Book Review: Basic Christianity

Stott, John

Basic Christianity.

Downers Grove, Illinois:

IVP Books, 2008.
174 pages.

     In November, 1952, when he was 31 years old, a mission was held at Cambridge University and John Stott was invited to be “chief missioner”. Part of his responsibility at that time was to give eight evening lectures at the University Church—so he chose as his theme, “a systematic unfolding of the gospel.” Over the years he conducted fifty such university missions, gradually refining his material until he was able to publish, in 1958, Basic Christianity.

     Stott’s preface and first chapter set the groundwork for the rest of the book. Without trying to explain him, we can string quotes together from these first twenty-five pages to show his direction: “Large numbers of people…see a contradiction between the founder of Christianity and the current state of the church he founded…was he true?...the meaning of what we call “salvation”…God reaching out to us…we would have remained forever agnostic…God has done something…have we listened?...We have to be ready not just to believe, but to obey.”

     In Part 1, Who Christ Is, Stott gives a clear-sighted and logical review of Christ’s claims to deity, of his character and of his death and resurrection. I particularly enjoyed Stott’s paragraph proving that “we can make our own estimate” of Christ’s character. “The moral perfection that was quietly claimed by him…is clearly shown in the Gospels.”

     Part 2, What We Need, deals with sin and its consequences. Stott leaves us in no doubt about the universality of sin as he reviews the ten commandments, then indicates the consequences, specifically,  alienation from God, bondage to self, and conflict with others. “A lecture will not solve our problem; we need a Savior.”

     There can be few sweeter devotional works than Part 3: What Christ Has Done. Here we learn that Christianity is “a rescue religion”, we learn why the cross was necessary, and we realize that “we need more than an example; we need a Savior.” Here we also learn that, to put it bluntly, “Our sins sent Christ to hell.” But God’s plan of salvation is “first to put right our relationship with him, and then progressively to set us free….”

     Part 4 is a light on salvation that I have seldom heard in a public gospel presentation and never with such clarity. How To Respond! Here Stott talks about “Counting the Cost” and “Reaching a Decision”. “Having heard his voice, we must open to his knock. To open the door to Jesus Christ is a graphic way of describing an act of faith in him as our Savior, an act of submission to him as our Lord.” Stott’s last chapter is “Being a Christian” and points to even greater treasure: “an intimate...an assured …a secure relationship”.

    Basic Christianity is so well-written and so graciously written, and Christianity itself is so reasonable that I came away wondering how anyone could read the book and not become a Christian on the spot. Atheists and agnostics come at Christianity from the wrong end— they want to prove (or disprove) God from science or philosophy. In fact, that was the way God allowed things to go in a past era (in Job’s day perhaps) but none of that really worked. So God has bypassed that method and come all the way to earth. He has reached out and shown us himself, in Jesus.

     So finally, a recommendation in the strongest possible terms—if you haven’t read this book, read it—if you’ve read it before, read it again!

Crossword Puzzle: A Botanical Bible

Behold your God!

     Last time, I mentioned my friend’s belief that Jesus is the highest of all God’s creation, but still only created. The grammar of the Bible (although perhaps not proof) strongly points to his Deity. But we have the statements of John, Paul, Peter, and Thomas (not to mention Matthew, Mark, and Luke) that show absolute belief in his Deity. This month we want to outline four more proofs of the Deity of Christ:

4. Statements by Jesus that were claims to Deity

     In the synagogue at Nazareth, reading from Isaiah, Jesus finished with the comment, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  Luke 4:21. This was far more than a claim to Messiahship —the people became furious and, again, they saw it as blasphemy. He was claiming to be God.

      In Sychar, he made the same claim, but low key. The woman talked about worshipping God in Samaria or in Jerusalem. Regarding the Messiah, Jesus said, “I who speak to you am he.”  John 4:26. But this whole incident goes beyond “the Messiah”. The Samaritans realize that Jesus “really is the Saviour of the world.” To be Saviour, he has to be Deity. See item 7, below.
     A third example would be at the grave of Lazarus. “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” John 11:43. This action is described as seeing “the glory of God.”
     A final example for now might be John 17:5—“glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” This would in essence be “before anything was created!”

5. Occasions when Jesus shows Divine attributes.

     One of the first divine characteristics that comes to mind is omnipotence. And Jesus shows this power in abundance. Skimming through the gospel of Mark, we see him healing leprosy or paralysis or a withered hand or a haemorrhaging woman. He even raises the dead.

     If we look at only two other descriptions of Deity, Jesus is the only one who fulfils them. Job 9:8 describes God, who “alone…treads on the waves of the sea.” Mark 6:48 is the fulfilment. A second example is John 9:32, where the man born blind, but now healed, says, “Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.” But Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 about himself, saying, “He has sent me to proclaim…recovery of sight for the blind.”

6. Scripture statements showing two or three Persons acting in unity.

     Countless verses confirm the participation of Jesus in the Godhead. For instance, in the Old Testament, Zechariah 13:7 (KJV) says, “Awake, O Sword, against… the man that is my fellow…” What is “a fellow”? It is essentially “an equal.”  In John 14:9, he said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” He said, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.  “As the Father has life in himself so…the Son to have life in himself.” John 5:26. “All I have is yours and all you have is mine.” John 17:10.  1 Cor.10:9 (KJV) tells us about the exodus from Egypt, “We should not test Christ, as some of them did.” So he was there, at the exodus, and he was God. Hebrews 1:2,3 talks about Jesus, “through whom he created the universe.” Finally (for the moment) Hebrews 1:6 tells us, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” See item 7, below.

7. Theoretical principles

     This seventh way of looking at Scripture should probably come first, but it’s an assortment of large scale principles:- 

(i) For starters, we should NEVER worship another creature, no matter how high above us he may be. Revelation 19:10 says, “I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you…Worship God!’” This principle is re-iterated in Rev. 22:9.

(ii) What is the (negative) value of one sin? Logic would tell us that if one sin can land a person in eternal punishment, the value of one sin must be infinite. The corollary to that would be that we need an infinite Saviour. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim.1:15.  He is the infinite Being we need.
(iii) God is Love! One Person alone could never be the epitome of love— it takes two or preferably three! For God to be love and yet dwell alone before creation is a contradiction in terms.
(iv)“A body you prepared for me.” Heb.10:5. The Scriptures take this statement in two ways. First, they claim that Jesus existed prior to Bethlehem and this refers to his incarnation, into humanity. “He is before all things.” Col.1:17. Secondly, every person, when he or she becomes a believer, is placed into the mystical Body of Christ. 1 Cor.6:15. It boggles the mind to imagine a finite, created being so great that all Christians are “in him”, but he is not God. This is impossible!
(v) We know, of course, that Melchizedek had a “beginning of days” (although not recorded) but the writer to the Hebrews pushes the statement to show the belief of the disciples and the early church: “without beginning of days or end of life” (Heb. 5:6-10; 7:3.)—Jesus is eternal, he is God, he had no beginning.

Conclusion

     We’re sending this study to our friend in the UK—pray for us. As we look back over this article we see that it’s a combined discussion of both the Trinity, and the Deity of Christ. These are deep subjects and can’t be glossed over with a handful of proof-texts; they are embedded in the fabric of Scripture and the more we study them the more details come to light. May this effort be to God’s glory!