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Articles by J. I. Packer
The Shared Experience of Growing Up Evangelical but Spiritually Underdeveloped
How to Grow Spiritually I grew up in a warm, Bible-believing, evangelical church. The people there were great, the Bible was lifted up, and the Scriptures were preached. In many ways, I look back with great fondness and thanksgiving for my evangelical upbringing, but I did sometimes wonder, What exactly does growth in the Christian life look like?
3 Reasons Christ Must Remain Human for Us: Learning from Calvin and Owen
What Is Jesus’s Present Ministry? Contemporary sermons (often rightly) address the reasons that Jesus became human in the incarnation, explaining Jesus’s accomplished work on the cross (1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14).
Glorifying Christ Every Way: Remembering J. I. Packer
A Humble Servant On the very day that Crossway invited me to share a reminiscence of J. I. Packer on the fifth anniversary of his passing, I had occasion to remember the event that began Packer’s lifelong influence on me. It is appropriate for me to share this convergence because there is an important way in which my own story is also the story of many thousands of people.
How J. I. Packer Wanted His Life to Be Remembered
A Call to Holiness As I look back life that I lived, I would like to be remembered as a voice—a voice that focused on the authority of the Bible, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, the wonder of his substitutionary sacrifice in atonement for our sins. I would like to be remembered as a voice calling Christian people to holiness and challenging lapses in Christian moral standards. I should like to be remembered as someone who was always courteous in controversy but without compromise.
What Does It Mean That Jesus Ascended into Heaven?
The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
Making Sense of God’s Sovereignty - The Deep Dish (podcast)
Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor talk about the mysterious tension between the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. They discuss what implications God’s sovereignty has for our prayer lives and why it shouldn’t cool our passion for evangelism. Although it may be hard to understand how God could be sovereign when we are suffering, what is initially a troubling doctrine can become our deepest comfort.
Crossway+ Special: $5 Book of the Month (April 2024)
Book of the Month The $5 Book of the Month is an exclusive promotion for Crossway+ members. Each month three hand-picked books are available at $5, $10, and $15 price tiers—all greatly discounted and available for one week only. Now through April 17, 2024, Crossway+ members can purchase the following three books of the month at a special price: $5: The Local Church by Edward W. Klink III (71% off) $10: Emblems of the Infinite King by J. Ryan Lister (60% off) $15: Rediscovering Holiness by J. I.
6 Categories of the Cross
Categories of the Cross Jesus Christ is, in fact, an expression of the temper of the whole New Testament. For explaining the cross, the New Testament uses many images, many categories, many modes of thought blended together. These various categories and modes of thought serve to enrich our understanding of the cross and its meaning. 1. Sacrifice The cross is represented for instance as sacrifice, as we’re going to see more fully in a moment, whenever we hear of the blood of Christ.
Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age
Bibles Books Tracts Articles Donate Format: Crossway+ members receive 30% off books. Learn more. Availability: In Stock Retail Price: $24.99 5 Classic Lectures from J. I. Packer Defending the Truth of the Gospel against Humanism, Universalism, and More Christians today confront complex opposition to the gospel from intellectuals, skeptics, and pluralists who deny the divinity of Christ. But these are not new issues; the first-century church encountered similar challenges to their faith.
February 2024 New Releases
New Books and Bibles Below is a list of the new and notable resources releasing this month from Crossway. Titles include Questioning Faith by Randy Newman and a new edition of The Biggest Story Bible Storybook featuring a TruTone cover.
What Can We Know about the Father’s Involvement in the Crucifixion?
Paul shows, and shares, his awareness that the God of Jesus remains the God of Job, and that the highest wisdom of the theological theorist, even when working under divine inspiration as Paul did, is to recognize that he is, as it were, gazing into the sun, whose very brightness makes it impossible for him fully to see it; so that at the end of the day he has to admit that God is much more to him than theories can ever contain, and to humble himself in adoration before the one whom he can...
What Can We Know about the Father’s Involvement in the Crucifixion?
Faith Knowledge and Mystery What sort of knowledge of God’s action in Christ’s death may we have? That a man named Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate around AD 30 is common historical knowledge, but Christian beliefs about his divine identity and the significance of his dying cannot be deduced from that fact alone. What further sort of knowledge about the cross, then, may Christians enjoy?
What Did the Cross Achieve?
Bibles Books Tracts Articles Donate By J. I. Packer, Foreword by Mark Dever ... Show All Format: Crossway+ members receive 30% off books. Learn more. Availability: In Stock Retail Price: $9.99 Other Books in This Series: By J. I. Packer, Foreword by Mark Dever ... Show All A Classic Essay on Penal Substitutionary Atonement from Theologian J. I.
J.I. Packer: John Owen Showed Me My Heart
The following is taken from Puritan Portraits by J. I. Packer, published by Christian Focus (192pp, paperback, ISBN 9781845507008). There are seven Puritan leaders who are evaluated and commended by Dr. Packer in this fine book. The notes have been added. I owe more, I think, to John Owen than to any other theologian, ancient or modern, and I am sure I owe more to his little book on mortification1 than to anything else he wrote. Let me explain.
What Biblical Preaching Is and Isn’t
[Editor’s Note: Haddon Robinson passed away in 2017.] Some questions people ponder all their lives. Einstein wrestled with the question of gravity till his dying day. On the subject of preaching, one of the elemental questions is "What is biblical preaching?" Everyone who takes Scripture seriously says we need to preach the Bible, but even the most ardent disagree widely about what that means exactly.
14 Lesser-Known Details about J. I. Packer
The Little-Known Packer Much can be said about J. I. Packer that, while personal to Packer, is nonetheless generally known, or at least not unexpected to someone who knew him as a public figure. But everyone has a dimension of personality and life that is hidden from public view and known mainly by family members and close acquaintances. I have collected data that belongs to this lesser-known side of J. I. Packer. 1. He was an early riser. Packer was known by his acquaintances as a morning person.
The Difference between Knowing God and Merely Knowing about Him
True Knowledge I walked in the sunshine with a scholar who had effectively forfeited his prospects of academic advancement by clashing with church dignitaries over the gospel of grace. “But it doesn’t matter,” he said at length, “for I’ve known God and they haven’t.” The remark was a mere parenthesis, a passing comment on something I had said, but it has stuck with me and set me thinking. Not many of us, I think, would ever naturally say that we have known God.
How Can the Stories of Puritan Women Help Us Treat Others with Respect and Appreciation?
Lived Values We can learn from Puritan women in this area because they were so good at it themselves. They had a lot to say about different Christian virtues like loving God, loving fellow Christians—even those in different denominations—and loving those outside of the church.
What Knowing God Involves
A Complex Business It is clear, to start with, that “knowing” God is of necessity a more complex business than “knowing” another person, just as “knowing” my neighbor is a more complex business than “knowing” a house or a book or a language. The more complex the object, the more complex is the knowing of it. Knowledge of something abstract, like a language, is acquired by learning; knowledge of something inanimate, like Ben Nevis or the British Museum, comes by inspection and exploration.
Knowing God
Format: Hardcover w/ Jacket Crossway+ members receive 30% off books. Learn more. Retail Price: $29.99 Availability: In Stock J. I. Packer’s Bestselling Book, Knowing God, Now Available in a Beautiful Hardcover Edition Knowing God by J. I. Packer is a modern Christian classic. Since its original publication in 1973, Packer’s insightful and practical approach has impacted countless Christians throughout the world as they are introduced to the wonder and joy of knowing God.
How Puritan Women Are Misunderstood Today
Let History Speak for Itself There are two main ways that Puritan women are misunderstood today, both in academia and in the church. The first is sort of a highly progressive, often non-Christian perspective that basically views these women as being trapped in the confines of their religion. If they had just pushed a little bit harder or further, they would have been able to break out of that and become their fully actualized selves.
Lucy Hutchinson: My Favorite Puritan Woman
Admirable Traits I really shouldn’t play favorites, but if I’m being totally honest, Lucy Hutchinson is my favorite female Puritan. There are many reasons for this. First, though Hutchinson was a proper genius and I am lightyears behind her in terms of intelligence, I can relate to her love of literature, studying, and being alone.
Agnes Beaumont: Making Sense of the Nonsensical
No Guarantees of Ease Out of all the stories about Puritan women that I came across in my research over the past several years, Agnes Beaumont’s was by far the weirdest. At the beginning of her record of events that she kept of a difficult time of her life, we see her describe a disagreement with her father about her going to a Baptist church, a real social faux pas of her day.
Women Were Puritans Too
Women Reforming Religion It’s sort of comical to think of how many Christians today perceive the Puritans as a group of men. Of course, many of those male pastors, theologians, and authors were highly influential and cannot be ignored. But where did they come from? Who did they preach, teach, and write for? How did any of them have kids? Like all centuries of the church, half of the Puritan believers in 17th Century England were women.
Why Is the Virgin Birth So Important?
Born of the Virgin Mary The Bible says that the Son of God entered and left this world by acts of supernatural power. His exit was by resurrection-plusascension, and his entry by virgin birth: both fulfilling Old Testament anticipations (see Isaiah 7:14 for the virgin birth and 53:10–12 for resurrection-ascension). The entry and exit miracles carry the same message. First, they confirm that Jesus, though not less than man, was more than man. His earthly life, though fully human, was also divine.
Crossway+ Special: 40% Off Select Titles by J. I. Packer
An Exclusive Offer for Crossway+ Members Starting today and running through July 27, 2022, Crossway+ members get 40% off any of the following titles by J. I. Packer along with free shipping on orders of $30 or more in the contiguous US. Not a Crossway+ member? Sign up for free. 40% Off These Titles Growing in Christ J. I. Packer Late theologian J. I.
Why Are We Baptized in Jesus’s Name?
Name and Claim When Peter, preaching at Pentecost, told the Jews that the man they murdered was risen and reigning, many were flabbergasted and asked what they ought to do. “Repent,” said Peter, “and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). It is easy to miss the full force of this.
Why Does the Apostle’s Creed Say That Jesus Descended into Hell?
The New Obscenity Death has been called “the new obscenity,” the nasty thing which no polite person nowadays will talk about in public. But death, even when unmentionable, remains inescapable. The one sure fact of life is that one day, with or without warning, quietly or painfully, it is going to stop. How will I, then, cope with death when my turn comes?
We’ll Be Truly Alive on Our Third Birthday
Entering Eternity My baptism looks on to my third birthday. What is that? It is the day entered from eternity in God’s private calendar, as my first two birthdays were, on which my heart is due to stop beating.
Growing in Christ
Format: Crossway+ members receive 30% off books. Learn more. Retail Price: $32.99 Availability: In Stock A Clear Outline of Basic Christianity from Theologian J. I. Packer Followers of Christ grow spiritually by learning and living out the essentials of their faith, which are often taken for granted or overlooked in daily life. Renowned theologian J. I. Packer believed that Christianity is not automatic and must be learned by new believers and mature Christians alike.
Does God Care about Our Happiness?
A Passion for Holiness “God cares more about your holiness than your happiness.” For years I preached this to myself or doled out some iteration of it as advice to others. After all, serious disciples take the call to holiness seriously. And, of course, we should. It was God who said, “You must be holy, as I am holy” (Lev. 11:44). It was God who set apart the Israelites—and later the church—as his holy people. Our salvation was won by the only One to ever walk the earth in perfect holiness.
Why We Need the Puritans
Who the Puritans Really Were Horse racing is said to be the sport of kings. The sport of slinging mud has, however, a wider following. Pillorying the Puritans, in particular, has long been a popular pastime both sides of the Atlantic, and most people’s image of Puritanism still has on it much disfiguring dirt that needs to be scraped off. “Puritan” as a name was, in fact, mud from the start.
A Quest for Godliness
A Rich Vision for Christian Living from Great Puritan Leaders A Quest for Godliness explores the depth and breadth of Puritan spiritual life. Drawing on a lifetime of study, renowned evangelical theologian and church leader J. I. Packer surveys the lives and teachings of great Puritan leaders such as John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards. He examines the Puritan view of the Bible, spiritual gifts, the Sabbath, worship, social action, and the family.
No, Christmas Is Not Based on a Pagan Holiday
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What Is Needed to Be a Christian?
The Essentials of Christian Faith What is essential for Christian faith and life? How can we know Jesus Christ and experience the full love of God through him? How can you become a child of God, anchored in the full reality of unquenchable joy, beginning in this life and ever increasing in the life to come? It is possible to know about these things, however, without actually knowing them personally in one’s life.
The History of the ESV
This article is part of the ESV 20th Anniversary series. This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of the English Standard Version. In this article, you will hear the story from Dr. Lane Dennis, Crossway’s founding CEO and Publisher. This article is adapted from an interview with Lane at Tyndale House, Cambridge in 2016. A Legacy of Translation It’s hard to say exactly when the ESV began because, in one sense, it began in 1997.
6 Questions about the ESV Translation Philosophy
This article is part of the ESV 20th Anniversary series. This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of the English Standard Version. In this article, you will hear the story from members of the Translation Oversight Committee, adapted from interviews at Tyndale House, Cambridge in 2016. Q: What is a translation philosophy? John C.
How to Use the ESV for Preaching and Teaching
This article is part of the ESV 20th Anniversary series. Here, a few members of the ESV Translation Oversight Committee comment on the translation philosophy and why it makes a difference in preaching and teaching. This article is adapted from interviews conducted at the Tyndale House, Cambridge in 2016. Preaching Depends on Accurate Bible Translation Kent Hughes: There are several reasons that word-for-word preaching is so important.
An Interview with J. I. Packer on the Origin and Significance of the ESV Bible
This article is part of the ESV 20th Anniversary series. This interview with Dr. J. I. Packer was conducted in July 2015 at Tyndale House in Cambridge, England. Dr. Packer served on the Translation Oversight Committee (TOC) as general editor for the English Standard Version (ESV). Here, he reflects on the vital importance of clear and faithful Bible translation, as well as what this work meant to him personally. 1.
Rediscovering Holiness
Format: Hardcover w/ Jacket Crossway+ members receive 30% off books. Learn more. Retail Price: $26.99 Availability: In Stock “As Christ died in order that we may be justified, so we are justified in order that we may be sanctified and made holy.” —J. I. Packer During his lifetime, late theologian J. I. Packer noticed a troubling lack of concern—particularly among Western Christians—for personal holiness.
Keep in Step with the Spirit
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” —Galatians 5:25 Many Christians throughout the years have struggled to understand the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Seeing the potential for learning—as well as for confusion—theologian J. I. Packer wrote this comprehensive guide celebrating an often-misunderstood person of the Trinity.
God Has Spoken
Format: Hardcover w/ Jacket Crossway+ members receive 30% off books. Learn more. Retail Price: $24.99 Availability: In Stock “The canonical Scriptures are a veritable book of life, showing us God in relation to the most dramatic human crises, the most elemental human emotions, and the most basic human relationships.” —From the Introduction Scripture, the inerrant revelation of God, is filled with eternal promises for Christ’s people and principles for living according to his will.
J. I. Packer on the Hub of Christian Life
The Centrality of Knowing God “What is the best thing in life,” asks Packer, “bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God.”1 This should come as no surprise to those familiar with Packer. Knowing God is of central importance in living a life that is both productive for oneself and pleasing to God. This is simply one expression of the emphasis Packer places on the intellectual grasp of doctrinal truth.
Can I Lose My Salvation?
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Mike Kruger: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Great to see you here. Let me begin by welcome you to this session. My name is Mike Kruger. I’m the president of reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, and you’re in a session entitled, can I lose my faith? Understanding apostasy.
Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside’: Ecclesiastes for the Internet Age
Bo Burnham may be this generation’s closest approximation to the Preacher from Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes 2, the Preacher searches high and low to find lasting meaning apart from God: in pleasure (v. 1), comedy (v. 2), alcohol (v. 3), sex (v. 8), wisdom (vv. 12–27), and work (vv. 18–23). This wide-reaching search yields no lasting benefit or purpose, only despair (v. 20). Everything under the sun is vanity, a vapor. In his Netflix comedy special, Inside, Bo Burnham’s task is the same.
We Are Both Ambassadors and Peacemakers
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul tells us that we are “ambassadors for Christ.” In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says we are “peacemakers.” In both cases, God tells us about our identity. There are other identities we receive from God in Scripture, but few rival these two. The Bible’s narrative reinforces the invitation and necessity of living in these two roles. Too often throughout church history, though, one of these identities has been emphasized to the neglect of the other.
Should I Take a New Job If It Requires Moving?
I may have an opportunity to take a new job and a significant promotion. But it would mean that we (wife, 4 year old, 2 year old, and me) would have to move about 1,000 miles from our extended families for no less than two to three years. Further, we love our church and our small group, and it’s very challenging to think about joining a new congregation and building new relationships. However, I think I can see God’s fingerprints all over the path that led us to this opportunity.
Open Letter from a Cuban Pastor
I have deep pain and grief in my heart as I see what is happening in our country, despite being one of those who firmly believe that Christians should fight and die, if necessary, for the gospel of Jesus Christ and only for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The reason is biblical and simple: no philosophy or earthly government will solve the problems of man—neither hunger nor inequality, nor injustice, nor racism, nor any other problem that we face in this world.
J. I. Packer’s Famous Essay on Christ’s Death
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the gospel. There are many, therefore, to whom it is not likely to be of interest. Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between so-called evangelicals may well regret its reappearance.
A Stunted Ecclesiology? by J. I. Packer
The Theory & Practice of Evangelical Churchliness by J. I. Packer About a half-century ago North American evangelicals began to speak of the evangelical church. They still do.
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