“Up to 75% off entire inventory!”
That really doesn’t tell me much, now, does it. They could hide a whole lot of non-discounted merchandise behind that “up to.”
Overheard on a radio talk show the other day:
Caller: “Chicago politics is corrupt.”
Host: “You could read a comic book and know that!”
I’ve added some summaries to my growing list of tested pens.
Abraham recently encouraged his readers to post what they appreciate about their pastor. I am eager to comply.
My family and I are in the happy situation of having not just one, but multiple pastors. In fact, we have so many pastors that at times it’s hard to keep track of them all!
Some of them I know fairly well. Some not as well. Some not at all. Yet.
Of those I know, I am particularly grateful for (in alphabetical order):
- Sam Crabtree — Pastor Sam is one of the best free-throw shooters I’ve ever played with, but his basketball skills are overshadowed by his sense of humor, friendly encouragement, and ability to imaginatively express biblical truths.
- David Michael — Pastor David Michael’s wise counsel, humble example, and heartfelt prayers (especially for the children of our church) have challenged and strengthened my faith.
- John Piper — No one has more relentlessly pointed me (through his preaching, teaching, writing, and praying) to the superior satisfaction found in Jesus Christ than has Pastor John.
And also for:
- Ken Currie
- David Livingston
- Brad Nelson
- Chuck Steddom
- Tom Steller
- Kenny Stokes, and
- Kempton Turner
It is a pleasure and a rare gift to be fed and guided by such a band of mature, thoughtful, spiritual, joyful, faithful, hopeful, loving shepherds.
Debating Calvinism: Five Points, Two Views — Dave Hunt & James White
The debate that takes place in this book consists of two professional apologists talking past each other.
Or, to be fair to James White, it consists of one apologist trying to have a constructive debate with another apologist who doesn’t seem to be listening.
If you are hoping to be persuaded by the best arguments that each position (Calvinism/non-Calvinism) has to offer, you may want to keep looking.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a handy reference on what a poor debate looks like in print, by all means, rush out and buy the book. You will not be disappointed.
Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election — Sam Storms
It’s hard to present arguments on a subject like divine election without offending somebody. It is possible, though, to make an honest effort to not caricature another’s position. Sam Storms makes that effort.
Rather than heroically dismantling arguments that few people hold, Dr. Storms interacts with real, opposing arguments. By doing so, he highlights and distills the specific areas of contention. Here is one of the big ones:
“Whereas much may and will be said of election in this book, the point of dispute between Calvinists and Arminians is surprisingly simple. No one who believes in the Bible questions the fact that election is taught there…
“The question reduces to this: Does God elect people because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, or does God elect people in order that they shall believe in Christ?”
I was particularly helped by two short paragraphs midway through the book. The issue in question is whether Isaac and Jacob are best understood in Romans 9 to be “examples of individual men elected to eternal life,” or to “the nation of Israel collectively and its privileged status above all other nations on earth.”
“Let me try to simplify matters. We must remember that Paul’s grief in verses 1-5 is over the eternal condemnation of individual Jews. How can so few ethnic Israelites be saved and so many lost because of unbelief, if God’s word is true? That is the problem. Consequently the solution that verses 6-13 provide must address the issue of individual, eternal salvation and condemnation.
“But how does an appeal to the collective election of Israel or the election of Jacob and his seed to earthly, historical prominence solve the problem of unbelieving, eternally lost Jews? How can that solve the problem when that is the problem? It was the fact that ethnic Israel as a whole was God’s chosen, covenant people that created the problem in the first place (vv. 4-5)!”
Chosen for Life will not answer every question in the Arminian-Calvinist debate. Indeed, it doesn’t attempt to. What it does do is provide a respectful and fruitful examination of a doctrine that every Christian should marvel at.
Five Equations that Changed the World: The Power and Poetry of Mathematics — Michael Guillen
I loved this book!
In about 50 pages per story, Dr. Michael Guillen narrates the circumstances surrounding the discovery of five important scientific equations, along with an understandable explanation of each.
The 5 equations that made the cut are:
- Universal Law of Gravity (Isaac Newton)
- Law of Hydrodynamic Pressure (Daniel Bernoulli)
- Law of Electromagnetic Induction (Michael Faraday)
- Second Law of Thermodynamics (Rudolf Clausius)
- Theory of Special Relativity (Albert Einstein)
Guillen clarifies in his introduction what he means by the “poetry of mathematics”:
“In the language of mathematics, equations are like poetry: They state truths with a unique precision, convey volumes of information in rather brief terms, and often are difficult for the uninitiated to comprehend.”
Again,
“It is impossible to understand the true meaning of an equation, or to appreciate its beauty, unless it is read in the delightfully quirky language in which it was penned. That is precisely why I have written this book.”
Dr. Guillen did an exceptional job of helping me decipher and appreciate the beauty of these five otherwise daunting equations.
…for a particular senator, some of whose qualities I admire:
Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing the People of God? — Keith A. Mathison
The title of this book caught my attention because for the first 30 years of my life I lived in a church/school culture which believed that dispensationalism was the best framework for understanding the Bible properly.
The subtitle — Rightly Dividing the People of God? — is a play on words:
1) Dispensationalism distinguishes itself from other theological grids by seeing a distinction between the Old Testament “people of God” (the nation of Israel) and the New Testament “people of God” (the Church)
2) Dispensationalism (like every other teaching over which there is no Christian consensus) divides God’s people
The book, published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing in 1995, consists of 160 pages and four major parts.
Part 1 defines dispensationalism and examines its roots in church history. Keith Mathison helpfully defines dispensationalism in terms of what makes it unique among theological systems: it is “that system of theology which sees a fundamental distinction between Israel and the church.” Its roots go back to the late 19th century Bible Conference Movement.
Part 2 argues strongly for the unity of believers throughout all of history. Where dispensationalism sees a critical discontinuity between believers of the Old Testament and believers in the “church age,” Mathison sees an essential continuity.
Part 3 refutes “the dispensational doctrine of salvation” by defending point by point the Calvinist doctrine of salvation. It was here that I felt the book lost its focus a bit. While a semi-Pelagian view of salvation is no doubt common among dispensationalists, Mathison fails to prove that it is a necessary teaching of dispensationalism. As such, these 60+ pages dilute the impact of the book.
Part 4 argues against “the dispensational doctrine of the last things.” Mathison offers reasons why the dispensationalist teaching of the rapture is not correct. Additionally, he explains why the dispensationalist understanding of the Millennium is suspect.
I appreciated Mathison’s attempts throughout the book to prove his points with Scripture. Although he occasionally appeals to church history to support his arguments, he insists that Scripture trumps the church’s historical understanding of any given teaching.
Though I am sympathetic to many of Mathison’s viewpoints, and though this book provides helpful insight into areas that deserve concentrated consideration, I’m not convinced that Mathison’s overview of the subject proves as much as he thinks it does. His rhetoric at times seems stronger than his proof.
Mathison concludes the book with this exhortation: “True Christians are thus faced with a choice. The decision is whether to submit to the compelling witness of Scripture or to continue believing in a doctrinal system void of biblical basis simply because that system is what one has always been taught. I urge my dispensationalist brothers and sisters to consider this choice prayerfully, and to eagerly embrace the Word of truth.”
I suspect a sincere dispensationalist would offer similar advice at the end of a book defending dispensationalism.
They all share the same Greek root: phileo (fi-LAY-oh). At least that’s what my 12-year old linguist, Joshua, volunteered.
