Knowing God by J. I. Packer Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Knowing God
Book Review: Great Theology
Summary: 5 Stars
Knowing God is an indispensable, theologically didactic piece of literature that every Christian should be required to read. I came away from this book with a strong inclination for a deep study of Scripture. I only have a few discrepancies, otherwise, I find Packer to be an extraordinary theologian who God has highly favored. That I spend time in refutation of some of his views in no way retracts from the veracity of the book as a whole.
First, Chapter 15 - The Wrath of God, pages 148-157:
In this section, Packer makes it clear that he holds an infralapsarian view. It is obvious he believes God decreed election and reprobation after the fall of man. This is incorrect and impossible as well. There is no way God looks into the future without creating the future Himself. There is no way God can look into the future and see humans making choices apart from any of His own determination. He does not look into the future as if He is ignorant, and make His own choice only after He sees what the creature will do. This only makes the creature's will the absolute determining factor over God's will, and therefore contradicts Scripture that speaks of God's will always being accomplished and His purposes always coming to pass. If this view is correct and the creature wills one thing while God wills another, the conflict arises that the creature's will is always done, and God's will is thwarted, that is, if the two wills were opposed to one another.
Subsequently, Packer believes humans go to hell because they made the decisive choice to put themselves there. This is erroneous. Humans indeed choose hell, but this is only after God prepares their mind, works, and will for such. Before the foundation of the world, before any human did good or evil, God prepared His elect for heaven, and the rest for hell. God's wrath is not judicial from the beginning, it is by choice. But it is true that on judgment day, it will indeed be a judicial and retributive act.
In opposition to Packer, it should be known that God's wrath abides on the reprobate from all eternity, before they did any good or evil. God's wrath is further incurred upon the actions and actual committing of the reprobates personal sinning, and His wrath will reach full consummation on the day of wrath. Just as the elect are saved in stages, the reprobate is also damned in stages. This view is called "Equal Ultimacy," which is widely rejected by most Reformed Theologians due to their concocted doctrine of "Theodicy." No where in Scripture are we instructed to "Protect" God, we are to teach what the bible says, period. God says He predestines sin, and that He is also blameless in doing so. We will receive further understanding of this mystery when we die, but in the meantime, we are not to eisegete Scripture in a feeble human attempt to "Protect" our Father.
Besides my above mentioned discrepancy, I love this book. Maybe one day I will even be able to speak with Packer about some of these doctrines. I do not know if this hope of mine will ever come to pass in this lifetime, but I know one thing;
Jesus is God
Book Review: Great book, true classic
Summary: 5 Stars
The updated version of Packer's book features a new preface, an addition to the fourth chapter, and "Americanization" of the text (spelling and such). The list of endorsing readers is quite impressive, many singing the praises after having read the first edition. Apart from that, the book has been left alone, and Packer stated his hopes that the book would continue to enrich the lives of those who read it. It seems safe to say that anyone who reads this volume and attempts to put into practice the teachings it sets forth will find immense value in doing so.
The first few chapters deal with the subject of truly knowing God. Packer is quick and adamant in his distinction between knowing about God, and actually knowing God. The thesis of the book seems to be simply that. While Packer greatly went into theological issues, the tone was set quite nicely in the first few chapters, as he made it quite clear that walking away with doctrine and an unchanged heart would cause the book to be nothing short of a letdown. Another seeming thesis of the book is set forth in the first chapter, as well as the preface, and it involves coming to a right understanding of who God is--and Packer frequently warned the reader that the waters of theology are choppier today than ever before, despite the numerous books written on the subject.
Chapter 4 is an interesting chapter in itself, and will be discussed more fully later. However, while it is grouped with the first three (and the next two chapter, as well), it takes a different tone--"correctly" worshiping God. Chapters 5 and 6, though technically still in the first section, seem to fit well into the second section instead. Dealing with the second and third persons of the Trinity, respectively, they open a great door for what is the majority of the book--
the doctrine of God. Chapters 7-17 discuss different attributes of God--immutability, majesty, wisdom, truth, love, grace, judging, wrath, goodness, severity, and jealousy. These issues are dealt with in quite a bit of detail, and Packer sets forth the proper human response to each of these attributes.
The last sections takes a turn towards the gospel. The doctrine of propitiation pervades nearly the entire section, and the Christian's adoption into the kingdom is quite prevalent as well. Other issues dealt with are facing the trials Christians will deal with, understanding the security received from Christ's atoning work, and the last chapter--through an exposition of part of Romans--helps the reader develop a mindset with which to end the book.
It could easily be said of Knowing God that Packer sets out a brief systematic theology. While it would certainly be incomplete in some ways, one could hardly find a better volume as an introduction to theological study. Over and over again, Packer points out the false view of God that is rampant in society today (though it is interesting that "society" was 1973, and it still seems completely applicable today, 2006), and explains the importance of understanding the biblical view.
Stating the few negatives first would be the easiest way. As has already been mentioned, chapter 4 was quite peculiar. Titled, "The Only True God," it might be best suited with a subtitle/warning label reading something to the effect of "Warning, Anti-Catholic Teaching Ahead." Suffice it to say that Catholics and Orthodox alike would likely cease reading after coming across this chapter. The idea Packer is arguing for is that the second commandment--the prohibition of idolatry--means more than just the age-old idea of golden calves. Rather, in Packer's estimation, that idea is combated with the first commandment. The second commandment forbids the making of things like paintings, statues and crucifixes (hence, the anti-Catholic/Orthodox sentiment). He referred to the story from the book of Exodus where the Israelites, tired of waiting on Moses to return from Mr. Sinai, asked Aaron to build an idol for them to worship. Packer argued that the Israelites were not asking for another God, rather they wanted an image of Yahweh. The reason Moses was outraged was simply that, though they worshiped Yahweh, they had not worshiped Him properly.
However, this does not seem to be what the Scriptures are saying. After rereading the story multiple times, it seems quite evident that the golden calf was to be a replacement for Moses' God, not simply an image of the One True God. The other main argument Packer used was that the Israelites would have had not contact with idolatry, so the second commandment must have been the prohibition of making anything of the nature of statues, paintings or crucifixes. However, that seems to be a weak argument, as the Israelites had just left Egypt, which was full of idolatry. Also interesting to note is the dearth of Scriptures in this chapter. While the other chapters are so full of Scripture references that one could hardly look them up, this chapter had relatively few. At the end, the addition for this version is a complete discounting of criticisms he received since the first edition. The other question left unanswered is what to do with Christ as the physical representation of God, and with the abundance of metaphorical language for God in the Bible that is sure to invoke images in the minds of its readers. It seems Packer may have gone too far, as he argued that all renderings, even of Christ, are nothing short of idolatry--even when used for didactic and devotional purposes. While it should go without saying that worshiping an image would certainly be wrong, the existence of them is not likely to be sin.
Another complaint about the book is Packer's generalizations. Virtually every chapter attempts to go against the modern thinking about God and produce in the reader a biblical mindset. However, as he explains the culture, the reader is hit with "many people believe..." or "most churches do not believe..." without any reference as to the truth of those statements. That is not to say Packer is wrong, nor that his conclusions and assertions are mislead. The simple fact, however, is that the reader is left wondering exactly how common these errors really are. Sometimes the trouble of unsupported assertions is too readily apparent. In one chapter (16), Packer refers to "Santa Claus theology." In that, God is likened to Santa and seen as nothing but good. Packer says this liberal ideology has opened the door to the problem of evil, which was not a problem before the 20th century. This idea seems preposterous, as Augustine dealt with the problem of evil many centuries ago. However, these types of pitfalls found through unsupported assertions are scarce in the book.
All that said, the rest of the book was quite a joy to read. The overwhelming majority of the book is packed with Scripture references and biblical stories as he makes his points. References to past theologians, especially the Reformers and Puritans, are abundant. Hymns are used multiple times to reiterate the message (many from Charles Wesley, too--pleasant to see from someone who is so strongly Reformed). While there was a growing concern that Packer might have been advocating Puritanism, he showed his objectivity in saying that the Puritans did not stress nearly enough the doctrine of adoption as God's children. Another great strength of this book is the light touch of Reformed theology throughout. Someone once joked that without Packer's endorsement (or lack of) on a book, one would hardly know if a book was Reformed enough to bother reading. The expectation is to find an abundance of references to election and effectual calling. However, it is not until the end that many references to election are found, and these fit the context and purpose perfectly.
The theological topics were quite a blessing to read, even for someone who has some level of theological training. Packer displayed an extremely high view of grace and the utmost importance on the work of Christ on the cross. Those two themes, as well as God's sovereignty, seem to tie the whole book together--from God's love, to adoption, to His wisdom. Probably the best topic was that of adoption. Packer reiterated the lack of resources on this topic (in the past and present), and stressed its importance. He boldly stated that, though justification may be more important (as adoption is not possible without it), adoption is the highest privilege. He made quite clear the importance as he stressed the relationship between father and son. It might certainly be a blessing if Packer were to help fill the void of resources in the area of adoption by writing a volume devoted to it, as he did such a wonderful job here.
Another great aspect of this book has already been mentioned. At the end of most chapters is a section on our response. After giving a great explanation of a doctrine such as the wrath of God, Packer asks questions such as
It would be difficult to discuss every positive point of the book. While theologically trained individuals may find it more of a refresher than greatly insightful, the book is not devalued. From new Christians to those who have been in the faith for several years, this book should be a great help. It would serve marvelously for a small group. It would also suffice as a reference for preaching and teaching. If possible, it should be incorporated into the discipleship process of any church (that actually believes the Bible, that is), especially for new Christians.
The rather robust look at God which Packer supplies is evenly balanced, scripturally supported, and historically illumined. All who truly desire to know God should read this book.
Book Review: Great for new Christians and those in crisis!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an extremely encouraging and edifying book, especially for those without a lot of knowledge about God, or for those in a lot of pain.Book Review: Hard to draw on practical experiences
Summary: 2 Stars
After reading this book I closed it and had a hard time relating this information to my own life. I typically dont read books for my own selfish applications, it's just that I found this book hard to follow. Maybe its me.Joe
Book Review: Heavy sledding, but well worth the effort!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've heard for years that this book is a classic, now I know why. What started as a good read turned into a very challenging read - challenging on a personal and spiritual level. The book just continued to go deeper and deeper wetting my appetite for more with each turn of the page. The 279 pages definitely didn't fly by, though, this was a very serious read - but Packer does a great job of weaving together his thoughts with Scripture as well as the words and works of other various Christian authors and artists. I especially liked Packer's constant use of classic hymns and Christian poets - at the same time the book was taking my mind deeper, it was broadening my scope as well.
The primary object of the book is to remind Christians that knowing God is their primary purpose in life and should be their primary pursuit. Packer does a great job of putting forth the nature and character of God as revealed in Scripture as well as in nature and gives the reader a tremendous appreciation for the majesty and holiness of God. And Packer doesn't back down or try to skirt several difficult issues including the wrath of God and the attribute of jealously in God's nature.
Like climbing Mount Everest, the final few chapters are the precipice of his work and well worth the time and effort once the reader gets there. One might think that after writing over 200 pages, Packer would be repetitive or boring by this time - just the opposite is true. The final couple of chapters demonstrate that Packer was just hitting his stride and it seemed like he could have written, and I could have read, another 200 pages. The Christian walk, while difficult, is so worth the effort; and Packer drives that point home again and again. The reason being is that our effort produces not only changes in our own lives and in the lives of others around us, but it also results in a closer and more intimate relationship with Christ - and that is ultimately what we are made for, to commune with the Living God!
While I thought that this book might be an excellent suggestion for a young Christian, the further I read the more I thought that a little maturing might be necessary to digest all that Packer was saying - but, either way, Knowing God is a classic and should be read and reread by all Christians!