One In the Spirit (1973) by David C.K. Watson, Book Review

 One In the Spirit (1973) by David C.K. Watson

Before, I had two favorite Anglicans of the past: John C. Ryle (1816-1900) and James I. Packer (1926-2020). But now I want to add another person: David C. Watson (1933-1984). While Ryle and Packer are beloved friends of the Reformation and the Puritans, Watson however was known as a champion of charismatic evangelicalism. In this book, Watson addresses the need to be united in love - "one in the Spirit, one in the Lord." It is sad to see Christians in the past and present divided over the work of the Holy Spirit when undoubtedly He intends to make us united. We need to take heed of the urgent call to unite in Spirit and truth, but not take it to the extreme of syncretism. As the Scripture says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3).

The first step, as the author begins the book, is to know the person and the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. He is the key to everything in the New Testament Church. "The fifth book of the New Testament should really be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit," writes Watson. "If God had taken the Holy Spirit out of their midst in those days, about 95% of what they doing in their churches would ceased immediately. Everyone would know the difference." But today, sadly, if God would take the Spirit out of our midst, maybe we would not know the difference. Business as usual. And that's the danger! I recalled my observations when I read this book of how we have treated the Holy Spirit unintentionally - in our theology and conduct - as subordinated either to the Bible (by most Protestants) or the Church (by most Roman Catholics). Thus, Watson urges us to have "a fresh recognition of the Third Person of the Trinity, and deep longing for the same wind of the Spirit that energized believers both in the first century and in the revivals of the Church down the years." Amen.

This book is divided into five chapters that mostly derive from 1 Corinthians 12-14 and other passages: 1) The Person of the Holy Spirit; 2) The Holy Spirit in the Individual; 3) The Holy Spirit in the Church; 4) Walking by the Spirit; and 5) The Greatest Is Love. Obviously, David Watson was generally positive about the explosion of the charismatic movement during his time. He was aware of the danger of counterfeits and always pointed out to "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1). In the same way, when I read this book, I tested his ideas and interpretations whether they were based on the Scripture or not. And asking, "What is God saying by His Spirit?" This is a good question - and prayer! - to ask when we read other books too, especially the one that He inspired or God-breathed Book (see 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21).

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheHolySpirit #DavidWatson #Unity #TheChurch #TheScripture #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.