Book Review on "Critical Review of Him We Proclaim by Dennis Johnson"

Book Review 8 pages (2532 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Johnson portrays a well- thought of and rounded argument for an apostolic reading and preaching of Scripture, stressing Christ, redemptive accounts, missions and God's grace. The stress properly displays the canonical outlook of Scripture, but misses inclusion of ethics ("Book Review: Him We Proclaim by Dennis E. Johnson" 2014, para19&20).

There have been several debates on the history of the church, continuing even today concerning the connection amid law and gospel, the function of the OT law, the canon and certain models of progressive dedication, in addition to the ethics of the NT like the function of the Sermon on the Mount in connection to the Pauline epistles. Johnson encourages a redemptive-historical interpretation of Scripture and differentiates it from the faults in some dispensational attitudes, but never denies the Theonomic Reconstructionism present in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He criticizes structured preaching, but fails to offer substantial alternative for grounding the essentials of Scripture. He provides a short explanation on "Preaching Christ to Effect New Creation Transformation" that embeds the twin notions that apostolic application fosters refrains on grace and exhibits the feel of renewal in God's image. However, such a short treatment hardly solves the ethical questions that have been stated above. A heavy and contentious issue like that deserves more treatment in an otherwise almost thorough work ("Book Review: Him We Proclaim by Dennis E. Johnson" 2014, para 21&22).

Insightful Interpretation

Johnson is familiar with the common passion as that possessed by patristic, medieval and restoration exegetes concerning the heavenly inspiration of Scripture and the value of the whole norm as an interpretive horizon. In addition, he appropriately observes that both the metaphor and typology are basically subgroups of allegory and continuum points (Johnson 2007, 198). He conveys a fresh approach to an assessment of the distinctions amid the Alexandrian and Antiochene interpretational schools while including the restoration outlook as a useful chastening on the surplus that resulted to medieval exegesis. It is weird for various modern conservative academics to greatly concentrate on the typological perspective of the OT while simultaneously refuting that the distinction between metaphor and typology is a subject of scale and not variety. The writer's outlook on this matter is a useful corrective to various disparities in the larger Protestant custom of biblical understanding, staying true to the teaching and model of the Apostles in spite of various modern developments towards a simply literary reading of the book ("Book Review: Him We Proclaim by Dennis E. Johnson" 2014, para17&18).

Due to Johnson's dedication to interrelate with the individuals who do not agree with his approach, the text is subdivided into two halves. The first (for would be converts) is called "The Case for Apostolic, Christocentric Preaching" (chapter two and five). It is a more contrite division that defends apostolic homiletics and hermeneutics "historically, polemically, and exegetically." Here, Johnson evaluates the methods that take apostolic canon seriously, yet, reject the hermeneutics they utilized to reach there. Johnson implies strongly that quite a few evangelicals are so dedicated to the "grammatico-historical" approach that they are unable to welcome any meaning of an OT passage which might be beyond the understanding of the initial readers and hearers. Johnson avers however that this is exactly what the apostles frequently presumed. Johnson aims to assist us through illustration: the OT is somehow comparable to a detective novel. In the beginning of the narrative, the characters are not inclined to or incapable of anticipating the eventual conclusion of the narrative. Nonetheless, after the last page discloses the executor, the text may then be read backward, and the several initial clues start making sense ("Him We Proclaim Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures"2014, para5-7).

Proceeding from this contentious sector, "The Practice of Apostolic, Christocentric Preaching" (chapter six and ten) shifts from defensive to offensive. Aiming to help those willing to implement the apostolic approach, Johnson develops a theoretical outline and concrete tactics for the aforesaid hermeneutic/homiletic. In these two wide sections of the text, there exists thriving and separate chapters to be absorbed. The first chapter, an analysis of Priorities and Polarities in Preaching, studies the contemporary advances towards preaching that restrict their intention for teaching. The fourth chapter is an offensive reflection of the responsibility of backdrop in the accounts of biblical understanding that makes the implication that our trustworthy dedication to the grammatico-historical approach might have led us to be just as narrow-minded as the figurative interpreters starting from the "Patristics' to the "medieval" academics. Certainly not everyone concurs with Johnson's case- not even free-thinkers who recoil at the thought of a heavenly, singular authorship. Even in evangelicalism, some shall object Johnson. For one issue, dispensationalist shall take issue with a lot of what is suggested by Johnson, and truly, the writer seeks to ward off numerous of their possible oppositions. Others might still find fault with the hermeneutic being suggested, specifically if they are scared of the danger of abandoning the goal, a literal understanding of the OT.

Conclusion

Him We Proclaim readers ought to carefully consider Johnson's debates and apologetic in order to arrive at definite conclusions. Apostolic preaching should not just praise the gospel's grace, but also vividly explain the nature of the ethical liberty that is found in Christ. While the writer has provided a profound treatment of the issues tackled, omitting the question of ethics greatly untouched is a considerable lacuna in a book based on preaching the entire God's guidance ("Him We Proclaim Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures"2014, para8-10).

The book, Him We Proclaim is properly-argued, comprehensive evaluation, apologetic, and description of a completely biblical school of interpretation that offers better insight and transparency to the function and nature of biblical account. The text is historically informed, exegetically-founded, reasonable, and whichever interlocutor shall have a heavy job in seeking to disprove Johnson's strong argument for apostolic hermeneutics and homiletics.

Reference list

Johnson, Dennis E. 2007. Him we proclaim: preaching Christ from all the scriptures. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Pub.

"Book Review: Him We Proclaim by Dennis E. Johnson." March 3, 2014. BC Askins. Accessed… READ MORE

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