“The emanation or communication of the divine fullness, consisting in the knowledge of God, love to him, and joy in him, has relation indeed both to God and the creature: but it has relation to God as its fountain, as the thing communicated is something of its internal fullness. The water in the stream is something of the fountain; and the beams of the sun are something of the sun. And again, they have relation to God as their object: for the knowledge communicated is the knowledge of God; and the love communicated, is the love of God; and the happiness communicated, is joy in God. In the creature’s knowing, esteeming, loving, rejoicing in, and praising God, the glory of God is both exhibited and acknowledged, his fullness is received and returned. Here is both an emanation and remanation. The refulgence shines upon and into the creature, and is reflected back to the luminary. The beams of glory come from God, are something of God, and are refunded back again to their original. So that the whole is of God, and in God, and to God; and he is the beginning, and the middle, and the end.” – Jonathan Edwards, The End for Which God Created the World
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is one of my heroes. He is arguably the greatest theologian America ever produced. I enjoy reading what he prolifically wrote. I also enjoy reading books about him that are prolifically written. One such publication is entitled God’s Passion for His Glory by another great American theologian; Dr. John Piper.
Published in 1998, I periodically find myself returning to its pages for refreshment and fresh insights by two men passionate for the glory of God. The first lived in the 18th century colonial America while the second lives in the 21st century Representative Republic of America. Both preached the truth, and lived, in light of the all-encompassing, eternal and holy God of heaven and earth.
God’s Passion for His Glory containstwo main sections. PART ONE is entitled A Personal Encounter with Jonathan Edwards by John Piper. It consists to four chapters: CHAPTER ONE: The End for Which God Created the World: Why Publish an Old Book? A Personal and Public Concern. CHAPTER TWO: Jonathan Edwards, The Man and His Life: Learning from an Unmodern Evangelical. CHAPTER THREE: Jonathan Edwards, A Mind in Love with God: The Private Life of a Modern Evangelical. CHAPTER FOUR: Jonathan Edwards, Enjoying God and the Transformation of Culture; The Public Life of a Modern Evangelical.
PART TWO is a reprint of Edwards’ work The End for Which God Created the World. The book contains an introduction, and two chapters; respectively containing three and seven sections. Dr. Piper adds a preface to PART TWO entitled A Note on How to Read the End for Which God Created the World.
[The secondary teacher] should regard himself as learning from the masters along with his [students]. He should not act as if he were a primary teacher, using a great book as if it were just another textbook of the sort one of his colleagues might write. He should not masquerade as one who knows and can teach by virtue of his original discoveries. . . . The primary sources of his own knowledge should be the primary sources of learning for his students, and such a teacher functions honestly only if he does not aggrandize himself by coming between the great books and their . . . readers. He should not “come between” as a nonconductor, but he should come between as a mediator—as one who helps the less competent make more effective contacts with the best minds,” explains author Mortimer Adler, How To Read a Book.
I find it is best to read this work in brief portions. This enables the reader to thoroughly digest the magnitude of thoughts presented by both John Piper and Jonathan Edwards. There is great value in reading God’s Passion for His Glory as the secondary teacher, John Piper, brings clarity for today’s reader from the work of the primary teacher, Jonathan Edwards.
“The longer I live, the more clearly I see my dependence on those who have gone before. The more I know of what others have thought, the less original my thinking appears. I am content to have it so. For, at least in the realm of truth, the ancient Preacher does not overstate the case when he says: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9),” explains Dr. Piper.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 