Have you ever wanted one resource that explained biblical Christianity? Have you been confused by some of the subjects debated about the Bible? Have you wondered what the Bible teaches about God's sovereignty; free will; the age of the earth; baptism; the authority of Scripture; the attributes of God; sin; salvation; Jesus Christ; church and what will happen in the future? If so, you should purchase and read Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. You can purchase it here: http://www.amazon.com/SYSTEMATIC-THEOLOGY-Introduction-Biblical-Doctrine/dp/0310286700I just completed reading this book. Many beliefs that I held prior to reading the book have been challenged and changed. I have read bits and pieces of other systematic theology books- Berkhof; Charles Hodge and John Calvin. Grudem's book is more concise and readable. I highly recommend the book.
It is almost 1200 pages which will scare most people off, but if you commit to read 100 pages per month, you can finish the book in a year. I studied it with a friend and we met for breakfast or lunch once a month to discuss.
Grudem is a Calvinist. He believes solidly in the doctrines of grace. He believes that God's control over all of creation and history is the building block for proper understanding of the Bible. But he is difficult to put in a box.
Most Calvinists believe many spiritual gifts (prophecy, tongues, healing, etc...) ceased at the closing of the canon (the Protestant Bible). Grudem believes that these spiritual gifts are still active today- not to be practiced in a sensational way but still in operation for the encouragement and building up of the church. He persuaded me on that issue.
He also changed my mind about the proper way to view the millenium debate. There are three major views within the Christian church on the return of Christ: premillenialism; amillenialism and postmillenialism. It can get confusing. But here's a web page that lays out the basics:
I have always leaned towards amillenialism, but with major reservations due to covenantal promises to the nation of Israel. One book started to sway me towards historical premillenialism: JC Ryle's Are You Ready for the End of Time? Grudem's Systematic Theology put the nail in the coffin on my amillenial beliefs for the time being. Historical premillenialism seems to be the more scripturally accurate view given the clear promises of God to Israel.
Grudem's discussion of the nature of the church also changed many of my perspectives. It is a challenging book. I hope many people read it and think about what they are reading. I will be working on an outline that I will hopefully post on http://stewardshipmandate.com/ in the near future.
For His Glory,
Ashley Hodge
No comments:
Post a Comment