The John Stott IncomChrist.book Page 2 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM THE LONDON LECTURES IN CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY This is an annual series of lectures founded in 1974 to promote Chris- tian thought about contemporary issues. Their aim is to expound an aspect of historical biblical Christianity and to relate it to a contempo- rary issue in the church in the world. They seek to be scholarly in con- tent yet popular enough in appeal and style to attract the educated public; and to present each topic in such a way as to be of interest to the widest possible audience as well as to the Christian public. Recent Lectures 1994 Transforming Leadership: A Christian Approach to Managing Organizations, Richard Higginson 1995 The Spirit of the Age, Roy McCloughry 1996 The Word on the Box: Christians in the Media, Justin Philips, Graham Mytton, Alan Rogers, Robert McLeish, Tim Dean 1997 Matters of Life and Death: Contemporary Medical Dilemmas in the Light of the Christian Faith, John Wyatt (published by IVP in 1998 as Matters of Life and Death: Today’s Healthcare Dilemmas in the Light of Christian Faith) 1998 Endless Conflict or Empty Tolerance: The Christian Response to a Multifaith World, Vinoth Ramachandra (published by IVP in 1999 as Faiths in Conflict: Christian Integrity in a Multicultural World) 2000 The Incomparable Christ: Celebrating His Millennial Birth, John Stott 2001 Moral Leadership, Bishop James Jones The London Lectures Trust The London Lectures in Contemporary Christianity are organized by the London Lectures Trust, which was established as a charity in 1994. The committee represents several different evangelical organizations. IncomChrist.book Page 3 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM The Incomparable Christ John Stott Front.fm Page 4 Tuesday, July 9, 2013 3:12 PM InterVarsity Press P. O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426 World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com E-mail: [email protected] © John R. W. Stott 2001 Published in the United States of America by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, with permission from Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Leicester, England. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press. InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept., InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895, or visit the IVCF website at <www.intervarsity.org>. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV ®. Copy- right ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. All rights reserved. “NIV” is a registered trademark of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790. Distributed in North America by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. Cover illustration: Scala/Art Resource, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8308-9627-1 (digital) ISBN 978-0-8308-3222-4 (print) IncomChrist.book Page 5 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM CONTENTS Foreword by George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury . 9 Chairman’s Preface . 11 Acknowledgments. 12 Introduction . 15 1. The Centrality of Jesus . 15 2. History and Theology . 18 PART I: THE ORIGINAL JESUS (or How the New Testament Witnesses to Him) THE FOUR GOSPELS . 23 1. The Gospel of Matthew: Christ the Fulfillment of Scripture . 23 2. The Gospel of Mark: Christ the Suffering Servant . 26 3. Luke’s Gospel and the Acts: Christ the Savior of the World . 31 4. The Gospel and Letters of John: Christ the Word Made Flesh. 37 5. The Fourfold Gospel. 41 6. Jesus and Paul . 43 THE THIRTEEN LETTERS OF PAUL . 46 7. A Polemical Letter (Galatians): Christ the Liberator . 46 8. The Early Letters (1–2 Thessalonians): Christ the Coming Judge . 49 9. The Major Letters (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians): Christ the Savior . 52 10. The Prison Letters (Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians): Christ the Supreme Lord . 65 11. The Pastoral Letters (1 Timothy, Titus and 2 Timothy): Christ the Head of the Church. 68 THREE MORE JEWISH AUTHORS. 71 12. The Letter of James: Christ the Moral Teacher . 71 13. The Letter to the Hebrews: Christ Our Great High Priest . 73 14. The Letters of Peter: Christ the Exemplary Sufferer . 77 Conclusion: Diversity in Unity . 79 IncomChrist.book Page 6 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM PART II: THE ECCLESIASTICAL JESUS (or How the Church Has Presented Him) “ANOTHER JESUS” . 85 1. Christ the Complete Fulfillment: Justin Martyr The prophets and the philosophers . 86 2. Christ the Unique God-Man: The Early Councils The importance of Christology . 89 3. Christ the Perfect Monk: St. Benedict Two questions about monasticism . 92 4. Christ the Feudal Debtor: Anselm Medieval atonement theology . 95 5. Christ the Heavenly Bridegroom: Bernard of Clairvaux Christian mysticism. 98 6. Christ the Ethical Exemplar: Thomas à Kempis An ascetic imitation of Christ. 101 7. Christ the Gracious Savior: Martin Luther Justification by faith alone . 105 8. Christ the Human Teacher: Ernst Renan and Thomas Jefferson Enlightenment skepticism. 107 9. Christ the Tragic Victim: John Mackay Good Friday without Easter . 110 10. Christ the Social Liberator: Gustavo Gutiérrez Good news for the poor . 114 11. Christ the Jewish Messiah: N. T. Wright Exile and exodus . 119 12. Christ the Global Lord: Mission in the Twentieth Century From Edinburgh (1910) to Lausanne (1974). 123 Conclusion: Authenticity Versus Accommodation . 128 IncomChrist.book Page 7 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM PART III: THE INFLUENTIAL JESUS (or How He Has Inspired People) THE STORY OF JESUS . 133 1. The Bethlehem Stable: Francis of Assisi The nativity of the poor king . 134 2. The Carpenter’s Bench: George Lansbury The dignity of manual labor. 136 3. The Ministry of Compassion: Father Damien and Wellesley Bailey Touching untouchables. 142 4. The Sermon on the Mount: Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The challenge of nonresistance . 145 5. The Love for Children: Thomas Barnardo “An ever-open door”. 149 6. The Washing of Feet: Samuel Logan Brengle A necessary lesson in humility . 153 7. The Cross: Toyohiko Kagawa The revelation of the love of God . 156 8. The Resurrection: Joni Eareckson Tada “I’ll be on my feet dancing”. 159 9. The Exaltation: Henry Martyn Zeal for the honor of Christ’s name . 162 10. The Gift of the Spirit: Roland Allen The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit . 165 11. The Second Coming: Anthony Ashley Cooper (Lord Shaftesbury) A program of social reform . 167 12. The Last Judgment: William Wilberforce The abolition of slavery and the slave trade . 170 Conclusion: The Radical Nature of Christ’s Influence . 173 IncomChrist.book Page 8 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM PART IV: THE ETERNAL JESUS (or How He Challenges Us Today) “THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST” . 179 1. Christ Claiming to be the First and the Last and the Living One (Rev 1) A vision of the resurrected and eternal Christ. 184 2. Christ Supervising His Churches on Earth (Rev 2—3) Seven marks of an ideal church. 187 3. Christ Sharing God’s Throne in Heaven (Rev 4—5) The throne, the scroll and the Lamb . 193 4. Christ Controlling the Course of History (Rev 6—7) The seven seals and the two communities . 198 5. Christ Calling the World to Repentance (Rev 8—11) The seven trumpets, the little scroll and the two witnesses . 202 6. Christ Overcoming the Devil and His Allies (Rev 12—13) The woman, the dragon, the male child and the two beasts . 210 7. Christ Standing on Mount Zion with His Redeemed People (Rev 14:1—15:4) The radical alternative: salvation and judgment . 217 8. Christ Coming Like a Thief in the Night (Rev 15:5—19:10) The call to be ready. 221 9. Christ Riding in Triumph on a White Horse (Rev 19:11—20:15) The doom of the beast and of Satan . 231 10. Christ Coming as the Bridegroom to Claim His Bride (Rev 21—22) The new universe, the city and the garden . 238 Epilogue (Rev 22:6-21). 244 Conclusion: One Book in Four Parts . 250 Notes . 252 Scripture Index . 260 IncomChrist.book Page 9 Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:56 PM FOREWORD I have no doubt, as Archbishop of Canterbury, that the greatest and most important task we have as Christians today, whatever our de- nomination, is to name the Name, and to do so not only with the greatest of courtesy for the beliefs of others but also with a conviction that the person of Christ continues to meet the longings and hopes of every human heart. Dr. John Stott has made the subject of Jesus Christ the center of his life’s work and study. From his pen have flowed penetrating works that combine scholarship with years of passionate commitment to the pastoral and evangelistic work of the church. From his mouth have flowed powerful and convincing expositions of the relevance of Christ for today. But while John is a brilliant and well-read scholar, he has never been an ivory-tower theologian. He falls into the classic Anglican tra- dition of the “teaching pastor.” His classroom has been first the parish and second the world. He has not sought academic position or eccle- siastical preferment. And yet, according to no less an authority than David Edwards, “with the exception of William Temple, John Stott is the most influential clergyman in the Church of England of the twen- tieth century.” John, being the humble man of God he is, will shift uncomfortably at these words.