Justin A. Schell’s book, The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church is a welcome addition to the growing list of books committed to advancing thJustin A. Schell’s book, The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church is a welcome addition to the growing list of books committed to advancing the cause of biblical theology. Schell clearly describes the mission of God to avoid any confusion at the outset: “God’s revelatory work intended to establish a divine-human communion within creation.”
The author guides readers from creation to the cross, which eventually leads to consummation in eternity future. The bulk of the book fills in the missing details and includes pertinent theological reflection, which supports the following assertion:
God’s mission is to reveal himself to humanity throughout the world in order to draw women and men into communion with himself. The role of God’s people in this mission is to witness to the revelation of God in word and deed, with priority placed on witnessing to those things revealed by God for salvation, found only in his word.
The book concludes triumphantly: “That is why the church’s mission is primarily one of verbal witness. Between the first and second comings of Christ, we are sent out into the world to plead with people to be reconciled to God.” This is our sacred duty and privilege!
The Mission of God and Witness of the Church is an essential work for anyone who has an interest in biblical theology.
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It is to my utter shame that I fell asleep in the middle of a J. I. Packer sermon during my freshman year at Multnomah University. The man in the pulpIt is to my utter shame that I fell asleep in the middle of a J. I. Packer sermon during my freshman year at Multnomah University. The man in the pulpit that morning helped restore Reformed theology in America. This man was a stalwart of the Christian faith. He was brave, bold, and uncompromising. And I fell asleep. Oh, that I could hit the “rewind button” and have another chance to hear Dr. Packer preach the Word of God.
J. I. Packer has been with the Lord since 2020. But even after his death, the Anglican churchman continues to speak. Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age is a series of lectures, originally delivered at Reformed Bible College in 1978. The lectures focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Packer presents Christ’s humanity and his deity. He unveils the death of Jesus and also presents his uniqueness.
Each chapter is packed with typical Packer flair (a word that he would have likely abhorred). He simply had a way of presenting biblical reality in a candid way that never deviated from the sacred text. These chapters are much-needed in our day and remind us that compromise always has consequences. Packer’s challenges undercut and annihilate theological liberalism and they, at the same time, exult and exalt the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Lord raise up faithful men like J. I. Packer; men who will stand unafraid and proclaim the unvarnished truth of the gospel.
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“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your co“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” Peter’s charge to the people of God in 1 Peter 1 reverberates throughout the pages of Scripture, both the Old Testament as well as the New.
Marny Köstenberger’s book, Sanctification As Set Apart and Growing in Christ helps solidify this important biblical teaching. Her work is the latest installment in Crossway’s series, The Short Studies in Biblical Theology. Students of Scripture are encouraged to trace critical themes in the biblical metanarrative.
Köstenberger begins with creation and links the doctrine of sanctification with the biblical covenants. She argues that “the story of God’s relationship with humanity is bound up with presence: God created humans to live in his presence; they transgressed the Creator’s command and consequently were expelled from his presence. God restored Israel and the people of God utilizing the biblical covenants which are summed up and consummated in the New Covenant, where the law of God is written on the hearts of his people and his presence is manifest through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Various themes are presented with the intention of tying the doctrine of sanctification so followers of Christ may understand and be edified. The themes of union with Christ and suffering are two themes that stand out in particular.
The author is quick to point out the practical nature of sanctification. In the final analysis, she writes, “We’ve become part of God’s mission to bring his name and saving message to the ends of the earth as we witness boldly to the one who lives inside us.” May each reader be strengthened by the indwelling Spirit and may his work of grace continue unhindered in the lives of his people!
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Most small children memorize Romans 3:23 as a part of their education in the church: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” These cMost small children memorize Romans 3:23 as a part of their education in the church: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” These children grow up, having memorized this verse but many fail to understand the gravity of what it means to fall short of God’s glory. Isaiah 43:7 drives home the importance of what it means to live for the glory of God:“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Mitchell Chase sheds light on this important subject in his book, Short of Glory: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall. The author notes, “By thinking about the Bible’s storyline that takes readers from the garden to the lasting city, we can understand where to plot our own lives.”
So the book begins in the Garden of Eden where the first couple disobeyed God and fell under the curse. They were cast out of the garden and faced the prospect of physical and spiritual death. The first couple fell short of God’s glory. As such, there was a new spiritual chasm that existed between Adam and Eve and God. Chase observes, "This separation is relational. Due to sin, God’s image bearers do not naturally enjoy peace and communion with God. Due to sin, God’s image bearers reject his righteous rule and wise commands.”
Chase guides readers from the garden to the New Earth in successive steps that emerge in redemptive history from the promise of a Redeemer in Genesis 3:15 to the incarnation of Jesus, his perfect life, death, burial, and resurrection and his coming in glory and reign in eternity future. At the heart of the discussion is a helpful treatment of the so-called covenant of works: “When theologians teach that Adam was in a ‘covenant of works,’ they are not implying that Adam merited or earned his standing with God.” This covenant helps elucidate the importance of the cross of Christ and points to a coming Redeemer who would ultimately fulfill the covenant that Adam failed to carry out.
Another helpful discussion concerns salvation through judgment. Drawing deep into the wells of James Hamilton’s excellent work, God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment, Dr. Chase shows how Jesus is revealed and crushes the head of the serpent through death, or salvation through judgment.
Short of Glory is a short overview that rivets the attention of readers on the gospel. The author adds, “While Genesis 3 tells of the unfaithfulness in a garden, the four Gospels tell of faithfulness in a garden. The last Adam came to crush a serpent and redeem a people. He came to reverse the curse.” May each person read this excellent work with eyes to see the shattering effects of sin and the majesty and glory of our Triune God and his redemptive purposes!
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Reformed Theology by Jonathan Master is a short and readable overview that guides people through the basics of this historical theological position. MReformed Theology by Jonathan Master is a short and readable overview that guides people through the basics of this historical theological position. Masters summarizes Reformed theology by pointing readers to the so-called five points of Calvinism, which emerged at the Synod of Dort in 1618-1619. These five succinct doctrinal pillars were direct responses to the Arminians of the day. Reformed theology is also undergirded by the five solas of the Reformation - grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, Scripture alone, and to God alone be the glory.
Master helpfully summarizes Reformed theology by pointing to three key articles. Reformed theology 1) affirms the five solas and all their implications, 2) recognizes the centrality of the covenant in God’s saving purposes, and 3) is expressed in a historic and public confession of faith.
Reformed theology also rightly makes much of the sovereignty of God. The author adds:
Creation shows that God alone is in charge; he alone has the right to demand obedience and allegiance. God’s promise of salvation demonstrates that God is in charge of the future as well as the present and past. He can promise that something will take place, and the fulfillment of that promise is guaranteed.
The covenants of Scripture are explored which “provide the skeleton or structure for what God reveals about himself and for how he redeems his people.” The book surveys the biblical covenants and concludes with the New Covenant which grants spiritual life to the people of God and gives them the ability to obey him and worship him as Scripture demands. Masters concludes:
Understanding the covenantal structure of the Bible is vital to understanding the nature of Reformed theology. Because Reformed theology is centered on the Scriptures, the way in which the Bible reveals God’s salvation must inform how we understand and proclaim it today. When we look carefully at the covenants as they unfold in Scripture, we not only see Jesus Christ more clearly but also see the breadth of God’s salvation to all nations and the glories of a salvation that is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone - all to the glory of the triune God.
Finally, the blessings of Reformed theology is explored. This chapter is a fitting conclusion as the author reveals several practical blessings that are part and parcel of the Reformed approach to understanding Scripture. Reformed Theology by Jonathan Master is a clear summary of the Reformed faith that should grace every pastor's shelf. Pastors should in turn recommend this powerful little book to inquiry minds and those who need a primer on the basics of Reformed theology.
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Evangelicals can be accused of many things. But of the most offensive things to be accused of is being a Pharisee. These ancient “high-brow theologianEvangelicals can be accused of many things. But of the most offensive things to be accused of is being a Pharisee. These ancient “high-brow theologians” knew their Bibles and worked hard at being religious, yet Jesus called them, “white-washed tombs.”
Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as a Cure of the Church’s Hypocrisy by Michael Reeves tackles this subject in a straightforward and biblical fashion. The author remarks, “Pharisaism, after all, is the sort of heartless formal religion that marks the first subtle step in the spiritual decline of a church before it ever flies into outright hypocrisy.”
Reeves argues that the Pharisee's primary problem was with the gospel: “The Pharisees were as they were and acted as they did because they denied the gospel … Their character was a manifestation of their theology.”
According to Reeves, the critical theological mistakes of the Pharisees lay in three areas: 1) Their approach to Scripture, 2) Their understanding of salvation, and 3) Their disregard of regeneration. The core of the book focuses on these three areas, namely - revelation, redemption, and regeneration.
Anyone familiar with Michael Reeves will attest that his treatment of a given topic is always fair, thought-provoking, and most importantly - biblical. After exploring the three theological mistakes of the Pharisees, he summarizes his central argument:
In the gospel we receive the revelation of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the regeneration of the Spirit. Through the gospel shines the light of the knowledge of the glory of a speaking God, a merciful and gracious God, a God who is love and who therefore looks more on the heart than the appearance. The gospel brings us to enjoy him.
I’ve never known a Christian who didn’t bristle at the thought of being labeled as a Pharisee. However, Reeve’s book shines the spotlight on sinful hearts and reveals that lurking beneath is the spirit of the ancient Pharisee. Evangelical Pharisees is the proper response to the problem that plagues us all. May we return to the heart of the gospel, which is the cure for our hypocrisy.
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The doctrine of hell is under attack. Voices that fuel the fire against the doctrine of hell come from philosophers, and university professors, and isThe doctrine of hell is under attack. Voices that fuel the fire against the doctrine of hell come from philosophers, and university professors, and is tragically opposed by some pastors. Dane Ortund makes a biblical case for the doctrine of eternal punishment in his recent book, Is Hell Real? Ortund’s work is included in Church Questions, a series produced by 9Marks ministries.
Dr. Ortlund summarizes his work at the beginning: “Hell is needed, awful, close, and deserved by everyone - but there is a way to avoid getting there. This fitting summary becomes the basis for the remainder of the book as the author presents his case for the doctrine of hell. The book is clear, compelling, winsome, humble, and most of all - biblical.
Churches would do well to make this book available to people in the pews for instruction and help with evangelism.
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