Geoffrey Thomas
The Man of God: His Calling and Godly Life: Volume 1 of Pastoral Theology
Albert N. Martin
Trinity Pulpit Press, 2018
Think for a moment of the pleasure of reading, of sitting quietly in a room with a suitable light trained upon the pages of a book, and being drawn into its subject, page by page, and so being enlightened, convicted, challenged, encouraged and feeling some thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ that this literature has been brought into your life at that time by the mercies of God, to do you good, to make you a better person. You close it at the end of a chapter with a quiet spirit of thankfulness and prayer. You have jotted down in the blank pages at the end of the book observations that have come to you. You have thought of others whom you believe need to read it. Can you encourage that eventuality? That is fruitful and blessed reading.
Now such a response to a book would be one high privilege so that you ask yourself, ‘Why don’t I spend more hours reading books?’ Would that the turning of pages always bring such happy consequences to our souls, but thank God it is occasionally thus.
We have in Pastoral Theology, Volume 1: The Man of God, His Calling and Godly Life by Albert N. Martin a very important and so a necessary book for the whole professing church today, especially its officers. It is the fruit of a long and very useful ministry in which the finest historical books on the work of the minister have been studied and digested. The contents of this books have further been taught to men preparing for the ministry in the context of the dynamism and interchange of the classroom. There is also the living out and applying of these truths in the context of more than forty years of Dr. Martin pastoring one congregation, so that finally, with the assistance of a band of discerning men, this the first of three projected volumes has appeared to give to the twenty-first century church a substantial work focused on the life of the man of God.
The book begins with a thirty-five page biographical sketch of Al Martin by John Reuther of Lumberton, New Jersey. It is a useful introduction to the life of the author for younger men whose only exposure to Pastor Martin might have been through his many recorded sermons. Then there follows two units of 13 or 14 chapters. The first (220 pp.) is on “The Call of the Man of God” and it covers such topics such as the nature of the call, fundamental errors regarding the call, aspirations to the office, the qualifications of Christian character, experience, mental gifts, spiritual gifts, speaking gifts, leadership gifts, the source of spiritual giftedness, the confirmation to the pastoral office and recognition and ordination to the pastoral office.
The second unit is entitled “The Life of the Man of God” (210 pp.) and considers his relationship with God spiritually (three chapters), his relationship to God intellectually, physically and emotionally, his relationship to his people (three further chapters), and to the man of God in his relationship to himself, and his times, his manifold responsibilities, while the closing two chapters focus on his relationship to his domestic responsibilities. Not since Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students has there appeared a book on that theme which is so steady, theologically orthodox, searching, exhaustive, comprehensive, and encouraging in its approach to the work of the minister. One longs that every theological student over the world would take up this book, find a quiet spot, and read it soberly, expressing thanks that in God’s providence it has been brought into his life. He would find that there is scarcely a page which does not produce a Scripture that is examined and applied to the matter at hand. He would also find quotations from the leading theologians and preachers since the time of Spurgeon’s lectures on this challenging theme, further amplifying and developing his foundational insights.
There are rare occasions of disagreements with Spurgeon, but stated most humbly and respectfully. Those discovered quotations are intensely valuable and in themselves are worth the price of the book, as they refresh the reader with respect to the opinions of men who were mightily used by God.
Dr. Martin and his supporters have put the evangelical world, its pulpits and seminaries, in his debt. The book has been a true means of grace to me. Our pulpits are displaying too much weakness. Where are the gospel preachers with an awakening ministry? May this book give us vital help. May we all live to see revived pulpits everywhere in the world.
It is only right to add that the book is a joy to handle. It has a smooth and attractive cover, is elegantly designed and typeset, and printed on cream paper. It ought to make fellow publishers open their eyes and notice.
GEOFF THOMAS
Review published by the Banner of Truth Magazine in the January 2019 issue
Available at Trinity Book Service