Tag: Recommended

New Book on a Middle Position between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology

~ Bob Hayton ~ 7 Comments

A new book is making some serious theological waves. Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenant by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum advocates a view termed “progressive covenantalism” as a middle position between covenant theology and dispensationalism. Regular readers of my blog know that I have argued for a more covenantal position. One of my favorite blog series was “Understanding the Land Promise“. But while I’m definitely not a classic or revised dispensationalist, I’m not entirely at home in standard covenant theology either. You can scan through some of my posts on dispensationalism, or redemptive historical interpretation if you’re interested in more of my thoughts at present on this issue.

Gentry and Wellum’s position is a Baptist, non-dispensational view with some affinities to new covenant theology and progressive dispensationalism (it seems). Yet theirs is a new position altogether. Since the book weighs in at over 800 pages, I’m not sure I’ll be able to work my way through it anytime soon, but it is definitely on my books to get list.

Here are some of the blurbs for the book, and Justin Taylor alerts us to the fact that the first two chapters are available to read online for free.

“Gentry and Wellum offer a third way, a via media, between covenant theology and dispensationalism, arguing that both of these theological systems are not informed sufficiently by biblical theology. Certainly we cannot understand the scriptures without comprehending ‘the whole counsel of God,’ and here we find incisive exegesis and biblical theology at its best. This book is a must read and will be part of the conversation for many years to come.” ~ Thomas R. Schreiner (James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

“What do you get when you cross a world class Bible scholar and a first rate systematic theologian? You get 800-plus pages of power-packed biblical goodness. You get the forest and quite a few of the trees. This is not the first volume that has attempted to mediate the dispensational/covenant theology divide, but it may be the culminating presentation of that discussion—just as Bach was not the first Baroque composer but its highest moment. Gentry and Wellum’s proposal of Kingdom through Covenant should be read by all parties, but I won’t be surprised to learn in 20 years that this volume provided the foundation for how a generation of anyone who advocates regenerate church membership puts their Bible together.” ~ Jonathan Leeman (Editorial Director, 9Marks; author, Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love)

“The relationship between the covenants of Scripture is rightly considered to be central to the interpretation of the Bible. That there is some degree of continuity is obvious for it is the same God—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as well as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—who has revealed himself and his will in the covenants. That there is, however, also significant discontinuity also seems patent since Scripture itself talks about a new covenant and the old one passing away. What has changed and what has not? Utterly vital questions to which this new book by Gentry and Wellum give satisfying and sound answers. Because of the importance of this subject and the exegetical and theological skill of the authors, their answers deserve a wide hearing. Highly recommended!” ~ Michael A. G. Haykin (Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Director, The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies)

“Kingdom through Covenant is directly applicable to a pastor faithfully seeking understanding of God’s Word as it reveals the structure that supports the narrative of God’s message throughout time. The study of the covenants provides a framework for understanding and applying the message of the Bible to life in the new covenant community. I have found this study personally transforming, and enriching in my teaching ministry.” ~ Joseph Lumbrix (Pastor, Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Willisburg, KY)

For more on the book, see this interview at The Gospel Coalition Blog, or this two part interview at Credo Magazine: part 1, part 2.

You can pick up your own copy of this volume at any of the following online retailers: Westminster Bookstore, Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, Barnes&Noble, or direct from Crossway.

In the Box: Books from IVP, Kregel, WinePress and Crossway

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

“In the Box” posts highlight new books I’ve received in the mail.

The past few weeks I have had a few exciting titles arrive at my doorstep. I’m truly blessed to be able to read so many great books, and Christian publishers seem to never let up in their race to get high quality materials out the door. We are truly blessed with an abundance of Christian resources to help us in our walk with Christ.

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 edited by and Richard Patterson (Kregel)

This book looks like it will be a joy to read. Mitch Glaser is the president of Chosen People Ministries, an organization dedicated to evangelizing the Jews. He recounts in the introduction how pivotal a role Isaiah chapter 53 plays in Jewish evangelism and his hopes for this book. Glaser and Bock have brought together a team of scholars who address the question of how to interpret Isaiah 53 from a variety of angles, but a practical, evangelistic fervor is promised to permeate the book. I look forward to jumping into this book and providing my review in the next couple weeks.

UPDATE: Read my review of this book here.

To learn more about this book, visit the book detail page at Kregel, or check out the preview or excerpt available at Westminster Bookstore, Amazon, Christianbook.com or Barnes&Noble.

Interpreting the Parables (2nd Edition) by Craig L. Blomberg (IVP)

This book arrived yesterday and I am excited to see it. Blomberg provides a systematic treatment of parables and the book is a comprehensive manual for how to exegete these dearly loved treasures of the New Testament. I appreciate that he takes C.H. Dodd and Joachim Jeremias to task, arguing that there is a limited allegorical sense to the parables. I’ve never been able to square Jesus’ own explanations of certain parables with what was a prevailing view in scholarship of their “single-point” nature that emphasized just one main punch to the story line. This book promises to be an education in itself, coming in at over 450 pages, but like all of IVP’s softcover reference titles – the quality and the design of the book make it a joy to peruse.

To learn more about this book, visit the book detail page at InterVarsity Press, or check out the preview available at Amazon, Christianbook.com or Barnes&Noble.

From the Cauldron to the Cross by Shari Hadley (WinePress)

This book looks fascinating. It is a personal testimony of a journey from Wicca to Christianity. The author is also a public speaker and licensed clinical social worker. Her story is of the power of God’s grace and promises to be an encouraging read. Dr. Neil Anderson has written the foreword.

To learn more about this book, visit the book detail page at WinePress, or visit CauldrontotheCross.com. Pick up a copy of the book at Amazon or Barnes&Noble.

The Kingdom by Bryan M. Litfin (Crossway)

I can’t leave out a good work of fiction. I was captured by Bryan Litfin’s well-crafted story-world as I read and reviewed book 2 of the “Chiveis Trilogy”. This book is the conclusion to the series, and I am eager to find out what happens to Teo and Ana–the main characters of this post-apocalyptic, medieval-esque story about recovering the Christian faith.

To learn more about this book, visit the book detail page at Crossway, or visit Chiveis.com. Pick up a copy of the book at Amazon, Christianbook.com or Barnes&Noble. You can get a deal on all three books in the series at Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes&Noble or Crossway as well.

Sorrowful, Angry, but not Hateful: A Survivor’s Reaction to the News from FBC Hammond

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

I wanted to share another post about the Jack Schaap situation. The author of this post, Lori Shaffer, contacted me and thanked me for the posts I’ve written surrounding this sad event. She wanted to share her post with me, and I must say I was very impressed.

This is written from a former First Baptist Church of Hammond member, who lived through her fair share of scandals and problems during her time there. Her perspective on the recent news is both refreshing and challenging on many fronts.

She expresses sorrow over Shaap’s sin, empathizing with what he must be going through, and she expresses grief for what the victim has suffered. But then she also expresses anger over the church’s systematic covering up of past abuse and failure to apologize to the women harmed by Dave Hyles’s sinful behavior. She calls for an openness and a public apology by the church and a change in direction regarding their teaching of the place of women. But she goes on to call us to “be angry and sin not.” She expresses dismay over how many people have been vengeful and hateful in their speech over Schaap’s fall.

Her post is worth reading in full, but let me share her conclusion:

My point? Let’s not embody the arrogance we despise. Let’s not rejoice in Schaap’s fall. Let’s not fill our hearts and mouths with venomous, vengeful speech. Let’s speak the truth. Let’s express righteous anger (which doesn’t have to be passive or timid!). Let’s turn up the light and the heat so that all remaining corruption is brought into the open. But let’s stop short of setting ourselves up as “better than.” Let’s not add to the shame of Christ by calling for castration or his rape in prison. Let’s remember who we are and whom we represent. Let’s offer love and rebuke and encouragement and truth where it’s needed. Let’s pray for those who have been despitefully used. Let’s pray for courage and wisdom for the men in leadership, who appear – for the first time in FBC history – determined to bring justice and restore the honor of Christ and His church. Let’s pray for all whose faith and lives have been crushed by Schaap’s sin. Let’s pray for righteous judgment to be meted out. Let’s pray for healing for that young lady-child. Let’s actually attempt to reflect the character of the One whose name we claim. Be angry…and sin not.

Sermon Download: Raised for Our Sake

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

I was blessed to be able to fill in for our pastor again this Sunday. I realized later that trying to preach on the NT theme of “Resurrection Life” was probably too much to try to accomplish in one message. But then again, my opportunities to preach are limited and I pack as much in as I can, when given the chance!

I won’t spell out the sermon here, but you can peek at my notes or download the audio (mp3) of my message. I hope it is a blessing to everyone. I know it was a blessing to me. I should also note that I am indebted to G.K. Beale’s A New Testament Biblical Theology for many of the lines of thought that I trace out in this message.

Place: Beacon of Hope Church, St. Paul
Date: July 22, 2012
Title: Raised for Our Sake
Text: 2 Cor. 4:16-5:17
Notes: Download PDF
Audio Link: Listen online or download (right click the link and save it to your computer)

“Matthew Henry: His Life and Influence” by Allan Harman

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Book Details:
  • Author: Allan Harman
  • Category: Biography
  • Publisher: Christian Focus (2012)
  • Format: softcover
  • Page Count: 208
  • ISBN#: 1845507835
  • List Price: $14.99
  • Rating: Must Read

Review:
For nearly three hundred  years, the most widely used and respected whole Bible commentary has been Matthew Henry’s Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. Matthew Henry teaches the Bible in simple, memorable phrases, aiming to both inform the reader and promote deeper devotion to Christ. His Christ-centered approach, clarity of thought and pastoral emphasis on applying the text have kept his work in demand these many years. Yet compared to the authors of other comparable Christian classics, we remember very little of Matthew Henry the man.

The commentaries of Martin Luther and John Calvin, the sermons of George Whitfield and Charles Spurgeon, and the writings of John Bunyan and Jonathan Edwards remain as popular among Christians as ever–and these men are remembered, with numerous biographies available for each. For Matthew Henry, only one or two reprints of old biographies are available, as any search of Amazon.com or Google Books can verify. So it was with a mixture of curiosity and interest that I picked up Matthew Henry: His Life and Influence by Allan Harman (Christian Focus, 2012).

I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I thought this book was just a brief overview of Henry’s life and a discussion of his legacy. I was pleased instead to find a thoroughly researched, well-written biography of Matthew Henry. Harman details the life of Philip Henry, Matthew’s father, and the difficulties facing nonconformist Puritan ministers in late seventeenth century England. He goes on to detail Matthew Henry’s life and ministry before focusing on his writings and lasting influence. Along the way he provides excerpts of Henry’s sermons, diary and letters, to fill out the portrait of his life.

Matthew Henry’s life and ministry

Matthew Henry was born in 1662 to a Puritan minister’s family. His father, an Oxford-trained minister, lost his church due to the Act of Uniformity, ultimately never returning to a pulpit ministry. Instead he trained his children, and conducted services for his own house and servants and took many a preacher boy under his wing. Nearly all of Matthew Henry’s schooling, which included training in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, came at his father’s hand. Matthew Henry took the pastorate of a Presbyterian church in Chester, where he ministered for 26 years, before moving near London. Henry was sickly most of his life, and endured many personal trials. He lost his first wife and several children to illness. His oldest son rejected Christianity, even taking his mother’s maiden name as his own. Henry died in 1714, just 2 years after moving to London for greater ministry opportunities. Yet in the midst of a busy ministry, which saw Henry give numerous sermons or lessons each week, he found time to write what would become the most loved commentary on Scripture in the English language.

Matthew Henry’s writings and legacy

Henry’s Exposition was published in a series of volumes, beginning in 1706 up through his death in 1714. It took him just under 8 years to write his notes on the Old Testament, and he had just finished the Gospels and Acts (in 2 years) before his death. He left detailed notes on Romans and Revelation, and since he had also preached through both testaments several times in the course of his ministry, some of his friends completed the sixth volume of the commentary after his death. Besides his commentary, Henry wrote a widely-used children’s catechism, a book of family hymns (some set to his own translations from the Hebrew), a biography of his father Philip Henry, and an influential book on prayer (A Method of Prayer). Besides these he published some pamphlets, other devotional books and some of his sermons. His last published book betrays the emphasis of his life and ministry: it’s title was The Pleasantness of a Religious Life Opened and Improved; and Recommended to the Consideration of All, Particularly of Young People. Harman’s comments on this book are worth repeating:

Modern readers have to understand that this book encompasses the Puritans’ vision of the Christian life. They were not morbid and unfeeling. Rather, serving God was with them a thing of the highest joy. Matthew Henry expressed the Christian’s pleasure in God as one ‘which has no pain attending to it, no bitterness in the latter end of it; a pleasure which God himself invites you to, and which will make you happy, truly and eternally happy, and shall not this work for you?’ (Kindle location 3263-66)

Matthew Henry’s commentary has been praised by many down through the years. Charles Spurgeon recommended that his students read it through at least once, preferrably during their first year of ministry. John Ryland, a Baptist pastor of the eighteenth century, said of Matthew Henry’s commentary "a person cannot begin to read without wishing he was shut out from all the world, and able to read it through, without stopping" (Kindle location 3507-10). Harman takes pains to demonstrate the influence of Matthew Henry on Jonathan Edwards, John and Charles Wesley, and George Whitfield. There certainly is evidence that these men drew from Henry’s expository "well" as they carried out their own ministry. The widespread availability of Henry’s commentary, in abridged or unabridged format, and online or coupled with Bible software programs such as e-sword is the definitive statement of Henry’s lasting legacy. It is arguably the most accessible commentary to the average Bible reader today, and it is indeed average Bible readers for whom Henry wrote his Exposition.

Evaluation of the book

Allan Harman has done the Church a service in refocusing attention onto Matthew Henry, whose commentary has been such a perpetual blessing for so many. The book reads easily, although at times some of the details that a researcher revels in, may get in the way of the account. Harman has written essays on various aspects of Matthew Henry’s life or writings, and at times it seems that he has strung together different pieces into one book. This leads to some noticeable repetition in a few spots.

Harman brings out quite a few interesting tidbits that are not widely known. Henry worked on the the last half of the book of Ezra for his commentary in the middle of the night when his wife was in labor!! He also brings out the fact that Charles Wesley’s hymn "A Charge to Keep I Have" is based on Henry’s comment on Leviticus 8:35. He also notes that from our perspective, Henry should have spent more of his free time with his family and looked after his health more. Harman also includes pictures of Henry’s old church, his study, and other places of interest.

Another fault of the book might be how Harman spends so much time detailing Matthew Henry’s childhood home and family life from when he was a child, but so relatively little time on Henry’s own home and his time with his children. Perhaps this is due to having less resources to work with, as Matthew Henry’s diary has not survived and we are dependent on quotes from earlier works for this information. On the whole, the book is solidly done and accomplishes what it sets out to. Henry’s life is detailed, we are transported back to seventeenth century England and the world of the Puritans, and we even imagine ourselves in the pews of his church in Chester.

This biography will encourage many, myself included, to pick up Matthew Henry’s commentary again and spend some time reading through it. And it will also lead to a greater appreciation of the lasting impact of a simple ministry in a country church–and of a life well lived. Henry himself pointed out shortly before his death "that a holy, heavenly life, spent in the service of God and communion with him, is the most pleasant and comfortable life that anyone can live in this world" (Kindle location 3706-8) Matthew Henry lived such a life, and this is why studying Henry’s life is so worthwhile. May God give us more men like Matthew Henry!

Author Info:
Allan Harman has had a life-time interest in exposition of the biblical text, and also in the history of interpretation. He is Research Professor of Old Testament at the Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. He has lectured and preached in many countries, and continues to serve as the senior editor of the Reformed Theological Review, Australia’s oldest theological journal.

Where to Buy:
  • Westminster Bookstore
  • Christianbook.com
  • Amazon
  • direct from Christian Focus

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Christian Focus Publications for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.