Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition
By Andrew Purves.
Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 2001. Pp. 152. $14.99.

By Wes Kenney, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Valliant, OK

INTRODUCTION

This little book seeks to address the author’s concern that the practice of pastoral care “is, by and large, uninformed by historical practice” (5). Purves identifies the need for “a profound reappraisal of core working assumptions in pastoral theology” (5), and to this need, seeks to apply wisdom gleaned from five figures in church history: Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great, Martin Bucer, and Richard Baxter.

His selection of these five was directed by the fact that they wrote directly about the work of the pastor, rather than addressing specific issues of theological debate.

SUMMARY

After a brief introduction, to which I shall return in my critique, Purves summarizes the contributions of each of these five figures in successive chapters. Each chapter is divided into a brief biographical section, a discussion of common themes in the subject’s theology, and finally an analysis of the pastoral theology of each man. These chapters are headed with the title of the work for which each figure is credited by Purves with having contributed significantly to the development of pastoral theology.

Chapter one, Gregory of Nazianzus ‘In Defense of His Flight to Pontus,’ identifies several recurring themes in Gregory’s theology, such as his belief that the theologian must receive “a special call” (13), and his understanding of the final goal of the Christian life, which he called “deification” (14). Purves also briefly discusses Gregory’s understanding of the Trinity, Christology, and anthropology, before moving to a discussion of his pastoral theology. This section discusses at length Gregory’s view of the pastor as a “physician of souls,” whose goal it is “to contend on behalf of God and thereby to lead people back to God” (19). Other topics addressed include the difficulties of pastoral work, the spiritual requirements for being a pastor, and the life background, call, and obedience to that call of those who aspire to the pastoral office. The chapter concludes with an outline of Gregory’s The Flight to Pontus.

John Chrysostom and his Six Books on the Priesthood are the subject of chapter two. Following the biographical summary, Purves addresses Chrysostom’s approach to exegesis by describing the difference between the heavily allegorical Alexandrian school of Origen and Philo, and the Antiochene approach, of which Chrysostom is “the best-known representative,” and which “clearly aimed at ameliorating the excesses of Alexandrian allegorical exegesis and spirituality” (39). Purves then discusses “Chrysostom’s Antiochene Christology,” before moving to a treatment of his pastoral theology. In discussing the nature of the pastoral office, Chrysostom was clear that it “must be understood theologically first of all to be a sharing in Christ’s own love for his people” (43). Before anything else, a pastor must heed Christ’s call to Peter: “Feed my sheep.” Purves concludes the chapter with a discussion of Chrysostom’s teaching on the moral and ethical dimension of pastoral work.

In chapter three, Purves turns to Gregory the Great, and his enduring work, Pastoral Care. Themes identified by Purves in the theology of Gregory include the relation between the natural and the supernatural, the balanced approach to life which Gregory called consideratio, and the nature of the Christian life. Gregory’s belief that “in salvation the human also must act” has far-reaching consequences for his understanding of the Christian life, a life in which “ambivalence and terror . . . never go away” (62). This will have many implications for his pastoral theology.  Much of this theology is discussed in terms of the character of the man who would hold the office. This was of primary importance to Gregory, whom Purves quotes: “No one does more harm in the Church than he, who having the title or rank of holiness, acts evilly.” (65) Purves then examines Gregory’s teaching on the life of the pastor, as well as his understanding of the practice and complexities of pastoral work.

On the True Pastoral Care, says Purves, is “the principal Reformation text on pastoral theology” (76). Martin Bucer, its author, is the subject of chapter four. After a biographical summary, Purves identifies election and justification, Scripture, love, and the Eucharist as themes in Bucer’s theology. In his pastoral theology, Purves recognizes two dominant themes that inform Bucer’s teaching: the role of the Bible and a focus on Christ. Indeed, says Purves, Bucer “displays a remarkable awareness of the active personal rule of Jesus Christ in and over his church” (84). These themes are woven throughout his examination of Bucer’s understanding of the scope of pastoral care, addressing such themes as evangelism, pastoral discipline, and care for the weak.

Richard Baxter and The Reformed Pastor are the focus of chapter 5. The biographical summary in this chapter is preceded by a brief history of Puritanism. Themes in Baxter’s theology identified by Purves include the practical application of the Christian faith to everyday life and the doctrine of justification. The discussion of Baxter’s pastoral theology begins with an emphasis of the spiritual formation of the pastor. This is primary for Baxter, as Purves notes, “he is more concerned with the pastor’s life in God than with the parishioner’s, because adequate attention to the latter is possible only by one who has paid attention to the former” (105). He then discusses Baxter’s emphasis on conversion as a pastoral goal and concludes by looking at Baxter’s insistence on pastoral care as individualized care, as a “personal ministry to persons” (111).

Having surveyed the lives and pastoral theologies of these figures, Purves reaches several conclusions in his final section regarding the confessional content of pastoral care, the necessity to root both pastoral care and pastoral theology in the study of the scriptures, and the necessity of the office itself. Purves also offers conclusions about the need for pastors to care for themselves and the accountability to God for their conduct of the office. In each of these conclusions, Purves bemoans the current state of pastoral theology and argues that an intentional reclamation of the classical tradition will lead to a more robust and balanced practice of pastoral care today.

CRITIQUE

I found this book to be enormously helpful for gaining a broad look into the lives of men about whom I knew practically nothing. While I recognized all five names, I knew them only as placeholders on a timeline of the history of the church. This book introduced them to me afresh as serious and passionate men of God, men who thought deeply and wrote helpfully from their perspectives in order to advance the practice of pastoral care. As someone called by God to serve His people in a local church, I am grateful for the lives and writings of these men and grateful to Purves for his excellent summaries. If nothing else, I can recommend the book for this.

My concerns with the book are mainly to do with its stated purpose. I know nothing about the author that is not revealed in this book, but he clearly writes from a mainline Protestant liberal perspective. He seeks to rescue pastoral care from the modern movement, a movement he says, “within the North American Protestant theological academy by and large revolves around psychological categories regarding human experience and symbolic interpretations about God” (3). I have no doubt this is the case, but Purves offers the wrong cure. This is a book summarizing what five men have written regarding the work of the pastor. If Purves wants to save us from “human experience and symbolic interpretations,” the solution is not going to be found in the writings of fallible men, however inspiring and truth-filled they may be. The solution is going to be found in the infallible Word of God. Sadly, the “North American Protestant theological academy” has long-since abandoned that solution.

CONCLUSION

Purves opens his book with a story about being called to the bedside of a dying former church member. He talks about this woman’s need for “a reminder of the reality and truth behind the central doctrines of the Christian faith as they applied to her life at the point of her death” (1). The solution to the problem of contemporary pastoral care identified by Purves as his reason for writing lies here, in “reality and truth” as revealed in Scripture. A good grasp of the historical development of pastoral theology is certainly useful, and this book does a good job of at least introducing the reader to the topic. But recovering pastoral care from the pop-psychology and humanistic practices that are so prevalent today requires a return to the conviction that in the pages of the Bible, we have a sure and certain Word from God that informs all of the work we do and the lives we live as under shepherds of the Great Shepherd.

Dr. Thomas Douglas
Pastor
Parkway Baptist Church
Kansas City, KS

Pastor Bill has made it to another December business meeting. As his church wades through the regular items on the agenda: approval of the minutes, treasurer’s report, written reports, oral reports, old business, and finally new business, he begins to feel his normally dry palms get sweaty. Pastor Bill knows in just a few moments he will be asked to leave so the church can discuss his salary for the next year. He will be ushered out and sent to the education space to await the decision on his compensation package. With this being his 6th year at the church of just under 100 in attendance the process of the church discussing his position without an avenue to speak for himself still rattles him. He has taken the time to examine why the church has been unable to break the 100 barrier. Oh, they passed it a few times but for all too common reasons slid back below the 100 thresh hold. One year they lost their beloved music director. Another, a couple families got upset over something he said from the pulpit. Another talk spread of him being unavailable to certain families because he didn’t make it to the hospital on one occasion. Then, he would never forget the class that refused to multiply into two because the teachers liked alternating every other month. Now the class has dwindled to fit in the room it once was outgrowing.

As Pastor Bill headed to the education wing, he knew someone would raise the question of the lack of numerical growth and tie it to the effectiveness of his ministry. He could answer what happened to each family that was not there but knew that wouldn’t satisfy the grumblers. Sometimes, Pastor Bill wondered if he should apply for any church with over 100 in attendance just so he could feel what it was like to pastor a bigger church. Other times he figured God knew best and/or maybe there was a deficiency in him that kept God from blessing the church with growth.

Perhaps you attend or pastor one of the 59% of American Protestant churches that have under 100 in attendance on any given Sunday morning.[1] If so, then you are personally acquainted with some of the feelings Pastor Bill experienced. So much of the emphasis in the media and in areas of denomination leadership focuses on the larger churches with more people and more resources. It can appear that if you do not meet certain growth quotas, then God has removed His “candlestick” from you and unless you make major changes God will shut your doors and sell your building to the up and coming funeral home.

While it is true that more people are picking large churches to attend, small churches have a vital place in the American landscape and offer distinct benefits that larger churches struggle to meet. This series will offer seven reasons why small churches are great churches to join and belong. Not all of the reasons apply solely to small churches. Some are true of effective churches no matter their size but have a special role in defining small churches. These articles are meant to encourage small churches to see themselves as more than the total number of attendees and offerings. God has a way of using the unlikely-in-the-eyes-of-the-world to transform the world. Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Deborah, David, Daniel, John the Baptist, the apostles, and of course, Jesus are people in the Scriptures God used despite their humble beginnings. Out of the small churches in America, God raises pastors, missionaries, Sunday School teachers, and witnesses of all shapes and sizes to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. While we strive to reach as many as we can, let us relish in those areas that the world might see as weaknesses but that God sees as strengths and use them to impact the world around us for Christ.

Technorati Tag: small churches

Wade Rials has been the Senior Pastor of Thorington Road Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama since 2008. He earned a bachelor degree from the University of Mobile and his MDiv from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. You also can follow his blog at Wade’s Thoughts.

SBC Today: What do you think are the greatest challenges confronting the SBC?

Wade Rials: As a convention, we are divided, fractured, and splintered. If Calvinism is mentioned, an alarm is sounded and we all stand to attention, pick sides, and take up arms. It is not my responsibility to determine what makes a good “Southern Baptist,” but the issue itself is not going away. It seems that there is a lack of clarity over what defines us. The great question that I see on our horizon is the unequivocal need to articulate clearly who we are.

This articulation will allow us to define expectations. Questions such as, can we (are we willing), as Southern Baptists to unite under an umbrella that includes a wide spectrum of systematic theologies? If so, how big is the umbrella? Is there a percentage expected to be given to the Cooperative Program? What role should the Cooperative Program play? Should denomination leaders pass a “litmus” test in order to serve? This process will bring pain, but currently we are going through the motions carrying on as if all is kosher, holding bitterness and resentment towards others. Rather than deal with our differences openly as gentlemen, we get in theological huddles and thank “God” we are enlightened. The conversations on the convention podium are nice and unifying but they do not correspond to the conversations in the hallways.

Quite honestly, our denominational politics has great similarity to the children’s game musical chairs; everyone wrestling to have a seat and not to be the proverbial last one standing and left out of the loop. Our churches, in many ways, are experiencing a Great Commission Resurgence. Unfortunately, on the denominational level it looks more like a Great Convention Restructuring than any type of resurgence. Now more than ever, we need a denominational statesman to emerge who has extraordinary leadership capacity. He must force us honestly to admit and converse on the issues before us.

Allow me to make a rather drastic statement; the divide between us may be too wide. One must admit that the visions for the future of the Southern Baptist Convention are drastically different within the various circles of influence. It is time for Southern Baptists to be honest and mature and acknowledge these differences. I pray that over the next few years, we can find an umbrella all Southern Baptist can agree to cooperate under. But if we can’t, then let’s shake hands as Christian gentlemen and go our separate ways. Let us not forget that our denomination is man-made and our God doesn’t need us to accomplish His will. We are privileged to cooperate together for the glory of our God!

Should we agree to a theological and practical umbrella then let’s get to work together to accomplish what God has placed before us. I have no idea how one would bring about a process to accomplish this objective, but we must have complete transparency and unity around a mission that is championed by all. This process must be grass roots driven from the bottom up rather than from the top down. It is my humble opinion that our denomination has been and will always be a grass roots movement and not one directed by the elite. Currently, we are damaging our witness and handcuffing our Kingdom potential. Rather than having a movement, we have an institution and quite honestly it’s an institution that no one is really happy with. My greatest concern is that more young leaders are going to lose trust in our convention and leadership, resulting in a slow but intentional pulling away from denominational life. The characteristics of this practical break are twofold; first, leaders will shy away from the denomination, choosing to focus only on their local church and individual partnerships. One can see this already in the attendance to denominational meetings at both the state and national level. Secondly, leaders will direct their churches to reallocate money currently given to the Cooperative Program. This will result in a slow death for the Southern Baptist Convention.

SBC Today: What do you see as the greatest opportunities opening to the SBC?

Wade Rials: We are living in an epoch where there is openness to the Bible. There is a hunger for the Word of God and this hunger brings great possibility. The future of the Southern Baptist Convention will be determined by our pulpits. I believe with all my heart that if we regain a belief in the authoritative Word of God and create passionate and powerful pulpits that expose congregants to the truth of the text, then revival will follow. God will do exactly what he said he would do. He will bring life! Now more than ever, we are famished for the Bible and illiterate of its truth. When we preachers proclaim its eternal and majestic precepts leading to genuine holy living among believers we will shine forth light in a culture of darkness.

I also think that social networking has created a brand new avenue for the gospel. I anticipate the next generation of leaders will tap into this resource and create powerful methods of using social media to spread the love of Christ.

SBC Today: What are your thoughts about a possible SBC name change?

Wade Rials: Wow! As I ponder this dilemma I am reminded of a story told about Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. While her country was going through a great famine and struggling to find food, the question was given to Marie as to what to do. She responded, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” or in English “Let them eat cake”. She was completely oblivious to the situation surrounding her.

I recognize that by making this parallel I set myself up to be kindling for the blogosphere’s fire, but I feel we are in a somewhat similar circumstance as a convention. The culture around us has become post-Christian. Our churches have lost the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God. Our people have a pagan worldview colored and “christianized” by a couple of nice sermonettes. Our pastor’s no longer understand their prophetic role, choosing to be culturally relevant and accepted rather than Biblically faithful. The hip churches that are looked upon as bastions of success are known for putting a bed on top of a building, or cussing in the pulpit, or blatantly saying that they choose to focus on “positive” aspects of God rather than “negative aspects such as judgment and condemnation.” In the midst of this madness we are fighting about a name change! We can pay marketing gurus vast amounts of money to pitch a name that will be well perceived, but what is so desperately needed today is not that we be “better perceived” by a depraved culture, but better received by a Holy God.

Let’s be honest, our impuissance in sharing the Gospel has nothing to do with our brand and everything to do with our heart. We need the Spirit of God to move on our churches and bring a renewed emphasis on the authoritative Word of God. The Sprit of God moving through the Word of God will result in sold out, surrendered, missional living. This new perspective will allow us to see the world through the mind of Christ, with hearts broken for their salvation. Anything less is, to quote Shakespeare, “much ado about nothing.” We need revival. In my humble opinion, a name change is inconsequential if Christ has removed his lampstand.

SBC Today: What is the key to being a faithful/effective/successful pastor?

Wade Rials: Honestly I have no idea what I am doing. Biblically, my call is to be a faithful preacher of God’s Word. I am just thankful that God doesn’t give me a progress report or annual evaluation. It would not be pretty. I also think it is imperative that one be a lifelong learner.

It is a common joke around Thorington Road that I really knew what I was doing before I got here. There is value in that. I have seen our ministries grow and expand as I have been willing to grow and expand. Honest criticism and accountability are vital for that. A successful pastor will have people around him that tell him the truth. Unfortunately, I see far too many young pastors make the mistake of Rehoboam in that we place people around us that tell us what we want to hear and inflate our egos. Although painful, I have grown to I appreciate those in my life that care enough for me to warn me of dangers and pitfalls.

Ultimately, an old preacher in a small, rural, country church once told me that a great pastor simply loves his people. Everything else is mute unless we as pastors love our people.

SBC Today: What is one key mistake that you see pastors and/or church staff members making that causes them problems in their churches?

Wade Rials: I can’t speak for anyone else, but my mistake(s) seemingly always stem from my independence from God’s Spirit and his control. I daily struggle to surrender my will and desires to his authority. Ministry can become easy when things are smooth and that ease makes us/me think that success is based on my abilities, intellect, and charisma. It is in these moments I am most vulnerable to the nature that wars within my soul. I am a recovering narcissist who often believes that the cosmos was created to entertain me. Humility is a trait that God is branding into me. My use of branding is representative of the farming community I grew up in and cattle branding that I witnessed. The process hurts and leaves scars. Constant dependence on the Spirit of God is the remedy for my pride. It is this area that I have much growth left to attain.

SBC Today: Who are two or three of your “heroes in ministry”?

Wade Rials: As a young(er) man, many of my heroes were the hip, cool, and trendy leaders that spike their hair, wear cool clothes, and say radical things with shock value. As I have matured, this view has changed drastically. The men that I admire are those men with staying power; Men who have been faithful to the Word of God and passionately served King Jesus. Technology has allowed me to feed on the preaching of men from the past such as Vance Havner, R.G. Lee, W.A. Criswell, Richard Owen Roberts, Leonard Ravenhill, Adrian Rogers, and many others. These men are role models for me in the way they handled the Word of God and preached it with what the former generation called “unction.”

One of the greatest blessings that God has placed in my life is godly men who have invested in me. Three specific men have poured their life into mine and the fruit born from those investments are of priceless value. My home pastor Randy Kuhn saw something in me and chose to see beyond my immaturity and personal failures and taught me to love and cherish the Word of God. Dr. Jim Bryant, a college professor, walked with me as my theology developed and put up with some serious theological flaws and continued to show me a better way. In recent years, Dr. Rick Lance has influenced me to become a better leader; his example of statesmanship and grace through a difficult season has been monumental in my evolution as a leader. I would consider these men to be heroes as well.

SBC Today: What is the toughest lesson you have learned in ministry?

Wade Rials: There have been so many I don’t know where to start. Candidly, the toughest lesson I have learned is an ongoing lesson. I am my own worst enemy. During seasons of intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, it seems that positive momentum is generated within our church. In contrast, in seasons where I am distracted and distanced from a powerful prayer life and close fellowship with Christ, the momentum and fellowship at our church suffers the consequences of my sin.

This realization has been fundamental in understanding what God desires from me as a pastor. I have been trained in multiple theories, ideologies, philosophies, and paradigms, but the influence that I have as a pastor is a direct repercussion of my personal holiness. Purity of heart leads to clarity and intimacy of fellowship with God. I am convinced that the most critical area of a pastor’s life is his personal holiness. This lesson is critical for me and one that I will continue to learn until the Lord returns.

SBC Today: What is your approach to preaching?

Wade Rials: Preaching is the passion of my life. For me preaching preparation is not a propositional checklist to work through. Preaching is life immersion into the text. Preaching flows from our fellowship with God through his Word. More important than our scholastic abilities, hermeneutical prowess, and homiletical articulation is the power of the Holy Spirit over our task. I am committed to expository preaching. I preach through entire books, but I do feel that at times one can be thematically expositional. Currently, I am preaching a series through the first two chapters of Act.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to be introduced to the biblical languages and I feel that any preacher truly desiring to grow as a good handler of God’s Word should discipline himself to learn the biblical languages if given the opportunity. It has made a tremendous impact on my ability to understand and process God’s Word. I begin in the original text. What is the context? Who is writing? Who is hearing? What are circumstances surrounding the production and reception of the text? What does this text mean? Is my interpretation consistent with the totality of the biblical text? What was the purpose of the text? How do I transition this truth into today’s language? What cultural parallels can be found to illustrate the truth? What modern story or illustration will allow my people to connect with this text? Finally, in light of God’s exposed truth, what does He expect us to do? What are the walking away points?

SBC Today: How do you help your congregation focus on missions?

Wade Rials: We do the traditional Southern Baptist things. We are still paying off Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. We have ministry connections from out of our church that we give financially towards. I have found it very important to put the faces of those we support in front of the congregation. With modern technology, we have so many resources at our disposal, so there is really no excuse not to put the mission in front of the people. People give to vision not programs. Therefore, it is critical to champion a mission minded worldview. We show successes.

Ultimately, only the Word of God transforming a heart through the power of the Holy Spirit can create a missionary culture. I consistently try to show from God’s Word His expectation for us to live as his ambassador’s in this world. We have a long way to go.

SBC Today: What are the most significant doctrinal issues that the church will struggle within the next few decades?

Wade Rials: I have been blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with many of our Southern Baptist greats who fought valiantly to honor the Word of God during the Conservative Resurgence of a few decades ago. We should be thankful for the soil they tilled to provide my generation an opportunity to serve a denomination where the integrity of God’s Word is upheld.

Saying that, I have become more and more convinced of a new battle for the Bible. In my humble opinion I believe the most important doctrinal issue in my era is the sufficiency and practical authority of God’s Word. Is the Bible all we need? Have we outgrown it? Are our churches built on the foundation of God’s Word? Do our churches allow the Word of God to have complete authority over the life of the church or are we using human methods to build great empires? In many cases evangelism has been replaced with marketing and the leading of the Holy Spirit has been replaced with demographic and socioeconomic surveys interpreted for us by pop-psychology. Ultimately, the question before us is whether or not the Bible is sufficient for everything and authoritative over everything. Do we treat it as authoritative or do we use it as a nice moral storybook from which we derive cute therapeutic devotionals. The answer to this question will determine the path of our churches, communities, and ultimately, I believe, our nation.

SBC Today: How do you balance ministry and family responsibilities?

Wade Rials: I’m still waiting for someone to write the authoritative book on this one. My wife is an Assistant Professor at a local university so her schedule is booked like mine and we have two wired full-octane little boys. I have always taken Friday off and it is known around our house as “Daddy Day.” It is so much fun! We play all day. My wife and I are striving to find a date night at least every two weeks. I know that every week would be ideal, but one thing that helps out is that we do everything as a family.

Another aspect that helps is that we have fought very hard to have a very simple church structure. My week is not filled with meetings. We have no Sunday night service and we try to load up one Sunday afternoon a month with meetings. This helps tremendously. At least three Sunday afternoons a month our family spends the afternoon together. We nap, watch TV, nap, and whatever the boys want to do. This time together is wonderful for us as a family.

As most things in my life, this area is one in which I need to continue to grow.

SBC Today: What do you do for fun?

Wade Rials: I am a homebody and don’t like to get out much. My favorite thing in the world is to have my wife and two boys hang out at the house while I read and watch football. For full disclosure, my boys like football as much if not more than me; my 20-month-old walks around the house pointing to the TV screaming “football!” I am really a boring person. Recently, I have gotten my oldest son (4 and a half) into watching Star Trek and Star Wars so I am passing on my geekiness to them.

SBC Today: What are your two or three favorite TV shows? Movies?

Wade Rials: Anything football, baseball, Sportscenter, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Swamp People.

SBC Today: Thanks, Wade. We appreciate younger pastors like you who are making a difference in the name of Christ.

By Franklin L. Kirksey, Pastor, First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice.

These expositions by Dr. Kirksey are offered to suggest sermon or Bible study ideas for pastors and other church leaders, both from the exposition and from the illustrative material, or simply for personal devotion.

Introduction

“God’s tender heart must often ache listening to our sad, complaining cries”, writes Mrs. Charles E. Cowman (1870-1960). She continues,

Our weak impatient hearts cry out because we fail to see through our tear-blinded, shortsighted eyes that it is for our own sakes that He does not answer at all or that He answers in a way we believe is less than the best. In fact, the silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His approval and His way of providing a deeper blessing for you.[1]

She concludes in another place, “Oh, if only we would worry less about our problems and sing and praise more!”[2]

Although this psalm begins with questions, “Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1), the translators and editors of the New King James Version have called “A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil”. After reading Psalm 10 and other psalms, I am reminded of the following words attributed to Rev. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.”

In Psalm 10, David, the psalmist, portrays wickedness in high definition. When we see wickedness in this way it is easy to lose heart. While wickedness is the focus of Psalm 10, we must not lose our focus as believers.

The English term “wicked” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word wiker now spelled “wicker.” Wicker means to twist which reminds us of the wick of a candle, often made of twisted string. We understand the words wicked, wick, and weak come from the same root word. In addition, the word for witchcraft, Wicca, comes from the same root word. 1 Samuel 15:23 reveals witchcraft is a sin; here, Samuel rebukes King Saul in the following way, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft / And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, / He also has rejected you from being king.” While witchcraft is only a part of the “wickedness in high places” mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 6:12, it is a part of it. God’s people are to avoid wicked customs as we read in Deuteronomy 18:9-14,

⁹ “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. ¹³ You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. ¹⁴ For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

Paul the apostle warns in 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” From 1 John 5:18-21, we read,

¹⁸ We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen

Dr. Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) comments on Psalm 10, “In this Psalm David gives one of his emphatic descriptions of the wicked man, and the fate that awaits him.”[3]

Our text delineates five thoughts about wicked ones who do the work of the wicked one, who does everything he can to keep us from praising God.

I. The hatefulness of their pride. (Psalm 10:2-4)

Dr. Edward Payson (1783-1827) explains,

Pride renders God a disagreeable object of contemplation to the wicked, and a knowledge of Him as undesirable. Pride consists in an unduly exalted opinion of one’s self. It is therefore impatient of a rival, hates a superior, and cannot endure a master.[4]

Rev. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) explains,

[David] beholds the transgressors and is grieved, is amazed, and brings to his heavenly Father their evil report, not in a way of vain-glory, boasting before God that he was not as these publicans (Luke xviii. 11), much less venting any personal resentments, piques, or passions, of his own; but as one that laid to heart that which is offensive to God and all good men, and earnestly desired a reformation of manners.[5]

We read in Psalm 10:2-4,

² The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
³ For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
⁴ The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.

Rev. Richard Hooker (1554-1600) observes, “Pride, is a vice which cleaveth so fast unto the hearts of men, that if we were to strip ourselves of all faults one by one, we should undoubtedly find it the very last and hardest to put off.”[6]

II. The hallmark of their prosperity. (Psalm 10:5a)

We read in Psalm 10:5a, “His ways are always prospering. . .” David also writes in Psalm 37:16, “A little that a righteous man has / Is better than the riches of many wicked.” Asaph confesses in Psalm 73:3-9,

³ For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
⁴ For there are no pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
⁵ They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
⁶ Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
⁷ Their eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.

Dr. Nathanael Emmons (1745-1840) explains,

God much oftener afflicts men for their profit, than he prospers them for their profit. Prosperity tends to corrupt the heart, but adversity to purify it. Prosperity tends to attach men to the world, but adversity to wean them from it. It is probable that prosperity has destroyed ten, where adversity has destroyed one. Therefore men have more reason to fear prosperity than adversity.[7]

Rev. Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) warns,

Carnal security opens the door for all impiety to enter into the soul. [Roman military and political leader, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as] Pompey [106 B.C.-48 B.C.], when he had in vain assaulted a city, and could not take it by force, devised this stratagem in way of agreement; he told them he would leave the siege and make peace with them, upon condition that they would let in a few weak, sick, and wounded soldiers among them to be cured. They let in the soldiers, and when the city was secure, the soldiers let in Pompey’s army. A carnal settled security will let in a whole army of lusts into the soul.[8]

III. The harm of their practice. (Psalm 10:5b-10)

Dr. Benjamin Whichcote (1609–1683), a Puritan divine, and former Provost of King’s College, Cambridge, writes,

The Psalmist vividly pictures the crafty schemes of the wicked in order to entrap his victims. Our cities are full of fallen young men and women. We have thousands of heartless men in society answering to the vile robber pictured in these verses. For the sake of gain they set traps in which the health, honour, happiness, soul of the youthful perish. The whole civilized world was shocked the other day by the discovery that, by means of an infernal machine, a villain sent ships and their crews to the bottom of the sea for the sake of the insurance money; but thousands of atheistical, covetous men, for the sake of gain, are ingeniously seeking to sink the souls of the people in the gulf of hell.[9]

We read in Psalm 10:5b-10,

^5b Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
⁶ He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
⁸ He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
⁹ He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
¹⁰ So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.

In 2 Timothy 4:14-15 the Apostle Paul writes, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.”

The wicked know happiness and relentlessly pursue it at all cost. Their motto is “I want what I want when I want it.” Each time they acquire the lust of their eyes, they are thrilled and bubbling over. The lifestyle of the wicked demonstrates a hedonistic philosophy. They are involved in loving things and using people. The wicked man settles for much less than God intends. Please note there is a vast difference between happiness experienced by the wicked and joy experienced by the righteous.

IV. The hazard of their presumption. (Psalm 10:11-13)

We read in Psalm 10:11-13,

¹¹ He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”
¹² Arise, O Lord!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
¹³ Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.

Paul the apostle writes in 1 Timothy 1:18-20,

¹⁸ This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, ¹⁹ having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, ²⁰ of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

From Hebrews 9:27, we read, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Jesus said in John 16:5-11,

⁵ “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

V. The hallelujah of their pruning. (Psalm 10:14-18)

Rev. Matthew Henry concludes,

In singing this psalm and praying it over, we should have our hearts much affected with a holy indignation at the wickedness of oppressors, a tender compassion of the miseries of the oppressed, and a pious zeal for the glory and honour of God, with a firm belief that he will, in due time, give redress to the injured and reckon with the injurious.[10]

David writes in Psalm 10:14-18,

¹⁴ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
¹⁶ The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
¹⁷ Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
¹⁸ To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

In Psalm 7 we find “a meditation of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.” Here David writes,

¹ O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
² Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
³ O Lord my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
⁴ If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
⁵ Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
⁶ Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!
⁷ So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
⁸ The Lord shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
⁹ Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
¹⁰ My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
¹¹ God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
¹² If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
¹³ He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
¹⁴ Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
¹⁵ He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
¹⁶ His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
¹⁷ I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 we read,

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Conclusion

Dr. Edward Payson explains, “In this Psalm we have a full-length portrait of a careless, unawakened sinner drawn by the unerring pencil of truth.”[11]

Paul the apostle writes in 2 Timothy 2:19, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’”

We read in Psalm 37:3-8, 13-15,

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
⁷ Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
. . .
¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
¹⁵ Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.

Dr. William Lonsdale Watkinson (1838-1925) writes, “Hell works the hardest on God’s saints. The most worthy souls will be tested with the most pressure and highest heat, but heaven will not desert them.”[12]

In 1674 Thomas Ken (1637-1711) penned these well-known words,

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.[13]

We know it as the “Doxology”.

May each one of us, as believers, follow David’s pattern of praising God.

How did the Arminian and Calvinistic beliefs help shape the doctrine of salvation in the Southern Baptist Convention today? The Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary has published its most recent edition of the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry (JBTM), on the theme of “Calvinist, Arminian, and Baptist Perspectives on Soteriology.”

In the first part of this edition of the journal a panel of scholars examine the work of one of Baptist’s earliest theologians. Last spring, the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry sponsored a panel discussion on Thomas Grantham’s View of Salvation. The keynote speaker was Dr. J. Matthew Pinson, President of Free Will Baptist Bible College, who presented his paper, “Thomas Grantham’s Theology of the Atonement and Justification.” The panel respondents were Rhyne Putman (PhD Candidate, Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary), Clint Bass (D.Phil, Oxford), and James Leonard (PhD Candidate, Cambridge).

In the second half of this edition, four scholars discuss various aspects of Calvinism and Baptist soteriology. Dr. Kenneth Stewart makes an historical examination of the doctrine of regeneration from the Reformation to the nineteenth century. Heather Kendall builds a case for biblical storylines in relation to salvation. Dr. Glen Shellrude addresses issues surrounding traditional Calvinistic readings of the New Testament. And Dr. Eric Hankins proposes a middle path between Calvinism and Arminianism.

This edition also features ten book reviews and, in “Reflections,” a tribute to Dr. Alan Day.

Click on the link to access the complete new issue, or click on the articles and reviews below to read individual articles or book reviews.

Editorial Introduction

Calvinist, Arminian, and Baptist Perspectives on Soteriology
By Steve W. Lemke

Part I: Thomas Grantham’s View of Salvation

Thomas Grantham’s Theology of the Atonement and Justification
By J. Matthew Pinson

RESPONSE to J. Matthew Pinson’s “Thomas Grantham’s Theology of the Atonement and Justification”
By Rhyne Putman

RESPONSE to J. Matthew Pinson’s “Thomas Grantham’s Theology of the Atonement and Justification”
By Clint Bass

RESPONSE to J. Matthew Pinson’s “Thomas Grantham’s Theology of the Atonement and Justification”
By James Leonard

RESPONSE to Panel
By J. Matthew Pinson

Part II: Calvinist and Baptist Soteriology

The Doctrine of Regeneration in Evangelical Theology: The Reformation to 1800
By Kenneth Stewart

The Bible’s Storyline: How it Affects the Doctrine of Salvation
By Heather A. Kendall

Calvinism and Problematic Readings of New Testament Texts
By Glen Shellrude

Beyond Calvinism and Arminianism: Toward a Baptist Soteriology
By Eric Hankins

Joe McKeever’s Cartoon

Book Reviews
Allen, David L. and Steve W. Lemke, eds.

Return of Christ: A Premillennial Perspective.
Chester, Tim

Delighting in the Trinity: Why Father, Son and Spirit are Good News.
Echols, Steve F. and Allen England

Catastrophic Crises: Ministry Leadership in the Midst of Trial and Tragedy.
Forlines, Leroy

Classical Arminianism.
Goetz, Stewart and Charles Taliaferro

A Brief History of the Soul.
Harwood, Adam

The Spiritual Condition of Infants: A Biblical-Historical Survey and Systematic Proposal.
McCarthy, James G.

John Calvin Goes to Berkeley.
Reeves, Rodney

Spirituality according to Paul: Imitating the Apostle of Christ.
Williams, Clifford

Existential Reasons for Belief in God: A Defense of Desires & Emotions for Faith.
Wright, Bradley R. E.

Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You’ve Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media.

Reflections Dr. Alan Day

For free access to a list of the articles in all issues of the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry, click this link: http://www.baptistcenter.com/Journal-for-Baptist-Theology-and-Ministry.html. The next edition of the Journal for Theology and Ministry will be a festschrift in honor of Dr. Daniel Holcomb, Senior Professor of Church History at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

You are also invited to take advantage of other resources in the Baptist Center website, including white papers, Baptist confessions, historic Baptist documents, and other free resources for Baptists.

by the Contributing Editors of SBC Today

This is a list of recent blog posts which we found interesting.  That we found them interesting doesn’t mean we necessarily agree with or endorse the ideas presented in the posts, but that we found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking.  (They are listed in no particular order of interest). Please post your comments to discuss  any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link to sbctoday@gmail.com.

About Theology

• “The Love of God,” and “The Wrath of God,” by William Birch on his blog, with a careful reflection on God’s love and wrath as His attributes as described in the New Testament.
• “The Personal Invitation and Calvinism,” by William Birch in his blog, reflecting on the reluctance of some Calvinists to offer public invitations for Christ.
• “Answering Postmodernism: An Interview with David Wells,” interviewed by Jared Moore, with the Gordon-Conwell professor’s critique of postmodernism.
• “The Elephant Room: What Really Happened, and How Things Could Have Benn Different,” by Justin Taylor in the Between Two Worlds blog, with analysis of the controversial interview of T. D. Jakes in the Elephant Room.
• “Conditional or Unconditional?” by Stephen Garrett in the Old Baptist blog, pointing out the errors in the Primitive Baptist belief that salvation is absolutely unconditional on any human response.
• “Rethinking Christian Liberty: How Much Freedom Do We Really Have?” by Jeremy Craft in the Helwys Society Forum blog, with a thoughtful reflection on freedom and responsibility in the Christian life.
• “Reclaiming the Spirit,” by Matthew Bracey in the Helwys Society Forum blog, calling for a return to the robust Biblical truths about the Holy Spirit.

About the SBC, the Church, and Christian Ministry

• “Good News for Southern Baptists,” by C. J. Adkins in the For What It’s Worth blog, affirming the positive role that electing Fred Luter as the next President of the SBC could be.
• “Send North America: Who’s Coming to St. Louis? NAMB or Acts 29?” by Mary England in SBC Tomorrow, expressing concerns that many church plants in the St. Louis area are in the same immediate area as existing churches, and have Acts 29 connections.
• “Unity, Yes, But in the Truth,” by Malcolm Yarnell in the Theological Matters blog, with reflections on the theology voiced by T. D. Jakes in his Elephant Room interview.
• “Ten Leaders Who Influenced Me,” by Thom Rainer on his blog, with a list of leaders with their unique characteristics.
• “The SBC Name –Change Proposal: What’s Gonna Happen?” by Dave Miller in the SBC Voices, with speculation about the report of the SBC Name Change task force.
• “An Open Letter to Bryant Wright and the Name Change Task Force,” by Dave Miller in the SBC Voices blog, exhorting the SBC President to be gentle in pushing the convention name change.
• “I’m Shocked, Shocked by the Politics of the SBC!” by Howell Scott in the From Law to Grace blog, protesting the subterfuge he discerns in SBC politics.
• “Cooperative Program or Designated Offerings?” by William Thornton in the SBC Plodder blog, with concern that designated giving is diminishing Cooperative Program giving.
• “How to Serve ‘the Singles’ in the Local Church,” by Carolyn McCulley in the Gender blog of the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, with suggestions about how churches can minister more effectively to unmarried men and women.
• “What to Say to the Grieving,” by Ray Carroll in the Fallen Pastor blog, with pointers about how to minister in the midst of grief.
• “Can This Church Survive?” by William Thornton in the SBC Plodder blog, with reflections on the future of a small church.
• “What That Pastor Search Committee Is Looking For,” by Joe McKeever in his blog, with suggestions about what pastor search committees want.

About the Personal Devotional Life and Society

• “Tips for Watching the Super Bowl to the Glory of God,” by Eric in the Saved by Faith blog, with suggestions about how to “baptize” the Super Bowl.
• “An Unexpected Arrow,” by Brad Whitt on his blog, with a devotional thought based in 2 Chronicles 18:33.
• “The Most Common Request in the Church,” by Lynn Jones in the FBC Boothville blog, reflecting on the request of James and John to sit at the left and right side of Jesus and how we can do so today.
• “Revivalism, Evangelism, and the American Great Awakening,” by Chad Brand in the Brandishings blog, with an excerpt about the significance of George Whitefield in the Great Awakening, taken from Brand’s forthcoming book co-authored with Tom Pratt, Seeking the City: Christian Faith and Political Economy, A Biblical, Theological, and Historical Study.
• “Looking to God for Revival,” by Waylon Bailey on his blog, with a prayer for revival in America.
• “Life Is Worship,” by William Birch on his blog, affirming that worship should not be limited to expressions within church buildings.
• “Two Hours in Jail,” by Tobey Pitman in The Church Breaking Out blog, reminding us that alcoholism is often the result of deep personal pain in people’s lives, which can be healed through Christ.
• “Can Christians Vote for a Mormon?” by Fletcher Law in the Fletcher Law and Grace Ministries blog, with particular reference to the presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney.
• “Seekers or Finders?’ by George Weigel in the “On the Square” blog in First Things, reflecting on whether the wise men of the Christmas story should be thought of as seekers or finders.
• “Teaching and Positional Authority among the Church,” by Alan Knox in The Assembling of the Church blog, on how to teach effectively without positional authority.
• “The Weirdness of Commanding Love,” by Howard P. Kainz in the First Things blog, reflecting on the paradox of Jesus commanding us to love.

What happens when we die? The answer depends on who you ask. If you ask an atheist, you’ll hear a completely different answer than if you ask a Christian. These two worldviews are often polar opposites. That is especially true with this question.

On April 13 and 14, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is hosting the 8^th annual Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum, a dialogue between Dr. Michael Shermer and Dr. Gary Habermas. They will be debating “Is There Life After Death?” This event is open to the public; and kicks off on Friday night with the main debate followed by a book signing, and continues on Saturday with the presentation of a series of papers and responses on the subject.

For more information on the Greer-Heard forum and to register, click here.

DIALOGUE PARTICIPANTS

Dr. Michael Shermer (PhD, Claremont Graduate University) is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at Caltech, and Adjunct Professor at Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. Shermer has written several books that discuss where God, evolution, and science intersect:

• The Mind of the Market (2009)
• Why Darwin Matters: Evolution and the Case Against Intelligent Design (2007)
• Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown (2005)
• The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share Care, and Follow the Golden Rule (2004)
• The Borderlands of Science (2002)
• How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God (2003)
• Why People Believe Weird Things (2002)

Dr. Gary Habermas is Distinguished Research professor at Liberty University. In the last 12 years he has given over 1,500 lectures in about 100 universities, seminaries, and colleges. He holds a PhD in History and Philosophy of Religion from Michigan State University as well as an MA in Philosophical Theology from the University of Detroit. He currently acts as ‘Distinguished Research Professor and Chair’ in the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University, where he has taught for the past 26 years. His main areas of research include the philosophical study of miracles, near-death experiences, the historical Jesus, and the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.

Dr. Habermas has authored or co-edited many books defending the Christian worldview, including:

• Did the Resurrection Happen? (with Antony Flew and David J. Baggett, 2009).
• C. S. Lewis as Philosopher (with Jerry Walls & David Baggett, 2008),
• The Secret of the Talpiot Tomb: Unraveling the Mystery of the Jesus Family Tomb (2007),
• Beyond Death: Exploring the Evidence for Immortality (with J.P. Moreland, 2004)
• The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (with Michael Licona, 2004),
• The Risen Jesus and Future Hope (1996),
• The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (1996),

Other featured panelist include:

• Peter Kreeft,
• J.P. Moreland,
• Keith Parsons,
• and Victor Stenger

Plan to come early and experience the events leading up to the Friday night Greer-Heard Point Counterpoint Forum:

Friday Morning

• Apologetics Conference “Apologetics in the Local Church”
  • The featured panelists will hold a discussion and Q&A from the audience
  • This event is sponsored by the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry
• A special chapel service featuring Bryant Wright
  • His sermon will model Apologetic Preaching

Friday Afternoon

• Pastors’ Lunch with the SBC President, Bryant Wright
  • This will include a Q&A time with the SBC President
  • Register quickly, there are only 200 seats available

Technorati Tags: life after death, Shermer, Habermas

Jared Moore is 31 years of age and has served in ministry in a Southern Baptist context for 12 years. Currently, he is pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, KY. He received his B.A. in Biblical Studies from Trinity College of the Bible, his M.A.R. in Biblical Studies from Liberty Seminary, and his M.Div. in Christian ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently completing his Th.M. in Systematic Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Besides his published book The Harry Potter Bible Study: Enjoying God Through the Final Four Harry Potter Movies, Jared can be found on several sites on the internet. He writes at his own blog jaredmoore.exaltchrist.com, and is also a regular contributor at sbcvoices.com, servantsofgrace.org, and churchleaders.com, and occasionally writes for speculativefaith.com, sermoncentral.com, credomag.com, and sbctoday.com.

The Walking Dead is a television show created by the American Movie Channel (AMC). If you haven’t heard about it yet, a preview is provided below.

Viewer discretion advised: zombies in this clip

Yes, this show is about a zombie outbreak that threatens to destroy humanity. The story is told by accompanying a local Sheriff, his family, friends, and several acquaintances as they seek safety and survival. The looming question throughout the series is “Will humanity survive the zombie takeover, or will humanity lose its human identity in its attempt to survive; thus, functionally becoming “the walking dead,” although not metaphysically?”

So, why would a Christian pastor argue that God’s grace is what draws him to this zombie television show? The answer is, since all humans are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27) and all are sinners (Rom. 3:23), and since all forms of media are created by these fallen image-bearers (Gen. 3), it logically follows that all forms of media contain grace-mixed idolatry, The Walking Dead included. In other words, God’s fallen image-bearers mirror or image God through creativity while simultaneously marring this image with sin. The task of the Christian observer is to enjoy the grace and reject the idolatry.

Dr. Ted Turnau (PhD Westminster Theological Seminary Philadelphia) explains this reality well in his article “On Being Wise as Serpents,”

There is no piece of popular culture so banal or twisted that it does not contain some glimpse of God’s grace. And there is no piece of popular culture so pure and profound that it does not contain an invitation to idolatry. Popular culture appeals to non-Christians for a reason, namely, they sense some of God’s beauty, power and goodness in it. This is what theologians call ‘common grace’ – fragments of grace that God spreads to everyone – even those who will never come to believe. As Paul says in Acts, these gifts of God are ‘testimony’ to God’s being and character (see Acts 14:17). Popular culture contains such ‘fragments of grace’ woven into the very fabric of the popular cultural song, movie, television show, book, etc. But in non-Christian popular culture, these fragments of grace are bent to serve false gods. In fact, the idols presented in popular culture become persuasive for non-Christians (and sometimes Christians) precisely because of the attractiveness of those glimpses of God’s grace.

For example, James Cameron’s summer blockbuster Avatar (2009) won accolades for its stunning visual effects, and rightly so. The digital artistry created a beautiful and fascinating alien world filled with realistic and delightful creatures. It served to remind us of the real and delightful creatures God has made. In this way, the film served as a reflection of God’s creative artistry, and ultimately, the beauty and power of God Himself. But the film bends that fragment of grace into the service of pagan nature worship (the nature deity ‘Eywa’). Likewise, all meaningful and attractive popular culture succeeds by drawing its audience in with such reflections of God’s beauty, while putting those grace fragments into service to another god.

If you participate in any form of media: TV, movies, songs, books, etc., you participate in grace-mixed idolatry. Scooby-Doo, Sponge Bob, American Idol, Avatar, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Walking Dead, etc. all contain elements of God’s grace, but also elements of idolatry. Turnau argues, and I agree, that Christians should participate in such media while exercising discernment. This means that as Christians participate in media, they must extract God’s grace from the surrounding idolatry and turn it to the service of its rightful Owner: God. This is accomplished by qualifying this grace with the truth of man’s sinful condition and Christ’s redeeming work to save sinners and sinful creation. In other words, Christians should participate in pop culture; however, they should participate like Christians, not Atheists.

An atheist would merely enjoy The Walking Dead without considering the ultimate source of its excellence: God. Christians, however, if they participate in The Walking Dead, should seek to enjoy God through enjoying The Walking Dead (1 Cor. 10:31). So, as a reference point concerning the common grace present in The Walking Dead, look at the awards this show won and was nominated for due to the visual and audible excellence of its first season (only 6 episodes):

The first season of The Walking Dead won the Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation and was nominated for Best Actor on Television (Andrew Lincoln), Best Actress on Television (Sarah Wayne Callies), Best Guest Starring Role on Television (Steven Yeun), and Best Supporting Actress on Television (Laurie Holden). It also received a Director’s Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series’ — Night (Frank Darabont), a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series — Drama, and a Television Critics Association Award nomination for Outstanding New Program of the Year. In addition, The Walking Dead recently won the Emmy award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special; and was nominated for Emmys in Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series.

In the creating fingerprints of humanity are the creating fingerprints of God. Without Him providing these directors, producers, and writers with the various gifts and abilities it takes to create The Walking Dead, these men and women could not have created this TV show. Without God’s common grace, there would not be excellent special effects, excellent story-telling, displays of morality, spiritual implications, etc. in The Walking Dead.

Without the excellent special effects, few people would want to watch The Walking Dead. The special effects are second to none. If there is ever a zombie-like outbreak, I have a good idea of what it will look like. It’s that good.

Furthermore, the suspense is amazing, and rivaled by nothing comparable on television today. You never know when a zombie may pop out, or when another cast member may succumb to or escape the grasp of the walking dead. This question looms in every episode, “Will humanity survive the zombie takeover, or will humanity lose its human identity in its attempt to survive; thus, functionally becoming ‘the walking dead,’ although not metaphysically?” And we do not know how the writers will answer this question from one episode to the next.

The moral implications and questions are far-reaching beyond anything else on television. (Morality and conscience come from God’s common grace; otherwise, mankind would be as evil as he possibly could be.) Here are some examples: 1) Does disease nullify human identity? If so, at what point? 2) If there is no cure for said disease, and the infected are dangerous, should they be eliminated for the sake of the human race; or, at the risk of infecting others or eliminating the rest of the human race, should the infected be quarantined until a cure is found? I realize the moral implications are hypothetical, but our children may indeed be forced to answer similar questions one day. At the very least, asking such questions will help Christian watchers apply a consistent Christian ethic to this fantasy world so that they may apply a thorough Christian ethic to the real world. I fear that such questions concerning the value of human life, although not to the extreme as presented in The Walking Dead, are being asked today; such questions as “If a human being merely “feeds” off of other human beings and provides nothing beneficial to the rest of society, should he or she be eliminated for the sake of the rest of the human race”? In other words, do the severely handicapped, those in the nursing home, and those in the womb deserve to be treated like those humans who are beneficial to the rest of the human race? Or, is the value of humanity based on a “What have you done for me lately” mentality? The biblical answer is easy: all humans are created in God’s image and are valuable based on His identity alone, not based on the arbitrary opinions of those humans who may be in power at the time (Gen. 1:26-27).

The spiritual implications are present explicitly and implicitly. Each character is battling evil, both without (zombies) and within (self-preservation vs. loving one’s neighbor as oneself). At times, there is a clear good and a clear evil; while at other times, evil is revealed in each human. Furthermore, there is the perseverance of faith and the questioning of faith. Some continue to trust in God through Christ while others question Him or live as if He doesn’t exist. Moreover, even though the zombie fantasy world present in The Walking Dead is hard to compare and contrast with our non-zombie world; nevertheless, allegorically, all humans are running from the walking dead. On the show, the walking dead are both inside (evil desires) and out (zombies). In real life, the walking dead are both inside and out, but we cannot escape them through mere moral willpower or a gun and athletic prowess. The Sherriff in the story reveals that regardless how much he wants to save others from death, he is incapable of saving everyone. The truth that must be added to the story is that humans need Jesus Christ for He is the only cure for what plagues humanity: sin (John 14:6). We must be born again in and through Him (John 3:3). The answer for both metaphysical and functional “walking dead syndrome” is Jesus Christ.

The list can go on and on. At the very least, everything in The Walking Dead that is true, is true because God created it true. Also, everything that is worthy of praise, is worthy of praise due to the gifting of God. Man is not the ultimate source, God is. Thus, as Christians recognize this reality, they can enjoy God through Christ through The Walking Dead. Furthermore, everything that is false in The Walking Dead is false because man created it “true,” not God. These things must be rejected.

*A brief note on conscience. If The Walking Dead violates your conscience, do not watch it. I must warn you that the gore is over the top. It’s just as bloody and gory as any movie I’ve ever seen. I actually don’t like the gore. I don’t know why anyone would like it? But, I reject the gore and every other evil, while qualifying the common grace with special revelation (the Bible). There is also foul language, misuse of the Lord’s name, and some sexual implications and innuendo. Since the 2^nd season is ongoing, and there is a 3^rd season already under contract, there may be more things I reject on the horizon in this series. You must practice discernment! At this point, I personally would allow my 14 or 15 year old child to watch this show with me for the purpose of teaching him or her to enjoy God while recognizing His common grace and rejecting the fingerprints of the Fall. The goal would be to send him or her running to Christ as the only answer for what plagues humanity: “the walking dead” within and without every human; AKA sin, self, and sinners, not zombies.

What are your thoughts?

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Rev. Fred Luter, Pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, announced to his congregation Sunday that he was willing for his name to be placed in nomination for President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Luter has served as Pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church for 26 years (since 1986). During that time, the church grew from 65 members to become one of the largest churches in Louisiana, with several thousand attending the New Orleans church, plus satellite campuses in Baton Rouge and Houston.

The Southern Baptist Convention will be holding its annual convention in Luter’s home town of New Orleans on June 19-20, 2012.

Click to read An Interview with Rev. Fred Luter.

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By Dr. Thomas Douglas, Pastor, Parkway Baptist Church, Kansas City, KS

This is the eleventh in a series of articles on sermon preparation for pastors and bivocational pastors with busy schedules. To see the earlier articles, click the links below:

Introduction article,
Principle #1: Bible Literacy
Principle #2: Know What You Believe
Principle #3: Know Your Audience—Exegeting Your People
Principle #4: Know Who You Trust—Trusted Sources
Principle #5: Know Your Text—You and the Scripture
Principle #6: Know What You Want People to Do—Application Points
Principle #7: Know the Right Story to Bring the Truth Home—Relevant Stories
Principle #8: Know How to Start Well with Good Introductions
Principle #9 – Conclusions

I will never forget my first coaching I received in the area of delivery. My recently acquainted friend from college invited me to visit his grandparents in rural Missouri. He said their preacher planned to have him preach in the Sunday evening service and that he would probably let me preach too. As we prepared for our back to back sermons, my friend offered one piece of advice. “Tom, whatever you do make sure to yell.” My friend, who had never heard me preach, radically changed my delivery forever. No, I don’t just yell all the time (I grew out of that faze), but before my friend I never gave a moment of thought to how my message sounded to others.

Now, a close second in importance to being biblical in the content of the message is how you share the message. Listen to what Stephen Rummage says about delivery. He states, “The truth is, no matter how careful you were in your exegesis and interpretation and no matter how skillfully you put together your message, your sermon will be evaluated on the basis of how you deliver it.”[1] Communication researcher Judee Burgoon developed a theory called “nonverbal expectancy theory.”[2] In essence, it states that people have presuppositions on how people should communicate. If your delivery falls below their expectations, you lose credibility because you have violated their expectations. That’s what my friend in college was trying to tell me. The people in rural Missouri will not listen if you do not yell. So, I yelled.

To all those introverted exegetes out there, I hear your objections and calls of unfairness, but speaking as an introvert I cannot ignore what scholars and experience teaches: a good delivery always helps in the communication of biblical truth, and a bad delivery hinders the communication of biblical truth. I know people should listen to the arguments, points, illustrations, and applications; and allow the truth to impact their soul, but reality is passion, emotion, and intensity warm hearers to the truth.

What style, how much passion, and how to display appropriate emotion depend on the text, the occasion, and the audience. Preaching on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus will sound different than preaching on a parable. Preaching on a psalm of repentance will differ from a psalm of praise. Each sermon may contain passionate moments, but some will be more text-driven than others.

The occasion for the message can also heavily influence the style and the display of passion. Sometimes the occasion restricts your normal delivery. Every Sunday morning I preach without notes and move quite freely around the platform. At a funeral, I stand still behind a podium and limit both my vocal range and mannerisms. Easter Sunday will be different than tithing commitment Sunday. Paying attention to the occasion will help in meeting the audience’s expectation.

Part of understanding the audience is surmising their delivery expectation. This doesn’t mean you turn into an entertainer, but you should be prepared to stretch yourself a little bit for the sake of communication. An effective communicator immediately accesses each speaking opportunity for potential hindrances and helps for his message. One of those is discovering the preaching atmosphere of the congregation. If you can discern that before you speak, you can deliver the message in a way that communicates more effectively for the particular audience.

When you are the pastor preaching to the same congregation week after week, I suggest what Rummage calls “finding your best voice.”[3] Bryan Chapell states, “Natural delivery now rules the day. The preachers most respected are those most able to sound like themselves when they are deeply interested in a subject.”[4] This requires establishing a normal, conversational tone that can rise in moments of passion and lower in moments of intensity. Beware of how you establish your preaching style when you begin your pastorate. Congregations will begin making assumptions (sometimes good, often times bad) when you deviate too much from it.

The only way to evaluate how you preach is to hear (and preferably watch) yourself preach. I have a habit of slowing my delivery down and turning a well-delivered sermon into a somewhat interesting lecture. Maybe you have a tendency to yell at unnatural times in the sermon. The only way to know is to listen. If you record your sermons, you can catch all sorts of nonverbal hindrances to communication. Your gestures, eye-contact, movement, and mannerisms that you unknowingly do are caught and can be corrected when you watch yourself. A good measuring stick is to ask, “If I were sitting listening to myself, would I turn myself off “ or “Would that movement, manner, or the way I hold my Bible distract me?” If so, work hard to change it.

Rex was a rough and tough born-again truck driver who was part of the Naval Combat Demolition Units during WWII (early Navy seal). Every Sunday Rex gave immediate grades on my preaching and as you might imagine he didn’t sweet coat his remarks. I came to find out that in order to get a good grade from Rex I had to accomplish two things in my sermons: at some point yell and go after the heathen that didn’t bother to come to church that day. Sometimes I let Rex down because my sermons usually focused on the people who did come to church on any given day; and other times I didn’t show enough passion in my delivery. I still focus my sermons on those who attend worship, but if I want to do what I can to make sure they hear God’s Word, then I better make sure my delivery shows the passion of one trying to persuade people to “escape the wrath to come.”

Technorati Tags: public speaking, sermon, sermons