August 14, 2010
What one thing would you change about seminary?
Collin Hansen of The Gospel Coalition poses this question to Albert Mohler, D.A. Carson, Jeff Louie, and Richard Pratt.
July 28, 2010
To Every Tribe Ministries - Interview with David Sitton - Part 3
David Sitton is the President of To Every Tribe, a ministry which has been planting churches among unreached people groups of Papua New Guinea and Mexico for many years now. The ministry is led by a distinguished board of directors and three executive officers. As it happens, they are seeking to hire a Director for their Center for Pioneer Church Planting.
To Every Tribe is hosting a conference this October 22-23 entitled Reckless Abandon: For Jesus and The Nations. In light of this conference, and as a means of spreading the word about To Every Tribe, I'll be posting a three or four part interview with David Sitton. Part 2 was posted last week (and Part 1 the previous week). Here's Part 3:
Are there any new developments at To Every Tribe that you’d like to share with us?
The big thing for us is seeing the gospel advance into previously unreached areas. I like to talk about the “advance” of the gospel. Advance denotes movement, action, intentionality and progress; setting targets for the gospel and then going after them for Christ. To do that well requires teams of well trained church planting missionaries. And that’s what we’re attempting to produce, with God’s help, in our Center For Pioneer Church Planting (CPCP). Beginning in September, we are transitioning into a two-year training program, 40% of which is focused upon on-the-job training situations in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Mexico. For example, we’ve discovered a whole new region in the Black Water swamp lands of PNG where the evangelical gospel is virtually unknown. Plans are being made to get the gospel established into that area as quickly as possible. We also have a reconnaissance research team, right now, in the remote parts of Oaxaca (Mexico) gathering data in order to determine the most strategic place to launch a church planting team. These are the things that excite me the most.
You’re hosting a Mission Conference with the title Reckless Abandon: For Jesus and the Nations. Why that title?
I got the Reckless Abandon title from Ed McCully, who was one of the Ecuador 5 that were martyred in Ecuador in 1956. Here's his quote:
"I have just one desire now; to live a life of reckless abandon for Christ and I’m putting all of my strength and energy into it. Maybe the Lord will send me some place where the name of Christ is unknown."
--Ed McCully (in a letter to Jim Elliot, September 22,1950)
It’s our conviction that most of the easy-to-reach places have already been harvested. The ones that remain unengaged are hard to get to, and oftentimes hostile. It requires a certain missionary mentality for a man to take his family into these dangerous places. It requires a reckless abandon that comes out of deep conviction that Jesus and the gospel are worth it. Whatever the hardship or suffering, Jesus is always worth it. If there is a line, over which, Jesus is no longer worth the sacrifice, that line points directly at the thing that we value more than Christ; whatever it is we value more than Christ is an idol in our lives.
I noticed that the speakers have worked in Romania and Ethiopia, whereas To Every tribe has historically focused on Papua New Guinea and Mexico. Tell us a little bit about why you chose Josef Tson and Getaneh Getaneh.
Josef Tson lept nearly to the top of my “greatly admired” list when I read about his response to a Romanian prison guard that gave him a choice to either deny Christ and be released, or be killed by firing squad. Josef said, “Sir, let me explain to you the situation. Your greatest weapon is killing; but my greatest weapon is dying. I see no good reason to renounce Christ now. If you kill me, I go to heaven and my sermons will spread around Romania all the faster because people will know that I died for my faith. If you release me, I will go on preaching. Do with me as you wish!” And they released him! I want Josef Tson at our Reckless Abandon conference!
Getaneh Getaneh is from Ethiopia and has been tortured more than I can imagine for his faith in Christ. Getaneh has an incredible testimony and is one of the strong voices within Voice of the Martyrs that speaks on behalf of the “suffering church” around the world. I look forward to hearing about his exploits for the gospel in the midst of severe suffering.
Are there any particular themes you’ve asked Josef and Getaneh to address?
Once they heard about the “Reckless Abandon” theme, Dr. Tson and Getaneh Getaneh both accepted our invitation immediately. I know they will speak powerfully to the subject. I will be sitting with everyone else in the conference eager to hear whatever these brothers want to challenge us with. In my sessions, I expect to develop what I believe is the biblical rationale for encouraging extreme risk for the gospel. The outline will be something like this: Risk is always determined by the value of the mission; the gospel is so valuable that no risk is unreasonable; life laid down for Jesus is eternal gain. If I live, I win. If I die, I win bigger (Phil. 1:22-24).
(To Be Continued......)
July 27, 2010
Orlando Sentinel Story on Sproul's Influence on "New Calvinists"
Pretty good story by the Orlando Sentinel on R.C. Sproul's ministry and recent activities (new church facility, founding a Bible College) as they relate to the rising popularity of Calvinism among young evangelicals.
HT: Chris Larson
July 21, 2010
To Every Tribe Ministries - Interview with David Sitton - Part 2
David Sitton is the President of To Every Tribe, a ministry which has been planting churches among unreached people groups of Papua New Guinea and Mexico for many years now. The ministry is led by a distinguished board of directors and three executive officers. As it happens, they are seeking to hire a Director for their Center for Pioneer Church Planting.
To Every Tribe is hosting a conference this October 22-23 entitled Reckless Abandon: For Jesus and The Nations. In light of this conference, and as a means of spreading the word about To Every Tribe, I'll be posting a three or four part interview with David Sitton. Part 1 was posted last week. Here's part 2:
David - Thanks for your willingness to talk a bit more.
It’s great that so many read our first interview and some cared enough to respond. I’m glad we can do a Part 2.
For an opening statement, I’d like to reply to Justin Long at The Network for Strategic Missions and his observation (as a comment on your blog) that my definitions of unreached and unevangelized, according to many missiologists are inverted. That’s mostly true. However, Donald McGavran, one of the foremost missiologists of the last 100 years, defined unreached much the same way I do. “Socially isolated away from gospel witness” is one way he put it. But the important point is that I suspect most of our differences are largely in the semantics.
I would still argue that the natural progression for the gospel among unreached people groups is this: They are first unreached, meaning, there is no knowledge or access to the gospel within their culture. Then, as they hear the gospel, some are converted, leaders are trained and a small church is established. At this point, I consider them to be reached, meaning, that Christ and the gospel are now known, embraced (church planted) and accessible in their culture.
But there is still a remaining need for evangelization to be completed among them. This is the third phase, which I like to call reaching. This simply means that the needed evangelization is completed through the efforts of their own national believers (church) and with their own local resources.
At this point is when the pioneer church planter should move on to other unreached people groups. So the process is Unreached – Reached – Reaching.
Many missiologists see the process as Unevangelized – Unreached – Christian.
Here’s the reason I especially don’t like that third category (Christian) very much. It has largely lost its meaning for me because too many statisticians include anyone that claims to be Christian into that category. For example, it is often said that Papua New Guinea is 97.28% Christian. That is complete nonsense to anyone that has spent any amount of time in PNG. When the Christian category stretches its arms so wide as to surround and include Catholics, far-fringe syncretistic cargo cults and sometimes even the Mormons, it completely confuses the true situation of the urgent need for mission in the remote and still unreached places.
Romans 15:17-24 has greatly affected the way I think about the remaining task of mission. Paul explains that he is leaving the region from “Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum (modern day Albania)” because his aim is to preach the gospel, not where Christ is already named. Paul justifies his departure by quoting Isaiah 52:15 – so that “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
Paul says “there is no more place for me to work in these regions”, and so, he turns his attention to Spain which Paul considered to be an “uttermost” region where Christ was still not known.
How could Paul say there was “no more work for him in these regions?” Certainly there were lost people all over that huge swath of territory that still needed to be evangelized. But for the pioneer church planter, Paul’s
job in the region was finished, and he turned his attention to less reached places.
Paul wasn’t saying by his departure that there was no more need for evangelization. He was saying that this territory was now sufficiently reached so that the remaining work of evangelism could be completed by the local believers in the churches he had established.
This is what I understand from Romans 15:
Unreached Peoples are places where Christ has not been named; where people have never been told of him; where there are those who have never heard of him.
Reached (but not completely evangelized) Peoples are places where Christ is already named; the people have been told of him; they have heard of him; Churches are planted; and the remaining need to evangelize the unsaved, within that now reached region, falls to the local believers.
Reaching Peoples are those that, with their own national manpower and local resources, are completing the job of evangelization and missionary mobilization (and sending) themselves.
And the church planting missionary moves on to other unreached places where Christ is still unknown (unreached) to repeat the process.
I want to say clearly, again, much of the difference, I think, among missiologists comes from our having slightly differing definitions. But we all agree on the distressing spiritual condition of the remaining unreached peoples of the world.
I hope that’s not overly tedious, but I wanted to explain why I have come to use these words and definitions.
I was wondering if we could tackle a couple of exegetical questions. How do you understand Matthew 24:14 ("And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.") in light of the widespread belief in the imminent return of Christ?
I believe the Lord wants every generation of believers to live under the expectation on an imminent return of Christ. Paul himself, I think, was looking for the return of Jesus in his lifetime (I Thess. 4-5) and even encouraged believers to live in a way that would “speed” its coming (2 Peter 3:12).
As for Matthew 24:14, I take it at its literal face value. It means exactly what it says. When every one of the 17,000 ethnicities (people groups) in the world has the gospel established among them, then Christ will return. The Lord will not have an incomplete crop! Heaven will be gloriously populated with the elect from “every nation, tribe and language group” (Rev. 5:9; 7:9).
Do I live in expectancy of an imminent return of Jesus Christ? I do. Jesus is coming soon. And it’s certainly a lot nearer now than when we first believed (Romans 13:11-12). However, humanly speaking, I know there are thousands of places around the world where the peoples are still desperately unreached and groping around like blind men in the strongholds of hostile spiritual darkness. So from that stand point, I don’t expect Christ to return tonight. But here’s the thing for me; Jesus said three times in Revelation 22 “Surely I am coming soon”; the last prayer of the bible is the church saying in response – “Amen, come Lord Jesus.” So when I pray – “Come, Lord Jesus”, I’m praying that the gospel would speedily go to the ends of the earth; I’m praying for the rapid success of the gospel among unreached peoples; I’m praying for the elect to be quickly drawn in. And when the Lord has gathered in the last portions of his purchased Bride from among the earths peoples, the Lord will split the skies and come for her. And the Lord could make that happen in an instant if he so chooses.
Editorial Note (from Alex Chediak): For a helpful treatment on the issue of the return of Christ (When? How? Could it happen at any moment?) see Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology (also on Amazon
How do you understand Colossians 1:24 ("Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church")? Specifically, how does our suffering relate to the extending of Christ's kingdom?
I tip my hat to John Piper in helping me understand this one. His message a few years ago entitled “Doing Mission when Dying is Gain” is a must listen.
There are two questions that scream out of the Colossians 1:24 text.
Question 1: What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions?
Answer: Absolutely nothing is lacking in its accomplishment of salvation for his people. Salvation is full and free and completely purchased and secured by Christ through his death and resurrection.
Question 2: If there is nothing lacking in the accomplishment of Christ’s afflictions to acquire salvation for his people, then what is lacking (because the verse clearly says that Paul was filling up the lack)? And how can we provide what is lacking?
Answer: The lack in Christ’s afflictions is not in its accomplishment, but in its, personal, specific application to the nations.
Josef T’son has said – “The nations will be won by his (Christ’s) cross and through our crosses.”
I understand that to mean that it’s the cross of Christ that accomplished salvation – But it’s our cross; that is, it’s our joyful enduring of hardship, suffering and martyrdom (maybe) that proves the truth of the cross to hostile nations.
It’s a difficult dynamic to understand at first. But the Ecuador 5 is a great example of how this works. The cross of Christ was proven to be the power of God for salvation for the Auca tribe. The truth of the gospel was confirmed through 5 human crosses when they were slaughtered by the Auca spears.
When a missionary speaks the gospel in love, then meets violent death in joy for this gospel, a miracle sometimes occurs. The eyes of unbelievers are opened. God enables them to understand the significance of the death of Christ, as demonstrated by the missionaries they just killed – And many of them eventually believe in Christ. This is the consistent testimony from the stoning of Stephen to this present day explosion of gospel advance in the most heavily persecuted areas of the world. Persecution and suffering is not a set-back to mission; it’s an incentive for more aggressive gospel witnessing.
I believe that suffering, hardship, persecution and missionary martyrdom is a divine strategy that God intentionally uses - To advance the fame of his name to all nations. Persecutions always advance the gospel more quickly.
Not to belabor the point, but isn’t it interesting that God has a predetermined number of martyrs (Rev 6:11-14) that he has appointed for the ingathering of his predetermined number of lost sheep (John 6:35-40; 44 and John 10:15)?
We talked about "panta ta ethne" (to all the nations - ethnicities) a bit last time. One of the facts that impressed me when I took the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course was that the last 50 years seem to have brought us much closer to the goal. Can you comment on that?
We are, of course, closer to the goal. But the remaining part of the task is the hardest part. We often say at To Every Tribe that the easy-to-reach places have already been reached. The remaining unreached peoples are (often) geographically remote, culturally and linguistically confusing and oftentimes physically hostile to those carrying the gospel.
When could we finish the task? It could happen quickly if a few thousand martyr missionaries would rise up to go; a few thousand financial martyrs would rise up to sacrificially support them and a few thousand Moravian-like prayer martyrs would rise up to intercede for them. This is the kind of revival I’m praying and believing for. The problem is not essentially a manpower or money shortage. The shortage is in the number of missionaries who are willing to “fall into the earth and die” for the greater harvest (John 12:23-25). A lot of seed needs to be buried in order to reap the remaining crop.
Mark Noll
The missionary task is not an American effort; and these days, missionaries from the West are among the least effective in the remaining rough and tough places of the world. Pioneer church planting is grueling work and it will not be accomplished over the long haul by soft, fearful, risk-avoiding missionaries. I praise God that he is raising up fully abandoned, martyr witnesses from 2nd and 3rd world peoples; and we want to work with them.
The effect of this cross-cultural work force will only have a positive effect on To Every Tribe. We want to learn how to maximize multi-cultural church planting teams with our brothers from other countries. We want to be on the aggressive front-line of helping them to organize and mobilize for the nations. In our own Center For Pioneer Church Planting, I see near-future multi-cultural partnerships and church planting teams consisting of American, Canadian, Australian, Mexican and Papua New Guinean believers. Part of our vision is to establish missionary training bases in PNG and Mexico in order to launch these church planting teams in the fastest, most contextually relevant and cost effective ways that we can.
Thanks again for your time and your important work.
Thank you, brother, for your interest in our ministry. I pray God’s best blessings on your family and your good work for the gospel. Let’s reconvene for a third conversation sometime.
(To Be Continued.......)
July 20, 2010
You Never Stop Being A Parent - Jim Newheiser & Elyse Fitzpatrick
There are numerous good books on Christian parenting, aimed primarily at young children or even the teen years in particular. But Jim Newheiser and Elyse Fitzpatrick have done the church a great service by writing a book on parenting adult children. This theme is particularly important in our day with the twixter and adultolescence phenomena in full swing.
Newheiser and Fitzpatrick give wise, biblical, nuanced counsel on how parents can and should carefully and lovingly release their children, like arrows, as they enter the adult years (Ps. 127:4). While many parents seek an unhealthy degree of control over their adult children, other parents neglect restraining their ungodly children and ultimately aid and abet their descent into sin, as we see with Eli, who honored his sons above God (I Sam. 2:29-30).
In contrast, Christian parents should ground their training in the gospel, seeking to impart and model biblical principles, and asking the Holy Spirit to make them "stick". We simply cannot control our adult children; we must trust God when we're scared about the course of their lives, and as we see them, in some cases, suffer the consequences for their poor choices. Often parents unhelpfully prevent their children from reaping the consequences of their actions and "hitting bottom" as it were). Yet the prodigal son did not come to his senses until he was eating the pig slop. This book doesn't shy away from the hard cases; no, many gut-wrenching examples are delineated in detail, and the book's principles are applied to these cases in a wonderfully practical way.
Parents should:
1. Teach their children the love of God in Christ Jesus
2. Teach their children to fear God and live for His glory
3. Show their children how to put others ahead of themselves
4. Help their children learn how to communicate with wisdom and humility
5. Teach your children God's design for sex and marriage
6. Teach your children to choose their friends carefully
7. Let their children practice making choices of adulthood
8. Teach their children the true value of hard work and money
If children wish to move back into the home of their parents, or remain in that home as adults, they must agree to abide by the rules of that home, whether they are Christians or not. In some cases, the authors suggest a contract with the adult child that requires some form of productivity on her part (furthering her education, working a job, volunteering). Its one thing for a responsible, productive 20 year old to be living with his parents, but it is something very different for a 30 year old to move back home because of problems with debt or drugs. The latter should be granted less trust and more structured accountability (he needs to re-earn trust). In the last few chapters, the authors tackle the thorny topics of money and marriage. Should a parent give his children an inheritance? If so, should it be equal for all children? What if Mom and Dad disapprove of a son or daughter's choice for a spouse? Again, the authors offer carefully balanced wisdom, avoiding either extreme.
I'll hopefully have an interview with Pastor Newheiser to post soon. In the meantime, I highly recommend this excellent book for all parents of adult children, and for pastors who counsel both parents and/or adult children.
A couple endorsements:
Perfect timing. Just as the questions from parents with adult children start streaming in, we have solid, biblical material to put in their hands. And the book is packed. No sooner did I think, “But what about . . .” before the next illustration set me off on a wise course. Thank you.
- Ed Welch, Director of Counseling, Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation
"I never speak on the topic of raising children without facing the inevitable questions about how to respond to adult children who are struggling with the transition between childhood and adulthood. You Never Stop Being a Parent answers the most frequently asked questions with biblical clarity, wisdom, and insight. This book will help parents to think with clarity about the many issues raised by interacting with adult children. The answers it gives are not only clear and practical, but richly gospel-centered and filled with hope. This is a book I will buy in bulk and recommend to many.
- Tedd Tripp, Pastor, Conference Speaker, Author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart
July 14, 2010
To Every Tribe Ministries - Interview with David Sitton - Part 1
David Sitton is the President of To Every Tribe, a ministry which has been planting churches among unreached people groups of Papua New Guinea and Mexico for many years now. The ministry is led by a distinguished board of directors and three executive officers. As it happens, they are seeking to hire a Director for their Center for Pioneer Church Planting.
To Every Tribe is hosting a conference this October 22-23 entitled Reckless Abandon: For Jesus and The Nations. In light of this conference, and as a means of spreading the word about To Every Tribe, I'll be posting a three or four part interview with David Sitton over the next 30 days or so. Here's part 1:
David, can you please tell us a little bit about your background. How did you come to know the Lord?
I appreciate you taking the time for this interview for your blog/website.
I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas and was quite the wild hare hellion in my junior high and high school days – That would be about the years of 1973-76. I was gladly dominated by the adrenaline-laced life of drugs, girls and the South Texas surfing sub-culture.
But there was always a super-charged spiritual drive within me that was in competition with the excitement of wild living. I remember those days as being a miserably conflicted young man.
The short story for salvation is that the Lord drew me in through the consistent testimony of one of my girlfriends; her whole family actually. It wasn’t the immediate click of a gospel light switch though. For me, it was more like one of those mood lamps where you turn the knob and the light gets slowly brighter; I was drawn in to Christ over the process of some months.
How were you called into missions work, and among what people did you serve?
I’ve got to say that I cringe at the idea of a missionary “call”. Too many believers hide behind the mirage of an expected miraculous, mystical “calling” that never seems to be dramatic enough. There is nothing in the New Testament anything like our Western view of a “missionary call.”
The biblical reality is that 99% of the cross-cultural workers in the book of Acts got there one way: Persecution! And most of the remaining 1% went because the Apostle Paul challenged them to go. And that’s how it happened for me.
The Lord got me for unreached peoples through a missionary. He looked me straight in the eye, quoted a text and asked me a question. Romans 15:20-21 was the text – “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” And here’s the question – “There are lots of unreached tribes in Papua New Guinea. Some of them are cannibalistic and hostile headhunting tribes; they are completely unreached by the gospel. Come with me brother – Let’s go get some of them for Jesus.” I was 19 years old. But from that moment, my life was re-directed and set upon a course for the unreached regions. And that was 32 years ago.
With the emphasis that men like Ralph Winter put on the concept of "panta ta ethne", has pioneering mission work (work among unreached peoples) become more common today?
Ralph Winter almost single-handedly put the concept of “unreached peoples” into the missionary consciousness. Until the early 1970’s, the church had focused upon “geo-political countries” as the target for missionary outreach. Winter popularized “panta ta ethne” which is the Greek phrase out of Matthew 28:19 “to all the nations (ethnicities)” as the biblical target for the gospel. The intent of the death of Christ was to secure salvation for the elect people of God within each and every ethnic and linguistic people group; more than 24,000 of them worldwide.
So, yes, this concept is very much understood today in the missionary community, but not so much in the churches.
My understanding, and I could be mistaken, is that the majority of new missionaries still tend to go to reached cultures, as opposed to unreached ones. But I'm wondering if this trend is changing.
Thanks for the set-up for something I really want to say clearly. There’s an important difference between unevangelized and unreached peoples.
Unevangelized people are unconverted individuals in places where there are established churches. Unreached peoples are those that live in regions where there are no churches and no access to the evangelical gospel in their culture.
And to answer your question about the present trend; 96% of the missionary work force is still laboring in unevangelized, but not truly unreached regions. Here it is again – 9 out of 10 Christian missionaries that go cross-cultural are still going to reached places!
Here’s still another way to say it – Something like 90% of all “ministers” worldwide are concentrating on only 2% of the world’s population! We are massively overly evangelizing places where the gospel is already well planted! I believe that we need a substantial strategic redeployment of the missionary workforce to the areas where there is still no access to the evangelical gospel.
You represent a ministry called To Every Tribe. What is your unique emphasis or focus? How are you similar (or different) from groups like Frontiers or Pioneers? Do you partner with any other groups?
Our emphasis is upon the strictly unreached people groups of Papua New Guinea and Mexico along with a growing presence among Muslim immigrants here in the United States.
We have many friends among FRONTIERS and PIONEERS and we highly value their work for the gospel in hard places. And we are interested in gospel partnerships as those opportunities arise.
To Every Tribe though is unique in an interesting blend of its distinctives:
1. We are committed to the least reached people groups.
2. We are a pioneer church planting ministry.
3. We come from a reformed, non-cessationist theological perspective.
4. We are a missionary training institution as well as a sending agency.
You have established the Center For Pioneer Church Planting in south Texas. Can you talk a little about the strategic role of church planting as opposed to other forms of mission ministry (e.g., medical missions, engineering missions)?
Everything is a tool. Medicine and dental clinics and clean water systems and feeding the hungry and all of that is important work. And its gospel work when used as means to actively demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ and to gain a hearing for the gospel in sometimes hostile environments. But the preaching of Christ is the emphasis. Establishing new believers into vibrant, reproducing fellowships is the goal. Everything else is a tool that helps us get the name of Christ and salvation to the most interior places.
Do you think it is preferable for these other forms of missions to be done in cooperation with a church planting team, say, among an unreached people group?
These tools should be carefully used so that they do not become the main thing. One of the big problems in mission is in creating dependency among those we are trying to reach. There is a way to plant indigenous churches so they are not dependent upon American manpower and money-power from the West. And these are the most healthy and happy churches.
Speaking of church planting, what do you do with the fact that nearly 2/3 of the missionary labor force is female?
We actively recruit women and joyfully send them as a part of our church planting teams!
Are there certain areas in which women are particularly suited to serve?
There are many things that only women can and should do! By the way – I counted one time 36 people in the New Testament that were named by name as being co-workers with the Apostle Paul. And almost half of them were women! The list of things women can do is far longer than the “can’t do” list.
Are there areas in which they should not serve?
The Scriptures are clear about male leadership in the church. Women should not serve as elder/overseers in the local church. And they should not lead the way in the teaching and preaching of the Word (though that doesn’t mean absolute silence either as 1 Corinthian 14 gives guidelines for how women should pray and prophesy in the assembly of believers).
But here is a question I get a lot. Can women plant churches? Again, we believe that men should lead church planting teams.
But here’s a question for you? Do you know who planted the church among the Auca Indians in Ecuador? Rachel Saint did. That wasn’t the plan. The men were leading the way in that gospel effort among the Auca’s – But the Ecuador 5 were slaughtered by the Auca warriors! Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot went back in and eventually got the gospel established among that hostile tribe that had killed their brother and husband! So absolutely, women can plant churches as they have repeatedly done all through church and mission history. But our emphasis is still upon male leadership of church planting teams.
At the Bethlehem Pastors conference in 2006, you openly invited men to join you, and sensed that God was calling 10% of those in attendance to join you in pioneer missions work. Is that right? Can we get an update on that?
That whole period of time leading up to the Bethlehem Pastors Conference was an anointed time almost unprecedented in my entire life. In the weeks leading up to the conference, the Lord strongly impressed upon me the number of 140. I had been told that there would be 1,400 pastors in attendance – And that’s where the “tithe” came from.
Our staff and students were actively praying and fasting for the 3 weeks leading up to the conference that God would release 140 pastors into the worldwide harvest. And the Lord is doing it.
In the weeks and months following the conference more than 200 people contacted me. Some of these are presently on our staff and have gone through our missionary training and are en route for unreached places!
I have received e-mails, letters and phone calls by numerous people that have told me they resigned their pastorates, sold their homes and are now working among unreached peoples around the world (with other agencies). One especially touching testimony happened the following year when I was again at the Bethlehem Conference as a registrant. A man came up to me, introduced himself to me and burst into tears. He said, “I heard you speak last year. I had my daughter listen to the tape. And she is now living among an unreached Muslim people group in the Middle East.”
It was a miraculous day where the Lord mobilized a large number for the unreached regions. And I suspect there were missionary martyrs that were gloriously raised up for the gospel that day. Only in heaven will the complete testimony be known.
What are your hopes for the next 10 years?
Let’s make it 5 years. Anything I say about the possibilities a decade down the road will seriously undershoot what the Lord is about to do. But we do have a 5 year plan. Here’s the way I wrote it out in a purpose statement: My hope is that the Lord will use To Every Tribe to train and launch church planting teams to at least 25 more unreached people groups within the next five years. 25 church planting teams represent about 80-90 missionary families and singles.
I’m asking for missionary martyrs to step up and get prepared for the frontline hostile places; and I’m asking for those that don’t go to step up as financial martyrs to sacrificially send them!
David, thank you so much for your time.
Brother, thank you so much. Let’s do this again.
(To Be Continued.......)
July 13, 2010
D.A. Carson's New "The God Who Is There": 65% Off
D.A. Carson has recently published a book called The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story. Right now, Monergism is selling the book for $6 - that's 65% off: This price lasts until Friday, July 16th, 3 PM. If you spend $25, you get free shipping.
Check out the Contents, Preface, and Chapter 1.
The publisher's description:
It can no longer be assumed that most people--or even most Christians--have a basic understanding of the Bible. Many don't know the difference between the Old and New Testament, and even the more well-known biblical figures are often misunderstood. It is getting harder to talk about Jesus accurately and compellingly because listeners have no proper context with which to understand God's story of redemption.Some of the endorsements:In this basic introduction to faith, D. A. Carson takes seekers, new Christians, and small groups through the big story of Scripture. He helps readers to know what they believe and why they believe it.
"Don Carson's The God Who Is There is a unique and important volume in many ways. It is neither a traditional systematic theology nor a Bible survey. It unpacks the whole Biblical storyline through the lens of God's character and actions. As a ministry tool, it can be used for evangelism, since it so thoroughly lays out the doctrine of God, as Paul does on Mars Hill in Acts 17. And yet it also does what the catechisms of the Reformation churches did: give Christians a grounding in basic biblical beliefs and behavior. By all means, get this book!"
--Tim Keller, pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City
"This is a much-needed book. D. A. Carson is one of the few biblical scholars who are gifted to write simply and in a way that captivates. We live in a time when people quickly reject or accept the Bible without even knowing its contents. Carson does a masterful job of explaining the Scriptures so that a person who has never even opened the Bible can understand it. At the same time, those who grew up under its teaching will find valuable and obvious truths that will lead them to greater worship and appreciation of the God we serve."
--Francis Chan, pastor, Cornerstone Community Church, Simi Valley, CA; author of Crazy Love
Here are the chapter titles of the 240-page book:
1. The God Who Made Everything
2. The God Who Does Not Wipe Out Rebels
3. The God Who Writes His Own Agreements
4. The God Who Legislates
5. The God Who Reigns
6. The God Who Is Unfathomably Wise
7. The God Who Becomes a Human Being
8. The God Who Grants New Birth
9. The God Who Loves
10. The God Who Dies—and Lives Again
11. The God Who Declares the Guilty Just
12. The God Who Gathers and Transforms His People
13. The God Who Is Very Angry
14. The God Who Triumphs
HT: Brent Parker
July 12, 2010
2011 Gospel Coalition Conference
This looks to be a truly one-of-a-kind conference on some very important themes:
HT: JT
July 10, 2010
Wired for Intimacy
The pervasiveness of pornography in our culture is obvious and widely discussed. Pornography is primarily marketed to and consumed by men. But why? How does it work? And how can men find freedom? Dr. William Struthers, Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, has written a very interesting and informative book on how pornography hijacks the male brain and (more importantly) how the very impulses (the drive for intimacy) which propel men toward pornography can lead them out of depravity and into holiness.
The book is divided into two sections: How Pornography Works and Healthy Masculinity and Sexuality. Each section has four chapters. Chapter 1 addresses our culture's saturation with porn. Pornography is hard to define, and therefore hard to legally restrict. Those who produce it claim to be exercising their first amendment rights. Their materials are not harmful, they argue, since all participants are consenting adults. Moreover, they say, you can't prove that porn causes men a host of social, psychological, emotional, and spiritual problems (to say nothing of the problems for women). With the Internet comes access, affordability, and anonymity. In addition, the Internet provides opportunities for communication (chat rooms) and connecting with others (hook up sites). Chapter 2 discusses porn's corruption of intimacy. Rather than sexual intimacy between a husband and wife in a maturing healthy relationship, a man learns to focus on the physiology of sexual sensations detached from any significant relationship. This brings shame, increasing loneliness, and less libido for their wives (or girlfriends). Chapter 3 expands on these consequences. Chapter 4 goes into how a man's brain is wired and how porn use creates neural pathways in a man's brain that train his process of arousal.
The next section begins with a chapter on what it means to be made male in God's image. It interacts with the previous chapter in terms of the brain's healthy or unhealthy sexual development, but in less technical detail than chapter 4. Chapter 6 is on masculinity. Men learn masculinity from an older male figure. Dr. Struthers says the masculine voice affirms, grows as it is challenged, and defends and protects loved ones from evil. Chapter 7 discusses the male need for intimacy, and how many men, by not enjoying appropriate non-sexual intimacy with other male friends, are more susceptible to the allure of porn. Lots of great insight in this chapter on how a man can grow in tenderness and intimacy with his wife and others. Chapter 8 is on rewiring and sanctification. Here is where Dr. Struthers gives specific insight on how "neural pathways can be rewired" so that men's natural drive for intimacy can lead us toward holiness rather than depravity.
With a background and interest in science, the whole idea of the book was interesting. But even if you never were interested in science or the brain, the second half of the book would be very helpful to any man seeking greater sexual holiness. Here's an excerpt from the last chapter:
Imagine that you could be neurologically "enslaved" to purity rather than porn. Enslaved to seeing the dignity of each individual rather than their utility to you. This is the distinction between the journey toward sanctification and the journey toward depravity. As you travel farther along either road, you pick up momentum and it becomes harder to turn around. The farther down the road you travel, the less opportunity you have to deviate from the road as it narrows. The road to depravity leads into the heart of hell and yields isolation. The road toward sanctification, however, leads into the heart of God and yields freedom from temptation.What's unique about this book is the emphasis on the physical (brain chemistry) aspects of the addition to porn. But don't assume that Dr. Struthers leaves any room for men to "blame it on their brains." No, he writes, "We are still responsible for our actions...The knowledge that we get from Scripture and science should not be used to deny, justify, rationalize, minimize, normalize or celebrate the exercising of brokenness."
July 08, 2010
How to Deal with the Guilt of Sexual Failure
In doing background research for an article, I came across this outstanding message from John Piper at the 2007 Passion confession on how to deal with the guilt of sexual failure. Lots of messages deal with strategies to avoid sexual sin, but it is more rare to hear excellent teaching on how to deal with guilt after committing all kinds of sexual failure. This is a great one. Check it out for yourself or for a friend.
Reckless Abandon: For Jesus and the Nations
The upcoming 2010 Missions Conference hosted by To Every Tribe ministries is entitled Reckless Abandon: For Jesus and the Nations. The speakers will be Josef Tson (Romanian Missionary Society), Getaneh Getaneh (Voice of the Martyrs), and David Sitton (To Every Tribe).
We'll be talking a bit with David Sitton about the conference in an upcoming post.
June 24, 2010
A Primer on Limited (or Definite) Atonement
Check out this post for a good primer on why limited (or definite) atonement is both theologically, logically, and exegetically satisfying.
THINK Conference: Oct 1-3, 2010, Minneapolis, MN
Theme: "Think: The Life of the Mind & the Love of God"
Date: October 1-3
Venue: Minneapolis Convention Center
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Speakers: R. Albert Mohler, Jr., R. C. Sproul, Thabiti Anyabwile, Francis Chan, Rick Warren, John Piper
Breakout Sessions: Randy Alcorn, Kevin DeYoung, Tullian Tchividjian, Matt Perman, N.D. Wilson
Price: $135 through the end of June
A pretty slick promo video, if you ask me:
June 23, 2010
Matt Chandler Seminar on Homosexuality
Beginning with an (accurate) acknowledgment that the Jennifer Knapp - Larry King Live interaction was not particularly profitable, Matt Chandler explains (in the first video) why he wanted to address the issue of homosexuality, even though it runs the risk of seeming to elevate one particular sin above others. In the first video, Chandler traces the creation-fall storyline in Genesis 2 and Romans 1, showing that heterosexual marriage was God's design and that homosexuality is an aspect of God "giving us over" to our idolatries.
In the second presentation, Chalder gives six cogent, brief responses to some of the classic street-level objections to the Bible's teaching on homosexuality.
1. If you’re not hurting anyone else, what’s wrong with it?
2. Since you’re a sinner, too, who are you to call out others?
3. Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuality.
4. Some animals have same-sex relations, so if it’s in nature it must natural.
5. The homosexuality condemned by Paul is a different type of homosexuality than we see today.
6. Revisionist arguments from modern scholarship.
In the third message, Chandler addresses practical questions (submitted via Twitter) on things like how to handle your gay child wanting to visit with his partner, how to guide teenagers struggling with same-sex attraction, and does becoming a Christian out of a homosexual lifestyle inevitably lead to heterosexual attraction.
In my view, this discourse was incredibly biblical, redemptive, and balanced. I highly commend it. The entire, three-part session can be viewed below or the audio can be downloaded.
Culture and Theology: Homosexuality - Part 1 from The Village Church on Vimeo.
Culture and Theology: Homosexuality - Part 2 from The Village Church on Vimeo.
Culture and Theology: Homosexuality - Q&A from The Village Church on Vimeo.
HT: JT
June 21, 2010
Just the Way I Am: God's Good Design in Disability
This sounds like a fantastic book, which I hope to pick up soon:
John Knight is the father of a young man with multiple disabilities. He blogs at The Works of God, the volunteer disability ministry blog for Bethlehem Baptist Church.
June 17, 2010
Ligonier National Conference in Orlando, FL
I'm away at the Ligonier National Conference in Orlando, FL, which runs Thursday - Saturday. The theme is Tough Questions Christians Face.
Check out the Free Live Stream.
Or check out the blog for updates from Tim Challies and yours truly.
June 14, 2010
Interview with Andy Naselli (Part 2)
I previously introduced Dr. Andy Naselli's important new book, Let Go and Let God? A Survey and Analysis of Keswick Theology, which is now available for pre-order from Logos. And I previously posted part 1 of an interview with Dr. Naselli. Here's part 2:
5. In your handout, you say, "Since it is unlikely that all living believers will agree on their view of sanctification, believers should promote unity on this issue as much as possible." Can you unpack this a bit?
Here's how I unpack that in my book:
This does not involve overlooking important differences, but it does involve keeping such differences in perspective. After critiquing Keswick theology, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones issues a convicting challenge:
The things about which they [i.e., George Whitefield and John Wesley] agreed were more important, and they had much fellowship together during the last years of Whitefield’s life. We must follow these men. There are these differences, and we must be clear about them. But let us examine ourselves. It is easy to denounce false holiness teaching; but what is your holiness teaching? Have you the same desire for holiness? These men suffered, and sacrificed much in order to be holy men. They may have been confused about doctrines at times, they may have confused “things that differ,” but they were zealously concerned to be holy men of God, and many of them were concerned to have a holy and a pure church. There, we surely are with them, and agree with them; and if we criticize what they taught, let us make sure that we have, and can preach and practice, “a more excellent way.”
This raises some practical issues:
1. I don't think it's feasible or wise for Christians to cooperate all the time and to the same degree with other Christians who hold very different views of sanctification. For example, someone who holds to a Reformed view and another who holds to a Keswick view should probably not lead a church together because their different views directly affect so many areas of doctrine and practice.
2. If the elders of a church embrace the Reformed view, I think it's wise for them to include that in their church's doctrinal statement.
3. If the Reformed view is in a church's doctrinal statement, I think it's still possible for people to join that church if they're not fully convinced of the Reformed view as long as they are teachable and not sinfully divisive about the issue.
6. Romans 7 is a text that divides Christians, with some saying that Paul is referring to the believer's ongoing struggle with sin, and others (like Doug Moo, and Martin Lloyd-Jones) arguing that Paul is referring to a pre-converted man (possibly himself). Is it possible to take the latter view and still not be a proponent of Keswick theology?
Yes. Galatians 5:16–26 is the clearest passage describing the believer’s lifelong struggle with sin, and the most controversial passage is Romans 7:14–25. Those who affirm the Reformed view of sanctification (and thus reject the Keswick view) hold one of three major views:
1. Christian experience. The "I" is Paul as a mature believer. He represents all believers at every developmental stage. This conflict parallels Galatians 5:16–17.
2. Pre-Christian experience. The "I" is Paul as an unregenerate Jew. He represents unbelievers trying to earn salvation by self-effort (keeping the law).
3. Christian or pre-Christian experience. The "I" is anyone trying to please God by self-effort (keeping the law). The law is unable to transform human existence.
Most advocates of the Reformed view have held that Romans 7 is autobiographical and that the "I" refers to Paul as a mature believer. This would mean that Romans 7:14–25 describes the same struggle as Galatians 5:16–17 and 1 Peter 2:11. Regardless of which view proponents of the Reformed view hold on Romans 7, they are unanimous that believers actively struggle with an internal sin-principle until their glorification.
7. Related to the previous question, when discussing the believer's ongoing struggle, should we use the word "flesh" or "old man" to refer to what John Owen called our "remaining corruptions"? Is there a difference?
The best article I've read on this is William W. Combs, “Does the Believer Have One Nature or Two?” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 2 (Fall 1997): 81–103.
Those who affirm the Reformed view of sanctification use different terminology to describe the same phenomenon. Some describe Christians as having only one nature, and others as having two. The one-nature and two-nature views are practically identical because both acknowledge a conflict between what Combs calls “two opposing somethings—principles, desires, urgings, etc.” in the believer.
* Two-nature advocates call them natures: (1) the old/sinful/ depraved nature of a regenerate person, i.e., "the flesh" and (2) the new nature of a regenerate person.
* One-nature advocates describe these two aspects of the believer’s one nature as “two struggling principles” (Gerster), “two opposed sorts of desire” (Packer), or “contrary urgings” (Packer).
The "old man" or "old self," on the other hand, refers to the whole unregenerate person:
* Sin reigns as his master (Rom. 6).
* He is totally depraved.
* He is characterized by sin.
* At conversion a Christian puts off "the old man" (Col 3:9; Eph 4:22), who was crucified with Christ (Rom 6:6).
A Christian, thus, is a "new man" or "new self." This refers to the whole regenerate person:
* Though he still struggles with sin (Gal 5:16–26; 1 Pet 2:11), Jesus the Messiah (not sin) reigns as his Master (Rom. 6).
* He is still depraved but not totally depraved; he is genuinely new but not totally new.
* He is characterized by righteousness.
* A Christian puts on the "new man" at conversion (Col 3:10; Eph 4:24).
June 11, 2010
Interview with Andy Naselli (Part 1)
I previously introduced Dr. Andy Naselli's important new book, Let Go and Let God? A Survey and Analysis of Keswick Theology, now available for pre-order from Logos.
Dr. Naselli was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about his book, Keswick theology, and the believer's ongoing struggle with sin. I'll post part 1 of our interaction now, and a second and final installment sometime next week:
Keswick theology teaches that, after salvation, one must pursue the second blessing. Having received it, can one lose this "second blessing"? If so, what would be the mark(s) of such a loss?
Perhaps it'd be helpful to direct your readers to the five diagrams at the end of this handout. The diagram for the Keswick view of sanctification shows that Christians can frequently fluctuate between being Spirit-filled (i.e., victorious) and not Spirit-filled (i.e., defeated). Keswick proponents typically don't describe this fluctuation as "losing" the "second blessing."
Sin distinguishes which tier a Christian is on. Christians who are sinning are on the lower tier, and Christians who are not sinning are on the higher tier.
How would such a person get it back?
It's an endless cycle that some describe as follows:
1. I must live the victorious Christian life.
2. If I consecrate myself by surrender and faith (i.e., letting go and letting God), I will live the victorious Christian life.
3. I now consecrate myself.
4. I am not living the victorious Christian life, so I didn't consecrate myself sufficiently.
5. Repeat the cycle.
Is Keswick thinking in any way at the root of the struggle many have with discerning "the personal will of God" for their lives?
I don't think that there's a necessary theological connection between Keswick theology and the widespread views that evangelicals have about discerning God's will for their lives, but there seems to be a historical connection. Kevin DeYoung's Just Do Something is a helpful corrective (cf. my review).
Some of us might read names like Andrew Murray, J. Hudson Taylor, and Amy Carmichael and think "Wow. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Does Keswick thinking, historically, have a track record of promoting more holy living on the part of Christians?
I'll answer that with five short reflections:
1. The Keswick Conventions commendably emphasized personal holiness and left a legacy of Christian service, but holy living is by no means the Keswick view's distinctive. That is, holiness is not Keswick theology's individual characteristic that distinguishes it from other views.
2. I'm not sure how I could evaluate whether adherents of the Keswick view of sanctification are more or less holy than adherents of other views. My evaluation would be hopelessly anecdotal and myopic because my fallen and finite perspective is severely limited.
3. All of the major views on sanctification have adherents who are exemplary, inspiring Christians, and disagreeing with a particular view of sanctification in no way questions the devotion to Christ of those who hold that view.
4. We shouldn't determine our view of sanctification by counting up whom we perceive to be the most holy Christians and seeing which view has the most. Scripture must determine our view of sanctification.
5. John Murray rightfully reminds us:
When we think of the honoured names which have been associated with Keswick like those of Handley Moule, Webb-Peploe, Andrew Murray, A. T. Pierson, we have to reckon with a movement which enlisted the support of cultured and devoted servants of Christ and one hesitates to embark upon criticism. But the cause neither of truth nor of love is promoted by suppressing warranted criticism.And that's what I try to do in my book: promote the cause of truth and love through warranted criticism.
Update: Check out Part 2 of this interview.
Should We Marry If We’re Theologically Divided?
That last post on Ed Stetzer's take on the missiological benefits of denominations reminded me of great advice from Russell Moore to a pair of doctrinally divided Christians who are contemplating marriage. Calvin, a Reformed dispensationalist fundamentalist, and Aimee, a Pentecostal, have fallen in love and want to get married.
Dr. Moore weighs in.
Benefits of Denominations for Missions Work
Membership in 90% of Christian denominations is in decline. Meanwhile, nondenominational churches have steadily grown since 2001—and the number of self-identified evangelicals is also on the rise. What's going on here? In a lengthy article in Christianity Today, Ed Stetzer explains that:
According to many church leaders, denominations are not fading away—they are actually inhibiting growth. I have heard many pastors denounce denominations as hindering more than helping their churches' mission. Others carp at wasteful spending, bureaucratic ineffectiveness, or structural redundancies; these objections seem to have gained adherents in an economic climate of pinching every penny. Loyalty to a denomination has declined and in some cases disappeared.Stetzer goes on to argue that denominations are actually beneficial for doing missions work. For example:
Missionaries funded by a denomination are able to spend much more time actually being missionaries, while self-supported missionaries from independent churches and loosely connected networks often need to spend copious amounts of time fundraising.Stetzer also predicts that networks like Acts 29 will, in future years, function more like denominations (just like the denominations of today began as networks).
Check out Stetzer's case. A careful, analytical observer of the church, its mission, and the broader culture, Stetzer is always worth reading on these matters.
June 09, 2010
Song for Those with Disabilities
Bob Kaulfin sang this beautiful song at the recent NEXT Conference. It is a song for those with various forms of disabilities. The lyrics are below. You can listen to the song or download it.
Within the womb I formed you
I fashioned and made each part
I thought of your fingers, your hands and your feet
Your mouth, your lungs, your heart
Though you might think that you’re different
I made you the way that you are
So you could discover the God who made you
And find out all I am
And though you might think you have limitations
There are no limits with me
When you turn your eyes to my salvation
Finally you will see
In Me, you have all that you need
In Me, you have all that you need
In Me, you have all that you’ll ever need.
And I’ve heard each prayer that you’ve called out
“Why did you make me this way?”
You may not completely understand now
But there will be a day
When I make everything known to you
And what you don’t now understand
You will see that I'm wise and I’m mighty and good
Just like all my plans
And if you trust in the work of my Son
One day you will see
That I’ve made you the way you are
To draw your heart to me
To draw your heart to me.
The Faithful Parent: Martha Peace & Stuart Scott
Based on other books they've written, The Faithful Parent: A Biblical Guide to Raising a Family should be very helpful. Check out the sample pages, which includes a Foreword by Ted Tripp and the Table of Contents.
Martha Peace is a conference speaker, Bible teacher, and biblical counselor to women through the Faith Biblical Counseling Center in Sharpsburg, Georgia.
Stuart W. Scott is Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, a fellow of NANC, and has over 25 years experience in counseling and pastoral ministry.
Please Consider Helping Desiring God
Over the years I've been remarkably impressed by the humility of those who lead Desiring God. They have made so much available for free on the Internet (at great expense to their organization), their prices on books consistently beat Amazon, John Piper receives absolutely no DG salary, and their notifications of financial need are extremely polite and rare.
Which is why now, at a time that they are facing the possibility of budget cuts, would be a great time to help them, even with a small contribution. Here's Executive Director Jon Bloom's explanation of the situation:
Just Do Something - Kevin DeYoung
Last night I finished reading Kevin DeYoung's book Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will. It is part of the research I'm doing for a manuscript I need to deliver to a publisher by the end of September (for a book on "doing college well"). As I had hoped, DeYoung's book is a helpful and brief corrective to the widely held and deeply flawed view that God has a discoverable, personal will for our amoral decisions (where to go to college, which job to take, which Christian to marry, etc.). DeYoung's writing is engaging and clear, and this short book is a quick read. The applications at the end of the book on how to go about seeking God's wisdom in choosing a job and a marriage partner were also helpful; they flushed out the principles into the nitty-gritty of actual decision making.
I was particularly pleased to see the application of biblical decision making principles (and a bias to action/productivity) be aimed, at numerous instances in the book, at the somewhat meandering, delayed adultescence, twenty and thirtisomethings. That was the same audience that I had in mind when I wrote With One Voice a few of my subsequent articles. I appreciated DeYoung's pastoral heart and clear, biblically informed teaching. I warmly commend this book to you.
June 08, 2010
John Piper's Latest Book: Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved?
John Piper's latest book is entitled Jesus: The Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved? It ships August 1, but is available now from Desiring God for $4.99. The book's description:
In our shrinking, pluralistic world, the belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation is increasingly called arrogant and even hateful. In the face of this criticism, many shrink back from affirming the global necessity of knowingand believing in him.In Jesus: the Only Way to God John Piper offers a timely plea for the evangelical church to consider what is at stake in surrendering the unique, universal place of Jesus in salvation.
June 04, 2010
A Very Important Book: Let Go and Let God?
Andy Naselli is an intelligent, highly educated man. He earned two PhDs before he turned thirty: a PhD in theology from Bob Jones University and a PhD in New Testament Exegesis and Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School under D. A. Carson. He has taught New Testament Greek at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and he currently teaches Bible and theology as adjunct faculty at several colleges and seminaries. He has published nearly twenty articles, forty book reviews, and a few books.
His first Ph.D. was on the Keswick theology of sanctification. This dissertation has recently been published by Logos Bible Software and is now available. It strikes me as an immensely helpful resource on one of the most widespread theological errors of our day.
Keswick theology grew out of the teaching of folks like John Wesley (Wesleyan perfectionism), Phoebe Palmer (Methodist perfectionism),Charles Finney (Oberlin perfectionism), and Robert Pearsall Smith (the higher life movement). Keswick proponents you may know of include Andrew Murray, J. Hudson Taylor, and Amy Carmichael. Those heavily influenced by Keswick theology include D.L. Moody (Moody), R.A. Torrey (Biola), and Lewis S. Chafer, John F. Walvoord, Charles C. Ryrie (Dallas).
Personally, I grew up absorbing Keswick thinking (though I had not heard its name). The view can perhaps be summed up by the phrase "let go, and let God". The idea is that by surrendering fully to Christ, a Christian can live the "victorious, higher life" and evade all known sin.
Here is the product description:
Keswick theology—one of the most significant strands of second-blessing theology—assumes that Christians experience two “blessings.” The first is getting “saved,” and the second is getting serious. The change is dramatic: from a defeated life to a victorious life, from a lower life to a higher life, from a shallow life to a deeper life, from a fruitless life to a more abundant life, from being “carnal” to being “spiritual,” from merely having Jesus as your Savior to making Jesus your Master. So how do people experience this second blessing? Through surrender and faith: “Let go and let God.”Here are a few endorsements:Second-blessing theology is pervasive because countless people have propagated it in so many ways, especially in sermons and devotional writings. It is appealing because Christians struggle with sin and want to be victorious in that struggle—now. Second-blessing theology offers a quick fix to this struggle, and its shortcut to instant victory appeals to genuine longings for holiness.
This book’s thesis is simple: Keswick theology is not biblically sound. This book tells the story of where Keswick theology comes from, explains what exactly it is, and then refutes it while building a case for a biblical alternative. No other book surveys the history and theology of second-blessing theology like this and then analyzes it from a soteriologically Reformed perspective.
"This book packs an extraordinary amount of useful summary, critical analysis, and pastoral reflection into short compass. One does not have to agree with every opinion to recognize that this is a comprehensive and penetrating analysis of Keswick theology down to 1920. The book will do the most good, however, if it encourages readers in a more faithful way to pursue that holiness without which we will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)."
-D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"For years popular Christian teachers have been telling us the secret key to the victorious, higher, deeper, more abundant Christian life. We’ve been told just to “let go and let God.” If you’ve heard that teaching, you’ll want to read this book—the definitive history and critique of second-blessing theology. You’ll learn not only where this theology went wrong, but will also discover afresh the well-worn old paths of biblical faithfulness and holiness. Andy Naselli is an extraordinarily careful scholar who leaves no stone unturned, but also a compassionate guide who longs to help and serve the church of Jesus Christ. Readers of this work will be instructed and encouraged in their Christian walk."
-Justin Taylor, Vice-President of Editorial; Managing Editor at Crossway Publishing
"Forty years ago, as a brand new Christian, I devoured Keswick theology, which had great appeal to me as a vibrant and dynamic faith. I wrote “Let go and let God” inside my Bible. But the more I studied Scripture and looked at my own life, the more I saw that much of this theology didn’t ring true. As a former insider, I found Andy Naselli’s critique to be fair, accurate, theologically sound, and biblically persuasive. Andy’s book offers the bonus of serving as an insightful study of the doctrine of sanctification. I highly recommend it."
-Randy Alcorn, Founder and Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries
"Andy Naselli’s thorough description and careful analysis of Keswick theology makes a major contribution to contemporary evangelical theology and to the Christian doctrine of sanctification, more broadly. Like many others, I was early influenced by Keswick theology through books and teachers in the Keswick tradition. While I came to appreciate their stress on Christ’s ability, by His Spirit, to enable faithful Christian living, their “let go, let God” methodology is both unbiblical and deeply misleading as a means of sanctification. I wish that Naselli’s excellent study had been available when I struggled with these issues. And so now, I gladly commend this book to all sincere Christians who can both learn from the excesses of the Keswick model while also coming to see more clearly and rightly the Bible’s pathway of progressive growth in sanctification."
-Bruce A. Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"Holiness movements are part and parcel of the church in every age. In their emphasis on the need for Christianity to make a difference, they represent an important biblical emphasis; but in their detachment from a biblical anthropology, they often tend inevitably towards legalism, lack of assurance, and, worst of all, self-righteousness. In this work, Andy Naselli subjects one of the most influential of modern holiness movements to vigorous, but fair-minded, analysis. In so doing, he makes an important contribution not just to church history but also for all those who seek to address the relevant issues in an informed and thoughtful manner."
-Carl Trueman, Academic Dean, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Historical Theology and Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary
To read all twenty-one endorsements along with the foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner, see this PDF.
And here's a helpful interview of Andy Naselli conducted by Kevin DeYoung.
Thanks, Dr. Naselli, for completing such an important book.
Update: I interviewed Andy Naselli about this book.
May 31, 2010
Paul Tripp Q&A (on child-raising and other topics)
A two-hour Q&A session conducted last week at Bethlehem Baptist Church with author Paul Tripp:
May 28, 2010
Charles Spurgeon on Election
"I believe in the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love." - Charles Spurgeon
HT: Mike Busch
May 27, 2010
Tullian Tchividjian on Gospel and Law
Justin Taylor interviews Tullian Tchividjian on gospel and law, a topic unpacked in Tullian's latest book, Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels. Their first exchange:
Is the gospel a middle ground between legalism and lawlessness?
This seems to be a common misunderstanding in the church today. I hear people say that there are two equal dangers Christians must avoid: legalism and lawlessness. Legalism, they say, happens when you focus too much on law, or rules. Lawlessness, they say, happens when you focus too much on grace. Therefore, in order to maintain spiritual equilibrium, you have to balance law and grace. Legalism and lawlessness are typically presented as two ditches on either side of the Gospel that we must avoid. If you start getting too much law, you need to balance it with grace. Too much grace, you need to balance it with law. But I’ve come to believe that this “balanced” way of framing the issue can unwittingly keep us from really understanding the gospel of grace in all of its depth and beauty.
Read the whole thing. Also, James Grant recently reviewed Surprised by Grace.
May 26, 2010
Martin Luther on the Doctine of Vocation
Martin Luther:
"The works of monks and priests, however hold and arduous they be, do not differ one whit in the sight of God from the works of the rustic laborer in the field or the woman going about her household tasks, but that all works are measured before God by faith alone.....Indeed, the menial housework of a manservant or maidservant is often more acceptable to God than all the fastings and other works of a monk or priest, because the monk or priest lacks faith."From The Babylonian Captivity of the Church
(one of the Three Treatises published here)
Quote from The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life
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