Tag: professor

Book Briefs: “Samuel Rutherford (Bitesize Biographies)” by Richard Hannula

~ Bob Hayton ~ 7 Comments

Samuel Rutherford (Bitsize Biographies)Samuel Rutherford is perhaps the best known Scottish Puritan. But his life and history seem not to be as widely remembered as other Puritan ministers. Rutherford’s legacy lays chiefly in collections of his profound and moving personal letters.

Richard Hannula brings renewed attention to Samuel Rutherford in his contribution to the “Bitesize Biographies” series from Evangelical Press (2014).

Rutherford had humble beginnings and even a possibly scandalous start to his ministry. He ended up resigning his post at the University of Edinburgh after some possible impropriety with his fiance. This may have been just an ill rumor, and Hannula doesn’t take pains to sort out the facts too closely, but moves on in his simple and straightforward account of Rutherford’s life.

The next chapter of Rutherford’s life finds him as a humble pastor in Anworth. And there he labored in preaching and declaring the loveliness of Christ. His life was caught up in the perils of Scotland’s church, and his Reformed stance eventually landed him in exile 200 miles to the north. And it was this exile that may have birthed his precious letters. He wrote to his flock at Anworth and encouraged them to remain true to the Reformed faith.

Eventually when the Reformed party was in ascendancy, Rutherford was appointed as a professor against his will, in the University of St. Andrews, where he would serve for the remainder of his life. Rutherford’s scholarship was important and his devotion for Christ was unquestioned. He was needed to help shape the future pastors for Scotland. And so he did.

Rutherford was influential as a member of the Scottish delegation to the Westminster Assembly in London, which gave to the church the most enduring English confession, the Westminster Confession of Faith. He played a part in its shape, defending a Presbyterian form of church government. He also helped work on the catechisms.

This story includes the founding of the National Covenant in Scotland and the various wars against Charles I, and the eventual betrayal brought by Charles II when Scottish Covenanters unwisely accepted his promises in exchange for help. The intricacies of Scottish history still baffle me, but the phrase “for Crown and Covenant” has new meaning for me. Ultimately, the Crown was restored and went on to persecute the Reformed branch of the Church of Scotland mercilessly and again Samuel is found writing letters of encouragement to ministers who will soon lose their lives. Rutherford himself would have faced a martyr’s death but for his own sickness that eventually took his life. After his death, Rutherford’s letters were collected and published, and they continue to be widely readable and an enduring devotional classic.

This little book is not a true biography and includes no end notes or footnotes at all. It does recommend works for further study. It is a sympathetic biography too. And further, it is packed with quotes from Rutherford’s much prized correspondence and so it is part biography, part devotional classic in itself.

A few snippets from Rutherford’s letters may encourage my readers to pick up this book and learn more:

I find it a sweet and rich thing to exchange my sorrows with Christ’s joys, my afflictions for that sweet peace I have with Him.

Believe Christ’s love more than your own feelings.

Your heart is not the compass that Christ sails by.

O if you saw the beauty of Jesus, and smelled the fragrance of His love, you would run through fire and water to be at Him.

It is not I, but Christ; not I, but grace; not I, but God’s glory; not I, but God’s love constraining me; not I, but the Lord’s Word; not I, but Christ’s commanding power in me!

You must in all things aim at God’s honour; you must eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, sit, stand, speak, pray, read, and hear the Word, with a heart-purpose that God may be honoured.

Woe unto us for these sad divisions that make us lose the fair scent of the Rose of Sharon!

When the head is filled with topics, and none of the flamings of Christ’s love in the heart, how dry are all disputes? Far too often, fervour of dispute in the head weakens love in the heart.

Glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel’s land. [Rutherford’s last words]

(pp. 64-65, 106, 115-116, 132)

The work makes for a quick read, but many of the quotations merit contemplation and extended meditation. In fact, this book makes me want to get a copy of Rutherford’s letters to read the quotes in their fuller context. I recommend this book for those looking to learn from the spiritual journey of a man whose writings continue to bless the Church as a whole. It is an admirable introduction to Rutherford’s life and a testament ultimately to God’s grace.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, Monergism Books, or direct from EP Books.

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

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

Mark Dever Interviews Greg Beale on Biblical Theology

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

I just listened to a fascinating interview where Mark Dever interviews Greg Beale. He focuses on Biblical Theology and begins the interview by asking Beale his opinion on Bible versions and then a litany of different works on Biblical Theology. They are basically in the Westminster Theological Seminary bookstore and talking about a host of different titles.

Then they go into Beale’s background and his studies and books. Very fascinating interview, especially if you’ve read some of Beale’s works. And like Dever would be expected to, he starts off by pointing out the irony that Beale now teaches at Westminster but studied at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Click here to listen to the interview from Nine Marks.

I’m still working my way through his A New Testament Biblical Theology, and finished his The Temple and the Church’s Mission last year – both are excellent books.

Illustrated Video Clip Highlighting the Four Major Views on the Millennium

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

Dr. David P. Murray, professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, narrated an illustrated video clip (11 minutes long) that walks through each of the four major views on the millennium. I’ve previously recommended his ebook explaining the four views of the millennium because he makes the discussion very clear with graphics and illustrations, and he does an excellent job presenting the views in a way that stays true to each position. In this video clip, you can not really tell which position he takes.

The big takeaway I had from this video clip was how similar all four views are when it comes to the big things: Jesus’ death, the importance of the church age, Jesus’ return, resurrection from the dead, judgement of all men, Jesus’ glorious reign on the new earth in the eternal kingdom. If you have a few minutes, take the time and watch this video. Then download the ebook for future reading.

Salvation in the Present Tense: Are We “Being Saved”?

~ Bob Hayton ~ 12 Comments

The chorus of a popular hymn from the early 20th Century1 goes like this:

Saved… by His pow’r divine,
Saved… to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I’m Saved, Saved, Saved!

It certainly is a thrilling reality, to know oneself as saved by God’s grace. The American church over the last hundred years or more, has so focused on the past tense, completed sense of salvation, however, that they’ve ignored the idea of salvation being in the present tense. The Bible actually speaks of three tenses when it comes to salvation: we have been saved (in the past: Eph. 2:5,8, 2 Tim. 1:9, Tit. 3:5), we also will ultimately be saved (in the future: Rom, 5:91 Thess. 5:9-10, 1 Pet. 1:5), and we are being saved now (in the present: 1 Cor. 1:18, 15:1-2, 2 Cor. 2:15).

One of the key passages, as you see above, for this concept of salvation being a present tense “being saved” reality, is 1 Cor. 15:1-2. Which says, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you”” unless you believed in vain. (ESV)”

Bill Mounce, a Greek professor and author, recently addressed how we should translate the Greek phrase for “being saved”, which some Bibles (like the King James Version) have as “are saved”. His comments reveal how the context of a book and one’s theology often help determine the translation of particular phrases. This is how language works. There is no absolute sense where the tense of a Greek verb has only one translation choice when it comes to putting it into English. That being said, I think Mounce’s case for 1 Cor. 15:2 being understood as “are being saved”, is quite strong. I also like his stress on the idea of being on “the straight and narrow” path, as the ultimate descriptive of our reality as Christ-followers.

Let me know what you think of this present tense salvation concept. I’ve shared thoughts related to this idea previously. A few posts which might help are listed below:

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1 Words and music by Jack Scholfield (1918). Hear the tune in a new, contemporary choral arrangement here.