The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Carson on Scripture

I came across this from Don Carson today talking about Psalm 108 which is made up of parts of other psalms in a different context. He says


For although all of Scripture is true and important, deserving study, reflection, and carefully applied thought, the Lord God in his wisdom did not give us a Bible of abstract principles, but highly diverse texts woven into highly diverse situations. Despite the diversity, of course, there is still only one sweeping storyline, and only one Mind ultimately behind it. But the rich tapestry of varied human experience reflected in the different biblical books and passages - not least in the different psalms - enables the Bible to speak to us with peculiar force and power when the “fit” between the experience of the human author and our experience is especially intimate.

For this astonishing wealth, God deserves reverent praise. What mind but his, what compass of understanding but his, what providential oversight over the production of Scripture but his, could produce a work so unified yet so profoundly diverse? Here, too, is reason to join our “Amen” to the words of 108:5: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.”

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great quote Gary, very helpful. Do you use the M'Cheyne plan by any chance? Noticed a correlation between your posts and its programme a number of times.

For me it has been a life changing way of reading God's Word.

Blessings to you in the big smoke of London, from the smaller smoke of Arequipa!
A

Gary Brady said...

Yes I've been using M'Cheyne this year (and Carson) and doing better than usual. I'm hoping to do a post on this soon.

Anonymous said...

Great Gary. Have often wondered about the possibility of doing a group blog written by seven people who are working through M'Cheyne.

A blog post by each contributor on one of the readings for the week would provide a whole week of material.

Probably just another inane rambling from my Spanish soaked brain though!

Blessings,
A