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Salvation Belongs to the Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology

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I have a good selection of systematic theologies on my bookshelf. They range from the very readable to the almost hopelessly complex. Some of the authors are clearly very knowledgeable but have not been blessed with the ability to easily communicate that wealth of knowledge. Others are great communicators but, unfortunately, do not have as great an understanding of theology. Sometimes, though, these gifts come together in the form of a person who both knows a great deal about theology and is able to communicate his knowledge in a clear, understandable way. The latest addition to these volumes is Salvation Belongs To The Lord, written by John Frame. While smaller than most systematics, at only 360 pages, it is, to borrow the words of William Edgar, both "vigorously orthodox and sweetly pastoral."

Frame is a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida where he teaches Systematic Theology and Philosophy. He previously served several decades on the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary. A number of years ago, Frame began to write a multivolume series of studies that examine major biblical concepts from the perspective of the Lordship of God (The Theology of Lordship series). Since that work had begun, he had often been asked if he would compile this series into a complete systematic theology and had always answered "no." But then, in 2003, he was asked to teach a survey course in systematics for the Institute for Theological Studies in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He delivered the lectures in 2004 and they formed the basis for Salvation Belongs To The Lord. The systematic theology came into being despite his best efforts to the contrary. This book is related to his ongoing Theology of Lordship Series but is not part of it. "This book will not be part of the Theology of the Lordship series, but readers of those books will find here the same approach: exegetical, Reformed, and focused on the lordship of God and of Jesus Christ."

Frame wrote Salvation Belongs To The Lord to be an introduction to systematic theology. And an introduction it is, as evidenced by its small size compared to other systematics. By way of comparison, Grudem's Systematic Theology weighs in at almost 1300 pages and Hodge's is far larger still, extending through three very dense volumes. Frame's book "is not directed primarily to readers of the Lordship series but to beginners in theology, people who are seeking a basic introduction." To target this audience, he has endeavoured to define all technical terms and has adopted a conversational, pastoral tone. He considers this work to be college or seminary level in its difficulty, though I suspect even a high school student who was sufficiently dedicated would be able to benefit from reading it.

One of the hooks Frame employs throughout this book is "a system of threes,...lordship triads, which runs through the whole book. This system is mainly a pedagogical device, but I hope it will show you some important ways in which everything in the Bible is tied together. As you will see, the Bible is not a miscellaneous collection of ideas but a coherent, consistent system of truth in which the major doctrines depend one on another." While I appreciated this pedagogical device, I did not find that it contributed a whole lot to my reading of the book, though it also did not prove burdensome. I can see that it would, for some people, prove a valuable addition and it does accomplish what Frame hopes it will. It points quite clearly to a unity within Scripture.

The book is divided into two sections, the first dealing primarily with objective truths such as: "The nature of God, the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, the person and work of the Holy Spirit." It deals largely with truths and events that are once-for-all and will never be repeated. The second section discusses events that are more subjective and repeatable, such as justification and sanctification--events that happen in the life of each believer. In this second section, Frame follows closely in the path of John Murray and his book Redemption Accomplished and Applied. After discussing the ordo salutis (or order of salvation) he discusses the nature and task of the church, the means of grace, the sacraments, heaven and hell and the last days. Fittingly, he closes with a chapter asking "how then shall we live?"

Frame quotes liberally from Grudem's Systematic Theology and there is a fair resemblance in much of their theology. He agrees with Grudem in most points, the most notable exception being a differing understanding of the miraculous gifts. The connection between Grudem and Frame is explained in the dedication of Grumdem's book. He writes, "This book is dedicated to eight people." Among these are "Edmund Clowney, John Frame, and Vern Poythress, Westminster Seminary professors and friends, who influenced my theological understanding more than anyone else, and who taught me Reformed theology in humble submission to every word of Scripture." It is little wonder, then, that the two men share so much common ground.

Here is a brief summary of some of the more important positions Frame has adopted: In soteriology, he is Calvinistic. In eschatology he is, when backed into a corner, reluctantly post-millennial. In his understanding of ecclesiology he is Presbyterian (and thus, sacramental and paedo-baptistic) and when considering the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, he is cessationist. I was somewhat surprised to see that, when discussing the task of the church, he teaches that the church must be missional, and he thus places greater emphasis on the Great Commission than would many Reformed and Presbyterian believers. Despite this long list of labels, he is charitable, willing and able to discern between first-order and second-order doctrines. He draws firm lines only where they need to be drawn, affirming his appreciation for all who are committed to the gospel.

Salvation Belongs To The Lord is not an exhaustive systematic theology, for it is, and is intended to be, only an introduction. And as an introduction it succeeds admirably. Clearly the result of much study and much thoughtful meditation, this book is clear and understandable, while at the same time expressing many of the deepest truths of the Christian faith. The reader would be remiss to skip over the lists of recommended reading at the end of this book, for Frame lists many excellent resources in "systematic theology and theological method" as well as many solid "introductions to the Reformed faith." I trust that, for many, this book will prove to be only the beginning of a lifelong, fruitful study of the Christian faith. I eagerly recommend Salvation Belongs To The Lord to anyone who seeks to know more about the great God we serve. This book is sure to edify all who study it, whether they be long-time believers or recent converts. It will prove to be a delight to read.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord is an introduction to systematic theology that grew out of a class John Frame recorded for the Institute of Theological Studies. Mr. Frame wrote it for those who are beginners in theology, though he considers "this work to be college or seminary level in difficulty." (x)


After the preface, the book is comprised of twenty-five chapters covering the broad range of theological topics. These include who God is, who man is, the relationship between God and man, salvation, the church, end times, and how to live. At the back of the book is a list of recommended reading as well as subject and scripture indexes- which are rather important for a book of this nature.

This introduction to systematic theology applies John Frame's multiple-perspective approach to the wide scope of theology. Specifically, he perceives all things through normative, situational, and existential perspectives. "When you ask directly what God's revelation says, you are using the normative perspective... When you ask about God's world, trying to understand situations we get into, I call that the situational perspective... Then when you ask about yourself, when you seek to know yourself, you are seeking to know from what I call the existential perspective." (77)

Though Mr. Frame claimed this was seminary level in difficulty, I did not think it was that difficult. He does an outstanding job of explaining complex terms and concepts in a manner that requires no prior introduction to the material. I appreciated that though he quotes from other theologically works and confessions, the vast majority of references are to Scripture as the foundation for good theology.

Most of the book is very well thought out and explained on the basis of Scripture. However, there are a few points that are not. For example, when discussing whether there is still the gift of prophecy today, Mr. Frame explains the view of Wayne Grudem at length. In response he simply states, "I am not convinced of Grudem's thesis." (167) An argument or two against the thesis would have been more helpful then simple disagreement. In covering the function of the church, Mr. Frame puts forward that the purpose of the church is evangelism. In all of his discussion of the church, however, he does not really get into discipleship, and because of that the church he puts forward seems rather unbalanced- very outward focused but somewhat hollow inside.

Those points aside, Salvation Belongs to the Lord is a well-done and valuable introduction to systematic theology from which just about anyone can benefit. John Frame's multiple perspective approach makes the unique enough to earn its place next to the other top systematic theologies in our seminaries and homes.

As someone who is new to the different aspects of Thelogoy, but not new to Christianity I found the book to be quite challenging, but in a good way. I purchased the book for a homework assignment in Bible college and I was not aware of all the different facets to theology, so this book for me was kind of an introduction to theology. I like the fact that I was able to follow his argument because sometimes theology can be thick with terms that are not always easy to comprehend. I struggle sometimes with taking a view on things and I can accept most arguments if backed up by the word of God. And most of what Frame wrote in this book is backed up by the Scripture. For me, that's all I ask.

(Four-and-one-half stars)

This spring I took an introductory class at Reformed Theological Seminary, where Dr. Frame teaches (albeit at a different campus). One of the texts we were assigned was Frame's The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (DKG), a rather dense tome on Christian epistemology (what and how we know things). I ended up finding what first seemed a daunting book to be in fact a very clear and relevant book. I couldn't help but find implications of what frame wrote in DKG even in phone discussions with friends and in my everyday life.

At the same time I had also purchased the book featured here, Salvation Belongs to the Lord (SBL). After reading DKG, I am amazed at how simply Frame distills his theology there into easy-to-read wording. I think this is the mark of a good theologian and communicator: knowing the details and yet being able to state it clearly and succintly. Frame excels at that in every chapter of this book.

SBL takes the format of many Reformed systematic theologies, but Frame departs somewhat by beginning not with the Word of God, but with his doctrine of God himself--who He is as covenant Lord. This, Frame argues, affects how we can know God and what our role is in doing so as his covenant servants. Frame sets up an interesting triad of God's Lordship--control, authority, and presence--to which he ties almost everything in the rest of the book, usually in quite convincing fashion. Everything that happens is because God is Lord.

Frame also sets up another triad of "perspectives" from which to view aspects of life and theology (normative [authoritative laws], situational [historical circumstances of life], and existential [personal subjectivity]). I think many of his applications of this in SBL are pretty good, but they don't seem as convincing as in DKG. Perhaps that's due to the limited space in this book.

This book would be an excellent intro or refresher for interested laity, Sunday school leaders, elders, and deacons in Presbyterian/Reformed churches, or for anyone desiring a basic overview of Reformed theology. Frame writes in a clear and conversational style, illustrating the pastoral and practical relevance to almost everything. He frequently cites the Westminster Standards but backs up everything with Scripture.

My only complaint with this book, if there is one, is that while citing numerous Scripture texts, Frame does little in the way of exegesis or unfolding key texts. It's not that this is absent entirely, but a little more would be desired. But then again, this book is subtitled An Introduction to Systematic Theology, and at only 340 pages of text, something has to give. But as I read this book, I became aware of how much Frame does lean upon theologians such as John Murray, whose masterful theology was rigorously exegetical and paid little attention to Reformed confessions. Seminary students: You will need at least one other, meatier systematic, such as Robert Reymond or Louis Berkhof.

On the whole, a good book. Highly recommended for "serious laypersons."

This book arises from lectures that John Frame gave for a survey course in Systematic Theology, and that makes it a good introduction to the discipline. If you've never ventured into the world of systematic theology before, this would be a good book for you to begin with. It's easy enough to understand, and written in what John Frame calls "a conversational tone." You won't find technical terms used without careful explanation, and--although you might find this hard to believe--at 342 pages of actual text, is much shorter than your average systematic theology. It is the simplest to read and understand of any of the systematic theologies I've read, and I've read a few, along with portions of several more.

That's not to say that the beginner won't have to do a little work to read and understand this book. When you go beyond the popular level in any discipline, you should expect to do a little work, and that's the way it is with theology, too. However, John Frame has managed to make things about as simple as possible for the reader, and that's the primary strength of this book.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord has another strength, and that's the fairness of John Frame's treatment of viewpoints that are not his own. John Frame is Presbyterian, and currently a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida; and as you might expect, he takes the conservative Presbyterian view on many issues. Still, opposing perspectives are presented quite clearly, with an even-handed explanation of the support, both scriptural and philosophical, for the differing standpoints. For example, I'm a credobaptist (that means I believe in the baptism of believers only) and John Frame is a paedobaptist (that means he believes in baptizing the infant children of believers), but I found his treatment of credobaptism and the justification for it to be straightforward and fair. The word that kept running through my mind as I read the discussions of various views is gentlemanly, so you'll probably not get your knickers in a knot if he disagrees with you.

As you might expect with a systematic theology, Salvation Belongs to the Lord covers many doctrinal topics, beginning, in Part 1, with the doctrine of God (Who is God and what has he done?), and onto the truths about God's revelation to us; the doctrine of humankind (Who are we and what are we like?); the doctrine of sin; the doctrine of Jesus Christ (Who is he and what did he do?); and the Holy Spirit. Next up, in Part 2, we have the doctrine of salvation; the doctrine of the church (What is it and what should it be doing?); a discussion of the sacraments or ordinances of the church; a discussion of heaven and hell and the events of the last days; and, finally, a discussion of how believers ought to live in light of all these truths. The book is complete, as you see, in the range of topics; but it is not, as is suitable for an introduction, exhaustive in its treatment of the various topics.

My one complaint about this book (and it's not much of a complaint) lies in something John Frame uses that he calls a hook or a pedagogical device, meant to show "how everything in the Bible is tied together." It is sort of a three perspectives method of looking at the various doctrinal truths, and this device runs through the whole book. This is something I found confusing, probably because I've already used my own devices to systematize theological truths. I learned early on in my reading to skim over these parts, so I didn't find this device too distracting. Since Frame is a teacher, I assume that he has found this tool helpful for many students and valuable because of that. You may find it useful, too, even though I didn't.

One of the things I've been doing over the past couple of years is collecting a list of recommended books on doctrine or theology that are suitable for the interested lay person, yet deeper than dandelion fluff. This is another book I'll wholeheartedly add to that rather short list.

In Salvation Belongs to the Lord, John Frame expertly and honestly presents an introduction to systematic theology. As a complete beginner/novice in the understanding of systematic theology, I found Dr. Frame's book to be wonderfully intriguing, leaving me eager to dive deeper into systematic study.

Though it appears to be written with the seminary (or perspective)student in mind, don't let that scare you off. This is an approachable text that's well worth your time and effort.

Great book as an introduction to systematic theology. Provides an adequate coherent Trinitarian understanding with Scripture proofs. Is straightforward and easy to understand. Would recommend to anyone who wants to become closer to God through a coherent scholastic understanding.

I once heard Elliot Grudem say that John Frame is so smart that Chuck Norris wears John Frame underwear. It is true: Frame is to systematic theology what Chuck Norris is to catching drug smugglers in Texas - namely, badass.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord began as a series of introductory lectures Frame recorded for the Institute of Theological Studies. Much briefer (and broader) than Frame's multi-volume Lordship series, this book is meant as a short introduction to the major doctrines of the Christian faith. Frame has a sharp mind, is extremely succinct in his treatment of ideas, and roots everything in his understanding of Scripture.

Dr. Frame is unashamedly reformed in his understanding, but because all his arguments are rooted in Scriptural exegesis, the book is valuable even for those who don't share his reformed leanings. Frame is also extremely irenic, and clearly confesses which points of doctrine he sees as crucial, and others that he is not willing to fight about. His temperament and tone should give him an audience with those who disagree with him.

Those who know Frame's work will recognize his "tri-perspectival" categories working their way into every chapter. Frame looks at every topic or issue through three lenses: normative, situational, and existential. "When you ask directly what God's revelation says, you are using the normative perspective... When you ask about God's world, trying to understand situations we get into, I call that the situational perspective... Then when you ask about yourself, when you seek to know yourself, you are seeking to know from what I call the existential perspective." (77) This is a helpful pedagogical tool, especially as he invites us to think through the life and work of Jesus with the lens of prophet (normative), priest (existential) and king (situational).

Dr. Frame suggests this book is written for the layman but with enough academic rigor to be treated as a college or seminary text. It's a tough line to tread. For those who don't read a lot of theology, it may seem a little difficult at first, but still worth your time and reflection. For seminarians and others studying theology, it will be a nice refresher, and helpful in pushing you to boil concepts down in order to better explain them to others. A great application for this book would be for the training of elders and deacons in the local church.

I highly recommend it.

I'm a historian. My field is Church History. Other than loving history this was a good way for me to avoid a heavy Theology requirement at seminary. For me - and we're not sure what's wrong, Theology and Philosophy have always great ways for getting me to sleep. They have just been snoozers.

This book however kept me up at night. The clarity of the writing and the orderliness of the presentation made this book an absolute joy to read. Perhaps one its best features is that it doesn't hash through all the theological arguments like other texts. Frame touches on them lightly but the work never turns into a Russian novel (where you have to keep a list of characters and how they're related).

Powerful? Yeah - like the Mississippi River! You start the book and you can just keep rolling along. We really do need many more simple books of quality like this one! why do all theologians seem to think they have to be as wordy as John Owen? Frame keeps things clear and he also presents the material is a manner that makes one want to know, "What's next!"

Good - solid and useful book!!!!!

Great intro to systematic theology, and very reformed. Goes into just enough detail to give you the thirst to want to seek out subjects deeper and more thorough. Easy to read and comprehend. Great author. If you're looking for deeper in depth information on reformed subjects, this is not the book you're looking for. This is an "in depth primer." Worth owning though, regardless of your level of comprehension. I like Frame because he makes a claim and supports his understanding, versus just giving you different views and letting you decide for yourself. Comes across as intelligent and studied. If you know anything about God centered theology, you'll appreciate and enjoy this book!