The Path — 3/19/24
Sentences, Canon, Augustine, Pastors, & Statistics
In this week’s post, we will consider how to develop the skill of detailed Bible reading, the amazing wealth of knowledge available in Scripture, Augustine of Hippo, a call to shepherd God’s flock, and the statistical importance of the spiritual health of children.
Translation & Exegesis
Think back to the last time you received an important letter or message. Maybe it was a love letter. Perhaps it was an email informing you about an exciting job opportunity. It could have been a text message containing the latest tea.
Whenever we receive an important written message, we agonizingly pour over it, looking for the most minute detail. Unfortunately, this attention to detail doesn’t always work its way into our Bible reading. In chapter three of Grasping God’s Word, the authors help us develop the skill of observing the Bible by showing us how to read small units of text, specifically at the sentence level.
Here are 9 things they recommend we look out for in sentences:
Repetition of words—Look for words and phrases that repeat.
Contrasts—Look for ideas, individuals, and/or items that are contrasted with each other. Look for differences.
Comparisons—Look for ideas, individuals, and/or items that are compared with each other. Look also for similarities.
Lists—Note where the text mentions more than two items.
Cause and effect—There may be more than one effect from a single cause mentioned in the text.
Figures of speech—Look for expressions that convey an image, using words in a sense other than the literal sense.
Conjunctions—Notice terms that join units, like “and,” “but,” “for.” Note what they are connecting.
Verbs—Note whether a verb is past, present, or future; active or passive; also look for imperatives.
Pronouns—Identify the antecedent for each pronoun.
Here’s an example of how I make observations in a passage:
We should all be committed to serious reading and study of God’s Word.
Theology
Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments… All of which are given by the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
—The London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Paragraph 2The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon (or rule) of the Scripture, and, therefore, are of no authority to the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human writings.
—The London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Paragraph 3
Paragraphs two and three pertain to the canon of Scripture and the Apocrypha.
canon: a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine
apocryphal: (of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true
Identifying the books that God inspired is a necessary part of studying Scripture. The LBC presents the orthodox view of the canon, listing sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments and rejecting the books referred to as the Apocrypha. This topic has been hotly debated throughout the history of Christianity. If you want to read more about the canon of Scripture, this article from Got Questions is a good place to start.
God has given us not a book, but a library… Hopefully, you know how it feels to be in a real library (in contrast to searching the internet). You sense that a wealth of knowledge is there for you, and you may spend hours there pursuing the resources in quiet. That is how we should feel about the Bible. We should come to it always ready to dig in!
—John Reuther, A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, pgs. 44–45.
Church History
Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential figures in church history. A professor of philosophy turned bishop, Augustine was a prolific writer, authoring over 100 separate titles. These written works had a profound effect on the development of theology throughout the medieval church and the Reformation era.
The son of a pagan father and a devout Christian mother, Augustine left the faith during his teenage years. He pursued a life of fame as a teacher of rhetoric and searched for truth in various philosophical systems. He also spent many years controlled by sexual lust, living with a mistress and fathering a son with her.
In August of 386, at the age of 32, Augustine lamented his slavery to lust. He longed for the freedom and holiness that others had in Christ. Broken and crying, Augustine deeply desired to end his ugly sins. A child chanting “Take it and read, take it and read” prompted him to turn to Scripture. He came across Romans 12:13-14 and was overwhelmed by the joy and confidence that filled his heart.
Augustine's life was changed by grace and sovereign joy. This led him to oppose the teachings of Pelagius, a British monk who taught that grace is not necessary for righteousness and denied the doctrine of original sin. Man's free will leads to sin, yet God gives us grace and joy. This gift frees us from the bondage of sin and is available today just as it was to Augustine many years ago.
This is Augustine’s understanding of grace. Grace is God’s giving us sovereign joy in God that triumphs over joy in sin. In other words, God works deep in the human heart to transform the springs of joy so that we love God more than sex or anything else… Loving God is being so satisfied in God and so delighted in all that he is for us that his commandments cease to be burdensome. Augustine saw this. And we need him badly today to help us recover the root of all Christian living in the triumphant joy in God that dethrones the sovereignty of laziness and lust and greed. John Piper, 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy, pgs. 57-58
Biblical Counseling
In Chapter 2 of Biblical Counseling and the Church, Deepak Reju issues a challenge to pastors: shepherd God's flock. While many pastors receive excellent training in seminary for the public ministry of the Word (preaching and teaching), very few receive any training for the private ministry of the Word (counseling and personal discipleship). Reju asserts that not only are both aspects important to the task of a pastor, they are essential. That being the case, every pastor ought to take on the responsibility of teaching and shepherding the flock of God.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (ESV)
I found Reju's challenge from 1 Peter 5:1-4 to be particularly powerful. In this passage, Peter seeks to encourage pastors to be shepherds of God's flock. "Shepherding... involves exercising oversight... Shepherding and oversight are two basic functions of the pastor/elder."
Pastoring is more than just preaching. To be a pastor requires the shepherding of God's flock. This task of shepherding should be undertaken willingly, eagerly, and exemplarily.
The call to be a pastor is a serious one, and it should involve both the preaching of the Word and the ministry of shepherding.
Pastoral Ministry
Every dimension of a person’s experience hinges on his or her moral and spiritual condition. George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, pg. 29.
Scripture tells us that we will all give an account to God for every choice we make (Ecclesiastes 11:9; Romans 14:12). Jesus taught that every action and desire comes from within (Matthew 15:10-20; Mark 7:14-23). If this is true for adults, how can it not be true for children? One of the most important responsibilities we have as humans is to help children develop their decision-making perspectives and patterns, especially in the realm of spiritual truths.
Barna provides a variety of statistics regarding the spiritual state of children. First, most individuals who profess salvation were saved at a young age. The probability of someone receiving Christ as their savior is as follows:
5-12 years old — 32%
13-18 years old — 4%
19 and older — 6%
Second, most adolescents are involved in some type of religious activity. Many are intrigued by spirituality, but just as many are involved simply because at least one family member wants to be involved in religious activity.
Third, only 3% of the nation’s 13-year-olds have a biblical worldview, as demonstrated by the table below. This data reveals that many feel secure of their understanding of Christianity, meaning they will be relatively closed off to learning new biblical truths or correction of false ideas. It also shows that whatever a person believes when they are young is not likely to change as they age. Additionally, the average young person is unlikely to encounter adults or peers whose worldview challenges their own.
Unfortunately, many churches do not recognize or act upon the importance of ministering to children. In a survey, when asked to identify their church's top ministry priority, only 24% of senior pastors mentioned children's ministry. Over two-thirds of churches admit to struggling to recruit and retain volunteers for children’s ministry. Approximately 41% of people who attend an average church on a typical weekend are under the age of 18. However, less than 15% of the average church’s budget is directed towards the needs of children’s ministry. Hiring someone to direct children’s ministry is seen as a luxury rather than a necessity.
Children’s ministry is vitally important to the church and the world. We ought to diligently teach children biblical principles and foundations; otherwise, the church and society will become less and less healthy in the future.
If you want to have a lasting influence upon the world, you must invest in people’s lives; and if you want to maximize that investment, then you must invest in those people while they are young. George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, pg. 44.
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Soli Deo Gloria,
Caleb Friske