JesusSaidFollowMe
Explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ From Old Creation to New Creation

Bible Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (April 2013)

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Vision for the Greatness of Christianity

“1. God is the greatest Reality in the universe.
2. Jesus is the greatest Savior, Master, and Friend that ever was or will be.
3. The Holy Spirit is the greatest Helper in the world.
4. The Bible is the greatest book there is.
5. The gospel is the greatest news ever sent.”
30 Reasons Why It Is a Great Thing to Be a Pastor by John Piper

Is Your Work Christian? How Christians Work

“When someone thinks about their work being “Christian,” all kinds of disturbing images come to mind:

• Opening a beauty salon called “A Cut Above” or a coffee shop called “He Brews.”
• Working awkward evangelism moments into sales calls.
• …sneaking a “Have a blessed day” into a salutation.
• Putting up posters about Bible study options at lunch…

I want to suggest five qualities that make work “Christian.” By “Christian” in this context I mean “done through faith in Jesus Christ.” Therefore, work that is Christian will have five qualities:
1. Christian Work Is Creation-Fulfilling
2. Christian Work Is Excellence-Pursuing
3. Christian Work Is Holiness-Reflecting
4. Christian Work Is Redemption-Displaying
5. Christian Work Is Mission-Advancing”

(GG: Technically, work can’t be Christian because the Bible uses the word “Christian” only as a noun, not an adjective. So maybe we should speak of Christians’ work or Christian workers. But whatever we call it, these 5 truths are helpful.) What Makes Work Christian? reviewed by J.D. Greear

5 Tools to Evangelize Teens

“1. Knowledge about the canonization of Scripture.
2. Developed theology of sexuality, particularly homosexuality.
3. Ability to teach the Bible in the greater context of redemptive history.
4. Theological, not only moral, understanding of sin.
5. Understand adoption as an element of salvation.”
5 Tools Needed to Reach Today’s Teens by Cameron Cole

Two Popular Children’s Story Bibles Reviewed

Conclusion on The Big Picture Story Bible:
“BPSB aims to present the Bible as a single story in which God’s king, his Son, brings blessing to the world through his death and resurrection for our sin and who reestablishes God’s rule over his world. The clarity of that presentation, derived from Goldsworthy, comes at the expense of the detail and texture of individual narratives, but that is in the nature of Bible overviews…

Conclusion on the Jesus Story Bible:
JSB aims to relate the stories of the Bible to the larger story of salvation, and, more specifically, to show how the OT narratives prefigure Christ’s role in that salvation, hence The Jesus Storybook Bible.59 It chooses the love of God for his children as the central theme… its emphasis without sufficient reference to God’s authority or holiness creates a tension with JSB’s clear account of the wrath-bearing death of Jesus. The characterisation of humanity principally as God’s children deceived into thinking that God does not love them makes the necessity of Jesus’ death harder to integrate and the wonder of it harder to grasp. It also shapes the account of Jesus’ earthly ministry: attractive in its beauty but hardly ever challenging in its authority, power, or purity. For that reason I would want to use JSB more selectively and cannot offer the unconditional endorsement that others often give it….

Summary of Both Books:
BPSB and JSB broke the mould in important respects. Instead of offering an anthology of biblical stories, they sought to tell one story…The benefits of tracing one thought throughout are clear, both as a way of emphasising the unity of Scripture and as a pedagogical tool for young children…Of the two I believe BPSB is the more successful in combining faithfulness to Scripture with a hermeneutical approach that lends clarity and unity to its presentation. As an overview of the Bible’s message it serves a useful purpose.” Telling the Story from the Bible (Part 2): Reviewing The Big Picture Story Bible and The Jesus Storybook Bible by David Shaw

57 Biblical Book Reviews

What Bible topic interests you? Find it here in 57 book reviews. If you don’t want to spend money on books, you can learn a lot from good reviews. Themelios Book Reviews by various reviewers.

How to Preach the Bible’s Moods

“Do your sermons reflect an array of moods? Which moods do you tend to utilize the most? The least? The preacher who speaks almost exclusively in the indicative will be a bit heady. If he loads his sermons with exclamations and imperatives, he is likely relying too much on emotion. If he rarely uses the searching interrogative, his application may be lacking in power. Carrick says more, but you get the idea. The Spirit uses all of these moods to form people in Christ. A good preacher, in reliance on the Spirit, will therefore seek to use all of these moods too—not in equal measure, but in measure appropriate to the text in particular and the Christian faith in general…In sum, Carrick has written a uniquely useful book. I haven’t read anything quite like it. His theology of sacred rhetoric provides a helpful method of evaluating Christian preaching. Preachers of all stripes would benefit from Carrick’s discussion of moods and why they are important. However, the preachers who will benefit the most from the book are those, like me, who love the redemptive-historical approach to preaching.” Book Review: The Imperative of Preaching by David King

How Jesus Fulfills the Law (Whole O.T.): Jesus, the New Israel in Matthew’s Gospel

There are several ways to structure Matthew’s gospel. Many teachers have noticed Matthew shows how Jesus fulfills Old Testaments pictures/shadows/types from Israel’s history.

What did Jesus really mean when He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them?” God reveals Messiah’s glory to us as the One who fulfills the whole Old Testament’s prophecies and types. Here is the Jews prophesied Messiah. Did you know that Matthew structured his gospel so that Jesus repeats the history of Israel from Mt. 1-28?

“The purpose of this essay is to offer yet another analysis of Matthew’s structure…on the Mosaic typology of Matthew…Matthew organized his account of the life of Jesus as a…recap. of Israel’s history, in which Jesus replays both major individual roles of that history (Moses, David, Elisha, Jeremiah) as well as the role of the nation herself…In all the gospels, Israel rejects her Messiah, but Matthew’s typological plot shows that this history of rejection is consistent with Israel’s entire history. Jesus comes as the new Moses, and is resisted; as was Moses. Jesus comes as a greater David, but is resisted by the leaders of Israel; as was David. Jesus teaches with a wisdom greater than Solomon, but many in Israel refuse his yoke; as they did with the house of David. Jesus is a prophet like Elisha, offering life to Israel, but many prefer Herod-Ahab; as they did in the time of Elisha. Jesus is Jeremiah, and Jeremiah, is a suffering prophet. What Matthew makes explicit is that in rejecting these servants, Israel was rejected the Lord who sent them.”

I don’t agree with all the author’s claims or all his other writings. But this article is helpful. Jesus as Israel: The Typological Structure of Matthew’s Gospel by Peter Leithart

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Bible Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (Feb. 2013)

Saturday, March 2nd, 2013
By Greg Gibson

Contexualization, Tim Keller, and Gay Marriage

Contextualization: How Would You Evangelize a 1st Century, Gay, Cult Prostitute?
“We’ve all heard a lot in recent years about the great obstacles that faces us in reaching our generation…Different remedies are being suggested to reach this generation. We must become post-modern in our approach, some say. Others say that we must engage the culture by becoming more relevant and in touch. We must watch the movies and the televisions programs; we must seek common ground through music, etc. Others have said that we must transform the way that church is to be done.”
It’s Worse (and better) Than You Think! by Jim Savastio

Hyper Contextualization vs. Balanced Contextualization:
Book Review of Center Church by Tim Keller
(GG: All preachers contextualize, some more than others. So the question isn’t “Whether?” it’s “How much?” There are 2 extremes: Hypo-Contextualization and Hyper-Contextualization. The author is critiquing the Hyper view which is popular in the Church today.)
“How can we reach the world?” is not the first question a church should ask. The greatest challenge for the people of God today is the greatest challenge that the people of God faced in the Garden, in the wilderness, in the land of Israel, in exile, in the early church, and in the last twenty centuries: how can we be faithful to our saving Lord and his Word?…
The trouble is, Keller mixes up his categories here by pitting faithfulness against fruitfulness. Faithfulness is a measure of what we do, while fruitfulness and success are both a measure of the results. In other words, where Keller sees three horizons (success, faithfulness, fruitfulness), I only see two, the horizons of activity and results. One might notice then that he leaves unexplained how “fruitfulness” is anything other than a biblical gloss on “success”—a distinction with no difference. Which means, Keller, whether he intends to or not, has just told church leaders to look firstly at the results of their ministries, and then to adjust their activities accordingly…the end justifies the means….
The overarching question at stake is whether mission/outreach is your controlling ambition, the umbrella under which everything else fits. Or is faithfulness/obedience your controlling ambition and categorical umbrella? That is, should Christians ambitiously pursue the mission and fruitfulness as one aspect of being faithful (9Marks), or does the mission call us, among other things, to faithfulness (missional)? Keller and the missional movement, like the seeker-sensitive movement of the eighties and the revivalists of earlier decades, effectively say the latter. They will affirm the importance of faithfulness, but—you might have noticed—it is a faithfulness “among other things” that accomplishes the mission. Among other things, church leaders must have business saavy, said the seeker generation. Among other things, Christians must be culturally astute, says the missional generation…
Contextualization, that is to say, is biblical. You will find no dispute from me here… First, you can emphasize contextualization too much, as indicated by treating it as the key to success…The key to a fruitful ministry is always the work of the Word and the Spirit. We plant and water. Then it is over to God to decide about growth…But why has contextualization suddenly become so much more essential to ministry today than it has been at any other point since Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden?…
Am I saying you should not read the book? No. In fact, you should. It is brilliant in many ways. My advice, essentially, is to rip out the introduction (the fruitfulness stuff) and maybe chapter 10 (the “A” to “B” stuff) which sets up chapters 1 to 30 as the key to successful ministry, and read chapters 1 to 30 because most of them are really, really good. In fact, the priggish “we’re more faithful” types should especially read it because we could learn to be more conscientious, personally and culturally.” Book Review: Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City by Jonathan Leeman of 9Marks

How to Answer Controversial Questions in Evangelism
“When Piers or Larry or Tavis or Rosie or Ellen or The View or whoever tried probing me about homosexuality, or wifely submission, or any other area where God has spoken (to the world’s consternation), I think I’d decline the worm altogether. I think instead, I’d say something like, “You know, TaPierRosEllRy, when you ask me about X, you’re obviously picking a topic that is deeply offensive to non-Christians — but it’s far from the most offensive thing I believe…”The most offensive thing I believe is Genesis 1:1, and everything it implies.” The most offensive verse in the Bible by Dan Phillips of Pyromaniacs

The Gay Marriage Mirage
“few homosexual relationships last longer than two years, with many men reporting hundreds of lifetime partners…the modal range for number of sexual partners ever [of homosexuals] was 101-500.” In addition, 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent had between 501 and 1,000 partners. A further 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent reported having had more than one thousand lifetime sexual partners…Data from Vermont, Sweden, and the Netherlands reveal that only a small percentage of homosexuals and lesbians identify themselves as being in a committed relationship, with even fewer taking advantage of civil unions or, in the case of the Netherlands, of same-sex “marriage.” This indicates that even in the most “gay friendly” localities, the vast majority of homosexuals and lesbians display little inclination for the kind of lifelong, committed relationships that they purport to desire to enter.” Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples by Family Research Council

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Bible Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (Jan. 2013)

Friday, February 1st, 2013

By Greg Gibson

Women Are Worthy
“Being a complementarian means that I believe men and women are made differently. I think we are designed for different roles to reflect different parts of the character of God…When I first heard the conviction I now embrace, I’m pretty sure I wanted to throw up. And whenever the nausea passed, I was left with a nagging sense of embarrassment…

I work for a plurality of male leadership inside a complementarian church, and every single day I come to work in one of the most intellectually challenging jobs I’ve ever had. I manage strategic leadership in several areas, I am frequently asked for wisdom and counsel (which is crazy if you know me), and my teaching gift was not only identified by my male elders, it was developed and continues to be championed by them. If not for their complementarian intervention, I wouldn’t be close to the woman I was made to be. If my complementarian male co-worker hadn’t challenged me to go deep in theology and deeper in the Word I would still be shallow in my faith….

Women under my leadership struggled for a long time—not because the men in the church didn’t value them—but because I didn’t value them. I was too busy wanting to play in the male sandbox to see women right in front of me who desperately needed the very gifts and design that God placed in me. I honestly think I fought for the right to do everything the guys did because in dark and deep places in my heart I believed that what they did was more valuable. I didn’t believe that a stay-at-home mom was as valuable as a CEO.” Women Are Worthy by Fabienne Harford

The Best Church Growth Method: The Gospel Is Sufficient for Church Growth
“Our service is severely plain. No man ever comes hither to gratify his eye with art, or his ear with music. I have set before you, these many years, nothing but Christ crucified, and the simplicity of the gospel; yet where will you find such a crowd as this gathered together this morning?…I have shown you nothing but the cross, the cross without flowers of oratory, the cross without diamonds of ecclesiastical rank, the cross without the buttress of boastful science. It is abundantly sufficient to attract men first to itself, and afterwards to eternal life! In this house we have proved successfully, these many years, this great truth, that the gospel plainly preached will gain an audience, convert sinners, and build up and sustain a church. We beseech the people of God to mark that there is no need to try doubtful expedients and questionable methods. God will save by the gospel still…” Why Spurgeon Thought the Plain Preaching of the Gospel Was Sufficient to Grow a Church by Charles Spurgeon via Justin Taylor

How to Evangelize Wisely
“I explained the basics – that Joseph Smith said he got a special message from an angel from God even though no one else saw the angel, that he said the [New Testament] had been changed and only the Book of Mormon was correct, that many people followed him, that Christians fought against him, and that he had strange ideas like polygamy. I got to share the message twice, each time only one woman listened – both were lawyer’s wives. They each said, ‘That’s just like Islam,’ very early on in my explanation. I explained that Joseph Smith did no miracles to prove that his message was really from God. I asked, ‘If I told you I had seen an angel and got a book from God, would you believe me?’ They said no. I asked, ‘If I turned this water into wine, would you believe me?’ ‘Maybe.’ ‘What if I healed Ibrahim Tatlises (partially paralyzed pop singer from Turkey)?’ ‘Maybe.’ ‘What if I raised Baris Mancho (popular Turkish singer who died in 1999) from the dead? Would you believe me?’ ‘Yes!’ So I said, ‘Jesus did all these things. He brought a message from God. He turned water into wine. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. This is why I believe Jesus.” Praying for Evangelists and to Be a Better One Myself by Thabiti Anyabwile

Premarital Counseling Questions
“…aimed at aiding couples – whether dating and considering marriage, or engaged and preparing for marriage – to get to know each other better in some of life’s most significant matters, and be more fit to discern God’s leading for their lives.” Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage by John Piper

How Elders Can Build Unity and Friendship
“The way that the leaders of your church relate to one another will eventually be reflected in how the congregation relates to each other. Disharmony at the top will create serious division in the body. Harmony at the top creates safety and security for the flock… For years I have been greatly served by a team of men who enjoy the bond that has developed among fellow-shepherds of the flock. The times of mutual joy as well as challenge have forged cherished friendships.” Building Unity and Friendship Among Elders by Bob Johnson

Top 10 Books of 2012
“Here are my top ten reads of 2012.” Top Ten Books of 2012 by Chad Knudson

God’s Sovereignty Teaching Outline
Table of Contents:
1. God’s Sovereignty Over Creation
2. God’s Sovereignty Over Sin and Suffering
3. God’s Sovereignty Over the Cross
4. God’s Sovereignty Over Salvation and Judgment
5. God’s Sovereignty Over History and the Future
A Pastorally Sensitive Book on God’s Sovereignty by Andy Naselli

6 Things You Must Believe if You’re Premillenial
“My departure from premillennialism and embrace of amillennialism was gradual and came as a result of two discoveries as I studied Scripture. First, I devoted myself to a thorough examination of what the New Testament said would occur at the time of Christ’s second coming (or parousia). What I found was a consistent witness concerning what would either end or begin as a result of our Lord’s return to the earth. Sin in the lives of God’s people, corruption of the natural creation, and the experience of physical death would terminate upon the appearance of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and the inauguration of the New Heavens and New Earth would ensue. But why is this a problem for premillennialism? Good question. Scriptural Challenges for Premillenialists If you are a premillennialist, whether dispensational or not, there are several things with which you must reckon:

1. You must necessarily believe that physical death will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s second coming.

2. You must necessarily believe that the natural creation will continue, beyond the time of Christ’s second coming, to be subjected to the curse imposed by the Fall of man.

3. You must necessarily believe that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

4. You must necessarily believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1,000 years subsequent to his return.

5. You must necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until at least 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

6. You must necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast into eternal punishment until at least 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

So what’s wrong with believing these things, asks the premillennialist? What’s wrong is that these many things that premillennialists must believe (because of the way they interpret Scripture), the NT explicitly denies. In other words, in my study of the second coming of Christ I discovered that, contrary to what premillennialism requires us to believe, death is defeated and swallowed up in victory at the parousia, the natural creation is set free from its bondage to corruption at the parousia, the New Heavens and the New Earth are introduced immediately following the parousia, all opportunity to receive Christ as savior terminates at the parousia, and both the final resurrection and eternal judgment of unbelievers will occur at the time of the parousia. Simply put, the NT portrayals of the second coming of Christ forced me to conclude that a millennial age, subsequent to Christ’s return, of the sort proposed by premillennialism was impossible.” Why I Changed My Mind About the Millennium by Sam Storms

5 Views of Biblical Theology
“‘biblical theology’” refers to something more specific: the study of the theology contained in the Bible, how the Bible fits together to tell one overarching story, and how the Bible reveals God and His actions in history… Klink and Lockett offer five views for understanding biblical theology, and they mark these views on a spectrum…

1. Biblical Theology as Historical Description
2. Biblical Theology as History of Redemption
3. Biblical Theology as Worldview-Story
4. Biblical Theology as Canonical Approach
5. Biblical Theology as Theological Construction”
5 Ways of Understanding Biblical Theology by Trevin Wax

Purgatory: An Evangelical Doctrine?
“Table of Contents:
• What’s the Difference? Gregg Allison Discusses the Major Differences Between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism
• The Gospel at Stake: Revisiting the Roman Catholic -Protestant Debate by R.C. Sproul
• Purgatory’s Logic, History & Meaning by Chris Castaldo
• Should Evangelicals Embrace the Doctrine of Purgatory? By Matt hew Barrett
• Purgatory: The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever by James White
• Editorial : Purgatory : Yes Or No? By Matthew Barrett
• 10 Questions With David & Sally Michael
• From The Horse’s Mouth Should Evangelicals Believe in Purgatory? 5 Minutes With Lee Gatiss
• On A Scale From 1-10 Do Evangelicals Today Have A Biblical Understanding of Life After Death?
• Book Reviews Reviewing New Titles From D.A. Carson, Constantine Campbell & More
• First Principles: How How-To Sermons Make Our People Functional Roman Catholics by Timothy Raymond” Purgatory: An Evangelical Doctrine? by Credo Magazine

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Bible Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (Dec. 2012)

Sunday, December 30th, 2012
By Greg Gibson

Never Underestimate the Power of the Gospel
“My grandmother was a prostitute. My grandfather committed suicide. My mother ran away with the best man at her wedding. And my father was a alcoholic gambling addict…I realized very quickly, particularly in the book of Romans, I need to take responsibility for my own sinful life…and not blame it on my poor childhood and others around me. So for the first time, I believed in the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ…Never ever underestimate the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ” Never Underestimate the The Power of the Gospel

The Self-Righteous Spouse
(GG: This could be written also by a husband.) “I was quick to point out sin and eager to share “observations” about how he could change or grow as a leader, all under the pretense of being his helpmeet. I judged my husband harshly our first year of marriage. I was quite self-righteous. I thought I was right, and I played the role of his “holy spirit.” Like I said, I masked it as being his helpmeet. Wrong! Wasn’t I helping him by sharing my wisdom and insights into every single part of his life? Surely he needed my help to become a godly man. (Obviously I’m speaking tongue-and-cheek.) I was filled with self-righteousness and self-absorption. There was a plank in my eye the size of a California redwood, but all I could see was the speck in his (Matthew 7:3)…

Most of my corrections stemmed from a desire to fill some perceived need of mine and had little to do with his sanctification. My desire was that he would change for me, not to please and glorify God. My observations were generally (not always) selfish. Again James helps us see why we might quarrel for selfish gain. He writes, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder” (James 4:1-2). Though we did not always fight outwardly, my heart was often committing murder. I would be angry and harsh. My “needs” weren’t being met, and so I would fight…

Now, nine years later, I’m still learning how to lovingly help my husband, but even more I am learning how to enjoy him. I have grown in looking for areas of grace and gifts. God has helped me use my tongue to encourage, build up, and praise him for how God has made him, rather than tear him down for how God didn’t make him.” The Self-Righteous Wife by Trillia Newbell

What if the World Ends Tomorrow?
So, how would you live if you knew today was your last day on earth?…The hope of the gospel gives us certain confidence as we face the future; and the joy of one day standing before Christ motivates us to continued faithfulness.

Of course, no discussion of the end of the world would be complete without including a reference to 2 Peter 3:10-15. In that passage, the apostle Peter vividly describes the way in which our world will actually be destroyed: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (v. 10). At that time, God will create a new earth in which righteousness dwells, and on which His people will dwell with Him for eternity (v. 13).

In describing those future realities, Peter offers three implications for his readers. First, make sure you have made peace with God (v. 14). Second, for those who have come to saving faith, pursue a life of holy conduct and godliness (vv. 11, 14). And third, share the good news with those who are lost — since God’s patience toward sinners (and the offer of salvation that accompanies it) will not last indefinitely (v. 15a). What if the World Ended Tomorrow? by Nathan Busenitz

I’m More Gospel-Centered Than You!
It’s all about justification and sanctification (is there a hole in our holiness?), about law and grace, about gospel motivation, about depravity and regeneration, about feeding on our justification and the danger of self-righteousness.
I read all this and wonder. I wonder if, from my limited perspective, we are experiencing the work of the devil. I wonder if Satan, the master of jiu jitsu of the soul, is not doing what he always does — pushing us to extremes. I wonder if he is not going about stirring up strife between people who are gospel-focused, and pushing them to think they are the most consistent, the most careful, the most grace motivated. I wonder if he is not at work to make us think we are “more gospel centered than thou.” More gospel- centered than thou by Mark Lauterbach

Open Your Eyes to God’s Goodness From 2012
“How can God be a God of justice, yet allow so much good to happen to people who dishonor him by disbelieving in him, or giving lip service to his existence, or paying no more attention to him than the carpet in their den, or rejecting the kingship of his Son, or scorning his word, or preferring a hundred pleasures before him?” Where Was God in All the Goodness of 2012? by John Piper

New Year’s Resolutions: Yours vs. This 19 Year-Old’s?
“But what is most striking about his resolutions is their razor-sharp focus. At only 19, he had formed the concrete realisation that many never actually face up to – that his life on this earth will one day end.” From This Life to the Next by Steve Kryger

The Best Books of 2012
Tony Reinke of Desiring God
Gospel Coalition
Blake White

The Top 10 Christian Articles of 2012
“In fact, eight of our ten most-read pieces of all time were published in 2012.” Gospel Coalition Top 10 Articles
Gay marriage, women’s rights, Mormonism, Trinity, etc. My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2012 by Collin Hansen

New Covenant Theology: 15 Important Articles
15 Important Articles for New Covenant Theology by Blake White

Four Approaches to Biblical Theology
“I look at recent biblical-theological works under four rubrics:
(1) classic approaches;
(2) central-themes approaches;
(3) single-center approaches;
(4) story or metanarrative approaches…
Each of these seeks to navigate the unity-diversity question in its own distinctive way (though there are commonalities as well).” The Present and Future of Biblical Theology by Andreas Kostenberger

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John Reisinger and Sound of Grace Moving

Monday, March 5th, 2012

“I just received the latest issue of Sound of Grace. This paper is associated with the ministry of John Reisinger, and used to be associated with the soundofgrace.com website. That website is no longer associated with the ministry of John Reisinger or New Covenant Media. Here is what John Reisinger wrote in the latest issue…” by Blake White at: New Sound of Grace

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Indicative-Imperative Balance Depends on Hearers’ Needs

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
By Greg Gibson

GG: Some wise words on how to motivate disciples to obey Christ…

“Many of you already know that on various blogs, including The Gospel Coalition, there has been a discussion concerning gospel indicatives and gospel imperatives in the sanctification process. It is not difficult to see how this debate has significant influence in the realm of biblical counseling…The crux of the debate seems to be the relative balance given to the communication of these two concepts in the sanctification process…allow the imbalances to drive you back to the text and find out what kind of balance the text of Scripture has…

I think the balance found is Scripture is an interesting one. There are some books, like the gospel of John, which have very few commands given to the readers (most of the commands take place between the various persons in the various accounts). John’s purpose is very clear according to John 20:30-31 – he wrote so that the reader would believe that the Messiah is Jesus and that by believing the reader would have life. So the whole book is given to prove two points and those two points would encourage belief. If I take my theology from John I would have to conclude that you give truth 90% of the time. Why focus on application? Why focus on command? Give truth and the rest will come.

In the book of James, however, imperatives are found in 1 out of every 3 verses. Apparently, James did not feel the same need to give long discussions of gospel indicatives before giving numerous commands. Admittedly, gospel indicatives still form the foundation of the command, but the way that James commands is a bit different than we find in many other books.

The book of Hebrews includes commands in about 1 out of every 10 verses. However, one must admit that the imperatives found in Hebrews are some of the most potent in the entire NT. What Hebrews lacks in quantity is more than made up for in potency. The ratio in Colossians is almost 1 in 3 verses (slightly less in Ephesians and 2 Timothy), while 2 Corinthians has an imperative to verse ratio of 1 to 15. Why the diversity? Why is the balance in one of Paul’s book so high and in a different book it is very low?

While these stats do not tell the whole story, they do give us a clue into how Scripture might encourage us to strike the balance. Maybe the Scripture demonstrates that there were different needs among the various peoples in various locations. Some folks needed to be reminded of all that Christ had done, while others needed a bit more exhortation. Maybe the wise biblical counselor will do the same. The wise counselor will not only exegete the meaning of the text, but they will also exegete the people they are trying to help. The balance of indicative to imperative is different depending on context.” Gospel Indicatives And Imperatives: Where Is The Debate Anyway? By Rob Green

GG: Here are 2 ways to maintain the Holy Spirit’s inspired balance:
1. Consecutive expository preaching through whole books of the Bible.
2. Avoid pet doctrines by emphasizing the explicit more than the alleged implicit.

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Simplistic Sanctification: No Single Key

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

By Greg Gibson

Have you ever searched for THE key to Christian growth? Here are a couple of helpful excerpts from an article “Sanctification and the Nature of the Gospel” by William Evans…

“According to Tchividjian and others, the heart of the gospel is the message of justification by grace through faith, and everything else is extracted from this center (GG: But most of the gospel messages in Acts omit justification. So did the apostles omit ‘the heart of the gospel?’)…The fact of the matter is that the heart of the gospel is not justification. Nor is it sanctification.”

“It is Jesus Christ himself, who is ‘our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption’ (1 Corinthians 1:30). The Apostle Paul came preaching ‘Christ crucified’ (1 Corinthians 1:23) and more often than not he directed Christians, not to their own justification, but to the crucified and risen Christ in whom they are both justified and sanctified…”

“Over the years we have seen a number of Protestant quests for the ‘silver bullet’ of sanctification. The holiness writers told us that if we can somehow attain to that second work of grace all will be well. The Keswick authors argued that if we just ‘let go and let God have his wonderful way, our doubts will all vanish, our night turn to day.’ The problem here was twofold–these proposals were unbiblical and they didn’t work–and Reformed theologians of an earlier generation were right to cry foul.”

“Now some would have us believe that if we just really get the doctrine of justification then sanctification will inevitably ensue. The biblical picture of sanctification, however, is much more comprehensive…” Sanctification and the Nature of the Gospel by William Evans

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“What the Bible Says About Earthquakes” (No More Earthquakes in the New Earth)

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
By Greg Gibson

In light of the recent earthquakes in Japan, it’s a good time to ask the question, “What does God say in the Bible about earthquakes?” Here’s a helpful Bible study from The New Topical Textbook by R.A. Torrey: The Bible on Earthquakes.

Let’s continue to pray that God will have compassion and…

  • Send workers to rescue the trapped.
  • Heal the injured.
  • Feed the hungry.
  • Protect those in danger.

And may the Christians in Japan have compassion and wisdom speaking the gospel of hope to the fearful and grieving.

P.S. In the Bible study above, Torrey forgot the most important earthquake in the Bible, the last earthquake in history, the only earthquake I’m looking forward to…

“25 See that you do not reject the One who speaks; for if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. 27 Now this expression, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:25-29, HCSB).

There will be no more earthquakes when the kingdom of heaven comes down to the new earth at the end.

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Best Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (Feb. 2011)

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

I’m sorry, but due to health and time limitations, I can not write the Best Blogs Digest this month. Please check back next month.

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Best Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (Jan. 2011)

Monday, January 31st, 2011

How Would You Summarize the Bible’s Message in One Sentence?
26 Christian leaders reply. Here are 2 of my favorites…
“Kevin DeYoung: A holy God sends his righteous Son to die for unrighteous sinners so we can be holy and live happily with God forever…
Tom Schreiner: God reigns over all things for his glory, but we will only enjoy his saving reign in the new heavens and the new earth if we repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the crucified and risen Lord and who gave himself on the cross for our salvation.” What’s the Message of the Bible in One Sentence? by Dane Ortlund

How to Teach Calvinism to Arminians
“In other words, we are Calvinists. But that label is not nearly as useful as telling people what you actually believe! So forget the label, if it helps, and tell them clearly, without evasion or ambiguity, what you believe about salvation. If they say, ‘Are you a Calvinist?’ say, ‘You decide. Here is what I believe…’” Saying What You Believe Is Clearer Than Saying “Calvinist” by John Piper

Top 5 Books on Calvinism
1. Still Sovereign by Thomas Schreiner and Bruce Ware
2. God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism by Bruce Ware
3. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by J. I. Packer
4. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility by Don Carson
5. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
Top Five Books on Calvinism by Sam Storms

Top 10 Trends in Biblical Counseling
“here are the top ten positive trends that I see in biblical counseling today” including…
“1. A Gospel-Centered Focus
Biblical counselors are emphasizing that wise counseling centers on Jesus Christ—his sinless life, death on the cross, burial, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. Biblical counseling points people to a person, Jesus our Redeemer, and not to a program, theory, or experience. We place our trust not in any human system but in the transformative power of the Redeemer as the only hope to change people’s hearts. Wise counselors seek to lead struggling, hurting, sinning, and confused people to the hope, resources, strength, and life that are available only in Christ…
5. A Comprehensive Model
In the past, biblical counseling might have been seen by some as somewhat one-dimensional with a focus on combating the impact of the fall/sin. Today, biblical counseling comprehensively examines creation (understanding people from God’s original design), fall (diagnosing problems resulting from sin), and redemption (prescribing God’s solutions through our salvation and sanctification in Christ).” The Top Ten Trends in Biblical Counseling by Bob Kellemen

Top 10 Counterfeit Gospels
“Below is a list of counterfeits I considered. I’m interested to see which ones you think are most prominent. Take the poll below and let me know” Which Counterfeit Gospels are Most Prevalent Today? by Trevin Wax

One Wife’s Rebellion Is Another Wife’s Submission
“When we move beyond the generalities of gender roles, we find that the specifics may look very, very different from one couple to another. Within the Bible’s general guidelines, there are many ways to work out the details…Which is to say that the way my wife submits to me, as the leader in the home, may look quite different from the way another wife submits to her own husband…If a wife wants to know if she is submitting to her husband, it may be that the better question for her to ask is, ‘Am I actively rebelling against his leadership?’ It’s not a matter of the particulars of what she does compared to other women, but whether she is following her husband as he leads her into being his perfect complement.” Whose Wife Are You? by Tim Challies

Law-Gospel Distiniction or Divisiveness?
“Mike Horton (MH): The Gospel can’t be lived. It’s the Law that’s lived. We obey the commands that we find in Scripture, we do not—the Gospel is not anything for us to do.”
GG: “those who do not OBEY THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thes. 1:8).
“those who DISOBEY THE GOSPEL of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17).
“we are proclaiming GOOD NEWS to you that you should TURN from these worthless things to the living God” (Acts 14:15).
“Frank Turk: but often WHI denigrates people who would say in concrete ways that they enjoy the Gospel — that they live for it and by it and through it.
Kim Riddlebarger (KR): we believe the Gospel, we obey the Law—and if you are not clear about that, then you’re going to go off on a mission and as you risk, as Jesus warned, making people more fit for Hell than they were before.”
“John Frame: It has become increasingly common in Reformed circles, as it has long been in Lutheran circles, to say that the distinction between law and gospel is the key to sound theology, even to say that to differ with certain traditional formulations of this distinction is to deny the gospel itself…The sharp distinction between law and gospel is becoming popular in Reformed, as well as Lutheran circles. It is the view of Westminster Seminary California, Modern Reformation magazine, and the White Horse Inn radio broadcast. The leaders of these organizations are very insistent that theirs is the only biblical view of the matter. One has recently claimed that people who hold a different view repudiate the Reformation and even deny the gospel itself…I believe that we should stand with the Scriptures against this tradition.
GG: The first time I heard the claim that the whole Bible can be divided into either law or gospel, I thought it sounded simplistic and reductionistic. When was the law-gospel distinction invented, the 16th century? If so, how could 15 centuries of Christians be ignorant of this gospel truth? Why did God not reveal this Bible key explicitly (instead of implicitly, as they claim?)
As the verses above and John Frame below show, the gospel includes the commands to repent, believe, and obey. A far more accurate distinction than law-gospel is indicative (truth)-imperative (command). And between those 2, we need Biblical balance. Open Letter to Michael Horton by Frank Turk, and Law and Gospel by John Frame

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