Baptised With Heavenly Power: The Holy Spirit in the Teaching and Experience of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

I was sent a copy if this new book by Philip Eveson in the hope I might be able to commend it and give it some publicity. Having now read it I am happy to do what I can. It is a Mentor Christian Focus publication and costs around £17. it is a 421 page paperback.

Philip Eveson first heard Lloyd-Jones as a boy and as a fellow Welshman ministering in London got to know this leading minister of an older generation quite well. Since then he has listened to many of the recordings of Lloyd-Jones ad read more tha fifty of his publications. He is well placed therefore to present the leading elements in Lloyd-Jones's theology and pastoral practice. In this book he looks particularly at his Calvinistic Methodism, his understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, in Revival and in preaching. Some sujects, such a shealing, are more briefly touched upon,

Mr Eveson is concerned to present Lloyd-Jones in the best light and to bring some clarity to the way his system is understood. It has often been misunderstood. He successfully defends Lloyd-Jones from the oft-heard claim that he was a closet charismatic rather than a mainline Reformed man and points out the importance of context when reading Lloyd-Jones and his tendency to use hyperbole in some instances.

I would guess Mr Eveson is happy with nost of the various nuances of Lloyd-Jones' theology. He was what we could call today an experiential Calvinist. He came to Baptist views but would speak of adult baptism and did not think the mode important. He was a creationist, a big fan of revival and held distinctive views about the baptism and sealing of the Spirit. It is good to have all that laid out very clearly. I would want to depart from his teaching on some things myself but one greatly admires his motives in teaching as he did and most of it was spot on. His approach was always very much a spiritual one in a good sense. His godliness shones through, as it does in the two volme biography by Iain Murray.

The book contains two appendices of previously unpublished material - a message on Evan Roberts and two entries in a journal made when he was in his early thirties. Rightly or wrongly I found comfort in the realisation that even Lloyd-Jones struggled with daily prayer and Bible reading. He was clearly a man of the same flesh as me but a brilliantly man, greatly used of God and a great guide for all who seek to serve the Lord faithfully..

It is great to know that tis very thorough piece of work is now in print. Let's hope it will be read and do much good.

Banner of Truth Ministers Conference Closing Morning 2023

I was rather ill towards the end of the Banner conference.and so I missed the final prayer meeting and thefirst morning session, when Philip Eveson spoke for the second time. I was able to listen to Dr Robert Strivens give the closing sermon, however. He spoke very helpfully on a phrase from Colossians 1:28 We proclaim him. All the sessions were recorded and if you get in touch with Banner you should be able to access them for a fee. Those who attended the conference and registered, as I have, can access them for the next year. I've started to isten to Philip Eveson now.

A conference is always more than the public addresses and it was good to share fellowship with many men - Mark Raines over from America, Paul Whitely, Adam Laughton, Mark Thomas, Bernard Lewis, Hugh and Ed Collier, etc. Then not able to spend much time with others such as Mark Johnson, Jeff Haskins, Andrew Saywell, etc.

Banner of Truth Ministers Conference Tuesday Morning 2023

We had two good sessions this morning, the first from Philip Eveson on the Old Testament church and the second from Warren Peel on the significance of public worship. Mr Eveson's emphasis was on the continuty of the Old Testament and New Testament church. He spoke of the church then as a redeemed church, an elect church, a holy church and a worshipping church.

Mr Peel took up David Clarkson's sermon on Public worship is to be preferred before private. Warren ended with this striking quotation from George Swinnock

“Prepare to meet thy God,’ O Christian! Betake thyself to thy chamber on the Saturday night, confess and bewail thine unthankfulness for, and unfruitfulness under the ordinances of God; shame and condemn thyself for thy sins, entreat God to prepare thy heart for, and assist it in, thy religious performances —

Spend some time in consideration of the infinite majesty, holiness, jealousy, and goodness of that God, with whom thou art to have to do in sacred duties; ponder the weight and importance of his holy ordinances; how they concern thy salvation or damnation, thine everlasting life or death, how certainly they will either further thine unchangeable welfare, or increase thine endless woe —

Mediate upon the shortness of the time thou hast to enjoy Sabbaths in; how near thy life may be to an end, how speedily and how easily God may take down thine earthly tabernacle, how there is no working, no labouring, no striving in the other world, to which thou art hastening; and continue musing and blowing till the fire burneth; thou canst not think the good thou mayest gain by such afterthoughts, how pleasant and profitable the Lord’s-day would be to thee after such preparation.

The oven of thine heart thus baked in, as it were, overnnight, would be easily heated the next morning; the fire so well raked up when thou wentest to bed, would be the sooner kindled when thou shouldst rise.

If thou wouldst thus leave thine heart with God on the Saturday night, thou shouldst find it with him in the Lord’s-day morning.

Midweek Meeting Wednesday February 28 2018

Six of us trudged or drove through the snow to gather on Wednesday. We pressed on in Leviticus - Leviticus 22, a chapter I don't really know but was able to extract some nectar from. Philip Eveson's commentary continues to be a big help. We also prayed. I got Eleri to look for references to snow on her Christian Hymns app so we sung at the end a Graham Kendrick song most of us didn't know. It's only reference to snow is in the first line. The first verse is

Such love, pure as the whitest snow
Such love, weeps for the shame I know
Such love, paying the debt I owe
O Jesus, such love

Perhaps we'll try and sing it Sunday

Ministers Fraternals

I've ended up attending two ministers fraternals this week. On Monday it was the very traditional Westminster Fellowship down in Wesminster Baptist. There Philip Eveson preached to us and spoke very interestingly on Psalms, especially the structure of the book, followed by discussion. We also prayed. There were about twenty of us and it was all very helpful. Then on Wednesday I joined the North London Baptist pastors walking across Hampstead Heath. Quite postmodern, we simply walk, stop for a cuppa and then walk a little more before dispersing. There were about ten of us. Again, very enjoyable. I guess there is a place for both sorts of fraternal. I am certainly thankful for both.

London Seminary 40th

The London Seminary started in 1977. In 40 years, over 400 men have been trained for pastoral and preaching ministry, the bulk of whom are ministering today. They are all over the country, from Scotland to the south coast, from Wales to East Anglia and in nations the world over. Other ventures, such as the John Owen Centre and the newly announced Flourish course for women have also been alongside.

It was appropriate that at the seminary's annual service last Saturday the chairman (fresh back from Singapore) was former principal Philip Eveson. He took opportunity to remind us of the work's beginnings and represented the Board in giving a big thank you to our secretary for 39 of the 40 years, Brian Stevens. He also publicly thanked Robert and Sarah Strivens, helped by Board chairman Spencer Cunnah, on the Seminary's behalf.

Dr Strivens gave the annualreport, his last in his present capacity. We also heard from principal elect, Bill James, who begins in January reading and praying.

We also heard from six leaving students – Chris Durrant, John Kerr, Philip Lievesley, Pedro Real, Manuel Redondo and Chris Statter. Five are about to begin ministry – in Bournemouth, Gloucester, Frinton-on-sea, Brazil and Salford. Manuel hopes to do further study before returning to Spain.

It was a great opportunity to hear Al Mohler again. He preached on John 15:18-27 where Christ the General warns his untried soldiers what is ahead. Under the heading, What do you expect? he warned of what lies ahead and gave reasons to continue

1. Because we belong to Christ

2. Because we have the Holy Spirit alongside us

3. Because we have Christ praying for us, Christ who has overcome the world.

There was a good number there, perhaps more than usual. Tea and discussion on the lawn (se epic above from the Seminary Twitter accoount) is a tradition on this occasion and that was kept despite periodic attempts by the overcast skies to send rain.

Midweek Meeting February 8 2017

There were 12 of us on Wednesday including two new people. We pressed on with Leviticus and people were stimulated by it with several questions at the end. We also had a brief but fluent time of prayer with almost everyone praying. Very encouraging. Someone suggested there may be economic gradations in Chapter 2 as in Chapter 1. I checked it with Philip Eveson, whose commentary I am using. He was not keen on the idea.

Abraham Conference at John Owen Centre

I spent yesterday at the John Owen Centre here in London, with about 50 others, at the Abraham Conference they have organised. Garry Williams, Director of the centre, began by outlining the work of the centre and then we were into the first session in which former LTS principal Philip Eveson helpfully outlined what we have in Genesis about Abraham, using diagrams to show the various chiasms and drawing out some interesting points about the careful way the Book of Genesis appears to be constructed. We had more of that sort of thing in the session after lunch when LTS Vice-principal David Green took us through the text showing us the significance of the word Ra'ah to see and its cognates and sometimes homonyms too. Again this was very interesting and helpful.

Personally, I found the third paper from James Mulrooney, an Edinburgh PhD candidate, who will be lecturing at LTS from this term, the most stimulating even though he used the phrase iconic mimesis at one point. He took us through Genesis 22 arguing for a nuanced typology that helpfully understood Abraham, Isaac and the ram in specific bounded terms. The paper generated a good discussion, most people being favourable to what was proposed while others were more sceptical.

In the evening we had the Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture, which was open to the public. Peter Law, a local pastor who regularly lectures in the middle east, was given the subject The great Abrahamic faiths? and he gave us some of the background to this phrase then argued, leaning on Daniel Strange, for a subversive fulfilment, that is a balanced acceptance of commonalities while seeking to expose and challenge differences.

Looking forward to day two.

New Lloyd-Jones Book

ENgaging with Lloyd-Jones. Alerted to this by that reading machine the Exiled Preacher. 

(No mention that this is the fruit of a conference some while ago)

LTS Conference 2 Philip Eveson

The second paper was given by former LTS Principal Philip Eveson. This was in part a reprise of his paper on the psychological life of our Lord given at a previous Affinity Conference but fairly different. This time after a careful statement of the orthodox doctrine of Christ's humanity he proceeded to look at Christ at 12 years old, at his baptism and at other times.
He spoke of Christ's thorough knowledge of Scripture and his comitment to always doing the will of the Father he loved. It is this commitment to the Father that fuelled his very human emotions evidenced in various places in Scripture - anger, joy, etc. He was never emotionally out of control, having the Spirit at all times.
He made use of the means of grace. Behind his life of obedience was a continual delight in prayer. He was very often in prayer. In prayer intimacy and respect combined.
Christ was no loner. He saw the benefit of human companionship. His pracitce and teaching meshed. As he taught so he lived.
Finally, we looked at the death of Christ. His humanity is seen no more clearly than in Gethsemane. Like any man he recoiled from it and prayed to be delivered if possible. He had always resisted the Devil and even here he does the same. His human knowledge was finite adn he made real choices. It was not unnatural for him to want to escape the cross if he could. He placed his hope in God. The horror of death and the ardour of his obedience were meeting together (Bengel). We ended at the cross but did not go on to look at Christ's humanity beyond that point. It was quite a moving paper in some ways.

We discussed mainly Christ's miracle working and it may be that some other subject would have been better.

Reaching the human heart

I hope to be at the 2011 Conference of the John Owen Centre next week. Details below

Reaching the Human Heart:

Understanding, Will, and Affections in Scripture, History, and Contemporary Ministry

Christian ministry needs to nurture the whole person in Christ, not just some aspects of who we are. But if we are to reflect on how it can do this then we must ask a number of other questions: What is a human person according to the Bible? What is the heart? How do mind, will, and affections relate? What can we see of their perfect relationship in the Lord Jesus himself? What of the central place of love in the Christian life? These are the kinds of questions that the 2011 John Owen Centre conference will seek to address, with a view to strengthening the faithful ministry of under-shepherds charged with caring for the Lord’s sheep. The conference will be held at London Theological Seminary.

Speakers and topics:

Monday 12th September
Garry Millar
The nature of the human person in the Old Testament 11.00am
Philip Eveson
The Lord Jesus Christ as the Proper Man 2.00pm
Robert Strivens
The nature of the human person in the New Testament 4.00pm
Michael Haykin
‘Sweet sensibility': Andrew Fuller’s defence of religious affections 7.30pm (Martyn Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture)

Tuesday 13th September
Garry Williams
Puritan accounts of the human person 11.00am
Graham Beynon
The central place of love in the Christian life 1.30pm
Hywel Jones
Ministry to the whole person: the difference all of this makes 3.30pm

Registration and coffee will be at 10.30am and the first lecture will start at 11.00am. The last lecture should finish around 5.00pm.

The Martyn Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture, which is open to everyone - free of charge - will be at 7.30pm on Monday 12th September.

Costs - (including light refreshments, lunch and tea) booking after 2nd September the two-day conference -£60. Day one only - £40; Day two only - £35
Book now by emailing johnowen@ltslondon.org

Welwyn Series Software

I read on the Exile's blog here that

The Welwyn Bible Commentaries, published by Evangelical Press are now available for pre-order from Logos Bible Software. The set includes distinguished commentaries by Philip Eveson on Genesis and Leviticus, Gary Brady on Proverbs and the Song of Songs and Derek Thomas on Isaiah and Ezekiel.

I also hear that my Proverbs commentary is to be reprinted (with some minor corrections that I've been working on) next month.

(PS There are apparently 49 such volumes and close inspection of the above graphic suggests that they are not all there. One of the missing volumes is my fat Proverbs. Shame.)

PPS The pre-publication price is around £210 - around £4 a volume, which is not bad but a lot to fork out in one go.

John Owen Centre Conference Day 01

It was good to be one of around 150 present at the John Owen Centre, Finchley, to hear this year's Dr Lloyd-Jones memorial lecture by Philip Eveson on Gospel and Creation - the significance of a theology of creation for preaching. A very full paper, it considered what a theology of creation should include (making some 12 points including the fact that there can only be one universe, that creation is the work of the triune God, who is also a relational God and insisting on the distinction between Creator and creation, creation and providence); the message of the gospel; the centrality of Christ and the significance of all this for preaching. Relying heavily on the work of Herman Bavinck, both creation and the gospel were expounded and asserted in the face of Muslim, Hindu, atheist and other deviant views to the contrary. It closed with an alliterative admonition to adore our Maker, appreciate his creation, understand the ache or groan that we presently know, anticipate the new creation and being active in making the message known.

The lecture came at the end of a busy first day of lectures and discussion under the title of Creation, the Bible and Science. About a hundred, mostly men and most of them ministers, had listened to three papers. The first was by Dr John Currid from RTS, Charlotte, Virginia, on Interpreting Genesis 1 & 2. This focused almost exclusively on Genesis 1 and was perhaps rather narrow as it simply sought to show that Genesis 1 is not poetry. Other interesting matters were raised in the paper and in discussion, however, and it was good to hear and discuss this paper.

Dr Robert Letham from WEST spoke next. Billed as Genesis 1 & 2 - the History of Interpretation this was inevitably boiled down to a history up until the Westminster Assembly and so did not interact at all with post-Darwin reactions. Indeed we may get through the whole conference saying very little about Darwin or Darwinism. Dr Letham's agenda was to suggest that there has never been much of a consensus on anything beyond the fact that the Bible teaches an ex nihilo creation by the triune God. He made a great deal of the popularity of Augustine's idea of instantaneous creation for hundreds of years.

The third paper of the day was Genesis 1 & 2 - a Scientist’s Perspective. Because Professor Stuart Burgess was the chosen speaker this was really an engineer's perspective. This was the most conservative, the warmest, the easiest and perhaps the most interesting paper of the day. He spoke of God's power, skill and goodness in creation and then spoke briefly in favour of "a young Adam" and a "young earth" and against the possibility of extra-terrestrial forms of life.

The day was a very stimulating one with lots of good questions and good answers and many expressions a genuine desire not to demonise fellow believers, seriously grappling with the biblical text and the scientific data but coming to differing conclusions to our own but within the biblical requirements. As ever, it was good to talk over the meals about these issues and others.

Hopefully tomorrow will be an equally stimulating day.

JOC Conference

Guy was just ahead of me - so I'll nick his page to remind you of this upcoming conference. (If anyone is into redaction criticism this good be a good place to start).

It's a two day conference at the John Owen Centre and the programme is as follows:

Monday 15th September

Interpreting Genesis 1 & 2 - Dr. John Currid

Genesis 1 & 2 - the History of Interpretation - Dr. Robert Letham

Genesis 1 & 2 - a Scientist’s Perspective - Prof. Stuart Burgess

7.45 pm The Martyn Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture:

The Gospel and Creation - the significance of a theology of creation for preaching - Rev. Philip Eveson. This lecture will be held in Kensit Evangelical Church and is open to everyone.

Tuesday 16th September

The New Testament and Creation - Dr. Stephen Lloyd

Design Arguments - stepping stones or stumbling blocks? - Prof. Paul Helm (*)

Authority: the Bible and science - Dr. Jason Rampelt

Looks very interesting. More info here.

* Prof Helm's paper is available in draft form here

New Feature

Hope you like the new feature - blogs to see. It's for my own use as much as anything. I sometimes miss things. Do check out these links featured at the time of writing this: one serious (interview with Philip Eveson) and one for fun (Ben Thomas sglefrolio amser maith yn ol).

LTS End of Year

Last Saturday it was the end of year service at London Theological Seminary. Things were a little different this year in that there was a second service after the main one to mark the retirement of Principal Philip Eveson. On reflection this might have been better arranged. Combined with a bit of ill-discipline in the lengths of the two services it meant we were sat for a long time listening and tea on the lawn was a rather rushed affair. Ah well, as the chairman Irving Steggles pointed out we won't be doing this too often, hopefully.

The preacher in the first service was Michael Haykin. He spoke very well on the power of God's Word. My father-in-law reached in the second service - a very appropriate and personal message for Philip from Psalm 92. My only fear was that the non-Welsh might find it a little difficult but hopefully not. In the first service we had the usual report on activities and the testimonies of the leaving students. We were particularly interested in Fred from Madagascar who has been a member of our congregation during his time in LTS (see pic). We were also glad to see Derek Sewell of LIP completing four years of part time study. Others leaving include Claudio who was sponsored by members of our church adn Andrew Hill who is due to become the new minister at nearby Highgate Road Chapel. In the second service Graham Harrison spoke (on behalf of the faculty) and Dr David Earl (on behalf of students).

Another good link

Look here for a brief interview with Philip Eveson (sic) Principal of LTS on justification by faith.

Like snow

I'm around halfway through Philip Eveson's commentary on Leviticus now. this paragraph on p 175 let in some shafts of light.

If the skin condition has covered the whole body and left the skin white all over, then the priest can pronounce the person clean (13:12-13). This has caused headaches to many people because they have understood ‘white’ to signify a leprous condition. The confusion has been caused by translators adding ‘white as’ when the word ‘snow’ is used of leprosy in Numbers 12:12 and 2 Kings 5:27. But the colour ‘white’ is not found in the original text of these verses. Sufferers from bad dandruff, when they comb their hair, find particles of dry skin on their clothes like flakes of snow. That is the point of the comparison. Both Miriam and Gehazi were leprous ‘like snow’, not in the sense that their skin became ‘white like snow’, but that it became ‘flaky like snow’. One of the two miraculous signs that God gave Moses was that his hand became leprous ‘like snow’, in the sense of ‘flaky like snow’, and then was restored again like the rest of his skin (Exod. 4:6-7).
The whiteness of the skin in the present passage is therefore not a sign of leprosy but of clean skin after a leprous skin disorder. It is like new white skin after scabs have peeled off.