Darwin, Creation and the Fall – A review article

All evangelicals must accept that if science contradicts the Bible, then science is wrong. But we must also recognise that if science contradicts my interpretation of the Bible, then it could be that my interpretation of the Bible that is wrong, and science, in fact, that is correct. We must therefore be constantly reviewing our interpretation of Scripture in the light of new theological, archaeological or other scientific discoveries.

Often scientific discovery increases our understanding and appreciation of the Bible’s message. But some scientific theories seem opposed to Christian teaching, and, if Richard Dawkins is to be believed, none more so than Darwinian evolution. How we view evolution will have an incalculable impact on how we understand the Bible’s message. It will change not just how we read Genesis, but also our thinking about sin and the fall, and consequently our beliefs about redemption and the work of Jesus Christ. We must therefore be extremely careful in assessing whether Darwinian evolution can be compatible with an evangelical interpretation of the Bible.

Although several books attempt to reconcile Genesis 1‑2 with Darwinian evolution, very few attempt to do so with the doctrine of the fall. A book which wrestles with these issues is therefore to be welcomed. Darwin, Creation and the Fall is a collection of essays by respected theologians and scientists that attempts to demonstrate that a belief in evolution is compatible with an evangelical understanding of scripture. It does so insisting that the fall was a real, historical event.

The book starts with an affirmation of God as creator, and a reaffirmation that Christ is at the centre of the doctrine of creation. Several essays roundly reject various atheist or liberal viewpoints for neglecting or rejecting Christ leading to a failure to understand God’s purpose in creation at all. A major contribution that the essays make is to remind us that it is not only the doctrine of God which is at risk from scientific atheism, but equally the doctrine of man.

Of all the essays, T.A. Noble’s careful exploration of original sin, is perhaps the most stimulating. After surveying historical approaches to original sin, he insists that a Christian understanding of the fall must be understood from the vantage point of the New Testament and in the light of the second coming. Considering the return of Christ can only be done “through revelation and is unknown to human insight… it is not accessible to human science and critical history” (pg 119). But Noble goes on to add that just as the return of Christ will cause monumental change that science cannot know, so also the Fall may have caused an equally radical change that science and historical enquiry are equally incapable of investigating.

Ultimately, however, the book is a disappointment. R.J. Berry’s insistence that the death brought about by the fall is only spiritual and not biological is particularly unsatisfactory. It means he is forced to view the “bondage to corruption” (Romans 8:21) of creation simply as the problems of pollution and man’s lack of praise to God. Surely the death, disaster and disease which so afflicts our planet demands a more robust response? Equally Berry’s arguments bring into question the significance of the promise of physical resurrection, and the reality of Christ’s bodily resurrection, and even whether Scripture is teaching us that heaven is forever when it tells us there is no more death there. Too much is lost, and too little gained. Yet this lead is followed – albeit less dogmatically – by Blocher in a later essay.

It is equally disappointing that there was no discussion on the nature of scientific investigation itself. Since the enlightenment a lot of science has proceeded from the false premise that what we can scientifically test and measure is all that exists. The existence of a spiritual dimension in our world and in ourselves is ignored or rejected by most scientific enquiry. This means that much scientific thinking has literally rejected reality, and is built on a foundation of what is false. Much of the science that came out of the godless Middle Ages would be considered an embarrassment to scientists today, and it is not a coincidence that science advanced rapidly during those periods where a biblical worldview was predominant.

Can you imagine what a difference it would make if most scientists believed that the physical universe was not a closed system, but that there was also a spiritual reality that transcended and affected what we can see and measure? It is of course possible that despite the last century’s slide away from biblical thinking, God in his common grace has redeemed scientific inquiry to the extent that it can largely be relied upon. But that is by no means clear. And, until most scientists take the biblical worldview seriously, many Christians will need far better arguments than those provided in Darwin, Creation and the Fall to persuade them that the Scriptures should be re-interpreted in the light of Darwinian evolution.

A shorter version of this review will appear in the November 2009 edition of the Evangelical Magazine.

The distinction is important, and goes for churches as much as for theological colleges. Every Christian – not just those who will become our pastors – needs to be equipped to know not just what the Bible says, but how to find out what the Bible says. Sadly, few of our churches explicitly teach this skill, and most Christians are relying more and more on preachers and commentators to tell them what the Bible says, and losing the joy of discovering it for themselves.

Worse still, some evangelical churches appear to be preaching a new Catholicism. Just as medieval priests did not believe that the laity could be trusted to read the Bible on their own, so many evangelical churches give the impression that it’s just too risky to let the ‘ordinary Christian’ read the Bible without the help of more experienced Bible teachers in print or in person.

But it shouldn’t be like that! Every Christian – even the most recent convert or the least academically gifted – should be able to read and study the Bible for themselves. Of course, our own study must never take the place of listening to Bible-teachers. Personal interpretation and application must never take the place of congregational teaching. But when we combine both corporate and private study, when we both listen to teachers and teach ourselves, we will find that there is a greater richness and challenge in the word of God that ever we thought before.

Yet it’s vital that we do our best to read the Bible in a way that will genuinely profit, and not lead us astray. If we simply charge into Bible study, it’s quite possible for us to quickly get out of our depth, and end up in all sorts of mess. If we’re going to read the Bible well, we need help, and we need training.

If this training is not available in your church, then thankfully there are books that you can turn to instead. Below are some of the very best currently available:

Beginners

If you’re a relatively recent convert, you find reading or study difficult, or you’ve never read a book about studying the Bible before, then books in this section are for you.

Living by the Book: The art and science of reading the Bible
(Howard and William Hendricks, Moody Press)

[photopress:Living_by_the_Book.jpg,thumb,left]Howard Hendricks has been a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary since 1951, and pours all of his wisdom and experience of teaching Bible study into this book. That he does so in a way that is suitable for all Christians, and not just seminary students is a wonderful achievement. Like most of the books listed here, the principles are simple: observation, interpretation and application. Hendricks uses 48 short chapters that are sometimes just a few pages long. There’s also an optional workbook that allows you to immediately apply the principles being learned to a particular bible passage, which means you’re putting into practice the skills you’re learning. The workbook ends with a complete study of both Ruth and James, which then lets you see just how much you’ve learned by putting it into practice. The result is a wonderful introduction to studying the Bible.

How to Study Your Bible: The Lasting Rewards of the Inductive Method
(Kay Arthur, Harvest House)

[photopress:How_to_Study_Your_Bible.jpg,thumb,left] How to Study Your Bible is an introduction to methodical Bible-study that Kay Arthur and her organisation Precept Ministries have become famous for. What Arthur has done is to create a very strict method that she encourages you apply to every Bible text using a system of notation to mark the passage to ensure nothing is missed. Many people will find her method too prescriptive, but for those who prefer a rigid system to ensure they apply the principles correctly, How to Study Your Bible could be extremely helpful.

Search the Scriptures
(Alan Stibbs, IVP)

[photopress:Search_the_Scriptures.jpg,thumb,left]There are a million copies of Search the Scriptures in print and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s approach is quite different from the two books listed above, and it’s best used after you have read one of those books. It takes you through the entire Bible, splitting the Scriptures into over 1,000 passages, and for each passage (around 20-50 verses) asks two or three questions that are designed to ensure you’ve studied and understood the passage. Because using the book would take you through the whole Bible in three years, it’s a great gift to give a student before they leave for university. But anyone who wants to read through the whole Bible (and who wouldn’t?), but needs a light framework to help them on their way, would find this book a real help.

Intermediate

For those who already have a good grounding in Christian theology, know their Bibles well, and understand the basic principles of studying the Bible, then these books that will stretch them a little further. These books are probably best for people who have already read through the whole of the Bible at least once, and want to deepen their understanding.

How to read the Bible for all its worth
(Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, Zondervan)

[photopress:How_to_read_the_Bible.jpg,thumb,left]Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart’s book builds on some of the basic skills of observation, interpretation and application, by looking in more detail at the various genre found within the Bible: epistles, Old Testament narratives, gospels, prophets, etc. They suggest various difficulties that can surface when reading each genre, techniques that can help along the way, and provide many examples of each of these things in practice. It doesn’t demand quite the hands-on approach of earlier books, so more discipline is required from the reader to ensure that the skills learned are put into practice, but if you’re willing to do this, it’s a great help.

Grasping God’s Word: A hands-on approach to reading, interpreting and applying the Bible
(J Scott Duvall & J Daniel Hays, Zondervan)

[photopress:Grasping_God__s_Word.jpg,thumb,left]Grasping God’s Word is a large-format hardback that offers a thorough guide to studying the Bible. It’s designed to be used as a first year textbook in Bible colleges, but remember that most first-year Bible college students know little more than the ‘average’ serious Christian – that’s why they’re going to college after all! The book is in five parts. The first three parts deal with the basic tools of interpretation, understanding the context of biblical passages at various levels, and with application and meaning. The chapter on the role of the Holy Spirit in understanding the Bible is particularly helpful. The final two parts then deal with the various genre of both the Old and New Testaments. Every time a new concept is introduced it is accompanied by scriptural examples, and there’s even an optional workbook which contains exercises and questions to ensure that the lessons are really remembered. As a result It’s a good book to work through on your own, but even better in part of a small study group, or as a one-to-one with your pastor or elder. If you have the time and energy to devote at least an hour or two each week to serious Bible study, this book would be a wonderful aid.

Getting the Message: A plan for interpreting and applying the Bible
(Dan Doriani, Presbyterian & Reformed)

[photopress:Getting_the_Message.jpg,thumb,left]Doriani’s book is particularly aimed at those who have a responsibility to teach the Bible, but he’s at pains to point out that doesn’t mean only preachers. It’s a book therefore that could be particularly helpful for Sunday School teachers (particularly those teaching teenagers), leaders of ladies’ bible-study groups, CU Hall group leaders, and those engaged in one-to-one discipleship. The book’s great strength is its emphasis on applying and teaching the Word, and it’s Christ-centeredness. He unashamedly writes, “Every passage in the Bible presents Christ both as the remedy for human fallenness and is the end point of God’s plan of salvation”. There is a danger in Bible-study that knowledge can simply fill the head and not the heart, so if that is a temptation for you, or if you are involved in teaching others, then this book could be a particular blessing.

Advanced

The books in this section are for those who have an excellent grasp of the principles of Bible-study, who have read the Bible through several times, and have the time to devote a few hours each week to Bible study. Most of those whom that describes will be involved in teaching the Bible at some level, if not should be considering doing so. Like the previous section, these are books that would help preachers as well as other Christians, but they are not books about preaching.

The Word Became Fresh: How to preach from Old Testament narrative texts
(Dale Ralph Davis, Christian Focus)

[photopress:The_Word_became_fresh.jpg,thumb,left]If you’re not a preacher, don’t be put off by the subtitle. Ralph Davis has written this book “as an exercise in reading the Old Testament for fun and profit”. As he focuses on just one genre, he’s able to go into much more depth than any of the other books we’ve looked at so far. Davis doesn’t supply questions or exercises, but he does fill every page with examples from across the Old Testament. Thankfully, the examples come from both the ‘easy’ and ‘hard’ bits of the Bible, so there’s no ducking of the difficult questions. And although the book is more likely to fill your head with questions rather than answers, we should remember that’s exactly what is needed when we’re reading the Bible. Highly recommended.

Putting the truth to work: The theory and practice of Biblical Application
(Dan Doriani, Presbyterian and Reformed)

[photopress:Putting_the_truth_to_work.jpg,thumb,left]Like Doriani’s Getting the Message, this book is aimed at teachers of the Bible. Though it builds on the foundations of the other books reviewed here, it offers much more besides. Its particular strength is showing how biblical study both benefits from and contributes to theological understanding. For example, the book starts by showing the importance of a theological framework (by which Doriani means covenant theology), but also spends considerable time later showing how all biblical passages should lead to the forming of doctrinal understanding. Also particularly helpful is the emphasis on grace throughout, a whole chapter that focuses on the interpreter (his courage, character, and credibility), and the many examples (some of them fairly lengthy) that both illustrate and inform.

I confess. I’m a big fan of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books – and have been since I discovered Chamber of Secrets nearly ten years ago. I understand why some Christians baulk at the concept of good witches and wizards, but frankly I just cannot see the difference between Rowling’s writings, and those of Tolkein, and countless tales of Merlin and King Arthur which I grew up on.

The Bible is clear, witchcraft is wrong. But if I lay aside every book that contains things that are wrong, I will only ever read the Bible. The doctrine of common grace – not to mention that of common sense – surely demands otherwise. We should be far more worried about books who’s subliminal messages are opposed to Christian virtues than we should about Harry Potter. A great deal of children’s literature promotes lifestyles that are directly opposed to Christian values and morality. It relatively simple to sit down with your young son or daughter and say “Real witches and wizards are not like Harry Potter. Look with me at what the Bible says”. It is much harder to say, “The underlying meta-narrative of the book you are reading runs contrary to a Christian worldview”. In other words, we ought to be much more wary of the devil’s subtle attacks, and his great desire for us to accept as normal that which God says is unnatural. Harry Potter is an easy target, but surely it should not be our primary target.

Of course some will reply that the Scriptures teach that “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). Harry Potter simply doesn’t measure up. Well, yes and no. I cannot think of any novel that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. But Paul does not tell us to find and read such books. He says “think about these things”. Crucially, we are to think. We cannot be thinking Christians by locking ourselves in Christian closets. Harry Potter may not be intellectual literature, but there is a great deal to think about. That’s because the series is not really about magic at all, but, in Rowling’s own words: “My books are largely about death. They open with the death of Harry’s parents. There is Voldemort’s obsession with conquering death and his quest for immortality at any price, the goal of anyone with magic.”

Moreover, Christian motifs and themes are found through her writings. Some are clear, some are intriguing (King’s Cross in book 7, for example). Certainly, the series is no allegory, but there are strong threads running throughout the books that will be familiar to any Christian. Reading the series, particularly the end of Deathly Hallows, you cannot help but believe her when she says that her Christian faith is important to her. Yet significantly she adds, “my faith is sometimes about if my faith will return”.

The result is a series of books that reveals a great deal about the longings of much of the present generation. Certainly there is that desire to be back in the apparently idyllic and simpler world, away from suburbia, computer games and health and safety regulation. But stronger than that is the desire to be loved, the desire to make the right choices, the desire to be happy, the desire to be free from the hurts of the past. And ultimately, of course, is the desire to defeat death. Thinking about such things is surely what Paul had in mind in Philippians 4:8.

The ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is remarkably imaginative and poignant. Yet despite the strong Christian imagery, and even two quotations from Scripture, Rowling is only grappling with and grasping for Christian truth. When it really matters, her understanding of the glory of the Christian faith fails. Towards the end of the book there are two questions, incidental to the plot, but nevertheless crucial. What came first, the phoenix or the flame? (Answer: A circle has no beginning.) Where do vanished objects go? (Answer: Into non-being, which is to say everything.)

Scripture, of course, has much more to say about both the origin of life, and the destiny of man. So whilst thinking about Rowling’s questions will fulfill Philippians 4:8, thinking about her answers won’t. Dumbledore’s has already said in book six that “it is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more” and in book one that “to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure”. Dumbledore says that by conquering the fear of death, death itself is also defeated. Yet Scripture says that because death has been conquered, fear is conquered too.

And that explains why Rowling herself seems unable to be quite as serene as Dumbledore. In the interview already cited above, she said “I so understand why Voldemort wants to conquer death. We’re all frightened of it.”

Harry Potter is a gripping tale. There is much good in it. But what I take away from the series will not be the characters of Ron, Hermione and Harry. What remains in my mind is a woman, who like millions of others, needs to know how death is conquered, knows that the answer is found somewhere in Christian truth, but has yet to understand. Who will tell her and all like her? Think about these things.

The logic of Davis’ exegesis is usually so compelling, that the preacher can often be left asking himself the question, Why couldn’t I see that? This makes this new book (full title: The Word became Fresh: How to Preach from Old Testament Narrative Texts) extremely appealing.

After an introductory chapter on the right approach to the Old Testament, Davis deals with seven different ways in which Old Testament writers get their readers’ attention and make their point. Each chapter is full of brief, but pertinent, examples from Scripture, which makes one wish a Scriptural index of the passages discussed had been added.

Of course this little book (150 pages) cannot contain all the answers. That is not its intention. But what it does, it does remarkably well. It opens our eyes to the riches of the Old Testament, and the skill and insight of those responsible for its content (both human and divine). It reminds us that exegesis is truly a hard work. This book makes clear that there is no magical formula that will make our sermons just fall into place. Davis’ wisdom has come through years of patient study. This book may speed things up for us, but it won’t make endeavour unnecessary. This in turn reminds us of our great need for the Spirit to help our study. But, just as importantly, this book fills us with enthusiasm for the Old Testament. I wanted to preach a sermon every time I turned the page! As I read the book with an open Bible, what I learned was too good not to share (just ask my wife!). Davis’ intention was that the book is to be ‘an exercise in reading the Old Testament for fun and profit’. It is certainly that.

With this book, Ralph Davis has rescued us from any excuse to fear or neglect Old Testament narrative, or to put it out of the reach of our congregations through shoddy workmanship. If you can buy only one book on preaching this year, put this one at the very top of your list.

The strength of HymnQuest lies in the way it combines it massive size with a user-friendly interface. The collection includes more than 13,600 tunes and over 18,600 hymns, including from Isaac Watts (196 hymns), Charles Wesley (530 hymns) and more modern authors such as Vernon Higham (166), and Graham Kendrick (296). The full-text of most of the hymns is included, though only the first line of the tunes is available.

Of course, having 18,600 hymns on CD is of no benefit if you are unable to access them easily, and that is where HymnQuest excels.

Sometimes when looking for a hymn I can remember the third line of the fourth verse, but can’t remember how the hymn starts, so can’t find it in my hymnbook! In HymnQuest I click ‘Find’ and type ‘Even thy cup of grief to share’, and in less than two seconds I have ‘King of my life I crown thee now’ on my screen. One click later I’m told its number 213 in Christian Hymns and 247 in the new Christian Hymns, and in six other hymn books besides.

Sometimes I know the tune of a hymn, but not the words. Sadly, HymnQuest can’t work it out from my humming (but then, neither can my wife), but if I play the opening notes in any key on an on-screen piano, almost instantaneously all the tunes with those opening notes are displayed, and with one more click, all the hymns that are sung to those tunes.

But the most useful search facility within HymnQuest is undoubtedly it’s thematic and scriptural indices. Whatever chapter or biblical theme you’re preaching on, HymnQuest has a raft of suggestions to make, and thankfully you can limit those suggestions to your chosen hymn books. There are over 200,000 such suggestions built into the software, and that knowledge alone is worth five times the purchase price.

Probably the use that HymnQuest will be put most often will be finding forgotten hymns, or new hymns that you have heard sung at a conference or another church. It can also be a useful tool for preachers visiting churches who use a hymnbook you are not familiar with. However users will also find that they come across excellent but less well-known hymns that deserve a place in our worship. By no means every hymn in the collection could be categorised as excellent, or even ‘sound’, but the inclusion of hymns from many trusted sources means that with discernment there are many gems to be uncovered.

HymnQuest will also keep a record of all the hymns you copy or print, so you can build a comprehensive record of the hymns you sing each week. Churches with a CCL licence will probably find the record-keeping features in HymnQuest invaluable for preparing the Song Survey Worksheets that CCLI require.

The accuracy of HymnQuest seems exceptional, but it is not perfect. Of particular problem is that fact that many hymns have been slightly altered over the years. Often, it is only the odd word that is changed, or perhaps a verse missed out. HymnQuest does its best to cope with these differences by listing all the variations. For example, the last verse of To God be the Glory has no less than five versions listed, each dealing differently with ‘Our wonder, our rapture’ in the fourth line, and offering ‘hath’ or ‘has’ in the first. It is not clear which hymnbook adopts which version however, and in this example the particular combination chosen by the editors of Christian Hymns is not listed at all. On the other hand, the programme does cope well with variations in the names of authors and composers (including pseudonyms and maiden names).

In short, if you choose hymns regularly, HymnQuest is thoroughly recommended though if the publishers were able to add the full tune to the database (at least for tunes in the public domain), and allow users to add their own hymn supplement books to the database, no doubt its usefulness would be further increased. For those who are still unsure, the publishers offer a 30-day free demonstration which you can request from their website. If you have an earlier version of HymnQuest, you’ll notice a significant speed increase as well as more hymn books than before, and you can upgrade at a discounted price.

The stories are wonderfully varied. Some show how Christians involved in the conflict were helped and strengthened by their faith. Others tell of those converted during or following the war. There are stories of generals and civilians, and of both men and women. The stories tell of Americans, Britons, Germans and Japanese, of those who survived the war, as well as those who did not.

What marks this book out is the obvious love Don Stephens has the people he writes about. The following comment is not uncommon: ‘For over thirty years I have had the privilege of writing and speaking to…’ War and Grace is truly a labour of love. You feel that the author knows each of the men and women in the book, and as a result the reader feels he knows and understands them, too.

It would make a great gift for a teenage boy (and it’s not often you can say that about a Christian book). It’s real Boys’ Own stuff – though I hope that doesn’t put off ladies from reading it too. Did you know the Japanese pilot who led the attack on Pearl Harbour was later converted? Were you aware that the British secret agent who was the inspiration for 007’s ‘Q’ was a Christian? Had you realised the chaplain to Goering, Hess and the other Nazi leaders at Nuremburg was a believer? If not, you need to read War and Grace.

Almost everyone will enjoy and be helped by this book. The gospel is very clearly explained within each story, and therefore has great evangelistic potential. Yet believers will read it and be both challenged and encouraged. So buy at least two copies – one for yourself and one to give away!

The subtitle ‘Recovering the Lost Message’, demonstrates the book’s purpose – it’s a response to Steve Chalke’s The Lost Message of Jesus, which cause something of a furore in 2003. This was not simply because Chalke was denying the atoning work of Christ on the cross – countless numbers have done that over the generations – but that Chalke was denying penal substitution whilst claiming to remain evangelical.

Thankfully, Liam Goligher does not defend the truth of scripture by poring over Chalke’s work point by point. Instead (to paraphrase Spurgeon), he lets the lion out of the cage. The Jesus Gospel is no mere defence against liberal theology, it’s a glorious affirmation of the truths of the whole Bible in relation to the Cross.

Goligher, who is the minister at Duke Street Baptist Church, structures the book using thirteen ‘scenes’ (chapters), grouped into three ‘acts’. Each scene is solidly based on a biblical chapter or book, and this is what gives the book it’s authority and power.

In Act 1, the book opens with the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17, before moving to the Pentateuch for a thorough biblical grounding of sin and atonement, with chapters on the fall, the flood, the Exodus and the Day of Atonement.

In Act 2, Goligher moves to the person and work of Jesus, showing the scandal of forgiveness (Psalm 51), the suffering servant (Isaiah 53), and the purpose of Jesus (the Gospel of Mark).

Act 3 shows the consequences of the cross, with chapters looking at the book of Romans, reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), God’s love (1 John), holy living (1 Peter) and judgement (Revelation).

This is a book to be read alongside an open Bible, and one that should have has two main audiences. Christians who want to know more of what the Bible says about Jesus’ atoning work will find their hearts warmed as their minds are challenged. As the majesty of gospel truths stir your heart, you will be brought to your knees in worship. But it’s also a book that could be of particular value to those who say they believe that Bible but haven’t grasped the implications of it’s message. They will discover that its impossible to ignore the seriousness of sin, or the glory of God’s redemptive plan.

This review was published in the November 2006 edition of the Evangelical Magazine.

I believe every church should have a well-stocked bookstall for at least two reasons. The first is that God uses good books to change lives. Thousands of Christians can testify to that. Perhaps you’re one of them. The second reason is that the church is full of busy people. Too busy, sometimes, to drive into town and spend thirty minutes browsing through the hundreds of books in their local Christian bookshop, trying to find a book they hope will be helpful. Too busy for that – but no so busy they can’t spend five minutes after the morning service glancing through the thirty or so carefully selected books on their church bookstall.

Do you want to run a church bookstall? Here’s how you can do it.

Get support from your elders: If the elders are not behind you, your bookstall will never get off the ground. Like you, the elders will want to get good Christian books into the hands of their members, so ask for their support. Show them this webpage if you think it will help. Don’t continue until you have their backing.

Get support from your local Christian bookshop: Every good Christian bookshop should allow you to take a small number of books on “sale or return” – as long as you take good care of them – and give you a discount on every book you sell. Remember to be nice to the bookshop manager – pay your bills on time, return your unsold books in good condition, and don’t hang on to your stock for too long. Don’t take every book from the bookshop – in a small church 15 books will probably be enough. Larger churches may need up to 40. But if you have too many books, people will be spoilt for choice.

Get good books: There’s no point going to all this trouble just to sell rubbish – and sadly there’s a lot of rubbish in what passes for Christian books. You won’t be able to vet every book before you sell it. There may be some authors and publishers you know you can trust. Read reviews in good evangelical magazines. Ask your pastor to recommend books. And don’t believe everything you read on the book cover! If you’re not sure a book will be helpful, leave it on the shelf. You can always do a bit more research and get it next time.

Make your books accessible: If your bookstall is halfway down the narrow corridor that leads to the toilets, you’re not going to sell many books. Find a good spot that is easy to access for all in the congregation, and where people can stand and browse without getting in everyone’s way. Get some shelves put up, or buy a bookcase. There won’t be many areas like this in most churches – so this is another reason why you need your elders’ support.

Keep books in everyone’s mind: Most people will quickly forget about your bookstall. Don’t let them. Each month, ask your elders for permission to do 2 or 3 one minute book reviews during a service. Encourage your pastor to recommend books during his sermons. If you have a notice sheet, recommend a “Book of the Week” and write three sentences why you think the book is worth reading. You shouldn’t really recommend books you haven’t read, so you’ll need some help with all these book reviews. Perhaps your best customers will be willing to contribute a mini-review.

Make sure your books are relevant: You may think that John Owen’s sixteen volumes are a must-read for every Christian, but the newly-converted mum with four young children would probably be better with something else. Make sure your bookstall stocks it. Have you got children in your congregation? Then have books for them. Are there adults who find reading difficult? Then some short, easily-accessible books will be just what they need. A self-confessed bookworm? A six-hundred page hardback may be right up their street. Jane is looking for a commentary to study in her quiet time. Bill is after a biography to read on the bus. Sarah wants a theology book to chew over. Jim needs something really practical to help him become more like Christ. Ted wants an evangelistic book to give away to his friend. Your bookstall must have something for all of them.

Remember, every little helps: Do all that you can to make it easy to use your bookstall. Keep the shelves tidy. Be willing to answer questions and listen to suggestions. Make sure books are priced clearly. Provide book order forms for people to request specific books (you can phone the bookshop to place your order, and collect the book when you change your stock). Provide a box where people can put their money. Provide IOU slips for folk who don’t have any money with them. Provide a pen so that people can fill in the forms – and tie it to the bookshelf so no-one runs off with it!

Keep the bookstall fresh: No-one will visit a bookstall where most of the books have been around for months, so change all of your stock regularly. Every four to six weeks is usually best. Get this changeover announced in advance. You may have a flurry of last-minute sales, and create some expectation for the new books.

Use your bookstall to support your church’s wider work: Is your church looking to particularly encourage personal evangelism? Then give a half-price subsidy on evangelistic books that are given away to friends. Is there a church mission coming up? Order a dozen copies of a really good book on mission, and negotiate a better discount. Is your pastor starting a new series in his preaching? Ask him to recommend one commentary he’d like the congregation to read through week by week. Is there a particular issue the church is looking to address? Ask the elders to recommend a book that would help. Are there problems that your pastor knows many are struggling with – assurance, marriage, or prayer? Ask him to let you know so you can make sure something is available. Keep looking out for opportunities.

Pray for the work of your bookstall: Like other ministries in the church, running a bookstall needs our prayers. How will you know that next week a non-Christian will come into your church and be really helped by a book about how to get to heaven? How will you know that one of the church-members is struggling to stay on course, and the book you almost didn’t get is just the one God will use to rescue them from backsliding? You can’t know these things – and you may never find out that is what God is doing, but when people pray, it’s just the kind of thing that seems to happen. And, if your church doesn’t yet have a bookstall, pray that the elders would be given a vision for one. And pray too that someone in the church would be given the burden to run one. Oh, and don’t forget to pray, “Lord, I’m willing for it to be me.”

This post will shortly appear as an article in the Evangelical Magazine.

You can download this article as a 540kb PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file, ready for printing off and passing on to your church elders.

Waldron’s next section deals with prophets (over three chapters), and there are shorter sections on toungue-speakers and miracle-workers. I’ll deal with Waldron’s first chapter on Old Testament prophets here, and leave his thoughts on their continuation or cessation until a later time.

Old Testament Prophets

In dealing with the New Testament gift of prophecy, Waldron rightly emphasises that we must start with a proper understanding of prophecy in the Old Testament, and he suspects that most continuationists have a “superficial view of prophecy” (pp 48-9).

In defining Old Testament prophecy he looks to Exodus 4:10-17 and 7:1-2, and “together these passages teach us that a prophet was the mouth of spokesman of God”. He says from Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:15-22 that there were two tests of a prophet. 1) whether “he led the people away from the revelation of the true God that had been given to them by Moses” (ie orthodoxy). 2) “if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.” Waldron is clear that the latter two must be applied, though he seems to be less sure what we should do with the “signs and wonders” test from Deuteronomy 13. I found this particularly surprising given his insistence that New Testament miraculous gifts were signs affirming apostles, but I guess his difficulty stems from the fact that false prophets could pass this test.

He also acknowledges that Moses “was more than a prophet… because God spoke to him face to face”. It’s an important point – should this make a difference to how easily we look to Moses as a model Old Testament prophet? Is it right that we go to him, to discover what is at the heart of Old Testament prophethood? Waldron does not give us an answer.

Waldron goes on to speak of varieties of Old Testament prophets, the authority of Od Testament prophecy, the canonicty of Old Testmanet prophecy. For my liking he over-emphasises the link between prophecy and canon, and does a dis-service to the writings (Wisdom Literature) and later later historical books (Joshua-Esther) in the process. For example, he says, “there is no evidence that any of the books were written by anyone who was not at least in the broad sense noted earlier a prophet” (pg 56). This really is stretching a point, and is at best an argument from silence. Who wrote the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Job? Who put together the book of Psalms, and who wrote the individudal songs? Who wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs? What evidence is there that these writers were prophets? (Unless anyone who is inspired to write Scripture becomes a de facto prophet by definition.)

What’s missing?

Other than this final point, I think almost every evangelical Christian would agree with what has been said. But there is something missing – and it’s quite crucial if we’re going to proceed with our understanding of the New Testament gift of prophecy?

The question that must be answered is: What was the purpose of Old Testament prophecy? I’m sure Waldron would say “to speak God’s words”, but that is not quite good enough. We need to delve deeper.

A better answer is that the prophets were to “reveal God’s will”. This was done most often through words, but occassionally through signs and symbols (eg Isaiah 20:3). But even saying that the prophets “revealed God’s will” is not quite enough. If they just revealed God’s will, then we could read the Old Testament and find out what God wants from us. We can do that, but we can do much more than that. When we read the OT, we not only find out what God wants from us, but we actually find God there. When we hear the prophets, they don’t just reveal God’s will, they reveal God Himself.

This was their grand purpose (and why Jesus can say that all the Scriptures speak of Him – Luke 24:27).

What did the prophets do? Speak God’s word? Yes, but far more than that. They were the way God had chose to reveal Himself. Bear that in mind, and Hebrews 1:1-2 radiates with even more significance:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

And frankly, that is the most powerful argument that there is for the cessation of the gift of prophecy. We don’t need prophecy now, because God has revealed Himself in a far better way than words of prophecy could ever reveal. I’m surprised Waldron didn’t mention it.

But, remember, I’m not a cessationist, and I do believe that the gift of prophecy is to be active in the church today. Does it sound a contradiction? Soon I will show that there is no contradiction – but that will have to wait for a later post looking at Waldron’s handling of the new testament gift. For now, don’t get caught up with debates about the authority of prophecy or the medium of prophecy. Simply remember this: the prophets’ task was to reveal God to the people.

In my earlier post I argued that this line of reasoning was not valid for two key reasons. First, Waldon does not demonstrate that apostleship is a spiritual gift. Second, even if we accept that apostleship is a spiritual gift that has ceased, that would not of itself preclude other spiritual gifts continuing. After all, Waldron only believes that miraculous gifts have ceased, rather than all spiritual gifts. A continuationist could use just the same logic as Waldron to argue that all the foundational gifts have ceased, rather than all the miraculous ones.

So then, to the next chapters of Waldron’s book:

The apostles: who were they?

After all my criticisms of Waldron’s method, you may be surprised to discover that I think this is an excellent chapter. Indeed, I would go as far as to say that this is one of the best short treatments on the apostles that I have read for some time. Referring to Ridderbos’ excellent Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures, Waldron defines the Twelve as apostles of Christ, that is representatives personally sent by Jesus Christ. (As distinct from apostles – or representatives – of the church, who are seen elsewhere within the NT.)

Waldron then describes the qualifications for an apostle: eye-witness of the resurrection, appointed by Christ Himself, all confirmed by miraculous signs. All this is very clearly and succintly argued, with plenty of scriptural support.

There is one, minor weakenss to the chapter. He concludes by saying “to reject an apostle was to forfeit Christ and His salvation”, quoting Matthew 10:40 in support; “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” Waldron follows that quotation by adding

“Those who profess to be apostles… must see themselves as clothed with the authority of Christ Himself so that if one rejects them one rejects Christ. Until they are ready to be this brave, bold, and brazen, they should cease calling themselves apostles. (pp 31-32)

Yet although that command was initally given to the apostles, a very similar one was later given to the seventy (two); “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16). The language of these two ‘sendings’ is sufficient for me to believe that the two warnings have the same meaning: if you reject Christ’s messenger, you reject Christ’s message, and you reject Christ Himself.

In New Covenant days, the instructions given to the twelve, and then to the seventy-two, are universally applicable, though that is not to say that it didn’t resonate particulary with the twelve. When we read the Great Commission in Matthew 28, we understand that there was both a particular relevance in Jesus’ words to the twelve, but also a universal application to all believers. The same is true of Matthew 10 and Luke 10. If I take the gospel to an unconverted friend, and the friend rejects me and rejects my message, then he has rejected Christ – whether I’m an apostle or not (and I’m not ).

Are there apostles today?

Waldon then deals with the inevitable follow-up question: are there apostles today? He gives five reasons why he believes not. Again, I found Waldron’s arguments compelling. Firstly, he argues that apostles are foundational in the church. As he points out, the evidence for this basic point is very strong (Ephesians 2:20, Matthew 16:18, Revelation 21:14). Second he points out that Paul says he was the last apostle (1 Corinthians 15:5-9). Fourth, no modern apostle can be endorsed by the original apostles, and fifth the closed canon suggests a closed apostolate.

Waldron acknowledges that on their own, each argument wouldn’t necessarily be seen as conclusive. But taken together, he believes, it is indisputable.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that I missed out a ‘thirdly’ in the paragaph above. Waldron’s third piece of evidence (that Paul implies the gift of apostleship should not longer be sought) is his weakest – largely because he does not convincingly make his case that apostleship is a spiritual gift. Nowhere in scripture is it described as such (I have dealt with Ephesians 4:11-13 and 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 in my earlier post).

An earlier reader asked why I made such a distinction between office and gift when the two seem as they belong together. Belong together they must, but an office-bearer is much more than a spiritually-gifted individual.

• An office-bearer is recognised by the local church. Although spiritual gifts ought always to be exercised for the good of the church, 1 Corinthians reminds us that is not always the case. By submitting to the will of the church in confirming his calling, an office-bearer is purposefully putting his gifts for their benefit.
• An office-bearer sometimes requires more than one spiritual gift. Apostles have multiple spiritual gifts. Elders require gifts of teaching and leadership, as do pastor-teachers.
• Some office-bearers don’t require any spiritual gifts to be qualified! (See 1 Tim 3:8-13)
• Whenever guidance is given concerning office-bearers, far more emphasis is placed on a man’s character than on his gifting.

All this means that we cannot assume because an office is mentioned in the New Testament, that there must be a corresponding and equal gift. The evidence simply isn’t there.

But that does not detract from Waldron’s overall argument that the office of apostle has come to an end. The evidence really is overwhelming, and there is more that Waldron does not mention (and I shall have to leave that for another day).

I’m afraid I don’t have much patience for those who believe that although there are no apostles like Paul, there are still apostles today. Clearly there are in the NT what Waldron calls ‘small-a’ apostles. But they are apostles of local churches – they are not leaders of denominations, or men with oversight over many churches. That responsibility belongs to ‘large-A’ apostles alone. I suppose I could stomach ‘small-a’ apostles more easily if they didn’t so often portray themselves as ‘large-A’ apostles in all but the writing of Scripture.

But back to Waldron’s argument. If apostleship is not a gift, then his cascade has not yet started. In order to find out whether the gifts have truly ceased, we will have to look afresh at the gift of prophecy another time.