Questions of identity: Who am I?

THE MESSAGE OF HUMANITY
(Bible Speaks Today series)
By Ian W. Payne
IVP. 338 pages. £14.99
ISBN 978 1 789 741 568

This is the final volume in the BST ‘Bible Themes’ series, by former missionary partner and NZ pastor, Ian Payne.

The author is very well read, both Biblically and extra-biblically, Christian and secular alike. The book is well structured in three sections, with six or seven chapters in each. First: “Being Human Backwards”, meaning “how humans are created in the image of God”, followed by the Fall and consequent “disruption”; second: “Being Human Forwards”, meaning “how for humans the image of God is renewed in Christ”, then thirdly, “Issues in Being Human”, such as authenticity, gender, sex and ethnicity.

Strong on grace

Broadly speaking, I found this author to be thoroughly orthodox, and most evangelicals will find no issue with the essential overriding message of this work. He is particularly strong on grace as opposed to merit, and on the equalness of all humanity. Also on Christ, who is the true image of God, being the key to a Biblical understanding of humanness, especially regarding our ultimate destiny, described here as “The Great Happiness, His coming kingdom” (God’s promise to Abraham).

God’s gracious redemption

Scripture is quoted extensively, from seven different translations. Payne fully acknowledges the reality of the gulf between our current fallen humanness, and our ultimately consummated humanness in eternity – so he doesn’t weaken the doctrine of sin, and expansively affirms God’s gracious redemption in Christ and the wonder of our end-of-time status in Him.

I particularly valued the chapter on idolatry, with its emphasis on this being an offence against God’s saving purposes. Likewise the chapters on evil, sexual relations (co-authored with a same-sex-attracted pastor), rest and race were specially good. Others, for example on epistemology, were not so (for me).

Misgivings

I have a few misgivings. Payne can be rather wordy, and thus the book is (and feels) very long. At times I felt he was over-theologising; e.g. early on, of God’s image in man and Eden = temple, and then at other places later. I encountered a few quirky expressions which I found a bit distracting.

Some en readers may be concerned at Payne’s view on Genesis 1’s literary structure, and/or at his commitment, stated early on and repeated often, to the notion of the “Circle-Dance-of-Love” amongst the Trinity, which “theologians through history talk about”. Also, for some, at Payne’s particular clear-cut stance on the egalitarian / complementarian issue. But this notwithstanding, the book is so good in its portrayal of the Biblical doctrine of being human.