An Unintended Paradigm Shift in Christianity: A Close Focus on Spurgeons Pastoral Time (Essay Sample)

Instructions:

Topic: An Unintended Paradigm Shift
Whether intentional or not, the Christian faith has seen a shift in cohesiveness and synergy in the 21st century. As a result, a once primarily standard system of theological beliefs and standards of worship, have dissolved into many questionable practices. Could this be a direct result of getting away from the very theological foundations that have shaped our Christian faith? Is this trend going to continue? And if so, what will be the end result?
Directions
The paper must be between 8 – 10 pages. The book that you should focus on is Partner, Daniel, ed. The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon.Uhrichville, OH: Barbour Pub. Inc., 2009. This book must become the foundation for the student’s bibliography. The student may use information from these books as individual sources. When using the information in these books as individual sources you must cite each individual source used as an unique bibliographic and footnote entry in order to practice your Turabian formatting (i.e. sermons must be cited as individual sermons within a collection, books within the book must be cited as chapters within a book, and other material must be cited as unique material). When using the information in these recommended books treat each book as an anthology and cite each individual source as an unique bibliographic and footnote entry to practice your Turabian skills (i.e., sermons must be cited as individual sermons from an anthology, books within the book must be cited as book-length prose from an anthology, and other material must be cited as unique material from an anthology. The student must have 10 sources minimum and 7 of these sources can come from books, sermons, or other written material within the anthology.

Recommended Outline for the Paper

Introduction: Briefly introduce your paper and your topic. Give a brief overview of the issues covered in this paper. Conclude your introduction with your thesis statement. I would recommend you introduce your thesis by saying, “This paper will…” Then tell me what this paper will accomplish. This must be no more than 1 page.
Outline: Complete an outline that will direct the reader to the major points in the paper. There should be at least 3 but no more than 4 points within the outline. This should be 1 page.
Section 1: Answer the following question in this section: What were the influential experiences of Spurgeon that led to his thoughts on the topic provided (i.e. suffering, pastoral ministry, etc.)? This must not simply be a biographical recounting of the individual’s life. Instead it must focus on specific experiences that influenced their thoughts on the topic at hand. This must be 1–2 pages.
Section 2: Answer the following question in this section: What biblical or theological foundations formed the basis of this characters belief regarding the subject at hand? For instance—what biblical or theological foundations led Spurgeon to his thoughts on pain and suffering? This must be 2–3 pages.
Section 3: Answer the following question in this section: What was the personal application of this historical figures theology on the topic at hand? This section is a little more challenging because you have to extrapolate information. For example, this section must cover how Spurgeon’s theology of pastoral ministry impacted his role (and ministry) as pastor. This must be 2–3 pages.
Conclusion: Your conclusion must tell me how you proved your thesis statement. Feel free to give simple implications of this research for the church today. This must be no more than 1 page.
This paper must be 8–10 pages following the proper Turabian formatting learned in this course. Note that as your instructor provides feedback on this paper submitted to SEMI 500 he/she will be focusing on current Turabian formatting and argumentation, not necessarily on the content of the paper. That will be the responsibility of the instructor of the other course who will receive this research paper.
Other approved sources that could also be used to complete this assignment are listed below:
Bibliography
DeYoung, Kevin. Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and
Enough, and What that Means for You and Me. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2014.
Can we trust the Bible completely?
Is it sufficient for our complicated lives?
Can we really know what it teaches?
With his characteristic wit and clarity, award-winning author Kevin DeYoung has written an accessible introduction to the Bible that answers important questions raised by Christians and non-Christians. This book will help you understand what the Bible says about itself and the key characteristics that contribute to its lasting significance.
Avoiding technical jargon, this winsome volume will encourage you to read and believe the Bible—confident that it truly is God’s Word.
Edman, V. Raymond. They Found the Secret. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1984.
'The exchanged life.' Hudson Taylor first used the term to describe what it means to know Christ as our sufficiency in all things. Taylor is but one of the many Christian luminaries who have discovered Christ as the secret to abundant living. John Bunyan, Andrew Murray, Amy Carmichael, Oswald Chambers, Charles Finney-behind the varied lives and personalities of these and other men and women lies a common theme, a pattern that leads from desperation to the abundant life Jesus promised. From their stories, we too can find the path to deeper faith and a more vital relationship with God. In They Found the Secret, Raymond Edman presents the lives of twenty well-known and little-known Christians. 'The details of their experience of the crisis of the deeper life are delightfully different,' Edman writes, 'yet their testimony to the reality of the joy and power of the Spirit-filled life is unanimous . . . It is [the Lord] who satisfies the longing soul. He is the secret of the exchanged life!'
Groothuis, Douglas R. Christian Apologetics: a Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Downers
Grove, IL:Inter Varsity Press, 2011.
The Christian worldview proposes answers to the most enduring human questions. But are those answers reliable?
In this systematic text, Douglas Groothuis makes a comprehensive apologetic case for Christian theism--proceeding from a defense of objective truth to a presentation of the key arguments for God from natural theology to a case for the credibility of Jesus, the incarnation and the resurrection. Throughout, Groothuis considers alternative views and how they fare intellectually.
Guyon, Madam. A Short Method of Prayer & Other Writings. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson
Publishers,Inc, 2005.
Prayer is the application of the heart to God, and the internal exercise of love.”
—from A Short Method of Prayer
Despite a difficult childhood, a loveless marriage, an early widowhood, and life-long persecution, French mystic Jeanne Guyon produced works of extraordinary spiritual power. Admired by Christians for 300 years—including John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, and A.W. Tozer—her writings offer penetrating insight into cultivating unfettered communion with God.
Kapic, Kelly M. A Little Book for New Theologians: Why and How to Study Theology.
Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 2012.
Whenever we read, think, hear or say anything about God, we are doing theology. Yet theology isn't just a matter of what we think. It affects who we are.
In the tradition of Helmut Thielicke's A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, Kelly Kapic offers a concise introduction to the study of theology for newcomers to the field. He highlights the value and importance of theological study and explains its unique nature as a serious discipline.
Not only concerned with content and method, Kapic explores the skills, attitudes and spiritual practices needed by those who take up the discipline. This brief, clear and lively primer draws out the relevance of theology for Christian life, worship, mission, witness and more.
"Theology is about life," writes Kapic. "It is not a conversation our souls can afford to avoid."
Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti. The World and the Word: an
Introduction to the Old Testament. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011.
The World and the Word is a fresh introduction to the Old Testament driven largely by the fact that so much Christian preaching and teaching today increasingly ignores what is eighty percent of the Bible. Authors Eugene Merrill, Mark Rooker, and Michael Grisanti work through the world and text of the Old Testament always making three major points:
• The Old Testament is a rich source of theology and doctrine that is presupposed by the New Testament. Without it, Christian theology would be seriously deficient.
• Mastery of the Old Testament is crucial to an understanding of the New Testament.
• The Old Testament offers, by teaching and example, practical principles of belief and behavior for contemporary times. Who God was and what He did then can be replicated in the lives of men and women today.
Separating the verifiable biblical and extra-biblical data from the various interpretations of that same information, the book further shows how the Old Testament forms the platform and matrix from which sprang the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus and the church. The World and the Word will help students see an entry point into the very heart and design of God who loves them and wishes to make them the special object of His grace.
Meyer, Jason C. Preaching: A Biblical Theology. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2013.
Do you know what makes for good preaching?
The pastor opens with a funny joke, strings together a series of disconnected Bible verses and clever anecdotes, and then closes with an inspirational quote. But is this the kind of preaching that most glorifies God, honors his Word, and edifies his people?
In Preaching: A Biblical Theology, pastor Jason Meyer examines the biblical precedent for preaching in both the Old and New Testaments and offers practical guidance related to the what, how, and why of expository preaching for today.
The most comprehensive biblical theology on the topic, this resource will help you identify good preaching and embrace it as a means to encounter—and be transformed by—the living Go
Spurgeon, Charles. Faith in All Its Splendor. Mt. Juliet, TN: Sovereign Grace Publishers,
Incorporated, 2006.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) earned the title, ''The Prince of Preachers'' by his untiring pulpit work which produced many thousands of sermons in his 40+ years of preaching. This fine collection of Spurgeon's sermons on faith has twelve different sermons, variously displaying various kinds of faith. Sermon 1: Little Faith. Some born-again Christians have little, or weak, faith. Spurgeon points out first that it is a burden to have but little faith. Though Little-faith is quite sure of Heaven, Yet he suffers from lack of assurance. Unlike normal faith, it does not grow steadily from faith to faith. He quotes Bunyan as saying that one of little faith has a host of fears. ''It has more lives than a cat, '' if you kill it over and over, it still lives. He is always safe, but he seldom knows it. Sermon 2: Here the reader is instructed in ''Seeing Jesus, '' by faith. Faith is the eye of the soul. It alone will be ''looking unto Jesus.'' Seeing Jesus is a continuous thing with faith. It is not just a now and then thing. It is current, not future. It never completely loses sight of the Savior as long as it is exercised. He is everywhere, therefore we can see Him everywhere we are, or where we go. Sermon 3: The difference between little faith and great faith is not such a great gulf as that between little faith and no faith. At times Jesus called the apostles ''Little faiths'' (Matt. 8:26; 16:8; Luke 12:28). Peter had faith to walk on the water until he looked at the wind instead of Jesus. Faith is never in danger as long as it has its eye on Jesus. Sermon 4: Faith is essential to please God. (Heb. 11:6). No invention of men can please God without faith. If God is pleased to give useverlasting life, it should be the object of our lives to please God. To faith, His commands will be precious, and the faithful will always be obeying. Sermon 5: There is a necessity of growing faith. The apostle was cheered that the Thessalonians had faith that grew exceedingly (2 Thess. 1:4). If we know our faith is growing, it is a subject for devout thanksgiving. Increased faith is of unspeakable value. Let us diligently pursue it. Sermon 6: Faith is a shield (Eph. 6:16). All Christians are born to be warriors, and faith is our shield to use against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The more the faith, the more the attacks, and the shield of faith receives many a blow. Christians should learn to wield the shield, and the lessons are all in the Bible. Christ used Scripture to fight off Satan's attempts to down him. Sermon 7: Increased faith increases peace. Sermon 8: Mature faith was illustrated by Abraham's offering up of Isaac. First there was the trial. He must lose the son of the promise by his own act. Abraham did not hesitate, he was quick to obey. He was careful to take everything necessary to do the deed. Lastly, he proceeded to very instant of putting the knife to the throat of his beloved son. Did this not display mature faith indeed? Sermons 9, 10, 11, 12 are equally precious and rewarding: Faith and Life; Faith's Dawn and Cloud; Faith and Its Privileges; and lastly, the Nobleman's Faith.
Spurgeon, Charles. Morning by Morning. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing,
LLC,2006.
For tens of thousands of Christians over the last century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Morning By Morning has been a daily devotional guide through life's ups and downs. New generations can once again enjoy Spurgeon's beautiful prose and elegant command of the English language in this addition to the Hendrickson Christian Classics series.Morning By Morning offers readers the best of Spurgeon's insight and wise counsel on themes that are as relevant to our day as they were in his day. In this updated version, Spurgeon's work is returned to its former brilliance while retaining the beautiful language of the original King James Version. Hendrickson Christian Classics. Every Christian library needs the classics--the timeless books that have spoken powerfully to generations of believers. Hendrickson Christian Classics allow readers to build an essential classics library in affordable modern editions. Each volume is freshly retype set for reading comfort, while thoughtful new introductions place each in historical and spiritual context. Attractive, classically bound covers look great together on the shelf. Best of all, value pricing makes this series easy to own. Planned to span the spectrum of Christian wisdom through the ages, Hendrickson Christian Classics set a new standard for quality and value.
Spurgeon, Charles. Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit. Alachua, FL: Bridge-Logos Publishing, 2012.
Known as "The Prince of Preachers," Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached many sermons on the Holy Spirit from 1853 to 1891. This Pure Gold Classic shares many of his sermons and writing on this important topic. Here are some of the titles within this book: The Personality of the Holy Spirit, The Indwelling and Outflowing of the Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost Glorifying Christ. Spurgeon teaches on each of these themes with clarity and deep spiritual insights, as he reveals marvelous facets of the life and ministry of the Holy Spirit. When viewed in its entirety, Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit shows the fullness of the Holy Spirit to the reader. This book is filled with wondrous light that floods the reader's mind, deepens spiritual understanding, and promotes rapid spiritual growth.

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Content:

AN UNINTENDED PARADIGM SHIFT IN CHRISTIANITY: A CLOSE FOCUS ON SPURGEONâ€™S PASTORAL TIME
Name
Course
Date
An Unintended Paradigm Shift in Christianity: a Close Focus on Spurgeonâ€™s Pastoral Time
Introduction
In Christianity, believers have been sharing essential tenets such as the Virgin, Jesus as a deity, the atonement, the resurrection, the infallible authority of the scripture, the resurrection and the second coming of Jesus. However, there have been controversies on things that could be non-essential such as false doctrine, harsh words, and immoral behaviors among others. Since they are not clear, some people have been feeling offended when other members of the congregation uphold them. According to Saint Augustine, essential things are supposed to bring unity among all Christians, and conversely, nonessentials would result in disunity. In this regard, strife, part spirit, disagreement, disharmony and disunity will be realized in a church where believers strongly disagree on issues that are non-essential, due to selfish feuds among/between them instead of self-less love acts. Some authors believe that although it is prevalent to have such cases during this century, they may have their origin in Rome.[Robert, "Liberty and License," Agape Fellowship, last modified 2012,/studies/love/1-liberty-and-license/] [. Ibid.]
In the same respect, Christian faith has been experiencing a shift in its cohesiveness and synergy, whether intentional or not, in the 21st century. According to various sources, the once a one standard system of theological worship and beliefs, it has been overtaken by many questionable practices. Therefore, this paper is going to address the topic of unintended shifts in Christianity with a focus on one of the most popular preacher in the Victorian era, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). In this regard, from his life, it will discuss whether the shifts of paradigms were direct results of Christians getting away from their very theological foundations that shaped their church or not. It will also analyze the likely implications of these shifts in the present church worship.[Jason C. Meyer, Preaching: A Biblical Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2013), 71-222.]
Paper Outline
* Spurgeonâ€™s life and influential experiences that led to thoughts in the unintended paradigm shifts in Christianity
* Biblical and Theological foundations that formed his character for his view/ opinion regarding the subject
* How this influenced his pastoral role/ theological teaching
* The Conclusion
Taking into account that the paper is going to use the Spurgeonâ€™s sermons as its major points of references, it will briefly outline his biography, before venturing into his influential experiences that led to his thoughts on unintended paradigm shifts in Christianity. While referring to his sermons and literatures from other authors, it will relate the specific experiences that affected his thoughts regarding the topic. The second part of the discussion will explore the theological and biblical foundations that became the bases for his views/ character beliefs regarding the topic. In this part, the paper is going to discuss, according to Spurgeon, how paradigm shifts arise as a direct result of Christians getting away from their very theological foundations that shaped their church. The fourth part will involve analyzing the how his views affected his pastoral life. The conclusion will be followed to wrap up the discussion and look at the present trends and implications in church because of the shifts.
Spurgeonâ€™s Life and Experiences that led to Shifts in Church Paradigms
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born in 1834, in Essex and spent most part of his childhood and teenage years in Colchester, Stambourne and Newmarket. Although he never got any formal education, beyond his Newmarket Academy, he was very well read in natural history, Latin and Victorian literature and Puritan theology. Despite the lack of college degree, he began his preaching career at the age of fifteen years. In the following year, he was made a pastor at the Waterbeach Baptist Chapel. With his success, in drawing a large number of people in congregations, many people became attracted to his teachings, until the Tabernacle Hall was created. As already mentioned, Spurgeon belonged to a Puritan movement in England, which experienced inconsistent interpretations of the Bible with some political differences amongst its believers during this time. Although the idea of personal interpretations of the Bible was admissible in the church, there was to be some corporate conformity to all believers. This was to do with pursuing moral purity as well as ecclesiastical purity from the smallest to the highest level. In this regard, the Calvinists believed that man existed because of the glory of God and therefore he was firstly concerned with doing Godâ€™s will to receive future happiness. Apart from preaching, his work also involved publishing sermons, presiding over Pastorsâ€™ College and orphanages and overseeing evangelical and charitable enterprises. Although he became popular in his work, others also held him controversial. Some saw him as the greatest orator in pastorals since Whitefield, while others criticized his awkward, theatrical and sacrilegious tendencies in the church.[Jim Reimann, Morning by Morning (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan), 1-20.]
In 1887, he published a theological piece, "Down Grade" in his monthly magazine, which brought controversy. It claimed that some church ministers were denying the proper deity of Jesus Christ. This bitterly divided the Baptist Union, causing a bitter controversy between him and the union. Within the Union, he feared that the congregation was making an error as regards unitarism ideas, which it held. When the Union held this matter in 1887, to discuss the publication, his concerns were taken lightly or dismissed by some of the members present. This prompted him to resign in October the same year. Many church historians consider this the greatest controversy in his life and the whole of the Baptist Churchâ€™s history. Moreover, he felt that concepts such as those of Charlesâ€™ Darwinâ€™s theory of evolution were weakening the faith of the Baptists. He believed that they were making people to downgrade the Bible and therefore the principle of Sola Scriptura (A principle that salvation and all knowledge is/ can be derived from the Bible).[Ibid., 30-40.]
The other controversy emanated from the dogma of Baptismal Regeneration. Spurgeon preached against it to challenge the Church of England, although he taught targeting all denominations. His 16 pages long sermon had been meant to correct Anglican Church leaders who were supporting infant baptism. According to him, baptism in young children/ infant does not perpetuate and prompt their right feelings and conducts. In this regard, he challenged them by asserting that, that case will not involve loving the Lord Jesus with sincerity. When such a person, without consent or intelligence to understand a religious creed, is forced upon to accept it unwillingly, it will be the violation of his natural and divine rights.[Ibid., 40-50.]
Importantly, Spurgeon manifested a great love of cigars. He believed that since cigars are smocked without inhaling, to minimize damage on the lung, they could not be sinful. It is also important to note that he was not addicted to it as he smocked occasionally to minimize its risks. However, one should note that he did not die of cigar smoking but due to the combination of gout, rheumatism and Brightâ€™s disease.[Ibid., 53.]
Biblical and Theological Foundations That Formed His Character for His View/ Opinion Regarding the Subject
It should be noted that Spurgeon was a strict defender of Calvinism, with which he held fundamentally, in his preaching. As for Calvinists, in their Confession, they believe that man fell into a state of sin, which made him to lose his spiritual goodness towards salvation. Therefore, every person that is born normally has that evil quality in him. Calvinists also believe in effective calling whereby individuals will undergo natural and agency revolutions in their morals to regenerate. Godâ€™s election is another principle. In this case, they believe that by the decree of God, to manifest his Glory, some angels and men will be predestined unto his everlasting life, while others foreordained into everlasting death. For them, they have established that these men are unchangeably designed, and so does their number that is quite definite, as it cannot be diminished or increased. The fourth tenet of their belief system is the Godâ€™s particular redemption. Apart from the generally held view of atonement, God would like to make general benevolence to human race so that he can save lost sinners. Therefore, he makes a point that Christ has willfully purchased the doom incurred to humankind by his sin. However, it has been a tendency by human being to reject his sacrifice, which has eventually led men into wickedness, as they leave towards Godâ€™s final justice. The last principle in the Confession is the perseverance of the saints in which Calvinists believe that a man called to the grace of God will never fall away but will always persevere to the end.[Daniel Partner, ed, "Defense of Calvinism," The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon (Uhrichville, OH: Barbour Pub. Inc., 2009).] [Robert Lewis Dabnley, "The Five Points of Calvinism," Spurgeon.org., last modified 2014,/~phil/dabney/5points.htm]
As from the Calvinist Doctrines, he preached that God chooses every person that should be saved. Likewise, God will choose a person that should be his minister to the human race and He will always remain much involved in Ch...

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An Unintended Paradigm Shift in Christianity: A Close Focus on Spurgeons Pastoral Time (Essay Sample)

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