Theology Central

Last week I gave you the first part of my listing of the “most interesting books” that I read during 2024. Again, I emphasize that my selection is subjective: what was interesting to me may not be interesting to you. Nevertheless, here is the rest of my list.

Heller, Anne C. Hannah Arendt: A Life in Dark Times. New York: Open Road, 2015. 148pp.

Hannah Arendt was a German Jew who fled to France and then America during the Second World War. She had been a student and mistress of Nazi philosopher Martin Heidegger. After the war, she and Heidegger renewed a friendship, and Arendt went on to become an important philosophical critic of totalitarianism. Heller’s book not only tells Arendt’s story but also focuses on the interplay of philosophical ideas between the two thinkers.

Kilpatrick, James J. The Writer’s Art. Kansas City: Andrews McNeel, 1984. 262pp.

Every year I try to read at least one book on the craft of writing. This year I chose Kilpatrick, since his work came with a recommendation from William F. Buckley. It turned out to be more than just a book. It was as if Kilpatrick put his arm around my shoulders and said, “Son, let me show you how to do this.” I only wish that I could learn the lesson as well as he taught it.

Kim, Swee Hong and Lester Ruth. Lovin’ on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship. Nashville: Abingdon, 2017. 192pp.

What is contemporary worship and where does it come from? The authors of this book try to answer that question, defining contemporary worship much more broadly than the current “worship wars.” They trace its beginnings to the effort to update worship language, including updating the translation of Scripture. They identify various strands within contemporary worship and outline the philosophy and theology of each. I found the work illuminating.

McGrath, Alistair. Christian Theology: An Introduction. 6th ed. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell, 2017. 528pp.

This volume presents itself as an introduction to theology, but it might better be described as a survey. While it does deal with introductory matters (the prolegomena of theology), it devotes most of its space to surveying the various approaches to the main questions within each discipline of systematic theology. It seems to be written more as a textbook for university students than as a study for seminarians or pastors. The discussion is not advanced, but the survey is useful.

Morgan, Christopher and Robert A. Peterson. Christian Theology: The Biblical Story and Our Faith. Nashville: B&H, 2020. 620pp.

This theology is written from a conservative, more-or-less Baptistic approach, but it aims to present a range of options for many theological questions. It is less detailed than I would prefer in a seminary textbook, but it is charitable in tone and fairly comprehensive. It would make a useful refresher for pastors.

Nickson, Elizabeth. Eco-Fascists: How Radical Conservationists Are Destroying Our Natural Heritage. New York: Broadside, 2012. 384pp.

Broadside Books is supposed to be a conservative imprint under Harper Publishing, but Nickson is not noticeably conservative. She is a liberal environmentalist and journalist who is upset at the way the environmental movement has been highjacked. Some of her claims are difficult to verify (e.g., that the government is importing “cadaver wolves”). Overall, however, she makes a convincing case that contemporary environmentalism and governments are using each other as vehicles for radical social engineering.

Sacco, Jack. Where the Birds Never Sing: The True Story of the 92nd Signal Battalion and the Liberation of Dachau. New York: ReganBooks, 2003. 336pp.

Warning: this volume is written about military service from the perspective of a soldier. It contains offensive language. And it isn’t quite a first-person narrative. While written in the soldier’s voice, it was authored by his son. Qualifications aside, the book is a gripping story of one GI who served under Patton and who participated in the liberation of Dachau. Given the increasing penchant for Holocaust denial, direct accounts such as this one are needed.

Shenvi, Neil and Pat Sawyer. Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology—Implications for the Church and Society. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2023. 528pp.

This work does a better job of describing the origins and ideas of critical theory than any other book I’ve read. It deals with difficult ideas in an understandable way. If you are a pastor who wants to understand critical theory and social justice, I can’t think of a better work to recommend.

Shippey, Tom. J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. 384pp.

Too much is being published about the Inklings for a non-specialist like me to keep up with it all. Still, I try to read a few books each year about Lewis, Tolkien, Barfield, or Williams. This book by Shippey is just a nice rehearsal of Tolkien’s importance. It includes responses to many of Tolkien’s critics.

Sowell, Thomas. Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality? New York: William Morrow, 1984. 168pp.

Thomas Sowell is another author who deserves his own shelf in your library. I’ve never read anything by him that wasn’t worthwhile. This is one of his earlier works. He argues that many of the putative successes of the Civil Rights Movement would have happened anyway, while the movement itself has hindered civil rights in important ways. He also responds to the accusation that his personal rise is due to the very things that he critiques.

Spink, Kenneth, ed. First Timothy: Church Charter. Cleveland: Hebron Association, 2024. 200pp.

The pastors of the Hebron Baptist Association near Cleveland have produced this little commentary. Of course, some chapters are more detailed, and others are more devotional, but I love the idea of pastors cooperating to study, understand, and comment on a book of Scripture. May they produce more in years to come.

Van Drunen, David. Natural Law: A Short Companion. Essentials in Christian Ethics. Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2024. 160pp.

According to this author, Reformed theology and some version of natural law are compatible perspectives. The book is a brief introduction to the kind of natural law that just might work in a Reformed context. The author is not unmindful of the noetic effects of the fall, and his discussion includes several important qualifications. This is a helpful book.

Witherington, Ben III. What Have They Done with Jesus? Beyond Strange Theories and Bad History—Why We Can Trust the Bible. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. 352pp.

Bad theorizing abounds about the Jesus of History, the composition of the Gospels, and the early development of Christianity. In this book, Witherington attempts to distill and simplify the arguments for popular consumption. He defends a responsible, understandable, conservative defense of the biblical record.

So those are the books that I enjoyed most in 2024. Lord willing, I’ll be back in a twelvemonth with a list of the books I enjoyed most during 2025. Until then, happy reading.

This essay is by Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.

from Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice

Martin Luther (1483–1546); tr. Richard Massie (1800–1887)

My good works could avail me naught,
For they with sin were stained;
Free-will against God’s judgment fought,
And dead to good remained;
Grief drove me to despair, and I
Had nothing left me but to die,
To hell I fast was sinking.

Then God beheld my wretched state
With deep commiseration;
He thought upon His mercy great,
And willed my soul’s salvation;
He turned to me a Father’s heart—
Not small the cost!—to heal my smart,
He gave His best and dearest.

The Son His Father did obey,
And, born of virgin-mother,
He came a while on earth to stay,
That He might be my brother.
His mighty power He hidden bore,
A servant’s form like mine He wore,
To lead the Devil captive.

He spake to me: “Hold fast by me,
I am thy Rock and Castle;
I wholly give myself for thee,
For thee I strive and wrestle;
For I am thine, and thou art mine,
Henceforth my place is also thine;
The Foe shall never part us.

“The Foe shall shed my precious blood,
Me of my life bereaving;
All this I suffer for thy good;
Be steadfast and believing.
Life shall from death the victory win,
Mine innocence shall bear thy sin,
So art thou blest forever.”

It’s that time of year again. Other authors issue bibliographies of “best books” they’ve read. I put out a listing of reading that I personally found most interesting. This year, it happens that “interesting” also broadly corresponds to “good,” though in some years, books can be interesting exactly because they are bad. But I promise, all the following are good, though in different ways. You may or may not find them interesting, but I did, and that’s why they’re here.

Adler, Mortimer J. Six Great Ideas. New York: Touchstone, 1981. 256pp.

The six ideas are divided into two sets. Truth, goodness, and beauty are ideas we judge by. Liberty, equality, and justice are ideas we act on. Adler compares and contrasts approaches to these ideas, helping his readers understand the issues surrounding them. Adler invariably stimulates his readers’ thinking. He is one of those authors who deserves his own shelf in your library.

Anderson, Ryan T. Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom. Washington: Regnery, 2015. 256pp.

Famous for authoring a conservative work that was banned by Amazon, Anderson is one of the most articulate conservative voices addressing gender issues today. In Truth Overruled he argues from natural law that the definition of marriage cannot be stretched to include two people of the same sex. The argument is both sound and accessible to readers with, say, a high-school education.

Blomberg, Craig L. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. 3rd ed. Nashville: B&H, 2022. 720pp.

As Blomberg’s subtitle implies, this work has two goals. One is to survey the contents of the four gospels, but the more important is to deal with introductory issues. These include the various issues related to the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith. Blomberg provides a good, accessible overview of the questions, combined with a competent, conservative response. Parts of the work are idiosyncratic, but this is overall a very helpful book.

Butterfield, Rosaria. The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World. Wheaton: Crossway, 2018. 240pp.

Any book by Butterfield is worth reading. Her early books present a biblical perspective on homosexuality and lesbianism. This book deals more specifically with hospitality as a Christian duty. Butterfield talks about the what, the how, and the why. The result is that she sets a standard for hospitality that many readers will despair of ever being able to meet. Even so, the challenge is good and necessary.

Dubal, David. The Essential Canon of Classical Music. New York: North Point, 2003. 800pp.

I loved classical music from the first time I heard Tchaikovsky’s Overture Solonnelle, but only during seminary did I become a serious listener. I found that the field is so large as to bewilder an outsider. Eventually you start to find out what you like, and you look for more of it. Dubal’s work is useful for middle-level listeners who have got their feet on the ground but who wonder where to go next. Dubal surveys the entire field by period and composer. He also includes a recommended discography.

Flew, Antony. There Is A God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. New York: HarperOne, 2009. 258pp.

When I was being educated, the New Atheists had not yet captured public interest. During those years, Antony Flew was recognized as the ablest academic proponent of atheism. In this book, Flew tells how he became an atheist and why he eventually abandoned atheism for theism. The book includes Flew’s criticism of the New Atheism. It also includes a dialogue about Jesus with N. T. Wright. One could wish that it included a clear profession of faith in Christ.

Frahm, Eckhart. Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire. New York: Basic, 2023. 528pp.

The Assyrian Empire intersects the history of divided Israel and Judah in dramatic ways. Ultimately, the Assyrians were responsible for the dismantling and captivity of the northern kingdom. Frahm, an Assyriologist who teaches at Yale, offers in this work an overview of Assyrian history. While he is sometimes critical of the biblical chronology, Frahm does much to explain the pressures that the kings of Israel and Judah (not to mention other nations) faced from Assyrian expansionism. He has good theories about how Assyria rose to power and why it fell.

Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas. Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Naziism, and the Politics of Identity. New York: NYU, 2003. 271pp.

One of my study projects involves a version of white supremacy known as Identity Christianity. Eventually, I hope to do some writing on the subject. Identity Christianity is a quasi-Christian movement, generally cultish (though some versions of it are Trinitarian), with its own theology. Not many people will find this kind of reading interesting, but it helped me fit together some of the players and ideas in the Identity Christian movement.

Grossman, Miriam. Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist’s Guide Out of the Madness. New York: Skyhorse, 2018. 360pp.

This book is a deep dive into the influence that the Trans movement has exerted over the mental health profession. Grossman writes as an insider, a child psychiatrist who has dealt with gender issues for years. She is clearly outraged, however, by the current Trans ideology, which she believes is deeply harmful to children. She includes an account of how that movement uses professional and legal pressures to get doctors and parents to conform, and she also provides helpful strategies for dealing with authorities and children when those children announce that they are Trans. The discussion is long, and sometimes it is tedious, but every pastor should read this book.

This list is only the beginning. I’m working alphabetically and we are only through the letter G. Yes, there’s more to come! Next week I’ll be back with more of my “most interesting reading” of 2024.

This essay is by Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.

Let Those Who Doubt the Heavenly Source

John Bowring (1792–1872)*

Let those who doubt the heavenly source
Of revelation’s page divine,
Use as their weapons fraud and force—
No such unhallowed arms are mine.
I only wield its holy word—
Reason its shield, and truth its sword.

I doubt not—my religion stands
A beacon on the eternal rock—
Let malice throw her fiery brands;
Its sacred fane has stood the shock
Of ages—and shall tower sublime
Above the waves and winds of time.

Infinite wisdom formed the plan;
Infinite power supports the pile;
Infinite goodness poured on man
Its radiant light—its cheering smile.
Need they thy aid? Poor worm! Thy aid?
O mad presumption—vain parade!

Thou wilt not trust th’Almighty One
With His own thunders—thou wouldst throw
The bolts of Heaven! O senseless son
Of dust and darkness! Spider! Go,
And with thy cobweb bind the tide,
And the swift, dazzling comet guide.

Yes! Force has conquering reasons given,
And chains and tortures argue well—
And thou hast proved thy faith from Heaven,
By weapons thou hast brought from hell.
Yes! Thou hast made thy title good,
For thou hast signed the deed with blood.

Daring impostor! Sure that God
Whose advocate thou feign’st to be,
Will smite thee with that awful rod
Which thou wouldst seize—and pour on thee
The vial of that wrath, which thou
Wouldst empty on thy brother’s brow.

* [Editor’s note: This poem is a striking condemnation of the use of force as a means of spiritual persuasion, which Baptists also disdain. The author, though, is a Unitarian. His best-known text, still sung in many Trinitarian churches, is In the Cross of Christ I Glory.]

[This essay was originally published on January 3, 2013. The editor has taken the liberty of updating the year; the essay is otherwise unaltered.]

Many periodicals make a New Year’s tradition of summarizing the most important stories of the past year. That tradition has never been followed by In the Nick of Time, but I thought this year might be a good time to begin. Since I’d never done this before, I perused several lists that others had put together. What struck me is that they universally missed the most important stories. So, in no particular order, here are my picks for the top stories of 2024.

Jesus Did Not Return

Few if any news outlets have reported that the Rapture did not occur during 2024. We believers are still on earth. We were unexpectedly granted an entire extra year to prepare ourselves. We were given a whole twelve months for devotion to our Lord. We had fifty-two whole weeks to apportion our time, energy, and money in such a way that as many people as possible (including ourselves) would be ready for His coming. The non-Rapture of the church during 2024 is clear evidence that the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Eager as we are to be with Him in heaven, we can rejoice that He intends to show mercy to yet more sinners.

Few Were Disappointed

Almost as remarkable as the non-Rapture is the non-disappointment of the saints. Those who obeyed Scripture were looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. For such people, every year in which they have not yet glimpsed His face leaves them both heartsick for Him and homesick for a better country, that is: an heavenly. They yearn for the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. They exhort one another, and so much the more, as they see the day approaching. The absence of this eagerness for the coming and presence of Jesus is certainly news.

Many Were At Ease

People who seek a better country are willing to dwell in tabernacles. They confess that they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. On the other hand, those who are mindful of that country from whence they came out might have opportunity to return. For the former, God is not ashamed to be called their God. For the latter—well, they are newsworthy. It is as if, when they look up the word world in their thesaurus, they find the synonym friend. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. That is news.

The Government Martyred No One

Nowhere in the United States did any level of government—local, state, or federal—kill any Christian believers because of their testimonies. We have not yet resisted unto blood. On the contrary, we have been granted an opportunity to lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and to make straight paths for our feet. We have been given another chance to follow that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. If that’s not news, what is?

Christians Stood Up for Their Rights

It is no great thing that Christians, like Paul and Silas in Philippi, would challenge governments that fail to keep within their proper boundaries. What is newsworthy is that Christians should decide that the life of faith requires them to insist upon their rights instead of approving what is excellent. Only through the latter may a believer be sincere and without offense until the day of Jesus Christ. Here is the news: Christians have forgotten that one who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. They are unaware that we become all things to all men, not by imitating them and seeking their approval, but by denying ourselves whatever rights and privileges would block us from serving them. That Christians should spend their efforts defending their rights would certainly be news to Paul: “But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.”

God Was Denied Glory

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of those who bear God’s image spent the year exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God for an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. They also spent the year bearing the consequences of uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Here is some news: God will not give His glory unto another. People are condemned first and foremost, not because they have broken God’s law, but because they have dishonored Him by preferring idols.

God Unleashed His Power

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. The gospel is not like a yapping Chihuahua that needs to be kept on a leash to protect it from the big dogs. The gospel is like a lion that pulls down its prey and subdues it. The gospel has the power to penetrate the hardest heart, humble the most arrogant mind, and bring the vilest sinner to repentance. News flash: the gospel never needs to be protected. It needs to be set loose. It did its work during 2024. The salvation of a single soul (and many were saved, all over the world) is a magnificent display of the infinite power of God.

Billions Are Still Lost

As 2024 closed, billions and billions of human beings, made in God’s image, were still lost and on their way to hell. Of these, the majority had never even heard the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in the substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Billions had never even heard the name of Jesus or seen a Bible. After two millennia, Christians have still not completed the task of going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature. They see a world wholly given to idolatry, and the news is that their spirit is not stirred in them. They do not dispute in the market daily with them that meet them. From these billions of unrepentant sinners, God is not receiving the glory and worship that He deserves—and He commands all men every where to repent. He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained. The news is that we still have a job to do.

* * *

The biggest news of 2024, and the biggest news of every year, is the gospel itself. The gospel is not a religious philosophy. It is not a collection of moral precepts. It is not a guide to self-improvement. It is not a stimulus for spiritual inspiration. It is news—news about events that occurred when God entered space and time, assumed a human nature, died to bear the penalty of human sin, and arose bodily from the dead. Not only is the gospel news, it is good news. It is the best news that sinful humans could ever hear.

Spread the news.

This essay is by Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.

The Day Is Past and Gone

John Leland (1754–1841)

The day is past and gone,
The evening shades appear.
O may we all remember well
The night of death draws near.

We lay our garments by,
Upon our beds to rest;
So death will soon disrobe us all
Of what we here possess.

Lord, keep us safe this night,
Secure from all our fears;
May angels guard us while we sleep,
Till morning light appears.

And when we early rise,
And view th’unwearied sun,
May we set out to win the prize,
And after glory run.

And when our days are past,
And we from time remove,
O may we in Thy bosom rest,
The bosom of Thy love.

During the Christmas season, two figures stand rightfully in the spotlight. One is Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem. The other is Mary His mother. A third figure generally remains somewhere in the shadows: he is known to have been present but hardly seems to matter. That man is Joseph.

Many Christians treat Joseph as a placeholder. Since they know that Jesus was conceived and born of a virgin, they assume that Joseph was present only as Mary’s husband. They take it as incidental and almost accidental that he was in the story at all. After all, what did Joseph contribute? He was a husband to Mary. He provided a male parental figure for Jesus. Perhaps he trained Jesus in the trade of construction. The story, however, would be substantially the same had Joseph never lived. Another man—or no man at all—might have done as well.

The Gospels challenge these assumptions about Joseph. They provide reasons for saying that he played a unique role in the nativity of our Lord. Without Joseph, the mission of Jesus Christ could never have succeeded. He was a remarkable man for several reasons.

At the least, Joseph is important because of his character. Matthew calls him a just or righteous man (Luke 1:19). Only about ten individuals in the Bible get called just or righteous. This designation already places Joseph among the elite.

His righteousness, however, was not of the priggish sort. It clearly included an element of compassion or mercy. Joseph was unwilling to subject Mary to shame, even before he knew that her pregnancy was caused by the Holy Spirit. Instead, he settled on a private divorce to end their marriage.

Joseph was more than Mary’s fiancé. He was legally her husband and she was legally his wife. Even though they had not yet consummated their marriage, and even though they were not yet living together, a divorce was necessary to dissolve their relationship. This was what Joseph planned to do, but he did not rush into it. Joseph must have been a temperate and deliberate man, because he was still pondering the situation when he dozed off and was confronted in a dream by an angel.

The angel assured Joseph that Mary was faithful to him. Her pregnancy was miraculous, something that was wrought by the Holy Spirit. The angel told Joseph to complete the marriage with Mary and to bring her into his home. This was a significant act, one that would be widely understood to mean that Joseph acknowledged the child. When Joseph took the final steps to complete his marriage with Mary, he was extending public acceptance to Jesus as his own offspring.

The angel gave further instructions about the child. He told Joseph, “You shall call his name Jesus,” a name that means savior or deliverer. The point is that Joseph was told to do the naming. Of course, this does not exclude Mary from being involved in the naming, but a child’s father had naming rights that could override the mother’s wishes (see the example of Zacharias, Elisabeth, and John in Luke 1:59–63). By exercising this right, Joseph was underlining his acceptance of the child Jesus as his own.

This point is critical: even though Jesus was not the biological descendant of Joseph, he was more than a stranger who was fostered in Joseph’s home. He was even more than adopted. From a legal point of view, Jesus was the son of Joseph, with all the rights, honors, and privileges pertaining thereto. And being the son of Joseph did come with rights, honors, and privileges.

Joseph stood in the direct line of descent from King David through King Solomon. By right of primogeniture, under the terms of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:12–16) Joseph held the title to the throne of David. He could not claim that title because of the curse placed on King Coniah (Jer 22:24, 30). By affirming Jesus as his legal son, however, Joseph passed the right of succession on to Jesus.

As the legal son of Joseph, Jesus headed the dynasty of Solomon. He held the title to occupy the throne of David. Because He was not Joseph’s biological son, however, He was not under the curse of Coniah. Since Mary was also a descendant of David through David’s son Nathan (Luke 3:23–31; 2 Sam 5:13–14), Jesus’ virgin birth fulfilled God’s promise that a descendant of David would rule Israel.

Was Joseph’s fatherhood of Jesus recognized? Luke indicates that Jesus was believed or thought to be the son of Joseph (Luke 3:23). Years later, he was still referred to as “the carpenter’s son” (Matt 13:55–57). He was called “the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know (John 6:42). Indeed, Mary, talking to Jesus, could refer to Joseph as “your father” (Luke 2:48). The suggestion that the circumstances of Jesus’ birth might have temporarily slipped from Mary’s mind is simply ludicrous. More than once, Luke’s gospel names both Mary and Joseph together as Jesus’ parents (Luke 2:27, 41).

Joseph fulfilled the role of human father to Jesus. When Herod’s paranoia threatened the child, the angel warned Joseph to move the family to Egypt. When the threat had passed, the angel again appeared to Joseph, permitting him to take Mary and Jesus home to Nazareth. Then every year Joseph would take his family to Jerusalem for Passover (Luke 2:41). Since Jesus was increasing in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52), Joseph must have played a significant role in His spiritual upbringing.

The last glimpse we get of Joseph is when the twelve-year-old Jesus was disputing with the doctors in the temple. Probably Joseph was older than Mary, and he may have died shortly after that event. He was certainly gone before Jesus began His public ministry. The years during which Joseph parented Jesus were brief but crucial.

Much of Joseph’s life is hidden from us, but the little that we do know is vital. He was a just man, a good man, a devout man. His royal fathers can rightly be proud of him. He opened their dynasty to Mary’s son, the Savior. He gave the Savior a name, a title, a throne, and a home. Joseph is truly a hero of Christmas.

This essay is by Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.

Beside Thy Manger Here I Stand

Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676); tr. William Martin Czamanske (1873–1964)

Beside Thy manger here I stand,
Dear Jesus, Lord and Savior,
A gift of love within my hand
To thank Thee for Thy favor.
O take my humble offering;
My heart, my soul, yea, everything
Is Thine to keep forever.

With joy I gaze upon Thy face;
Thy glory and Thy splendor
Are greater than my heart can praise,
And songs can fitly render.
O that my mind might truly be
As boundless as the deepest sea—
’Twould still be lost in wonder.

O grant me this abundant grace,
And let it be Thy pleasure
That I may be Thy dwelling place,
Dear Savior, sweetest treasure!
O let me be Thy manger bed,
Then shall I lift my lowly head
With joy beyond all measure.

A respected colleague writes to ask why this electronic bulletin is named In the Nick of Time, or, to give its proper name, ΤΩ ΧΡΟΝΟU KAIΡΩ. He claims that he has often wondered about this question. Furthermore, he is sure that others would like to hear the answer.

Of course, a publication has to be named something. Whoever went to the library and asked to see an untitled book or periodical? If someone did publish such a document, it would be indistinguishable from other untitled books or periodicals. Readers would be forced to resort to some sort of ad hoc titling, such as “I’d like to see the untitled blue book,” or “Where can I find the untitled magazine from the National Forum?” Titles, whether formal or informal, are unavoidable.

The Nick (which is the—ahem—nickname we use) is one in a series of publications that I have produced in successive ministries. Long ago, when I was still in college, I was learning under a pastor in a small-town church that was located on that city’s Wall Street. The church needed a periodic informational mailing for upcoming events, and we called it the Wall Street Eternal. Later, as a pastor, I published a monthly paper printed on gold-colored paper. In a nod to Archer Weniger’s Blu Print, I called my publication the Gold Leaf.

While pursuing PhD studies I edited a bimonthly publication that was sent out by the Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches. Bob Humrickhouse was the association representative in those days, and we called the paper Ruminations. It included a hint of pungency that not everyone appreciated. I’m told that those who didn’t like it referred to the publication as Bauder’s Barf. The IARBC stopped printing it shortly after I made a comment about being an “unregistered” regular Baptist, then opining that it was not only possible but perfectly acceptable to be a regular Baptist without joining a fellowship like the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. Incidentally, I stand by that thesis.

In the Nick of Time had its origins about twenty years ago. I was the relatively new president of Central Seminary, and I hoped to achieve a couple of goals through the new publication. First, I thought that we needed increased exposure among potential constituents, particularly students and pastors. Second, I wanted to experiment with a digital publication that could be distributed widely for minimal cost. Third, I wanted something more than a blog: I wanted a piece that would go directly to readers’ inboxes, and I wanted something that would be reviewed by the Central Seminary faculty before it went out. Fourth, I wanted a publication that would not be mine alone, but that other professors and friends of Central Seminary could write for.

Beneath all these goals, however, lay a deeper concern. I sensed that certain great ideas that had once been widely accepted within my circles were losing their hold on the imagination of the coming generation. Fundamentalism, with its emphasis on primary and secondary separation, was one of those ideas. Cessationism—the insistence that God is not granting miraculous gifts today—was another. Dispensationalism and its implied eschatology was another. Conservatism (both religious and political) rightly understood was still another. Liberal learning was another of the great ideas that I hoped to foster. Surrounding all these concerns was yet another great idea: the commitment to reasoned discourse.

By 2005, I suspected that all these ideas were poorly understood, even among the most Rightward evangelicals. The time was ripe for them to be re-articulated and defended. I wanted the new publication to do just that.

Because the hour was late and the ideas were slipping away, I felt a sense of urgency about the new publication. Barely enough time remained to make the case for these ideas, to reassure the wavering, and perhaps even to retrieve some who had already given up on the ideas. That was when my reading brought me across the happy expression, ΤΩ ΧΡΟΝΟU KAIΡΩ.

Literally, the translation would be “In the of time time.” The phrase, however, uses two different words for time. The word kairos views time as opportunity, while the word chronos views time as measurable. The first involves the quality of time, while the second measures its quantity. Thirty minutes is always thirty minutes: that is chronos. But thirty minutes spent getting a root canal does not feel the same as thirty minutes watching the Super Bowl. That is kairos. (In fairness I should note that my wife might view the root canal and the Super Bowl as nearly equivalent.)

So, what does ΤΩ ΧΡΟΝΟU KAIΡΩ mean? It means doing something at the most opportune (kairos) moment (chronos). The equivalent English idiom is in the nick of time, and it describes exactly what I wanted the new publication to be. ΤΩ ΧΡΟΝΟU KAIΡΩ is a last-moment plea to cling to or return to the great ideas.

If the situation seemed dire in 2005, it appears almost desperate now. The last vestiges of civil discourse are waning. Conservatism has been invaded by demagogues who despise genuinely conservative principles. Liberal learning has been canceled, to be displaced by indoctrination and bullying in the very centers that were supposed to maintain a commitment to education. Fundamentalism, cessationism, and dispensationalism have become nearly insignificant within the evangelical world. Allegiance to these and other great ideas continues to dwindle.

So, is it time to stop publishing In the Nick of Time? Or is it time to modify its stance and approach? Quite the contrary. In his essay on “Francis Herbert Bradley” in Selected Essays, T. S. Eliot writes that we sometimes defend lost causes, not because we can win, but because we are trying to keep something alive. If the great ideas are true—and I believe they are—then it is time to explain them, model them, and defend them better than ever before, so that they will remain available when a future generation again takes interest in them.

This essay is by Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.

Life Is the Time to Serve the Lord

Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Life is the Time to serve the Lord,
The Time t’insure the great Reward;
And while the Lamp holds out to burn,
The vilest Sinner may return.

Life is the Hour that God has giv’n
To ‘scape from Hell, and fly to Heav’n;
The Day of Grace, and Mortals may
Secure the Blessings of the Day.

The Living know that they must die,
But all the Dead forgotten lie;
Their Mem’ry and their Sense is gone,
Alike unknowing and unknown.

Their Hatred and their Love is lost,
Their Envy buried in the Dust;
They have no Share in all that’s done
Beneath the Circuit of the Sun.

Then what my Thoughts design to do,
My Hands, with all your Might pursue;
Since no Device, nor Work is found,
Nor Faith, nor Hope, beneath the Ground.

There are no Acts of Pardon pass’d
In the cold Grave, to which we haste;
But Darkness, Death, and long Despair,
Reign in eternal Silence there.