A Real Originator

You have to go outside the sequence of engines, into the world of real men, to find the real originator of the Rocket. Is it not equally reasonable to look outside Nature for the real Originator of the natural order?

--C. S. Lewis, 'Two Lectures,' in God in the Dock (Eerdmans, 1970), 211

Christianity Is Christ

James Dunn argues that the much-disputed 'center' of Paul's theology is, simply, Christ. Dunn writes--

For Paul Christianity is Christ. Any restatement of his theology, any theologizing which seeks to sustain a dialogue with Paul will simply have to recognize this.

The centrality of Christ, as showing what God is like, as defining God's Spirit, as the channel of Israel's blessing for the nations, as demonstrating what obedience to Torah means, as the light which illumines Israel's scriptures, as embodying the paradigm of creation and consummation, his death and resurrection as the midpoint of time, as the magnet for faith, as the focus of all sacramental significance, as determining the personal and corporate identity of Christians, as the image to which the salvation process conforms, is simply inescapable in the theology of Paul the apostle. (729)

--James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Eerdmans, 2006), 729

Unfathomable

Luther:

God cannot be praised enough, for he makes us his children and heirs.

By this gift a Christian is greater than the whole world, for he has such a treasure in his heart that despite its apparent smallness it is greater than heaven and earth, because Christ is this gift.

--Martin Luther, Galatians (Crossway, 1998), 90

To Contend for Obscurity

Iain Murray:

The brief doctrinal articles of modern evangelicalism--as distinct from the Reformed confessions of the 16th and 17th centuries--have nothing to say on these issues [of the order of regeneration and faith, and other Calvinistic tenets], presumably because it is no longer thought to be necessary. The prevalent attitude has been to frown on distinct and definite propositions of truth and to contend for obscurity and indefiniteness as though the latter were more spiritual and biblical, and more preservative of unity.

--Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon (Banner of Truth, 1966), 63

The Message Is the Method

The One Thing Christianity Cannot Be

Having finished last year a slow (almost three years), deeply enjoyable walk through volume 3 of Lewis' collected letters (beautifully published by Cambridge University Press), I found myself in recent days heading toward bed wishing I had more of his letters to read. So I ordered volume 2, which covers the years 1931-1949. So, Clive Staples will once more be making regular appearances around here. Here's a gem I read a few nights ago--

Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.

--The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume 2 (Cambridge University Press, 2004), xi

The Eternal Name

In 1855, at age 20, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon entitled 'The Eternal Name.'

Many years later his wife reminisced on the end of that sermon. She said--

I remember, with a strange vividness at this long distance of time, the Sunday evening when he preached from the text, 'His name shall endure forever.' It was a subject in which he reveled, it was his chief delight to exalt his glorious Saviour, and he seemed in that discourse to be pouring out his very soul and life in homage and adoration before his gracious King.

But I really thought he would have died there, in the face of all those people! At the end of the sermon, he made a mighty effort to recover his voice; but utterance well-nigh failed, and only in broken accents could the pathetic peroration be heard--'Let my name perish, but let Christ's name last forever! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Crown him Lord of all! You will not hear me say anything else. These are my last words in Exeter Hall for this time. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Crown him Lord of all!' And then he fell back almost fainting in the chair behind him.

--described and quoted in Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon (Banner of Truth, 1966), 41

Christ Will Be a Friend to Truth

Spurgeon:

It is, of course, the most easy to flesh and blood to deal in generalities, to denounce sectarianism, and claim to be of an ultra-catholic spirit; but though rough and rugged, it is required of the loyal servant of King Jesus to maintain all His crown rights and stand up for every word of His laws. Friends chide us and foes abhor us when we are very jealous for the Lord God of Israel, but what do these things matter if the Master approves?

The words of Rutherford, in his letter to William Fullarton, ring in our ears: "I earnestly entreat you to give your honour and authority to Christ, and for Christ; and be not dismayed for flesh and blood while you are for the Lord, and for His truth and cause. And howbeit we see truth put to the worse for the time, yet Christ will be a friend to truth, and will act for those who dare hazzard all that they have for Him and for His glory. Sir, our fair day is coming, and the court will change, and wicked men will weep after noon, and sorer than the sons of God who weep in the morning. Let us believe and hope for God's salvation."

--C. H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 2:6; quoted in Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon (Banner of Truth, 1966), 17-18

Love, Pride, and Speaking Truth

We live in a world, and a Christian world, in which offending another is, in the realm of human relationship, the supreme vice. Confronted with the choice to actively speak what one believes to be true or passively let sleeping dogs lie in the name of love, we often choose the latter.

All we say must be done in love. That is non-negotiable. But even what that means has been hijacked in some ways by the world, softness being mistaken for love. When called for, neither Moses nor the prophets nor Jesus nor Paul nor Peter nor even the gentle-hearted John (see 1 John 2:4; 3:8, or the 'arrogance' of 4:6) refrained from non-subtle, non-manipulating, non-face-saving words of piercing truth, spoken in love yet doubtless perceived as harshness. And note that almost all of them were accused of arrogance, even Jesus. Were they unloving? No; it was their love itself that fueled such penetrating language.

May we examine ourselves? Asking if, at times, what we deem to be kindness on our part is cowardice? 'I don't want to be seen as offensive' can feel like 'I want the best for my brother.' Self-guarding is mistaken for love. It is in fact love of self. The devil smiles.

Luther is a massive breath of fresh air in these things. Such defibrillating clarity. In the letter to Pope Leo X that prefaces Luther's The Freedom of a Christian, Luther says:

Now I will admit to attacking false or unchristian teachings. I have not criticized the bad morals of my opponents but rather their ungodly doctrines. I am not going to repent of this! After all, I am only following the example of Christ, who did not hesitate to call his opponents such things as 'a brood of vipers'. . . . And think of the stinging criticism of the prophets! However, our ears have become more finely attuned to the empty praises of the endless lines of flatterers. As a result, we protest when any of our opinions meets with disapproval. . . .

Therefore, blessed Leo, when you read this letter and understand my intentions, I hope you see that I have never meant ill toward you personally. I have only the best wishes for you. I have no argument with any person with regard to morals. But I am unyielding when it comes to contending about the word of truth. In all other things, I will gladly yield, but I have neither the power nor the will to deny the word. If others view my motives differently, they either are not thinking straight or have failed to understand what I have said. (The Freedom of a Christian, p. 35)

Pride is frightfully pervasive, in my heart and yours. And this is a love-starved world. But let's be sure we understand what it means, truly, to renounce pride and love others.

That Most Mighty Giant

Luther, lecturing on Galatians 4:6--

Now, we are sure that Christ pleases God, that he is holy and so on. Inasmuch, then, as Christ pleases God and we are in him, we also please God and are holy.

Although sin still remains in us, and although we daily fall and offend, grace is more abundant and stronger than sin. The mercy and truth of the Lord reign over us forever. Therefore, sin cannot make us afraid or make us doubt God's mercy in us. For Christ, that most mighty giant, has abolished the law, condemned sin, and vanquished death and all evils.

So long as he is at the right hand of God making intercession for us, we cannot doubt God's grace and favor toward us.

--Martin Luther, Galatians (Crossway, 1998), 205