Rienk Bouke Kuiper (1886–1966)

While I was at the Banner Conference (2010) Iain Murray told me I must get this new Banner book "While the Bridegroom Tarries". I had overlooked it on my first visit to the bookshop.
It is a collection of 10 sermons preached in 1919 by Dutch American pastor R B Kuiper. With sometimes striking titles such as "Present day Anti-Christs" and "Latter day Devil-worship" these sermons from various texts look at the issue of the Second Coming in a way that seeks to shed light rather than to satisfy show more curiosity. They are of interest on at least three levels - on their own terms, as a homiletical guide and as an interesting historical document. On the first level they seek to soberly encourage Christians and warn unbelievers. On the second, these are sermons that seek to be a little more broad in their outlook than the narrow and individualistic sermons that are more often preached. They reminded me in some ways of Lloyd-Jones. From a historical point of view his horror at women's suffrage, his speaking out against theosophy, the infancy of the JW cult and his views on the Jews returning to Palestine are all of interest.
The publisher's introduction and the sparse footnotes are helpful and the text is generally free from proof reading errors, though stray punctuation marks appear from time to time. show less

Caveat: I haven't finished it; I got to chapter 13 of 53.

This book seems to be a collection of essays on various aspects of the Church, focused on showing us how it is a wonderful, glorious thing, even though it so often doesn't seem that way. But it is, and it's because it belongs to Christ.

There are a few places where Kuiper quite bluntly gives his opinion on various secondary and tertiary doctrinal issues (eg he is very much for Calvinism). While I agree with him, I find -- and this is show more probably *wrong* and me inheriting a 21st century "your opinion is as good as mine" sentiment -- I find myself cringing a little for other readers when he describes competing ideas.

Honestly, though, I got a bit bored with this. I might come back to it another time. show less

Has many lovely and challenging words. But not sure I agree that Israel was the church in OT and that the church has superseded Israel. Surely Gods promises to Israel are irrevocable.

Quote of the book for me was:

"In many lands today the church finds itself utterly at the mercy of a state whose mercy often proves cruelty, whilst in others the notion is rapidly gaining ground that the church exists and operates at the states permission. Now, if ever is the time for the church to assert its show more sovereignty over against encroachments by the state. the church is in sacred duty bound to rise up in majesty and proclaim to the world that it enjoys freedom of worship, not by the grace of the state, but as a God-given right and that it preaches the Word of God, not by the grace of human governments, but solely at the command of the sovereign God and its sovereign King, seated at God's right hand."
(The Glorious Body of Christ, RB Kuiper) show less

One of the best books every written about what the Church really is and how it should function. Very readable.