March 2024 Ordained Servant

From the Editor. Because New Horizons regularly recognizes Easter and Christmas in its pages, I have rarely felt the need to do so. But I do think that pastors are wise to take advantage of these secular/sacred holidays by preaching on the incarnation and resurrection. “Seven Deadly Denials: A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:12–19” is a sermon I have preached several times at Easter over the years. The modern take on the first century is that it was loaded with superstition. But despite our scientific savvy, our hubris has blinded us as a culture to the fact that modernity is filled with superstition as much as in any era. But the concept of resurrection from the dead was as unthinkable in the first century of Jesus’s day as it is among unbelievers today. Paul encountered this reaction on Mars Hill: “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, ‘We will hear you again about this’” (Acts 17:32). The same unbelief was encountered by Jesus at the home of Jairus: “And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, ‘Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead” (Luke 8:52–53).

With plagiarism in the news, Andy Selle offers a timely consideration in “Reflections on Plagiarism in Preaching.” He focuses on the difference between written and oral presentations as he focuses on preaching.

I present the twelfth chapter of The Voice of the Good Shepherd, with a focus on sermonic application in “Apply the Word.” I discuss the value of ancient rhetoric, the question of relevance, and iconoclasm.

Andrew Miller reviews Reading the Psalms Theologically (Studies in Scripture and Biblical Theology) in his review article “Reading the Psalms Theologically.” This thoughtful new book discusses nuances of the canonical structure of the Psalter.

The old cliché about good things in small packages is certainly true of David VanDrunen’s new book Natural Law: A Short Companion. It is reviewed by Bruce Baugus. VanDrunen’s academic research and writing over the last several decades has produced an impressive corpus. This short companion brilliantly condenses the oft misunderstood topic of natural law for the busy pastor and the intelligent Christian. My upcoming interview with VanDrunen will be presented in a podcast later this month for the “Ruling Elder Podcast.”

I offer a poem about the resurrection, “Risen.” It is written in five quintets in free verse with no end rhymes or standard metre, thus relying on rhythm and internal rhyme.

The cover is a sunrise viewed from Camp Shiloh in Jefferson, New Hampshire, which overlooks the Presidential Range in the White Mountains.

Blessings in the Lamb,
Gregory Edward Reynolds

FROM THE ARCHIVES: “RESURRECTION, NATURAL LAW”
https://opc.org/OS/pdf/Subject_Index.pdf

• “Resurrecting the Resurrection.” (G. I. Williamson) 5:3 (Jul. 1996): 69–70.
• “A Biblical Case for Natural Law: A Response Essay.” (Nelson D. Kloosterman) 16 (2007): 101–7.
• “Education, Natural Law, and the Two Kingdoms.” (Gregory Edward Reynolds) 21 (2012): 14–17.
• “Natural Law in Reformed Theology: Historical Reflections and Biblical Suggestions.” (David VanDrunen) 21 (2012): 32–38.
• “VanDrunen in the Hands of an Anxious Kloosterman: A Response to a Review.” (David VanDrunen) 16 (2007): 107–13.

Ordained Servant exists to help encourage, inform, and equip church officers for faithful, effective, and God-glorifying ministry in the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its primary audience is ministers, elders, and deacons of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as well as interested officers from other Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Through high-quality editorials, articles, and book reviews, we will endeavor to stimulate clear thinking and the consistent practice of historic, confessional Presbyterianism.