Life Matters

A Book Review of "Believer's Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ"

Schreiner, Thomas R. and Shawn D. Wright. Believer's Baptism : Sign of the New Covenant in Christ, Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2006. 358 pp.

Schreiner and Wright are to be commended for setting forth a contemporary restatement of the biblical doctrine of baptism. Their work is based upon a high view of Scripture that takes into consideration the full scope of God’s revelation and church history. In a day in which many believers either downplay the importance of baptism, refuse to be baptized, call it a minor issue, or argue over the proper mode of baptism, this book is a welcomed voice. It will be a helpful resource to anyone, especially church leaders, who wish to recover or maintain a proper view of the role of baptism in the Christian life and in the church. Believer’s Baptism will also serve as a good tool for those who wish to defend the doctrine of believer’s baptism by immersion. It is helpful to have such a thoughtful, biblical, and scholarly work to which to refer when addressing this debate with others. While the authors reject the practice of paedobaptism, they do so only after carefully and accurately considering the paedobaptist’s position. Their arguments are well-reasoned and balanced and they fairly represent the opposing view. The authors go to great lengths to remind the reader that good evangelical believers can and do disagree on these issues and that the opposing views of reformed paedobaptists should not be considered heretical.

The full review can be read below.

The Sanctity of Human Life

Jan 15, 2012 - 9AM from Fort Caroline Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Do Yourself A Favor And Learn The Rules Of Biblical Interpretation

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, HCSB)  

I have found seven principles of biblical interpretation to be very useful as I grapple with the Word of God. These are from Kay Arthur's book, "How To Study Your Bible: The Lasting Rewards of the Inductive Model." You will keep yourself out of a lot of theological error if you remember these rules.

Principle one: Remember that context rules.  (CONTEXT IS KING) This principle states that the context of a verse or passage must always be considered for correct interpretation. The student of Scripture must consider the surrounding verses and chapters of the text, the book in which the text is found, and finally, the entire Word of God. The interpretation of a text must be consistent with the theme, purpose, and structure of the book in which it is found. The interpretation must be consistent with other Scriptures about the same subject in the Bible. And the historical and grammatical context of a text must be weighed foe correct interpretation. Just because two writers use the same word, for example, does not mean the two verses are related or have the same meaning. 

Principle two: Always seek the full counsel of God's Word. The Bible student must avoid building his interpretation on a few isolated proof verses. He must consider the larger teaching of God’s Word by saturating himself in a comprehensive study of the Bible. He must ensure that he has not overlooked other important Scriptures related to his text.

Principle three: Remember that Scripture will never contradict Scripture.  Kay writes, “The best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture.” This statement is true because God is the author of the Word of God and He never contradicts Himself.

Principle four instructs the interpreter to not base a doctrine "on an obscure passage of Scripture." Kay Arthur defines an obscure passage of Scripture as one in which the clear meaning is not easily understood. Doctrine should be founded upon the clear, consistent, and repeated teachings of God’s Word.

Principle five: Interpret Scripture literally. This means that the Bible student should take the Word of God at face value instead of looking for hidden meanings. The interpreter should look for the clear meaning of a passage by considering its literary style, historical context, and grammatical construction. "Consider what is being said in the light of its literary style. For example, you will find more similes, and metaphors in poetical and prophetic literature than in historical or biographical books" (p. 63).

Principle six: Look for the author’s intended meaning of the passage. To interpret a passage one must seek the original meaning of the author. Every Bible author wrote with a specific purpose in mind, to a specific audience, in a specific time and place. The Bible interpreter cannot twist the Scripture into a meaning the author did not intend.

Principle seven: Check your conclusions by using reliable commentaries.  This practice will be a further check of correct interpretation. Commentaries should be used to examine the text and to compare the interpreter’s conclusions with noted Bible scholars. It is vital, however, that the commentaries used for this purpose comes from a person who holds to the inerrancy of Scripture. Some people object to this principle saying that they only need to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance. While it is true that the Holy Spirit is our teacher, it is also true that God has gifted the church with "pastors and teachers" to equip the saints of God for the work of God and for spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16). The reason some people are "tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine" as Paul puts it, is because they will not study the Scriptures accurately and they will not learn from gifted teachers God has placed in the church. 

 

John Piper Interviews Rick Warren

John Piper does a great job interviewing Rick Warren about his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," his theology, and his methodology. The interview is very enlightening and fair. Rick shows that he is not what many people have tried to make him out to be. I have a deeper respect for both of these men.

 

 

What Is The Big Idea Behind Sermon-Based Small Groups?

At Fort Caroline Baptist Church we allow our youth and adult Life Groups to align with the sermons I preach on Sunday mornings. This means that the groups are studying the same passage I am preaching from. Since we began offering this option 80% of our adult life groups and 100% of our youth groups have aligned to the message series. Our members tell us that they enjoy digging deeper into the truths they hear me preach. The group-time gives them the ability to ask questions that the sermon raised. It also allows people the chance to discuss ways to apply the lessons they are learning from God's Word. The leaders in the late Bible study hour tell me that they enjoy the extra preparation they receive by hearing the sermon prior to going to their group. One of the results of this approach is our people leave church on Sunday having focused on one "Big Idea" from God's Word and how it applies to daily living. To learn more about the benefits of aligning your small group ministry with the preaching ministry of the church you can watch the brief video below (Josh Hunt interviewed me and John Shultz about the idea) and read my previous post on the topic here. I also recommend the book, "The Big Idea," by Dave Ferguson.

Almost Christian (A Book Review)

Dean, Kenda Creasy. Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Kenda Creasy Dean is Associate Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. She worked on the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) and is the author of several books (book cover). Almost Christian is based on Dean's study of the religious lives of American thirteen-to-seventeen year olds through the National Study of Youth and Religion. Her goal was to extrapolate information that would prove beneficial to the church as it seeks to engage youth through targeted ministries (p. ix). She describes the "gist" of what the study revealed when she writes, "American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith—but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school. One more thing: we're responsible" (p. 3). The study conducted through personal interviews with 3,300 American teenagers between 2003-2005 reveals that most do not possess a compelling faith. They have adopted a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." The guiding beliefs of these teens include:

1. A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die. (p. 14)

Dean contends that because the church has failed to inculcate youth with a compelling doctrine, vision of God, and purpose for life that the church is no longer important to youth. They are not hostile to the church because the church is not important enough for them to feel strongly one way or the other. Dean places the blame for this state of affairs at the doorstep of the church who has effectively separated youth from the life of the church as a whole and who has communicated a watered down message "so devoid of God's self-giving love in Jesus Christ, so immune to the sending love of the Holy Spirit that it might not be Christianity at all" (p. 12).

Only One Life: The Biography of Stephen F. Olford

I had the honor of meeting Dr. Stephen Olford (1918-2004) in the late '90's when I attended a week-long workshop on the essentials of expository preaching. I found Dr. Olford to be one of the most godly, Spirit-filled, and anointed men I have ever met. He truly inspired me to dedicate myself to the task of preaching God's Word and leading God's people. His book, Anointed Expository Preaching is a must read for any preacher of the Word. You can read my review of Dr. Olford's biography below. (I believe the biography is out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon at a very good price.)

Phillips, John. Only One Life: The Biography of Stephen F. Olford. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux, 1995. 352 pp.

    Dr. John Phillips, is uniquely qualified to write the biography of Stephen Olford, having met him in Newport, South Wales when Phillips was twelve years old. Stephen was in his twenties at the time, and was already recognized in the community as a gifted spiritual leader and Bible teacher. Their membership in the same church allowed Phillips the opportunity to be taught and mentored by Olford. Phillips grew up to be an accomplished expositor, preacher, author, and evangelist in his own right. He traces much of his spiritual formation and ministry back to the profound influence of his friend, Stephen Olford. It is out of this personal debt of gratitude that Phillips writes the biography. He aims to provide a record of Olford's ministry as a means to calling the readers to emulate Olford's commitment to serving the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is also a strong emphasis throughout the book on Olford's commitment to expository preaching as an example to present-day preachers.

A Review of "The New Guidebook for Pastors"

Bryant, James W., and Mac Brunson. The New Guidebook for Pastors. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2007.

James W. Bryant and Mac Brunson collaborate as authors of The New Guidebook for Pastors.  Bryant (Th.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is senior professor of pastoral theology at The Criswell College in Dallas, Texas.  Brunson (D. Min., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida.  The idea for their book began with a discussion about revising Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors.  It was eventually decided that a new work was in order.  The purpose of the book is to provide an overview of all major facets of pastoral ministry.  The authors admit that each chapter of the book could easily be turned into a book of its own.  Their goal was to produce a resource that would aid the new pastor as well as the seasoned pastor.  They envisioned a text that would be used in seminaries in an effort to equip pastors for their work as well as producing a book that would be used regularly in the context of the local church.

Angels Among Us: The Amazing Truth About Angels

I am posting the video of Sunday's message titled, "The Amazing Truth About Angels." This was the first message in our new series on the biblical doctrine of angels. Four books that I have found helpful on this topic are Angels: God's Secret Agents by Billy Graham, Angels: Who They Are and How They Help (What the Bible Reveals), by David Jeremiah, Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, and Christian Theology by Millard Erickson. I hope you will avail yourself of these resources as you seek to discover the truth about angels.

A Book Review: The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative.

The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative, Steven D. Mathewson, 288 pages.

Steven D. Mathewson is to be blamed for rendering most of my Old Testament sermons obsolete.  For 20 years I have been content with preaching sermons from Old Testament narratives using the tried, and thought to be true, approach of “three points and a poem.”  If the text was especially long I might even develop up to seven points.  I could have easily compiled my outlines and produced an alliterative masterpiece called, "Simple Sermons For Sundays." Mathewson has dispelled my illusions of grandeur, however, and I will forever be grateful. 

The author convincingly argues that the purpose of Old Testament stories is “to lure people into real-life dramas where they run smack into God’s agenda and His assessment of their lives.”  Mathewson believes that this purpose can get lost in the traditional model of preaching.  The “story” becomes muddled by the preacher’s insistence on a pronounced analytical outline, or by reducing the narrative to an exegetical lecture with a few admonitions thrown in for good measure.  Thus, the author attempts to aid the preacher in developing the art of retelling these wonderful stories so that the “Big Idea” comes through.