1992 issue 2 - book reviews: books by clarence stam and calvin beisner - counsel of chalcedon
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 1992 Issue 2 - Book Reviews: Books by Clarence Stam and Calvin Beisner - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/2
yron napp
will
Rejoice "
(Phil.
4:4)
the
practice
of
correct
doctrine
takes our eyes of
ourselves
and
focuses
them on the
triune God.
ook Reviews
Living In
TheJoy
Of
Faith The
hristian
Faith
s
Outlined
In
The
Heidelberg
Catechism
by
Clarence
Starn,
Inheritance Publications Box
154Neerlandia,Alberta, CanadaTOG
IRa. $19.95; $26.50 in
u.s.
The author, a pastor in
the
Cana
dian
Reformed
Church,
provides the
reader with aseries ofsermons on the
doctrines presented in the Heidel
berg Catechism. Each chapter con
tains
relevant catechism questions
andanswers,anoutlineofthesennon
and the sermon itself
along
with
ap
propriate
Scripture
on
the
topiC.
Catechisticpreachingcan be ben
eficial to a congregation. Major
Bib
lical doctrine can thus be
regularly
taught. As the Holy Spirit works,
listeners are grounded in docirine
that works itself out in
all
aspects of
life. All
too
often,
I
receive
letters
from individuals and families
who
have no strong churchintheir area to
attend. Sadly many
churches
are
afraid to proclaim Biblical doctrine
forfear oflosingmembers. Inourage
of entertaimnent and
pleasure
orien
tation, the church itself
is
seen as a
place of entertainment.
Pastor
Stams
book provides a good resource
for
those
thirsty for
short
expOsitions
of
Biblical doctrine.
Sadly it
is
easy
to lose
Christ in a
studyofdoctrine. Caremustbetaken
to make sure
the
claims of Christ
are
clearly made lmown.
Every
doctrine
points in some way to Christ
and
of
The sermons are each less than
five
pages
in length. Thus the reader
course, to all members
of
the triune does not have to commit a large
Godhead.
We
must
never
take
such
segment
of
time
to
read
a
complete
pride in correct doctrine
that
we lose message. Being hardbound with a
sight
of
Christ our
Redeemer.
If we beautiful cover, the book lends itself
losesightof ourGod thenwealsolose
to
being used time
and
again which
sight of correct doctrine, for correct
would
also
be
easily noticed by
visi-
doctrine is God-centered. The
au-
tors
i
eft on the coffee
table.
thor keeps Christ before his hearers.
In a sennon on
"The
Function
of the GodInThreePersons
byE.
Calvin
Covenant Law he
writes:
"To
see
the
Beisner,
Tyndale 1984 16Opp.
holy God, we must show ourselves
holy in this life. We can
do so only
by
the
Spirit
and
Word
of
Christ,
and we
will
not
do
so
perfecdy. Christ is
also
oursanctification. Ourholiness,
too,
comes
from Him. Butwemustreflect
and demonstrate in our
life
that we
are a different people, a holy
people,
that we
are
separated
from
the
filth
and dirt
of
this world. For we are
Gods people, the people of is cov
enant who do His
law;
who gladly
hear
is
aw;
and
do
notfeelrestricted
when they
~ r it,
but
instead
feel
refreshed and challenged to serve
again, everyweek, withnewenthusi-
asm
and joy.
(p. 22 7)
From
this quote and the bookS
tide we are reminded of the joy that
come fromlmowing God as our
God
and understandingto the degree that
we do
that
He
is
a sovereign, cov
enantal
God
Whom
we can lmow
as
He
has
revealed HimselfinScripture.
We are not just
to
serve the Lord; we
are to serve
Him with
gladness.
(Ps.
100:1)
Paul,
grounded in correct
doctrine, could write
from
prison:
"rejoice
in
the Lord always,
again I
Lost
by many
in our generation is
the great struggle
that occurred
in the
early
church in the formulation of
basic Christian doctrine.
Beisner
capably
shows
the devel
opment of the doctrine
of
the
1linity
in the early church. This study
is
of
particular
interest
for the word 'Trin-
ity" is not
mentioned
inScripture. It
is
impossible to explain
by
human
reasoning
the
fact
of
three
persons
in
the
Godhead.
New Testament evidence is
pre
sented
and
then
the reader is intro
duced
to
the writings
of
Ignatius,
Irenaeus,
Tertullian
and the
develop
ment
of the
Trinitarian
doctrine
in
theirwriting.
These
and otherwriters
had
to
Scripturally answer Gnosti
cismandMonarchism. Byanswering
the
false
doctrines of
these
sects
Christians sharpened their own un-
derstanding
of
the
Trinity and thus
helped not
only themselves
but fu-
ture generations as well.
CONTINUED ON
PAGE
24
6 THE COUNSELo Cbalcedon February, 1992
-
8/12/2019 1992 Issue 2 - Book Reviews: Books by Clarence Stam and Calvin Beisner - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/2
SNAPP, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
Through the
onslaught of
Arianism thisfalseteachingdenied
the eternity
of
the Logos and both
the personality and deity of the
Holy Spirit)
the
Nicene Creed was
developed as
an
answer that faith-
fully set forth Scriptural teaching.
Thebook
closes with a briefexami-
nation
of
he Nicene Creed in light
of New
Testament teaching.
ThejoyofreadingBeiSneristhat
he writes on the level of he
man
in
thepew. Heexplamshistermsand
formulates his arguments cleady
and
cogently
The
Biblical doctrine
of
the
Trinity continues to
be
denied to-
dayby many including Jehovahs
Wimesses
and
Mormons. If asked,
could
you
defend the Scriptural
teaching on the Trinity? fnot this
bookisfotyou. ltwillalsogiveyou
betierappreciationforearlychurch
historyO
4
. THE COUNSEL
of
Chalcedon , Febmary, 1992
Non Profit
Org.
U.s.
Postage
PAID
BULK RATE
Pennit No
.
1553
Greenville
, SC
296 2
'iI ie Cotmsel
ofCfiaf ceMn
put
asong in
my
fieart 6ecause it aitlifuiEy applies (jot'swort
to
af
of ife ni
s
written in an. uruferstatufa6fe
stgfe. I CooK to t or wise counsel
ami
fiigfify
recommerui t oryour support.
]udyRogers
SONGWRlTERi
PERFORMER