Counseling Under the Cross by Robert Kellemen

Many of us are familiar with the change in Martin Luther when he realized the truth of forgiving grace from God. He went from trying to earn God's approval through works to believing in the saving work of Christ. We may not be as familiar with how Luther then shared his insight with those who needed pastoral care and counseling.

Kellemen has studied the works of Luther to understand how Luther counseled others. He uses quotes from letters and table talks to show how Luther applied the heart of the gospel to his flock. Kellemen also adds how we can then apply Luther's knowledge and method to our own lives.

Here are a few of Luther's insights I really appreciated. Scripture is the only true comfort in distress and is sufficient for fighting temptations. Through Christ, we find redemption for deep internal problems. There is comfort in Christ alone.

Luther had much to say about suffering. “For Luther, suffering is God's medicine of choice to awake us from our slumbering self-sufficiency and turn us to heightened Christ-sufficiency.” (Loc 1278/5729) “...God sends suffering to cure our deepest sickness of estrangement from God caused by our independence of him.” (Loc 2060/5729)

This book is a good reminder for pastors and counselors today to return to the gospel as essential in pastoral care and counseling. Sin must be taken seriously. Spiritual warfare must be practiced against the devil. We must be reunited with Christ in relationship and then shown how to reinterpret life through the lens of the cross. We must be continually reminded of the gospel in the face of our gospel amnesia.

This book may be a little too scholarly for the average Christian. While Kellemen does frequently tell us what the previous information means to applying it to our lives, that previous information includes lots of material more suited to professionals than laypeople. It was no surprise that this book began as his PhD dissertation. While recently rewritten, the book still has an academic flavor to it.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read more reviews here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Robert W. Kellemen, PhD, is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chair of the Biblical Counseling Department at Crossroads Bible College and the founder and CEO of RPM Ministries. He is also the author of several books on the gospel and counseling. He and his wife have two children and two grandchildren. You can find out more at www.rpmministries.org.

New Growth Press, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review. 

The Unreformed Martin Luther by Andreas Malessa

Great people of history often have myths added to their lives. Such was the case with Luther. Malessa looks at many familiar stories about Luther and tests their truth.

I appreciate the work Malessa has done. Luther was very prolific and his complete works totaled some 80,000 pages. With that much material, one could claim almost anything about Luther. Malessa has attempted to separate myth from fact, even though he admits he has not been able to do so completely. (9)

While this book is not a biography, it is very informative. Malessa really helped me understand the medieval situation and the beliefs of the time. That was good for putting Luther's sayings into the context of that era.

The section I appreciated the most was the one on indulgences. Malessa identified Luther's real concern on the issue and I realized I had had a wrong understanding of the situation. I also found out that Origen of Alexandria (third century) developed the idea of purgatory in the afterlife. I also found out how “Protestants” came about – not from Luther. And he probably didn't throw the inkwell at the devil. That's just a bit of what I learned from this book.

I recommend this book to those who want a better understanding of Luther and what he contributed (and did not contribute) to the Reformation. I really like Malessa's writing style. It is very personable and not at all scholastic. He's got a good sense of humor too.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Andreas Malessa is a theologian, author, and lyricist, most recently for the musical Amazing Grace. He and his wife live near Stuttgart, Germany, and have two grown daughters. 

Kregel Publications, 168 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Martin Luther in His Own Words, edited by Jack D. Kilcrease and Erwin W. Lutzer

This year, 2017, marks the 500 year anniversary of the Reformation. Luther was instrumental in initiating the movement but many may not be aware of his contribution. Kilcrease and Lutzer have accumulated selections from Luther's writings and lectures to help modern readers appreciate his works.

The editors have organized the works around the topics of the five solas. They have added an introduction to each reading and updated the translations, clarifying what might not be understood by modern readers.

I appreciated the selections included in this volume. There are portions from Luther's commentary on Galatians taken from notes on his lectures. There is his introduction to Romans, including a summary of the main topics of the epistle. It was this work that moved John Wesley as he heard it read. Additional readings are from Luther's Large Catechism. My favorite reading is from The Bondage of the Will. In it, Luther explains how Christ and His saving death on the cross is the central teaching of the Bible.

Luther rediscovered the doctrine of justification by faith. He translated the Bible into the vernacular and believed preaching should be in the language of the people (not Latin). His work is an essential part of the foundation of contemporary evangelical Christian belief. I recommend this book to those who want to be familiar with Luther's works. Reading works from 500 years ago is not an easy task. The editors have done a good job, however, in helping contemporary readers tackle it.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jack D. Kilcrease is professor of historical and systematic theology at the Institute of Lutheran Theology and a church elder at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids.

Erwin W. Lutzer is pastor emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago. He and his wife live in the Chicago area.

Baker Books, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.