True Spirituality [Paperback]

According to the forward, this book was born out of a specific situation in the author's life. Early on in his spiritual journey, Vaughn Roberts was told that he needed to have a specific spiritual experience to demonstrate to himself and others that he had an authentic and growing Christian faith. He asked his mentors, and he studied the Bible.What he found was there were many counterfeits of authentic spirituality. As he grew more mature in his spiritual journey he began to discover that the book of I Corinthians was a good guide for identifying healthy spirituality, and for avoided counterfeit imitations of true Christian spiritual maturity. The book Authentic Spirituality is a book spawned by this study of Vaughn Roberts.

Authentic Spirituality is, in fact, both an exegetical and topical study of I Corinthians and concept of faithful Christian spirituality, and the places where we often get off track and/or deceived about what the Christian spiritual journey is all about. Each chapter covers a specific issue, and has study questions at the end of each chapter that both cause the reader to review the text of the book and to dig deeper into the Scripture passages that each chapter summarizes.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a fresh take on the book of I Corinthians with a very clear focus. It is also wise in how it connects issues in the early church with challenges that our churches and our church cultures face today. I think it would be a great book to use in a Bible Study at some point. As a pastor, I also think it would be a helpful guide for a preaching series on I Corinthians.

a copy has been provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I believe that it is providential that the Early Church saw a diverse set of churches. Sometimes we think that the days of the apostles were the golden age of the church. It wasn't. There were the legalistic Galatians, the syncretistic Colossians, the self-righteous and prejudiced Romans. It can be easy to identify certain letters and churches to the prevailing patterns of culture. That is what Vaughan Roberts is doing in his latest book, Authentic Church.

He has noticed striking similarities between the Corinthian church and the church among Western cultures:

The buzzwords that had such currency in Corinth still appear frequently in book blurbs and conference brochures today. We value exactly the same qualities and yet we often have very inadequate understandings of them (15).

Paul challenged this thinking in his first letter to the Corinthians. Roberts will follow by giving an expository treatment of the book with twenty-first century application.

He has broken up his treatment of the letter into eight chapters to deal with the eight prevailing issues among the Corinthians. Chapter 1 focuses on 1.1-2.16 and Paul's famous treatment of wordly wisdom and the "foolishness" of the cross. Both Paul and Roberts argue that the cross in central to Christianity and must remain so. The pressure of culture must not lead us to diminish its importance. Chapter 2 deals with 3.1-4.21. The subject is leadership. The Corinthians were divided over their leaders. They had developed factions based on who they believed was the stronger, more significant leader. Paul is clear: what sets a leader apart in the church is not what sets them apart in the world. They are to be faithful, godly men, not flashy. This is an important chapter for contemporary, American Christians. We're drawn to and desire the flashy. Yet, we're astonished when the flashy is found to be unfaithful.

Chapter 3 focuses on 5.1-6.20. Not only did the Corinthians feel a bit ashamed of the crucifixion and un-flashy leaders. They were also notoriously promiscuous. It seems that there were two family members sleeping together and the church (generally) was okay with it! Before we criticize them, we need to recognize that the contemporary church puts up with a tremendous amount of sinful behavior among its congregants. Church discipline is needed as much as ever today. Just as Paul will call the Corinthians to holiness, so we too must call our people to holy living, not promiscuity. Chapter 4 concerns 7.1-40. This is a well-known chapter on marriage and singleness. Roberts helpfully puts these two against asceticism. Some, it seems, approach this subject with that idea in mind. But, it's not Paul's idea. Marriage is a gift and a protection for those who "burn". Likewise, singleness is a gift, an opportunity to serve the Lord unhindered. A correct perception of both allows us to simultaneously affirm them as good gifts.

Chapter 5 is about "spiritual concern, not unfettered freedom" found in 8.1-10.31. Whether we are debating issues of "sacrificial meat" or "personal rights" or "spirituality" the over-arching idea is "whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (10.31). That is, ultimately, the controlling goal of the Christian life. Chapter 6 focuses on 11.1-34. Here, Paul discusses the role of men and women in marriage and sin arising in the church because of the Lord's Supper. Roberts sees these two things as an issue of gender difference not social divisions. Both marriage and the Lord's Supper are unifying and life-giving institutions. It's important that we protect them and not use them as a means of dividing the people of God.

Chapter 7 is about 12.1-14.40 and the presence and practice of spiritual gifts. Roberts see three controlling factors: the love for fellow believers, the supremacy of Scripture and the sovereignty of God. Love keeps us from saying that our gifts are better or more important; Scripture prevents us from valuing the temporary and charismatic over the revealed; God's sovereignty keeps us from saying that something can not happen any longer. As in the chapter on marriage, these are contentious issues. Many have split over spiritual gifts. However, with these guiding principles, faith, hope and love can abound.

Finally, Roberts deals with 15.1-58 and Paul's dealing with the resurrection of Christ. This is an incredibly important passage in the New Testament. Paul is clear that without Jesus' resurrection, we have no hope. Roberts also wants us to see that Paul is not giving us a picture of a future bodiless existence. Instead, Christ resurrection secures ours. We will live into eternity as embodied creatures.

Roberts has written an incredibly helpful study of 1 Corinthians. Each chapter ends with questions which provide reflection. These questions transform a study into a great resource for small groups and/or sunday schools. Each chapter is well written and easy to understand, so it could prove an excellent resource for lay-people or group study.