All Saints Day Weekend Sale | ChristianAudio

November 1-4 Christian Audio will be offering all their digital downloads for 50% off. Sounds like a good time to reload the old mp3 player.

All Saints Day Weekend Sale | ChristianAudio

Study Bibles Survey

I own a handful of Study Bibles, but I do not use any of them regularly. They all are helpful, but I usually prefer a Bible with a good cross-reference system for my "every day" Bible. My ESV Classic Reference Bible fits the bill nicely, except that it lacks margin space. My next Bible will probably be the Wide Margin Reference Bible (hardback, of course).

When I graduated from college my in-laws-to-be wanted to buy me a new Bible. I looked at a number of Study Bibles but ended up settling on the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. I have enjoyed this Bible very much and I am still using it. The reference section at the end is outstanding. However, two things I've grown to appreciate are wide margins and cross-references. The chain reference system takes up much of the margin space and, although it is a very thorough system, it's a bit cumbersome to use.

Come to think of it, one Bible that has all of the reference tools and wide margins in it that I would like would probably remain on my shelf because it would be too bulky to carry around. This is what happened with my International Inductive Study Bible (mine is the first edition).

Well, I own other Study Bibles such as The MacArthur Study Bible, and the Ryrie Study Bible. My wife is currently using the Reformation Study Bible and also owns a Life Application Study Bible. I've benefited from the notes of the Macarthur Study Bible and my wife loves the notes from the Reformation Study Bible. She shares them with me often and I've come to appreciate it too.

There are some concerns that I have about Study Bibles and I'd like to either confirm them or dispel them. Some Study Bibles seem to be "over cooked." It seems as though they are the product of marketing strategists and profiteers. Is there really a need for so many kinds of Study Bibles (and Bibles for that matter)? The covers of some are obnoxious and borderline irreverent. The editing of the text is way overdone with graphics and crazy fonts, pictures, anecdotes, articles, and many other features. In some cases, the annotations and extra features drown out the Sacred Text. Where's the propriety in that?

Well, I am working on reviewing a couple of Study Bibles (The ESV Literary Study Bible and The Apologetics Study Bible) and I would really appreciate your input. I've put together the following survey to help me gain a clearer picture of what makes for a good Study Bible and to find out who uses them. This survey is not exhaustive so I'd be glad to receive your comments on issues not addressed. If there is another Study Bible that you use (Q's 12 and 13) please leave a comment with the title. Also, please forward this post to others. The more people information I can gather the better this survey will serve its purpose.

Study Bibles

Do you use a Study Bible?

	Yes
	No

Question 1 out of 13

Survey by Quibblo

Please pass the word about this survey. Many thanks!!!

Study Bibles Survey

Reformation Day Sale | Ligonier Ministries

Ligonier Ministries has published the ESV Reformation Study Bible and will be selling it at a discounted price this Wednesday, October 31. The sale is for that ONE DAY ONLY and the rock bottom price is $15.17 each (Hardcover). They are offering the leather bound edition for $26.83 each.

This is great! I bought my wife a copy a while ago and she has been enjoying it. I check it out every now and then for the notes and am always pleased with what I read. This is a great opportunity you'll not want to miss.

Read more about this here.

(HT: DG Blog)

Reformation Day Sale | Ligonier Ministries

Critiques of the New Perspective on Paul

With the approach of Reformation Day (October 31) I thought it timely to mention some resources to counter a serious challenge to the Protestant Reformers’ way of looking at Paul’ epistles, specifically, the way of viewing Paul’s doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone. This new way of viewing Justification is referred to as the New Perspective on Paul (NPP). It can be called New Perspectives since more than just one new view is promoted. The NPP is not a monolith; however, there are certain features common among writers advocating a fresh reading of Paul.

According to NPP writers

• We need to read Paul’s epistles unfettered by the Reformation’s view since the reformers misread him.
• The Protestant Reformers read the doctrinal controversies of the 16^th Century back into the 1^st Century Judaism of Paul’s day and missed his point.
• Any reading of Paul must deal with the Judaism that Paul was familiar with, referred to as Second Temple Judaism.
• Studying the primary historical sources shows that Second Temple Judaism was not a legalistic religion, but one that emphasized God’s grace in the election of His people.
• Though elected by grace, God’s people were still required to maintain their position in the covenant by obedience to the law.
• Justification has to do with God’s covenant faithfulness and who is in the covenant, not with how a guilty sinner can find acceptance with God.

If you have any familiarity with classical music, you can think of the NPP as variations on a theme. Many writers have different takes on reading Paul, but they all seem agreed that the Reformation view of Justification by Faith should be discarded. Since this doctrine was the centerpiece of the Reformation, the call for abandonment has serious implications. Were the Reformers wrong? Did they cause an unnecessary division in the Church? What should Protestants today think of the Ecumenical Movement? (It actually helps clarify the issues a little since the current pope recently drew a line in the sand with his declaration that Protestant churches are not true churches.) And what should we do with the command to “preach the gospel to every creature”? In light of the NPP’s claims, what should our message be?

I’ve been listening to some informative lectures by D.A. Carson on my mp3 player this week. He is very helpful in understanding the New Perspective. Andy Naselli provides links to many Carson mp3s. You can follow Andy’s links to Carson’s lectures on the NPP, or if you use iTunes, you can go to the Reformed Theological Seminary website and download these lectures, along with many others. Carson gave the same lecture in the UK, which can be downloaded here. He does an excellent job of showing what’s wrong with the NPP and also points out certain things that are good about these studies. It seems that NPP writers make much bolder claims than their studies warrant.

Carson’s treatment of the main players in this movement is tempered by the fact that he knows most of them. He is acquainted with James D.G. Dunn and is a long time friend of N.T. Wright. His tone, while authoritative, is friendly and engaging, not acerbic. You’ll even enjoy a few laughs along the way. In addition, you’ll get good exegesis of specific passages like Romans 3:21-26 and Galatians 2:11-21.

Jason recently provided a couple of posts on the NPP which I recommend you check out. They can be found here and here. He points out many good resources, some of which Carson recommends in his lectures.

I’d like to recommend a book published last year by Banner of Truth—The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ: An Assessment of the Reformation and New Perspectives on Paul by Cornelis P. Venema. This book gives a good overview of the different perspectives on Paul and the issues at stake without being overly technical. I read this book earlier this year as a newcomer to the NPP, and it helped me gain a better understanding of the academic changes and challenges of the last 30 years. Venema also wrote Getting the Gospel Right, a smaller book that treats the same subject on a more popular level. I haven’t read this one yet, but it should prove useful in helping church members understand what’s going on in Pauline studies. Click on the link and read Westminster Bookstore’s brief review of this book.

As we observe the 490^th anniversary of the nailing of Luther’s 95 theses, we need to remember that what was at stake nearly 500 years ago is still at stake today: the Gospel.

Critiques of the New Perspective on Paul

A Chronological List of the Published Works of Sinclair B. Ferguson

Per our discussion here, I've decided to build a list of works by Sinclair Ferguson. I've tried to list them all in chronological order. Please let me know if I've overlooked anything.

BOOKS AUTHORED -
Taking the Christian Life Seriously: Biblical Teaching on Christian Maturity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. ix, 171 pp.
[Out of Print]

The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1981. xii, 179 pp. [European Edition]

• Reprinted by The Banner of Truth Trust, New Edition, 1990. 240 pp.

[CBD WTS AMAZON]

• Know Your Christian Life: A Theological Introduction. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, c1981. xii, 179 pp. [American Edition]

Discovering God's Will. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1982. 126 pp.
[CBD WTS AMAZON]

Man Overboard: The Story of Jonah. Tyndale House ed. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1982. 118 pp.
[Out of Print]

A Heart for God. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1985. 176 pp.

• Reprinted by the Banner of Truth Trust, 1987. 144 pp.

[CBD WTS]

Kingdom Life in a Fallen World: Living Out the Sermon on the Mount. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1986. 224 pp.

• Reprinted by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1988. 184 pp.

[CBD WTS]

Children of the Living God. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1987. 163 pp.

• Reprinted by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1989. 144 pp.

[CBD WTS]

John Owen on the Christian Life. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1987. 316 pp.
[CBD WTS]

The Communicator’s Commentary. Daniel. Waco, Tex.: Word Books, 1988. 252 pp.

• Reprinted as Mastering the Old Testament, Daniel. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993. 256 pp.
  
• The Preacher's Commentary, Vol. 21, Daniel. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002. 234 pp.

[WTS AMAZON]

Undaunted Spirit. Rutherford House, 1988. 132 pp.
[Out of Print]

Grow in Grace. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1989. 160 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Healthy Christian Growth. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1992. 29 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Read Any Good Books? Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1993; Reprint, 2005. 22 pp.
[CBD]

Deserted by God? Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1993. 182 pp.

• Reprinted by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1996. 182 pp.

[CBD WTS]

The Holy Spirit: Contours of Christian Theology. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996. 288 pp.
[CBD WTS AMAZON]

Pundit's Folly. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1996. 95 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Let's Study Philippians. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1998. 153 pp.
[CBD WTS]

The Big Book of Questions and Answers. Christian Focus Pub., 1997. 95 pp.
[WTS AMAZON]

Let's Study Mark. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1999. 303 pp.
[CBD WTS]

The Big Book of Questions and Answers About Jesus. Christian Focus Pub., 2000. 96 pp.
[CBD WTS AMAZON]

The Grace of Repentance. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2000. 48 pp.
[CBD WTS]

The Minor Prophets. Preaching the Word. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2002.

Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth. Evangelical Press, 2005. 157 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Good. Christian Focus Publications. 2005. 24 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Happy. Christian Focus Publications, 2005. 24 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Jesus Teaches Us How to Pray. Christian Focus Publications, 2005. 24 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Jesus Teaches Us How to be Wise. Christian Focus Publications, 2005. 24 pp.
[WTS]

Let's Study Ephesians. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2005. 224 pp.
[WTS]

In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life. Lake Mary, FL : Reformation Trust Pub., 2007.
[Reformation Trust]

BOOKS CONTRIBUTED TO -
Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification. Edited by Donald L. Alexander ; with contributions by Gerald O. Forde, Sinclair B. Ferguson, Laurence W. Wood, Russell P. Spittler and E. Glenn Hinson. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 1989. 201 pp.
[WTS]

If I Should Die Before I Wake: Help for Those Who Hope for Heaven. K. Scott Oliphint, Sinclair B. Ferguson. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1995. 125 pp.

• Reprinted by Christian Focus Publications as If I Should Die Before I Wake: What's Beyond this Life? (2005). 128 pp.

[CBD WTS]

The Compromised Church: The Present Evangelical Crisis. Edited by John H. Armstrong with an introduction by David F. Wells. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1998. 330 pp.

Contributors include Edmond P. Clowney, Gerald Bray, Monty E. Wilson, Mark Dever, Derke Bergsma, R. Scott Clark, Stephen J. Wellum, Albert Mohler, Jr., Arturo G. Azurdia, III, Paul R. Schaefer, Jr., Donald S. Whitney, Sinclair Ferguson, and Philip Graham Ryken.

[Out of Print]

Blanchard, John. Does God Believe in Athiests? Forward by Sinclair Ferguson. Evangelical Press, 2000. 655 pp.
[AMAZON]

Griffiths, Steve. Redeem the Time: Sin in the Writings of John Owen. Forward by Sinclair Ferguson. Christian Focus Pub., 2001. 320 pp.
[AMAZON]

John Owen: The Man and His Theology: papers read at the conference of the John Owen Centre for Theological Study, September 2000. Edited by Robert W. Oliver. Phillipsburg, NJ : P & R Pub. ; Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2003. 190 pp.

Includes contributions by Robert W. Oliver, Carl R. Trueman, Sinclair B. Ferguson, Michael A. G. Haykin and Graham S. Harrison.

[CBD WTS]

Hell Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents Eternal Punishment. Edited by Christopher W. Morgan & Robert A. Peterson. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2004. 256 pp.

Includes contributions from leading evangelical scholars Gregory K. Beale, Daniel I. Block, R. Albert Mohler Jr., Douglas J. Moo, Christopher W. Morgan, J. I. Packer, Robert A. Peterson, Robert W. Yarbrough and Sinclair B. Ferguson.

[WTS AMAZON]

Devoted Life: An Invitation to the Puritan Classics. Edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Randall C. Gleason with contributions from J. I. Packer, John Coffee, Mark Noll, Leland Ryken, Richard Lovelace and Sinclair Ferguson. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2004. 318 pp.
[WTS AMAZON]

Ryle, J. C. Thoughts for Young Men. Preface by Sinclair Ferguson. Calvary Press, 2007. 95 pp.
[CBD WTS]

Bridges, Jerry & Bob Bevington. The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness. Forward by Sinclair Ferguson. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007. 320 pp.
[CBD WTS AMAZON]

BOOKS EDITED -
Pulpit & People: Essays in Honour of William Still on his 75th Birthday. Edited by Nigel M. de S. Cameron &Sinclair B. Ferguson. Edinburgh: Rutherford House Books, 1986. ix, 148 pp.
[WTS AMAZON]

New Dictionary of Theology. Edited by Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright; consulting editor, J.I. Packer. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1988. xix, 738 pp.
[CBD WTS AMAZON]

The Collected Writings of William Still. Edited by Nigel M. de S. Cameron and Sinclair B. Ferguson. Edinburgh: Rutherford House Books, 1990.
[WTS AMAZON]

Reformed Confessions Harmonized. Edited by Joel R. Beeke & Sinclair B. Ferguson. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1999. xiii, 271 pp.
[CBD WTS AMAZON]

A Chronological List of the Published Works of Sinclair B. Ferguson

"On Studies" by Francis Bacon

In his little booklet entitled, Read Any Good Books?, Sinclair Ferguson offers some very insightful quotes from a classic essay by Francis Bacon. This essay is short and packed with keen insights, so I thought that I would offer it here for you to read, too.

From The Essays by Francis Bacon

STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores [studies build character]. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores [hair splitters]. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study 197 the lawyers’ cases. So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.

"On Studies" by Francis Bacon

Sinclair Ferguson on Reading Good Books

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC and sit under the preaching ministry of Dr Sinclair Ferguson. The auditorium was packed (both main floor and balcony) with all age groups. The singing was traditional and hearty, and every aspect of the liturgy drew our attention to the great Triune God.

Dr Ferguson preached a Christ-centered message from Genesis 32:1-32, entitled "All Night Wrestling." I can't speak for anyone else there, but I must say that I needed that message. (Here is a link to the First Pres. Sermon Archive.)

While there I took a look at their book rack. On it, I found a Banner of Truth booklet written by Dr Ferguson entitled Read Any Good Books? This is very short, 32 page booklet filled with basic instructions for profitable Christian reading. The book reminded me of Dr Mark Minnick's book talk, "Bring in the Books" at the Whetstone Conference (part 1, part 2, part 3). Both of these, together, have been a great help to me. Now we need to find a publisher to print up a booklet of Dr Minnick's notes. (Tim, maybe we could get you to put a bug in Dr Minnick's ear. What do you think?)

Anyway, please add this little booklet to your next book order. It will greatly repay you, and it's very affordable! [CBD | Amazon]

Sinclair Ferguson on Reading Good Books

Relation between Appearance and Orthodoxy?

This is pretty good! Check out a recent study that concludes "good looks = bad theology" (and vice-versa). Don't know how accurate it is, but I'm starting to worry about my friend Jason, who's much younger and better looking than I am.

Relation between Appearance and Orthodoxy?

What Grows Disciples?

There is an interesting article over at the Christianity Today blog. It concerns a multi-year study done by influential mega-church Willow Creek to determine the value of its program-driven philosophy of ministry to grow professing Christians into mature disciples of Christ. According to Willow Creek pastor Bill Hybels,

Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for.

What Hybels concluded is,

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.

While one wonders if this will bring about any serious shift in the philosophy of Willow Creek, it is encouraging, though not surprising, to find professing believers eventually “crying out” for something for which they sense a real need. So how has this “felt need” been met in the past? Anglican minister John Newton, counseling a young Christian on patiently persevering in spiritual growth, has this to say:

In a sense, we are often hindering him by our impatience and unbelief; but strictly speaking, when He really begins the good work, and gives us a desire which will be satisfied with nothing short of himself, He will not be hindered from carrying it on: for He has said, I will work, and none shall let it…. It is our part to be abased before him, and quietly to hope and wait for his salvation in the use of his appointed means. The power, success, and blessing, are wholly from himself…. Men indeed often plan what, for want of skill or ability, or from unforeseen disappointments, they are unable to execute. But nothing can disappoint the heavenly Builder; nor will He ever be reproached with forsaking the work of his own hands, or beginning that which He could not or would not accomplish. Phil. 1:6. (Letters of John Newton, pp. 217-219, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2007, original emphasis)

Spiritual growth is the special work of the Lord. However, as Newton points out, we should be using the divinely appointed means of Bible reading, prayer, worship, service, etc. to strive toward maturity and, at the same time, be trusting the Lord to provide in due time what He has promised. Growth is gradual, and, eventually, we will begin to notice lasting changes in us that can be ascribed only to the quiet, inner working of the Lord. Believers need to be taught this, and the programs should be developed as the need arises to help Christians in the use of these time-tested means.

I’d like to commend to you the Letters of John Newton for rich scriptural counseling. Whether you are in the position of needing good counsel or the position of providing counsel to others, Newton will help you. He always points the reader to the Scriptures and has a well-rounded view of scriptural teaching.

Thanks to Justin Taylor for the tip about the Christianity Today article.

What other solid works on Christian growth would you recommend?

What Grows Disciples?

More Audio for the Digital Player

I've greatly enjoyed my Sansa Digital Player and am finding tons of good audio on the internet. For me this isn't a replacement for books. Perish the thought! I'm a "hands-on" kind of person and love to have a book in hand, and a pencil to mark it up. I try to fill up free time by listening to good music, sermons and lectures.

A few weeks ago I posted a list of files that I had on my digital player. I've since bought an memory card which has tripled the amount of memory on my player, so now, I don't have to replace files. I just add to them.

Anyway, I tried posting some links in the comments to that post, but I see that the links were added incorrectly. To resolve this issue I would like to share the links here. I'd be glad to hear your suggestions, too. Please leave them in the comments.

• Andy Naselli has posted links to Dr Yarbrough's lectures on Adolf Schlatter. These are very helpful. Yarbrough is a leading authority on Schlatter. On a side note, it was interesting to me to learn just the other day that Karl Barth was a student of Schlatter's. Of course, Barth did not appreciate Schlatter's orthodoxy.
  

• I've read a recent biography and introduction to the writings of Karl Barth (Barth for Armchair Theologians) and am now reading another for perspective. I'm new to Barth so I'm looking for as much help as I can find. In searching around the internet I found the following resources that are proving to be very helpful:

• Karl-Barth Archiv (Most of these are in German, but two are in English. You can hear Barth for yourself--at least a short lecture.)
• You can buy the set of his American lectures here.
  

• Evangelical Theology English MP3

• Also, for a conservative perspective on Barth, I found these two lectures by Cornelius Van Til:
• Part 1-Karl Barth

• Part 2-Karl Barth

NOTE: please do not take my mentioning of Barth and providing links to audio of his lecture that I am simpathetic with his theology. I'm listening to these and offer these links to you for educational purposes. This is why I'm also providing Dr Van Til's very helpful critique of Barth's theology.

(NOTE: The rest of Van Til's lectures on Philosophy and Apologetics, which includes these two lectures, can be found here along with lots of other good audio.)

More Audio for the Digital Player

Sharper Iron Book Review | When You Pray by Philip Graham Ryken

Reviewed by Frank Sansone.

Ryken, Philip Graham. When You Pray. Phillipsburg, PA: P & R Publishing, 2006 (originally published by Crossway Books, 2000). Paperback, 206 pages. $13.99.

(Review copy courtesy of P & R Publishing)

Purchase: P & R | WTS | CBD | CVBBS | Amazon

Special Features: Includes bibliographical references and index. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

ISBNs: 1596380527 / 9781596380523

LCCN: BV230 .R95

DCN: 226.9606

Subjects: Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer

Philip Graham Ryken (B.A., Wheaton College, 1988; M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary, 1992; and D. Phil., University of Oxford, 1995) is Senior Minister at Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. He has authored and co-authored several books including What Is the Christian Worldview (P&R Publishing, 2006); The Message of Salvation, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, UK/Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2001); The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel, with James Montgomery Boice (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002); City on a Hill: Recovering the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century (Chicago: Moody, 2003); and Ryken’s Bible Handbook, with Leland Ryken and Jim Wilhoit (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2005). Just published is a work that both he and his father, Leland Ryken, edited, the ESV Literary Study Bible.

SI’s Interview with Dr. Philip Graham Ryken (audio).

(read the full review here...)

Sharper Iron Book Review | When You Pray by Philip Graham Ryken

W. Robertson Nicoll (October 10, 1851—May 4, 1923)

Happy birthday to William Robertson Nicoll, a man whose name may not be familiar to many students and younger pastors today, but who contributed greatly to the body of theological works in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Nicoll was born on this day in 1851 in Lumsden, Aberdeenshire. He was the son of a very studious pastor and went into the ministry himself, becoming “the most prolific and respected religious journalist in the English-speaking world from 1886 to his death in 1923” (Warren W. Wiersbe, Walking with the Giants, p. 103).

Trained and licensed to preach by the Free Church of Scotland, Nicoll married and settled into a pastoral ministry, eventually becoming editor of a monthly theological journal called The Expositor. However, Nicoll’s health was never good, his lungs being weak, making it very difficult to preach full time. In 1885 Nicoll came down with a serious case of typhoid, which nearly took his life, as it had taken the lives of some of his family. Nicoll resigned his church and moved to the south of England to recuperate.

Since by his gifts and inclination he was more of a writer and editor than a pastor, Nicoll changed his ministerial emphasis and began the great work for which he is mostly remembered. On November 5, 1886 the first issue of the British Weekly was published. This was an influential religious journal which he founded. He authored many books of his own, but it is as an exacting editor that he achieved his enduring legacy. Nicoll edited several large sets of theological books aimed at helping pastors. He enlisted a group of talented, godly writers and produced The Expositor’s Bible, which ran to fifty volumes. Since it employs many different writers, this commentary set is uneven in some areas, but many of the volumes have become classics, like Kellogg’s commentary on Leviticus and Alexander Maclaren’s three-volume commentary on the Psalms. Though old, these volumes have stood the test of time and are still valuable to serious students of Scripture.

Nicoll also edited The Expositor’s Greek New Testament and The Sermon Bible, reprinted as The Sermon-Outline Bible, part of the fourteen-volume “Preacher’s Homiletic Library.” The latter series employed the sermons of well-known preachers of the 19^th Century. One of the best books that Nicoll wrote himself is Princes of the Church, biographical vignettes of famous preachers, including Spurgeon.

As an editor Nicoll was a hard taskmaster, but he and his writers had a significant impact on the scholarship of their day. His work no doubt helped to counteract the liberalism creeping into England from continental Europe. Wiersbe says, “In a very real sense Nicoll was the father of modern religious journalism” (Walking with the Giants, p. 108).

For more information on Nicoll, see Warren Wiersbe’s Walking with the Giants (Baker Book House, 1983). Also look for used volumes of his commentary series. Some of these (the best ones) were reprinted by Klock & Klock and some reprinted by Kregel. It would be expensive to buy The Expositor’s Bible (if you can find the whole set), but you can have the whole content of the set by ordering this CD.

One lesson from the life of W. Robertson Nicoll is that if the Lord sidelines you in one area of service, He isn’t necessarily through using you. Perhaps He is redirecting you into another field. Maybe He wants you to be a writer. Feel free to start by leaving comments. :-)

Please let us know of more resources on either Nicoll or old theological works that are still useful today. Just like Nicoll, our burden at TheoSource is to help the church of our day.

W. Robertson Nicoll (October 10, 1851—May 4, 1923)

Quote of the Day

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

“In reading books let your motto be, ‘Much, not many.’”

- “To Workers with Slender Apparatus” in Lectures to My Students.

Quote of the Day

Richard Furman (Oct. 9, 1755—Aug. 25, 1825)

Eight years, to the day, after the death of David Brainerd a baby boy was born to Wood and Rachel Broadhead Furman. Richard Furman was born on October 9, 1755, in Esopus, NY. Shortly after his birth the family moved from Esopus, New York to the lowcountry of South Carolina.

As a boy, Richard was an eager learner and endowed with a sharp memory. He took a peculiar interest in poetry committing many lengthy portions to memory. His biographer recounts that he had memorized most of Homer's Illiad by the time he was eleven and that he could still recite these passages correctly in middle life. As he entered his teen years his father instructed him in mathematics and the general principles of other sciences. He was taught a bit of Latin during a short stint at a school and continued his study of this and other Biblical languages on his own.

In his fifteenth year his family moved away from the "big city," relocating to the lands on the Wateree (often called the High Hills of Santee). Upon arriving in the mid-lands the family came into contact with the evangelistic labors of the Rev. Joseph Reese. Richard Furman came under deepened conviction of his sins and condemnation "which prepared him for the discovery of the free grace and mercy of God as revealed in the gospel" (Life and Works, p. 20).

Attending a "sacramental season," he was urged to appear as a candidate for baptism. Desirous of submitting to the ordinance, he was deterred by doubt and diffidence. In great anxiety of mind, he retired to the woods, and, prostrating himself before God, obtained such manifestations of Divine love as induced him to return immediately and present himself as a candidate, at the same time saying that he had no experience to relate, but came a sinner willing to accept the free grace of the Gospel. (p. 20)

Furman gave himself to a life of devotion to his Savior. He spent his leisure time in prayer and reading the Scriptures and theology. In time he was given opportunities to preach and came to be considered "the boy-evangelist". When only nineteen years of age, he was examined, licensed and ordained as pastor of the Hills Church.

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Furman took a stand for liberty and an oath of allegiance to the United States. He made himself ready to serve in the military but was asked by Governor Rutledge to remain in the interior exerting his influence for the cause of liberty. His influence was so effective that he caught the attention of Lord Cornwallis.

As a bright and educated minister of the Gospel, Furman sought to impress the importance of learning upon his brethren. His greatest affect upon the religious scene, especially that of the Baptists, was along these lines. This is illustrated in the case of the Rev. Silas Mercer, father of Jesse Mercer, after whom Mercer University was named. At first Silas Mercer thought negatively of learning, but, in time, Furman's influence upon him turned him about to such a point that he, too, was an indefatigable promoter of education.

In an address circulated among the Charleston Association churches, in 1786, Furman articulated his burden for the church to take up the charge of Christian education. He wrote,

It is our ardent desire that the members of our churches be well established in the evidence, as well as the necessity and importance of Christianity, and that the reasonableness and consistency of its particular doctrines be well understood. We recommend, therefore, that a thirst for divine knowledge, together with a laudable desire to excel in every grace and virtue, be entertained in all your breasts. Pay particular attention to the education of your children with this view; and where it has pleased God to call any of his young servants to the work of the ministry, let the church be careful to introduce them into the line of study and improvement, and make suitable exertions to furnish them with the necessary means to this end." (p. 28)

In 1787 Furman began a thirty-seven year pastorate of the First Baptist Church in Charleston, SC. In Charleston he helped to found the Charleston Bible Society. He also served as president of the Religious Tract Society. He actively raised funds to support Carey and Marshman's efforts to translate the Scriptures and supported Luther Rice and the missionaries to Burmah (the Judsons, Hall, the Newells and Nott).

In 1814 Furman was elected as the first president of the Baptist Triennial Convention. As president of the Baptist Convention, Furman continued to press the burden of education upon his brethren. His plans were brilliant, but they did not unfold as he had intended. His original plan was for a central institution in Washington D. C. with preparatory institutions in each state, or between states. From this original plan emerged the Columbian College (now a part of George Washington University). Other institutions that grew out of this plan are Furman Institution (now University), the Mercer Institute (now University), the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and probably Newton in Massachusetts (now Andover-Newton Theological Seminary).

Richard Furman, who died on August 25, 1825, left a distinct mark upon the American Church. He was an ardent support of civil and religious liberty. He was an indefatigable promoter, not only of education, but of the Church's responsibility to carry out and provide for the education of its servants. Last, but not least, he was a passionate supporter of Gospel missions at home and abroad.

There is much more that could be said of Furman. I've dealt with some of the positive aspects and have tried to highlight his passion for education. Every man has his faults and so did Furman. I believe that he would be the first to admit that. My impression of him is that he was a man wholly devoted to a Gospel-centered ministry. He lived according to the Gospel, he preached the Gospel, he supported Gospel ministries and called the Church to take up the responsibility to do the same.

A lesson I'm taking away from this—"Support those whom God has called to labor full-time for the sake of the Gospel, be they seminary students, pastors or missionaries!"

__________

• Life and Works of Dr. Richard Furman, D.D. Compiled and Edited by G. William Foster, Jr. (Sprinkel Publications, 2004).
• All the above citations are from this volume. [CVBBS listed for $5.00, a GREAT value!]
  
• Rogers, James A. Richard Furman: Life and Legacy. (Mercer, 1985)
  

Richard Furman (Oct. 9, 1755—Aug. 25, 1825)

David Brainerd (April 20, 1718—Oct. 9, 1747)

David Brainerd, missionary to Native Americans in New England, died 260 years ago today. It is widely believed today that Brainerd suffered from tuberculosis, which was at that time called consumption. Though he died young (age 29) and was a missionary for only the last four years of his life, Brainerd wields an influence that extends far beyond his short life.

David Brainerd was born in Haddam, Connecticut. Orphaned at 14, young Brainerd was more given to soul-searching and performing religious duties than to frolicking with friends. He came at times under conviction of sin and hoped that he was converted, but he didn’t have assurance. After years of struggling to obey God’s law and failing, at age 21 Brainerd’s eyes were opened and God brought him to a saving understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He saw Christ’s sacrifice of Himself as the propitiation for all his sins. All he had to do was believe, and God granted him the faith. The lessons Brainerd learned about his own wicked, deceitful heart during the years of conviction would come into play in his ministry with people who had never heard the Gospel and had never considered themselves sinners.

Brainerd entered Yale to prepare for the ministry, but he was expelled during his junior year. A student overheard him say to a friend that a certain tutor at the school had “no more grace than this chair.” That was all it took, and Brainerd’s hopes for a pastorate were dashed. A law in Connecticut required that all pastors be trained at Harvard, Yale, or a European divinity school. Brainerd testified in his journal that it would be hard seeing his friends receive their degrees when he wasn’t allowed to finish. But the Lord subdued his spirit, and he was content with his situation.

Brainerd still wanted to serve God and continued his preparation for the ministry. He received a license to preach in 1742 and soon afterward, under the auspices of the Scottish Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, became a missionary to Native Americans. Traveling on horseback, and sometimes on foot, he ministered to tribes in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. During this time Brainerd was not a well man. He already had the tuberculosis that would eventually claim his life, and being exposed to the elements so often hastened his death.

At first he had little results from his ministry to comfort him. Adversity would reveal things in his heart that repulsed him, and he longed for more holiness and more of the sense of God’s smile on him. Sometimes he was favored with a greater sense of God’s presence, giving him much cause for rejoicing.

After a while he began noticing what he could describe only as a moving of the Spirit among the Indians. Many were becoming concerned for their souls, having been shown the heart-wickedness they were never aware of before. Brainerd had been preaching the doctrines of grace, beginning with the need for salvation: our great and incurable sin before a holy God. The people finally became convinced that they could do nothing to please God or appease His wrath, and the Lord opened their eyes the way He had done with Brainerd years earlier. Looking back on nearly a year of success, Brainerd could only give glory to God for the change wrought in people who, only nine months earlier, had been worshiping false gods and living savage, immoral lives.

David Brainerd was enabled to establish a congregation and a school among the Indians and secured the services of his brother John to oversee the congregation. But his failing health caused him to decide to take a trip in hopes of improving his condition. He visited his congregation once more, but he was never to minister among them again. Brainerd eventually traveled to Northampton, Massachusetts to see Jonathan Edwards, who had preached at Yale when Brainerd was a student. Edwards took in the ailing young preacher, and his daughter Jerusha acted as Brainerd’s nurse until he died.

During his last few months Brainerd sometimes became distressed that he was no longer able to participate in the work of preaching and ministering in the community. Once again he felt the coldness of his own heart and wished for more of God’s presence. He also wished that God would take him and relieve his suffering through death. In those days there was no real treatment for what was bringing Brainerd down, nor was pain medication available.

However, Brainerd learned some spiritual lessons through his illness, things he already believed but that seemed to crystallize under this final adversity. Sometimes we don’t thoroughly believe what we believe until that belief is put to the test. In one journal entry he says, “Towards noon, I saw that the grace of God in Christ is infinitely free towards sinners and such sinners as I was. I also saw that God is the supreme good, that in His presence is life. I began to long to die that I might be with Him in a state of freedom from all sin.” Less than three weeks before his death another spiritual struggle compounded the physical pain he felt. His mind registered an accusation: “you are filthy, not fit for heaven.” Brainerd continues, “Hereupon instantly appeared the blessed robes of Christ’s righteousness which I could not but exult and triumph in.” Brainerd saw that Christ’s grace is all-sufficient; sufficient to lead him from sin to salvation, sufficient to lead him from trial to trial, sufficient to lead him from earth to heaven.

Jonathan Edwards testified that it was his privilege to host this dying saint and to observe his faith. Edwards was so impressed that he edited Brainerd’s diary for publication. I have heard that this book has never been out of print and is a missionary classic that influenced Henry Martyn and William Carey.

Why is a man who ministered a short time in obscurity and died young so influential 260 years later? It is because of the spirituality revealed in his diary. Here is a man learning to be content. Redirected by God through expulsion from college, serving in the wilderness under hard conditions instead of a comfortable pastorate, enduring bad health and seeming lack of success; in all these things David Brainerd learned to submit to God in all of His dealings with His servant. Through it all he learned to delight in God. Brainerd desired two things: to be like God and to be with God. On October 9, 1747 God gave him his desire.

The Life and Diary of David Brainerd is still available. My copy is a paperback from Baker Book House, 1995. It is included in the two-volume Works of Jonathan Edwards by Banner of Truth. It is also available as an audio book.

In addition to the diary I found a good lecture on Brainerd which is available as an mp3 download.

Feel free to inform us of any biographies or other resources on Brainerd.

David Brainerd (April 20, 1718—Oct. 9, 1747)

Challies.com October Giveaway!

Tim Challies is at it again.



Please reference our Referral ID# 20181 when you sign up.

Tim says,

Last month’s Great September Giveaway was a great success with three readers taking home some excellent prizes. Of course I extend my sympathies to the multitudes who didn’t win; I can identify with your disappointment since I don’t think I’ve ever won anything in my life! But I am confident that my time is coming.

This month you’ve got another chance to win a great prize. Or forty-one of them to be exact.

...

• First prize: One case (Forty copies!) of The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul along with a copy of Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Phillips (that’s a retail value of over $600!). The forty books are not to be sold, but are to be given away or used for evangelism. Just think what you could do with forty of them. That’s ten for people in the church, ten for family members, ten for Christmas gifts and ten to hold on to for just the right moment.
• Second prize: One copy of Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Phillips and admission for two to the Ligonier Ministries 2008 National Conference, Evangelism According to Jesus.
• Third Prize: One copy of Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Phillips and admission for two to the Ligonier Ministries 2008 National Conference, Evangelism According to Jesus. (read more...)
  

Challies.com October Giveaway!

TheoSource Recommended and Critiqued

I'm very happy to receive feedback on the TheoSource Book Lists. The following is a list of sites who have shared TheoSource with their readers and who have encouraged me to keep at this project. Many thanks to all of you!

1. Frank Sansone @ A Thinking Man's Thoughts - "Recommended Blogs for Pastors"
   
2. Brian LeStourgeon @ LeStrougeon Online - "More Commentary Recommendations and More!"
   

TheoSource Recommended and Critiqued

Dever & Gathercole on the NPP

Over the weekend, finishing up this AM, I listened to Mark Dever's 9Marks interview (10/06) with Simon Gathercole and Peter Williams. The discussion was dominated by the New Perspective on Paul (NPP) which is Gathercole's area of expertise.

Dr Peter Williams was not brought into the discussion very much, which is a shame. At the time of the interview, he was a Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He, now, is the Warden of Tyndale House in the UK. I would recommend that you read Justin Taylor's interview with Dr Williams.

Dr Simon Gathercole, at the time of the interview, was Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He, now, is lecturer in New Testament Studies and Fellow, Fitzwilliam College, the University of Cambridge.

As Dever and Gathercole discussed the NPP issue, mention was made of Gathercole's book Where is Boasting? Early Jewish Soteriology and Paul's Response in Romans 1-5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002) [CBD]. Dever asked if this book serves as a good starting point for someone interested in learning about the NPP issue. Gathercole said, "No," so Dever asked him to name a few that would be good. Here's the list I made from their discussion.

Simon Gathercole's recommendations for beginners...

1. Monographs -
1. Stuhlmacher, Peter. Revisiting Paul's Doctrine of Justification: A Challenge to the New Perspective. With an essay by Donald A. Hagner (IVP, 2001). [WTS | CBD]
2. Westerholm, Steve. Perspectives Old and New: The 'Lutheran' and His Critics. (Eerdmans, 2003). [WTS | CBD]
2. Commentaries on Romans -
1. Cranfield, C. E. B. Romans. ICC. 2 volumes (Continuum Int., 1979). [WTS | CBD]
1. Gathercole noted that, although dated in light of the NPP, this commentary continues to be viewed as "a standard." This unabridged set is recommended for the student who is able to deal with the Greek text.
2. Cranfield, C. E. B. Romans, Abridged. (Eerdmans, 1985). [CBD]
1. Gathercole noted that he recommends this to students who do not have a handle on the Greek text.
   
3. Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. BECNT. (Baker, 1998). [WTS | CBD]
1. Schreiner does interact with the NPP in this commentary. Gathercole prefers this over that of Moo for its simplicity and clarity. Although Schreiner does interact with some other commentators, his exposition is not filled with citing secondary sources. (This is part of the design of the commentary series.)
   
4. Moo, Douglas. Romans. NICNT. (Eerdmans, 1996). [WTS | CBD]
1. Moo also interacts with the NPP in this commentary. Gathercole appreciates this commentary, but does not prefer it over Schreiner since Moo spends so much time interacting with other commentators. This is not a bad thing. However, for the pastor looking for good, quick help, Schreiner fits the bill best.

Of note is the fact that Gathercole does not recommend the commentary written by his former supervisor, James D. G. Dunn [WTS, vol 1 | WTS, vol 2 | CBD]. For one, Gathercole notes that Dunn's commentary is the first to implement the viewpoints of the NPP. Gathercole takes issue with Dunn on the point. Secondly, in Gathercole's opinion the WBC series is more encyclopedic in nature which makes it very difficult for a pastor to deal with in sermon preparation.

Mark Dever tossed out the following titles...

1. Kim, Seyoon. Paul and the New Perspective: Second Thoughts on the Origin of Paul's Gospel. (Eerdmans, 2001) [WTS | CBD]
   
2. Waters, Guy Prentiss. Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul: A Review and Response. (P&R, 2004). [WTS | CBD]

You may also be interested in reading the following article by Gathercole published in Christianity Today: "What Did Paul Really Mean?" (August 2007).
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Previous Post: Quick Overview of the New Perspective by Darrell Bock (with his own book recommendations).

Dever & Gathercole on the NPP