Daniel I. Block. For the Glory of God: Recovering A Biblical Theology of Worship. Grand Rapids: Baker,
2014. Xix + 410 pp. (cloth) $34.99.
Over the past few decades “worship wars” have been fought in the American evangelical church. Tragically, “Instead of worship uniting God's people, conflicts over worship have often divided them (2)." In response to this, much ink has been spilled in effort to help believers think biblically with regards to this important and sometimes explosive subject. Into this crowded arena of ideas enters Daniel I. Block’s treatise on biblical worship.
Over the course of
seven decades, Block has witnessed God’s people at worship in many forms and
styles around the world (xiii). These
experiences caused Block to ask a host of questions about the nature of true
worship. Such as, “what kinds of worship
are appropriate? More specifically what
kinds of worship represent true worship of the one true and living God?” (xiii) Block presents a scholarly work, inviting
Christians of all stripes to recover a biblical theology of worship as we
approach our Creator God with “reverential acts of submission and homage” (29).
Block (DPhil, University of Liverpool) serves as the Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He is the author of several books and has written commentaries on Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, Ezekiel, and Obadiah.
Block (DPhil, University of Liverpool) serves as the Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He is the author of several books and has written commentaries on Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, Ezekiel, and Obadiah.
The author divides this
four hundred page work into thirteen chapters.
Block begins by asking three essential questions: What do the Scriptures
have in mind when they speak of worship (chap.1)? Who is the object of true worship (chap. 2)?
Whose worship is acceptable to God (chap. 3)?
Subsequent chapters deal with worship in relation to daily life, family
life, work, communion and baptism, Scripture, prayer, music, sacrifice,
offerings, sacred space, and leaders (vii).
The end of the book offers three appendices, three indices, and a select
bibliography.
One of the most
helpful aspects of this book is the author’s continual emphasis on a holistic understanding
of worship. Rather than simply expound
upon the familiar principles found in Romans 12:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 10:31,
Block shows the reader how the Old Testament Scriptures provide the foundation
for viewing all of life as worship to God. In other words, worship is much more than just
something that believer’s participate in on Sunday morning. God’s people must view every aspect of their
life as a context for worship.
Another major strength
of this book is the extensive treatment Block gives to the Old Testament
Scriptures. Many contempary books on
worship focus almost exclusively on the New Testament. However if one is to develop a biblical theology
of worship they must consider all sixty-six books of the Bible. Like Walt Kaiser Jr. and T. Desmond Alexander,
Daniel Block reads the Scriptures in chronological order. Each chapter looks first at the Old, and then
moves into the New, before concluding with some summary observations.
Rather than arguing
for the “regulative principle” of worship (2) or for the “normative principle”
of worship (3), Block suggests we implement an overarching maxim instead. “Our challenge, then, is ensuring that
even when forms of worship are culturally determined, the principles underlying
them are biblically rooted and theologically formed” (3).
A variety of noteworthy quotes and observations are found
throughout this book. For instance,
concerning the posture of the human worshiper Block writes, “the dominant
physical gesture of worship in the Scripture is prostration (17). At the beginning of each chapter the
following description of true worship is given.
“True worship involves reverential human acts of submission and homage
before the divine Sovereign in response to His gracious revelation of himself
and in accord with his will” (23). While
commenting on Genesis 4 the author adds, “God looks upon the offering through
the lens of the worshiper’s heart and character rather than seeing the
worshiper through the lens of the offering” (62). With regard to casualness in worship the
author powerfully states, “Right of access may not be taken for granted or
claimed as an entitlement; the invitation to worship is neither universal nor
unconditional…having experienced the grace of Christ in salvation does not mean
that we may be casual about worship or that our cultic expressions of worship
are automatically acceptable to God” (84).
In addition, while addressing our vocation Block writes, “Although the line between consuming ourselves
with work and working to our full capacity as stewards of God is fine, we need
to work like an ox and relax like a lily.
That is the challenge of work as worship” (139).
Having mentioned some of the most admirable components of
this book a few critiques are now in order.
Some readers will find objections to the hermeneutical presuppositions
found in this book specifically as it relates to the relationship between the
Old and New Testaments. For example, “We
should assume continuity unless the New Testament expressly declares those
principles to be obsolete” (25). Though
a Mennonite and Anabaptist by conviction some of the author’s conclusions share
more in common with those who see greater continuality between the Old and New
Covenants over and against those who see greater discontinuity.
One example of how this hermeneutical presupposition
influences one’s exegesis should suffice.
In chapter eleven Block offers six reasons why Sabbath-keeping applies
to the church today (282). He concludes,
“recognizing the seventh-day Sabbath was grounded in creation and disconnected
from sanctuary worship, and in the absence of explicit New Testament
termination of the institution, we assume
that it continues (294, emphasis mine).
In a similar vein, Block regularly refers to the New
Testament Church as the “New Israel” (159).
Dispensational and non Covenantal readers will no doubt dispute the
author’s assertion that Galatians 6:16 establishes that Jesus established the
church as the new Israel of God (153). The
author also takes a spiritual view of Ezekiel 40-48 (312).
Block argues that worshipping the Holy Spirit as an
object of worship is extra biblical (52).
To support this conclusion Block directs his readers to all of the New
Testament doxologies and worship texts like Revelation 5:1-14. Arguments from silence however have to be
evaluated very carefully. Just because
something is “non-biblical” does not necessarily make it “unbiblical.”
While arguing convincingly in favor of believer’s baptism
in chapter six Block goes out of his way to speak highly of those who practice
infant baptism. While certainly
appreciating the spirit of charity Block shows to his Presbyterian brethren
this reviewer wonders whether one really needs to make as many disclaimers as
Block does in his “Excursus on infant baptism” (154-55)? It was also peculiar to read statements such
as “Apart from Jesus’ command to baptize
new believers (Matt. 28:19), the New Testament lacks explicit prescriptions on
how to administer the ordinance of baptism” (155). As if one explicit commandment from Jesus and
countless examples from the apostles and the first church in Acts is not
sufficient proof of (credo) baptism by immersion.
In a recent book on
worship, Edith Humphrey correctly identifies five maladies that plague the
North American church: (1) trivializing worship by a preoccupation with
atmospherics/mood (it’s all about how worship makes me feel); (2) misdirecting
worship by having a human-centered rather than God-centered focus (it’s all
about me, the worshiper); (3) deadening worship by substituting stones for
bread (the loss of the Word of God); (4) perverting worship with emotional,
self-indulgent experiences at the expense of true liturgy; and (5) exploiting
worship with market-driven values (xii).
I highly recommend Block’s book hoping that
its biblical content will help correct many of the problems that plague so much
of contemporary worship today.
Though much of the
discussion in this book is technical, with transliterated Hebrew and Greek
words on almost every page, Block writes with sufficient clarity and
explanation to benefit graduate students and laymen alike.
Whether you agree with
most, all, or few of Block’s conclusions, For
the Glory of God is a superb resource towards helping believers think more
biblically about the duty and privilege of worship. With more attention given to the Old
Testament text this resource is a wonderful complement to Don Carson’s Worship By the Book , Bob Kauflin’s Worship Matters, John MacArthur’s Worship: The Ultimate Priority, and
Allen Ross’ Recalling the Hope of Glory:
Biblical Worship From the Garden to the New Creation.
Reviewed by Caleb P. Kolstad,
Senior Pastor,
First Baptist Church, Freeport.
