Seven Months of Reading

Over the last seven months, I've had some time to catch up on some of my reading. Since it is the end of the year, I thought I would give a run down of the books I have completed and those I am still working through and will complete in January 2014. It has been a while since I shared the books I have read over a period of time (here is my last post about that). For what it is worth, here they are (pages include footnote, which I normally read). The books are in alphabetical order by author's last name in each section.

Pastoral/Preaching (completed)

Title: 12 Challenges Churches Face
Author: Mark Dever
Year: 2008
Pages: 192

Title: Pastoral Leadership Is...:How to Shepherd God's People with Passion and Confidence
Author: Dave Earley
Year: 2012
Pages: 310

Title: And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting
Author: John Franklin
Year: 2005
Pages: 195

Title: Preaching with a Plan: Sermon Strategies for Growing Mature Believers
Author: Scott Gibson
Year: 2012
Pages: 141

Title: Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit`s Role in Sermon Preparation & Delivery
Author: Greg Heisler
Year: 2007
Pages: 156

Title: Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be.
Author: James MacDonald
Year: 2012
Pages: E-BOOK

Title: I am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference
Author: Thom Rainer
Year: 2013
Pages: 79

Title: Preaching with BOLD Assurance: A Solid and Enduring Approach to Engaging Exposition
Author: Hershael York and Bert Decker
Year: 2003
Pages: 275

Pastoral/Preaching (In Progress - to finish in January 2014)

Title: Ministry Is...:How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence
Author: Dave Early and Ben Gutierrez
Year: 2010
Pages: 313

Title: The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters
Author: Al Mohler
Year: 2012
Pages: 220

Christian and Non-Christian Fiction (Completed)

Series: The Book of Mortals
Author: Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

     Title: Forbidden
     Year: 2011
     Pages: 376

Series: The Thrawn Trilogy
Author: Timothy Zahn

     Title: Heir to the Empire
     Year: 1991
     Pages: 404

     Title: Dark Forces Rising
     Year: 1993
     Pages: 439

     Title: The Last Command
     Year: 1994
     Pages: 467

Series: Quadrail (Since May, I read the last 3 of this 5 book series - I have read the first 2 previously)
Author: Timothy Zahn

     Title: Odd Girl Out
     Year: 2008
     Pages: 387

     Title: The Domino Pattern
     Year: 2009
     Pages: 382

     Title: Judgment at Proteus
     Year: 2012
     Pages: 513

Christian and Non-Christian Fiction (In Progress - to finish in January 2014)

Title: S.
Author: J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
Year: 2013
Pages: 456 + Inserts

Series: The Book of Mortals
Author: Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

     Title: Mortal
     Year: 2012
     Pages: 418

Title: Sargasso of Space
Author: Andrew North
Year: 1955
Pages: E-BOOK

Miscellaneous

Title: History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time
Author: Brad Meltzer
Year: 2013
Pages: 152 + Inserts


Throughout the year, I read more books than these, but these all were since the end of May. Some that I read earlier in the year are worth noting (The Painful Side of Leadership by Jeff Iorg, and Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald) but this post is concerned with those book I have read since the end of May.

I have really enjoyed reading the Dave Earley books (Pastoral Ministry Is..., Pastoral Leadership Is...). I have a couple more in this series and will continue with them. I read a chapter a day after my Bible time.

Also, if you have not read "S." by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, it is the most unique book I have ever seen. If you like the T.V. show "Lost", you would like this book. The authors do the equivalent of flashbacks in the margins of the book you read, which is not a real book - you just have to see the book to understand. I got a copy for my daughter and a copy for me both at Sam's Club for about $20. It is worth it...so far.

2014 should usher in another great list of reading. I already have a few books burning a whole on my night stand ready to get started. And when I get through them, I will post them. Maybe even some reviews. I hope this has been helpful.

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Deal of the Day

One of my favorite places to get books is the Nazarene Bible College's Library. This is for two reasons. First, when the library has books for sale, hardback books are 50 cents and paper backs are 25 cents. It is hard to pass up a 50 cent book. The second reason is that because it is a Nazarene school there are always a bunch of Baptist books that they are clearing out (I really don't know if this is why there are always Baptist books for sale but it seems strange that the majority in their store seem to be Baptist authors). But Baptist or not, they usually have some interesting finds that one could not find anywhere else. 

 

However, today they had just finished their book sale (I was pretty sad I missed that but it was probably better that I missed it. I would have need a U-Haul to get all the books home). During the book sale, they were selling the books $1 per bag! They were gracious enough to extend that price to me. So the picture is the of the books I got for $1 - total! So, the picture today was my deal of the day(Click image for larger picture).

Granted, they are mostly old but feel that old commentaries don't go out of style. After all, if what the author had to say was truly clarifying to the biblical text, then it should be helpful no matter how old it is. Additionally, a person can track an interpretation of a passage over time.

I have written about my thoughts about commentaries and books here, here, and here so I won't repeat my thoughts.

In short, I was excited to get a bag of brief commentaries for $1. I am sure they will be useful when I preach through the respective books.

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My Gravestone

" What do you want written on your gravestone?"

This is a question that is asked by many to get people to think about how they want their life remembered. I have spend some time...not a lot but some...thinking "What would I want on my gravestone?" Or maybe more accurate a question is "How would I want to be remembered?"

I have been reading Dave Earley's book Pastor Leadership Is... and in the chapter about Feeding God's Sheep he has this quote:

At the end of one's ministry in any given place, the preacher should be able to say that he did not shun, he never hesitated, to proclaim the whole counsel of God, that Christ-centered, biblical agenda was evident throughout his preaching ministry; that preaching was not deceptively selective, nor was there negligence in this matter; and from the center to circumference, the truths of the Word of God were declared. (Steven Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 91 - quoted by Dave Earley in Pastoral Leadership Is..., 154).

As I read this I thought, "THIS is how I would like to be remembered!" I hope those who have sat under my preaching can say, Rolland "did not shun, he never hesitated, to proclaim the whole counsel of God, that Christ-centered, biblical agenda was evident throughout his preaching ministry; that preaching was not deceptively selective, nor was there negligence in this matter; and from the center to circumference, the truths of the Word of God were declared." If that was on my gravestone, and those who put it there did so because it was true, I would think that would mean I was faithful in the ministries to which God called me.

I am not all that concerned about remembered, nor do I care all that much about my gravestone...after all, when this body passes my attention will consumed with much more glorious things than what this world has to offer. I guess the point I am making is that I desire to be a faithful minister of the Word of God.

I pray that my ministry as a whole can be described as the above. I would think this would be the prayer of every preacher.

What do you want written on your gravestone?

 

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In the Beginning

A friend of mine has recently had a book published. It is entitled In the Beginning (click title to see it on Amazon) by Leanne Thomas. It is a retelling of the first seven chapters of Genesis.

You can read sections of this book from her blog Leanne Thomas Writes.

If you are needing a Christmas gift for someone, purchase this unique book for them. They will love it.

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Excursus: The Value of Commentaries

In my series on sermon preparation, I indicated that a valuable resource in creating a sermon is commentaries. I have heard many people condemn the use of commentaries, stating things like, "I do not use commentaries. I only use the Word of God" or "I do not care what the scholars say, I only care about what Jesus says" or "Using a commentary is essentially saying some man's views are as inspired as the Bible." I assume statements like these are meant to sound spiritual but in reality they sound arrogant and uninformed. Commentaries are a useful and crucial part of studying Scripture. Here is why.

To begin with, it should be noted that no one believes commentaries to be as inspired as Scripture is. This is a straw-man argument. It is easy to for someone to critique another for using a commentary in their study by accusing them of something that is not true and then knocking down that argument. I know of no bible student, NO bible student, who views commentaries with the same value as they view the Bible.

Instead, bible students see commentaries as a personal consultant, so to speak. Which one of us would NOT ask a knowledgeable, mature, strong Christian their opinion on passages we may be struggling with if that Christian was sitting next to us in the pew. That is what we are doing when we consult a commentary. The scholars who write commentaries may have devoted their entire Christian life studying one book or a section of books (this does not mean they do not read the whole Bible, they just spend their professional career in a few books). They have devoted themselves to understand the times which the book was written. They have spent hours pouring over the text in the original language. They have had a lifetime of allow the text transform them through the principles gathered from their studies. They have taught others the nuances of the text. In short, they are experts regarding the text, usually.

If there is some student out there that says, "I do not need the insights of mature Christians who have studied the text in depth and could add to my understanding" then that student should stop their study, get on their knees, and begin to ask God to work on their pride issues. Yes, we each have the Holy Spirit. But why do the critics assume the Holy Spirit does not work in those who spend their life studying a particular text. Additionally, why do the critics fear thinking about the text instead of just "feeling" it. God has given us mind which can comprehend truth. We should use it.

Secondly, there are times we are wrong about our own interpretations about a text, as much as we do not want to admit it. I had friend tell me once that the passage in Isaiah that says "Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength" was not about "waiting" as in patiently waiting for the Lord, but it was instead about "waiting" like what waiters do. Therefore, his "new" interpretation of the text was that those who are busily serving the Lord will renew their strength. This may preach in some congregations and there may be pastors who want this to be the interpretation but the fact is, it is a wrong interpretation. A quick study of the words show that "wait" strangely enough means "wait, to patiently wait on the Lord" much like Jesus told his disciples, "wait in Jerusalem until the Promised one comes." (Can you imagine Jesus telling the 11 disciples who were holed up in their room after his death, "go about busily serving me until the Holy Spirit comes.") Working with commentaries would help us see when we are misunderstanding a text.

Yes, it is true that commentators can also be wrong about a text. This happens frequently. That is why one should consult several different sources and not just their favorite author. It not always majority rules but we come up with "waiter" and every other person in the world and throughout history has said "patiently wait," perhaps we may want to rethink our interpretation. Or are we so arrogant to think that God has not revealed this insight to anyone else throughout history and earnest, godly men have missed this meaning simply because they just were not smart/spiritual/ingenious enough?

Thirdly, not all commentaries are equal. There are some that better than others. There are some that are conservative in their approach to Scripture and there are some that liberal in their view of Scripture. A good Bible student researches these, and can avoid the liberal commentaries, unless he needs to see how liberal theologians are misleading the church. There are commentaries which deal more with the technical issues of the text and some that more devotional in content. Some are scholars working with the text and some are just transcriptions of a pastor's sermon. All of them have their place and it up to the Bible student to find the right mix to provide a good overview of the text in question.

Finally, please note that consulting the commentaries came closer to the end of the study process than the beginning. No commentary was written to be the first source. If you ask any commentator about the use of their material, they will affirm that the Bible should be studied independently at first and then after sufficient time with the text should a commentary be consulted. Perhaps, this is where the critics do understand. Maybe when they use commentaries they are tempted to go directly to them and they have not been properly taught about the use of commentaries. Or perhaps they have seen people misuse commentaries. Whatever, the case, consulting commentaries should be closer to the end of the study rather than at the beginning.

As I have said in different posts (here and here) commentaries are the tools through which the Bible student does his job. Imagine taking your car to the mechanic and he says, "Well, I need to replace your transmission and I can do a great job of it." You look on his walls and around his shop and there is not one tool; no wrenches, no screwdrivers, no impact wrenches, nothing with which to accomplish the job he said he could do. Sure, he could do it. It may take him a long time, and it would not be a quality job (do we really think he could tighten all the bolts to safety specifications with his bare hands?). Tools help him do the job well and safe. That is the job of a good commentary: to provide the exegete with a good tool to do his job safely so that he can accurately convey the Word of God.

Diagram -> Outlining -> Excursus -> Word Studies -> Commentaries -> Excursus -> Refining -> Illustrations -> Practice -> Preaching

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The Discovery Bible Announcement

In a previous post, I discussed a valuable resource that I use in my studies. It was called The Discovery Bible.

I received an email the other day from those who are responsible for the development of The Discovery Bible. The email included an announcement. It says:

Attention all pastors and teachers who desire more depth and variety in their sermons and Bible studies:

We are glad to announce the soon release of the digital Discovery Bible New Testament, now with a greatly expanded Greek dictionary (over 2,000 pages) and prophecy-guide.

This new edition discusses every term in the Greek NT that is difficult to translate with just one English word. Hundreds of reference works have been consulted, culled or quoted – sharing the fuller meaning of the original text in an interactive, “click-and-discover” way. This requires no knowledge of Greek or memorization so anyone can plumb the depths of the sacred text. Messages can come alive with fresh meaning from thousands of beyond-translation insights from the Greek NT in an easy-to-use, practical format.

I emailed them and let them know how excited I was to hear about the release of The Discovery Bible.

Today I received a phone call from Dr. Gary Hill. We discussed the upcoming release of the electronic version and the print of The Discovery Bible. Dr. Hill told me the new version will also include the Old Testament.

Just as a reminder, The Discovery Bible is a resource allows anyone to grasp the connotation of the original languages without having studied the original languages. It has a feature called H.E.L.P.S. in it. H.E.L.P.S. stands for Hill Emphatic Language Pointer System. See the previous post to see some graphics of how this system works. Dr. Hill and I discussed how crucial it is that pastors and Bible students study the original languages in some manner. This resource allows anyone to study the impact of the original language without having memorized the language.

In addition to The Discovery Bible, Dr. Hill is also is working on developing on-line learning curriculum and live conferencing. It is really interesting and would be a great tools for schools and other institutions.

What an honor it was to talk one-on-one with Dr. Gary Hill. I am really looking forward to the release of the updated version. To check out the things Dr. Hill is working on, Aletheia Media's website at www.aletheiamedia.com.

If you have an opportunity to purchase The Discovery Bible, I would encourage you to do it. It will be money well spent.

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Top Ten Reasons Books are Better than Bible Software

Sell your shirt and buy books.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon to ministry students in his school.

I think Spurgeon had it right. However, I really do not want to see a bunch of seminary students running around without their shirts (that is going to give me nightmars just penning that last sentence). However, I think it still applies today. That is, I think books are to the minister what tools are to the mechanic. I have mentioned this before in a previous post, but I feel I should repeat it. In an age where free resources on the Internet are readily available and where Bible programs are plenty, some may wonder why books should be bothered with. Here are my top ten reasons why books are better than Bible software.

10. You do not need to download an upgrade to a classic, well-written book - ever.

9. Paper cuts build character and you cannot get a paper cut from the Internet.

8. Sneaking a laptop into one's daughter's band concert is harder to pull off and generally frowned upon.

7. CD's will not be usuable in 20 years (or more likely, 3 years - Seriously, how many 100 year old CD's do you really expect to see? I have maybe a dozen books over 100 years old.)

6. Leaving a book on the dash of your car in the summer does not ruin it.

5. Inscribing the inside of a CD makes in unusable.

4. Highlighting on the Internet ruins your screen.

3. Lending a book to your friend does not break several federal laws.

2. Reading a book in the bathtub is not risking electrocution.

1. Books smell better than CD's.

I know these are silly but there is a some truth behind each one (except maybe the paper cut one). For a more serious top ten list, look at this article entitled 10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library. This article does a good job with showing why schools still need libraries and people still need to pick up a book.

One last thing about books: As I think about my daughter getting older and probably marrying someone (here is where I break down and cry uncontrollably), I think maybe at some time I will need to give some of my library to her and her husband, if they happen to be involved in ministry. If that is the case, then I am not building just a library right now, I am building an inheritance or a legacy. If my resources now help a young pastor 40 years from now not only intellectually but financially (because books cost money) then it is worth having them.

Do not get me wrong. I have my share of Bible Software and I use StudyLight.org nearly daily. And I think they are great. I just enjoy being able take a book with me wherever I go and know that if it is a book whose content is worthwhile, my grandkids will be reading the same books.

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Book Review: Renewed by the Word

This year I am going to attempt to post more book reviews. One of my goals for each year is a certain number of books to complete by years end. I missed my goal for 2007 by a few books but setting a goal always keeps me moving toward something.

I just finished my first book for 2008. It is entitled Renewed by the Word: The Bible and Christian Revival since the Reformation by Dr. Jeremy N. Morris (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005; 153 pp.; ISBN:1-56563-533-7). Morris is “Dean and Lord Robert Runice Fellow in Ecclesiastical at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and associate Lecturere at the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge” (Back cover).

I had a hard time following the flow of thought in this brief historical book. It traverses the globe in its scope but was too brief to do so in much depth.

The author’s goal was to trace three major revivals throughout the world. He first analyzed the Great Awakening in America and the personalities pivotal in that movement. This began with several chapters of introductory material. This was somewhat beneficial for it gave the background for which revivalism thrived. The introductory material discussed things as the religious wars which paved the way to religious freedom, the founding of America, and other events that gave rise to a renewal of the Christian faith.

I thought this section was the best part of the book. Morris covers church history well and reminds American believers that events which happened over 500 years ago in Europe have a direct impact on their faith. The continual reminder of the link between Britain and America which Morris gives in this section of the book is valuable.

Morris’ reveals the impact individuals had, good or bad, on the Evangelical revival; people who are not usually addressed in church history books, at least those that I have read. These would include Fredrick the Great, Gottfried Leibnitz, the Countess of Huntingdon, and others.

Second, Morris jumps from Evangelical revivalism and examines the revival within the Catholic Church. This was somewhat less valuable for me but perhaps a student of the resurgence of the Catholic Church would be interested. I am sure it my personal bias, but I am not sure Catholics becoming more committed to their dogma qualifies as a “revival” in the same sense the Great Awakening was a revival.

It was interesting reading about the ecstatic individuals Catholics encountered during this time. For example, Morris describes Bernadette Soubirous encounter various visions, eventually revealing that it was Mary appearing to Bernadette and telling her that Mary was the Immaculate Conception. (p. 98).

These emotional and experiential events were not only part of the Catholic revival but also something Evangelicals would deal with. Morris concludes his book by considering the “third wave” of revival or what is today known as Pentecostalism. Marked by experiential and ecstatic events, the Pentecostal revival is described as beginning by William Seymour in 1906 a Methodist church on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. Again, one could debate (and many have done so vigorously) if Pentecostalism is based in the word or simply in emotion. Because of this, Pentecostalism is an important part of understanding revivalism in America. One cannot argue the impact Azusa Street has had on Evangelicalism today throughout the world.

There is a chapter about church the evolution of church buildings which seems out of place in the whole discussion of revivalism. It is understandable that revivalism has changed the way people understand “church” and where a church meets. Morris seems to credit revivalism for moving the body of Christ from Gothic cathedrals to Wal-Mart-like churches. However, the consideration of the American mindset may have had more input than Morris indicates.

Renewed by the Word would be a good book for someone in the Holiness tradition or Pentecostal movement to gain a better understanding of their heritage. With my Baptist background, I would rather recommend books like A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada by Mark A. Noll (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000, ISBN: 0-8082-0651-1) or A Summary of Christian History by Robert A. Baker (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994, ISBN: 0-8054-3288-4 ). Both of these books are more comprehensive in their scope but both have short sections on revivalism and Pentecostalism. The Christian history student would benefit from a broader view of history than just that covered in Renewed by the Word.

2t22 Rating:

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Out of Print Gold

I have several things that have been on my mind lately. Most of them have to do with teaching and lack of receptivity in students, which I have experienced lately. I want to post these thoughts but there is some development I need to work on before I post them. However, there is one thing that I have been thinking about.

In my never-ending search for good books, I have come across some great books which are now out-of-print. It breaks my heart because they are exactly the kind of thing I would love to give every student I have in my bible classes. Here are three of them:

1. The Discovery Bible New Testament, Gary Hill & Gleason Archer, ISBN: 0-8024-4162-9

This is a resource (that is code for "book") that I use for bible study a lot of the time. It has a feature called H.E.L.P.S. in it. H.E.L.P.S. stands for Hill Emphatic Language Pointer System. In short, it is a way that anyone can gain understanding of the impact of the Greek language on a passage without really knowing anything about Greek.

The front cover is a little bland but the back shows a little how this system works. If you look at the back cover and then the sample page you can get an idea of how this book works (click on image to see a larger view). This is a great resource.

If I could find these for anywhere from 5 to 10 dollars, I would buy as many as I could and give them out to every student in the hermeneutics class I teach. If anyone knows where there is a cache of these, please let me know.

2. Strong's Concordance (Paperback), ISBN: 0-8010-8108-4
This resource is not as unique as handy. This is a complete and unabridged version of Strong's, but this is not the size of a small car, like most Strong's Concordances are. This one's dimensions are 7" wide by 9 1/2" tall by 1 1/2" thick. I would like to find these for 5-10 dollars as well and give them to every serious bible student I meet. Again, you may already have a Strong's, but this one is light, small, and easy to take with you wherever you go.


3. The Letters of John the Apostle: An In-depth Commentary , Donald Burdick, ISBN: 0-8024-2356-6
This last out-of-print nugget is not for general study but for John's epistles. I would not give this out to everyone, but I would suggest it to anyone wanting to do a deep study of the Johannine epistles. The point is, it is valuable resource which is no longer in print (Amazon used books has it listed for $109.00!! I think I got it for about $14.00!).

I am sure the valuable "out-of-print" book list would not even include these books. However, I think they are "gold, Jerry. Gold!"

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What Else Can You Get For Two Bits?

Last Saturday (Oct. 13) my local Christian bookstore, Born Again Used Books, had an big sidewalk sale. They has 120 boxes full of 25¢ books. I just cannot pass up a 25¢ book so I spend some time meandering through the books to find those books that most will pass over. I think I found some great finds for future use:

• Between the Testaments by Charles Pfeiffer, Baker 1963. This looks like a nice book for an overview of the history of the time between Malachi and Matthew. This will be a great tool for research on any New Testament class I may teach. While not related to this book, here is a nice PDF file about the Intertestamental times. Click Here. Price: 25¢.

• The Burden of Søren Kierkegaard by Edward John Carnell, Eerdmans 1965. "An inquiry into two major themes in Kierkegaard's theology: "existential living" and "truth is subjectivity" by a conservative theologian." (quote from this bibliography). All I know about Kierkegaard is that his theology is existential in nature and I thought it would be good to read up on him.Price: 25¢.

• Rediscovering the Parables by Joachim Jeremias, SCM Press 1966. This seems to be a somewhat influential book in regards to the interpretation of the parables. In fact, this article's abstract seems to indicate most biblical interpreters today have been influenced by this book. Price: 25¢.

• Dogmatics in Outline by Karl Barth, Harper & Row 1966. This looks like a good introductory book to understand Barth and his theology. I have been wanting to dig in a little deeper to Barthian theology, so this will be a good start. Here is an article about this book. Price: 25¢.

• Christian Excellence: Alternative to Success by Jon Johnston, Baker 1985. This is a topic I believe needs to be revisited over and over again. In our Western culture, the success syndrome has infected the church. Here is an article related to the topic of this book. Price: 25¢.

The diddy says, "Shave and haircut - two bits." Last weekend, I did not get a shave and a haircut but I did purchase some great finds for two bits. Not a bad trade.

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It's Like Cheese, Only Different

Part 2 of Christian Maturity. For part 1 click here.

I love cheese. To make cheese takes time. It has to mature. Below is a time lapsed video in which you can watch cheese mature.


If you would like to watch cheese mature in real time click here.

To get a good cheese one must be patient and realize the final product is worth the wait. Additionally, there are periodic tests to see if the cheese is "done" and ready to consume.

This is similar to the Christian life. It takes time to mature and, while one will never be "done" maturing on earth, there are earmarks of maturity. Paul says it this way:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitter and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Eph. 4:11-16

This passage shows Paul's desire to see the church mature more than anything else. First he says that God gave the church leaders for the purpose of equipping believers. This is the issue of maturity. The words used throughout this passage are pregnant with this meaning: "building up," "mature man," "measure of the stature," grow up," "growth." Paul's concern is about mature.

But what does maturity look like. Gary Bredfeldt, in his book Great Leader Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership, uses this verse to summarize maturity:

Maturity is marked by increased unity, knowledge, and Christlikeness, as well as a lessening vulnerability to the deceptions of false teachers. pg. 18

What a great summary of this passage in Ephesians! Paul says that if believers are maturing there will be unity. This is not unity at any cost. A quick glance through Galatians and one will recognize that Paul would reject unity with those preaching a false gospel and a false Christ (Gal. 1:8-10, 5:10-12, etc.). However, for those who hold to the truth, there should be increasing unity.

There should also be a growing knowledge of Christ. In today's terms, this is considered theology. What one believes about God, about Christ, about salvation, or any other aspect of the Christian life is truly their theology. I hear so many people say, "I do not want to hear all that theology. I just want to hear about Jesus." I realize this is an attempt to sound very spiritual, but it shows how little one truly understands the implications of their beliefs. What Jesus do they want to hear about? Do they want to hear about the Mormon Jesus who is Satan's brother and was conceived by the literal sex act between God and Mary? Or do they want to hear the Oneness-Pentacostal Jesus who is God, but not God at the same time the Father and Spirit is God? Or do they want to hear about the Jesus the Scripture reveals? What they "hear" about Jesus is real theology and this must be ever increasing if one wants to mature.

In addition to unity and knowledge, Christlikeness is a mark of Christian maturity. Paul summarizes this concept in Philippians 2:1-11. It could be summarized as humility or selflessness. It could also be summarized by holiness (1 Pet. 1:14-15). Maturity meand becoming more and more like Christ.

Finally, maturity also means recognizing false teachers and falst teachings when one hears it. This is perhaps the most insidious problem in the church today. Today, many are swayed by every novel and shiny fad that is packaged as the Christian faith. In reality, most of these are teachers are simply preying on the immaturity of the average believer. Recognizing false teaching is an essential element of Christian maturity.

None of these aspects are instaneous but there should always be movement closer and closer to the goal of maturity. Cheese will come to a place in the maturation process where it is ready to go on the market to be consumed. The believer, however, is never "done." The Christian is always maturing, always growing, and forever becoming like the One he loves.

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Leaving the Diapers Behind...So To Speak

Babies are pretty cute little critters. The are not hard to read. If they are happy, you can easily tell from the smiles and the giggling. When they are not happy, they make sure everyone knows this. These immature humans have an innocence that is refreshing to experience and watching them mature is one of the joys of life.

This is same for the church. As the lost come to know Christ, there is a great joy watching them mature. However, for many believers, they never leave the "diaper" stage of Christian life. Last night, I was reading Great Leader Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership by Gary Bredfeldt (I will post on this book later - long story short, it is a worthwhile read so far) and came some thought provoking concepts on Christian maturity.

In some previous posts (here and here) I have mentioned that the church uses a variety of ways to measure success in the church, all of which seem to be influenced by the secular world around us. However, it seems like the main, if not only, way Scripture measures success is the maturity of believers.

Bredfeldt shared a several verses on this topic. Two verses from the prison epistles really captivated my thinking (I will make this a two or three part post as I have been informed some of my posts are a bit long). The first verse is from Colossians:

And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Col. 1-28-29

The first thing of note in these verses is that Paul's main ministry was teaching Christ. He proclaimed Christ and only Christ (1 Cor. 1:23, 9:16; Phi. 1:18) and this is what made Paul a great leader. In fact, it is this concept which Bredfeldt's book encapsulates:

The most powerful means of leading the people of God is by teaching them the Word of God. pg. 18

Paul is first and foremost about teaching believers the one true Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth.

The second thing of note in the Colossians passage is that Paul's goal was not a radical new vision for the body of Christ, nor was his goal to be more relevant to the culture around him. His goal was the maturity of the believers he was teaching. His goal was to present them "complete" or mature in Christ.

The third thing of note in this passage is Paul gave everything he had toward this goal. Paul strenuously worked, not in his own strength, but with all the strength God gave him, to bring people to maturity. Everything Paul endured (2 Cor. 11:22-33) was to bring those he ministered to into maturity for the glory of God.

As one examines Paul's life, it is all about maturity of believers. It is immature faith of the Galatians which causes them to desire to drift back to Judaism and which spurs Paul to write that scathing epistles. The church in Thessalonica' immaturity allowed them to be continually swayed in their understand of eschatology which prompted Paul to write two letters to correct them. In fact, you can see this element in each of Paul's epistles to some extent. He believed that the key to the Christian life was nothing other than maturity.

One has to wonder why many in the church do not use maturity as the measure of their effectiveness in ministry. Is it because maturity is hard to measure? Is it because maturity takes a long time and in this instant-access society we cannot wait for such things? Is it because we do not want to mature and thus we must find other things to justify what we do? This I do not know, but it is something on which every leader should dwell.

But what does biblical maturity look like? How do we recognize it when we see it? I will address this in my next post.

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"Of making many books there is no end..."

As I finished my latest book (see previous post), it brought to mind my reading goal for the year and the books I have gone through this year. For what it is worth, here are those books that I remember reading so far this year (each section is in alphabetical order by author's last name):

Leadership

Title: Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge
Author: Jim Kouzes and Barry Pozner
Year: 2004
Pages: 125
Purpose: Doctoral Studies

Title: Being Leaders
Author: Abrey Malphurs
Year: 2003
Pages: 172 + Appendices
Purpose: Doctoral Studies


History

Title: Learning Theology with the Church Fathers
Author: Christopher A. Hall
Year: 2002
Pages: 273
Purpose: Personal


Biography

Title: Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America
Author: Edwin S. Gaustad
Year: 1991
Pages: 223
Purpose:Personal

Title: Martin Luther
Author: Martin Marty
Year: 2004
Pages: 199
Purpose: Personal


Fiction

Title: In His Image: The Christ Clone Trilogy, Book 1
Author: James Beauseigneur
Year: 2003
Pages: 416
Purpose: Personal

Title: Three
Author: Ted Dekker
Year: 2003
Pages: 352
Purpose: Personal


Church Issues

Title: Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament
Author: Richard Longenecker, Editor
Year: 1996
Pages: 284
Purpose: Doctoral Studies

Title: Unleashing the Potential of the Smaller Church: Vision and Strategies for Life-Changing Ministry
Author: Shawn McMullen, Editor
Year: 2006
Pages: 158
Purpose: Personal

Title: New Perspectives on Breaking the 200 Barrier
Author: Bill M. Sullivan
Year: 2005
Pages: 125
Purpose: Personal


Miscellaneous

Title: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
Author: Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
Year: 1972 (orig. 1940)
Pages: 346 + Appendices
Purpose: Doctoral Studies (second read)

Title: Developing Critical Thinkers
Author: Stephen B. Brookfield
Year: 1987
Pages: 254
Purpose: Doctoral Studies

Title: Quality Research Papers for Students of Religion and Theology
Author: Nancy Jean Vyhmeister
Year: 2001
Pages: 201 + Appendices
Purpose: Personal

With these thirteen books completed, I am reading two books and beginning a third:

Title: Introducing Christian Doctrines
Author: Millard Erickson
Year: 2005
Pages: 415
Amount Completed: about `1/3
Purpose: PPBI

Title: Mid-Course Correction
Author: Gordon MacDonald
Year: 2000
Pages: 237
Amount Completed: Just started
Purpose: Personal

Title: The Apocalypse Code
Author: Hank Hanegraaff
Year: 2007
Pages: 237
Amount Completed: Barely begun
Purpose: Personal/PPBI

On deck, to read after these three:

Title: Birth of an Age: The Christ Clone Trilogy, Book 2
Author: James Beauseigneur
Year: 2003
Pages: 323
Purpose: Personal

Title: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel
Author: Renate Wind
Year: 1992
Pages: 180
Purpose: Personal

Title: Anointed to be God's Servants: Lessons from the Life of Paul and His Companion: How God Blesses Those Who Serve Together
Author: Henry Blackaby and Tom Blackaby
Year: 2005
Pages: 171 + Appendices
Purpose: Personal

My reading list after these is long but I figure as long as I can get up in the morning, I will continue to get through books. It is like Solomon said,

"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body."

But I still enjoy reading.

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Martin Marty's Martin Luther

I finished my book on Martin Luther today. Here is the specifics:

Title: Martin Luther
Author: Martin Marty
Year: 2004
Pages: 199
Cover: -->

This book was a nice summary on the life of Luther. Broken up four chapters, the book covers the major periods of Martin Luther's life:

Chapter 1: The Hunger for Certainty, 1483-1519
Chapter 2: Defining the Life of Faith, 1520-1525
Chapter 3: Living the Faith, 1525-1530
Chapter 4: The Heart Grown Cold, the Faith More Certain, 1530-1546

Marty Martin does a good job of showing the humanity of Martin Luther. Sometimes, because of him impact on history, many forget that Luther was a man with all too human appetites and desires. In fact, my favorite part of the book was when the author describes Luther's joyous relationship with his wife Katherine. Marty Martin says:

"Martin could speak ironic terma of Katherine as one who ruled over him, because she so well governed the household. His letters often included joshing and terms of endearment. Taking off from comments on biblical patriarchs and their fondling of spouses--Isaac relating to Rebekah was a case in point--Luther wrote that 'with the woman who has been joined to me by God I may jest, have fun, and converse more pleasantly.'"

It was an overall nice read. Good for a basic overview of Luther's life. To read a complete review of this book, click here.
Click Here to view this book from Amazon.com
Click Here to view this book at Christian Book Distributors

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Church Growth?

One of my pet peeves is the insistence of the Church to incorporate secular business practices into its life, “baptize” these principles, and then call them godly leadership principles. I just finished a book called New Perspectives on Breaking the 200 Barrier by Bill M. Sullivan. It is a book encouraging pastors and church leaders to lead there small church of 120 or under to become a church which breaks the 150-350 person barrier. It is usually hard for churches to grow to this point so they call it the 200 barrier.

Here are some quotes that really irritate me:

In order for a church to grow from approximately 100 to over 350, a fundamental change in the church will be necessary. The change will be from a fellowship, in which everyone in the congregation knows everyone else, to a corporate-type organization, in which fellowship and relationships are experienced in subunits of the church.

Another highly significant change will be the relationship between pastor and people. In a small church the people can have direct contact with their pastor. In a large church frequent contact with the pastor is limited to a select few.

Still another consequence of such growth will be the vesting of leadership in the pastor and staff rather than lay leaders. Operation of the church will move from the church board to the executive staff. (p. 47).

In short, we must move the church from a family to a corporation. Does this in any way sound like the body of Christ the Scripture defines?!?

It was not just some of his thoughts of what needs to happen, but how they are to happen that bothered me. Sullivan says:

When you try to break the barrier slowly, the social forces that tend to keep an organization small have time to come to bear and prevent it. When people begin to realize they’re losing control, that the relationships are changing, and that the style of ministry is changing, they begin to resist…When you go through the barrier quickly, people don’t have time to discover what’s occurring until you’re well beyond the barrier.

That sounds devious, but it really isn’t. (p. 76).

Yes it does and yes it is. It smacks of the shepherds referred to throughout the Old Testament prophets who abused the flock in order to help themselves, like

Isaiah 56:11-12
Ezekiel 34:1-10
Zechariah 11:1-17

I would assume Sullivan is OK with the condemnation of these kinds of shepherds because twice he indicates that the pastor of a 350-person church cannot be a shepherd anyway but instead he must be a rancher (pp. 47-48 and 79-80). This is a great 21st century, postmodern picture of leadership in the church but it is not the biblical model of leadership of God’s people that is used throughout all of Scripture (John 10:7-30). While I will not pursue the problem with this image of church leadership, I will say the main problem I have is that ranchers essentially drive cattle by “whooping and hollering”, cracking whips and literally scaring the cattle and driving them where the rancher wants the herd to go. Shepherds, on the other hand, gently lead their flock. But I digress…

I guess my point is that the church seems to not see any problem with transforming the church to the secular business culture. “After all,” they say, “It works doesn’t it.” However, it just doesn’t. For example, there seems to be an outcry from the church that the average pastor tenure is too short, which is right on. There is a real problem with pastor tenure. Some studies say an average pastor’s tenure is a little short of five years (study here) while others say that in small churches, the pastor’s tenure is about 7 years (study here).

Perhaps, the missing piece of the puzzle is the adoption of secular business and leadership practices into the church. Studies show that the average tenure for executives and managers is less than five years (study here). Perhaps the reason the average pastor tenure is around five years is because the church hired an executive or manager instead of shepherd and pastor. This is only conjecture but I think the correlation is worth noting.

Sullivan’s book had some interesting statistics about growth, time periods and items of that sort. He did challenge the reader to make sure his or her motives were pure in wanting to grow a church to over 200. He did make a point of saying that this process must be led by God and must be bathed in prayer. Nevertheless, the book talked me into not ever wanting my church to move beyond 120.

Now, I really do not think a church has to give up what he says it must to grow. But if churches MUST give up these things, then I will counsel every student I teach to start a new church when their church hits 200 people.

Let me know what you think?

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Teaching Theology

I am preparing to teach a class called Christian Doctrines. It is a systematic theology class. I am really looking forward to it. The textbook is Erickson's Introducting Christian Doctrine, which is something of an abridged version of Erickson's classic Christian Theology. These are both great books for a study in theology. The first is a bit more managable with about 450 pages while the other one is more a reference book with about 1300 pages (not really a quick read).

The class will follow the standard format of most systematic theology classes (for the most part - there are some differences):

Revelation
God and His Work
Humanity and Sin
Christ and His Work
Holy Spirit and His Work
Salvation
The Church
The Last Things

It will be really good for me to prepare the notes for this class. I really enjoyed my theology classes at Seminary. In fact, I think theology should be the most exciting topic anyone every studies, as it is the study of God Himself. And that study of God should always find its end in application. In other words, theology is not something we simply know, it is something we do.

I have been gathering several theology books over the last year. I will have great sources for preparing. I hope to incorporate more of the history of theology than in the classes in which I learned. I think it would be good for students to get at least some teaching on some of the thoughts of theologians throughout the centuries (I posted previously on a resource for this HERE).

For example, what did Gregory of Nazianzus say about the Trinity in the 4th century? "The divine nature cannot be apprehended by human reason, and...we cannot even represent to ourselves all its greatness.". What was Cyprian's thoughts on the make-up of the church in the 3rd century? "The spouse of Christ cannot be adulterous; she is uncorrupted and pure." (that is, the church is made up of believers). I think these things insights will help the students greatly with understanding the shape theology has taken over the years.

Well, anyway, like I said, I am looking forward to teaching this class. Now all I need is students.

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Roger Williams Biography

I began a new book the other day. It is entitled Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America and is authored by Edwin S. Gaustad. I have read through the first chapter (Exile from England) and it provided me with a great overview/refresher of the religious background of the time in which Roger Williams was born and lived (as if there was another background at that time - everything was motivated by religion during the Reformation). From Luther, Calvin and Loyola, to Henry VIII wives and their constant flopping of national religion, to the Baptist movement and their leaders, Smyth, Hewlys, and Murton. And this was all in the first chapter. So far, it is very interesting.

In short, Williams found himself friends with a group of Puritans on a boat to America. I am looking forward to reading through this biography. He is an important figure in my tradition (Baptist) as well in the formation of America. In fact,

We may recall that it was Roger Williams rather than Thomas Jefferson who first used the image of a hedge or wall of separation between church and state. (p. ix)

If any history books talk about Roger Williams, they will most likely emphasize his political importance in colonial America, specifically, as founder of Rhode Island. However, they will probably leave out his impact on religious life in America.

It should be a fun read.

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Born Again Bargins

I went to my local used Christian book store today (Born Again Books). They had a pretty good one day sale. If you bought one book, you received 10% off, 2 books-20%, 3-30%, 4-40%, 5 or more books you received 50% off. Well, I just cannot resist that kind of offer. So I went in search of assorted commentaries. I came home with five:

* Exploring Genesis - John Phillips - This is not a great commentary but Phillips is an outlining and alliterating savant. His thoughts toward this end are VERY helpful when developing sermons.

* Zechariah - H. C. Leupold - This is a nice useable commentary with come good technical aspects to the book.

* The Thessalonian Epistles - D. Edmond Hiebert - I do not know much about this particular commentary but it looks fairly usable and well outlined. It is published by Moody so I can trust its theology.

* The Epistles of Paul to the Philippians and to Philemon - Jac J. Müller - This is a relatively tecnical commentary as it is part of the New International Commentary of the New Testament (NICNT).

* The Book of Acts - F. F. Bruce - Again, this is part of NICNT. Should be helpful in studying Acts.

These five books cost me about $35.00 so I think it was a good deal. I see good commentaries and other Christian books and resources as tools.

I usually tell my students to see their library as a mechanic would see his tool box. In any mechanics tool box there is a number of tools that they do not used every time they work on a car. However, when the time comes when that mechanic needs that tool, it is worth its weight in gold. The mechanic may not use an oil filter wrench every time they work on a car. But when they need that oil filter wrench, their job is much easier and more effecient.

This is the same with the Christian leader. When an opportunity comes to purchase a quality book at a discounted price I think the Christian leaders should grab it even though they might not immediately need it. I can testify from personal experience that when one does this, and if one is in ministry long enough, that book will be helpful at some point in time. (please note: QUALITY - there is a lot of "fluff" and some out right heresy out there in Christian bookstores).

Therefore, I always keep my eye out for great used books sales. I also try to keep in mind the kind of books for which I am looking. These help me not just buy anything I see, but to buy discriminately. One other tool that has helped me is a "Selected Bibliography" I acquired from my seminary Old Testament professor, Dr. George Klein. When studying a particular Old Testament book, I like to check his bibliography to see what some of the best sources are for that book. It also includes some of the best scholarly articles available on that book as well.

So, today I acquired the equivalent of a couple of wrenches or sockets, theologically speaking. I am looking forward using them.

I also like acquiring actual tools. But that is another post.

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History of Theology

I almost finished reading Learning Theology with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall today. I am about 11 pages short of the 296 page book and I will probably finish that when I go to bed. It was a pretty decent book. Covering the major area of theology, the books gives a glimpse of what those in the first and second century held to and why.

The thing that stuck me most about this book that I am not sure I noticed before is that each of these church fathers shaped their thoughts and crafted their creeds in response to some heresy. That is, there is always a historical context in which doctrine was nailed down and if that context is not understood then there is danger of misinterepreting that doctrine. For example, Irenaeus' (Bishop of Lyons ca. 130-200 A.D.) main concern was Gnosticism. Because Gnostics held to a series of lesser deities it was important that the church held to "'believes in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,' a teaching that clearly contradicts the Gnostic insistence that creation was the work of a lesser deity or evil angel" (Hall, p. 227).

Similarly, Augustines belief that the church is made up of a mix of true believers and false believers must be understood in the context of his discussion with the Donatists.

While it was a slow read (which is the best way to read it, in my opinion - take in about a third or half of chapter and then ponder it for about half a day), it was a good read. It is a nice companion to a systematic theology book. It was a great approach and I would recommend it as an addition to any Christian wanting a deeper understanding of theology.

Here is one of the most striking things I found throughout the book: So much of what the church fathers agrued against 1800 years ago or so is rearing its head again in the Emerging Church Movement (ECM). Take, for example this quote from Irenaeus in Against Heresies:

When, however, the Gnostics are confuted from the Scriptures,
they turn around and accuse these same Scriptures as if they
were not correct, nor of authority. They say that they are
ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by
those who are ignorant of tradition...But, again, when we refer
them to that tradition which origninates from the apostles...they
object to tradition. (Hall, citing Irenaeus, p. 207)

This sounds exactly like the claims of the insidious encrochment of Postmodernism into the present Church. The rejection of authority (which is essentially the basis of Postmodernism and the ECM), the refusal to believe in absolute truth, and poor arguments.

This is why Learning Theology with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall is an important book. Knowing the history of what believers believe and why they believe it is a necessity to protect the church from facing the same dangers it faced in its infancy.

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