Confessionism: Abusing 1 John 1:9

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

I want to encourage my readers to take some time and read Jim Elliff’s recent blog post on a practice he calls “confessionism”. As a former independent fundamental Baptist, I still tend toward a legalism of sorts that stresses performance and action to a fault. And while I never reached the level of zeal and devotion Jim describes in his post, I can certainly relate to a confusion over how the requirement to confess relates with the Gospel’s free gift of salvation.

“Confessionism” takes 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” and turns it into a general maxim for Christian living. It goes like this: confession of every known sin is required for us to experience a relationship with God and to have growth in our sanctification. This can lead one into an endless cycle of continual introspection and a zeal to remember and confess each and every known sin. What’s missing is a realization of God’s grace. Jim discusses this in depth, and explains how the context of 1 John 1:9 actually stresses the complete forgiveness we have in Christ. It is a must-read post. Go, check it out.

“James (Reformed Expository Commentary)” by Daniel Doriani

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Author: Daniel Doriani
Publisher: P & R Publishing
Format: hardcover
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 220
ISBN: 9780875527857
Stars: 5 of 5

It’s hard to keep up with all of the new commentary series available these days. Critical, expository, application, practical, scholar’s, layman’s, preacher’s, everyman’s — commentaries come in all shapes and sizes. They also run the whole gamut of theological positions. One can find a commentary to fit almost anyone’s personal taste. This is actually a good thing, as non-English speaking people could certainly attest. Availability of good resources (along with some less useful ones) is a blessing we must not take for granted.

When I picked up a volume from P&R’s Reformed Expository Commentary series, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect. As it turned out, I was totally unprepared for how truly excellent a commentary actually can be.

James, by Daniel Doriani, is a joy to read — and use. I’ve been putting it to use in a men’s Bible study on the book of James. And the book serves well to that end. Not only is it an able study tool, but it would serve as excellent devotional reading material. It has the right balance of practical theology and careful scholarship.

The Reformed Expository Commentary series purposely aims to keep the volumes more pastoral and accessible to lay leaders within the church. The authors of each book in the series are pastors committed to the Reformed understanding of Bible doctrine as embodied in the Westminster Confession of Faith. Don’t let that scare you. Even if you are not reformed or Calvinist-leaning, you should be thankful for the Westminster Confession of Faith. People who ascribe to it are likely to be conservative Bible-believing scholars. They are chained to the text of Scripture, which the WCF does a good job of handling (albeit as a Baptist, I differ in at least one point).

As a pastor-scholar, Doriani is able to bring an exposition of the text to us in his commentary. He doesn’t merely break down the text, but he applies it and is free to connect the text to parallel passages in Scripture that develop the same theme. While the book goes out of its way to apply the sense of Scripture, it doesn’t become merely a written sermon. Doriani traces the flow of the text well, and seeks to cover all the questions laymen and scholars alike would have. Still, this is not a critical commentary that might delve deeply into the Greek; and so it will not be the only resource one should consult for study.

The tone of the commentary allows for more of the author’s personality to come through. We see this in Doriani’s treatment of James’ teaching on the elders praying over the sick and anointing them with oil. He shares how his study of the book of James led him to encourage his church to follow James chapter 5 in their practice. He relates two touching stories of God’s healing in answer to the prayer of the elders (and the simple faith of following God’s teaching in this matter). The personal story however, does not turn into a soap-box in any sense. Doriani is careful to cover how faith is not something obligating God to heal in every case, nor is sin behind every illness. His treatment of this passage alone, is worth the price of the book.

The most transformational passage I encountered in my own study of James (with Doriani’s help) has been chapter 1:12-17. Doriani confronts the confusing nature of verses 13 and 14 which seem to say God would never “tempt” anyone. Doriani brings out that God does “tempt” Abraham and also Moses and the Israelites, etc. Of course “tempt” can mean “test” , or “trial” , and context is king here. But Doriani helped me to really get the sense of of the overall teaching of that passage. Here is an excerpt that is especially helpful.

So there are two potential paths in any test. Testing met with endurance makes us mature and complete; it leads to life (1:3-4, 12). Or testing met with selfish desire leads to sin and death (1:14-15). “Death” is more than the death of the body, tragic as that is. Rather, just as faith and endurance lead to eternal life (1:12; cf. Matt. 10:22), so selfish desire and sin lead to eternal death (Rev. 20:14-15).

This is the worst possible result of testing, and a idea we might prefer to avoid. Therefore, James commands, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers” (1:16 ESV). James warns his readers against blaming temptation and sin on God. He hopes his readers see the truth. Sin begins in our hearts which are all too willing to follow evil desires. How foolish it is to succumb to temptation, then blame the results on God.

Because of our sin, tests can lead to spiritual death, but God designed them to bring us good. Tests stand among God’s gifts, not his curses. But if our sinfulness leads us to fail life’s tests, how can we escape our failures? The final two verses [17-18] offer an answer. (pg. 39)

This insight is going to stick with me my whole life, Tests offer two alternative responses: endurance & faith or selfish desire/doubt/blaming God. Our choice is important, we must not be deceived. But this topic (covered in verses 12-16) flows right into verse 17 which says every good gift comes from God. Tests, in the context of James chapter 1, then, are God’s gifts to us!

The extended quote above also serves to illustrate Doriani’s style in two ways. Notice first, the end of the first paragraph, where he looks beyond the focus of the text in James to the teaching of other Scripture as well. Second, the last paragraph above shows how Doriani is always looking for the gospel. We do fail life’s tests, what then?

This gospel focus serves readers well as they encounter James through this book. James can be seen as merely a book of practical advice or a collection of commands, yet sprinkled throughout the book are elements of Gospel. And it is the gospel which makes sense of James. Doriani shows us how to see James as complementary to Paul, and warns against a legalistic approach to the book.

I cannot more highly recommend this resource. If other titles in the series are as well put together, and as helpful as this book, I am going to want to collect them all. I suspect you will too.

My thanks go out to Presbyterian and Reformed Publishers for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Daniel M. Doriani (M.Div., Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary; S.T.M., Yale Divinity School) is senior pastor of Central Presbyterian Church, Clayton, Missouri. He previously was dean of faculty and professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, and the author of Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible, Putting the Truth to Work: The Theory and Practice of Biblical Application, and The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Westminster Bookstore, Amazon.com, or direct from P & R Publishing.

“Hebrews (Life Application Bible Studies, NLT)”

~ Bob Hayton

Tyndale House has expanded the reach of its excellent Life Application Study Bible through its line of Life Application Bible Studies. These study books offer the text from the Life Application Study Bible for a specific book of the Bible, and add a study guide and workbook. The result is a perfect Bible Study booklet for use in small group Bible studies.

I was privileged to get the Hebrews NLT Life Application Bible Studies booklet through my participation in the Tyndale Blog Network. This study booklet on Hebrews is packed full of information and provides a wonderful resource to be used in all kinds of different Bible studies or small groups. Students of every level will benefit from the text study notes and the well framed questions in the workbook.

While one could argue against including the introduction to the New Living Translation and the Life Application Study Bible in a simple Bible study booklet, I actually enjoyed reading through that material. It increased my respect for the NLT translation, and made it easier to follow the study notes as presented in the Life Application Study Bible text.

After the text is given, the 13 lessons on Hebrews follow. Don’t think the lessons line up perfectly with the chapters of Hebrew (13 lessons for 13 chapters), they don’t (which I think is a good thing). The study follows the flow of Hebrews more closely. Each study starts with a reflection section, asking questions which will draw the reader into the topic the lesson is focusing on. Then the section of the text of Hebrews to read for that lesson is noted, along with which study notes are especially helpful to read. Some questions about the reading follow, and then a “realize the principle” section states the main point of the lesson in a few sentences. Several more questions follow and then a “respond to the message” section includes questions designed to help the reader/student apply the lesson to their life. A “resolve to take action” section sums up the application to be gained from that lesson, and a few points for further study are offered.

I found the questions to be both practical and true to the text. The study is careful but it doesn’t go too in-depth. The “for further study” section allows Bible study groups who want to, to explore the deeper or more controversial areas of the text. And the study notes in the text that aren’t read could provide some help for this.

What’s also nice about the study booklet is that there are spaces provided for the answers to each question to be recorded. The text is in the booklet so everything you need is in one handy source. Not every study member is likely to have the NLT text so it is nice to have it in the booklet for one to compare with their own translation. Literal translations will make a great comparison to the NLT and allow the careful reader to observe how and where the NLT makes the meaning of various passages more explicit for modern readers.

The study on Hebrews would make for an excellent adult bible study. It’s well done and allows enough of a gap for a small group leader or teacher to add his own unique input into the study. I recommend this study booklet to everyone most heartily.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Tyndale House.

Good Discipleship Resources Anyone??

~ Bob Hayton ~ 24 Comments

I thought I’d use my blog here to help answer someone who contacted me with the following question:

I am looking for a discipleship resource that leans towards Calvinism. I have one by Greg Ogden called Discipleship Essentials but I am not sure where he leans as it is published by Intervarsity Press, and I found my years at InterVaristy Fellowship to be anything but leaning towards Calvinism.

I can’t think of anything right now off the top of my head. Can any of you, my readers, help with this question? I think the answer may be a help to more of my readers than just the gentleman who is inquiring.

“The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition” compiled by Barclay Newman

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Author: Barclay Newman (compiler)
Publisher: Hendrickson
Format: deluxe softcover
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 704
ISBN: 9783438051493
Stars: 5 of 5

The goal of many NT Greek students is to be able to read out of the Greek NT. This may be the only way proficiency in the language will be realized. The task of reading Greek is made much more difficult the more often one has to hunt down a lexicon to look up a definition for an unfamiliar word. Unfortunately, for most people, the lexicon is needed often enough to push them away from even attempting to read the Greek NT for themselves.

Barclay Newman’s The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition aims to make reading the Greek NT attainable by any Greek student. The New Testament is presented with footnotes for all the difficult words. Every word appearing 30 times or less in the NT will have a definition listed at the bottom of the page. All words appearing more than 30 times are defined in the back of the book in a small Greek-English dictionary. Along with the definitions at the bottom of the page, the words are parsed, and the gender of the word is noted.

It’s been several years since I’ve formally studied Greek. Yet I found this New Testament allowed me to work my way through many passages. I hope to start using it more and more and reinforce the Greek learning I have left!

The softcover version I have is quite nice. It appears quite durable, and has a smooth feel. The paper is almost as thin as you’d find in a typical Bible. It is a compact size which makes it convenient for tucking in your Bible case, or for bringing it along with your English Bible to church. The typesetting is clear, and the format of the footnotes includes the Greek word so as to make it easier to identify which footnote you are looking for. I think the size of the footnotes and the text is just right, not too large or too small.

This handy resource will benefit any who have studied or are interested in studying NT Greek. I can’t recommend this tool enough.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Hendrickson.