The book begins by comparing marriage with martyrdom.  If you’re anything like me, then I bet you’re thinking ‘Woah!  Hang on a minute!  I’m not sure I want to read any further!’  Bear with me; this is challenging, but amazing stuff.  Dr Piper begins by writing about Dietrich Bonhoeffer  who was engaged to be married when he was hanged by the Nazis at the age of thirty-nine.  Bonhoeffer never lived to experience the joy of marriage,  ‘Martyrdom, not marriage, was‘, writes Piper,’ his calling.‘.

Dr Piper’s basis for this stark introduction is, of course, the Scriptures,

This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none.(1 Corinthians 7:29)

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.(Luke 14:26)

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”(Luke 18:29-30)

From this, Dr Piper concludes that,

High romance and passionate sexual intimacy and precious children may come [...] But hold them loosely – as though you were not holding them […] Romance, sex, and childbearing are temporary gifts of God.  They are not part of the next life.  And they are not guaranteed even for this life.  They are one possible path along the narrow way to Paradise.

This Momentary Marriage covers all the subjects you would expect, love, sex, forgiveness, covenant-keeping, what it means to be a Christian husband, what it means to be a Christian wife, singleness, children and even divorce.  Dr Piper treats his subject with intellectual rigor, theological thoroughness and experience gleaned from decades in pastoral ministry  and forty years of marriage to his wife, Noel.

In his chapter on singleness and hospitality, Piper counsels married couples and singles to mix together as a witness to outsiders of how the family of God operates.  If we are believers, we are in God’s family and we are all brothers and sisters within that family.  He talks in practical terms – married couples should care for single people by inviting them into their homes and sharing a meal. Single people should do the same for married couples: “If you belong to Christ, if you have by faith received His saving hospitality, which He paid for with His own blood, then extend this hospitality to others. […] Think like a Christian.  This is your family – more deeply and more eternally than your kinsfolk.”

I found this book extremely practical, which is what I expect from a book about marriage, cutting to the heart of not just what marriage should look like, but what all Christian relationships should look like according to the Scriptures.   However, this book goes further. Dr Piper’s focus is, throughout, resolutely fixed upon the person and work of Christ Jesus.  This is how it should be.  Christ, the centre of our marriages and the centre of our relationships.  Our marriages are nothing without Him.  We are nothing without Him.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is already married, engaged to be married or even just thinking about marriage. However, I would go further and recommend this book to everyone who wants to understand God’s purposes for people, for family and for his Church.

I end, as Dr Piper ends This Momentary Marriage, with a quote from Bonhoeffer,

”Welcome one another…for the glory of God”.  That is God’s word for your marriage.  Thank Him for it.  Thank Him for leading you thus far; ask Him to establish your marriage, to confirm it, sanctify it, and preserve it.  So your marriage will be ‘for the praise of His glory.’ Amen.”

Caroline Evans

This Momentary Marriage can be purchased here.

In The Reason for God, Dr Keller provided something of a counterpoint to the writings of the proponents of New Atheism (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, et al) in that he presented an informed, intelligent and reasoned defence for the existence of God and, more specifically, the truthfulness of Christianity. In Counterfeit Gods, Dr Keller moves beyond this, fixes his focus upon and critiques Western culture and the Western idolatry which he sees everywhere.

King Solomon, reputedly the wisest man ever to have lived (with the exception of Jesus), observed that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’ (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Dr Keller in his incisive exposure of the personal and cultural idolatry which drives most of us much of the time proves this to be true.

We are still driven by a desire to be beautiful, desirable and to be loved. We still lust after success, power and influence. We remain obsessed and driven by our passion for wealth, money and financial security. We have conned ourselves that we have moved beyond the superstitious preoccupations of our forefathers and yet we all continue to worship at the shrines of Aphrodite, Artemis and Dionysus, only now masked by other names.

This critique of Western culture and the ideology which lies beneath it is masterful. Dr Keller engages with the philosophical and ideological presuppositions which , most of the time, go unnoticed and yet permeate everything, shaping the way in which we see the world.

If all of this makes Counterfeit Gods sound dense and impenetrable, do not fear. Dr Keller writes for a popular readership; the book’s length (a mere 210 pages) means that this can easily be read in a couple of sittings, the prose is lively and Dr Keller takes great care to explain his terms.

Moreover, Counterfeit Gods is accessible because Dr Keller is intently gospel-focused. Dr Keller not only exposes our true heart and that of our consumer driven, sex-obsessed, win-at-all-costs culture, but he also points us to something better.

In order to do this, Dr Keller leads us through the Scriptures and shows us how the saints of the Old Testament, Abraham, Jacob, Jonah, Naaman, Nebuchadnezzar and, from the New Testament, the tax collector, Zacchaeus, were similarly driven and afflicted by idolatry before God stepped in and rescued them.

And this leads me to the great triumph of Dr Keller’s analysis. Dr Keller understands that the gospel is the only true antedote and lasting alternative to idolatry. This is why Dr Keller takes care to show us Jesus Christ everywhere in the pages of Scripture.

The handling of the Old Testament texts is exemplary. In particular, Dr Keller’s understanding of the revelation of the heart of God and the foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Christ in God commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac is brilliant.

And like all sound exegetes, Dr Keller has a practical outcome firmly in view. Dr Keller wants us to see the idolatry which entices and so often dominates us. He wants us to see that we might run to Christ. This makes Counterfeit Gods an excellent tool for Evangelism and I would warmly commend this as a gift for your non-Christian friends and family.

For the believer also there is a strong call to action. Dr Keller wants us to see the residues of idolatry in our own lives that we might kill it dead. Moreover, Dr Keller wants us to see that we might be motivated and equipped to share the gospel of Christ Jesus with others,

It is impossible to understand your heart or your culture if you do not discern the counterfeit gods that influence them (p. 165).

Dr Keller wants men and women to see clearly. He wants us to understand the true state of our heart and the true state of the world around us that we might see our desperate need for rescue. And he wants us to see, in the depths of this great need, the glory, magnificence and beauty of Christ Jesus in the gospel that we might run to him, cling to him and depend on him as our very treasure in this world.

Dr Keller understands that as we see and live like this, idolatry is put to death and Christ Jesus is glorified.

Andy Evans

Counterfeit Gods can be purchased here.

Harris was raised, and homeschooled, in a conservative evangelical family and came to prominence through his editorship of a national homeschooling magazine published in North America. Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why it Matters is Harris’ attempt to make sense of what he believes and how he came to believe it.

All of this makes Dug Down Deep a deeply personal piece of writing. Each chapter begins with a autobiographical anecdote and, in these sections, Harris is self-depreciating and candid with regards to his own weakness and spiritual growth. Much of this material is used to present his spiritual immaturity as a teenager and twenty-something and the way in which Christ challenged him to move deeper into the things of God.

It is this approach, Harris’ uses autobiographical material to trace his spiritual development, which makes Dug Down Deep an interesting and unusual book. In Harris, we see something of the systematic theologian as he tackles profound truths  in a, well, systematic way.

There is weighty doctrine here; Harris unpacks the transcendence of God (chapter 3), the authority and inerrancy of Scripture (chapter 4), the doctrine of the incarnation (chapter 5), the implications and benefits secured through the cross (chapters 6 and 7), the doctrine of sanctification (chapter 8), the person and work of the Holy Spirit (chapter 9) and the doctrine of the church (chapter 10).

And in all of this, Harris’ influences, J.I. Packer, John Piper, Wayne Grudem, Tim Keller and, of course, C.J. Mahaney (former Senior Pastor of Covenant Life Church), are present and visible.

In addition to the systematic theologian, we also see abundant evidence of Harris, the Pastor: deep (and difficult) truths are unpacked and presented in an accessible, engaging and deeply practical way. Even as Harris wrestles with weighty doctrine, there is careful attention to application and the way in which truth must take hold and be worked out in our lives. Indeed, Harris makes precisely this point,

Knowledge about God that doesn’t translate into exalting him in our words, thoughts, and actions will soon become self-exaltation [...] If we stand before the awesome knowledge of God’s character and our first thought isn’t I am small and unworthy to know the Creator of the universe, then we should be concerned.

There is, therefore, a collision between the profound and the practical and it is this which makes Dug Down Deep so unusual and successful.

Harris’ conversational style is disarming and engaging and I can imagine people reading this who would never contemplate wrestling with, say, Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology or John Piper’s Desiring God. This is the great success with Dug Down Deep: that Harris has succeeded in presenting deep and weighty truths in a way which is both accessible and eminently readable. And Harris achieves all of this without neutering the sense of awe, conviction and holy exhilaration which must come when allowing the deep truths of God to thus penetrate our souls.

I urge you to get hold of a copy of Dug Down Deep and allow the great truth of the gospel to take hold of you.

Andy Evans

Click here to purchase Dug Down Deep.

During Holy Week 2010 a few members of the Firwood congregation read a chapter every day from D.A. Carson’s excellent book; “Scandalous – the Cross & Resurrecton of Jesus”. Each evening one of them would post a short blog on the chapter they’d read that day.

Whilst not technically a ‘review’, these short posts do attempt to unpack in detail what Carson has to say on he focal point of all history: the death and resurrection of the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Click here to read the 5 blog posts

Parker published his first work of note on the great Reformer in 1954 with John Calvin: A Portrait. A Portrait was intended as a general introduction to Calvin’s life and influence. Although out of print for a number of years, Desiring God have recently sponsored a special edition to mark the 500^th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth (an event which is marked elsewhere on this site).

John Calvin: The Biography followed in 1975 and is a more substantial work. It is not, however, written with an academic readership primarily in view. Parker’s interest is keenly focused upon Calvin the man and much here is dedicated to his early life, the unclear circumstances surrounding his conversion and then his ministry in Geneva. The relative brevity of this work (224 pages in my edition) should not be taken a reflection upon the substance; Parker’s scholarship feels thorough.

And this thoroughness extends beyond the man. In addition to the purely biographical, Parker also provides a useful précis of the Institutes of the Christian Religion; the most well known (and arguably most significant) of Calvin’s life work. This is helpful as Parker then proceeds to trace the application of these convictions into his ministry in Geneva. It is illuminating, therefore, to understand Calvin’s theological convictions when considering the controversy regarding church discipline and the endless political intrigue against him with regards to church government.

In addition, Parker also traces the genesis of his Commentaries, which were considered exemplary by his contemporaries and still prove to be immensely helpful today.

Parker also gives serious consideration to John Calvin the preacher and this is most helpful and important. It is easy to forget that John Calvin was, first and foremost, a Pastor with very real pastoral concerns. We learn from Parker that Calvin preached literally thousands of sermons (for some time, he preached five different sermons a week) and we also glimpse something of the nature of the style of his preaching. One might expect Calvin the Preacher to be concerned with lofty and weighty theological matters, for example, the Doctrine of Predestination or Limited Atonement and one might fear his tone to be sharp and abrasive. We instead find that Calvin’s style was warm and engaging. He challenged his congregation to both think and feel. Rather than systematic theology, Calvin preached expository sermons through books of the Bible, some of which were adapted posthumously into Commentaries (e.g. Ezekiel). We further discover that his preaching was pastoral and immensely practical. Through his words, we feel Calvin’s love towards those entrusted to him.

In reading Parker, it is clear that he is warmly inclined towards his subject. Parker does not flinch from dealing with the more difficult areas of Calvin’s life (for example, he discusses the execution of Servetus at length and touches upon difficulties in Calvin’s own personal relationships).

And this is where the great value lies in this biography. As we read we find that Calvin was but a man, flawed and, at times, difficult, but greatly used by God. It seems to me that Parker understands this. Although Calvin is clearly the subject of this work, it is also equally clear that Christ worked powerfully in him and through him.

As we read of the great Reformer, his love of people and his zeal for the name of God, we are reminded that the glory of King Jesus shines in every generation through redeemed sinners like you and me.

Andy Evans

Click here to purchase John Calvin: A Biography.

Essentially, the Doctrine of Unconditional Election teaches that God, in eternity past, predestined (i.e. chose in advance) some for salvation apart from any good work they might do. In other words, this Doctrine teaches that God takes the decisive action in our salvation. Unsurprisingly, many find this unsettling and some find such a notion to be outrageous.

Historically then, the Church has divided along this line, Calvinists on the one side and Arminians on the other.

Chosen by God is perhaps the clearest and most readable defence of the Doctrine of Unconditional Election available. Dr Sproul, a skilled theologian, explores this Doctrine, firstly from a historical perspective, then philosophically and, finally, and most importantly, from a Biblical perspective.

In dealing with the historical backdrop to this doctrine, Dr Sproul is careful to show that ‘Reformed theology’ did not originate with the Reformers. We find then that both Augustine and Thomas Aquinas argued for the Doctrine of Unconditional Election. This is important. One should be exceedingly wary of theological and doctrinal innovation. In addition, there is a balance in all of this. Dr Sproul generously cites those significant historical figures who held opposing views.

The central section gives consideration to the Doctrine of Unconditional Election from a philosophical standpoint and it is here that Dr Sproul is most eloquently persuasive. Dr Sproul confronts and dismantles opposing views by pushing them to their logical extreme. Most particularly, great attention is given to arguments which privilege free-will. Dr Sproul defends Unconditional Election with skill, great care and good humour. Indeed, this book is written with a general reader in view and Dr Sproul’s tone is typically brash and avuncular.

The final section is, quite rightly, the most important part and Dr Sproul gives considerable attention to drawing out the passages of Scripture that most clearly express the Doctrine of Unconditional Election. There is transparency and balance in Dr Sproul’s approach in that he deliberately tackles difficult issues (for example, in Chapter Seven, ‘Is Predestination Double?’) and a selection of verses that do not directly help his argument.

In the final part, Dr Sproul directly tackles, ‘Questions and Objections Concerning Predestination’. Again, Dr Sproul is thorough and generous, it does not appear that he is cherry-picking the simple questions or caricaturing his opponents and his tone is warm and reasoned which leads me to my final point.

This book is intended to be helpful and this is exceedingly important. Too often weighty and controversial matters are used as an excuse to exercise the intellect or to argue pointlessly. Chosen By God, however, takes is topic exceedingly seriously and presents its arguments with considerable care. Dr Sproul believes this matter to be important and profitable for believers.

Dr Sproul believes that the Doctrine of Unconditional Election brings encouragement and assurance to the believer. More importantly, however, Dr Sproul understands that these weighty truths, when rightly understood, magnify the infinite glory of Christ: we were saved by him, to ‘the praise of his glorious grace’.

Andy Evans

Click here to purchase Chosen by God.

Those of you who read my previous blog, Ephesians: His Glorious Grace, or were around on Sunday morning will know that we have just embarked on a sermon series working through Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (first message in the series available here).

I thought it might be useful, then, to highlight some of the commentaries I have found particularly helpful in preparing this series.

1. John Calvin, Commentary on the Letter to the Ephesians

I begin with Calvin’s commentary for two reasons.

Firstly (and most importantly) this commentary is incredibly helpful and insightful. John Calvin was a skilled expositor of the Scriptures and his commentary is readable, careful, thorough, practical and always Christ exalting.

I also find it particularly useful to refer to an older commentary (in addition to recent works) as it is helpful to get a perspective of another generation on the text. I think it was Dr John Piper who recently said that each generation is blind to its own faults.

The second reason I begin with Calvin’s commentary is that this work can be read online, here, for free courtesy of Christian Classics Ethereal Library (and I am guessing this will appeal to the more financially challenged among us). For those who prefer the smell of old paper, you can purchase a paper copy here.

2. Peter O’Brien, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Ephesians

Pillar produce popular, semi-technical (by which, I mean that references to the original languages are relegated to footnotes), conservative evangelical commentaries. Other excellent additions to this series include D.A. Carson’s Commentary on the Gospel of John and Douglas Moo’s Commentary on James.

O’Brien’s commentary is exceptionally easy to read. His exegesis is careful and considered and his observations are insightful. The commentary is conventionally structured, in that, there is a general introduction to each section of Scripture which outlines the main themes and seeks to deal with any textual issues before proceeding to a thorough verse by verse commentary on the text.

I recommend O’Brien’s commentary because he remains closely tethered to the text and there is no sense in which he appears to be wielding a particular agenda. Fairness and thoroughness are, I believe, the order of the day. His general introduction to Ephesians and Ephesus is succinct and yet informative.

I personally refer to an electronic version of the commentary through the superb Logos Bible Software. Paper copies can be purchased here.

3. John Stott, The Message of Ephesians

This commentary is part of the Bible Speaks Today series and, as such, is very much aimed at the lay reader with a particular emphasis on remaining accessible. This is not to say that this study is without value. The focus of this series is to explain and bring the text alive. As with his previous contribution on the Letter to the Romans, Stott succeeds in unfolding the meaning of the text in a way which is both insightful and readable.

Although, in honesty, I have found this study less helpful than the others listed here, this is in no way intended as a criticism of John Stott’s work; it is simply that O’Brien and Hoehner, below, are so methodical and thorough there is very little for Stott to add.

The advantage with Stott’s commentary is that it is easily the most accessible, readable and affordable of the offerings here. Indeed, at the time of writing, there are second hand copies available for around five pounds (excluding postage). Click here to purchase John Stott’s Message of Ephesians.

Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: an Exegetical Commentary

This commentary is something of an anomaly, in that, although published by Baker, it is a stand-alone edition rather than part of a commentary series. This is unsurprising given the size of this work, indeed, my edition stands at just under a thousand pages. Having said this, it is perhaps the most important and significant work on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians in a generation.

Once again, Hoehner approaches Ephesians from a conservative evangelical position. Indeed, his defence of Paul’s authorship of Ephesians is exemplary as is his insistence that the address to the Ephesian church is original.

The exegesis here is scholarly, reasoned and thorough and there are numerous informed and substantial excurses on important matters peripheral to the letter itself. For example, Hoehner includes substantial excurses on the Doctrine of Election, the significance of the construct ‘in Christ’ and the household code, among others.

Of the commentaries mentioned here, Hoehner’s is clearly the must buy. One word of caution, however, this is a technical commentary (i.e. words are referenced in the original languages in the main body of the text). While Hoehner generally translates such references, it is sensible to have an interlinear to hand if you are unschooled in the original languages.

Click here to purchase Harold W. Hoehner’s, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary.

Andy Evans

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

And so, for the past two thousand years, Christians have rightly maintained and defended the centrality of the cross and resurrection of Christ against a tide of cross-marginalising, gospel-distorting opponents. From amidst this furnace of gospel criticism and attack, many theologians have sought to unfold the truth, necessity and glory of our crucified Messiah. This was the intent behind the Puritan John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ and, in the last Century, Dr Leon Morris’s The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross. John Stott’s The Cross of Christ is cast in this same mould and forged in the very same furnace of controversy and opposition.

The Cross of Christ was first published in 1986 (my version is the 20^th Anniversary Edition) at a time in which the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement was being violently critiqued even within some Evangelical circles. Twenty years on the church finds itself rehearsing the same arguments and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is still subjected to the same distortions and attacks. For this reason, The Cross of Christ is both incredibly timely and exceedingly helpful in understand what Scripture has to teach regarding the most important event in human history, namely the crucifixion of the Son of God.

John Stott’s defence of the cross is both biblical and intellectually engaging and his argument is subdivided into four parts.

In Part 1, ‘Approaching the Cross’, Stott addresses the centrality of the cross of Christ in Biblical Christianity. In so doing, The Cross of Christ takes us through the gospel accounts and unpacks how (and whether) Jesus understood his journey to Golgotha and then examines the way in which the Apostolic witness sought to maintain the centrality of the cross. Part 1 spends time closely examining Jesus’ final hours before the cross and tries to understand the suffering and torment of betrayal, abandonment and separation from his Father resulting in the cry of dereliction (Mark 15:33-34). Stott concludes, simply,

We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains he had to bear;

But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

In Part 2, ‘The Heart of the Cross’, John Stott considers the necessity of the cross and skilfully unpacks the doctrines of propitiation and expiation. This section is, in our times of doubt, liberalism and relativism, most provocative. In presenting the theology of the cross, The Cross of Christ seeks to explain the horror of sin and understand the outrageousness of forgiveness. Between these two foundational truths lie the necessity of the cross and the necessity of Jesus as our substitutionary atoning sacrifice. And this is the foundation of John Stott’s (and the Church’s) stand against all who seek to dilute the glory of the cross. Stott writes,

We strongly reject, therefore, every explanation of the death of Christ which does not have at its centre the principle of ‘satisfaction through substitution’, indeed divine self-satisfaction through divine self-substitution. The cross was not a commercial bargain with the devil, let alone one which tricked and trapped him; nor an exact equivalent, a quid pro quo to satisfy a code of honour or technical point of law; nor a compulsory submission by God to some moral authority above him from which he could not otherwise escape; nor a punishment of a meek Christ by a harsh and punitive Father; nor a procurement of salvation by a loving Christ from a mean and reluctant Father; nor an action of the Father which bypassed Christ as Mediator. Instead, the righteous, loving Father humbled himself to become in and through his only Son flesh, sin and a curse for us, in order to redeem us without compromising his own character [...] The biblical gospel of atonement is of God satisfying himself by substituting himself for us.  (p. 188)

This section in which John Stott wrestles with profound biblical truth is potentially the densest and most difficult. However, such is Stott’s skill as an expositor of Scripture that even the most weighty of matters are never less than clear and such is his passion for the gospel that his prose sparkles with a holy enthusiasm.

In Part 3, ‘The Achievement of the Cross’, Stott continues to explore the theological implications of the cross, but now with a particular emphasis upon all Christ achieved. And so the benefits and blessing bestowed upon the believer with regards to salvation and all that this entailed is both explained and celebrated. More than this, however, John Stott understands that the cross is the majestic revelation of the character and nature of God, ‘For through what God did there for the world he was also speaking to the world’ (p. 237). In the cross we see that the glory, justice, love, wisdom and power of God are gloriously displayed for all to see.

In Part 4, ‘Living Under the Cross’ John Stott unpacks the pastoral implications of cross for us as believers. The cross of Christ is the event, the crowning achievement, which binds the believing community together. We are a people purchased by him and for him to the praise of his glorious grace. As such, The Cross of Christ, exhorts believers to embody and shine forth the self-sacrificing love of our crucified and now exalted Messiah. We are called to love our enemies and endure suffering for his sake with abounding joy.

The great strength of The Cross of Christ is that John Stott is supremely confident that the cross is the most important thing and, as such, all his energy is focused upon unpacking its truth. There is a sense in which this book circles around its subject, Jesus Christ, and around this central event, the cross of Christ, again and again. But this is good. John Stott joins with the Apostle Paul in asserting the sufficiency of the cross understanding that as we look to this event we see all that Christ achieved for us and, more than this, all that he is.

Pretty much all the books reviewed on this website are recommended (why waste your time and mine by reviewing rubbish?!?), but there are few that I would mark as essential. This is one such book and particularly at this present time. I would encourage all believers to read (and preferably own) The Cross of Christ.

I promise you, such is the importance and usefulness of this book that you will find yourself returning to these pages again and again.

Andy Evans

To purchase The Cross of Christ, click here.

I define such writing thus:

Poor grammar.

Especially. When. The. Text. Is. Over. Punctuated. Grrrr.

Lazy writing (and, yes, Mr Dan Brown, I am looking at you). Bahhhhhrrrr.

OVERLY LARGE TYPE (resulting in overly large books). Overly small type (resulting in the kind of squint that just won’t go away). Darrrrrggggg.

And, most infuriating of all: waffle.

Yes, you heard me correctly. Waffle. The literary equivalent of blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Waffle wastes my time. Waffle results in me reading 400 pages when 50 pages would easily have sufficed. Waffle invariably leads to pomposity.

And this leads me neatly to Peter Lewis’ The Glory of Christ. If this book were to have a healthy interest in physical contact sports, it would most certainly be an Ultimate Fighting Champion. Indeed, this book would be the Ultimate Fighting Champion of Champions kicking the flabby man-butt of all that is waffle.

This book is sleek, lean and packs a mighty punch.

Firstly, to deal with that punch. The Glory of Christ (as the title suggests) is devoted to the most important of topics, indeed the most important person in the universe, Jesus Christ.

Lewis begins with an anecdote told by a preacher who, as a boy, idolised a local sports personality. The preacher grew older and came to know and socialise with the sports personality. As the preacher came to know the man, his boyhood hero became smaller. Contrariwise, the preacher observed that the nearer we get to Jesus, the bigger he gets.

The aim of this book is to present a most glorious picture of the Son of God and Lewis sets about his task in an orderly and structured fashion. This book is not short (504 pages in my), but, thanks to this tight structure, this book is lean.

Part 1, The Divine Revelation, deals with the way in which Jesus, the God-Man, makes God fully known. Lewis deals with the glory of the incarnation, Jesus’ inauguration of the Kingdom of God, his relationship with and empowerment by the Holy Spirit, the designation, ‘Son of Man’, and the great ‘I am’ statements.

Part 2, The Divine Explanation, deals with Jesus, the Word of God, the doctrine and significance of the incarnation. In Part 3, Jesus Confessed and Adored, Lewis unpacks the glorious truth that this Jesus who walked among men, as a man, is Messiah, Lord, God, Life-Giver, Universe-Maintainer and Mediator between man and God.

Part 4, Jesus the Redeemer, deals with the scandal and glory of the cross and its application for believers. Here, Lewis particularly excels in unravelling the majestic glory of all that Christ achieves for us, his people. But there is a beautiful balance, even when unpacking the doctrines of redemption, justification, propitiation, adoption and sanctification, Lewis keeps Christ centre-stage and so it should be. This book, the Bible and, indeed, all of history is primarily and ultimately about his glory.

Part 5, Christ the Exalted Lord, unpacks the resurrection and the hope this holds for believers. Part 6, Christ the Coming King, deals with his return and final triumph and tackles the difficult topic of heaven, hell and the new creation.

All of this may sound high-brow and heavy weight, but Lewis writes with great skill and simplicity. There is great weightiness here, for sure, but Lewis unpacks profound truth with great pastoral care and the consummate skill of a gifted Bible teacher.

The truth is I love this book. I have already read it twice and find myself returning to specific chapters again and again. Part of this is due to Lewis’ skill as a writer and Bible teacher. He does not waste our time and what he has to write is well worth reading.

More than this, however, The Glory of Christ addresses the greatest theme there is. The reason why Lewis is able to write so sparsely and yet so compellingly is because Jesus Christ is most glorious. The secret of this book is that Lewis allows the truth of Scripture to shine and this shining is directed appropriately and rightly upon the King of Glory. And, when Lewis has said all he has to say, he steps back and leaves us gazing upon him.

This, surely, is the end of all theology, that we would see Jesus and be captivated by his beauty, his majesty and his glory.

Andy Evans

To purchase The Glory of Christ, click here.

Jesus Freaks is a collaboration between dcTalk, a 90′s Christian pop/rock band (perhaps best known for their album ‘Jesus Freaks’), and the Voice of the Martyrs, an organisation founded by Richard Wurmbrand (a Romanian Pastor) and supporting the persecuted church across the globe.  Richard Wurmbrand’s story is itself one of suffering in the midst of persecution having been imprisoned for 14 years for his faith in Jesus Christ.

The layout of this book is similar to that of daily devotional reading material.  Each chapter tells the story of a different believer who has suffered for Christ. Each account is then followed by either a Bible reading, a prayer or a practical encouragement to live out the gospel.

The accounts span the centuries and begin with the deacon Stephen, the first martyr of the church of Christ (Acts 6:8-15).  As we read, we see that such faithfulness, even to death, touches every age and every people group. One sobering account tells the story of a 5 year old girl living in communist China in the 1960′s.  She was sent to prison along with her mother who had protested against the imprisonment of her bishop.  They were both released because the mother denied Christ before the authorities – she could not bear to see her child crying.  However, once they were out, the young girl rebuked her mother:

“Mummy, today Jesus is not satisfied with you.”

The mother explained, “You wept in prison.  I had to say this out of love for you.”

Siao-Mei replied, “I promise that if we go to jail again for Jesus, I will not weep.”

The mother ran to the prison director and told him, “You convinced me I should say wrong things for my daughter’s sake, but she has more courage than I.”

Both went back to prison, but Siao-Mei no longer wept.

We also read of John Bradford, a pastor who lived in England during the reign of Queen Mary in 1555.  His views differed widely from that of the state church and he was thrown into prison.  While in prison, he continued to preach to the criminals and thieves there, also looking after them by giving them money to buy food.  John’s response on receiving his death sentence was this; ‘Bradford looked to heaven and said, “I thank God for it.  I have waited for this for a long time.  Lord, make me worthy of this.”‘

How many of us would be able to say this about every day situations and troubles that we come across? This book reminds us to be thankful to the Lord for the privileges we have been afforded and for his grace and mercy to a Western church free to worship without fear of threat.

The stories contained within these pages are heart-rending and we may ask, why read such accounts? The stories contained herein act as a reality check to a coddled and overly comfortable Western church. The intent behind this book is that our eyes would be opened once again to the cost of being a disciple of Christ Jesus. More than this, however, as we read how our fellow brothers and sisters have stood firm, we find a renewed confidence in the hope of the gospel. In their suffering and death we see a reflection of the glory and the mercy of Jesus Christ. Our persecuted brothers and sisters know that it is worth it because he is of infinite worth.

Jesus Freaks is also an encouragement to pray for the suffering church as we are reminded from many of these stories that such persecution is a very present reality in many parts of the world. The Western church is called to pray for believers who, at this very moment, risk their lives by daring to profess the name of Christ Jesus.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this book. Stylistically, Jesus Freaks is both an accessible and compelling read. As a reality check, however, we should expect to be challenged and sobered by the stories recounted here. As we read, we see the cost of discipleship, the truth of the gospel lived out and the joy of Christ shining forth even in the midst of peril, suffering and death.

And they have conquered him [the enemy] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:11)

Caroline Evans

To purchase a copy of Jesus Freaks click here.