James R. White – New book on the Qur’an

Dr James White has a new book on the Qur’an. Dr White has for some years been researching and studying extensively the religion of Islam. His new book has the title ‘What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an (Paperback)’.

There’s an excellent interview with Dr White on The Reformed Forum. From the Reformed Forum website:

Today we welcome Dr. James R. White to the program to speak about his book What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an. In the book, Dr. White presents Islamic beliefs about Christ, salvation, the Trinity, the afterlife, and other important topics. White shows how the sacred text of Islam differs from the teachings of the Bible in order to help Christians engage in open, honest discussions with Muslims.

It’s available in the UK via The Book Depository. This is a book I’ll be ordering very soon!

Download interview via Reformed Forum website link above.

Dr White is the Director of Alpha & Omega Ministries – Christian apologetics.

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Van Til Lecture

We were treated last evening to a lecture on ‘Cornelius Van Til’ given by Geoff Thomas (Aberystwyth) in his own inimitable way. The lecture wasn’t the cerebral exercise many were expecting but was a warm lecture full of personal anecdotes and challenge by a man who knew personally Dr Van Til and Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones (You’ll get the connection when you listen to the lecture).

We were warned about the scientific method and evidentialism that hands authority over to man. It’s not for man to decide, it’s for man to repent and believe the Gospel. Preachers (and a lot were at the lecture) were encouraged to preach warmly to the conscience of man knowing there is a God and to not preach a Gospel of probability (my take) but of certainly.

Geoff said after that he should have mentioned ‘Paul at Athens’ and ‘Why I Believe in God’, two booklets by Van Til that are more accessible and available for free. Geoff wished Van Til had written more in this style.

Again as Geoff said afterwards, ‘there’s just so much to say and it’s a massive subject’. But everyone I spoke to and all the conversations I overheard were positive and appreciative of the lecture. He recommended the biography, Cornelius Van Til: Reformed Apologist and Churchman by John R. Muether and a newly released book of 9 sermons by Lloyd Jones, ‘Setting Our Affections upon Glory’.

The best recommendation of the lecture I heard came from a lady sitting in front of me when she said, ‘now I understand Van Til’.

For Van Til resources follow link to a previous post.

I’ll post links to the audio as soon as it becomes available.

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God Is Not Great: Christopher Hitchens

Cover via Amazon

Now I have a Kindle it’s so easy to download and buy stuff – that’s good and bad. It’s good, for example because amongst other things I bought ‘God is not Great‘ for £0.99p. It’s bad because no matter what the format I still have to find time to read the stuff. A window of opportunity opened and so I began to read. It was also a time to find the drawback of the kindle I have of not being able to type notes fast enough and so it’s really hard work. I need a pen and a notepad with it. May I’ll get faster and improve with use.

I’m assuming he (Hitchens) will lay out his store as it were in the first chapter, so here’s a few points to be going on with from Chapter 1.

1. I like his style writing – he has [had] great skill with words and was obviously very well read.

2. I like his honesty. He tells it how he sees it. He calls a spade a spade as we say. And I like writers that do that. His honesty doesn’t extend however to a correct understanding of Christianity. He continuously (as does Dawkins) misrepresents Christianity (see point 3).

3. Sadly, from what I read he never ever really understood the Gospel. This view may be wrong – I guess his brother might know – but it’s how he writes.

4. He talks a lot about Religion. Yes Christianity is a Religion. And there can be stupid and very bad Christians – but this doesn’t actually invalidate it as truth. It certainly doesn’t help but it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

There’s a big problem with the Title. For such a specific claim you would have thought it important to be specific about the God he is talking about. Is it the Christian God, the God of Islam or the God of his own imagination. Here’s just a couple of quotes.

Many of them never believed, and many of them abandoned faith after a difficult struggle. That might be his experience but it isn’t mine. And in any case even if it were true it still wouldn’t invalidate the truth claims of Christianity. All that proves is the weakness of the human condition. You say, why doesn’t God help them then. In my experience He does – for example my own mother that died of bone cancer and many other I know of.

‘We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry (Really! see paragraph below), open-mindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake.

God did not create man in his own image. Evidently (There are other explanations for so many religions but it doesn’t suit his case to give any evidence even if he could), it was the other way about, which is the painless explanation for the profusion of gods and religions, and the fratricide both between and among faiths, that we see all about us and that has so retarded the development of civilization.

Imagine that you can perform a feat of which I am incapable. Imagine, in other words, that you can picture an infinitely benign and all-powerful creator, who conceived of you, then made and shaped you, brought you into the world he had made for you, and now supervises and cares for you even while you sleep. Imagine, further, that if you obey the rules and commandments that he has lovingly prescribed, you will qualify for an eternity of bliss and repose. I do not say that I envy you this belief (because to me it seems like the wish for a horrible form of benevolent and unalterable dictatorship), but I do have a sincere question. Why does such a belief not make its adherents happy? It must seem to them that they have come into possession of a marvelous secret, of the sort that they could cling to in moments of even the most extreme adversity. This quotation serves to demonstrate his understanding of the Gospel is 100% wrong. Any decent historian may not believe it but should be able to tell you what it is. Sadly, Hitchens doesn’t have a clue and his readers will just slavishly and uncritically swallow it. His Atheism is poisoning everything!

Since reading the first chapter I have listened to a discussion of the book first broadcast back in 2008. This is a series of 8 available at Unchained Radio for $0.98 cents each. (I think they might be available for free) I’ve now listened to them all and I’d say they are worth every penny (I am English). To buy them go HERE. These guys are way more able than I am but demonstrate rather uncomfortably for Atheists that Christian apologists (especially Presuppositional apologists) have good solid scriptural apologetic arguments and the debating skills to take them on. I’m being polite when I say they (Paul Manata in this case) completely destroy Christopher Hitchens arguments, method, worldview and just about everything else besides. Whether he listened to the programs back then, I can’t say, but he was well able to defend himself at the time. The reason for ‘flagging them up’ here (he can no longer defend himself) is because as one of the ‘Four Horsemen’ an awful lot of weight will be given to his words. I have no doubt in the coming days we will be hearing a lot of his writing and of his legacy to the Atheistic cause.

After listening to Paul Manata discuss the book I am left wondering why Hitchens was so popular a writer. A book was mentioned in one of the broadcasts. With a Kindle it’s possible to download sample sections. So I read a sample of the book ‘On Bullshit‘ by philosopher Harry Frankfurt as it was recommended by Paul Manata. By the criteria of the book Dawkins, Hitchens and the other ‘Horsemen’ are probably no more than a bunch of ‘Bullshitters’ and people love it. Frankfurt has a sequel to ‘On Bullshit’ and it’s well worth reading the sample section of ‘On Truth’. Frankfurt thinks they (Bullshitters) are worse than liars. We need to make sure that as Christians we don’t follow their example.

Out of curiosity and a search through YouTube I found a video of an Atheist convention. Hitchens was filmed with an 8 (yes that’s Eight!) year old girl asking him what books she should read. He listed a few books and is amazed to find she had read them. Now here’s the thing: She said she wanted to be a Free Thinker just like him. We (Christians) are accused of indoctrination if we tell children about The Lord of Glory but if 8-year-old little girls are taken to an Atheist convention (her Mother stood proudly looking on) they are free thinkers. And Christians are accused of being closed-minded! That’s the end of this post – I’m speechless!

HT for the broadcasts to my friend Jim over at The Domain for Truth.

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‘Against All Odds’ by Paul Connolly

'Against All Odds' by Paul Connelly

I’ve just finished reading ‘Against All Odds’ by Paul Connolly - Kindle edition. It’s quite a brave book to write, it’s honestly written and pulls no punches (pun intended). The early chapters are quite a harrowing account of life in an institution till he was forced to leave at the age of 17. Paul was abandoned at two weeks old and left out with the rubbish and his book is really an account of his ongoing battle with a sense of worthlessness. If you are offended by very strong language then I don’t recommend you read it. But if you can get past the language and some of the abuse it really is a story of survival ‘Against All The Odds’. We see or meet people and perhaps comment how some individuals have something written on their forehead. For some it’s the word ‘Jail’, for others it’s ‘Abuse Me’ or it might be ‘Thug’ and we all see these labels from time to time. We might also comment on how some kids often through no fault of their own, do not stand a chance – they are marked as it were from birth. Such was Paul Connelly, at least that’s what he was told.

It a story that ultimately triumphs over a horrendous upbringing and the damage that followed him into adulthood and that he still is not entirely free from like the rage within him that he struggles to control ever day. Thankfully he found, in his words, a wonderful woman and he now has two wonderful young boys. It is remarkable indeed that he has defeated the lies of those so-called ‘carers’ by living a normal life.

What’s my response to the book as a Christian? Because of the link that altered me to the book I naively expected there to be some Christian input. It didn’t take long for me to realise this wasn’t going to happen. The only encounter Paul had with Christianity was in the home so understandably there is no mention of God in the book except towards the end when he contemplates killing the ‘carers’. These were individuals that by any standard had really escaped true justice in spite of the best efforts of some police officers. Here’s the passage at the end of Chapter 12 where Paul writes:

“Some of them have paid something for their crimes, but they havent paid nearly enough and I dont believe in a just God who punishes the wicked after death. I wish that I did because, if anyone ever deserved fire and brimstone, it was them.”

It’s a fascinating quote because it shows how Paul has a sense of justice that unfortunately does not extend to some of the victims he battered senseless. Did they all really ‘deserve’ it, or even most of them – I doubt it. I’m reminded of the end of ‘Unforgiven’ with Clint Eastwood. Little Bill is facing death and says ‘not like this, I don’t deserve this’ to which William Munny (Eastwood) replies ‘what’s deserve got to do with it’. Unlike the justice of men, the justice of God is righteous and He knows all the details. The fact is we all, me, Paul, everyone, deserves the judgement of God. But through the free Grace of God in the Gospel of Christ repentant sinners may go free.

There are some great insights into the human condition as he deals honestly with his own inward state and the resultant struggle within. This is something Paul would fail to appreciate but he is articulating what the real problem is: it’s a heart problem. Jesus teaches quite specifically, that it isn’t what comes out of a man or the exterior - how good and righteous we make ourselves out to be, even deluding ourselves – it’s the sinful nature within that is the problem. And only God in Christ can sort that out. His book made me think I should be less judgemental. That drunk that we see staggering down the road: I do not know his story. Maybe he has a similar story to Paul. As a Christian what’s the very best I can do for such people? I can hold out hope and give them words of eternal life. And where possible maybe a hot drink and a non-condemnatory chat and treat them as a human being of worth, people made in the image of God yet ravaged by sin. Though terribly marred by sin they nevertheless have the stamp of God’s image upon them.

The full title is ‘Against All The Odds: The Most Amazing True Life Story You’ll Ever Read’. It isn’t the most amazing true life story I’ve ever read, it is an amazing story, but the Life of Jesus Christ is the most amazing story I’ve ever read and am likely to read. Here’s where I’m left disappointed and sad: and if somehow Paul does read these words I trust he’ll take them as well-meant and full of hope. Although it’s a marvellous outcome for him he’s still without Christ and without hope. I admire him but at the last day when he stands before God to give an account if he is without Christ he’ll be damned. There’s just no easy or nice way to say it. But it’s true. Without a Saviour he’ll end up in the same place as his abusers. I know this is an unpalatable truth, but really it is the great leveler as ‘we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ’. But ‘Christ loves the unlovely that lovely they may be’. This is real hope!

Mez McConnell

All the while reading about Paul I couldn’t but help compare his life – and outcome – with another book I read a little while ago by Mez McConnell ’Is There Anybody Out There‘: A Journey from Despair to Hope. Mez suffered horrific abuse from beatings and drug use that today affect his health and probably always will. Mez turned to Christ and is now the Pastor of a Church. He works with the dregs of society, the druggy, the dropouts and seeks to lead them to Christ. Check out a previous post on Mez and the links there to find out more. Here’s his Blog. And read his book.

As good a story as Paul’s is and as inspiring as it is, it falls short. Why? I’d like to believe that Paul seeks to help those caught in desperate circumstances but his resources are finite and the hope he offers is limited to this life. But the Gospel comes with the Power of God to change us from within, to forgive, to cleanse and to keep. Paul couldn’t help me – I couldn’t afford his services, but the Salvation offered by Christ is free to all that will call on Him. And Christ will never turn anyone away.

It’s turned out well for Paul, and I’m glad it has. But his story is unfinished without a Saviour – and so is yours.

UPDATE: Sincere apologies, I mis-spelt Connolly. Now corrected. I know a Connelly and didn’t notice the difference until it was pointed out to me.

Related articles

• Against All Odds: Paul Connolly who didn’t learn to read until he was 25 tops e-book charts (dailymail.co.uk)

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Choosing Hats — Biblical Apologetics to the Glory of God

Choosing Hats — Biblical Apologetics to the Glory of God.

Just flagging up this Apologetics website for people to check out. Follow the link above for more info and articles.

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Into the New Year 2012

Happy New Year to one and all. Here’s C H Spurgeon’s Morning devotional for January 1st:

“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” –Joshua 5:12 

Israel’s weary wanderings were all over, and the promised rest was attained. No more moving tents, fiery serpents, fierce Amalekites, and howling wildernesses: they came to the land which flowed with milk and honey, and they ate the old corn of the land. Perhaps this year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus in the rest which remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss. Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between us and the goodly land, but let us rest assured that we have already experienced more ills than death at its worst can cause us. Let us banish every fearful thought, and rejoice with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this year we shall begin to be “for ever with the Lord.”

A part of the host will this year tarry on earth, to do service for their Lord. If this should fall to our lot, there is no reason why the New Year’s text should not still be true. “We who have believed do enter into rest.” The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; He gives us “glory begun below.” In heaven they are secure, and so are we preserve in Christ Jesus; there they triumph over their enemies, and we have victories too. Celestial spirits enjoy communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us; they rest in His love, and we have perfect peace in Him: they hymn His praise, and it is our privilege to bless Him too. We will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly ground, where faith and hope have made the desert like the garden of the Lord. Man did eat angels’ food of old, and why not now ? O for grace to feed on Jesus, and so to eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan this year!

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Kindle Surprise!

You’ve seen those Kindle things – all over the place they are. I’ve kind of looked at them. Well, now I have one. My kids clubbed together to buy one for Christmas. Not ever really thinking about buying one, it was s bit of a surprise and the thought ran through my mind – will I really use this. Having played with it for a while and downloaded a few books – the answer is, yes I will.

But what a way they set me up for it. I felt the wrapping and knew it was a book. And from the size of it I hoped it was the  volume of Systematic Theology by Michael Horton – I had dropped a few hints. When I opened the wrapping, it was a book alright! A Gardening Book! I tried to be appreciative, knowing they had my best interests at heart. Gardening is not my thing at all. But! When I opened up the book there inside was a Kindle. Wahoo. They had cut out the inside of the book (The idea of my daughter Lydia)  to fit a Kindle - absolutely brilliant. A real surprise, I had no idea at all.

I have downloaded the sample of Michael Horton’s Systematic Theology, The ESV Bible (print price £22.38 Kindle price £0.00) and put a PDF file on it. If I spot any FREE Kindle books that may be of interest I’ll put up a post about them.

The plan now is to try to modify it. If the modifications happen, and I have some ideas, I’ll post about them here.

Related articles

• Amazon UK opens its doors for the Christmas sales, adds hundreds of Kindle books from 99p (engadget.com)
• Today’s FREE eBooks for Download (December 25) (randomizeme.net)
• Today’s FREE eBooks for Download (December 26) (randomizeme.net)

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The Whole Armour of God

Not sure whether the title of this post would attract would be Jihadist ‘Warriors’ or Christians looking for encouragement in the Spiritual Warfare. If you are a Jihadist let me encourage you to lay down your arms at the feet of King Jesus and serve Him only and find refuge. Psalm 2:12  ‘Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him’.

I had in my loft very inconveniently stored a number of books, many given to me by a friend, with one especially that I had wanted to retrieve. We had a sort out and managed to lay my hands on it. The book is The Christian in Complete Armour by the Puritan William Gurnall. To give it its full title, The Christian in Complete Armour; A Treatise Of the Saints’ War against the Devil. Astonishingly the whole text of this massive tome is available on-line for free. The book is 600 pages of small text and to honest, though I would like to, it’s unlikely to be read from cover to cover any time soon! But for your joy here is the introduction which was so encouraging to read in itself that it seemed good to put it here. Read on…

A treatise of

The Whole Armour of God

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

          “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

          “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

— Ephesians 6:10-20.

The Introduction

Paul was now in bonds, yet not so close kept as to be denied pen and paper; God, it seems, gave him some favour in the sight of his enemies: Paul was Nero’s prisoner, but Nero was much more God’s.  And while God had work for Paul, he found him friends both in court and prison.  Let persecutors send saints to prison, God can provide a keeper for their turn.

But how does this great apostle spend his time in prison?  Not in publishing invectives against those, though the worst of men, who had laid him in; a piece of zeal which the holy sufferers of those times were little acquainted with: nor in politic counsels, how he might wind himself out of his trouble, by sordid flattery of, or sinful compliance with, the great ones of the times.  Some would have used any picklock to have opened a passage to their liberty and not scrupled, so escape they might, whether they got out at the door or window.  But this holy man was not so fond of liberty or life, as to purchase them at the least hazard to the gospel.  He knew too much of another world, to bid so high for the enjoying of this; and therefore he is regardless what his enemies can do with him, well knowing he should go to heaven whether they would or no.  No, the great care which lay upon him, was for the churches of Christ; as a faithful steward he labors to set the house of God in order before his departure.  We read of no despatches sent to court to procure his liberty; but many to the churches, to help them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free.  There is no such way to be even with the devil and his instruments, for all their spite against us, as by doing what good we can wherever we be come.

The devil had as good have let Paul alone, for he no sooner comes into prison but he falls a preaching, at which the gates of Satan’s prison fly open, and poor sinners come forth.  Happy for Onesimus that Paul was sent to jail; God had an errand for Paul to do to him and others, which the devil never dreamed of.  Nay he doth not only preach in prison, but that he may do the devil all the mischief he can, he sends his epistles to the churches, that tasting his spirit in his afflictions, and reading his faith, now ready to be offered up, they might much more be confirmed; amongst which Ephesus was not least in his thoughts, as you may perceive by his abode with them two years together, Acts 19:10; as also by his sending for the elders of this church as far as Miletus, in his last journey to Jerusalem, Acts 20:17, to take his farewell of them as never to see their faces in this world more.  And surely the sad impression which that heart-breaking departure left on the spirits of these elders, yea, the whole church, by them acquainted with this mournful news, might stir up Paul, now in prison, to write unto this church, that having so much of his spirit, yea, of the spirit of the gospel, left in their hands to converse with, they might more patiently take the news of his death.

In the former part of this epistle, he soars high in the mysteries of faith.  In the latter, according to his usual method, he descends to application; where we find him contracting all those truths, as beams together, in a powerful exhortation, the more to enkindle their hearts, and powerfully persuade them to ‘walk worthy of their vocation,’ Eph. 4:1, which then is done, when the Christian’s life is so transparent that the grace of the gospel shines forth in the power of holiness on every side, and from all his relations, as a candle in a crystal glass, not in a dark lantern, lightsome one way and dark another: and therefore he runs over the several relations of husband, wife, parents, children, masters, and servants, and presseth the same in all these.

Now having set every one in his proper place, about his particular duty; as a wise general after he has ranged his army, and drawn them forth into rank and file, he makes the following speech at the head of the Ephesian camp, all in martial phrase, as best suiting the Christian’s calling, which is a continued warfare with the world, and the prince of the world.  The speech itself contains two parts.

First, A short but sweet and powerful encouragement, Eph. 6:10.  Secondly, The other part is spent in several directions for their managing this war the more successfully, with some motives here and there sprinkled among them, Eph. 6:11-20.  We begin with the first.

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Seyyed Hossein Nasr on Islam – Book Review

Image via Wikipedia

I seem to have posted rather a lot on Islam of late. This wasn’t really intentional it’s just that circumstances – admittedly an existing interest – seemed to dictate. This was partly due to the programs aired by the BBC and I still have to post on aspects of these. The programs were a little while ago now but their huge significance remains.

It seemed appropriate to find out more from a source other than the TV or Christian apologetic comments and lectures on the subject. I wanted to read what a Muslim has to say. Ken Samples some time ago delivered a series of Academy lectures at Christ Reformed Church, Anaheim, California on the subject of Islam. He used two books as particular reference sources – his own book on Worldviews, A World of Difference and the book I am going to comment on.

The second book recommended by Ken Samples is ‘Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization’ by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Nasr is a Muslim, not a Christian apologist.

I’m not really sure how far it’s possible to get concerning a review. But for now, any comments will be restricted to the Introduction (p, xi – xxv) and the first chapter ‘Islam and the Islamic World’ (p, 1 – 24). Nasr, the author, originates from Iran but now resides (AFAIK) in the US and is a distinguished Islamic scholar with a definite bias towards Sufism.

The Introduction – Comments

The very first thing that struck me was the seeming amount of angst because there are just so many negatives in the text. There is not one single reference to these negatives and I can only take it he means Christian apologists – or is that being overly sensitive. Presumably he’s reading these critics so is it too much to ask where his information is from! I began to underline and mark the negative words and phrases but there were so many of them that I had to stop underlining as it was getting silly. See what you think, but here’s a list of words from the first few pages and I think you’ll get my drift:

‘so-called experts’ ‘prejudices and ideological biases’ ‘distorted and tainted’ ‘errors and deviations’ (p xii) ‘perpetuated religious opposition to Islam’ ‘disdain’ ‘inferior’ ‘distorted’ ‘hubris’ (p. xiii) and one more ‘disdain’ over the page (xiv). There was much more of the same till about page xviii but by page xiv it was enough!

It’s not till nearly the end of The Introduction that we are told where he is coming from. So on p. xxiii we read ‘The present work …. is written from within the Islamic perspective and from the traditional point of view, from the perspective of the sacred and universal teachings of Islam as they were revealed and later transmitted over the ages.’

Another aspect is the amount of claims made. I’ll confess some of them may be true, but he really does over egg his case by claiming more for Islam than is reasonable (I realised later that he’s able to make these claims based on his understanding of perennial truth – more on this in another post). But he hasn’t claimed any objectivity (yet) so I guess it’s more very biased claims for Islam. One example is a philosophy of music. But Augustine had already written on this in a work entitled On Music, ‘De Musica’ in Latin. It caused me to wonder how many people reading Nasr would know this and uncritically accept his claims. It made me suspicious of his other claims, especially because there are so few footnotes (10 notes for the whole book – I’m one of those people who actually reads the footnotes) and a biased recommended reading list at the end of the book.

He claims to be writing from a Traditional Islamic perspective, but it’s not quite clear what this is. To be fair more may be made clearer as I move further through the book (he does in Ch 1). Also, to be fair, I am reading this book with my Christian Worldview glasses on. But I will try to be fair and give him as much as I can.

Chapter 1 – Comments

The reason why Nasr and indeed Islam are able to make some extraordinary claims is made clear when you understand how it sees itself. It considers Adam (the first man Adam) as the first prophet of Islam and from this perspective reckons itself to be older even than Judaism and Christianity. I thought it was quite a clever bit of misdirection that enabled around 1.4 Billion people to have swallowed this story hook, line and sinker. And that’s tragic!

It’s revealing when Nasr claims Islam makes more of Adam & Abraham than Christianity (p.5). It’s not clear where he gets his Christian references from but it is definitely not a view I recognise in Christianity at all! Adam is vital to an understanding of the work of Christ, of the fall, of special creation and many other Christian doctrines. It’s this sort of deliberate misrepresentation of the Christian faith that is so difficult to counter. People love to believe a lie – and Islam has them in bucket-loads! It’s also a reminder that we (Christians) do not use the weapons of this world;

2Co 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

 His traditional perspective covers – if I have understood correctly – the following several points that binds the Islamic community (Ummah). Here listed from p.8 without comment:

• There is no god but God.
• Muhammed is the messenger of God.
• The Quran is the verbatim revelation of God.
• The main rituals – prayers, fasting etc.
• The grace (barakah) of the prophet and his deeds (Sunnah).
• I should also add Jihad to this list – both spiritual and militaristic.

Concluding Thoughts

To conclude this brief review it must be said that despite the previous shortcomings the book is very readable and I’m enjoying reading it. It is revealing and instructive and I’m learning a lot about Islam which was the purpose of reading and one must also assume the aim of the author. One qualification however, is that I have no idea how Nasr is received in the Islamic world and is just one book probably among thousands. I think he has tried to fairly represent his own faith and from what I’ve read so far does a good job. Obviously as a Christian I have profound disagreements with Islam and I’ll try to cover some of these in other posts.

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Augustine – Quotes from the Confessions

Cover of Confessions (Oxford World's Classics)

The church book club have just gone through the first 5 books (chapters) of Augustine’s Confessions. We intend to read through to book 9 as a group but I’d like read right through them. I’ve previously dipped very briefly into a few on-line versions but never actually read through them. There’s nothing – in my opinion – quite like having a book to read. The translation we are using is by Henry Chadwick and is proving to be very readable in terms of text. I’m really enjoying the book. Before we quote – and comment – from the text, two preliminary observations might be in order. i) Augustine noted what we might call the mundane or ordinary and sees God at work in these in a very powerful and humbling way. ii) Some of the things could have been written yesterday as comment on human behaviour. People are still the same, nothing has changed except maybe the clothes!

A few choice quotes

Book iv (30) p. 70. ‘I had my back to the light and my face towards the things which are illuminated. So my face, by which I was enabled to see the things lit up, was not itself illuminated’

People look out on creation and see its wonders but completely fail to be themselves enlightened at all. Or even to see the beauty of Jesus but again it’s not their own illumination and are still in their sins. And as Augustine said previously ‘…while travelling away from the truth I thought I was going towards it. Book iii (12) p. 43.

Augustine was given amazing insight into his own soul and into ours too. It’s no wonder this book is a classic. Augustine was taken in by the Manichees cult for about 9 years and Faustus one of their most able leaders came on the scene.  Augustine was beginning to question the truthfulness of their teachings to which he writes (Book iv section iv 10 p. 77 & 76):

‘When he came, I found him gracious and pleasant with words. He said the things they usually say, but put it much more agreeably. But what should the most presentable waiter do for my thirst by offering precious cups? My ears were already satiated with this kind of talk, which did not seem better to me because more elegantly expressed. Fine style does not make something true, nor has a man a wise soul because he has a handsome face and well chosen eloquence. They who promised he would be so good were not good judges. He seemed so prudent and wise because he charmed them by the way he talked.’

A quotation with his view of God (Book i p.4 & 5, iv (4).

‘Who then are you my God? What, I ask, but God who is Lord? For ‘who is the Lord but the Lord’, or ‘who is God but our God? (Psalm 17:32). Most high, utterly good, utterly powerful, most omnipotent, most merciful and most just, deeply hidden yet intimately present, perfection of beauty and strength, stable and incomprehensible, immutable and yet changing all things, never new, never old….’

Finally, Book i p. 5, v (5):

‘…’Say to my soul, I am your salvation‘ (Psalm 34:3). Speak to me so that I might hear.’

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Bible Study Notes – Union with Christ

Here’s another set of notes. Just a reminder these were used in a discussion. We spent some time discussing when our Union began and even if this aspect of it is actually useful. A really helpful piece of writing on this is found in ‘Redemption: Accomplished and Applied’ by John Murray Part 2 ch 9. If our Union is grounded in an eternal reality this gives incredible security to the believer and should fill us with wonder and praise!

Reading – Ephesians 1: 1 – 9. & Romans 6: 1 – 11. ‘Union with Christ’

Who is this person we are in union with? Read Revelation 1: 12-18. Conversely, who were we in union with? And to some extent still are! 1 Cor 15: 22. We are here faced with a Spiritual Eternal reality and a space-time Historic reality.

It’s not called the Mystical Union for nothing. ‘Here we have union which we are unable to define specifically’ (John Murray) However, it’s not unintelligible – it’s possible to state even though we can’t get our heads round it!

In this respect it’s like the Trinity and the two natures of Christ – and can only be appropriated through faith, and that not of ourselves!

We commented last time about our Adoption in the planning stage – as it were – beginning before the foundation of the world and actualised in time at the New Birth. A Question then: When were we placed In Christ?

“The best proof that He will never cease to love us lies in that He never began.  What we are for Him and what He is for us belongs to the realm of eternal values. Without this we are nothing, in it we have all.”

(Geerhardus Vos: Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation, ed. By Richard B Gaffin, p.298).

And very closely related to this: When were we In Adam? Romans 5:12

There are indications that we have always been in Christ and the close ties to Election & Adoption are striking. I find this amazing, extraordinary & incredible yet mysterious, veiled & baffling. Let’s see if we can actually state it in doctrinal terms, and then leave the understanding of it perhaps for discussion or to faith in God.

If there is an order to salvation – perhaps this ought to be first, even before Election. Chosen in Him is a phrase that again will take some unpacking.

Eph 1:4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

‘Before the foundation of the world – This is a very important phrase in determining the time when the choice was made. It was not an “afterthought.” It was not commenced in time. The purpose was far back in the ages of eternity. But what is the meaning of the phrase “before the foundation of the world?” Dr. Clarke supposes that it means “from the commencement “of the religious system of the Jews,” which,” says he, “the phrase sometimes means.” Such principles of interpretation are they compelled to resort to who endeavor to show that this refers to a national election to privileges, and who deny that it refers to individuals. On such principles the Bible may be made to signify anything and everything. Dr. Chandler, who also supposes that it refers to nations, admits, however, that the word “foundation” means the beginning of anything; and that the phrase here means, “before the world began” There is scarcely any phrase in the New Testament which is more clear in its signification than this.’ Albert Barnes Eph 1:4

(2Ti 1:9)  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

‘which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began’; it is a gift, and a free gift, not at all depending upon any conditions in the creature, and entirely proceeding from the sovereign will of God; and it was a gift from eternity; there was not only a purpose of grace in God’s heart, and a promise of it so early, but there was a real donation of it in eternity: and though those to whom it was given did not then personally exist, yet Christ did, and he existed as a covenant head and representative of his people; and they were in him, as members of him, as represented by him, being united to him; and this grace was given to him for them, and to them in him; in whom they were chosen, and in whom they were blessed with all spiritual blessings. The Ethiopic version reads, “in Christ Jesus, who before the world was“; but without any foundation.’ John Gill.

Calvin: ‘For if God chose us before the foundation of the world, He could not have paid any regard to works for there were none and we ourselves did not exist.’ P. 297

John Murray wrote, “Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation,” Quite a statement – what do you think?

Union with Christ (or the Mystical Union) firmly places Christ at the centre of Salvation and not us. It really is all about Him – and I for one a happy about that!

Someone else has said this is ‘An ocean into which all other doctrines (of Salvation) flow’

It’s illustrated in several ways: John 14:23, 17:21-23 – Trinity

Stones of a building and the chief corner-stone – Eph 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5.

Adam and all his posterity – Romans 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:19-49.

Between the head and other members of the body – Eph 4:15-16 This forms His Mystical Body – The Church. More on the Church from Ian,

Last but not least – Marriage Eph 5:32

The illustration of marriage is a picture of our union with Christ. And this is why illicit sexual relationships, adultery, homosexuality and so on bring down the anger of God, especially when it involves the people of God. It’s a violation of the body of Christ. Our society – maybe no society – just doesn’t get this.

It’s a union that ought to express itself in the Church and between believers. Pastor Paul preached on this from Hebrews last week. We have no say in it – we are members one of another. Sometimes that’s not easy. We should forgive then as Christ forgave us – as part of the same body.

Our Union with Christ gives us incredible security as we heard on Sunday. To be forsaken by God is an impossibility because He would have to forsake Christ for that to happen. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the price of separation in order to bring us to God – amazing!

The Bible doesn’t speak of uncertainty – our Salvation is something that has been accomplished! Hebrews 9:12

What then, do we have In Christ? Confidence, Assurance, Security, Life, Fellowship, Suffering, Resurrection, Glory.

All wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, holiness, love, grace, everything we stand in need of is ours In Christ! We need to try and understand that the things we cannot see are more sure than the things we can see. They are both real but the seen is dependent on the unseen.

In Christ – The shepherd’s scrapbook this guy helpfully gives several practical exhortations.

•             Union with Christ means inclusion into His Body (the Church). This really gets at the heart of the main question: Is the theme of the believer’s union with Christ wed to the theme of union into the body of Christ (the Church)? Or are these separate and distinct unions? The simple answer is that it appears the unions are united in passages like 1 Corinthians 10:17 (see also 12:12–13 and Colossians 3:3 and 3:11–15). That is why I think Manton is correct in saying that “mystical union is the union of believers with Christ the head, and with one another.” Our personal union with Christ is the basis of our union into his body, the Church. Okay, so what are the consequences?

•             Union with Christ, and corporate solidarity, are displayed in the Lord’s Supper. I don’t think we have a clearer visual picture of our union with Christ than in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (see Matthew 26:26–27 and John 6:41–56). With that in mind, the Lord’s Supper is where we show ourselves to be “one body” as we partake of “one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:16–17).

•             Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ and our union with all those who are in Christ. The NDT states, “Baptism signifies union with Christ in his body, the church, for to be ‘in Christ’ is to be one with all who are united to him.” See Galatians 3:26–28 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 for this connection.

•             Union with Christ is the context of our corporate maturity and growth. We are growing up, growing up together, growing up together “in him.” See Ephesians 4:11–16 along with Colossians 3:12–17 (in light of verses 1–4).

•             Union with Christ is the basis of our mutual dependence. We are united to Christ, we are one body. Therefore, we need one another. This unity in Christ showcases the diversity of gifts and our need for one another in 1 Corinthians 12:12–31.

•             Union with Christ is the basis for church membership. In the context of church membership, John Piper writes: “becoming a Christian means being united to Christ, and union with Christ expresses itself in union with a local body of believers. It seems to us that in the New Testament, to be excluded from the local church was to be excluded from Christ” (see 1 Corinthians 5:1–5). Union with Christ and church membership are seemingly inseparable. (This might seem a little controversial in some circles, but to say ‘there is no salvation outside of the Church’ is quite correct.)

Ultimately, the life and vitality of the church is directly connected to the life of the Saviour. Charles Spurgeon perhaps captured this point best in sermon #2653. I’ll close with a quote from it:

Union with Christ is essential to the life of his Church.

Men sometimes lose a, foot, or a leg, or an arm, or an eye, or an ear. It is very remarkable how a man may continue to exist after he has lost several of his limbs, but he cannot live if his head is taken away. Cut that off, and the decapitated body is dead in an instant.

So, brethren and sisters, the Church of God lives because Christ lives, and its life is entirely derived from him. If there were no Christ, there would be no Church; and if there is, anywhere, a body of professors without vital union to Christ, they are not a church. They may have the name of a church, but they are assuredly dead. The Spirit of God flows through Christ into the whole of his true Church, permeating every part of his wonderful mystical body.

Here’s a hymn that puts our Union with Christ very well.

Lord Jesus, are we one with Thee?
O height, O depth of love!
Thou one with us on Calvary,
We one with Thee above.

Such was Thy grace, that for our sake
Thou didst from Heaven come down,
With us of flesh and blood partake,
In all our misery, one.

Our sins, our guilt, in love divine,
Confessed and borne by Thee;
The gall, the curse, the wrath, were Thine,
To set Thy members free.

Ascended now, in glory bright,
Still one with us Thou art;
Nor life, nor death, nor depth, nor height,
Thy saints and Thee can part.

O teach us, Lord, to know and own
This wondrous mystery,
That Thou with us art truly one,
And we are one with Thee.

Soon, soon shall come that glorious day,
When, seated on Thy throne,
Thou shalt to wondering worlds display
That Thou with us art one.

James George Deck (1807-1884)

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Augustine Lecture – Nick Needham

Portrait of Augustine

Monday evening (18/04/2011)  saw the last of this years series of Church History Lectures with Dr Nick Needham lecturing on ‘Why Augustine is important for Christians today’. The lecture was an absolute tor de force. To listen or download the lecture visit my site Here or the Bulkington Church site Here. I strongly recommend the lecture (and the others).

At the lecture we were recommended (not by Nick) ‘The Triumph of Grace: Augustine’s writings on Salvation’ by Nick. I started dipping in to it – looks good.

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A Few Books

I’ve just read, am in the process of reading and plan to read several books in the next couple of weeks or so. This is in part to prevent me from becoming obsessed with Van Til – and to be honest I think I needed a bit of a break from Presuppositional Apologetics.

A book I had wanted to read for a few weeks since going on the church holiday where he ministered is Mez McConnell’s book ‘Is there anybody out there? A journey from despair to hope’. This really is a great read. It’s easy to read – it’s not a dense text – but his story, his upbringing, was just awful. It’s an honest read. As you move through to his coming to Christ there are actually quite a few laughs – usually at the expense of Christians, that he sometimes refers to as ‘Muppet’s’. At Bible College he very quickly sees through all the experience based theology and puts it wonderfully. For example on page 102-3:

College is nothing like I thought it would be. I thought it would be like church except I could ask loads of questions about my faith and people would take the time to sit down and answer them with me. But people are so introverted here. They just want talk about their feelings all the time. I’m not interested in how I feel about my father and all that psycho-babble; I just want to know more about God, Jesus and the Bible. Apparently, that’s not possible unless I ‘understand myself’. Well, I think I understand myself pretty well. I was a liar, manipulator, thief, fornicator and all round scumbag. For some reason Jesus chose to die for me, and that will do for me. I can’t pretend to understand it all, but I accept it gratefully. So, I’m just not interested in revisiting the past. I can’t do anything about it, but with Jesus I can do something about the future. That’s about the only ‘self understanding’ I need.

I really commend this book. The honesty is very refreshing and deserves a much wider readership.

A book I’m working my way through – and enjoying – is ‘House and Philosophy: Everybody lies’. I really like the House series but wanted to delve into it a little more to try and understand what’s behind the series. This book isn’t endorsed by the program but each chapter takes an aspect of philosophy and relates it to the series. It might be better to watch it before reading; the book covers the first four seasons. I’m not sure why I like it so much but the character House is so anti God that I find it fascinating. Dr Gregory House is a genius diagnostician and is about as UN politically correct as it’s possible to be – a good reason to watch it in my opinion. Having said that, there’s loads of anti-Christian stuff but I can’t recall an instance of anti-Muslim rhetoric. I guess Christians are a soft touch.

OK, next up is ‘The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England’ by Ian Mortimer. I bought this because it looked interesting and thought it would give me a feel for pre-Reformation England. Mortimer writes from the point of view of a travel guide, as the title in fact. And this is what he does. So the book is written in the present tense – with the occasional comment referring to the actual present time. It works. He guides you through the filthy streets pointing out the different residences and the class structure. For people – like me – that like to refer to notes, there are further explanatory endnotes (put an extra bookmark in), a bibliography and an index.

I wanted to broaden my reading a bit so also in the queue is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This, I think, I will also find fascinating but I’ll come back when I have something to say on this.

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King James Bibliolatry

Image via Wikipedia

I don’t always listen to Thought for the Day, but when I do it’s usually with disappointment and a sense of being underwhelmed. So it was with some surprise and pleasure that this mornings ‘Thought for the day’ given by Rhidian Brook bucked that trend. You can listen to it on the BBC by following the ‘Thought for the day’ link above, or follow the link to read the Transcript.

Here’s an excerpt:

Maybe the challenge is to move from an appreciation of how something is being said to what is being said. Even when the right words are in the right order The Bible – in any translation – is more than literature. As those King James translators themselves worded it in Hebrews: “The word of God is quick” (a living thing) or God breathed (to use a later translation). It contained a vital message from God to all man-kind, a message so important that it needed to be expressed in a language all could understand, and it didn’t require wealth or sophistication to hear that it had something very important to say. This was not just a book to be read, it was something to be ingested. And lived. It even had the power to transform.

In fact this particular daily thought brought back memories of listening to a sermon by Hywel Jones about 25 years ago. In this sermon Hywel warned against worshipping the Bible, of idolising it and so missing the point. It’s in our nature to worship, but we usually worship the creature rather than the creator even if in this particular case it’s such a ‘worthy’ thing as the Word of God. It’s a fine line isn’t it. There’s no mistaking the observation by Calvin that our hearts are ‘Idol factories’ confirming the truth of the Scripture that our ‘hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked.

And so, yes, we ought to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible – but let’s not worship it and commit the sin of Bibliolatry.

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Pilgrims Progress – Mason’s Notes 6

No 6 in a series of posts from Mason’s Notes on Pilgrim Progress.

Goodwill: That mountain (the Law) has been the death of many, and will be the death of many more: it is well you escaped being by it dashed in pieces.

Christian: Why truly I do not know what had become of me there, had not Evangelist happily met me again as I was musing in the midst of my dumps; but it was God’s mercy that he came to me again, for else I had never come hither. But now I am come, such a one as I am, more fit indeed for death by that mountain, than thus to stand talking with my Lord. But O, what a favour is this to me, that yet I am admitted entrance here! (y)

Mason’s Note (y)

It is a sure sign of a genuine work of grace, when the heart ascribes all to grace. Here is no talk of being faithful to grace; no ascribing any thing to his own free-will or power; but his escaping from destruction, and being yet in the way of salvation, are wholly resolved in the grace of the gospel, the mercy of God, and into his free favour and almighty power. It is sweet to converse with Jesus of his free grace to wretched and a unworthy sinners. Do you not find it so?

Goodwill: We make no objections against any, notwithstanding all that they have done before they come hither; they in no wise are cast out. And therefore good Christian, come a little way with me, and I will teach thee about the way thou must go. Look before thee; dost thou see this narrow way? That is the way thou must go. It was cast up by the patriarchs, prophets, Christ, and his apostles, and it is as strait as a rule can make it; this is the way thou must go.

Christian: But, said Christian, (z) are there no turnings nor windings, by which a stranger may lose his way?

Mason’s Note (z)

Christian is afraid of losing his way; a blessed sign of a gracious heart when it possesses good jealousy.

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