Five Views on Sanctification [Paperback]

Melvin E. Dieter (Author), Anthony A. Hoekema (Author), Stanley M. Horton (Author), J. Robertson McQuilkin (Author), John F. Walvoord (Author), Stanley N. Gundry (Series Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 1996 | Series: Counterpoints: Bible and Theology

Christians generally recognize the need to live a holy, or sanctified, life. But they differ on what sanctification is and how it is achieved. Five Views on Sanctification brings together in one easy-to-understand volume five major Protestant views on sanctification. Writing from a solid evangelical stance, each author describes and defends his own understanding of the doctrine, and responds as well to the views of the other authors. This book addresses such practical questions as: How does one achieve sanctification in this life? How much success in sanctification is possible? Is a crisis experience following one's conversion normal---or necessary? If so, what kind of experience, and how is it verified? The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Wayne G. Strickland & Willem A. VanGemeren Explores five major approaches to the relationship between the Law and the Gospel. VanGemeren presents the non-theonomic Reformed view and Bahnsen the theonomic Reformed. Kaiser maintains that the weightier matters of the Law of Moses are binding on believers today, while Strickland presents the dispensational view and Moo a modified Lutheran approach. Previously titled The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian.

From the Back Cover

Christians generally recognize the need to live a holy, or sanctified, life. But they differ on what sanctification is and how it is achieved.

Five Views on Sanctification brings together in one easy-to-understand volume five major Protestant views on sanctification. Writing from a solid evangelical stance, each author describes and defends his own understanding of the doctrine, and responds as well to the views of the other authors.

This book addresses such practical questions as: How does one achieve sanctification in this life? How much success in sanctification is possible? Is a crisis experience following one’s conversion normal—or necessary? If so, what kind of experience, and how is it verified?

The interactive and fair-minded nature of the Counterpoints format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (October 10, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310212693
• ISBN-13: 978-0310212690
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Examination of the most influential views, January 31, 2000

By 

Robert Burns (Royal Oak, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Views on Sanctification (Paperback)

The New Testament exhorts Christians to "walk in the Spirit". What does that look like practically? How does the evangelical church teach believers how to "be holy" as God is holy? Too often we do not critically examine our teaching -- and the consideration of our teaching against other evangelical views that attempt to do justice to Scripture is often very helpful in evaluating our own position. That is precisely the reason why this book is helpful. This book allows you to read proponents of the views in their own words -- which is a helpful antidote against the mischaracterization that can sometimes occur in a standard theology text.

That being said, because all 5 indeed attempt to do justice to all of Scripture, they are actually not that far different from one another. Where they differ is in nuanced visions of sin, "walking in the Spirit", the question of the old v. new nature struggle, and in "being filled with the Spirit".

Don't be put off if the terms "Keswick" and "Augustinian-Dispensational" are unfamiliar to you. They are actually very common views in evangelical Christianity -- and related forms of both are taught throughout the evangelical Christian church (just not often identified by those terms)! Two very well-known ministries that espouse Keswick teaching are the Christian and Missionary Alliance and Campus Crusade for Christ. "Augustinian-Dispensational" is just a term Walvoord uses to identify the teaching on personal holiness which has been historically associated with Augustine, the early Reformers, and many dispensational and Bible churches today. You'll find it in Jerry Bridges' "Pursuit of Holiness", and probably much other contemporary Christian devotional and theological literature. It basically contends that the old and new natures are alive and active within the Christian believer, whereas the modern Reformed view is that the old nature is empirically dead.

Especially interesting is how each author traces the historical development of the teaching.

I did not find Dieter's and Horton's arguments to be well-defended from Scripture. Fundamentally, I find that the Wesleyan understanding of sin as applying only to intential wrong-doing and the Pentecostal understanding of being "baptized in the Spirit" as referring to charismatic experience are both problematic. The other three make compelling arguments from Scripture, but I must bark this note of caution: all of the authors make too much of the Greek verb tense! Unfortunately, the arguement of the tense of Greek verbs in the New Testament is only a good indicator, not a firm foundation, particularly the aorist -- which does not have to refer to a fixed past event! Rather, the aorist is best described as "undefined" and somewhat fluid in meaning. So we hold must hold exquisitely nuanced theological positions on sanctification in humility -- clinging to the essentials and allowing for some apparent paradox.

May God bless you as you read this fine exploration of this important topic of faith and practice.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful introduction to evangelical views on sanctification., September 19, 2004

By 

Anthony Garland "Bible Teacher" (Camano Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Views on Sanctification (Paperback)

This volume is one of many in the Zondervan Counterpoints series which "provide a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians." The five views of sanctification which are presented include: (1) the Wesleyan perspective written by Melvin E. Dieter; (2) the Reformed perspective written by Anthony A. Hoekema; (3) the Pentecostal perspective written by Stanley M. Horton; (4) the Keswick perspective written by J. Robertson McQuilkin; and (5) the Augustinian-Dispensational perspective written by John F. Walvoord.

Each perspective is presented in turn. Following the presentation of each of the five perspectives, the other four authors provide responses which critique the perspective just presented. This provides a point-counterpoint dialog which is most helpful in clarifying the essential elements in which each perspective differs from the others. The volume concludes with both a subject index and a scripture index.

Although a main purpose of the book is to clarify the differences in which each of the five perspectives understands the Biblical teaching regarding sanctification, it becomes evident during the process that the five views have much more in common than one might at first assume. Although differences remain, one finds that many of the secondary disagreements have more to do with how definitions and terminology are used than with incompatible views of what scripture teaches on the topics discussed. The result is a strengthened confidence in what scripture teaches concerning the core issues of sanctification-which all the views recognize.

Among the five views, two of the views stand out as holding perspectives which are markedly different than the rest.

The Wesleyan perspective asserts the possibility of "entire sanctification" also called (misleadingly) "perfection." This view holds that by means of progressive sanctification, the Christian may reach a point "through the Holy Spirit [where we] are able not to sin, even though we never come to the place where we are not able to sin" (p. 137). The subtlety in this statement has to do with the Wesleyan separation of sin into conscious willing rebellion to God's law vs. unconscious, unintentional sin. The sin over which victory is said to apply is the conscious willing kind. A significant problem is that this is only one aspect of the full Biblical definition of sin which includes both intentionally and unconsciously falling short of God's ideal. It seems that entire sanctification can only result in victory over one of these categories--a sort of "partial perfection" which is really no perfection.

Unique to the Pentecostal perspective is the view that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a subsequent work after salvation which is not necessarily experienced by all believers. Pentecostalism attaches great significance to this work in the life of the believer and its relationship to progressive sanctification-especially empowerment for evangelism and service. Typically, speaking in tongues is held to be the sign that a believer has undergone this baptism. In this, the Pentecostal view stands alone-all other views understanding Holy Spirit baptism as that which joins each believer to the body of Christ (1Cor. 12:13) at the time of coming to faith.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book is the historical discussion of the relationship between some of the views. Of particular interest is the development of the Pentecostal and Keswick movements which borrow much from the earlier Wesleyan understanding of sanctification.

Each of the five presenters engages the other views carefully and constructively and with an absence of polemics which is refreshing for a discussion among such diverse points of view.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would benefit from a succinct summary of the Biblical teaching on sanctification and an overview of the divergence of opinion which has characterized evangelical study of this topic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, though more acedemic than practical, February 3, 2007

By 

Pastor Chris - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Views on Sanctification (Paperback)

SUMMARY
Five Views on Sanctification brings together the collective knowledge of Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson McQuilkin, and John F. Walvoord to discuss the theological issue of the nature of sanctification in the Christian life. Each author argues in favor of his particular view; Dieter argues in favor of the Wesleyan perspective, Hoekema asserts the Reformed perspective, Horton puts forth the Pentecostal perspective, McQuilkin presents the Keswick perspective, and Walvoord explicates the Augustinian-Dispensational perspective.

Each of the authors presents sound arguments for their particular point of view. While all of the arguments are well thought out and clearly presented, each view is supported by scripture to varying degrees.

Each of the authors takes the opportunity to respond to the other views in a critical way, primarily showing the differences between their views and those of the other authors. The critical examinations are enlightening and for the most part they are done fairly.


PURPOSE
The main purpose of this book is to provide with the reader with the major views on the subject. This is well accomplished by gathering scholars from across the spectrum of mainstream Christianity to present their particular views. Each of the authors present clear arguments in favor of their particular view, as well as sound refutations of those of the other authors. The book accomplishes its purpose.

AREAS OF GREATEST AGREEMENT
In some sense, though often in differing terms, all views do in some way recognize the progressive nature of sanctification. Even while some elements of Pentecostal theology prefer a more radical immediate sanctification, the mainstream position held by the Assemblies of God, and others, recognizes this. At the core of all views is the recognition of the role of the Holy Spirit in sanctification, though the particular language and terminology here varies as well.

AREAS OF GREATEST DISAGREEMENT
The Pentecostal view is alone in its extreme emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and its relationship to sanctification. All views recognize the work of the Spirit. The Augustinian-Dispensational view even speaks of the distinction between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the Pentecostal view is alone in its emphasis of the relationship between sanctification and baptism in the Holy Spirit.

As is likely to be expected, there is significant disagreement between the Wesleyan view and the reformed view. The Wesleyan view places a high premium on real holiness as the end of the process of sanctification. This view asserts that not only is the guilt of sin removed via justification but the propensity toward it can also be removed in this lifetime via sanctification. The reformed view recognizes the total depravity of man before salvation and the continuing sin nature after salvation. In this way, in fact, there is a close connection between this view and the Augustinian-Dispensational view.

CONCLUSION
In the opinion of the reviewer, this book is a valuable resource and useful read for any believer interested in knowing more about the doctrine sanctification. While the book is written largely for students of theology and doctrine, it has practical implications which are hard to miss. The choice of collaborative authors is superb. The arguments are well presented and even better thought out.

In the end I am compelled to adopt a view of sanctification which draws elements from each of the views presented. Clearly God has a significant role in the process but we must choose to participate. Certainly holiness is the goal of this process but my experience as a pastor and as a sinful man tells me that workable holiness will not be achieved in this life of struggle against sin and its effects. Sanctification is a process of growing in grace not an immediate transformation of action, but rather a revolution of intention. It is an upheaval of purpose working toward the goal of Christ-likeness!