New D.A. Carson audio MP3

New Carson Audio MP3 on justification and Galatians at a recent conference. (Clarus conference at Desert Springs Church)

• An Apostolic Disputation - and Justification - D.A. Carson
• Panel Discussion A - D.A. Carson and Michael Horton
• Two Mothers, Two Mountains - Michael Horton
• Justification/Righteousness and the Cross of Christ - D.A. Carson
• Panel Discussion B, Pt. 1 - D.A. Carson and Michael Horton
• Panel Discussion B, Pt. 2 - D.A. Carson and Michael Horton
• The Promise-Driven Life - Michael Horton
• Panel Discussion C - Michael Horton
• “The Ironies of the Cross” - D.A. Carson

HT: JT

D. A. Carson interviewed

Adrian Warnock interviewed D. A. Carson on a recent conference, the local church, and training pastors.  See it here.

Jonathan Leeman’s key quotes from the interview:

• “The front line is the local church, and there’s a sense in which the seminary is a back up slot.”
• “The first impetus toward ministry and toward stamping people for what ministry ought to be ought to be within the context of the local church.”
• “A good seminary, a good theological college, helps to provide the kind of training, and further exposure, more technical knowledge, grasp of the language, this sort of thing, that virtually no local church can produce.”
• “Yet it’s really important for those who teach in such places, nevertheless, to be pastors first, because if they think of themselves as teachers and scholars first, then they tend to produce teachers and scholars. So there’s a stamping not simply from the course materials, but from your own values, what you think about, what you dream about.”
• “So at  our seminary, we always hire a certain percentage of faculty who wish they were in the pastoral ministry or else, quite frankly, we don’t want them. Now, they have to be academically competent and all the rest. But we don’t want people who just want to be in a seminary.We want people who, in many ways, would prefer to be in the local church.”

HT: Church Matters (Jonathan Leeman)

Book I want to buy and read: New Testament Theology by Tom Schreiner

New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ is on sale for 38% off!  I’m really excited for this book!

“A magnificent achievement! Schreiner has combined the breadth and depth of his knowledge of the New Testament with extensive discussion of the scholarly literature. Best of all, it follows the New Testament in testifying to the majesty and glory of God.”
- Simon J. Gathercole, lecturer in New Testament studies, University of Cambridge

“Tom Schreiner’s New Testament Theology is a valuable addition to the field, providing to students the kind of overview that only a seasoned scholar can produce. The volume is particularly significant for taking a more thematic approach than have most other New Testament theologies. Schreiner therefore comes closer than most others to giving us a genuine New Testament ‘theology’ (rather than New Testament ‘theologies’).”
- Douglas J. Moo, Blanchard Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College

“Thomas Schreiner is known for being a skillful and careful New Testament scholar. In his New Testament Theology his abilities and his clear, concise style are on full display as he gives us a synthetic account of this complex subject, an account that reflects his high view of Scripture. This is probably the best New Testament theology written in the last several decades from a decidedly Reformed and evangelical point of view. While I disagree with the analysis at various points, it is still a fine piece of work, and I am happy to commend it.”
- Ben Witherington III, rofessor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary

“Schreiner’s New Testament Theology has long been awaited by colleagues, friends, and students. The appendix, which provides a helpful survey of the discipline of New Testament theology, and the discussion of justification, which contains a summary of the modern debate and a defense of a forensic interpretation of the Pauline teaching, are alone worth the price of the book.”
- Robert H. Stein, enior professor of New Testament interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Lucid, incisive, and above all devoted to listening to the text of the New Testament, Tom Schreiner’s volume is like a cool drink in a postmodern desert. Schreiner unfolds the richness of New Testament theology through the lens of salvation history, showing how fruitful the promise-fulfillment, already-not yet paradigm is for understanding the New Testament. If you want a New Testament theology that is informed, exegetically grounded, canonically based, Trinitarian, and written from the standpoint of a sturdy faith, then this is the book for you!”
- Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

“Scholars frequently focus so tightly on the details of the New Testament documents that they miss the big picture. On the other hand, all too often attempts to summarize the message of the New Testament ignore the particular expressions and diverse emphases of its twenty-seven books. Without losing the trees for the wood, Schreiner’s New Testament Theology offers a superb exposition of the New Testament’s central message, the glory of God in Christ. Pastors and students will find it an invaluable resource for answering the question most readers are asking: what is the New Testament about?”
- Brian S. Rosner, senior lecturer in New Testament and ethics, Moore Theological College

New (old) Carson audio MP3 on Biblical Theology

I had these on my post in a Windows Media format and now they are on MP3! These are lectures on Biblical Theology, though I think the first one listed begins with an exposition of Romans 3:21-26.

• The Cross and Christian Theology
• Open Questions on the OT in the NT
• Two Testaments, One Bible

Thanks to Ray Rishty and and James Steinbach.

To see all the Carson Audio I could find, click here.

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I was there!

I’m glad to say, “I was there for that!” Though there were some things that cannot be blogged on which I didn’t write down to ensure I’d forget, there are some good things from that that I want to blog on later today.

New D. A. Carson MP3 audio sermons on Matthew

What Makes You Greater than King David? Matthew 11:2-19
The Dissatisfied, the Smug and the Broken Matthew 11:16-30
How to Wait for the End Matthew 24:36 - 25:46

To see all Carson audio MP3’s, click here.

Advertisement: Support this site by visiting Westminster Books. Even just clicking and visiting helps! It’s an excellent site for good Christian books.

Mark Dever on Congregationalism and Elders

This wasn’t the point of his sermon today on gender roles in the church from 1 Tim. 2:9-15, but it was insightful for me as I am 96% convinced of congregationalism as the biblical form of church government.  I think I’ll be blogging about that in days to come, but here’s Mark’s quote for now:

We don’t think it’s best to call the church a democracy. We don’t think that’s how things work. We’re a congregational church but we don’t see the congregation so as much as ruling, not in that sense properly summarized as a democracy, but we see the whole congregation rather as finally adjudicating issues of doctrine and discipline. The elders lead, guide, or rule, always in subjection to the Word, and only with the continued approval of the congregation. Elders we see, in the next chapter [1 Tim. 3] teach and have authority.

You can here the whole sermon here.

If you want to read Mark’s thoughts on congregationalism, I’d start here. His most famous book, I think, regarding church matters is his book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.

The Christian Minister’s Plan for growth

“We must not only have learning in Divine things, but we must ourselves be Divinely learned… we need much acquaintance with the human heart, and with our own heart in particular – a deep-searching knowledge of Scripture – a careful study of the best works on casuistical, and experimental divinity – most of all – a spirit of humble and importunate prayer for constant and increased supplies of “the wisdom which is from above. Add to this – a knowledge of the constitutional temperament of the individuals is obviously most important” (Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry, 382-3).

How can I plan to grow in these things? Well for acquaintance with the human heart, especially my own, I could journal more and invite more evaluation from my wife and others who care for my soul and are discerning. For a deep-searching knowledge of the Scripture I must continue to read the Bible all the way through and do more intense studies of particular books or passages. I haven’t done the latter lately except when teaching since I use all my time to do the former. I need to do a careful study of the best works casuistical and experimental divinity which motivates me to want to read through all the CCEF books in print and the journal of biblical counseling along with other great works in this category, like John Owen and CJ Mahaney’s stuff. A spirit of humble and importunate prayer for wisdom has been helped by my reading through Proverbs and Ecclesiastes these past two months, but I need to “continue steadfastly in prayer” by scheduling and guarding a concentrated time of prayer in my day. I’ve been inconsistent in this for a while now. Knowing individuals can increase by being more intentional in the conversations, asking good questions, listening carefully, taking time to talk to people, coming up with a plan to get to everyone in the congregation with a good conversation, and praying for people with following up on discerning answers to those prayers.

Lord help me to pray to you and seek your grace for wisdom that is from above and not within myself or my ability to obtain. Help me to grow as a Christian minister. I love you and look to you to fulfill every resolve for good in me and every work of faith by your power. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.

A Reader’s Hebrew Bible

Check it out here! I use the Greek one all the time. I’m looking forward to using this one too. I’ll likely be posting a review soon.

T4G

Are any of you that I know going to the Together for the Gospel Conference this month in Louisville Kentucky?  If you are, please let me know by leaving a comment on this post so that we can plan to meet up and catch up.

In Christ,

PJ