The Seminarian A TBS Student Magazine No. 1 January 2014
Pornography & Purity
It is more than a voice; It is a lifestyle.
Publisher: The Seminarian Editorial Board Editors–in-Chief: Rev. Kirk Wellum, Rev. Keith Edwards Editors: Hallam Willis Caleb Senneker B. Andrew Song Contributors Eric I. Long, Carl Muller, Anna MacInnes, Josh Nadeau, Sean Perron, Caleb Senneker, B. Andrew Song, Hallam Willis
Contact information Email: seminarian.editor@gmail.com Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College 130 Gerrard St. E., Toronto, ON M5A 3T4
January 2014, No. 1 Copyright Š The Seminarian
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From the editors To promote Christian community and fellowship among the body of Christ at TBS, peer-to-peer encouragement and a glimpse of Seminary life. During January 2010, a Taiwanese talk show – which targeted a college-age audience – spoke about a controversial topic: pornography. Throughout the show, pornography was praised as an essential part of student life and indirectly, the show encouraged its audience to watch but exercise self-control. Early in 2013, a few European countries sought to ban pornography and close down the pornographic industry. In March, a vote in the European Parliament rejected this proposal from being applied in the European Union countries and regions. In September 2013, Gordon-Levitt’s film Don Jon was released, and pornography once again became a controversial topic. Simultaneously, GQ magazine’s November issue published Scott Christian’s article, “10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Watching Porn.” Christian argued, from a secular perspective that a real man does not watch porn. From these examples, we can see, though people do not like to say it: pornography in fact matters and is a serious moral concern in society. From a Christian worldview, we understand that pornography and its industry are great sins against God’s good design and intentions for human sexuality. Tim Keller puts it best writing, “if sex is like money, then porn is a massive devaluation of currency.” Many Christian men and women struggle against the desire to watch pornography. Though we know it is sinful and cannot please
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the Lord, Christians continue to battle pornography. Porn is like a drug, and many Christian men and women have become addicted, which drains their spiritual health. Seminarians are certainly not excluded from this trap. As those who wrestle with the sin of pornography, we should not only be ashamed of the sin, we also need to understand the reality of the sin, learn to trust in God’s transforming grace, and fight against this temptation positively. The January issue of The Seminarian focuses on the topic of pornography and purity. In planning this issue, we deliberately asked our essay contributors to follow a pattern: call for sexual purity (by pastor Carl Muller), pornography and seminarians (by Sean Perron), and a seminarian’s response to pornography (by B. Andrew Song). Taking a stand against pornography does not mean being people who are sex phobic or anti-sex, but rather, we call you to join with us in striving and struggling to live a pure life, grounded in Scripture, and judging all things with a scriptural worldview. We are very thankful for your comments and the encouragement which we received since the publication of our first issue in December 2013. Please remember our ministry in prayer, since we need your contributions in all ways. May this student magazine accomplish our goal, by the help of God, that is: “it is more than a voice; it is a lifestyle.” TS
Features
Muller: Sexual Purity– A Call to Ministers of the Gospel 8 Perron: Dear Young Seminarians 12
Did yo u k n ow … On November 3, 1948, TBS welcomed a friend from China, Rev. Marcus Cheng (1884–1964), then the head of Chongqing Seminary. Pastor Cheng was one of the significant Fundamentalist leaders in southern China. Pastor Cheng told our students about his school, and about how Modernism had affected Chinese churches (The Gospel Witness, November 4, 1948, p14). 5
Song: Another Wilberforce?! 17 Engaging ‌
News & Events 20 Book Reviews Allberry, Is God Anti-gay? Lambert, Finally Free White, Sexual Sanity for Men
21 Three Questions with Tim Challies 23
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Behold when Dr. Gentry was Mr. Gentry. Dr. Genry, a significant Old Testament theologian, beloved professor of TBS students, is also the co-author of Kingdom Through Covenant (Crossway, 2012). Last year, the Student Council made a Gentry shirt. You may order yours today ($15)!
Dr. William Brian McNaull (M.Div., 1990; Ch. B., M.Phil), is a medical missionary, specializing in liver disease and tropical medicine. He served as in Emergency Medicine, as a GP, a leukemia specialist at Sick Kids Toronto, and at Mt. Sinai, Toronto. Dr. McNaull today works as a missionary in the Far East, as well as an adjunct professor with Carey Outreach Ministries.
Dr. Bryant G. Wood (B.S., M.S., M.A., PhD), a biblical archaeologist and the director of the Associates of Biblical Research. As a specialist in Canaanite pottery of the Late Bronze Age, Dr. Wood proposes a younger date of Jericho, which is a major contribution to biblical archaeological studies.
Marino Vereecke (M.Div., 1990), first came to pastor Churchill Baptist Church, ON, in 1989 as a TBS seminarian. After graduation, pastor Vereecke has continued his pastoral ministry at Churchill until today. Churchill Baptist Church is part of the Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Canada. Pastor Vereecke regularly invites TBS student teams to his church. 7
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Sexual Purity:
A Call to Ministers of the Gospel
Carl Muller Rev. Muller is the senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Burlington, ON, since 1987. He also teaches courses on Homiletics at TBS. Rev. Prof. Muller is married to Heather, with four children and three grandchildren. Editor: Why do Gospel ministers (and Seminarians) need to pursue sexual purity? Read this article! “All things are lawful for me” (1 Cor 6:12). This is certainly true of a Christian. God has richly provided all things to enjoy (I Tim 6:17). Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, says Paul (Gal 5:1). However, the world has twisted versions of God’s truths, and that was the case in Corinth. Cicero wrote, “If there is anyone who thinks that youth should be forbidden affairs with courtesans, he is doubtless eminently austere, but his view is contrary not only to the license of this age, but also to the custom and concession of our ancestors. For when was this not a common practice? When was it blamed?”1 Perhaps there were those in the church who took Christian freedoms and used them to sanction immoral behaviour.2 Paul’s response to the sexual immorality problem in the Corinthian church is swift and powerful. He gives “eight compelling reasons why only extremely foolish Christians would continue to fornicate, giving in the midst of those arguments three binding apostolic commands, ‘do not be deceived’, ‘flee from sexual immorality’, and ‘glorify God in your body’ (1 Cor 6: 9, 18, 20)”.3 8
Paul begins with a command in 1 Corinthians 6:9, “Do not be deceived”. The world may tell you that sexual immorality is fine. It may be “adult entertainment” for them, but in fact it is the kind of thing that keeps you out of the kingdom. They might call it “friends with benefits”, or sexual partners might be “(blank) buddies”, but this is the kind of thing that will damn your soul to hell!4 Do not be deceived. Remember that something radical has happened to you. Remember who you are in Christ (vv 9, 10). Such were some of you. But you have been washed, but you have been sanctified, but you have been justified. “But” – blessed word! In light of that, flee sexual immorality of any kind (v 18) because those who live for such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (vv 9, 10). In 1 Corintians 6:9-20, Paul gives the Corinthians eight reasons why they should flee sexual immorality: First, sexual immorality is contrary to wellbeing (v 12a). It is not helpful. Indeed, sexual immorality will not bring happiness. On the walls of Pompeii pictures of male genitalia could be found
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with these words inscribed underneath: “here resides happiness”. But that was a lie then and still is today. In the days when he was able to have almost any woman he wanted, Paul McCartney was described by a biographer as “wild and free and desperately unhappy.”5 As Thomas Brooks said: “Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honour, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss; he promises life, and pays with death. But God pays as He promises; all His payments are made in pure gold”.6 Great David’s tawdry fling with Bathsheba would have taught him this lesson, and he would surely have concurred that sexual immorality is, at the very least, not helpful. Second, verse 12 says that sexual immorality is harmful because it becomes addictive (“enslaving” is a better, less confusing word). Sin enslaves. “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34; Romans 6:16, 20) and that is why those in the grip of sexual sin do things that seem insane. This is the word used by a pastor who was living in two adulterous relationships: “This was insanity; I’m no sooner finished the sexual act and immediately broke into tears, devastated by what I had done, but I only returned again and again to the same sinful relationship.” Commenting on the enslaving nature of sexual sin, Schaumberg warns us against describing this problem as a “disease”. “The concept of sexual addiction as a disease does not fully identify the seriousness of the problem... the real problem is hidden deep within. The least bit of lust is an indication of vast corruption in the human heart. It is an enslavement that cannot be broken through any form of behaviour management, recovery program, or counselling. The inside is so ravaged by sin that we can do nothing to change it.”7 How wonderful that John 8:34 is followed by John 8:36: “Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” When Paul says that he “will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Cor 6:12), he offers encouragement to every Christian who thinks it impossible to overcome sexual temptation and assures that struggling soul that “he who has died has been freed from [the
power] of sin” (Rom 6:7). Third, sexual immorality is contrary to the Creator’s intention for the body (1 Cor 6:13). Eating food cannot be equated with having sex because sex is not to the body what food is to the stomach. Food is essential. Sex is not. The stomach was made for food, but was the body made for sex? No, says Paul, the body was made for the Lord. Your body belongs to Him, and He uses it for His service and glory. Remember who you are in Christ (v 11). Your body is the temple of the Spirit (v 19). Your body is owned by the Lord (vv 19, 20). It is not yours to do with as you wish. Fourth, sexual immorality contradicts the body’s future. What an exalted status we enjoy now as the temple of God, and what a glorious hope we have for the future! God has raised up Jesus and will raise us up (1 Cor 6:14). Christ will come from heaven and transform our lowly bodies, conforming them to His glorious body (Phil 3:20, 21) so that body and soul, we may glorify the Lord forever. Fifth, sexual immorality is totally inappropriate for someone who is joined to Christ (1 Cor 6:15-17). Christians are “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (I Cor 1:2); set apart for holy and sacred purposes. Are you part of the body of Christ, as Paul asserts you are in I Corinthians 12? If so, will you take the body of Christ and join it to a prostitute, or a lascivious church member? Will you sit in your office or in a hotel room and allow the glow of pornographic images to defile the body He bought with His own blood? Brothers, what fellowship does light have with darkness? Be separate. Do not touch what is unclean. Cleanse yourself from filthiness (II Cor 6:14, 17; 7:1). Sixth, sexual immorality is a terrible thing because there is no such thing as casual sex. When you lie with someone there is something extraordinary that happens. You are “one body with her” (1 Cor 6:16). “When a man and a woman join their bodies, the entire personali-
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ty is involved. There is a much deeper experience, a ‘oneness’ that brings with it deep and lasting consequences...Sex is not just a part of the body. Being ‘male’ and ‘female’ involves the total person. Therefore, sexual experience affects the total personality,” writes Warren Wiersbe.8 Roger Ellsworth adds: “We may not fully understand all that means, but it should be as clear as the noonday sun that there is no such thing as “casual sex.”9 However, the world and the devil trivialize sex in desperately troubling ways. Kent Hughes makes reference to a book entitled “A Return to Modesty” which surveys modern sexual practices. “Sex on campus, she [the author, Wendy Shallit] explains, is about as personal as ‘two airplanes refuelling’. In fact, the current phrase is ‘hooking up’. At the heart is the idea that the liaison is based solely on physical attraction and implies no suggestion of attachment. Subsequently, a woman should not expect to be called or dated after a sexual encounter.”10 No, says the Apostle, there is no such thing as casual sex. Seventh, sexual immorality is a unique sin (1 Cor 6:18). Sexual sin is not just sin with the body but it is sin against the body. “Their sexual sin is the one sin that damages the intrinsic nature of who the person is.”1 Pascal said that man is the pride and the refuse of the universe.11 Sexual sin is to take that which is the pride of the universe and use it in such a way as to make it refuse. Eighth, sexual immorality is wrong because you are using what God owns for purposes that are offensive to Him (1 Cor 6:19). The cry of the pro-abortion lobby, the pro-euthanasia lobby, and the let-us-fornicate-all-over-town lobby is, “we can do what we want with our own bodies.” But the fact is that by virtue of creation we belong to God and by virtue of redemption we belong to God. Christians are His twice over. In light of all this, things ought to have been very clear for the Corinthians. The three commands come with convicting power. Do not be deceived (1 Cor 6:9). Flee sexual immorality (v 18). Glorify God in your body (v 20). Paul shows the way forward. Rather than being deceived into thinking that this is an innocuous practice, they 10
must realize how deadly it is, flee from it and live body and soul for the glory of God. Let this word come with clarity and convicting power to each of us. Flee sexual immorality. Flee youthful lusts (II Tim 2:22). Be an example of purity (I Tim 4:12). __________ F. W. Grosheide, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, ACNT, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953), 143-145; Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson, eds., Preach the Word, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007), 101, 102. 2 F. W. Grosheide, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NIV Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953), 143-145; Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson, eds. Preach the Word, (Wheaton, IL, Crossway Books, 2007), 101, 102. 3 Ryken and Wilson, Preach the Word, 101. I am using the outline of the passage set forth by Bruce Winter in his chapter, “Paul’s Paradigm for Preachers”. I found it helpful and difficult to improve upon. 4 Don’t tell that to the staff and students of Yale! Every year at Yale there is a student initiated event called “Sex Week”, during which, according to an email from the Yale Dean of Student Affairs, they celebrate the “glories of consensual sex” and feature “titillating displays, adult film stars and commercial sponsors of such material”! See BreakPoint Daily, November 29, 2011. 5 Peter Ames Carlin, Paul McCartney: A Life (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009), 166. A new strain of gonorrhea that is “resistant to the only class of drugs that can reliably treat the disease” will lead to more than unhappiness! See BreakPoint, October 26, 2012, “Better Microbes: Nature Abhors Promiscuity.” 6 John Blanchard, Gathered Gold (Hertfordshire, England: EP, 1984), 273. 7 Harry Schaumburg, in an article entitled “Sexual Sin in the Ministry,” http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/sexualsin-in-the-ministry 8 Roger Ellsworth, Strengthening Christ’s Church (Durham, England: EP, 1995), 111. 9 R. Kent Hughes, Set Apart: Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003), 79 . 10 Ryken and Wilson, Preach the Word, 104. 11 Blaise Pascal, Pensées, ed. Louis Lafuma, trans. John Warrington (London: Dent, 1960), 217, 246. 1
Editor: This essay was adopted from Carl Muller’s paper, “Sexual Purity: A Call to Ministers of the Gospel,” presented at the Grace Pastors Fellowship meeting on March 4, 2013, Toronto, ON. Used by permission with minor changes. TS
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Dear Young Seminarians Sean Perron Sean Perron, graduated from Boyce College in Louisville, KY, is the research assistant to Dr. Heath Lambert (author of Finally Free). He is on staff at Crossing Church, Louisville, KY, and blogs from time to time at unspokenblog.wordpress.com. Sean is married to Jennifer Perron. I have been around seminary and Bible College long enough to know that some of you are frequently engaged in pornography. My heart is broken by this reality and I wish it were not true. Pornography is a dark sin that can hide even under the shadow of steeples. The pulpit is not immune to the sin of pornography. There are students who are going to graduate this year who know more about God than the majority of Christians and yet are farther away from Jesus than the average church member. If nothing changes, several of you will receive a diploma for Christian ministry but only proceed to preach a foreign gospel for the rest of your days. If this describes you, I plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. There truly is matchless power in Christ to change your life. I am thankful that you are reading this and want you to know that several steps must be taken. You probably have fears that abound in this season. What if someone finds out? What will 12
my fiancĂŠe think? What will my pastor do? How will this affect my marriage? What if I can never be free? If you are serious about your relationship with the Lord and about your future ministry, then serious action must be taken. You do not want to turn over in bed next to your bride and search for porn on your iPhone. You do not want to stand up to preach just after gazing at naked women the night before. You do not want to shrug off this sin and then turn over in the flames of Hell. Hands must be cut off and eyes must be gouged out. Pornography is not a pet to stroke, but a snake to crush. Realizing the severity of this sin is life or death. Yet there is a greater reality we must realize. Brothers, many men do not realize the power they have been granted to fight even the darkest desires. When Christ screamed in
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agony on the wooden tree, He did not scream in vain. The strength that surged through the veins of Jesus now surges through the Spirit in you. Christ has come to set you free and you can be free indeed. There is no porn pit too deep that the light of Christ cannot reach. Christ is risen from the dead and He gives immeasurable power to those who believe (Ephesians 1:19). Come into the light and believe there is power in the precious blood of the Lamb.
I am a seminarian looking at pornography, what should I do? The first order of business is to bring in a wise counselor. I am not ivolved enough in your daily life to give hand-tailored advice nor able to hold you accountable. You will need someone who can speak directly into your life, assess the scenario, examine your fruit and help you grow in holiness. You need a referee on the field rather than a commentator from the stands. But from my aerial viewpoint, here is what I have noticed. There are two kinds of people who struggle with pornography: those who are slaves to Jesus and those who are slaves to Satan; those who have the Holy Spirit in them and those who do not. You must examine yourself and take inventory of your soul. Are you enslaved to pornography and making little to no progress? Or are you struggling but growing in grace and gaining victory? If you are consumed with porn and know it, stopping seminary is the best option –– or –– at least postponing it until you are able to get adequate helps. For the man who is enslaved to porn, ministry is not the answer –– Jesus is. However, if you struggle hard but fall occasionally, quitting seminary might not be the best counsel. In order for you to qualify for ministry, you must be fighting this sin vigorously and see Jesus giving you victory in battle. The pulpit and the pastor are called to be above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2).
Discovering a tumor and excising it is painful and frightening. Yet everyone would trade the short pain of surgery for a cancer free body. Sin thrives in secret. Mold, bacteria, fungus and all manner of porn fester in the dark. True confession may be a brief pain, but it brings sweet relief. Every broken porn addict who comes to Christ will never be turned away. He creates a clean heart and renews a right spirit (Psalm 51:10). Confess your sin to God and then confess your sin to a mature Christian leader in your life. God has given us pastors and mentors to help us grow in godliness. They will welcome you with open arms and then hopefully strengthen you in the faith.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you doubleminded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to sorrow and your joy to gloom. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you.” (James 4:7-10) Shrivel your sin in the light, cut off all temptation, and run to the risen Savior.
I am engaged and looking at pornography, what should I do? The difficult part comes when it is time to talk with your fiancée. You cannot spring such a thing upon her the day you return from your honeymoon. To be quite frank, this should have come up before engagement. But since the question has already been popped, you must bring this up quickly. Great care and wisdom must be exercised when you tell her. Pray for the next available opportunity. Inform her that you are relying upon Jesus and fighting this temptation with all His might. Talk about how you hate sin and how Jesus is helping you over-
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come it. Make sure that you are clear, but not overly detailed. Do not tell her all the grit and grim of your struggle. Even if she wants to know, it will not build her up in her most holy faith to talk about what you watched and how long you stared at other women. State the struggle, show that you are serious about bearing good fruit, and ask for prayer and grace.
and glorious in your bride. Ponder deeply the things that make her attractive. Let the image of God in her captivate your eyes exclusively. I guarantee that the more you become thankful for your wife, the less you will long for forbidden women. Lay hold of the biblical truth that the weeds of porn are not greener.
Depending on how severe the problem is, you may need to postpone marriage. If you believe marriage is the answer to your struggle, please do not be deceived. If you burn with passion, it is good to marry (1 Corinthians 7:9). But in order for you to qualify for marriage, you must be fighting this sin vigorously and see Jesus giving you victory in battle. The marriage bed is to be undefiled (Hebrews 13:4). It is imperative to seek out your pastors and have them evaluate your life. You must also take radical steps to cut off all access to porn and show your future bride how your will protect your marriage.
I am have been enslaved for years, is there any hope?
I am married and looking at pornography, what should I do? Jesus is clear that lust is a form of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). You must confess to your spouse and inform her of the situation. Again, leave the details behind and share those with the men speaking into your life. I fully agree with Heath Lambert in his excellent book, Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace (2013), that a wife is not called to be an accountability cop. Your wife should be informed but should not be the one keeping you accountable for your sexual sin. There needs to be godly mature men in your life who are proactive in keeping you accountable. If you are a wife reading this essay, I highly recommend the appendix found in the back of Finally Free for practical ways to help your husband. As husbands, the Bible calls us to delight in the wife of our youth. This means their bodies should be our desire. Their sexuality should be our singular delight. Our eyes must be fixed on them and any other means of pleasure must be cut off. It has rightly been noted that discontentment is the thief of joy. Be sure to guard your precious cistern and drink from its clean water. Fight the dragon of porn by slaying any pleasure outside of your bedroom. Think about what is pure 14
I know of men who have been looking at pornography for the majority of their lives. They were exposed at an awfully early age and gazing at women is second nature to them. They have ingrained habits that feel as though change is impossible. Perhaps the thought of this essay is discouraging to you. You have read countless materials on pornography during your time at seminary and have never been able to turn the corner. To say you feel stuck would be an understatement. You are paralyzed by pornography and have basically chosen to justify it and keep it in the dark during your days of ministry. What could I possibly say to you? I can boldly say that no chain is too hard for God to break. I can say with utter confidence that Christ is risen from the dead. The grave could not hold Jesus, and no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). God is faithful and he will provide a way out for you. Believe this truth and lay hold of the grace of God by faith. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Jesus is in the business of changing lives and you are not beyond his market. I implore you reject any form of godliness that denies this power. Do not let it thrive in the darkness any longer. Awake sleeper and rise from the dead and allow Christ to shine upon you. The arm of the Savior is not too short to save. You may feel further away from Christ than ever, but do not let this hinder you from coming out into the light. If you tarry until you are better, you will never come at all. Perhaps you have been unsuccessful in your effort to combat pornography because you 14
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are only “putting off” sexual immorality. Be sure to put off pornography and to put on Christ. It does no good to cut off your hand, but never thrill your heart. God is not out to kill your pleasure. He wants to make it real and eternal. As you take steps of repentance, make every effort to find your satisfaction in God and pursue the pleasures at his right hand (Psalm 16:11). Be vigilant to kill any fleeting fleshly pleasure, but also be sure to diligently pursue pleasure in Christ. Renew your mind’s taste buds to crave holy encounters with God in His Word instead of salivating after virtual women.
Brothers, I have watched as pornography has ravished the minds of dear friends, leaving them lonely and cold. I have personally seen ministries collapse because of wandering eyes and unstable fingers. I don’t want that for you. I am confident in the Lord that you can put this to death. Christ has overcome the grave and pornography is no matching our resurrected Lord. Take hope in His power, which can cut any chain (John 8:34-36). TS
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Another Wilberforce?!
A Seminarian’s Response to Porn
B. Andrew Song Pornography is not something new. It first appeared a long time ago, but in a different form. The form of pornography with which we are familiar today, i.e. pornographic film, came in the late 1800s. The 1896 film, Le Coucher dela Mariée is considered the first pornographic film. In the 20th century, the Internet was first introduced and soon became an essential part of human life. Pornography reached a climax through the Internet, its new medium. With this new medium, pornography reaches more people, and tragically, much younger people. Without being told by any secular media (like GQ), Christians understand that pornography and the use of it are sinful and evil. It is against God’s will. It is harmful for both individuals and society. As Al Mohler comments, “a culture which accommodates itself to pornography is on a fast track to decline and decay, for pornography cheapens that which is most precious. Virtue takes a back seat to vice, and sex is reduced to a virtual reality.”1 Christians through the ages have valued sexuality as a gift that God has given to a man and a woman in a marital context (Gen 1:27–28; 2:24; Prov 5:15–19; Eph 5:22–33). Roman Catholicism promoted celibacy, and the Reformers “liberated” this sexual view based on biblical interpretation, that is to confirm the value of marriage. The Puritans under16
stood the privacy of sexual intercourse, since “its inherent nature as a total union between two people who commit themselves to each other permanently.”2 Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), when learning there were young men viewing and using “pornographic literature” (medical books) to mock girls and young women, initiated church discipline on the young men, and led Edwards to deal with a bigger theological problem, the Half-Way Covenant.3 In 1857, under the leadership of John Campbell (1779–1861), the Lord Chief Justice, the British Parliament passed the Obscene Publications Act, which took effect in both England and Ireland, making the obscene industry illegal and giving the courts the right to seize and destroy offending materials. This was the first law ever to prohibit the pornographic industry. Lord Campbell, in a debate in the House of Lords, referred London pornography trade as “a sale of poison more deadly than prussic acid, strychnine or arsenic.”4 The question raised is how do we as seminarians respond to the flood and normalization of pornography at our age? Some may, “What if I personally sin by watching pornography?” I argue, that seminarians, especially those who are using pornography, not only have a voice on this matter, moreover, a strong voice: the Word we study purposefully each and every day. 16
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First of all, we must understand that seminarians are not special by just being seminarians. Rather, we are sinners saved by God’s grace. The only special thing for us is that we have been granted the privilege to study God’s Word full-time. We need to trust God’s transforming grace, which through the help of the Holy Spirit will enable us to conquer the sin of watching pornography. This is a way to live a transforming life – a lifestyle. At the same time, we should also use all kinds of opportunities we have to urge our fellow brothers and sisters in both church and seminary, to be aware of the sin with which we suffer. And if anyone suffers from it, we should urge them to pursue godliness and purity together with ourselves, i.e. being accountable to each other, in prayer, rebuke and encouragement. Martin Luther understood the importance of experiencing God’s grace, by saying “sola experientia facit theologum,” that is only by experiencing the Holy Scriptures is a theologian made.5 We ought to “train ourselves in godliness,” (1Tim 4:7) “command and teach [Christ’s good news of deliverance],” (1Tim 4:11) and “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1Tim 4:16) There is an urgent need for pastors (and for seminarians) to preach against sins like the use of pornography and to teach young men and women how to pursue purity in Jesus Christ. We also have to live a life according to what we teach. For you who are suffering in your fight against the use of pornography, remember what the Lord told Peter before Peter’s denial: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you … but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 23:31–32) Your struggle can be used by God to testify to his faithfulness and to strengthen your brothers and sisters who also suffer with it! Since we believe that the sovereign grace of our Lord is sufficient, we ought to live out our practiced faith! It is not your voice; the Gospel is the only voice! However, we also have to understand that if we say we are Gospel-centered, Great-Commissioncommitted Christians, we should not just be witnesses of Jesus the Redeemer in local churches, rather, we have to use all the opportunities the Lord has granted us to reach out! Remember: it is the Lord who brings people into your life, and makes
you his human agent (an ambassador) to witness his sovereign grace by both word and walk. By saying so, I do not mean that the antipornographic issue is essential in evangelism, but it is essential for evangelists to live out a life different than the world. For seminarians, we are so privileged to skip the confusion made by the world’s teaching (i.e. university). Instead, we have been placed in a community that aims to train Christian men and women with a Biblecentered, Christian life-worldview. At the same time, the seminary surely should not become a monastery, which makes us entirely separate from the world we live in. As Augustine argued in his City of God, the City of Man has singular citizenship, while the City of God has dual citizenship. Thus, “Christians exercises citizenship both in the city of this world and in another city,” “the City of God must perform a delicate balancing act, exercising citizenship in the earthly city but ultimately loyal to its higher citizenship in heaven.”6 We, as seminarians, have to not only understand the ugliness of social evils like pornography and its industry, but also, we have to respond positively to it with a biblical life-worldview. In the “glorious” eighteenth century, slavery and its trade were normalized by the society along with other sins, like alcoholism (tragically fashioned in Parliament), gambling, and prostitution (“no less than 25 percent of all unmarried women in London were prostitutes.”)7 No matter how people justified the evil practices of the slave trade (the court even legalized the drowning of 132 Africans from the slave ship Zong which happened in 1781), the disgusting smell of the evil could not be hidden by its “social perfume.” After his conversion (1785), William Wilberforce changed dramatically, especially toward time and money.8 By acknowledging the horrific facts concerning the slave trade, God raised up Wilberforce and other men like Granville Sharp (1735–1813) and Thomas Clarkson (1760–1846), who formed the Abolition society, to take every opportunity to stop slavery and its trade, which is certainly against the biblical teaching of imago Dei. The Lord listened to their prayers, and helped them in various dangerous situations, and used his faithful servants in abol17
James Gillray, “Sketch of the Interior of St. Stephens, as it now stands,� hand-coloured etching, 1802. National Portrait Gallery. Licensed to us.
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ishing the slave trade (1833, three days before Wilberforce’s death). Christians like Wilberforce in the eighteenth century, used their lives to proclaim the everlasting message of the Gospel: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Rom 3:23–24) So, do we need another Wilberforce today? Yes. Though Christians should not put their entire trust in human government (as all men are totally depraved by sin, so are our governments). That does not mean Christians cannot have a voice in the government. Let us be clear, I am not here calling for the merger of faith and politics. Rather, I am calling Christians, especially our seminarians, to pray and act against the normalization of pornography, and even for the abolition of pornography and the pornographic industry. Pornography is not the only sin that represents our century, others include adultery, homosexuality, abortion, and even slavery, but pornography is the most common struggle in every social group. Here are few practical suggestions we seminarians could follow: v PRAY individually. Paul the apostle told the church in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1Thess 5:17). What shall we pray for? Shall we just pray and give thanks for the food only? Or shall we just pray for our own needs? Let’s pray for Christ’s church, in which we participate. Pray for the proclamation of God’s love – the gospel of Jesus Christ, in nations and unreached people groups. Pray for great revivals in places where the gospel was once being proclaimed. Pray for the coming of Christ, who will put an end to all evils. Pray for the gospel servants, your pastors and missionaries. Pray that God will raise men like Wilberforce, who filled with the love of the gospel, expect and do great things for the glory of God! v PRAY collectively. The Great Awakening was kindled by God through the concert of prayer in Scotland. Why not follow this rich heritage, and start concerts of prayers in our seminary and in your churches? Set aside the first Monday of each month for the purpose of prayer, for the sake of God’s kingdom. v PREPARE yourself. Prepare yourself if you should be called to do the job of abolishing por-
nography and its industry. Study more than you have been taught, and read more than you have been told. Do serious studies in theology and other related subjects. Do great things, for God cannot rely on temporary enthusiasm. No matter if the Lord calls you to be a doer like Wilberforce, or a sender like John Newton, prepare yourself for the subject, and sharpen your biblecentered, life-worldview. v PREACH and TEACH it. As Carl F. H. Henry warned in The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism, let us not only focus on individual sin, but also on social evil. “A Christianity without a passion to turn the world upside down is not reflective apostolic Christianity.”9 Let us teach our congregation and our children what is right and what is wrong according to what God has told us in his Scripture! Expository preaching never stops at biblical exegesis! Let us no longer ask if it is necessary for another Wilberforce today, let us pray and expect God’s great work to be done in our lifetime, through the faithful proclamation and preaching of the good news of Jesus the Christ.
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Al Mohler, “The Pornography Crisis: A Time for Candor,” AlbertMohler.com, http://www.albertmohler.com/2005/01/31/the-pornographycrisis-a-time-for-candor/ (accessed on December 27, 2013). 2 Leland Ryken, Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 56. 3 Detailed study see Ava Chamberlain, “Bad Books and Bad Boys: The Transformation of Gender in Eighteenth-Century Northampton, Massachusetts,” in Jonathan Edwards at Home and Abroad: Historical Memories, Cultural Movements, Global Horizons, eds. David W. Kling and Douglas A. Sweeney (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2003), 61–81. 4 Jonathon Green, “Obscene Publications Act (1857),” in Encyclopedia Censorship, revised by Jonathon Green and Nicholas J. Karolides (1990; New York: Infobase, 2009), 403. 5 Oswald Bayer, Martin Luther’s Theology: A Contemporary Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 20–21. 6 Greg Forster, The Contested Public Square: The Crisis of Christianity and Politics (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008), 64. 7 Eric Metaxas, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery (New York: HarperCollins, 2007), 76. 8 Metaxas, Amazing Grace, 63. 9 Carl F. H. Henry, The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (Grand Rapids; Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 1947), 7, 16 TS
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December 27–30, 2013, Louisville, KY. At the first Cross conference, a student missions conference sponsored by the Gospel Coalition, eight TBS students enjoyed messages brought by forty-six speakers in main and breakout sessions. Throughout the conference the message of the Great Commission was unfolded and attendees were encouraged to apply it in their lives. A few TBS students were able to get connected with mission agencies at their booths, and their understanding of the urgency of mission has been rekindled. The messages presented at the conference are now available online at CROSScon.net. If you are burdened with missions, attend the next Cross Conference!
January 4, 2014, Toronto, ON. A happy 87th birthday to Toronto Baptist Seminary! On this day, 87 years ago, the doors opened and classes began—accompanied by many prayers. The school was an evangelical institute founded to respond to the modernism rising in the Baptist denomination. Through the last 87 years TBS has held firm to the principles of fidelity to Scripture, aiming to maintain a Christian ideal of education: “Christ must be put first, the end of all education must be to know Him better.” The Lord has been faithful to TBS the last 87 years, pray that he will continue to use TBS in the ages to come.
January 7–10, 2014, Toronto, ON. A course entitled “Issues in Contemporary Theology” was taught by Dr. Stephen Wellum, professor of Christian doctrine at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. Due to weather issues the course had to be postponed one day, but was still well-attended. Theological issues such as the inerrancy of the Scriptures, the Trinity, and the person and work of Christ (e.g. atonement) were all covered thoroughly.
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Book Reviews Allberry, Sam. Is God Anti-gay? And Others Questions About Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction. Croydon, England: The Good Book Company, 2013. 83 pages. $7.19. We are living in a confused age, in which no one has the right to point out the other’s immorality, since there is “deep skepticism in our culture about moral agreement” (C. Ben Mitchell, Ethics Moral Reasoning, 15). Homosexuality is a very controversial contemporary ethical and moral issue. Unbelievers, especially among gay activists, accuse the God of Judeo-Christianity of being antigay. In this small volume, Sam Allberry (pastor of St. Mary’s, Maidenhead, England) seeks to answer questions raised about homosexuality and same-sex attraction (SSA), based on his own experience of fighting SSA. From the beginning of his book, Allberry rejects the use of the word “gay” in a contemporary social and cultural context, since the word “gay” today “has come to describe an identity and a lifestyle.” Allberry understands and argues that there is a fundamental matter that needs to be addressed, that is “I am far more than my sexuality” (p.9). Based on such a foundation, Allberry argues that homosexuals and Christians who suffer with SSA have the same calling to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus, since “the gospel demands everything of all of us” (p.10). Allberry also gives practical advice to the church and individual Christians to help and witness to people who need the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter if you suffer with the SSA or not, this short but deep volume is worth reading. Marriage and celibacy are the only options, no matter what sexual orientation you have. As Allberry confirms in his book, we have all sinned against God; and there is a hope for all sinners in the cross of Jesus the Christ! - Reviewed by B. Andrew Song Lambert, Heath. Finally Free: Fighting for Purity With the Power of Grace. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. 176 pages. $16.49. Pornography has become a serious and growing problem within and without the church. The problem is due in part to the development of digital technology, such as the Internet, allowing immediate and secret access to this damaging media. The sad news is, according to recent research, the age at which pornography is first viewed has dropped dramatically, with only 3% of boys and 17% of girls under the age of twelve never having viewed Internet pornography (CovenantEyes.com). More 21
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and more people in society today agree that pornography is dangerous and harmful, since it “destroys your time, your strength, and ultimately your body” (p.94). Though many books and studies have been written, providing various techniques and promises, which can help people to stop watching pornography, very few succeed in practicing what they were told to do. It is worthwhile to ask if watching pornography is merely a psychological matter, e.g. lack of self-control. As a Christian who understands and experiences God’s saving and transforming grace, Heath Lambert (associate professor of biblical counseling, SBTS), writes this book with conviction, that “pornography is a plague” (p.27), and we “do not have the resources to change within” ourselves (p.28), and “our hope is in a risen Savior who has the power to bring us out of the pit of pornography” (p.13). By studying the Scriptures, Lambert urges his readers to trust in God’s saving and transforming grace, and points out that “your relationship with Jesus is bigger than your struggle with porn” (p.142). Careful readers will observe that none of Lambert’s arguments or suggestions are legalistic, rather, he calls for sexual purity, convinced that “man’s chief end is to glorify and enjoy” the Triune God whose grace is sufficient. This book will renew your mind in the fight against the sin of watching porn. - Reviewed by B. Andrew Song White, David. Sexual Sanity For Men: Re-Creating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2012. 248 pages. $20.15. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. ...” It’s been said that there’s an oil-down-the-beard kind of joy that occurs when brothers (and sisters) dwell together in unity; and there is powerful unity between brothers desperately desiring to see God. A dear friend of mine invited me to join him in reading Sexual Sanity for Men, a 14-chapter book to be read over 14 weeks, with chapters split into 5 days of reading and some personal questions. The strength of this book, above many books I’ve read concerning purity, is an admonition that simply reading the book won’t change anything. The purpose of the monograph is not to be a trophy for display proving that by reading you’ve won victory and become pure. Each chapter digs deeper in the challenge to be honest with self, the Lord, and a community of like-minded individuals. The main encouragement offered is the hope of redemption and healing from a wasteland of sexual sin and holding fire too close and being burned. Where does this hope come from? A King who mercifully delivers, powerfully conquers, and consistently reigns. But it doesn’t end there. What remains in the 7 following chapters is the bitter tonic of embracing humility and ruthless honesty. “Join the brotherhood,” White says, “Be willing to let your brothers ask intrusive questions.” It’s promised there are no easy fixes but the hope of seeing God makes purity of heart a war worth fighting. Cut off! Pluck out! -
Reviewed by Josh Nadeau
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3 Qs with
Tim Challies
To someone who is struggling with the guilt of viewing pornography, where do you recommend they start to begin reversing the trend, practically? Whenever we feel guilt, we ought to examine ourselves to see if that is “good” guilt or “bad” guilt (though I admit those are trite descriptions). Bad guilt is guilt over sin we have already confessed and have already addressed. Good guilt is guilt over sin we have not confessed and have not determined to put to death. When I speak to a man who is struggling with the guilt of viewing pornography, I want him to feel the weight of that guilt and then to turn that guilt over to his Savior. That guilt is meant to drive them to the Savior, not away from him. The guilt tells them that they have offended God. After they have taken that guilt to the cross and confessed their sin, I encourage them to take radical action to avoid and overcome pornography. Jesus said it is better to go through life without a hand than to take your hands with you to hell. Yet few men are willing to give up their computers or their cell phones in order to overcome their addiction to pornography. I believe there is great value in overcoming sin through this kind of radical action. I honour the man who brings his computer to my office and leaves it there, knowing that it is the greatest source of temptation. And having done that, I want men to enter into some kind of an accountability relationship where they can have someone ask probing questions, encourage and rebuke them when they sin. Peer accountability can be especially helpful as those peers overcome their addiction and show the others that such victory is possible.
Do you think pornography is an issue to be taken on by our culture at large? And if so, what role do you think state institutions, e.g. the legislative branches of government, should play? We have trained ourselves to believe there is no problem that the government cannot solve. In this case I want Christian men to solve the problem in their own lives without hoping that the government will solve it on their behalf. At this point our technology is not sufficiently advanced to be able to block all pornography distributed through the Internet, so the best we could hope for is restrictions and reductions. In the meantime, men will still need to train themselves to avoid it and overcome it. Having said all of that, I would like to see the government take action against pornography. There is every reason to understand pornography as being as harmful as tobacco or recreational drugs or many other addictive substances and actions that have been the object of legislation. If government is a gift of God given, at least in part, to protect us from harm, they ought to see pornography as the harmful habit it is. As it has been three years since the publication of "Sexual Detox,"' do you think you would make any changes today, or make any updates? If so, what would you add? Sexual Detox was a relatively early book on pornography that was written from right in the fire, so to speak. That gave it a kind of urgency that would not be easy for me to duplicate. I think it accomplished what I wanted it to as a short, reader-friendly, urgent book. I’m sure there are things I would change (as would every author the moment he has finished his book!) but I have been surprised and encouraged at how widely the Lord has used it in calling men out of their addictions and toward a life of purity.
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