Midwestern Magazine - Issue 37

BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE O F M I D W E S T E R N S E M I N A RY AND SPURGEON COLLEGE

ISSUE 37

JASON K. ALLEN ON READING | THE RESURGENT DOCTORATE | THE BOOK LOVER’S GUIDE TO KANSAS CITY

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C O N T EN T S

Midwestern Magazine Issue 37

AT A G L A N C E

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STUDENT HIGHLIGHT Sam Parkison

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ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT Dr. Russell L. Meek

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FACULTY HIGHLIGHT Dr. Matthew Millsap

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IN FOCUS Northland Baptist Church

(Kansas City, Missouri)

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AROUND CAMPUS A review of news and events

at Midwestern Seminary

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BOOKS IN BRIEF Recently published books by

Midwestern faculty and staff

Jason K. Allen

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

4 Bibliology & Biography

RESOURCES FOR THE CHURCH A selection

of articles from the For The Church resources site at ftc.co

WHY EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD READ

FOR THE

BOOKS!

CHRISTIANITY

Jason Duesing ARTICLE

INTERVIEW

E S S AY

10 For the Books!

12 The Resurgent

16 Why Every

The literary renaissance at Midwestern continues.

Doctorate

An interview with Drs. Rodney Harrison and Owen Strachan.

Christian Should Read Mere Christianity Midwestern’s Academic Provost reflects on a Christian classic.

18 The Books That Made Us

Various Contributors

22 Sword & Trowel Staff

24 The Book Lover’s

Guide to Kansas City Staff

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OFFICE of the PRESIDENT Jason K. Allen, Ph.D.

Dear Friends: “Bring the books.” Those famous, parting words from the apostle Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy, are words that resonate with most every gospel minister. In addition to the study of Scriptures, from generation to generation, pastors have been nourished and equipped by the words of gifted, Christian authors.

This has certainly proven true for me. I well-remember, as a junior in college, and as I began to sense God’s call to ministry, how in my dorm room a bookshelf began to take shape. Over a period of months, that bookshelf blossomed into a full bookcase. Now, nearly 20 years later, that bookcase has swollen to a library numbering thousands upon thousands.

I share this personal reflection not as a statement of pride, and most certainly not to suggest spiritual maturity or intellectual achievement, but merely as a personal testimony of how important books have been to my spiritual formation, my development as a pastor, and even in my role as president of Midwestern Seminary. Thus, I thank God for the authors whom he has raised up from generation to generation to strengthen his church and those who serve her.

Thankfully, as I survey the theological landscape in the year 2019, one of the things I am most grateful for is the gifted authors assembled on this campus. Through the ministry of Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College, a treasure trove of materials are making their way into Christian bookstores, pastors’ libraries, seminary and college classrooms, and Sunday school class and Bible study venues. God has collected on this campus a dazzling array of talented writers who are using their gifts for his glory and for the further strengthening of his church.

As you survey this issue of the Midwestern Magazine, I trust you will be encouraged anew to be men and women who, like Paul, desire good books, and you will rejoice with me in the many good authors collected here at Midwestern Seminary.

Thank you for your interest in, support of, and prayers for Midwestern Seminary. God is doing a special work here in Kansas City, and you, most likely, are a part of that work.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jason K. Allen, Ph.D. President Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

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Readers can visit DR. JASON K. ALLEN’S BLOG at jasonkallen.com.

ED I T O R’S N O T E ISSUE 37

ADMINISTRATION Jason K. Allen PRESIDENT

James J. Kragenbring VICE PRESIDENT FOR

INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Jason G. Duesing PROVOST

Charles W. Smith, Jr.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR

INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS

EDITORIAL Jared C. Wilson CHIEF EDITOR

ART Jason Muir

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Kristen Lanier Ronni Kurtz Paige Brooks Kaden Classen

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Special thanks to:

JON WOODS

PAT HUDSON

© 2019 Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” – 2 Timothy 4:13 Thus begins the apostle Paul’s conclusion to his second letter to his young protégé Timothy. As Midwestern Seminary’s own favorite historic hero of the faith, Charles Spurgeon, says of this passage, “Even an apostle must read.”

Jackets and books. Those are certainly two things you see a lot of on and around campus at Midwestern! And it’s the latter to which we are dedicating this latest issue of the Midwestern Magazine. Why? Because from dorms to offices, coffee shops to classrooms, every nook and cranny is brimming with books. If there were a “seminary student” action figure, its accessory would be a bag overflowing with books.

Seminary president Dr. Jason Allen is going to fill you in on his affection for both the Bible and biographies. Provost Dr. Jason Duesing is going to sing the praises of that favorite of the Oxford literati, C.S. Lewis. A selection of our professors will reveal the books that most influenced them. And we’ll even give you a Book Lover’s Guide to our favorite city.

But our community doesn’t just facilitate readers; we also foster writers!

Therefore, in this edition you’ll get a glimpse at upcoming releases from faculty and staff, hear from both students and alumni on their publishing endeavors, and get a sampling of articles from our online resource (ftc.co) on various aspects of writing and reading.

Whether you’re a budding writer or just a ravenous bookworm, I hope you’ll enjoy this delightful dive into the stacks. We are indeed people of the Book, and the implications of that dedication for Midwestern Seminary have extended to a dynamic ministry of arts and letters. May this literary feast fuel your affections for Christ.

For the glory of Christ and, thus, For The Church,

5001 N. Oak Trafficway Kansas City, MO 64118 (816) 414-3700 Midwestern Seminary maintains professional and academic accreditation with two accrediting associations: The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC).

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Jared C. Wilson Chief Editor, Midwestern Magazine Managing Editor, For The Church @JAREDCWILSON

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JASON K. ALLEN ON READING...

B I B L I O LO GY & B I O G R A P H Y

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Bibliology RECENTLY, I FOUND MYSELF in front of a group of Christians fielding questions about the nature of Scripture—what the Bible is and why it matters. I was struck by how many members of the crowd, though they believed and appreciated the Bible, really lacked sufficient grounding in the Holy Scriptures. They did not really grasp what the Bible is and why it matters. Do you?

While most Americans grant the Bible unique status, and most churchgoers think of it—to some degree—as a book from God, confessional evangelicals believe the Bible is much more than that. We believe it is God’s Word.

The Bible is unlike any other book—it is God’s written revelation to man. By it, we can know God and truly know ourselves. More importantly, by it we can know Christ and the way of salvation.

The sad reality is that many who serve churches and fill pulpits do not believe the Scriptures, and the sadder reality is many who sit under their ministries are not equipped to detect it.

Exactly how should we think of the Bible? In what way is it unique? How should Christians view the Bible? Let us look at five ways that helpfully describe the nature of Scripture:

“God breathed out the Holy Scriptures.” They come from his innermost being. Operationally, it means God superintended the authors of Scripture in such a way that the words themselves, not just the authors, were inspired.

Inspiration is the most common and historic descriptor for the Bible, but it has proven to be an insufficient one. Historically, inspiration also implied truthfulness and authority and functioned as a catchall descriptor for the Bible as God’s Word.

Liberal theologians commandeered the term and severed it from its original usage. Their practice of “using our vocabulary, but not our dictionary” left an insufficient doctrine of inspiration, where the authors—much like Shakespeare or Bach— might be inspired, but not the text itself.

Confessing evangelicals understand inspiration to be both verbal and plenary. Verbal means the words—not just the author or the sentiments behind the words—are inspired, and plenary means all of the words of Scripture, not just a subset. Literally, each and every word of the Bible is fully inspired by God.

“Inspiration is the most common and historic descriptor for the Bible, but it has proven to be an insufficient one.”

THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE Drawn from II Timothy 3:16, where the apostle Paul states, “All Scripture is inspired of God,” inspiration literally means,

THE INFALLIBILITY OF SCRIPTURE As the word inspiration became insufficiently

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clear in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “infallibility” entered the confessing church’s lexicon. Infallibility means the Word of God accomplishes all it intends and is incapable of error or untruth. Thus, the Bible is infallible.

Inerrancy is built on the simple logic—if the Bible is errant at any point, it may be inaccurate at any point. For a more thorough explanation of the doctrine of inerrancy, consult the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.

By the second half of the 20th century, infallibility, like inspiration, had been “In its original usage, infallibility meant weakened of its original force. This the Bible, in theory, could have no errors. hollowed out version of infallibility meant something much more Inerrancy means that the Bible has no errors.” narrow—the Bible was infallible in matters of faith and practice. Thus, implying the Bible may not be true when it spoke to more technical, less spiritual matters like science, historical records, THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE or genealogies. Another, more forceful and As God’s revelation to man, the Bible comes unambiguous term, became necessary, hence the with binding authority. From how to live the word “inerrancy.”

Christian life, to doctrines we must embrace, to how the church should order itself, Holy THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE Scripture is an authoritative Word, requiring Now, in the 21st century, the most robust Christians to obey. designation for the Bible is “inerrancy.” Inerrancy asserts the original autographs were without The Bible’s self-attestation assumes this. error, real or perceived. Inerrancy applies to Throughout Scripture, those who believe and the entire Bible, including scientific references live the Bible are affirmed as wise, faithful, and and historical accounts. Though the Bible is not genuine followers of Christ.1 As Jesus said in the primarily a book of science or history, when it Sermon on the Mount, does reference such matters it does so truthfully.

In its original usage, infallibility meant the Bible, Therefore, everyone who hears these words in theory, could have no errors. Inerrancy means of mine and acts on them, may be compared that the Bible has no errors. to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, Inerrancy does not mean there are no and the winds blew and slammed against challenging texts, apparent contradictions, that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had or human mistakes in translation. Rather, it been founded on the rock. Everyone who points all the way upstream and asserts that the hears these words of mine and does not act Bible’s original sources and texts were error-free on them, will be like a foolish man who built in every way. In fact, inerrancy holds up even his house on the sand. The rain fell, and in light of modern scholarship, when textual the floods came, and the winds blew and variants and other ambiguities of transmission slammed against that house; and it fell—and are taken into consideration. great was its fall.2 Inerrancy became the delineating issue in the SBC controversy in the last quarter of the 20th century and remains the most defining and clarifying referent to the nature of Scripture.

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THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE Finally, as the living Word of God, the Bible is sufficient for Christian ministry and living. As Paul reminded Timothy, since the Holy Scriptures

are inspired by God, the Bible itself makes us “adequate, equipped for every good work.”3 Christians need not look to second blessings, mystical experiences, or other human authority.

We have a more certain and more powerful word, the Word of God. Each one of these five aspects of God’s Word are interlinked and interdependent. They form five links in the chain of God’s revelation to man. Only an inspired book can be infallible and inerrant, and a book that owns these three strengths is authoritative and sufficient.

The Bible is truly unlike any other book. It is God’s written self-disclosure to humanity. As such, we must read it, study it, teach it, and live it.

Biography “The history of the world is but the biography of great men,” argued Thomas Carlyle, the proponent of what has come to be known as the “Great Man Theory of History.” This theory suggests that the broader movements and contours of history all go back to the leadership of great individuals who exerted unique influence on their times. Whether or not Carlyle’s theory proves true is debatable, but that certain individuals cast long shadows is not.

More than a cultural observation or historical phenomenon, this is biblical reality. Repeatedly in Scripture we see God providentially calling forth individuals for consequential, kingdom tasks.

People like Moses, Joshua, David, and Peter dot the biblical landscape. In fact, Hebrews 2 in many ways is a biographical summation of the great lives of the Old Testament—mini-biographies, if you will.

As one who is entrusted with a leadership position, I find it profitable to read of others who

have led. Wherever you find me, you will likely find a good biography nearby. Over breaks and holidays, I especially enjoy devouring a biography or two. Why is this the case?

GOOD BIOGRAPHIES ARE FASCINATING. I will occasionally read a novel, but I have never been overly drawn to fiction. Yes, I have enjoyed strolling through Wendell Berry’s Port Royal, John Grisham’s court rooms, and of course C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. But for me, a well-told biography is more intriguing—and often stranger—than fiction.

I have found myself unable to sleep while in the throes of the Battle of Britain in William Manchester’s The Last Lion. Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms is riveting in Roland Bainton’s Here I Stand. David McCullough’s recounting of Eisenhower wrestling with the D-Day invasion is gripping. For me, to forgo reading biographies—like foregoing family-time, a round of golf, or other enjoyable opportunities that add gratification and spice to life—would leave a void of pleasure in my life.

GOOD BIOGRAPHIES ARE INFORMATIVE. A good biographer tells not only the story of a person, but also of their times. Reading a good biography is like strolling through an intellectual shopping mall. The anchor store is what drew you there, but you will be pleasantly surprised along the way at what other items grab your attention.

You will find no better recounting of the British Empire at its zenith than the opening chapters of Manchester’s Visions of Glory, volume one of his The Last Lion. Robert Caro’s The Life and Times of Lyndon Baines Johnson will teach you about LBJ, but you will also be confronted with the calamitous effects of the Great Depression, the underbelly of 20th century American politics, the machinations of the United States Senate, the death of a president, and the national quagmire known as the Vietnam War. Ian Murray’s Jonathan Edwards will give you an informative look into colonial America, while Francois Wendell’s John Calvin will help you not only know the reformer, but also Reformation Europe.

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Strictly speaking, a biography is but a slice of history; but when well done, it opens for the reader a panoramic view into the providential unfolding of God’s cosmic plan.

“A good biographer tells not only the story of a person, but also of their times.”

GOOD BIOGRAPHIES ARE RELAXING. Winston Churchill once noted a man who works with his hands should have a hobby that engages his mind, and a man who works with his mind should have a hobby that engages his hands.

Another way to apply Churchill’s maxim is to supplement technical, pen-in-hand vocational reading with leisurely, feet-on-the-ottoman biographical reading. Indeed, few things are more relaxing to me than winding down the evening and entering into another world—a world of martial glory, national crisis, intrepid missionary efforts, or world-shaking preaching.

GOOD BIOGRAPHIES ARE INSPIRATIONAL. Though not prone to self-pity, like anyone I can occasionally use a good dose of perspective.

Not only can a good biography bring words of consolation, it can also magnetically pull the reader to new heights of personal aspiration and self-sacrifice. I read of D.L. Moody purposing to evangelize daily; William Carey’s attempting great things for God and expecting great things from God; John Knox’s willingness to stand against Mary, Queen of Scots; or Jim Elliot’s death at the end of a native’s spear, and I cannot help but redouble my pursuit of God’s call on my life.

Beyond the Christian, ministerial realm, I have marveled at Pete Maravich, who excelled at college basketball like none other. Margaret

Thatcher bucking up her own cabinet ministers in the Falkland Islands crisis. Or Churchill “mobilizing the English language and sending it into battle.” I never shot basketball with Maravich, visited prime minister’s questions with Thatcher, or plotted war strategy with Churchill, but I have enjoyed the next best thing by reading their biographies—and have been motivated in so doing.

GOOD BIOGRAPHIES ARE SANCTIFYING. How can I not grow in my love for evangelism and missions while reading of Adoniram Judson in To the Golden Shore or Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret? How can I not grow in my devotion to prayer while reading of A.W. Tozer putting on his praying pants in In Pursuit of God? How can I not recommit myself to meditating on Scripture and to a life of faith while reading Man of Faith, the biography of George Mueller? How can I not give more effort to sermon preparation after reading Ian Murray tell of Jonathan Edwards’ 13-hour days in the study? How can I not renew my efforts in preaching after having Arnold Dallimore describe George Whitefield preaching himself into his grave? How can I not stand for truth after reading of Spurgeon’s Downgrade Controversy; sacrifice for missionaries after reading of Lottie Moon; or resolve to live with abandon for Christ after reading of Stephen Olford’s maxim that “only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last?”

In the spirit of Hebrews 2, reading good biographies summons forth a veritable chorus of cheers, encouraging us to lay aside every encumbrance and sin that so easily entangles us and to run with endurance the race set before us.

This, and so much more, is why I love reading good biographies, and why I pity the person who neglects them. Do not be counted among their number.

1

Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 19:7-11, John 8:31-32, Joshua 1:8, II Timothy 3:16-17.

2

Matthew 7:24-27.

3

II Timothy 3:17.

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Dr. Jason K. Allen | President, MBTS

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For the

BOOKS! The Literary Renaissance at Midwestern Continues

The ink continues to flow on campus!

As a follow-up to our last report on the unprecedented literary output from the Midwestern Seminary community, we offer this new update demonstrating that the continual growth at the school continues to fuel a paginated productivity. Our faculty and staff are presented with ongoing opportunities in the world of Christian publishing.

President Jason K. Allen, of course, has followed up his previously successful books Discerning Your Call to Ministry, Portraits of a Pastor, and

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Being a Christian with two new projects. The first—Sola: How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church (Moody)—is a collection edited by Allen and featuring contributions from him, Jason Duesing, Matthew Barrett, Owen Strachan, and Jared Wilson.

The other project, Letters to My Students, is part of an anticipated multi-volume series, and elucidates Dr. Allen’s wisdom and practical counsel on the subject of preaching. Subtitled “Biblical and Practical Advice for Gospel Ministers,” Letters to My Students is scheduled to release this July from B&H Publishers.

Samuel Bierig, Dean of Spurgeon College, recently signed a contract with Rainer Publishing to

produce a book on the “stewardship of words” promoting the gracious use of the tongue and pen by Christian brothers and sisters. He has also edited and contributed to a volume on gospelcentered student ministry. Featuring contributions from other leaders like Rechab Gray, Joel Cowart, and Royland Kirkwood, as well as Midwestern’s Director of Student Life and Events, Jared Bumpers, Fulfill Your Ministry releases from Rainer Publishing in April 2019.

Owen Strachan recently released a personallycurated collection of devotional readings from the works of Jonathan Edwards. Always in God’s Hands: Day by Day in the Company of Jonathan Edwards released last fall to much acclaim.

Strachan also has numerous projects in the works, including a biblical anthropology project titled Reenchanting Humanity (August 2019, B&H Academic), which aims to help Christians answer major questions of the age (like on homosexuality, transgenderism, gender roles, and more) with the timeless truths of Scripture.

Born This Way?: Homosexuality, Science, and the Scriptures, adding a much-needed word in this culturally relevant conversation.

And, of course, many of our professors continue to see short pieces appear in theological and ministerial journals, magazines, and web resources throughout the year. The For the Church website, hosted by the seminary, is also a great and ever-expanding repository of short pieces in the pastoral, practical, and devotional veins, further shaping Midwestern’s reputation for literary stewardship.

Midwestern Seminary staffers and students are also continuing to make forays into publishing. Sam Parkison, a current doctoral student and a former admissions counselor at Midwestern, recently released his first book with Rainer Publishing.

In Revelation and Response, Parkison, who is also a worship pastor at Emmaus Church in North Kansas City, shows “The Why and How of Leading Corporate Worship Through Song.”

Matthew Barrett recently released the massive volume Reformation Theology and his helpful recent Kregel Academic project, 40 Questions About Salvation, and this March published with Baker Books a work titled None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God. Carl Trueman said of it, “Barrett’s excellent book bridges the gap between the professional theologian and the pew, laying out in clear, accessible terms what the biblical, historic, ecumenical doctrine of God is, why it matters, and why its abandonment by great swathes of the Protestant world is something that needs correction.”

Jared Wilson, Midwestern Seminary’s Director of Content Strategy, now also an assistant professor of pastoral ministry at Spurgeon College, continues his prolific ways. Wilson has followed up his 2018 Christian living title Supernatural Power for Everyday People (Thomas Nelson) with a book on leading gospel-centered church transition. The Gospel-Driven Church was published by Zondervan in March. Wilson also has a Bible study on Ruth coming from New Growth Press in the fall and has signed a contract for another book with Thomas Nelson in the genre of Christian living to appear in 2020.

Robert Matz has co-edited a collection titled Divine Impassibility: Four Views of God’s Emotions and Suffering, the newest entry in a popular IVP series that will publish this August.

These are exciting days for the Midwestern Seminary community, as the influence of and investment by the institution repeatedly resounds far and wide. And with more academic, practical, and literary contributions to come, these are great days for students to join the spiritual and intellectual resurgence taking place in Kansas City.

John Lee recently signed a contract for a book to be published in 2020 by Lexham Press, which also published last fall Dr. Alan Branch’s book

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Dr. Rodney Harrison

T

he increase in enrollment at Midwestern Seminary has been experienced across disciplines and degree programs. With renewed interest in continuing theological education among pastors, we have seen a resurgence of interest in our post-graduate training. Both our D.Min. and Ph.D. programs continue to be popular options among ministry leaders, and we thought we’d talk to two of our leaders in Midwestern’s Doctoral Studies Department to find out why.

Dr. Owen Strachan

Strachan: And in an age when many seminaries

are paring their residential programs, under the visionary leadership of Dr. Allen, MBTS is investing in personal ministry training with a vengeance, which is also a magnet for serious students.

Are more pastors — those not in pursuit of post-doctoral academic employment — pursuing doctorates?

Harrison: A growing number of churches are

Dr. Rodney Harrison is the dean of Post-graduate Studies at Midwestern, as well as the dean of Distance Education and Effectiveness and a professor of Christian Education. Owen Strachan is the director of The Residency, Midwestern’s residential Ph.D. component, as well as director of the Center for Public Theology and an associate professor of Christian Theology.

The resurgence in theological education in evangelicalism has certainly impacted Midwestern Seminary, and the doctoral programs are not exempt from this growth.

To what do you attribute this increase?

looking for pastors holding a terminal degree.

Although the M.Div. is, and will continue to be, the foundational degree for most pastoral settings, large and mid-size churches are turning to pastors holding a terminal degree. Churches understand an advanced degree does not qualify one for ministry. However, a doctorate does demonstrate the discipline required to balance ministry, family and academic pursuits. The research skills gained during the seminar and dissertation process will likely inform day-to-day decision-making, strategic planning, sermon preparation and team development. It is not by chance that a majority of this generation’s well-known evangelical leaders possess an earned terminal degree.

Harrison: While Midwestern’s doctoral program

has seen steady growth for the past 15 years, President Allen’s vision clarity—scholarship For the Church—coupled with an attentive doctoral staff, strategic faculty additions, and increased degree offerings has accelerated doctoral growth at Midwestern since 2012.

Would you encourage a pastor to get a Ph.D.?

Strachan: Pastors do not need to do a Ph.D.

But coming behind a M.Div., a Ph.D. can be part of what sharpens and grows and theologically strengthens a pastor. You’ll read perhaps 70-100

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books in your given field. But on top of that, you’ll write 8-10 major papers on areas of Bible and theology. And then on top of that, you’ll write a 250-page dissertation establishing you as a specialist in your field. How can this not benefit your ministry of the Word? How can this not affect your ability to communicate? How can this not shore you up in biblical teaching?

Harrison: In the first doctoral seminar,

Colloquium, I cover how the Ph.D., D.Min. and D.Ed.Min. are similar—and different. The pastor who pursues a Ph.D. over a D.Min. should be motivated by the desire to engage in classical academic research. The D.Min. and other professional doctorates are best understood as field research degrees that advance the practice of ministry, whereas the Ph.D. seeks to advance knowledge and scholarship. Both outcomes benefit the church; therefore, I would encourage every pastor to consider a terminal degree after two or three years of ministry. The Ph.D. is ideal for the pastor-scholar whose passion and calling are best expressed in academic or textual research. The D.Min. is designed for the pastorpractitioner motivated by the idea of original field-based research that will impact ministry.

Both are terminal degrees and serve the church in equal, but different ways.

What strengths do our doctoral programs have at Midwestern?

Harrison: The curriculum in each program

was designed by Midwestern Seminary’s worldclass faculty. Students frequently study under faculty who “wrote the book.” In addition, every professor is committed to the confessional documents of Midwestern—the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy and the Danver’s Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womenhood.

Another strength is the modular seminar approach that allows students to remain in their current ministry while enjoying the camaraderie and community of a traditional classroom. The size of our program means seminars are offered regularly.

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In many institutions, if a seminar is missed due to ministry commitments or illness, a student will have to wait for the seminar to be offered at a much later time. At Midwestern, most seminars are offered several times each year, providing maximum flexibility.

“The Residency provides the flexibility of modular seminars and research majors augmented by structured learning with faculty and seminary leadership.”

Unique to Midwestern is the Residency Ph.D. program. The Residency provides the flexibility of modular seminars and research majors augmented by structured learning with faculty and seminary leadership.

Students in the Residency earn a graduate certificate in Theological Education in addition to the Ph.D. Strachan: The Residency, in particular, features

theological discipleship, regular mentoring, select teaching and publishing opportunities, and a spirit of unfettered exultation in the life of the Christian mind for the church’s upbuilding.

Harrison: We should also mention that the

doctoral programs at Midwestern are affordable.

Once enrolled, the student’s tuition will not go up. And students may also apply for Federallysecured student loans to assist with their educational goals.

What’s in the future for doctoral studies at Midwestern?

Harrison: Midwestern was one of the first

seminaries to design every doctoral program around the “18-hour rule,” which informs faculty standards for colleges and universities. This means that most graduates are able to serve in two disciplines with one degree. We’ve also just launched this year new Ph.D. programs in Biblical Counseling and Biblical Theology, and we are exploring innovations that will make a Midwestern doctorate more accessible to pastors.

TAKE YOUR LEADERSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH OUR DOCTORAL DEGREES MIDWESTERN SEMINARY’S DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO EQUIP AND TRAIN LEADERS FOR THE CHURCH. All of Midwestern Seminary’s doctoral degrees are perfect for students seeking a high level of professional and academic competence. Whether you’re pursuing your Ph.D, D.Min, D.Coun, D.Ed.Min, or Th.M, we offer multiple concentrations. And because all of our doctoral programs are modular, you don’t even have to leave your current context to prepare for greater ministry impact.

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WHY EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD READ

CHRISTIANITY

by J A S O N G . D U E S I N G

C.S. Lewis loved old books.

In a short piece he wrote to introduce Athanasius’s On the Incarnation to a modern audience, he admonished that Christians who only read new books are joining “at eleven o’clock a conversation which began at eight” and “will often not see the real bearing of what is said.” He counseled reading old books to put “the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective.”

What exactly was he after in the old books?

Steadiness. Surety. A clear foundation from which to build and critique that which appears novel.

Lewis concluded, “The only safety is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity (“mere Christianity” as [Richard] Baxter called it).” While there are many fine reasons to commend the writing of C. S. Lewis for the modern Christian,

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perhaps Lewis’s admonishment now applies to his own work—for many would see a book published in 1952 as quite old.

Lewis wrote that phrase “mere Christianity” in 1944, eight years before the publication of his book by the same name. He wrote the book because, in part, during those war years, Lewis was invited to leave the comforts of his books at Oxford University to travel to London and endure potential German barrage to deliver radio addresses on the topic, “What Christians Believe.” Lewis was asked not because of his scholarly credentials, though he had them, but because he was an Anglican layman who converted to Christianity as an adult from atheism. The producers thought he would speak to the common listener.

Clyde Kilby, American preserver of Lewis’s legacy, also saw Lewis as an ally for the ordinary Christian, but not just because of Lewis’s ability to write with clarity. Lewis, Kilby said, is an ally to Christians because he is a Christian. His arguments and assertions of biblical truth do not belong to the world. Lewis “belongs to us.”

However, defining “us” is not easy these days. Tribal factions, debate over how Christians are to relate and try to transform the structures of society, and to what end, have left many defining evangelical Christianity more by what one doesn’t want it to be than the sturdy core to which Lewis calls. A return, then, to a nice, hot bowl of Mere Christianity might just be what the doctor ordered for what ails us.

A return, then, to a nice, hot bowl of Mere Christianity might just be what the doctor ordered for what ails us.

Lewis did not write to define denominational boundaries. Rather, to a nation wondering whether it would survive a war, he “thought the best, perhaps the only, service I could do for my unbelieving neighbours was to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.”

To accomplish this, he explained the various expressions of Christianity as doors opening to rooms off a central hallway. His aim was to bring his readers out into the hall to identify the core of Christianity they all share under one roof.

But this is not to say that Mere Christianity did not point readers to the value of the confines of local churches and traditions. For it “is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals.”

Indeed, the reading of Mere Christianity reveals there is more to the mereness than one might at first think. In four sections, Lewis talked at length about the virtues of Christianity, the value of marriage, the relationship of Christianity to psychology, and an overview of the doctrine of the Trinity.

Further, the way Lewis wrote commends the book to be read and re-read. Not only did he

Dr. Jason G. Duesing | Provost, MBTS

present orthodox Christianity in simple terms, he also encased his presentation in memorable and lasting analogies.

For the former, Lewis famously posited his argument that Jesus Christ “was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse.” For the latter, he used sheet music and piano keys to explain the existence of a moral law, on the one hand, and, on the other, compared God to a dentist who cures a single toothache of sin, yes, but also treats the root of the malady in full.

Mere Christianity is not a perfect book. J. R. R. Tolkien, who loved Lewis, did not agree fully with Lewis’s talk about marriage and divorce— and many have found other points of difference.

However, the central claims remain worth reading, and many are still reading and re-reading Mere Christianity. Christians should read this book simply because it has been used to shape the lives of thousands.

To wit, as Lewis’s chapter on “The Great Sin” was instrumental to my own early Christian formation as a college student, I recently used social media to ask friends for their Mere Christianity thoughts and experiences. Everyone from my own daughter, to Lewis experts far and wide, to friends in the United Kingdom replied with helpful affirmations of the ongoing value and commendable virtues of Mere Christianity, many of which informed this article.

While Lewis would admonish Christians today to read old books to find the secure foundation of mere Christianity, he would also want them to read old books to propel them forward. In his chapter on hope he said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought the most of the next.”

To put the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective, every Christian should read this old book, at the very least, to grow in the knowledge and enjoyment of the timeless One to whom it directs their thoughts.

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We polled faculty and staff at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College and asked them what book, outside the Bible, has most influenced them and why. Here is a sampling of their responses...

MICHAEL McMULLEN Prof. of Church History

ANDREAS KÖSTENBERGER

BOOK: The Memoir and Remains

Research Prof. of New Testament

of Robert Murray M’Cheyne

TODD CHIPMAN Assoc. Prof. of Biblical Studies

JASON DUESING Provost

BOOK: Exegetical Fallacies “Given to me as a new believing teenager, this book gave me a love for Christian biographies, and for always wanting to pursue a closer relationship with Christ.”

by D.A. Carson

by J.I. Packer “Reading this book made me want to get my Ph.D. under Carson at Trinity and impressed on me the importance of sound exegesis and linguistic competence, as well as proper hermeneutics.”

RUSTIN UMSTATTD Assoc. Prof. of Theology and Ministry

BOOK: The New Testament and The People of God by N.T. Wright

BOOK: Knowing God

Duesing says, “As a young Christian in seminary, I came to study the doctrine of the atonement, and I discovered that at the core of the atonement is a red-hot blazing term the Bible calls propitiation. J.I. Packer’s Knowing God was the book that helped open the door to joy and understanding of this great truth.”

DAVID McALPIN Assoc. Prof. of Biblical Interpretation

BOOK: The Lord of the Rings “Wright’s book opened my eyes to the need to be deeply committed to understanding the cultures out of which the Bible arose and the overarching narrative that is found within Scripture.

While I don’t agree with all of Wright’s conclusions in this book, it did introduce me to the grand narrative of Scripture and the interpretive necessity of understanding this narrative.”

by J.R.R. Tolkien “As a boy of 14 or so I had discarded Christianity as a valid choice for my life, for a variety of foolish reasons.

But reading Tolkien, who championed biblical values such as honesty, humility, glory, and self-sacrifice for the greater good, tied my soul to the beauty of these attributes, steering my heart in a search for them, and I finally found them all in Christ at age 17.”

SAMUEL BIERIG Dean of Spurgeon College

BOOK: The Mortification of Sin

by John Owen “The Lord brought Owen to me at just the right time.

He opened up vistas of the Christian life that I scarcely even knew existed. Owen showed me how to repent and put on Christ.”

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OWEN STRACHAN

DAVID SUNDEEN

Associate Professor of Christian Theology

Dean of Online Studies

BOOK: Jonathan Edwards: A Life

BOOK: The Mind Changers: The Art of

by George Marsden

Christian Persuasion by Emory A. Griffin

“This book had a massive effect on me.

It reframed my understanding of God, allowing me to see the bigness and greatness and goodness of the Lord in a fresh and catalyzing way. Once you see God as Scripture presents him, you can never un-see that glory.”

“This book helped me understand that persuasion involves the process of softening, shaping, and solidifying the beliefs of others. As long as we seek to convince others that we are right and they are wrong, we will only drive them away. We have the most influence on people when we are the least manipulative.”

JEFF DODGE Assistant Professor of Theological Studies

BOOK: The Discipline of Grace

THOMAS JOHNSTON Professor of Evangelism

by Jerry Bridges

BOOK: God-Centred Evangelism “When I was a new believer, after reading The Pursuit of Holiness (also

by Bridges), I started down the path of discipline-becoming-Phariseeism.

Bridges pulled me out of that ditch by bathing and anchoring my pursuit in gospel-fueled grace!”

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by Rienk Bouke Kuiper “This is a cogent and forceful book on biblical evangelism—one of the better books on evangelism that I have read in quite some time! A most beneficial aspect of this book is Kuiper’s unapologetic doctrinal clarity.”

ALAN BRANCH

MATTHEW MILLSAP

Professor of Christian Ethics

Assistant Professor of Christian Studies

RODNEY HARRISON

BOOK: Augustine’s Confessions

Dean of Post-Graduate Studies

BOOK: Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan Branch says, “I read this book devotionally, and I’m encouraged every time. My favorite scene is when Christian arrives at the cross, the burden rolls off his back and is swallowed by an empty tomb never to be seen again.” Harrison concurs, adding, “As a 13-year-old, reading Pilgrim’s Progress taught me it was okay to cheer for Christian, and by analogy, all believers, through this journey called the Christian life.”

“In the greatest self-reflection in the history of the Christian church, Augustine draws upon key moments of his life to spur his readers toward serious contemplation of their own relationships with God. Tolle lege.”

BEN AWBREY Professor of Preaching

BOOK: A Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons

by John Albert Broadus

MATTHEW BARRETT Associate Professor of Christian Theology

BOOK: The Attributes of God

by Stephen Charnock

“I favor the one published in 1870, not any of the three revisions of this seminal work. In my opinion, this is the most insightful and helpful of the thorough treatises of homiletics written in the 19th century and has not been surpassed by anything published subsequently.”

“You haven’t really meditated on who God is until you’ve read Charnock.

Spend a lifetime reading Charnock and you might just be ready to spend an eternity knowing God.”

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SWORD & TROWEL A Bibliophile’s Dream On Midwestern’s Campus

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THE NEW HUB OF CAMPUS LIFE AND ACTIVITY AT MIDWESTERN SEMINARY AND SPURGEON COLLEGE IS THE BRAND NEW MATHENA STUDENT CENTER. Set atop the highest point of Midwestern’s property, overlooking the rest of campus and even downtown Kansas City in the distance, the Student Center has become a beautiful magnet for students, staff, and faculty. And since one of the most prominent accessories to life in a seminary environment is books, the Student Center’s own Sword & Trowel bookstore stays busy with researchers and recreational readers alike.

With other religious bookstores closing in the area, the Sword & Trowel is actually the only remaining Christian bookstore in Kansas City. But what a destination to have left!

Upon entering the grand foyer of the Student Center, you will notice the Tomlinson Café counter to the left, and just beyond that caffeinated oasis lies thousands of compelling volumes calling to the bibliophile living within you. Sword & Trowel’s well-appointed finishes, including tall dark-wood shelves complete with rolling ladder, brings to mind the dazzling libraries of the old world.

& Trowel doesn’t have the title you’re looking for, they can order it for you.

Named after Charles Spurgeon’s famous magazine, which itself was inspired by the biblical Nehemiah’s fighter/wallbuilders, Sword & Trowel doesn’t just feature books, however. They’ve got the latest and greatest in Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College swag—from mugs and hoodies to branded notebooks and baby onesies. Multiple styles in multiple price ranges are sure to appeal to every shopper’s taste. And once you’ve made your selections, have a seat in one of the plush leather chairs in the sitting room adjacent to the store, take a sip of your latte or cappuccino, and indulge your literary appetite by the light of the big picture windows and the roaring fire.

Filled to the brim with books both contemporary and classic, Sword & Trowel’s offerings represent multiple categories from Children’s Books to Systematic Theology. There are handsome collections and reference sets. There is even ample space toward the north end of the store for a wide array of titles from Midwestern faculty and staff, as well as two sections of displayed new academic releases.

And if by some crazy chance Sword

Learn more about the SWORD & TROWEL BOOKSTORE at mbts.edu/store.

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by J A R E D C . W I L S O N

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SEMINARIANS LOVE THEIR BOOKS. In fact, any person within earshot of the Midwestern campus strange enough to say that they don’t like reading is immediately kidnapped and locked in a broom closet with a stack of Puritan Paperbacks and The Chronicles of Narnia. Well, that’s what might happen if any non-readers dared to out themselves within Midwestern’s earshot. It is more often instead that we attract a major assortment of bookworms and book-nerds—that is, people who don’t just love reading but love books themselves!

Book nerds are not content to simply browse covers and descriptions on Amazon. They want to hold books, new and old. They want to leaf through crisp or well-worn pages, crouch or stretch to find overlooked gems, get lost among aisles and stacks, and wander through genres and shelves. Is that you?

STEEL’S USED BOOKS steelsbooks.com

A non-descript warehouse building on a nondescript block in North Kansas City contains the best kept secret among the book-loving Northland.

The closest bookshop to Midwestern’s campus also contains the best selection of used theological and Bible reference works in the city. Rows and rows of books punctuated by piles and piles of more books (sometimes overflowing from boxes, sometimes in scattered mounds), it is hard to leave Steel’s without something in your hand, if not a stack of somethings. The impression is that of a dump truck full of books having recently unloaded its contents. A treasure trove for the diligent searcher. Don’t forget your flashlight. And ask for the Midwestern Seminary student discount, which legend says is occasionally granted.

If you love all things books, you probably want to know Kansas City’s best options for being surrounded by them. Here are some highlights not too distant from the Midwestern campus.

PROSPERO’S BOOKS

prosperosbookstore.com This independent used bookstore on West 39th is the quintessential bohemian bookshop in a hip section south of the river teeming with coffee shops and boutiques. With three stories chockfull of titles new, old, and rare, Prospero’s is a great place to browse and feel really cool and/or romantic doing it.

STEEL’S USED BOOKS

SWORD & TROWEL mbts.edu/store

Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College’s own campus bookshop is a well-appointed feast for the eyes and replete with the most relevant and desired titles in Christian publishing, classic and modern. Browse the selection of books or school-branded gift items, including an assortment of sweet Spurgeonalia, or take a load off by the roaring fireplace in the nearby drawing room with something warm from Tomlinson Café, which conveniently shares a counter with the bookstore.

The staff is exceedingly knowledgeable and eager to help. If they don’t have it, they can order it in a jiff.

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KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY kclibrary.org

The Central Branch on the corner of 10th and Baltimore is the location you want. Grand architecture and whimsical features, including the iconic (and gigantic) book mural on the façade of the parking garage, make this book-lover’s destination not just a way to borrow. Gallery features and historical exhibits, including the Missouri Valley special collections and the Stanley Durwood film vault, are notable elements in this expansive space. Bring the kids, as well, as the children’s reading area is massive and fun.

BARNES & NOBLE, COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA

stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2574 The nation’s largest brick-and-mortar book retailer has a beautiful store in KC’s historic Plaza, including everything you expect from the chain, including games and gadgets, magazines and puzzles, Starbucks coffee and Cheesecake Factory desserts, and—oh yeah—a practically endless

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BARNES & NOBLE, COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA

offering of books to browse across three incredible floors. (There is also a Barnes & Noble location in the Zona Rosa shopping district just 15 minutes from the seminary campus.)

HALF PRICE BOOKS, WESTPORT hpb.com/084

There are actually a handful of Kansas City locations of this used bookstore chain popular with college students and other book-nerds in search of good deals, but this spot in the trendy Westport neighborhood is nearest some of Kansas City’s most interesting shops, cafes, and historical landmarks.

HALF PRICE BOOKS

STEEL’S USED BOOKS

PROSPERO’S BOOKS

KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

HALF PRICE BOOKS

SWORD & TROWEL

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

MEET SAM PARKISON By now, most who have paid attention know that the growth at Midwestern Seminary is inextricably linked to our commitment to training leaders for the Church. This isn’t just a slogan—it’s our reason for being. Thus, Midwestern has both attracted ministry students dedicated to the local church and produces scholars dedicated to the local church.

One such pastor-scholar is Sam Parkison. A graduate of Midwestern’s M.Div. program in December 2017, Sam is presently engaged in doctoral studies at Midwestern, pursuing his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology. After serving for a few years in the Admissions department for the school, he recently was hired full-time at Emmaus Church in North Kansas City, where he is one of the pastors. Sam has also begun a promising writing career with a new book out this spring from Rainer Publishing. Jared Wilson visited with him to talk about his seminary experience and his hopes for both his education and his books.

JARED What did you learn during your graduate studies at MBTS that has helped you most as a pastor?

meaningfully to its student body. Thankfully, I attended a seminary that was “self-aware.”

Because Midwestern is fundamentally for the Church (that’s not just a slogan, by the way, it’s part of the institution’s DNA), it drove me to the local church. When you sit for three years under the competent instruction of faithful instructors who ever impress upon their classrooms the importance of the local church, it is difficult to graduate with a puny vision of the Church.

For example, Dr. Alan Tomlinson taught me to never grow bored of the Scriptures, and that the best way to foster your people’s appetite for the Scriptures is to ensure that your own love for them reaches infectious levels. Dr. Jason Allen taught me that the best way for me to love God’s people is to stuff them with a steady diet of expository preaching. Dr. Owen Strachan taught me that hefty systematic theology is a pastor’s best friend and is a kindness to the flock of God—indeed, it’s a weapon to kill dead those nasty wolves of doubt and unbelief that threaten Christ’s little lambs. In short, the greatest gift MBTS gave me to support my pastoral office is a love for the Bride of Christ.

JW What considerations did you make as you made the decision to pursue doctoral studies?

SAM Seminary is at its very best when it works closely with the local church. Seminaries don’t make pastors. They can’t even affirm the internal call to pastoral ministry that individual students may feel—that affirmation is the province of local churches and their pastors.

SP In terms of the institution I chose, there honestly wasn’t a lot of strenuous “pro and con-weighing.” MBTS had already proven to be a reliable seminary, where I was both challenged rigorously on the intellectual level and also held accountable to have an eye toward the local church. That’s the only kind of scholarship I’m interested in, frankly (even if the academic papers I write as a doctoral student never make their rounds in the church pews).

A seminary that fails to recognize its own limitations undermines its ability to contribute

Additionally, my seminary choice wasn’t difficult because (a) Dr. Strachan—who had become

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something of an academic mentor—agreed to be my advisor, (b) the Systematic Theology department just received another shot in the arm in the form of Dr. Matthew Barrett, and (c) I had no desire whatsoever to leave Emmaus Church.

In terms of narrowing in on a research topic, I essentially had two criteria. First, the topic had to be something that could sustain my interest for the several years it would take to complete the degree (so far, so good). Second, the topic had to be something that would directly benefit the people of Emmaus. Christological aesthetics fits the bill. I figure it serves my church greatly to have a pastor who spends much of his time transfixed on the beauty of Christ.

What is your favorite part about life at Midwestern?

JW

SP What I enjoyed most about Midwestern as a graduate student was the proximity I had to professors and my relationships with fellow students. These benefits are what attracted me to Midwestern, and they are also the things that kept me there. The high cultural capital placed on love for the local church ensures a campus environment teeming with intellectual stimulation and practical ministry-mindedness (proof that the either/or of “theology” vs. “practice” is a misnomer). Because of church ministry’s lofty place of importance, a sober intellectual rigor is demanded—this is the flock of God we are talking about; getting things right is a deadly serious matter. And since our studies are ultimately for the average church member, our musings are chastened with a demand for application; Midwestern Seminary students aren’t encouraged to play intellectual games simply for kicks. This is the ethos of the institution from top to bottom.

JW We all know you’re a theology geek, so you read lots of academic works. But what do you read for fun?

SP Believe it or not, all the books I read for my studies are the books I also read for fun.

I’d be reading these theology books even if

Learn more about EMMAUS CHURCH at emmauskc.com.

paper grades weren’t on the line. But outside of academic “for fun” books, I also enjoy poetry and a bit of fiction from time to time. C.S. Lewis is an all-time favorite, of course. I also find myself coming back again and again to Middle Earth with Tolkein. Marilynne Robinson has become a new favorite, and if I’m looking for a good laugh with little effort on my end, no one quite gets me like P.G. Wodehouse.

JW This issue of the Midwestern Magazine is all about reading and writing. You just published your first book, so you’ve got to tell us about it!

SP Revelation and Response is a field guide for church music leaders. In this book I get into the why and how of leading corporate worship through song. In many ways, it’s a corrective of what appears to me to be a lot of bad assumptions about worship through song. The driving idea of the book is that our worship is comprised of two elements: revelation and response. God reveals himself to us, and we respond appropriately and obediently in worship.

Contemporary worship goes wrong when it messes up one or both of those elements.

Idolatry seems to be hiding right around every corner. If we try to manufacture a response without doing business with what God has revealed about himself, we risk idolatry. If we look for revelation beyond where God has given it (i.e., his Scripture), we risk idolatry. If we insist on examining God’s revelation without being moved to respond with fervent affection, we risk idolatry.

Mushy emotionalism and dry orthodusty-ness are equally problematic.

So my book tries to avoid both of these trajectories by looking at the Scriptures to see what corporate worship through song is not, what it is, and what it looks like in practice. I have an eye toward non-musical pastors in this book as well.

To those men, I say: the music of your church is your business. I try to make a case for that in the book, so I invite you to take up and read to see if my contention holds any water!

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ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

RUSSELL L. MEEK For this edition’s alumni focus, we visited with Russell L. Meek, who received his M.A. in Biblical Languages at Midwestern Seminary in 2008 and graduated from Midwestern with a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies in 2014.

Having taught online classes at Midwestern and having served as President Jason Allen’s research assistant, Meek is now an assistant professor of Old Testament and Hebrew. He is also an accomplished freelance writer and editor, having authored or co-authored a number of books and consulted on numerous other publishing projects besides. We asked him about his love for reading and writing, and how his time at Midwestern prepared him for his literary and professional pursuits.

Where did your love for reading and writing come from?

As a kid I sometimes stayed summers with my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Frank. She was a thirdgrade teacher, and he a professor. Exasperated with all my questions, Aunt Peggy took me to the local library, signed me up for a library card, and my world vastly expanded. As for writing, I started enjoying it particularly in the Ph.D. program at MBTS. I realized that writing was a lot like thinking but better because it requires a certain level of clarity to put thoughts into sentences.

MA, BIBLICAL LANGUAGES | 2008 PH.D., BIBLICAL STUDIES | 2014

they’re at least thinking through how to communicate God’s Word to God’s people. Much like triathletes lifting weights to perform better on the bicycle (or whatever), pastors who crosstrain by writing will produce better sermons. Plus, who knows if you’re the next Spurgeon?

How did MBTS prepare you for your current role in publishing?

To publish, you have to have really thick skin.

Or at least I have to, because my work gets

Why should pastors pursue better writing, even if they don’t want to write books?

“I realized that writing was a lot like thinking

Pastors write at least a sermon each week. Even if they don’t write out their sermons completely,

clarity to put thoughts into sentences.”

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but better because it requires a certain level of

rejected. A lot. I once gave a paper in a doctoral seminar at MBTS; it was not well received, and I stood at the podium for about a half hour fielding questions that punched holes in my work. I went home drained and defeated, but my work got much, much better, was eventually published, and I learned the value of criticism.

What are some considerations in the difference between writing for academic audiences versus writing for popular audiences?

I’d like to see the gap between academic and popular writing shrink.

I think the main difference is popular writing gives you the freedom to

tell a story. It’s one thing to write about how Jonah teaches that Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness extends beyond Israel to those outside of the covenant community. (Interesting, but boring, right?). It’s another thing to write about how when my stepfather repented of abuse I, like Jonah, was angry enough to die. The basic point is the same, but the way to get there is a lot different. Popular writing allows us to weave our own story with the biblical story, which I think is what God intends for us (but I might be wrong).

“Popular writing allows us to weave our own story with the biblical story, which I think is what God intends for us.”

Notable Publications Co-author with Robert Matz. Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Kerux Commentary. Kregel (forthcoming) Co-author with William R. Osborne.

Untitled Hebrew vocabulary book.

Hendrickson (forthcoming, 2019) Co-author with David Beldman. A Classified Bibliography on Ecclesiastes.

T & T Clark (forthcoming, 2019)

Co-author with James Spencer and Bryan Babcock. Trajectories: A GospelCentered Introduction to Old Testament Theology. Pickwick Co-editor with N. Blake Hearson.

Coffee Shop Conversations: Evangelical Perspectives on Current Issues. Wipf & Stock Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Study Guide. Energion Publications.

Co-editor with Mark J. Boda and William R. Osborne. Riddles and Revelations: Explorations into the Relationship between Wisdom and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible. T & T Clark

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FACULTY HIGHLIGHT

Matthew Millsap We are introducing a new regular feature in this edition of the Midwestern Magazine—the Faculty Spotlight. In our inaugural entry, we highlight Matthew Millsap, who serves as the assistant director of Library Services at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College, as well as assistant professor of Christian Studies. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary (M.Div. and Ph.D. in Systematic Theology), Millsap is also a faithful member of Antioch Bible Baptist Church near the seminary campus in Gladstone, which he attends with his wife Susan and children Natalie, Parker, and Sawyer.

Millsap is a popular prof among students for his courses on the arts, but also for his pop-cultural sensibilities, including an affectionate (and studious) interest in video games and video game technology. We asked him about that and a few other things besides.

Your dissertation was on a very interesting (and popular) subject. Tell us a little about it.

I had long been interested in the relationship between theology and popular culture and knew that I wanted to write my dissertation on something in that area. As I worked my way through the relevant literature, I began to realize that a gap was present: theologians were interacting with various media such as visual art, music, literature, and film, but no one seemed to be interacting with video games, which I felt was a glaring omission given their increasing popularity.

I then began thinking about what it would look like for a theologian to enter into dialogue with video games and decided that, in my dissertation, I would essentially propose a framework for how a theologian might go about doing that.

(The title is “Playing with God: A Theoludological Framework for Dialogue with Video Games,” if anyone is interested in learning more.)

As an academic, why are video games such a passion of yours?

If I am being honest, I have always had a passion for video games since I was a kid. I think what most appealed to me was the narrative element

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that they increasingly began to possess. I was enthralled with the idea of a participatory narrative in which I could experience worlds and do things that were not possible in real life. As technology progressed and video games became even more advanced, their capability for telling engrossing stories likewise expanded. As I matured into an adult, video games matured along with me, to a substantial degree. Now many—if not most— video games are intended for an adult audience, and many of these games accordingly have serious, thought-provoking narratives similar to what one might expect to encounter in movies, television shows, and novels.

From an academic vantage point, I see the significance of understanding that we, as humans, are storytelling creatures, and that stories are one of the main means by which we interpret the world around us, even if we are not especially attentive to that dimension. Insofar as video games in particular take on a narrative character, the fact that they are participatory and require agency on the part of the player makes their formative capacity all the more expansive than other, more passive, media. That many evangelicals then often dismiss video games as inconsequential is as unfortunate as it is astonishing.

What do most students at the seminary/college not get about popular media/art? What surprises them in your classes?

I have two observations from teaching Christianity and the Arts regarding what students most often find surprising. The first typically revolves around a distinction between “high art” and “popular art.” Many students going into the course think that the course covers only what has traditionally been conceived as “high art.” While it is true that we do cover these art categories, it is also true that as society has progressed to where we now find ourselves in the 21st century, the line between high art and popular art has increasingly blurred to the point that the validity of the distinction is questionable, at best. Admittedly, that is an oversimplification, which I unpack in the course, but it is that blurred line that opens up a whole array of artistic works the students encounter in the course in categories with which they already possess considerable familiarity.

Secondly, I find that many students know very little of the robust historical relationship between art and the church, and the fact that the degree to which art has been appreciated and valued throughout human history owes much to this relationship. Far from what we frequently find now in evangelicalism, a posture toward art often characterized by suspicion or antipathy, the church historically cultivated the arts and furthered the expansion of work in visual art and musical art, in particular. That the church previously had such a strong connection to the arts often takes students by surprise. Many students leave the course not only with a better appreciation of the arts but also with a desire to support and further good art created by Christian artists.

What books growing up most stirred your love for reading and writing?

I was a heavy reader growing up. I read a lot of fiction (perhaps too much), so there is quite a lot from which I could choose, but my most beloved books were, hands down, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. For the lon-

gest time, as a kid, I dreamed of writing books in which I could create my own worlds, characters, and stories like Tolkien. I still love both works and have read them many times in my adult life as well. They are just as enthralling to me now as they were when I was growing up.

My enjoyment of reading extended to nonfiction as well, although I am not sure I can give the status I afforded to Tolkien similarly to a non-fiction author or to particular works of note.

I was the type of kid who, in the school library, would pull out a volume of the encyclopedia and read random entries. I would also check out books across a variety of different fields rather than sticking to one, as I was interested in learning as much as I could about as many topics as I could. In a way, I think that still applies to me today—there is just so much out there I find interesting that I have a hard time reading in one field for too long before being ready to move to something else, cycling through and returning to fields as I go.

I would say that all of this reading throughout childhood and adolescence ultimately contributed to my writing. An inconvenient truth about writing, which many students do not like to hear, is that you will not improve if you do not read. There are general principles to good writing, sure, but so much of good writing is caught rather than taught. You become a better writer by reading good writers and, following that, through the routine practice of writing. There are no shortcuts.

What was the last good book you read?

Must I choose just one? For fiction, I will go with Lethal White, by Robert Galbraith (a pen name of J. K. Rowling), as my choice because I so thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has seemed to stick with me since reading it in the fall. I love the way Rowling crafts stories and develops her characters over the course of multiple novels.

Her Strike books are mystery novels, for which I have an affinity, so that probably plays a role in my selection as well.

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IN FOCUS: NORTHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH

NORTHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri

I

n every edition of the Midwestern Magazine, we seek to highlight churches in our region that distinguish themselves in faithful, gospel-rich ministry and gracious partnership in our pursuit of equipping the next generation of leaders for the Church. In this installment of our local church focus, we visited with Matt Marrs, one of the pastors at Northland Baptist Church in the northeast part of the Kansas City metro, situated in the Platte Woods area.

Marrs, who also serves as the North American Mission Board’s regional director for the Midwest, is a graduate of Midwestern Seminary (M.Div., 2000) and was 2018’s recipient of the seminary’s Alumnus of the

Year Award. He joined the staff of Northland Baptist in 1996.

You just celebrated your 23rd anniversary at Northland Baptist. That kind of longevity is become rarer and rarer.

Yes, March 3rd was my 23rd anniversary at NBC. I started as the part-time youth pastor when I moved to K.C. to attend Midwestern.

That position grew to a full-time associate pastor position a year later. In 2000 our pastor resigned, and I was asked to become the senior pastor while in my final semester at MBTS! After serving for 11 years, I stepped away for a bit to go serve as the director of missions with the local association (Clay-Platte), then in a role with NAMB. I continued to serve in a variety of volunteer roles with the church, however.

In 2014, Midwestern professor Rustin Umstattd and I began co-pastoring the church. We both continue in this role today.

Tell us about Northland Baptist’s story from the beginning to today.

Northland has definitely had some ups and downs, and we are where we are today through some really interesting developments under the Lord’s kind direction. The church originally started in 1969, unfortunately due to a split with another church in

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Ken Blackwell, pastor at Northland Baptist Church and alumnus of Midwestern Seminary.

the community. They acquired the church’s current property about a year later. By God’s grace, it grew a bit in the 70s, but actually began to decline in the early-80s. In the late-80s, Northland merged with another church, Winnwood Baptist, after which Northland “dissolved” and officially became a mission church of Winnwood. Then, in 1990, NBC re-constituted as a new church.

What would you say is the church’s vision today?

Our mission as a church is to lead people to experience a transforming encounter with God, a growing relationship with Jesus, authentic community with others, and fulfilling service opportunities.

Having missions-oriented leaders certainly helps shape a missional heart in a church.

What has Northland been engaged in recently in terms of service and mission?

We are a sending church for five current church plants in Kansas City. We also focus on “displaying and declaring” the gospel through our “Love your Neighbor” campaign, which is a partnership with Englewood Apartments, Line Creek Elementary, Park University, and Columbus Park in downtown K.C. We also host two-to-three Fusion cohorts from Spurgeon College each year.

Learn more about NORTHLAND BAPTIST at northlandbaptistkc.com.

Fusion is, of course, the college’s ministry through the IMB for missions-called students.

You mentioned previously co-pastoring with Dr. Umstattd, who is a theology prof at Midwestern. What other MBTS connections does Northland enjoy?

Well, Midwestern’s Chief of Security, Allen Lindholt, serves as our pastor of Care and Connections. Taylor DiRoberto, an assistant to the Dean of Spurgeon College, serves as our pastor of Outreach. Seminary profs Blake Hearson and Trey Bechtold are members of the church. Hearson teaches a Life Group, and Bechtold plays in the worship band. Additionally, each year we hire six interns from the seminary student body. And, of course, we have many other members who are part of the Midwestern community in some way, whether as students or staff, or both.

What has been one of your greatest joys serving at the church?

One notable thing about NBC is our Pastoral Leadership Team model. The collaboration and shared authority/responsibility is really healthy and enjoyable to serve within. I also love our intentional focus on co-vocational staff—we have 12 staff members and none are full time!

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Midwestern Seminary introduces two new Ph.D. emphases

by T. PAT R I C K H U D S O N

In light of the rising number of students within Midwestern Seminary’s Doctor of Philosophy program and adding new faculty members who possess expertise in specific fields of study, the school announced the addition of two new Ph.D. emphases on Jan. 29.

Midwestern Seminary currently offers a Ph.D. in biblical studies, with available emphases in apologetics, ethics, historical theology, ministry, missiology, New Testament, Old Testament, preaching, and systematic theology. Now, the institution will offer biblical theology and biblical counseling emphases as well.

“The primary intention of our Ph.D. program is to equip students for vocations of teaching and research in theological schools, colleges, and universities or for the scholarly enhancement of ministerial practice,” said President Jason Allen. “Student interest in the fields of biblical theology and biblical counseling has increasingly grown, and with the election of Dr. Andreas Köstenberger and Dr. Dale Johnson, we have faculty members in place—with vast expertise in these areas—to provide excellence in scholarship that will prepare our students to a lifetime of serving well and faithfully for the church.”

Köstenberger, who was elected to Midwestern Seminary’s faculty as research professor of New Testament

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and biblical theology in April 2018, will oversee courses taught in the biblical theology emphasis.

Explaining this new emphasis, Köstenberger said, “The new Ph.D. emphasis on biblical theology at MBTS will be a unique program that promises to attract top-tier students from across the Southern Baptist and greater Evangelical world. It makes MBTS an even more desirable destination for doctoral studies.

“These students will be able to study in-depth the use of the Old Testament in the New and to engage in specialized study of Testaments, which helps people see biblical-theological connections inner-biblical connections across the between the Testaments. They will canon and to appreciate the beauty be able to explore of God’s unfolding major themes as plan of redemption “The primary they unfold proin Scripture. gressively throughJohnson, who intention of our Ph.D. out the Scriptures, was elected to the program is to equip such as the Messiah, faculty as associate salvation, covenant, students for vocations professor of biblical creation and new counseling in of teaching and creation, or any October 2018, will number of other research in theological oversee the courses topics.” taught in the schools, colleges, and Köstenberger biblical counseling added that the new emphasis. universities or for the biblical theology Of the biblical emphasis will help scholarly enhancement counseling emtrain preachers and phasis, Johnson of ministerial practice.” said, “The degree teachers to competently preach and program will offer - Jason Allen teach from both intimate study with

astute scholars who are committed churchmen. We will be assembling a faculty to serve our Biblical Counseling Department who are respected in this field and who focus on counseling ministry for serving with the local church.”

He added that students will have an opportunity to accomplish academic research at the intersection of theology and anthropology. They will engage the modern theories of the therapeutic philosophies with biblical sufficiency, theological acumen, and practical application in a way that brings theology to life, mission to churches, and peace to hurting souls.

“We want the biblically- and theologically-saturated works of our students to guide the next generation of pastors as they lead their respective congregations to be

the primary community for the care and cure of souls,” Johnson said.

He also noted that Midwestern Seminary’s biblical counseling emphasis will enable graduates, as Southern Baptists, to live out consistently their commitment to be people of the Bible. The degree is an intentional pursuit of consistent ministry of the Word of God both corporately, in preaching, and privately, in soul care so that churches may be edified and strengthened by God’s Spirit through His gracious revelation.

As with all other Ph.D. degree studies at Midwestern Seminary, students are required to complete the 16 hours of core seminars, then within each emphasis there are 24 hours of seminars. Students complete their degrees with comprehensive examinations and dissertation seminars.

New courses offered in the biblical theology emphasis and taught

by Köstenberger are “Ancient Jewish & Greco Roman Literature,” and “Advanced Biblical Theology;” while new courses offered in the biblical counseling emphasis and taught by Johnson are “Biblical Counseling Theory and Practice,” “Historical & Theological Foundations of Biblical Counseling,” and “Advanced Marriage and Family Counseling.”

“The addition of these two, new Ph.D. emphases are Exhibit A of the “for the church” scholarship DNA that runs through all of our doctoral programs,” said Provost Jason Duesing. “I am grateful for the development and growth of our faculty and student body over the last six-plus years, which allows us to expand and continue to innovate with emphases like these." •

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Spring Convocation Focuses on Ministry According to 2 Timothy

by T. PATRICK HUDSON

On anything but a spring day in Kanas City, Midwestern Seminary opened its semester with President Jason Allen’s Academic Convocation message in the Daniel Lee Chapel on Jan. 22.

Additionally, two of the seminary’s faculty signed the institution’s Articles of Faith and three newly appointed faculty members were welcomed.

Allen greeted new students, faculty, and guests with an exposition of 2 Timothy 2:15, stating that the passage was applicable to everyone in attendance.

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In addition to there being a confessional and instructional expectation in this passage, Allen noted, “There is a ministerial expectation, which broadens the application to all of us, right?

You are here to some degree in a ministerial role or preparing for a ministerial role directly or indirectly. And to fulfill a ministry calling is to fulfill the calling of preaching, teaching, sharing, and counseling the text. When done right, much good comes. When done wrong, catastrophe follows.”

Allen then broke the passage

down into three parts: “Being diligent to present yourself approved unto God;” “As a workman who does not need to be ashamed;” and “Accurately handling the word of truth.”

To the first section, Allen challenged all in attendance to avoid the pitfall of starting strongly and then slowly digressing in one’s ministry.

He encouraged the audience to persist in this effort. In proclaiming the Word of God, Allen said to not “just open the Book like you would any other book;”

rather find oneself approved by God in his proper handling of the Word throughout one’s ministry.

Secondly, when the apostle Paul referred to Timothy being an unashamed workman in verse 15, Allen noted, “Your position before Christ as a minister is fixed based upon the work of Christ. But, our ability to stand before God and God’s people without shame, as it relates to our handling of the text, correlates to how faithfully we handle it….if we are sloppy with the text, evidently there is ministerial shame to bear.”

In explaining the third part of the passage, Allen said as a pastor progresses in his ministry, he should also be growing in his handling of God’s Word.

“With each passing year of studying the Word, of being trained and mentored, there ought to be a deepening and growing sense of confidence that you can stand before God’s people, lead a Bible study, talk to your friend about Scripture – and you do that in such a way that you know you have treated the text seriously and have been faithful to the best of your ability to study it.”

Allen concluded with points of application for the text that included: Study, interpretation, preaching and teaching the text must be a pastor’s number one priority; he should work to avoid sloppy exegesis of the text; a pastor should avoid eisegesis – reading something into the text that’s not there; and he should be careful to avoid Bible studies that ask, “What does the Bible mean to you?” Rather, he should ask, “What does the text mean, and how does it apply to you and me?”

In addition to Allen’s message, two faculty members signed the institution’s Articles of Faith, which consist

of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, and the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Matthew Barrett, who serves as associate professor of Christian Theology, and Dale Johnson, who is associate professor of biblical counseling, were both elected by the Board of Trustees in October 2018.

As such, by signing the book, they promised to uphold Midwestern Seminary’s Articles of Faith.

In other academic news, Allen announced three appointments to Midwestern Seminary’s faculty.

Shin Il Liu was appointed as associate professor of ministry & director of the Chinese Studies Program. Liu holds Ph.D. degrees in International Politics (from the China Academy of Social Sciences) and International Economics (from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln). He also earned a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from National Taiwan University in Taipei.

Liu dedicates time to education projects and ministries related to China and Christianity. He has been involved in missions projects with the International Mission Board and South Korean Baptist Churches throughout East Asia since 1993. He is married to Myungsuk Yun, and they have two children.

Margaret E. Köstenberger was appointed as associate professor of theology and women’s ministry as well as faculty coordinator of Women’s Ministry Programs.

Köstenberger graduated from McMaster University with a BSc in Nursing and completed a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University

where she met her husband, Andreas J. Köstenberger.

In 2006, she completed a Doctor of Theology through the University of South Africa with her dissertation being on the topic of feminist hermeneutics, which has been published in revised format by Crossway as Jesus and the Feminists: Who Do They Say That He Is? Köstenberger has taught previously at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Shepherds Theological Seminary, where she served as associate professor of theology and as director of Women’s Programs and Mentoring. Her main passion is mentoring women to embrace their unique God-given role and to equip them to serve their families as well as other women. The Köstenbergers have four children.

Felix Cabrera was appointed assistant professor of pastoral ministry & coordinator of Hispanic Graduate Studies. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in management from the University of Puerto Rico; a Master of Arts in pastoral counseling from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary; and a second Master of Arts with a concentration in church planting from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He is currently completing his Doctorate in Ministry degree with a concentration in leadership at Midwestern Seminary.

Cabrera currently serves as second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is the executive director of the Convention of Southern Baptist Churches in Puerto Rico, and the director of Send Network Puerto Rico. He is married to Denisse, and they have two daughters. •

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AROUND CAMPUS

Fusion Teams from Spurgeon College Deployed Throughout the World for Missions

by T. PAT R I C K H U D S O N

Spurgeon College’s missions program, known as Fusion: International, launched 61 student-missionaries to the ends of the earth on Jan. 11, as the program’s deployment phase commenced.

Teams of four-to-seven students, known as cohorts, bid farewell to their families and friends and boarded planes headed for destinations across the globe. Each team will serve alongside International Mission Board missionaries for a 120-day period—undertaking tasks and projects that assist in spreading

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have shown in preparing for this semester-long deployment, and we pray that through this experience they will gain a heart for a lifetime of missions service.”

The heaviest concentration of teams will be in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, while other cohorts will serve in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. Once on the ground, members of these 11 teams will engage in serving opportunities such as English as a Second Language teaching, people group research and mapping, church planting, and church leadership training.

“Our teams will be partnering alongside long-term IMB missionaries to advance their ongoing strategy to plant and multiply churches in the world’s hardest to reach places,” said Fusion Director Erik Odegard, who is a Fusion alumnus and has led the program since 2013. “Fusion projects always have a direct connection with the missionary task of proclaiming the

the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“After a semester of formal training and intensive discipleship, our Fusion cohorts are now heading to very difficult places to work with missionaries in the field and proclaiming the gospel to the lost,” said Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Semi“We are extremely proud of the dedication nary & Spurgeon these students have shown in preparing College. “We are extremely proud for this semester-long deployment.” of the dedication these students - Jason Allen

gospel, discipling believers, building churches, and raising up leaders.

“These cohorts have prepared well in these areas, and now they will go, as is called for in the Great Commission, to make disciples of all nations. The ultimate aim of Fusion is found in our motto: ‘So others may hear and live.’ It is our prayer that souls will be saved as a result of these students’ efforts.”

Spurgeon College Dean, Sam Bierig, noted that because of their extensive training, Fusion students are welcomed by missionaries in the field, “These teams come by request of IMB missionaries around the globe who are convinced that young believers, with the right training and with proper expectations, can make a significant contribution to their work.

“Fusion cohorts train throughout Phase I in disciplines such as navigating public transportation, implementing personal security practices, and overcoming the daily challenges of living in a tough environment.

As a result, they are competent to carry out the practical skills needed for making disciples in hard places.

Thus, they are welcomed as valuable team members to missionaries in the field.”

When Fusion students arrive at Spurgeon College in August, throughout the training phase, they experience academic and physical training as well as one-on-one and group discipleship, which helps in developing deeper relationships amongst the cohort members and their leaders.

They also learn language skills particular to the part of the world where they will deploy. Then, to practically apply the lessons and language skills they’ve learned in the classroom, Fusion students partner with local Kansas City churches to evangelize and to work and minister among the many different people groups throughout the city.

“We would ask that Southern Baptists everywhere keep these young people in their prayers,” Allen added.

“This calling to serve Jesus through missions is a great responsibility and will require complete dependence upon the Lord. In the end, we pray their lives will be transformed, and that they will return to Kansas City and their home churches with a fire and passion for missions that will spread to numerous others.” •

Learn more about FUSION at spurgeoncollege.com/fusion.

God Calls.

We Train.

You go.

Spend your first year of college training for and going to the mission field.

Jesus told his disciples how people would hear when he authoritatively commissioned a small group of his followers to make disciples who make disciples of all nations. The challenge is no smaller today than it has been for centuries. Billions of people around the globe live in places of utter darkness where they will be born, live, and die without ever hearing an authentic witness to the Gospel message.

SPURGEONCOLLEGE.COM/FUSION

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For The Church National Conference Examines the Mission and Majesty of the Church

by T. PAT R I C K H U D S O N

Through worshipful times of praise music and powerful messages from God’s word, the For the Church National Conference, held at Midwestern Seminary’s Kansas City campus on Sept. 24-25, focused on reaffirming and recommitting to the glory given to and Great Commission aspects of the local church.

Keynote speakers Russell Moore, Charlie Dates, David Choi, Jason Allen, Owen Strachan, and Jared Wilson preached messages revolving around the conference’s theme of “Ministry and Majesty of the Church,” while Jimmy McNeal of Austin Stone Worship led attendees in praise and worship songs.

“In a culture that is ever rising

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up against Christ’s church, pastors, ministry leaders, and believers everywhere must re-double our commitment to living out our faith in the communities for which Christ died and called us to serve,” President Jason Allen said.

“At this year’s national conference, our desire was to put our hearts on display for Christ’s glory as manifested in the “Mission and Majesty of the Church.” Further, we hoped to provide pertinent messages from God’s Word and applicable breakout sessions which will result in every attendee feeling both the gravity of the gospel that’s been entrusted to them and the gladness of the gospel’s implications for their lives.”

The Church Invincible Allen led the conference’s first session, “The Church Invincible,” basing his message from Matthew 16. From this, Allen noted that the church was birthed from Jesus’ great confession in v. 18 that he will

“build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

Allen then offered four observations about what it means to be the church invincible.

First, he explained that the church was established on sound doctrine—specifically about Jesus confirming himself as the Son of God. In light of this fact, Allen then noted that the greatest question a person could ask is, “Who is Jesus?”

“That question has to become a personal one,” Allen said. “There are enormous implications for you personally and for the church as a whole. If you don’t confirm the deity of Jesus, then you are hell bound.”

Allen added that for Christ’s church to flourish, the key is building upon the truth of Jesus’s person and work.

Concluding his message, Allen observed that Jesus cares about the purity of the church. He encouraged pastors and ministry leaders in attendance to lead by example.

“We are stewards of the glory of God in our lives and, thus, in our churches, so we must lead in such a way that our character shapes our ministry and through our lives we are shaping a congregation, and through that congregation they are radiating the glory of Christ.”

The Church Domestic The conference’s second message was delivered by Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, who was tasked with exploring “The Church Domestic.” Referencing Mark 5:1-20, he queried how the

church of Jesus Christ should live amidst a culture whose mindset is moving further away from the ideals of Scripture.

Moore suggested that a sense of desperation can be found in this passage that is all too real in today’s society as well.

“You are going to be finding and confronting (this desperation) in your mission fields, in your churches, and in your places of service in the years to come,” Moore said.

To illustrate his point, Moore painted a picture of the problem, the solution, the response, and the mission as found within the passage.

The problem, Moore said, is the great isolation and loneliness being experienced by the demon-possessed Garasenean man. This is true in our culture as well. Moore posited that Jesus also is seen as a problem instead of a solution because people fear he will break up their “little empires.”

However, the solution is, in fact, Jesus. The Lord asks the man, “What is your name?” Jesus is specifically seeking the lost, and Moore noted that believers should be about the same business. Jesus can break through the greatest strongholds, and he empowers believers to do the same by sharing the gospel.

Lastly, in the passage, Jesus left the area, but called the Garasenean man to stay and proclaim what had been done for him. The same is true for believers.

“People who have been freed from their bondage ought to know that we have a power that cannot be undone by secularization,” Moore said. “What we have to offer is a word that cuts through all of that and says, ‘Your situation is worse than even you know. Come out of the tombs; come into a new world where the funerals end and the wedding, well, it is just getting started.’”

The Church Prophetic Owen Strachan, Midwestern Seminary’s associate professor of Christian Theology, opened the conference’s second day with a message on “The Church Prophetic” from Matthew 14:1-12.

Gleaning from the conflict between John the Baptist and Herod, Strachan encouraged listeners to be prophetic in their witness.

Like John the Baptist, modern-day believers are called to have a prophetic ministry. By this Strachan said just as John’s ministry foreshadowed Jesus’s ministry, we, too, are called to speak the truth of the gospel.

“Being prophetic means that we speak the truth when people do not want to hear it….but if you treat everyone as an image bearer, as if they are made in the image of God—every last person—that will be prophetic. That will have an

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effect,” Strachan said.

Next, prophetic ministry will bring one in direct conflict with Satan, Strachan said. Telling the truth in love is Christian witness, and it can be addressed in a multiplicity of high-tension issues such as marriage, racial unity, sexual identity, abortion, politics, or religious liberty.

Strachan pointed out lastly that the prophetic church is the suffering church, and the suffering church is the invincible church. To illustrate, he showed how John the Baptist was martyred over the issue of the sanctity of marriage. We could be persecuted for our beliefs as well.

“The ministry of truth, prophetic ministry, is an opportunity to test regularly just how dispensable we are,” Strachan said. “Like John, we put ourselves on the line because this whole divine business we have entered is not about us; it is about God, his greatness, his majesty, and his worthiness.”

The Church Confessional Continuing the theme of “Ministry and Majesty,” the conference’s next speaker, Charlie Dates, senior pastor of The Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, expounded upon “The Church Confessional.”

Preaching from 2 Tim. 4:1-5, Dates exhorted the audience to “make the Book talk.” The main responsibility for pastors, as outlined by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy, is to be properly equipped and to boldly preach God’s word. “This word makes you competent and efficient in ministry,” Dates said.

Dates explained that there is a

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“We have an urgent message from the King, and we must proclaim the word to the people.”

- Charlie Dates foundation, a function, and a fate of Christian preaching.

To the first point, he noted the foundation of Christian preaching has a gravity and seriousness because in preaching the word, a pastor shares words of life and death. Since Christ will judge the living and the dead, pastors need to be sober in their responsibilities and have the people ready for the time when Jesus reappears.

It’s not only that one preaches, but what he preaches that matters, Dates added. “We have an urgent message from the King, and we must proclaim the word to the people.”

That same word has power, and it can be used in multiple ways, such as to rebuke, correct, and encourage. Dates explained that not every sermon will be popular with the people. They may become angry or leave crying instead of shouting. “Bring encouragement with great patience. The word is at work in their lives.”

Finally, Dates said that preaching will reap a result among the congregation, but it should reap a result for the preacher as well.

“Watch your own ministry,” he said. “Be sober in all things. Have some balance. Do not let external things influence or control you.

Endure hardship. Go through what you’ve got to go through. Do not give up at every hard turn in ministry. Do the work of an evangelist.”

The Church Missional David Choi, lead pastor of Church of the Beloved in Chicago, addressed conference attendees on the topic, “The Church Missional.”

The main emphasis of his message from Matt. 28:16-20 was people being disciples first – that’s the main priority of the church.

“When discipleship is your priority, then God gets the glory and that’s most important,” Choi said.

He added that in the American church, we are promoting ourselves too much. It’s all about social causes and not about the glory of Jesus.

Choi presented a template for discipleship: hear the word, trust the word, and obey the word. “If you see Jesus regularly and long to see him regularly, then your ministry will be forgotten because your passion will be for your people to see what you see because it’s given you so much joy and satisfaction.”

In his second point, Choi explained that pastors and ministry leaders should be proclaiming the promises of Christ, as this will carry them through their darkest times.

“I wish ministry was easy,” he said. “The reality of ministry is that you will go through trauma – sometimes through people that you would never have imagined. You will go through isolation and loneliness and despair, not just because of your emotional temperament or because your congregation, but because there is an enemy who literally has a bullseye on you if you are a pastor.”

“I wish ministry was easy.

The reality of ministry is that you will go through trauma—sometimes through people that you would never have imagined.”

- David Choi Choi’s final point was that there is a plan for the missional church, and that is to “go and make disciples.” However, the pastor must lead by example.

“We cannot make what we are not,” Choi said. “It depends on Christ, but there has to be some level of integrity that you are following Jesus.

“We must have a desire to lead people to Jesus and get them to follow Jesus, and if you do that churches get planted. But if you try to plant churches (and are not a disciple), you may or may not grow them, but you will not make disciples.”

The Church Majestic In the conference’s final session, Jared Wilson, director of Content Strategy and managing editor of For the Church (ftc.co) at Midwestern Seminary, preached from Isaiah 60, and encapsulated his theme in one sentence: The majestic church worships the majestic God, who issues a majestic commission to proclaim a majestic Christ.

Wilson lamented that the glory of God is woefully neglected in far too many places where something resembling worship is taking place. He said mission begins not with leadership skills or strategies, rather with a glorious encounter with the living God. “The world needs people willing to offer their whole hearts to the reality of the glory of the one, true God, Yahweh…A domesticated, privatized God moves nothing, but the majesty of the God of the scriptures is like a heavenly magnet, drawing and repelling, reshaping the very world into a reflection of his foreordained designs.”

Wilson said the church should take its focus off itself and “Look up, raise your eyes. What do you see?” as found in Is. 60::4. When it does, it will become serious about God’s true

Watch the session videos from the FOR THE CHURCH NATIONAL CONFERENCE at ftc.co.

vision for it.

That vision is reaching the lost for Christ, and Wilson noted that the mission is gaining ground.

“In 1900, more than half of the world was unevangelized,” Wilson said. “In 2017…we have seen (that number) reduced to 28.4-percent of the world unreached. The mission continues, but it is gaining ground…

Raise your eyes and look around.

Look at the majesty of the church.”

In summing up his message, Wilson said the glory of the Lord is shining over his church. “Now is the time to declare the praises of the everlasting God, for his Son, Jesus Christ, has died and is alive forevermore and is on his throne. He is the Lord. Therefore, let us be filled with wonder and hope.”

The 2019 For the Church National Conference will take place in Kansas City on Sept. 23-24, featuring speakers Jason K. Allen, J.D. Greear, Crawford Loritts, Tony Merida, Owen Strachan, and Jared C. Wilson. To register, visit mbts.edu/ftc19. •

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RECENT PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS IN BRIEF New and Upcoming Releases from the Midwestern Seminary Community

LETTERS TO MY STUDENTS, VOLUME 1: ON PREACHING

by Jason K. Allen (B&H)

NONE GREATER: THE UNDOMESTICATED ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

by Matthew Barrett (Baker)

July 2019 A biblical, accessible guide for ministers and ministers-in-training, Letters to My Students, the first volume in a planned series, brings both biblical and practical wisdom to bear on the minister’s main responsibility of preaching the word.

Available Now The attributes of God show us exactly why God is worthy of worship: there is none like him. Join theology prof, Matthew Barrett, as he rediscovers these divine perfections and finds himself surprised by the God he thought he knew.

REENCHANTING HUMANITY: A BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

by Owen Strachan (B&H Academic) August 2019 This work of systematic theology focuses on the doctrine of humanity, engaging the major anthropological questions of the age, like transgender, homosexuality, technology, and more. Strachan establishes a Christian anthropology rooted in biblical truth, in stark contrast to the popular opinions of the modern age.

UNTIL EVERY CHILD IS HOME: WHY THE CHURCH CAN AND MUST CARE FOR ORPHANS

by Todd Chipman (Moody) August 2019 This book from Todd Chipman, assistant professor of Biblical Studies at Midwestern, shows the biblical rationale and motivation for the church’s orphan care—demonstrating this vital ministry’s connection to the very gospel message itself.

THE GOSPEL-DRIVEN CHURCH: UNITING CHURCHGROWTH DREAMS WITH THE METRICS OF GRACE

by Jared C. Wilson (Zondervan) Available Now The latest book from MBTS staffer Jared Wilson offers a “leadership manual” for those interested in orienting their ministries more intently around the gospel. With lots of application points and a fictional story illustrating the implications in each chapter, this book is deeply biblical and imminently practical.

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CAMPUS LIFE

9MARKS CONFERENCE KANSAS CITY | FEBRUARY 12–13

FALL FESTIVAL | 2018

FTC WORKSHOP | DR. ANDREAS KÖSTENBERGER M I DW E S T E R N M A G A Z I N E

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STUDENT SHOWCASE

MWI EMBRACING THE NATIONS For MORE CAMPUS EVENTS AND PHOTOS visit our events page at mbts.edu/events.

FTC REGIONAL | LITTLE ROCK

FTC REGIONAL | SPRINGFIELD

FTC REGIONAL | DENVER

READY CONFERENCE KANSAS CITY | JANUARY 25–26

SPRING KICKOFF

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How Journaling Combats Sin

by A L LY S O N T O D D

GOSPEL-CENTERED RESOURCES

FOR THE CHURCH Rec e nt ar tic le s

M O R E R E S O U R C E S AVA I L A B L E AT F T C . C O

The Christian life is subject to joy and grace, but it is also subject to hardship and suffering. During these seasons where all seems well or where everything is a trial, the faithfulness of God is magnified beyond our wildest dreams, and thus, our faith is strengthened. In the moments where things get difficult, I have found that two of my greatest struggles are to remember and to be vulnerable. I tend to forget the wonders of God’s love for me, and I forget his Word. I fear weakness and struggle to be vulnerable in my emotions. Sometimes, I don’t know how to process everything I endure.

By God’s grace, I’ve found journaling to be a means by which I fight against sin.

Journaling is not an end in and of itself; the end is to look to and live by the cross.

JOURNALING HELPS ME COMBAT MY SIN OF FORGETFULNESS.

One of the most repetitive commands in the Old Testament is to remember (Deuteronomy 7:18; 8:2, 18; 15:15; 16:3,12; 24:22; 1 Chronicles 16:12-15; Psalm 77:11; Psalm 105:5; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Isaiah 46:9; just to name a few).

God tells the people of Israel over and over again to remember all the marvelous things he has done for them. No matter how many times he tells them, they still forget.

Forgetfulness doesn’t just belong to the Israelites. Even Jesus, right before

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his crucifixion, takes bread and wine and tells his disciples to eat this meal often and to do so in remembrance of him (Luke 22:19). The writers of the New Testament call us to remember the former days, and to remember the gospel (Ephesians 2:11, 2 Timothy 2:8, Jude 1:7, Revelation 3:3).

When I forget what God has done throughout history, or throughout my own life, I wonder if God will keep his promises or if he hears me. Remembrance kills my doubts because I see that he doesn’t let his children down.

I see that his promises have never returned void (Isaiah 55:11). Yet it is difficult to remember. I struggle to recall what God has done, especially if my fears are fogging up my ability to look to Him. I journal because it gives me a way to look back over the tiny history of my life and remember what God has done.

Sometimes I look back and see how God smashed my idols, healed my pain, or made me endure something difficult.

I look back and remember that he comforted me in my sorrows and gave me joy. I get to see with my own eyes how God has answered prayers, how he has been faithful even when I couldn’t see it, and how he has grown me to look more like himself.

An important thing to mention here is that journaling has also helped me learn to pray. I write my prayers in my journal and this strengthens my prayer life in two ways. First, my mind is more focused when I write my prayers. I follow a steady stream of thought and I pray for a longer amount of time because I am more focused on what I’m doing. Second, like I already mentioned, it gives me something to look back

on. The faithfulness of God to answer prayer is astounding. My journals are a map of God’s covenant with me, where he shows me that he is my God, and I am his child.

The prayers in my journal help me remember God’s faithfulness and also help me be honest with Him about my sin.

and expose my ugliness before God. Write about the hard things, but don’t neglect the good. You can write about a way God provided for you. Or about something you learned about God that you never understood before. Write your prayers out to God. Write your hopes.

Write about the gospel. Just write for God’s glory. •

JOURNALING HELPS ME CULTIVATE HONESTY AND VULNERABILITY.

If I am unaware of my sinfulness or if I lack godly qualities, then I probably haven’t done the work of self-evaluation.

I haven’t come to God and asked him to show me the ways I’ve turned away from him. I’m not being honest with God or with myself. I am blind. (2 Peter 1:9) 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” I don’t want to be a self-deceiver, and journaling is a method of prevention. It forces me to be honest with myself so that the truth of my sin can be revealed.

I also can’t be honest with my church if I am not honest with God or myself about my sin. Foggy eyes affect more than just my vision; they affect my relationships.

ALLYSON TODD is an associate editor and intern for women’s initiatives at For the Church. She holds an undergrad degree from Midwestern College, a dual major in Christian Ministry (missions emphasis) and Humanities.

Todd is currently pursuing a Master's of Divinity at Midwestern Seminary, where she works full time as Office and Event Coordinator for Student Life, and is a member of Wornall Road Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo. Her ultimate desire is to continue learning more about the Word of God and equipping women to make disciples. You can follow her on Twitter at @_allysontodd.

The journal should never become a “burn book” or a list of grievances against others. Rather, it should be an exercise to come before the throne of God in repentance of your sins.

Journaling combats my sin. In some of my darkest days, when I’m not sure if God loves me or if I’ll ever stop being so terrible, I open my journals to the former entries and my sin of forgetfulness is crushed. When I hide in my own sin and love it more than God, I write

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Blogging for God’s Glory

by B E N J A M I N V R B I C E K

Are you considering starting a blog but don’t know where to begin? Or have you set up a blog but rarely use it? If so, I’d love to help.

I know there are tons of blogs already, and you may wonder if the world wide web needs another one. Sometimes it seems nearly every church, every pastor, and every Christian who ever felt an ounce of calling to write, has one. There’s something right about this.

There have always been Christians who, having been gripped by the hope of the gospel, felt a passion to write. Some used papyrus or parchment. Others use Moleskine or Wordpress.

many things the hard way, and I’d love to spare you some of my frustrations.

Below are some of the questions that I wish I was asking before I started a blog.

If you’ve already started one, perhaps they can help guide your next steps.

PURPOSE & AUDIENCE: WHY AM I BLOGGING, AND WHO AM I TRYING TO REACH?

1.

What is my purpose in blogging, and what goals do I hope to achieve?

2.

If in two years I consider my blog a “success,” what things will have happened?

But too many blogs—if you will permit a personal evaluation—are not done with the high quality. There is a certain quality Christians should strive for as we represent God to the world.

To say it another way, our blogging form should match our function: to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

3.

Of course, I’m not offering my own blog as the gold standard. It’s certainly not. I’m definitely not an expert blogger either, if by an expert we mean someone who has quit his day job or been invited to blog on a larger platform.

Neither of these has happened to me, nor do I expect them to.

I have, however, been blogging consistently for several years all while trying to do it with as much excellence as I know how. This means I’ve learned too

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What ways has God worked in my life that I need to share? What passions has God given me that I can harness to build up the church?

4.

If I’m married, do I have the support of my spouse?

5.

Does blogging distract from my responsibilities at home and church?

6.

Have I prayerfully considered the dangers of self-promotion and undue concern for reputation, and how am I combating this?

7.

Who is my audience right now (age, passions, hobbies, common challenges)? How might my audience change over the next few years?

8.

What is the name of my blog?

9.

What 3 websites do I most appreci-

ate? What do they do well?

10. What are my pet peeves about other blogs, and how will I avoid them?

COMMITMENT: HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT WILL I GIVE TO BLOGGING?

11. Does my blog have a theme—that is, what topics will I come back to again and again?

12. What will be the typical word count of my blog posts?

13. How much time will I devote to blogging each week?

14. When will I schedule this time to blog?

15. How long do I plan on blogging: one year, five years, more?

16. How often will I post: quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily? Is this frequency sustainable? How often do my readers want to hear from me?

17. Because blogs often tend to be more responsive to current events, am I cultivating the spiritual maturity required to thoughtfully address a topic?

18. Will I promote my blog on my social media platforms? If so, which ones and how often?

19. How does blogging relate to my full-time job? Is it something

that remains entirely distinct or is there overlap? And if there is overlap, do I need to talk to my employer before I begin?

NETWORKING: HOW WILL I CONNECT WITH READERS AND OTHER LIKE-MINDED BLOGGERS?

20. Do I know more experienced bloggers who could mentor me?

21. Who might be willing to promote my blog?

22. Who will edit my blog posts before publication? How will I not exhaust my editor(s)?

23. How will readers find out about my new posts (email, social media, etc.)?

24. Am I the only contributor to my blog, or do others post as well? If there are other contributors, how is this relationship defined and what are the criteria for selecting guest posts?

25. 25. Will I allow comments on my blog posts? If so, will I censor them? How quickly will I try to respond to comments?

26. Will my contact information be on the blog?

27. Where will I get pictures for my blog, and how will I give credit to those sources?

28. Will I use free pictures or purchase

them? If using free pictures, am I making sure I am not ripping off copyrighted material? If buying the rights to use pictures, what is an appropriate budget for this?

29. Will I attempt to write guest posts for publication on other websites?

If so, what sites? If an article is published elsewhere, how will I let my blog readers know?

MONEY & GROWTH: HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I INVEST IN BLOGGING AND WHAT MIGHT BE THE RETURNS?

30. How much money am I able to spend on blogging costs such as the domain purchase, web hosting, editing, and email service?

31. Do I have a patron who can help offset some of the costs associated with blogging?

32. Do I have specific hopes about how fast, if at all, my blog audience size will grow? How will I go about achieving this growth?

33. Do I have an ebook or something else to give away when people subscribe to my blog?

34. Will I participate in the Amazon affiliate program, which provides a small profit when readers click to Amazon and purchase something?

35. Do I want my blog to make money?

If so, how will I go about this?

Now launch!

There are a dozen technical, behindthe-scenes details that you’ll also want to consider, but let’s leave them for another day. I hope the questions I did include haven’t scared you away from blogging. Really, it’s not that hard. You write something; you post something.

That’s blogging.

And you certainly don’t need to be able to answer all these questions before you begin. In fact, before you do anything else, I’d encourage you to make your first step by writing posts, even before you have a blog where you can post them. Just write for a month or two, building up a storehouse of content.

This will give you a better feel for the time commitment and whether it’s sustainable. On the positive side, when you do launch, you’ll have a good backlog to draw from.

As I said at the start, writing is a good thing. It’s never been easier to share your words with the world. We are Christians, so let’s care about the quality of our art not simply because it reflects on us, but more importantly, because it reflects our God. •

BENJAMIN VRBICEK is a teaching pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, Penn. He and Brooke have six kids. He blogs at Fan and Flame and tweets at @BenjaminVrbicek.

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Bring the Books!: In Defense of More ‘Gospely’ Writing

by J A R E D C . W I L S O N

"When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments."

- 2 Timothy 4:13 One thing we see looking back at great movements of God (revivals and reformations) prompted by gospel preaching is that the preachers weren't usually themselves "wakened" by preaching but by reading. For some it was rich, gospel-drenched books: For George Whitefield, the greatest preacher in American history, it was Henry Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man. "Though I had fasted, watched and prayed, and received the Sacrament long," he wrote, "yet I never knew what true religion was, till God sent me that excellent treatise by the hands of my never-to-be-forgotten friend."

For George Thomson, influential 18th century Anglican rector, it was William Law's A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.

For Howell Harris, one of the great leaders of the Welsh Methodist Revival, it was Richard Allestree's devotional work The Whole Duty of Man. For Charles Wesley, it was Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians.

For John Wesley, it was Martin Luther's Preface to Romans.

For some, it was in beholding Christ's

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glory in the biblical text itself—not just the books, but the parchments: For Jonathan Edwards, it was 1 Timothy 1:17 that awakened his soul to the beauty of God's sovereignty and caused him such delight that he wished he could be "rapt up to God and be, as it were, swallowed up in him forever."

For Martin Luther, (partly) it was the way Romans 1:17 and Habakkuk 2:4 fit together.

For Augustine, it was Romans 13:13-14 which flooded his heart with light, ended his carousing, answered his mother's longsuffering prayers, and began the most influential post-biblical theological ministry in Church history.

Back when I was getting ready to publish my book Gospel Wakefulness, my friend Ray Ortlund, who wrote the Foreword to it, told me this: "Jared, one day 50 years from now, some tired pastor is going to find this book on a shelf in a used bookstore and it will change his life."

That meant the world to me. Ray didn't say, "This book is going to be a bestseller." He knew it wouldn't be.

But he also knew that wasn't the best Gospel Wakefulness could be, anyway.

Lots of books hit the bestseller list. Not many of those are still read ten years later, much less fifty. Many aren't even read a year later. But the idea that the book could impact a soul, that it could

awaken something fresh in a weary spirit, give a reader a new sense of Christ's grace that changes everything — that's worth writing for.

For Ray, by the way, it was Romans 9:18 (in the Greek, naturally) that, in his words, "turned his universe upside down."

So when people criticize all the gospel-centered this and grace-focused that coming out of the few Christian publishing houses committed to producing them, I get a little concerned. First, because gospel fatigue is a real thing, and it is spiritually dangerous. Secondly, because while I share a concern about The Gospel becoming just a fad, I think there are a lot worse fads (to be honest), and also, until the CBA charts are dominated by "gospely" books, I'm not gonna be overly concerned about it. But most importantly, I am happy for gospel books because gospel books change lives — they historically and remarkably awaken souls and influence the Church for the good of the world and the glory of Christ.

So for those tired of all the "gospely" books, I say keep 'em coming! They can feed the next generation of great preaching which fosters the next great revival.

Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them. Even an apostle must read . . . He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has

been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books!

He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!"

— Charles Spurgeon, Paul—His Cloak and His Books Tolle lege. •

JARED C. WILSON is the director of Content Strategy for Midwestern Seminary, managing editor of For The Church, director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church, and author of numerous books, including Gospel Wakefulness, The Pastor’s Justification, The Prodigal Church, The Imperfect Disciple, and Supernatural Power for Everyday People. A frequent preacher and speaker at churches and conferences, you can visit him online at jaredcwilson.com or on Twitter at @jaredcwilson.

3 Reasons to Give Away Our Books

by TAY L O R C A I N

Four years ago an older, frail, gentlemen walked into the bookstore I worked at when I was a college student. He came in and requested some books for him and his wife. I struck up a conversation with him and we talked about theology. It turns out he was a pastor at a small church outside of the city. About two weeks later he calls the bookstore and asks me if I wanted to look through his pastoral library. He said, “Bring big boxes because you’ll need them.” My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) and I drove 30 minutes to his church. On the way back I realized I gathered five big moving boxes worth of books. Most of those books still sit on my shelf today.

Over time we have kept in touch. Every time he would invite me over he would always send me away with two or three books. He has been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years and was a trustee at the seminary I now attend. He has an earnest desire to equip the next generation of pastors and he shows that by giving away sound theological resources. His example rubbed off on me. Even before he was kind to allow me to have part of his library, I tried my best to give away books. I was just never in a financial position to gather a lot of books when I was in college. But now, living on a seminary campus, I get books free or for next to nothing.

My hope is to not be stingy with the books I own. This is why I think every person who is building a personal library should not hold it with such a

firm grip, but a relaxed grip. We should be willing and ready to give away our sound theological resources.

GIVING AWAY OUR BOOKS HELPS US TO PRACTICE GENEROSITY

One of the most difficult issues I’ve heard while being a church member is other church members who may not have a theologically robust education or study that do not know how to find healthy resources. One way we can help our brothers and sisters to find these resources is by directing them to our own library.

You don’t have to start off by giving your books away, but you can start off by lending your books out. This gives you time to explain why and how you choose to add to your studied collection. Though there are some good blogs out there that help church members find healthy resources I think letting them see first hand what that looks like is helpful.

Every pastor and healthy church member should desire that their church grows in their understanding of who God is. Too often, we wonder why our fellow brothers and sisters in the church aren’t growing, but maybe it is because they aren’t pointed to the right resources. When we are generous with the books God has given to us we can enable hearts to grow in a deep, healthy love for God. Do you remember a time where someone introduced sound theologically material to you

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and helped you grow your own personal library?

GIVING AWAY OUR BOOKS EQUIPS FELLOW BELIEVERS

Do you remember watching old TV shows where the mom was cooking and needed a cup of sugar? Instead of taking off to the Dollar General down the street she went next door and asked if the neighbors could spare some sugar.

I believe the church could learn from the old-timey tradition of being generous with our possessions, even our books.

Our church has a small library that allows our members to borrow books.

The leader of my community group gives away a book every time we meet up. Whenever my wife and I have company over, I try to show them my library and offer to give them a book.

When I was a member of a church back in Arkansas they had a book table where members could borrow books. The pastor would even encourage us during the service to read certain books to equip ourselves with a proper theological view of current events.

A good understanding of what the gospel is and how it has transformed us is the foundation for our ability to give a reason for the hope that is within. But it also starts with working through certain doctrines, worldview, and understanding the culture through the lens of Scripture.

God has enabled men and women to compile biblical thinking into pages of books that are rich and thought-provoking. God brings men and women to the faith from different backgrounds. He saves them from certain sins that they can then address and equip others to rebuke with the authority of Scripture.

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We are familiar with the verse “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” but in the next verse David exclaims, “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” (Psalms 51:13) Let us rejoice in the fact that God delivers people from sin to help others fight sin through writing books.

GIVING OUR BOOKS AWAY HELPS US NOT TO BECOME PUFFED UP

This reason is personally tailored to me. When Callie and I moved to the seminary campus, one of my initial anticipations was to see fellow students personal libraries. I was eager to visit our neighbors just so I could see how big their libraries were. My personal library started when I was a roommate with a friend in college. Between the both of us we shared about 50 books and we thought we were big time! By the time I got married, I had a little over 200 books.

I got a wife who is beautiful, organized, and cooks delightful dishes, she got 200 books. Let’s just say I thought I had a lot to offer because of my “enormous” library. In the past three years of marriage, my collection has grown, but it seems now I am giving a lot more books away than I ever have.

I find that to be a good thing because there was a point in my life that I would cling to my books. I was the guy who collected books just because I wanted my library to be my identity. I desired to have my own personal office with two sets of double bookcases made of real cherry wood. Then reality we lived in a small duplex, I was paying for seminary, and we didn’t have finances for my dream personal library.

This was for the best.

Building a big library can sometimes inflame someone’s pride. This is why I think we should give our books away.

I’m not saying this would sever the root, but it would help avoid the temptation to be prideful. If we are gathering books for the sole purpose of “showing them off” or to build our reputation up we have it wrong. Christians who are building personal libraries should be utilizing these resources for the purpose of being conformed to the image of Christ and helping others to follow suit. If you are purchasing sets of books so that other people can talk about how solid you are, then you need to repent and look to Christ for relief. God has been so gracious to allow me to build my own personal library not so for me to grip them tightly, but to give them away. •

TAYLOR CAIN is graduate of Arkansas Tech University Journalism (B.A.) and is currently working on a Master's of Divinity in Preaching and Pastoral Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Cain is a church member and student of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church. He is a contributor to servantsofgrace.org. He is married to Callie.

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