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

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Read To Grow! #1Book1Week January 2021

 

The first level is you need to be convinced that reading books - actual books - is important for personal growth, to gain specialized knowledge, for leisure & enjoyment and simply to be different ("Hello, I'm a TikToker, you?"; "Hi, I'm a reader. Reading is proven to improve your cognitive development. Try it!"). Then, you have to go to the next level, namely, not just reading books but reading GOOD books with purpose and intentionality.

I use to read dozens of novels and nonsense, random, trivial books. But soon I realized that I'm not growing mentally and spiritually as I want to be. Instead, I'm emotionally attached to the characters in the fictional stories (the romantic heroes in Nicholas Spark's world or the masculine military soldiers in James Rollins' adventure). Of course, there are good novels out there like John Bunyan's theological-fiction Pilgrim Progress but - very rare. If you want to be a man of God or a woman of faith reading Harry Potter or Games of Throne is a poor choice.

My advice? Don't give up on novels (just reduce it drastically) but raise up your awareness and priorities in life. You need books that can help you to be grounded in reality, that can strengthen your convictions, that can challenge your preconceived beliefs, that can inspire you to be a better man or woman, that can guide you in your career or vocation and that can divert your attention, like John the Baptist, to see the God of the Bible. This is what I mean by GOOD books 😊 As Christ-follower, I have to say this strongly, it is a sin if you spent more time on a novel (or any book as a matter of fact) than in the written Word of God. If your goal is to read one book this year, then, choose The Bible. It is the words that "comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) - The GOOD Book 📖 #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Btw, here is my #1Book1Week list for January 2021 👇

1.  A Survey of Bible Doctrine (1972) by Charles Caldwell Ryrie
2. Christian Beliefs: 20 Basics Every Christian Should Know (2005) by Wayne Grudem
3. The People's Bible: The Remarkable History of the King James Version (2010) by Alec Motyer
4. William Carey: Pioneer Missionary (this edition 2000) by E.A. Annett

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

A Survey of Bible Doctrine (1972) by Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Book Review

 

A Survey of Bible Doctrine (1972) by Charles Caldwell Ryrie

When I found this book, there were no covers. I have to make these blue covers by myself 😁 Most seminarian students (I'm not one) and Bible students (I'm one) know or at least have heard about Charles Ryrie (1925–2016). His life and books have influenced many people like Charles Swindoll and John MacArthur. The critical ones will remember him as a dispensationalist only; the learners, however, as a theologian first. Nobody, including me, will agree with everything he writes and teaches. But nobody can deny his contribution of making the written Word of God accessible and understandable through his writings and teachings.

"God intended you to understand what the Bible teaches," encourage Ryrie in the introduction, "This does not mean that you will comprehend all its truths at first reading or even in a lifetime, but it does mean that you can expect to learn a great deal. God used language which He meant to be taken as normally and plainly as the words in this book. So take it that way and assume He means what He said. When a problem arises, look at it again and remember too that God has promised that the Holy Spirit will also help you to understand His truth (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:12)." Before I ever understand that 'normally and plainly' or 'literal interpretation' of the Bible is synonymous with 'dispensationalism' (false assumption), I already believe that, unless otherwise, the Bible MUST be interpreted literally. And so, as I read this book, I have little disagreements (so far) and am very much pleased by his simple but thoughtful interpretation of the Scripture. Keep in mind though that men of God like Ryrie are not infallible and it is idolatry to expect one redeemed-sinner to know it all. Plus, my knowledge is still limited. In fact, my disagreements might be due to my faulty beliefs and ignorance. I'm glad I'm not yet arrived. By God's grace, I'm still growing 🙏 At the end of the day, we must examine everything with and by the Scripture. Sola Scriptura.

Contents: 

1) What Is God Like?

2) Is the Bible Inspired?

3) Jesus Christ the Lord

4) The Holy Spirit

5) The World of Angels

6) The Nature of Man

7) Christ's Salvation

8) What Is the Church?

9) What Does the Future Hold?

To go in-depth, read his later works such as Basic Theology and The Ryrie Study Bible 😊💪⚡ #1Book1Week #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #CharlesRyrie #BibleDoctrine

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.