The Redemptive-Historical Approach

I've heard the descriptor "redemptive-historical" a number of times in relation to preaching, study of the Bible, or the covenantal nature of God's actions, but never had it explicitly defined for me. Based on my inductive reasoning skills (or is it deductive?), I figured it referred to the story of redemption with God as the main character as He acts concretely in history to accomplish this redemption. In Michael Horton's A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-centered Worship, he devotes a brief chapter to this redemptive-historical approach and its ramifications and practical application for preaching and biblical study. I found it very helpful.

Often, we read the Bible or hear preaching that is geared toward us as individuals. This can be manifested in the "how does this verse speak to me" or in reading the Old Testament primarily as separate stories with moral examples. Examples of this would be reading the story of Gideon's fleece as a manual for seeking God's will; or, like David, finding our own five smooth stones with which to slay the giants in our lives; or in reading Acts like it is an example of how to "do church" instead of as a historical narrative. The problem with approaches like this is that it's not the right way to read the Bible.

The point of the redemptive-historical approach is to read Scripture "in terms of God's unfolding mystery of redemption, not as a collection of superior moral insights, empowering thoughts for each day, an end-times handbook, or a blueprint for a new social order - indeed, not even chiefly as a repository of doctrine." While these elements are present in Scripture, there is a larger purpose and narrative of the Bible. The Bible is about Christ:

"This exegetical method forms the central nervous system of the entire New Testament, whether the Gospels or the Epistles...If this is how the Bible interprets itself, we surely are in no position to quarrel with a redemptive-historical approach to exegesis...This approach is sensitive to the unfolding plot of redemption in genuinely historical events that end finally in the consummation of all things in Christ."

The Old Testament prophets, Jesus, and the apostles did not interpret Scripture in these narrow, isolated ways, but instead interpreted it in light of God in bringing redemption to His people. The evidence for this is overwhelming:

-Jesus preaching himself from Moses and the Prophets on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27)
-Jesus claiming that eternal life found in Scripture is through the Scripture bearing witness to himself (John 5:39)
-Jesus explaining that Abraham rejoiced to see Christ in his day (John 8:56)
-The sermons in Acts showing Christ from the Old Testament
-Peter showing that the prophets were concerned with salvation found in Christ (1 Peter 1:10-13)
-Paul declaring that all the promises of God are "yes" and "amen" in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20)
-The entire book of Hebrews expositing the types and shadows of the old covenant finding their fulfillment and supremacy in Christ

With perhaps a tough of irony, Horton gives five practical suggestions for Christ-centered Scripture reading and preaching, which I excerpt here:

1. In the reading of Scripture, whether privately or in public worship, one might consider including an Old Testament and a New Testament reading, the former selection related to the latter as promise to its fulfillment.
2. You might ask yourself, What's the stage of redemptive history at which we find ourselves in this passage? If this question were asked each time, it could clear up the tendency to convert a significant event in the past into an unhistorical example or symbol for us today.
3. You might ask yourself, How do I find myself in Christ (and therefore with his church) in this story? Instead of trying to find room for God in myself, God makes room for us in his drama.
4. Read and hear the Bible with the church. Creeds, confessions, a good systematic theology can all help us to see the limitations of our own narrow range of ideas, presuppositions, experiences, and longings...It's a choice between interpreting Scripture with the larger church rather than thinking of ourselves as omnicompetent. It is a sign of humility when we are able to conclude that we, like the Ethiopian eunuch, are hampered by our own blind spots.
5. Read and hear prayerfully. In every act of interpretation, we are entirely dependent on the Spirit, and, as our Savior promised, 'He will testify about me' (John 15:26).

iPod Rotation

I've had a couple albums running nonstop on my iPod lately, both of which are excellent efforts by talented solo musicians.

First up is Chris Thile's third solo album, Not All Who Wander Are Lost (2001). For those of you familiar with poor-man's bluegrass band Nickel Creek (bluegrass for people who don't like bluegrass), Thile is Nickel Creek's mandolin prodigy. Not a fan of Nickel Creek myself, I was a little wary when I heard of Thile. But I became an instant fan of his solo material, which is nothing like Nickel Creek (a good thing). This album particularly is phenomenal from first track to last, featuring 12 instrumental songs led by Thile's mandolin and joined by several guest performers like Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas. With Celtic, bluegrass, classical, and jazz influences, this album shines as a fantastic work of musicianship. Thile's songwriting is tight and execution is flawless. The only negative thing I would say is that his picking sometimes seems like showmanship, but that might just be because I'm jealous.

The second album in heavy rotation is Kyle Hollingsworth's second solo album, Then There's Now (2009). While I wasn't that taken with Hollingsworth's first mostly-instrumental album, this lyric-driven album is solid, with the catchy hooks and grooving rhythms he is known for added to well-written songs. The first album seemed to all sound the same, but Hollingsworth (keyboardist/organist for The String Cheese Incident) definitely takes a step forward to becoming a great solo performer with this album. The two instrumental pieces on this album are distinctive and complement the rest of the album. Highlights include the pop-culture-criticism "Piece of Mine," instrumental "Phat Cat," dreamy "Don't Wake Me," and melodic rocking "She."

In other music news, two members of String Cheese Incident, one from Railroad Earth, and two from New Monsoon have recently recorded together as the band The Contribution. The album is due out in January 2010, and it should be excellent. RRE's Tim Carbone (fiddle) heads the group.

Book Review: The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism

It is more difficult to review an edited collection of articles than I expected, let alone one with 15 articles from diverse authors within the Reformed paedobaptist (i.e. infant baptism) camp like The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism (edited by Gregg Strawbridge). Regardless of how much my review falls short, this book is a (mostly) fantastic collection of essays that thoroughly and convincingly show that infant baptism is not only biblical but essential to a proper understanding of our covenant-keeping God and His promises to believers and their children. I'd recommend it to paedobaptists and skeptics alike who are in any stage of life.

Since I'm not sure the best way to review a book of this nature (give a summary of each chapter? Blog through the book chapter by chapter? Review the book as a unified whole, discussing major themes?), I decided to try the more challenging third option, but hopefully more rewarding for me and any readers out there in blogdom. So without further ado...

One of the great strengths of this book is its unwavering commitment to Scriptural backing for giving the covenant sign and seal of baptism to the children of believers and for the inclusion of children in the covenant of grace. While not necessarily breaking new ground, the authors exhibited powerful defenses of key biblical passages (passages dear to both sides of the debate) like Hebrews 8, Jeremiah 31, Acts 2, Genesis 17, and Romans 4, to show that these passages either support infant baptism or do not deny it by any stretch.

A key concept in a full understanding of infant baptism is contained in one word in the title: covenantal. Many of the authors discuss the everlasting covenant of grace made with Abraham in Genesis 17, ratified through Moses, David, and the prophets, and continued through Christ and the apostles. Discussions about the covenant of grace in this volume ranged from the transition of the old covenant to the new (Randy Booth); what is and isn't new about the new covenant (Jeffery Niell); infant baptism relating to the new covenant (Richard Pratt); the similarities between circumcision and baptism (Mark Ross); and the differences and continuations in administrations, participants, and meanings associated with the old and new covenants (Cornelius Venema). Niell's, Venema's, and Booth's essays were particularly crushing to the anti-paedobaptist argument, as well as Joel Beeke's article on the ratification of the old covenant in the new.

There are many strong covenantal arguments for the inclusion of children in the covenant, as the authors show. Since God has made an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17), and nowhere does God narrow the membership in the covenant (Niell's detailed discussion is especially helpful here), and the covenant's continuation is ratified by Christ and the apostles (Beeke's article is brilliant in this regard), and nowhere is there evidence of excluding children from the covenant, children of believers should still be included in the covenant of grace.

The burden of proof in this regard seems to be with the Baptists. As Doug Wilson writes in his essay,

"Many key texts address this matter of generational faithfulness. Before considering them, it must be noted that the great force of these passages is cumulative. Paul Jewett [respectfully cited throughout the volume as the strongest and most consistent Baptist apologist] once commented that when baptism is considered as an isolated subject, the paedobaptist case is weak, in his view. But when the discussion moves to the topic of the covenant, the paedobaptist case becomes a juggernaut." (p. 288)

As a new covenant sacrament instituted and commanded by Christ, it helps to look at Scripture in its covenantal redemptive whole and not just examining the verses that mention baptism. Both sides lack explicit warrant for what to do with the children of believers. But this argument from silence is stronger with the paedobaptist side, as such a monumental shift in not including the children of believers in the covenant, as several authors point out (Jonathan Watt's article on biblical households is very helpful here), would surely have rocked the ancient church's world enough for it to be mentioned in Scripture.

In showing the scriptural warrant for covenantal infant baptism, the authors raise many helpful questions for Baptists to consider, including 1) Aren't the children of believers considered differently than adult pagans throughout Scripture? 2) Why is there no explicit narrowing of inclusion in the covenant in the New Testament, especially as regards such a monumental shift in the early church's thinking regarding children and households? 3) Do not both sides "argue from silence," which would render the argument against infant baptism, on the grounds that there is no scriptural command for it, moot? 4) Is there not explicit warrant for the inclusion of children in the new covenant community throughout Scripture, including key passages like Jeremiah 31, Matthew 19, Acts 2, and many more?

Crucial discussions on key concepts like the relationship between the old and new covenants, the meaning of covenantal sacraments as signs and seals of God's promises for us and our children instead of confirmations of our faith and piety, the role of children in the covenants and in God's eyes must be wrestled with, the authors write. As several of the authors point out, at the heart of the debate is not the act of baptism, but the biblical view of covenant and God's promise-keeping in and through the covenantal structure.

It might be said that this book and my review are just confirming my already-formed views. That is true in a way, but besides laying out the case for covenantal infant baptism, the authors also evenhandedly and convincingly respond to archetypal credo-baptist arguments (especially responses to MacArthur, Piper, and Jewett as well as favorite Baptist new covenant passages like Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8, and Romans 4). The book responds to every anti-paedobaptist objection I could think of, and more. The authors also challenged me in newer, deeper ways including reflecting on our covenant-making and keeping God, the importance of covenant faithfulness, the parents' and church's role in and through baptism, and the weightiness of baptizing our infants into God's covenant. It is a thorough and at times difficult read, and I found myself challenged, convicted, and questioning at many points.

To close, editor Strawbridge has several of the book's essays posted online, which you can find at www.paedobaptism.com. Some of the strongest essays in the book are posted there, including Bryan Chapell's, Beeke's, Niell's, Bierma's, and Wilson's. Other helpful articles in the book not mentioned already include Strawbridge's masterful historical account of the evolution of anti-paedobaptist arguments and a thorough debunking of them as well as Bierma's essay examining infant baptism through the major Reformed confessions. Not-as-helpful articles include (surprisingly) R.C. Sproul, Jr.'s meandering closing chapter; Dan Doriani's informative but out-of-place grammatical exposition of Matthew 28 and Mark 16; and Joseph Pipa's well-written but out of context article on the right mode of baptism. Overall, however, this collection of essays is edifying, God-glorifying, informative, and convincing. I give it a hearty recommendation.

Sunday Citation

"Given the unchangeable character of God, there can be no question about the principle of unity and continuity in his revelation (the Bible). Unity and continuity should be presumed over discontinuity. Who but God alone has the prerogative to change what God has said? When it comes to Scripture, only God is permitted to say what is in fact new about the new covenant. This basic unity of God and his revelation is seen in the fact that God has, from the beginning, dealt with humanity in terms of redemptive covenants. God has had one plan from the start to redeem sinners. He has pursued and brought that plan to pass in a smooth and unbroken fashion. God has continuously unfolded, through more and more revelation, his redemptive plan for man and the world. Only God may determine who is and who is not to be included in, or excluded from, his covenant people. In the old covenant, the children of believers were included among his covenant people and received his covenant sign. In the new covenant - an expansion of the old covenant - God nowhere reveals a new restriction on covenant membership or covenant blessings. God still loves believers, their children, and their children's children for a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments."

-Randy Booth in "Covenant Transition," from The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism (Gregg Strawbridge, ed.), pp 183-184.

Providence in the Ordinary

I'm not usually one for posting public, personal memoirs, but thought it half appropriate to reflect on recent concrete examples of God's providence. In the last couple weeks, I found myself discontent with my seemingly very "ordinary" current situation: working a lot of nights at Chick-fil-A, not seeing my wife as much as I'd like to, getting adjusted to a new area, struggling to make new friends because of a lack of time and proximity, and immersing ourselves to a small body of believers at a recent church plant. It would just be so much easier and better if our lives would "arrive" already, right? Library school and internship complete, new jobs secured, family started, booming spiritual growth, and bustling social life. In a way, I was becoming bored with my current situation, looking ahead to the future. In my warped thinking, I felt like boredom is not a burden I should be bearing.

I'm not talking about a flashy life. There are some who are called to live extraordinary lives, but that isn't the norm. Most of us live ordinary lives at regular jobs, including ordinary plodding pastors or stay at home moms (arguably the most challenging full-time job there is). I wasn't growing discontent because of the longing for a sexy, enviable lifestyle. But, in God's providence evidenced in several circumstances, I was convicted of my discontent, driven to gratitude for where God has placed us right now, and motivated to use what He has given us even more in our current life situation. Through these situations, I learned to embrace the "ordinary" while not settling for less (an important distinction to make); give thanks in and for the ordinary because I don't even deserve half that much; and give God the glory He deserves in the ordinary, for everything I do should be done for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31 wrenched out of context).

God, in His providence (some might say a mere coincidence) coalesced these separate circumstances into one big lesson in contentment (not necessarily chronologically ordered).

1. I read Walker Percy's The Moviegoer, in which the protagonist lives out an ambiguous existential crisis, which he dubs his "search." He struggles between a life of significance (doing medical research) and the simple life (a simple financial broker but cognizant of the deep realities of life and living with them). To quote him, "Once I thought of going into law or medicine or even pure science. I even dreamed of doing something great. But there is much to be said for giving up such grand ambitions and living the most ordinary life imaginable, a life without the old longings; selling stocks and bonds and mutual funds; quitting work at five o'clock like everyone else; having a girl and perhaps one day settling down and raising a flock of Marcias and Sandras and Lindas of my own."
2. Reflecting on this book led to a long talk with Elizabeth about aspirations, the future, our gifts, our goals, our current situations, and how we can be used as God's instruments where we are right now. Thank you, Lord, for such an amazing wife.
3. Our church sponsored a Calvin conference, with one of the talks focusing on the concept of vocation, or calling. Especially helpful was the fact that a vocation isn't just a future career, but it also includes working to His glory wherever He has placed me currently.
4. Elizabeth and I listened to a helpful White Horse Inn broadcast on boredom and entertainment, which spoke to the dangers of viewing the Christian life as "what I can get out of it" - especially from an boredom/stimulation perspective. Because of our culture's emphasis on entertainment and constant (over-) stimulation, it's easy to feel like we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing when our lives aren't exciting or exactly how we want them to be. From a worship point of view, God has chosen to minister to us through "ordinary" means - Word and sacrament. So, too, in the context of life in general, when we lose the concept of laboring in our vocations in favor of more stimulating thoughts or methods, we lose out on what God has ordained from His word.
5. We also reflected on Psalm 34 (and sung in corporate worship), a complex song with many themes, a prominent one is praising Him in every circumstance (it's an especially meaningful Psalm of Scott and Becca). Some key verses are 1-3 and 8-10: "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."
   

I know these aren't really profound new truths that I happened across, nor are they very well-developed here, but they are an example of God using ordinary means to teach His children and drive them to His word and to prayer. To quote a different Percy novel, "Poor as I am, I feel like God's spoiled child. I am Robinson Crusoe set down on the best possible island with a library, a laboratory, a lusty Presbyterian wife, a cozy tree house, an idea, and all the time in the world." Embracing the ordinary, cultivating my garden, not dreaming of Utopia but content where God has placed me, where I can ordinarily think and work to His extraordinary glory.

Settlers Goes Mainstream

Thanks to the alerting of another blog (jt), it seems that one of the best board games of all time, Settlers of Catan, has gone mainstream in the U.S. Not only has a blog with thousands of followers featured it, but it has a pretty lengthy writeup in Wired magazine: "Monopoly Killer: Perfect Board Game Redefines Genre." Pretty impressive for a German board game involving bartering, building, a robber, and natural resources. We've been playing since college, and have even acquired some of the hardcore expansions: Cities & Knights and Seafarers. What a game. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Since its introduction, The Settlers of Catan has become a worldwide phenomenon. It has been translated into 30 languages and sold a staggering 15 million copies (even the megahit videogame Halo 3 has sold only a little more than half that). It has spawned an empire of sequels, expansion packs, scenario books, card games, computer games, miniatures, and even a novel—all must-haves for legions of fans. And it has made its 56-year-old inventor a household name in every household that's crazy about board games, and a lot that aren't...

Settlers is now poised to become the biggest hit in the US since Risk. Along the way, it's teaching Americans that board games don't have to be either predictable fluff aimed at kids or competitive, hyperintellectual pastimes for eggheads. Through the complex, artful dance of algorithms and probabilities lurking at its core, Settlers manages to be effortlessly fun, intuitively enjoyable, and still intellectually rewarding, a potent combination that's changing the American idea of what a board game can be.

Settlers is a big part of our social lives, as we play with many friends and family. To prove it, here are some pictures from the last couple years of us playing Settlers (I didn't realize there were this many!).

Sunday Citation

I'm immersed in the section on sacraments in Calvin's Institutes, and I'm learning quite a bit. I have been been struck that present-day Calvinists would probably balk at Calvin's deep scriptural and spiritual views on the efficacy, mystery, and importance of God's work in and through the sacraments, considering how it seems like we're all functional Zwinglians when it comes to the sacraments. Calvin's section on the sacraments is brilliant, and some excerpts are worth quoting at length here (from book 4, chapter 14, sections 1-17).

"[A sacrament] is an outward sign by which the Lord seals on our consciences the promises of his good will toward us in order to sustain the weakness of our faith; and we in turn attest our piety toward him in the presence of the Lord and of his angels before men...a testimony of divine grace toward us, confirmed by an outward sign, with mutual attestation of our piety toward him...[section 1]

"...a sacrament is never without a preceding promise but is joined to it with the purpose of confirming and sealing the promise itself, and of making it more evident to us and in a sense ratifying it...It is not so much needed to confirm his Sacred Word as to establish us in faith in it. For God's truth is of itself firm and sure enough, and it cannot receive better confirmation from any other source than from itself. But as our faith is slight and feeble unless it be propped on all sides and sustained by every means, it trembles, wavers, totters, and at last gives way. Here our merciful Lord so tempers himself to our capacity that, since we are creatures who always creep on the ground, cleave to the flesh, and, do not think about or even conceive of anything spiritual, he condescends to lead us to himself even by these earthly elements, and to set before is in the flesh a mirror of spiritual blessings...[3]

"...Since the Lord calls his promises 'covenants' and his sacraments 'tokens' of the covenants, a simile can be taken from the covenants of men. What can the slaughter of a sow accomplish unless words accompany the act, indeed, unless they precede it? For sows are often slain apart from any inner or loftier mystery...The sacraments, therefore, are exercises which make us more certain of the trustworthiness of God's Word. And because we are of flesh, they are shown us under things of flesh, to instruct us according to our dull capacity and to lead us by the hand as tutors lead children...[6]

"...Sacraments are truly named the testimonies of God's grace and are like seals of the good will that he feels toward us, which by attesting that good will to us, sustain, nourish, confirm, and increase our faith...[7]

"...But the sacraments properly fulfill their office only when the Spirit comes to them, by whose power alone hearts are penetrated and affections moved and our souls opened for the sacraments to enter in. If the Spirit be lacking, the sacraments can accomplish nothing more in our minds than the splendor of the sun shining upon blind eyes...[9]

"...God uses means and instruments which he himself sees to be expedient, that all things may serve his glory, since he is Lord and Judge of all. He feeds our bodies through bread and other foods, he illumines the world through the sun; yet neither bread nor sun is anything save in so far as he distributes his blessings to us by these instruments. In like manner, he nourishes faith spiritually through the sacraments, whose one function is to set his promises before our eyes to be looked upon, indeed, to be guarantees of them to us...Our confidence ought not to inhere in the sacraments, nor the glory of God be transferred to them. Rather, laying aside all things, both our faith and our confession ought to rise up to him who is the author of the sacraments and of all things...[12]

"...Christ is the matter or the substance of all the sacraments; for in him they have all their firmness, and they do not promise anything apart from him...[16]

"...Therefore, let it be regarded as a settled principle that the sacraments have the same office as the Word of God: to offer and set forth Christ to us, and in him the treasures of heavenly grace." [17]

The Love of Christ is Rich and Free

I love this hymn's testimony to the fact that as long as Christ's church is built upon His work and His Word, it will continue throughout the ages. William Gadsby wrote this hymn in the early 1800's and drew upon Romans 8:38-39. Sandra McCracken and Derek Webb's Irishy-folky reinterpretation is fantastic [track 5].

Romans 8:38-39: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on His own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.

His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
’Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.

Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love His own to endless day.

Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.

He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make His love for her depart.

At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love;
In endless bliss, His own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.