The Spurgeon Fellowship Journal

Book Review
Preaching The Cross
by Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C.J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul

This book is the collection of sermons preached at the inaugural 2006 “Together for The Gospel” conference featuring Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C. J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R. C. Sproul. Over two years ago, the Lord united this diverse group of uniquely gifted men around one common theme: the centrality of the cross in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The endorsement of Philip Ryken, Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, adequately summarizes the content: “This book on preaching the cross is written by the best of men who know the grace of the crucified Christ and serve in the power of His resurrection. It is a call for other ministers of the gospel to faithfully proclaim the message of the cross and the empty tomb. It is also an invitation to share in the fellowship of godly pastors who stand together for Jesus in a world that needs the gospel.”

The book begins with a lighthearted introduction by Mark Dever describing God’s providence in bringing a diverse group of devoted men together for the gospel, while further explaining how their differences and disagreements have not hindered their devotion to one another and to the message they have all been called to preach. He explains: “We thought that interest in the conference might be generated in part because of our differences, which actually serve to highlight our agreements (p. 13).”

Dever’s opening chapter, “A Real Minister,” focuses on the cross as the mark of authenticity. Genuine pastoral ministry, says Dever, consists of a cross-centered message, a cross-centered life and cross-centered followers. Readers will appreciate Dever’s careful analysis of the “wolves” who pastor in pulpits and in print by deviating from the word to embrace the pragmatism and techniques of the world.

Ligon Duncan’s passionate appeal to preach the Old Testament urges contemporary preachers and teachers to reconsider the rich theology of Moses and the prophets as essential to our understanding of redemptive truth. Quoting Donald MacLeod, Duncan writes, “It was precisely these Holy Scriptures that Paul described as inspired” (p. 43). Dr. Duncan’s challenge to preach Christ “naturally and exegetically” from the Old Testament is taken from the life of Christ, using Jesus’ own words in Luke 24 as the most basic rationale for doing so.

Al Mohler was assigned the task of explaining how to “preach with the culture in view,” and should be commended for addressing the subject with balance and biblical integrity. Though pastors must never give the culture their full allegiance, Dr. Mohler gives many examples of how a proper understanding of the culture will aid our gospel presentation. One of his best examples is found on page 81: “Most Americans believe that their major problem is something that has happened to them and that their solution is to be found within. In other words, they believe that they have an alien problem that is to be resolved with an inner solution. What the gospel says, however, is that we have an inner problem that demands an alien solution – a righteousness that is not our own.”

The doctrine of “justification by faith alone,” according to R. C. Sproul, has been minimized by contemporary “Christians.” As a result, New Perspective arguments now claim that both Rome and the Reformers completely misunderstood Paul’s true teaching on justification. In this chapter, Sproul’s scholarly contrast of the Protestant vs. Catholic views of justification is extremely helpful. He asserts, “Imputation is more than central; it’s essential to the New Testament gospel” (p. 97). This chapter concludes with a brief but profound treatment of faith.

John Piper’s chapter, “Expository Exultation” exhorts pastors to faithful celebration of God’s glory. Following some cogent warnings to churches and pastors who often belittle the gospel with humor, amusement, and a “lighter” Christian message, Piper reflects . . . “God is not glorified fully in merely being known; He is glorified by being known and enjoyed so deeply that our lives become a display of his worth” (pg. 110). The preacher’s challenge, says Piper, is not only to get the gospel words right, but through the words to convey the glorious God Himself as our “final, eternal, all-satisfying Treasure.”

C. J. Mahaney‘s contribution to the book is what Spurgeon called “The Minister’s Self-Watch.” Preachers of the cross must give daily attention to life and doctrine (1 Ti. 4:16); the two are “ultimately inseparable.” A summary of this chapter might best be reflected in Mahaney’s quote of Richard Baxter. “It is a palpable error of some ministers . . . who study hard to preach exactly, yet study little or not at all to live exactly” (p. 119). Mahaney adds, “If you consume truth without applying truth, you risk the false and dangerous impression that spiritual growth was achieved without application. But it never is – never . . . sound doctrine is not enough, because, according to Scripture, the fundamental qualification for pastoral ministry is godly character” (p. 121). In short, Mahaney believes that personal assessment requires welcomed input from others. We cannot fight the war alone. Mahaney concludes the chapter with practical advice on how to “watch your life and doctrine closely.”

The final chapter was written by John MacArthur, who begins by acknowledging the scholarship and skill of one of his personal mentors, Dr. Charles Feinberg. For preachers, the wisdom of Dr. Feinberg’s admonition to John MacArthur is worth the price of this book in a day of “relative” preaching: “Don’t miss the point of the passage.” MacArthur writes, “Adapting your ministry to keep up with cultural and ecclesiastical fads is precisely what most books on pastoral ministry advocate . . . but for some forty years, now, I have resisted and opposed all those trends. And one of the main things that still constrains me is Dr. Feinberg’s admonition to a second-year seminary student . . . to concentrate on getting the meaning of Scripture right, and to consume my energies preaching the word of God as accurately and as faithfully as possible” (p. 140). MacArthur believes that when the church “markets itself like the world, the distinctiveness of its message is lost and the gospel is irretrievably compromised” (pg. 140). Will we join the masses who seek to please people, or will we stand out among the few whose preaching of the word of God pleases the Lord? MacArthur concludes with 10 powerful reasons to accurately and precisely preach the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of truth!

This book is a must-read for every pastor. Helpful pastoral advice will encourage, convict, correct, and refresh the soul of preachers who seek to magnify God through their preaching ministry.

Bruce Parker, MA, serves as Pastor of First Baptist Church in Hood River, Oregon.


	Book Review Preaching The Cross by Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C.J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul This book is the collection of sermons preached at the inaugural 2006 “Together for The Gospel” conference featuring Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C. J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R. C. Sproul. Over two years ago, the Lord united this diverse group of uniquely gifted men around one common theme: the centrality of the cross in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The endorsement of Philip Ryken, Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, adequately summarizes the content: “This book on preaching the cross is written by the best of men who know the grace of the crucified Christ and serve in the power of His resurrection. It is a call for other ministers of the gospel to faithfully proclaim the message of the cross and the empty tomb. It is also an invitation to share in the fellowship of godly pastors who stand together for Jesus in a world that needs the gospel.” The book begins with a lighthearted introduction by Mark Dever describing God’s providence in bringing a diverse group of devoted men together for the gospel, while further explaining how their differences and disagreements have not hindered their devotion to one another and to the message they have all been called to preach. He explains: “We thought that interest in the conference might be generated in part because of our differences, which actually serve to highlight our agreements (p. 13).” Dever’s opening chapter, “A Real Minister,” focuses on the cross as the mark of authenticity. Genuine pastoral ministry, says Dever, consists of a cross-centered message, a cross-centered life and cross-centered followers. Readers will appreciate Dever’s careful analysis of the “wolves” who pastor in pulpits and in print by deviating from the word to embrace the pragmatism and techniques of the world. Ligon Duncan’s passionate appeal to preach the Old Testament urges contemporary preachers and teachers to reconsider the rich theology of Moses and the prophets as essential to our understanding of redemptive truth. Quoting Donald MacLeod, Duncan writes, “It was precisely these Holy Scriptures that Paul described as inspired” (p. 43). Dr. Duncan’s challenge to preach Christ “naturally and exegetically” from the Old Testament is taken from the life of Christ, using Jesus’ own words in Luke 24 as the most basic rationale for doing so. Al Mohler was assigned the task of explaining how to “preach with the culture in view,” and should be commended for addressing the subject with balance and biblical integrity. Though pastors must never give the culture their full allegiance, Dr. Mohler gives many examples of how a proper understanding of the culture will aid our gospel presentation. One of his best examples is found on page 81: “Most Americans believe that their major problem is something that has happened to them and that their solution is to be found within. In other words, they believe that they have an alien problem that is to be resolved with an inner solution. What the gospel says, however, is that we have an inner problem that demands an alien solution – a righteousness that is not our own.” The doctrine of “justification by faith alone,” according to R. C. Sproul, has been minimized by contemporary “Christians.” As a result, New Perspective arguments now claim that both Rome and the Reformers completely misunderstood Paul’s true teaching on justification. In this chapter, Sproul’s scholarly contrast of the Protestant vs. Catholic views of justification is extremely helpful. He asserts, “Imputation is more than central; it’s essential to the New Testament gospel” (p. 97). This chapter concludes with a brief but profound treatment of faith. John Piper’s chapter, “Expository Exultation” exhorts pastors to faithful celebration of God’s glory. Following some cogent warnings to churches and pastors who often belittle the gospel with humor, amusement, and a “lighter” Christian message, Piper reflects . . . “God is not glorified fully in merely being known; He is glorified by being known and enjoyed so deeply that our lives become a display of his worth” (pg. 110). The preacher’s challenge, says Piper, is not only to get the gospel words right, but through the words to convey the glorious God Himself as our “final, eternal, all-satisfying Treasure.” C. J. Mahaney‘s contribution to the book is what Spurgeon called “The Minister’s Self-Watch.” Preachers of the cross must give daily attention to life and doctrine (1 Ti. 4:16); the two are “ultimately inseparable.” A summary of this chapter might best be reflected in Mahaney’s quote of Richard Baxter. “It is a palpable error of some ministers . . . who study hard to preach exactly, yet study little or not at all to live exactly” (p. 119). Mahaney adds, “If you consume truth without applying truth, you risk the false and dangerous impression that spiritual growth was achieved without application. But it never is – never . . . sound doctrine is not enough, because, according to Scripture, the fundamental qualification for pastoral ministry is godly character” (p. 121). In short, Mahaney believes that personal assessment requires welcomed input from others. We cannot fight the war alone. Mahaney concludes the chapter with practical advice on how to “watch your life and doctrine closely.” The final chapter was written by John MacArthur, who begins by acknowledging the scholarship and skill of one of his personal mentors, Dr. Charles Feinberg. For preachers, the wisdom of Dr. Feinberg’s admonition to John MacArthur is worth the price of this book in a day of “relative” preaching: “Don’t miss the point of the passage.” MacArthur writes, “Adapting your ministry to keep up with cultural and ecclesiastical fads is precisely what most books on pastoral ministry advocate . . . but for some forty years, now, I have resisted and opposed all those trends. And one of the main things that still constrains me is Dr. Feinberg’s admonition to a second-year seminary student . . . to concentrate on getting the meaning of Scripture right, and to consume my energies preaching the word of God as accurately and as faithfully as possible” (p. 140). MacArthur believes that when the church “markets itself like the world, the distinctiveness of its message is lost and the gospel is irretrievably compromised” (pg. 140). Will we join the masses who seek to please people, or will we stand out among the few whose preaching of the word of God pleases the Lord? MacArthur concludes with 10 powerful reasons to accurately and precisely preach the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of truth! This book is a must-read for every pastor. Helpful pastoral advice will encourage, convict, correct, and refresh the soul of preachers who seek to magnify God through their preaching ministry. Bruce Parker, MA, serves as Pastor of First Baptist Church in Hood River, Oregon.

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