Category Archives: Packer, J.I.

Grow in grace

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The New Testament writers show great concern for the spiritual growth of their readers.  Paul, for example, writes to the Corinthians, “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready” (1 Cor. 3:1–2).

The writer to the Hebrews similarly: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.…

A ‘fully clothed’ gospel

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It is tragically possible for God’s people to limit their understanding and preaching of the gospel to its essential components, while neglecting all-important implications.

Write J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett:

‘Sadly, even tragically, evangelicals have sometimes been guilty of preaching and teaching a Gospel that is not, shall we say, “fully dressed.” They may have focused properly on the central features of God’s atoning work at the cross, faithfully preached Christ crucified for sinners, celebrated the resurrection as proof that Christ’s self-offering for our sins has been accepted, and urged hearers to be reconciled to God.
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Catechetical imperatives in the New Testament

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J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett write:

‘One of the most important arguments for ministries of catechesis today derives from the simple fact that believers have been commanded to teach others catechetically.’

In Ephesians 6:4, fathers are urged to bring up their children ‘in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.’

In the Pastoral Epistles, we find numerous exhortations:

“Charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor devote themselves to myths.” (1 Tim. 1:3–4)

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.”…

Catachetical language in the New Testament

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That there is a body of teaching that is to be faithfully passed on is clear from the repeated references in the New Testament to ‘the teaching,’ ‘sound doctrine,’ ‘tradition,’ and ‘passed on’.

Packer and Parrett (Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way) give some examples:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” (Acts 2:42)

“Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.”…

Catachesis: an overview

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In advocating a return to catachesis, J.I. Packer and Gary A. Parrett offer a definition, a set of distinctions, and an overview:

Definition

‘Catechesis is the church’s ministry of grounding and growing God’s people in the Gospel and its implications for doctrine, devotion, duty, and delight.’

Distinctions

  1. ‘Procatechesis (or protocatechesis): This refers to catechizing those whom many contemporary church leaders would call “seekers” and whom the ancients might have called “inquirers.”
  2. ‘Catechesis proper: This refers to the formal catechetical work of preparing children or adult converts for baptism or confirmation—that is, for their full inclusion in the life of the church.
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Biblical summaries of the gospel

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As J.I. Packer and Gary A. Parrett remark:

The glorious Gospel is immeasurable in its depths and implications, yet it can be quite simply summarized. Here are just a few of the many examples of biblical summaries of the Gospel:
“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
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Is the Trinity a biblical doctrine?

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Challenged by a Jehovah’s Witness heckler to find the doctrine of the Holy Trinity in the Bible, J.I. Packer responded along the following lines:

Jesus
(i) endorsed Old Testament monotheism (Mark 12:29), yet
(ii) regarded Himself as ‘the Son’ in a unique sense (Matt. 11:27; Mark 12:1-12; 13:32), and prescribed and accepted worship of Himself as Son of God, treating this as a proper expression of faith (John 5:23; 9:35-38; 20:28); and
(iii) promised the Holy Spirit as ‘another Comforter’ in succession to Himself, to carry on His own many-sided ministering role (John 14:16); and
(iv) bracketed Father, Son and Spirit together as the triune ‘name’ (singular, note, not plural) into which – that is, into a relationship with which – future disciples were to be baptized (Matt.
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God the Judge

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J.I. Packer writes:

Do you believe in divine judgment? By which I mean, do you believe in a God who acts as our Judge?

Many, it seems, do not. Speak to them of God as a Father, a friend, a helper, one who loves us despite all our weakness and folly and sin, and their faces light up; you are on their wavelength at once. But speak to them of God as Judge and they frown and shake their heads.…

Knowing God

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“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3).

What does it mean to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent?

Let J.I. Packer answer.

First, knowing God is a matter of personal dealing, as is all direct acquaintance with personal beings. Knowing God is more than knowing about him; it is a matter of dealing with him as he opens up to you, and being dealt with by him as he takes knowledge of you.…

Signs of life

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Regenerations, according to T.C. Hammond, is ‘a spiritual resurrection into a new sphere of life, in which he is alive to God and united to him in Christ.  God has implanted in the new-born soul a totally new principle of life.’ (In Understanding Be Men).

We look, accordingly, for signs of life in the new-born Christian.

J.I. Packer writes that ‘the signs whereby a regenerate person may be known correspond to the natural actions of the newborn child.’…