BOOK REVIEW - "A CLEAR AND PRESENT WORD: THE CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE" BY MARK D. THOMPSON

Am I the only person who smiled when they saw this book title, thinking of the phrase as well as the title of a Tom Clancy novel and its theatrical adaptation? I haven't read the book or seen the film (might when I think of it), but I think I can say for certain there's no connection.

In "A Clear and Present Word: The Clarity of Scripture" Mark Thompson presents a doctrine that I never had heard of before by name but have held to and agree with the author concerning its importance. The clarity of Scripture means that, in spite of figurative language and differing interpretations, a born-again believer can understand what Scripture means, as opposed to being dependent on an authority telling you what it means and expecting you to accept them as the final word.

This book is part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology by Intervarsity Press. I have heard "Biblical Theology" to refer to both studying what each book/human author teaches regarding a specific doctrine and to looking at the overarching story-line of God's Redemption from Genesis to Revelation. (In either case, it's in contrast to Systematic Theology, where you focus on the doctrine and how it appears in Scripture.) The books in this series takes the former approach. 

However, I can argue if this fits the pattern. The first chapter looks at objections to the concept of Biblical clarity, both historic (particularly the Catholic/Protestant divide at the Reformation) and contemporary (via the Post-modern movement). Chapter 2 looks at God communicating with man. If you skip a chapter, chapter 4 takes a needed look at the field of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation), while the fifth and final chapter looks at two Reformation era debates (Luther vs. Erasmus, Bellarmino vs. Whitaker) before dealing with the current application of this. Biblical Theology is primarily evident in the third chapter, particularly focusing on Jesus' and the Apostles' view of the clarity of Scripture in the old Testament.

These books in this series tend to be academic, and I'll confess I find myself skimming through some of the volumes. Not this one. This was worth the careful plodding. The result is that my views have been confirmed about the clarity of Scripture, and I highly recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW - BIBLCAL AUTHORITY AFTER BABEL: RETRIEVING THE SOLAS IN THE SPIRIT OF MERE PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY BY KEVIN J. VANHOOZER

Is the Protestant Reformation, as Alister McGrath calls it, "Christianity's Dangerous Idea?" Did Martin Luther and friends unwittingly undermine Biblical authority by introducing concepts like Sola Scriptura and the Priesthood of all believers? Has the Evangelical Movement drifted from the Five Solas, and if so, how do we retrieve them?

This book by Kevin Vanhoozer was written in 2016 with the 500th anniversary of the Refomation in view. He introduces his book with various views (many uncomplimentary) of Protestantism, including it producing secularization, skepticsm, and schism. He then looks at the Five Solas (Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, In Christ Alone, For The Glory of God Alone), analyzing with each one 1) what the Reformers meant, 2) other views on the subject, and 3) how that "sola" means for Bible, Church, and Interpretive authority.

The book's title refers to what's called "Interpretive Babel," where there are many versions of Protestantism without a head as the Pope is for the Roman Catholic Church. Vanhoozer answers this with a non-typical order of the Five Solas, pointing out there is no official order for them (the main difference is Vanhoozer moves "Sola Scriptura" from the usual first item to third, after "Sola Gratia" and "Sola Fide". Also, I found his take on "Soli Deo Gloria" unique, focusing on the unity of the universal church as how God is glorified.

This is a book aimed for intellectuals. I admit I struggled  following the concepts. I did like the 20 Thesis he included, four with each of the solas. But I still am not sure what his points were, let alone if I agreed with them. This is a book I might challenge a pastor to read, but it's too deep for me to consider doing a Bible study on it.

That being said, I might try it again a year from now, and see if a re-read would help me comprehend his points. 

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 28 OF 48 - PSALAM 119:9-16

Living Word Bible Church, Indianapolis, IN

9  How can a young man cleanse his way?
   By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
   Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
  That I might not sin against You!
12 Blessed are You, O LORD!
  Teach me Your statutes!
13 With my lips I have declared
  All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
  As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
  And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
  I will not forget Your word.
            Psalm 119:9-16, New King James Version

Protestants rightly stand for Sola Scriptura. After all, the alternative to basing everything on God's word is trusting the word of man instead. However, we often forget why we stand for Scripture, which is because it transforms lives. This segment gives several examples of this. Verse 9 says its how a young man can cleanse his way. The well-known 11th verse points out it keeps us from sin. And the next verse talks about the joy it provides.

Verse 10 is an excellent prayer. It suggests that we seek him with our whole heart, and ask Him to keep us from wandering from His commandments. I find it easy to wander. We don't often take a running leap away from the truth, but rather wander a step or two away at a time before we're way off.

Verse 13 mentions meditating on God's Word. When you read the word "meditation," don't think of the Eastern mystical approach of emptying one's mind. On the contrary, Biblical meditation involves filling your mind with Scripture. 

I've done a lot of Scripture memorization. When my mind tends to drift, I start reviewing Bible passages I've memorized. That definitely makes a better day.

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 5 OF 48 - PSALM 18:22-28

Brown Bear, Louisville Zoo

 22     For all His judgments were before me,
          And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23     I was also blameless before Him,
        And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24   Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
        According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25   With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
        With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26   With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
        And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27   For You will save the humble people,
        But will bring down haughty looks.
28   For You will light my lamp;
       The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 18:22-28, NKJV

How many of you noticed this installment is just a portion of a Psalm, not the full Psalm? While this will be the first time, it won't be the last. This section is about the same length as the full Psalms I've shared thus far, but sometimes I'll just have one verse. 

I will admit - the first three verses of this segment sounds a little boastful. However, what reasons does David have for this confidence? 

1. His focus is on God's Word. God's judgments (often used as a synonym of His Word) were always before him, and he did not put them away from him. Do we set God's Word as that guide for our lives? Or do we turn away from Scripture and get caught up in self-help theology or politics or the like?
   
2. David said he kept himself from his iniquity. A lot of times, we think we've accomplished something by keeping from other people's iniquities, but we excuse the pitfalls we often make. I can pat myself on the back for not gambling, which is something I have no interest in, but am I keeping myself from wasting time or buying a burger to snack on that I don't really need?
3. He is looking at God's standards, not his own. It is God who is the judge, the comparison point. We compare ourselves with others, and often those comparisons tend to make us look good. On the other hand, sometimes our comparisons with others make us feel like we don't measure up. But that makes me think of Romans 14:4, where it says God is able to make us stand.

I love verses 25-28. Several decades ago, I wrote a chorus from verses 25-30. Isn't God wonderful to us, better than we deserve?

IS THE CHURCH BEING A FRIEND TO THE WORLD OR A FRIEND OF THE WORLD?

 

Courtesy of Abolish Human Abortion in Ames Iowa

This week, I've seen the extremes of where the American Church is. One good via a pair of Christian Universities. The other? Well, let me continue.

One of the two is from my Alma Mater, Arizona Christian University. Actually, when I attended, the school was Southwestern Conservative Baptist Bible College (also known as Southwestern College, which is easier to write and to speak). Since then, it has changed from being a small denominational Bible College on East Cactus Road in the Paradise Valley suburb of Phoenix. Now, it is a non-denominational Christian Liberal Arts College in Glendale. 

From two different sources, I saw a release from George Barna and the Cultural Research Center, dated August 31, 2021. I'm not going to give a detailed account (you can read it by clicking here), but I will mention that in it, it states between 6-9% American adults have a distinctly Christian worldview. While the report is discouraging, I'm encouraged that my Alma Mater was involved with this project. By the way, today, Becky heard of another Barna report on how many parents are actively making disciples of their children ... would you believe that's only 2%?😱

Are all Christian schools (whose health is not unrelated to the strength of the American Church) on board? Today, I've learned of another Christian University that is inaugurating their new president. Part of it is a prayer breakfast which states guests of all faith backgrounds will join in praying to the Lord for that Christian School. Uh, are they all praying to the same God? If that particular Christian School is training their students to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, wouldn't that put them in opposition to those inter-faith guests? 

Could this be what James is talking about when he writes, "Adulterers and adultresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God?"

Now, one of my favorite Christian songs is by a group called Liaison titled "Friend to the World." Is that encouraging what James is condemning? No - the point of the song is we have the only source of hope for the world (meaning the people in the world). The best way to be a friend to the people of the world is to oppose the ungodly patterns we live with. 

Are we trying to reach the world by fitting in? I mentioned one verse refuting that view - there's plenty of others that agree. 

James Lawson, a Christian cartoonist friend (you can see a review of his book Therapeutic Insanity by clicking here), told me that Christians should be living Sola Scriptura, that is, by Scripture alone. I say a hearty amen, though I don't believe that we'll be able to live it out consistently as long as we are in the flesh. If we attempt to live it out, we'll stick out, and the world will NOT approve.

I need to ask myself where I fall short from living out Sola Scriptura, where my worldview is reflecting the world's perspective as opposed to the Word's perspective, where I'm uniting with those from whom I should be divided from (and vice versa). How many will join me?  

PSALMS, HYMNS, SPIRITUAL CHORUSES, AND WORSHIP WARS - CHURCH MUSIC PART 1 OF 4

Song of the Angels, William-Adolphe Bouguereau

 "...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...." Ephesians 5:18

One of the saddest books I've read is Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement: Confessions of a Former Worship Leader by Dan Lucarini. Part of it is the book aims to be ammo for the traditional side but isn't that good. He basically is calling for an unconditional surrender from Contemporary music lovers, for them to put the interests of the traditionals above their own (though he never suggests the reverse), and for them not to refer to traditionals as legalists though he uses some insulting terms for the contemporaries. Even more so - Lucarini's views have led him to not use his talent for writing music for fear he'll follow his previous tendencies in style.

As I write this four part series, I'll from the front say that God is more concerned with what comes out of the heart than what goes into the ears. Christ is glorified by His children worshiping together and loving each other, and the style of the songs they're joyfully singing is, on the top ten list of things He's concerned about, is somewhere around 8 millionth (or is it billionth?). 

You might have noticed that the first three items I have on my list are similar to the wording in Ephesians 5:18 (quoted above) and Colossians 3:16, inserting "choruses" in place of "songs." It should not be surprising that there are some who suggest we should sing only one of the three, with advocates for each of the trio.

Let me start with hymns. I grew up with hymns. And I'm glad I did. First, there is some wonderful music. But more importantly, the lyrics of many hymns are awesome. You could preach sermons from a lot of the old hymns. For example, have you noticed the richness of the Christology (doctrine of Christ) in the Christmas song "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (words by Charles Wesley, music by classical composer Felix Mendelssohn)? The hymns have inspired, comforted, encouraged, challenged, taught, and exhorted for centuries.

On the other side of the normal battle lines are the contemporary choruses. Some are jokingly referred to as 7/11 songs - seven words repeated eleven times. Instead of the hymns rich four part harmonies, the choruses usually are sung in unison, sometimes allowing the men and women to sing separately (but most often, as an echo). I've commented on hearing a medley of one of my favorite hymns (Great Is Thy Faithfulness) and one of my favorite choruses (I Love You, Lord), and mentioning one could be a sermon and the other would need some padding.

That being said, worship choruses have also been a part of my heritage. While simpler, a lot of the choruses from Maranatha music are Scripture set to music, such as "Seek Ye First", "Psalm 5", "Unto Thee, O Lord," and "Humble Yourselves In The Sight of the Lord." While I don't believe we should make personal preference in style a condition for worship, I also don't think we should mandate that younger generations adapt to the music we or our parents or our grandparents love. By the way, let me continue about setting Scripture to music...

I mentioned a book that saddened me; now let me mention one that was a blessing: Sola Scriptura: The Protestant Position on the Bible, part of the Reformation Theology series by Soli Deo Gloria Publications. This collaboration (edited by Don Kistler, as you'll guess from the title, has a completely different focus than Lucarini's, and this one's focus is not on music. But in the final chapter, Joel Beeke does a superb job of point out the transforming power of Scripture which is why we hold to and defend the teaching of Sola Scriptura. In this chapter, I was introduced to the practice of psalmody.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, it is the belief that our Hymn book should be His book. In other words, we should be singing the words that the Holy Spirit inspired rather than the words men have penned. There are areas I disagree with them: 1) they normally sing aca pella, including psalms that say, "Praise the Lord with the harp! Praise Him with the loud sounding cymbals!" 2) they ignore other Scriptures for singing - I believe there are psalms in the prophets and the New Testament, the latter of which reflect Christian theology better than the Old Testament songs, and of course 3) I don't believe that Psalmody is any more spiritual than the other options. 

However, I admire the concept. Yes, I'd allow instruments, and I'd expand the song selection past the Psalms, but I admire the idea of letting our praise to Him being the inspired words of Scripture.

Let me clearly state, though, that the important thing is not which style we use, but that we love those who disagree. As Paul wrote in Romans 15:1-3, we should focus on pleasing our neighbors, not ourselves. We should be willing to sing joyfully what others want to sing.

Okay, I've gotten the elephant in the room dealt with. But should we sing hymns with the cymbals and the electric guitar? Should we sing contemporary choruses with piano and organ? Should we sing the Psalms with a full orchestra? More about that next Sunday.