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John Owen on the Lord's SupperAt the tableJOHN OWEN ON THE LORD'S SUPPER This book is really two books in one. The first 75 pages contain four chapters by Jon Payne, which are an introduction to Owen's Communion discourses; the remainder consists of two Appendixes, a Bibliography, and 24 discourses on the Lord's Supper by John Owen. Chapter one is a brief introduction to John Owen himself as 'pastor-theologian' and is very informative for those who have little knowledge of the great man. Chapter two discusses Owen's Theology of the Lord's Supper, relating it to the views of other Reformers. The third chapter analyses Owen's Communion Discourses, showing the themes that run through them. The final chapter is a Summary and Conclusion. These introductory chapters are a little on the heavy side, but rewarding for those willing to persist. Appendix I lists Owen's published works and the Second Appendix lists works on the Lord's Supper that were in Owen's Library. These are followed by a six-page bibliography. The major portion of the book, the remaining 159 pages, contains the 24 Communion Discourses, and what a rich treasure they are. Anyone responsible for leading a Communion Service will find many, many helpful lines of thought, inspiring comments and devotional themes. Unlike several recent published paraphrases of Owen's works, these are in his original phraseology, and therefore at times have to be studied carefully to tease out the meaning. But those willing to undertake this labour will be richly rewarded. This book will be especially helpful to ministers. Stanley Jebb, © Evangelicals Now - January 2005 |