Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Systematic Theology

John Piper Small Group Series

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Three more DVD series and corresponding study guides are now available in the John Piper Small Group Series.

1. TULIP: The Pursuit of God’s Glory in Salvation (DVD | Study Guide)

2. Why We Believe the Bible (DVD | Study Guide)

3. What’s the Difference? Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible (DVD | Study Guide)

I recently watched almost all of TULIP and most of Why We Believe the Bible with my parents and siblings, and we thoroughly enjoyed them. The professionally filmed DVDs are superb. Piper teaches from an overhead using transparencies and engagingly interacts with the text of Scripture. Very effective. Great resources.

Are Millennial Views Essential?

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knowing_the_truthKevin Boling, host of “Knowing the Truth” radio program, contacted me a couple of hours before his hour-long radio program this afternoon and asked me to be his guest to discuss the issue I highlighted in my recent blog post on Schreiner’s and Dever’s positions on millennial views.

Kevin, a gracious host, entitled the program “Are Millennial Views Essential?” The interview is available from SermonAudio as a 55-minute MP3.

Update: See “Mark Dever on the Function of Statements of Faith.”

Schreiner: From Amil to Premil

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Tom Schreiner, professor of NT interpretation and associate dean at Southern Seminary and preaching pastor for Clifton Baptist Church, just finished preaching through the book of Revelation.

  • In “The Millennium,” his sermon on Revelation 20:1–15 (preached on June 14, 2009), Schreiner begins by explaining that he recently changed his millennial position from amillennial to premillennial, largely as a result of studying that text (HT: Ben Wright).
  • Jason Button transcribes some of Schreiner’s wise introductory remarks here.

Updates:

  1. See A. J. Gibson’s “It’s a Sin to Sever Cooperation with Other Believers over Eschatological Issues,” which comments on the sermon on Revelation 20 that Mark Dever preached yesterday (July 12).
  2. See Ben Wright’s “‘I’m saying you are in sin if you lead your congregation to have a statement of faith that requires a particular Millennial view.’” (Ben is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.)
  3. Justin Taylor weighs in.
  4. Kevin Bolin interviewed me on this issue on July 14: “Are Millennial Views Essential?“
  5. See Ben Wright’s “Amillennialists and Premillennialists: What Do We Agree On?“
  6. See “Mark Dever on the Function of Statements of Faith.”

Mostly Dead vs. All Dead

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This video clip from The Princess Bride is my favorite light-hearted illustration of the Arminian view of human depravity (an issue integrally related to prevenient grace):

http://vimeo.com/28442042

This is the notable part of the exchange:

“Well it just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. . . . Now mostly dead is slightly alive. All dead—well, with all dead, there’s only usually one thing that you can do.”

“What’s that?”

“Go through his clothes and look for loose change.”

Another good illustration of the effectual call and regeneration:

Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out . . . . (John 11:43–44)

Recommended resources:

  1. William W. Combs, “Does the Bible Teach Prevenient Grace?” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 10 (2005): 3–18.
  2. John Piper, “Total Depravity,” in “TULIP” (a nine-part seminar available in audio and video), 2008.
  3. Thomas R. Schreiner, “Does Scripture Teach Prevenient Grace in the Wesleyan Sense?” in Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace (ed. Thomas R. Schreiner and Bruce A. Ware; Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000), 229–46.

Guy Waters on Tom Wright

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Guy Waters thoughtfully reviews N. T. Wright’s Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision.

His conclusion:

Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision is the most comprehensive and current statement of N. T. Wright on justification to date. Justification is largely a restatement of Wright’s views, with some amplification and rhetorical refinement. It is not a detailed textual and theological interaction with his Reformational readers’ concerns and objections. To the degree that Justification summarizes and synthesizes nearly three decades of Wright’s publications on justification, the book is useful to the student of Wright’s work. To the degree that Justification has failed to engage criticisms of Wright’s formulations on justification in such a way as to advance the discussion, the work is a missed opportunity. What is clear from Justification is that the fundamental concern of Wright’s Reformational readers remains unallayed and firmly in place: Wright’s views on justification have parted company with the teaching of the apostle Paul.

A Shrewd Observation by Sherlock Holmes

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holmesJenni and I are enjoying listening to The Complete Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes dramatized by BBC (64 CDs, 48 hours, and featuring a full cast), and we found the following statement particularly striking when we heard it last night:

It’s a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst of all.

-Sherlock Holmes in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, an agnostic