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Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

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Cultural Differences

March 23, 2011 by Andy Naselli

Christopher Catherwood, Church History: A Crash Course for the Curious (2nd ed.; Wheaton: Crossway, 2007), 196:

I think it fair to say that the main difference between Fundamentalism and what we would now call historic Evangelicalism is as much cultural as anything else and is particularly an American phenomenon.

(It’s valuable to hear the perspectives of others—in this case a British evangelical historian who is the grandson of David Martyn Lloyd-Jones.)

Related: Cultural and Theological Conservatism

Filed Under: Historical Theology Tagged With: culture, evangelicalism, fundamentalism

Twenty OT Prayers Appealing to God’s Concern for His Own Glory

March 22, 2011 by Andy Naselli

See them here, a table excerpted from Jim Hamilton’s God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology. (That two-page PDF is available only today through Thursday.)

Hamilton explains:

These prayers that appeal to God’s concern for his own glory show how the believing remnant in the old covenant responded to God’s pursuit of his own glory: they joined him in it. These OT saints adopted God’s priorities and based their prayers on what they understood to be of greatest concern to God himself–his reputation among the nations, the glory of his name, the revelation of the truth about who he is. Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Elijah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Asaph, Asa, and Jehoshaphat all petition God on the basis of his concern for his own glory.

Incidentally, there is a massively important point of application here: this is how we, too, should pray. The perspective of the biblical authors is not merely to be studied but adopted, embraced, and lived.

These prayers appealing to God’s concern for his glory are applied to a variety of situations and employ a variety of expressions, and they had to be located the old fashioned way, which is still the best way to examine a biblical theme: by reading slowly through the OT, marking them as they appeared, and then gathering them all into one place. So this chart saves you a ton of work, but actually doing this kind of work for yourself is the best way to study the Bible because it demands that you read attentively, remember what you’ve read, correlate new information with what you’ve already seen, and assimilate the results into a coherent whole.

So in this table I list every prayer in the Old Testament that appeals to God’s concern for his own glory; at least, I think I got them all! If you find one that I missed I’d love to know about it.

See also Hamilton’s explanation on the 9Marks blog.

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: Jim Hamilton, prayer

Heart > Mind

March 21, 2011 by Andy Naselli

John Piper, Taste and See: 140 Meditations (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2005), 28:

One profound biblical insight we need to know is that our heart exploits our mind to justify what the heart wants. That is, our deepest desires precede the rational functioning of our minds and incline the mind to perceive and think in a way that will make the desires look right. It is an illusion to think that our hearts are neutral and incline in accordance with cool rational observation of truth. On the contrary, we feel powerful desires or fears in our heart, and then our mind bends reality to justify the desires and fears.

Filed Under: Practical Theology Tagged With: John Piper

Reeves Recommends Reformation Reading

March 18, 2011 by Andy Naselli

The “Further reading” section of Michael Reeves’s The Unquenchable Flame: Introducing the Reformation (Nottingham, England: IVP, 2009) flags six resources as “must reads” (pp. 189–91, numbering added):

1. Every Christian should read Roland Bainton’s classic biography of Luther, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Abingdon, 1950). A rip-roaring bedtime page-turner.

2. And why not try reading some of Luther himself? You can find his great The Freedom of a Christian online . . . .

3. Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion is a must. The title makes it sound scary; inside, it is easy to read and warm in style. If you can, get F. L. Battles’ two-volume translation of the 1559 edition (Westminster Press, 1960). [Read more…] about Reeves Recommends Reformation Reading

Filed Under: Historical Theology Tagged With: John Calvin, Martin Luther, Reformation

More Bible Memory Resources

March 16, 2011 by Andy Naselli

Two weeks ago I recommended Bible memory resources for young children, especially texts set to music.

I’ve updated that post in three ways:

  1. I added Songs for Saplings: 123 under heading 3. That CD just came out this month.
  2. I added heading 5: “Hide the Word (Mark Altrogge, Forever Grateful Music).” Altrogge, senior pastor of a Sovereign Grace Church in Pennsylvania, has set 182 Scripture passages to 9.1 hours of music. The genre is similar to Sovereign Grace Music, which has published several of Altrogge’s songs.
  3. I added heading 6: “Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey through Scripture (Jay and Trina Stocker, BreakAway Music).” Mellow.

I now have 20.8 hours of Scripture set to music. Grace.

Filed Under: Practical Theology Tagged With: children's literature

The Natural Man

March 14, 2011 by Andy Naselli

John Bunyan. “A Book for Boys and Girls: or, Temporal Things Spiritualized.” Pages 746–62 in vol. 3 of The Works of John Bunyan. Edited by George Offor. London: Blackie and Son, 1853. Logos

Of Man by Nature [p. 761]

From God he’s a backslider,
Of ways he loves the wider;
With wickedness a sider,
More venom than a spider.
In sin he’s a considerer,
A make-bate and divider;
Blind reason is his guider,
The devil is his rider.

Filed Under: Historical Theology Tagged With: John Bunyan

Free Class This Summer: Models of Sanctification

March 11, 2011 by Andy Naselli

That’s the name of a 4-credit class that I’m scheduled to co-teach this summer with Bruce Ware.

  • When? June 6–10, 2011
  • Where? Northland International University
  • For whom? Students in Northland’s graduate program (esp. DMin students)
  • How much? It’s free for first-time students in Northland’s graduate program (whether or not they wish to remain in the program).
  • Can the credit transfer to other schools? Yes.
  • What’s the workload? Check out the syllabus.
  • What’s the course’s general schedule? I’ll start off surveying and evaluating the Wesleyan, Keswick, Chaferian, and Pentecostal views of sanctification. Then Bruce Ware will survey and evaluate the contemplative view and explain and defend the Reformed view.

More info here.

I visited Northland’s campus for the first time last month to speak at their Heart Conference and then to teach a week-long grad course on the use of the OT in the NT. I was impressed. The faculty and administration are good folks, and the caliber of students is high. And they assure me that the weather in northern Wisconsin is nicer in June than February!

Update on 8/23/2017: My latest book attempts to survey and analyze “let go and let God” theology more accessibly:

No Quick Fix

Filed Under: Systematic Theology Tagged With: Bruce Ware, Keswick theology, sanctification

Dever, Doran, Bauder, and Others Dialogue

March 10, 2011 by Andy Naselli

Calvary Baptist Seminary hosted the Advancing the Church Conference a few weeks ago, and the conference audio is now available.

Mark Dever was the keynote speaker, and he interacted with Dave Doran, Kevin Bauder, and other fundamentalist leaders in two panels:

  • Panel 1 (2/23/2011) | summary
  • Panel 2 (2/24/2011)

Kevin Bauder shares his perspective on the conference in “Reflections after the Encounter: Considering the Current Situation of Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism; or, Why I Am Still a Fundamentalist (And How I Am Not).”

Filed Under: Historical Theology Tagged With: Dave Doran, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, Kevin Bauder, Mark Dever

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Predestination: An Introduction

Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Tracing the Argument of 1 Corinthians: A Phrase Diagram

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40 Questions about Biblical Theology

1 Corinthians in Romans–Galatians (ESV Expository Commentary)

How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?

Three Views on Israel and the Church: Perspectives on Romans 9–11

That Little Voice in Your Head: Learning about Your Conscience

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No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It's Harmful

Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ

NIV Zondervan Study Bible

Perspectives on the Extent of the Atonement

From Typology to Doxology: Paul’s Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34–35

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

Let God and Let God? A Survey and Analysis of Keswick Theology

Introducing the New Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message

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