The Spirit and the Church
| Weight | 0.42 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7.13 × 4.75 × 0.6 in |
| ISBN | 9781800401594 |
| Binding | Paperback, eBook (ePub & Kindle), Paperback & eBook (ePub & Kindle) |
| Topic | The Church, The Holy Spirit |
| Original Pub Date | 1692 |
| Banner Pub Date | Nov 15, 2021 |
| Page Count | 272 |
| Format | Book |
| Series | Puritan Paperbacks |
Book Description
How do Christians come to the certainty that the Bible is the Word of God, and gain an understanding of His mind and will from it? How do they acquire the ability to pray, and lead others in prayer? how are they comforted and supported in all the difficulties they meet? And how can the church be led, taught and guided aright, when Christ is not here on earth?
According to the great Puritan leader John Owen, the answer to all these questions is the same: by the gracious and powerful work of the Holy Spirit.
He it is who convinces, assures, teaches, comforts and equips the church and all its members for all the work they are called to do. In an age when many think Christianity is nothing more than human effort, based on fallible human conclusions, Owen calls the church back to divine certainty and divine resources.
The style in which the Puritans wrote can present difficulties for modern readers, but this updated abridgement of by Dr. R. J. K. Law of The Spirit and the Church will allow Owen to speak to Christians today on a theme which remains as vitally important for the well-being of the church in the twenty-first century as it was when Owen first wrote.
Table of Contents Expand ↓
| Publisher's Preface | v | |
| 1. | PART ONE: How We Believe Scripture to Be the Word of God | |
| Illumination Based on Revelation | 1 | |
| The Faith by Which We Believe Scripture to Be God's Word | 7 | |
| External Arguments for Divine Revelation | 10 | |
| Moral Certainty, the Result of External Arguments, Insufficient | 14 | |
| Divine Revelation Itself the Only Foundation and Reason for Faith | 26 | |
| The Self-Evidencing Power of Scripture | 33 | |
| The Kind of Assurance Scripture Brings | 42 | |
| 2. | PART TWO: Understanding the Mind of God | |
| How We Learn the Mind of God from Scripture | 49 | |
| Knowing the Mind of God: Some Teaching from Scripture Itself | 52 | |
| How Are Believers Guided into 'All Truth'? | 58 | |
| How Does the Holy Spirit Enlighten Our Minds? | 64 | |
| Hindrances to the Understanding of the Mind of God in Scripture | 68 | |
| The Nature of Scripture, and the Right Approach to It | 72 | |
| Means to be Used to Understand the Mind of God in Scripture | 77 | |
| Tools from Various Disciplines to Aid in Our Understanding of Scripture | 79 | |
| Help from the Church to Understand Scripture | ||
| Final Points on the Work of the Spirit in Relation to Scripture | 84 | |
| 3. | PART THREE: The Holy Spirit and Prayer | |
| The Help of the Spirit in Prayer | 89 | |
| The Spirit of Grace and Supplication: Zechariah 12:10 Expounded | 91 | |
| The Spirit of Adoption: Galatians 4:6 Expounded | 97 | |
| The Nature of Prayer: Romans 8:26 Vindicated | 100 | |
| The Spirit Teaches Us What to Pray For | 102 | |
| The Spirit Teaches Us How to Pray | 108 | |
| The Duty of Praying in the Spirit: Ephesians 6:18 Expounded | 113 | |
| The Spirit Enables Us to Pray Aloud | 117 | |
| Our Response to the Gift of the Spirit of Prayer | 123 | |
| Contemplative Prayer Considered | 130 | |
| Set Forms of Prayer Examined | 137 | |
| 4. | PART FOUR: The Holy Spirit as a Comforter | |
| How the Spirit Comforts the Church | 143 | |
| The Characteristics of the Spirit's Work as Comforter | 148 | |
| The Holy Spirit Comforts Only Believers | 153 | |
| The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit | 155 | |
| The Holy Spirit as an Anointing | 160 | |
| The Holy Spirit Seals Believers | 164 | |
| The Holy Spirit as an Earnest or Guarantee | 168 | |
| 5. | PART FIVE: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit | |
| The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts | 171 | |
| Spiritual Gifts and Saving Grace | 173 | |
| The Extraordinary Offices of the Church | 178 | |
| Extraordinary Spiritual Gifts in the Church | 180 | |
| How Spiritual Gifts Promote Christ's Kingdom | 184 | |
| The Continuance of the Ministry | 187 | |
| Spiritual Gifts Granted to the Ministry | 189 | |
| The Gifts of the Spirit for Doctrine, Worship and Discipline | 192 |
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Matt C –
The Spirit and the Church is an absolutely excellent addition to the “Puritan Paperback” series by Banner of Truth. This book is written by the Prince of Puritans, John Owen. This book is abridged and made easy to ready by R.J.K. Law. Though I have read much by Owen that is not abridged and made easy to read (and even prefer it), I still greatly appreciate the work that Law has done to help make Owen’s works more accessible to the church.
The Spirit and the Church, like all of Owen’s works, is simply wonderful reading. It is sure to stir up your affections for the Triune God and lead you into a greater love and appreciation for the work of Holy Spirit in the lives of His people.
This book is broken up into five parts: (1) How We Believe Scripture to be the Word of God; (2) Understanding the Mind of God; (3) The Holy Spirit and Prayer; (4) The Holy Spirit as a Comforter; and (5) The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This book is taken from volume four of the 16 volume works of John Owen that is likewise published by Banner of Truth (I can’t recommend this compete set enough!). Owen is a master of teaching rich, majestic biblical truth, and this book is no exception. It is truly made easy to read by Law, so there cannot be any excuses to not attempt to dive into Owen’s work. One will be deeply blessed by the riches that they find in this short book on the Holy Spirit’s work in God’s people, the Church. Part One of this book, which deals with Scripture as self-authenticating, is alone worth the price of the book. Listen to Owen’s answer to the question of how we can believe Scripture to be divine revelation: “We believe it solely on the evidence that the Spirit of God, in and by Scripture itself, gives to us that it was indeed given by the immediate inspiration of God; or, the basis of our believing the Scripture to be the Word of God is the evidence we find there of the authority and truth of God making themselves known to the minds and consciences of men. So we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God on no other grounds than its own evidence that it is indeed so.” Owen goes on to provide much argumentation for this point, and it is beautifully and masterfully done.
I recommend this book to all Christians, believing firmly that they will all be amazed at the Holy Spirit and His gracious working in the lives of God’s people. Read as much Owen as you possibly can!
Disclaimer: My thanks to The Banner of Truth Trust for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.