Review: The Church

The Church by Edmund P. Clowney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clowney writes with a brevity brought about after organising and summarising a lifetime of dutiful study and careful reflection into this book. He provides an engaging read and could not be boring even if he tried; chapter after chapter, he continually captured my attention and interest. I note that he did not resort to bombastic theological jargon and as a result, a topic that is usually exclusively the debate among scholars and experts (i.e. Ecclesiology), is kept accessible to the clergy and layperson. As Clowney rightly points, "this [~300 page] book can only provide a brief survey ... [and] remind us of our Lord's teaching about his church so that by his Word and Spirit he may renew and direct us into a new century, until he comes." (p25)

The chapters are laid out in an easy to follow, systematic format of various (often weighty and controversial) topics encompassing the church laid out in bite-sized easily-digestible chunks. A brief outline of the book's contents would be as follows:
-biblical theology in chapters 2-5 (the church as the people of God, disciples of Christ and as the fellowship of the Holy Spirit)
-the attributes and of the church in chapters 6-7 (apostolic, one, holy and catholic) and its marks in chapter 8
-ministry of the church in chapters 9-13 (worship, nurture, mission and in relation to the world's cultures and its governments)
-structure of the church in chapter 14
-much debated topics in chapters 15-17 (women in ministry, charismatic gifts of tongues and prophecy)
-sacraments in chapter 18

He methodically brings us through a chronological journey through Scripture and church history, with an eye always on a biblical-theological framework and clear, insightful observations of both theology and culture. I appreciate how he lays out facts in a partial (not slanted toward a denomination) and matter-of-fact manner that confronts, challenges and causes us to reconsider our theological assumptions/presuppositions. I thoroughly enjoyed how he, as an elder statesman, held his strong convictions/conclusions in tension with the enormous amounts of grace (and ecumenical love) he displayed to those with whom he disagreed with.

I hail from almost a polar opposite theological background from Clowney, and yet I find that I disagree with him only one major matter - whether signs and wonders have ceased or are still continuing through the ministry of the saints today. I wonder whether he had the opportunity to befriend some charismatics/pentecostals/third wavers who have had an active ministry characterised by supernatural deliverance/healing. Also, I found his lack of a clear position of women in ministry a little disappointing - from what I understand, he appears to affirm the service of women in any position that does not involve a ruling function. But I would have preferred if he was more explicit in stating his position rather than ending the chapter with a dichotomous conundrum and a rhetorical question. If this book were ever revised, a helpful improvement would be the addition of questions at the end of every chapter to aid discussion and reflection.

Chapters 2-5 are textbook examples of concise and yet rich theological reflection - I felt they were worth the price of the book by themselves. The structure of the church (Chapter 14) is similarly enjoyable - being a wonderful mix of biblical theology, church history, the real-life application of what Scripture says and how our differing interpretations represent themselves in varying church models; I have always found the topic tedious and monotonous but Clowney's writing was highly informative and engaging.

p.s. I confess that I was skeptical in reading the forward and discovering that Clowney enlisted the services of his daughter Rebecca Clowney-Jones as editor, because of my past encounter with the very average How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments that was also edited by her (I found it to lack Clowney's usually clear, thoughtful theological reflection and precise illustrations; perhaps she had to use a heavy editor's hand, given his battle with illness). Thankfully, this work was completed when he was still in good health (published 10 years before his death) and typifies Clowney's usual high standards.

View all my reviews

Review: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments by Edmund P. Clowney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It almost seems to me that there are two authors of this book, which does not always work to produce a seamless smooth-flowing train of thoughts. There are segments that are classic Dr Clowney - sometimes his exposition stares down your soul with a reality check of how far we are to God's way,   sometimes his words of encouragement inspire us to keep journeying on in our Christian faith, and other times he summaries with crystal clear clarity to shed light on otherwise complicated theological positions.

Not to say that Dr Clowney's daughter is a poor writer/editor, but as revealed in the forward circumstances, Dr Clowney was battling illness and before signing the book's contract, he "left us to worship his beloved Christ in heaven..." (page vi). I wonder what a professional editor could have done to make this book a more coherent read, and also ponder how a like-minded theologian of Clowney's calibre (which aren't many) could have provided better illustrations and clarity of explanation.

While this title is not of the same quality as Dr Clowney's other titles, it is nevertheless a resource that scholars and pastors could use as a starting point when studying the topic of whether the Mosaic Law is obsolete today. For readers who have yet to read any of his books, do not be put off from doing so! You can start with Called to Ministry - I am sure you will find that it provided an enjoyable, inspiring read!

View all my reviews

Clowney on characteristics of a Minister

Humility, surrender, discipline and living out the gospel. Clowney affirms are the some characteristics of a Minister. These arent easy to swallow, especially because any one of these would take a lifetime to "master" or take on as a character trait. If left to our own devices, minister or not, we would probably tend to become proud, independent, lazy and sinning. Thank you Holy Spirit for the beckoning back to you and into your service.

Our natural tendency is to savour the praise that we receive from others, but I guess when God works through our weakness that everyone can see it was Him and not us. All the glory would be his. We aint gonna be stealing any. O Lord, grant us the desire for more of you and to conform our lives to your will, more than we desire of any other thing from you, gifts or possessions or anything else. Let us find more joy in pleasing you than chasing the fleeting pleasures of this world. Amen.


From Page 60-63 of: Called to the Ministry

If this survey of the function of the minister has not given you pause, please abandon all thought of becoming a minister. If it has, be encouraged. To the degree that you are overwhelmed you show a willingness to take the ministry seriously...

A man's "natural" gifts cannot add up to a probability that he should choose the ministry. God has chosen the weak and foolish, not the mighty and wise, so that it might be quite clear that he alone is the Saviour. If you are a gifted speaker you should be effective as a lawyer or a salesman, but nothing can be said about your effectiveness as a preacher. The glib confidence of a ready tongue may be the very pride that bars you from the ministry. Not one of the apostles was an orator. If God calls you to speak for him, the speaking will be made possible...

A minister's gift of faith draws him to a life of commitment to Christ. We have seen that the calling of discipleship is the calling of the cross. This must be particularly evident in the life of the minister. Examine your calling in this respect. Are you a slave of Jesus Christ, already "bound in the spirit" to go wherever he calls you? (Acts 20:22). Are you willing to leave all and follow him, to rejoice in sufferings, to become a fool for Christ's sake? (1 Cor. 4:9-13).

The commitment of faith is measured by action—the ready obedience of spiritual discipline. The minister is a good soldier of Jesus Christ, trained to obey at once (II Tim. 2: 3,4), a practiced athlete (I Cor. 9:24-27), a hardworking farmer (II Tim. 2:6), a faithful steward (I Cor. 4:2). Growth in this discipline marks Christ's calling. Timothy had to be reminded by Paul that God had not given a Spirit who produced fear, but a Spirit of love, power, and discipline (II Tim. 1:7 A.R.V.)...

The minister's commitment of faith must be grounded in the knowledge of faith... Calling to the ministry and love of the Bible go together. If you do not share the privileges of Timothy's childhood you have the greater obligation to read and study the Word of God... The knowledge of faith is more than a grasp of Biblical facts. It includes a living response to the Biblical message.

Clowney on administrative duties of a Minister

A minister is called unto administration. Having seen pastors being more engrossed with upholding the Ecclesiastical structure/system of the church, I am aware that I have recoiled in the other direction and am probably inclined to spurning or neglecting administrative duties. Clowney's call is a somber reminder not to be caught up in the study, proclamation and application of the Word (which is our primary and most important duty), but to take on a towel and be willing to wish the feet of our peers and sheep. Preaching without personal action would not account for any authenticity to our post-modern hearers. But how can we serve others unless we have come face to face with the transcendent God who humbled himself to the cross? If we have encountered him and surrendered this life for him, then how can we but give our all, our everything for his bride, the church?



From Page 57 of Called to the Ministry

No pastor should despise administrative duties. They are included in his calling. A recent survey reported that most ministers resented the demands of administration upon their time. They felt they had been prepared to minister the Word and the sacraments but were delivered up to the administration of building campaigns and fellowship suppers. No doubt a corrective is needed. Sometimes the church is just too big; sometimes it is busy with the wrong programs. A pastor is not likely to be irked with the administration of a program of evangelistic calling by the members of the congregation. Sometimes the pastor is at fault for seizing leadership himself instead of cultivating it in others. But the minister who supposes that his calling is to the pulpit and the study had better dedicate an office desk to the service of the Lord.

Clowney on ministry being service by a servant

When Clowney penned this book back in 1964, I wonder if he would know how appealing the notion of shared-authority type of leadership structure would be. As we transit from the boomers to the millennials, we probably will see a shift of submissive obedience to an anti-institutional anti-authority posture.

For those of us who have been in church for some time, we would be familiar with the jostling of position/power, and perhaps had even engaged in that some time or other. We demand that our leaders earn our respect before they try to instruct (or put it less politically correctly boss us around). But what Christ taught and demonstrated at the cost of his life (see second last paragraph in the excerpt below) has a timeless application. Stott in page 38 of his devotional "Through the Bible Through the Year" highlights that the apostle John contrasted Cain and Christ - "Whereas Cain hated and murdered his brother, we are called like Christ to love others and lay down our lives for them (1 John 3:11-17)."

We probably would recognise the self-serving, attention-grabbing and power-hungry carnal natures within ourselves. We just see it better in others. I recall a friend recounting a story of a brilliant pastor who was being honoured at a large gathering, perhaps a conference. Yet his response was that he reluctantly accepted the honouring, because he would rather have received his gift from his Father in heaven.

Will we serve Christ's bride, the church, without clamouring for recognition? When we are given increasing amounts of responsibility, can we continue sacrificially minister even if our pastor would never find out? Will we give of ourselves, without expecting anything in return from those under our care? Will we look forward to time eternal, perhaps just to see the smile of our beloved Jesus Christ for having been faithful on this earth?


From Page 41-42 of: Called to the Ministry

A minister is a servant; Christ is the one Lord, who must rule until all his enemies are put under his feet (1 Cor. 15:25; Col. 3:1 ). No one is called to lord it over the flock of Christ (1 Pet. 5:3); no throne is set in the church but the one at God's right hand. On the other hand, every Christian, called by Christ's name, is united to Christ in glory. He sits with Christ in the heavenly places, and is called a king, a son of God in him (Eph. 2:6, 1 John 3:1).

Spiritual dominion by princes of the church is doubly impossible: Christ the king is with his people; his people are kings with Christ. Can any officer outrank an "ordinary" Christian who shares Christ's throne and will judge angels? (1 Cor. 6:3). Christ's total rule obliterates all hierarchy. The Mediator does not need mediators (1 Tim. 2:5).

No, the minister is not a prince, not even a master (Matt. 23:8-12). He is a servant. But Christ is a Servant, too. The Lord became the Servant; he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). His service fulfilled all the ministry to which the people of God are called, just as his sufferings bore all the judgment their rebellion deserved. The church has one Minister, one Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Heb. 3:1).

To the fellowship of his ministry Christ calls every Christian. When the apostles argued about rank in the kingdom, he offered his cup of suffering (Matt. 20:22); for patterns of ministry he gave them a basin and a towel (John 13:4-14). Every Christian, then, is called to share both the ministry of the cross and the dominion of the crown.

Clowney on one's calling and gifting in context of Christ's church

Indeed one cannot exercise spiritual gifts without a faith community. Who are you going to teach, serve or preach to? Yourself? Even if it is your family unit, surely there will come a day when the reading and proclamation of Scripture will compel us to follow Christ's beckoning, which often involves a certain "neighbour."

This is personally very real to me, because there are some professing Christians that I rather not count as my brothers in Christ. I would rather a distance be kept, not because of any offence or unforgiveness, but because I really do not like them. I therefore struggle with Jesus call for me to love my neighbour. Just like the expert of religious law's reluctance to mention that it was the Samaritan who proved to be a good neighbour to the man who was robbed (Luke 10:37), I too am extremely reluctant to regard some as my brothers. I do not think that Christ would excuse me just because I do not see any displayable attributes of a born again life in another person.

Help me a Lord I pray. I confess I do not desire to love the unlovable.


From Page 32 and 34 of: Called to the Ministry

Within the church of Christ, the mutual ministry of gifts moves constantly to the pulse-beat of the life of the Spirit. The body grows through the organic interdependence of each part... that means that you cannot grow without ministering to others and receiving the ministry of others...

You cannot bring your gifts to mature function apart from the mutual ministries of Christ's church. Therefore no Christian can determine his calling in isolation from the throbbing organism in which he is called. No doubt a Christian who is joined to Christ can exist outside the fellowship of the church, almost as a surgically removed bodily organ may be kept alive if the links of arteries and nerves are unsevered. But a living brain on a laboratory stand is a monstrosity. There are emergencies which may require surgery: Christians may be forced to separation, and Christ himself warned of the necessity of cutting off an offending member of the body (Matt. 18:7-9, 17). But the Christian is endued of his Lord for corporate life. His freedom and growth are found in fellowship.

No Spiritual Inventory Test can measure your gifts and capacities in Christ's service. Such a test may help you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; it may reveal unsuspected abilities and strengths. But Christ's own test is not the [Spiritual Inventory Test]; it is administered only in action. We might call it the Service In Fellowship Test. As you labor with other Christians, hidden gifts are brought to light and new gifts are received.

Clowney on how Jesus transforms "You shall not steal"

We would have stopped short if we only mention that Jesus transforms "You shall not steal" by giving himself as our treasure. That would be a rather self-centered sermon. We have to also remember that instead of being judged and punished, we now have the privilege of being in his service. For we belong to God, his treasured possession, as we are refined by the trials and testings in this life.

I dont know about you guys, but as a young Singapore who will soon have to deal with the pressures of wedding bills and home mortgage, it takes a supernatural awakening of my spirit to be generous. Every fibre of my being wants to be debt-free and that would mean cutting back on blessing others. Yet once again I am reminded to fix my eyes and my heart on life beyond earth, that the money I supposedly earn is but under my stewardship. What better way to spend it than for the glory of his kingdom, not on my own interests but that of others whom Christ loves just as much as I.



From pages 99-102 and 120-121 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

"Our inheritance is more than the blessings of glory, more than the new heavens and earth. It is the Lord, who gives himself to us, that we may be one with him. Yes, Jesus Christ does all this in transforming the commandment of property rights, "You shall not steal." He gives himself as our treasure...

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knew that he could keep those whom the Father had given him. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." He added, "No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (John 10:27-30). No one can steal the inheritance of the divine Shepherd. As we are the inheritance, the property of the Lord, so, too, we possess our inheritance in Christ. We belong to Jesus; he belongs to us...


In the power of Christ and his love we can learn not only to refrain from stealing what belongs to others, but to multiply our treasure by clinging to Christ alone. Out of the bounty of that miraculous multiplication of our gifts and treasure, we can amply supply those whom Christ places in our path. Let us shower on those around us the treasure God has given us, not counting the cost, but looking to that treasure that is laid up in heaven for us, namely, Christ himself."

Clowney on Paul's Christ-centered marriage advice

Clowney comments on the the oft quoted yet often not very well understood passage from Ephesians. Probably the common interpretation would be that the husband demands that the wife submits to him and because she does not, then he does not have to give up his life for her. And the vicious downward spiral ensues.

The simplicity and profoundness of Clowney's exposition makes me want to study the text more, and perhaps meditate on what other commentators have to share with us...


From pages 99-102 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

Paul starts with the supremacy of Christ, and the reality of his presence in the Spirit. From this, he speaks of Christ and his church, then makes that reality the master model for our roles in the families that are "in the Lord." Does it seem that the role of the husband is exalted too much, that he should be likened to Christ? Ah, but that likeness offers no autocratic rule like that of the kings of the Gentiles. Christ is no dictator, but he is the Head of his body the church—in organic union with her. He is the Savior of the church. He loved the church and gave himself up for her. His purpose is "to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Eph. 5:26-27).

Marriage counselors ... prefer to start with specific sources of irritation mentioned by a typical couple. Why did the new husband get so upset to see his wife looking through his wallet? Why does she find total lack of sensitivity in a husband who bangs out his toothbrush without rinsing the basin?

To be sure, men—and women, too—have seized on the idea of submission with no understanding of the transformation brought through Jesus. They miss the sun in the solar system of Paul's commandments. Submission is a meaningless concept in a Christian marriage if the one to whom we are all submitting is left out of the picture. The center is our being "in Christ." Paul's words could not be clearer. "In the Lord" determines everything. Making the husband the head of the house will not yield a Christian marriage or a Christian home. Some poor wives are painfully aware of this, as they try to live peaceably with husbands who take Paul's words, distort them, and impose their own selfish demands on their wives in the guise of Christian submission. Likewise, women can misuse their expectations of husbands by refusing obedience to them until they have "shaped up" and are looking like Paul's ideal model of selflessness. Such women forget that their submission is not ultimately to their husbands, but to Christ, who strengthens them and enables them to submit to a sinner in honor of Christ.

Are Paul's words too theological to be of practical help? Paul certainly knew and understood the teaching of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, which are full of practical applications of godly wisdom. He taught that wisdom, while coming from the Spirit, must be tested and sharpened in experience. But Paul understood why our being joined to Christ through the Spirit is the secret of Christ's union with his body the church. "This is a profound mystery," he says, "but I am talking about Christ and the church" (Eph. 5:32). Paul seems to realize that one might take his words off into a realm of bodiless theology and speculation. Immediately after recognizing the mystery of which he writes, he brings his readers back down to earth with a thump. "However," he adds, as a final word on the issue of marriage, "each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband" (Eph. 5:33). There is no room here for someone who wants to spiritualize away the responsibilities incumbent on husbands or wives.

The husband who imitates the Lord by giving his life for his wife; who has before him Christ's perfecting of the church as his holy bride; who claims her not as his possession, but as belonging to the Lord—that husband will show his wife something of the love of Christ, who calls them to be one flesh. They will together show the world something of the family of God. And the wife who gladly follows her husband; who seeks only his honor and his good; who seeks to bring all things under the headship of Christ by bringing the elements of her own world under the headship of her husband; who longs to accomplish the desires of her husband's heart and to apply those desires to all areas of her authority—that wife will show something of the full submission with which the Son honored his Father.

Such a couple will indeed experience no sense of loss, but the gain of glory. For the wife is the glory of the husband as she submits to him, and the man is glorified and lifted up by the wife who honors him. Both are glorified by the Father and the Son, just as the Son himself is glorified at the last day by theFather to whom he has submitted. Such Christian submission may seem humiliating. But it is the way of Christ, the way of the cross, and the only way to true glory and satisfaction.

Clowney on marriage as a reflection of covenant

I guess I have been guilty in letting the Hollywood portrayal of marriage shape my worldview more than the Bible's. We think of the romantic times spent together, of the lovely adventures and of the beautiful places in the world to travel to together etc, of the amazing material things we can purchase and the wonderful home we can build up together. Well all of these things are not bad in themselves, but they do not encapsulate the rich theological metaphor of marriage!

When we reflect on how God used marriage as a reflection of his covenantal love for his people (both ancient Israel and us today), how would that change the way we look at marriage? Do we bail out when things go sour? How often would we insist on having our own way? What then can do to honour our spouse given the beautiful metaphor that God has modelled for us?



From pages 93-5 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

The prophet Ezekiel uses the figure of marriage to describe God's covenant relation to Israel. He speaks of marriage in its legal force as a figure for God's covenant made at Sinai. Yet it is not left as one contract among others. No, the Lord holds his people with jealous love. He cannot permit other gods to share his claim of love. The worship of other gods is the greatest offence against the Lord, whom the people of Israel must love with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The prophets describe the love of God for his people as the love of a father leading his son Israel through the desert. "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son . . . It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them" (Hos. 11:1, 3). More often, the prophets speak of God as a loving husband. The time when God led Israel through the wilderness was a tryst with them. The Lord was wooing his people and leading them home to the house where he would dwell with them. When Israel turned aside in spiritual adultery, the Lord cried, "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? . . . My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused" (Hos. 11:8).

The Lord, the Creator, uses the image of a husband's love to show the love he has for Israel:

For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer... The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. (Isa. 54:5-7)

The Lord gives his people tender names of love, the way a husband would proudly claim and perhaps even tease his wife, loving her for just the person she is. "You will be called Hephzibah [my delight is in her], and your land Beulah [married]; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married . . . As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you" (Isa. 62:4b-5).

Ezekiel 16 compares the Lord's love to that of a young man who discovers an abandoned baby girl, kicking in her blood by the side of the road. He finds the girl, washes and clothes her, and provides for her as she grows into a beautiful young woman. He then marries her, spreading his robe over her in protection and claiming her as his beloved bride. God says that he has taken to himself his bride, his people Israel. But the bride, wedded to the Lord in his covenant, becomes a prostitute, and offers up the children of the Lord to heathen gods. The Lord will judge her, but at last restore her and establish his covenant with her.

There will come a great and final day when the covenant is fulfilled, not by the faithfulness of the bride, but by the steadfast love of the Bridegroom. That day will bring the sealing of the love of the Lord for his people. " 'In that day,' declares the LORD, 'you will call me "my husband"; you will no longer call me my master" [Baal]' " (Hos. 2:16). In that day, the Daughter of Zion will sing, for "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zeph. 3:17). The prophet speaks of the Lord's deepest love, to be revealed with the coming of the Lord. Then at last, the Lord, the Bridegroom, will come to claim his own.

Clowney on how Christ transforms Israel's need for table separation

The term "Christian" is overrated. So many people calls themselves Christians and yet some I feel are some of the most horrible people I have ever come across. I do not know what to make out of that. I have no desire to love these enemies. No way do I regard them to be my "brother!" Perhaps if we are all being persecuted, there would be weeding out of the "nominal" followers. And yet I reflect on this attitude of mine and recognise that my heart desires to disobey a direct command of Scripture.

I thus gain a better appreciation of what it was like for the Jews in the early church to warm up to and come to accept the Gentiles. It really was not an easy thing to do! Perhaps the only manner it could have been done was by the empowering of the Spirit (interacting with their free wills). O Lord, I recognise the hate and disdain in my heart for certain groups of people. I admit that I do not want to love them or show them mercy, but help me confirm my heart to become more like yours. Let the change be less out of fear of judgment day, and more of a willingness to please you and bring joy to your heart. Amen.


From page 87 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

The physical distinctiveness of Israel no longer marks the new Israel. For that reason the kosher diet no longer applies, and the separation of Israel from table fellowship with Gentiles is ended. The mark of the new Israel is love toward God and toward the people we meet—and the people we would rather not meet. This love, as we have seen, is the infinitely deepened love that Jesus showed to his Father and to us. The love of Christ draws and drives us to talk to people, to surprise others by seeing what they need.

Clowney on the true freedom of being enslaved to Christ our Saviour

I relate with the desire to live life "my way." Anybody, especially authority figures who have yet to win my respect, would find that I would do the opposite of whatever they try to force me to do. Because then I felt that I am the master of my own destiny and nobody can make me do what I do not want to do. It almost seemed that rebelling would be the most energising of endavours!

Oh boy, what a journey I have been on since then! While I still do not "show face" to authority figures who try to "pull rank" on me, I guess in many areas (previously zero areas) of my life I am periodically seeking to bring in line with God's will (as best as I can discern it). 

A quote by C S Lewis (from his book The Great Divorce) comes to mind:

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it.

I recall how obsessed I was with earning money, because my self-worth and self-identity depended on my grades and bank account. Materialism, alongside laziness, will be a continual temptation, and I have to continually remind myself of what the Jesus has done on the cross for me, and what that demands of me.


From pages 74-75; 98 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

Sinners lambaste God's structures and portray them as restrictive and tyrannical. But the "yoke" that Christ took on himself and the one he asks us to take up is the obedience that brings freedom, peace, joy, and honor...

True freedom is not that shown by the man possessed by a legion of devils in Mark chapter 5. He was free—free of home responsibilities. He did not have to care for a wife or children. He could leave them and do his own thing. He resented the confinement of clothing. He took it all off. He could live where he wanted, so he lived in caves and howled all night. He disliked people. When they came through his haunts, he beat them up. When he was seized and chained, he had the preternatural strength to rip off the bonds and break the chains. Young people who resent the restraints of life at home need to reflect on the total freedom that Satan offers. The freedom of the demoniac was total bondage to a legion of devils. Satan is a destroyer, not a creator...

Apart from Christ, no true freedom exists. Submission to him delivers us from bondage to our pride, our evil desires, and our service to the devil. When we pray, "Deliver us from the Evil One, " we pray for freedom by enslaving ourselves to the will of our Savior, Christ...

To submit for Christ's sake is to submit to Christ where he has placed us. No other is master of our hearts. The submissive Christian is an odd combination. The world does not understand such a position. There is a strange power and independence to a man or woman who is not "for sale." How many times has a boss fired or refused to hire a Christian, when he realized that his heart was not for hire! On the other hand, submission to others for Christ's sake calls for service with dedicated dignity, "like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men" (Eph. 6:6-7). As Christians submit to the obedience to which God calls them, in the place of service where he has put them, they are strengthened by the Spirit to submit. In that strength. they serve with full hearts, and it is the Lord himself who will honor such service.

Clowney on Jesus' transformation of the Sabbath to bring rest to others

Jesus' disciples and the early church did not observe Sabbath in sleep and slumber. Taking heed of Jesus' transformation of the commandment into a commission, their zeal for Yahweh was exhibited in their endeavors to bring an early rest to others. Evangelism was not separated from social ministry. How many of us believers today are compelled by the gospel to move from consuming to sowing? It is indeed a difficult response if we have allowed work and ministry (to fellow-believers) to wear us thin. O Lord forgive us of our idlesness, send us spiritual mentors to model for us what it means to have compassion for others, because we are clueless in moving beyond our self-centered lifestyles.

From pages 63-64 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

Jesus' disciples spent the very first "first day of the week" together, rejoicing in the resurrection of the Lord. On that first resurrection Sunday the disciples seemed hesitant to announce Christ's triumph to the outside world, so stunned and amazed were they. Later, however, they used the first day of the week to announce the good news of the gospel and to exercise acts of mercy and compassion, as Jesus had taught them to do by his own observance of the Sabbath. In our Christian worship, we come together as a gathered body of Christ to honor him, to remind ourselves and the world that we belong to him, and to announce the resurrection of the Lord of the Sabbath, who offers true rest to those who receive him. As we call one day "the Lord's," we must be careful to show the love of Christ in New Covenant service to others, as well as coming together for worship, rest, and refreshment.

The Sabbath cannot sanction idleness. The Lord's covenant does not call us to spend the first day of the week uniquely on Sunday-afternoon naps. Though physical rest is surely a part of the first-day observance, the Lord's Day is also a day of activity, to be celebrated by fulfilling the commission that the Lord has given us. The promise of rest is transformed by the fact that the seventh-day observance becomes a first day observance. The celebration on the seventh day has been transformed by Jesus' resurrection. Christ's victory over the powers of darkness in his resurrection glory accounts for the shift in the New Testament from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week.

To follow Jesus on the first day of the week is not only to keep the first day as the Old Covenant people of God were required to keep the seventh day. It is to consider the first day as united to Jesus Christ, our Savior, and to look for opportunities to show devotion to him in activity that we know pleases him in the work of the kingdom. Christians have, through the centuries, used the first day of the week in caring for the sick and the poor, the oppressed and afflicted, and those whom we may reach with the message and the healing comfort of the gospel. In particular, those who are elders of Christ's church or deacons ministering in Christ's name have the responsibility of enlisting the service of the church to care for those in need.

The shadow of the Old Covenant has become the reality in the fulfillment of Christ's compassion and the calling of the Great Commission. Jesus transforms the Sabbath to make the whole world see the fruit of the gospel in the company of believers. The world must see in the life of the church the compassion of Jesus Christ in social ministry and evangelism. We sometimes forget the impact that Christian service has made in the midst of the agonies of this world. As the world watches us fulfill God's commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy, they will see the resurrection power of Christ and get a taste of the rest into which God is calling his own.

Clowney on how the work of the kingdom is rest

From pages 61-62 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

Christ brings spiritual rest. He calls to the weary and burdened to come to him for rest. Yet even in that invitation, Jesus showed the heavenly nature of his rest. The Lord's Day doesn't yet offer us the satisfaction and joy we will know in our final rest. Jesus promised rest to those who took his yoke. How can a yoke bring rest to the burdened? Christ's yoke is an image of his lordship. We labor under his authority and in his power. Because we are laboring for him and by his strength, we have his peace even though we have not reached our final rest. Jesus blessed his disciples with the peace that he alone can give. Jesus gives peace with God, and peace in living for him, not for ourselves. We may cast all our cares upon him, for he cares for us. This peace might seem illusory, however, were it not for the promise of final rest.

The author of Hebrews describes the future rest that awaits the people of God: the perfect rest of God that has no ending. That hope of heaven awaits us. It is the place where we will enter into the rest of God the Creator: a rest in which perfect love will cast out all our fears; a resting place prepared ahead of us by our older brother, who will wipe away every tear; and a resting place where there will be no more sin or suffering or pain or separation or loneliness.

In Christ, we taste already the rest and peace found in his presence. To go and be with Christ is far better, but through the Spirit we already know the gift of Christ's rest. God, who rested from his work of creation, still works in providence and redemption. Jesus, the Son of God, has entered his rest, but he now carries forward his saving work until the final heavenly rest is ushered in.

Clowney on Paul's call to unity on differing views of the Sabbath

I often ponder about how Sundays are sometimes the busiest day of the week, when a day back with services and church activity is the perfect recipe for a tired believer (rather than a rested one). This is probably one of the most compelling reasons that has spurred a special interest in me to study whether we are bound to a Sabbath in today's modern context. Various Christian circles would inevitably have differing views on this... And in the dissimilarities, we are reminded to be united as one body in Christ who has fulfilled the commandment!

I guess I relate a little with the "man who wishes that he could be with God's people every day of the week," albeit for a differ reason. It is probably more "carnal" than "holy", more socio-emotional rather than theological. As an extreme extrovert, I long for a Christian community like that of Acts 2. When we gather together more often than the weekly Sunday service, because we want to rather than have to, what I envision is a rested loving covenant community: Modelling a surrendered will to the Holy Spirit, continually studying and applying Scripture; a deep love for Christ is exhibited in their encouragment and sharpening of fellow family members (1 Thess. 5:11; Prov. 27:17).


From pages 60-61 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments


Paul had to deal with the question of Sabbath observance in churches with Jewish and Gentile believers. He instructed them not to judge one another on the matter of Sabbath observance. The Old Testament observances of feast days, New Moon celebrations, and the Sabbath day were all shadows of things to come in Christ. "The reality, however, is found in Christ" (Col. 2:17). Paul counsels those who understand this reality to show love and understanding to those who are weaker in the faith, and have not yet realized the change that Christ has brought (Rom. 13:8). "One man, " writes Paul, "considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord" (Rom. 14:5-6a).

Yet we must not assume that the man "who considers every day alike" will show no interest in attending the gathering of the saints on the first day of the week. That man has reached a level of maturity at which he realizes that the service of Christ must be carried on just as intensively on Wednesday and Friday as on Sunday. He is the man who wishes that he could be with God's people every day of the week! The early church did meet together regularly on the first day of the week, and Paul elsewhere admonishes believers not to neglect these worship assemblies. The apostolic church met for worship on the Lord's Day, the day of Jesus' resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2), and we learn from the book of Revelation that John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day (Rev. 1:10). In this sense the Sabbath rest is still celebrated: on the Lord's Day we find rest and refreshment in Christ and the richness of the eternal rest in which the Son of God is one with his people in the heavenly rest of his glory.

Clowney on what the law of the Sabbath pointed to

From pages 55-57 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

A SIGN OF REDEMPTION
God's creation rest and the Sabbath that marks it point to another rest—the rest of redemption. The Sabbath is the ordinance that expresses God's covenant with his people. It is a sign not only of creation, but of redemption. The Israelites keep the Sabbath as a memorial of their redemption from slavery in Egypt and of their being brought to rest in the land God promised them. The Sabbath looks forward to a complete and final rest in perfect communion with God. By marking out that day, God's children are reminded that they belong to God as physical creatures and depend on him for their very breath. They are also reminded that their purpose is not the labor itself so much as it is their communion with the God who made them.

A PEOPLE SET IN PLACE AND TIME
The Sabbath serves yet another purpose for Israel. It marks God's claim on the Israelites as his own people. They are a Sabbath-keeping nation. Their regular observance of their weekly holy day marked them out as belonging to God, in distinction from the pagan nations that surrounded them. This claim on them will one day be extended as God lays claim to many other people and nations. In this sense. the Sabbath is a sign not only for Israel, but also for the other nations whom God will incorporate in his rest. Isaiah tells of a day when God will say, "Blessed be my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance" (Isa. 19:25). The beginning of the accomplishment of this promise is God's faithfulness in rescuing his people and in showing his grace and his power to bring them into God's Sabbath rest.

In the land God gave them, there was to be a holy place, the temple, where God would set his name, but there was also a holy time. We are perhaps more familiar with the idea that God set apart a particular place where his people would come to worship him when they came to the Promised Land. The temple pictured God's dwelling among his people as the holy place of his presence. God dwells in Zion. We are less familiar with the idea of a holy time. The pattern of seven was applied to the holy times of God's law. The seventh day is joined with the seventh (sabbatical) year, since the land was to lie fallow on the seventh year. After seven sevens of years came the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year, which was the climax of the sabbatical system. As we examine Christ's fulfillment of the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, we will see that he accomplished all the times of the Sabbath, the Sabbath year, and the final Jubilee freeing all those enslaved by sin.

We see how rich the Sabbath principle is. It provided the people physical rest, which was a reminder of their created nature. It provided them with a reminder that God's presence offers them true rest. It reminded them of their redemption from slavery, and it held out a hope for them of a permanent rest to come, in the Promised Land. As the writer of Hebrews points out, however, "there remains . . . a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9). As history moves on, it becomes obvious that the physical land of Israel is not the final rest.

THE SIGN OF A GREATER REST
There is a deep spiritual meaning to the Sabbath. True rest can be found only in the presence of God. In the Old Testament, God leads his people from captivity through the desert to the land of rest. In that land, the people meet with him in his temple and find peace and protection in his presence. Even this rest remains a symbol of the final rest that comes with Jesus Christ. The Sabbath, then, not only looks back to God's rest after he had completed his work of creation (Gen. 2:2-3) but also looks forward to the final peace given through Jesus Christ.

Clowney on Jesus transforming the second commandment

I have never seen this passage quite this way before. Jesus asks us, who do we belong to and whose image we bear. If it is God's, then the only appropriate response would be to give him our lives.


From pages 27 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

A true understanding of the second commandment must come as we look at Jesus, who transformed it. Jesus shows us the richness and depth of this commandment when he answers the hypocrites who ask him, "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" In response, Jesus asks to be shown a denarius, a coin used in paying Roman taxes. "Whose portrait is this?" he asks his opponents. "And whose inscription?" They were forced to reply, "Caesar's." As he always did in his responses to their provocation, Jesus avoids the trap and forces them to deal with the true meaning of God's law: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" is his stunning answer (Matt. 22:17-21).

In recognizing the authority of Rome, Jesus makes an enormous transition from Old Testament theocracy to a new notion of kingdom. But he goes much further in this simple
statement about a Roman coin. It becomes obvious that he is teaching us to give back to God what bears his image, just as people had to give back to Caesar the coins that bore his image. If Caesar gets a coin, what does God get? We give God back his image by giving him ourselves.

Clowney on the Soul and the Body

From pages 24-25 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

Explanations of man's qualities as being the "image of God" are insufficient if they focus uniquely on the physical or intellectual aspects of our human nature. The New Testament makes clear that it is the soul of man, not his reasoning ability or his physical features, that makes him a person in the image of God. Scripture distinguishes between the soul and the body. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Surely this has to mean that Jesus and the thief would be together apart from their bodies, since Jesus' body would remain three days in the grave. But is the soul the only part of man that is in God's image? Jesus rose from the dead in his body. He left the tomb and greeted Mary Magdalene on Easter morning. To demonstrate that his risen body was real, he ate a piece of fish, smiling, perhaps, as he chewed it. All of this seems to emphasize the importance of the body as a part of God's image. Can it be possible that the body is a part of the divine image in man?

This body—soul union and distinction is puzzling. Our souls or spirits may rejoice with the Lord apart from the body. Paul said, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body" (Phil. 1:23-24). Yet Paul also says, "We do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Cor. 5:4). The Lord does provide a form in the intermediate state for his redeemed in heaven before the resurrection. We were not created as disembodied spirits. After God had said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness" (Gen. 1:26), he formed Adam "from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). We are made body
and soul, and our redemption cannot be complete until the resurrection of the dead, when we receive our resurrection bodies (2 Cor. 5:4). Man in his body—soul created state is made in God's image. God chose to reflect himself in human beings, both male and female.

Clowney on Jesus as the perfect sacrificial lamb of God

From pages 19-20 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

To do his redeeming work, Christ must be true God and true man. Jesus was therefore born of the Spirit in the womb of Mary. But incarnation is insufficient to redeem. When the Ten Commandments were given as the seal of the covenant agreement between God and his people at Sinai, the blood of sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar, on the law, and on the people. We have seen that the altar sacrifice was at the heart of the covenant. Israel's worship centered on the sacrifice as the substitute for the sinner. Isaiah picks up the theme of sacrifice in his prophecy, emphasizing especially the work of the suffering Servant, who takes the punishment for our sins. By his wounds we are healed, and he must pay the cost of redemption. Abraham was able to spare his son Isaac from the altar, since God provided a substitute, in the form of a ram caught in the bushes. Ultimately, however, there could be no substitute animal when the Father dealt with our sin. He could not spare his own Son, but had to deliver him up for us all. Jesus, God the Son in his human nature, can alone pay the infinite price of our redemption. Jesus is the Lamb of God: the Lamb given by the Father (Gen. 22:8; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19).

Clowney on God's two mountaintop revelations to mankind

Yahweh issued ten commandments in a terrifying revelation of himself on Mount Sinai, many years later on another mountain, he gives us only one commandment - to listen to his beloved son!


From pages 11-12 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

We have biblical background for the phrase "mountaintop experience." The Bible often speaks of mountains, and God marks his glorious presence by drawing his people's eyes upward to the mountains. Two mountaintop experiences frame God's revelation of himself to his people. The thunder and lightning of the Old Testament experience at Mount Sinai have been depicted in many a piece of art and in many a film. God's terrifying presence, the threat of death, the fearful quaking of the people—all these are physical signs of the importance of what happened on the mountain in the Sinai peninsula. God spoke, and declared his law to his people, revealing his person, his presence, and his commands.

Many years later on another mountain, in an incident recorded in the New Testament, God spoke again. The terrible, glorious, frightening, exhilarating cloud of the glory of God's presence once again overshadowed those on the mountain. Three disciples stood transfixed as they saw Moses, the scribe of the law, and Elijah, the representative of the prophets, speaking with Jesus. Moses, who had not been allowed to enter the Promised Land, found himself once again on the mountain with God. But this time, he was allowed to see the fulfillments of all that he had first on Mount Sinai. Instead often commandments, written on tablets of stone, and shattered at the foot of the mountain because of the people's sin, God uttered only one commandment—the true summary of the Law and the Prophets: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (Mark 9:7).

Jesus reveals the I AM God in the fullest possible way. The law is only a pale reflection in comparison. The Ten Commandments, God's first specific, verbal revelation of his nature to his people, help us to understand him and to understand Son, who is the fulfilment of that law.

Clowney on not withdrawing into secluded communities

Clowney suggests that we are not called to withdraw into a Qumran-like community in seclusion from the "secular," but that our discipleship is measured by the things we spend our time on. So, do we Christians spend more time pursuing our own interests, or do we desire for God's will to be in our lives and in the diverse communities we are part of?


From Pages 24-25 of: Called to the Ministry

A further danger of corporate Christian action is that the program of the kingdom may be forgotten, and the "Go!" of Christ's calling ignored. Christian villages, towns, retirement communities, year-round conference centers and the like may serve to demonstrate Christian solutions to social problems, but they cannot long flourish, for they are centers of withdrawal; Christ did not pray that his disciples should be taken from the world, but that they should be kept from evil (John 17:15). If the leaven stops working, the light is soon extinguished...

What your hands make, what your money buys, what your heart desires-in these you live; in these Christ calls you to gather with him those for whom he died. Because his name is written on all that you are and have, all must serve his purpose. Measure your discipleship by the things you have time for.