Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People
Jonathan Leeman’s Reverberation serves as a call for all in the pulpit and in the pews to renew their confidence in the authority and power of God’s Word. While Leeman acknowledges most church’s proverbial “lip service” to the importance of the Bible, he seeks to elevate the ministry of the Word as the ultimate ministry of the church. If God is for the growth of the church and not against it, then what is his design to bring that growth about? Ironically, through the Word, Leeman “re-reveals” God’s design is to grow the church through his Word. This means that good things, like “lay visitation… adequate parking… the presence of the Holy Spirit… loving relationships… …show more content…
As Dever states, “It is the most visible part of Christian theology, and it is vitally connected with every other part” (10). The proclamation of the church makes the Gospel audible for the world to hear but the living together of the church makes the Gospel visible for the world to see. Because of such weighty matters, Dever argues that we all have a great need to a right understanding of the church. He adds that “The church should be regarded as important to Christians because of its importance to Christ” (11). In order to honor God in the church’s visibility, Dever helps the reader understand the church biblically. In part one, he emphasizes that the Bible is most certainly not silent when it comes to the nature and purpose of the local church. Through numerous biblical examples we see that the Bible is sufficient to answer what the local church is to be and do – even what to believe, how to worship, and how to live together. God has entrusted his church as the means to display his glory, therefore he has revealed his will for her through his word; freeing us “from the tyranny of mere human opinion”
Jonathan Leeman’s Reverberation serves as a call for all in the pulpit and in the pews to renew their confidence in the authority and power of God’s Word. While Leeman acknowledges most church’s proverbial “lip service” to the importance of the Bible, he seeks to elevate the ministry of the Word as the ultimate ministry of the church. If God is for the growth of the church and not against it, then what is his design to bring that growth about? Ironically, through the Word, Leeman “re-reveals” God’s design is to grow the church through his Word. This means that good things, like “lay visitation… adequate parking… the presence of the Holy Spirit… loving relationships… …show more content…
As Dever states, “It is the most visible part of Christian theology, and it is vitally connected with every other part” (10). The proclamation of the church makes the Gospel audible for the world to hear but the living together of the church makes the Gospel visible for the world to see. Because of such weighty matters, Dever argues that we all have a great need to a right understanding of the church. He adds that “The church should be regarded as important to Christians because of its importance to Christ” (11). In order to honor God in the church’s visibility, Dever helps the reader understand the church biblically. In part one, he emphasizes that the Bible is most certainly not silent when it comes to the nature and purpose of the local church. Through numerous biblical examples we see that the Bible is sufficient to answer what the local church is to be and do – even what to believe, how to worship, and how to live together. God has entrusted his church as the means to display his glory, therefore he has revealed his will for her through his word; freeing us “from the tyranny of mere human opinion”