The Whole Christ

We had a bumper turn out (quite a contrast to last time) for the latest reading group gathering at The John Owen Centre. It was especially good to have three Americans present (having three Welshmen there is also good, it goes without saying - and the Englishmen, of course) especially as two of them have had visa problems recently. The book this time was Sinclair Ferguson's The whole Christ his study based on the Marrow controversy, the Marrow men and Thomas Boston. It is not a history book but a work of pastoral theology of the very highest quality. It deals with antinomianism, legalism and assurance; is well written and the footnotes are packed with information. We all liked it, although it is safe to say that some of us were more enthusiastic than others. Our (probably) best read group member was only positive, nothing more. Anyway, I do urge you to get a copy and read it. I want to read my copy again and drink in all the gems scattered about within.

Westminster Conference 2010 04

The opening paper on day 2 of this year's Westminster Conference was given by Sam Waldron on "The Uneasy Relationship of Repentance and Sola Fide in the Reformed Tradition"

He began provocatively by speaking of how he had noticed similarities between Calvin and Norman Shepherd, the successor to John Murray at Westminster Seminary, eventually dismissed from his post because of the division his views on salvation were causing. We were given an outline of the paper which I have reproduced here.

Introduction: Method of Treatment

I. Reactions to Legalism

A. Sofa Fide and Repentance in Calvin

See diagram above 

B. Faith and Then Repentance in the Marrow Men

1. The Marrow Controversy and the Marrow Men

2. The Distinctive View of Faith and Repentance of the Marrow Men

C. Faith and Then Repentance in the Sandemanians

II. Reactions to Easy-Believism

A. Repentance and Then Faith in R. L. Dabney, A. W. Pink, and D M Lloyd-Jones*

B. Repentance and Sola Fide in Norman Shepherd

III. Resolution: Repentant Faith and Believing Repentance

A. Historical Representation: Spurgeon, Ryle, Gerstner, and John Murray

B. Relational Considerations

1. Response to Calvin

2. Response to the Marrow Men

3. Response to the Sandemanians (and Easy-Believism)

4. Response to Dabney, Pink, and Lloyd-Jones

5. Response to Shepherd

*It was suggested in the discussion that Lloyd-Jones shifted on this one to putting faith first.

This was a very thorough, sometimes difficult, paper helping us to think this issue through. Perhaps John Murray spoke best when he said

 “Repentance is the twin sister of faith - we cannot think of the one without the other, and so repentance would be cojoined with faith.”

Marrow of Modern Divinity

Over the last month or two I have been reading a famous 17th century book The marrow of modern divinity by Edward Fisher. It is the book chosen for the latest meeting of the Theological Study Group at the John Owen Centre. I was leading so I had to make sure I got a good handle on it. Most of us used the handsome new edition produced by Christian Focus. A hardback, wide margin book it includes the two parts of the marrow, introductory materials, an appendix and Thomas Boston's later extensive notes, which have really become part of the book. All that extra material made it a longer book than I had realised at first (376 large pages).

The significance of the book lies partly in its historical role in Scotland in the early 18th century but it is an abiding presentation of covenant theology and a careful attempt to chart a course between the twin dangers of legalism and anti-nomianism. This is it does with little subtlety but nevertheless accurately by setting up a four-way conversation (and something similar in Part 2 which chiefly expounds the 10 commandments). Evangelista is the sound minister. He speaks to Nomista, Antinomista and Neophytus. Its basic plea is to recognise that there is such a thing as the law of works, which we are all under by nature and that is set out in the Ten Commandments, the law of faith (the gospel) and the law of Christ, which is the rule of life for believers and that is again set out in the ten commandments. It also advocates what is usually called the free offer of the gospel, an idea still alien to some. One might want to quibble with some of the exegesis and one or two other things but the book is basically sound and a great help pastorally to all who have struggled with such issues.