A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
by Fred G. Zaspel
Throughout most of 2024 and continuing into this year, Books At a Glance has featured a series of Author Interviews with Dr. Stephen Wellum, working out way through his new and already highly acclaimed Systematic Theology. In these interviews Wellum gives us a helpful sampling of each chapter – sometimes in some depth – and we encourage you to catch up on all these for your own edification and as an aid as you read through the book yourself.
One helpful feature of Wellum’s work is his casting the biblical teaching in contrast to contemporary challenges. In addition to his expounding of doctrine, then, there is a certain polemic aspect to his work. And this he does throughout, from the task of systematic theology itself to the individual doctrines.
In part 4 (chapters 16-23) Wellum begins his treatment of theology proper. In chapter 16 (“The God Who Is There: Contemporary Discussion.”) Wellum addresses some contemporary challenges to the doctrine of God – challenges from religious pluralism, philosophy, and our own culture. After highlighting these areas of concern, he contrasts them all with the biblical presentation of God which he summarizes crisply and in brief.
When we turn to Scripture, we find the opposite view of God from that of our culture. Instead of the “problem” of God, we are confronted with the glory and majesty of our triune Creator-covenant Lord, who alone is God and worthy of all of our thinking, love, and obedience. From Genesis to Revelation, God is presented as the eternal, holy, simple, self-sufficient triune Lord, who by his own sovereign and gracious choice created all things for his own glory (Gen 1–2; Exod 3:14; Ps 50:12–14; John 1:1–3; Acts 17:24–25; Rom 11:33–36). For this reason, he alone is the Creator and Lord and utterly unique (sui generis); everything else is the finite, temporal creation, which is dependent on him for life and all things. He alone is the transcendent, holy One who is sovereign over all and the covenant Lord who is fully present with us and who freely, purposely, and effectually sustains and governs all things to his intended end (Ps 139:1–10; Isa 40:12–31; Dan 4:34–35; Acts 17:28; Eph 1:11). As the triune Lord, he rules with perfect knowledge and righteousness; his sovereign will cannot be thwarted (Pss 9:8; 33:5; 139:1–4, 16; Isa 46:9–11; Acts 4:27–28). Indeed, as the triune-personal God (Matt 28:18–20; John 1:1–18; 5:16–30; 17:1–5; 1 Cor 8:5–6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 1:3–14), he commands, loves, comforts, and judges consistent with himself and according to the covenant relationships that he establishes with his creatures….
Ultimately, all false thinking in systematic theology is due to wrong ideas about God. For example, to misunderstand God’s triune nature; how the divine persons relate to each other from eternity; the nature of God’s attributes; and his works of creation, providence, redemption, and judgment will only lead to an impoverished theology that is disastrous for the church and in which God’s name and glory will be dishonored.
What is our greatest need in the church? It is this: to remove from our thinking false ideas about God and to place him at the center of our thinking, preaching, and lives (pp.540-541).