Donald Carson • Ian Smith • Carl Trueman the Certificate of Christian Studies GAA Old Testament (G.Goswell), New Testament (K
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june 2003 Suffering Donald Carson • Ian Smith • Carl Trueman The Certificate of Christian Studies GAA Old Testament (G.Goswell), New Testament (K. Martin), Christian Church History (P. Barnes), Education Biblical Theology (D. Geddes) Presbyterian Church of Victoria Resource being offered in 2002 at $60 ea. The position of Centre The best selling Westminster Accountant/Office Manager Confession is now vacant, and applications are invited. of Faith for the 621 Punt Road 21st Century — The position is based in the Church’s Office, South Yarra 3141 03 9867 4637 Study Edition Assembly Hall Building, [email protected] $15 + $3 pp — 156 Collins Street, Melbourne. prepared by DJW Milne, Principal Applicants should have appropriate qualifications (Please make all of the PTC Melbourne. cheques payable The Six Pack: for and experience, and have empathy with the to GAA Christian Sessions/Bible study groups Church’s ethos and vision. Education Committee) 6 copies of the WCF-21C For a full position description for $92 posted! and details of application, contact: Walk With The Lord The Clerk of Assembly Daily Bible Reading Notes, 156 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000 currently written by Rev Dr Greg Telephone: (03) 9650 9311 Goswell, Old Testament lecturer E-mail: at the PTC, Victoria. [email protected] Rejoice! Worship The Hymnbook for today’s church. The Book of Common Order • contemporary of the Presbyterian Church of Australia • Christ-centred • Book $29.95 • suitable for all ages • CD-ROM Version $34.95 • more than 43,000 copies sold since 1987... Editions available: (CD-ROM includes Worship Book in Adobe Acrobat format Organist: $40.00 and all RTF type files Words Only: $16.00 that allow editing of text Melody Line Only: $16.00 to suit individual needs. Suitable for PC and Mac users.) Also available: All prices quoted in this advertisement are inclusive of GST. HymnBase for Windows $80.00 All orders plus postage and handling. Available From: Miss Mary Beavan, PO Box 190, Portland NSW 2847 Phone (02) 6355 5063 Fax (02) 6355 5783 Email: [email protected] Victoria: Presbyterian Resource Centre 156 Collins St, Melbourne, 3000 Phone (03) 9527 3270 Email: [email protected] June 2003 No. 549 SUFFERING The problem of pain: Donald Carson . .4 God knows: Ian Smith . .9 editorial Now and not yet: Tracy Gordon . .11 et me tell you about a recent story of suffering. It con- BIBLE STUDY cerns a modern-day Joseph. I cannot mention his name because it will probably prejudice any likelihood 13 Happy families: Bruce Christian . he will receive a fair trial. He holds a PhD from a LWestern university and is a senior academic in China. I met CHURCH DIRECTORY him six years ago when he came to one of our church services Presbyterian churches, state by state . .15 in Sydney. He was an atheist then but was sufficiently curious to attend weekly services for a couple of years. NEWS Shortly before he left Australia, he told me he had become a Christian. Both he and his family professed their faith and Across Australia . .21 were baptized on Good Friday in 2000. I have never heard Around the World . .22 him raise issues of politics or express opposition to the gov- ernment of China. On the Agenda . .23 However, in early April this year he was arrested by the REFLECTION Chinese police on allegations of political crimes and impris- oned. He was not charged for several weeks because of the A good start: Matthew Henry . .25 paucity of evidence. Further, he has not been allowed to see his wife. He has been placed in a cell four metres by four CULTURE WATCH metres with 15 other men. He has not been allowed to change his clothes in nearly 40 days despite the fact that his wife has The Practice: Phil Campbell . .26 tried to get him a fresh set. Understandably, my friend’s wife is deeply distressed. APOLOGETICS While she is trusting that God will bring good out of her hus- The Marcions have landed: Carl R. Trueman . .27 band’s suffering, she is fearful for his health and well-being at the hands of the Chinese authorities. LETTERS . .29 All of us know others who face seemingly inexplicable bouts of suffering, some of which are related to the profes- PRAYER . .30 sion of their Christian faith – like my Chinese friend – and others who face it as a result of natural causes. BOOKS The question is: do we have an explanation for suffering? Does the Bible provide us with answers when we have to face Religion is for Fools . .31 it ourselves? The contributors in this issue have experienced suffering in acute ways for significant periods of time. As they The Man from Oodnadatta . .31 have searched the Scriptures, they have discovered answers My Soul Finds Rest . .31 that provide them with explanations which, although not LITHOGRAPH BY MARC CHAGALL, 1960. complete, at least enable them to move forward with an Summing Up . .31 unquestioning faith in the goodness and sovereignty of God. ESTHER. ESTHER. We trust that you will profit from their insights. BACK PAGE ap No place like home: Peter Barnes . .32 Peter Hastie COVER IMAGE: THE AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN (ABN 81 498 399 755): The national magazine of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Editorial committee: Peter Hastie (NSW) Themes Editor; Barney Zwartz (Victoria) Production; Stuart Bonnington (Victoria) News Editor; Tracy Gordon (NSW), World News Editor. Graphic Design: Sandra Joynt for A&J Moody Design: www.ajmd.com.au. Advertising and subscription inquiries: Walter Bruining, PO Box 375, Kilsyth 3137; Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Subscription: $35.20 a year inc. GST; bulk (etc) $31.90 each inc. GST. Office: PO Box 375, Kilsyth 3137. Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Fax: (03) 9723 9685. Email: [email protected] Printed: PostScript Printing, Eltham Vic. (03) 9431 3414. Published: Monthly except January by the National Journal Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Australia; Convener Peter Hastie. Opinions expressed are those of the contributor and not necessarily those of the PCA, the editor or the committee. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement. Contributions: Submitted articles are welcome. The deadline is the first of the previous month. Donations are always welcome. Print Post approved 34918100384. www.ap.presbyterian.org.au AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 3 SUFFERING The problem of pain Many have drifted far from the biblical perspective on suffering. r Donald A. Carson is research die. /Lord, have mercy on us.” If you live professor of New Testament at Donald Carson in a world where you are vulnerable, you Trinity Evangelical Divinity talks to tend to look at life rather differently than School in Deerfield (a suburb in if you expect excellent medical care. Dthe north of Chicago), Illinois. He has Peter Hastie I would have died three times in my life been teaching at Trinity since 1978. so far had it not been for first-class med- Dr Carson is well-known for his exper- themselves? ical help. If you or I belonged to a family tise in the areas of New Testament and Christians have become especially vul- anywhere in the western world in the biblical theology. He has several areas of nerable to broader western cultural mis- 1800s we would have automatically special interest including Matthew and perceptions. For instance, so much of our assumed that we would lose a certain per- John’s Gospel, Pauline theology, biblical life in the West is relatively comfortable. centage of our children. So one of our theology, postmodernism, pluralism and Consequently, we are much farther most serious misperceptions in the the problems associated with suffering removed from suffering and death than, “Christian” West is the idea that we are and evil. He is also a well-known confer- say, Christians in the southern Sudan or in entitled to a high level of security and ence speaker in the USA, Canada, UK and other countries where believers face anxi- comfort. Australia. eties like famine or persecution. This misperception is compounded in Dr Carson has written or edited more Our problem is that we have come to some Christian circles by a fairly senti- than 45 books including How Long, O expect comfort even at the level of health- mentalised view of the love and goodness Lord? – Reflections on Suffering and Evil care. We believe that the national health of God. If people focus almost exclu- (Baker 1990). He spoke to Peter Hastie service should fix us, and if they don’t sively on these attributes of God, then recently in Chicago about the Christian’s then we’re quite ready to sue. By contrast, when something bad happens, they can’t approach to suffering. at the end of the plague in England there relate it to a broader theology that is more was a Christian in England, Thomas biblically balanced and includes other rel- What are some of the common mis- Nashe, who contracted the deadly disease. evant doctrines, such as God’s provi- perceptions that Christians have He knew that he had a very short time to dence, the pervasiveness of iniquity, and about suffering that makes them vul- live. So he wrote a lengthy poem with a the entailments of the fall. nerable when they experience it recurring final couplet: “I am sick, I must The problem people face when they AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 4 focus exclusively on the goodness and love How do we deal with the problem of Sometimes the husband’s questions of of God is that they have no theological or evil and suffering? anguish turn on things that some people biblical categories for thinking through It is important to distinguish two might see as almost silly.