The writings of John Owens are an enormous comfort, a staggering series of revelations and yes indeed, difficult to read. After reading only a few phrases, we are accosted by their richness and vibrance. One frequently has to stop, go back and reread. He has much the same effect on me as Jonathan Edwards. I am stunned by the lives that both men lived and the wealth of thought they left behind for us to revel in.
Owen was a true gift to the church. Sometimes lumbering in his high use of language, but never shallow or without pastoral depth, he should be read by all Christians.
Mark's final comment is very chilling. There is a tendency in may reformed to elevate to Puritains to a near idolatrous level. Jones in effect does just that by claiming that these truths had never been properly expressed or revealed before John Owen.
DD I don’t think that is the case. Puritans like Owen actually reveal our own condition to us - he is us. He might have been a theological giant, and a pastor to many, and have undergone personal suffering in large measure, but he was both a man of his time and a ‘man’. When Owen talks of sin, he speaks to us as one who was a sinner; when he talks of looking to Christ and if union with him, he speaks to use as one who knows Christ; and when he spoke of temptation, he spoke as one who was tempted and failed and forgiveness found in Christ as well as one who had conquered temptations and knew their power. We don’t elevate the Puritan any more than an Orthodox would elevate a saint depicted in an icon: they knew and now know more fully. In addition, Owen made clear lots of things that simply hadn’t been stated in the same way. I think you will find that this is the sense of the final part of the video. Be careful not to read too much into the video!
It’s not idolatry to promote those who were gifted in exegesis and to see their works as serving the kingdom of God. I’ve never heard any modern theologian place these puritans next to Paul or claim a form of worship for them! They point to the puritans, in a way, that showed their need for Jesus in their lives in every facet. They were men deeply looking for answers about our King and His Kingdom. Blessings
@@1920s "They" do not idolise the Puritans. That's impossible if you read them properly. They accurately reflect us all and their theology lifts us out of ourselves and to God. That isn't idolatry - that's worship of God through the understanding and bearing down of His truth. I don't look to John Owen, I look to the Christ of John Owen. The One that he looked too and trusted and preached on and lived for. It's that 'simple'.
@@TheB1nary Calvinists “love or admire to excess” the Puritans. I’ve had three people straight up defend the trans Atlantic slave trade simply because the Puritans were so involved with it, and some of their favorite theologians owned (robbed and thieved from their neighbor) slaves.
My only criticism of John Owen is his view of the believer’s life. His book “the mortification of sin” is an interesting one, he seems very reluctant, I would say adamant to acknowledge that habitual sin is compatible with the Christian life. The truth is every Christian engages in habitual sin, there is not a single Christian that does not have a habit of sinning, and repeats the same sin over and over and over, unable to stop. Yet John Owen makes it look as if that person must concern himself / herself whether he / she is a Christian. This teaching completely misses the gospel. We do not look at our behaviour one iota to determine if we are in Christ or not, we look at Jesus alone, his work on the cross and he assures everybody that looks at Him that his sins are forgiven, not a single person should doubt that God has taken away his sin at Calvary and no matter how much sin he / she commits it is not imputed. Basically no man can outsin God’s grace. We certainly can refuse to believe that God is gracious beyond measure, and through unbelief condemn ourselves. Romans 4:5 is clear that we must believe that God justifies the ungodly, the ones that sin habitually. This is frankly a problem with many of the puritans that for whatever reason drove people to examine their own behaviour instead of Christ’s behaviour, when it comes to good works there is only one place to look and only one good work, the one that Jesus did on the cross, we should not look at our own filthy rags to determine if we are in Christ or not. John Owen is not somebody I would recommend anybody read, Mark Jones has idolized John Owen whose theology was greatly flawed in the area of Christian living. With that said Owen had some great writings on justification, and his writings on the atonement, though very controversial, deserve scrutiny and reading them will not hurt as long as nobody excludes himself from the atonement, because one of the dangers of saying the atonement was for the elect alone, is to doubt the atonement was for us, for every man is commanded to believe the atonement was for him. The benefits that result from the atonement are limited to the elect (the atonement is efficient for the elect) but the atonement itself is unlimited and it has removed the sins of all men (sufficient for all) establishing the new covenant by which all men without exception can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
In theory this sounds ok. But Christian lives are not living a habitual sinful life. Normalizing it and being contempt with it. Yes I’ve lied. Yes I’ll lie again probably this month. Even a “white lie” as it may be. But I don’t normalize the sin of lying or tell people even white lies are okay. Because they’re not. And even though I know I’ll fall. I never do it willingly or with a mindset of not striving for holiness. That’s not Christianity. Habitual sin isn’t in line with a life of Christ.
@@Texasguy316 Well, if you have ever fought a sin for days or maybe months or maybe years (hopefully not that long) and agonized over your salvation, you will sooner or later if you are one of the elect receive the message of the Holy Spirit from god the father telling you stop fighting against sin to gain acceptance from me, my Son has already pleased and that suffices. Once you understand the sufficiency of Christ you will stop worrying about your habitual sin having any impact on your salvation. I am not going to tell you to stop striving against sin, not at all, but I am telling you can and should rest in Christ as sufficient to save you without you having to worry about a habitual sin that you are unable to stop sending you to hell.
Anyone who has the time and effort and desire to learn more about God should begin with the word of God. Men helplessly and foolishly cling to their idols who they call “fathers”.
No one disputes *beginning* with the Word. However, if you were a serious student of the Word of God, you wouldn't disdain those he has gifted and raised to teach the Body of Christ. Your flippant dismissal evidences your disdain for both the Word and those that minister the Word.
Jonathan Grandt and you don’t think Owen is an example of that? If you have ever read Owen and can point to a passage that isn’t steeped in scripture, then it would be a rare passage indeed!
@@nomosnomosowicz7379 I don’t think the commenter said he disdained Owen, nor do I. Owen writes against the Word of God which says that God died for all people. He said start with reading the Bible. The Video states that Owen brought in his truth 1700 years after Christ. Are we not, to earnestly to contend for the Faith once for all handed down to the Saints!-Jude? God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. God bless
