Be Still and Know That I Am God - What Does it Really Mean?

For as long as I can remember I've heard this verse cited with the encouragement that God is telling us to be still and make ourselves aware of who he really is.  In that time of "stillness" we will experience God in ways that could not be done apart from being still.  I came across this again in something I read recently so I thought I would look up what John Goldingay had to say in his commentary on the Psalms in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms.  I found part of it surprising and part of it alarming. I put in italics what surprised me and in bold what alarmed me. 

"'Be still and know that I am God' is a common invitation in Christian spirituality.  This involves a reinterpretation of the psalm.  Nowhere do the psalms have an ideal of silence.  Their assumption is that one finds God not in silence but in noise.  In noisy Western cultures, we may need to cultivate silence, and the use of the psalm to this end may be inspired by the Holy Spirit, even though it does make the words mean something that the psalmist did not say and would not have dreamed of saying.  Spirit-inspired interpretation often works by making the words of Scripture mean something quite different from what they actually meant, because new situations make it necessary for God to say new things.  At the same time, we have to be wary of missing what the text actually did say.  Here it issues an important challenge to the superpower to stand still and recognize that God is God and that the superpower is not."  (vol. 2, p. 73)

I was surprised, though not terribly so, to see that the verse taken from its context had acquired a life of its own and had taken on meanings not found in the text.  But then Goldingay goes on to offer a justification for this very practice.  As it turns out "spirit-inspired interpretation" can make "the words of Scripture mean something quite different from what they actually meant."  Now he is not writing a book on hermeneutics so I understand him not going into much detail on this point but this seems to open a pandora's box for subjective interpretations under the guise of "spirit-inspired interpretation."  I appreciate his caution that we should "be wary of missing what the text actually did say" but couldn't some one say "What does it matter what it originally said since I have a spirit-inspired interpretation that is not confined to the original meaning?"  At the end of the day what is there to be wary of?  I suppose if you're trying to say what it originally meant then the caution is applicable but with that out of the way the door is open to just about any thing that fits my fancy since a new situation may be making it necessary for God to say something new.

When the Church is All About You

This may be a parody but there is probably a little bit of truth in it for some churches.   

Small Group Workshop - Reflections

Today was our small group workshop and I was very happy with it.  We had a little over twenty people attend and they took copious notes which is always good to see.  Andrew Rogers presented materials from Zondervan and I highlighted some others from various other publishers.  The one that seemed to draw the most attention was a forthcoming Zondervan book by John Dickson called Life of Jesus.  Andrew gave me an advanced reading copy and I started it tonight--it is simply amazing what a great writer Dickson is.  The preface (it's not titled that but it comes before chapter one) is entitled "The Way We Believe (or What I Learnt from Aristotle)."  He explains that over a millennia ago Aristotle wrote about how people form their beliefs.  It is basically a combination of three factors: logos (the intellectual dimension), pathos (the personal or emotional dimension) and ethos (the social dimension).  He explains that no one "embraces faith in Jesus Christ based solely on factual evidence."  Rather when Christians tell how they became a Christian "they will often mention an intellectual component, a personal component and a social component."  (13)  On the other hand, he is fascinated in "the way sceptics of religion will not admit that they are sceptics for the same combination of reasons.  Instead, they claim to resist Christianity for logical reasons only."  But with some gentle probing he finds they usually admit that it is more complex than first acknowledged. 

"An event in the past called into question the fairness or existence of the Almighty. A Christian they once knew turned out to be an ugly hypocrite and it spoiled their appreciation of anything coming out of the mouth of believers.  Personal and social factors prove important for unbelief, after all." 

Dickson then explains that he will lay out some

"robust arguments for the life and significance of Jesus, but I have no intention of hiding the fact that some of what follows appeals to the personal and social dimensions of our lives.  After all, if there is a God, surely he would expect his truth not only to be factually verifiable but also personally satisfying and socially relevant."  (14) 

Dickson is fresh, very easy to read and imminently reasonable.  He writes with the precision of a philosopher and the heart of a pastor.  You can read the first chapter, "The God-Question," here. 

But, back to the workshop.  One question that came up consistently was the level of "homework" that a particular study guide might have.  One lady commented that she was having a hard time motivating the group to complete the homework while another said her group thrived on it.  The question is an important one and studies can vary significantly from no homework at all to work to do every day of the week.  We provide a packet which features many of the study guides we talk about and many more (this year's packet featured more than 40 different study guides).  Next year I'm going to add a category stating the level of homework involved: none, light, moderate or heavy.  I think this will be a valuable addition to the information packet. 

The attendees provided some very kind comments and seemed genuinely appreciative of our efforts.  That makes all the work worth it to know it is helping.  I'm taking the workshop "on the road" for a couple of churches who could not attend but asked if we could come and do a short presentation in their church.  We've done this in the past and are happy to accommodate the needs of these churches.  If your church would like us to come and do a presentation give us a call and we'll work out the details.  We do ask that a minimum of ten people can attend.  The phone number to the store is 616-957-3110 or toll free 866-241-6733. 

Thanks to all of you who were able to come out.  May God richly bless your studies in the coming year.  Till next year!  Here's the cover for Dickson's new book.  It will be a paperback with 208 pages and sell for $12.99.  A DVD will also be available which will sell for $19.99. 

Small Group Workshop Tomorrow

Here's a final reminder that our Small Group Workshop will be tomorrow in the store at 10:00 a.m.  If your a small group leader, member of a small group or are looking for that next study guide to do on your own this could be just what your looking for.  We have prepared a packet featuring over 30 of the newest study guides that have come out in the past year and some that are forthcoming.  We will cover some of those in more detail during the workshop.  Andrew Rogers from Zondervan has generously offered some of his time to show us some exciting new product.  I will discuss about six or so other items and then we will open it for questions.  Special discounts will be available and we're giving away some great door prizes.  It will only go about an hour so it won't take too much out of your busy day.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Can You Distinguish God From the Devil?: Roger Olson and the Problem with Calvinism

Roger E. Olson, a Christian theologian, has recently entered the blog world.  Olson describes himself as "theologian of the evangelical Baptist persuasion."  But he also is a proud Arminian.  So on my maiden voyage to his blog I read his post on "The Problem with Calvinism is . . ."  As difficult as this was to read here's part of what he wrote

"Second, I am not a Calvinist because (hold on!) IF I WERE A CALVINIST I would have trouble distinguishing between God and the devil. Some Calvinists have misinterpreted this saying. They think I’m accusing them of worshiping the devil. Nothing could be farther from the truth. All I am saying is, if I were a Calvinist, being of the bent of mind that I am (striving for logical consistency as much as possible), I would have trouble clearly distinguishing between God and the devil in my own mind.

To my Calvinist acquaintances who take umbrage at this, all I can say is–please just consider it my own intellectual failure if you wish. I am not aiming this saying at you. I am admitting my own failure (from your point of view, I’m sure). But it does hold me back from joining the ranks of the “young, restless, Reformed” (not all of who are young, by the way).

The point is–God’s character. IF God elects people to salvation unconditionally and IF God IS love (1 John) why doesn’t he save everybody? IF I could be a universalist, I could be a Calvinist. I don’t care about free will for its own sake or for any humanist reasons. Hell is the sticky issue. The Calvinist God could save everyone because his election to salvation is unconditional and his grace is irresistible. Apparently, he purposefully chooses to “pass over” some (which is in effect the same as foreordaining them to hell). Why? For his glory? Some Calvinists say hell is necessary for the full manifestation of God’s attribute of justice. I ask what that says about the cross-was it not a sufficient manifestation of God’s justice?

The devil wants everyone to go to hell. The God of Calvinism wants many to go to hell. Is that enough of a difference of character? Not to me. The God of Jesus Christ is absolutely, unconditionally good. The God of Calvinism, from my perspective, is not absolutely, uncondtionally good and, in fact, has a dark side that includes willing that people perish eternally (contrary to 2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Timothy 2:4)."

Ouch!  No matter how you paint this, as a Calvinist, it hurts to read it.  Everything I've read by Olson reflects a gentle and kind nature yet he is always honest and forthright in his arguments.  I think it over simplifies the matter to reduce it to who wants who, or how many, to go to hell but I'm sure this is just one argument among many.  Must the wills of Satan and God always differ?   Did Satan want Jesus to die?  Did God want Jesus to die?  Does their agreement, at whatever level, mean they are indistinguishable?  (Samson's desire to marry a Philistine was objected to by his parents but Scripture says that "his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines."  Judges 14:4  Also, Eli's sons would not listen to him because "the Lord desired to put them to death."  1 Sam. 2:25 NASB)  If I believe that God wills some to perish then I do so because I believe it is the teaching of Scripture.  It's then left for me to wrap my sentiments around the truth of that teaching.  Having said that, I recently read in Terrance Tiessen's book this quote which I think is applicable

"If we portray God's judgment in ways that run counter to everything we expect in proper human jurisprudence, we will have to provide good explanation for doing so.  God's ways are often beyond our comprehension, but God's justice is the standard of human justice, and I fail to see why we would attribute to him something we would never accept from a human judge."  (Who Can Be Saved? p. 142)

Suitable caution should be used here because our very notions of justice and jurisprudence are tainted with sin and our own human short-sightedness but I understand what Tiessen is driving at.  On the other hand, I'm not sure Olson's question alleviates the problem.  On an Arminian account God created a world in which he clearly knew some would reject him because of free will or whatever you please and that those who did reject him would end up in hell; but, he created anyway subsequently making it a reality that some will be eternally lost.  Doesn't the creative act imply God was, at least to some degree, willing for some to perish?  Olson says he has a forthcoming book from Zondervan on this very issue.  I look forward to reading it as I'm sure this will be fleshed out in more detail.  At any rate, Olson's blog is a welcome addition since the number of Arminian blogs compared to Calvinist ones is not great.  I've added him to my blog roll.  I will continue to read and be challenged to think harder about my own Calvinism.  For that I'm grateful. 

Vacation Reading with Terrance Tiessen

This past week, while on vacation, I read Who Can Be Saved? By Terrance Tiessen. My week was much more involved with activities than usual so I wasn’t able to finish it. I am almost done with it but not quite. Let me give some general impressions and then I’ll talk about some specifics.

Who Can Be Saved? was published in 2004 and as of then Tiessen had read every one of any significance on the topic and some that surprised me. For example, one of my favorite systematic theologies is by J. Oliver Buswell Jr. but you rarely, if ever, see any one refer to it any more. Tiessen interacts as well with more recognizable figures such as D. A. Carson, Clark Pinnock, Gerald McDermott, Harold Netland, Winfried Corduan, Millard Erickson, Daniel Clendenin, Ronald Nash, John Piper, J. I. Packer, Darrell Bock, Amos Yong, J. N. D. Anderson, John Sanders, Neal Punt and many, many more. The range of literature covered by Tiessen is quite impressive. He approaches the topic admittedly as an evangelical and a monergist (he prefers monergist over Calvinist since some Calvinists hold to a libertarian notion of freedom). (17-20) He further states that he holds to critical realism along with the correspondence theory of truth and the globalization of Christianity. (20-21) I find myself suitably comfortable with all four.

Tiessen lays out five options in addressing the issues of the unevangelized and world religions:
Ecclesiocentrism, Agnosticism, Accesibilism, Religious Instrumentalism and Relativism. The typical categories found in other treatments are exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. Tiessen observes that scholars have taken issue with these labels and found them each to be problematic in one form or another and so therefore he offers his own categories. In chapter two he offers a brief definition of each and their distinctive.

Ecclesiocentrism is “characterized particularly by the conviction that ever since Christ ascended and sent the Holy Spirit, only those who hear the gospel can be saved.” (32) Advocates of this position would be John Calvin, John Piper, Douglas Geivett and, formerly, Terrance Tiessen.

Agnosticism identifies those who “do not know for sure that God has means by which to save people who not hear about Christ. . . . At most, they find the Bible silent about the fate of the unevangelized. . . Evangelicals who take this standpoint in regard to the possible salvation of the unevangelized also tend to be more affirming of relative good in the context of other religions, while insisting that the religions are not themselves God’s instruments of salvation.” (33) John Stott is an advocate of this position.

Accessibilism “asserts that Jesus Christ is exclusively God’s means of salvation and that the covenantal relationships God established with Israel and the church, in working out his saving program, are unique and unparalleled.” They do “posit that God makes salvation accessible to people who do not receive the gospel. Although they grant that non-Christians can be saved, they do not regard the religions as God’s instrument in their salvation.” (33) Tiessen notes that some have defined accessibilism as inclusivism. (34) This is Tiessen’s position.

Religious instrumentalism says “God’s salvation is available through non-Christian religions. Jesus is still held to be, in some sense, unique, normative and definitive; but God is said to be revealing himself and providing salvation through other religious traditions as well.” (34) This view is strong among Roman Catholic theologians. Of particular note are Hans Küng and Karl Rahner with his “anonymous Christian” theory.

Relativism says “salvation is universally accessible through the various religions that are part of the divine program. . . All the major religions have true revelations in part, while no single revelation or religion can claim final and definitive truth.” (34) “One of the major problems with using the term pluralism to define the position that I am calling relativism is that pluralism is widely used to describe contexts in which diverse viewpoints are permitted. In that sense, societies that grant religious freedom to their members are pluralist. But most people in all four of the other categories are committed to this sort of plurality, or pluralism.” (35) Here we find John Hick, Paul Knitter and Raimundo Panikkar.

Tiessen recounts his own “conversion” to accessibilism from ecclesiocentrism. After doing a review of three different books on the subject but still convinced of his position he found himself “reexamining biblical texts and hearing them differently.” He continues: “I concluded that I had been reading Scripture through ecclesiocentrists lenses, which I had inherited and gotten used to. But when I stood back and examined the lenses themselves, I decided that they had been keeping me from seeing some things that now jumped out at me from the biblical pages.” (41)

In a latter post I will interact with some key thoughts that I found most challenging. I started this book as a convinced ecclesiocentrist but Tiessen has provided significant reasons to doubt it.

Baker Publishing Group Acquires Academic Titles from Hendrickson Publishers

Here's some exciting news from Baker Publishing Group.  Baker has acquired about 300 titles of existing and forthcoming academic titles from Hendrickson.  Congratulations to both Baker and Hendrickson.  I've seen the list and let me just say that Baker has significantly enhanced it's academic line.  I've long admired much of what Hendrickson has produced I'm very excited about this new acquisition.  Here's the official press release

Grand Rapids, Mich. —Baker Publishing Group and Hendrickson Publishers have signed a letter of intent regarding approximately 300 existing and forthcoming academic titles published by Hendrickson. The titles, some from authors previously published by Baker, will be purchased by Baker Publishing Group and enfolded into Baker Academic.

Academic books have been a core part of Baker from the very beginning. Over the years, the company has increased its investment in this area, becoming a significant outlet for books that extend the academic conversation. "We have long admired the academic publishing line that Hendrickson Publishers has built," notes Dwight Baker, President, Baker Publishing Group. "I count it both a privilege and a responsibility to see these books transferred into our care. I am confident that our academic staff will be wise stewards, serving both authors and readers well, recognizing the investment of time, energy, and resources these books represent."

"I'm very proud of Hendrickson's academic list of books, which has provided a strong foundation of our business for thirty years," says CEO Ray Hendrickson. "Over the last few years, our business has expanded in new directions, and we have decided to focus our energies and resources on the areas in which we have developed particular expertise, primarily Bibles and Bible reference.

"It has been of the utmost importance to me that we find the perfect home for our academic authors and books, and I'm delighted and proud to pass the baton to Baker Academic, which has proven itself to be a publisher of great distinction in this very specialized field," Hendrickson continued.

The two family-owned companies have enjoyed a cordial relationship and constructive partnerships for decades, and they are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for all concerned—authors, accounts, and readers. The terms of the purchase are not being disclosed. After a period of due diligence, the companies plan an October 1 target date for the transition of titles to be complete. More information on the specifics of orders and returns will be provided by both companies as soon as it becomes available.

Baker Academic serves the academy and the church by publishing works that further the pursuit of knowledge and understanding within the context of Christian faith. Our authors are scholars who are leaders in their fields, write irenically, and display a healthy respect for other perspectives and traditions. Our goal is to publish books that are notable for their inherent quality and deemed essential reading by students and scholars.

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers. Founded in 1939, today Baker Publishing Group is composed of six divisions, each reflecting a unique segment of Christian publishing. These divisions are Bethany House Publishers, Revell, Baker Books, Baker Academic, Chosen Books, and Brazos Press. Baker Publishing Group is also the exclusive publisher of GOD'S WORD® Translation (GW). Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Publishing Group is one of the world's largest publishers of Christian books. For more information, please visit http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/.

Hendrickson Publishers was started as a reference and academic press in 1980, based in Peabody, Massachusetts. Today the company is among the top Bible and Bible reference publishers in the country. Hendrickson's goal is to publish resources every Christian needs to better understand the Scriptures and to mature in their spiritual walk. For further information, please visit http://www.hendrickson.com/.

Coming Soon from Baker Books - A Visual History of the King James Bible

Next year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.  Just as we saw last year with John Calvin's 500th birthday we can expect a lot on the King James Bible.  Coming in February from Baker Books is A Visual History of the King James Bible by Donald Brake and Shelly Beach.  If this sounds familiar to some of you it's because Brake had a previous book entitled A Visual History of the English Bible (see my post on that here).  Brake did a marvelous job on that book and I expect nothing less on this next one.  Here's the catalog description:

"For 400 years the King James Version of the Holy Bible has been the most influential book to be published in the English language. Now Bible collector and expert Donald L. Brake brings to life the fascinating story of its creation and proliferation throughout the English-speaking world. With beautiful and informative photos, illustrations, charts, and sidebars, Brake invites readers to explore the KJV's mysterious beginnings, the men who translated it, the manuscripts upon which that translation was based, the important people and places that influenced its production, and even Shakespeare's involvement in it."

"In an age where a new translation of the Bible seems to come about every few years, discover what has made the King James Version endure for four centuries."

As you recall when I did my survey of most popular Bible translations that sold in our store the King James came in third (a distant third but third nonetheless).  If you're looking for a good book on the King James Bible this one will be must for your library. 

Shelly Beach is the award-winning author of five books. She was on the writing team for The NIV Stewardship Study Bible and was a contributor to Holy Bible: Mosaic. She is a cofounder of the Cedar Falls Christian Writer's Workshop in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and the Breathe Christian Writer's Workshop in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Donald L. Brake (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is Dean Emeritus, Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Portland, Oregon. An avid collector of rare Bibles and manuscripts for more than 30 years, he has one of the most complete private collections of rare English Bibles and Greek New Testaments in America. He is a former pastor and the author of A Visual History of the English Bible. Brake lives in Washington.

Watch for it this February.  A Visual History of the King James Bible will be a hardcover with 272 pages and over 80 illustrations and sell for $24.99. 

John Dickson on the New Atheists

In the following two videos John Dickson provides some important observations about the quality of the scholarship he's seen from some of the New Atheists.  His question becomes "If in areas where I can check there scholarship and it proves wrong or they are misrepresenting things then how can I really trust them in other areas?"  The first video focuses on minor problems while the second focuses on some of the bigger issues.  Both are worth watching but if you have to choose only one pick number 2 (it's only 8:24 minutes long). 


The New Atheists questionable history part 1 from CPX on Vimeo.


The New Atheist's questionable history part 2 from CPX on Vimeo.

Coming Soon from Brazos Press - The Vampire Defanged

Well, I haven’t seen any of the Twilight movies but I did watch some episodes of Dark Shadows when I was a kid. (I didn’t realize it was just a soap opera with some vampires and werewolves thrown in for good measure.) Better than that was the portrayal of Dracula by Bela Lugosi. We’ve come a long way from then which brings us to a new book coming from Brazos Press called The Vampire Defanged: How the Embodiment of Evil Became a Romantic Hero by Susannah Clements. Vampires are big money today but they aren’t what they used to be. Today they can be downright chivalrous, winning the hearts of young girls without a single bite. Here’s the catalog description of The Vampire Defanged:

"Vampires first entered the pop culture arena with Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula. Today, vampires are everywhere. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the Twilight Saga to HBO's True Blood series, pop culture can't get enough of the vampire phenomenon."

"Bringing her literary expertise to this timely subject, Susannah Clements reveals the roots of the vampire myth, showing how it was originally immersed in Christian values and symbolism. Over time, however, vampires have been "defanged" as their spiritual significance has waned, turning what was once the embodiment of evil into a teen idol and the ultimate romantic hero. Clements offers a close reading of selected vampire texts, explaining how this transformation occurred and helping readers discern between the variety of vampire stories presented in movies, TV shows, and novels. Her probing engagement of the vampire metaphor enables readers to make Christian sense of this popular obsession."

And here’s the table of contents:

1. Why Vampires Matter
2. Bram Stoker's Dracula: Sin and the Power of the Cross
3. Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles: Eternal Guilt and Transcendent Love
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sin and Sacrifice, Postmodern Style
5. Sookie Stackhouse: Sex and the Socialized Vampire
6. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga: The Vampire as Teenage Heartthrob
7. Vampire Sinners
8. Vampire Saviors
Conclusion
Timeline of Referenced Vampire Texts

This will be a fascinating read for those with an interest in the development of vampires in English Literature and the American cinema and pop culture.

Susannah Clements (PhD, University of South Carolina) is associate professor and chair of the department of language and literature at Regent University in Virginia. She is a contributor to the Dictionary of Literary Biography and has presented papers and taught courses on subjects including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jane Eyre, and J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Get your cloves of garlic ready and watch for The Vampire Defanged this coming March. It will be a paperback and sell for $14.99.

I'm on Vacation but Still Reading

This week my family and I are on vacation.  Since I don't like to cart around a lot of books I usually bring only two or three for my primary reading.  The one I'm most excited about is Who Can Be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions by Terrance l. Tiessen.  I've seen this book for a long time and have been tempted to pick it up before but never have.  Why now?  Glad you asked.  I was intrigued by John Piper's comment in his book, Jesus: The Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to be Saved.  He says, "Perhaps the best defense of the inclusivist position by someone within the Reformed camp would be Terrance L. Tiessen."  (62)  This got my attention.  I was then disappointed in that Piper virtually ignores Tiessen's work in his book choosing rather to deal with such notables as Clark Pinnock.  Now since Piper has a strong reformed following it seemed only natural that when he made a statement like that about Tiessen that he would then interact at least somewhat with Tiessen.  But he doesn't.  I confess I've already taken a sneak peak at Tiessen and I like much of what I see.  I'll let you know what I think after I get back.

Who Can Be Saved? is from IVP and is a paperback with 511 pages and sells for $28.00.