As a response to the unique challenges facing the twenty-first-century American church, church planting has become a popular topic. But at a time when churches that spread the seed of the Word through preaching, the sacraments, and prayer are greatly needed, much of the focus has been on planting churches that adapt pop culture to meet “consumer demand.” In Planting, Watering,Growing, the authors of this collection of essays weave together theological wisdom, personal experiences, and practical suggestions, guiding readers through the foundations and methods of planting confessional churches that uphold the Word of God.

A Response to Contemporary Critics, by Rev. Daniel R. Hyde

Paperback, 104 pages
Page size: 4.5 x 7 inches
Retail Price: $10.00, RHB Price: $7.50
Available: April 2010

Sample Pages

The Apostles’ Creed claims that Christ “descended into hell,” but do we really believe that? Should we believe that? In this book, Daniel R. Hyde analyzes this controversial claim, bringing valuable light to this long confessed doctrine. He presents the arguments raised against the descent clause, discusses the various understanding of it throughout church history, explains how the Reformed churches have adopted it, and demonstrated the benefits of retaining it as a point of our Christian confession today. For those who question why Christians would believe in the descent of Christ, In Defense of the Descent is an informative and helpful guide.

“For creedal and confessional Christians, the clause in the Apostles Creed “he descended into hell” is important, but sometimes puzzling. Even as intelligent lay folk often struggle to articulate a brief, cogent, accurate reply as to its precise meaning, they may not fully appreciate the history of discussion behind the phrase, or the origins and function of its inclusion in what is probably still, liturgically, the most widely used Creed in the Reformation churches. Daniel Hyde has come to the rescue with a brief, helpful, historical, biblical, and pastoral treatment of this clause, and the crucial theological truth it is designed to propound and protect. I warmly commend it to the Christian reader.” — Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi and Adjunct Professor of Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

Table of Contents
Series Preface
Author’s Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Contemporary Critics
2. Some Historical Perspective
3. Various Views
4. Explaining the Reformed View
5. Benefits of Retaining He Descended into Hell
Conclusion
Bibliography
Scripture Index
Confessions Index

About the Author: Daniel R. Hyde (Th.M., Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) is the pastor of the Oceanside United Reformed Church (URCNA) in Carlsbad/Oceanside, California. He is the author of Jesus Loves the Little Children: Why We Baptize Children, The Good Confession: An Exploration of the Christian Faith, What to Expect in Reformed Worship: A Visitor’s Guide, God with Us: Knowing the Mystery of Who Jesus Is, With Heart and Mouth: An Exposition of the Belgic Confession, In Living Color: Images of Christ and the Means of Grace, and Welcome to a Reformed Church: An Introduction.

Publisher’s Description:

Daniel Hyde’s interview on Welcome to a Reformed Church

Other books by Rev. Daniel Hyde

Only $7.50 for the next week

Danny says,

“The purpose of this website is to promote the seventeenth century English Puritans. We intend to do this by means of original research, theological and devotional commentary upon the writings of the Puritans, reviews of books about the Puritans, recommendations of books about the Puritans, and by providing Recommended Reading of helpful materials in your study of the Puritans.”

Books by Daniel Hyde:

Jesus Loves the Little Children: Why We Baptize Children

While a Reformed understanding of God’s sovereignty is becoming more acceptable among evangelicals, many people still struggle to accept infant baptism as legitimate practice of the church. Much of this resistance is due to a misunderstanding of the Reformed position, as well as a different perspective on the biblical views of God’s covenantal relations with families. In this book, Daniel R. Hyde provides a helpful assessment of infant baptism, arguing cogently for its validity while remaining sympathetic to skeptical readers.

With Heart and Mouth: An Exposition of the Belgic Confession

The Belgic Confession contains doctrine that is worth dying for, as its author and many adherents learned all too well. Opponents of the Belgic Confession have put its adherents to death because, through this powerful document, the church speaks its prophetic biblical message to the world in which it exists. Yet because this confession of faith has been neglected far too long in the Reformed churches, author Daniel Hyde offers a necessary, fresh exposition and application of its doctrine in the twenty-first century, with the hope of setting the Reformed churches on fire for their historic Christian, Protestant, and Reformed faith in the midst of a cold and lifeless world.

In Living Color: Images of Christ and the Means of Grace

While man has universally and perpetually desired the visual in his relationship with God, God has given His people the Word and sacraments as manifestations of His presence until Christ comes again, visibly and corporeally—in living color. This is the classic Reformed exegesis of Scripture as expressed in its confessions. Forward by Joel R. Beeke.

God with Us: Knowing the Mystery of Who Jesus Is

JESUS. The name means so many things to so many people. This book has as its aim to know Jesus. In order to know Him experientially and personally we must know what the Bible says about Him. To come to this knowledge we must delve into the holy mysteries of the Word of God and the historic Christian faith. Whether you are a skeptic, an agnostic, an inquirer, or a convinced Christian, this book is meant to cause you to consider the mysteries that Jesus claimed of Himself that you too might join the cloud of witnesses that no man can number, confessing the name of Jesus—“God with us.”

RHB: $13.00

Special: Because of Daniel Hyde’s new site, we will be selling his title done with us at RHB, God With Us: Knowing the Mystery of Who Jesus Is for the rest of this week (until Friday 5pm) at only $5.00. This is 65% off the retail price of $14.00! 

Book Information: JESUS. The name means so many things to so many people. This book has as its aim to know Jesus. In order to know Him experientially and personally we must know what the Bible says about Him. To come to this knowledge we must delve into the holy mysteries of the Word of God and the historic Christian faith. Whether you are a skeptic, an agnostic, an inquirer, or a convinced Christian, this book is meant to cause you to consider the mysteries that Jesus claimed of Himself that you too might join the cloud of witnesses that no man can number, confessing the name of Jesus—“God with us.”

Why the title, God with Us?
The hope of the prophets for Immanuel, God with us, is the reality our Lord tangibly brought: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The title is so simple, yet is expresses the profound truth that the eternal Son is also truly human. It also expresses the longing not merely of a relationship-starved world like ours, but the longing of all peoples everywhere, that there is a connection between eternity and time, heaven and earth. This is found only in Christ.

Why did you want to write about the Incarnation of the Son of God?
Well, the book developed over many years. As my parishioners will testify, besides justification, nothing moves me more than preaching on the Incarnation. In my various membership classes and catechetical preaching this wonderful doctrine evoked very thought-provoking questions from inquirers and members alike. Every year I would teach a new members’ class was another year to read, reflect, and write in a way that would describe what happened in the Incarnation. Eventually I had a pamphlet on this subject on our church’s literature rack, it turned into a larger booklet, and finally a manuscript. My friends Mike Horton and Dave VanDrunen really encouraged me to seek a publisher.

What was the importance of writing a book on the issue of Christ’s’ incarnation?
Besides the sublimity of the subject, the importance for me, as in all my writings, is to present our Faith to those who know nothing of it. I wanted to write a book that a Christian could give an unbelieving friend as a way of bringing them into contact with the claims of Christ or that a Reformed Christian could give a Word-starved evangelical and open their minds to the full counsel of God that they are missing in their entertainment-driven, doctrinally-empty churches.

If you had one minute to explain why this doctrine is so important (besides reading chapter 6) what would you tell someone?
The Incarnation distinguishes us from every other religion because it demonstrates that Christianity is a religion of God’s initiative; that it is purely gracious; and that Christ alone has done the work that we cannot do. As Jesus said, he came not to be served, but to serve. Apart from his service to us, no amount of service we attempt to do can bring us the life we so desperately need. The Incarnation, then, is pure Gospel.

What implications does God with Us have for Christianity today, and especially in today’s culture?
The implications are 1) that God exists not because we can reason our way into his existence but because he has revealed himself in Christ, 2) that God is a God of grace, love, and intervention, 3) that the Christian God is one who may be experienced relationally because we may pray to his Son who is like us in every way, yet without sin—we have a unique God and Savior, 4) finally, because God has acted in the Incarnation, we need to call all men, women, and children to “do business with God” as I used to say when I was a Pentecostal. This means that our task as ministers in preaching and our task as Christians in witnessing, is to explain that people need to acknowledge their sin, repent of them, call upon the Lord, receive him, and rest in his saving work.

When reading the table of contents one chapter stands out from the rest: “The Christ of the Qur’an vs. the Christ of the Bible.” Why did you feel the need to address this issue?
Ever since I was converted to Christ when I was seventeen-and-a-half, I have been fascinated with apologetics. When I went to college I took every world religions class I could, either through the anthropology department or religion department, including a “Muslim Awareness Seminar.” It was then that I visited a mosque in Los Angeles, sat around a table with some Muslims, and received a copy of the Qur’an. While in seminary I took a course on ministering to people of various faiths and was challenged by the professor to think theologically not in terms of intra-confessional polemics, but especially in terms of the global village with all its faiths. We need to be conversant with our Muslim neighbors so that we can understand their faith and how they view ours. It is only by understanding each other that we can build relationships that will lead to our witness being effective.

At the end of your book, I read fairly large section quoting some creeds and defending your stance, and points made in and throughout the book. My question is, what is the importance of this that you feel in your book, and how do you view today’s society being very not creedal, or confessional?
This was an important appendix to add to the book because I wanted to demonstrate to people that I did not invent this doctrine, but it has been loved and confessed for millennia. Another purpose is that it shows non-confessional Christians, especially, that the creeds and confessions are thoroughly biblical and not the man-made opinions of men they have been led to believe they are. Of course in writing this appendix, I assumed that most Christians are not historically conscious or confessional, since we live in such an a-historical and individualistic time.

The book is very succinct (129 pages, including notes and bibliography) and simply laid out, as Ferrari opens with a brief word about the state of Diodati studies, chronicles Diodati’s biography, survey’s the doctrine of Scripture in church history, and then offers a translation of Diodati’s Theses theologicae de Sacra Scriptura and exegetes them in the final two chapters. These two chapters alone were worth the price of the book.

Rev. Ferrari sketches the intriguing and productive life of Diodati, which ought to inspire theologians, ministers, and seminary students to be productive and pious laborers in the Lord’s vineyard. Stretching seventy-three years, Diodati was a man of man gifts and many travels, being born in Geneva because of the Inquisition in Italy, serving as in Geneva’s Academy, pastoring in Italty and France, and serving as a delegate to the great Synod of Dort in 1618-19.

What is most edifying about this book are Diodati’s theses, presented to the Genevan Academy for defense at the conclusion of his studies when he was twenty-years old. These twenty-five tightly argued theses present a classic Reformed and Protestant doctrine of Holy Scripture, moving from inspiration, to canonicity, to translations, to the necessity of vernacular versions, to their perspicuity, to their interpretation, to their authority over the church, their self-attestation, to their sufficiency, and necessity. Among those that stand out is thesis 5 and its implications for polemics with Rome: “The Latin version (they call the Vulgate) is an ectype of the original, from which it is lawful to appeal to the archetype” (47). Thesis 9 also is a reminder that Scripture is perspicuous, yet must be approached rightly: “The danger in the reading of the Scriptures is not from themselves, but from human recklessness” (48). Finally, theses 20 and 21 succinctly present the Reformed view of the necessity of Scripture: “Scripture contains most completely all things necessary for salvation,” and, “Scripture is therefore necessary, because those things cannot be sought elsewhere” (50).

Overall, John Diodati’s Doctrine of Holy Scripture is a fine piece of research and writing, which any informed believer may pick and read to their edification. It is especially worth reading Diodati’s theses, especially in our day in which the Bible is so widely read yet so widely abused. Rev. Ferrari is to be commended for this work.

Purchase here.