Memory and Hearing the Gospel

There are three classified types of memory in the Human brain; Sensory, Short-term, and Long-term.

Sensory memory operates as the ability to identify something that has affected one of our five senses. For example, I look out the window and see a tree. I can close my eyes and remember what the tree looks like. However, after seeing several trees, the details of the first tree are easily forgotten.

Short-term memory operates as the ability to recall information that may be important for the moment but not needed for daily use. For instance, a phone number that will only be used once can be recalled for a few minutes.

Long-term memory operates as the ability to continually recall facts whenever we need them. In keeping with the theme of a phone, a phone number that is repeatedly dialed throughout our lives, such as the number of a friend or relative, will be stored in our Long-term memory. The act of daily pushing the buttons on the phone keeps this number fresh in our mind.

Many times when we are listening to God’s Word, whether in the pew listening to the preacher, or at home in daily reading, we find ourselves using only our Sensory memory.  We hear the sound of the words and recognize them, or we read see the words on the page of the Bible and can connect the letters in such a way to make words, but we quickly forget what we have heard or read.

Other times we find ourselves using our Short-term memory, hearing and thinking about what is being said while seated in the pew, but then when the last ‘Amen’ is spoken, we stop thinking about what has been said as we go on with our daily lives.

Although both our Sensory and Short-term memories are necessary for initially comprehending what we have heard or read in God’s Word, God’s Word should not be confined to these two types of memory.  We seek to commit God’s Word to our Long-term memory.  We are to be ‘dialing up’ the Gospel daily.

How do we daily ‘dial up’ the Gospel? First, by meditating upon what we have heard or read in the Bible.  Think through all the Gospel implications of the sermon or passage we have heard.  Second, by applying what we have heard.  Identify different ordinary instances in your life where the Gospel demands a change.  Third, by using what we have heard.  Offer up God’s Word back to Him in worship, in song, or in prayer.  Fourth, by sharing what we have heard.  Discuss the Gospel with other believers and testify of it with unbelievers.  Finally, by memorization.  Committing Scripture to memory is very useful in keeping the Gospel ‘dialed up’ constantly before you, provided you have not merely memorized words, but have followed the first step of meditating on the meaning of the verse you have memorized.

The purpose of all this is to live a life that is consistent with the Gospel.  And the only way to live a life consistent with the Gospel is to let the Holy Spirit penetrate your life through the Gospel and transform you by the Gospel.  But it all begins with how we hear the Gospel at the first.

How To Judge A Book By It’s Cover

Christian booksellers today have a large selection of junk. Walk into a Christian ‘Book’store and after you make your way through the Christian candles, bookmarks, pens, jewelry, toys, coloring books, t-shirts, neckties, potpourri, candies, and videos you will find a book section.

Immediately upon arriving at the book section of the store you will be engulfed in a seemingly endless sea of fiction by Oke, Blackstock, Dekker, and LaHaye. Walk through those and you will encounter the devotional/prayer journal section. Continue on past those through the maze of physical fitness books and hopefully you will eventually find a Christian Living section and on the backside of the shelving there will be a Leadership section. Christian Living and Leadership is where you should start looking for books, but don’t spend a lot of time there, because there may just be a small corner in the back of the store labeled Theology. And by God’s grace there may also be a Commentary section, next to a Christian Classics section. This is where you should spend most of your time.

But you have only won a small battle as you arrive in these sections. The war is still raging. You need to know which of these books are worth reading. I hope to give you some pointers on how to discover treasures in this Convenience Store of over-priced ‘Christian’ paraphernalia. (Hey! Let’s slap a cross on this $5.00 cell phone case and jack the price up to $25.00)

The first question to ask about a book is, “Who wrote it?” Rather than give a list of authors here, some good advice is to listen to the names of people your Pastor quotes favorably in his sermons. More than likely, you will notice a few names keep coming up. That’s because your Pastor has found their books helpful. As you begin to read books by these authors, you will notice other authors who are quoted often and favorably in their books. You may want to looks for books by some of these authors as well. Most books will have a short biographical sketch of the authors credentials. Read these closely to find their denominational affiliation, where they studied, and where they serve God now. There will also be names of men from Church History that you recognize as well. Virtually anything written by a Puritan or a Reformer will be helpful, though not always.

The second question to ask about a book is, “Who endorsed this book, and what do they say about it?” Let’s say you are browsing titles, looking for a book on a certain topic, or commentaries on a certain book. Read the recommendations on the back cover to see not only who reviewed the book, but why they recommend it as well.

Third, ask the question, “What other books and authors does this author cite?” Look at the bibliography to see if some trusted resources are consulted. While you are there, go ahead and look in the index, find some key words and flip through to see what the author has to say on words such as ‘justification’, ‘Gospel’, ‘Trinity’, etc. Pick words that relate to the topic of interest.

A fourth question to ask about a book is, “Who published this book?” Currently, Crossway has a very good reputation for publishing biblical books. But this may not always be the case, so be careful. Some publishers which had previously published good books no longer do so. You will also begin to recognize those publishers that are not quite as biblically sound as others after you make a couple of ‘mistake’ purchases. Use those purchases to help inform you as you look at other books to buy.

Finally, ask yourself this question, “Where does this book lead?” Look at the contents page. Find what path the author follows as he leads you through his book. Does he follow a path that is well marked by biblical positions? Or is there a lot of wild conjecture in his reasoning?

Disclaimer: This is not a guaranteed way to find the best books possible. But it will help you to find some pretty good books. As you read you will become more familiar with the names of authors that can be trusted. And if you do buy a ‘mistake’ book, use it to learn all you can about authors, or even publishers, to avoid. And when in doubt, call your Pastor. He’ll be glad to know that you are reading.

Martin Luther on…

Scripture.

These quotations are taken from Luther’s Tabletalk.

No greater mischief can happen to a Christian people than to have God’s Word taken from them or falsified so that they no longer have it pure and clear.  God, grant that we and our descendants be not witnesses of such a calamity.

Let us not lose the Bible, but with diligence, in fear and invocation of God, read and preach it.  While that remains and flourishes, all prospers with the state; ’tis head and empress of all arts and faculties.  Let but divinity fall, and I would not give a straw for the rest.

 I have grounded my preaching upon the literal word; he that pleases may follow me; he that will not may stay.  I call upon Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Moses, and all the saints to say whether they ever fundamentally comprehended on single word of God without studying it over and over and over again.  The Psalm says; His understanding is infinite.  The saints, indeed, know God’s Word, and can discourse of it, but the practice is another matter; therein we shall ever remain scholars.

We must know how to teach God’s Word properly and discerningly, because those who hear it are diverse.  Some are struck with fear in the conscience, perplexed, and awed by their sins, in apprehension of God’s anger, and penitent.  These people must be comforted with the consolations of the Gospel.  Others are hardened, obstinate, stiff-necked, rebel-hearted.  These must be made afraid of the law by examples of God’s wrath, such as the fires of Elijah, the deluge, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the downfall of Jerusalem.  These hard heads need sound knocks.

Recent Acquisitions

The Early Church by Henry Chadwick

The Church In An Age Of Revolution by Alec R. Vidler

Cracking Da Vinci’s Code by James L. Garlow and Peter Jones

Jesus Under Fire edited by Michael J. Wilkins and J. P. Moreland

The Christological Controversy by Richard A. Norris

St. Paul: The Traveller and the Roman Citizen by William Ramsay

Reinventing Jesus by J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel B. Wallace

Fabricating Jesus by Craig A. Evans

The Nag Hammadi Library edited by James M. Robinson

Acts, NICNT by F. F. Bruce

The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner

Interpreting the Historical Books by Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Basic Theology by Charles C. Ryrie

David Dockery (and R. T. France) On The Christocentricity Of The Old Testament

Timmy Brister conducted an interview with David Dockery at Provocations and Pantings last week. Timmy is providing us an opportunity to submit some of our own questions to Dr. Dockery this Monday evening.

In honor of this momentous occasion, I have painstakingly fought both sickness and error prone typing to post a great quote from a book by Dr. Dockery. This book, Biblical Interpretation Then and Now: Contemporary Hermeneutics in the Light of the Early Church, has been a help to me in my understanding issues surrounding Biblical Interpretation. One of my favorite passages in the opening pages of the book, and really drew me in. I finished the book in two days. Hopefully, you will be inspired to buy the book for yourself and glean treasures which will help you to see Christ in the Scriptures.

Jesus understood the Old Testament christologically, and it is from him that the church derives its identification of Jesus with Israel. In the temptation narratives (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13), Jesus’ own estimation of his status and calling is reflected in his answers from Deuteronomy 6-8. In this old Testament passage Moses, following the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, exhorted Israel toward wholehearted obedience and continued faith in the divine provision for them. It was a time of hunger and testing, preparatory to a special task, in which God disciplined his nation Israel (Deut. 8:5), to teach them to worship only the true God. Jesus, at the end of the forty days, accepted afresh his messianic mission and his status as the Son of God, seeing himself in some sense as the new Israel, succeeding where the old Israel had failed. His belief in his forthcoming resurrection after three days seemed to be motivated both by the promise of Israel’s resurrection (cf. Hos. 6:2) and by seeing himself in light of the Jonah story (cf. Jon. 1:17; Matt. 12:40). He observed his own experiences prefigured in the psalms of vindication and suffering, used both by individual Israelites and by corporate Israel (Pss. 22, 41, 42, 43, 118).

R. T. France sums up the evidence of the synoptic Gospels in these words:

He uses persons in the Old Testament as types of himself (David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jonah) or of John the Baptist (Elijah); he refers to Old Testament institutions as types of himself and his work (the priesthood and the covenant); he sees in the experiences of Israel foreshadowings of his own; he finds the hopes of Israel fulfilled in himself and his disciples, and sees his disciples as assuming the status of Israel; in deliverance by God he sees a type of the gathering of men into his church, while the disasters of Israel are foreshadowings of the imminent punishment of those who reject him, whose unbelief is prefigured in that of the wicked in Israel and even, in two instances, in the arrogance of the Gentile nations.
R. T. France, Jesus and the Old Testament: His Application of Old Testament Passages to Himself and His Message (London: Tyndale, 1971), 75.

In all these aspects of the Old Testament people of God, Jesus saw foreshadowings of himself and his work. This resulted in opposition from and rejection by the majority of the Jews, while the promises concerning Israel were partially fulfilled in the new Christian community. The history of Israel had reached its decisive point in the coming of Jesus. The whole of the Old testament pointed to him. He embodied the redemptive destiny of Israel, and in the community of those who belong to him that status and destiny are to be fulfilled.

Because Jesus saw himself as the representative of Israel, words originally spoken of the nation could rightly be applied to him, and because Jesus is the representative of humankind, words spoken originally by the psalmist can be fulfilled by him (cf. John 13:18; 15:25; 19:28). For Jesus, the key to understanding the Old Testament was located in his own life and work, for everything pointed to himself. The New Testament writers, following the pattern of Jesus, interpreted the Old Testament as a whole and in its parts as a witness to Christ.
David Dockery, Biblical Interpretation Then and Now: Contemporary Hermeneutics in the Light of the Early Church (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992) 24-25.

HT: Pester Steve Weaver

Theology for Doxology

What Are The 5 Most Influential Books In Church History?

From Jonathan Moorhead.

I wish I knew. There is no possible way, in my opinion, to know the answer to this question. How can we measure the influence (both good and bad) of certain works upon Christians throughout the centuries? If we were talking about the most influential books of the 21st century in the U. S., The Purpose Driven Life would top the list. But I think we want to focus upon books that have had a good influence upon Christians, right?

Of course, at the top of the list is the Bible. But as for five other books?

Here is a list that I think would have to be contenders for the spot, in no particular order.

1. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. (Who, besides Michael Haykin, hasn’t read it?)

2. The City of God by Saint Augustine. (Christianity defended and shown to be superior to the religion of the world)

3. The Apology by Tertullian. (The most important work of the ‘Father of Latin Christianity’)

4. Matthew Henry’s Commentaries. (Pastors across the world have these on their shelves.)

5. Against Heresies by Irenaus. (Whenever you see some ‘new’ doctrine, look here to see if it has already been refuted.)

If you don’t like my list, make your own.

Theology for Doxology

Treating Myself For All My Hard Work

I came home form work today to find E. J. Young’s three volume commentary on Isaiah ($17.99 from CBD) had arrived. He also brought a friend, Gerhard von Rad’s ‘Old Testament Theology’ (2 volumes in one $9.99 from CBD).

Theology for Doxology

A Reader’s Guide To Revelation-Part One

The purpose of this Reader’s Guide is to help you read through one of the more intimidating books of the Bible profitably. In my past experience, Revelation was a very confusing book for me. I imagine that many more Christians find the book confusing as well. The guide is basically to keep you on track as you read, and any commentary is meant solely for the purpose of keeping the reader on as straight a path as possible. Think of me primarily as a tour guide, and take your own pictures.
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Revelation 1:1-7

I. Author and Intent

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

The Author is Jesus Christ, his amanuensis is John. The revelation is not of Christ himself, but a revelation that has been given to him by his Father, which he in turn gives to John through the mediation of an angel. The message of the revelation is ‘the things that must soon take place.’

II. Directions

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

The directions are threefold, the public reading of the revelation, hearing the revelation, and keeping the revelation.

III. Recipients

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is specifically sending his revelation to the seven churches in Asia Minor (chapters 2 and 3). His message is to be met with worship to the Triune God in the Church.

IV. Occasion

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

The occasion of the revelation is the soon return of Jesus Christ in judgment and glory.

Theology for Doxology