Category Archives: Packer, J.I.

Sin

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‘If you have not learned about sin,’ writes J.I. Packer, ‘you cannot understand yourself, or your fellowmen, or the world you live in, or the Christian faith.’

The Bible (apart from the first two chapters) is about God’s answer to sin.

It is not easy to have clear views about sin, because

  • the biblical doctrine of sin is uncomplimentary to us
  • the biblical doctrine of sin emerges from the biblical doctrine of God’s holiness, and there is little understanding of that
  • the biblical doctrine of sin has been secularised; the word has ceased to convey the tought of an offence against God

The nature of sin. …

The Gospel – its content and communication

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J.I. Packer explores this topic with cross-cultural evangelism in mind.  Here’s a summary.

1. Three preliminary thoughts

(a) The communication of the gospel must be determined by its content

The content includes a diagnosis of the human condition, value-judgments on the life that is, and the life that might be, lived, and a call to respond in radical commitment.  Now this content must be verbalised, and it must be preached (i.e. explained and applied).  Such media as instrumental music, pictures, sculpture, or dance may reinforce the message, but only preaching can communicate it. …

‘Faith’ in the Letter to the Hebrews

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In his helpful little book, God’s Words, J.I. Packer offers this summary of the teaching of the Letter to the Hebrews on faith:-

1.  Faith is ‘being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see‘, Heb 11:1 – the emphasis being, as always in Scripture, on the reality of faith’s objects rather than the degree of confidence we feel about them.

2.  Specifically, faith honours and pleases God by taking his word about things (creation, Heb 11:3; rewards, Heb 11:6; God’s faithfulness to his promises, Heb 11:11; this life as a journey home, Heb 11:13-16; the fact that obedience always makes sense, even when it looks like nonsense, Heb 11:17-19; etc.).…

Ten Theological Disciplines

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Theology, according to J.I.Packer, consists of ten linked disciplines.  They are:-

  1. Exegesis – which asks, “what was this biblical text written to convey to its readers?”
  2. Biblical theology – which asks, “what is the total message of the canonical books on this or that subject?”
  3. Historical theology – which explores how Christians in the past viewed specific biblical truths.
  4. Systematic theology – which rethinks biblical theology with the help of historical theology in order to restate the faith, topic by topic and as a whole, in relation to current interests, assumptions, questions, hopes, fears and uncertainties in todays church and world.
…

J.I. Packer on election

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Election is such a hot potato that we can end up resenting the very existence of the doctrine, and almost reproach God for putting it in the Bible at all.  Because we find many of our arguments about election to be unedifying, we are tempted to conclude that the doctrine itself is unedifying.

But look at the attitude of Paul: he is neither embarrassed nor ashamed of election.  The thought of election leads Paul to praise, Eph 1:3ff, to encouragement, Rom 8:33ff, and to ethical appeal, Col 3:12.…

Puritan evangelism

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J.I. Packer has an interesting note on the Puritan approach to evangelism.

Their programme as evangelists (Packer writes) was no more specialised than this: to teach and apply the Scriptures in a patient, thorough way, ranging wide in their declarations of the whole counsel of God but constantly returning to three themes.

Theme one was the length, breadth, height and depth of everyone’s need to be converted and saved.

Theme two was the length, breadth, depth, and height of the love of God, who sent his Son to the cross for sinners, and of Christ, who from his throne calls burdened souls to himself for their salvation.…

Prophet, Priest and King

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J.I. Packer (Concise Theology) notes that one of Calvin’s great contributions to Christian theology was his recognition that in the New Testament the mediatorial work of Jesus is expounded in terms of the threefol office of prophet, priest, and king.

These three aspects are all found in the letter to the Hebrews.  Jesus is the exalted King, Heb 1:3, 13; 4:16; 2:9.  He is the great High Priest who offered himself to God as a sacrifice for our sins, Heb 2:17; 4:14–5:10; chs.…

What is Liberal Theology?

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This blog is written from an evangelical and reformed perspective.  Such a perspective contrasts with theological liberalism.  But what is meant by liberalism?  I can’t think of a better short analysis than that of J.I. Packer in New Dictionary of Theology (IVP), in an article entitled ‘Liberalism and Conservatism in Theology’.  I quote this article at length:-

‘Liberal’ as a self-commending description, implying readiness to welcome new ideas and freedom from the restraints of obscurantist traditionalism and irrational bigotry, has been adopted at various times over the past 150 years by 1.…

Preachers and their preaching – Charles Simeon

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Charles Simeon (1759 – 1836) was converted to faith in Christ while he was a student at Cambridge University.  He became the minister of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, where he overcame resentment and prejudice to exercise an influential evangelical ministry.

Simeon’s approach to preaching has been discussed by J.I. Packer in an essay entitled ‘Expository Preaching: Charles Simeon and Ourselves’.  This was first published in Churchman in 1960, is reprinted in Packer’s Collected Shorter Works (Vol 3), and is available online here.…

Application in preaching

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J.I. Packer sets out the different types of application with his customary insight and lucidity:-

The activity of application has an unvarying logic, which we can state thus: if this principle is truth from God, what difference should it make to our thinking, our resolves, our emotional attitudes, our motivation, and our view of our own spiritual state at this moment?  More fully: if this principle is truth that God teaches and guarantees, then the following questions arise:

1. …