Christopher W. Morgan

Summary: A study of the theme of the glory of God in scripture, with a particular focus on the writings of Paul.

At an Urbana Missions Convention, I remember being provoked to thought by a statement of John R. W. Stott to the effect that the highest motive for the church’s mission in the world was neither obedience to the Great Commission nor concern for those who did not know Christ, but rather zeal for the glory of Christ (a remark reproduced on p. 230 of this book). It didn’t make show more sense at the time but it has increasingly over the years. In my university work, I walk through hallways with displays of research posters and read news of incredible research being done in a multitude of fields, uncovering the wonders of the creation (only one aspect of God’s glory), yet rarely acknowledging its source. Increasingly I find myself praying and working that these researchers would know and acknowledge and glorify the One who is the source of all these wonders, who has illumined and delights in their research.

This may seem an odd way into a review of The Glory of God and Paul. It is not however, because I sense the same motive behind the writing of these two authors, as John Stott spoke of, to foster in us a zeal for the glory of God in all of the manifold excellencies of that glory. They do so by primarily focusing on the theme of God’s glory in the writings of the apostle Paul, who was certainly captivated by the glory he beheld in the risen Lord.

The work begins though by stepping back and attempting a summary of the “panorama” of God’s glory within which Paul’s writing is set: in major sections of scripture, in relation to key doctrines, at turning points in the biblical story, in different senses of “glory” in scripture (summarized as possessed, purposed, displayed, ascribed, and shared) as intrinsic and extrinsic, in biblical tensions (e.g transcendent and immanent), and in redemptive history. One could spend days just pondering this panoramic presentation!

In the second chapter, the authors turn from panorama to drama, considering the storyline of scripture and how every part of redemptive history reveals glory: the creation, the fall, the working our of redemption and the consummation of God’s purposes. These two chapters set the stage for chapters 3-7 which focus on five major sections of the Pauline corpus:

Chapter Three: Romans: The Glory of God in salvation
Chapter Four: 1 Corinthians 15: The Glory of God and the resurrection
Chapter Five: 2 Corinthians 3-4: The Glory of God and the new covenant
Chapter Six: Ephesians: The Glory of God and the church
Chapter Seven: 2 Thessalonians 1: The Glory of God and eschatology

Each chapter identifies multiple themes in the particular text relating to the major theme for the chapter. So much is offered here for reflection that I will only touch on a few personal highlights. In Romans, we see how glory suffuses every aspect of our salvation. I Corinthians 15 reveals the glory of the risen Christ as the second Adam and the glory we will share in Him. The discussion of the church in Ephesians is challenging in that we do not often think of the place of the church in the purpose of God as a showcase of the one new humanity united through the revealed mystery of Christ’s saving work.

The writers then draw all this together in two concluding chapters. In chapter 8, the biblical theologians address systematic theology, showing how the glory of God relates to the areas commonly discussed in systematic theology: God and his Word, humanity and sin, Christ’s person and work, the Holy Spirit and the new covenant, salvation, the church, the future, and ministry (under which the statement by Stott mentioned earlier appears). Finally, the writers turn to the Christian life and how God’s glory bears on love, provision, hope, mystery, boasting (no room for such!) and our worship.

I suspect that for many of us, John Calvin’s statement about our chief end being to glorify and enjoy God forever is just so much pious content without substance either in our thought, worship, or daily life. Likely, this follows from lack of instruction and personal reflection in a culture focused on “how to’s” and getting God to work for us, or at times simply a list of “ought to’s.” This work certainly represents one place to begin, by taking us into scripture, focusing on the many ways God’s glory shines through every aspect of life, inviting us from hum-drum workaday to wonder and worship and the mission of showcasing that glory to the world.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. show less

The number of people saying that they are spiritual but not religious is increasing. Meditation and yoga are growing in popularity. Recently, Democratic Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson’s tweets went viral with their Oprah inspired spiritualism. People are desperately searching for something spiritually meaningful in their lives. I greatly appreciate Biblical Spirituality, edited by Christopher W. Morgan, and published by Crossway. It offers a clear, biblically based and show more practically helpful study of spirituality.

Biblical Spirituality starts with a chapter on the “Trajectory of Spirituality.” It states:

“Talk of spirituality can be vague and loose, detached from Scripture while appearing biblical, and so clarity is crucial as we consider formation and our spiritual journeys.”

This book is rich in theology and scripture tying our spirituality to the gospel. It avoids the pitfalls of wishy-washy postmodern spirituality with clear exegesis of scripture and historical scholarship. If footnotes are your thing, this book will delight you.

Biblical Spirituality dives into spiritual formation in the Old Testament. It then moves to spirituality in the New Testament. Chapters are dedicated to examining spirituality as presented by Jesus (who the book says is the supreme authority on spirituality), James, and Paul. There is a chapter examining the heritage of evangelical spirituality, looking at Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Owen, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and J.C. Ryle. It rounds out with chapters on the history of spiritual disciplines in the Christian tradition, the spiritual and embodied disciplines, and spirituality in the workplace.

The first half of the book or so builds a solid foundation for a theology of spirituality. The later chapters focus on the history of Christian spiritual practices and practical application. Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is one of my favorites, so I really enjoyed reading how spiritual disciplines have developed. Whitney’s book is one they recommend.

I also thought the chapter on embodied disciplines was unique. It is the most practical chapter. It makes the argument that there is a divide in contemporary evangelicalism. Christians tend to focus on spiritual disciplines, promoting spiritual life and spiritual solutions. Yet, they tend to neglect their bodies. As an example, the chapter states of Christians, “Protestants are the most overweight, with Southern Baptists claiming the top spot on the obesity scale.” The chapter gives practical embodied disciplines for health, stress, rest, sex, and nutrition. Some of the practical tips seem obvious, but simply look around. You’ll find they’re not being practiced.

If you have questions about spirituality and spiritual disciplines, Biblical Spirituality will give you a solid foundation and clear answers. It also points to many resources for practical applications. show less

I just finishing reading the first volume in the Theology in Community series by Crossway titled Suffering and the Goodness of God by Christopher W. Morgan (Editor) and Robert Peterson (Editor). Contributors include: Robert W. Yarbrough, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Daniel G. McCartney, John M. Frame, William Edgar, David B. Calhoun, and John S. Feinberg. This series promises to provide Christocentric answers enveloped with the truths of Scripture to the many theological, practical and show more philosophical challenges that are currently facing Christianity.

Suffering and the Goodness of God presents biblical truths concerning suffering and challenges believers to promote justice and to emulate God’s grace as they minister to others in the midst of famine, sickness, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and etc. Each day horrific scenes of suffering are streamed before us through television, the Internet, and newspapers. As believers we are taught that God is good, and they believe this truth. Yet when they are faced with suffering and hardships, the one question believers most often asked is, Why?

The 10 essays presented in the book bring practical theological insight to many contemporary concerns of suffering by outlining Old and New Testament biblical truths and tackling difficult questions concerning God’s sovereignty, human freedom, and the nature of evil.

Some highlights were Walter Kaiser's two chapters on how suffering is handled in the Old Testament are most intense as spends the majority of his time in the main books that deal with suffering in the OT like Job, the Wisdom literature, Lamentations and the lament psalms, and the story of Joseph.

He presents 8 types of suffering found in the OT. One is retributive suffering, which is reaping what one sows. Another is by choices have consequences, and bad choices (sin) invariably meet with negative consequences. Educational or disciplinary suffering is also clearly taught in the Hebrew Scriptures. That God can use hardships and trials to perfect us, to mould our character, and make us more like him, is a common theme of both Testaments.

The difficult question of the problem of evil is covered by John Frame, writing from a strongly Reformed perspective, he emphasizes the sovereignty of God in all this. But he looks at how God can be seen as in control of all things, while not being the author of evil. Frame looks at differing types of evil, different ways to understand God's will, and how a good God can use evil for good ends.

In totality this is a helpful one-volume look at the biblical discussion of suffering and evil. It is a nice arrangement of the main concerns as addressed by Scripture. For those wanting a good volume which covers most of the bases, this is a good place to begin. show less

This is a very good discussion on what the Kingdom of God is drawing together biblical scholarship, historical theology and systematics. I published a full review on my blog at: http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/2013/01/24/community-theology-of-the-kingdom-...