Future Men is Wilson’s attempt to address the most timely of issues: how should Christian families set about raising boys and young men that they might be fit for godly marriage, service and life. Wilson wants us to feel the urgency of this great calling, and begins with the reminder that, ‘As much as it may distress us, our boys are future men’ (p. 9). Wilson begins by setting forth a theology of biblical manhood and, in so doing, exhorts churches and, more specifically, parents to recognise, nurture and direct the unique, God-give qualities that define boyhood in such a way as they might be used to glorify God and, in so doing, shape the future man of God.

And with this, Wilson is incredibly practical, addressing issues of accountability, laziness, stewardship, sex and relationships, friendship and fighting. Wilson’s treatment of this latter topic is particularly refreshing as he seeks to set forth, ‘a theology of fist fighting for the grey areas’ (p. 125) and argues that although the Scriptures exhort us to ‘turn the other cheek’, there are occasions where we must take a stand, and even fight, for righteousness sake. As such, Wilson advocates ‘courageous humility’.

There is much practical wisdom here. For instance, consider Wilson’s exhortation that parents instil a work-ethic in their sons,

In dealing with all these issues, a boy learns to distinguish between the ever popular notions of self-esteem, and the biblical concept of self-respect. Self-esteem is found in Galatians 6:3. “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” A boy lounging on a soft couch can fancy himself quite the working man. But self-respect is found in the next verse. “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden” (vv. 4–5). Work should not just be done, it should be proven, tested. And when it is, a boy learns the deep and godly satisfaction that comes from a job well done. (p. 60)

This is typical of Wilson’s approach. On the one hand, Future Men is eminently practical and yet this practicality is deeply rooted in Scripture, interpreted and applied with great wisdom. Consequently, Wilson not only points us (rightly) towards the Biblical exhortations which warn against laziness and instead command industry, but he also seeks to show us the Biblical principles which inform those same commands. In this case, for instance, the exhortation to work is for both the glory of God and the good of our boys, instilling self-respect, and the skills necessary for a full and God-enriched life and a deep appreciation of the Sabbath (p. 61).

Wilson’s treatment of such matter is sharp and insightful and provokes the reader to think deeply about the consequences for our sons and how all of this relates to the gospel and the glory of God. Wilson’s explanation of how the instruction of boys in respect of courtesy and social behaviour and the way in which this relates to sexual purity and godly marriage is brilliantly formulated and explained (Chapter Sixteen).

Wilson’s prose is also worthy of comment. Returning again to the topic of laziness, Wilson appeals to Proverbs 6:6-11, ‘Go to the ant, O sluggard…’ and comments,

God does not just promise poverty to this young man; He promises that it will come upon him like a thug with a gun. In the good providence of God, the lazy man is not going to be treated with tenderness. Parents who allow this pattern to develop while their son is under their oversight are asking the providential hand of God to work him over with a baseball bat. (p. 61)

Wilson’s writing is direct, witty and both sharp and tender as is fitting to the matter in hand. Wilson is an accomplished writer with a distinctive voice which reminds me of the rich and profound drollery of, say, G.K. Chesterton.

Although I do not agree with Wilson in every area – we would politely and respectfully disagree with regards to his appreciation of Covenant Theology (most evident in Chapter Four, A Covenant Home) and on the issue of infant baptism (Firwood Church instead advocates believer’s baptism) – this book is necessary because the topic is so vital.

We live in a culture which has a distorted and unbiblical appreciation of manhood and masculinity and we live in a time in which divorce rates are on the increase and the notion of the family unit is increasingly being eroded. We are the generation of the absent father. As such there is a great impetus upon the church and believers to think clearly and biblically about manhood and how we raise our young men to be men.  We are called to think and, moreover, we are called to live this out.

This is the purpose of Future Men: as Pastor Wilson calls us to instruct and discipline our young men biblically that the next generation might rise up and shine likes stars in a crooked and depraved universe.

Andy Evans

Future Men can be purchased here.

Pastor Douglas Wilson’s blog can be read here.

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

I first heard Hillsong United, following the release of their album More than life, at the Soul Survivor conference when I was 12 years old. They really caught my attention with their high energy, passionate God-centred music style. I can safely say that Hillsong United have continued to produce high octane, Jesus-focussed worship ever since.

Fast-forward to 2006, there I was, a 15 year old adolescent trying to navigate the call to lead others (which invariably involves a platform) while trying to keep the spotlight firmly on Jesus. Hillsong United (among others) helped me to understand what this balance should look like. The album, ‘United We Stand’, was formative in helping me to understand how to lead worship without pushing myself centre stage robbing Jesus of the glory which is rightfully his.

United We Stand is a live recording of a worship set from the 2006 Hillsong Conference. The album kicks off with a soaring instrumental which then leads into the first song ‘The Time Has Come’. I love this song. The encouragement here is for Christians to take a stand for Jesus and to back up our love for him with holy and steadfast living. This is a timely encouragement in our days of compromise.

The driving rhythm and provocative lyrics, “Today, today its all or nothing” sum up the Gospel call of Christ and challenge us to live deeply, ‘If any one would be my disciple he must deny himself, take up His cross and follow me’ (Matthew 16:24).

It is rare to find an album (much less a worship album) this consistently excellent. There is much here to satisfy the ears and the soul.  ‘From the inside out’ speaks tenderly of God’s mercy and grace towards his people even though all seems to be fading, ‘Your light will shine when all else fades.’ The reminder here is that God works in our lives to bring change at the deepest level and the evidence of this is then seen on the outside in transformed lives. Personally speaking, this is a significant song which God has used to challenge and provoke me. It is most certainly up there in my top-ten.

United We Stand contains the similarly excellent, ‘Fire fall down’, ‘From God above’, ‘Revolution’ and the stripped down, ‘None but Jesus’, ‘Came to my rescue’ and ‘Sovereign Hands.’

There is variety here also with both male and female lead vocals and, throughout, the music is both intricate and yet immense, veering from the delicately intimate to the thumping drive of abandoned celebration. United We Stand captures the heart of Hillsong United: passionate Jesus-centred, Christ-exalting worship.

The album ends with, “The Stand”, and I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to finish than with a song which calls us to surrender completely and utterly to our God and King. The line, “All I am is yours,” echoing the key theme across this album, here takes on a new and startling significance.

United We Stand is available on both CD and DVD. On DVD, in particular, communicates something of the thrill of thousands of people gathered to praise the Living God. This is a brief glimpse of all that awaits those who love him and who will spend eternity gathered around the throne of God singing praise and worship songs to him and Him alone for all of eternity.

Andy Smith

Andy regularly plays with the band and leads worship at Firwood Church.

Click here to purchase United We Stand.

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

I was recently sat in my favourite burger establishment with my wife when we realised that it’s becoming a little uncomfortable there. Turns out that we go waaaaaay too often. You know that things are bad when you are pretty much best buds with the staff. We’re long past being on first -name turns. We walk in and they give us a little nod which we return in kind. Then we chat about our day and what we’ve been up to since we were last in there (this is usually approximately 36 hours previous).

Anyhoo, something marvellous happened on our last visit. We took in a voucher which entitled us to a burger and a drink for a discount price. When our meal came, it included a whole heap of fries. I’m not talking about those short stack puny McFries – these are seriously chunky, gut-busting chips. Being a thoroughly good chap and not wanting to inadvertently steal from our best buds, I approach the desk and explain that we got some fries that we didn’t order, or pay for. She says that it was a mistake, but not to worry about it. She then refuses to take my money. Moments later she utters a statement that I’ve longed to have said to me in any food related establishment.

“It’s on the house”.

Result.

Truth is that everyone loves getting something extra. A brucey bonus, if you will. Well, good news readers: you are about to partake in a bonus review.

This is not just a review of Matt Redman’s album, Facedown, but it is likewise a review of his DVD which, rather cunningly (and conveniently), is also entitled Facedown.

Before you congratulate yourself too vigorously, I should point out that the track list is almost identical (there is a golden-oldie added to the DVD). There are, however, additional features to the DVD, but I will return to this in good time.

First off, let’s start with what they have in common, the music.

There are thirteen tracks and let me state my position immediately. Not only is this the best live worship album that you can buy, it is also Matt Redman’s best album. Now, there may be some that would quibble with this statement and question its validity. However, those folks are wrong.

Dead wrong.

It may be a live album, but the sound quality is easily comparable with a studio album, in fact it is produced to a much higher quality than many Christian studio releases. This is helped greatly by the inclusion of Tree63 guitarist, the always excellent Jon Ellis. Every track is performed to a magnificent standard and the benefit of the live recording is that you get to see these worship songs perform the function for which they were crafted, to lead us in worshiping and giving glory to King Jesus.

The album begins on a high with one of my favourite worship songs, Praise Awaits You. From the soaring guitar riff to the anthemic chorus, this is a fantastic song with which to open an album. Other notable songs are the tremendous Nothing but the Blood, the second verse of which magnificently captures the wonder of the cross.

Your cross testifies in grace
Tells of the Father’s heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach
Not by earthly confidence
It’s only by Your blood

It is a little unfair, however, to point out the “stand out” tracks as everything, with the partial exception of the spontaneous Lead us up the mountain (which is still pretty good), is excellent. From Worthy, You are Worthy to the achingly beautiful Facedown the songs are not simply well-crafted and melodically interesting, but lyrically powerful.

Two other songs are of special note. Firstly, Dancing Generation is truly unique. There are a many praise songs which are lively and “dance” orientated. They’d be the fast paced tracks that you’d tend to pull out for a large congregation. Oftentimes, these songs aren’t particularly deep, but convey a simple gospel message in simple terms. Tim Hughes’ Joy is in this Place and Matt Redman’s own Undignified would most likely fall into this bracket as would the classic Lord of the Dance which contained that gem of a line “Get in the Holy Ghost”.

However, despite Dancing Generation being a fast, frantic song, there is a depth and profundity uncommon in such exuberant, high-energy songs (there is a pleasing absence of  “la-las”, “na-nas” and “tra-la-las”). Dancing Generation focuses on the sheer mercy of God displayed towards unworthy sinners like you and I and understands that worship is then a heart response of gratitude in the light of such grace and mercy:

For it’s the overflow of a forgiven soul
and now we’ve seen you, Lord
our hearts cannot stay silent

The last song I’d like to highlight is Breathing the Breath.

From purely a musical point of view, this song is interesting:  from the simple piano intro to the distinctive and delicate melody reaching a crescendo with the powerfully insistent repeating phrase, “We are breathing the breath that you gave us to breathe”. The first time I heard this song, I was wowed. The simplicity of the musical setting somehow underscores the profundity of the lyrics and results in a heart-rending worshipful heart-response to a Creator God who is at work and intimately involved with all that he has made.

However, it was on hearing Louie Giglio’s sermon on the DVD which spoke about the meaning of the song, of God breathing life into Adam in Eden, that I was blown away. It brings a whole new dimension to the song and the more I hear it, the more I am convinced that this is Redman’s finest song to date – which is a statement indeed.

Which brings me nicely onto the DVD.

Ok, briefly, the DVD contains the same songs as the CD (less the spontaneous, “Lead us up the Mountain”), which is nice, and also the “bonus track”, Heart of Worship (which is probably Redman’s most well-known song).

As the live footage is filmed at worship conference, the setting is intimate and the filming “feels” sensative and unintrusive. Such is the setting and the skill with which the DVD is pulled together, I personally favour watching the DVD over listening to the CD.

In addition, the bonus features of the DVD are terrific. Overall there is close to 4 hours of content. Apart from the live worship, it contains three excellent sermons from Louie Giglio given at the Facedown conference. The first of these sermons contains the section about Breathing the Breath and given a choice between the CD and the DVD, the sheer volume of content on the DVD makes it a no-brainer.

However, like I said – this is the review that keeps on giving. I have searched high and low (by that I mean that I performed a simple google search) and have found a fantastic CD & DVD bundle package here

To be honest, I’m not quite sure why you are still reading this. By now you should have clicked the link above, or headed out to your nearest retailer, to buy Facedown. That way you should either be watching it right now or sat by your letterbox with a sleeping bag and a flask of hot Vimto, waiting for the postman to deliver it.

Jonny Evans