It takes 234 pages for Tony Jones to answer the central question in his new book, Did God Kill Jesus? The author is a self-described “theological provocateur,” so the question posed in his book should not surprise anyone. The answer that emerges on page 234 is crystal clear: “No, God did not kill Jesus,” says Dr. Jones. Readers will find that the path to this answer is paved with doubt and skepticism. Frankly, it is a path fraught with theological compromise.
Tony Jones has a knack for asking questions. He has an uncanny ability to question the theological status quo and force readers to decide, even re-evaluate their cherished views. Unfortunately, some of the answers that Jones provides do not match the biblical record or pass the test of orthodoxy.
The author sets out to examine the various views of the atonement which have been offered up throughout church history. The questions he fires at these theories are fair enough:
What does the model say about God?
What does it say about Jesus?
What does the model say about the relationship between God and Jesus?
How does it make sense of violence?
What does it mean for us spiritually?
Where’s the love?
Ultimately, none of the theories fully satisfy the author. But the one he finds the most repugnant is penal substitutionary atonement. Jones argues that this view, which he labels the payment model is currently in vogue “largely because it appeals to our sense of justice and our understanding of law and penalties.” And he is not particularly bashful about how he feels about penal substitutionary atonement. In his previous book, A Better Atonement: Beyond the Depraved Doctrine of Original Sin, Jones writes, “I’m on no quest to reject the penal substitutionary theory of the atonement (PSA). (I merely intend to dethrone it).” However, what he fails to see is this: when penal substitutionary atonement is dethroned, the gospel of Jesus Christ is thrown into the ash heap and the hope of every person perishes.
In his explanation of penal substitutionary atonement, the author assures readers that “God is holy, and we are less-than-holy.” This appears to be a strange starting point since all who hold to penal substitutionary atonement embrace the biblical idea of total depravity – which is quite a leap from “less-than-holy.” However, Jones’ starting point makes perfect sense (just not biblical sense) when one discovers that he has also discarded the doctrine of original sin:
“What I’ve come to realize is that the idea of original sin is not, in fact, God Eternal Truth. It is, instead, like so many other items of faith, historically conditioned.”
To be fair Jones’ acknowledges the existence of sin. However, he rejects the “notion that human beings are depraved from birth.”
Jones caricatures the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement by placing God the Father in an untenable position by “sending his perfect Son to Earth, then letting him – or making him – die as a substitute for the billions of human beings past and future who are incapable of paying off the debt incurred by their sin. That’s the Payment model” according to Tony Jones.
The biggest disappointment in this book is the repudiation of penal substitutionary atonement, the doctrine which contains the very core of the gospel message. As noted above, the path which leads to the ultimate question in the book is riddled with “rocks” and “weeds” and “branches” that careful readers should navigate in order to understand the position the author takes. Two of these stumbling blocks are noted below:
1. Dishonoring God
A.W. Tozer was certainly on target when he wrote, “What we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Yet what we find here is a view that has much in common with process theology. The author writes, “… We can surmise that in Jesus, God was learning.” He continues, “But on the cross, something else happened altogether, possibly something that even God did not expect.” The implication here appears to be a compromise of God’s comprehensive omniscience, a troubling turn of events to be sure.
Additionally, the author promotes what he refers to as the “weakness of God.” He adds,
Here is the guiding idea: God has forsaken power in order to give creation freedom. In other words, God’s primary posture in the world is that of weakness, not strength. This is a tough pill for many Christians to swallow – we’ve been taught to claim God’s power in our lives, to pray for power, and to trust God’s power and perfect plan for our lives …
A “tough pill” to swallow? You bet! Discerning readers would do well to keep that “pill” out of their mouths, especially when the testimony of Scripture points to a God who is completely sovereign and omnipotent over everything and everyone in the cosmos. Swallowing such a “pill” will leave readers spiritually sick.
2. Destroying the Heart of the Atonement
Jones makes it clear early in the book that he along with other liberals have “grown increasingly uncomfortable with the regnant interpretation of Jesus’ death as primarily the propitiation of a wrathful God.”
Yet, when one reduces the cross to a mere display of love and refuses to acknowledge that Jesus bore the wrath of God, the gospel is utterly stripped of its saving power. Such a move is to destroy the very heart of the atonement.
Summary
In the final analysis, the answer to the question of this book is not a simple yes or no answer. The Scripture makes it plain that both God and man killed Jesus Christ.
… let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. (Acts 4:10, ESV)
… for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (Acts 4:27–28, ESV)
This is a book that should upset a lot of people. Frankly, I’m glad Jones wrote the book because it will rally conservatives around the truth of the gospel. This book should motivate pastors and scholars to go deeper into the reality of the gospel and prompt God-centered reverence and worship as they glory in the beauty of penal substitutionary atonement.
Evangelicals need to pay careful attention to books like this that grow more and more popular. Jones urges readers to participate in what he calls, “the smell test.” Unfortunately, something doesn’t smell right about this book.
Admittedly, Tony Jones stands in a theological stream that is more liberal-minded. One important distinction between Jones and many other liberals is that he actually affirms the bodily resurrection of Jesus. For this, we can be thankful. However, since he rejects penal substitution and as a result softens (or even eliminates) the wrath that Jesus bore on the cross, the scandal of the cross is blurred and even obscured. Indeed, as Jeffery, Ovey, and Sach have rightly written, “If we blunt the sharp edges of the cross, we dull the glittering diamond of God’s love.”
Whenever wrath is removed from the cross, something crucial is missing, which is to say, the gospel is at stake. For this reason, the view promoted here does not pass the “smell test.”
Readers are encouraged to explore the God-honoring doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement in four powerful and provocative books which include: The Warrior Savior, by Owen Strachan, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, by Leon Morris, Pierced For Our Transgressions, by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, Andrew Sach, and It is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement, by Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence.
Lucy S.R. Austen, Elisabeth Elliot: A Life (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2023), 611 pp.
My late Aunt, Betty Steele used to urge me to read biographies, especially missionary biographies. In a strange irony, the latest biography on my reading list is Elisabeth Elliot: A Life by Lucy S.R. Austen. The ironic twist is because of my late aunt’s acquaintance with Elizabeth Elliot when she served at HCJB in Quito, Ecuador. Elliot is known best as the wife of Jim Elliot, one of the five men slain by Auca Indians, the people group they longed to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. On January 8, 1956, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming were speared to death.
Nate Saint’s son, Steve Saint, retells the tale of his father’s death in his book, The End of the Spear. Lucy S.R. Austen tells another story – the story of a young woman whose husband was abruptly taken in the early years of their marriage. Austen presents readers with a comprehensive biographical look at one of the most well-known Christian women of the twentieth century.
Elisabeth Elliot: A Life is an inside look at a woman who endured gut-wrenching tragedy, yet persisted in her dream of winning lost people to Christ. Austen does not spare any details. She helps readers understand what made Elisabeth Elliot tick. She recounts the full spectrum of faith in Elliot’s life – both struggling and resilient.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Elliot’s life was her commitment to complementarianism. Austen cites from Elliot’s book, Let Me Be a Woman: “God created male and female, the male to call forth, to lead, initiate and rule, and the female to respond, follow, adapt, submit … Within the Godhead, there is both the just and legitimate authority of the Father and the willing and joyful submission of the Son.”
Elliot’s views on marriage struck the proper biblical balance: “The man and woman who recognize that they are heirs together of the grace of life move in time to the rhythm, accepting their boundaries as do the waves, yielding their self-life to the Will of life Universal … moving always toward the final fulfillment and joy – the perfect Music – which is the will of God.”
Elisabeth Elliot: A Life is a riveting look at a remarkable Christian woman. She penned twenty-eight books, spoke around the world, and left a legacy that will stand the test of time. Elliot’s life was not perfect – not even close. She, like every follower of Christ, was a sinner saved by grace. Her life is a testament to the gospel of God and will continue to shine forth for generations!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Kyle Mann and Joel Berry, The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress (Washington D.C., Salem Books, 2022), 210 pp.
Between 1672 – 1677, John Bunyan penned a book in the confines of a jail cell. Pilgrim’s Progress saw the light of day in 1678 and has since been translated into at least 200 languages and is arguably the best-selling book of all time (behind the Bible, of course). Bunyan’s allegory is a theological tour de force that touches on a wide variety of topics from evangelism, to justification by faith alone, sanctification, temptation, discouragement, and our battle with sin.
Spurgeon drove this point home in one well-known remark about John Bunyan: “Why, this man is a living Bible!” Prick him anywhere; and you will find that his blood is bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God.”
Almost 350 later, the minds behind The Babylon Bee, Kyle Mann and Joel Berry have endeavored to write a new book that explores similar themes that were important to John Bunyan. The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress is a book for our times. Mann and Berry skillfully use the framework first created by Bunyan and build a new story that addresses sin, anger, hypocrisy, discouragement, hope, fear, and the scourge of social justice – among other things.
The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress tackles subject matter that is unique to our day, including the prosperity gospel, humanism, evolution, skepticism, and abortion.
The writing is typical Babylon Bee – witty, creative, and sarcastic. The authors show a good working knowledge of Bunyan’s work but are quick to draw the attention of readers to specific contemporary concerns that relate to postmodernism.
As usual, the Babylon dudes have written a real winner. I hope that young readers will gobble up The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress and move on to read the original.
Of course, Spurgeon’s influence was felt around the world but his influence in America was especially profound. George Truett pays the Prince of Preachers a wonderful compliment: “[He] had no sort of fellowship with the nerveless, hazy, intellectual libertinism that plays fast and loose with the eternal verities of Christ’s gospel … [He taught] the great themes of divine revelation: the sovereignty of God; the holiness of God; the love of God; the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; the solemn wonders of the cross; the divine forgiveness of sins; the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings; the fellowships of Christ’s sufferings; the power of his resurrection.”
Chapter 17: Sickness, Suffering, Depression
It is common knowledge that Spurgeon suffered greatly throughout his life. He was tormented from all sides, had numerous physical ailments, and battled depression for most of his adult life (as is chronicled especially in Iain Murray’s terrific book, The Forgotten Spurgeon. His godly example is also known well: “Our happiness does not depend upon our understanding the providence of God.” Nettles remarks, “Spurgeon never doubted that his exquisite pain, frequent sickness, and even despondency were given to him by God for his sanctification in a wise and holy purpose.”
So Spurgeon developed a theology of suffering that grew out of his own painful crucible. His response was nothing less than God-centered and serves as an inspiration for anyone who endures a dark night of the soul.
Chapter 18: Conduct in the Face of Death
Spurgeon was not a perfect man. He struggled with indwelling sin and battled the flesh all the way to the Celestial City. But Nettles makes the point abundantly clear. Spurgeon finished well. The British pastor said, “Should you even lie in all the despair and desolation which I described, I would persuade you to believe in Jesus. Trust him, and you shall find him all that you want.”
Summary
Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon is a sweeping epic that beautifully illustrates the life and legacy of one of the most prolific pastors ever. Tom Nettles has done a great service for the church by researching and writing with the depth of a seasoned theologian and the heart of a caring pastor.
“We do not wish to fight; but if we do, we hope that the pity will be needed by those with whom we contend.” Spurgeon was not one to pick a fight, but when truth was on the line, he didn’t back down either. He bravely battled Arminians and Hyper-Calvinists. Unlike many modern pastors, he refused to pretend a cordial relationship when truth was sacrificed at the altar of relevance: “He would not pretend fellowship with those with whom he disagreed upon vital points of truth.”
The author presents several notable theological controversies that Spurgeon confronted, including the Rivulet controversy, his battle with atheistic evolution, and his skirmishes with the Plymouth Brethren.
Chapter 14: Destroy or Be Destroyed
The author continues the discussion and reveals Spurgeon’s passionate defense of the truth as he stepped into the fray against the Roman Catholic Church. Spurgeon once remarked, “Showing charity to priests is like showing charity to tigers and rattlesnakes.”
Nettles recounts Spurgeon’s run-ins with the Church of England. For instance, he called baptismal regeneration “a wretched and rotten foundation” and a “deceitful invention of the antichrist.” His repudiation of infant baptism was clear. He referred to the font as a “mockery.”
Chapter 15: The Downgrade Conflict
The author carefully describes the downgrade conflict, the theological slide that Spurgeon confronted directly and ultimately led him out of the Baptist Union. Spurgeon painfully notes, “I have cut myself clear of those who err from the faith, and even from those who associate with them.”
Little room was left for the imagination to wander when one considered Spurgeon’s position on controversial matters. He was a man who would not be swayed by theological error. He was a bastion of truth in an age of compromise.
Chapter 10: Theological Foundations for a Benevolent Ministry
Spurgeon placed the highest priority on the Word of God and proclaimed the truth of Scripture with blood-earnest faithfulness. But he also had a burden for practical ministry: “We want more Christian ministries of the practical sort.” He was the primary visionary behind the Orphanage for Boys. Nettles summarizes Spurgeon’s heart, who “saw the needs of childhood not only in terms of food, shelter, and clothing, but in terms of family relationships, maternal care, and pure childish delight.”
Chapter 11: Personal Theory and Preferences in the Production of Godly Literature
Both Spurgeon and his wife were lovers of books. Mrs. Spurgeon began a Book Fund which was a deep encouragement to pastors in western Europe. Spurgeon’s writing ministry flourished for most of his ministry. Soon his sermons were being sent all around the globe.
Chapter 12: Literature About Right, Wrong, and Truth
One of the most enduring qualities of this chapter was the discussion that focused on Spurgeon’s love for Jonathan Edwards. Nettles writes, “Spurgeon’s spirituality savored of an Edwardsean aroma … Spurgeon had a personal appreciation for careful scholarship and its usefulness to the church. He always longed, however, that scholarship and orthodoxy be suffused with the pulsation of spiritual life.”
Chapter 6: Spurgeon’s Message of Christ’s Atoning Sacrifice
“The Lord Jesus Christ on his cross of redemption was the center, circumference, and summation of the preaching ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon,” writes Nettles. This is the theme that readers are drawn to again and again in this excellent biography. A few direct citations from Spurgeon will drive this truth home:
“Redemption is the heart of the gospel and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary atonement of Christ.”
” … The death of Christ was the hinge of the world’s history.”
“Christ’s people shall be made willing in the day of his power, and the great attraction by which they will be drawn to him will be his death on the cross.”
“The cross is the mighty battering ram wherewith to break in pieces the brazen gates of human prejudices and the iron bars of obstinacy.”
Chapter 7: The Challenge of Church Life and the Governance of Worship
The burden of shepherding the flock was often overwhelming for Spurgeon: “Sometimes I become so perplexed that I sink in heart, and dream that it were better for me never to have been born than to have been called to bear all this multitude upon my heart.” The Metropolitan Tabernacle made a crucial error in electing deacons for life – a polity policy that will oftentimes prove to be detrimental to the health of the church.
Chapter 8: The Gospel is Evangelism
Anyone familiar with Spurgeon’s ministry understands the importance of evangelism as a normal part of church life. He shared the gospel personally and also preached the gospel passionately. Nettles adds, “Preaching to convert souls, for Spurgeon, meant laying out the full counsel of God to the sinner.” Spurgeon’s Reformed soteriology demanded a powerful message that warned sinners: “Men must be told that they are dead … and that only the Holy Spirit can quicken them.” He resisted the Arminian approach to evangelism with holy fervor.
Chapter 9: Use of Evangelists
Chapter 9 is an extension of Spurgeon’s approach to evangelism. Nettles highlights Spurgeon’s Calvinistic zeal: “To keep back any part of the gospel is neither right nor ‘the true method for saving men.’ All doctrine is saving truth. ‘If you hold Calvinistic doctrine, as I hope you do, do not stutter about it, nor stammer over it, but speak it out.’ The lack of a full-orbed gospel is behind the evanescence of many so-called revivals.”
The author places the spotlight on the most prominent feature of Spurgeon’s ministry, namely, the proclamation of the gospel. While Spurgeon attracted thousands of admirers over the course of his ministry, he was also plagued with critics and naysayers. Nettles notes, “Spurgeon quickly learned that a preacher bent on pleasing all his critics would speedily leave the ranks of the ministry.” But Spurgeon would not be distracted. He faithfully forged a gospel path for his hearers – a path that led to eternal life for everyone who believes.
Spurgeon’s gospel focus was narrow and focused and serves as a necessary reminder for preachers today. “Preach all you know about Christ … To conceal the plain truth of salvation beneath a cloud of words, when God’s honor and eternal human destiny are at stake, is treason to men’s souls and diabolical cruelty.” The cross was the centerpiece of Spurgeon’s ministry. He never compromised his primary calling – the preaching of Christ crucified.
Spurgeon was an accomplished theologian. Nettles weighs in: “The Christian theologian must be clearly Christian and no less clear a theologian.” Spurgeon’s example is a rebuke to many modern preachers who glory in their aversion to theology. The notion of a pastor who preaches messages void of theology would have repulsed the prince of preachers.
Spurgeon was an unashamed admirer of the Puritans and Reformers. Nettles remarks, “Spurgeon advocated a pure Biblicism for theological construction. He loved the historic confessions and the pious and helpful writings of the Reformers and Puritans …” Spurgeon taught the importance of reading dead readers – theologians with a backbone and the courage to proclaim the unchanging Word of God.
Spurgeon unapologetically embraced the doctrines of grace and proudly proclaimed the five points of Calvinism, including the doctrine of particular redemption. He lamented that “most of the mistakes which men make concerning the doctrines of Scripture are based upon fundamental errors with regard to the covenants of law and grace.”
The author clarifies that Spurgeon’s sermons were chock full of theology: “Spurgeon’s sermons were virtually an overflowing stream of systematic theology …” Again, the contrast between Spurgeon’s doctrinally rich sermons and the weak content in many American sermons is alarming.
Spurgeon was not bashful about confronting his Arminian brothers. Nettles notes, “He loved Arminians as sincere persons and loved the emphasis on Christ that they shared in common with him, but he truly abominated the distinctive elements of their doctrine … The Arminian attempt to tame God, in Spurgeon’s view, created an idol unworthy of respect and adoration.” Spurgeon counted his Arminian friends as brothers and sisters, but did not hesitate to remind them of their theological error.
Spurgeon did not equivocate when it came to controversial doctrines. He preached about a fiery hell and the almighty wrath of God. He preached about election and predestination. And he preached about a Christ who paid for the sins of everyone who would ever believe. He opined, “I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of man be joined with it.”
Biblical authority, theological depth, and doctrinal precision marked the life and ministry of C. H. Spurgeon. Compromise was not a part of his makeup. Fidelity to the truth was at the core of his pastoral identity.
The construction of the Metropolitan Tabernacle was a watershed moment in Spurgeon’s ministry. Nettles remarks, “He believed that the completion of the Tabernacle signaled an advance for the gospel in the whole city.” Spurgeon’s new pulpit became the sounding board for the doctrines of grace which began in London but echoed around the globe as his sermons were being printed by the thousands.
Spurgeon articulated and proclaimed a strong Calvinistic message, never compromising the core planks that were formulated at the Synod of Dort. He preached with a style that was narrative driven but doctrinally rich.
Chapter 4: Preaching the Whole Counsel
The author highlights Spurgeon’s passion to preach Scripture in its entirety. Dr. Nettles beautifully summarizes the essence of Spurgeon’s ministry: “This is the main glory of ministry, to preach Christ – his substitution, that he became a curse for us, dying the just for the unjust in the stead of his people. Christ must be preached in a lively, earnest, spiritual manner in order for him to be set forth plainly as crucified, even as Paul did before the Galatians.”
Spurgeon’s bold style is emphasized: “We must preach Christ courageously … Pray the message in before you preach it out.”
While Spurgeon did not necessarily preach verse by verse, he was an expository preacher. The author notes, “For Spurgeon, true exposition meant, in Puritan fashion, using the whole Bible and all its doctrines in the unfolding of any one portion of Scripture.” And preaching expository message, for Spurgeon meant doctrine must be the backbone of every sermon: “Full submission to the authority of Scripture demanded that one be ready to embrace every doctrine of the Word of God.” For Spurgeon, watering down the message was tantamount to compromise.
At the end of the day, faithfulness in the pulpit meant proclaiming the power of the cross. This is gospel preaching. Spurgeon declared, “I believe that the best, surest, and most permanent way to fill a place of worship is to preach the gospel, and to preach it in a natural, simple interesting, earnest way.” Powerful words for pastors to heed in the 21st century – preachers who all too often capitulate to the demands of culture and marginalize the message to appease carnal listeners.
Dr. Nettles continues to guide readers on a fascinating account of Spurgeon’s ministry by beginning with his first sermon and first pastorate. Spurgeon himself admitted, “I felt my own inability to preach.” Yet the rookie preacher acknowledged from the beginning that God had his number. Spurgeon affirmed the irresistible sovereign grace that God wielded upon his life, the One who “had plucked me as a brand from the burning, and set me upon a rock, and put a new song in my mouth, and established my goings.”
Spurgeon affirmed the doctrines of grace at the beginning of his ministry and finished strong as a five-point Calvinist. He proclaimed, “I am a Calvinist … It is Calvinism they want in London, and any Arminian preaching will not be endured.” My how times have changed. These days, a tepid Arminianism dominates many pulpits, especially in America. And when the doctrines of grace wane, the church diminishes in power and gospel effectiveness. But most of all, the glory of God is obscured.
One notable feature is the power that was manifested in Spurgeon’s pulpit from the onset of his ministry. He remarked, “The pulpit is no place for weak, stunted, deformed, wretched-looking men.” He maintained his commitment to Calvinism with bold resolve while fleeing from the erroneous doctrine of hyper-Calvinism. Indeed, this man was well-suited for gospel ministry.
Veritas et Lux 