THE CHURCH:
Glorious body, radiant bride
By Mark G. Johnston
Banner of Truth. 98 pages. £5.00
ISBN 978 1 848 718 098
This is a great little book to give to a new believer to help them grasp the big ideas and purposes of the church.
It is part of a new mini-series from Banner on key truths. In just under 100 small pages Mark Johnston explains what the church is, why it matters and how, despite its faults and failings, it is heading towards the most glorious future.
God’s wisdom
The strength of the book is that it lifts the reader above the street-level questions that often preoccupy our minds (the nitty-gritty of church life). Instead we are shown how the manifold wisdom of God is displayed in the church, where God is reconciling a diverse people in Jesus Christ to the praise of his glory. Johnston wants the reader to view the church more from 30,000 ft in broad perspective and to focus on the church’s wonder, worship and work.
Johnston remains agnostic in the book about matters of baptism and church leadership. Although that could be seen as attempting to write about the European Union without mentioning Brexit, I was actually pleased to have my mind raised higher to see the themes and purposes that unite all Bible-believing evangelicals!
