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 PrintableVersion God's pattern for the Christian lifeStimulating but dodgyGOD’S PATTERN FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE The author ‘sets forth the conviction that there is a revelation of God’s order stated in Hebrews 6.1-2’. He believes that in these two verses ‘there is a strict chronological order for the spiritual growth of every Christian’ and that the laying of this foundation ‘is essential for the believer’. Originally published as three separate volumes (the original page numbering is retained), each of these three sections deals with two of the six items referred to in this passage. Volume one begins by arguing the case for interpreting Hebrews 6.1-2 as the foundation for every Christian’s life and, in doing so, discusses other possible interpretations. The author then deals thoroughly with repentance and faith, covering also the new birth, justification by faith, and assurance of salvation. Many Christians would profit from the author’s careful exposition of these topics. Volume three deals with death, the intermediate state, the resurrection, and the nature of the final judgment. In doing so, the author discusses interpretations of the millennium and seeks to answer many questions that frequently arise concerning the last things. Again, this is a very helpful discussion. Volume two is the longest and the most controversial. In the first part of this volume, the author discusses believer’s baptism, its timing, relationship with faith, its necessity and its mode. He then seeks to answer objections to the doctrine of baptism by immersion, and discusses the words used in a baptismal service. He spends five chapters on what he terms ‘Attempts to justify infant baptism: the invention of the covenant of grace’ and in the next three chapters discusses attempts to justify infant baptism from the New Testament, from non-biblical sources and from church history. He then discusses the rise and ‘alleged benefits’ of infant baptism and its relation to holy communion and confirmation. He rounds off this section with a discussion of believer’s baptism and entry into the church, and the question of rebaptism. Throughout this section the author interacts with paedobaptist writings as well as examining all relevant Scriptures. The reviewer found this part most stimulating. The second half of this section contains standard Pentecostal doctrine, though possibly an extreme version, for the reviewer would guess that many charismatic Christians would disagree with some of it. The ‘laying on of hands’ he sees as a reference to receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which he regards as subsequent to conversion and essential for every believer, and the ‘ongoing fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy’. He insists that speaking in tongues is prophecy in order to argue that Joel’s prophecy, as quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost, teaches that speaking in tongues is an essential consequence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He ignores the fact that the Apostle Paul shows preference for prophecy as compared to speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14) and so, in comparing and contrasting them, the apostle in no way identifies them. But Mr. Southworth goes further. He asserts: ‘The baptism in the Spirit is not the pouring out of the Spirit on a believer. It is the pouring out of the Spirit on a believer causing him to prophesy’ (i.e speak in tongues). He argues that speaking in tongues is part of the promise of the Father. He discusses briefly the other charismatic gifts, but falls into the common error of understanding the word of knowledge as revealing secrets, such as what a person is thinking, whereas the New Testament plainly teaches that such ability was part of the function of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14.24,25; Luke 7.39; 22.64). The late Donald Gee, a highly respected Pentecostal teacher, argued cogently in more than one of his books that the word of knowledge is a teaching gift. The author also contradicts himself over tongues. On page 234 he states that speaking in tongues in church is subject to certain rules, the first of which is that ‘there must not be more than three utterances in any gathering’. But on page 242 he states that, in contrast to prophesying in one’s own language, which is strictly limited, speaking in tongues ‘is not limited’ and quotes 1 Corinthians 14.29. The author is generally very thorough in his exegesis, referring to the Greek text where necessary and even textual variants. He is obviously widely read and interacts with scores of other authors. These are mentioned in end-of-chapter notes. But there is no bibliography and no index. Ministers and other Christian leaders will find much to stimulate discussion and may even profit from studying this book, but I would not recommend it for general church usage. Stanley Jebb,
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