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PROCLAIMING CHRIST IN A PLURALISTIC AGE: The 1978 Lectures
J.I. PACKER
5 Classic Lectures from J. I. Packer Defending the Truth of the Gospel against Humanism, Universalism, and More
Christians today confront complex opposition to the gospel from intellectuals, skeptics, and pluralists who deny the divinity of Christ. But these are not new issues; the first-century church encountered similar challenges to their faith. How did the apostle Paul address these questions and doubts to effectively spread God’s word?
In these never-before-published lectures, originally given at Reformed Bible College and Moore College in 1978, renowned theologian J. I. Packer tackles common objections to Christianity—including secular humanism, pluralism, and universalism. By studying the evangelistic efforts of Paul and the early church, Packer skillfully preaches the glory of Christ crucified and helps students, pastors, and believers share their faith in an age of skepticism.
"The lectures are vintage Packer. With the apostle Paul, he gloried in the cross, boasting in it alone, and was convinced that its proclamation was essential in every age, especially our pluralistic one. Though these lectures bear the marks of their age, delivered forty-five years ago, the message is eternally relevant. We have sought to edit them with a light hand, adding subheadings and citations, as well as smoothing out the prose as required for its written form. We have resisted editing it so heavily that it loses some of its original flavor as oral addresses...He saw himself as “a voice that called people back to old paths of truth and wisdom.” His entire life was spent resisting the idea that “the newer is the truer, only what is recent is decent, every shift of ground is a step forward, and every latest word must be hailed as the last word on its subject.” Though he was willing to address and engage the controversies of his day, he wrote, “I should like to be remembered as one who pointed to the pasturelands.” May the lectures captured in this book point you to the pasturelands as you walk with the Good Shepherd who is the Savior of the world." (from the Publisher's Preface)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Outline
Publisher’s Preface
Chapter 1: We’ve a Story to Tell: We Preach Christ Crucified
Chapter 2: The Man Christ Jesus: The Humanity of Jesus Christ
Chapter 3: He Emptied Himself: The Divinity of Jesus Christ
Chapter 4: A Wonderful Exchange: The Work of Jesus Christ
Chapter 5: No Other Name: The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ
General Index
Scripture Index
1. We’ve a Story to Tell: We Preach Christ Crucified
The Antithesis of the Gospel
*The Unreasonable Skepticism of Jews Requiring Signs
*The Invasive Intellectualism of Greeks Seeking Wisdom
*We Preach Christ Crucified
The Antithesis of the Gospel Today
*Intellectuals Seek Wisdom
*Liberals Seek Needs
The Story of the Gospel
*We’ve a Story to Tell
*The Heart of the Story
*A Story in Many Strands
The Story of the Kingdom of God
The Story of the People of God
The Story of the Mediation of God
The Story of the Victory of God
The Story of God the Father Glorifying His Son
The Story of the Image of God
ENDORSEMENTS
“In 1978 J. I. Packer delivered these lectures at Reformed Bible College in Michigan then traveled to Australia to present the second series of Annual Moore College Lectures. So we have been waiting forty-five years for them to be published! However, precisely because of the long gap between delivery and publication, this book is able to challenge us powerfully about how far we have fallen from those days. These chapters remind us of vintage Packer: the calm and courteous style, the unrelenting focus on the Lord Jesus our Savior and faithfulness to the Scriptures, and an incisive perspective on the movements shaping the world in which we live as Christian disciples. This book is certainly worth reading, and I highly commend it.” -Mark D. Thompson, Principal, Moore Theological College
“J. I. Packer set a high standard for proclaiming the gospel of Christ. His arguments were gracious but never cowardly, strong but never strident, faithful but never repetitive. Now with the publication of his 1978 lectures, we are all enriched more deeply for ‘the defense and confirmation of the gospel’ (Phil. 1:7) in our generation.” -Ray Ortlund, President, Renewal Ministries
“In my youth, I was bombarded with teaching that denied the absolute uniqueness of Christ. We were told that such an assertion was based on a few proof texts which ran counter to the overall message of the Bible. At that time the writings and tape-recorded messages of J. I. Packer helped convince me that our affirmation of uniqueness was based primarily not only on a few proof texts, but upon the person and work of Christ who was the Creator’s answer to the dilemma faced by his creation. I’m so happy to see this material in circulation in a new format. The issue is even more critical today than it was in my youth. This robust exposition by Packer is both timely and powerfully convincing.” -Ajith Fernando, Teaching Director, Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka; author, Discipling in a Multicultural World
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