August–September 2012 Ordained Servant

Meredith G. Kline’s theology is sometimes controversial in our church. Whatever one may think of the framework view of the creation narrative and several other specific areas of concern, there are treasures of uniquely rich biblical exegesis as well as a reliable and accurate account of the covenantal structure of Scripture in his writings. So in his article “Calvin’s Kline,” Pastor David Inks demonstrates Kline’s theological lineage in connection with the great Reformer.

In keeping with this theme, Pastor Wayne Forkner reviews Professor Greg Beale’s important contribution to the discipline of biblical theology, New Testament Biblical Theology, which builds on the tradition of Geerhardus Vos. Because theology’s aim is to benefit the church, especially in its preaching ministry, Professor Dennis Johnson writes the first part of a series review of Hughes Oliphant Old’s magisterial The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, covering three of the seven volumes.

On a completely different subject is American historian Richard Gamble’s review of a book that compares and contrasts two different evangelical perspectives on the relationship between faith and politics, Left, Right & Christ: Evangelical Faith in Politics. Tangentially related to this theme is my review of Eric Mataxas’s new biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in which he explores in detail the great theologian’s navigation of the German nationalism of the Nazis.

My essay “The Value of Daydreaming” has nothing directly to do with the theme of biblical theology, but reflects on the diminishing environment of personal solitude and meditation. I believe that if church officers do not pay attention to this problem, then few in the next generation will read anything of substance, such as theology.

Don’t miss the updated index on OPC.ORG. Thanks to the tireless efforts of John Muether the indexes have been updated through 2011. Also don’t miss the extraordinary resource on OPC.ORG—all of the Presbyterian Guardian from 1935 to 1979 <http://opc.org/guardian.html>. A free, downloadable PDF version of A Cumulative Index to the Presbyterian Guardian, 1935–1979 (offsite link), compiled by James T. Dennison, Jr., has been made available at the website of Northwest Theological Seminary (offsite link).

Blessings in the Lamb,
Gregory Edward Reynolds

From the Archives "KLINE"

Subject Index

• Kline, Meredith M. “Memorial Remarks at the Funeral of Meredith G. Kline” 16 (2007): 40–43.
• Reynolds, Gregory Edward. “Meredith George Kline: Artist-Exegete” 16 (2007): 6–9.
• Reynolds, Gregory Edward. “Changing Pace: The Need for Rest in a Frenetic World” 18 (2009): 14–17.

Ordained Servant exists to help encourage, inform, and equip church officers for faithful, effective, and God glorifying ministry in the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its primary audience is ministers, elders, and deacons of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as well as interested officers from other Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Through high quality editorials, articles, and book reviews we endeavor to stimulate clear thinking and the consistent practice of historic, confessional Presbyterianism.