Banner Book Reviews 2019

In 2019 Stephen had two book reviews published in the Banner of Truth magazine. They were both reviews of books dealing with the teaching of the Westminster Confession of Faith - one on the Holy Spirit and the other on the law of God. You can read them below:

Divine Rule Maintained: Anthony Burgess, covenant theology and the place of the law in Protestant Scholasticism
Stephen J. Caselli (Reformation Heritage, 2016)
Review published: November 2019

According to Luther, 'the person who can rightly divide law and gospel...is a true theologian'. This book traces the Westminster Confession's attempt to rightly divide law and gospel in the 17th Century by setting the teaching of the Confession in its historical context, drawing on a wealth of contemporary exegesis, and focussing particularly on one of the men behind this part of the Confession - Anthony Burgess. In particular, Burgess's exposition of the law in his 1646 work Vindiciae Legis is used to give us a unique window into the biblical-theological reflection that lies behind the text of the Confession.

This book is not just helpful for understanding the past however. Burgess dealt with three main controversies about the law, and Caselli points out that all three mirror contemporary debates: natural law and two kingdoms, republication and antinomianism. In fact, two of the modern writers who Caselli identifies as taking classic antinomian positions have recently had articles published on popular Reformed websites. Furthermore, the book's exegetical defence of the threefold division of the law should at least give pause to modern commentators who lazily write it off as an artificial imposition upon Scripture.

One of the threads that runs through the book is that the theology of the divines was not merely academic. Burgess was trained at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where fellowships had a limited tenure in order to 'force men into the service of the church'. He wrote against the errors of the day primarily as a pastor. Caselli's book will equip modern-day pastors in the face of the 'ignorance of the nature and design of the law' which Newton said is 'at the bottom of most religious mistakes'.

The only blemishes in this attractively produced volume are Hebrew written left to right, and the Greek of a classic book title transliterated wrongly (p. 128).

The Spirit of the Age: the nineteenth-century debate over the Holy Spirit and the Westminster Confession
J. V. Fesko (Reformation Heritage, 2017)
Review published: January 2019

While there are some who will immediately be enthused by the subtitle, others will wonder why they would want to read a book about a nineteenth century debate over Confessional revision. This might especially be the case when one realises that the changes made to the Confession as a result are no longer held by the two main Reformed denominations which emerged from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (the OPC and PCA).

However in this short book, J. V. Fesko does an excellent job of showing why the underlying issues that led to the 1903 addition of two chapters (on the Holy Spirit and the Love of God and Missions) are still relevant, and why reformed churchmen should study this debate.

In particular Fesko highlights the evolutionary view of history held by those advocating revision, the debate between biblical and systematic theology, and the influence of Hegelianism on Charles Briggs, John Williamson Nevin (popular in Reformed circles today for his view of the sacraments) and Philip Schaff (and his Creeds of Christendom). We would do well to pay heed to his warning that ‘moderns do not realise how the enlightenment has shaped contemporary opinions about what constitutes good theology’ (p. 7).  By examining the philosophical commitments of the progressives, Fesko shows that there was more underlying the changes that those who initially opposed the idea of revision (such as B. B. Warfield) realised at the time.

As well as setting the debate in its nineteenth century context, Fesko also builds on the principles set out in his Theology of the Westminster Standards (Crossway, 2014) to show the historical context and solid exegesis behind the Confession’s doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks to research like this, it’s an exciting time to study the Westminster Standards in their historical context.

Kyle Borg in Stranraer

We’re looking forward to have Rev. Kyle Borg preaching on the 12th of January. Kyle is the pastor of Winchester Reformed Presbyterian Church in Kansas, co-hosts the podcasts Three Guys Theologizing and The Jerusalem Chamber blogs regularly on Gentle Reformation and A Standard for Living. He also contributed two chapters to the recent book A Puritan Theology.

Kyle has done a lot of thinking, speaking and writing about rural and small-town churches, and on the Sunday evening he will be speaking on the topic ‘The Big Picture for Small Churches’. Our friends from the Baptist Church will be joining us, and the event is open to all. It begins at 6:30pm, and refreshments will be provided afterwards.

You can read Kyle’s testimony in the latest issue of the RP Witness magazine:

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What does bombarding them with presents teach our kids?

I read a newspaper article last week about a couple who had decided to ‘cut down’ on presents this year and set a budget of £600 for each of their two children. However, they have already gone over it, and that’s just on toys – they hadn’t even started buying clothes yet. And that’s for one child aged three, and another who’s only ten months! Yet it’s a story that could be repeated up and down the country. The couple were included as an example of ‘generous’ givers, but that’s not quite the word I’d use to describe it.

My problem is not so much with the ‘commercialisation of Christmas’, or even a desire for people to remember the ‘reason for the season’. As Sunday Times bestselling author Mark Forsyth writes in a book about the origins of Christmas traditions: ‘Once upon a time, there was no such thing as Christmas. And then Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and after that there was still no such thing as Christmas. For hundreds of years’. The Bible doesn’t tell us to commemorate Jesus’ birth, and the idea of doing so didn’t occur to Christians for hundreds of years after the event.

My concern however is that what we do at Christmas often shows what really matters to us. So we buy a lot of stuff for our kids because, as adults, we get our identity from what we have. We get them the latest iPhone, the latest ‘in’ toy, the latest fashion accessory. Are any of these things wrong in themselves? Not at all. But in bestowing them on our children repeatedly, we confirm to them the lie that their identity is found in stuff. And then we wonder why they grow up insecure in who they are in themselves – and easily become victims of social media anxiety. When actually it’s largely because we have trained them to measure their worth by what they’ve got and how they compare to others. And even though we have always got them the latest, the newest, the best – we still wonder why they grow up with a sense of entitlement!

Or we use stuff to compensate for what they really need and want – our attention and affection. We’ve been working too hard, we know they haven’t seen much of us, but here have the latest doll/iPad/flatscreen TV to see how much I love you. And we try to buy our way into their hearts.

I’m currently reading a book by a pastor who says he’s amazed at the number of adults he comes across who still struggle in life because they could never get their mums or dads to say ‘I love you and am so pleased with you’. It turns out that it’s much easier to buy children stuff than spend time with them or say those simple words.

But do our children really think they can be bought with shiny things? As the years pass they learn to measure their love by what they’re given. And then we wonder why they grow up to see love as some sort of contractual arrangement – ‘If you love me, you will do this/give me this’.

These are not small matters. They are foundational to shaping and framing our children’s identity. And their identity will shape how they see life, how they respond to trials, disappointments and loss. What we do in December shapes them for January to November. And then repeat.

If all year we worship money and belongings, why stop at Christmas to remember Jesus? We have already chosen our saviour—the one who loves us, supplies what we need, brings us joy, secures our future, defines who we are. ‘Behold you shall call his name Stuff, for he shall save his people from their griefs’.

Except that it doesn’t. Simply having more stuff doesn’t bring happiness. The maddening pursuit of possessions will not save us, but starve us – leaving us at the whim of every upgrade, and every recession. In teaching our children to hang their identity on what they have we set them up for a crashing fall. Only God is a strong enough hook to hang our identity, future and joy on. There is more to life than stuff. We are made to be more than consumers. But the lessons start well before Christmas.

To be published in the Stranraer and Wigtownshire, 24th December 2019. Based on a similar article a few years ago by Mark Loughridge

Primary School visits

Stephen recently spent a morning in Rephad Primary School, taking a P7 class along with Dumfries & Galloway Scripture Union worker Owain Evans. It was part of an SU Scotland programme that seeks to get behind many of the myths and traditions of this time of year and see what the Bible actually says about the birth of Jesus. Stephen helped run a Scripture Union group in the school earlier this year, so it was a good opportunity for ongoing contact with those who attended.

Stephen and Owain plan to do further visits this week in Kirkcolm and Sheuchan, and Owain will visit Port William, Belmont and Park with Daniel Sturgeon (the new baptist pastor) and Portpatrick and Castle Kennedy with Stephen Ogston (Glenluce).

New ministers in Stranraer and Ayr

Stephen recently had the opportunity to attend two inductions of new ministers within about 6 weeks of each other. The new Stranraer Baptist pastor, Daniel Sturgeon, was ordained in October, and then Rev. Graeme Craig was inducted in Ayr Free Church Continuing in November.

Ordination

Stephen pictured alongside Stephen Ogston (Glenluce) and new Baptist pastor Daniel Sturgeon

After a period of ministers leaving, we are glad to see two new gospel-preaching ministers in this very needy part of Scotland. We are thankful for good relationships with both churches and look forward to further partnership in the gospel in the years ahead.

Induction

The reception following Rev. Graeme Craig’s induction