In today’s newsletter, I want to let you know what I’m working on this Fall.
My Next Book Will be about Providence
I am pleased to be writing a short introduction to the doctrine of providence for Crossway this year. It will be part of their “Short Studies in Systematic Theology” series, which is designed to introduce systematic theology in short studies of individual doctrines.
I have become convinced during my study of this topic that there is no philosophical solution to the problem of evil and that the only adequate answer is the narrative we get from Scripture. Scripture tells us about God’s creation of a wholly good but finite world, the angelic and human fall into sin, the plan of redemption climaxing in Christ’s death and resurrection, and the hope of the resurrection of the body and eternal life. Put briefly, my thesis is that if we cannot believe in the resurrection, there is no way we can understand this universe to be a moral universe. In this world the evil often flourishes, and the innocent often suffer. If this life is all there is, then evil wins.
One of the main philosophical theories put forward by theologians to explain evil is libertarian free will. Now, I have many problems with this idea, and I do not even think it is possible to think the idea of libertarian free will coherently. But setting all that aside for a moment, if we assume for the sake of argument that libertarian free will exists and that humans have it, does that explain evil? Well, on one level it does. The answer is that evil exists because angels and humans choose it freely. But that solution only pushes the problem up a level. The next question is why does God allow free will, knowing that it will result in great evil?
If you say it is because God knows that the good that results from allowing angels and humans to fall is greater than the pain involved in a fallen world, the problem is that this answer says nothing to individuals qua individuals. It is just a utilitarian calculation that takes into account the total amount of pain and suffering overall. It says noting to the young mother dying of cancer while her husband and three children stand by helplessly.
The only answer to the problem of innocent suffering is the resurrection of the body because that is the only answer that speaks to the individual qua individual. That particular mother will be raised from the dead and she will see her husband and children again. They will all be blessed by God in heaven so that the suffering they endured will be seen by them as temporary and as sanctifying. There will be justice not only for the universe as a whole, but for each and every individual as well. On that final day, all will confess that God is good and just.
There is no philosophical answer to the problem of innocent suffering; there is only the gospel message and the sure and certain hope of life after death in the presence of God.
I’m Speaking at a Conference on the Creeds
First, if you live near Prince George County, Virginia you might want to join me at the Prince County Conference on Reformed Theology to be held at Greenbelt Baptist Church on Friday-Saturday, September 23-24. This conference is sponsored by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and features J. V. Fesko, Chris Spano, and I as speakers.
The theme is “The Necessity of the Creeds in the Life of the Church.” J. V. Fesko will introduce the theme on Friday evening and then on Saturday we will introduce the First Nicene Creed (325), the Second Nicene Creed (381), and the Definition of Chalcedon (451). In closing Dr. Fesko will talk about the uses, abuses and limits of creeds in the life of the church. Be sure to get hold of Dr. Fesko’s excellent book on this topic, The Necessity for Creeds Today.
I can’t tell you how excited I am to see a conference like this aimed at lay people and pastors, which puts the creeds front and center for a change. Everyone should have some basic understanding of the historical background, the contents, and the significance of the creeds. For over 1500 years Christians around the world have confessed these creeds as foundational to the faith. Why not come along and see what the big deal is about them?
Should Pastors Get a Ph.D. in Theology?
In late November I will be co-teaching a doctoral seminar on God and Creation with Matthew Barrett at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This Ph.D. program is the best one available for pastors, in my opinion. You can stay in ministry and do your reading and writing at home. You go to the seminary to take an intensive, one-week seminar several times a year. I suggest you look for a small, country church where you can raise a family, live frugally, grow your own vegetables, and avoid debt, while doing this program. Matthew Barrett is the best Baptist theologian of this generation, and his students are already making a mark around the world.
But why should a pastor get a Ph.D. degree? I think there are a number of reasons; let me mention a few.
First, the truth is that an M.Div. degree today does not provide as good an education as it once did. Many pastors graduate from seminary with little understanding of classical Christian theology and having read few, if any, of the major works of the history of theology. In our seminar this fall students are reading classic authors like Augustine, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, and Stephen Charnock, plus contemporaries such as Webster, Boersma, Sytsma, Muller, Feser, Duby, Weinandy, Dolezal, Ayres, and White. The focus here is on the doctrine of God as seen in the Great Tradition.
Second, there is a lot of false doctrine, confused doctrine, and shallow doctrine around today. The church has always been plagued with false teaching as we can see in the letters of Paul all the way to the present. We will never eliminate false teaching because Satan keeps stirring it up. The church needs shepherds who have a solid education, spiritual discernment, and wisdom. This is not a distraction from or alternative to the mission of the church. It is essential to maintaining the effectiveness of the church in evangelism and missions.
Third, the bigger your doctrine of God, the more you will exalt him in your preaching and the more God is exalted in preaching the deeper and richer the worship of your church will become. All of us are pilgrims on a journey and we will either deepen in our understanding of God’s being and attributes or we will stand still. There is a direct correlation between our growth in spiritual knowledge of God and our love for one another. Pastors need to forge ahead and be trailblazers for the rest of the congregation in this regard. Read, contemplate, discuss, describe in writing, share what you have learned. Am I talking about your Ph.D. program or your local church ministry? I referring to both! One should blend into the other and each should enrich the other.
After 15 years as Theologian in Residence at Westney Heights Baptist Church, I can tell you that the mutual enrichment of theological reading and writing has enriched and been enriched by my ministry of teaching and preaching in the local church. I often say that I could never have written the book, Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition, had I not teaching an introduction to the interpretation of the Bible to my men’s Bible study at that time.
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I would appreciate your prayers this fall. There is a lot of travel involved and a lot of work. But it is joyful and fulfilling work. My wife, Bonnie, recently finished up her work as Donor Records Manager at our church and will be free to travel with me this year, so we are looking forward to new adventures. In addition to attending ETS and teaching at MBTS, we have other travel planned for this fall. We plan to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, drive up the eastern seaboard of the US from Virginia to Canada, and spend some time in New Brunswick and the White Mountains of New Hampshire on our way home. Along the way, we plan to visit family (including our five grandchildren!) in Washington, DC, New Brunswick, and Ottawa. God is good!