Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary: An Interview with Patrick Schreiner

By / Aug 15

Patrick Schreiner serves as Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Studies at Midwestern Seminary. His latest publication, Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary, focuses on the theological and exegetical concerns of the book of Acts. Throughout the commentary, Schreiner gives careful attention to both the scholarly information and practical applications of this New Testament book.

Of this new commentary, Joseph R. Dodson, Associate Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, said, “As one who has taught courses in Acts, I have lost count as to how many commentaries I have read on the book. Nevertheless, having read this one, I can honestly say that I have a new favorite.”

Alan J. Thompson, Head of the New Testament team at Sydney Missionary and Bible College, also said, “Readers will have their imaginations stirred and their hearts encouraged as they journey with Dr. Schreiner through Luke’s ever-relevant account of the triune God’s saving purposes in the spread of the word to Israel and the nations.”

In a recent interview, Schreiner answered a few questions about his latest publication and the importance of the book of Acts.

BF: What was your approach in writing this commentary on Acts?

PS: There are a lot of good commentaries on Acts so I had to think of how I could make mine unique. Thankfully the series this book is a part of (Christian Standard Series) is concerned with theology and the great tradition. So in my introduction I give my method which includes the following:

First, it is a theological reading. Modern biblical commentaries tend to be primarily concerned with the “natural history” of the biblical text: authorship, history, reception. But these questions do not always address how the text is the word of God for today.

Second, it is a narratival reading. Luke wrote a narrative (diēgēsis) of Jesus and the early church. We must pay close attention to the structure, speeches, and the way Luke decides to frame his story. Luke writes an orderly sequence for Theophilus – one that is carefully structured and put together and communicates a message through form and style.

Third, it is a canonical reading. The narrative of Luke does not begin in Acts 1 nor even Luke 1, but spans from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.

Fourth, it is a historical reading. Luke writes about events eyewitnesses handed down to him and he carefully investigated his sources to come to an accurate understanding of the proceedings.

Fifth, it is a creedal and ecclesial reading. The rule of faith was my compass in the readings of Acts. My aim will not be to push the boundaries of the doctrine of the early church, but to read within them. Doctrinal boundaries do more to enlighten a reading than diminish them. Ultimately, my reading was ecclesial. Acts lays out the story of the early church to encourage the church.

This isn’t your first publication on the book of Acts. What has been most enriching about the time you’ve spent studying this New Testament book?

I loved studying Acts for multiple years. I was encouraged to be reminded that the mission of God will be accomplished despite human failings. It is so evident in Acts that people don’t have it figured out, but God has a plan. I also appreciated seeing how integral Acts is to the New Testament. It stands as a hinge between the life of Jesus in the Gospels and the Epistles. In one way, it continues the story of Jesus, in another way it introduces us to the story of the church. My book on the theology of Acts is basically a summary of my theology of Acts, but the commentary is where you get the text-by-text exegesis.

How would you summarize the theology of the book of Acts?

Proposals for a theological center or theological heart of Acts twist in a variety of directions. Many claim Acts focuses on the Spirit. Others say it is the word, which becomes almost a character in Acts with arms and legs. Other claim it is the church. Others affirm Acts is about the transition from Peter to Paul. More recent proposals focus on the continued work of Jesus. Elements of truth persist in each of these proposals.

But rather than claiming one outdoes the others, it is better to recognize they all relate to one another. For example, one can’t speak about the Spirit according to Acts without putting it in the frame of the risen Christ. One can’t speak of Christ without speaking of the Father’s plan. One can’t speak about the witness of the apostles without relating it to the empowering of the Spirit. This book is most fundamentally about the mission of the triune God.

I chose seven themes to summarize Luke’s main theological aims, though certainly many more could be added: (1) God the Father orchestrates; through (2) Christ, who lives and rules; and (3) through the empowering Spirit; (4) causing the word to multiply; (5) bringing salvation to all; (6) forming the church; which (7) witnesses to the ends of the earth. Luke emphasizes all of these themes in different ways, but my order is purposeful––a Lukan logic exists. The triune God stands at the head because the remaining themes flow from God the Father’s plan, centered on the risen and enthroned Jesus, and the empowerment of the Spirit.

Why is the book of Acts so important for the church today?

Acts is a model, a prototype, an exemplar for the renewal of the church. It gives guidance concerning the founding of the church and its priorities at that point and thus gives guidance for the church in every age. We proclaim the same message, we “do” church in the same way, and we still rely on the same Spirit. While Acts is not a manual for church practices, it is the bedrock from which we must begin our education into God’s mission through the church.

What do you hope pastors and ministry leaders gain from reading through this commentary?

I hope pastors and ministry leaders will see the book of Acts not only as a historical account of what happened in the past but a narrative that we are still a part of. The story of Acts is not finished, it continues with you and me. This is the story of the founding of what is most precious to Jesus: his church. He values this body so much that he was willing to die for her. We likewise must take up our cross and pour out our lives so that others can hear the message of the healing power of Jesus.

 

Editors Note: Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary will be available for purchase on 09/01/2022.



Sowers Not Inspectors

By / Aug 12

When I was a child there were certain times of the year that I knew would contain specific events that could be counted on like clockwork. One of these events was the planting of oat patches by hand every summer as we prepared for deer hunting season. Every year the ground would be broken and we would then scatter the seed by hand. To scatter the seed my dad would give me a bucket filled with seed, and I would reach into the bucket, grab the seed, and throw it onto the ground in front of me from right to left in a sweeping motion while slowly walking through the field.

In this very inexact process undoubtedly some of the seed ended up laying on top of rocks, some outside the edges of the field, and some exactly where it needed to be, but my job was not to ensure that every seed was perfectly placed for maximum growth and viability but that the seed was adequately scattered so the seeds that did reach good soil would grow and prove fruitful for the upcoming hunting season.

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 13:1-9 about a sower who goes into his field and sows seed. Some of the seeds fall along the path, some on rocky ground, some among the thorns, and some reach good soil with only the seed falling along the good soil bearing a harvest. Jesus then explains in verses 18-23 that the seed is the word of the kingdom or the Gospel and the seeds that fell along the path, rocky ground, and thorns are snatched away by the adversary, persecution or tribulation, and the cares of life or the deceitfulness of riches, while the seed which falls on good soil bears a fruitful harvest because the Gospel is received and believed. 

For most this may be a familiar parable that we can almost quote without any need for reference or refreshing as we have read, taught, or heard it preached many times, but there is an application of the text that we may overlook due to our lack of understanding planting by hand practices.

The sowers’ job was not to inspect the soil before sowing the seed, the sowers’ job was simply to scatter the seed and ensure that the ground was adequately covered to ensure as great a harvest as possible. The sower knew that not every seed would grow, and that birds and environmental factors would make some of the planting process void but if there was to be any harvest the seed had to be scattered anyway.   

Similarly, Jesus has left His church to scatter the seed of the Gospel in this world knowing that the seed will fall on many who will not receive it, remain in it, or bear fruit that lasts. My fear is that somewhere along the way we have traded the duty of sowing the seed for that of inspecting the soil. Instead of covering our families, friends, and communities with the Gospel, we look for ways to excuse ourselves from the task because the person is not ready, the soil is not right.

We may look at someone’s life and think “they have so much going on that if I sow the seed here it will be like sowing in thorns”, or “this person clearly is hardened to spiritual truths right now and due to circumstances in their lives it would be like sowing the seed along the path as the adversary will just snatch it away before it has a chance”, or “if I sow the seed in this person’s life it would be like sowing on rocky ground because they lack depth and never commit to anything for any real length of time.”  

When we make excuses, we end up not sowing any seed because we find a reason to alleviate ourselves of the responsibility to spread the Word. However, this is our folly because grass can grow through the crack in the sidewalk, some seeds can grow with almost no depth of soil, birds do not always get every seed that has been scattered, and trees can grow even amid thorns and thistles.

Therefore, no matter what we may judge a person’s life to look like on the outside, we must be faithful to plant the seed of the Gospel and allow God to decide whether the soil is adequate for growth, because the truth of the matter is that your assessment may be completely off track as you may not be able to see what God has been doing in a person’s life leading up to your faithful sowing of the Gospel.

Brothers and sisters, we are not called to inspect before sowing but to faithfully sow ensuring complete coverage of the soil around us with the Gospel and leave the results up to God as He and He alone can cause the seed planted to germinate, grow, and bear lasting fruit. Therefore, let us be a people who are busy faithfully sowing the seed of the Gospel allowing God to use our faithful sowing as He sees fit.  



Episode 172: Preacher Pet Peeves

By / Aug 10

On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss some things preachers do they wish they wouldn’t (and a few things they’re glad they do).



Spurgeon the Pastor: An Interview with Geoff Chang

By / Aug 9

Geoff Chang serves as Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary. In his latest book, Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry, Chang focuses on an often-overlooked aspect of Spurgeon’s life, his pastoral ecclesiology. He addresses topics such as church gatherings, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, church membership, congregationalism, pastoral training, and more.

In the book’s summary, Chang writes, “Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, was a pastor to well over 5,000 people in a day long before “mega-churches” were the norm. But you might be surprised to know that Spurgeon’s vision for ministry was not pragmatic. He did not borrow best practices from the business leaders in his day. Rather, his ministry was decidedly, staunchly biblical and theological in nature- and it was a ministry vision we ought to adopt more than a century later.”

In a recent interview, Chang answered a few questions about his new book and the life and ministry of Spurgeon.

BF: Why should pastors and ministry leaders study Charles Haddon Spurgeon? 

GC: The main reason is because Spurgeon sought to teach and apply what he saw in the Bible. My contention in the book is that Spurgeon was driven in his ministry by biblical and theological principles, rather than the latest fads or pragmatism.  We may not agree with all his conclusions, but insofar as he sought to be faithful, he remains a model for us today. What’s striking about his ministry is that he pastored during a time of widespread nominalism, theological downgrade, but also remarkable revival. And yet in those challenging times, Spurgeon persevered in faithfulness to Scripture, both in his preaching and shepherding. And so, he is a worthwhile friend for us to get to know.

In the book, you give a comprehensive overview of Spurgeon’s pastoral ecclesiology, with each chapter focusing on a different aspect of his ministry. Through your studies, how would you summarize his philosophy of pastoral ministry?

 One way to summarize Spurgeon’s philosophy of ministry would be that it was firmly rooted in his evangelical Calvinism. Spurgeon’s confidence lay not in human ability, but in God’s sovereign power to save, through the means that He has appointed.

Practically, this meant, first and foremost, that the faithful preaching of the Word was his most important duty. Because it is through the Word that God acts. It is through the Word that the lost are saved and the church is built up. As busy as he was with all kinds of other responsibilities, Spurgeon saw to it that his pulpit ministry never failed, but he preached excellent, faithful, gospel-rich sermons throughout his entire ministry.

However, Spurgeon knew that his preaching was only half of the work. If God is sovereign, then it is the duty of God’s people to pray. Apart from the prayers of the church, Spurgeon had little hope that his preaching would amount to anything. So he urged his people to pray and prioritized the weekly prayer meeting, along with numerous other prayer meetings throughout the week.

And then having prayed, Spurgeon urged his people to join him in proclaiming the gospel. We know much about Spurgeon’s ministry, but the church itself also became an engine for gospel ministry throughout London and into the rest of the world. All of this activity flowed from a robust confidence in God’s sovereign grace.

What may readers be surprised to learn about Spurgeon’s life as a pastor in this book?

My guess is that many readers will assume that because Spurgeon’s church was so large, it basically functioned more as a preaching station rather than a church. But this was certainly not the case. Spurgeon took seriously his calling as a pastor, and he took seriously the fact that they were a church. This means that even as the church membership reached 5,000, he was still thinking about how to keep track of his members, organize visitation, maintain meaningful membership, and much more. And all this before cell phones and email!

How have you seen the continued development of Spurgeon scholarship influence the lives of pastors, ministry leaders, and church members?

The latest Spurgeon scholarship continues to show us a fuller, more well-rounded view of Spurgeon, going beyond the familiar anecdotes and remarkable figures, presenting to us Spurgeon as he really was. Ray Rhodes’ work on Susannah Spurgeon and her marriage to Charles has provided a brand-new look at his private life. It has been a great encouragement for many pastors not to neglect their marriage, even amid the pressures of ministry. Recent works on Spurgeon’s battle with depression have also proved to be a great comfort for those facing similar challenges.

I love the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon series that we have been working on here in the Spurgeon Library, because through these early sermons we can trace Spurgeon’s growth as a preacher, and we can read his sermons when was just a village pastor. What encourages me about these sermons is that even before he was a celebrity, he was faithfully preaching excellent, theological, gospel-rich sermons, even when his audience was made up of simple farmers and villagers. Thanks to the work of the Spurgeon Library and Midwestern Seminary, we have all kinds of new scholarship coming down the pipeline that will continue to bring out new insights and resources from Spurgeon’s life and ministry.

What do you hope pastors and ministry leaders gain from reading Spurgeon the Pastor?

 In learning from Spurgeon’s example, my hope is that pastors and church leaders will grow to love the church, the Bride of Christ, and be ever more committed to shepherding her faithfully according to God’s Word.

 

Editor’s Note: Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry is now available for purchase.



Thoughts on Becoming a Pastor (Again)

By / Aug 8

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
— 1 Thessalonians 2:19

Last night four men, myself included, were added to the board of elders at Liberty Baptist Church. And just like that, I became a pastor again (albeit of the lay variety). Eight years ago this fall, I resigned my last pastorate and entered an anxious kind of identity crisis I did not anticipate. While I was a pastor, I talked a big game about not making pastoral ministry the grounds of one’s identity — I even wrote a book sort of on that subject! — and I believed (and believe) every word of it. But I did not realize pastoral ministry had become an idol to me until I recognized the Lord was asking me to set it aside. For how long, I didn’t know.

The questions people asked me in the ensuing months and years — primarily, “Do you think you’ll ever pastor again?” — didn’t help. On one level, it was encouraging to know people thought I ought to be a pastor. On deeper levels, it was unsettling, because it only served to confirm my suspicions that I was somehow squandering my gifts, running from my “true calling,” or generally not as useful as a layperson as I could be. And then a funny thing happened. Time went by. People asked the questions less and less. And I actually got used to not being a pastor. By God’s grace, I actually enjoyed not being a pastor!

It helped that the Lord was sweet and kind to open up new avenues of usefulness for me. Training young men for the pastorate via my faculty role at Midwestern Seminary and as director of the Pastoral Training Center residency at Liberty Baptist has been a joy and a “sweet spot.” Of course, I still wrestled from time to time about teaching (and speaking and writing) about the pastorate while not serving in one. The old saw about “those who can’t do, teach” pops into my brain more than I care to admit. But in general, I have learned to follow the Lord’s leading and be content where he has placed me, not being ruled by what I assume others may think.

A number of years ago, before our church had a plurality of elders and our senior pastor was leading us into establishing a more biblical polity in that regard, I was approached with the question about whether I’d like to be considered if and when the time came for congregational affirmation. I said no. Honestly, I wasn’t ready. For one thing, I knew there would only be two or three of us, and I didn’t think I had the bandwidth or availability to shoulder such a narrowly-shared load. But I also said no because I was still pretty wounded, and so was my wife. That’s a story for another time, but Becky would tell you that at that time she had zero interest in being a pastor’s wife again.

So we settled into being the best church members we could be, loving the family we’d covenanted with to the best of our abilities, imperfectly but earnestly. And we sought to be the best encouragers of our pastors we could be. I have learned from pastoring that former pastors are often ideal church members, if only because they know what it’s like “on the other side.” We took Hebrews 13:17 seriously and endeavored to be church members our pastors could breathe easily with, easily smile when they saw us coming, and so on.

We love our church dearly. We’d both say it has been a place of tremendous healing for us. I hadn’t been asked if I wanted to be considered for eldership for several years, so there was no real reason to ask, but a couple of years ago I finally asked my wife, “If I’m ever asked again, what do you think?” It is a sign of incredible grace in both of our lives, that Becky responded: “At this church? Yes.” I can’t tell you how huge that is.

And so a couple of months ago the elders informed me that I was one of the nominations received for our prospective expansion of the elder board, and they asked if I was willing to enter the process of examination and consideration. I took a couple of weeks to talk with Becky, to pray and think. Was I really ready to do this again?

At this church? Yes.

Because one thing I’d learned deep down over twenty-plus years of ministry — but one thing that really only came to the surface for me in recent years — is that answering a call to ministry is not about personal ambition or desire, but about a covenantal connection, a familial bond, if you will. The call comes from the Lord, yes, but it comes through the church. So I asked the elders, “Did a substantial number of people nominate me?” Honestly, I asked this not because I was looking for some sense of popularity or to puff up my ego — I didn’t ask how many or who — but because I wanted to be sure it wasn’t simply that one or two of my friends submitted my name or the elders had themselves wanted me to put my name in the hat, but that it was desired, reasonably ascertained, by the church.

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is that even men biblically qualified to pastor a church are never really prepared to pastor their church. You come to know things about your brothers and sisters you wouldn’t ordinarily know simply as a congregant. You are obligated to speak into situations you wouldn’t ordinarily speak into. And I know from experience both as a pastor and as a non-pastor that pastors carry unique burdens non-pastors don’t. There is that “daily pressure of the anxiety for the church” (2 Cor. 11:28). I have slept better in the last seven years than I did the years previous! As the other three recently voted-in elders and I took our pastoral oaths last night, I felt this heaviness settle back onto my shoulders. Not in an ominous or otherwise negative way; not at all. But simply as a sobering re-reminder of the noble task (1 Tim. 3:1).

But then the congregation stood to recite their oaths to love and support us. And at every loud, resolute, resounding “We will” and “We do,” I became a little emotional, as I could hear the Spirit in my heart assuring me the burden is beautiful. Not because pastors are more special than anybody else. Not because there’s anything inherently great about pastors. But because there’s something supernaturally special and eternally great about the Church.

So while I have and will continue to joke along the lines of the iconic Michael Corleone line from The Godfather, Part III, “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!,” I’m grateful for the pull. And if you’re a pastor, you should be too. I know some of you reading this haven’t had seven years off. Some of you haven’t had seven days off! And I acknowledge the distinct load of those who labor vocationally or bivocationally or who labor in solo pastorates without the benefit of seven(!) other godly men to help tend to Christ’s precious lambs. I acknowledge that many of you feel beat up and thrown about, especially after the last few years of absolute polarizing weirdness in evangelical churches, disparaged, discouraged, or even depressed. But the pull is something to thank God for. He has appointed you for such times as these. He has stewarded this time, these churches to us.

There are a lot of weird churches out there, places with a lot of problems, a lot of hurt, a lot of baggage, a lot of sin. But, this side of heaven, that’s just normal, brothers. And because heaven is where her citizenship is held, the Bride is nevertheless perpetually beautiful. Your church might be a mess, but the Church is glorious. And if we’re for the Church, by God’s grace we’ll do what she says.

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
— 1 Corinthians 7:17



Episode 171: Sexual Purity in an Impure Age

By / Aug 3

On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss pursuing holiness in the area of sexuality while the world around us seems to be on fire with impurity and temptation.



The True and Better Leonardo

By / Aug 2

The world recognizes Leonardo da Vinci as one of history’s great artists, arguably the greatest ever. His Mona Lisa is the most famous painting the world will ever know. He never finally finished the picture. He was still working on it at the time of his death. Leonardo kept it with him, moving it from city to city, never handing it over to the one who commissioned it, because he was never done perfecting it. He tinkered and touched up and remade it throughout his last years of life. He even went to the lengths of painting the undergarments so that the proper texture was visible on the outer garment. He was meticulous and discerning. He researched the muscles of lips on corpses to get the smile just right—a smile that has sparked conversation since its revealing so many years ago. Is she smiling or not? Look at her eyes, and it appears the answer is yes. Look at her mouth, and it becomes debatable. Who could paint such a face full of motion? Only Leonardo because he alone cared enough to research the exact movements of the human mouth. He was never finished until the painting attained a specific and intentional character. So too is God.

In his book, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis says about God something we see in Leonardo’s intention with his art. “We are, not metaphorically but in very truth, a Divine work of art, something that God is making, and therefore something with which He will not be satisfied until it has a certain character.” Just as a Leonardo worked on the Mona Lisa (and, in fact, many of his other paintings—he was a meticulous procrastinator and denier of deadlines), so too is God working on us all our lives. We are never off his mind. Even as he goes about upholding the world, spinning the stars, balancing the weights of the universe, his purposes are for our fully-formed character aligned to his.

God is the true and better Leonardo. But rather than taking a blank canvas and layering paint drop by drop, he takes a soiled heart, made hard by sin, and softens it, reworks it, in fact, remakes it into his image. His art is not of the kind to hang on a wall for admiration. It’s the kind that stands in the hall, shouting down the corridors the glory of the artist. He’s creating not a showpiece but sons and daughters for himself. And if he’s producing such characters for his own enjoyment and pleasure, to share a part in his joy and gladness, why would he be content with any remaining sin or spot or imperfection? Why stop with good enough when he has all the holiness, righteousness, and goodness at his disposal? Indeed he will not stop. Every painting goes through a stage of harm, one in which the picture appears a blurry mess and incomplete disaster. But over time, at least for Leonardo, the lines became the proper amount of blurry as to look real, the eyes reached the appropriate depth as to become a welcoming gaze, the perspective and optics arrived at their maturity as to come alive. So too in the hand of God shall we one day arrive.

Editor’s Note: This article originally published at Things of the Sort. 



Episode 170: Dean Inserra on What’s Wrong with Purity Culture

By / Jul 27


Elicia Horton on Longevity in Marriage

By / Jul 21

What is a key ingredient for longevity in marriage?



Episode 169: Worship Leader Pet Peeves

By / Jul 20

On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss things worship leaders do that they wish they wouldn’t (and a few things they’re glad they do).