The Wanderer

I spent yesterday in London at London Theological Seminary. For most of the day I was involved in the Theology Study Group under the auspices of the John Owen Centre. We were studying The Marrow of Modern Divinity (a brief review of this excellent book is here). I then repaired to the hospitable home of Gary Brady from whence I return for the Martyn Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture for 2010, delivered by Stuart Olyott. As ever, Stuart was clear and engaging, and I felt the stab of conscience on a number of fronts. Here is a summary of his address:

Preaching That Gets Through

An African friend visited who had never seen the sea. On standing atop a low cliff, a wave sprang up before him, and with great excitement he declared that he had now seen the sea. Of course, he had seen only the smallest part of the vast oceans, but it nevertheless gripped his being. We will see only a small element of the whole, but we trust it will grip our beings in a similar fashion.

I. A quiz

Are the following statements true or false?

1. “Words are powerful things.” True.

2. “Words are units of writing which are the smallest units of language that we can isolate, and which may or may not be spoken.” False. Transpose the writing and the speaking and we understand that speaking comes before writing. We must not write sermons to be spoken (i.e. read written English) but we might write in order to attain clarity for what must then be spoken as spoken English.

3. “Words are powerless to raise the spiritually dead unless accompanied by the omnipotent energy of the Holy Spirit.” True.

4. All this said, as we use words, there are ways of getting through and of not getting through, and these are appointed by God.” True.

5. “These ways of getting through can be learned.” True.

6. “However, the Holy Spirit is no more likely to accompany the ways of getting through than of not getting through.” False. God is not arbitrary, and we should expect to see a connection between the means used and the ends achieved.

7. “Our study can be limited to two areas: the what and the how of preaching.” False.

II. Aristotle and Paul

Aristotle was a rhetorician who lived from about 384-322 bc. He identified three characteristics of effective speech that have been present in just about every treatment of the topic since, from a secular or a religious perspective.

1. Ethos. This is imputed credibility. It is the sense of those hearing that a man has something important to say and some right to say it. We might call it ethical appeal.

2. Pathos. This speaks of a man taken up with his hearers. He cares both for what he says and for those to whom he is saying it. We might call it emotional appeal.

3. Logos. This is the content and structure of what a man has to say, its flow and development, its constituent elements directed toward a particular end. We might call it logical appeal.

However, Aristotle only takes us so far. We come up against Scripture:

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1Cor 1.17-20)

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Cor 2.1-5)

It is clear from his work that ethos, pathos and logos mattered to the writer of these words, but also that they were not sufficient. He also desired dunamis. In the words of John Livingstone, who knew something of this power in preaching: “There is sometimes somewhat in preaching that cannot be ascribed either to the matter or expression, and cannot be described what it is, or from whence it cometh, but with a sweet violence it pierceth into the heart and affections, and comes immediately from the Lord. But if there be any way to attain to such thing, it is by a heavenly disposition of the speaker.”

This power is of an entirely different order to the other elements in preaching that is heard. It overarches and imbues all the other elements of holy rhetoric.

Paul’s employment of ethos was not the Greek notion of bolstering one’s own reputation in the world, but rather an integrity to which he could and did appeal, and which was pleasing to God. Such integrity delivers from hypocrisy, which God will not bless. It incarnates what a man preaches, and makes him credible before the people to whom he speaks.

His pursuit of pathos was not the cultivation of manipulation with a view to compliance in his audience, but a Christlike fellow-feeling with men, a readiness to weep and to rejoice with them. Deep sincerity carried along compelling truth in the display of a true humanity.

His cultivation of logos was not with the aim of impressing people with his erudition, displaying his rhetorical knowledge and skill, dazzling with style, but the pursuit of clarity for the sake of the gospel, setting forth God’s nature and demands, answering objections, progressing reasonably, employing proofs, demonstrating his argument, applying in concrete fashion.

But he also depended on dunamis: to the Greek, if a man were not persuaded by an orator, the fault lay in the rhetorician – he had somehow failed rightly to employ his tools. Paul, however, knew that there was a largely indefinable but absolutely indispensable element: when a man preaches, only God can give the increase. It lies in the hand of God to give this power, and it is obtained only by asking. For this reason [Stuart opined] there was no real preaching until after Pentecost. The apostles knew no lasting spiritual accomplishments without the blessing of God, and so they sought it constantly:

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.’ For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4.23-31)

We see the demonstration of all these things, for example, in the sermon of Stephen to the Sanhedrin. Stephen demonstrates ethos, pathos and logos, but is also in possession of dunamis, being a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6.5).

Do you, then, pray to preach in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power? Will you wrestle with God to obtain the blessing? Will you rely upon the Lord? Will you remain unsatisfied until it can be said of you, “The Lord blessed him there”?

III. Upside-down thinking

All this being so, how do we proceed? Upside-down thinking might help. It is the process whereby one asks not, “How do I make a success of this?” but “How can I make a failure?” and then pursues the opposites of the answers. So a restaurant might conclude that ways to fail would include rank food in a grotty environment served by surly waiters offered at times when no one is hungry from a dingy building which no one can find and where no one can park. They then do the opposite of all these things to obtain success.

Preachers might apply upside-down thinking to the elements identified before: how can we fail with regard to ethos, pathos, logos, and dunamis?

With regard to ethos, the golden rule is keep your distance. In other words, prevent close knowledge of yourself; avoid contact with the people to whom you preach; resist everything that tends to credibility and affection; draw a veil over your life.

With regard to pathos, the golden rule is show no feeling. Resist feeling anything about what you are saying or for whom you are saying it. Use no affectionate words and demonstrate no regard; shun empathy. Ignore their circumstances. Never tell stories; ignore imagination; avoid application. Use jargon. Avoid all displays of humanity.

With regard to logos, the golden rule is don’t work too hard. Let there be no exegesis, structure, reasoning, evidences, or conclusions. Let all truth be declared without any stimulation to the heart. Treat all topics equally: especially, never let anyone imagine that the gospel is your priority. Leave all you speak in the abstract. Deliver an unappealing lump of abstract propositions in a grey monotone.

With regard to dunamis, the golden rule is ignore it completely. Conclude that good men differ sufficiently over its precise nature that you can and should safely neglect it. Avoid the issue altogether. Flee all that is mystical. Neglect prayer, absolutely if possible. Save your time and energy in this regard. Abandon once-and-for-all any desire for or pursuit of power in preaching.

And then you will be a magnificent failure.

Do you get the point?

We have been standing on the shore of the ocean of preaching. We have seen only a tiny part of the great vastness of the topic. May it refresh us and grip us, and give us a desire for more.

HT: Chris Brauns.

It is frequently my fear lest I should fall into the habit of preaching about the gospel than directly preaching the gospel, and hence I labor to return to the first principle of our faith, and often take a text upon which it would not be possible to say anything new but which will compel me to recapitulate in your hearing those things which are vital, essential, and fundamental to the life of our souls.  With such a text as this before me [1 Peter 1:19], if I do not preach the gospel, I shall do violence both to the sacred word and to my own conscience.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, 1950), IV:366.  Italics original.

Me too.

HT: Ray Ortlund

The publication of A Portrait of Paul (more information) is not far off, and my co-author continues to agitate for endorsements, scoring some surprising but gratifying hits.

Here, for example, is  Dr Joseph A. Pipa Jr, President of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary:

Ventura’s and Walker’s A Portrait of Paul: Identifying a True Minister of Christ makes an unique contribution to the literature on pastoral theology. Rather than approach their subject topically, they unfold Paul’s heart for and practice of ministry through an exposition of Colossians 1:24-2:5.  The authors balance careful and experimental exposition with challenging application–addressing both fellow Christians and Pastors.  All serious Christians, as well as pastors, will profit from this book; it is intellectually satisfying, experimentally challenging, and practically stimulating.

Furthermore, a sampler of the book is now available, comprising the foreword, introduction and chapter six.

In addition to the kind written endorsements, we have received the following video endorsement from Paul Washer:

As before, orders can be placed with Reformation Heritage Books as well as Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Christian Book Distributors (CBD), and Grace Books International as well as a growing number of other places.

You must buy this. Really, you have no choice.

Update: Justin Taylor interviews the author here.

According to this tool (toy?), employed three times, I write like H. P. Lovecraft (purveyor of unsettling fiction driven by the principles of ‘cosmic horror’), Dan Brown (purveyor of neo-gnostic tripe), and William Shakespeare (purveyor of world-renowned histories, comedies and tragedies). Could be worse (not much, given Dan Brown came up, but conceivably, it could be worse). Couldn’t be much more stupid or contradictory.

Well, hurrah and huzzah! A Portrait of Paul (more information) has been sent to the printers and should have a concrete existence (by which, naturally, I do not mean buried in concrete or tied to a block of concrete and sunk to the bottom of some convenient body of water) by the end of this month, God willing.

In a clear indication that we have unwittingly persuaded otherwise competent judges that we know something, Carl Trueman has the following to say about the book:

This deceptively easy to read book consists of a series of reflections on Col.1:24 to 2:5 by two experienced pastors. In an age where there is much focus on technical aspects of ministry, Ventura and Walker analyse the topic in terms, first, of call and character, and then of the existential urgency with which the great doctrines of the faith are grasped by those called to the pastorate. Intended not just to be read but to be a practical guide in helping churches think through the role of the pastor, each chapter ends with a series of pointed questions, to Christians in general and to pastors in particular, which are designed to focus the minds of all concerned on what the priorities of the pastorate, and of candidates for the pastorate should be. This book is a biblical rebuke to modern trends, a challenge to those who think they may be called to the ministry, and a reality check for all believers everywhere.

Particularly enjoyable here is the employment of the phrase “existential urgency” – I don’t think I have ever been accused of something so unreasonable!

At the moment, orders can be placed with Reformation Heritage Books as well as Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Christian Book Distributors (CBD), and Grace Books International as well as a growing number of other places.

Hopefully I will get some sample chapters up in the next few days, but for now, I can provide the foreword, kindly written by Dr Joel Beeke:

Have you ever wondered what the gospel ministry should be like? Or what kind of minister your church should look for? If you are a minister, have you ever established in your own mind what the ideal and pathos of an apostolic pattern of ministry should look and feel like?

Other than our Lord Jesus Himself, there is no better representative in the Scriptures than the apostle Paul for visualizing the gospel ministry. In numerous letters, Paul makes himself and his ministry stunningly vulnerable. Repeatedly, he sets before us not only the origin, essence, and goal of his ministry, but also its joys, hardships, conflicts, and warnings. Paul allows us not only to view his daily work but also opens up his mind and soul in an amazing way.

In this gripping, well-written book, Rob Ventura and Jeremy Walker mine the riches of Paul, showing us the mind, heart, and life of a genuine minister who is on fire for the glory of God, the growth of believers, the establishment of Christ’s church, and the salvation of the lost. No minister can read this book without being profoundly convicted of his shortcomings and deeply moved to aspire to more faithful ministry. No church member can read this book without acquiring a better understanding of what a minister should be and without being stirred up to pray for his pastor, or, in the case of a pulpit and pastoral vacancy, for finding the kind of pastor these pages so vividly display.

Having taught in pastoral ministry for twenty-five years at a seminary level, I have never read a book that so powerfully presents a Christ-centered model for biblical ministry as A Portrait of Paul. Books, seminaries, and experience all play an invaluable role in preparing a man for the ministry, but this book affirms, with John Newton, that “none but He who made the world can make a minister.” After you read this book, you will understand Charles Spurgeon, who said, “Do not be a minister if you can help it,” as well as Thomas Watson, who said, “The ministry is the most honorable employment in the world. Jesus Christ has graced this calling by His entering into it.” You will also understand what my father said to me after I was called to the ministry: “To serve as a minister of Jesus Christ is a more important calling than living in the White House.”

A Portrait of Paul is a great book that should serve as required reading in an introductory course on Christian ministry. Every minister should own a copy and read it. Lay people should also read it to understand their pastor and ministry of all kinds in the church of Jesus Christ.

May God use this book in a mighty way to stir pastors and lay people to fervency of heart for the church as the bride of Jesus Christ and for the amazing calling of pastoral ministry. Let us all pray daily for Word-based, God-fearing, Christ-exalting, sober-minded ministers to fill this needy earth with sound preaching, holy lives, and loving pastoral counsel—ministers whose very lives are transcripts of their sermons. This is the crying need of the universal church and of the world today.

We are moving closer to printing A Portrait of Paul (more information). I hope to whet your appetites with a foreword soon, as well as the aforementioned video endorsement, and in the meantime the publishers are playing with the typesetting and toying with possibilities for indeces. As the actual publication arrives, I hope you will bear with me as I add a few snippets along the way. I do not intend to wallow in the foetid pool.

At the moment, orders can be placed with Reformation Heritage Books as well as Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Christian Book Distributors (CBD), and Grace Books International. A few other places are apparently ready to make it available, but I am struggling to keep up with them all.

Derek Thomas, the John Richards Professor of Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi, was kind enough to read the manuscript and commend the book:

In this dual-authored portrait of Paul as a minister of the gospel, Ventura and Walker have captured the very essence of ministry. On every page, we are forced to reflect upon the dimensions of apostolic ministry and urged to comply. Packed with exposition and application of the finest sort, these pages urge gospel-focused, Christ-centered, God-exalting, Spirit-empowered, self-denying ministry. I warmly recommend it.

The promised link: you can find all the addresses from the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Conference on the beauty and glory of Christ on SermonAudio here.