An Explanation of the History of the Suffering and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Johann Gerhard – Book Review

This is short because I want to get something out in order to prompt others to read the book.

Gerhard, Johann. An Explanation of the History of the Suffering and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 2019. 340 pp.

There are books that I read because they are classics or considered “must read.” The latter are a mixed lot: they are more modern and vary in usefulness depending on the viewpoint of the recommending person. More than once I have finished a book lamenting the loss of good time on a poor book. The former are usually enjoyable since they have stood the test of time and continue to be worthwhile: the current book falls squarely in this category.

Gerhard divides the gospel accounts into five sections covering the events of Jesus’ suffering and death:

• Arrest
• Jewish trials
• Roman trials
• Crucifixion
• Burial

While a commentary or harmony of the gospels can bring together the texts in a way that allows a reader to understand the flow, Gerhard examines the events via a series of sermons. As an example, the first act covers Christ going out to the Mt. Olivet, Christ’s garden prayer, the arrest, and the disciples forsaking Him. This format allows him to move beyond a dry or technical explanation to present in a pastoral fashion an understanding of the events, coinciding Old Testament prophecies, and later New Testament outcomes where applicable. Gerhard is masterful in winding through the scriptural material interleaved with appropriate commentary.

Can someone be better off after reading a 17th-centur author? I was better off for reading this book. Even though already understanding the material and much of how it fulfilled prophecy, I was encouraged by the recognition of God’s providential hand in bring the plan of redemption to fruition.

My recommendation? Buy it. Or you can borrow mine after my sister reads it.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday after Pentecost

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51–56)

What, then, was the purpose of this occurrence? He was going up to Jerusalem, as the time of His passion was already drawing near. He was about to endure the contumelies of the Jews; He was about to be set at nought by the scribes and Pharisees; and to suffer those things which they inflicted upon Him when they proceeded to the accomplishment of all violence and wicked audacity. In order, therefore, that they might not be offended when they saw Him suffering, as understanding that He would have them also to be patient, and not to murmur greatly, even though men treat them with contumely, He, so to speak, made the contempt they met with from the Samaritans a preparatory exercise in the matter. They had not received the messengers. It was the duty of the disciples, treading in the footsteps of their Lord, to bear it patiently as becomes saints, and not to say anything of them wrathfully. But they were not yet so disposed; but being seized with too hot indignation, they would have called down fire upon them from heaven, as far as their will went. But Christ rebuked them for so speaking.

See here, I pray, how great is the difference between us and God: for the distance is immeasurable. For He is slow to anger, and long-suffering, and of incomparable gentleness and love to mankind: but we children of earth are quick unto anger, hasty unto impatience, and refuse with indignation to be judged by others when we are found out in committing any wrong act; while we are most ready to find fault with others. And therefore God the Lord of all affirms, saying; “For My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor your ways as My ways; but as the heaven is far from the earth, so are My ways from your ways, and My thoughts from your thoughts.”… For their benefit, therefore, He rebuked the disciples, gently restraining the sharpness of their wrath, and not permitting them to murmur violently against those who sinned, but persuading them rather to be long-suffering, and to cherish a mind immovable by ought of this.

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 9

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday after Pentecost

A psalm of David when he escaped from before his son, Absalom.
Lord, why are the ones afflicting me increased?
        Many rise up against me.
Many say to my soul,
        “There is no salvation with his God.” (Pause)
But You, O Lord, are my helper,
        my glory, even raising my head up high.
With my voice I cried aloud to the Lord,
        and He heard me from His holy mountain. (Pause)
I went to bed and fell asleep.
        I awoke, because the Lord will help me.
I will not be frightened by the myriads of people
        who surround me.
Stand up, O Lord!
        Save me, O my God,
because You struck down all those hating me without ground.
        You broke the teeth of the sinners.
Salvation is the Lord’s,
        and Your blessing is upon Your people. (Ps 3:1–9 LXX)

The stability that is demonstrated in particular against opposition is to be regarded as that of an unflinching mind in that, even amidst intense trials, it in no way withdraws the commitment of its hopes. They say such things, he means, to mock me and add to my suffering, whereas once I have placed my trust, I shall not cease hoping, since You, Lord, help me in my hardships, snatch me from the evil of impending danger, and restore me to the position of esteem and honor.

What is this blessing of the Lord? Without a doubt it is peace, just as Scripture says in many places: “Peace be over Israel.” Through these words he wishes to show that in the place of blessing peace is conferred on the people.

Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on Psalms 3.4, 9

Live Dangerously: Sing Psalms

Recently, I ran across an article written by Chris Hume entitled Five Reasons Pastors Should Not Allow the Psalms to Be Sung. The satirical approach drove home the great need we have for singing Psalms in worship. His points are:

1. You Will Make People Uncomfortable
2. You Will Offend People
3. You Will Have to Adjust Your Presentation of Christianity
4. You Will Have to Deal with the Really Difficult Aspects of the Christian Life
5. You Will Be Playing a Part in the Downfall of Modern Worship Music

I admit that the last was my favorite; however, each reveal that Christians do not understand Christianity. Admittedly, that statement is an over-generalization, but we must face the truth that most churches are more concerned with being culturally relevant than being Christian. Psalms provide inconvenient truths, providing a needed corrective concerning God and His work within a doctrinally perfect songbook. Why not use it in worship?

The benefits of knowing and using the Psalms became recognized as so important in the early church that the entire Psalter was to be memorized in order to be a bishop. From the Second Council of Nicaea (787 A.D.), Canon II states in part:

When we recite the Psalter, we promise God: "I will meditate upon thy statutes, and will not forget thy words." It is a salutary thing for all Christians to observe this, but it is especially incumbent upon those who have received the sacerdotal dignity. Therefore we decree, that every one who is raised to the rank of the episcopate shall know the Psalter by heart, so that from it he may admonish and instruct all the clergy who are subject to him.

While this directed toward the office of bishop, I would apply the requirement to the local priest or pastor. Is this too much? Might I offer the following notes from the above canon?

The Synod teaches in this canon that "all Christians" will find it most profitable to meditate upon God's justifyings and to keep His words in remembrance, and especially is this the ease with bishops.

And it should be noted that formerly not only the clergy, but also the lay people, learned the Psalms, that is the whole Psalter, by heart, and made a most sweet sound by chanting them while about their work.

This seems an overwhelming task, but how many hymns or worship songs do you have memorized right now? You learned these by hearing them on a regular basis and singing along. I dare say that consistent use of the Psalter in Sunday worship would implant such sound, beneficial knowledge that we could not but be transformed, personally and corporately, into the image of Christ.

When can we start?

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Holy Trinity Sunday

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.… Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:22–24, 29–33)

As a learned teacher, Peter first admonishes unbelievers for the crime that had been committed, so that once their consciences had been stung by righteous fear, he might afterwards devote more advantageously to the plan of salvation. And because he is speaking to those who know the law, he shows that Christ himself is the one promised by the prophets. Nevertheless, here Peter does not at first give him the name Son of God on his own authority. Rather a man approved, a righteous man, a man raised from the dead—not raised with others in the ordinary and general resurrection (that is, the resurrection that is deferred to the end of the world), but raised in that resurrection celebrated on the third day, so that his assertion of a unique and glorious resurrection might acquire a testimonial to his eternal divinity. For when he has proved that the bodies of others underwent corruption after death, he demonstrates that this man, of whom it is said, “I will not give over your holy one to see corruption,” was exempt from human impermanence. Peter also proves that He exceeded the merits of the human condition and that he should therefore be considered to be God rather than human.

Bede, Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 2.22

And having received the promise of the Holy Ghost. This again is great. The promise, he says: because before His Passion. Observe how he now makes it all His, covertly making a great point. For if it was He that poured it forth, it is of Him that the Prophet has spoken above, In the last days I will pour forth of My Spirit on My servants, and on Mine handmaids, and I will do wonders in the heaven above. Observe what he secretly puts into it! But then, because it was a great thing, he again veils it with the expression of His having received of the Father. He has spoken of the good things fulfilled, of the signs; has said, that He is king, the point that touched them; has said, that it is He that gives the Spirit. (For, however much a person may say, if it does not issue in something advantageous, he speaks to no purpose.) Just as John: The Same, says he, shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. And it shows that the Cross not only did not make Him less, but rendered Him even more illustrious, seeing that of old God promised it to Him, but now has given it. Or the promise which He promised to us. He so foreknew it about to be, and has given it to us greater after the resurrection. And, has poured it out, he says; not requiring worthiness: and not simply gave, but with abundance.

John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 6

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Pentecost Sunday

These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, “I am going away and coming back to you.” If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, “I am going to the Father,” for My Father is greater than I. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. (John 14:25–31)

The Savior affirms that the Father sends the Holy Spirit in His name. Now, properly speaking, the name of the Savior is “Son,” because this name indicates the sharing of nature and (so to speak) what is proper to the persons. Since the Father sends the Holy Spirit in the name of the Son, one should not understand Him as a servant, as foreign to, or as cut off from the Son.…

And so, just as servants who have come in the name of the Lord point toward the Lord and communicate what is proper to Him because they are subject to and serve Him—for they are servants, after all, of the Lord—so too, the Son who comes in the name of the Father communicates what is proper to the Father and His name. These supply the proof that He is the only-begotten Son of God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father in the name of the Son, and has what is proper to the Son insofar as he is God, but does not have sonship such that He is God’s son. This shows that He is joined to the Son in unity. For this reason, He is also called the Spirit of the Son, and by adoption makes sons of those who wanted to receive Him: For since you are sons of God, the Father has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

The Holy Spirit Himself, who has been sent by the Father and comes in the name of the Son, will teach all things to those who are perfect in the faith of Christ, (that is, all things which are spiritual and intelligible)—in sum, the mysteries of truth and wisdom. But He will not teach as an instructor or teacher of a discipline which has been learned from another. For this method pertains to those who learn wisdom and the other arts by means of study and diligence. Rather, as He Himself is the art, the teaching, the wisdom, and the Spirit of Truth, He invisibly imparts knowledge of divine things to the mind.

Didymus the Blind, On the Holy Spirit 133, 138–141

What Is Christian Culture?

Noah Hahn and Rev. Paul Schulz have co-written an excellent article in Christian Culture. Here is portion.

A household requires an authority structure governed by virtue. Aristotle’s example of a household virtue is courage. A husband, who is by nature the authority, exemplifies courage in commanding; a wife, having a different nature, exemplifies the same virtue in obeying. Children, who have yet another nature, obey their father in a different way. When natural authority is respected by all, virtue can be passed down to the next generation; a boy raised in a virtuous home by a courageous father will one day do the same for his own household.

Even the highest household authority, however, is not absolute. No human father is perfectly wise, and no son has a perfect memory or perfect obedience. For this reason, authority also involves respect for a tradition that predates and survives any one particular authority. As G. K. Chesterton spoke of a “democracy of the dead,” we might say that a household or a community that neglects tradition is committing cultural election fraud. This does not mean tradition has absolute authority, but it does mean it has default authority. The authority of tradition does not dictate that we never change, but it does place the burden of proof on the one who wants to change. Tradition does not bar us from asking questions, but it does reveal that such questions are best asked in conversation with a certain body of respectable texts, stories, art, and music. Understood in this way, tradition is not about stuffing old ideas into the cramped theater of your mind. Rather, tradition is about allowing your mind to stretch—sometimes painfully—to fill cathedrals built long ago.

I recommend the entire piece: "What Is Christian Culture?"