One of the common charges laid on me by some brethren, is that I hide my sources and do all things in my preaching and teaching in a way that does not give full credit to my teachers. Now at the outset itself, I want to clarify that I do not entertain any plagiarism in my preaching. In other words, I do not preach or teach anything that I just read or heard from someone. I will preach only those truths in which I am fully persuaded by God through His infallible word and His witness through His Spirit. Only with a Spirit borne conviction do I endeavour to preach or teach any truth I believe in the Bible. In the proclamation of those truths, there are areas where I am influenced by certain teachers of the word. Its true. I do not deny that. But I would not agree completely with anyone who says that I am just merely using their articulation of truth and getting all the honour due to them. The reason I disagree is because I am not merely using their words without any amount of personal study and seeking the Spirit to illumine my heart with His word. I do spend considerable amount of time before Scriptures to be fully convinced of His truth and do think on my own and strive all my level best to be original in my thinking and presentation of a truth.
As an example, people who are convinced of the doctrine of particular redemption most often use John Owen's logic to defend it. When I wrote on this doctrine, I chose not to follow any of it. Not because John Owen was wrong. But I chose to venture on my own, stripping my resources to the Bible and the Spirit. At this point, may no reader of mine lay any charge of arrogance on me for this endeavour of mine. Spare me from such accusations, as my motive in so doing was to make a point to some of my brethren who are marked by an indifference to all doctrinal study. Most of today's saints tend to be indifferent to doctrine and only like the immediately practical preaching. Their charge on serious theology and doctrinal preaching is that it is all based on men's philosophy and concepts. To such saints, I would not quote Owen or any man in my defence of a doctrine, but will stick to the evidence and substance of the Bible regarding the doctrine. It is with this motive that I chose to venture on my own, stripping my resources to the Bible and the Spirit. I did check classic Reformed argumentation on this doctrine, just to see which all scripture portions are used to defend this doctrine. I took note of them and started praying and studying over it for weeks on end. Only after I did my own exposition, I started writing on it.
Now in my writing, many a preacher's logic would have crept in. But that would not make all my thinking a mere imitation of them. I am in no wise making any shameful boast. Oh no, I would rather keep silent and bear any and even more worse charges than make shameful boasts about my labour, which has all been received in grace. From my earliest days I can remember, God has drilled into me a passion for studying scriptures. All the truth I know, no matter which preacher was used to introduce them, I got fully persuaded in it through the study of scriptures.
A second charge that is often laid on me is that I do not have a sober judgement of myself. That I somehow conceited by my own pride has counted myself more than what I ought to according to the proportion of my faith. They point out that I speak not as a young man, but as a self appointed scholar, venturing out in exegesis without ever having taken any formal education in the original languages etc. One thing I have noted is that those brethren who make this charge against me are all those who know me little and are more familiar with my writing than me. There are many such brethren who read my blog but have never spend enough time with me. Hence I do not blame them. Yes if you know me only through my writing, then it is perfectly natural to think that I am arrogant and unkind.
Now I would not dare say that this charge laid by my brethren is entirely wrong. For then I am truly conceited. But I would only say that the grounds on which they judge me as so, is not entirely agreeable. This is why I think so. First of all, I do not see myself as a scholar. I see myself as a preacher and that alone I long to be. I am a layman and not a theologian. I have not undergone any formal training in anything theological or in original languages. Does that mean one cannot endeavour to think or write on anything theological? No, no one thinks so. Does that mean that one cannot exgete the Bible? Yes and No. Yes it is a fact that only those who are scholars and have a deep knowledge of the languages can do a thorough exegesis of the Bible. At the same time, a lay person can do an exegesis of a phrase in Greek by comparing the English Bible with TR or mGNT and then checking the meaning of the Greek words of the phrase in a good lexicon. This is how I do my layman exegesis. I use online resources like the blueletterbible and find out the exact phrase in Greek or Hebrew for the English phrase I am exegeting. I then use some good lexicon and find the meaning of these words.
So the grounds of this charge that I am arrogant as I speak a lot of high and lofty theology or I do exegesis without formal training is no sure ground.
Do I speak like an young man? Well this is truly a confusing question. I am yet to figure out what speaking like an young man means. Does it mean one should be less authoritative? I do not think so, as authority is brought in by the truthfulness of your content, irrespective of the speaker's age. Most probably I think this is referring to my indwelling sin and the stink of pride coming in my speech. I do not have any justification for that. Swollen heads do have much head weight.
A third charge is that I never name my teachers. This again is made by brethren who do not know me personally, but have come to know me through my writing. Now it is true that in my writing, I should be quoting my teachers and giving them the credit that is due. Like I mentioned earlier, my prime target in writing and preaching is today's lay men who simply cannot bear quoting a man, as theology in their definition is totally man made. However, I do see the need to make known my teachers and make all those who know me to give all the credit to those who taught me. Hence for all the places I did not mention them, here in all fullness I can think of, I remember my teachers - both Reformed and Arminian.
Now the list is no way in any order of priority. However I shall mention my Reformed teachers first and Arminians then. This is because I have almost stopped listening to Arminian teachers.
Reformed teachers I listen to:
John Piper
If there is one teaching pastor that I listen to the most, then it is John Piper. I love him for he is laborious in his study of scriptures. He uses all his scholastic grip only behind scenes and thus his preaching is simple yet profound. As a person, I like him as he is, to quote C.S Lewis "a romantic rationalist". His mix of reason and rhyme is something I am drawn to. A preacher and a poet, that sure makes me interested and draws my self to him.
What I learned from him are plenty : His explanation of Christian worship which he calls as Christian Hedonism, something which Christians of all ages have known and proclaimed like Jonathan Edwards or C.S Lewis - the truth that God is most glorified when Christians find their utmost joy in God as their all satisfying treasure. That sure was a revelation that blessed me a lot. His use of expository preaching as an exultation in God over the word - that preaching is nothing but worship over the word, is a model I love to follow in all of my preaching. It is in him that I saw what Calvinism can do to a pastor in terms of his evangelistic and missional fervour. Of all the church talk I have heard on evangelism and missions, the most convincing, the most biblical and the most joyful one is the one I heard from this convinced Calvinist. Besides trusting in the absolute sovereignty of God who shall gather in all His elect, there is no sure ground for our preaching, missions and evangelism. Mostly, the joyful labour in studying and heralding the word of God, that is so evident in Piper's ministry is the attraction of it all.
Paul Washer
There is only one thing that Paul Washer preaches and I like it - The gospel of Jesus Christ and the need to return to a biblical understanding of regeneration. His preaching cleared my mind from all the wrong notions of evangelism I saw (and still see) in Churchianity. The first Calvinistic preacher I listened, it was he who led me to see what true evangelism is, what regeneration is and how all satisfying it is just to trust the sovereignty of God and preach the gospel in all purity, without ever resorting to any manipulative tricks. A crusader against the sinner's prayer and all of pop Christianity, it is always heavy but worthwhile to listen to this man of God. He sure sounds like a man who is an alien and stranger to this world. His relentless passion to know the gospel is matchless. All I have learned about being mesmerised by the gospel and thus to have an insatiable desire to preach it, I owe it to this dear brother.
James White
James White is my teacher in Reformed theology, especially in defining and defending the doctrines of grace. It was his exegesis of Romans 9 that was the turning point in my life. God used his teaching and caused me to rethink my Arminian convictions and search the Bible for sound soteriological convictions. This lead me to become a Calvinist. So I owe a lot to this brother. I have regularly turned to his ministry to see how he defends the Reformed faith against the vast host of charges and attacks from the other side of Christianity. His debates on Reformed theology, KJV onlyism, textual criticism especially with Bart Ehrman were truly enlightening.
C.J Mahaney
I love CJ purely because he is one pastor in the Reformed circle who has no formal training in theology, yet is worth listening. He lacks no characteristics of a Reformed teaching pastor like sound doctrinal understanding, pure expository preaching and a truth-ignited passionate compassion for souls. CJ is also very humorous at times, very lovable and is always a blessing to hear him. His teachings on being a pastor and how leaning on the doctrine of election helps us to be merciful and loving to brethren in the church, were truly a blessing.
Apart from these I do listen to and learn from others like John MacArthur, R.C Sproul, D.A Carson, Kent Hughes, David Wells and not to mention all the dead guys from the Reformers to the Puritans..
My Arminian teachers :
Rincy Cherian:
He used to be my spiritual father in my local church. Though we have theological differences, I love, respect and look up to him on each and every thing. I have seen very few Christians like him. God has truly been gracious to him. For me, just observing him itself is a learning experience. The lessons he has taught me are innumerable. I am forever grateful for all the help he has been and still is in my life. He is a powerful preacher, a passionate worship leader, burdened intercessor and a very loving and caring spiritual father to me. More than any doctrine I can point out, he has shown me holiness in flesh and blood. Far above all my teachers, I used to count Rincy dear to my heart. Due to many a sharp differences over very crucial and fundamental aspects of Christianity, I have ever since departed from his ministry both as a pastor and as a guardian to me. I am so, not because I hold him less dear, but as I hold God's truth more dear to me.
Zac Poonen
Zac was used by God to teach me the Bible from cover to cover. It is indeed a difficult thing to talk about him. There is such a stigma around him. He was instrumental in my life to take the Bible and study it from cover to cover. It was also his preaching which made me realize that pure preaching of the word is enough to make preaching entertaining. Like he always says ' an anointed ministry is never boring'. His statements like this which he often repeats used to float in my mind. His emphasis on victory over sin, especially sins like lusting with your eyes, love of money, partiality, judging others etc are unheard of in other Arminian preachers. In India, especially in my circle of Christianity sin only refers to alcoholism, smoking and watching Sin-ema!! Though I can no longer suffer his Higher Life teachings of the old school Keswick theology, I have added him in this list in honour of the initial blessings I reaped from him.
It is to be noted that I no longer recommend Zac to anyone, precisely because of my conviction in the dangers of his old Keswick understanding of sanctification. For learning sanctification and living holy, I now recommend people to read the Prince of Puritans, John Owen. In the words of J.I Packer, who had a similar journey from Keswick to Owen's puritanical understanding of sanctification, Keswick theology is nothing but "pietistic goofiness", whereas Owen makes you a biblical realist. Highly recommend Owen, if you are serious about sanctification.
