Subscribeto be or not to be……purpose driven
in a class on ecclesiology and sacraments i had the very great privilege of reading this book. Mark Dever is the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., an historic church that has had a congregation in its current building since 1912, but found its beginning in 1867. Dever also leads 9Marks ministries, an organization dedicated to helping churches reestablish themselves biblically in both their philosophy and practical ministry. his book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, is an exhortation for pastors to make their churches more healthy by following the nine simple steps that he identifies. this might seem strange to most Christians out there who are sick of and skeptical of any kind of book or sermon or conference that promises a better life in a small number of steps. however, the title of this book is clearly a sarcastic parody of other popular books that seriously think there are seven steps to living your best life now.
but rather than a sort of self-help guide, Dever’s nine marks are biblical principles that should be found in any biblical church, and that every Christian should look for when seeking to join a congregation. the nine marks are:
a commitment to expositional preaching
a commitment to biblical theology
a commitment to the Gospel
a biblical understanding of conversion
a biblical understanding of evangelism
a biblical understanding of church membership
a commitment to church discipline
a concern for discipleship and growth
a commitment to biblical church leadership
each one of these principles should be a “no duh” kind of thing for biblical Christians, but i think many of us would be surprised how many modern churches lack one or more of these nine marks. even if one thinks that all of these are present in their local church, it would be helpful to read this book to see how Dever (as well as the Bible) defines them. one might find a new understanding of a principle they think they have down, causing them to think more deeply about how their church could be spiritually healthier. in order to be a healthier church, congregations should take this book and identify the marks in which they are strong, but also pay careful attention to the marks in which they are weaker, or just don’t possess at all, asking the question, “how can we get back to a biblical form of this principle so that we can not only be healthier as a church, but also encourage our members to be spiritually healthier Christians?”
although the book is directed at pastors, it’s written in a plain enough style to where laypeople would benefit from it as well. in fact, it should be recommended that all Christians read this book as it could just as easily have been titled Nine Marks of a Healthy Christian.
![[caedmonscall.net]](http://rmfo-blogs.com/images/ccneticon.jpg "The official unofficial fan site of Caedmon’s Call.")
![[derekwebb.net]](http://rmfo-blogs.com/images/dwneticon.jpg "The official fan site of Derek Webb.")
![[rmfo-blogs.com]](http://rmfo-blogs.com/images/rmfoblog.png "About the [rmfo-blogs.com] service.")
My...
I didn’t see anything about the sacraments listed there. Can a church be a healthy church without the signs and seals of the covenant?
February 2nd, 2006 | #
hey rich, good to hear from you! that’s a great observation and one i hadn’t thought of. the sacraments should probably get their own chapter as a distinct mark. he does deal with them, though.
he deals with baptism in the chapter dealing with a biblical understanding of conversion. since Dever is a baptist, he would, of course, say that only those who profess faith in Christ should be baptized. so if a person presents a credible confession of faith and exhibits biblical signs of true conversion, then that person should be baptized into the church as a necessary sign and seal of his or her entrance into the covenant community.
the Lord’s Supper, he sort of deals with in the chapter on biblical church discipline, and if and when a person should be excluded from the table based upon 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. but i think there could be a fuller treatment of this sacrament in a book about becoming a more healthy church.
with different sacramental views, i can see why a chapter wouldn’t be in there dealing with the sacraments and why he saw it sufficient enough to deal with them in other chapters the way he did. perhaps he should add an appendix for future editions adding the tenth mark of “a biblical understanding and practice of the sacraments” with a note exhorting pastors to teach their people the biblical understanding and practice of the sacraments as their tradition sees fit.
but of course we know the presbyterian understanding and practice of the sacraments is the correct one
February 3rd, 2006 | #
I do think it is sad when the main thing that matters about the Lord’s Supper (or baptism, for that matter) to a pastor is that certain people be excluded. If your doctrine of the sacraments leads you to believe that this is so, then it is faulty (or you are not thinking about it correctly), because the Lord obviously meant it as a table set for the needs of his (needy) people. The Lord has entrusted his church with certain means for the building up of his people. Not only that, he has entrusted no one else with this.
February 7th, 2006 | #
(not to say that the exclusion of certain people is not important. However, it is the one and only thing to a lot of people.)
February 7th, 2006 | #
Nine Marks is a fantastic book. Interestingly enough, my pastor is having me read Philip Ryken’s City on a Hill (among other things) before I come on staff in June. So far, it seems awfully similar to Dever’s book. Have you ever read it, Brandon?
March 9th, 2006 | #
rae,
no, i’ve not read that on. i don’t know that i’ve heard of it either, although i, of course, have heard of Ryken. Dever’s book is definitely a great one. very easy to understand and very well written. i’d say it’s probably the second best book on the church that i’ve read, the best being R.B. Kuiper’s The Glorious Body of Christ. i’ve also received a copy of Harry Reeder’s new book From Embers to a Flame: How God can Revitalize Your Church, and i hope to get that one read sometime soon as well.
what else are they having you read?
March 9th, 2006 | #
Let’s see . . .
Frame’s Doctrine of the Knowledge of God
Driscoll’s The Radical Reformission
Robert Webber’s The Younger Evangelicals
Michael Williams’ Far As The Curse is Found or Horton’s God of Promise
Paul David Tripp’s Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands
David Hansen’s The Art of Pastoring
Kenneth Haugk’s Antagonists in the Church
Peter Scazzero’s The Emotionally Healthy Church
Also, Jim Collins’ Good to Great which isn’t theological (or even Christian) at all, and is more about management and such.
Dang . . . after typing that out, I realize how full my plate is!
March 10th, 2006 | #
sounds like a good list. i haven’t read Frame’s Knowledge, but i have read parts of his The Doctrine of God and it’s really good and very beneficial. i’ve heard the latter is a lot easier to read than the former, so good luck with it!
other than Driscoll’s book, i haven’t heard of any of the other ones. definitely report on how they are!
March 14th, 2006 | #