Slaves of the Master, Free in Christ

Now, I must admit that I am not a huge John MacArthur fan, although I do appreciate a lot of the work he has done. His most recent book, entitled “Slave,” is most assuredly among the work that I appreciate. MacArthur, simply yet methodically, explains why the Christian ought to be most comfortable with the title of “slave,” more so than anything else. This sounds ridiculous to the modern Christian, which is precisely why “Slave” is such a potent book. The term “slave,’ MacArthur explains, is one of the Bible’s oft-used metaphors to describe the follower of the Lord, and for good reason. He then proceeds to explain the historical precedent of the relationship between slave and master, and by placing us within this context, allows the reader to grow comfortable with his thesis, and understand the necessity of preserving this metaphor. What seems shocking at first becomes the Christian’s comfort, acknowledging himself as completely guided and provided for by the Master, that is Christ the Lord. One criticism I have for the book, however, would be that MacArthur tends to go on rabbit trails, although they tend to be beneficial. One such would be a somewhat irrelevant, yet fascinating, account of John Huss’s life and martyrdom. My thanks to BookSneeze for this complimentary review copy of John MacArthur’s, “Slave.”

Anne Bradstreet's Poetic Femininity

Why on earth would anyone want to read a biography about an early American proto-feminist bent on freeing herself from the shackles of 17th century misogyny? Heck if I know, but that character is the precise opposite of Anne Bradstreet. Unlike what I was (almost) led to believe in the public college classroom, D.B. Kellogg delightfully conveys Bradstreet’s biblical femininity. Bradstreet, who was born in England, was transplanted to the recently founded Massachusetts Bay Colony shortly after marrying Simon Bradstreet. During this difficult time of upheaval, along with countless struggles of adaptation that resulted, Bradstreet found immense comfort in her husband, in her children (she had 8 altogether), and in her God. Feminists will surely bemoan Bradstreet’s elegant poetry in high praise of her husband, and her enjoyment of organizing and caring for his household. But even more striking than the culture shock we get from her femininity, is the confidence that Bradstreet has in God as comforter, especially when everything around her is most uncomfortable: “My Sun’s returned with healing wings, / My Soul and Body doth rejoice: / My heart exalts, and praises sings / To him that heard my wailing Voice. / My winter’s past, my storms are gone, / And former clouds seem now all fled; / But, if they must eclipse again, / I’ll run where I was succored.” [Thanks to Booksneeze for this ARC].

Jane Austen's Playful Piety

“I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible Vanity, the most unlearned, & uninformed Female who ever dared to be an Authoress;” so Jane Austen speaks self- deprecatorily. But such is evidence of her characteristic humor and deep wit. “Jane Austen,” a new biography by Peter Leithart, sheds light onto the person and work of the famous novelist. What Leithart calls Austen’s “playful piety,” is her uncanny ability to not take herself seriously. Spending most of her time editing her own work, Austen wrote nearly entirely for pleasure, fashioning stories for the entertainment of her family. Leading a relatively simple life, Austen never got married, never procured for herself a career (as was the norm for women in that era), and thus left for herself much time to write and story-craft. Her blessing is surely our gain. I myself have never read any of Austen’s novels, but I went out and bought a set after reading this biography. Safe to say, it accomplished its task, and I enjoyed it tremendously. My only criticism (and a small one at that) is that it seemed unnecessarily detailed at times, such as describing precise ongoings of Austen’s extended family, introducing them all in the first chapter. That aside, I give my thanks to Thomas Nelson for giving me this ARC.

The Doctrine of Resistance

Now, I'm not afraid to admit that I am quite the amateur when it comes to understanding this topic; I am neither a noodle-spined pacifist, nor a hardcore theonomist. Rom. 13 obviously has much to say in the way of respecting and honoring leaders whom God has appointed. Likewise, God also requires disobedience to rulers in certain situations (e.g. Daniel and his buddies refusing to bend the knee to King Nebuchadnezzar). All this to say, I came upon an interesting quote by John Knox, the great Scottish Reformer:

"If their princes exceed their bounds, Madam, no doubt they may be resisted, even by power. For there is neither greater honor, nor greater obedience, to be given to kings or princes, than God hath commanded to be given unto father and mother. But the father may be stricken with a frenzy, in which he would slay his children. If the children arise, join themselves together, apprehend the father, take the sword from him, bind his hands, and keep him in prison till his frenzy be overpast 4 think ye, Madam, that the children do any wrong? It is even so, Madam, with princes that would murder the children of God that are subjects unto them. Their blind zeal is nothing but a very mad frenzy, and therefore, to take the sword from them, to bind their hands, and to east them into prison, till they be brought to a more sober mind, is no disobedience against princes, but just obedience, because it agreeth with the will of God" (http://www.reformed.org/master/index.html?mainframe=/documents/knox/knox_to_mary/knox_to_mary.html).

The basic question arises: what separates subjection and rebellion? In the case of Knox's illustration, it is the "dutiful" son that binds his father when his father goes mad, and the non-dutiful son that blindly obeys, that being the death of him (and surely others). Furthermore, might some see this son as rebelling against his father? This sounds silly, but why? Would this son not be in strict disobedience to his father were he deny his father's request of his son's blood?

This running illustration gained some traction in my mind due to the recent Obamacare bill. This bill will most likely result in tax-funded abortions. The dots seem to connect quite nicely with Knox's illustration; but is the answer simply to refuse to pay taxes to the government? My initial answer is yes. I don't want to give my "father" the means to satisfy his thirst for innocent blood. But my out-of-context- Romans 13 side says, that no matter to what extent my rulers shake their fists at Almighty God, I am bound to give to them whatever they request of me.

The short answer: I don't know. I'm not sure how Christians should respond should that evil day come when our labor funds murder. Some men say pay up; others say think twice.

Thoughts?

Book Review: "Isaac Newton," by Mitch Stokes

“Isaac Newton,” a biography authored by Mitch Stokes and part of the Christian Encounters Series, was a very informative and entertaining read. As most know, Newton is hailed for his many unique and valuable contributions to the fields of mathematics and natural philosophy. The most enjoyable aspect of this particular work, as with most biographies, is learning what motivated and drove him along in his brilliance. Newton, a lifelong solitude-seeker, worked best alone, for no teacher could come close to the rigor he demanded from himself. Yet his keen intellect did not prompt him to arrogance, for he was a humble Christian man, as evidenced by his desire to understand his Lord better by seeking to understand God’s created order. What I found most surprising was that Newton wrote more on the topics of theology and Christian doctrine than any other. While not completely orthodox in his views of the Trinity (which he kept to himself throughout his life), he championed God’s gospel by glorying in God’s goodness. God, he never ceased to maintain, was the axiomatic starting point for all science inquiry; and what’s more, seeking to understand God’s ordered universe is an act of worship, for God reveals himself in the general ways of mathematics, physics, optics, and natural philosophy. Thank you Thomas Nelson for this ARC, and this outstanding biography of one of Christendom’s greatest saints.