Every once in a while a book comes along and you just know it will stir up evangelical discussion. This kind of a book usually addresses a topic of peculiar interest or debate for the time. It does so with uncommon wisdom and skill. And it regularly comes from the pen of a most trusted author.
If those criteria are true, then Sinclair Ferguson’s forthcoming The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters will surely be a conversation starter in our circles. The sanctification debates of recent times have often needed a mature, seasoned voice to cut through all the rhetorical noise. Sinclair Ferguson is indeed a voice worth listening to on this most timely topic. He uses the Marrow Controversy as the backdrop for rightly understanding the gospel’s relation to holiness and assurance. If you know nothing about the Marrow Men you are in for a historical treat. If you know all about Marrow theology you know why this context is vital for our day.
Read the summary below and then check out the endorsements—the praise is already running unusually high. The Whole Christ is scheduled to drop January 31, 2016.
Book Summary
Since the days of the early church, Christians have struggled to understand the relationship between two seemingly contradictory concepts in the Bible: law and gospel. If, as the apostle Paul says, the law cannot save, what can it do? Is it merely an ancient relic from Old Testament Israel to be discarded? Or is it still valuable for Christians today? Helping modern Christians think through this complex issue, seasoned pastor and theologian Sinclair Ferguson carefully leads readers to rediscover an eighteenth-century debate that sheds light on this present-day doctrinal conundrum: the Marrow Controversy. After sketching the history of the debate, Ferguson moves on to discuss the theology itself, acting as a wise guide for walking the path between legalism (overemphasis on the law) on the one side and antinomianism (wholesale rejection of the law) on the other.
Endorsements
“The volume in your hands is not just a helpful historical reflection but also a tract for the times. Sinclair does a good job of recounting the Marrow Controversy in an accessible and interesting way. However, his real aim is not merely to do that. Against the background and features of that older dispute, he wants to help us understand the character of this perpetual problem—one that bedevils the church today. He does so in the most illuminating and compelling way I’ve seen in recent evangelical literature.”
Timothy J. Keller, Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City; best-selling author, The Reason for God
“This book has three things I’m very interested in: eighteenth century Scottish church history, doctrinal clarity on the gospel, and learning from Sinclair Ferguson. As fascinating as this work is as a piece of historical analysis, it is even more important as a careful biblical and theological guide to the always-relevant controversies surrounding legalism, antinomianism, and assurance. I’m thankful Ferguson has put his scholarly mind and pastoral heart to work on such an important topic.”
Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor, University Reformed Church, East Lansing, Michigan
“This book could not come at a better time or from a better source. Sinclair Ferguson brings to life a very important controversy in the past to shed light on contemporary debates. But The Whole Christ is more than a deeply informed survey of the Marrow Controversy. It is the highest-quality pastoral wisdom and doctrinal reflection on the most central issue in any age.”
Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California; author, Calvin on the Christian Life
“Ferguson unearths an ancient debate and shows its compelling relevance to gospel preaching and Christian living. This may be Sinclair’s best and most important book. Take up and read!”
Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor, Parkside Church, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
“Sinclair Ferguson scratches through the surface definitions that we have become comfortable with when it comes to legalism and antinomianism, to reveal the marrow, the whole Christ. When we are offered the whole Christ in the gospel, we do not want to settle for anything that undermines the greatness and power of God’s grace. Both pastors and lay people will benefit from reading this historical, theological, and practical book.”
Aimee Byrd, author, Housewife Theologian and Theological Fitness
“Would it be an exaggeration to insist that the issue dealt with in this book is more important than any other that one might suggest? No, it would not be an exaggeration! For, as Ferguson makes all too clear, the issue is the very definition of the gospel itself. Preaching Christ requires constant and diligent self-examination of what we understand by and how we communicate the gospel. The errors of antinomianism and legalism lie ready to allure unwary hucksters content with mere slogans and rhetoric. I can think of no one I trust more to explore and examine this vital subject than Sinclair Ferguson. For my part, this is one of the most important and definitive books I have read in over four decades.”
Derek Thomas, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina; Robert Strong Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia
“I marvel at Sinclair Ferguson’s grasp of historical detail, but I praise God more for Sinclair’s love of and zeal for gospel clarity. The grace that saves our souls and enables our obedience is defined, distinguished, and treasured in this discussion of our faith forefather’s wrestling to keep the proclamation of the gospel free from human error or contribution.”
Bryan Chapell, President Emeritus, Covenant Theological Seminary; Senior Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Illinois
“This is a stellar exposition. It takes up the perennial issue of how grace and works relate to each other in our salvation. Ferguson begins with an old debate that took place in Scotland to illumine the issues at stake. He writes with deep knowledge and acute judgment, bringing clarity and insight to this issue and showing us the way out of our contemporary muddle.”
David F. Wells, Distinguished Senior Research Professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary