Tag: the church

Book Briefs: “40 Questions about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper” by John S. Hammett

~ Bob Hayton ~ Leave a comment

40 Questions about Baptism and the Lord's Supper by John S. HammettWhy are there so many different Christian denominations? Why are their Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and other types of Churches? Why are their dozens and dozens of other denominations as well?

Many a Christian wonders about this at some point. The split between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches is explained by the Reformation. But the differences between Protestants largely boil down to how we are to understand the two most important “rites” that the New Testament expects of the Church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Now if you want to explore the debates surrounding Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, look no further than 40 Questions about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper by John S. Hammett. I have reviewed other “40 Questions” books from Kregel, and have been consistently impressed by both their depth and clarity. The authors present the different arguments dispassionately and carefully, always asking the right questions; yet they don’t shy away from offering their own answers, which at times are appropriately tentative depending on the question. See my reviews of 40 Questions about the End Times, and 40 Questions about Creation and Evolution.

In 40 Questions about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, even the most theologically aware reader will stumble across questions or points they haven’t before considered. The 40 questions format, however, prevents the book from becoming an inaccessible tome since both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have to be covered from all angles within about 300 pages. Practical questions and pastoral concerns also are given full treatment, making the book more valuable. It is not just informative but helpful.

Some of my personal quibbles about Communion are explored as well! I’ve long thought that the small size of the elements often used today (mini-cracker and thimble sized cup of juice anyone?) may not be the best way to share in the Lord’s Supper. And I’ve wondered if the Lord’s Supper shouldn’t be observed in the context of a church-wide meal (as was done in the early church). Hammett addresses both of these concerns in passing (respectively pp. 208-209, pp. 186-187). Hammett also has an entire question devoted to when children (as opposed to infants) should be baptized (see chapter 20).

Hammett concludes with a Baptist view of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, but stresses a spiritual presence of Christ in Communion. He also explores to what degree our view of these Church ordinances should impact our unity with fellow believers.

This book will be most helpful for pastors and Bible teachers, but can be read with benefit by lay Christians, students and others. I highly recommend it.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from Kregel.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher. 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.

Quotes to Note 39: Alec Motyer on the Church

~ Bob Hayton

Alec Motyer has spent his life studying the riches of Isaiah, and I’m almost finished enjoying the fruits of his study so helpfully laid out in Isaiah By the Day: A New Devotional Translation (Christian Focus, 2011). In each of the daily readings in this book, Motyer presents his translation with commentary and offers a devotional in line with the text of that day’s passage. I came across a jewel of a quote about the Church, with special focus on denominations and how each local church is to be a picture of the whole Church. I thought it was a great way to look at things and offer it hear for your benefit as well.

The truth remains the same today: the Lord’s earthly people are themselves the temple in which he lives by his Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16), the locus and display of his holiness and beauty. Well may we mourn that our sinfulness, divisiveness, our failure in biblical distinctiveness, and our manifest lack of holiness have marred the image. Who, looking at today’s church–denominational or local–can see the likeness of Jesus? And this is not a matter only of denominational failure, though that is all too plain. The Bible knows nothing of our “denominationalism,” and if Isaiah’s wording promts us to put our hand to reform and renovation then its proper focus is the local church to which we each belong. When we look at the merest sliver of a crescent moon we don’t say, “Oh, there’s part of the moon.” We say “Look, there’s the moon.” In the same way each local church, however small–or in the eyes of onlookers, insignificant–is meant to be a mirror and image of the whole, an earthly replica of the heavenly reality where Christ is all. We should be able to look at the fellowships to which we belong and say, “There is The Church,” bearing the two oustanding marks of holiness and beauty: obeying the command, “Be holy because I am holy” (Lev. 19:2), and displaying the beauty of Jesus in all its gatherings, relationships and individual characters.

~ excerpted from p. 306, on Isaiah 63:15-64:12.

For a sample reading from this helpful book by Motyer, see this post.

“Appointed to Preach: Assessing a Call to Ministry” by David W. Hegg

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

“A strong case can be made that we presently have too many men in pastoral ministry; too many who have taken the mantle of leadership upon themselves without having been selected and formed by God for that purpose.” (pg. 23)

“Isn’t it about time that we expected more from those who would stand before us as God’s ministers?” (pg. 51)

When is the last time you read anything like the two statements above? Following the lead of such great men as Charles Spurgeon and Richard Baxter, David W. Hegg displays a holy zeal to protect the office of the pastor. In his book Appointed to Preach: Assessing a Call to Ministry (a recent re-release from Christian Focus Publications), Hegg raises the bar for pastoral ministry and recovers the lost art of a thorough ordination process.

An experienced pastor who serves on the regional ordination council of his denomination, Hegg has seen the good and the bad when it comes to ordinations. Too often, the process becomes an empty formality or an opportunity for cranky old men to ridicule a youngster in public. Avoiding either extreme, Hegg envisions ordination as a careful and slow process whereby unworthy candidates for ministry are weeded out and faithful men of God approved and affirmed to their calling.

The book addresses the role of ordination, the character qualities the Bible expects of a pastor, and the path for a man seeking ordination. Wise advice is given both to aspiring ministers and those who would seat the ordination council. A blueprint is also furnished that can be adapted to fit the particulars of a variety of conservative denominations. A helpful appendix of recommended reading rounds out this handy volume.

At a mere 154 pages, the book can be read in one sitting. Yet Hegg’s practical wisdom and insightful comments deserve more extended reflection. Useful as a handbook for all involved in the ordination process, it also offers a wake-up call to the church at large. How we view the pastoral task matters both for how we practice ordination and how well our churches are pastored. We need faithful men behind our sacred desks. May many men and churches be blessed through the counsel David W. Hegg shares in this book. I recommend this book highly.

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

Learn more about this book at the Christian Focus BookNotes blog. You can purchase a copy from Westminster Bookstore, Amazon.com, or direct from Christian Focus Publications.