Luther and the 9.5 Theses

This review for another little book recently appeared in Evangelical Times

Luther and the 9.5 Theses

by Kenneth Brownell

July 2017

Publisher: 10 Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-91127-236-6 

Pages: 104

Price: 4.99

Unless you have been hiding in a monastery, you will know that this year is the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. A plethora of publications have appeared, drawing attention to this fact at various levels and from different points of view. This title comes from Dr Brownell, who has been pastor of East London Tabernacle for over 30 years.

This little book is one of the shorter contributions. It should not be sneered at, however, as in brief and accurate compass it not only gives you the essential story of Martin Luther and his 95 theses but places before us 10 theses for today. These follow careful reflection on the original historical debate, but also speak powerfully to today’s world.

To take one example, the third modern thesis is that ‘Unbiblical doctrines and practices in churches contradict or undermine the gospel and need to be challenged, repudiated and discarded if Reformational Christianity is to flourish’.

Brownell chases down some obvious culprits, such as liberalism, Romanism and the prosperity gospel. He also highlights two areas closer to home, namely pastoral care that is little more than pop psychology, and public worship that does not exalt the Triune God or build up God’s people before a watching world.

On page 62, the author refers to Luther as one who could write learned treatises as well as simple books. Dr Brownell is blessed with the same gift and this present volume is evidence of it. Like Luther’s own work, it is theologically informed writing that not only engages the mind but the will and the emotions also.

Like Luther’s Sermon on indulgences and grace, which was reprinted 24 times between 1518 and 1520, this book is designed for mass distribution. Let’s hope it gets it.

Westminster Conference 2016 Day One

It was a good day today at the Sally Army place on Oxford Street. We were around 120 and we are expecting more tomorrow. We began with two papers on Luther from Ken Brownell and Peter Beale. Ken dealt with the 95 Theses with some background and a 9.5 thesed summary. Peter took us through four major works (On good works, To the Christian nobility, Babylonian captivity and On Christian liberty) all from 1520 (what a productive year), The second paper coming in the graveyard shift was harder to listen to but we had a better discussion - on preaching to the nation.

The third and final paper was from James Mildred on the Puritans on repentance after which we discussed preaching faith and repentance. We were given a host of good quotations. Examples

Thomas Watson A pardon will make the hardest heart relent, and cause the stony heart to bleed: and, is it thus with us? Have we been dissolved into tears for sin. God seals his pardon upon melting hearts.
(Body of divinity)
George Swinnock 

A stroke, from guilt, from wrath, broke Judas’ heart into despair; a look from love, from Christ, broke Peter’s into tears.

Richard Sibbes 

It is not enough to leave sin for some by ends, as fear of punishment, shame, and the like; but we must loathe it also.

(Bruised Reed)

John Owen But I say also, there is no inconsistency between spiritual joy in Christ and godly sorrow for sin; yea, no man in this life shall ever be able to maintain solid joy in his heart, without the continual working of godly sorrow also; yea, there is a secret joy and refreshment in godly sorrow, equal unto the chiefest of our joys, and a great spiritual satisfaction.

(Gospel Grounds and Evidences of the Faith of God's Elect)
A good day.

Westminster Conference 2017

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Fraternal

I'm getting back to going to the fraternal that meets in Finchley on Tuesday mornings so it was good to be there with about 14 others to hear Ken Brownell speak on multicultural churches. We were all in broad agreement that churches should be formed of all sorts nor necessarily homogeneous. I was keen to face up to the real difficulties this entails. I thought we were a little naïve perhaps. There we are, stimulating to talk. I think we are to meet again in November. 

Westminster 09 2b

It was my privilege to chair in the afternoon the session on Darwin. Ken Brownell spoke on the attitudes of C and A A Hodge and Warfield (no time for Machen) to evolution. It was a fascinating, informative and challenging paper. The discussion was rather wide ranging and ran over slightly but was very stimulating. Here are Ken's five concluding principles.
1. Like old Princeton we must be committed to a high doctrine of Scripture and as infallible and inerrant word of God. The Bible is in the end our touchstone but while we must have the same high view of Scripture we will have differing legitimate interpretations. In relation to science we may have to revise our interpretations as the church has done before, but only cautiously and after long reflection. As Charles Hodge said there will be a struggle in this, but we can trust the Holy Spirit to guide us. But here we need to do better than the Princetonians. In this area they were strangely weak in their exegesis of the relevant Biblical passages in spite of having such a high view of Scripture.
2. Like old Princeton we must be robustly and enthusiastically Calvinistic in theology, not only in understanding how God saves, but also in how he works in the world. The Princetonians’ doctrine of providence and the absolute sovereignty of God helped them in their assessment of the idea of evolution. Likewise a Calvinistic view of reality will help us face many of the challenges of science today.
3. Like old Princeton we should have a deep respect for the scientific enterprise. I sometimes get the impression that some Christians are deeply suspicious of science. That is not something Hodge and company could understand. Perhaps they had a too high an estimation of the objectivity of scientists, but some Christians may have too low an estimation. While sin affects the scientific enterprise as much as everything else, God’s common grace is operative. There needs to be respect for scientists, support for Christians working in science and respectful dialogue particularly in this area of evolution.
4. Like old Princeton we must engage in this dialogue with courtesy and respect for those with whom we disagree. Nothing brings more discredit on evangelical Christianity than the intemperate way in which we sometimes deal with our opponents. The Princeton theologians always dealt with those they opposed with courtesy and respect; they were gentlemen controversialists and we should be as well. Among other things that means being fair in the way we assess the views of those we oppose. A good example of this in another area of controversy is the way John Piper evaluated N T Wright’s views in his book on justification.
5. Like old Princeton we must remember that the big battle is not on the details of how God created things, but with naturalistic materialism that has no place for God. This was the big issue for old Princeton and it must be for us. Whatever our specific views on many aspects of the evolution debate all Christian theists need to stand together to contend for the Christian worldview. He closed with a quote from Kuyper on evolution
Evolution is a newly conceived system, a newly established theory, a newly formed dogma, a newly emerged faith. Embracing and dominating all of life, it is diametrically opposed to the Christian faith and can erect its temple only on the ruins of our Christian confession… And therefore against that system of the aimlessly and mechanistically constructed cosmos we set our full-fledged resistance. We must not only defend ourselves against it but attack it… Over against Nietzsche’s Evolution-law that the strong must tread the weaker we cling to the Christ of God who seeks the lost and has mercy on the weak. Over against the undirected mechanism of evolution we present faith in that Eternal Being who “has worked and continues to work all things after the counsel of His will” [Eph. 1:11]. Over against the selection that selects the species and neglects the individual, we cling to Election… Over against the annihilation of the individual person in the grave we continue to testify to the coming judgment and of an eternal glory. And over against the altruism that is nothing more than a “transformed” and therefore disguised egoism we raise up the fire of eternal love that burns in God’s Father-heart, a holy spark of which has leaped to our own… And so I conclude by returning to what was, is now, and ever will be the starting point of the Confession for the entire Christian church on earth, by maintaining over against Evolution the first of all articles of faith: I BELIEVE IN GOD ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.

Stapleford again

I fly to the Philippines July 1 but there's a lot to do before then and this week is looking pretty busy. I had a little bit of a groundhog day yesterday. About a year ago I blogged this. I've used part of that entry as a template for this one (snag is I don't think the old links work - oh perhaps they do).

I was out all day Tuesday. Bright and early Eleri took me to the London Gateway Services near the bottom of the M1 (did you know that the M1 has no Junction 3?) where I met up with Jeremy Walker (Maidenbower Baptist) to travel to Stapleford, just off the M1 between Derby and Nottingham. In a chapel there I was at my (first) second full committee organising upcoming Westminster Conferences. It was good to be amongst august company.

The next Westminster Conference (2009) is all set. It will again be at the American Church in Tottenham Court Road. We have two on Calvin (from Don Carson and Garry Williams), one on the 1859 Revival (Stephen Clark), one concerning Darwin and Darwinism (Ken Brownell), one on the Elizabethan settlement of 1559 (Robert Oliver) and, to round off, one on the Moravians (Bruce Jenkins). It looks like it will be a very good conference. Do come along.

As for 2010 (December 7, 8) things are shaping up well. We are hoping to have papers on Puritans and preparationism, the KJV, properly understanding the Reformation and the opposition to Rome and on Andrew Bonar.

A lady in the church kindly made us hot drinks and gave us a light lunch again. We were again invited to have a meal at the nearby home of a former committee member now retired. We again had a lovely time chatting and enjoying hospitality there, sharing news and anecdotes, etc.

We then headed home. I was back by 9 pm but Jeremy would have taken rather longer. Kind man. He avoided the city this time.

Westminster Conference 06 E

The second session of the second day of the Westminster Conference was a highly topical look at the Puritan doctrine of just war. The speaker was Dr Ken Brownell of the East London Tabernacle. This was quite a masterful sweep through the history of just war theory beginning with Augustine and his successors and going on to Aquinas, the Reformers and the Puritans themselves, using William Gouge as the main example. There is no Puritan work that deals directly with the subject but in several places they discuss the issues.

Gouge added to Augustine's requirements of just cause, legitimate authority and right intention, that of war always being a last resort. Other Puritans added proportionality and willingness to end enmity at some point. Although the Reformers seem to have thrown off notions of holy war against infidels of a physical sort the Puritans arguably drifted back into that way of thinking for some time. This was one of several interesting themes picked out. Another was the development of Calvin's idea that in extremis there was a place for revolt against tyrants. This obviously had bearing on the events that led to the death of Charles I, something the Puritans were divided over.

In conclusion we were urged to know our history, be sure of our criteria and to seriously reflect on the new challenges this modern world brings. The Puritans can be of great help to the developing world on these issues although their hermeneutic was inadequate at certain points. Their holy war ideas were misguided but their clear pastoral concern for all caught up in war is something to be emulated.