Growing in Christ
Calvinism
My Canon of Theologians
23 months ago
A few years ago a friend and I were walking around a downtown area, and as we passed a used book shop, my friend suddenly stops, and proclaims “You have to have one of those!” What he’d seen was a display in the window with a t-shirt that had in big letters printed on it: “I Read Dead People.” That’s basically my reading habits, and my friends know it – I think it speaks primarily to their long-suffering and patience to continue to hang-out with me.
Along these lines, in an old post by Tony Reinke about the Sovereign Grace Ministries’ 2007 Leadership Conference, he caught my attention with an outline of Mark Dever’s seminar at that conference, Watch the Past: Living Lessons from Dead Theologians. (Note: Tony’s link is out of date. Follow this link for the message which is now free.) Refer to Tony’s post for the outline, but the basic premise is this: “He encouraged us to read on theological issues that are not a particular struggle at the time. Let the theologians talk about what they want to talk about.” Much like a Bible reading plan, this sort of system puts you in regular conversation with faithful men in the past to listen carefully to them without needing to rush. I’ve been thinking about what I want to read this year – being in February, I’m a bit behind – and so I thought this would help bring some gool’ol dead guy fun to the year, and hopefully for years to come.
The ‘canon of theologians’
January – Early church writings (1st-3rd centuries)
- Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (Penguin) or
- The Apostolic Fathers in English ed. By Michael Holmes
I’ve missed January, so I’m not too concerned about catching up. I’ll swing around to this next year, or for bed-time reading in the future!
February – Augustine (354-430)
- The Confessions (Henry Chadwick edition, 352 pages).
When I was in college I majored in both English and Philosophy, with my English degree primarily focusing on Medieval Literature. My happy marriage between these two worlds was Augustine (and a riveting one-on-one Tolkien class I took that produced a paper on Augustine’s view of evil in The Lord of the Rings… but that’s a rabbit trial). One of my professors (the same of the Tolkien class) said to me once, “Read Augustine’s Confessions when you’re 30, and again when you’re 35, and when you’re 40. It’s a book that grows with you.” That left a deep impression upon me, and I’ve never forgotten it. I’m not 30 yet (a mere green sapling of 27) but I’ve been flirting with reading it this year anyways. Ergo, The month of love is the month of confessing.
March – Martin Luther (1483-1546)
- Bondage of the Will (328 pages), or:
- Here I Stand by Roland Bainton (441 pages)
I’m not sure which of these I’ll read for March, but I have Bondage of the Will already, so maybe I’ll stick with that. Dever highly praises Bainton’s biography of Luther, so we’ll see, but I’m sure my wife would prefer I follow the “read what you own” approach.
April – John Calvin (1509-1564)
- The Institutes of the Christian Religion (1059 pages)
I read Calvin’s Institutes (McNeill edition) my senior year of college on my own. No class assignment, but I felt I owed it to the label “Calvinist” that if I were going to claim to be one, I might as well read the man’s main book. Through those months that I slowly read through the Institutes Calvin was helping me construct a massive Biblical framework for seeing the glory of God. Calvin built the architecture of my mind piece by piece, with both Biblical devotion and pastoral care. I still remember sitting at my desk wondering my brains were smattered on the ceiling because my mind was being blown by what he was showing me in the Bible. When I finished it, I resolved that I would read it every five years. It’s been that time, so I think I’m going to read it this year in a month, with a different translation.
May – Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)
After Calvin’s Institutes, my next favorite book is Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed. The volumes and volumes of grace that I’ve received from this short little book are inexhaustible. I’ve felt comforted in trial, lifted in despondency, and encouraged towards love for Christ. Having read Sibbes before, I recently bought his Works. Dever has been tweeting quotes from Volumes 6 and 7 lately, so maybe that’s where I’ll go. I’ve got a little bit, but I want to set into one of the volumes. (Side note: Dever has done loads of readings from the works of Sibbes at his church in the past. You can find the audio for these times here.)
June – John Owen (1616-1683)
- Works of Owen: Justification? Socinianism? Church?
What can I say about Owen? I named my first son after him. I’m not sure what I’ll read here – his works on Justification and Socinianism have relevance to controversies in the contemporary church that I feel Dr. Owen might have some helpful things to say. Or his works on the Church (dealing with controversies, etc.) might be helpful along the same lines. Not sure, we’ll decide when we get there.
July – Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
- Revival (160 pages)
A shorter book than the others, but one I’ve intended to read for a while. Revival is that one thing that ever Christian longs to see in their day. I pray for it, and desire to be stirred to pray for it more by reading of past revivals.
August – C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
- Autobiography Volume 1 (562 pages)
- Autobiography Volume 2 (524 pages)
Dever comments that Spurgeon’s biography is an incredibly fun read and deeply edifying for pastoral ministry. Seems like a good order to me! I’ve read Spurgeon’s Lectures to my Students, and a few other things by or about him, but a full autobiography by him should be fun! We’ve been to Elephant and Castle, so I’m looking forward to learning the man a little more. This would be one of the few volumes I’ll need to buy.
September – B.B. Warfield (1851-1921)
- The Person and Work of Christ (589 pages) or
- Select Shorter Writings
Dever had high praise for Warfield, and I think I’ve tended to not pay as much attention to him as he deserves. I’ve probably been put off by his cessationism. Anyhow, the man was a magnificent gift to the church, and I have his Shorter Writings, which again, my wife would probably prefer me read before buying new books. That said, I’ve continually heard great praise for his work on Christ, which I’d love to read at some point. We’ll see.
October – Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)
- Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (584 pages)
I’m currently reading, bit by bit, Lloyd-Jones’ Evangelistic Sermons before bed to grow in my understanding of preaching. I’ve read Lloyd-Jones before, and my wife’s a big fan. Our family claim to fame on this is that my wife’s Granddad had some sort of personal relationship with Lloyd-Jones. Most likely something in passing, but they knew each other – and I knew Granddad, which was cool in itself. Having not read this book before, and knowing how important it is, I think this will be a good one for October.
November – C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
- Till We Have Faces (324 pages)
This is one of those Lewis books that I just don’t really have a reason for not having read before. I keep hearing people ogle about it, so I’ll read it for my 28th birthday. I have to say though, that I intend to read more Lewis this year anyways, so I might get into this before November. Need I confess?
December – Contemporary authors
To be honest, I can’t really settle on this category. Douglas Wilson has had a large impact on my lately – maybe I’ll read through his stuff in December. Maybe John Stott? I don’t know. Please forgive me for getting 11/12ths done, and being ok with it. Slothing off?…
Concluding Thoughts
This has been a helpful exercise for me to think through, and I hope by the grace of the Spirit, to stay with it. I intend to finish those books in the months allotted, and I think I will, but I believe in grace, so if I don’t finish – eh! Some of those authors are guys I’m regularly in (like Sibbes and Lewis), and I wish there were ways to get other guys in (like John Flavel or Hermen Bavinck), but alas, I guess I’ll just have to read them in the inbetweens. If you have any thoughts – or have written your own list – I’d be very interested to hear from you! Please feel free to comment, prod, pick, or pester about anything here.
Spiritual Evaluation with Octavius Winslow
03 years ago
I started reading Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul by Octavius Winslow yesterday. I originally was made aware of Winslow through a blog post one of my pastors did recommending his works (here). So I picked up this book from Westminster Bookstore for $5.60, or you can read it for free here. To say the least, this book has deeply affected me, and I’m only 20 pages in! So, I’ve simply quoted a section from him below that stirred my heart to evaluation. I’ll bold the major part in case you would rather not read the whole thing, though I’d encourage you to read it if you have the time.
And yet, without changing its nature, divine grace may decline to an alarming extent in its power and exercise. It may be sickly, drooping, and ready to die; it may become so enfeebled through its decay, as to present an ineffectual resistance to the inroads of strong corruption; so low, that the enemy may ride rough-shod over it at his will; so inoperative and yielding, that sloth, worldliness, pride, carnality, and their kindred vices, may obtain an easy and unresisted conquest.
This decay of grace may be advancing, too, without any marked decline in the spiritual perception of the judgment, as to the beauty and fitness of spiritual truth. The loss of spiritual enjoyment, not of a spiritual perception of the loveliness and harmony of the truth, shall be the symptom that betrays the true condition of the soul. The judgment shall lose none of its light, but the heart much of its fervor; the truths of revelation, especially the doctrines of grace, shall occupy the same prominent position as to their value and beauty, and yet the influence of these truths may be scarcely felt. The Word of God shall be assented to; but as the instrument of sanctification, of abasement, of nourishment, the believer may be an almost utter stranger to it; yes, he must necessarily be so, while this process of secret declension is going forward in his soul.
This incipient state of declension may not involve any lowering of the standard of holiness; and yet there shall be no ascending of the heart, no reaching forth of the mind towards a practical conformity to that standard. The judgment shall acknowledge the divine law, as embodied in the life of Christ, to be the rule of the believer’s walk; and yet to so low and feeble a state may vital godliness have declined in the soul, there shall be no panting after conformity to Christ, no breathing after holiness, no “resistance unto blood, striving against sin.” Oh, it is an alarming condition for a Christian man, when the heart contradicts the judgment, and the life belies the profession! – when there is more knowledge of the truth than experience of its power, – more light in the understanding than grace in the affections, – more pretension in the profession than holiness and spirituality in the walk! And yet to this sad and melancholy state it is possible for a Christian professor to be reduced. How should it lead the man of empty notions, of mere creeds, of lofty pretension, of cold and lifeless orthodoxy, to pause, search his heart, examine his conscience, and ascertain the true state of his soul before God!
These words have had an impact, and one I’ve desired, upon this cold, orthodox heart of mine. Lord help me to delight in, not merely see, your glory and truth as it is!
He who began a good work
04 years ago
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~ Philippians 1:6
At this moment, and in my recent spiritual walk, I do not struggle with assurance. I am more assured now of Christ’s work on the cross and physical resurrection than I have been in years past. I know he reigns because I see his word to be true around me and in me every day. He also promises that faith in him saves – that he will not turn away weary, sin-laden people. That’s me, and I look to him, and that seems to be the basic cord for assurance in Scripture. Can I fall away? Sure – Judas did. Will I? I am fearful of that. I do deeply tremble at that possibility in this life – but such causes me to walk before God with fear and trembling, not anxiety and doubt in his promises.
The doctrines of grace, and the Calvinist understanding of salvation is becoming more and more sweet to my soul. I can honestly say with my whole heart that I long for all Christians to be Calvinists in their understanding of the Gospel, not because it confirms my “system”, but because it is what the Bible teaches about our relationship with Christ. So here, this verse speaks to the perseverance of the saints and the doctrine of unconditional election. Faith is the first fruits of God’s good work within us – I can’t believe in God without God making me believe in him. In fact, I did not ever want to believe in God on my own! But good grief, look at his mercy to me! I believe in Christ for salvation, the sweetest cup to my soul for rest. Is this not amazing, that he pierced the darkness of my heart with his glory in the face of Jesus Christ without my consent; just as the darkness in our rooms does not consent to being violated by the light turned on by the switch (2 Cor. 4:4-6).
But here this verse speaks mercy and grace to my soul. “He who began” is the same who said, ‘“What I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” Says the Lord; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God” (Isaiah 66:9). This is “he who began”, and indeed, he shall be the one to complete it. He gave me faith, and he shall see that faith through until it births into sight. This is the completion of faith. “Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13) because faith and hope will be consummated in the sight of Christ, but love will continue forever. Is it no wonder then that Paul goes on to speak of our love abounding unto the day of Christ and to the glory of God? And it is sovereign grace that does this. My friend, I know the weakness of my heart too well to think that I can muster up faith until my last breath. I would be a fool to believe that I could do so.
Praise to my Father who has saved me with a sure salvation, resting on himself alone, to make me do the same, and to make me more like that which he loves most: Jesus Christ.
The Savior of All in 1 Timothy 4:10
04 years ago
When discussing the extent of the atonement, 1 Timothy 4:10 is typically brought up fairly soon by those in support of a universal atonement. And, honestly, at a first, non-contextual reading, it seems to support them. What I want to do here, briefly, is to open the text in context, and show why it in fact has very little to do with the extent of the atonement. I’m going to quote the 1 Tim. 4:6-15 in full, and then offer some notes on it:
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Let me note some particularly interesting things about this section of scripture. Paul says in verse 10 that for an end they, “toil and strive”. What is this toil and striving for? To proclaim the Gospel to all people. Note 2 Cor. 1:9-10. Paul is here speaking about the providence of God on which they rely:
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
As John Wesley comments on this verse, the essense of this text is this: “We trust that he will still deliver – That we may at length be able to come to you.” The thought on Paul’s mind in 2 Cor. 1:9,10, as well as in 1 Timothy 4:10a is that God is presiding over their mission, even their toiling and striving, and that he will not let their work go to vain. This claim makes even more sense when put in the context of the second phrase of v. 10 – “because we have our hope set on the living God”. Does the sense of this not sound exactly like his sentiments in 2 Cor 1:9,10? The reason their toil and strive towards the end of spreading the Gospel without wavering is because they have a hope set in the living God.
Now what is Paul seeking to encourage Timothy with in these phrases? I think he’s simply trying to pass his example along as encouragement to keep on persevering in ministry. The sense is that God is faithful to his people, more over, because God is kind and giving grace to all men. So, when we get to v. 10, were Paul says that God “is the Savior of all people,” we should keep in the vein of thinking of God’s providential, sovereign, kind care for Paul, and extend it out to “all people.” At this point, Psalm 36:6 was very likely the exact Scripture Paul was thinking of:
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
The term we normally use about this doctrine is called “common grace.” God is kind to all people in a common way – keeping them from utter ruin, and preserving all creation in a state of at least some order. We know this because David says “man and beast” – and we know that God only saves unto salvation humans, not animals.
So keeping in this vein of seeing Paul develop his argument for trusting in God’s goodness, let us look at what he says next: “[God] is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” What Paul is saying here is that God is everybody’s only hope, especially those who believe. This shows that God is the ruler of all, and out of those all is especially kind to all people for their salvation. Note that Eternal life is not mentioned here. However, perseverance is, it’s the theme of the chapter: Timothy is to keep putting the word of God before people (v. 6), he is to have nothing to do with silly things (v.7), continue in diligent pursuit of godliness (v. 8), keep persevering (v. 10), keep these things before the people (v. 11), keep a constant example (v. 12), again, devotion to public teaching (v. 13), a continued exercise of gifts (v. 14). The aim here is to put Timothy in mind of the providence and constant care of God as the fuel for his own constant, persevering faith.
Also note v. 4 where Paul expands the view in mind to be including everything, and then consider this in verse 10. Is it more likely that Paul is giving a teaching on persevering, with a slant off on to the nature of the atonement, or rather, that Paul is keeping with the flow of his teaching and showing how God is the fuller of all things, is kind to all people in common grace, and then throws a nugget of hope in there to show that God is especially faithful and kind to his own people amidst the nations (note Zech. 2:8).
The verse, when couched in context, is obviously about God’s common grace, common love, and special kindness amidst this to his own people. God’s example of persevering kindness to a rebellious world is the inspiration for Timothy to keep persevering in his own ministry to all people. We always follow God’s example, and that is what Paul is teaching Timothy to do here. We see then that “savior of all” is not discussing the nature of Christ’s atonement, but rather the nature of God’s kindness to all humanity. It is speaking of his forbearance, his kindness, his longsuffering, and effectively, his providential care for humanity as a whole. God does not thus forbear with some, and not with others, he forbears with all. The “savior” here then is not about Christ’s atonement, but as we noted in Psalm 36:6, it is about God’s common grace to all.
I can understand why my Arminian brothers would want to interpret this verse to support their idea of universal atonement, but I honestly think they are simply ripping it out of context. It utterly disrupts the flow of Paul’s instruction to Timothy to do the following (which is what Arminians are claiming), “Timothy, keep persevering in ministry, just as we have been doing the same, because we trust in a God who rules in kindness, and Jesus Christ’s atonement extended to all people.” I’m sorry, but to make that phrase apply to the nature of the atonement puts a huge speed bump right in the middle of Paul’s teaching on faithful ministry. No where in this text does Paul indicate that he’s expositing the nature and extent of Christ’s atonement, but that is what Arminians are twisting the verse to mean by imputing that meaning to it. We should let the context, not our wishes, determine the meaning of a particular phrase.
There are, of course, other more difficult texts to understand in how they support the particularity if Christ’s atoning work, but this one should not be included in their ranks. I hope this helps clarify this verse.
