Biography

Ryken, Philip Graham. King Solomon: The Temptations of Money, Sex, and Power. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2011. 256 pp. $16.99 [but can be found for a little over $10.00]. This book review by Terry Delaney appears on his website, Christian Book Notes (February 23, 2012). Used by permission.

Introduction

Dr. Philip Ryken currently serves as president of Wheaton College. Before that, he was senior minister at the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. He has authored a number of books and is also a co-editor of one of my favorite commentary series, The Reformed Commentary Series.

Summary

This work is divided into thirteen chapters and includes a study guide. In essence, it is a biblical look at the life of Solomon, the most wise of all men in the Bible. Dr. Ryken follows the rise and fall of the son of David as he begins with a heart for God and is led astray by a life that looks to find joy in other areas of life. Most importantly in the areas of sex, money, and power.

Every chapter points the reader to the failure of man to keep covenant with God. Every chapter points to the One who was able to keep covenant with God. Each chapter will lead you to a deeper understanding of your need for Christ.

Review

It seems as though money, sex, and power are always the main culprits behind most crime (yes, the argument can be rightfully made for pride) and this work by Dr. Ryken clearly shows that this is not a new phenomena. On these pages, the reader will discover the necessity of trusting day by day (sometimes hour by hour) in the mercies of Christ.

While Solomon is known as the wisest man in the Bible, he did ultimately fail. Reading King Solomon will help you to see: 1) where he failed, 2) when the failure began, and 3) the means by which we can overcome failure in life. It has been said that the best defense is a great offense. In this case, the saying rings all the more true. If you are aware of your lifestyle and choices, from a biblical perspective, you will be better equipped to avoid the dangerous pitfalls that accompany most everything we do in life.

Recommendation

This work will serve two purposes in your life and for that reason, I recommend it to all. First, it will show you that there is truly nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9) and that there is no temptation that is not common to man (1 Cor 10:13). It will also equip you to deal with these inevitable sins. For those reasons, pick up this book and be equipped.

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Heb. 13:7) And as one preacher said, “you can’t imitate what you don’t know.” So when was the last time your read a good Christian biography? Plenty of Christians have an abridged copy of Fox’s Book of Martyrs—which is a good place to start. I would like to suggest a few other good ones about some great church leaders that you may not have considered:

Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints by Joel R. Beeke And Randall J. Pederson

Filled with short biographies of a hundred or so Puritans with a list of their works that are still in print. A great resource to get to really get to know the Puritans. And if you liked this book you can read about some other Puritans in Scottish Puritans: Select Biographies by W. K. Tweedie . It is two volumes loaded with biographical material.

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken and Philip Yancey

More than a story about “Amazing Grace.” Read this book to discover his impact on the lives of Cowper and Wilberforce, and many others.

Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas

The exciting story of William Wilberforce’s fight to stop the slave trade in England.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

Eric Metaxas is a adept writer. This biography reveals Bonhoeffer’s love for the Scriptures, Christ, and the Church revealing a Bonhoeffer that has been perverted for over fifty years. Metaxas does a great job of exhibiting Bonhoeffer’s struggle to do the will of God has he grapples with the issue of state and church. Highly recommended.

Calvin by T. H. L. Parker

Life of Arthur W Pink by Iain Murray

The Cambridge Seven: The True Story of Ordinary Men Used in No Ordinary Way by John Pollock

The Mighty Weakness of John Knox by Douglas Bond

Thomas Boston: His Life & Times by Andrew Thomson

Wesley and Men Who Followed by Iain H. Murray

Confessions St. Augustine

O.K., you have heard of this biography but have you read it? Get Garry Wills’ updated translation for a easy to read copy.

Anne Bradstreet: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Puritan Poet by Heidi L. Nichols

“Bradstreet’s unique role in church history, as a woman espousing Puritan and Reformed theology in the early American colonies, makes an ideal figure for study.” J.I. Packer

John Stott: The Making of a Leader: A Biography of the Early Years by Timothy Dudley-Smith

The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain H. Murray

A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer by Lyle W. Dorsett

But make sure you don’t forget about reading about great missionaries! And this list is just a beginning:

Peace Child: An Unforgettable Story of Primitive Jungle Treachery in the 20th Century by Don Richardson

Daws: A Man Who Trusted God by Betty L Skinner

The story of Dawson Trotman the founder of The Navigators. Read the story about a disciplined man committed to the diligent study of God’s Word and training leaders to teach others to do the same.

Cameron Townsend: Good News in Every Language by Geoff Benge

Cameron Townsend is the founder of the Wycliffe Bible Translators.

John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides by John Gibson Paton

The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards

This book has inspired missionaries for decades and has not been out of print since it was first published in 1749.

Hudson Taylor: Gospel Pioneer to China by Vance E. Christie

Flight Path: A Biography of Frank Barker Jr by Janie Buck & Mary Lou Davis

If none of these meet your fancy, you can always read about Bible characters. They can all be found in your Bible, but for a start you could read these:

The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollock

Elijah: A Man of Heroism and Humility By Charles R. Swindoll

Charles Swindall has numerous books on Bible characters like Job, Ester, David, et al.

Simon Peter by Hugh Martin or From Simon to Peter by J. Glyn Owen

Both of these are out of print but are available used or in your local library.

…and the list goes on.

by Ryan Kelly

In many ways, the great Puritan theologian John Owen (1616-1683) was not unique for his day. This is not simply playing the contrarian. It is important to emphasize that he was one of many “hotter sort of Protestants;” one of many who bemoaned that the church in England was still “halfly reformed.” Owen’s theology was certainly not unique, but was one representative within the broader movement of Reformed orthodoxy. Many of his contemporaries had similar influence, some with even more political clout and others with seemingly more effective preaching. It is also necessary to note that Owen had his critics. Many of these critics, not surprisingly, strongly disagreed with his theology. But he also faced some disparagement for his persona: some thought he was too overbearing, too stern; and many more thought his knee-high leather boots and cocked hat were far too ostentatious for a university vice chancellor. Even today, he’s as famous (or infamous) for his long and lumbering writing style as much as almost anything else—a reputation that Owen seems to have garnered even in his own day.

All of that being said, I do think there are at least three ways in which Owen was particularly important for his time and in the church since.

Great Literary Output

His literary output was unique for its volume, diversity, and importance. The sheer magnitude of material Owen produced is staggering, especially when we today consider that it was under candlelight, with quill pen, and alongside many competitions for time and concentration (e.g., civil war, poor health, family deaths, persecution, ecclesiastical-political leadership, running an almost decimated Oxford University, etc.). His Works stretch 23 volumes in the still-in-print Banner of Truth edition, 24 volumes in the 1850-55 edition. A few of Owen’s contemporaries produced a similar amount of writing, such as Thomas Manton, whose works reach 22 volumes. But in the case of Manton, the majority of his works are published sermons. Owen’s Works contain two volumes of Parliamentary sermons, but ten-fold are the significant works of polemics, doctrinal treatise, practical theology, and one massive commentary on Hebrews with more than 1,000 pages of prefatory material and 2,500 pages of commentary (Vols. 17-23 in the Banner edition).

This and several other works have proven to be unique contributions to the church. His several works on Reformed spirituality have become somewhat movement-defining (Vols. 1, 2, and 4). Abraham Kuyper thought that Owen’s massive work on the Holy Spirit (Vol. 3) was unparalleled. Of course, even those who disagree with Owen’s view of particular redemption know that it is unavoidable to interact with the standard-bearer, The Death of Death (Vol. 10). Owen attempted at least one work on the nature and structure of theology. This Latin work, Theologoumena Pantadapa (1661), is sadly not included in the Banner edition of Works, though there is a paraphrastic English translation (Biblical Theology [Morgan: Soli Deo Gloria, 1994]). There are certainly some forgettable sections (one that defends the inspiration of the Masoretic vowel points); but it is nevertheless an important and often overlooked representative of 17th-century “Federal Theology”—a biblical-historical model of theological organization. In short, the enormity, variety, and effect of Owen’s work stands out in his day—or any day for that matter.

Leader in His Day

Owen was a prominent figure in the very “Puritan-esque” times of England’s Revolution and Restoration. He preached to Parliament the day after the king was executed for treason. With the king out of the way, the army and Parliament leaned heavily in the Puritan direction; thus, the 1650s looked to be an unprecedented time to implement many Puritan ideals. Owen enjoyed a unique relationship with Oliver Cromwell, functioning as a leading adviser to the Lord Protector on the complex and ever-changing ecclesiastical-political climate. Indeed, Owen was one of only a handful to construct several legislative proposals for settling a state church during the Protectorate—one that would be healthy, godly, effective, and uncoercive.

All the while, Owen was both vice chancellor of Oxford University and dean of one of its leading colleges, Christ Church. For almost a decade, Owen had the charge of restoring order and glory to England’s oldest university. He was also increasingly a leading figure of the growing movement of Congregational churches in England (and America). This leadership became more apparent and more needed when in 1662 the Independents were ejected from their churches and forbidden to preach publically. Many Puritans, like John Bunyan, suffered years of imprisonment. Though Owen preached and conducted house meetings during these days, he did not face similar persecution (likely because of the already well-established respect he had broadly earned). But Owen did not take such freedom for granted: he constantly pleaded for the release of his imprisoned brethren, wrote many defenses of Reformed non-conformity, repeatedly appealed to the king for liberty, and gave financial aid to many persecuted Puritans and their families.

In these latter days, he was offered the presidency of Harvard and the pastorate of the highly esteemed First Congregational Church of Boston, but he turned them down to remain in his diverse, needed work in England. Therefore, it is an understatement to say that Owen had his fingers in many pies. Whether literary, pastoral, theological, political, academic/educational, or social, his efforts were indeed diverse and he held a prominent place in each. He was not just a “jack of all trades,” but more like a “master of many.” And, whether the Puritans were “in season” (Revolution) or “out of season” (Restoration), he was not only faithful but prominent.

Long and Lasting Influence

The influence of Owen’s life and writing is also quite telling. He has not enjoyed the notoriety of a Luther, Calvin, or Edwards, but it is difficult to think of any contemporary of Owen’s who has had a broader and longer-lasting influence. A few, such as Thomas Goodwin, were indeed very significant in the mid-17th century, but they have not had the same effect on the centuries to follow. Conversely, Owen has been the focus of approximately 30 books and dissertations over the last 20 years. Four significant scholarly works on Owen were published in 2008 alone. More than a few scholars have a major academic work on Owen in process. And, of course, he’s not just of interest to scholars. His practical writings are as widely enjoyed as ever, thanks in part to the modern, unabridged versions edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor (Overcoming Sin and Temptation [Wheaton: Crossway, 2006] and Communion with the Triune God [Wheaton: Crossway, 2007]). Owen’s stock seems to be rightly on the rise, further confirming Charles Spurgeon’s commendation of more than a century ago: “It is unnecessary to say that he is the prince of divines.”

A version of this article first appeared in the Forum section of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, Vol 14, No. 4 (Winter 2010).

Ryan Kelly is the pastor for preaching at Desert Springs Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is a Ph.D. candidate in historical theology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His dissertation, which focuses on the theology of John Owen, is under contract for publication with Crossway.

Listen to Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, discusses the life and theological importance of John Owen in this 10 minute video HERE.

You can access a 37 video playlist on John Owens on YouTube There you can listen to short readings of first chapters to some of his works to the entire book, ‘The Mortification of Sin in Believers.”

Pastor Rich will continue his series on “Some Choruses, a Pep-talk, and an Offering” after Christmas.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (December 20, 1899 – March 1, 1981) was a Welsh pastor who was for almost 30 years the minister of Westminster Chapel in London and was well known for his expository preaching (sermons can be found here). Take ten minutes and watch the video below…it is worth it.

The definitive biography of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was written by Iain Murray in two volumes and is highly recommended. They are  David Martyn Lloyd-Jones the First Forty Years 1899-1939 (v. 1) and David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (v. 2).

A third book, a companion volume to his biography, Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace, also authored by Iain H. Murray is also recommended. Murray does not repeat biographical material but focuses on three significant themes relating to Lloyd-Jones’ ministry: the nature of true preaching; the importance of full assurance of salvation for a vibrant and persuasive Christianity; and the grounds of fellowship between Christians and churches. Murray provides previously unpublished material and a CD of a Lloyd-Jones sermon on John 8 comes with the hardcover edition of the book. A thorough review of Messenger of Grace can be found here.