“How Will You Respond?” (Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Matthew 11:16-30)
July 3, 2011 (14th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Rev. John B. Erthein
Love is a powerful emotion. People are searching for love in many different, and often wrong, places. People crave intimacy, and again, they frequently look for it in bad places. Broken relationships, divorces, unfaithfulness, fornication and promiscuity are evil things, but they all spring from lonely hearts of people who are desperate for love.
I've heard it said that the Bible is God's love letter to its readers and listeners. Throughout the Bible, God pursues his people because he loves them. Over and over God offers redemption and transformation to those he created, especially the people he chose to keep his covenants. And the Bible tells of how people have responded to his love. Some have responded in love themselves. Others have not. We cannot perfectly know the reasons for these different responses, but they are real, and they bring about different consequences.
The Old Testament reading for today comes from one of the more unusual books of the Bible, known as the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs. Traditionally, the book has been attributed to King Solomon, although some revisionist scholars disagree. I don't think there is sufficient evidence to overturn the traditional understanding. In any case, Solomon is an interesting author of this book, full of the language of romantic longing. Solomon reportedly had 1,000 women, more than even some recent Presidents! But in this instance he felt that he needed to express love for a Shulammite girl. This book consists of several sequences, beginning with the girl's first days in the palace of the king, proceeding through courtship and marriage, a temporary estrangement followed by a lasting reconciliation.
What does this book teach overall? It teaches that married love happens in God's time and not ours … so we are to be patient when seeking love. Love must not be aroused until it is ready (three times we are told, in 2:7, 3:5 and 8:4: “I abjure you, daughters of Jerusalem … that you not stir nor awaken love until it pleases”) Song of Solomon also teaches that intimacy is reserved for marriage itself. Married love is exclusive. In terms of physical love, each partner must remain as a locked garden and a sealed fountain (4:12). Each life is a private vineyard for the other (8:12). Neither spouse is on the “open market.” These ideals certainly contrast today's cultural drift, don't they?
Used illustratively, the song says some beautiful things about the relationship of Christ to his beloved church. We are reminded, among other things, of the strength of Christ's love (8:7: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be despised”); his delight to hear the prayers of the church (8:13: “O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it.”); the sense of yearning for his presence (8:14: “Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.”); the invitation of Christ to share his company (2:13: “The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” ); and the dangers of failure to respond to his knocking on the door (5:2-8:
2I slept, but my heart was awake.A sound! My beloved is knocking."Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night."
3 I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?
4My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me.
5I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.
6I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.
7 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls.
8I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him
I am sick with love.
So one important message is that you must respond to the love of God while there is time.
This is, I think, also the point of the passage I read from Matthew's Gospel a few minutes ago. In verses 16 through 19 of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel, we read about the people's reactions to both John the Baptist and Jesus himself. People were not responding well to either one of them. They ruled out John because he was too austere. He and his followers engaged in fasting. And as we know from the scriptural accounts, John had a rather wild appearance, ate off the land, and spoke bluntly and loudly about mankind's sinful condition and the need for repentance. He operated very much outside of established religious channels. So many considered him directed by a demon … a crazy man to be shunned.
As for Jesus, he did eat and drink. He did not fast regularly. Indeed, it's significant that his first miracle was to transform water into wine at the Cana wedding feast. And other miracles involved providing food for many. So how was he regarded? Some called him a glutton and a drunkard, not to mention a friend of tax collectors and sinners So, whatever John or Jesus did, people found fault with them and condemned them.
What was especially galling was that the cities rejecting Jesus had been ones in which he had performed miracles. The people had all the proof they needed that Jesus loved them and wanted a relationship with them. But they rejected him, and they were doubly without excuse. As Jesus said, if cities destroyed by God like Sodom had seen his miracles, they would have turned from their evil ways and would continue to exist. But the people favored by God himself would not come to Jesus. As R.T France wrote in his commentary on Matthew: “...when those who have been privileged to witness Jesus' ministry in their own communities fail to respond, they must expect to face a more serious judgment than the notorious pagan cities which had no such special revelation.” And I wonder if that same warning applies today: will the consequences for those who hear and reject the Gospel be worse than those who never heard it?
After these stark words of warning come some words of irony and then of comfort. It is ironic that the life saving truth of the Gospel would be withheld from the wise and learned of the world, while it is revealed to little children. As Jesus said elsewhere, one must become like little children to inherit the kingdom of God. And we know that Jesus loved the little children. There are plenty of wise and learned people who manage to argue themselves out of a saving faith. This is true in the academic seminary world, which is often called the last place you would want to go to become faithful! But there is no condemnation of the children. Ideally, children know how to receive love, after all. That is what we are called to do, whatever our ages.
Jesus concludes by extending a gracious invitation to all who are weary of heavily burdened to come to him, for he will lighten their load. That is an act of love. How will you respond to this invitation?
We have in these readings the balance between the amazing love and fierce judgment of God. Both of these are rooted in his holiness. There is nothing lukewarm or humdrum about God. It is all or nothing with him. Will you respond to the message in Scripture and embrace him as he longs to embrace you? He will give you what you most yearn for in life. He knows the deepest desires of your heart. If you are tired and weary, if you feel starved for love, God is there for you. Praise God for his wonderful love and grace. Amen.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Sermon on June 26, 2011 (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
“A Sacrifice to God” (Genesis 22:1-19; Romans 6:12-23)
June 26, 2011 (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Rev. John B. Erthein
It was not long ago that we celebrated Mother's Day, and then Father's Day. But someone once said that every day is “Children's Day.” Ideally, we value families. Those of us who are parents ideally love our children. We recognize there are too many times when the reality does not meet the ideal; children are abused, neglected and abandoned. But the ideal remains important. It is considered right that parents love their children and even sacrifice for them. And the last thing a parent wants is for any harm to come to his or her child. All of us as parents can understand that deep in our hearts.
So. this reading from Genesis is not one of the most desired passages on which to preach, because at its center it involves the concept of familial sacrifice, specifically the sacrifice by a parent of a child, because God commanded it. As I was writing this sermon, I kept thinking it would be much better to preach on something else. This was one of the lectionary readings for today, it was not of my choosing. But then, I thought that if a passage of Scripture is uncomfortable to preach upon, and if it is hard to listen to, perhaps that means it needs to be considered. The Word is God is always good, but not always easy. And the passage from Genesis has such a wealth of material that one can create many sermons based on it.
Why does this passage make us uncomfortable? On its surface, and in our gut reaction, this passage makes God look capricious and cruel. When I say “gut” reaction, I don't mean what we think we are supposed to think about God, and how as Christians we try to rationalize uncomfortable passages of Scripture. I mean, how do these words grab us? How do we react instinctively? And my instinct is to be disturbed and even upset. After all, God had promised Abraham and Sarah that their son Isaac was the child of promise. Through him their descendants would be numberless and the whole world would be blessed through them. And now God commands Abraham to do something we consider abhorrent, which also would destroy the promise God had made to Abraham.
And how does Abraham appear? The text has him rather flatly agreeing to sacrifice his son! Abraham had already lost his son Ishmael, daughter of his slave Hagar, because Sarah had insisted on their banishment. But Isaac was supposed to be the chosen one. How could Abraham agree without even protesting? He had protested when God was preparing to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, for example. And other patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament had struggled with God's will many times. But here, where Abraham is being asked to do something that looks monstrous, something that should go against the instincts of any normal parent and any moral person, he simply agrees. We see this confirmed when Abraham is getting ready to carry out the sacrifice, to kill his son and make him into a burnt offering. The angel of the Lord stayed his hand, which meant his hand had to be stayed. Abraham was going to go through with it!
I emphasize this to bring up an uncomfortable issue. Often, people are willing to do the most evil looking things because they are convinced that is what God would have them do. These people are sincere in following what they understand to be God's will. Why else do you think the Al Quaeda terrorists attacked New York and Washington ten years ago? They believed God wanted that, and who were they to disobey God? And even more than that, parents are encouraged to sacrifice their children in suicide attacks against Israel, according to a particular understanding of God's will expressed in Islam. So sincerely following God's will can lead to horrifying results.
So why do we consider such things with horror, even as we strive to follow God's will? I think we can understand this by going back to the time of this event in Genesis. Nowadays we talk about the “Judeo-Christian tradition” of ethics and values. Certainly, according to our “Judeo-Christian” traditions, it is an abomination to mistreat our children, much less to sacrifice them. But when Abraham was confronted by God's supposed command to sacrifice Isaac, there was no Judeo-Christian tradition. Abraham stood at the beginning of the line that would extend for thousands of years. When he walked this earth, there was no Bible. There was not a single church or synagogue to be found. There was no Pope and no Billy Graham. So what kind of world did Abraham inhabit?
It was a world of polytheism, of a pantheon of gods and goddesses commanding the allegiance of varying groups of people. And it was a world with a very different ethical code than our own. One of the gods was called Molech. The cult of Molech insisted upon the sacrifice of children by burning. Such an idea fills us with horror, and rightly so. But that was the spiritual atmosphere of the time. For Abraham to hear this dreadful command from God would not likely have shocked him as it would us today. That doesn't mean he liked the idea … but he might have said to himself that other gods would expect this, so why not the God who spoke to him? God was talking to Abraham in a way that he would have understood, asking him to make a severe sacrifice that was not, however, something as horrifying as we think it is today.
As we know, it was not God's will for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Indeed, God brought a new morality to bear in the world. It was not his will that his people would ever sacrifice their children to him! There are several places in the Old Testament where God and his people express their detestation. Leviticus 18:1 commands: “You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to Molech.” Further, Leviticus 20:1-5 prescribes the death penalty for such an act, further threatening that God himself would punish any people who refused to punish such an evil act. The evil 8th century Judean king Ahaz committed such heinous acts (2 Kings 16:3) and in the next century the good king Josiah attempted to abolish such practices (2 Kings 23:10). Condemnations of child sacrifice can also be found in Deuteronomy and Micah. These books were written under very different circumstances, hundreds of years apart. This indicates that Molech worship and child sacrifice were well known among the people of Israel and it took centuries to finally stamp it out. This makes God's command to Abraham look more gracious … it is as if God were saying you must commit the ultimate sacrifice to please me. It was enough for Abraham to show that willingness. But God was sending a powerful message that worshiping him would never involve such an evil action.
So what else is the lasting value of this passage? What does it say to us in this time and in this place? In fact, God's people are still called to make sacrifices, including ones that test one's commitment to God. The sacrifices can be painful. They involve perhaps surrendering parts of ourselves that we do not want to surrender. Having said that, the best response is to trust in God's providence. His promises will be fulfilled, and in fact he has something planned for us that will more than make up for any sacrifices we have to make. In the case of Abraham, his willingness to make a terrible sacrifice was counted as righteousness. He had faith in God's providence and continuing goodness, even if God's specific command to him seemed strange at best.
Here, I think it is helpful to also consider the passage from Romans I read a few minutes ago. Paul is saying that Christians must make a drastic change in their lives. Previously, they had been enslaved to sin. Paul says that if they foresake sin they will find freedom from it, but only in slavery to God. A popular idea in modern times is the idea of total personal autonomy. You are supposed to be free to do whatever you want to do. No one should tell you what to do or control your life. But Paul argues that there is no such thing as total personal autonomy. We are under the authority of someone or something. Paul exhorts Christians to live under the authority of God, not the authority of sin. The authority of either is so encompassing that it equals slavery.
A slave owes his master perfect obedience. That was the context in which Paul wrote, where slavery was widespread in the known world. Perfect obedience … that is what Abraham was willing to show God. And that is why God would reaffirm his promises to Abraham, that he would have descendants beyond number who would bless the whole world.
God expects sacrifices of us as well. But thank God, he does not demand anything that is contrary to his own character, which overflows with love and grace. God's character is so beautiful that he would sacrifice his own Son, and not ours. That reminds me of a saying about the comparison of Islam and Christianity: Islam says you must sacrifice your son for God. Christianity says God sacrifices his Son for you. Praise our gracious God!
But we are still exhorted not to let sin reign in us. Nothing must come before God. We may say we love and worship God, but do our lives show that? Do we place God before money? Do we place God before careers? Do we place God before our race or ethnicity or nationality? Do we place God before drugs or alcohol? Do we place God before relationships? Do we place God before even our desire for intimacy? What must we sacrifice in ourselves to truly love and follow and serve the God who first loved us? But the sacrifice is not in vain, my friends, because God's providence is greater than any of our man made idols. People are searching for meaning and happiness, but so often they settle for counterfeits. People are enslaved to drugs and alcohol, or they compulsively accumulate possessions and hold onto them with a death grip; or they walk over everyone else on the way to a career with status and power; or they lurch from one dysfunctional relationship to another because they don't want to be alone; or they engage in unholy sexual practices because they feel that's who they really are. These poor people are enslaved to sin and brokenness.
But God promises them, and us, something much better. He promises us peace with him and an end to alienation. St. Augustine wrote that our souls are restless until they rest in God. Through Jesus Christ, we can have that rest. Through Jesus Christ, our lives can mean something. Through Jesus Christ, we can be happy in our existence and not fearful of the future. Through Jesus Christ, all things are possible.
Will you follow Abraham and obey God? Will you open your heart to Jesus Christ and trust in him? Will you sacrifice whatever keeps you from a right relationship with God, whether it is pride, or arrogance, or greed, or lust, or despair, or bitterness? Will you put these things where they belong, at the foot of the Cross? Jesus is waiting to take them upon himself, so that you may be freed from their burdens. Will you turn to him today?
May God be praised for his love and grace and mercy, and may we turn happily to him, putting the old self to death, and allowing the new self to shine in the light of God's countenance. Amen.
June 26, 2011 (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Rev. John B. Erthein
It was not long ago that we celebrated Mother's Day, and then Father's Day. But someone once said that every day is “Children's Day.” Ideally, we value families. Those of us who are parents ideally love our children. We recognize there are too many times when the reality does not meet the ideal; children are abused, neglected and abandoned. But the ideal remains important. It is considered right that parents love their children and even sacrifice for them. And the last thing a parent wants is for any harm to come to his or her child. All of us as parents can understand that deep in our hearts.
So. this reading from Genesis is not one of the most desired passages on which to preach, because at its center it involves the concept of familial sacrifice, specifically the sacrifice by a parent of a child, because God commanded it. As I was writing this sermon, I kept thinking it would be much better to preach on something else. This was one of the lectionary readings for today, it was not of my choosing. But then, I thought that if a passage of Scripture is uncomfortable to preach upon, and if it is hard to listen to, perhaps that means it needs to be considered. The Word is God is always good, but not always easy. And the passage from Genesis has such a wealth of material that one can create many sermons based on it.
Why does this passage make us uncomfortable? On its surface, and in our gut reaction, this passage makes God look capricious and cruel. When I say “gut” reaction, I don't mean what we think we are supposed to think about God, and how as Christians we try to rationalize uncomfortable passages of Scripture. I mean, how do these words grab us? How do we react instinctively? And my instinct is to be disturbed and even upset. After all, God had promised Abraham and Sarah that their son Isaac was the child of promise. Through him their descendants would be numberless and the whole world would be blessed through them. And now God commands Abraham to do something we consider abhorrent, which also would destroy the promise God had made to Abraham.
And how does Abraham appear? The text has him rather flatly agreeing to sacrifice his son! Abraham had already lost his son Ishmael, daughter of his slave Hagar, because Sarah had insisted on their banishment. But Isaac was supposed to be the chosen one. How could Abraham agree without even protesting? He had protested when God was preparing to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, for example. And other patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament had struggled with God's will many times. But here, where Abraham is being asked to do something that looks monstrous, something that should go against the instincts of any normal parent and any moral person, he simply agrees. We see this confirmed when Abraham is getting ready to carry out the sacrifice, to kill his son and make him into a burnt offering. The angel of the Lord stayed his hand, which meant his hand had to be stayed. Abraham was going to go through with it!
I emphasize this to bring up an uncomfortable issue. Often, people are willing to do the most evil looking things because they are convinced that is what God would have them do. These people are sincere in following what they understand to be God's will. Why else do you think the Al Quaeda terrorists attacked New York and Washington ten years ago? They believed God wanted that, and who were they to disobey God? And even more than that, parents are encouraged to sacrifice their children in suicide attacks against Israel, according to a particular understanding of God's will expressed in Islam. So sincerely following God's will can lead to horrifying results.
So why do we consider such things with horror, even as we strive to follow God's will? I think we can understand this by going back to the time of this event in Genesis. Nowadays we talk about the “Judeo-Christian tradition” of ethics and values. Certainly, according to our “Judeo-Christian” traditions, it is an abomination to mistreat our children, much less to sacrifice them. But when Abraham was confronted by God's supposed command to sacrifice Isaac, there was no Judeo-Christian tradition. Abraham stood at the beginning of the line that would extend for thousands of years. When he walked this earth, there was no Bible. There was not a single church or synagogue to be found. There was no Pope and no Billy Graham. So what kind of world did Abraham inhabit?
It was a world of polytheism, of a pantheon of gods and goddesses commanding the allegiance of varying groups of people. And it was a world with a very different ethical code than our own. One of the gods was called Molech. The cult of Molech insisted upon the sacrifice of children by burning. Such an idea fills us with horror, and rightly so. But that was the spiritual atmosphere of the time. For Abraham to hear this dreadful command from God would not likely have shocked him as it would us today. That doesn't mean he liked the idea … but he might have said to himself that other gods would expect this, so why not the God who spoke to him? God was talking to Abraham in a way that he would have understood, asking him to make a severe sacrifice that was not, however, something as horrifying as we think it is today.
As we know, it was not God's will for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Indeed, God brought a new morality to bear in the world. It was not his will that his people would ever sacrifice their children to him! There are several places in the Old Testament where God and his people express their detestation. Leviticus 18:1 commands: “You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to Molech.” Further, Leviticus 20:1-5 prescribes the death penalty for such an act, further threatening that God himself would punish any people who refused to punish such an evil act. The evil 8th century Judean king Ahaz committed such heinous acts (2 Kings 16:3) and in the next century the good king Josiah attempted to abolish such practices (2 Kings 23:10). Condemnations of child sacrifice can also be found in Deuteronomy and Micah. These books were written under very different circumstances, hundreds of years apart. This indicates that Molech worship and child sacrifice were well known among the people of Israel and it took centuries to finally stamp it out. This makes God's command to Abraham look more gracious … it is as if God were saying you must commit the ultimate sacrifice to please me. It was enough for Abraham to show that willingness. But God was sending a powerful message that worshiping him would never involve such an evil action.
So what else is the lasting value of this passage? What does it say to us in this time and in this place? In fact, God's people are still called to make sacrifices, including ones that test one's commitment to God. The sacrifices can be painful. They involve perhaps surrendering parts of ourselves that we do not want to surrender. Having said that, the best response is to trust in God's providence. His promises will be fulfilled, and in fact he has something planned for us that will more than make up for any sacrifices we have to make. In the case of Abraham, his willingness to make a terrible sacrifice was counted as righteousness. He had faith in God's providence and continuing goodness, even if God's specific command to him seemed strange at best.
Here, I think it is helpful to also consider the passage from Romans I read a few minutes ago. Paul is saying that Christians must make a drastic change in their lives. Previously, they had been enslaved to sin. Paul says that if they foresake sin they will find freedom from it, but only in slavery to God. A popular idea in modern times is the idea of total personal autonomy. You are supposed to be free to do whatever you want to do. No one should tell you what to do or control your life. But Paul argues that there is no such thing as total personal autonomy. We are under the authority of someone or something. Paul exhorts Christians to live under the authority of God, not the authority of sin. The authority of either is so encompassing that it equals slavery.
A slave owes his master perfect obedience. That was the context in which Paul wrote, where slavery was widespread in the known world. Perfect obedience … that is what Abraham was willing to show God. And that is why God would reaffirm his promises to Abraham, that he would have descendants beyond number who would bless the whole world.
God expects sacrifices of us as well. But thank God, he does not demand anything that is contrary to his own character, which overflows with love and grace. God's character is so beautiful that he would sacrifice his own Son, and not ours. That reminds me of a saying about the comparison of Islam and Christianity: Islam says you must sacrifice your son for God. Christianity says God sacrifices his Son for you. Praise our gracious God!
But we are still exhorted not to let sin reign in us. Nothing must come before God. We may say we love and worship God, but do our lives show that? Do we place God before money? Do we place God before careers? Do we place God before our race or ethnicity or nationality? Do we place God before drugs or alcohol? Do we place God before relationships? Do we place God before even our desire for intimacy? What must we sacrifice in ourselves to truly love and follow and serve the God who first loved us? But the sacrifice is not in vain, my friends, because God's providence is greater than any of our man made idols. People are searching for meaning and happiness, but so often they settle for counterfeits. People are enslaved to drugs and alcohol, or they compulsively accumulate possessions and hold onto them with a death grip; or they walk over everyone else on the way to a career with status and power; or they lurch from one dysfunctional relationship to another because they don't want to be alone; or they engage in unholy sexual practices because they feel that's who they really are. These poor people are enslaved to sin and brokenness.
But God promises them, and us, something much better. He promises us peace with him and an end to alienation. St. Augustine wrote that our souls are restless until they rest in God. Through Jesus Christ, we can have that rest. Through Jesus Christ, our lives can mean something. Through Jesus Christ, we can be happy in our existence and not fearful of the future. Through Jesus Christ, all things are possible.
Will you follow Abraham and obey God? Will you open your heart to Jesus Christ and trust in him? Will you sacrifice whatever keeps you from a right relationship with God, whether it is pride, or arrogance, or greed, or lust, or despair, or bitterness? Will you put these things where they belong, at the foot of the Cross? Jesus is waiting to take them upon himself, so that you may be freed from their burdens. Will you turn to him today?
May God be praised for his love and grace and mercy, and may we turn happily to him, putting the old self to death, and allowing the new self to shine in the light of God's countenance. Amen.
Sermon for June 19, 2011 (Trinity Sunday)
“The Name of God” (Psalm 8; Matthew 28:16-20)
June 19, 2011 (Trinity Sunday)
Rev. John B. Erthein
We worship a great God. His power and majesty are attested to throughout creation, and even more so in the Word of God. Psalm 8 is a song of praise to our great God. God has created the heavens, the moon and the stars. And yet God has placed us, mere human beings, at the pinnacle of his creation. We have been crowned with glory and honor, and God has given us dominion over the works of his hands, such as the animals.
God honors us and wants to have a relationship with us. The Psalm begins with the name “Lord” for God. This is important because it is the personal, or covenantal, name of God that he revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3). This title could also be translated as “governor” or “master.” Further, God is called “our” Lord because of the covenant he established with Israel. There is something intimate about this relationship. While it is true that God created the whole world, he set aside a specific people which he called Israel, a people simultaneously set apart but also to a light to all nations. God's gracious plan is at the heart of what we call the Old Testament.
I want to pause for a moment and speak briefly about two kinds of grace we experience from God. The first is common grace. These are the benefits that God gives to all people, regardless of their conscious relationship with him. These include the beauty of nature; the provisions of this world, including food and shelter; and the comfort we receive from human relations. Common grace is quite indiscriminate; it's like the very localized weather patterns we have around here … welcome rain falls at David and Rebecca Green's property while it remains dry in downtown DeFuniak Springs. You can spiritually alive or spiritually dead: it doesn't matter when it comes to God's provision of common grace.
The second kind of grace comes from faith. We are saved by grace through faith. This means the Holy Spirit awakens us to our spiritual condition. We realize we are lost in our sins and cannot enjoy eternal life without salvation in Jesus Christ. And so we turn away from our sins. We abhor them. We regard them with horror and shame and grief. And we ask Jesus Christ to come into our hearts and lead us as Lord and Savior. That is the special grace that God bestows on his elect.
The whole Bible, including the Old Testament, shows how God's grace operated. God revealed more of his gracious plan in what we call the New Testament, which was again a personal relationship between God and his people. The New Testament, of course, centers on Jesus Christ, who the Scriptures affirm as being fully God and fully man. And this brings me to the reading from Matthew's Gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead and has appeared to many of his followers. He is giving them, in a sense, final instructions before he leaves them to ascend into heaven. And he tells them to spread the news about his ministry and his offer of eternal life to all who repent and believe in him. And here he tells them to baptize people in the “Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Here the full name of God is unveiled.
What does this name mean? If you want the perfect theological explanation, you won't get it from me, because I am but a simple country preacher. But in fact, even the very best theologians in church history have struggled to perfectly explain the mystery of the Trinity. Our minds are too limited to comprehend the vastness of this doctrine. But I think Charles Hodge had the best explanation. He wrote that the Bible affirms over and over again that there is one God. But then the Bible also affirms that there are three distinct Persons who all are known as God … the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God in three Persons … three Persons in one God. That was good enough for me.
But what I think is truly important about the Trinity is not doctrinal precision, at least not for the purposes of this message. The fact that God is three Persons, and has always been so and always will be, means that at his deepest level, God is relational. Even before he created the universe, our world, and us, God was in a state of intimate relationship. And God decided, purely out of his overflowing love and grace, to extend this relationship to his creation.
And what a relationship that can be. How can it be described? It is sublime. Many of you know what it is to be deeply in love with someone, to always think about the other person, to want to be with them and share everything with them. You feel as if you are connected at a cellular level, or that your souls merge into one. That is the kind of relationship God offers you with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. As Jesus was preparing to depart this earth, he promised that the Holy Spirit would remain to guide them. It was the same Holy Spirit that was present at the Creation; the same Spirit that guided the Israelites; and the same Spirit that brought back from the dead Jesus Christ. It is by that same Spirit that you also may have this incredible, intimate, beautiful relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
And, empowered by this relationship that overflows with love and grace, you will indeed by able to go forth and minister to others with courage and compassion. That is the best thing to remember on this Trinity Sunday.
In the name of our wonderful God who loves us beyond our imagining, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
June 19, 2011 (Trinity Sunday)
Rev. John B. Erthein
We worship a great God. His power and majesty are attested to throughout creation, and even more so in the Word of God. Psalm 8 is a song of praise to our great God. God has created the heavens, the moon and the stars. And yet God has placed us, mere human beings, at the pinnacle of his creation. We have been crowned with glory and honor, and God has given us dominion over the works of his hands, such as the animals.
God honors us and wants to have a relationship with us. The Psalm begins with the name “Lord” for God. This is important because it is the personal, or covenantal, name of God that he revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3). This title could also be translated as “governor” or “master.” Further, God is called “our” Lord because of the covenant he established with Israel. There is something intimate about this relationship. While it is true that God created the whole world, he set aside a specific people which he called Israel, a people simultaneously set apart but also to a light to all nations. God's gracious plan is at the heart of what we call the Old Testament.
I want to pause for a moment and speak briefly about two kinds of grace we experience from God. The first is common grace. These are the benefits that God gives to all people, regardless of their conscious relationship with him. These include the beauty of nature; the provisions of this world, including food and shelter; and the comfort we receive from human relations. Common grace is quite indiscriminate; it's like the very localized weather patterns we have around here … welcome rain falls at David and Rebecca Green's property while it remains dry in downtown DeFuniak Springs. You can spiritually alive or spiritually dead: it doesn't matter when it comes to God's provision of common grace.
The second kind of grace comes from faith. We are saved by grace through faith. This means the Holy Spirit awakens us to our spiritual condition. We realize we are lost in our sins and cannot enjoy eternal life without salvation in Jesus Christ. And so we turn away from our sins. We abhor them. We regard them with horror and shame and grief. And we ask Jesus Christ to come into our hearts and lead us as Lord and Savior. That is the special grace that God bestows on his elect.
The whole Bible, including the Old Testament, shows how God's grace operated. God revealed more of his gracious plan in what we call the New Testament, which was again a personal relationship between God and his people. The New Testament, of course, centers on Jesus Christ, who the Scriptures affirm as being fully God and fully man. And this brings me to the reading from Matthew's Gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead and has appeared to many of his followers. He is giving them, in a sense, final instructions before he leaves them to ascend into heaven. And he tells them to spread the news about his ministry and his offer of eternal life to all who repent and believe in him. And here he tells them to baptize people in the “Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Here the full name of God is unveiled.
What does this name mean? If you want the perfect theological explanation, you won't get it from me, because I am but a simple country preacher. But in fact, even the very best theologians in church history have struggled to perfectly explain the mystery of the Trinity. Our minds are too limited to comprehend the vastness of this doctrine. But I think Charles Hodge had the best explanation. He wrote that the Bible affirms over and over again that there is one God. But then the Bible also affirms that there are three distinct Persons who all are known as God … the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God in three Persons … three Persons in one God. That was good enough for me.
But what I think is truly important about the Trinity is not doctrinal precision, at least not for the purposes of this message. The fact that God is three Persons, and has always been so and always will be, means that at his deepest level, God is relational. Even before he created the universe, our world, and us, God was in a state of intimate relationship. And God decided, purely out of his overflowing love and grace, to extend this relationship to his creation.
And what a relationship that can be. How can it be described? It is sublime. Many of you know what it is to be deeply in love with someone, to always think about the other person, to want to be with them and share everything with them. You feel as if you are connected at a cellular level, or that your souls merge into one. That is the kind of relationship God offers you with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. As Jesus was preparing to depart this earth, he promised that the Holy Spirit would remain to guide them. It was the same Holy Spirit that was present at the Creation; the same Spirit that guided the Israelites; and the same Spirit that brought back from the dead Jesus Christ. It is by that same Spirit that you also may have this incredible, intimate, beautiful relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
And, empowered by this relationship that overflows with love and grace, you will indeed by able to go forth and minister to others with courage and compassion. That is the best thing to remember on this Trinity Sunday.
In the name of our wonderful God who loves us beyond our imagining, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Sermon Catch-Up
I notice I have not posted any sermons since May 22. Some of my following sermons got lost when my computer crashed. So the first one I have to share at this time is from June 12. I'll try to post them all.
Sermon: “A Rediscovered Unity” (Numbers 11:24-30; Acts 2:1-21)
Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church
Rev. John B. Erthein
Reflecting upon the division of Germany (and her capital, Berlin) during the Cold War, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Berlin, Cardinal Meissner, once said that “the result of sin is division.” The sin to which he referred was the monstrous catalog of evil deeds perpetrated by the German Third Reich.
Division caused by sin … is that not a reflection of our world today, and in fact of nearly all recorded history? The people of this world are divided by a seemingly infinite number of categories. Even in this very room, there is division … between Gators and Seminoles. Now, if only all divisions were so relatively benign! But we are divided by nationality. We are divided by language. We are divided by race and ethnicity. We are divided by economic and educational attainments. We are divided by what we perceive to be our self-interest. We are divided by gender. We are divided by ideology. Our own country, blessed by God in so many ways, was tragically divided by slavery and a civil war, and the whole land was washed in the blood of her people. Countless millions of people have perished in conflicts involving Nazism and Communism verses Western ideals and systems of government.
And, most crucially and most tragically, we are divided by religion. Such divisions have caused terrible conflict and atrocity throughout the ages, from the wars mentioned in the Bible, through the relentless Arab Muslim expansion of the 8th century and beyond, through the merciless Christian Crusades which perversely fell with fury on Jews as much as Muslims, through relentless fighting in India between Islam and Hinduism (which led to the split between India and Pakistan), conflict in the Middle East between Jew and Muslim and the continuing violent oppression of Christians in Islamic lands, through even intra-religious fighting, between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and between Shia and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East.
Nearly as long as man has walked this earth he has been divided against himself in some way. The Bible tells that sad story. Adam and Eve, created to be together, were divided against each other when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Cain and Abel were divided by Cain's jealousy of God's favor on Abel, which caused the first murder in history. And the biggest Biblical division arose when God scattered the peoples and confused their languages when they arrogantly tried to build their Tower of Babel up to heaven, imaging they could reach God as they wanted to reach him. And so sin has indeed resulted in division … nations, communities, races, even families divided against themselves. A wise man once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” but the reality of our world is that of a house divided.
For many years, especially in the aftermath of destructive conflicts, people in many nations have been searching for unity. The League of Nations, the United Nations, and European Union are all attempts to bring unity out of division. They have had limited success.
There have also been attempts to bring different faiths together. Some are designed to bring together different Christian churches, others try to minimize doctrinal differences between all religions. The cliché, “well, everyone basically believes in the same God,” is quite widespread, even in the church itself. And I predict these efforts to wish away the differences between religions will also have limited success.
But the Bible does tell us something of how real unity can happen. It is simply by the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. And that is not just some “spirit” or “ghost” or whatever dreamed up by someone. No, it is the same Spirit, the Spirit of God, that was present at the creation itself. And it was the same Spirit present among the people of Israel in the book of Numbers. That Spirit descended upon the people on the Day of Pentecost, the day of the Holy Spirit, the day in which the church was born. Jesus had already died, been resurrected and ascended to heaven. But he had promised to leave his Spirit as a guide and comforter to his followers. And that was made manifest in a remarkable event as described in Acts. G. Campbell Morgan described it in this way: “... these people were suddenly caught up by the Spirit, penetrated through and through by the Spirit, brought completely under the power of the Spirit.” (G. Campbell Morgan, “The Westminster Pulpit,” Volume 8, p. 182). As he writes, “In this hour all things became new.”
Now becoming new is a wonderful thing in itself. Some of us here talked about “newness” during Sunday School several weeks ago. Recall the feelings you had as a child when a bright new toy awaited you on Christmas morning, all beautifully wrapped and never before opened. Or as an adult, remember the feeling of sitting in that new car, or maybe opening a new book or box of books (the preachers among us can relate to that one!). Newness is a good thing, but sadly temporary in this life. Everything gets old after a time.
But on Pentecost, to quote again from Morgan, “all things became new. God was new, the world was new, life was new (Ibid).” Can you imagine how that would have been? Something that had been old was now new again? In that we understand some of the great promises of God. This event on Pentecost accomplished at least two profound things. First, it briefly gave back unity to a diverse group of people. The text itself lists the many different nationalities that were present. And somehow, at this incredible moment, all of them were speaking in their own language and yet they could all perfectly understand one another. For that precious period of time, barriers of nationality and language came down. And that happened not because of a well meaning government organization or an earnest church body. It happened by the spontaneous, supernatural appearance of the Holy Spirit!
Something else happened on Pentecost to break down division. These earliest followers of Christ experienced an intimacy with him that they had not previously known. Again, to quote from Morgan, “They were now born of the Spirit into a new consciousness of their Master, of themselves, and of all things. Suddenly, and without being able to explain the how of the infinite mystery, they found themselves in a closer companionship with Jesus than they had ever known during the days of His flesh” (Ibid) So the division between God and humankind was reduced. People could rejoice in this intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ. That would be an unforgettable feeling and memory. Empowered by this memory, the earliest Christians were ready to carry out their mission for Christ, withstanding all attacks and surmounting every obstacle. It was truly the dawn of the church age.
So what is this telling us? I think it means first that true unity comes from Jesus Christ working through God's Holy Spirit. Man-made attempts at unity, or even attempts at unity promoted by church structures, are no substitute for that. This does not mean we should not treat people of different nationalities or races or religions with respect, affection and love. That is a good thing to do. But let us recognize that complete unity is possible only by God's intervention. And I would thus warn against any efforts to achieve a formal unity among churches and religions by downplaying real differences. God acted in history through the people of Israel and in Jesus Christ. We do not honor God by treating his special revelation as anything less. In all things, including the search for unity, be humble. Accept that God will accomplish his will in his time. Pray for unity. Pray for people to be reached by the Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ. The greatest imaginable unity will come when the whole world bends the knee of Jesus, when all people acknowledge him as Lord.
And now to the One who overcomes division and enmity, and who brings about our true unity and peace, be all blessing, and honor, and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Sermon: “A Rediscovered Unity” (Numbers 11:24-30; Acts 2:1-21)
Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church
Rev. John B. Erthein
Reflecting upon the division of Germany (and her capital, Berlin) during the Cold War, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Berlin, Cardinal Meissner, once said that “the result of sin is division.” The sin to which he referred was the monstrous catalog of evil deeds perpetrated by the German Third Reich.
Division caused by sin … is that not a reflection of our world today, and in fact of nearly all recorded history? The people of this world are divided by a seemingly infinite number of categories. Even in this very room, there is division … between Gators and Seminoles. Now, if only all divisions were so relatively benign! But we are divided by nationality. We are divided by language. We are divided by race and ethnicity. We are divided by economic and educational attainments. We are divided by what we perceive to be our self-interest. We are divided by gender. We are divided by ideology. Our own country, blessed by God in so many ways, was tragically divided by slavery and a civil war, and the whole land was washed in the blood of her people. Countless millions of people have perished in conflicts involving Nazism and Communism verses Western ideals and systems of government.
And, most crucially and most tragically, we are divided by religion. Such divisions have caused terrible conflict and atrocity throughout the ages, from the wars mentioned in the Bible, through the relentless Arab Muslim expansion of the 8th century and beyond, through the merciless Christian Crusades which perversely fell with fury on Jews as much as Muslims, through relentless fighting in India between Islam and Hinduism (which led to the split between India and Pakistan), conflict in the Middle East between Jew and Muslim and the continuing violent oppression of Christians in Islamic lands, through even intra-religious fighting, between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and between Shia and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East.
Nearly as long as man has walked this earth he has been divided against himself in some way. The Bible tells that sad story. Adam and Eve, created to be together, were divided against each other when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Cain and Abel were divided by Cain's jealousy of God's favor on Abel, which caused the first murder in history. And the biggest Biblical division arose when God scattered the peoples and confused their languages when they arrogantly tried to build their Tower of Babel up to heaven, imaging they could reach God as they wanted to reach him. And so sin has indeed resulted in division … nations, communities, races, even families divided against themselves. A wise man once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” but the reality of our world is that of a house divided.
For many years, especially in the aftermath of destructive conflicts, people in many nations have been searching for unity. The League of Nations, the United Nations, and European Union are all attempts to bring unity out of division. They have had limited success.
There have also been attempts to bring different faiths together. Some are designed to bring together different Christian churches, others try to minimize doctrinal differences between all religions. The cliché, “well, everyone basically believes in the same God,” is quite widespread, even in the church itself. And I predict these efforts to wish away the differences between religions will also have limited success.
But the Bible does tell us something of how real unity can happen. It is simply by the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. And that is not just some “spirit” or “ghost” or whatever dreamed up by someone. No, it is the same Spirit, the Spirit of God, that was present at the creation itself. And it was the same Spirit present among the people of Israel in the book of Numbers. That Spirit descended upon the people on the Day of Pentecost, the day of the Holy Spirit, the day in which the church was born. Jesus had already died, been resurrected and ascended to heaven. But he had promised to leave his Spirit as a guide and comforter to his followers. And that was made manifest in a remarkable event as described in Acts. G. Campbell Morgan described it in this way: “... these people were suddenly caught up by the Spirit, penetrated through and through by the Spirit, brought completely under the power of the Spirit.” (G. Campbell Morgan, “The Westminster Pulpit,” Volume 8, p. 182). As he writes, “In this hour all things became new.”
Now becoming new is a wonderful thing in itself. Some of us here talked about “newness” during Sunday School several weeks ago. Recall the feelings you had as a child when a bright new toy awaited you on Christmas morning, all beautifully wrapped and never before opened. Or as an adult, remember the feeling of sitting in that new car, or maybe opening a new book or box of books (the preachers among us can relate to that one!). Newness is a good thing, but sadly temporary in this life. Everything gets old after a time.
But on Pentecost, to quote again from Morgan, “all things became new. God was new, the world was new, life was new (Ibid).” Can you imagine how that would have been? Something that had been old was now new again? In that we understand some of the great promises of God. This event on Pentecost accomplished at least two profound things. First, it briefly gave back unity to a diverse group of people. The text itself lists the many different nationalities that were present. And somehow, at this incredible moment, all of them were speaking in their own language and yet they could all perfectly understand one another. For that precious period of time, barriers of nationality and language came down. And that happened not because of a well meaning government organization or an earnest church body. It happened by the spontaneous, supernatural appearance of the Holy Spirit!
Something else happened on Pentecost to break down division. These earliest followers of Christ experienced an intimacy with him that they had not previously known. Again, to quote from Morgan, “They were now born of the Spirit into a new consciousness of their Master, of themselves, and of all things. Suddenly, and without being able to explain the how of the infinite mystery, they found themselves in a closer companionship with Jesus than they had ever known during the days of His flesh” (Ibid) So the division between God and humankind was reduced. People could rejoice in this intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ. That would be an unforgettable feeling and memory. Empowered by this memory, the earliest Christians were ready to carry out their mission for Christ, withstanding all attacks and surmounting every obstacle. It was truly the dawn of the church age.
So what is this telling us? I think it means first that true unity comes from Jesus Christ working through God's Holy Spirit. Man-made attempts at unity, or even attempts at unity promoted by church structures, are no substitute for that. This does not mean we should not treat people of different nationalities or races or religions with respect, affection and love. That is a good thing to do. But let us recognize that complete unity is possible only by God's intervention. And I would thus warn against any efforts to achieve a formal unity among churches and religions by downplaying real differences. God acted in history through the people of Israel and in Jesus Christ. We do not honor God by treating his special revelation as anything less. In all things, including the search for unity, be humble. Accept that God will accomplish his will in his time. Pray for unity. Pray for people to be reached by the Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ. The greatest imaginable unity will come when the whole world bends the knee of Jesus, when all people acknowledge him as Lord.
And now to the One who overcomes division and enmity, and who brings about our true unity and peace, be all blessing, and honor, and glory, now and forever. Amen.
There Are Many Different Presbyterian Churches
The PC(USA) is not the only Presbyterian game in town. I am personally gratified for the continuing faithfulness to the Word of God shown in other Presbyterian denominations. I pray we in the PC(USA) will take their counsel seriously. But ... I doubt we will.
Other Presbyterian bodies react to PC(USA) gay ordination affirmations.
Other Presbyterian bodies react to PC(USA) gay ordination affirmations.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Comments on Commentaries, Part 1
I am in the process of rebuilding or building up my collection of Biblical commentaries. I find commentaries very useful in increasing my personal understanding of books of the Bible, and for crafting more thoughtful sermons.
Take my musings for what they are worth. I am not a scholar. I have no Ph.D and very likely never will (I'll do well to earn a D.Min one of these days). I am also not a prominent preacher by any means. I am no Craig Barnes or Michael Lindvall (although I can say I know those two gentlemen). At this stage of my ministry I am a country preacher, serving a very small but well educated congregation in the Florida panhandle. I am grateful to God for this call. But that's another story.
When considering which commentaries to purchase, I ask myself certain questions and weigh many factors. Maybe these will be helpful for you if you are a pastor starting out in ministry, or even if you have some ministry under your belt and wonder where you are going from here.
One question inevitably concerns price ... the bottom line for many of us. I have a decent by not unlimited yearly book allowance. I have to budget my purchases. Obviously, I try to obtain the best commentaries for the lowest price. Sometimes commentaries will be featured for a very attractive price on a site like Christian Book Distributors (by the way, this is a marvelous site for any Christian book need. While the selection is predominately evangelical, there are healthy selections of more mainline or liberal works and some Catholic books too).
How does one define "best" commentaries? I think it depends on overall reputation of a series and an author, as well as what you are looking for theologically. I tend to want theologically conservative works, ideally with a Reformed bent. But I also look for works that are academically strong. Within those parameters, I have found volumes of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) and the New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT) to be outstanding. They are scholarly without being confusing (to me), and evangelical while interacting with other perspectives. They give excellent background information and solid interpretations. You will see that the entire series is pricey, though. If you want to own a complete series, NICOT/NICNT is tough to afford. Plus, not every book of the Bible is yet included.
Some individual commentaries in that series are considered the best around. I have found Hamilton on Genesis and Moo on Romans to be outstanding. But neither comes cheaply ... Moo is about $40 and Hamilton is considerably more, as his Genesis commentary comes in two volumes. The cost for both volumes is about $63. Still, I think they are worth the cost.
Another favorite set of mine is the Expositor's Bible Commentary. This is much more affordable than the NICOT/NICNT. You can purchase all twelve volumes of the next most recent edition for $199 from Christian Book Distributors. In addition, a newly revised set of volumes are being published. The format of these revised commentaries is more attractive than previously (asthetics are not the most important consideration but are surely something to think about) and include many new contributors (here is a sample of the revised commentary volumes.) I think it is worthwhile, if you are theologically traditional, to accumulate the Expositor's set ... decent academically if not first rank, theologically conservative, and affordable.
I have been interested in obtaining a couple of sets that list for very low prices ... they may not be the absolute best available but they offer the biggest bang for the buck. A friend of mine is offering to send me an extra set of the Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentaries, which represent the best of conservative scholarship of the 19th century. Dated, to be sure, but they have an enduring value and interact with (well, refute) the rationalist-modernist theories of the same era, which are themselves quite dated nowadays. If you do want to buy the set they sell for about $70 on Christianbook.com ... unbeatable for 10 hardcover volumes.
I also plan to acquire, but not until next year when my book allowance is renewed, the complete New Testament Commentary set of Hendrickson and Kistemaker, which is billed as the only complete NT Commentary set written solely from a Reformed perspective. At $130 or so for 12 hardcover volumes, it's another great bargain and a good tool for the evangelical preacher.
I was recently given a great old commentary set, the six volume set by Matthew Henry, written in the 18th century, which reads very devotionally and provides good quotes for any sermon.
So, these are the commentaries I currently own or plan to obtain in the near future. In a later post I'll briefly discuss other commentaries I have used or considered but will not go with. If you have anything you'd like to share about your own commentary use please do so.
Take my musings for what they are worth. I am not a scholar. I have no Ph.D and very likely never will (I'll do well to earn a D.Min one of these days). I am also not a prominent preacher by any means. I am no Craig Barnes or Michael Lindvall (although I can say I know those two gentlemen). At this stage of my ministry I am a country preacher, serving a very small but well educated congregation in the Florida panhandle. I am grateful to God for this call. But that's another story.
When considering which commentaries to purchase, I ask myself certain questions and weigh many factors. Maybe these will be helpful for you if you are a pastor starting out in ministry, or even if you have some ministry under your belt and wonder where you are going from here.
One question inevitably concerns price ... the bottom line for many of us. I have a decent by not unlimited yearly book allowance. I have to budget my purchases. Obviously, I try to obtain the best commentaries for the lowest price. Sometimes commentaries will be featured for a very attractive price on a site like Christian Book Distributors (by the way, this is a marvelous site for any Christian book need. While the selection is predominately evangelical, there are healthy selections of more mainline or liberal works and some Catholic books too).
How does one define "best" commentaries? I think it depends on overall reputation of a series and an author, as well as what you are looking for theologically. I tend to want theologically conservative works, ideally with a Reformed bent. But I also look for works that are academically strong. Within those parameters, I have found volumes of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) and the New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT) to be outstanding. They are scholarly without being confusing (to me), and evangelical while interacting with other perspectives. They give excellent background information and solid interpretations. You will see that the entire series is pricey, though. If you want to own a complete series, NICOT/NICNT is tough to afford. Plus, not every book of the Bible is yet included.
Some individual commentaries in that series are considered the best around. I have found Hamilton on Genesis and Moo on Romans to be outstanding. But neither comes cheaply ... Moo is about $40 and Hamilton is considerably more, as his Genesis commentary comes in two volumes. The cost for both volumes is about $63. Still, I think they are worth the cost.
Another favorite set of mine is the Expositor's Bible Commentary. This is much more affordable than the NICOT/NICNT. You can purchase all twelve volumes of the next most recent edition for $199 from Christian Book Distributors. In addition, a newly revised set of volumes are being published. The format of these revised commentaries is more attractive than previously (asthetics are not the most important consideration but are surely something to think about) and include many new contributors (here is a sample of the revised commentary volumes.) I think it is worthwhile, if you are theologically traditional, to accumulate the Expositor's set ... decent academically if not first rank, theologically conservative, and affordable.
I have been interested in obtaining a couple of sets that list for very low prices ... they may not be the absolute best available but they offer the biggest bang for the buck. A friend of mine is offering to send me an extra set of the Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentaries, which represent the best of conservative scholarship of the 19th century. Dated, to be sure, but they have an enduring value and interact with (well, refute) the rationalist-modernist theories of the same era, which are themselves quite dated nowadays. If you do want to buy the set they sell for about $70 on Christianbook.com ... unbeatable for 10 hardcover volumes.
I also plan to acquire, but not until next year when my book allowance is renewed, the complete New Testament Commentary set of Hendrickson and Kistemaker, which is billed as the only complete NT Commentary set written solely from a Reformed perspective. At $130 or so for 12 hardcover volumes, it's another great bargain and a good tool for the evangelical preacher.
I was recently given a great old commentary set, the six volume set by Matthew Henry, written in the 18th century, which reads very devotionally and provides good quotes for any sermon.
So, these are the commentaries I currently own or plan to obtain in the near future. In a later post I'll briefly discuss other commentaries I have used or considered but will not go with. If you have anything you'd like to share about your own commentary use please do so.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sorry I Haven't Been Posting
I had several technology related problems recently, including lightning striking my office, which knocked out (literally, they blew out from the wall) all telephone and internet connections. Around the same time, I separately broke my laptop's hard drive by stepping on it after dropping it. All of my documents disappeared so I am rebuilding. Some sermons are lost forever. But I am continuing to preach and will post my stuff as it becomes available.
Blessings to whoever reads this!
Blessings to whoever reads this!
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