A preacher with college and seminary training can hardly keep his self-respect if he does not have upon his study table a Greek Testament, a Greek lexicon, a Greek grammar, and several modern commentaries on the book that he is studying. He will have many other books, of course, but these are prime necessities if he plans to do serious work upon a page in the New Testament before he preaches upon it. Only thus can he be sure of his ground. Only thus can he be relatively as original as he ought to be. The contact of his mind with the Greek Testament is a fresh experience of first importance. The mind of the Spirit literally opens to his mind in a new and wonderful fashion.
-- A.T. Robertson, taken from The Minister and His Greek New Testament
If you don't have a copy of Robertson's little classic, buy one! If you do, get it out and re-read Chapter 9, "John Brown of Haddington, Or Learning Greek without a Teacher." That chapter alone ought to re-kindle the fires of learning and drive you to your Greek New Testament!
And if you are looking for a helpful Greek New Testament, I would recommend the UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader's Edition. It contains the vocabulary for all words occuring 30 times or less in the New Testament at the bottom of each page, a dictionary in the back for all words occuring 30 times or more in the New Testament, grammatical help for difficult verbs, and a much better font and layout than Zondervan's Reader's Greek New Testament. You can purchase the UBS version here.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Makes a Great Father's Day Gift Too
In case you missed this on Valentine's Day, it makes a great gift for Father's Day as well. So if you want the dads in your life to smell like an old theologian, give them this irresistible fragrance.
As always, you can trust The Sacred Sandwich to provide us with a healthy dose of humor.
As always, you can trust The Sacred Sandwich to provide us with a healthy dose of humor.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Father's Day Special from Desiring God
Desiring God is offering a great sale for Father's Day - four of Piper's biographical books and the audio of 18 biographical messages - all for $40.
Books
Audio
Books
- The Legacy of Sovereign Joy (Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin)
- The Hidden Smile of God (John Bunyan, William Cowper, David Brainerd)
- The Roots of Endurance (John Newton, Charles Simeon, William Wilberforce)
- Contending For Our All (Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Gresham Machen)
Audio
Friday, June 5, 2009
J.I. Packer on the Trinity
Third Millennium Ministries has made an excerpt from J.I. Packer's Concise Theology available in PDF. The excerpt is on the doctrine of the Trinity and can be read here. And true to the title, it is concise - only two pages long.
If you are interested in reading more from Packer's Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, you can find out more information about the book or purchase it here.
If you are interested in reading more from Packer's Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, you can find out more information about the book or purchase it here.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A Humbling Reminder
"A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant."
-- Stephen Charnock
-- Stephen Charnock
The Ongoing Justification Debate
In this month's issue of Christianity Today, there are two brief but important articles on the ongoing debate about justification between John Piper and N.T. Wright. One is "The Justification Debate: A Primer," which summarizes the main arguments of Piper and Wright. The other is "Not An Academic Question" by Trevin Wax and Ted Olsen, which reveals the thoughts and experiences of several different pastors and how the justification debate affects their ministry.
Since this is the current issue of CT, the articles are not yet available online. However, I would encourage you to find a copy and read them. The cover story, about Tim Keller, is interesting as well.
Since this is the current issue of CT, the articles are not yet available online. However, I would encourage you to find a copy and read them. The cover story, about Tim Keller, is interesting as well.
Mark Dever and Matt Schmucker at the Toronto Pastors Conference
The audio from the 2009 Toronto Pastors Conference with Mark Dever and Matt Schmucker is now available.
Displaying God's Glorious Gospel, Session 1 (Matt Schmucker)
Preaching and Biblical Theology, Session 2 (Mark Dever)
Encouragement for the Pastor's Soul, (Carl Muller)
Gospel, Conversion, and Evangelism, Session 3 (Mark Dever)
Panel Discussion and Questions (Mark Dever and Matt Schmucker)
Membership, Discipline, and Discipleship, Session 4 (Matt Schmucker)
Do You Like Jesus? (Mark Dever)
Leadership, Session 5 (Mark Dever)
Covenanting Together, Session 6 (Matt Schmucker)
God, the Gospel, and Your Marriage
Want a healthy reminder of the connection between marriage and the gospel? Listen to these three addresses by Art Azurdia.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Notable New Books
Here are a handful of new books that look like promising reads. All of them have either just been published or will soon be published. So if you're looking for some summer reading ideas, you might want to check out some of these.
George Whitefield (Historymakers), John Pollock (May 2009)
Risking the Truth: Handling Error in the Church, Martin Downes, ed. (May 2009)
Courage to Stand: Jeremiah's Message for Post-Christian Times, Philip Graham Ryken (May 2009)
Broken Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad, Paul David Tripp (May 2009)
Come Ye Children: Practical Help Telling Children about Jesus, Charles Spurgeon (May 2009)
My First Book about Jesus (My 1st Series), Carine Mackenzie (May 2009)
The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts That Shaped Our World, R.C. Sproul (June 2009)
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (June 2009)
Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ, Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson (June 2009)
Does Grace Grow Best in Winter?, Ligon Duncan (June 2009)
Dual Citizens: Worship and Life between the Already and the Not Yet, Jason Stellman (July 2009)
Christianity and Liberalism (Revised Edition), J. Gresham Machen (June 2009)
J.I. Packer and the Evangelical Future: The Impact of His Life and Thought, Timothy George, ed. (August 2009)
Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World, Michael Horton (October 2009)
George Whitefield (Historymakers), John Pollock (May 2009)
Risking the Truth: Handling Error in the Church, Martin Downes, ed. (May 2009)
Courage to Stand: Jeremiah's Message for Post-Christian Times, Philip Graham Ryken (May 2009)
Broken Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad, Paul David Tripp (May 2009)
Come Ye Children: Practical Help Telling Children about Jesus, Charles Spurgeon (May 2009)
My First Book about Jesus (My 1st Series), Carine Mackenzie (May 2009)
The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts That Shaped Our World, R.C. Sproul (June 2009)
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (June 2009)
Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ, Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson (June 2009)
Does Grace Grow Best in Winter?, Ligon Duncan (June 2009)
Dual Citizens: Worship and Life between the Already and the Not Yet, Jason Stellman (July 2009)
Christianity and Liberalism (Revised Edition), J. Gresham Machen (June 2009)
J.I. Packer and the Evangelical Future: The Impact of His Life and Thought, Timothy George, ed. (August 2009)
Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World, Michael Horton (October 2009)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Great Subtitle, Even Better Book
Kevin DeYoung's new book on the will of God may have the best subtitle I have ever seen, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will, Or How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc.
His seminar from the NEXT Conference, which was based on the book, can be heard here.
And here is a brief interview with him about the book.
DeYoung is teaming up with Ted Kluck again for a new book (set to be published in July), Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion.
You may remember that these two also co-wrote Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be).
The Mysterious Providence of God
God Moves in a Mysterious Way
William Cowper, 1774
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
Supposedly, this was the last hymn William Cowper ever wrote (what a finale!). It is truly a masterpiece of theology. If the legendary story behind it is true (and we have no real way of knowing whether it is or not), it makes it that much more powerful. Find out more here.
William Cowper, 1774
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
Supposedly, this was the last hymn William Cowper ever wrote (what a finale!). It is truly a masterpiece of theology. If the legendary story behind it is true (and we have no real way of knowing whether it is or not), it makes it that much more powerful. Find out more here.
James MacDonald on "Common Mistakes Made by Young Preachers"
James MacDonald answers the question, "What are some of the most common mistakes made by young preachers?" in this brief video.
Dubious Photojournalism
In his next Christian conspiracy thriller titled “The C.S.
Lewis Code,” author Dan Brown exposes the truth about
Aslan the Lion, who purportedly left Narnia, got married,
and settled down with his wife and adopted lamb in
Secaucus, New Jersey.
While this is a little creepy, it is also a little funny. Thanks again to The Sacred Sandwich for providing us with a good laugh.
While this is a little creepy, it is also a little funny. Thanks again to The Sacred Sandwich for providing us with a good laugh.
Monday, June 1, 2009
A Sobering Poetic Prayer
As you read these sobering lines, might you be as humbled by your sin as I was mine. But might you also be encouraged to pray those last two stanzas!
The Evil Heart
Augustus Toplady, 1837
Astonished and distressed,
I turn mine eyes within:
My heart with loads of guilt oppressed,
The seat of every sin.
What crowds of evil thoughts,
What vile affections there!
Distrust, presumption, artful guile,
Pride, envy, slavish fear.
Almighty King of saints,
These tyrant lusts subdue;
Expel the darkness of my mind,
And all my pow'rs renew.
This done, my cheerful voice
Shall loud hosannas raise;
My soul shall glow with gratitude,
My lips proclaim Thy praise.
The Evil Heart
Augustus Toplady, 1837
Astonished and distressed,
I turn mine eyes within:
My heart with loads of guilt oppressed,
The seat of every sin.
What crowds of evil thoughts,
What vile affections there!
Distrust, presumption, artful guile,
Pride, envy, slavish fear.
Almighty King of saints,
These tyrant lusts subdue;
Expel the darkness of my mind,
And all my pow'rs renew.
This done, my cheerful voice
Shall loud hosannas raise;
My soul shall glow with gratitude,
My lips proclaim Thy praise.
J.I. Packer & "The Reformation of Pastoral Ministry"
Beeson Divinity School recently announced that J.I. Packer will be the lecturer for the 2009 Reformation Heritage Lectures (October 27-29). He will be speaking each day at 11:00 am on "The Reformation of Pastoral Ministry" (with an additional lecture Wednesday at 1:00 pm). The lectures are free and open to the public, but there is a charge of $7.50 for the luncheon on Wednesday.Reservations will not open until mid-August, but mark your calendars now.
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