A Most Important Book

Off and on, over the past few months, I have read "The Way to Pentecost" by Samuel Chadwick. It is one of the most important books on sanctification ever written. Writen in the 1930's, it contains a straight forward account from Scriptures on what sanctification, or being filled with the Spirit, means, how to acheive and maintian it, and the absolute necessity for it to have a successful Christian life. There is no confusing doctinal language used here. The style is plain and easy to understand. While being Wesleyan in theology, it stays away from traditional 19th century Wesleyan jargon. I will comment on it extensively on my other blog www.therighthandoffellowship.blogspot.com . On the subject of being filled with the Spirit, this book is of secondary importance only to Wesley's "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection."

I've Finished "Dethroning Jesus"

The title does not lie; I did finish Bock and Wallace's book last night. The last three chapters covered issues of social justice, did Paul change the original Christian message, and was Jesus' tomb recently discovered. All three issues are linked by a view that Jesus was not divine but merely a human prophet pointing the right way. Proponents of the first two views maintain that Jesus never focused on himself but his message, whether the message was a call for doing justice and overthrowing unjust power structures or reforming 1st Century Judaism. Jesus claiming to be the Son of God was invented by the Church after rival views of Christ were silenced, according to those who hold these views; Jesus never linked Himself with the message by claiming to be divine, the Son of God. One view claims that Paul changed Jesus' original message of Jewish reformation along the lines of Old Testament prophets to the orthodox Christianity of today that includes the acceptance of the Gentiles. There were also claims to be dealt with that James, the brother of Jesus, took over the leadership of the entire Christian movement, but his leadership was supplanted. The book contains a very good scriptural analysis of the different emphasis in the thought the various Apostles while revealing their unity concerning core doctrine. Later I will take notes on what I have read. I will now work on finishing the book on Preaching and Wesley on Original Sin.

To order "Dethroning Jesus: Exposing The Popular Culture's Quest to Unseat the Biblical Christ", go to this link.