Spirituality

The Best Children’s Bibles

~ Shawn Woo ~ 12 Comments

In the process of identifying the best Bible for teaching the children at my church, I looked through 20 different children’s Bibles (CB). I first determined the appropriate age group of the Bibles, then pinned them on the scale of dynamic (sense for sense) or formal (word for word) equivalence:

D2 (Most dynamically equivalent, a rather “free” translation with creative license)
D1 (More dynamically equivalent)
N (Neutral, somewhat dynamic and somewhat formal)
F1 (More formally equivalent)
F2 (Most formally equivalent, a rather “rigid” translation with little variance from the original text)

Then, I used the following criteria to judge the usefulness of the Bibles:

Scriptural Fidelity: Does the CB accurately convey the message of the original text of Scripture without adding extraneous details or subtracting essential details?

Theology: Does the CB feature orthodox and appropriate theological interpretation that highlight the main idea and purpose of the text? Does it look ahead to Jesus Christ who fulfills the whole Scripture (Matthew 5:17-20)?

Comprehensiveness: Does the CB include most of the stories from the original text of Scripture?

Storytelling: Is the narrative flow of the CB fluent, clear, engaging, and inspiring?

Illustration: Are the accompanying illustrations in the CB colorful, beautiful, imaginative, intelligible, and faithful to the cultural context and the original text of Scripture?

Interactiveness: Does the CB involve the reader in dialogue? Does it include questions, summaries, and other interactive features that facilitate understanding and encourage personal response?

I scored them on a five point scale (1-Very Bad; 2-Bad; 3-Okay; 4-Good; 5-Very Good) and then calculated their averages. They are listed below from best to worst for Preschool, Kindergarten, and Primary/Elementary levels, respectively.

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PRESCHOOL LEVEL

The Big Picture Story Bible
Edited by David Helm and Illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker
Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 2004 ($21.20)

Preschool; D2
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 5 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 2 of 5 (26 stories)
Storytelling: 5 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 3 of 5
Total Score: 4.0

Comment: This is the best CB for the Preschool age group, and it’s the only one that comments on the protoevangelion, or the first proclamation of the gospel, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This, of course, predicts Jesus’s atonement and ultimate victory over Satan. The Big Picture Story Bible traces the redemptive narrative of Christ through all of its stories. Unfortunately, it only has twenty-six stories.

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100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs
Created by Stephen Elkins and Illustrated by Tim O’Connor
Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 2004 ($17.09)

Preschool; D1
Scriptural Fidelity: 4 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (100 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 5 of 5
Total: 3.8

Comment: 100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs includes 2 CDs that contain 100 songs that accompany each of the stories. They are memorable and fun. The stories themselves are interesting and fluid, and the illustrations are colorful and pleasant. It euphemizes certain aspects of the stories. For example, God says to Abraham, “take Isaac and give him back to me” (26), instead of telling him to sacrifice Isaac. At the end of each story, there’s a summary observation, an interpretive statement, and an application statement.

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The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
Edited by Kenneth N. Taylor and Illustrated by Annabel Spenceley
Moody Press, Chicago, 2002 ($13.67)

Preschool; D2
Scriptural Fidelity: 3 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (184 stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 3 of 5
Interactiveness: 5 of 5
Total: 3.7

Comment: The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes has little theological interpretation. The stories are minimalistic and sometimes missing crucial details. For example, why is God sending a flood? It is not explained. It only mentions that God tells Noah to build a boat in order to save him. The illustrations are colorful, but pretty pedestrian. In the story of the Fall, a raccoon is pictured instead of a snake for some unknown reason. Satan is not even mentioned. At the end of each story, there are 2-3 questions that summarize the narrative details. It also features a short prayer at the end of each story (e.g. “Lord, I want to be like Noah and do just what You tell me to do” (24).

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A Child’s First Bible
Edited by Kenneth N. Taylor and illustrated by Nadine Wickenden and Diana Catchpole
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 2000 ($7.34)

Preschool; D2
Scriptural Fidelity: 3 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (125 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 3 of 5
Interactiveness: 4 of 5
Total: 3.3

Comment: The stories are very abbreviated and require a lot of supplementary explanation. For example, in the story of the Fall, it simply says that Adam and Eve did not obey God. It neither mentions the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil nor Satan. It does recapitulate every story at the end of each section, and encourages readers to respond to the content.

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My First Bible in Pictures
Edited by Kenneth N. Taylor and Illustrated by Richard and Frances Hook
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 1989 ($8.99)

Prechool; D2
Scriptural Fidelity: 3 of 5
Theology: 2 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (125 stories)
Storytelling: 2 of 5
Illustration: 2 of 5
Interactiveness: 2 of 5
Total: 2.5

Comment: The brusque storytelling and minimalistic detail of My First Bible in Pictures make it liable to misunderstanding. It omits crucial details, such as, why God is sending a flood, and why God doesn’t want people to build the Tower of Babel. Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden simply because they “did something God told them not to do,” which begs the question, “what exactly did God tell Adam and Eve not to do?” Also, the illustrations are boring and unimaginative. An overwhelming majority of them have a dreary, yellow hue. The Bible does include a question at the end of each story, but most of the time they simply miss the point, e.g. “What was Elijah’s horses made of?” Fiery horses are great but that’s really not the point of the story.

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KINDERGARTEN LEVEL

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name
Edited by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Illustrated by Jago
Zonderkidz, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2007 ($10.50)

Kindergarten; D2
Scriptural Fidelity: 4 of 5
Theology: 5 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 3 of 5 (44 stories)
Storytelling: 5 of 5
Illustration: 5 of 5
Interactiveness: 3 of 5
Total: 4.2

Comment: The Jesus Storybook Bible takes the top prize for the Kindergarten age group. It should be noted, however, that it is a Storybook, which means that it does, on rare occasions, take creative license to enhance the storytelling. For example, when Jesus multiplies the loaves of bread and fish, he “wink[s] at the little boy and whisper[s] to his ear, ‘Watch!’” before performing the miracle (246). It has minor inaccuracies, such as Jacob having to work another seven years to marry Rachel (72), when, in reality, he gets to marry Rachel one week after marrying Leah, even though he is obligated to stay and work another seven years. I’m being nitpicky here because the book is so good overall. The illustrations are fun, colorful and imaginative. They are more cartoonish than realistic, but they are beautiful. The most important aspect of this CB is that it comments on how every story from the beginning to the end points to Jesus. It highlights the redemptive narrative and tells the story very well. At certain points, I was moved to tears by the compelling narrative. It has no additional features intended to facilitate reader engagement, but the narrative dialogues with the reader.

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Adventure Bible Storybook
Edited by Catherine DeVries and Illustrated by Jim Madsen
Zonderkidz, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2009 ($14.52)

Kindergarten; D2
Scriptural Fidelity: 3 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 3 of 5 (51 stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 5 of 5
Interactiveness: 5 of 5
Total: 3.8

Comment: The Adventure Bible Storybook adds extraneous details such as Noah’s wife accidentally bumping into Noah and saying “Oops, sorry” (19). It also subtly rationalizes certain miracles, for example, by randomly noting that “it probably took eight to twelve hours for the [Red Sea] to part” (57). On a better note, it does emphasize God’s love weaving the entire Biblical narrative together. The storytelling is engaging, and the illustrations are very detailed and realistic. At the end of each story, it follows its “Adventure” theme and includes an “Adventure Discovery,” which recaps the story, and “Words to Treasure,” which is a relevant memory verse.

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Read and Learn Bible: Stories from the Old and New Testaments
Edited by Eva Moore and Illustrated by Duendes del Sur and Walter Carzon
Scholastic, Inc., New York, American Bible Society, 2011 ($10.79)

Kindergarten; F1
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (102 Stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 3 of 5
Total: 3.7

Comment: The Read and Learn Bible sticks pretty closely to the original text of Scripture with little additional theological interpretation. However, it has helpful study notes interspersed throughout the stories. For example, a study note explains that “The Hebrew word for Adam means ‘of the ground’ or ‘from the red earth’ and is also used as a general word for ‘humankind’ or ‘people'” (15). Other times, there are unhelpful implications, e.g. a study note asks the question, “How does Jesus heal today?” and answers: a) doctors and nurses b) hugs from parents and friends c) love and care from parents and grandparents, but does not suggest that Jesus heals miraculously today (5). The illustrations are colorful and beautiful, but most characters have staid expressions.

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Read with Me Bible (NIrV Bible Storybook)
Edited by Doris Rikkers and Jean E. Syswerda and Illustrated by Dennis Jones
Zonderkidz, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000 ($13.48)

Kindergarten; F1
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (105 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 5 of 5
Interactiveness: 1 of 5
Total: 3.5

Comment: This is basically New International Reader’s Version with illustrations.

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My First Bible Storybook
Edited by Michael Berghof and Illustrated by Jacob Kramer
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, 2011 ($11.05)

Kindergarten; D1
Scriptural Fidelity: 4 of 5
Theology: 4 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (72 Stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 1 of 5
Total: 3.5

Comment: My First Bible Storybook is a very average CB. Nothing about it is very impressive, but nothing about it is bad either. The theology is solid, although it gets speculative at some points. For example, it describes God’s original creation as “perfect” and that all the animals got along. Though this is a widely-accepted inference, it is still speculative since Genesis does not mention it. It may be interpolating the Biblical concept of the New Heavens and the New Earth (Isa. 11:6) into the concept of the first Heavens and the Earth. Illustrations are engaging and expressive, but on rare occasions they don’t quite fit the text (e.g. when Adam names the “giraffe, rhinoceros, … [and] kangaroo,” an ostrich, chipmunk, rabbit, and fox are illustrated) (18).

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The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories
Edited by Karyn Henley and Illustrated by Dennas Davis
Zonderkidz, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997 ($? discontinued)

Kindergarten; N
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (95 stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 1 of 5
Total: 3.5

Comment: The Beginner’s Bible (1997) has no features that facilitate reader response or interaction. However, it is faithful to the original text of Scripture. The storytelling and the illustrations are also solid.

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beginner's bible

The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories
Edited by Kelly Pulley
Zonderkidz, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2005 ($10.50)

Kindergarten; N
Scriptural Fidelity: 4 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (94 stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 1 of 5
Total: 3.3

Comment: The Beginner’s Bible (2005) is a revision of The Beginner’s Bible (1997) above under the same title and an almost identical cover. However, it has a new author and the illustrations are different, though they have the same style. It has better chapter headings than the original, but the narrative is not as true to the sense of the original text of Scripture. For example, in the original, God says, “I am sorry that I made people. I will start all over again” (30), and then sends the flood. In the newer edition, God sends the flood because “[He] was sad that everyone but Noah forgot about him” (28). In the original, God destroys the Tower of Babel because he sees that men were “selfish and proud” (39), in the newer edition, God destroys the Tower of Babel because He did not like that people “act[ed] … as if they no longer needed him” (36). These shifts make God seem like a tyrant whose feelings are hurt rather than a holy God that demands obedience.

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Eager Reader Bible: Bible Stories to Grow On
Edited by Daryl J. Lucas and Illustrated by Daniel J. Hochstatter
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 1994 ($12.81)

Kindergarten; D1
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (105 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 2 of 5
Interactiveness: 3 of 5
Total: 3.3

Comment: The Eager Reader Bible features average storytelling and average illustrations that are nothing out of the ordinary. Each story ends with a question about a narrative detail in the story, e.g. “What did Noah use to build the ark?” “Who came to Lot’s house?” “Who found baby Moses?” The interaction is good, but these questions do not capture the point of the story.

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PRIMARY/ELEMENTARY LEVEL

The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments
Edited by Marty Machowski and Illustrated by A.E. Macha
New Growth Press, Greensboro, NC, 2011 ($24.61)

Primary/Elementary School; D1
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 5 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (156 stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 3 of 5
Interactiveness: 5 of 5
Total: 4.3

Comment: The introduction to The Gospel Story Bible suggests that it is suitable for preschoolers. This is hardly true. The writing is too sophisticated, and its theological interpolations are too obscure for preschoolers. Even the illustrations, while beautiful and imaginative, are too abstract to be engaging for the younger children. With that said, this is the best of its kind for children in primary/elementary school. It is rich with theological analyses and every story points ahead to Jesus Christ. Each story concludes with a “Let’s Talk About It” section, which has three questions related to the story.

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The Action Bible: God’s Redemptive Story
Edited by Doug Mauss and Illustrated by Sergio Cariello
David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO, 2010 ($10.99)

Primary/Elementary; D1
Scriptural Fidelity: 4 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 5 of 5 (214 Stories)
Storytelling: 4 of 5
Illustration: 5 of 5
Interactiveness: 3 of 5
Total: 4.0

Comment: The Action Bible is unique in its comic book like features and design, and it’s truly a boon to our highly visual culture (illustration-wise, it probably deserves a ‘6’ on a 5-point scale). The translation is solid, although it does editorialize a bit. For example, in the story where a group of youth jeer at Elisha and consequently get mauled by she-bears, Mauss and Cariello portray the youth as a “gang of young men” threatening to kill Elijah (405). This is clearly an attempt to “vindicate” God by making his punishment more palatable. However, the Bible does not hint at the murderous intent of the youth. Rather, the issue at hand is that “The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward” (Matthew 10:41). Since the prophet is God’s representative, mockery of God’s prophet is mockery of God Himself, so this story showcases God’s irreproachable holiness, not his despotic cruelty.
As for theological content, the Action Bible does not highlight the redemptive aspect of the Bible nearly as much as one might expect, given that it’s subtitled God’s Redemptive Story. It captures the moral of the stories well, but often misses the theological heart of the stories. For example, after nearly getting sacrificed by his father Abraham, Isaac concludes, “From my father I learned the cost of faith–and from God I learned the reward of faith” (63). It’s profound, but it fails to point out that Isaac’s experience foreshadows the work of the only begotten Son of God, who will climb up another mountain, carrying wood on his back, and actually be sacrificed, so that Isaac, you, or I would not have to pay for our sins.

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The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories
Edited by Mary Batchelor and Illustrated by John Haysom
David C Cook, Colorado Springs, CO, 1995 ($17.09)

Primary/Elementary; D1
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 5 of 5 (365 stories)
Storytelling: 5 of 5
Illustration: 5 of 5
Interactiveness: 1 of 5
Total: 4.0

Comment: Overall, The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories is excellent, although it offers little theological interpretation. For example, it does not even mention that the story of the Prodigal Son reveals God’s love for us. It has highly detailed and realistic illustrations. Its scope is comprehensive. Unfortunately, however, it offers no interactive features.

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The Golden Children’s Bible: The Old Testament and the New Testament
Edited by Rev. Joseph A. Grispino, Dr. Samuel Terrien, and Rabbi David H. Wice and Illustrated by Jose Miralles
A Golden Book, New York, 1993 ($11.55)

Primary/Elementary; F2
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 5 of 5 (373 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 2 of 5
Total: 3.7

Comment: To its credit, The Golden Children’s Bible is unique in that it was approved by an editorial board of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars. However, it does not read very much like a children’s Bible. The storytelling is fairly prosaic. The illustrations are highly detailed and realistic. It also features maps and photographs that explicate the historical background of the stories. However, I am docking one point in illustration because of the jarring pictures of Jesus who has blonde hair and blue eyes. These Aryan features are obviously inaccurate and actually quite distracting since everybody else has brown hair and eyes (check pages 359 and 397).

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The Children’s Bible: Illustrated Stories from the Old and New Testaments
Edited by Fiona Tulloch and Illustrated by Q2A Media
Arcturus Publishing Limited, London, UK ($ Varies)

Primary/Elementary; F1
Scriptural Fidelity: 3 of 5
Theology: 2 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (143 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 4 of 5
Interactiveness: 4 of 5
Total: 3.3

Comment: It does not seem that The Children’s Bible was vetted theologically. In the creation story, it says that “God had finished His creation and needed to rest” (11; italics added), as if he were tired. Furthermore, it resorts to careless, fairy-tale language when it says that Adam and Eve were “banished from the Garden of Eden forever” (13), that God expelled Cain to the “land of Nod to wander the earth forever” (15), and that Noah “served God faithfully every day of his long and happy life” (17). Humanity was not banned from the “Garden of Eden” forever, they can enter into the presence of God in heaven through Jesus Christ. Also, Cain is not still wandering the earth today… In terms of interactive features, The Children’s Bible includes a study note on every other page or so, intended to help children understand the stories better. For example, one such note tells you that “A parable is a simple story that is used to teach people lessons” (130), and another helpful one tells you that “The name Christ comes from the Greek word ‘Christos,’ meaning anointed or chosen one. ‘Messiah’ means the same thing” (175).

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The Illustrated Children’s Bible
Edited by Christopher Morris and Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
Harcourt Brace & Company, Orlando, FL, 1993 ($12.95)

Primary/Elementary; F2
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (141 stories)
Storytelling: 2 of 5
Illustration: 3 of 5
Interactiveness: 3 of 5
Total: 3.3

Comment: The Illustrated Children’s Bible is fairly comprehensive with 141 stories and dozens of maps and notes on the historical background. However, it’s a bit dense and prosaic. In fact, in many places, it simply extracts the passages directly from the King James Version and condenses them.

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The Doubleday Illustrated Children’s Bible
Edited by Sandol Stoddard and Illustrated by Tony Chen
Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, NY, 1983 ($6.95)

Primary/Elementary; F1
Scriptural Fidelity: 5 of 5
Theology: 3 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (108 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 3 of 5
Interactiveness: 1 of 5
Total: 3.2

Comment: The Doubleday Illustrated Children’s Bible looks a bit outdated with its drab illustrations. However, the translation is pretty good. It even includes a story of the Maccabean revolt from the Inter-Testamental period, which establishes the setting for the Jewish expectation of the Messiah in the New Testament.

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children's illustrated bible

The Children’s Illustrated Bible
Edited by Selina Hastings and Illustrated by Eric Thomas
Dorling Kindersley, London, 2004 ($9.35)

Primary/Elementary; F1
Scriptural Fidelity: 3 of 5
Theology: 1 of 5
Comprehensiveness: 4 of 5 (138 stories)
Storytelling: 3 of 5
Illustration: 5 of 5
Interactiveness: 2 of 5
Total: 3.0

Comment: As the title suggests, The Children’s Illustrated Bible’s strength is illustrations. They are very detailed and realistic. There are even photographs and maps that provide further historical information. The stories and the accompanying notes, however, leave much to be desired. For example, it resorts to naturalistic explanations of clear miracles: “The Hebrew words originally translated as ‘Red Sea’ in fact mean ‘sea of reeds.’ It is possible that the Israelites crossed over a marshy swamp to the north of the Red Sea” (78). If this were true, the greater miracle would be God somehow drowning all those Egyptians in a mere “marshy swamp.” Here’s another example: “Some scholars think that the manna may have come from the hammada shrub, above, which grows in southern Sinai. When insects feed on its branches, it produces a sweet, white liquid. Today, Bedouin people use it as a sweetener” (80). Exodus 16:14 says that manna was a thin flake like frost that appeared on the ground. Even more problematic is its Bultmannesque demythologization: “The death of Jesus is important to Christians because they believe that, in dying, he was showing God’s love for all people. For this reason the cross became the main symbol of Christianity” (207). Yes, God loves us, but what about sin and justification? Here’s another example: “Christians believe, however, that death did not put an end to Jesus, but that his spirit lives on, especially through his followers” (207). Really, just his spirit lives on and not his body? The millions that worship Jesus do so only because he is “alive in their hearts?” As Apostle Paul taught, ‘if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).

Christian Identity: How to Avoid an Identity Crisis

~ Shawn Woo ~ Leave a comment

The sermon I preached at Crossway Church on October 14th, 2012.

“Christian identity is founded on pursuing and treasuring Christ as our appetite, affirmation, and ambition.” LISTEN

Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Gospel-Centered Discipleship

~ Shawn Woo ~ 2 Comments

Featured
Dodson, Jonathan K. Gospel-Centered Discipleship. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.
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What is the difference between evangelism and discipleship? The common answer is that evangelism is converting non-Christians while discipleship is maturing those who are already Christians. However, Jonathan Dodson argues that this is an artificial division, since both evangelism and discipleship are about proclaiming the gospel–that Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our sins, then defeated death in His resurrection, so that we can be justified, sanctified, and glorified in Him. The gospel is not a once-in-a-lifetime vaccine, but our daily remedy for sin’s corrosive influence. As Dodson puts it, “persistent, unrepentant sin can disqualify us from the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; Heb. 3:7-13). God does not accept us as we are. He accepts us as we are in Christ” (127). Therefore, Christians need to fight to believe the Gospel everyday. We need to abide in Christ. 

But is Dodson’s definition Biblical? What about the Great Commission? Isn’t “mak[ing] disciples of all nations” about “going and baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus has] commanded [us]” (Mt. 28:18-20)? Where does he get the “gospel” from all this? Dodson notes that the Great Commission begins with Jesus’s statement that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” and ends with his promise, “surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Hence, the main point of the Great Commission is not “to go (in [our] effort), but that we are sent (under Jesus’s authority and in Jesus’s power)” (32). Therefore, Dodson continues, the Great Commission is a Gospel Commission to “make and mature disciples by going with the gospel, baptizing disciples into gospel community, and teaching the gospel” (35). In other words, a Christian disciple is someone who “learns the gospel, relates in the gospel, and communicates the gospel” (38).

After thus defining “discipleship” in Part I of his book, Dodson unpacks how the gospel transforms the motivation for, and the application of, discipleship in Part II and III, respectively. He makes the keen observation that the motivation for Christian discipleship generally falls under two categories: (1) religious performance (i.e. legalism) and (2) spiritual license (i.e. antinomianism). Those in the first camp can be inwardly-oriented toward spiritual performance (e.g. Bible reading, prayer, fasting, speaking in tongues, moral behavior), or outwardly-oriented toward missional performance (e.g. evangelism, community service, social justice) (70). In either case, they behave as if their religious performance determined God’s approval. However, human religious performance is inadequate and unreliable, and therefore this view leads to spiritual insecurity and instability. On the other hand, those who are motivated by spiritual license behave as if they are above rule-keeping, leading to moral degeneration and apathy.

Dodson contends that the proper motivation for discipleship is not religious performance or spiritual license, but the gospel. The gospel teaches us that we do not need to win God’s approval with our religious performance, because “the performance of Jesus in his perfect life, death, and resurrection” has already won God’s approval for us (71). The gospel also teaches us that we are not free to disobey because spiritual “license” is really spiritual bondage to sin. “The religious are bound to keeping rules, and the rebellious are bound to breaking rules. The gospel, however, tells us that we are bound, not to rules, but to Christ” (73). When we truly grasp the gospel, we develop a religious affection, a “gospel-centered delight in God [that] … compels us to follow Jesus, not because we have to, but because we get to” (cf. Jn. 14:15; Ps. 37:4; Deut. 28:47-48) (76).

Then, what does Dodson recommend for those who do not feel this religious affection? Should they resign themselves to disobedience since being motivated by religious performance is a bad thing? Dodson adds an important qualification when he says that “faith also includes trusting God when we don’t desire him” (80). When our hearts refuse to delight in God, we need to galvanize our hearts with God’s promises and warnings and obey anyway (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5). The difference between this and religious performance is that when we repent, “We turn from our sinful behaviors and turn, not to good behaviors, but to Christ” (84). This sort of repentance leads us to treasure Christ rather than treasure our moral/spiritual triumphs. We obey even when we don’t feel like it, not for the sake of doing right, but for the sake of loving Christ.

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In the end, of course, no amount of human exertion can produce religious affection. As Dodson’s diagram above shows, the Holy Spirit is instrumental in this whole process. “The Spirit regenerates us so that our lifeless hearts can beat for God in lives of obedient worship and adoration of the Lord Jesus Christ” (90). For this reason, Dodson writes that we need to commune with the Holy Spirit by praying to Him and addressing Him throughout the day (98). This might seem unorthodox to some, but Dodson is not suggesting that praying to the Holy Spirit is more efficacious for Spirit-empowerment than praying to the Father or to the Son. Rather, he is saying that the practice of addressing the Holy Spirit helps us recognize the Holy Spirit as a Person and increase our awareness of His promptings in our lives. As Dodson wisely notes, “as Westerners we easily mistake the presence of the Spirit for our own conscience or ‘enlightened’ reason. When we make this mistake, we easily dismiss the promptings of the Spirit as mere rational options,” and “When we depersonalize the Spirit, it becomes much easier to disobey or deny the Lord. When we reduce the promptings of Spirit to options, we miss out on communion with God.” (100)

In addition to changing our motivation for discipleship, the gospel changes our application of discipleship. An example that Dodson provides is that of a Fight Club, which is the name for gospel-centered discipleship groups at Austin City Life Church where Dodson is the pastor. Fight clubs are made up of two to three Christians of the same gender that meet regularly to help one another fight sin and believe the gospel of grace (121). In these groups, they ask three questions, “What,” “When,” and “Why?” to expose and fight sin (122). I’ve been in many accountability groups that ask the first two questions in order to identify the sin and locate the lairs of temptation. However, I have seen very few small groups that ask the question “Why?” This last question is critical because “it gets to the motivation behind our sin; it addresses the heart. No one ever sins out of duty. We all sin because we want to, because our hearts long for something” (124). Some common deceptions include lust (i.e. “If you find sexual intimacy on the Internet, then you won’t be lonely or stressed”), vanity (i.e. “If you perform beautifully, then you have worth”), pride (i.e. “If you received more compliments, then you would be more confident”), and anger (i.e. “If you get angry, you can get your way”) (124). By comparing the promises of sin to the promises of the gospel, we can “[see] the futility of sin next to the beauty of Christ” (135). The gospel tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6). The gospel tells us that our worth is inherent in the fact that we have been created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-28) (55). The gospel tell us that God is sovereignly in control when we are not (Prov. 16:1-4). This emphasis on the gospel radically transforms our practice of discipleship. Instead of meting out graduated penalties or dispensing cheap grace and cheap peace for a troubled conscience, gospel discipleship forces us to examine our hearts and bolster our faith (66). As the (Reformed) Puritans understood so well, the failure to persevere in faith results in eternal damnation, not less sanctification, because, as John Piper writes in Future Grace, “the battle against sin is a battle against unbelief” (330-331).

Gospel-Centered Discipleship is not really a how-to book on discipleship like Mike Breen and Steve Cockram’s Building a Discipling Culture. Rather, it’s a theological exposition that undergirds the structure of discipleship with the gospel. Those familiar with Jonathan Edwards’s Religious Affections, Tim Keller’s teaching on gospel motivation, or John Piper’s writings on Christian hedonism will not find new insight in this book. However, everyone will find a compelling and practical application of the ageless gospel to the task of discipleship.

Buy Gospel-Centered Discipleship HERE.

When People Are Big and God Is Small

~ Shawn Woo ~ 2 Comments


Welch, Edward T. When People Are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 1997.
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Edward Welch insists that fear of man is an insidious sin that every human being deals with one way or another. For an adult, it is called codependency, for an adolescent, peer pressure. It is a desire to be valued and wanted by others that manifests itself in low self-esteem, shame, feelings of rejection, jealousy, anger, and/or preoccupation with external appearance.

Welch writes that the fear of man keeps us “in bondage, controlled by others and feeling empty,” because we are “controlled by whoever or whatever [we] believe can give [us] what [we] think [we] need” (13). In When People Are Big and God Is Small, Welch exposes this sin from the recesses of our hearts and prescribes ways to counteract it.

In order to demonstrate that this seemingly innocuous need to be loved by others is indeed harmful, Welch offers a fascinating critique of our Post-Modern culture. Beginning with Freud and Maslow’s propagation of the idea of psychological need, there has been a gradual shift in our culture from the older moral concern with self-control and self-sacrifice to an emphasis on self-expression, self-realization, and self-fulfillment (86).

Underlying this shift is the faulty assumption that human beings are inherently moral and that their emotions (i.e. feelings), therefore, always express what is true and good (81-84). This assumption elevates psychological “needs”(i.e. love, significance, security, etc.) to the level of biological (i.e. food, water, clothes, shelter) and spiritual (i.e. redemption, sanctification, and glorification) needs (138).

Many Christians have uncritically accepted this understanding of the human being as psychologically needy, arguing that there is a “God-given need to be loved that is born into every human infant … that must be met from cradle to grave,” and that “if that primal need for love is not met,” we’ll “carry the scars for life” (88).

However, Welch contends that this psychological “need,” far from being divinely-ordained in creation, was a consequence of the Fall. It reflects an anthropocentric, rather than a theocentric, worldview. It is a “self-serving [need] … not meant to be satisfied, … [but] put to death” (162-163). In fact, this theory of psychological need is responsible for the unbridled self-ism and victim mentality of our therapeutic culture (89).

Welch observes that the idea of “psychological need” has found support in the common conception of a person as body, which has physical needs, soul, which has psychological needs, and spirit, which has spiritual needs. However, he insists that this tripartite view of personhood is inaccurate, because the Bible uses “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably (cf. Mt. 10:28 1 Cor. 7:34; Jas. 2:26). In cases where “soul” and “spirit” are separately mentioned (e.g. Heb. 4:12; 1 Thes. 5:23), the two words form a tandem describing one inner person (141-142).

If I may elaborate on Welch’s explanation, “soul and spirit” constitute a hendiadys, a rhetorical construct that expresses a single idea by two words connected with “and.” For example, when John the Baptist says, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt. 3:11). He is not saying that we need to be baptized with both the Holy Spirit and fire, but rather conveying a single idea of the “fiery Holy Spirit.”

But don’t we have genuine, God-given need for other people? Didn’t God create mankind male and female because he deemed it was not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18)? Didn’t Jesus intend that the Church be an interdependent body of believers that needs its various parts to fulfill their various roles (1 Cor. 12)? Didn’t God command us to love one another (Jn. 13:34-35)?

Welch does not discount these realities, but he makes a teleological distinction between these genuine, spiritual needs and pseudo-psychological needs. Psychological needs are inherently self-serving, while spiritual needs are God-honoring. What we really need, writes Welch, is not to feel better about ourselves, but to repent from our ways and obey God. We are called to love others, “not because people have psychological deficits,” but “because God first loved us” (162-163).

Our problem, then, is that “we need [people] (for ourselves) more than we love them (for the glory of God)” (19), and Welch’s main thesis is that we need to “need other people less [and] love other people more” (183). This, of course, is not a natural human inclination, and for this reason we need the fear of God. If the fear of man is a centripetal orientation that uses people for one’s own needs, the fear of God is a centrifugal orientation that loves people for God’s glory. 

But wait, what about 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” That is true, but the fear that is cast out is the terror of God’s judgment. For Christians who have been forgiven of their sins, the fear of God is a reverent submission to God that leads to obedience. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). “The fear of the LORD leads to life” (Prov. 19:23). “To fear the Lord is to hate evil” (Prov. 8:13; Dt. 1:17).

In other words, the fear of God involves seeing God as He really is–powerful, awesome, and holy–and humbly submitting to Him. The fear of man puts man under a microscope and makes small people appear big, while the fear of God sets a telescope on God and makes our big God appear as He really is.

Welch goes further than most Evangelicals by saying that the “fear of God” rather than the “love of God” is the cure for the “fear of man.” It is true that God loves us, but applying this truth as a psychological balm is little more than a baptized version of Melody Beattie’s prescription that to be Codependent No More one must love him or herself more (18). It spurns personal repentance and condones a self-centered worldview in which God exists merely to boost our self-esteem (18).

As Welch puts it, “To look to Christ to meet our perceived psychological needs is to Christianize our lusts. We are asking God to give us what we want, so we can feel better about ourselves, or so we can have more happiness, not holiness, in our lives” (150). The antidote for the fear of man is not to think more highly of ourselves, but to think more rightly, and therefore more highly, of God. Then, we will not think so much about what other people think of us and more about how we can love them.

Those who have weathered a hurricane are not concerned about the spring rain. Those who have “walked among the giant redwoods [are] never … overwhelmed by the size of a dogwood tree” (119). In the same way, those who have been in the presence of God fear no man:

“Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all peoples see His glory” (Ps. 97:2-6).

Welch’s simple, yet profound, little book offers a welcome alternative to the plethora of self-help books that pander to our self-centered worldviews.

Buy When People Are Big and God Is Small HERE.

Watch Me

~ Shawn Woo ~ Leave a comment

The sermon I preached at King of Grace Church on June 10th, 2012.

“Imitate those who hope in Christ.” LISTEN

Philippians 3:17-21
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

One Body

Aside ~ ~ Shawn Woo ~ Leave a comment

The sermon I preached at King of Grace Church on March 25th, 2012.

“We are an interdependent body, and not a collection of independent limbs and organs.” LISTEN

1 Corinthians 12:12-31
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.