Romans 8 - 16 For You

Romans 8-16 for You by Timothy Keller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Curiously, the "For You" series split its two volumes on Romans at the end chapter 7 instead of Romans 8. Undoubtedly it did so in the interest of sharing space rather than trying to follow Paul’s literary structure. However, as Tim Keller shows in one of his introductory paragraphs, it is fruitful to consider Romans 8 with the rest of the letter:

"I have always believed that at the heart of Romans 8 you have the secret to really using the gospel in your heart to change yourself in a profound way; and that the rest of Romans will show you what that change will look like in a practical way. My prayer is that as you read the second half of this wonderful letter, you will find your heart thrilled by the gospel, your mind shaped by the gospel, and your life changed by the gospel.” (loc 67)

And as helpful as Keller’s treatment of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in Romans 9 to 11 is, and a host of other subjects in 12 to 16, I doubt I’ll be the only reader to find his three chapters on Romans 8 the most stimulating to mind and heart. Keller shows how setting one’s mind “on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5) relates to the rest of the chapter. It means to be preoccupied with what the Spirit is preoccupied with: "how in Christ we are adopted, loved and welcomed” (193). Yes, “to 'mind…the things of the Spirit’...means never to forget our privileged standing or the fact that we are loved, and to let this dominate our thinking, our perspectives, and therefore our words and actions” (202).

The strength of this book is its succinctness. It will help you understand the last half of this magnificent epistle without bogging you down. Indeed, it will do the very opposite: it will stir you up.


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Review: The Letters of John

The Letters of John by Colin G. Kruse

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A responsible and helpful commentary on John’s letters. Our church has been studying through these letters this past year, and this was the main commentary I turned to. Kruse succeeds in tying everything back to the main occasioning incident: the defection of certain teachers whose “advanced progress” was actually proof that they had never grasped the ABC’s. And the Christians still hanging on to the ABC’s are constantly encouraged and assured.

Two strengths of this commentary are its careful inclusion of background texts, and its treatment of the aspect of Greek verbs. For an example of the latter, see Kruse’s remarks on the traditional way of resolving the tension between 1 John 1.5 – 2.2 and 1 John 3.4-10 on page 129. Many have argued that the present tense verbs in chapter 3 denote habitual sinning, which, unlike occasional sinning, is impossible for the true Christian. Kruse writes: “However, the use of the present tense says nothing about the habitual or nonhabitual character of the sinning, but only shows that the author has chosen to depict the sinning as something in progress, rather than as a complete action” (emphasis added).

Another good feature is the many Notes that interrupt the commentary. One of the best is the note on the role of the Holy Spirit in John’s letters. Here’s the final paragraph:

In conclusion, we may say that this survey of the Spirit texts of 1 John indicates that the author has portrayed the role of the Spirit primarily as testimony to the tradition, not as a source of new revelation. In all probability he did this because the secessionists were claiming the Spirit as the source of their new and heretical doctrines concerning Christ. The author, therefore, felt that it was necessary to hold together the word and the Spirit, or, put in other words, he felt that it was necessary to stress the Spirit’s role as witness to the truth of the gospel concerning Jesus as it was proclaimed from the beginning. (155)

The only thing I was left wishing for from this commentary was more insight on applying John’s letters to the church today.



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Something worth reading

Two excellent articles: The President, the Passenger, and the Patience of God (John Piper), and Obama's Sermon on the Steps (Dave Black).

Media chuckle

A lesson that can never be remembered often enough: read the media with a well-tuned baloney detector. Here are two (more) reasons why.

Roger Bolton writes a piece about Codex Sinaiticus. Sample:

For those who believe the Bible is the inerrant, unaltered word of God, there will be some very uncomfortable questions to answer.

Dirk Jongkind (the guy who wrote the book) responds. Sample:

What can we say about this article? It took me till the seventh paragraph before I found a paragraph without a factual mistake (oops Roger Bolton, this is even for sensationalist journalism rather poor).

Then there's the U.S. veep debate between Biden and Palin. The media were quick to record Biden's factual superiority of the two. But see the pieces by Ann Coulter and Jonah Goldberg (HT Douglas Groothuis), remembering that the point here is not about the potential veeps themselves, but rather the majority in the mainstream media who were so impressed with Biden's command of the "facts".

[Jongkind also responds to Bolton's BBC programme.]

Power on behalf of the over-powered

I'm finding James Edwards' commentary on Mark's Gospel to be excellent. Here is what he has to say in conclusion to Mark 1.21-28, Mark's narrative of Jesus' authority on display in the synagogue in Capernaum:

The initial report about Jesus from the synagogue in Capernaum is not simply of a victory of the Holy One of God over bent and evil forces, as though two chess players were manipulating pawns on the board for their own advantage. Jesus' defeat of the “strong man” (Mark 3.27) is not at the expense of Satan's victims but on their behalf. Not only are unclean spirits expelled, but broken people are restored to health and wholeness and to the possibility of restoration with their Creator, in whose image they are made. The exousia [Greek, means 'authority', 'power'] of Jesus is astonishing not as a display of Jesus' grandeur but as a power of redemption for captives.

I think the Evangelist Peter would be happy with Edwards' concluding statements. They seem to be in agreement with Peter's own attempt to summarize much of the life of Christ:

...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. (Acts 10.38)

We are more than conquerors

Some great quotes I came across recently in preparing a couple messages interacting with positive thinking.

On Romans 5.1-11

Douglas Moo

Sufferings, rather than threatening or weakening our hope, as we might expect to be the case, will, instead, increase our certainty in that hope. Hope, like a muscle, will not be strong if it goes unused. (Romans commentary, p.303)

On Romans 8.35-38

Chrysotom

Yet those that be against us, so far are they from thwarting us at all, that even without their will they become to us the causes of crowns, and procurers of countless blessings, in that God's wisdom turneth their plots unto our salvation and glory. See how really no one is against us! (Moo p.539)

John Stott

Our confidence is not in our love for him, which is frail, fickle and faltering, but in his love for us, which is steadfast, faithful and persevering. The doctrine of 'the perseverance of the saints' needs to be re-named. It is the doctrine of the perseverance of God with the saints. (The Message of Romans, 259-60)

2 Corinthians 4.17

John Piper

Affliction raised his sword to cut off the head of Paul's faith. But instead the hand of faith snatched the arm of affliction and forced it to cut off part of Paul's worldliness. Affliction is made the servant of godliness and humility and love. Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. The enemy became Paul's slave and worked for him an even greater weight of glory than he would have ever had without the fight. In that way Paul—and every follower of Christ—is more than a conqueror. (Don't Waste Your Life, p.97)

God - that's not fair!

One of the applications we could make from Jesus' parable in Matthew 20.1-16 is that we should always check ourselves before we determine what is fair or unfair for God to do.

On a slightly related note, Craig Blomberg writes

But we are fools if we appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for in that case we’d all be damned. Nor will it do to speak of salvation begun by grace but ever after preserved by works. True salvation will of necessity produce good works and submission to Christ’s lordship in every area of life, or else it never was salvation to begin with. But all who are truly saved are equally precious in God’s sight and equally rewarded with eternal happiness in the company of Christ and all the redeemed. Jesus has now finished his answer to Peter’s question of 19:27 (New American Commentary).

UPDATE: Sorry, I had given the wrong reference. It is now Matthew 20:1-16, as it should be.