Let the Nations Be Glad Book Review
November 25, 2008 Book Response: “Let the Nations Be Glad”
Book Response: “Let the Nations Be Glad”
John Piper’s Let the Nations Be Glad more than lives up to its reputation as one of the most important books on missions. It is biblically based and rich in scriptural references with many relevant supporting stories and extensive explanatory foot notes. This book guides the reader through the core issues of missions in seven chapters which are grouped into three parts. In part 1, Piper discusses missions as means of worshipping God (ch.1) followed by the power of prayer and the price of suffering in missions (ch.2 & 3). Part 2 is devoted to answering two very important questions of whether Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation (ch.4) and whether the task of missions is to win as many individuals as possible or win individuals from all people groups of the world (ch.5). In the final part, Piper explores the relationship between the compassion for people and the passion for the glory of God (ch.6), and the true meaning of worship (ch.7). Opening statement of the first chapter contains the central theme of the book, supremacy of God in missions. Piper states that “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is,” because “God is ultimate, not man” and whereas missions is a temporary necessity, “worship abides forever” (p. 17). I believe that the centrality of God emphasized in this opening statement is applicable not only to missions, but also to Christian life. Piper further explains that missions is means for the worship of God, which is “the fuel and goal of missions,” because “all of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and his Son among all the peoples of the earth” (p.20-21). This is a wake-up call for Christians to break out of simply thinking missions as just saving lost souls and discover the centrality of God in all aspects of missions. As clarified by Piper in the last
Book Response: “Let the Nations Be Glad”
John Piper’s Let the Nations Be Glad more than lives up to its reputation as one of the most important books on missions. It is biblically based and rich in scriptural references with many relevant supporting stories and extensive explanatory foot notes. This book guides the reader through the core issues of missions in seven chapters which are grouped into three parts. In part 1, Piper discusses missions as means of worshipping God (ch.1) followed by the power of prayer and the price of suffering in missions (ch.2 & 3). Part 2 is devoted to answering two very important questions of whether Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation (ch.4) and whether the task of missions is to win as many individuals as possible or win individuals from all people groups of the world (ch.5). In the final part, Piper explores the relationship between the compassion for people and the passion for the glory of God (ch.6), and the true meaning of worship (ch.7). Opening statement of the first chapter contains the central theme of the book, supremacy of God in missions. Piper states that “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is,” because “God is ultimate, not man” and whereas missions is a temporary necessity, “worship abides forever” (p. 17). I believe that the centrality of God emphasized in this opening statement is applicable not only to missions, but also to Christian life. Piper further explains that missions is means for the worship of God, which is “the fuel and goal of missions,” because “all of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and his Son among all the peoples of the earth” (p.20-21). This is a wake-up call for Christians to break out of simply thinking missions as just saving lost souls and discover the centrality of God in all aspects of missions. As clarified by Piper in the last