We Have Recently Been Blessed with Some Good Books Proposing Threads That Unify OT-NT

CT02 成為我異象:Be Thou My Vision: Building a Biblical Meta-Narrative

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; 成為我異象 Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art 求心中王，成為我異象， Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 萬事無所慕，惟主是希望！願祢居首位，日夜導思想， Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true 工作或睡覺，慈容作我光。 Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; 成為我智慧，成為我箴言， Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. 我願常跟祢，祢作我良伴。祢是聖天父，我得後嗣權，祢住我心殿，我與祢結連。 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, 不掛意富裕，不羨慕虛榮， High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art. 主是我基業，一直到永恆。惟有主基督，能居我心中，祂是天上王，勝珍寶權能。 High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s 天上大君王，輝煌的太陽， Sun! 我贏得勝仗，天樂可分享。 Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, 境遇雖無常，但求心中王， Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all. 掌管萬有者，永作我異象。

I. My Quest for Mature Theological Reflection and Application to Life

A. We need mature, balanced theological reflection on the truth, B. I continue to refine my Westminster Doctor of Ministry in Counseling project1 on the application of systematic theology to the biblical counseling process because of the complexities and length of that material and the illustrations. C. I need to “redeem the time” through writing, multiplying my teaching time exponentially through my readers’ counsel and teaching. D. We are developing an explicitly biblical meta-narrative. a. This framework presupposes that the Word of God and the Spirit working through his ambassadors in this world are sufficient to accomplish the changes in the direction of Christ likeness that his Word commands (2 Tim 3:14-17).2 The essential resources for this task are specifically biblical—those teachings and methods drawn from Scripture.3 As Powlison notes, “if our counseling model arises from Scripture, it will explicitly cohere with long formulated Christian orthodoxy. . . . yet will break open new light and new power.”4 In these ways (and

1 Doxological Counselor Training: Visually Mapping an Applied Systematic Theology as an Aid for a Counseling Hermeneutic (WTS 1997) 346 pages. 2 See the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and the Coalition on Revival’s “The Christian Worldview of Psychology and Counseling” paper by G. Scipione, L. Crabb and E. Payne (c. 1989, 1999). Though also note John Piper “Thoughts of the Sufficiency of Scripture: What it Does and Doesn’t Mean” February 9, 2005 on www.desiringgod.org where he also cautions that we do need to use extra-biblical language to explain the meaning of Scripture, exemplified in the debates over the use of the word Trinity and explanations regarding the person of Christ. 3 Powlison uses the acronyms VITEX (vital external contribution of psychology to the counseling process) and COMPIN (comprehensive internal resources within Scripture and our biblical resources to construct what we need for counseling) to define the conflict between those who deny the sufficiency of Scripture to accomplish the counseling task and those who adhere to its sufficiency. The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context (New Growth Press 2010), p. 275-7. 4 David Powlison The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context p. 283.

1 CT02 成為我異象:Be Thou My Vision: Building a Biblical Meta-Narrative

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates more) we should adhere to the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 1 as a foundation for biblical counseling. b. Psychology, as the study of man that claims scientific neutrality, is impossible.5 The presuppositions of the unbelieving psychologist doing research inevitably reflect bias—blindness to God and his revealed truth about himself and about man (Eph 2:1-3; 4:17-19; Rom 1:18-32). Christians will find no essential resources within psychology to grow into Christ likeness.

II. My Quest for Portability in Training Counselors

A. Some in Chinese biblical counseling ministry are exporting the system modeled after the Westminster Theological Seminary (Phila) MA level curriculum, translating 12 or 16 courses into Chinese and teaching a similar content in Taiwan and China. The system is not portable enough to really generate a biblical counseling movement among the average church leaders and mature Christians. Few will be able to replicate the length of courses and complexity of ideas. B. My approach at CRTS requires students to take three core 40 hour courses: Counseling Theology (biblical theological foundations applied to the process of human change), Pastoral Counseling (more focus on methods and practical counseling topics a pastor is likely to face) and Critiquing Psychological Theories (focus on major schools of secular psychology and Christian integrationists). The rest are elective courses C. Goal of Portability: simplify, repeat and restate, highlight simple summaries, simple illustrations and diagrams, so that portability of key concepts improves. D. III. Building a Biblical Meta-Narrative

A. My process for discerning a biblical meta-narrative: 1. Read biblical counseling models and methods, topical Christian life study (marriage, parenting, Christian vocation, apologetics, common grace, culture, worship, discipleship, mission, prayer, Christian liberal arts education and Christian views of sociology, math, science, logic), Old and New Testament biblical theologies, looking for common theological themes to connect inductively with a meta-narrative. 2. Some authors have a good grasp of meta-narrative themes and hermeneutical challenges associated with topical studies and are able to link their topical study with Scripture’s larger themes, often showing analogical patterns between who God is, what God does connected with who are to become and what we are to do as Christians.6 3. Re-examining the Westminster Standards and looking for their meta-narrative structures has been a helpful process. 4. Teach Bible books on the seminary level and preach or teach for Sunday corporate worship or seminars using a method that first tries to discern the author’s mini meta-narrative thematic structure and see how he used it for pastoral purposes, 5. Applying themes to my own marriage, parenting, grand parenting.

B. Some core themes for a biblical counseling meta-narrative and definition

5 See section 3, chapter 13. For a parallel critique of claims to neutral sociological observations, see Vern Sheridan Poythress, Redeeming Sociology: A God-Centered Approach (Crossway 2011) “Appendix C: ‘Scientific’ Sociology”, pp. 294-302, and a concise critique on p. 178. 6 D.A. Carson has written so much in hermeneutics, biblical and systematic theology, that when he does present Christian life topics like Worship by the Book, chapter 1 “Worship by the Word,” he is able to show the hermeneutical challenges and link his definitions with the grand themes of the biblical meta-narrative. So also authors like Vern Poythress, John Frame, Bruce Waltke, Thomas Schreiner, G.K. Beale, J. Christopher Wright, John Piper, Jonathan Edwards and more topically oriented, R. Paul Stevens and Gary Thomas.

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates 1. I believe a theological foundation for biblical counseling should be able to link heavenly realities with its multiform reflections-images in earthly shadows and show the supremacy of the heavenly because that’s what the books of Hebrews and Romans does. 2. I believe a theological foundation for biblical counseling will show how the Triune God (his social fellowship, attributes, work-rest pattern) reveals himself in the work-rest pattern of creation-stewardship-providence, and responds to the fall through judgment and salvation. This theological foundation can show the analogical7 categories that link God’s character and work with man’s character and work. We are to become like God in analogical ways. Scripture is full of this command to imitate God!8 It is the sum total of Christian life goal “to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”9 Or put another way, since the Holy Spirit is the down payment of our future inheritance of God himself, he delights to see his elect renewed into his image, making us most suitable for eternity with God. 3. These analogical themes should shape counselors, direct the goals and methods of the counseling task, link theological connections between a biblical meta-narrative and typical counseling problems, provide an apologetic against psychology, and organically develop a theology of change and Christian vocation from Scripture. 4. A good biblical counseling book need not be comprehensive in developing all possible God-themes, but it should at least develop themes appropriate to the pastoral need, as I will show in the book studies in part 3 (Hebrews, Philippians, Ephesians, Romans). 5. The biblical counseling process, then, uses a comparison approach, similar to all types of Word ministries. 6. Benefits for other Word ministries: I believe such a theological foundation will “cohere intellectually . . . with every other form of the church’s ministry: worship, preaching, teaching, discipleship, child-rearing, friendship, evangelism, mercy works, missions and pastoral leadership.”10 One of the strengths of this model is selecting and highlighting the biblical enmity theme as a fundamental way God interacts with the fallen world. The counseling applications of this theme to Christ’s suffering church will cohere more realistically with global hostility to Christ and his Gospel. Current US counseling models mostly focus on individual sanctification in a fairly docile cultural climate. 7. Benefits in apologetic resistance to weaker models: C. Some of the best resources proposing OT-NT meta-narrative themes. 1. God’s Big Picture by Vaughn Roberts (proposes a kingdom-King meta-narrative), others propose covenant as the overarching meta-narrative. 2. John Piper’s repeated stanza runs through most all his books on the supremacy of God and our need to enjoy him forever as our way to glorify him. 3. J. Christopher Wright’s Mission of God and its companion volume, The Mission of God’s People. (look for analogical parallels in Wright’s thought propose God’s mission and our sharing in that mission as the meta-narrative) 4. Having taken Dr. Gaffin’s Acts and Paul class (WTS ‘88) and read and affirmed his teaching in Resurrection and Redemption: A Study in Pauline Soteriology, my reading delight led me to a very satisfying series of “aha” moments in G.K. Beale’s New Testament Biblical Theology! Beale proposes that “the Old Testament is the story of God, progressively reestablishes a new creational kingdom out of chaos over a sinful people by his word and Spirit through promise, covenant and redemption, resulting in

7 Analogical means expressing or describing a similarity in features between God and man being remade into his likeness through God’s work of salvation. 8 Some examples: Lev 11:44 and 1 Pet 1:16 holy; Ps 7:9-11; 11:7 righteous; Ps 5:5-6; 26:5; 31:6; 119:104; Prov 13:5; 29:27; Zech 8:17 hate evil & falsehood; Luke 6:36 merciful; Eph 5:1-2 loving; Phil 2:5-8 humility 9 Eph 4:24; see also 1 Cor 11:1; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 5:1; 1 Thess 1:6; 2:14; Heb 6:12; 13:7. 10 Ibid. The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context p. 299.

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates worldwide commission to the faithful to advance his kingdom and judgment (defeat or exile) for the unfaithful, unto his glory” (p. 890) and that the New Testament storyline is “Jesus’s life, trials, death for sinners, and especially resurrection by the Spirit have launched the fulfillment of the eschatological already-not yet new creational reign, bestowed by grace through faith and resulting in worldwide commission to the faithful to advance this new creational reign and resulting in judgment for the unbelieving, unto the Triune God’s glory” (p. 891). 5. I believe a fresh consideration of the Westminster Confession of Faith’s meta-narrative structure will lead us to new light and power:11 6. William Perkins’ “Golden Chain of Salvation” illustration also shows a similar two strand salvation & judgment development.12 7. My D.Min. project led me first to the social Trinity through study Jonathan Edwards’ Dissertation on the End for which God Created the World in the last section where God’s knowledge, holiness and joy in himself overflows into all he does in creation and the renewed man will know God, love God for his holiness and rejoice in God.13 8. Royce Gruenler’s The Trinity in the Gospel of John: A Thematic Commentary on the Fourth Gospel the 12-13 verbs defining the social Trinity in John’s Gospel & teaching John’s Gospel. 9. John Owen’s wonderful work on Communion with God as a fellowship with each person of the Trinity through knowing the work of each person led me into more meta- riches. 10. John Piper’s Pleasures of God, The Supremacy of God in Preaching, God is the Gospel have all confirmed important God-centered meta-narrative themes. When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy, chapter 11 offers a wonderful application to using worldly things and our five senses to seek God and heavenly things—one of the best I’ve ever read on this topic. His chapters one and two in Sex and the Supremacy of Christ show important applications of this God-heaven-centered meta-narrative to a significant counseling issue. 11. C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce (p.XXX) &. The Weight of Glory 12. This one driving motive leads me back to the biblical text, especially to the study of individual Bible books, looking for the meta-narrative of Scripture.

D. Puzzling over how to integrate the attributes of God into biblical meta-narrative 1. Puzzling difficulties in the integration of the attributes of God with the overall model.14 2. Recently I have come to believe that a topical cluster of attributes15 with a perfective core coupled with derivative expressions toward his people and towards his enemies is the most helpful way to present the attributes of God. E. Meta-narrative themes for a master illustration Let’s start with a Google Earth view . . . . No that’s not far enough away—try Google Universe? Nope, still need a bigger, farther-away perspective . . . . How about Google Pre-time & space? That’s about right . . . .

1. Before the beginning of all creation and the creation of time itself, God rejoiced in a rest of divine fellowship.

11 See appendix A for a more expansive look at the WCF’s meta-narrative structure. 12 Posted online now at www.reformed.org 13 Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 1 (Banner of Truth 1974) 119-20. 14 See Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, chapter 11 on the incommunicable attributes of God, where he also writes that no attribute is completely incommunicable or completely communicable, but that incommunicable means less shared by us and communicable means more shared by us. 15 Ibid., see chapters 12-13 on the communicable attributes of God where he proposes his own topical clusters of attributes, as well as supra-attributes like beauty or glory that represent all the attributes combined. He does not attempt to link all the attributes of chapters 11-13 together into topical clusters as I will propose. John Frame’s wonderfully rich The Doctrine of God (P&R 2002) also develops his own creative ordering of attributes into clusters that fit with his preferred systematic meta-narrative: normative, situational and existential perspectives. However, I find this aspect of Frame’s model to be reductionistic, collapsing attribute nuances into categories where they do not seem to fit.

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates a. Scripture reveals to us about the ontological Trinity are primarily economic activities that show his character/attributes. This leads me to conclude that what we are observing in John is a mutual fellowship in the attributes of God that includes both the deity and humanity of Christ. In other words, we are seeing active expressions of the shared attributes of the Trinity in relational dimensions. Zooming back in to Google Universe . . . 2. The Triune God works in time-history As time began, God worked. OR God created time by working in the created world.

a. In the beginning, God worked to show his perfective+derivative attributes, his eternal power and divine nature. b. After 6 amazing days filled with his creative masterpieces, providential sustaining stewardship, and communion with his image in mankind, he proclaimed it all very good and he rested. Now Google Earth . . . 3. Adam’s pre-fall, God-imaging meta-narrative: imitate God’s seventh day of communion-with-God rest, enjoying God and all the results of God’s and his own labors (after all his first day of existence was God’s Sabbath day of rest) followed by 6 days of stewardship work tending and keeping the garden.

4. Adam’s post-fall God-imaging meta-narrative:

a. Eve, followed by Adam, disobeyed the Lord by listening to the Tempter. Sin brought death and all that causes groaning upon the created world (Gen 2:17; Rom 8:20-23), a curse on the 6 days of work (Gen 3:16-19), and enmity to the day of rejoicing in God while reflecting on the frustration of wasted effort in relationships and creation stewardship accumulated during the six days (Gen 3:7-13; Eccles 1:3; 1 Thess 4:13). b. The simple meta-narrative of God’s work-rest pattern then became more complex in relation to mankind. God still enjoys the a) fellowship of rest in the Trinity, but man cannot enter it. God remains a worker in the world he created through b) providential stewardship. But now enmity between God and man leads God to distinctive expressions of his attributes in two different types of work toward man: c) enmity/mercy/mission to those unreconciled, and d) recreating a reconciled, holy people who can share in his rest-work patterns.

5. Christ’s perfect God-imaging meta-narrative: The primary meta-narrative of rest- work that the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ, imitated by an exact display of the perfective/derivative attributes of God was a seventh day of a) communion-with-God rest, enjoying God and all the results of God’s labors though him b) six days of stewardship work tending and keeping the created world of wind and waves, and beasts of the field (donkeys), c) reconciling his elect to God through his cross and resurrection-exaltation as Lord, and in his name giving the Spirit to God’s elect. d) enmity/mercy/mission to his enemies and experiencing the enmity of God at the cross for sinners through his propitiating death

6. Renewed man-in-Christ imaging Christ’s rest & work: God’s rest-work pattern that recreated-in-Christ people image by the Holy Spirit now expands to displaying the derivative attributes of God in rest+three kinds of work: a1) spiritually enter into the joyful fellowship-rest of the Trinity in the great assembly mandate (Heb 4:3a; 12:22-24),

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates b1) stewardship over creation, subduing the earth, having children, repenting of enmity against & worship of creation, enjoying creation as reflections of God and enduring the creation curse in the great cultural mandate (Gen 1:26-28), c1) using gifts to make disciples recreated righteous, mission, mercy (to unrighteous and especially righteous) by the great commission mandate (Matt 28:19-20) and d1) enmity (to unholy world, unholy in church discipline & crucifying my old sin nature) in the great warfare mandate 7. Renewed man-in-Christ waiting for the consummation: the hope of eternal union//the judgment of eternal enmity a2) physically enter into the eternal joyful fellowship-rest of the Trinity in the great assembly mandate (Heb 4:3a; 12:22-24), b2) stewardship over the New Creation, subduing the earth without the curse, enjoying and sharing the fruits of creation and the cultural glories of the nations as reflections of God in the great cultural mandate (Gen 1:26-28; Isa 60; 65:23; Rev 2:7; 21:24-26; 22:2), c2) using gifts to witness and sing new songs about our unique experiences and visions of God’s glory in the great commission mandate (Ps 40; 96; 98; Matt 28:19-20; Rev 2:17; 5:9; 14:3) and d2) celebrate our finalized enmity against all unholiness, the final putting off of my old sin nature, in Christ’s final warfare-judgment (Rev 18:20; 19:1-4, 11-21; 20:7-15)

F. A name for the method 1. This counseling model needs a short-hand phrase to describe itself. The name becomes a meta-narrative lens with which to see all aspect of the model, and as an apologetic to defend against different models within and outside of Christianity. I propose “Four Christ-imaging mandates” (4CIMs) as its model name, or more simply four mandates biblical counseling model, with these four sub-themes of likeness to Christ: assembly, culture, commission, and warfare. The model also will emphasize union with Christ by the Spirit in order to display the derivative attributes of Christ while obeying each mandate, growth in Gospel-of-grace themes to apply the mandates (faith, repentance, love and hope) and the means of grace/tools of change (Scripture, prayer, sacraments, fellowship).

G. An Illustration of the Meta-Narrative

Rev. Dr. Tim Yates

“Four Christ-Imaging Mandates” (4CIMs): A Biblical Counseling Theology c. Tim Yates God attributes, Holy Holy Church exalted now like diamond facets Father seated in heavenly new creation-garden-city-temple- refracting prisms kingdom as reigning kings- . . . the eternal of light on all nd priests-prophets in 2 Adam union comes his works worshiping the Triune God A

REST: fellowship Holy Son Holy Until the 4 mandates reach Spirit God-man their eternal fulfillments 2nd AdamAdam ruling . . . the eternal Triune God attributes filtered by composite image-sensing lens enmity comes His decrees: (election, reprobation, fall-> creation curse & mandate), His moral law & His Gospel (covenants), displayed by incarnate Christ Fallen angels Elect angels Unholy Christ Triune God’s works: enmity/mission/mercy steward recreated righteous

evil------governments----good Derivative attributes filtered by Means of grace composite image-sensing lens: Sin contagious United with visible church, under a wall of God moral law & His Gospel A blindness Inner man renewed; Outer man/body Fallen creation= stewardship but frustration, illness, injury wasting away

old self Holy Church suffering imitates Christ 4 mandates in work & Unholy worship, exploit, destroy creation rest . . . in unbelief, pride, lust & fear, create a) REST: Great assembly mandate=fellowship, worship in joy of Lord cultures of blindness & imaginary religions, b) WORK: Great commission mandate=holy renewal, mission, and enmity to those who would believe, mercy (to unrighteous and especially righteous) but also common grace, so unholy help c) WORK: Great cultural mandate=subdue-steward earth & have society and creation. children (+repent of enmity & worship), endure curse d) WORK: Great warfare mandate=enmity (to unholy world, unholy in church discipline & my old sin nature)

The meta-narrative of God displayed by Christ (a-d) is now imaged in his people by the Spirit working through the Word (a1-d1) hoping in the future consummation (a2-d2) (see details above) provides us a theological framework that can be used as a definition for biblical counseling: Using the means of grace in the power of the Spirit applied Gospel, compare self and counselee (a1- d1) + (a2-d2)with the exalted Christ in his derivative attributes, displayed perfectly in the four mandates (a-d), seeking change in self and counselee where unlike him and receiving God- glorifying assurance with encouragement to persevere where like him. Note that this definition of comparative change can include discovery of heart idols and behavioral sins, but will not mean only those types of comparisons. It also includes positive growth into the maturity of the four mandates (‘let your love abound more and more’ Phil 1:9). It also includes a healthy biblical assurance and encouragement to persevere when we see growing likeness to Christ, though those with greater likeness do not tend to seek as much biblical counsel, but rather are more competent to give counsel to others (1 John; 2 Peter 1:1-11; Gal 6:1).