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Years earlier he had lost his favorite son, Joseph. And now, as famine stalked the land, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt where, he had heard, food could be purchased. When they returned with desperately needed food, Jacob discovered one of his sons, Simeon, had been detained.

And as if this was not trouble enough, Jacob despaired to learn that Simeon would not be released until Benjamin, Jacob’s youngest son, was brought down to Egypt. Past sorrow and future dread erupted as he cried,

Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me (Genesis 42:36).

With no ability to see beyond the present, it is easy to collapse in despair as circumstances turn against us. Jacob had lost his favorite son, famine ravaged his land and livestock, Simeon was taken away and Egypt was determined to rob him of his youngest son. What could he do? Where could he turn?

In light of his circumstances, imagine Jacob’s response, had he heard Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonian believers:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

When everything goes wrong, what sense does it make to be joyful, prayerful and thankful Like Jacob, we too face a world wracked with problems: floods, famines, earthquakes, wars, terrorism, sickness and death. As one person put it,

Life is hard, then you die.

Frankly, if what we see here and now is all there is to life, then Paul’s words are sheer nonsense. Or as Solomon observed:

…it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:17).

But there is more to life than what we see, which is why Paul’s words are wise counsel. What Jacob did not know - could not know - is that Joseph’s disappearance many years earlier, the seven year famine, Simeon’s detention and the demand that Benjamin be brought to Egypt were all part of God’s unseen plan to preserve Jacob’s family. Jacob was dead wrong in his despair. The events causing him to cry

everything is against me

were really proof that God was for him.

Returning to Paul’s exhortation, believers whose lives are built around prayerful communion with God find a joy and peace that is beyond understanding. These are Christians who understand that daily communion with God helps keep temporal and spiritual values in balance. They realize that the aggravations of life are but a

temporary part of a larger plan for our spiritual well-being (Robert L. Thomas, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 11, p.291).

When faced with the inevitable quandaries of life, I often reflect on the words of the late Ruth Robins, one of my instructors when a student at New Brunswick Bible Institute many years ago:

Those who see God’s hand in everything are content to leave everything in God’s hands.

Tags: Difficult Life, Joy, prayer, Questioning God, Thankfulness

This article first appeared in ChristianWeek (June 6, 2008). 

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Christian bloggers, journalists, authors, pastors and theologians - their single-string harps playing monotonously similar tunes - lament the biblical illiteracy of Christians today. Whether or not biblical illiteracy is at its lowest point in Christian history, I cannot say, but there seems to be ample evidence supporting the contention that today’s Christians are far less biblically informed than they ought to be.

In his stimulating article, “The Poverty of Love” (Christianity Today, May, 2008), Bradley Nassif writes about the early 4^th century Christian community of desert fathers and mothers whose passionate love for God translated into vibrant discipleship. I was surprised at Nassif’s claim that the literacy rate of these desert communities was a mere 4 percent as compared to 75 percent today. Though he does not say, I’m assuming the 75 percent refers to our contemporary Christian community.

Having highlighted this sharp contrast in literacy rates, and I do not know the source of his information, Nassif notes:

There is more Bible knowledge available now than at any other time in human history.

Given the apparent crisis of biblical ignorance among Christians today, Nassif’s observation is startling. But I think the operative word here is available. Without doubt, contemporary Christians - certainly so in North America - have a glut of resources from which to draw. But, are Christians making good use of the best available resources?

Rather than promote the latest formulaic “Five Steps to a Healthy Biblical Literacy” style book, I’m asking Christian pastors and leaders to encourage readers toward something a bit more solid. For example, reading a good Bible commentary series would direct Christians back to the source of spiritual life and health - the living and enduring Word of God.

One particularly good series with its

unqualified commitment to biblical authority, clear exposition of Scripture, readability, and practical application (publisher’s blurb)

is the Preaching the Word series, edited by R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus of College Church, Wheaton, Illinois and published by Crossway Books.

The newest volume in the series, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, is written by David Helm, a member of the pastoral staff of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago. Helm has written a warm, pastoral commentary encouraging Christians to “hold fast to their identity in Christ, ground themselves in the truth, live lives worthy or their calling, and vigorously contend for the faith.” Could there be subjects more pertinent to contemporary Christian living than these?

The ongoing series now stands at 24 volumes, covering 8 OT books, 20 NT books and an extended discussion of the Sermon on the Mount. The majority of volumes are written by the series editor, R. Kent Hughes, but among the other contributors are well-known expositors like Philip G. Ryken, Raymond C. Ortland Jr., and Ian M. Duguid, all currently serving in pastoral charges.

Brian Chapell, President of Covenant Theological Seminary (Tennessee), and author of the acclaimed Christ-Centered Preaching (Baker, 1994), says this is one of his favorite commentary series.

The focus upon explaining the text with preaching as its goal makes the series resonate with the priorities of the pulpit. No academic aloofness here, but down to earth, preacher-to-preacher meat for God’s people. (Disclaimer: Chapell wrote one of the commentaries currently published in this series.)

Why would a commentary series focused on the needs of pastors be a wise choice for the average Christian? In my view, any commentary providing good biblical exegesis with solid application in what Chapell describes as “down to earth … meat for God’s people” will be readily accessible to any serious Christian reader. And if sitting under the public ministry of pastors committed to this kind of teaching is helpful, it can only be good if Christians are supplementing their Sunday intake with daily doses of solid Bible teaching through commentaries of this kind.  

There are of course many worthy commentary series, too many to cover in a column of this nature. I recommend Crossway’s Preaching the Word series as a starting point because of Crossway’s demonstrable commitment to publishing biblically sound, evangelical material. Pastors committed to a robust, evangelical theology, sympathetic to reformation truths can confidently recommend this series to their people.

Check out the available volumes in this series at Crossway Books.

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Purchase the books mentioned is this article by clicking on the title(s) below.

1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Preaching the Word Series
By David R. Helm / Crossway Books & Bibles

Christ-Centered Preaching, 2nd Edition
By Bryan Chapell / Baker

Tags: Baker Books, Bible Commentaries, Brian Chapell, Crossway Books, David Helm, Preaching the Word

Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today
John Stackhouse Jr.
Oxford University Press, 2002 (hc), 2006 (sc)
ISBN: 0195138074 (hc)
ISBN: 0195307178 (sc)

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This review first appeared in FaithToday (May-June, 2003)

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I confess to having been somewhat skeptical when I first encountered the humble apologetics of John Stackhouse at a series of lectures he gave on the subject at Tyndale College & Seminary (Toronto) a few years ago.  Humble apologetics - it just sounded too oxymoronic.  How could I effectively defend Christianity without sounding presumptuous, enamored as our society is with cultural and religious pluralism?  But as I listened, my skepticism gave way to a growing interest in the possibilities of authentically humble, yet effective apologetics.  Now, having read his book, I am convinced that Stackhouse has provided a workable plan for sharing and defending my faith in a truly pluralistic society.

Contemporary apologists face many challenges, and Stackhouse adroitly surveys four of them:  pluralism, postmodernity in its various forms, plausibility, and consumerism.  Christian apologists must take note of these challenges if they hope to be effective.

Stackhouse explores the conversion process, presenting a serious alternative to the decisionistic methodology used by so many evangelicals today.  As to the role of apologetics in conversion, Stackhouse cautions us not to ask too much.  The real issue in conversion is not so much what we think as it is “what or whom we love.”

Apologetics will never convert anyone, asserts Stackhouse, since that is the sole domain of the Holy Spirit.  But apologetics can help by removing obstacles one has concerning Christianity.  It can clarify issues some have about God as well as provide inducements to those considering the Christian religion.

How Christians communicate their beliefs is critical, and Stackhouse devotes nearly half the book to exploring this theme, highlighting the importance of “audience-specific apologetics” and providing twelve guidelines for profitable apologetic conversation.

Stackhouse exemplifies the title of his book, graciously laying out his convictions regarding the Christian apologetic enterprise.  While authors seldom convince every reader, those likely to take greatest issue with Stackhouse - fundamentalist Christians - are the very ones who could most benefit from a serious reading of Humble Apologetics.

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You can purchase this title online now by clicking on the title below.

Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today
By John G. Stackhouse, Jr. / Oxford University Press

Tags: Apologetics, Humble Apologetics, John Stackhouse, Oxford University Press