Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

John Piper

Providence

by

John Piper’s 751-page magnum opus is now available:

John Piper. Providence. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021.

The print book is available from Amazon, but the best deal is currently from Westminster Bookstore.

Crossway and Desiring God are generously making the entire book available for free as a PDF.

My endorsement: “John Piper helps us see and savor God’s purposeful sovereignty by inductively demonstrating what the whole Bible teaches about its ultimate goal, its nature, and its extent.”

My wife and I enjoyed watching Joe Rigney interview John Piper about the book in this 85-minute video:

For more DG resources on the sovereignty of God, see here.

Update on 5/7/2021: Mark Dever interviews John Piper in this hour-long video:

8 Videos from the Theologians on the Christian Life Conference

by

On April 20–21, Bethlehem College & Seminary (my school) and Crossway (my favorite publisher) cohosted the Theologians on the Christian Life Conference.

Steve Nichols and Justin Taylor edit the Theologians on the Christian Life series that Crossway has published since 2012. The series is historically informed and warmly devotional.

Here are eight videos from the conference:

1. Justin Taylor Interviews John Piper

[Read more…] about 8 Videos from the Theologians on the Christian Life Conference

Eureka! Discovering Gold in God’s Word

by

That was the title of a conference Bethlehem College & Seminary hosted last month. It featured new books on how to read the Bible by three of our professors.

Here are the five videos from the conference (three talks, two Q&As): [Read more…] about Eureka! Discovering Gold in God’s Word

John Piper’s Tribute to Don Carson

by

I love this. One of my favorite people affirms one of my favorite people:

Though I am Don Carson’s elder (by eleven months), and count him a personal friend, I revere him both spiritually and academically. The level at which Don works in the academic guild is beyond my ability and bent. I stand outside and below, looking up with profound admiration and respect. Make no mistake, my admiration is not awakened by fame and notoriety. It rises for real excellence and faithfulness and usefulness. Don has taken the bricks and mortar of his academic trade and built structures where God’s people have found safety and nourishment and joy and power. [Read more…] about John Piper’s Tribute to Don Carson

The Collected Works of John Piper

by

This new set releases on March 31:

John Piper. The Collected Works of John Piper. Edited by David Mathis and Justin Taylor. 13 vols. + one volume of indexes. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017. 8,464 pages. Available from Amazon  and Westminster Bookstore .

Both Justin Taylor and David Mathis have spent years serving as John Piper’s assistant, and they know Piper and his publications unusually well. Justin wrote his fascinating PhD dissertation on Piper, and David is the executive editor for Desiring God.

The editors explain in the introduction to volume 1, [Read more…] about The Collected Works of John Piper

Ask Pastor John

by

apjI just caught up listening to all the Ask Pastor John episodes (900+ now). John Piper and the host, Tony Reinke, serve us well. I benefit especially from the well-reasoned rubber-meets-the-road practical theology.

Here’s a sampling of 13 episodes that stand out:

  1. Choosing a Seminary (Episode 89) [Cf. What, how, and why we teach.]
  2. On Ghostwriters (Episode 129)
  3. Bible Memory as Ministry to Others (Episode 131) [Cf. Why and How to Memorize an Entire Book of the Bible.]
  4. Should Christians Use the Pill? (Episode 230) [Cf. Should Christians Use Contraceptives?]
  5. Tattoos in Biblical Perspective (240)
  6. Six Reasons to Skip Tattoos (241) [Cf. “Should you get a tattoo,” in Conscience, pp. 73–75.]
  7. Ghostwriting and Research Assistants (Episode 245)
  8. Pornography and Resisting the Power of Temptation (Episode 291) [Cf. The Best Book on Sexual Purity.]
  9. Should Christians Watch ‘Game of Thrones’? (Episode 368) [Cf. Piper’s article.]
  10. How John Piper Writes Books (Episode 582) [Cf. “Window into Piper’s Writing,” a 6-minute DG video with shots of Piper’s home and study—embedded below.]
  11. How Do You Use Your iPhone and iPad in Christian Growth? (Episode 828)
  12. Ten Principles for Personal Productivity (Episode 839) [Cf. posts I’ve tagged as “work.”]
  13. A Short History of Bible Clutter (Episode 888; Paauw—not Piper) [Cf. Re 3 Unusual Tips for Better Bible Reading.]

https://vimeo.com/168993041

Starving for the Grandeur of God

by

supremacyI recently read this updated edition:

John Piper. The Supremacy of God in Preaching. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015.

One of the most motivating lines:

People are starving for the grandeur of God. And the vast majority do not know it. (p. 147)

Here’s an appetizer:

For more, check out the topics under “God” and “Jesus Christ” in the Desiring God Topic Index.