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Tag: Purpose Driven Life

March 10, 2023Rev. Garrick Sinclair BeckettLeave a Comment on Beckett: “Thy Will Be Done” – What is God’s Will?

Beckett: “Thy Will Be Done” – What is God’s Will?

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That I May Be His Own by Charles Arand review - Dr. Arand’s book is a historical and theological page turner on Luther’s Small Catechism (and other catechisms). Intended to be used at the university and seminary level, the book also suits the layperson intrigued in learning more about the Small Catechism and, I would argue, a necessary resource to sit in the pastor’s personal arsenal of Lutheran repertoire.

Ragged by Gretchen Ronnevik review - In this book, Ronnevik shifts the legalism that often surrounds conversations on spiritual disciplines to a paradigm that is Christ-centred and Gospel enriched. Spiritual disciplines do not prove that we don’t need God, but that we always depend on Him—that we are never sufficient and He is always sufficient. Through them, the Holy Spirit calls us “to participate in our restoration [sanctification], not contribute to our restoration” (p. 12). Their purpose is never to draw us away from God and the Church but always toward God and our local church. Neither are they about proving our greatness—how pious we are—but about remembering that God is great, of remembering His grace.

God’s Library by Brent Nongbri review - Discussions surrounding the discovery and dating of ancient Christian manuscripts and codices are always shrouded in mystery and complexities, even mischief. Nongbri does not aim to make the discussion any less complex, nor does he aim to resolve these mysteries in full. Rather, he provides a helpful in-depth analysis of the original construction of these codices and the circumstances surrounding their discoveries and dating.

The Word of Life by Craig Koester review - Overall, much like his other book ‘Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel,’ this book has its enlightening moments. He rehashes the symbolisms that appear throughout John’s Gospel and is essentially just a shorter version of the other book. The main difference between the two is that here, Koester erroneously believes the Gospel of John presents Jesus’ crucifixion not as a sacrifice for sin but as a deliverance from death (p. 113). While the latter is certainly there, the former is not entirely absent as he believes. As Charles Gieschen writes in Concordia Theological Quarterly 70, no 3 (Jul 2008), “a careful reading of the Gospel” will present the atonement, and “is taught implicitly through allusion” (p. 245). We see such allusions in John 1:29 (cf. Isaiah 53:7); 6:51; 15:22; and 16:8. Koester ignores these strong allusions and simply assumes the atonement in John’s Gospel is non-existent.

Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel by Craig Koester review - One of the factours that sets the Gospel of John apart from the Synoptics is the evangelist’s extensive use of symbolism, often in juxtaposition: light vs. darkness, belief vs. unbelief, knowing God (through Jesus) vs. not knowing God, water, bread, and others. Koester presents an impressively detailed explication of these symbolic motifs. Koester argues that the question John aims to answer is: How do people know God? He pedantically details John’s presentation of who Jesus is as the light of the world that enlightens the reader (pun intended) of who Jesus is as the Son of God. He defines a symbol as “an image, action, or a person that is understood to have transcendent significance” and are “things that can be perceived by the senses, such as light and darkness, water, bread, a door,” etc. (p. 4). These are understood through two types of symbols: core symbols, which occur most often, and “contribute most to the Gospel’s message” (p. 5); and supportive symbols, which “help to reveal the significance of the core symbols” (p. 6). For example, Jesus as the light of the world is a core symbol and Nicodemus is a supporting symbol of this motif.

On the Seventh Day He Rested

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