Our price: £14.99, by Poh B.S., Good News Enterprise
This book is a vital text for any servant of God who wants to understand the way in which our Reformed Baptist forebears sought to apply the teaching of the Bible to the government of the church.
This book shows us their firm conviction, that God had so provided for Christ’s church on earth, that the correct form of church government could be drawn out from the word of God. They were convinced that it was through applying the teaching of the Scriptures to the order and working of the local church that the glory of Christ would all the more be displayed.
By its important conclusions this book addresses questions which are highly relevant for today and have great impact on us in our churches as we seek to apply the Bible to our church life and to church government. It deals with questions such as:
- How does an “Absolute Equality View” of eldership weaken and undermine the Bible’s teaching as to the rightful place and work of ruling elders?
- Does an “Absolute Equality View” threaten or relegate the vital role of the Christian minister?
- Does “democratic or extreme Congregationalism” negate the function of those whom Christ would have lead and shepherd the flock?
- How should elders seek to guide and relate to the church meeting so as to honour Christ?
- Does our view of church government ultimately affect our concern to spread the gospel and on missions?
- Can we become too “man centred” in our view of how the church is ordered, so that it works to the detriment of its witness?
It was in 1689 that John Owen produced a major work on these matters. The Reformed Baptists of his day found this work of the most help in establishing their churches on Biblical principles. Ralph Wardlaw also produced a useful work in 1864. Few, if any, have further expounded and clarified the nature of that form of church government called Independency, as thoroughly and exhaustively as Pastor Poh.
Pastor Poh’s book, “The Keys of the Kingdom: A Study on the Biblical Form of Church Government” has already done a great service to the church of Jesus Christ, in laying out the Biblical form of church government. A “Garden Enclosed” seeks to develop things further and deal with some important matters which were unaddressed by the previous work.
Pastor Poh shows that, even in recent times, some have not understood or stated accurately the conclusions that our Calvinistic Baptist fathers rightly came to, as they were instructed by the Scriptures.
By publishing this book a great service has again been done. Those who desire God’s glory and are concerned to know how to conduct themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1Timothy 3:15), should read this book so as to understand clearly all that Christ requires.
We all should want our churches to walk by the wisdom of the Scriptures and so all the more appear as a lovely “garden enclosed” (Song of Solomon 4:12), which brings forth fruit to the glory of Christ. This book cannot but help us to that end.