Spurgeon On Church Membership

September 15, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

Have you ever met a fellow Christian that showed an indefatigable zeal in their pursuit of church membership? I didn’t think so. However, if you had lived near a teenage boy named C.H. Spurgeon in the 19^th century, you may have answered that question differently. Because, if you had run across this young boy named Spurgeon, you would have witnessed a freshly converted Christian that was tireless in his pursuit of membership within a local church.

After Spurgeon was born again, he desired to become a member of a local church. When he reached out to the minister, though, he never received a reply. Spurgeon sought to contact the lackadaisical minister three to four more times, still to no avail. So, Spurgeon reached out again. This time he informed the minister that, as a follower of Christ, he had done his Christian duty. If the minister continued to ignore him, Spurgeon vouched to call a church meeting himself where he would notify the church that he had believed in Christ and then ask if they would receive him as a member. As you can see, Spurgeon, even at a young age, saw it as his Christian duty and privilege to be a healthy member of a local church.^[1]

In the same sermon that Spurgeon recounted this somewhat humorous story—I don’t know if Spurgeon intended for it to be humorous, but I couldn’t help but laugh as I read the account—he addressed certain excuses that kept many Christians from pursuing membership within a local church. And though this sermon was preached in the 1800s, we hear the same excuses today. With that said, in the remainder of this blog, you’ll discover how Spurgeon addressed these apparently timeless excuses with wisdom and boldness.

Excuse #1: I do not need to join a church “because I can be a Christian without it.”

Now, are you quite clear about that? You can be as good a Christian by disobedience to your Lord’s commands as by being obedient? Well, suppose everybody else did the same, suppose all Christians in the world said, “I shall not join the Church.” Why there would be no visible Church, there would be no ordinances. That would be a very bad thing, and yet, one doing it—what is right for one is right for all—why should not all of us do it? Then you believe that if you were to do an act which has a tendency to destroy the visible Church of God, you would be as good a Christian as if you did your best to build up that Church? I do not believe it, sir! nor do you either. You have not any such a belief; it is only a trumpery excuse for something else. There is a brick—a very good one. What is the brick made for? To help to build a house with. It is of no use for that brick to tell you that it is just as good a brick while it is kicking about on the ground as it would be in the house. It is a good-for-nothing brick; until it is built into the wall, it is no good. So you rolling-stone Christians, I do not believe that you are answering your purpose; you are living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live, and you are much to blame for the injury you do.

Excuse #2: “If I were to join the Church, I should feel it such a bond [i.e., heavy commitment] upon me.”

Just what you ought to feel. Ought you not to feel that you are bound to holiness now, and bound to Christ now? Oh! those blessed bonds! If there is anything that could make me feel more bound to holiness than I am, I should like to feel that fetter, for it is only liberty to feel bound to godliness, and uprightness, and carefulness of living.

**Excuse #3: “If I were to join the Church, I am afraid that I should not be able to hold on.”**

You expect to hold on, I suppose, out of the Church—that is to say, you feel safer in disobeying Christ than in obeying him! Strange feeling that! Oh! you had better come and say, “My Master, I know thy saints ought to be united together in church-fellowship, for churches were instituted by thine apostles: and I trust I have grace to carry out the obligation: I have no strength of my own, my Master, but my strength lies in resting upon thee: I will follow where thou leadest, and leave the rest to thee.”

**Excuse #4: “I cannot join the Church; it is so imperfect.”**

You, then, are perfect, of course! If so, I advise you to go to heaven, and join the Church there, for certainly you are not fit to join it on earth, and would be quite out of place.

**Excuse #5: I do not want to join the Church because “I see so much that is wrong about Christians.”**

There is nothing wrong in yourself, I suppose! I can only say, my brethren, that if the Church of God is not better than I am, I am sorry for it. I felt, when I joined the Church, that I should be getting a deal more good than I should be likely to bring into it, and with all the faults I have seen in living these twenty years or more in the Christian Church, I can say, as an honest man, that the members of the Church are the excellent of the earth, in whom is all my delight, though they are not perfect, but a long way from it. If, out of heaven, there are to be found any who really live near to God, it is the members of the Church of Christ.

**Excuse #6: I do not want to join the Church because “there are a rare lot of hypocrites.”**

You are very sound and sincere yourself, I suppose? I trust you are so, but then you ought to come and join the Church, to add to its soundness by your own. I am sure, my dear friends, none of you will shut up your shops to-morrow morning, or refuse to take a sovereign when a customer comes in, because there happen to be some smashers about who are dealing with bad’ coins. No, not you, and you do not believe the theory of some, that because some professing Christians are hypocrites, therefore all are, for that would be as though you should say that, because some sovereigns are bad, therefore all are bad, which would be clearly wrong, for if all sovereigns were counterfeits, it would never pay for the counterfeiter to try to pass his counterfeits; it is just the quantity of good metal that passes off the bad. There is a fine good quantity of respectable golden Christians still in the world and still in the Church, rest assured of that.

**Excuse #7: I do not want to join the Church because “it is so looked down upon.”**

Oh! what a blessed look-down that is! I do think, brethren, there is no honour in the world equal to that of being looked down upon by that which is called “Society” in this country. The most of people are slaves to what they call “respectability.” Respectability! When a man puts on a coat on Sunday that he has paid for, when he worships God by night or by day, whether men see him or not: when he is an honest, straightforward man—I do not care how small his earnings are, he is a respectable man, and he need never bend his neck to the idea of Society or its artificial respectability.^[2]

Conclusion

As you can see, from the time Spurgeon tirelessly pursued membership within that local church to the time he preached this sermon, he regarded church membership as both the duty and privilege of every Christian. Since the visible church, the church on earth, is not optional, church membership is not optional. Until the return of Christ, church membership makes the distinction—a legitimate but imperfect distinction—between the church and the world visible.^[3] Therefore, every Christian should visibly make themselves distinct from the world by becoming a healthy member of a healthy local church.

^[1] C. H. Spurgeon, “Joining the Church,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 60 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1914), 294-295.

^[2] Ibid., 296-297.

^[3] Geoffery Chang, Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical & Theological Vision for Ministry (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2022), 110.

Refraining Wisdom

September 7, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

Proverbs 10:19

If you are anything like me, and I am confident that I am not the exception here, then you love to hear yourself talk. According to the Bible though, this is not a good thing. Lately, this particular sin pattern of mine has been at the forefront of my thinking—it has caused me to examine myself. And I figured one of the best ways to examine myself was to ponder and meditate on Proverbs 10:19. In this blog, I’ll just mention a few of my thoughts on this popular but poorly applied, at least in my case, verse.

The Untamed Tongue

It should not surprise us, biblically or experientially, that our hearts are evil (Gen. 6:5). And when we consider that our words flow from our evil and wicked hearts (Matt. 12:34), “we cannot conceive of words, much less a multitude of words, without sin.”^[1] It is as though our tongue is a “restless evil, full of deadly poison” (Jas. 3:8). Sure, the tongue is a small member of our body, but it is a small member that has catastrophic affects—much like a small spark that causes a devastating wildfire (Jas. 3:5). Even though the tongue is a slender portion of flesh, it contains a whole world of iniquity^[2], defiles and stains the whole body, sets our lives on fire, and is fueled by the very flames of hell (Jas. 3:6).

Therefore, proverbial wisdom concludes that the increase of words inevitably leads to the increase of transgressions. In other words, the more we talk the more we sin! And I am sure that by now, if we are honest, we have come to realize that no other “member” of our body wreaks more havoc to our Christian lives as our tongues do.^[3]

Godly Restraint

Thankfully, this verse does not just teach us that the increase of words leads to an increase of transgressions. The Spirit of God goes on to tell us that “whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Prov. 10:19). To restrain means to keep back, withhold, or hold off. Prudence is simply the God given wisdom that enables us to live a life that magnifies the Lord. And it is the one who has enough self-control to restrain his lips that is prudent. So godly wisdom reveals that it is far better to largely keep our mouths shut than it is to incessantly open our mouths and multiply transgressions against our good and gracious God.

But how come so many Christians, including myself, do not restrain their lips? Well, I believe it is because we are not nearly as spiritually mature as we think we are. We think that if we put away sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, drunkenness, murder, and things like these, then we are spiritually mature—and to an extent this may be true. We forget, though, that few things clearly reveal the credibility and maturity of our Christian faith like how we manage our tongues (Mt. 12:33-37; Jas. 1:26; 3:1-4).

So do some self-examination. Evaluate your spiritual maturity based on how you govern your tongue. How are you doing with these sins: grumbling, complaining, lying, crude joking, quarreling, degrading humor, gossip, slander, flattery, destructive sarcasm, and irritable responses? And do not just evaluate your spiritual maturity based on how you speak to co-workers and strangers; evaluate it based on how you speak to those closest to you, i.e., your friends, family, and spouse.

Gospel Comfort

This type of self-examination is helpful. Regarding sins of speech, self-examination enables us to see that these sins are not trivialities—they are treasonous acts against our Sovereign Lord that deserve a sentence of condemnation. Self-examination alone, though, is never good. It must also be paralleled with an examination of the grace of God in Christ.

If the Lord counted these sins of speech against us, who could stand on the day when we must give an account of every careless word we have ever spoken (Ps. 130:3; Mt 12:36)? None of us. Thankfully, in Christ, the Lord does not count these sins against us. Christ, with His single and efficacious sacrifice for sins, has made complete atonement for our sins, even our sins of speech (Heb. 10:11-13). Now we can exclaim with the Psalmist, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12). Praise the Lord!

Gospel Obedience

Gospel obedience is an obedience that is rooted in God’s love for us in Christ. Well, what does gospel obedience look like regarding Proverbs 10:19? Let me mention four ways this may look in the lives of Christians.

First, we need to have a biblical view of the seriousness of speech sins. We must never think of these sins “as anything less than the nails that pierced” Christ’s hands and feet. This will lead us to pray for an increase of “refraining wisdom.”^{^[4]} Second, we should be prudent and restrain our lips, “not indeed in silence, but in caution; to weigh our words before uttering them; never speaking, except when we have something to say; speaking only just enough; considering the time, circumstances, and person; what is solid, suitable, and profitable.”^[5] Third, we must exercise the same level of refraining wisdom on social media, email, text, and any other medium we use to communicate these days. And fourth, when we hastily open our lips and use our tongues in destructive ways, we need to repent and cry out with Paul, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 7:24).

^[1] Charles Bridges, Proverbs, Geneva Series of Commentaries (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth, 2008), 102.

^[2] John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 320.

^[3] Douglas Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000), 159.

^[4] Charles Bridges, Proverbs, 103.

^[5] Ibid.

Calvin’s Angelology: Christ is the Chief Angel

June 25, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

Calvin considers the angel of the Lord that frequently appears in the Old Testament as the pre-incarnate Christ. Calvin knows this is not an original thought because he mentions in his Institutes that “the orthodox doctors of the church have rightly and prudently interpreted that chief angel to be God’s Word, who already at that time, as a sort of foretaste, began to fulfill the office of Mediator.”^[1] Even though Calvin’s view on the angel of the Lord is not original, it is still important to consider in regards to Calvin’s angelology. Thus, the following blog will give an overview of Calvin’s view of the angel of the Lord.

The Pre-Incarnate Christ is the Angel of the Lord

Calvin repeats that the pre-incarnate Christ is the angel of the Lord throughout his writings. Regarding Exodus 23:20, Calvin says that “what we have already said should be remembered, that no common angel is designated, but the chief of all angels, who has always been also the head of the Church.”^[2] In his comments on Daniel 8:13-14, Calvin says, “Then, who does not see that Christ is denoted, who is the chief of angels and far superior to them all?”^[3] In his Institutes, Calvin dedicates an entire paragraph to “The Angel of the Eternal God” in his section that deals with the doctrine of the Trinity.^[4] Here, also, Calvin teaches that the angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ.

The Pre-Incarnate Christ Didn’t Have the Nature of Angels

In Calvin’s commentary on Hosea 12:3-5, he argues lengthily that the angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ. In this section, though, Calvin clearly emphasizes that this does not mean that the pre-incarnate Christ had the nature of angels:

But it must be noticed, that God and angel are here mentioned in the same sense; we may, indeed, render it angel in both places; for אלהים, Aleim, as well as מלאך, melac, signifies an angel. But, however, every doubt is removed by the Prophet, when he at last adds, Jehovah, God of hosts, Jehovah is his name, for here the Prophet expressly mentions the essential name of God, by which he testifies, that the same was the eternal and the only true God, who yet was at the same time an angel. But it may be asked, How was he the eternal God, and at the same time an angel? It occurs, indeed, so frequently in Scripture, that it must be well known to us, that when the Lord appeared by his angels, the name of Jehovah was given to them, not indeed to all the angels indiscriminately, but to the chief angel, by whom God manifested himself. This, as I have said, must be well known to us. It then follows, that this angel was truly and essentially God. But this would not strictly apply to God, except there be some distinction of persons. There must then be some person in the Deity, to which this name and title of an angel can apply; for if we take the name, God, without difference or distinction, and regard it as denoting his essence, it would certainly be inconsistent to say, that he is God and an angel too; but when we distinguish persons in the Deity, there is no inconsistency. How so? Because Christ, the eternal Wisdom of God, did put on the character of a Mediator, before he put on our flesh. He was therefore then a Mediator, and in that capacity he was also an angel. He was at the same time Jehovah, who is now God manifested in the flesh.^[5]

The Pre-Incarnate Christ is an Angel in His Ministerial Function

For Calvin, the pre-incarnate Christ can be regarded as an angel because of his pre-incarnate ministry. So, the pre-incarnate Christ is not an angel in his essence; he is an angel in his ministerial function. This becomes even clearer when Calvin rebukes Servetus. Servetus “imagined that Christ was from the beginning an angel, as if he was a phantom, and a distinct person, having an essence apart from the Father.” “This diabolical conceit ought to be wholly discarded by us,” Calvin argues. He then emphasizes, “But Christ, though he was God, was also a Mediator; and as a Mediator, he is rightly and fitly called the angel or the messenger of God, for he has of his own accord placed himself between the Father and men.”^[6] So Christ has voluntarily placed himself as a mediator between God the Father and men. Because of his mediatorial work in the Old Testament, the pre-incarnate Christ is rightly called the angel of the Lord and the messenger of God.

What were the pre-incarnate Christ’s ministerial duties? Angels are to guide, protect, and look after the safety of the Church. For Calvin, the pre-incarnate Christ “was the angel of highest rank, by whose guidance, safeguard, and protection, the church has been preserved and upheld.”^[7] Though Calvin strongly opposes the idea of angels as mediators, he consistently, and perhaps confusedly, argues that this was one of the main reasons the pre-incarnate Christ was called the angel of the Lord. Earlier, this was evident when Calvin rebukes Servetus. It is also evident in Calvin’s comments on Zechariah 1:18-21:

But we must remember what I have already said, that this chief angel was the Mediator and the Head of the Church; and the same is Jehovah, for Christ, as we know, is God manifested in the flesh. There is then no wonder that the Prophet should indiscriminately call him angel and Jehovah, he being the Mediator of the Church, and also God. He is God, being of the same essence with the Father; and Mediator, having already undertaken his Mediatorial office, though not then clothed in our flesh, so as to become our brother; for the Church could not exist, nor be united to her God without a head. We hence see that Christ, as to his eternal essence, is said to be God, and that he is called an angel on account of his office, that is, of a Mediator.^[8]

Thus, the pre-incarnate Christ’s primary ministerial duty was as a mediator for God’s people. Calvin says that even “though the time of humbling had not yet arrived, that eternal Word nevertheless set forth a figure of the office to which he had been destined.”^[9] In other words, as the angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ ministered in specific ways that pre-figured how he was ultimately going to minister in the Incarnation. And since Christ is ranked above all angels, is superior to angels, and carries out the ministerial duties of an angel, Calvin consistently emphasizes that Christ is the chief of all the angels.

^[1] Calvin, Institutes, I.8.10.

^[2] Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony, 1:403.

^[3] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, 2:105-106.

^[4] Calvin, Institutes, I.8.10.

^[5] Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, 1:420-421.

^[6] Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, 1:421.

^[7] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 4:348.

^[8] Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, 5:57.

^[9] Calvin, Institutes, I.8.10.

Calvin’s Angelology: Angels Appearing as Men in Scripture

June 24, 2022June 24, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

The author of Hebrews writes, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:2). Calvin’s argues that the author of Hebrews commands his recipients to practice hospitality and then motivates them to obey by adding “that angels had sometimes been entertained by those who thought that they received only men.”^[1] Calvin is referring to the time that angels appeared as men to Abraham. Disappointedly, Calvin’s comments on Hebrews 13:2 are rather brief regarding this particular topic—angels appearing as men. Nevertheless, Calvin’s comments in some of his other commentaries are much more extensive. This section will cover how Calvin understands angels occasionally appearing as men in Scripture.

God Clothed Angels with Human Bodies

Calvin elaborates on this topic in his comments on seven sections of Scripture (Gen 18:1-21; Dan 10:5-6; 12:5-7; Zech 2:1-4; Lk 24:43; Acts 10:30; Heb 13:2). In Calvin’s explanations of these passages, he repetitively emphasizes two truths: (1) the angels are clothed with human bodies, and (2) the angels do not actually become men. Moses “calls the angels men,” Calvin writes, “because, being clothed with human bodies they appeared to be nothing else than men.”^[2] God, the creator of all things, gives the angels “bodies, for a time, in which they might fulfill the office enjoined them.”^[3] While the angels are clothed in these bodies “they truly walked, spoke, and discharged other functions,”^[4] but he also writes that angels “suffer no human thing” so long as they are in the shape of men.^[5] In Genesis 18:1-21, the angels even ate, though Calvin does not believe “that the meat and drink yielded them that refreshment which the weakness of the flesh demands.”^[6] After the angel was done with his ministerial task, “God speedily annihilated those bodies, which had been created for temporary use”^[7] and restored angels to their own nature.^[8]

Angels Never Actually Became Men

Nevertheless, even though angels were occasionally clothed with human bodies, Calvin continually mentions that angels did not actually become men. “If it be asked, whether angels did really put on human nature?” Calvin states, “the obvious answer is, that they never, strictly speaking, became really men.”^[9] He says in another place, “We ought not to believe them to be really men, because they appeared under a human form.”^[10] Calvin’s belief, that angels do not actually put on human nature, is also apparent when he emphasizes that the angels’ food and drink did not yield them any nourishment, and that the angels were unable to suffer when they were clothed with human bodies. Calvin wants his readers to understand that God occasionally clothed an angel with a body, but that God in no way truly added a human nature to the angel’s celestial nature. Why did Calvin care to highlight this so much?

The Incarnation is Unique

Calvin does this because he wants to preserve the uniqueness of the Incarnation of the Son of God. “Christ, indeed, was really man, in consequence of his springing from the seed of Abraham, David, and Adam,” Calvin says. He then argues, “But as regards to angels, God clothed them for a single day or short periods in bodies, for a distinct purpose and a special use.”^[11] In his comments on Daniel 12:5-7, Calvin makes a similar argument: “For Christ took upon Him our flesh and was truly man, while he was God manifest in flesh. (1 Tim. 3:16) But this is not true of angels, who received only a temporary body while performing the duties of their office.”^[12] In Calvin’s desire to maintain the mystery, wonder, and glory of the Incarnation of the Son of God, he insists that angels were occasionally clothed with human bodies, but that they in no way became fully and truly human.

Does this Still Happen Today?

Does Calvin think that this still happens today? Disappointedly, he does not even address this question in his comments on Hebrews 13:2. Instead, he thinks the author of Hebrews wants his readers to understand that God honors those who practice hospitality. However, based on his belief that angels no longer appear to individuals as emissaries, it is probably correct to assume that Calvin does not believe that angels still appear to men clothed in human bodies.

In Sum!

The previous section discussed how Calvin understands angels appearing as men throughout Scripture. God occasionally clothed an angel with a human body for a specific ministerial duty, but God never added a truly and fully human nature to an angel’s celestial nature. As he addresses this topic, Calvin remains fixed to the Scripture, but he occasionally goes beyond Scripture for the purpose of emphasizing the uniqueness of the Incarnation of the Son of God.

^[1] John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, ed. and trans. John Owen (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software), 340.

^[2] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 1:468-470.

^[3] Ibid., 1:471-472.

^[4] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 1:471-472.

^[5] Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles, 1:434-435.

^[6] Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 2:373-382.

^[7] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 1:471-472.

^[8] Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles, 1:434-435.

^[9] Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, 5:59.

^[10] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, 2:240-241.

^[11] Ibid.

^[12] Ibid., 2:381.

Calvin’s Angelology: The Function of Angels

June 23, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

Calvin has a high view of the function and work of angels. Warfield, as he writes on how extensive the function of angels is in Calvin’s angelology, says, “There is at least a prima-facie appearance that Calvin thought of them as the instruments through which the entirety of God’s providential work is administered.”^[1] Calvin says this much himself when he argues that by means of angels “God exercises his power, and might, and dominion,”^[2] and that “God works through the angels to direct human affairs.”^[3] Calvin goes further when he states “that angels are celestial spirits whose ministry and service God uses to carry out all things he has decreed,”^[4] and that even “the very violence of the winds is governed by angels as God has ordained.”^[5] In short, Warfield is right. For Calvin, all of God’s providential work is dispensed through the ministry of angels. The following section will consider four functions that angels have in Calvin’s writings: angels function as emissaries of God, as ministers of God’s wrath, as servants and guardians of God’s elect, and as admirers of God’s gospel.

Angels are Emissaries

First, Calvin believes that angels are emissaries of God the King. Angels appear to men and speak on behalf of God “in order that, as we have before said, the embassy of those who bear his name, may have the greater authority, by their being clothed with his majesty.”^[6] Throughout the Bible “angels transfer to themselves the person and titles of God, when they are performing the commissions entrusted to them by him.”^[7] In other words, Calvin believes God commissions the angels, clothes them in glory, gives them a message, and enables them to be his representatives before men. Thus, when God employs angels as agents to speak on his behalf, “God himself is said to speak.”^[8] Nevertheless, though angels do this throughout the Bible, Calvin does not believe that angels still function in this capacity. In his comments on Daniel 7:15-16, Calvin says that “angels do not appear to us, and do not openly and conspicuously descend from heaven,” and that believers must “not seek the understanding of God’s word from angels, who do not appear to us.” God now chooses to teach and instruct his elect “by means of pastors and ministers of the gospel.”^[9]

Angels are Ministers of God’s Wrath

Second, Calvin regards angels as ministers of God’s wrath. Calvin understands this in two distinct ways. On the one hand, as Calvin studies Scripture, he is aware that “God executes his judgments by reprobate angels”^[10] and “executes his wrath by the agency of reprobate angels, as if they were his executioners.”^[11] Then, to emphasize the ultimate role of the elect angels as minister of God’s wrath, Calvin goes on to say that “God causes his elect angels to preside over those judgments which he executes by means of the reprobate,”^[12] and that God “gives the elect angels the pre-eminence over” the reprobate angels as they carry out God’s wrath.^[13] In sum, Calvin believes that the elect angels preside over the reprobate angels as God sovereignly uses the reprobate angels as executioners of his vengeance.

On the other hand, as Calvin considers all of Scripture, he realizes this distinction—elect angels presiding over reprobate angels as reprobate angels carry out God’s wrath—is not always observed. At times, elect angels execute God’s vengeance and wrath themselves. It was an elect angel that killed all the first born in Egypt, and it was an elect angel that slayed 185,000 Assyrians. Because of this, Calvin emphasizes to his readers “that it is not foreign to the office of elect angels, to descend armed for the purpose of executing Divine vengeance, and of inflicting punishment.”^[14] To people that may object to this, elect angels inflicting punishment, Calvin argues that elect angels “cannot watch for the preservation of the godly without being prepared for fighting—that they cannot succour them by their aid without also opposing their enemies.”^[15] Ultimately, in order to protect and preserve the Church, Calvin believes elect angels must oppose the Church’s enemies.

Angels are Servants and Guardians of God’s Elect

Third, Calvin believes angels are servants and guardians of God’s elect. Calvin is convinced that the world, the flesh, and the Devil constantly assault God’s children. The impious “pour forth their threats against us” and “desire to destroy us, and are ever plotting for our complete ruin.”^[16] The god of this world utterly detests the elect, rages against them, opposes their prayers, and lays snares for their destruction. The flesh is soft and frail, gives way to exhaustion, and is incapable of making it through a life filled with so many “thorns and briers, steep roads, intricate windings, and rough places.”^[17] The way of God’s elect is filled with unnumerable dangers, toils, and snares. Consequently, Calvin often mentions the importance of angels as servants and guardians of God’s people.

Calvin maintains that the Lord makes “use of the ministration of angels to promote the safety of believers.”^[18]Because of the elect’s feebleness, Scripture teaches that angels “keep vigil for our safety, take upon themselves our defense, direct our ways, and take care that some harm may not befall us.”^[19] Even though God’s people have countless enemies, “the angels of God, armed with invisible power, constantly watch over us, and array themselves on every side to aid and deliver us from all evil.”^[20] God sends his angels “against all the endeavors of Satan, and all the fury of the impious who desire to destroy us.”^[21] If angels did not carry out this ministry, God’s children “would easily fall or give way through exhaustion, and would hardly ever make way amidst so many thorns and briers, steep roads, intricate windings, and rough places.”^[22] For Calvin, God’s providential use of angels is essential for the preservation of the saints.

Calvin’s teaching, that angels are servants and guardians of the elect, is meant to comfort Christians; not to lead Christians to an undue reverence for angels. “Therefore we must beware of falling into the superstition of the Papists,” Calvin stresses, “who, by their absurd worship of angels, ascribe to them that power which belongs to God.”^[23] Instead of revering angels, Calvin desires for Christians to see “the singular love of God towards us; for he employs his angels especially for this purpose, that he might show that our salvation is greatly valued by him.”^[24] After he emphasizes the ministry of angels, Calvin writes, “The Lord alone. . . preserves us; for the angels may be regarded as his hand,” and that “all praise is due to God alone, of whom the angels are only instruments.” For Calvin, the fact that God commissions the angels to comfort the elect in their weakness, to console them in their distress, and to strengthen them in their faith, is one of the remarkable displays of God’s unwavering love for them.

What about Guardian Angels?

What does Calvin say about individual guardian angels? Calvin denies the popular belief that each believer has a personal guardian angel. He is aware of the verses that are commonly used to defend this doctrine (Dan 10:13, 20; 12:1; Matt 18:10; Acts 12:15). Joseph A Pipa Jr. helpfully breaks down Calvin’s arguments, specifically within the Institutes, against people who defend personal guardian angels from these verses:

He answers three arguments for individual guardian angels. First, that particular angels have been assigned to serve as guardians over kingdoms (Dan. 10:13, 20; 12:1) does not imply that each individual has a specific guardian angel. Second, the reference to children’s angels beholding the face of the Father (Matt. 18:10) does hint that certain angels have been assigned to look after the safety of children, but this is not sufficient ground to assert a guardian angel. Third, with respect to Peter’s angel (Acts 12:15), it is possible the servant girl believed that Peter had a particular guardian angel, but nothing prevents the interpretation that an angel was appointed care of him in prison.^[25]

Pipa’s summation is helpful. Ultimately, Calvin is not convinced that these passages supply a solid foundation to believe that each Christian has a personal guardian angel.

Instead, Calvin argues that Scripture “declares that the angels encamp around (Ps. 34:7) the godly, and that not one angel, but many, have been commissioned to guard every one of the faithful.”^[26] So, instead of defending personal guardian angels from these passages, it is more faithful to Scripture to argue that “the whole host of heaven doth watch for the safety of the Church; and that as necessity of time requireth sometimes one angel, sometimes more do defend us with their aid.”^[27] In other words, God commissions all the angels to watch over the Church, and at times commissions an angel to serve one of his children in a specific way. Calvin deals with this extensively in his Institutes and commentaries because he thinks God’s honor is at stake. “Therefore they who think that each of us is defended by one angel only,” Calvin writes, “wickedly depreciate the kindness of God.”^[28] Why make the people of God settle for one angel when Scripture clearly indicates that we have the host of heaven watching over us?^[29]

Angels are Admirers of God’s Gospel

Fourth, Calvin believes angels are admirers of God’s gospel. The apostle Peter writes that angels long to look into the Old Testament prophesies concerning the sufferings and subsequent glories of the Messiah (1 Pet 1:10-12). For Calvin, the glory of the salvation that is promised in Christ is exceedingly wonderful “because even angels, though they enjoy God’s presence in heaven, yet burn with a desire of seeing it.”^[30] Paul mentions that the church, consisting of reconciled Jews and Gentiles, displays the wisdom of God “to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:10). “Paul’s meaning is this,” Calvin writes, “The church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, is a mirror, in which angels behold the astonishing wisdom of God displayed in a manner unknown to them before.”^[31] Calvin also asserts that the substitutionary death of Christ is not only the foolishness of the cross, it is also the admiration of the angels.^[32] From this, Calvin concludes that angels admire the wonderful works of God in the government of his Church day after day.^[33] Now that angels have witnessed the glories of the gospel unfold in the death and resurrection of Christ, they desire to see “the last display of divine justice, when the kingdom of Christ shall be completed.”^[34] Thus, Calvin thinks that angels, in all their celestial glory, are now eagerly awaiting the consummation of the Church’s redemption—the return of Christ.

In Sum!

In sum, this section covered Calvin’s understanding of the function and work of angels. Calvin regards angels as emissaries of God the King, ministers of God’s wrath, servants and guardians of God’s elect, and admirers of God’s gospel. Because Calvin believes God uses angels to carry out all that God decrees, more could be said about Calvin’s understanding of the ministration of angels. Nevertheless, throughout Calvin’s Institutes, sermons, and commentaries, he consistently teaches God’s people that angels work and serve in these particular ways.

^[1] Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield: Calvin and Calvinism, 319.

^[2] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, 216.

^[3] Calvin, Sermons on Job: Chapters 1-14, chapter 4, Kindle.

^[4] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.5.

^[5] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 1:271.

^[6] John Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, ed. and trans. John King, vols. 1-2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 571.

^[7] Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of Harmony, 1:61.

^[8] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, ed. and trans. John Owen (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 5:116.

^[9] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, 2:47-48.

^[10] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 504-505.

^[11] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 3:261-263.

^[12] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 504-505.

^[13] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 1:578-579.

^[14] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 504-505.

^[15] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 1:578-579.

^[16] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, 2:253.

^[17] John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, ed. and trans. William Pringle (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 2:217.

^[18] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 3:145-146.

^[19] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.6.

^[20] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 1:563.

^[21] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, 2:253.

^[22] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 2:217.

^[23] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 2:217.

^[24] Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, 5:38.

^[25] Joseph A. Pipa Jr., “Creation and Providence: Institutes 1.14, 16-18,” in A Theological Guide to Calvin’s Institutes: Essays and Analysis, ed. David W. Hall and Peter A Lillback (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishing Company, 2008), 132.

^[26] John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, ed. and trans. William Pringle, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 338-339.

^[27] John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles, ed. and trans. Henry Beveridge, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 487.

^[28] Calvin, Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, 2:186.

^[29] Pipa, “Creation and Providence: Institutes 1.14, 16-18,” 133.

^[30] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles, ed. and trans. John Owen (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 38.

^[31] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, 256.

^[32] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, 92.

^[33] Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles, 42-43.

^[34] Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles, 42-43.

Calvin’s Angelology: The Creation, Essence, Order, and Number of Angels

June 22, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

Calvin believes that God created the world in six days. Man, as the climax of God’s creation, ought to look at the world and “contemplate God’s fatherly love toward mankind, in that he did not create Adam until he had lavished upon the universe all manner of good things.”^[1] For Calvin, the creation account of Genesis 1-2 preeminently reveals God’s goodness toward humanity. And in Calvin’s estimation, God unquestionably displays his benevolence toward humanity in the creation of illustrious and noble angelic beings.^[2] In this blog, we will examine how Calvin understands the creation, essence, order, and number of angels.

God Created the Angels

First, Calvin believes that God created the angels. Calvin concedes that the creation account of Genesis 1-2 mentions “no other works of God than those which show themselves to our own eyes.”^[3] So, the creation account does not explicitly mention or even allude to the creation of angels. Yet, since angels are regarded as servants of God, even later in Genesis, Calvin deduces that “he, to whom they devote their effort and functions, is their Creator.”^[4] Calvin is more direct when he comments on Colossians 1:15—where Paul teaches that Christ is the creator of all things visible and invisible—saying, “Not only, therefore, have those heavenly creatures which are visible to our eyes, but spiritual creatures also, been created by the Son of God.”^[5] In sum, Calvin believes the Scripture implicitly and explicitly teaches that God created the angels.

When it comes to the specific day the angels were created, Calvin keeps to his rule of modesty and sobriety. He believes it is unprofitable to investigate when the angels were created.^[6] Because the creation account does not explicitly mention the creation of angels, he considers it pointless to contemplate how the creation of angels is related to the creation account of Genesis 1-2.^[7] So, Calvin believes that in the beginning God created all things visible and invisible. However, because Scripture is silent about the day the angels were created, Calvin remains silent as well.

Angels are Spirits with Angelic Natures

Second, concerning the essence of angels, Calvin believes that angels are spirits and that they have an angelic nature.^[8] It aggravates him that the Libertines of his day, like the Sadducees of old, deny the existence of angels and argue that angels are “either the impulses that God inspires in men or those examples of his power which he puts forth.”^[9] For Calvin, this does injustice to the biblical account regarding angels. Angels have joy attributed to them (Lk 15:10), lift believers by their hands (Ps 91:11; Matt 4:6; Lk 4:10-11), carry believers’ souls to rest (Lk 16:22), and see the face of God (Matt 18:10).^[10] For Calvin, it is apparent that angels are “not qualities or inspirations without substance, but true spirits.”^[11]

Even though angels are true spirits, Calvin constantly endeavors to keep angels in their proper rank and degree by describing the differences between the divine essence and the essence of angels. Calvin believes that angels, as heavenly spirits adorned with divine glory,^[12] are “superior to corporeal creatures.”^[13] To put it another way, angels are superior to creatures that have bodies. Yet he passionately argues that angels are not part “of the divine essence or substance, as some fanatics dream.”^[14] So, angels are superior to corporeal creatures but they are inferior to God, who alone has the divine essence. God created the angels as immortal spirits that will never perish, but angels are only “immortal insofar as they are sustained by the power on high, and insofar as God maintains them, he who is immortal by nature and in whom is the fountain of life.”^[15] Angels are wise, but because omniscience is an attribute of God alone, “the knowledge of angels is necessarily limited.”^[16] Angels are remarkably strong, but because omnipotence is a quality of God alone, “angels have no power distinct from God’s.”^[17]

In Calvin’s delineation of the differences between the essence of angels and the divine essence, it is important to consider how Calvin understands elect angels after the fall of Satan and the other reprobate angels. In Colossians, Paul says that through Christ God the Father has reconciled “to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:19-20 ESV).^[18] Since Christ’s death is instrumental in reconciling all things to God the Father, even things in heaven, Calvin infers that Christ functions as a mediator for elect angels. Since even the elect angels, as creatures, were at risk of falling too, God, by extending the grace of Christ, gave them a “fixed standing in righteousness, so as to have no longer any fear of fall or revolt.”^[19] However, he is quick to add that “Christ is not the Redeemer of the angels, for they do not need to be ransomed from death, which they never fell into, but he is their Mediator.”^[20]

Calvin has similar thoughts in his comments on Job 4:18—the verse that says God charges his angels with error. For Calvin, this means that “there is folly and vanity in the angels, which means that there is something lacking in them.”^[21] He says in another place that this verse teaches “that the greatest purity is vile, if it is brought in comparison with the righteousness of God.”^[22] As far as creatures go, the elect angels are perfect and righteous and they render perfect obedience to the Lord. In comparison to God, though, even the elect angels are iniquitous. Because of this, Calvin believes the angels have “need of a peace-maker, through whose grace they may wholly cleave to God. Hence it is with propriety that Paul declares, that the grace of Christ does not reside among mankind alone, and on the other hand makes it common also to angels.”^[23] In other words, Christ graciously functions as a mediator for the angels to keep them from falling like Satan and the other reprobate angels, to fix and confirm them in a state of righteousness, and to enable them to remain before God.

There’s a Hierarchy Amongst the Angels

Third, Calvin abides by his rule of modesty and sobriety regarding the order of angels. It is not that Calvin rejects the idea of a hierarchy of angelic beings. He considers the pre-incarnate Christ as the angel of the Lord that functions as the head and chief of the elect angels (this blog series will discuss this later).^[24] He knows Scripture teaches that Michael is called “the great prince” in the book of Daniel and “the archangel” in Jude (Dan 12:2; Jude 9).^[25] From Ephesians 1:21, Calvin concludes “that there are various orders of angels.”^[26] So, Calvin believes there is order amongst the angelic beings. Nevertheless, Calvin believes the biblical evidence is insufficient to “determine the degrees of honor among the angels, distinguish each by his insignia, and assign to each his place and station.”^[27] Since Scripture does not give a complete theory of the organization of angels, Calvin does not strive to concoct one either.

There Are Lots of Angels

Fourth, this is true about the number of angels as well. Calvin is aware that Christ taught there are many legions of angels (Matt 26:53), that Daniel taught there are many myriads of angels, that Elisha’s servant saw an army of angels (2 Kg 6:17-20), and that angels are encamped around those who fear God (Ps 34:7).^[28] In Calvin’s sermons on Deuteronomy, he even states that the number of the angels is infinite.^[29] Therefore, Calvin is aware that there is a great multitude of angels. Nonetheless, he considers it “rash, wicked, and dangerous” to attempt to formulate a fixed number of the angels.

In Sum!

In this blog, it was apparent that Calvin believes God, the creator of all things visible and invisible, created the angels, that angels are glorious and celestial spirits, that there is order amongst the angels, and that there are multitudes of angels. Calvin, for the most part, fixes himself to Scripture. Yet, pertaining to the essence of angels, he slightly deviates from his rule of modesty and sobriety to emphasize the superiority of the divine essence in comparison to the essence of angels.

^[1] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.2.

^[2] Calvin, Institutes, 1.14.3.

^[3] Calvin, Institutes, 1.14.3.

^[4] Calvin, Institutes, 1.14.3.

^[5] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 150.

^[6] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.4.

^[7] Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield: Calvin and Calvinism, 312.

^[8] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.5.

^[9] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.9.

^[10] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.9.

^[11] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.9.

^[12] John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, ed. and trans. James Anderson (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 3:424.

^[13] John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, ed. and trans. John Owen (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 49.

^[14] Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 3:424.

^[15] John Calvin, Sermons on Job: Chapters 1-14, trans. Rob Roy McGregor (Banner of Truth Trust, 2014), chapter 16, Kindle.

^[16] John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, ed. and trans. Thomas Myers (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 2:106.

^[17] John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, 2:267.

^[18] Unless otherwise noted, all Bible translations come from the ESV.

^[19] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 156.

^[20] Calvin, Sermons on Job: Chapters 1-14, chapter 16, Kindle.

^[21] Calvin, Sermons on Job: Chapters 1-14, chapter 16, Kindle.

^[22] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 156.

^[23] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 156.

^[24] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of Harmony, ed. and trans. Charles William Bingham (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 1:61.

^[25] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.8

^[26] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, 216.

^[27] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.8.

^[28] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.8.

^[29] John Calvin, The Sermons of John Calvin upon the Fifth Booke of Moses Called Deuteronomie, trans. Arthur Golding (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1987), 1187.

Calvin’s Angelology: His Approach

June 21, 2022philipmcduffie Leave a comment

Calvin approaches angels with one rule: modesty and sobriety.^[1] Calvin’s one rule of modesty and sobriety is due to his fear of idolatry.^[2] Throughout history, fallen man has perpetually attributed divinity to angelic creatures. As a pastor and theologian, Calvin is mindful of this when he writes and speaks about angels. He does not want to say or write anything that will lead people to an unhealthy adulation of angels. For this reason, Susan Schreiner infers that Calvin’s “angelology was governed less by an interest in angels in and of themselves than by the concern to keep angels in their proper ‘rank’ or ‘degree.’”^[3] It is not that Calvin is uninterested in angels; he is just more concerned with the supremacy of God over angels. In Calvin’s Institutes, commentaries, and sermons, he keeps angels in their proper rank and degree in three ways: he attempts to avoid speculation, to edify Christians, and to direct people’s gazes toward God.

Don’t Speculate!

First, Calvin attempts to avoid speculation. He opposes men like Dionysius who write and speak so much about angels that if you read their books “you would think a man fallen from heaven recounted, not what he had learned, but what he had seen with his own eyes.”^[4] Calvin strongly disagrees with such an indulgent curiosity. Instead, because Scripture does not address every fruitless question people have about angels, the theologian must not address these fruitless questions either.

In regard to angels, Calvin tells his readers “not to speak, or guess, or even to seek to know. . . anything except what has been imparted to us by God’s Word.”^[5] In his sermon on Ephesians 1:19-23, he shepherds his congregants to “only give ear to God’s Word, and in all soberness learn from him without giving rein to our own foolish curiosity, as some do, disputing subtly about the angels.”^[6] This pastoral advice—not to speak, know, or guess anything about angels except what has been revealed in Scripture—is one aspect of Calvin’s approach to angelology. He wants to avoid speculation and to remain grounded in Scripture. Yet, though Calvin largely avoids speculation, it is important to add that Calvin occasionally deviates from this method when he wants to emphasize an important theological point. This will become apparent in some of my upcoming blog posts.

Seek to Edify Christians!

Secondly, Calvin seeks the edification of Christians. In Scripture, God wills to instruct his people in sound godliness, the fear of the Lord, in true trust, and in the duties of holiness.^[7] Calvin believes that “the theologian’s task is not to divert the ears with chatter, but to strengthen consciences by teaching things true, sure, and profitable.”^[8] Thus, Calvin’s discussion on angels “is marked by the strongest practical tendency.”^[9] Calvin wants people to know that God did not create men for angels; God created angels for men. In other words, when Calvin discusses angels, he generally limits his discourse to biblical truths that will build up and encourage the church.

Direct People’s Gazes Toward God!

Thirdly, Calvin endeavors to direct people’s gazes toward God. Calvin was aware that some Medieval Roman Catholics taught that angels were mediators—that angels were intermediaries that enabled people to approach God. He also knew that other people superstitiously attributed divinity to angels.^[10] These practices inevitably led people to turn their gazes away from God and toward angels, a practice that Calvin regarded as preposterous.^[11]

Instead, for Calvin, angels must turn people’s gazes toward God. Angels should lead Christians toward God so “that we may look upon him, call upon him, and proclaim him as our sole helper . . . that we may wholly depend upon him, lean upon him, be brought to him, and rest in him.”^[12] To put it another way, Calvin desires the study of angels to lead people to God, the one who commissions the angels. So, like the apostle Paul, Calvin constantly labors to prevent the imaginary luster of angels from dazzling the eyes of men and obscuring the radiant glory of Christ.^[13]

In Sum!

In summary, Calvin’s approach to angelology is modest and sober. He avoids speculation by adhering to Scripture. To prevent an unhealthy adulation of angels, he teaches that God created angels for the benefit of the church. To stop Christians from fixating on angels, he constantly turns their eyes toward God. Calvin recognizes that angels are distinguished and glorious creatures, and he strives to teach and write about them in a way that will not detract from the glory of Christ.

^[1] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), I.14.4.

^[2] Susan E. Schreiner, “The Theatre of His Glory: Nature and Natural Order in the Thought of John Calvin,” 97.

^[3] Susan E. Schreiner, “The Theatre of His Glory: Nature and Natural Order in the Thought of John Calvin,” 97.

^[4] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.4.

^[5] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.4.

^[6] John Calvin, Sermons on the Epistle to the Ephesians, 3^rd ed. (1973; repr., London: Banner of Truth Trust, 2017), 113.

^[7] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.4.

^[8] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.4.

^[9] Benjamin Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield: Calvin and Calvinism, vol. 5 (London: Oxford University Press, 1931), 309.

^[10] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, ed. and trans. John Pringle (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 195-196.

^[11] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.12.

^[12] Calvin, Institutes, I.14.12.

^[13] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, ed. and trans. William Pringle (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 216-217.

2021 in Books

December 8, 2021December 8, 2021philipmcduffie Leave a comment

One of my favorite times of the year is when prominent Christian pastors, theologians, and websites begin posting their top ten book lists. This allows me to peruse these lists in hopes to find some good books to read in the upcoming year.

In what follows, I’ll post the ten books that I enjoyed reading the most this year (in no particular order), and then I’ll post a link to top ten book lists from other pastors, theologians, and websites. My list will include books from any particular year, while other people’s lists will usually pertain to books that were published in 2021. My hope is that you’ll find some good Christian books to read throughout 2022 that will stir your affections for Jesus.

My Top 10

Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael Kruger – Overall, I’ve been doing college and youth ministry for a little over five years. I can honestly say that I haven’t read a more important book to put into the hands of 17-25 years olds. Dr. Kruger wisely addresses topics that college professors, and our culture at large, consistently bring up to derail young people’s Christian faith. If you have children between the ages of 17-25, you’ll certainly want to buy them this book and read it along with them!

The Christian Ministry: With an Inquiry into the Causes of its Inefficiency by Charles Bridges – When Charles Bridges (1794-1869) wrote this book in 1830, he unknowingly wrote a definitive work on pastoral ministry. Throughout the years, I’ve read many books on Christian ministry that deal with the call to ministry, the qualifications of being a pastor, pastoring, and preaching. This book, however, outranks them all. If you’re a pastor, or an aspiring pastor, then you need to take time to read through this book (even the footnotes are field with treasure!).

The Glory Now Revealed by Andrew Davis – In this book, Andy Davis gives his readers a foretaste of heaven. In doing so, he focuses in on the topic of heavenly memories. Essentially, he is addressing what we’ll remember when we have resurrected hearts, minds, and bodies. He argues against heavenly amnesia (where we won’t remember anything), and he argues for a robust remembrance of all that happened in this life. As we live our days on the New Earth, we will not be omniscient. Therefore, the triune God will masterfully educate us in all that he did during our time here to bring Himself maximum glory.

He will unveil his providential governance of human history, the workings of the spiritual realm, well-known heroes from church history, unknown and obscure heroes from church history, why we suffered in this life, and so on and so forth. This is a thought provoking book that makes us increasingly interested in what God plans to reveal to us when He comes back to establish a New Heaven and a New Earth. And since many Christians conceive of heaven as a disembodied existence where we’ll skillfully play harps to the glory of God with little knowledge of people we knew in this life, this is an important book to read. It will correct many of contemporary Christianity’s misconceptions about heaven.

Christianity & Liberalism by J Gresham Machen – This book was originally published in 1923. Since then, it has been named one of the top 100 books of the millennium by World magazine and one of the top 100 books of the 20th century by Christianity Today. In this work, Machen sets orthodox Christianity against Christian liberalism in hopes to reveal that Christian liberalism isn’t really Christian! And since liberal theology is still taught and widely promoted, Machen’s voice still needs to be heard. With this in mind, I encourage you to buy this book, begin reading it, and discover more about the difference between orthodox Christianity and Christian liberalism.

Yours, Till Heaven: The Untold Love Story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes Jr. – I’m a lover of all things Spurgeon. Because of this, I was eager to read Ray Rhodes’ newest book that takes a close look at Charles and Susie’s love story. Let’s just say that I wasn’t disappointed. Both Charles Spurgeon and Susie Spurgeon are fascinating individuals. They just seem so well-rounded in the Christian faith. This becomes particularly evident when you look at their marriage. And as I read this book, I couldn’t help but desire to better love my wife. Perhaps MacArthur said it best when he recommeded this book saying:

There are many books that tell us how to have a good marriage. But here is something unique: a book that shows us what such a marriage looks like. . . Husbands and wives will do well to read this book and emulate the loving marriage of Charles and Susie Spurgeon.

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: A Treatise in Which the Whole Controversy about Universal Redemption is Fully Discussed by John Owen – I tried to read this book a long time ago but I lacked the mental capability! This year, however, I picked it up and worked my way through it (though I still lacked some mental capability!). And, as was expected, it was a brilliant argument for definite atonement. Though this is a very difficult read by a brilliant Puritan, it deserves to be read by both advocates of definite atonement and opponents of definite atonement. Advocates of definite atonement ought to read it because Owen gives us a great example on how to refute arguments for general atonement with biblical texts. Opponents of definite atonement need to read it because Owen’s arguments in favor of definite atonement are hard to refute.

William Carey by S Pearce Carey – William Carey (1761-1834) is largely regarded as “the father of modern missions.” S Pearce Carey was his great-grandson. In 1923, S Pearce Carey wrote this phenomenal biography of his great-grandfather, William Carey. And it is my personal opinion that well-written biographies of faithful Christian missionaries are the most soul-stirring books any Christian can read. This is most certainly the case with this biography. As you read about Carey’s heart for the nations, his relentless work and toil, his endurance through suffering, and his genius in translation, you’ll thank God that He sent this faithful laborer to Calcutta in 1793 to advance the kingdom of Christ.

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn – I really enjoyed this biography on Elisabeth Elliot. I’m just going to let the back of the book speak here:

Elisabeth Elliot was a young missionary in Ecuador when members of a violent Amazonian tribe savagely speared her husband Jim and his four colleagues. Incredibly, prayerfully, Elisabeth took her toddler daughter, snakebite kit, Bible, and journal . . . and lived in the jungle with the Stone-Age people who killed her husband. Compelled by her friendship and forgiveness, many came to faith in Jesus.

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray – John Murray (1898-1975) originally published this book in 1955. Since then, this book has been both very popular and highly recommended. Speaking about this book Carl Trueman says, “The book you have in your hand is a miniature masterpiece of theology, dealing reverently on every page with matters of great theological significance.” I think Trueman is right. Throughout the pages of this book, Murray will give you a more robust understanding of the atonement and how it is applied.

Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, and Practical Introduction by Kevin DeYoung – I’ve found Kevin DeYoung to be a reliable Christian voice that’s always clear, succinct, and biblical. In his newest book, he once again demonstrates these characteristics that I’ve come to appreciate so much. With that said, here’s a brief look at what to expect when you read this book:

There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable―they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences.

Men and women―in marriage especially, but in the rest of life as well―complement one another. And this biblical truth has enduring, cosmic significance. From start to finish, the biblical storyline―and the design of creation itself―depends upon the distinction between male and female. Men and Women in the Church is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially ministry in the church

Other People’s List

The Gospel Coalition’s 2021 Book Awards

21 Top Biblical Counseling Books of 2021

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s List

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s List

World Magazine’s List

The London Lyceum’s Top Books of 2021

More people and websites will post their lists. I’ll add their lists to this blog as they do so!

Counsel from John Stott

Since we are talking about books, here’s a quote from John Stott that I love. I hope it encourages you:

For there is something unique about books. Our favorite books become very precious to us and we even develop with them an almost living and affectionate relationship. Is it an altogether fanciful fact that we handle, stroke and even smell them as tokens of our esteem and affection? I am not referring only to an author’s feeling for what he has written, but to all readers and their library. I have made it a rule not to quote from any book unless I have first handled it. So let me urge you to keep reading, and encourage your relatives and friends to do the same. For this is a much neglected means of grace.

Things I’ve Learned

August 16, 2021philipmcduffie 1 Comment

I went to church sporadically growing up. I remember occasionally going to a small Southern Baptist Church about fifteen minutes from my childhood home when I was in elementary school. While I was in middle school, I remember intermittingly going to a larger Southern Baptist Church in West Mobile. And by the time I entered high school, I was rarely going to church at all . . . I only went to church when I was dating a girl that had a family that was going to church (how pathetic is that)!

Needless to say, I didn’t grow up with a relationship to pastors and deacons. Nor did I have any familiarity with AWANA, VBS, youth summer camps, mission trips, or anything along those lines. Really, regarding church life, I didn’t know much of anything.

Growing Familiarity with the Church

By the time I entered college, God began to graciously call me to Himself. Deep into the fall semester of my freshmen year, He mercifully saved me and freely gave me the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ. With a genuine work of God in my heart, I began to become more active in the local church.

This allowed me to get close to pastors and deacons, to become familiar with Vacation Bible Schools, youth summer camps, mission trips, and other church related things. And though I wasn’t knowledgeable of all that was going on in the church that I was attending, I started becoming more familiar with the church.

Much More Familiarity with the Church

After college, my wife and I moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina, in January of 2015. On August 16, 2016, I was hired on full time as the Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church of Durham (a healthy local church in downtown Durham). This was my first ever ministry position, and I joyfully served in this capacity for three and a half years.

While I was doing college ministry, a friend of mine from Louisiana asked if I would be interested in being his associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Longville. This seemed like a good opportunity to serve the people of God, so in December of 2019, I moved to Longville, Louisiana, to begin serving full time as an associate pastor. I’m still serving in this capacity. This means that, as of August 16, 2021 (today), I’ve been doing full time ministry for five years. And at twenty-nine years old, I’m much more familiar with the church than I was in my childhood and teenage years.

Things I’ve Learned

Though five years isn’t a very long time, I thought it’d be neat to reflect on some things that I’ve learned while serving in full time ministry. Since ministry largely involves ministering to people, most of the things I’ve learned have to do with people. So, here we go:

People Need Christ

Christ is the incarnate Word, the image of the invisible God, the Passover Lamb that takes away the sins of the world, and the light for the nations. He is the only mediator between God and man, and it’s only in Christ that one can find reconciliation and peace with God. Jesus is a never-ending source of other-worldly satisfaction and joy, and it’s Jesus that people need.

After five years of ministry, I’m even more mindful that one of the most important things that I can do is place Christ before people’s eyes. And no, I’m not merely talking about placing Christ before unbelievers’ eyes. I’m also talking about placing Christ before believers’ eyes. I’ve learned that the children of God desperately need to behold and savor Christ afresh every day.

People Love Handwritten Cards

We live in a day and age where our emails are bombarded with advertisements, and where our cell phones are constantly receiving mostly insignificant messages from friends, family members, and acquaintances. And even though communication is remarkably easy, people are rarely receiving well thought out handwritten cards that are expressly written for the purpose of encouraging others.

This means that when people do receive a handwritten card, it is both encouraging and memorable! In all seriousness, I don’t believe I’ve ever had somebody thank me to my face for an encouraging text (though I’ve sent many). But almost everybody that I’ve written a card to goes out of their way to thank me. It’s evident that people love handwritten cards!

People Need to be Encouraged

There are people in the church that sacrifice their time, energy, and money for the cause of Christ. They give up their weeknights and Sundays for the purpose of sacrificially serving others. They diligently study so that they can properly teach the Word of God. They read books and listen to podcasts so that they can better counsel folks that are hurting and suffering. They open their homes to get to know other members of the church. And these people need to be encouraged. They need to know that I, as their pastor, see their ministry, am grateful for their ministry, and that our church is better off because of their ministry.

People are Hurting

Sure, people put on a socially acceptable smile on Sunday mornings, but deep down inside most people are hurting. And they are hurting because of their own sins, someone else’s sins, or because of all that comes with living on a cursed earth. There’s a family unit that has a rebellious child. There’s a marriage that is on the brink of disaster. There’s a youth that’s beginning to indulge in sexual sin that will have consequences for decades to come. Somebody has gone to the doctor and received a life altering diagnosis. A couple is doubting if they will ever be able to get pregnant. A widow is trying to figure out how to go to sleep by herself every night. All over the church, people are hurting, and they need other brothers and sisters in Christ to help them.

People Need Parlor Preachers

We don’t really hear the term “parlor” anymore, but most churches in the old days had them. It was a room in the church that was especially constructed for receiving guests. And a parlor preacher is a Christian that can speak about heavenly things in social settings (not just from the pulpit). Charles Bridges defines it as “the ability to introduce the subject of religion seasonably and acceptably into social discourse.”

It’s important to be able to do this as a pastor, and it’s important to have fellow church members that can do this as well. Reflecting on the importance of this Spurgeon says, “To be a holy talker for Jesus might be almost as fruitful an office as to be a faithful preacher.” In five years, I’ve learned that we vastly overestimate what people learn from their pastor in the pulpit, and that we vastly underestimate what people learn from a spiritual conversation in the parlor.

People Need Church History

The Catholic Church teaches that both Scripture and tradition are equally authoritative. While the Baptist Church has rightly rejected this, most Baptist Churches have made an equally deadly error by flat out rejecting church history and tradition. There are so many people that are ignorant of the early church and its creeds, the Reformation and its confessions, the historical development of Baptist ecclesiology and doctrine, the Great Awakening, and so much more.

This means that, within many Baptist Churches, most people’s concept of church is built around the church that they grew up in rather than the historic church that has existed for thousands of years. This isn’t healthy at all, and it leads to a multitude of problems. People really need church history.

People Need Sound Doctrine

This should not surprise anyone because one cursory reading through the Bible reveals that sound doctrine is important. Nevertheless, when I ministered to college students in North Carolina, and as I’ve ministered to people in Louisiana, it has become clear that many people grow up in Baptist Churches that are indifferent to doctrine. And it seems like most churches promote doctrinal indifferentism for the sake of maintaining unity. It’s as though pastors think to themselves: “If I don’t preach meaty doctrine, then my people won’t divide over anything.”

What these pastors are failing to realize is that keeping people ignorant of doctrine cultivates what J.I. Packer calls “a deceptive appearance of unity.” Just because a church seems to have inter-party peace doesn’t mean they’re unified. Instead, it means that division is right around the corner. . . .as soon as people start talking about doctrine! So, people need sound doctrine, and Baptists Churches would be better off if they made every effort to cultivate doctrinal unity within their congregations rather than a deceptive appearance of unity.

Church Family IS Family

Kahlie and I both have awesome families. As a matter of fact, almost every vacation we take involves going to see our families because we enjoy being around them so much! With that said, one of the things that God has really taught us since we have moved away from our families for the sake of the church is that church family IS family! We knew this mentally before we moved away from home. We understood that other Christians were our brothers and sisters in Christ. We knew that older Christians could become spiritual fathers and mothers to us. We could mentally assent to these truths.

But once we moved away from home, we quickly came to understand this experientially. While we were in North Carolina, Kahlie and I immediately had our hearts joined together with other Christians. We were eating at each other’s houses, celebrating holidays together, serving together, serving each other, praying for one another, learning from one another, taking vacations together, helping each other bear up under trials, and so on and so forth! Older Christians invested in us, discipled us, cooked for us, and counseled us. And sure enough, when we moved eighteen hours from North Carolina to Louisiana, we immediately had our hearts knitted together with other Christians here. As we have moved across the Southeast, it’s become clear that church family is family. Thank God for the church!

Church Friendly Families are Awesome

Most families are looking for family friendly churches. This is completely understandable. It’s good to look for a church that’s going to strategically strive to serve each member of your family in a manner that’s worthy of the Lord. But as a pastor, one of the greatest blessings to the church is a church friendly family—a family that prioritizes healthy involvement in the church over athletics, hobbies, and other extracurriculars. In both churches that I’ve served in, I’m always blessed and encouraged by healthy family units that make healthy involvement in the church a main priority.

Godly Deacons are a Blessing

I’ve had the pleasure of getting close to godly deacons at both churches that I’ve served at. The deacons I’m talking about account their lives of little value, have hearts that go out to the hurting, and see it as their God given role to glorify Christ by fulfilling both menial and significant tasks for the church and the community. About these men, I echo Spurgeon’s words:

“The church owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude to those thousands of godly men who study her interests day and night, contribute largely of their substance, care for her poor, cheer her ministers, and in times of trouble as well as prosperity remain faithfully at their posts…Deprive the church of her deacons and she would be bereaved of her most valiant sons; their loss would be the shaking of the pillars of our spiritual house and would cause desolation on every side.”

Still Learning

I could keep going. I’ve learned a great deal about people and ministry over the past five years. But, like I said early, I’m not so naïve to think that five years is a long time. It’s very brief in the grand scheme of things. With this in mind, I’m still learning, and I’m greatly anticipating God to continue educating me.

Two Hopes

April 13, 2021philipmcduffie Leave a comment

“The hope of the righteous brings joy,

but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

Proverbs 10:28

Hope is grounded on the certainty of future blessing. It springs up inside of people as they think about all the good that is going to come to them at a later date. And to some extent, everybody has hope. Everybody expects that, at some point, things are going to get better. . . . either now or after death. Biblically speaking, though, there are only two types of hope — a definite hope and a fabricated hope.

The Definite Hope of the Righteous

For the righteous, those who believe in Christ and are spiritually enabled to walk in accordance with His commandments, our hope is certain. The certainty of our hope is grounded on the very nature of our God. For our God is a God who cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2), and He has promised His people an unspeakably bright future.

The Bible teaches that our exodus from this cursed earth to a new heavens and a new earth that is filled with the knowledge of the glory of God is right around the corner (Luke 21:28; Romans 13:11). Before long, Christ will descend from the heavens with the sound of a trumpet. At His command, we will receive imperishable resurrection bodies that are raised up in power, honor, and glory (1 Corinthians 15:42).

These future resurrection bodies will enable us to dwell on the new earth with our Triune God forever (Revelation 21:2-3). Sin and its devastating effects will be done away with. As we dwell with God on the new earth, “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). The blessed happiness that comes from perfect communion with the one True God will constantly fill our hearts. It will be both euphoric and Edenic. This is why “the hope of the righteous brings joy” (Proverbs 10:28).

The Fabricated Hope of the Wicked

For the wicked, those who are apart from Christ Jesus and living in darkness, their hope is a fabricated hope. They fool themselves into thinking that their future is bright when, in reality, it is unbearably dark. This is certainly the case for religious hypocrites. Though religious hypocrites walk contrary to God’s will, they convince themselves that they are heirs of the kingdom of God (Matthew 7:21-23; 25:11-13). As they perpetually sin against the Lord, they hear words of both promise and warning and say, “I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart” (Deuteronomy 29:18-19).

This false sense of hope remains with the religious hypocrite all the way to the great white throne judgment. As they stand before Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, they will sincerely believe that they are about to receive the blessings of the righteous (Matthew 7:21-23). This will not be the case though. Christ, with blazing eyes of omniscience, will reveal to them that he never knew them in a covenantal way (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 13:22-30).

After revealing to religious hypocrites that they had a fabricated hope, Christ will publicly condemn them before the eyes of all. He will then justly sentence them to a life of eternal conscience torment. They will never know the blessed happiness of perfect communion with God. All they will ever know is “the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger” (Revelation 14:9-11). As they perish eternally, their fabricated hope will perish with them.