Friday, December 23, 2016

Manage To Make It Round

"How could a major controversy arise on a subject exhaustively studied for centuries in which there was a clear consensus among evangelical Protestants? Part of the answer is that evangelical Christians have become ignorant about church history. With what can only be called pride, many have thought that they could dig all of God's truth out of the Bible by themselves. They neglected the treasures of insights into God's Word that have accumulated from the labors of brothers and sisters over the centuries. They have insisted on reinventing the wheel in our generation--and they have not managed to make it round." - W. Robert Godfrey, from Reformation Sketches, page 80.

I have one of those sicknesses that prevents sleep. Usually it's my thoughts that keep me from rest. Today it's phlegm, so I might as well say something. And since next year (just over a week away) marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation launch, I think of church history - God's activity among His people in space and time. I am not a historian. So I can't recommend the very best works and resources for your education (other than the Bible). But I will list a few options with which I am familiar.

1. A Pastoral Overview of Church History - 6 Sermons by Douglas Wilson.

2. Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

3. The Biography Section at Monergism

4. The One Year Christian History by E Michael and Sharon Rusten

5. Essential Church History by Adam Murrell

6. Any history books by Stephen Nichols or Carl Trueman

Enjoy.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Not A Bad Epitaph

"He meant to disturb people."
Iain Murray, commenting on the preaching of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones,
at the 2014 Together for the Gospel Conference. You may listen to the
entire discussion here.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Christ Alone

"We must think of no other God than Christ; that God which speaks not out of Christ's mouth, is not God. . .We seek God everywhere; but not seeking him in Christ, we find him nowhere." -- Martin Luther, from Tabletalk, #182