Christian Life

What Does a Church Consumed for the Gospel Look Like? (Philippians 4:1-3)

Kirk E. Miller

The following is a sermon delivered at Lake Drive Baptist Church on Sunday morning June 14th, 2015. You will find both the audio and sermon notes below.

Podcast link.

Introduction/broader context:

Series theme/theme of Philippians – To live a life consumed by the Gospel, i.e., the message of God’s saving activity in the person of Jesus.

  • Theme verse: 1:27 – “Live worthy the Gospel,” i.e., live a life consumed by and in keeping with the nature of the Gospel.
  • 2:1-11 (esp. v.5) – To be so consumed by Christ that we reflect the very humility of Christ.
  • Paul’s motto in 1:21 – “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Corollary theme – To be consumed by the Gospel for the Gospel, i.e., for the cause of advancing the Gospel.

  • In 1:12-26, because Paul’s motto is, “to live is Christ” (i.e., his life is consumed with Christ), he views his imprisonment as an opportunity to advance the name of Christ. –Consumed for the Gospel.
  • In his opening prayer (1:3-11), Paul speaks of the Philippians as partners with Paul in advancing the Gospel (1:5-7). –Consumed for the Gospel.
  • And through the book, Paul identifies various ways in which the Philippians are to be consumed for the Gospel. E.g., …
    • 1:27 – “Striving together for the faith of the gospel.” How? “Standing firm [i.e., steadfastness, persistence, perseverance] in one spirit, with one mind [i.e., unity, harmony].”
    • 2:14ff – They are to be “lights in the world” [i.e., a people consumed for the Gospel” by (2:14) “doing all things without grumbling or disputing [i.e., in unity]” and (2:16) “holding fast to” the Gospel [perseverance, steadfastness].

This text (Phil 4:1-3):
Continue reading →

The Religious Life of Theological Students by Benjamin B. Warfield

Kirk E. Miller

The fall semester is soon approaching. In light of that, I thought I’d share Benjamin B. Warfield’s short (public domain) essay on the religious (or what we might today call, “spiritual”) life of students of theology.

WarfieldA minister must be both learned and religious. It is not a matter of choosing between the two. He must study, but he must study as in the presence of God and not in a secular spirit. He must recognize the privilege of pursuing his studies in the environment where God and salvation from sin are the air he breathes. He must also take advantage of every opportunity for corporate worship, particularly while he trains in the Theological Seminary. Christ Himself leads in setting the example of the importance of participating in corporate expressions of the religious life of the community. Ministerial work without taking time to pray is a tragic mistake. The two must combine if the servant of God is to give a pure, clear, and strong message.

* * * * *

On Not Divorcing Theological Studies from the Religious Life*

I am asked to speak to you on the religious life of the student of theology. I approach the subject with some trepidation. I think it the most important subject which can engage our thought. You will not suspect me, in saying this, to be depreciating the importance of the intellectual preparation of the student for the ministry. The importance of the intellectual preparation of the student for the ministry is the reason of the existence of our Theological Seminaries. Say what you will, do what you will, the ministry is a “learned profession”; and the man without learning, no matter with what other gifts he may be endowed, is unfit for its duties. But learning, though indispensable, is not the most indispensable thing for a minister. “Apt to teach”—yes, the ministry must be “apt to teach”; and observe that what I say—or rather what Paul says—is “apt to teach.” Not apt merely to exhort, to beseech, to appeal, to entreat; nor even merely, to testify, to bear witness; but to teach. And teaching implies knowledge: he who teaches must know. Paul, in other words, requires of you, as we are perhaps learning not very felicitously to phrase it, “instructional,” not merely “inspirational,” service. But aptness to teach alone does not make a minster; not is it his primary qualification. It is only one of a long list of requirements which Paul lays down as necessary to meet in him who aspires to this high office. And all the rest concern, not his intellectual, but his spiritual fitness. A minister must be learned, on pain of being utterly incompetent for his work. But before and above being learned, a minister must be godly.

Continue reading →

A Diagram to Help You Know What Books to Read

Kirk E. Miller 1 Comment

I work in a seminary library and help with collection development (i.e., selecting and purchasing books for the library’s collection). Therefore, I spend a good amount of time looking through catalogues from Christian publishers. I also rub shoulders a lot with Christians who like to read Christian books, whether scholarly or more “pop” literature.

Every time I scan through these publishers’ catalogues, I think of Ecclesiastes 12:12 – “Of making many books there is no end.”

Furthermore, as I browse these catalogues with hundreds of new books, find myself in a Christian culture in which these new books are referred to as “the next best thing” and “must reads,” and hear people talk about how they are reading or are so excited to read this or that new book, I find myself a little annoyed.

Here’s a diagram that I think might be helpful in providing a little guidance on how to determine which books you should be reading with the limited time that you have.

You’ve probably sensed my point by now.

Maybe my sense is off here, but it seems to me that in evangelicalism we are rather infatuated with the contemporary to the neglect of our heritage. And my perception is that our selection of books to read has not escaped this tendency.

Don’t get me wrong. Contemporary books are important. They will be more up to date culturally. They will be more up to date in terms of scholarly discussion and advancement.

However, in our general reading habits, why would we give so much priority to books that will in all likelihood be forgotten within 50 years, a decade, or even less time than that? Why not put those books on the top of our stack of books that have stood the test of centuries and have proven helpful to thousands throughout church history?

These are just some thoughts I’ve been having lately. It’s a challenge to my own reading habits (as much as I, a student, am able to determine them) as much as anyone else’s.

“Christian” – A Claim to Follow Jesus the Man

Kirk E. Miller

During the process of taking a class on the gospels this semester, I have been thinking afresh about what it means to be a Christian.

To be a Christian is to be a ‘little Christ,’ as it is said, a Christ imitator or follower. Defined this way, being a Christian is not primarily about remaining loyal to a set of ideas, adhering to a set of principles, or believing certain doctrines. It certainly involves those things (don’t hear me wrongly). But what it is primarily is a claim to follow a person, the real historical person of Jesus of Nazareth, not a person in the abstract (e.g., Jesus merely a means to an end that is my salvation), but an actual human being.

If this is central to what it means to be a Christian, this pushes against many contemporary forms of Christianity that have lost sight of the centrality of this person in favor of making other good but not central things central.

To illustrate, I will use evangelicalism’s infatuation with Paul.

Continue reading →

Principles from Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10

Kirk E. Miller

I spent some time examining Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10 due to a personal matter I am contemplating and thinking over. But in the process of doing so, I composed a list of principles from this passage that I thought I might as well share for the benefit of anyone who might find this summary helpful. Here goes:

  • Certain matters that are not really ‘issues,’ and in which one may have ‘rights,’ are considered ‘issues’ by some due to associations.
  • Make use of God’s blessings.
  • Avoid idolatrous and sinful practices.
  • The ‘weak’ (in conscience) are not to judge the ‘strong.’
  • ‘Strong’ (in conscience) are not to despise the ‘weak.’ The ‘strong are to avoid arrogance due to such knowledge.
  • One’s liberty is not to be determined by another’s conscience. But one’s exercise of such liberty is.
  • Everyone must be convinced. Violation of conscience is sin.
  • Decisions are to be oriented around what honors God. Do all to God’s glory.
  • Be aware that there are some matters in which one has a ‘right’ but may not be beneficial.
  • Everyone will give an account to God.
  • Exercising ‘rights’ does not necessarily equal doing what is loving.
  • Avoid causing others to stumble, i.e., encouraging others with weak consciences to do likewise, which for them would be sin (i.e., a violation of conscience).
  • Causing another to stumble is sinning against them and against Christ who died for them.
  • Due to potentially offending others, keep certain matters between you and God.
  • Pursue what is loving, brings peace and harmony, and builds others up.
  • Do not allow anything to be a hindrance to the cause of the gospel of Christ, so that more might be converted.
  • Become “all things to all people” (specifically in terms of evangelism in this context)–contextualize, accommodate.

* Note: Some of these principles seem to conflict with or be in tension with other principles in this list. This predicament seems to be best explained by the fact that Paul prioritizes certain principles above others (e.g., in 1 Cor 9 Paul states that he indeed has ‘rights’—a principle—but doesn’t exercise them for certain reasons, i.e., higher prioritized principles).

* Note: Paul tells the ‘weak’ to respect the liberty of the ‘strong’ and the ‘strong’ to accommodate the ‘weak.’ According to these dual instructions, if either category (i.e., the ‘weak’ or ‘strong’) fulfills their particular instruction, harmony will exist. It is only when neither group defers to the other group that conflict will arise, although Paul would seem to desire both groups to defer to the other.