Biblical Theology by John Owen, why it's been ignored by Village of Morality scholars
I'm reading through book 6 of Owen's Biblical Theology which is on the subject of evangelical theology. In chapter 3 I think it can be stated is found the reason this book waited - strangely - so long to be translated into English (from the Latin). Owen takes a doubled-edged sword to 'Christian philosophers' (as opposed to, using Owen's terminology, Gospel theologians). That this is John Owen doing this makes the criticism cut deep. Owen delineates finely the types you see alive and well today leading churches, writing Christian books, going to seminaries, teaching in seminaries, etc. For someone who was so learned and so scholarly Owen is all the more effective when stating that all that learning (and putative learning) means nothing regarding understanding the Gospel (and the Bible in general). He boldly states the vast run of theologians don't have the Spirit. He points out how when it gets down to it they mock Christians who give evidence of having the Spirit. He talks of how they merely go through the motions of pastoring churches so as to be able to get back to their first love which is displaying their vain and juvenile intellect and engaging in disputes. I would say that the manuscripts issue of our day is a telling mark of these types. They adopt corrupt manuscripts that they are continually fiddling with - God-like - and changing because they don't have the Spirit in them. If they had the Spirit they would have discernment for such a basic, foundational thing as the traditional text Word of God and its counterfeits and valuation for holding to the former.
Owen states explicitly that these types will mock real Christians, and especially mock any manifestation of real piety or high valuation for the Word of God (see how they mock King James Version readers, as if the KJV is something worthy of being mocked (meaning, as if the KJV is, for instance, in the same league as some New Age thing or practice); they do it because those who come to value the KJV and the traditional text tend to be the born again who have been given the discernment of the Holy Spirit and are able to see the counterfeit manuscripts and bibles for what they are, and who are able to see the motivations and spirit of darkness moving the 'critical text', Alexandrian side.
Any one of these types would be very stung by Owen's words in this book. Notice since it's been published even it doesn't get talked about much by the common types described above. Yet they claim to highly value John Owen otherwise.
"When men exercise their minds about spiritual matters while being themselves strangers to the Holy Spirit and His evangelical workings, the outcome is often a despising of, and hostility to, the Spirit of Christ in those to whom He has graciously bestowed His gifts in accordance with the New Testament promises. Surely some part of the philosophy that they have learned must make them understand that such evangelical talents as are well-pleasing to God must be manifested publicly, and will be seen in operation among the pious; but, even if they refrain themselves from mocking the Holy Spirit openly and directly in plain language, yet it is still their custom to exercise their impudent wits in criticism of those whose privileges they do not share. Very Suffenuses [basically, juvenile delinquents] themselves, they are never more popular among profane mockers than when the mark of their elegant and witty attacks is the Spirit of God dwelling in the pious." Page 610-11 John Owen, Biblical Theology
"In external matters, where the study of Christian theology has some common ground with secular sciences, they [the shallow, Spirit-less, churchianity scholars] are often fierce and fiery disputants; they are subtle investigators of theologico-philosophical propositions. They give appearance of being (and often in truth are) great gluttons for their books. And yet, when they must stand before the people and expound the mysteries of the gospel, they merely demonstrate their own ineffeciency and emptiness." Page 611 John Owen, Biblical Theology
This reminded me of James White complaining on his internet show that even though it is made well known where he preaches in person nobody ever shows up in person to hear him. Anybody who has attempted to listen to him in 'preacher mode' knows why. He is a pure type of what John Owen is describing. He's very much not alone. He's in a very large crowd of similar empty souls standing behind church podiums.
This is what you find in mainstream churchianity: shallowness. Juvenile delinquents with books but no Spirit. And too juvenile and arrogant to ever get near enough to God to put themselves in the territory where they possibly could get the Spirit (James 4). That would require giving up their juvenile vanity, shallow worldly pride, and delinquent self-will. And they're getting too many slaps on the back from their fellow empty clouds and hollow souls. They do live in that Village of Morality too that Bunyan wrote of. This reinforces their illusions about themselves.
Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
A person who comes to the faith pure, by the Word and the Spirit, then approaches these churchianity/seminary Christians experiences the same thing. A crowd of shallow church boys and girls, and the moment you step into their village they let loose on you with thier mocking (and doing such obvious things as mocking the reading of the Word of God or any talk of doing the commands of Christ). They have to just to protect their vain illusions and existence.
6 Comments:
[Email I wrote concerning this post...]
I wrote another perhaps negative post on my Plain Path
Puritan site I fear...
http://electofgod.blogspot.com/2007/04/biblical-theology-by-john-owen-why-its.html
It's just that Owen gets at all that shallowness that
stands foursquare on the grounds and in the gateways
of all things 'Christian' and you see it and want to
attack it.
I overstate too because there is a whole lot of
inspired, on-the-mark doctrine available too.
Yet that shallowness is there and is rather ubiquitous
(and aggressive in claiming and policing territory).
And the subject matter is the ultimate subject matter.
Those four eschatological virtues (charity, pure
tongue, joy, gratitude) are worth remembering as a
template, so to speak. That whole post on how to die
successfully:
http://electofgod.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-to-die-successfully.html
The first three points being a sound foundation. (The
**** is in the second and third point too, knowledge
and being.)
Which James White are you referring to here?!...It couldn't be the James R. White of Alpha and Omega Ministries in Phoenix because I know James personally and have read his books and can attest to his theological depth and biblical honesty.
If you are referring to THAT James White, I would suggest that you take another look at his writings and consider them in light of Scripture. Also, if you are going to bring a charge against a church elder (such as your description of White being another "empty soul" and "shallow"), I would advise that you at least back up what you say with specific examples and instances of his shallowness. (again, assuming we are talking about the same James White!).
Thanks.
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~:O Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
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I'm talking about the James White who writes Jesuit-ish books that attempt to dissuade people from the whole and pure traditional text Word of God and pull them into the devil's - and Vatican's - corrupt versions.
Also, the James White who every time God gives him an opportunity to share the Gospel to an individual ready for it mocks and laughs - along with his producer - like a dumb teenager.
He's shallow. He is the exact type John Owen is talking about in the section of his Biblical Theology I was referring to.
He's very much not alone though, as I stated. He's very snug in the greatly populated Village of Morality.
He needs to humble himself to the Word of God. Not continue to manipluate and dictate to the Word of God what it is. He also probably needs to get his ass kicked some so as to be able to see his own nothingness.
I know it's like picking on a disabled child, but these are people who put themselves in churches and affect to be teachers and policers of God's domain.
Here's a couple of interesting quotes by John Owen regarding the Scripture...
Let it be remembered that the vulgar copy we use was the public possession of many generations that upon the invention of printing it was in actual authority throughout the world with them that used and understood that language, as far as any thing appears to the contrary; let that, then, pass for the standard, which is confessedly its right and due, and we shall, God assisting, quickly see how little reason there is to pretend such varieties of readings as we are now surprised withal. (Owen: 366)
Owen does not seek the non-existent autographs (originals)…
the purity of the present original copies of the Scripture, or rather copies in the original languages, which the Church of God doth now and hath for many ages enjoyed as her chiefest treasure. (Owen: 353)
The reformers and second generation reformers would have recognized the Alexandrian cult as it exists today... In their day it was just more associated with the Roman Catholic church.
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