One of the puzzling aspects of spiritual life is how the Holy Spirit and the word of God work together to transform us. As a person who regularly reads, studies, and meditates on Scripture – as well as one who seeks the leading, guiding, and filling of the Holy Spirit – the dynamic interplay between Spirit and word is important to me. It matters personally, not just theologically or theoretically. I want the word of God and the Holy Spirit to be transformative forces in my life.
A recent book has really helped me understand these issues more clearly. Dr. Timothy Wiarda retired from Gateway Seminary a few years ago but then joined the faculty at Seminarie Baptiste de Formation Pastorale et Missionnaire in Cote d’Ivoire. He has continued to teach and write, both from the depth of his insight as a New Testament scholar and from his perspective as a person regularly involved in hands-on ministry.
Dr. Wiarda’s new book is How the Spirit and Word Work Together. It is a relatively short book which distills insights from a previously published (and much longer) academic tome into a pastoral guide on the subject described in the title. He begins each chapter by describing a pastoral conversation which could be heard in almost any church anywhere in the world and then writes about how a proper understanding of Spirit and word speaks to the matters he raises. He specifically addresses Spirit and word in areas like worship, apologetics, and assurance of salvation (among many others).
The depth and precision of the biblical insights in this book are riveting. The balanced perspective is refreshing. And, the practical application of the materials to real-life questions and situations in pastoral ministry are genuine. There is too much emphasis in the American church on tricks and techniques, selling points, and celebrities. We are enthralled with the latest leadership insight and preoccupied with chasing the latest trend. We need the dose of spiritual reality – and vitality – this book provides.
We need to reimagine how the Holy Spirit and the word of God work mysteriously to produce spiritual transformation. We need to simplify our strategies to magnify these two great resources – while acknowledging the complicated inexplicability of exactly how they work together to produce spiritual results. We need a holy expectation, coupled with spiritual discipline, to make word and Spirit watchwords of ministry preparation and execution.
Pick up this little book and let it renew your mind and refresh your spirit as the word of God and Holy Spirit do transformative work within you.
Read More
Theology the Norwegian Way: The Curious Case of Gisle Johnson
Gisle Johnson was a prolific scholar who made significant contributions to Norwegian theology. However, with barely any of his works translated into English, few today know about this maverick scholar. Dr. Robb Torseth hopes to change that.
Excerpt – John Piper, Calvinism, and Missions: A Way Forward
Read this section of Dr. Hopkins’ new book on the theology of John Piper.
Listen
Textual Criticism
Dr. Wegner walks listeners through the basics of Textual Criticism; what it is, why it’s important, and how to understand the footnotes in your Bible. We recommend watching this video on YouTube as Dr. Wegner has a great powerpoint with visual examples of old manuscri
Inerrancy
The original authors of the Bible wrote their manuscripts without error, but is the modern version of the Bible we have today also inerrant? What is the difference between inerrancy and infallibility? Dr. Wegner covers these things in this episode and starts to explor
