PHILIP RYKEN | the END of FAITH? | Brothers Divided
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may 2010 Tending souls philip ryken | the end of faith? | brothers divided GAA At The Coalface An introduction to Christian Presbyterian Eldership $6.60 Education Including 5 studies on 1 Timothy Resources Making Friends Available from for Life PTC Media, A workbook for small group 684 Elgar Road, evangelism Box Hill North VIC 3129 10 studies on Philippians. $8.50 Phone: 0400 880 515 Email: ptcmedia@ Westminster presbyteriancollege.org Confession of Faith Fax: 03 9898 9872 Century — Study Edition Please make $15 + $3.50 pp. cheques payable to 6 copies for $105 posted Presbyterian Church Westminster of Victoria Confession of Faith Pocket size $4.40 All prices quoted are Bulk prices for 10+ copies inclusive of GST. Unless stated all orders plus Christian postage and handling. commitments 5 studies for communicant mem - bership. $7 each 10 copies for $55 June 2010 No. 626 www.ap.org.au the magazine of the presbyterian church of australia tending souls editorial 4 The whole truth: Philip Ryken 10 Curing pew-monia: Bruce Winter guess I shouldn’t be surprised about the presence of 13 A modern Calvin: Mark Powell faddism in the church. All of us are susceptible to it . In one way or another all of us have known the bible study tendency to want to “keep up with the Joneses”. We Iunderstand the yearning to be relevant . 15 Tending the flock In a sense, such a desire is perfectly understandable in a 20 Bible studies in 1 Timothy culture which is dominated by innovation in technology. As the mantra goes, “new is good, newer is better and newest church directory is best.” Of course, this assumption makes perfect sense 17 Every Presbyterian church, state by state when it comes to computer operating systems and broadband speeds, but there is something that isn’t quite news right when we introduce the principle into theology. Indeed, in several places the Bible warns us about the 25 News danger of this idea. For instance, Luke tells us that in Paul’s day it was characteristic of the pagan Athenians to do 27 On the Agenda nothing other than “telling or hearing something new” church (Acts 17:21). No doubt it was this same fascination with whatever is new that lay behind Israel’s desire to 30 The end of faith? Mark Galli manufacture other gods in the wilderness (Ex . 32:1). Nevertheless, despite the fact that Israel teetered on the atheism brink of annihilation when it pursued a policy of pragmatism, the lessons of this ancient incident seem to be Brothers divided: Simon Smart 32 lost on many within the modern church. For over a century letters now, evangelicals have increasingly bought into the cult of relevance and modernity. This is not really a sensible move 33 given the judgment that fell on Israel. Buying into pragmatism is folly. It makes as much sense as investing at prayer the top of the market when all the signs suggest that dramatic falls are imminent . Anyone who has studied 34 economics knows that such a practice is a recipe for financial suicide. You never buy high and sell low – it’s a books formula for disaster, whether in money or ideas. 35 A Guide to Christian Living: John Calvin This is especially so when we consider ministry. It was Charles Finney, the American evangelist, who proposed the Let’s Study 1 Timothy: W. John Cook idea that the ends justify the means in ministry. He said: Wise Counsel: John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr “The success of any measure designed to promote a revival of religion demonstrates its wisdom.” This is pragmatism To the Ends of the Earth: Kenneth Hylson-Smith pure and simple. Paul, on the other hand, tells us to undertake ministry strictly by the Book (1 Timothy 4:13- essay 16). 36 Courting trouble: Peter Barnes Peter Hastie ap 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 (West Australia) News Editor; Peter Hastie (NSW), World News Editor. Graphic Design: Sandra Joynt for A&J Moody Design: www.ajmd.com.au. Advertising and subscription inquiries: Michael Timmins, PO Box 375, Kilsyth 3137; Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Subscription: $38.50 a year inc. GST; bulk (etc) $35.20 each inc. GST. Office: PO Box 375, Kilsyth 3137. Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Fax: (03) 9723 9685. Email: [email protected] Printed by Adept Mail & Print Services, Boronia, Vic. 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. | australian presbyterian June 2010 3 The whole truth In 1 Timothy theology and practice meet. r Philip G. Ryken is the pas - gregation . I guess another factor, partic - tor at the historic Tenth Philip Ryken ularly at the beginning of my ministry at Presbyterian Church in talks to Tenth Presbyterian Church , was that I Philadelphia. He is a gradu - Peter Hastie decided to gravitate towards books that Date of Wheaton College and Westminster Dr James Boice, my predecessor, had not Theological Seminary and holds a doc - preached on, or at least had not preached torate in historical theology from the preached the series , I believed it would on in some time. I noticed that he had University of Oxford. His doctoral thesis be personally beneficial for me to review never undertaken a detailed expositional was on the theology of the famous the qualifications for Christian ministry. series on the pastoral epistles , so I fig - Scottish pastor and theologian Thomas I was keen to reflect on the instruction ured that it would be useful to look at 1 Boston. Dr Ryken is the successor to Dr that Paul was giving to his young col - Timothy from that standpoint as well. James Montgomery Boice at Tenth league because I knew that I would profit Church. from it myself and I wanted to share the How do you determine what you are Dr Ryken is not only a well-recognised joy of my discoveries with the congrega - going to preach on? preacher but a prolific author. He has tion. It is a letter for Timothy , but also I normally think about what will be published two excellent commentaries for the benefit of the church. good for the health of the congregation on Exodus and Jeremiah in Crossway’s at that particular time . I also consider Preaching the Word series and a number You wrote your commentary on 1 what has recently been preached or what of important studies on the cross, grace Timothy in 2007. When did you others are preaching in the context of and the Lord’s Prayer. He is also the edi - actually preach the series of our total ministry at Tenth Presbyterian tor of a new series, The Reformed sermons? Church. It is good if we can complement Expository Commentary, and has writ - I preached on 1 Timothy in the 1990s , one another. I also want to preach ten the commentaries on Luke, Galatians before I preached on the book of Exodus . through a book that excites me and for and 1 Timothy in that series . I think it was around 19 97 to 1998 . I had which I have a high level of motivation to Dr Ryken has recently been appointed been in the pastoral ministry for about preach. This is especially so if the series as the eighth president of Wheaton two or three years. There’s about a 10- is going to be long. I think the pastor’s College, a Christian liberal arts college in year gap between when I preached it and own enthusiasm for that part of God’s Wheaton, Illinois. He is married to Lisa when I wrote the commentary. word is very important for the congrega - and has five children. tion’s enjoyment of a longer series. Were there any specific pastoral Philip, you decided several years ago needs that led you to do it apart So, how did you make it through the to preach a series of sermons on 1 from your own desire to frame your book of Exodus? Timothy. What led you to do it? own ministry with biblical or Again, I was very excited to preach I wanted to preach from 1 Timothy pastoral principles? through Exodus. When I did that partic - early on in my ministry so that I could No, that desire was primary. I think it ular sermon series, we did more than get the benefit of Paul’s tutelage. Since I was also a healthy book for a congrega - 100 messages together . We did it from am a relatively young man in ministry ,I tion to study. At the time I had been beginning to end, all 40 chapters. hope that I might come back to 2 preaching through Jeremiah, which was Timothy later on in my life and see it quite a lengthy series . When I finished Even after chapter 21? more from the mentor’s perspective Jeremiah, I thought it was time to study Yes, we covered all the material on the rather than the protege’s. At the time I a New Testament epistle with the con - tabernacle in detail. In a sense you do it 4| australian presbyterian June 2010 tending souls twice because after you get the instruc - but he also reveals a deep knowledge of disposition of a bold and charismatic tions on the tabernacle, you get the this young man with respect to his gifts leader.