory of God alone on the other hand. But just because the primary spiritual battle for people like Tullian and I may be internal, and focused on our identity in Christ, does not mean that it’s going to be the same for other Christians.
For example, if one of my besetting sins is laziness (no ifs about it), then yes, I will need to begin with faith in Christ, union with Christ, and my identity as justified in Christ. But I also need to get off the couch, put on my boots, pick up the shovel, and start moving the snow. It’s going to involve effort, movement, and pain. There’s some doing and not doing to be done. There’s an external, physical, and muscular dimension to my sanctification. And if I can consciously hold on to my justification as I break my back, then that’s a bonus.
For Tullian, sanctification will usually look more like the invisible internal struggle that he describes on pages 168-169:
I’m not saying the Christian life is effortless; the real question is where are we focusing our efforts? Are we working hard to perform? Or are we working hard to rest in Christ’s performance for us? (168-169, Kindle Edition)
Or, if my besetting sin is an addiction to work (yes, guilty of that too – I’m complicated), of course a large part of my sanctification is going to be finding rest in Christ, locating my identity in Him, not in my work, etc. But I also have to turn off the computer at 5pm, leave the office, get in the car, go home, leave my phone in my coat, refuse to turn on my computer again, get out the basketball, sweat it on the driveway with my sons, sit down on the sofa with my wife, and open my ears and mouth, etc. There’s a lot of doing and not doing to be done for sanctification to take place. The hard work involves more than resting in Christ’s performance for me. Again, there is a significant physical effort and struggle involved in my choices.
For Tullian, his sanctification will usually look more like the inner soul-struggle of pages 171-172:
… I now understand that Christian growth does not happen by working hard to get something we don’t have. Rather, Christian growth happens by working hard to daily swim in the reality of what we do have. Believing again and again the gospel of God’s free justifying grace every day—and resting in his verdict—is the hard work we’re called to…I think of it this way: the hard work of Christian growth consists primarily in being daily grasped by the fact that God’s love for us isn’t conditioned by anything we do or don’t do. Sanctification is the hard work of giving up our efforts at self-justification. (171-172)
Inevitable sanctification?
This paragraph also illustrates what I hinted at yesterday – the rather passive view that sanctification somehow automatically flows from apprehending our justification. In a number of places Tullian seems to suggest that as we grasp justification, we will somehow instantaneously and automatically get holy.
When we stop narcissistically focusing on our need to get better, that is what it means to get better! When we stop obsessing over our need to improve, that is what it means to improve!….Christian growth is forgetting about yourself! (174-175)
That “spontaneous” and “involuntary” view of sanctification is actually even more explicit in this paragraph:
So, by all means work! But the hard work is not what you think it is—your personal improvement and moral progress. The hard work is washing your hands of you and resting in Christ’s finished work for you, which will inevitably produce personal improvement and moral progress. (175)
Inevitably? Well it might be if my main problem is thinking too little of Christ and too much of self; any reversal of that is progress. But what if my main problem is being over-critical, or being bad-tempered, or being addicted to pornography? Is there not more hard work there than turning from self and resting in Christ?
The same “passivity” seems to be encouraged in the following quotes:
Lasting behavioral change happens as you grow in your understanding of the gospel, and then as you learn to receive and rest in—at your point of deepest need—everything Jesus secured for you. (179)
It takes the loving act of our Christian brothers and sisters to remind us every day of the gospel—that everything we need, and everything we look for in things smaller than Jesus, is already ours “in Christ.” When we do this, the “good stuff” rises to the top. (182)
Does behavioral just “happen” as you believe more? Does the “good stuff” just “rise to the top” as we look to Christ?
Relax and rejoice?
Maybe we should just relax and rejoice and wait until we get better then. Is that going too far? Not according to Tullian:
The gospel liberates us to be okay with not being okay. We know we’re not—though we try very hard to convince other people we are. But the gospel tells us, “Relax, it is finished.” (120)
The bottom line is this, Christian: because of Christ’s work on your behalf, God doesn’t dwell on your sin the way you do. So, relax, and rejoice, and you’ll actually start to get better. The irony, of course, is that it’s only when we stop obsessing over our own need to be holy and focus instead on the beauty of Christ’s holiness that we actually become more holy! (184)
At times Tullian seems to realize that he’s gone too far and rows back with some qualifying statements:
To be sure, we’re called to “mortify the flesh,” “put to death the misdeeds of the body,” “cut off our hand,” and “gouge out our eye” if they cause us to sin—and we need the help of other people to get this done. Sanctification is a community project. (181)
But then after this brief concession, which seems more like an afterthought or a “by the way,” the confusing conflation of sanctification and justification returns again.
We’re justified—and sanctified—by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone. (181)
I rejoice in Tullian’s wonderful testimony as to how a new grasp of the doctrine of justification helped him through a terrible crisis in his life, and massively advanced his sanctification. His transparent sharing of that experience has helped my own sanctification as well. However, I do think he errs by implying that his very special personal experience of sanctification is the sum and substance of everybody else’s experience.
Tomorrow I will look at the third confusion in the book, that of equating standing with God and enjoyment of God.
All page numbers are from the Kindle Edition of the book.
Does Jesus + Nothing = Everything?
Dec 12, 2011 • By David Murray • 43 Comments
Great title (wish I’d thought of it).
Great writer (wish I had Tullian’s talent).
Great quotables (wish I could remember them all).
But also great confusion (and I really wish I didn’t have to say that).
I benefitted from reading Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Tullian Tchividjian writes beautifully about Christ’s sufficiency, and is especially skillful at exposing legalism and explaining justification. Each time I read the book, I was brought to a new love for Christ and a new appropriation of and appreciation for justification.
Tullian also models how to apply the Gospel to very painful life situations, not just to the beginning of spiritual life but to all of life. He’s amazingly honest about his own character flaws and personal failings, but that does allow him to demonstrate the way the Gospel relates to his life and transforms it. I hope I can model that transparency a bit better in my own life and ministry. It probably comes easier to a surfer than a Scot!
I also benefitted from Tullian’s emphasis on the need to found sanctification on justification, the need to base daily growth on the daily preaching of the Gospel to oneself. Too often we separate these, and I’ve been guilty of this at times as well.
So, thank you Tullian. These are not small achievements. You’ve done the church a great service.
And let me say that I also love Tullian’s enthusiasm for Christ. Although I will express some concerns about this book, I do believe that most people who read the book will catch Tullian’s infectious Gospel enthusiasm and be the better for it. I know I did and am.
However, I’m concerned about three confusions at the heart of Tullian’s book.
- The confusion between justification and sanctification
- The confusion between personal experience and universal experience
- The confusion between standing with God and enjoyment of God
I’ll deal with the first confusion today and the others in the next couple of days.
I do believe there is a fundamental confusion in this book between justification and sanctification. More specifically, the confusion is between justification and the outworkings of sanctification (not the basis or beginnings of it).
I doubt anyone could do a better job of explaining justification and its benefits as Tullian. Also, as I’ve said above, Tullian is very clear on the need to found or base sanctification on justification. Instead of beginning with “I resolve…” we must begin by igniting the rocket fuel of justification.
However, it’s when Tullian lifts off the rocket launcher and into the realm of what sanctification looks like in ordinary everyday life that confusion begins to arise.
Maybe I can sum up my concerns by highlighting a phrase in the Shorter Catechism’s unrivalled definition of sanctification (which I would imagine Tullian’s church also adheres to).
Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man, after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
The work of God’s free grace in us enables us to die to sin and live to righteousness. In contrast to justification, which is accomplished for us with no reference to what we’ve done or not done, sanctification involves our not doing certain things and doing certain things, all by God’s enabling grace.
The problem in Tullian’s book is that he keeps sliding from sanctification to justification. For example, here he is writing about a wrong view of sanctification, but ends up saying things that are only true about justification.
I used to think that growing as a Christian meant I had to somehow go out and obtain the qualities and attitudes I was lacking. To really mature, I needed to find a way to get more joy, more patience, more faithfulness, and so on. Then I came to the shattering realization that this isn’t what the Bible teaches, and it isn’t the gospel. What the Bible teaches is that we mature as we come to a greater realization of what we already have in Christ. The gospel, in fact, transforms us precisely because it’s not itself a message about our internal transformation but about Christ’s external substitution. We desperately need an advocate, mediator, and friend. But what we need most is a substitute—someone who has done for us and secured for us what we could never do and secure for ourselves. (94, Kindle Edition)
I agree that the Gospel is certainly a message about Christ’s external substitution. But it does not stop there. The Gospel is also a message about internal transformation (a major part of sanctification). Christ saves us from our sins objectively and subjectively, from the penalty of sin and the presence of sin.
In this next excerpt, Tullian says that Christian growth (sanctification) is looking away from self and looking to Jesus and His performance for us. But is that the whole of sanctification? It’s certainly the essence of justifying faith, and the beginning of sanctifying growth. But it’s not the whole of growth, it’s not the sum of sanctification.
The hard work of Christian growth, therefore, is to think less of ourselves and our performance and more of Jesus and his performance for us. Ironically, when we focus mostly on our need to get better, we actually get worse. We become neurotic and self-absorbed. Preoccupation with our effort instead of with God’s effort for us makes us increasingly self-centered and morbidly introspective. (95)
In this next paragraph, the confusing overlapping is even more obvious:
Again, think of it this way: sanctification is the daily hard work of going back to the reality of our justification. It’s going back to the certainty of our objectively secured pardon in Christ and hitting the refresh button a thousand times a day. (95)
If all he is saying is that sanctification begins with our appropriating justification, and is fueled by it, then yes, I agree. But I think he’s going further than that, by suggesting that the totality of sanctification involves going back to our justification. This seems to be confirmed by what he writes in the same context:
Think of what Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” We’ve got work to do—but what exactly is it? Get better? Try harder? Pray more? Get more involved in church? Read the Bible longer? What precisely is Paul exhorting us to do? He goes on to explain: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (v. 13). God works his work in you, which is the work already accomplished by Christ. Our hard work, therefore, means coming to a greater understanding of his work. And so it is that we move further into the gospel, into a deeper, bigger, brighter understanding of all that God has already achieved for us in Christ. (95-96)
Is it correct to say that the “work” that we are called to, and that results from God’s work in us, is simply understanding more, believing more, trusting more? Sure, this is the core of justification, and the foundation and cement of sanctification. But it’s not the whole of sanctification. It’s not every brick of it.
Here are some further quotes that only heightened my anxiety about Tullian’s emphasis:
Growth in the Christian life is the process of receiving Christ’s “It is finished” into new and deeper parts of our being every day, and it happens as the Holy Spirit daily carries God’s good word of justification into our regions of unbelief—what one writer calls our “unevangelized territories.” (78)
In this definition of growth (sanctification), where is the “being enabled to die to sin, and live to righteousness” as described by the Westminster Catechism? Where is the doing and not doing?
I like to remind myself and others that the only thing you contribute to your salvation and to your sanctification is the sin that makes them necessary. (104)
Contribution to salvation = nil! Yes. Contribution to sanctification = nil! No. We are enabled to die to sin and live to righteousness. We are enabled to do and not do. Our (enabled) doing and not doing is part of our sanctification. For example, when Peter protested his love to Jesus, Jesus told him to start feeding his lambs, which involved stopping doing one thing and starting to do another (John 21).
He urgently wants them to see that we’re justified by grace alone, we’re sanctified by grace alone, and we’re glorified by grace alone. (104)
Again, there is a failure to distinguish what “by grace alone” means in each of these doctrinal categories. In justification, by grace alone means we do nothing. In sanctification, it means we are enabled to do/not do many things.
As G. C. Berkouwer wisely remarked, “The heart of sanctification is the life which feeds on justification.” (190)
Yes, the heart of sanctification, but not the whole body of it. In this next quote the heart of sanctification, a good grasp of justification, is again made to stand for the whole of it:
Sanctification consists of the daily realization that in Christ we have died and in Christ we have been raised. Life change happens as the heart daily grasps death and life. Daily reformation is the fruit of daily resurrection. (117)
This quote begins to highlight why my concerns are not merely theoretical. Tomorrow I hope to show that this view of sanctification results in an unusual mix of internal activity and external passivity. There’s huge internal activity involving more understanding and more faith, but virtually nothing about dying to sin and living to righteousness outwardly. Tullian seems to assume that if you put the fuel of justification in the tank, outward sanctification takes place automatically (e.g. “Life change happens as the heart daily grasps death and life.”) However, as I hope to show tomorrow, you still have to put your foot on the pedal, your hand on the wheel, and begin to expend some energy to make any spiritual progress.
There are other places in the book where Tullian is much clearer and much more consistent with historic Christian definitions of sanctification. Chapter 10 is probably the best chapter in this regard. But I don’t think you can make up for confusion in such important matters in the majority of the book, by returning to a more accurate explanation in one chapter of it, and in a few other places scattered here and there.
I fear Tullian’s commendable desire to re-connect sanctification with justification (a very necessary message) has led him to conflate them, and identify the one with the other. But maybe he’s also fallen into this mistake by making his own experience a rule for others, something we’ll consider tomorrow.
In summary, though, does Jesus + Nothing = Everything? Yes and no. In justification, yes. In sanctification, no. And if you want to say “yes” to both, you’re going to have to go to great lengths to successfully explain why the sanctification “yes” is not identical to the justification “yes.”
I know Tullian’s worthy aim is to exalt justification by making it a vital part of daily sanctification. But by confusing justification with sanctification, we not only risk losing the fulness of sanctification, in the long run I’m afraid that we we may lose the doctrine of justification too.
In the meantime, if you want some clarity on the relationship between justification and sanctification, may I recommend J C Ryle’s opening chapters in Holiness (see especially numbers 1 & 2 in Ryle’s Introduction and the differences between justification and sanctification in Chapter 2). You may also want to read Tim Challies’ summaries of John Owen’s teaching on the Mortification of sin.
All page numbers are from the Kindle Edition of the book.
Part 2: The danger of making our experience the norm for others
Part 3: Does Jesus respond to our obedience with love
What do Bob Kellemen and Matthew Henry have in common?
Nov 10, 2011 • By David Murray • 2 Comments
Over the last few days I’ve been interacting with Bob Kellemen’s new book, Equipping Counsellors for your Church (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). I’d like to conclude the series today by answering some potential objections to Bob’s vision of “every Christian a counsellor” and “every church a church of biblical counseling.”
Objection 1: We’ve never done this before. We’ve never thought like this before.
Maybe, but if the Bible commands us to do this, shouldn’t we listen? Shouldn’t we maybe confess, “I’ve not done this before…but I should have…and by God’s grace I will.” Yes, it’s a change from thinking “I need to call the pastor…” to “I need to call Joe or Mary, etc,” but it’s a blessed change.
Objection 2: I’m too old for this.
If anyone needs this kind of spiritual friendship it’s those who are entering the most trying stage of life. You don’t need hundreds of spiritual friends, but even one might be a huge help to you as you weaken and gradually withdraw from active church life. Wouldn’t you love to have someone to come to you in the nursing home or in the hospital with spiritual counsel rather than the latest gossip.
Objection 3: I don’t feel up to it.
Romans 15:14 says you are up to it! And the Bible can make you up to it. It’s not your own words but God’s that are needed. Of course, you will have limitations. Part of wisdom is knowing when you are out of your depth and you need outside help. But don’t underestimate the deep and lasting influence of being a humble, loving Christian friend.
Objection 4: I’d be afraid of people breaking confidences, etc.
That’s why we need to create and cultivate not just an element of openness and transparency with one another but also a commitment to integrity and loyalty to one another.
Objection 5: I’ve got enough problems myself without trying to help others.
Yes, you have many problems. But the Christian community can help you with them. And as you are helped, you can begin to help others too. Also, this is not just about problem-solving; this is about discipleship. It’s not about just reacting to the latest emergency, but about helping one another towards Christ-likeness and Christ-nearness.
Objection 6: It’s just not me – I’m a very private person.
There are many ways for this kind of discipleship/counseling to happen. Some will have very public role whereas others will have a more private role. Some can be trained and equipped to specialize in help for marriage problems, or depression, or parenting, etc. Maybe some could even be trained in the long-term to offer counsel in the local community. However, even for those of us who are more private, there can be more private roles. We can all pass on a verse from our own Bible reading or from family devotions. We can all ask a friend, “What did you enjoy in the Word this week?
Objection 7: Shouldn’t we leave spiritual counsel to the pastor and the professionals.
Well, of course, the pastor and elders will always retain a large role. That cord will not be cut. And, of course, there are some spiritual issues and complications of life that would be better dealt with by someone with more specialized knowledge, experience, wisdom, and training. However, there are lots of other issues/matters/problems that can be dealt with among spiritual friends. With prayer and training we can all become better spiritual friends and through ministering the Word on a one-to-one level we can supplement the pastor and elders work.
And, yes, there are special situations where even the pastor will recognize that he needs special counsel from specially trained and experienced people. However, there are many situations where there are perfectly capable people in the congregation who can speak wisely and helpfully. And anyway, we’re not talking just about extinguishing fires, problem-solving, etc; we’re talking also about discipling, the positive upbuilding of one another to closer communion and conformity to Christ. As Bob says, “Everyone is a counselor. The question is really whether it’s good or bad counsel.”
And just in case you think this just the latest modern church fad, hear Matthew Henry:
It is a comfort to faithful ministers to see their work superseded by the gifts and graces of their people. How gladly would ministers leave off their admonishing work, if people were able and willing to admonish one another! Would to God that all the Lord’s people were prophets. But that which is everybody’s work is nobody’s work.
Buy Equipping Counselors for your Church here and watch the book trailer here.
Turning a dream into reality
Nov 9, 2011 • By David Murray • 2 Comments
Bob Kellemen has big dreams. In Equipping Counselors for your Church, he envisions churches not only as places with biblical counseling ministries, but as places of biblical counseling. He says, “My goal is not the production of yet another program or yet another ministry on the sidelines. My goal is the promotion of a congregation-saturated mindset of every-member ministry with an entire congregation passionate about and equipped to make disciples” [10].
Although initially skeptical about Bob’s vision (partly because I misunderstood it), his book gradually brought me on board and I’ve been thinking about how to turn Bob’s dream into reality in a local church I’m involved with. Practical man that he is, Bob has already provided lots of tips on realizing the vision. However, he also repeatedly admits that implementation will vary depending on the background and character of the each church. So, here’s my own plan for realizing the vision in the local church I’m working with:
1. Preach on Romans 15:14
Bob’s exposition of this verse was perhaps my favorite section in his book, and powerfully persuaded me of the biblical grounds and realistic possibility of what he was advocating. This verse is a huge encouragement and challenge to the church of Christ.
2. Distinguish between formal and informal counseling
A lot of Christians are turned off or frightened by the term “counseling” and would be horrified at the thought of seeing themselves as a “counselor.” One way to overcome this barrier might be to change the “counseling” terminology to something like “Discipling One Another” (that’s the phrase I use in the course I’ve started teaching) or “Spiritual Friendship” or “Speaking the Truth in Love.” Even if we keep the term “counseling,” it’s vital to communicate the distinction Bob makes between formal and informal counseling:
Every member of every church should be equipped to speak the truth in love in small groups, in the foyer, over the backyard fence, at the dinner table, and at the diner—the informal model. Additionally, some members with gifting, passion, calling, and commitment may focus their ministry on intentional and intensive ongoing biblical counseling—the formal model [254].
3. Focus initially on building a culture of informal counseling
If you start by calling for volunteers for “Marriage Guidance / Bereavement / Terminal Illness Counseling Training,” then most folk will run in terror, and those who do volunteer are probably the wrong people. So, instead of rushing to get formal counseling classes off the ground, focus first on building a culture of informal counseling.
Challenge people to multiply the number of relationships they have with others in the church (why not add at least one new relationship each year or month?), and to deepen the nature of the relationships they have with others in the church. “Are they simply family relationships where you focus on sharing the latest family news? Are they business relationships where you usually talk about how your careers are going? Are they leisure/hobby relationships that major in fishing, hunting, shopping? Are they social or cultural relationships with an emphasis on the births, deaths, marriages and gossip in the community? Etc.,”
What we want to do is develop the spiritual quality of these relationships so that eventually Christians casually and easily enquire how others are doing spiritually and what their spiritual needs are, but also ask for, offer, and receive spiritual counsel.
4. Model informal counseling/spiritual friendships
We can encourage people along these lines by giving a good example of what “spiritual friendship” or “informal counseling” means in practice:
- Tell people what you most recently read from your Bible or a Christian book and how it helped you.
- Ask people what they have been struggling with and if there is anything you can do or pray for.
- Educate people in what kinds of things to say/not say in specific situations (e.g. bereavement, depression, miscarriage, etc).
- Share a meal with a person or a family and guide the conversation to spiritual matters.
- When you read the Bible with anyone, just speak a few sentences of explanation or application.
5. Encourage people to start with family and friends
As perhaps many Christians have never really shared much from their spiritual experiences, nor felt comfortable asking people about their spiritual lives, maybe the best place to start is at home with family or with friends. Husbands and wives, why not make it a daily practice of sharing with one another at least one thing you read from the Bible each day. Ask your children what they would like you to pray for. Or ask your friends to pray for a specific need you have. Just begin to build confidence, vocabulary, and comfort in speaking about spiritual matters with one another and then gradually venture forth into other people’s lives as well.
6. Anticipate, listen to, and deal with objections
Any changes in churches usually involve some friction. Bob recognizes that and provides some great material in his book on managing change and resolving conflict. Tomorrow I’ll post seven objections that I tried to head off at the pass when introducing this concept to a church.
7. Share “37 Ways to Love One Another”
On the subject of answering objections, Paul Tautges has put together a great blog post in which he gathers together 37 passages highlighting the huge biblical emphasis on horizontal relationships and responsibilities in the church. Which Christian can honestly look at these verses and not feel the cumulative pressure of the duty and privilege of ministering God’s Word to one another?
8. Identify and Train for Formal Counseling
As the “informal counseling” culture builds, it will help us to identify some to be equipped and trained for more “formal counseling” roles in specialized subjects. Maybe encourage people to start praying that the Lord would lay a special burden on their hearts for people with particular needs (e.g. depression, miscarriages, substance abuse, marital conflict, bereavement, long-term illness, etc). Bob’s book provides a helpful template for identifying and training people for specific counseling roles. He also points to numerous teaching and equipping resources.
9. Keep the vision alive
Despite the length of time that all this will take, and despite the difficulties and discouragements that we will inevitably face, let’s try to keep Bob’s vision alive in our minds and in the minds of our congregtion as well. Let’s keep dreaming of a church full of Christians ministering the Word to one another both informally and formally, and then reaching out into the community with God’s healing words for a broken world.
Buy Equipping Counselors for your Church here and watch the book trailer here.
Equipping Counselors for your Church
Nov 8, 2011 • By David Murray • 4 Comments
In American Optimism v Scottish Skepticism, I highlighted the huge but worthy aim of Bob Kellemen’s new book:
[Equipping Counselors for your Church] assists churches to become places not simply with biblical counseling ministries, but of biblical counseling. My goal is not the production of yet another program or yet another ministry on the sidelines. My goal is the promotion of a congregation-saturated mindset of every-member ministry with an entire congregation passionate about and equipped to make disciples.
And although I recorded six reservations about Bob’s vision as I opened the book, I also expressed my determination to read it with as open a mind as possible. So what won out? American optimism or Scottish Skepticism? Well, I’m glad to say that the American won over this grouchy Scot, and here’s why.
The first encouraging sign for me was that Bob himself recognized the scale of the task he is facing in advancing and implementing this vision. He devotes a full half of the book to explaining numerous ways of getting a congregation on board in the envisioning and enlisting process. He anticipates and answers objections and opposition, and suggests many practical ways of managing change and resolving conflict.
Second, he widens the definition of counseling to much more than problem-solving and reacting to difficulties. His vision of church-wide, every-member counseling includes the whole area of discipleship, in which Christians regularly and informally encourage each other to live more in conformity to Christ and more in communion with Christ. That much wider (and more positive) definition of counseling (see #5 below) definitely opens the way to wider participation. It also reserves serious problem-solving to better-trained and more experienced counselors.
Third, Bob does not just dream big, he details small. He gets into the detailed practical steps that have to be taken. We’re not left with, “Great idea but how do we do it?” The book is full of bullet points, step-by-step guides, tabulated information, checklists, appendices and real-life case studies. And that practicality is maybe what gives the book so much credibility and persuasiveness. Bob not only draws from almost 30 years of counseling experiences in congregational settings, but has gathered together a ton of “best-practice” ideas from other pastors and churches as well.
Fourth, Bob recognizes that this will look different in every congregation. Having been a pastor of three different churches ranging from 100 to 3000, Bob clearly understand that the counseling ministry of each church will vary depending on the church’s culture, size, assets, etc. And whatever the size of the congregation. He also stresses that we should never see personal counseling as taking over from the pulpit ministry of the Word, but rather supplementing, advancing, widening, and deepening it.
Fifth, Bob acknowledges that not everyone will have the same role in this counseling ministry. It’s always tempting when we are passionate about something to re-make everyone into our image. Also, when correcting a fault on one side (general lack of personal ministry of the Word) we always have a tendency to run too far to the other extreme. Bob avoids both dangers. While he definitely argues (and I agree) that all Christians should be ministering the Word to each other as they have opportunity, he is not saying that we should all become full-time counselors! Here’s how he puts it:
Every member of every church should be equipped to speak the truth in love in small groups, in the foyer, over the backyard fence, at the dinner table, and at the diner—the informal model. Additionally, some members with gifting, passion, calling, and commitment may focus their ministry on intentional and intensive ongoing biblical counseling—the formal model.[254]
We all have different gifts, personalities, opportunities, and life-phases that will be reflected in the way and extent we minister God’s Word to others. I think this important formal/informal distinction will help avoid heaping false guilt on many Christians who don’t see formal counseling as a large part of their lives at present.
Sixth, and maybe most importantly, Bob argues for careful selection, rigorous training, and constant evaluation of counselors. This part of the book was perhaps where I really began to relax and open my mind and heart to Bob’s vision. I suppose I had imagined lots of well-intentioned but ill-equipped Christians leaving a trail of destruction behind them as they waded into people’s lives with inappropriate and simplistic Bible quotations. But no, while Bob advocates much more training for all Christians in informal counseling (I agree), he also urges churches to carefully select some people for more intensive, concentrated, and systematic training. And again, in the third and strongest section of the book, he outlines how to go about this with lots of resource lists to assist in the training of Christians in the 4C’s:
- Biblical Content
- Christ-like Character
- Counseling Competence
- Christian Community
Seventh, (and this was another “Hurrah!” moment for me), Bob highlights the importance of biblical counselors recognizing their limitations and weaknesses, and seeking outside help. Bob’s model “Counseling Consent Form” clearly distinguishes between what is offered and what is not offered, what the biblical counselor/spiritual friend is and is not qualified to do.
Biblical counselors offer to provide biblical encouragement and discipleship on personal and relational matters from a spiritual perspective guided by biblical principles. They are not trained, authorized, or licensed to provide professional counseling, psychological treatment, or psychological diagnosis [312].
Bob goes on to explain the need for us all to demonstrate humility in biblical counseling:
God’s Word commands us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, but rather to think of ourselves with sober judgment, according to our gifting and training. We all have limits and limitations. Thus, we should never allow any of our graduates (or ourselves) to counsel beyond their competence, ability, or training….
We should never give cross-disciplinary advice (advice related to any profession for which we are not trained, such as law, medicine, or psychiatry). Regarding medications or physical issues, defer and refer to qualified medical personnel. It is wise best practice to maintain a consulting relationship with trusted medical professionals…It is imperative that your ministry identify professional resources to refer people to when issues arise beyond the competency of your team [315-316].
It’s perhaps in this last area of referral that Pastors and Biblical Counselors need to devote a lot more attention. I’m afraid that for too long some Biblical counselors have lobbed so many grenades at other caring professions, often misrepresenting them and their work in the process, that a huge amount of fear, mistrust and suspicion has been built up. I’d like to see Biblical counselors demonstrating a much greater willingness to learn from other professionals, especially Christian professionals, who have devoted their lives and talents to learning about people’s problems and how to help them.
So having once again been enjoyably conquered by American optimism, tomorrow I’ll add my own thoughts on how to advance the realization of Bob’s vision in a local congregation.
Buy here and watch book trailer here.
American Optimism v Scottish Skepticism
Nov 7, 2011 • By David Murray • 4 Comments
Bob Kellemen is one of the reasons I love America. In fact, to me he is a classic American – enthusiastic, energetic, positive, cheerful, encouraging, stimulating, pioneering, and every other good “-ing” you can think of.
Having been involved in counseling for almost 30 years, Bob has a tremendous passion to see biblical counseling embedded in the life of the church. His own website and books have massively helped my own counseling education, teaching, and practice.
I deeply appreciate Bob’s brief, clear, and no-nonsense style of writing. He doesn’t waste words in pointless theorizing, but is always aiming at the practical and the helpful. It’s not often you find such fine balance and fervent passion combined in one person!
Two developments in the past year have led to Bob’s work getting the wider recognition it deserves: first there was his appointment as Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, together with his lively participation on the Coalition’s blog.
Second, there was P&R’s recent publication of Bob’s long-awaited Equipping Counselors for Your Church. Perhaps this book more than any of his others gets closest to expressing the passion of Bob’s heart – to see biblical counseling not just as part of a church’s life but suffusing the whole life of the church. This is how he puts it in the introduction:
[The book] assists churches to become places not simply with biblical counseling ministries, but of biblical counseling. My goal is not the production of yet another program or yet another ministry on the sidelines. My goal is the promotion of a congregation-saturated mindset of every-member ministry with an entire congregation passionate about and equipped to make disciples.
I have to be honest, and say that I’ve been quite skeptical about Bob’s vision of every-member-counseling ever being realized to much extent in the church. We’ve regularly corresponded and chatted about it, but I’ve remained hesitant to embrace this worthy vision. My skepticism has had six major roots.
First, I’ve questioned the desire of many in the church to get involved in other people’s lives. The majority of people come to church and leave church without saying much more than “Hello,” “How are you?” “Good,” “We need to catch up.” It seemed to me like a quantum leap to not only get past small talk, but into the deepest and most personal kind of talk.
Second, I’ve doubted the ability of most Christians to speak wisely into other Christian’s lives. I’ve had a number of years of training and practice, and yet I still feel so ignorant of the Bible and very ill-equipped to deal with even the most simple problems in other people’s lives. What hope then for Christians with only a few classes on “Counseling” under their belt?”
Third, I’ve seen so many Christians speak so inappropriately into others lives, that I’ve been very afraid of the damage they could do to vulnerable people. I’m thinking here especially of the foolish unthinking repetition of common cliches that many use when speaking to depressed Christians. Do we really want to expose vulnerable believers to that kind of danger?
Fourth, even if good counsel would be given, I’ve been unsure about the willingness of most Christians to receive counsel from other Christians. When most Christians want counsel, they want to speak to the “professional” – the pastor, the psychologist or the qualified counselor. Are they really going to give much credibility to Mrs Ordinary Christian’s words of wisdom?
Fifth, I’ve been increasingly worried about pastors and biblical counselors over-estimating their abilities to deal with some of the most complicated human problems, especially in the mysterious interplay between the physical and the spiritual realms. Over-reacting to the past exclusion of Christians from the caring process by “professional” counselors, too many Christians have over-jealously reclaimed the whole territory and over-excluded others who could contribute to the care of hurting people. I was worried that this book would reflect that common and damaging approach.
Sixth, there’s just the whole problem of inertia. How do you introduce such radical change into the church? Is it worth the hassle, frustration and disappointment? Why not just go with the status quo?
So, I approached Bob’s book with considerable skepticism and doubt. But knowing and admiring Bob as I do, I really tried reading it with as open and persuadable a mind as I could.
Tune in tomorrow to see if he won this Scottish skeptic over to his American optimism!
Or share your own thoughts as to how practical, achievable, or even desirable Bob’s vision is.
A Beautiful Portrait of Paul
Aug 22, 2011 • By David Murray • 5 Comments
I never knew there was so much truth in so few verses. Rob Ventura and Jeremy Walker have mined the depths of Colossians 1:24 – 2:5 and have brought out to the light of day 10 wonderful chapters that not only paint a captivating portrait of the Apostle Paul, but of every faithful Gospel minister.
As someone who is about to begin teaching a course on The Minister and his Ministry, I’m so glad to be able to commend a book like this to my students. Most books on pastoral ministry take a thematic or topical approach and proof text their points from all over Scripture. The strength of A Portrait of Paul is its exegetical foundation; while referring to other Scriptures, it concentrates on expounding eleven verses in Colossians.
This enables us to follow the Spirit-inspired train of thought, while also enjoying a fine example of how to minister God’s Word. And contrary to what you might expect from such an approach, the authors manage to paint a beautifully rounded picture of a Gospel Minister, as you can see from the chapter headings:
1. The Joy of Paul’s Ministry
2. The Focus of Paul’s Ministry
3. The Hardships of Paul’s Ministry
4. The Origin of Paul’s Ministry
5. The Essence of Paul’s Ministry
6. The Subject of Paul’s Ministry
7. The Goal of Paul’s Ministry
8. The Strength of Paul’s Ministry
9. The Conflict of Paul’s Ministry
10. The Warnings of Paul’s Ministry
There are many “How to” books on the Ministry – and this book also has numerous practical applications – but not many build a theology of ministry on such strong biblical foundations as this one. And is that not what’s needed today? With record numbers of men leaving the ministry, having tried all the “How-to’s,” is it not time we actually stopped and went back to the Scriptures with the simple question, “What is a minister of the Gospel to be?” For only then are we in a position to ask, “What is a Gospel minister to do?” That’s what this book does so well; and it does it with lively, pacey, and contemporary language.
Another strength of the book is that it is not just for pastors and students for the ministry, but it’s for all Christians. Each chapter has a section of application to fellow-pastors, but also one addressed to fellow-Christians. Ventura and Walker see the importance not just of ministers being able to identify themselves, but of Christians being able to identify ministers. How many Churches would be spared so much trouble if – before calling a minister, criticizing a minister, dismissing a minister, or leaving a minister – people actually knew from the Word of God what a true minister of the Gospel looked like!
There’s one danger with a book like this, the danger of idolizing Paul. I’m reminded of one minister’s wife who became so exasperated by her husband’s over-frequent references to the Apostle that she exclaimed at the dinner table, “Remember dear, it was Christ who saved me, not Paul!” Ventura and Walker skillfully avoid this potential pitfall by continually taking us back to the Christ who not only painted the portrait of Paul but who perfectly modeled Gospel ministry in this world.
Buy A Portrait of Paul at Reformation Heritage Books or Amazon.
* Jeremy Walker blogs here.
Pastoral Theology Resources
Aug 6, 2011 • By David Murray • 3 Comments
Jeremy Walker at The Wanderer is doing the church valuable service by his ongoing collection and summarizing of pastoral theology resources here. He’s up to the letter D. Stay tuned as he works his way through the alphabet.
Top 20 most influential books in my life
Jun 21, 2011 • By David Murray • 10 Comments
A few weeks ago, one of my students asked me for a list of the 20 most influential books in my ministry, with a view to getting these books before returning to his home nation. Here’s what I came up with, and why.
Biographies
The Diary and Letters of Andrew Bonar: First book I started reading on my first day in my first congregation. Powerfully influenced my view of pastoral ministry.
The Life and Diary of David Brainerd and The Life and Labors of Asahel Nettleton. When I was a student I tried to set aside one day every month to read one book through and pray over it. These were two of the first books I read in this way and both made a profound impact on me, especially in the motives and methods of evangelism.
Martyn Lloyd Jones Vol. 1 (Vol. 2): My wife and I read both books together during our courtship. Great preparation for life of ministry together. Also helpful warnings about certain popular trends.
Autobiography of Charles Spurgeon Vol. 1 (Vol. 2): Again, another great help in training for the ministry. I have pages and pages of quotables from these pages. Also introduced me to the inevitable suffering of a faithful pastor.
Old Testament
I’d never grasped the point of the Old Testament until I read Christ of the Covenants by O P Robertson. When I read this, the lights went on, or should I say, the shadows went on. Calvin’s Institutes (especially Book 2 chapters 9-11) advanced the revolution in my understanding of the relation between the Testaments. Then came Jonathan Edwards’ History of the Work of Redemption to show me how to put all this together and preach Christ from the Old Testament.
Two other impactful books in this area were Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament by Christopher Wright, and Preaching Christ from the Old Testament by Sidney Greidanus.
Staying with the Old Testament, Richard Pratt’s He Gave us Stories helped me to see the vital importance of the original message for the original audience.
Christology
The Glory of Christ by John Owen and The Fountain of Life by John Flavel soar above all other Puritan works I’ve read. Owen’s book is certainly more demanding, but both are richly rewarding studies in the person and work of Christ.
Then there’s Christ’s Doctrine of the Atonement and The Apostle’s Doctrine of the Atonement by George Smeaton. Smeaton is perhaps the greatest New Testament exegete I’ve come across. These books will give you rare insight into the length, depth, breadth and height of our suffering Savior’s life and death. You cannot but preach Christ crucified after reading them.
Redemption Accomplished & Applied by John Murray isn’t as textual as Smeaton’s work, but rarely has so much systematic theology been packed into so few words. This book made my Calvinism much more Christ-centered.
Theology
While on the subject of systematics, I have to admit that I’ve never got beyond Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. It does weaken towards the end. However, for brevity and clarity, I regularly find myself picking it up over other options, and almost always getting an answer.
The Sovereignty of God by A W Pink. I love short books. None shorter nor better than this. And none that exalted God higher in my heart.
The Pleasures of God by John Piper revolutionized my view of God, or rather my understanding of God’s view of His people. A long period of church controversy had worn me down and infected me with a strain of negativity that was also influencing my preaching. This book brought me back to the glorious Gospel of the ever-happy God and His delight in Himself, His Gospel, His people, and His salvation. The Pleasures of God restored my pleasure in God, and in people, and in preaching.
Eschatology
The Bible and the Future by Anthony Hoekema and Promise of the Future by Cornelius Venema. Both books brought me out of an eschatological fog and into the clear light of optimistic amillennialism (that should get the comments going).
Preaching
Truth Applied by Jay Adams made me preach much more personally, and twenty years later continues to challenge me to apply God’s truth in every sermon.
The Imperative of Preaching by John Carrick is a fantastic little book on how to keep the balance between the indicative and the imperative.
Counseling
I’m not supposed to feel like this by Chris Williams, etc. and Overcoming Spiritual Depression by Arie Elshout gave me quantum leap insight into depression at a very critical time in my family’s life. Broken Minds by Steve and Robyn Bloem broke my heart and gave me much-needed compassion for people suffering with depression.
Apologetics/Cultural
I know I’m over the twenty book mark now, but I can’t close without saying how helpful I found Does God believe in Atheists? by John Blanchard. I’ve used so much of this book in preaching and evangelistic situations.(UPDATE: Evangelical Press tell me that a fully revised and updated – God delusion, etc., – paperback edition is presently en route to the US and will cost $16.99 for 720 pages).
Lastly, God in the Wasteland by David Wells gave me huge insight not just into worrying trends in the church and society, but the theological roots behind them. It continues to call me to impress the “weightiness of God” upon myself and others.
So, there you go. Maybe some predictable books, and maybe some surprises, but all highly influential in my own life. I’m thankful to God for all the writers and their publishers.
Thriving (or just surviving) at College?
Jun 6, 2011 • By David Murray • 0 Comments
Title: Thriving at College
Author: Alex Chediak (Christian college professor)
Publisher: Tyndale House
Price: $10.19 (paperback), $1.99 (Kindle)
Aim: To help students improve their college experience
Topics: Holding on to faith, managing finances, healthy relationships, time-management, godly character, assuming responsibility, choosing a major, guidance and vocation, study habits, etc.
Readership: College students, parents of students, pastors.
Style: Conversational tone without being condescending. Judicious use of illustrations, examples, and anecdotes. Lots of stimulating questions for discussion at the end of every chapter.
Brevity: I read this on a Kindle in a few hours, and expected the page count to be about 200. However, Amazon says it’s 368 pages! That’s a big book, but it’s very readable with hardly a wasted word.
Recommendation: Highly recommended for students, parents, and pastors. Pastors may want to give this book to every graduating High School student. You can get bulk pricing here.
Rating: 5/5 for relevance, usefulness, readability, clarity, wisdom, and comprehensiveness.
Additional Comments: I’d love to see a companion volume (possible title: “Thriving without college”) addressed to young people who don’t go to college. Maybe it would also help reduce the number of young going to college just because “it’s what everyone else does” and then dropping out; or ending up with $100,000 of debt and no better equipped for life. See Paypal founder Peter Thiele’s offer!
Favorite quotes
Work when it’s time to work. Play when it’s time to play. Whatever you’re doing, be fully present in it.
Worldview & Character -> Attitudes & Behaviors -> Habits & Destiny.
Whether you thrive or merely survive at college will depend to a large degree on the extent to which you assume responsibility.
If you want these kinds of friends, then be this kind of friend. Don’t wait for others to initiate. Get the ball rolling. Those who share your values and priorities will be drawn to you like a magnet. In addition, periodically take stock of your relationships. Which ones are promoting godliness and excellence in your life.
On the cellphone as an umbilical cord: Whereas one generation grew up leaving for the afternoon with a plan for doing X, Y, and Z, and having to adjust on the fly for unexpected mishaps or delays, another generation has grown up only needing to remember one thought: If something happens, call. And the very fact that you can immediately call may prevent you from developing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. It’s easier to make a phone call than to engage in deep reflection and critical thinking for yourself. Yet these are absolutely necessary steps for making hard decisions with incomplete information—a crucial real-world skill.
Here’s an important principle to remember: Every public failure is preceded by private failure.
If you’re living as an adult with Mom and Dad, enjoying the blessings of food and shelter that they make possible, you should be working at least as much as they are.
Dying to preach
Oct 11, 2010 • By David Murray • 0 Comments
Steven Smith’s Dying to Preach is one of the most uncomfortable books on preaching I’ve ever read.
It is also one of the best, especially for those who have been preaching for a few years. Don’t read this book if you are just looking for a few tweaks and tips for next Sunday morning. Read it only if you want your whole view of preaching to be turned upside down and inside out. If you still dare to buy it, be warned: you are going to be ruffled, stung, provoked and offended. At times you will react with, “No way!” and, “That’s going too far!” But as the author’s biblical arguments work on your conscience, you will gradually submit, slowly agree, and pick up the book again. The author is Steven Smith, assistant professor of preaching, and the James T. Draper Jr. Chair of Pastoral Ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His basic thesis is that the nature of our message should impact the way we present and communicate our message. Those who preach a crucified Christ should preach in a crucified style. And even though it is more about style than substance, the whole book is an argument for an absence of style, or a crucified style. In the preface Smith asks:If the cross is God’s chosen means of salvation, why is it not also our means of communication? If God saved through the cross, can we not preach through the cross? If the cross was God’s means, why is it not ours? …If God will save through the abject humility of crucifixion, will He sanctify with messages from preachers who don’t imitate the abject humility of crucifixion? Must not a message of death to life be communicated from a preacher who dies so that others might live? (13)
Or, more succinctly: “A cross from the pulpit logically means a cross in the pulpit. So every preacher dying to preach must die to preach” (13). I Iike the way Johnny Hunt put it in his blurb: “The preacher will see little life in the pews until he sees much death in the pulpit.”
That concept is so alien to Western preachers today that it may take you a few chapters and maybe even a few re-readings until you grasp what Smith is getting it. However, it is certainly worth persevering with. He begins with two chapters on the cross in Paul’s pulpit ministry. In page after page of insightful commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians, Smith argues that Paul’s principal understanding of ministry to the Corinthians was “dying for others,” a claim he supports with 20 verses from the Corinthian letters. He then draws four implications of the cross in the pulpit:- Ignite: Preaching the Cross of Christ.
- Invite: Sharing the Sufferings of Christ.
- Identify: Bearing the Reproach of Christ.
- Imitate: Communicating the Example of Christ.
Thirdly, Smith highlights three results when a preacher begins to die so that others may live:
(i) He surrenders to the text by precise, humble, long-term study that produces clear, cliché-free communication. (ii) He surrenders to the audience. This does not mean caving in to the sheep’s demands but feeling the sheep’s pain. “Passion for the text must be accompanied by compassion for the people…Shepherds smell like sheep, and surrendered communicators have a ‘feel’ for people who are in the dark.” (iii) Last, he surrenders to the task of great preaching. Having spent most of the book arguing against style, arguing for a crucified style, Smith recognizes the tension of this final point and asks, “Is it biblical to want to preach good sermons?” He answers:We must become better in our preaching because God uses good preaching. With all the liabilities we have mentioned, with all of the red flags about style over substance, with all the warnings about a self-centered pulpit, we must commit ourselves to becoming good preachers. So with eight chapters of warning against letting the good of decent preaching rob people of the best of seeing Christ in the text, let me stop and scream, “Strive for good preaching” (156).
And what motivates us to work hard on improving our preaching? Smith returns to the cross: “Christ expended everything on the cross, because leaving anything undone would not have accomplished God’s will” (157).
I was intrigued and encouraged by Smith’s support from a return to more extemporaneous preaching, something I also am passionately in favor of. And to prove his point, he turns to the sermon that is often used to argue for full manuscripts being read in the pulpit; Jonathan Edward’s “Sinners in the hands of an angry God.” Citing research, Smith says that under the influence of George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards was convicted of the power of extemporaneous preaching and shifted his sermon delivery accordingly. No longer did he use the manuscript, but rather he made the conscious decision to shift away from notes (156). I did disagree with Smith’s exposition of Colossians 1:24 on pages 80-81. I know this is one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament. However, I’m concerned that Smith’s choice of vocabulary here unwittingly undermines the perfection of Christ’s finished work on the cross. With that small reservation, I highly commend this book to preachers who have been preaching for a few years. What about students and others just beginning to preach? I’m not saying no. In some ways this would be a great foundational book, and would perhaps save some from getting off on the wrong foot and heading in the wrong direction. However, I would advise students to read a few of the classic homiletics texts first to get the basics of “How-to preach” and then read this one. This is more about the preaching mindset than the mechanics. It would be difficult to understand what Smith is getting at without some experience of preparing and preaching sermons. Let me clinch your purchase with an appetizer of the many quotable quotes in this book:The death to self that is demanded of the preacher works life in his people. In this way, the preacher becomes like Christ, who died so that we might live. If we do not die, they do not live. (18).
An obsession with style will actually be counterproductive to the Gospel message (52). For a preacher to die, he must die to his right to be thought of as a great preacher (53). Paul is suggesting a horrific, criminal irony: the means of preaching displaces the message of preaching (74). Preaching ourselves, even in small inconsequential ways, can be the few small lumens that keep people from the true satisfying glorious light of Christ (74). Death is in the pew because few are willing to die in the pulpit (88). We are redeemed rebels who are calling other rebels to be redeemed. We are no longer managing our image. No. We have thrown off our robes and are taking the long walk outside the city. We are looking up at the thrashed corpse and taking a stand-this is who we are! We are cross bearers because we are cross lovers (98).Steven W. Smith. Dying to Preach. Kregel, 2009. 175 pages.
Review first posted at TGC Reviews.The Leadership Ellipse
Jul 8, 2010 • By David Murray • 0 Comments
Robert A. Fryling, The Leadership Ellipse, IVP: Formatio, 2010, 221 pages.
Carmen Bernos de Gasztold wrote a collection of poems, The Creature’s Choir, in which she put prayers in the mouths of animals and birds. Robert Fryling’s favorite is “The Peacock” in which this beautiful bird proudly describes its external beauty, while humbly mourning its discordant cry and mournful heart. It ends its lament with “Lord / let a day come / a heavenly day /hen my inner and outer selves / will be reconciled in perfect harmony.” The thesis of The Leadership Ellipse is that Christian leaders are too often like the Peacock, feeling a painful tension between being and doing, between their inner relationship with God and their external relationship with others. Fryling argues that Christian leadership books tend to focus on one or the other, heightening the tension. His thesis is that, rather than choose between the two, we should aim continuously at both targets. Hence, his central illustration is not of a circular target with a single bull’s-eye, but of an ellipse containing two foci. “One focal point is our inner spiritual life, our longings, our affections and our allegiance to God. The other focal point is our outer world and organizational life, what we do and how we do it.” The book has three parts: Shaping our Inner World, Shaping our Outer World, and Shaping our Leadership. The first two parts are self-explanatory, although there is some overlap. In part three, Fryling applies the principles of integrated leadership to specific challenges leaders face. In addition to covering many of the staple Christian leadership bases (prayer, listening skills, relationships, courage, time-management, etc.), the book has three major strengths. The first is its obvious and commendable emphasis on integrating the leader’s outer and inner world. He challenges the activist to be more contemplative, and the contemplative to be more active. If, like most Christian leaders today, you err on the activist side, you will find much in this book to help you redress that imbalance. And that really leads on to the book’s second major strength, its first chapter, A Weaned Soul: The Practice of Sabbath. I am astonished at how few pastors take a weekly “day off.” This rejection of God’s created order (required even in an unfallen world), eventually takes its toll on the body, the mind, the emotions, the soul, and our relations with others. Fryling speaks very candidly as he demonstrates from his own and others’ lives how he learned, “The Sabbath was made for man.” I cannot recommend this chapter highly enough. The third area of strength is on pages 201-202, where Fryling (thankfully, though somewhat reluctantly) shares his written “rule of life.” He has written out specific aims and standards of life for his heart soul, mind, strength, family, church and calling. I would not adopt all of these for myself, but I can see the real value in having such a written personal manifesto, and this is a great place to start. But, I feel I have to raise three caveats. The first is Fryling’s advocacy of some rather unusual spiritual practices. He describes the spiritual benefit that he received from liturgical dance and from reflecting on Van Gogh’s paintings. Also, on pages 92-94, he describes how a team-sandcastle-building project, done in total silence, finished “with one of the most meaningful times of worship” he ever experienced. It involved a cross made out of driftwood, some beach garbage, and a reluctant team member. Maybe others will find it moving and helpful. This Scottish Presbyterian found it a bit bizarre. The second concern I had was the preponderance of quotes from and favorable references to the medieval church fathers and Roman Catholic theologians: St. Bonaventure, St. Francis of Assisi, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Albert Haase, Jean Vanier, Jean Pierre de Caussade, St. Benedict, Pope John XXIII, Pope John Paul II, Pope Gregory the Great, etc. This preference for and promotion of Roman Catholic theologians and writers worried me. N. T. Wright is also quoted. There was comparatively little reference to the Reformers, the Puritans, or even present day evangelical and reformed leaders. The third caveat is that a pastor did not write it. Fryling is the publisher of InterVarsity Press, and the Vice President of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He has also occupied various managerial roles in his decades of service with IVP. His book is, therefore, more suited to those who manage and lead in Christian organizations, para-church ministries, charities, etc. Pastors can certainly learn many lessons from Fryling’s book, especially his emphasis on inner/outer integration and the beneficial practice of Sabbath rest. However, it would not be in my first tranche of leadership books for young pastors (although I would want all seminarians to read chapter one). If you have been pastoring for a few years and need a refresher, or a motivator, or just a new perspective, then I would recommend this book. I think it’s important for pastors, elders, and anyone with responsibility in the church, to be a regular reader of new Christian books on leadership. It’s not so much that you will learn new biblical principles (though you might). But as long as this world keeps changing, you will need to keep learning new applications of these principles. That’s where this book may do you a lot of good. This review first appeared at TGC Reviews, the book review site of The Gospel Coalition.Roots
Jun 23, 2010 • By David Murray • 0 Comments
Alec Motyer, Roots: Let the Old Testament Speak. Christian Focus, 2009, 411 pages.
About David Murray
- Follower of Christ
- Preacher of the Gospel
- Professor of Old Testament & Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
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