Various Readings on Christian Ethics

Recently I have done the majority of my reading on books on Christian Ethics. I have completed the following three:

Responsible Conduct: Principles of Christian Ethics
by J. Douma, Translated by Nelson Kloosterman
Douma was a professor of Christian ethics at the Theological University in Kampen, and he is a member of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands.
This book is a basic introduction to Christian Ethics, but from a non-American point of view. Many aspects of morality which we assume or fail to consider as Americans, he ponders and brings biblical wisdom to.

Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance

by Albert Mohler Jr.

In this book, Mohler lifts the curtain on the sex-saturated and confused culture Christians find themselves in. He gives warning to the easily enticed Christian community and lifts up a the noble role of sex and sexuality inside a biblical framework.

Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God
by Paul Copan
Copan is the Chair of the Philosophy and Ethics Departments at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Copan answers some of the hardest questions in the Old Testament. He stands strong against the Neo-Atheist's criticisms against the practices of OT Israel that seem to be condoned and encouraged by God, Himself. He doesn't avoid the problems and remains faithful to the text of Scripture and the goodness of God.

My final read on Christian ethics that I am soon to begin is Generous Justice, by Timothy Keller. This is the book that I am probably looking forward to the most of this small selection on Christian ethics.

"Dogmatics without ethics is empty; ethics without dogmatics is blind. Dogmatics becomes arid scholasticism if its significance for living is not made clear. But ethics slides into moralism when it views our conduct apart from the work that Christ and His Spirit perform in our lives" (Douma, Responsible Conduct 41).

Kevin DeYoung on being "Missional"

I thought this response by Kevin DeYoung on the "Missional" movement was great:

On Tuesday I read Zach Nielsen’s comments on the Ryan Kelly-Greg Gilbert-Kevin DeYoung TGC roundtable on the mission of the church. Zach offered several gracious critiques. The same morning I got a long email from an Acts 29 church planter concerned about the same panel discussion. In both cases these brothers were trying to politely and thoughtfully disagree with me. And in both cases, after reading both Zach’s blog and this unsolicited email, I thought “I don’t disagree with you!” I may have wanted to ask one or two questions but overwhelmingly my internal response was: “I really think we are on the same page.”

Whenever this happens I figure one of three things is going on: 1) I’m not being understood correctly. 2) I’m not communicating clearly. 3) Some combination of 1 and 2. In this case, I’m sure there is some of 2 so let me try to clarify.

Here’s what I said about “missional” at last week’s Desiring God National Conference.

Let me say something at this point about the relatively new term “missional.” I do not have a problem with people putting “al” at the end of “mission.” More and more the word simply means “being involved in mission.” Or it is shorthand for “get out of your holy huddle and go engage your community with the gospel.” And I’m all for that. Every Christian should be. So I am not on a crusade to make people stop using the word missional, nor do I want you to be suspicious of everyone who does.

Nevertheless, I have a few concerns with what I sometimes see in the missional mood. And let me just make clear: these are concerns I see in some of the missional advocates, certainly not all. In fact, I would guess, though I don’t want to speak for anyone else, that Mark Driscoll, Darrin Patrick, Tim Keller and their networks would share many of these same concerns [note: in my talk I think I said "most or all" but "many" is probably safer]. And I know for a fact that these men give priority to discipleship and evangelism.

(1) I am concerned that good behaviors are sometimes commended using the wrong categories. For example, many good deeds are promoted under the term “social justice” when I think “love your neighbor” is often a better category. Or, folks will talk about transforming the world, when I think being “a faithful presence in the world” is a better way to describe what we are trying to do and actually can do. Or, sometimes well meaning Christians talk about “building the kingdom” when actually the verbs associated with the kingdom are almost always passive (enter, receive, inherit). We’d do better to speak of living as citizens of the kingdom, rather than telling our people they build the kingdom.

(2) I am concerned that in our new found missional zeal we sometimes put hard “oughts” on Christians where there should be inviting “cans.” You ought to do something about human trafficking. You ought to do something about AIDS. You ought to do something about lack of good public education. When you say “ought” you imply that if the church does not tackle these problems we are being disobedient. It would be better to invite individual Christians in keeping with their gifts and calling to try to solve these problems rather than indicting the church for “not caring.”

(3) I am concerned that in all our passion for renewing the city or tackling social problems we run the risk of marginalizing the one thing that makes Christian mission Christian: namely, making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Now, having raised those concerns, I need to make sure you know what I am not saying. I do not want:

Christians to be indifferent toward the suffering around them and around the world.
Christians to think evangelism is the only thing in life that really counts or that helping the poor really only matters if it results in conversions.
Christians to stop dreaming of creative, courageous ways to love their neighbors and impact their cities.
But here’s some of what I do want:

I want the gospel—the good news of Christ’s death for sin and subsequent resurrection—to be of first importance in our churches.
I want Christians freed from false guilt, freed from thinking the church is either responsible for most of problems in the world or responsible to fix all of these problems.
I want the utterly unique task of the church—making disciples of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit to the glory of God the Father—put front and center, not lost in a flurry of humanitarian good deeds or environmental concerns.
Let me add a few other clarifying comments.

I affirm that faith without works is dead. I agree that the gospel should be adorned with good works. I agree that those saved by the gospel will live lives of compassion, justice, and love. I applaud and pray for more churches that do orphan care, address hunger issues, and tackle community problems with the aim of meeting human need and “putting in a good word for Jesus.”

I should also add that the book Greg Gilbert and I are writing is not really about “missional.” It’s about the mission of the church, a broader discussion that is not aimed at the missional movement per se, even less with the expressions of it in the Reformed community.

So what then is my point in arguing, as I did last Friday, that the mission of the church is the Great Commission? This is what I said in conclusion to my talk.

So what is the mission of the church? The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship and obey Jesus Christ now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father. In other words, the mission of the church is not equal to everything God is doing in the world, nor is it everything we do in obedience to Christ. The mission of the church is the Great Commission. As Kostenberger says, “the church ought to be focused in the understanding of its mission. Its activities should be constrained by what helps others to come to believe that the Messiah, the Son of God, is Jesus.”

But to say disciple-making is the “central” aim or our “priority,” or our “focus” is not to say that everything else is suspect. Galatians 6:10 says, “Do good to all people, especially to the household of faith.” I should also add that the language of “priority” does not mean evangelism or discipleship must happen temporally prior to any other kind of ministry. “Priority” doesn’t mean you do items 1-10 on your list and then you can tackle 11-15.

It does mean, however, that priorities ought to take, well, priority. We live in a world of finite time, finite people, and finite resources. Therefore, the church cannot do everything noble there is to do. If our mission is discipleship this will mean something for the church’s allocation of time, talents, and treasure. What that something looks like depends on the wisdom of the leadership of the local church. I don’t have a formula for what keeps disciple-making properly in the focus. Except to say this: if the church as a body tackles few community problems, but it is making disciples, and those disciples are individually living as disciples, the church is being faithful. Conversely, if we do everything else—serve, bless, renew the city, create culture, transform our schools—but do not make disciples, we are failing in our mission.

Are we on the same page? I hope so.

The Church: The Context for Gospel Love

Recently I read What is the Gospel by Greg Gilbert of 9 marks ministries. As I gazed upon the cross of Christ through the pages of this book, I asked the question, “As Christians what is our response to God’s demonstration of love for us in the gospel”? How does God’s love in Christ inform our love for the body of Christ? Gilbert answers those questions on pages 117 and 118:

“Christian, the gospel should drive you to a deeper and livelier love for God’s people, the church. Not one of us Christians has earned his or her way into the inheritance God has stored up for us. We are not “self-made” citizens of the kingdom. We are included in God’s promises only because we know that we are dependent on Jesus Christ to save us, and we are united to him by faith.

But here’s the kicker. Do you realize that the same thing is true of that brother or sister in your church who annoys you? He or she believes in and love the same Lord Jesus that you do, and even more, he or she has been saved and forgiven by the same Lord who saved and forgave you. Think about that brother or sister you’ve not really taken the time to get to know because you just don’t think you’d click. Think about that person with whom you have a broken relationship that you’ve refused to repair. Now consider that he or she loves and trusts in the same Lord you do. Consider that same Lord who died for you, also died for him, for her.

I wonder if your understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that Jesus saved you even though you didn’t deserve it—is deep enough to swallow up the little criticisms you have of your brothers and sisters. I wonder if it’s deep enough to sink the offenses they’ve committed against you, even the most painful ones, and lead you to forgive them and love them just as Jesus himself has done for both of you.

I wonder if the vastness of God’s love for you has increased your love for others”.

-soli deo gloria

Book Review: The Trellis and the Vine

Synopsis

Collin Marshall and Tony Payne address current trends in evangelical churches that have given up gospel growth for church growth in The Trellis and the Vine. Marshall and Payne use the metaphor of a trellis to indicate Church infrastructure and program growth, and the vine to indicate gospel growth through people. The authors assume their readers believe that “The basic work of any Christian ministry is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of God’s Spirit, and to see people converted, changed and grow to maturity in that gospel” (Marshall and Payne 8). So the admonitions of the text are set in light of an evangelical audience.

In chapters 1-3, the authors give us a definition for true gospel growth. They believe the modern evangelical church has given into pseudo growth models which sound appealing and might even look successful. The problem with most church growth models is that they fail to grow the part of the church that actually makes it the church. For the evangelical church, the focus can easily become management growth, infrastructure growth, and program growth and certainly many programs bring in some people who hear the gospel. But the authors call us to a radical ministry mind shift away from programs and towards gospel growth in people. They want us to be worried about advancing the kingdom by making our focus be on the gospel manifested in people.

In Chapters 4-6, the authors have two primary purposes: to dismember the popular notion that Christian ministry is primarily the work of pastor/elders, and to show that discipleship (along with sound preaching) is the primary means of gospel growth. The distinction between clergy and laity has become far greater than Paul ever intended. Obviously, if true gospel growth happens through disciple making, than the pastor or even elders cannot personally disciple every member in a large congregation. The congregation has the responsibility of discipleship just as the church leadership does. This is not to say that there exists no distinction between congregation and leadership. The authors take us here by way of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians, where he calls them to be imitators of him (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1). Paul pleads for ever member to find gospel partnership with him. This means that every person shares the gospel by contributing to gospel growth in the church, and this happens through disciple-making discipleship. The authors exhort every believer to take responsibility for entrusting the good deposit given to them in the gospel. This happens through prayerful community in the gospel at individual, small group, and large group levels.

In Chapters 7-12, the authors teach us practical ways to make disciple-making discipleship growth possible. They start with the premise that “the gospel by its very nature produces growth” (82). The authors give three profound principles when considering how to practice vine work instead of trellis work. (1) Growth of the gospel happens in the lives of people, not in the structures of my church (82). (2) We must be willing to lose people from our own congregation if that is better for the growth of the gospel (83). (3) [Our] understanding of ‘gospel growth’ lies in the way we think about people. We see people not as cogs in our wheel or as resources for our projects, but as individuals each at their own stage of gospel growth (83). These principles lay the foundation for the remaining chapters. Marshall and Payne give warnings to the pastor who sees himself as a “CEO” or a “service-provider.” The pastor exhibits discipleship by becoming a gospel trainer. Training gives responsibility of gospel growth to more than just the pastor, and thus training happens by more than the Sunday morning sermon. The finals chapters answer the true meaning of what “the call” to the ministry truly is. They reconfigure many false perceptions of the call to ministry and give practical resources for the ministry of the gospel.

Reflection

The Trellis and the Vine served me as a member of the body of Christ. Though this book might be addressed to pastors or church leaders, it contains incite and exhortation for those in the pew. I am thankful for the appreciation the authors gave to certain church growth models without following the church growth trends that so easily miss the gospel. My understanding of true gospel growth has morphed. I often fall into thinking that success must be tangible, meaning growth must mean numbers, and structures, and programs. This view of success is no where seen in the New Testament. True success is gospel growth in people. Gospel growth can mean a number of things in different people. Gospel growth means new life, growing in godliness, growing in discipleship, and growing in shepherding. So, no matter “where we are” in the faith, we are in need of gospel growth.

Marshall and Payne gave some needed support for the idea that all believers are ministers of the gospel in a sense. They brought us to Philippians 1 where Paul thanks them for being with them in partnership of the gospel. This was not a passive partnership but an active one, a partnership that included sharing their faith, and thus being ridiculed or beaten for their faith. So often church leaders are seen as first class citizens in Christendom, but no such distinction occurs in the New Testament. Leaders and laity alike are full time ministers of the gospel. We are all called to be ministers, but minister in different venues. Also, the authors gave a profound section on the meaning of “calling” in the Scriptures.

In the final chapters, the authors gave scriptural warrant for their call to disciple-making discipleship. They showed that this can only happen through training in godliness as Paul himself exemplified. Being a trainer is far more exhaustive then simply being a preacher (proclaimer). The authors say in Chapter 6, “It was not only the good deposit of the gospel that Paul passed on to Timothy, but a way of life” (72). They are getting this directly from Paul in 2 Timothy 3:10-11 when he says, “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured, yet from them all the Lord rescued me”. Paul is showing us through his words what true discipleship is, gospel imitation. Paul uses this idea of imitation as the means for discipleship in numerous passages including Philippians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 4:14-17, 1 Corinthians 10, and 1 Thessalonians 1:4-7. We can conclude that gospel growth cannot happen without discipleship, which is training in the gospel, and discipleship cannot happen without relationships with people (not programs) because biblical discipleship means imitation. This book has encouraged me to make my fellowship with people, fellowship in the gospel. This has increased my realization that I am in need of discipleship and I am called to be a disciple.

Theology for Life

I recently walked through the biblical passages supporting the doctrines of grace for my spiritual edification. I was able to stand in awe of God because of his grace and glory in the gospel. At the conclusion of my study, Pastor Sinclair Ferguson appropriately reminded me of the purpose of theology:

"The goal of theology is the worship of God. The posture of theology is one's knees. The mode of theology is repentance."

Soli deo Gloria

Book Review: Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church

Synopsis

Michael Lawrence, in Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church, desires for every pastor, teacher, or Christian disciple to think biblically. He exhorts one’s theology to be both biblical in the sense that it is fully rooted in Scripture and biblical in the sense that it considers the entire metanarrative of Scripture. He acknowledges the tendency for every theologian (which includes every Christian) is to grasp onto either biblical theology or systematic theology and reject usefulness of the other. Lawrence tells his readers that “Biblical theology is how we read the Bible. Systematic Theology is how the story of the Bible is shown to be normative in our lives. To say you want one but not the other simply shows that you understand neither” (92). Michael Lawrence divides this book into three sections. In the first five chapters he gives his readers the tools for proper exegesis in light of biblical theology. In chapters six through ten, he demonstrates biblical theology at work as he takes his readers through the story of Scripture considering five different themes. In the final two chapters, he presents pastors and teachers with application and various “case studies” for preaching while using biblical theology.
In the first section Lawrence gives various tools that every Christian must use to understand the meaning of Scripture. He applies the grammatical historical method to the seven literary genres found in Scripture: narrative, parable, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, epistles, and apocalyptic. He continues by giving the teacher three “horizons” of scriptural meaning: the textual horizon, the epochal horizon, and the canonical horizon (55). In order for his readers to understand these horizons, he explains the covenantal structure of the Bible, epochal structure, and canonical structure. He continues to show how prophecy, typology, and continuity function in the Old Testament.

After giving a method and structure for biblical theology, Lawrence demonstrates biblical theology in light of five different themes. In the story of creation, he shows how God always “creates from nothing” (122), “creates by his word” (123), and “creates for His glory” (124). Ultimately, God will recreate everything when His Church will display the unhindered glory of God in the new heavens and new earth. In the story of the fall, Lawrence gives divine patterns of promise and fulfillment, and cause and effects. The causes are twofold. The fall “was instigated by Satan” and “freely chosen by [man]” (133). The effects are [banishment] from divine presence, total corruption of man’s nature, and sinful progression (133). In the story of love, God always demonstrates his love toward a rebellious people whether it is Adam and Eve in the garden, Noah and his family, the idolater Abram, the nation of Israel, or all Jews and Gentiles who would believe in Son of God. In the story of Sacrifice, Lawrence demonstrates the progression of sacrifices in the Old Testament which would point to the ultimate sacrifice, the lamb of God, who would effectually take away the sins of the world. And finally Lawrence guides his readers through the story of promise. In this story God is always seen as a promise making and promise keeping God. He made a promise with Adam and Eve, and fulfilled it through the cross. He made a promise with Abraham, and fulfilled it in the nation of Israel, and ultimately in the Church. He made a promise with David, and fulfilled it with Jesus as he stands at the right hand of God as King over the world.

In the final section, Lawrence reaches the purpose of his book. He desires for men and woman to know biblical theology so that it will impact preaching, teaching, counseling, and discipling. The relevance of systematic theology is for people who want to know how the biblical story relates to their life now. Therefore, Lawrence takes several case studies including the Levitical laws in Leviticus 11, the book of Joshua, Psalms 1-2, and Mark 1:14-15, and demonstrates how proper use of biblical theology and systematic theology builds theologically rich and applicatory sermons. He demonstrates how biblical theology gives a Christian framework for counseling, missions, caring for the poor, and church/state relations.

Reflections

Biblical Theology in the life of the Church is a treasured possession on my bookshelf. As a young Christian who has never had extensive seminary training, this book gave me many tools interpreting scripture that will aid me in teaching and personal Bible study. This book enlivened the stories of Scripture by putting them in the context of the grand narrative of God’s redeeming work throughout history. It gave theological weight to stories that I have considered merely moralistic. It helped me understand the continuity and discontinuity between the Old Testament and New Testament. It gave me reason to love both biblical theology and systematic theology. It helped me use the story of Scripture to discern practical issues in my life that are not explicitly addressed in Scripture.

Michael Lawrence has given a precious tool to anyone who desires to know and love God through the pages of Scripture. Throughout the pages of this book, I sensed his pastoral heart and his vision for practical theology. This work is not primarily academic, though you will need to put your brain into gear. It is primarily for our sanctification and joy. You must prepare your heart to fall in love with God in Christ through the story of Scripture.

Pursuing Joy at 5 Points!

This summer I have been given the opportunity minister at Five Points Community Church in Auburn Hills, Mi. I am the summer intern, which means I read and write a lot, teach the college class on Sunday mornings, and simply observe the lives of pastors ministering the gospel every day. The pastors at Five Points contribute to a church blog, Pursuing Joy, and being the intern, they let me contribute as well. So here is a link to my first post on Pursuing Joy, "True Fellowship in the Gospel."