Ecclesia Reformanda 2, 1 (2010)

The latest issue of Ecclesia Reformanda is out, with the below contributions. I am particularly interested in John Frame’s review of Michael Horton’s Christless Christianity.

John M. Frame
Review of Michael Horton, Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church, Part 1
Michael Horton’s Christless Christianity claims that contemporary evangelicalism is so corrupt in its doctrine and preaching that it is close to rejecting Christ altogether. In this two part review article, I argue that Horton’s basis for this evaluation is itself doctrinally questionable and that he misrepresents the targets of his criticism. I describe ten assumptions Horton makes that have no basis in Scripture or in any of the major theological traditions. If we reject these assumptions (as we certainly should), we will find that Horton’s critique of evangelicalism is wide of the mark, and that it is Horton’s own rather idiosyncratic brand of Protestantism that deserves our critical attention.

R.S. Clarke
The Hermeneutical Principles and Exegetical Methods of Rev. John Lightfoot, D.D.
This article demonstrates that John Lightfoot’s consistent goal in interpreting the bible was to discern the intended meaning of the human authors of the text and then to show how this also functioned as the divinely intended meaning for the contemporary church. His approach to exegesis is shaped by his recognition of the value of the Rabbinic literature in understanding the biblical text. His hermeneutics, however, is driven by his deep piety and his pastoral concern to see the divine Scriptures read and understood by the church.

Matthew W. Mason
‘Father, Forgive Them’? Or, ‘Let Your Burning Anger Overtake Them’? Psalm 69:22-28 on the Lips of Jesus
This article investigates the fulfilment of the imprecations in Psalm 69:22-28 in the ministry and prayers of Jesus. The psalm is one of the most used in the NT, yet the imprecatory section presents a particular difficulty for biblical theology, particularly as it relates to Jesus’ prayer from the cross, ‘Father forgive them’ (Lk. 23:34). Examining the NT’s use of this psalm, I argue that Jesus did indeed pray the imprecations and his Father answered; yet, building on Klaas Schilder’s discussion of Luke 23:34, I argue that this is readily harmonisable with his first word from the cross.

Lewis Allen
‘Keeping the Heart’: Lessons from Two Puritan Pastors
Andrew Gray and John Flavel served pastorates in Glasgow and Devon respectively in the turbulent times of the mid-seventeenth centuries. Their works continue to be valued today as models of Puritan spiritual counsel. The essay explores the sermons of Gray and a treatise of Flavel on Proverbs 4.23. Each Pastor explores the command and the warning implicit in the text, and show why this verse is of prime important for the Christian. They are highly suggestive works for our less self-reflective pulpits today, and would repay reading for the preacher seeking to improve his pastoral preaching.

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