Faster Unto Thee

Book Review - Seeking to Divorce-Proof Your Marriage

Dr. Rick Walston of Columbia Evangelical Seminary has written another helpful book entitled, Seeking to Divorce-Proof Your Marriage. Published by LULU, this intentionally brief book is aimed for the everyman – especially everymen that are not big readers.

At only 80 pages long, the book provides a primer for men on building a successful marriage on a foundation of biblical truth, listening, commitment, and more. The book is divided into 9 chapters, is full of helpful and often humorous illustrations, and is intentionally a quick read. To make it a quick read, the ideas are presented in a simple and clear style, though the content is never simplistic.

A portion of the book focuses on the answers given to a survey question Walston posted to women: "What are the Top 5 Things a Husband Should Know or Do to Help Divorce-Proof His Marriage?" The answers he got back from women sounded as if they had answered the question, "How Can a Man be a Better Husband?" This alone illustrates the difference in thinking between men and women, something which Walston expounds upon in his book.

The book is perfectly suitable for a Sunday School text, a small group resource, and for use in pre-marital counseling. For some men, the book's content will be a real eye-opener, but for others who are read up on other marriage books it may not offer many new insights, although it may state those insights in a fresh well. Beyond these uses, pastors will want a copy of the book simply for the excellent illustrations that can be borrowed for sermons and to have a copy on hand to loan to a clueless man who desperately needs insight into strengthening his marriage.

Book Review - Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson

    Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson, is a book that every pastor should read. Pastors who faithfully plod through the grind of daily ministry and never see more than modest growth in their churches will find encouragement from the example of a minister who was faithful in a tough ministry context. Pastors who have led their churches to significant growth will also gain new respect for those who do not but yet are faithful workers in the kingdom.

            The book is written by New Testament scholar D.A. Carson and is about the life and ministry of his father, Tom Carson. Conveying a son's love and respect for his father, the book explains the difficulty of Tom's ministry in Quebec from the late 40's through the early 90's. Quebec was a brutal mission field for Protestants during the early decades of Tom's ministry, as the Roman Catholic presence was oppressive and even dangerous to Protestant efforts to spread the gospel. Despite the challenges of a pitifully small salary, extremely slow gains in evangelism, betrayal by denominational leaders, the pressures of working in a culture different than his own, and many more challenges, Tom pressed on faithfully in service to the Lord to the end of his life. The book begins with an overview of Canadian history to give a historical context to Tom's ministry, then moves into his call and ministry training. From there it surveys his ministry in Drummondville, then it moves to his work in civil service while continuing pastoral ministry. Finally, the book describes Tom's care of his wife in her Alzheimer's years and his life after his wife's death. The book helps one see faithfulness amidst many different types of struggles over many years.

            The entire book is an interesting read, but perhaps the most insightful portions of the book explain Tom's struggle between his high ministerial standards and his own performance. Frequently in his journals Tom berates himself for his lack of faithfulness to the Lord in terms of evangelistic zeal, work ethic, devotional life, and more. The journals reflect times of deep spiritual depression and struggle in ministry. But while he condemned himself for his lack of perfection, his family and church saw him as a model Christian and family man, and the impact of his ministry was profound, even if it did not result in a large congregation. If you are a pastor and can relate to strong feelings of inadequacy and have contemplated leaving the ministry, this book will help you see that you are not alone. The solution is not a lesser standard, as author Carson, points out, but a stronger acceptance of God's grace: "I cannot allow that to drive me to despair; rather, it must drive me to a greater grasp of the simple and profound truth that we preach and visit and serve under the gospel of grace, and God accepts us because of his Son" (page 92). If you have a family member or close friend who often battles strong feelings of inadequacy in ministry, this book will help you understand that pastors who love God deeply and long to make a difference for him often feel this way, and that there is no simple means to get over it. That being said, if you are not a pastor yourself, you may gain some insight into the interior life of a godly pastor but you will always be an outsider to the experience yourself.

            Aside from understanding what it means to labor faithfully in a tough field that yields little fruit, what can be learned from this book? One thing stands out: God requires faithful labor for him from some servants who will not enjoy satisfying numerical growth. For such laborers, their satisfaction for a job well-done must be delayed until Heaven, while other ministers enjoy some of their reward presently. Can a minister find satisfaction in the Lord alone with little ministry fruit to show, while others labor in more fruitful fields? The answer is yes, and it is for those "ordinary pastors" that D.A. Carson tells his father's story of faithfulness.

        Idealistic seminary students should read this book to gain a realistic view of what ministry can be like. Pastors who are discouraged should read this book to be renewed in the commitment to ministry, and those just curious about what a makes a godly pastor tick will find insight in this volume.

    One more thing. Back in December of 2008 I posted an entry about D.A. Carson's interview with Mark Driscoll about this book. A link to that post and the video is here. Also, you can read a pdf of the book for free here.

 

Ryken's "Choosing a Bible" for Free

Today I stumbled across a free online copy of Leland Ryken's Choosing a Bible: Understanding Bible Translation Differences at the ESV Blog. I own a print copy that I purchased several years ago and have pointed others to it as well.

Formerly titled Bible Translation Differences, the little booklet is adapted from Ryken's larger book The Word of God in English. The booklet argues for an essentially literal approach in Bible translation, against the dynamic equivalent approach. Obviously, it is in support of the ESV, but the points he makes are part of why I prefer to use an essentially literal translation like the ESV over the NIV or the more extreme The Message.

This booklet is worth reading, arguing with, and gleaning much gold from.

Book Review - Beer, Wine & Spirits by Bastian

Vacation, busyness, and other things have kept me from posting for quite a while. Beginning with this week, I hope to resume my efforts to post twice a week.

Bishop Emeritus Donald N. Bastian has written a wonderful booklet about why those in the Wesleyan family of churches typically do not drink alcoholic beverages. The booklet is called, Beer, Wine & Spirits: What's the Big Deal, and is published by Light and LIfe Communications and is available here. In the past, so I am told, good reasons were commonly known among our church members for abstaining, but not so anymore. With both young and old asking "Why not?", a restatement of the old (and still valid!) reasons is due. Bastian has provided good, introductory answers to those questions in a booklet designed for the average person who needs a brief but quality overview of why abstinence from alcohol is a good stance to take.

His reasons can be summarized as follows, and I will not elaborate on them because I could end up summarizing the whole 21-page booklet!:

1. To avoid alcohol's destructive effects
2. To avoid hindering ministry to those who struggle with alcohol-related problems
3. To avoid being a cause for stumbling in another Christian's walk with God
4. To honor God with our bodies

Notice how the first three all have to do with loving others, and the last has to do with loving God? Sounds like sanctification to me. As Bastian writes,

"The destructive effect of alcohol on individuals and, in fact, on society as a whole is the primary reason we in the Wesleyan tradition take a clear abstinence position. We abstain out of love" (page 13).

Here is his son's way of turning down a drink at social functions: he declines, then says, if asked why, "I've taken a vow" (page 12). That answer has never failed to satisfy the questioner.

This little booklet is only $1.50. Buy a few for your church lobby and one for yourself. It is a solid tool for ministry and for developing personal conviction.

Further Impressions on the ESV Study Bible

My first overall impressions of the ESV Study Bible were very positive and my esteem for it continues to rise.  Here are some more thoughts about this wonderful new tool

1.  I mentioned in my last post about this new resource that its sheer size would limit where I took it and how I used it. That has turned out to be true - sort of.  While it is too big to lug around for hospital visits and can look imposing at a patient's bedside, I still bring it along with me - but keep it in my car.  You see, I can't part with it.  I may use my pocket sized ESV at the beside, but I keep my ESV Study Bible nearby - you know, just in case.  The notes and resources in it are so helpful and so spark my curiosity that I can't part with it. Its mere presence makes me feel prepared to answer my own questions and those of others.  Sure, this habit reflects my own drive to engage in theological discussions, but that is just how useful this new tool has become to me.

2.  The notes do reflect a Reformed bent, but not oppressively so.  Schreiner's notes on Romans allow a little wiggle room for Arminians as do the notes on other books, most of the time.  But the notes are always reflect a conservative, evangelical viewpoint, which is just what I want.  The notes also do go beyond offering mere background information or just a straight interpretation of some passage as most study bibles do by offering responses that often amount to systematic theology leading to application.

3.  From front to back, the introduction, articles, and notes often reflect a very passionate and Puritan understanding of spiritual formation and worship.  I love it! From the Preface to the ESV which quotes the words the Moderator of the Church of Scotland uses when handing a Bible to the new monarch in Britain's coronation service, "This Book [is] the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; this the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God", to the notes and John Piper's article, "Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God," this study Bible emphasizes the joy and experience of knowing and communing with God through his Word.  There is a sense of worship that permeates the ESV Study Bible that persuades you that the contributors were not merely concerned with presenting solid scholarship, but with presenting scholarship that sparks worship. This is obviously not a study bible for purely academic-minded readers. 

4.  But the ESV Study Bible does lack a few things.  First, it could really use an article summarizing Old Testament and New Testament history, like my  New Oxford Annotated Bible (1991) has.  Most of the historical info one needs is scattered throughout book introductions and in the notes, but 2 articles that give one an overview of the activities of the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires in relation to Israel would have been helpful for the Old Testament, and one article on relevant stuff for the New Testament would be helpful too.  Second, I miss red lettering.  I like to see the words of Jesus in red because it helps me locate specific passages in the gospels quickly and develop a snapshot outline of passages.  Third, a second ribbon marker would be nice.  Fourth, so far I have not been able to find a good summary of Hebrew parallelism like the one in my New Oxford Annotated Bible.  Considering how much poetry there is in the OT, this is a great omission. But all of these things that I say this new study Bible lacks, except for the additional marker ribbon, just might be in there somewhere in some article or note that I have overlooked.  This book is so big I will be discovering new treasures for years.

All in all, this is simply the best study Bible available today.  Considering giving one for Christmas?  You can't find better prices than at Christian Book Distributors.  My copy was about $56 dollars from CBD, and my local Christian bookstore had the same edition for $96.  Wow.  CBD even beats Amazon last time I checked.

It Has Arrived - the ESV Study Bible - Initial Impressions

It arrived today!  It felt just like Christmas when my copy of the ESV Study Bible arrived in the mail today.  I pre-ordered it several months ago, getting the best price through CBD, and it was worth the weight.

The Religion Today Summaries from Crosswalk on October 17 noted that the ESV Study Bible is selling quite well:

According to a news release, the new ESV Study Bible is undergoing its second printing even before it hits shelves, thanks to pre-order demand that surpassed the initial 100,000 printing. Another 50,000 copies are being printed, with a third printing to follow. Mark Traphagen, Web Sales Manager for Westminster Bookstore in Philadelphia, PA, reports record-breaking sales for the new Study Bible, making it "by far the fastest selling new product in the history of our store." The new study Bible, which uses the bestselling ESV translation released in 2001, contains more than 200 full color maps, 100 articles and introductions, more than 40 illustrations, and 20,000 notes. The notes pinpoint differences between evangelical Christianity and other world religions as well as discuss different interpretations of significant passages. The ESV Study Bible is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published. It was created by a team of 95 of the world's leading biblical scholars, hailing from 10 countries, nearly 20 denominations, and more than 50 colleges, seminaries, and universities.

I have had little time today to look my copy over, but here are a few initial impressions:

1.  It is a beast.  It is heavy and large.  2" thick, with a cover that is 6 7/8" by 9 5/8" long.  While its thorough study features make a less featured Bible seem anemic, and will make one feel prepared in the field to answer questions, its shear size will usually prohibit me from carrying it along on hospital visits, etc.

2.  It is beautiful.  The cover, fonts, binding, paper, layout (single column for the biblical text), etc. are all very well done.  The book is beautiful and a pleasure to use.  There are a few pages in my copy where there are printing errors  (the ink is too light or too heavy), but it is not quite enough to make me exchange it for another copy.

3.  The font used for the biblical text is easy to read, yet elegant enough to gain your visual respect.  Interestingly, and something of a bummer for me, the words of Jesus are not in red.

4.  The introductions to each book are great, though I am sure they vary in quality to some degree due to the fact that various authors wrote them.  I spent some time reading the intro to Ezra and it was very helpful.

5.  The diagrams, charts, and maps are the best I have ever seen in a study Bible.  They truly set a new standard and are perfectly placed. 

6.  A cursory read through the notes, etc. definitely reveals a Reformed bias, but not oppressively so to us in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition.  As I spend more time this Bible and get a better feel for it, I will post my review of the notes and articles' theological orientation.  But the list of authors is revealing - lots of classically Reformed folks from places like Covenant Theological Seminary and Reformed Baptists from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and other places.  I have only noticed one Wesleyan so far - John N. Oswalt who wrote the notes for Amos.  The articles at the end of this Bible also reflect a heavy emphasis on the Reformers, Puritans, etc.  Don't get me wrong - I love that stuff too, but a little Wesley could have been brought in.

I will make posts on the theological content and orientation of this new tool soon.  For now, I can say that the ESV Study Bible is a must-buy.

Book Review - Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament

As an adjunct instructor for a local Christian college, I am always looking for teaching tools such as handbooks, charts, and other quality texts to help me in lesson preparation.  John H. Walton has provided an indispensable tool for Old Testament teachers and students with Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament. 

This is not a new book (a 1994 expansion of the original 1978 edition), but surprisingly it remains under the radar in some schools, even though a seminary student taking an Old Testament survey course would find it incredibly helpful in summarizing key facts related to the Old Testament.  And summarize it does - from geneologies to charts of kings to the sacrificial system to historical events and empires to genres of literature to texts and far more, this book grants the reader quick overviews of facts organized to aid comprehension and to answer common questions.

The charts, "Sacrificial System" and "Clean and Unclean Animals" make it clear what the different types of sacrifices were for and why certain animals were used and not used, and explains the parallel between God's "diet" via the sacrifices and what animals were clean for the ancient Hebrews to eat.  The chart on "Assyrian Foreign Policy" helps one better understand the actions of the Assyrians and Babylonians in I & II Kings toward Israel and Judah.  Clarity regarding the development of the Masoretic text is gained from the "Old Testament Textual Development" chart, and the charts on "Principles for Word Studies" will keep the exegete from falling into common exegetical fallacies.  Walton's chart on "The People of God and the Covenant" is a masterful depiction of how the major covenants of the Old Testament and are fulfilled in Christ. And there is so much more.

This is a very worthwhile purchase for the student, pastor and teacher.  Who does not find help in a well-made chart? 

Book Review - Getting to Know the Church Fathers

One of the most enjoyable church history books I have ever read, Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction by Bryan M. Litfin, is aptly named as it is written to be an introductory college and everyman's text.  Indeed it does hit its target.

I first became aware of this book when thumbing through a CBD catalog.  Later, conversations with an Orthodox student of mine made it clear to me that I needed to learn more about the church fathers, but where to start?  Litfin's book has proved to be very helpful.

After an introduction that argues well for the importance of appreciating the church fathers and deals skillfully with common evangelical ignorance of them, each of the following ten chapters provide a helpful sketch of a church father and a brief selection of their writings.  The sketches are book's strength.  Each sketch relates the historical situation and ministry of the church father to today, thus revealing the significance of the main ideas the particular church father is known for.  Litfin tells his stories well, and somehow makes you feel that these men (and one woman) are truly your brothers in Christ and that they were capable theologians with amazing insight, a love for Christ and is Church, and acute perception about what things are truly worth dying for.  Each chapter is a fairly quick read, and following each sketch is a short bibliography for digging deeper into the subject, which is exactly what one wants to do after finishing the chapter.

The only major drawback to this book is that it covers only ten church fathers.  Let's hope that Litfin will one day offer another volume that introduces us to more of the fathers.

Highly recommended.

Book Review - Wesleyana

According to the current issue of Light and Life Magazine, the old text, Wesleyana, has been reproduced and copies are now available.  The book contains selections from John Wesley's writings arranged under different topics.

Bishop Emeritus Richard Snyder has taken the initiative to get Wesleyana reproduced.  He was given a copy of Wesleyana by his father when he bagan pastoral ministry in 1963 and found the book to be extremely helpful in sermon preparation and more. This usefulness was what prompted Bishop Snyder to have the text reproduced.

My old copy of Wesleyana is dated 1979 and is a reprinting of the old 1852 edition, and it has only 326 pages compared to the new reproduction which has 353.  Apparently, my copy is not the same as the edition being reproduced.

The drawbacks to Wesleyana, at least in the edition that I own, include a lack of a table of contents and out-of-date citations of the quotations.  The citations, which appear after each quote, apparently refer to an edition of John Wesley's writings that is no longer commonly used.  For example, one lengthy quote is cited as coming from "Sermons, vol. ii, p. 41."  In the edition that most people use today, the one Baker reprinted from the 1872 edition issued by the Wesleyan Methodist Book Room of London, "Sermons, vol. ii, p. 41" takes you to the sermon, "Satan's Devices", which is not the source of the quote.  The sermon, "On Predestination" is the source. Hopefully, the edition of Wesleyana that has been reproduced has more useful citations than the edition I have. 

While the book does not have a proper contents page, it does have a helpful index in the back covering various topics.  Also, the quotations are well-chosen and cut to the heart of Wesley's views.

This reproduced text will prove again to be a helpful resource.  But those wanting more than a snippet or two from Wesley on various topics will continue to make free use of his works on-line and in printed copies of The Works of John Wesley.  And let's not forget that Thomas C. Oden did for Wesley what he never did for himself: systematized his teachings.  Oden's book, John Wesley's Scriptural Christianity, is a must-have book for anyone in the Wesleyan tradition and can take you to places that Wesleyana cannot.  Take Wesleyana, Oden's book, and a complete set of John Wesley's writings and you will be all set to dig deep into Wesley.

Book Review - Resurrection Realities

One of the most difficult things for a pastor to do when he has been at the same church for a number of years is remain fresh in his preaching on high days such as Easter and Christmas.  It is difficult to find new ways to say the same thing, or to discover new insights into heavily-studied passages that will give birth to fresh sermons.

Just like I always review Martin Hengel's powerful little book, Crucifixion, for Holy Week, I always pick up and find fresh profit from reviewing Merrill C. Tenney's text, Resurrection Realities, for Easter.

Resurrection Realities, also published as The Vital Heart of Christianity, is a small, 96 page book that explains the theological significance of the resurrection of Christ for our salvation (lots of Pauline stuff here).  He also demonstrates how the resurrection is biblically the proof of his sonship, lordship, judgeship, and of the driving force behind the expansion of Christianity.  Each chapter is an exposition of key scriptural texts, and as such, it is eminently helpful in preparing meaty sermons.

Here is a small excerpt from chapter 1:

The most important doctrine of our Christian faith is not the virgin birth with its tender and sacred mystery, nor the atonement on Calvary where the blood was shed that brought the love and forgiveness of God to a ruined world, but the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Without the resurrection the virgin birth would be incredible, for why should we accept a biological miracle as the origin of a life that was swallowed up hopelessly in death?  Without the resurrection there would be no atonement, for the value of Christ's death as an atonement depends upon the quality of the one who died.  If, like other men, He succumbed to death and never triumphed over it, His death might have been that of a martyr or hero; but it could never have been the means of bringing salvation to others.  The resurrection singles Him out as different from others and gives a different value to all the other facts of His life (page 12).

I don't believe this great book is in print, but used copies of it abound.  This is truly one of those books whose helpfulness has stood the test of time.

Book Review - Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

One of the most helpful books I have read in some time is Roger Olson's book, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities, which was published in 2006.  Olson is a professor at Truett Theological Seminary, which is part of Baylor University in Texas.  This book is timely, especially in light of the resurgence of Reformed theology.

A lifelong Arminian, Olson's goal in this accessible book is to dispel some of the myths regarding classical Arminian theology, particularly that it is semi-pelagian, man-centered, not theologically orthodox, and more.  Arranged in 10 chapters, each of which dispel a particular myth about Arminian theology, Olson accomplishes his goals with careful argumentation, citing of primary sources, and a plodding explanation of where Calvinism does and does not conflict with Arminianism.  Particularly helpful are the citations of Calvinist scholars who misunderstand and misrepresent classical Arminian theology, often confusing classical Arminianism with much of today's distorted (and truly semi-pelagian) Arminianism.  For a helpful review of each chapter, see John Drury's blog.

This book is helpful for those of us in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition, for Olson frequently cites the works of John Wesley, showing him to be firmly in the classical Arminian camp, not the semi-pelagian one.  Also helpful are the references to great 19th century Wesleyan theologians and current ones such as Thomas Oden.  Through these references, Olson demonstrates that classical Arminian theology is alive and well in some academic circles if not in our churches.

One of the most helpful chapters is number four, entitled, "The Heart of Arminianism is Belief in Free Will."  How many times have I heard in a discussion about Calvinism and Arminianism that Arminianism is primarily concerned with protecting the freedom of man? This myth is dispelled as Olson painstakingly demonstrates through primary sources that the biggest concern of Arminian theology is not preserving free will, but of protecting the character of God from the logical conclusion of Calvinistic predestination.  As Olson puts in on page 99, "Rather, the real reason Arminians reject divine control of every human choice and action is that this would make God the author of sin and evil.  For Arminians this makes God at least morally ambiguous and at worst the only sinnner."  And later on the same page, "Arminianism begins with God's goodness and ends by affirming free will."  To put it another way, Arminianism strives to preserve the goodness of God by affirming a degree of free will in humans so that their sins can be primarily attributed to them and not to God, for if God is the author of sin, then he is not good.

If you are an Arminian, read this book to clarify your thoughts.  If you are a Calvinist, read this book to dispel any misconceptions about Arminianism you might have.  If you are undecided, use this book as one source among many for working through the ideas of Calvinism and Arminianism.   

UPDATE: listen to an interview with Roger Olson here: http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/cws/home

Book Review - God's House Rules by Donald Bastian

Bishop Emeritus Donald N. Bastian preached a wonderful series of sermons last April at our church on Christian family life (you can listen to those sermons here) .  These sermons are the heart of his newly released book, God's House Rules , published by BPS of Canada.  My copy came in the mail yesterday, and I could not put it down.

Pastors, if you are looking for a book to give you spot-on illustrations for preaching on marriage, or if you need a text to give to couples in premarital counseling to help them establish a biblical view of marriage, this is the book for you.

Here are the chapter titles to give you a sense of what the book covers:

    1.  How Adam Got His Wife

    2.  Submission Is for Everyone

    3.  Submission Is a Love Gift

    4.  Husbands, Take the High Road

    5.   What God Says to Children

    6.   Recovering Fatherhood

    7.  The Family at Work

    Appendix: A Special Word to Fathers

In his book, Bastian skillfully raises the reader's esteem of marriage as a God-given institution and blessing in chapter 1, "How Adam Got His Wife."  Since our society no longer holds marriage in high esteem, this chapter is crucial for giving readers a vision of what marriage can be.  Then Bastian moves on in the rest of his book to deal with three key New Testament passages that collectively express "God's House Rules" - rules for family living.  These passages are Ephesians 5:21-6:9, Colossians 3:18-22 and 1 Peter 3:1-7.  I have never read an author deal with the controversial submission issue in such a gentle, clear handed way that did not water down the concept of submission.  Bastian pulls this off gracefully.  He does this though careful interpretation and with the kind of illustrations that enable him to clarify just what he means and does not mean.  The illustrations alone are worth the price of the book.

Particularly helpful points in the book are that submission is something all people are called to in some form or other in life, not just wives, and that submission is a love gift from wife to husband, i.e., it cannot be coerced.  Further, the husband submits to his wife through servant leadership.  Again, Bastian's illustrations clarify his vision of what submission looks like in the marriage relationship.

Also helpful is a pointed discussion of the role of husbands and fathers and the high demands God makes of them.  This section alone is a must-read in our day of disengaged, distant, and absentee fathers.

Buy the book.  Give it as a gift.  Put it in your church library.  Give one to your pastor.  Read it together as a couple.  It will bless you.