My Take of Dever's 9 Marks: Review of the Third Edition of his book

MY   TAKE   OF   DEVER'S   9   MARKS

by  Forrest  W.  Schultz

Manifesto For Straightening Out The Church:

The Meaning of Semper Reformanda For Today

A Review of

Mark Dever Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 3rd ed.(Crossway, 2013

                     $16.99     300 pp     ISBN: 978-1-4335-3998-5

Reviewer: Forrest W. Schultz

     I heard about Mark Dever's "9 Marks" a very long time ago and put it on my list of books to read but did not finally get around to doing so until I learned of the new, 3rd, edition that was recently published. I can sum up my view of it quite easily. I very much agree with what he has to say and with how well he says it but do not like his "9 Marks" name for it because the whole thing can simply be summed up as three parts of the truth about ecclesiology: knowing this truth, teaching this truth, and doing (or living) this truth. And, as he notes on page 58, this is what is meant by the (often neglected) part of the Reformation motto pertaining to the church, the ecclesia, being semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei: "always being reformed according to the Word of God". Dever's manifesto is both theological and practical, and is based not only on his knowledge of Scripture but also on his own experience as a pastor for twenty years in which he endeavored to apply the Biblical ecclesiology to his own congregation, and it is also based on his own understanding of the many false views of theology that have invaded today's churches and which must be rejected. I highly recommend reading and following the principles found in this book.

     Information is available Dever's website http://www.9marks.org/