C.S. Lewis’s “Three Parts of Morality” and the Ten Commandments


The following is a brief book excerpt from A Doubter’s Guide to the Ten Commandments: How, For Better or Worse, Our Ideas about the Good Life Come from Moses and Jesus by John Dickson (Zondervan, 2016; p. 163-165).

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In the timeless Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis speaks of what he calls “the three parts of morality” — the social, the internal, and the spiritual. He employs the image of a fleet of ships that must get all three things right in order to function effectively:

There are two ways in which the human machine goes wrong. One is when human individuals drift apart from one another, or else collide with one another and do one another damage, by cheating or bullying. The other is when things go wrong inside the individual — when the different parts of him (his different faculties and desires and so on) either drift apart or interfere with one another. You can get the idea plain if you think of us as a fleet of ships sailing in formation. The voyage will be a success only, in the first place, if the ships do not collide and get in one another’s way; and, secondly, if each ship is seaworthy and has her engines in good order. As a matter of fact, you cannot have either of these two things without the other. But there is one thing we have not yet taken into account. We have not asked where the fleet is trying to get to. However well the fleet sailed, its voyage would be a failure if it were meant to reach New York and actually arrived at Calcutta. Morality, then, seems to be concerned with three things. Firstly, with fair play and harmony between individuals. Secondly, with what might be called tidying up or harmonising the things inside each individual. Thirdly, with the general purpose of human life as a whole: what man was made for; what course the whole fleet ought to be on. (Mere Christianity, 58-59).

Secular ethics tend to focus on the social dimension. If it doesn’t hurt another person, it must be fine. This approach tends to ignore the question of the goal of human life, in Lewis’s image where the whole thing is headed. Sometimes there is also a neglect of virtue or the internal character of a person. It is common now to hear people say that a public leader can be a complete rat-bag in private life, so long as he serves well for the public good. This has not always been the case. There was a time when, for example, a leader’s marital betrayal was seen as reason enough for someone to step down from high office. This was not mere moralism. The logic was: If “faithfulness” and “discipline” are not inner qualities of this leader, how can the public have confidence that such virtues will guide wider social decisions? It is true this old-fashioned rationale can be oppressive and unfairly employed, but there is something to it.

Religious ethics have their own, equally problematic, flaws. They are often strong on the spiritual dimension, what we are made for. But they can very frequently go astray on both the internal and the social dimensions. Religion can promote mere external piety, divorced from genuine virtue and love for others. Hence our distaste for the “religious hypocrite” I have talked so much about in this book.

The Ten Commandments are concerned with all three parts of the ethical enterprise. We are urged to find satisfaction in our Creator and his blessings. Then we are guided to honour our family and our neighbours. And, finally, the strange tenth commandment drills down to the engine room of our soul and asks, What do we truly desire?

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Learn more about this book at Zondervan.com or Amazon.com.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Book Briefs: “Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection” by Thabiti Anyabwile

Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection by Thabiti AnyabwileIn the weeks before Easter, I usually try to find a good devotional book to contemplate afresh the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection. A new book from Thabiti Anyabwile is just what I was looking for this year.

Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection (Reformation Heritage, 2014) takes the reader on a look at the last few days of Christ’s passion. Anyabwile follows five different questions asked in Scripture’s teaching concerning Christ’s death and resurrection, and uses these questions as food for thought and contemplation.

  • Is There No Other Way?
  • Why Have You Forsaken Me?
  • Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?
  • Why Do You Seek the Living among the Dead?
  • Do You Not Know These Things?

This book was born from a series of sermons, that its author preached. Anyabwile is an engaging speaker and his writing was just as warm and personal as his speaking. He displays a pastor’s heart as he applies lessons from Christ’s suffering to the problem and pain that so many of us face. He is a bold evangelist in this book too, calling the reader to repent and believe the gospel. Often Anyabwile quotes from Scripture and occasionally he draws on the lyrics from age-old hymns or even, a new Christian rap song. His analogies and illustrations always help drive the point of the chapter home.

Much of the material falls in the “helpful reminder” category. Christians know this, and have learned this — but do we live it? Some of Anyabwile’s insights are refreshingly new and quite helpful. I particularly enjoyed how he showed that in most of the post-Resurrection appearances, merely seeing the physical Jesus was not enough. The minds and eyes of the disciples had to be opened, again and again, in order for them to comprehend that this indeed was Jesus. His conclusion from this is worth repeating here:

In order to recognize and accept Jesus for who He is, we must be born again. The Spirit of God must give us a new heart and new eyes of faith so that we can understand the things of God and the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. The Father must open our eyes so we can see Jesus. Until God opens our eyes to who He really is in Christ, we remain blind to ultimate truth.

Has God opened your eyes yet? Do you see with the sight that He alone can give? How would you know that you see and recognize Jesus for who He is? (p. 87)

I included the second paragraph in the except above to illustrate why this book may not be for you. His direct appeals might unnerve some of us. Or they may prod us to where we need to be! Perhaps this Easter is a good time for you to explore anew the suffering and death, and the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. The questions for reflection after each of the five small chapters in this little book, will aid in personal examination or group study. The brevity of the book will prevent even the weakest of readers from the excuse that they don’t have time for this book. It is less than 100 pages, but well worth your time. May God use it to rekindle a love for Christ and the Bible in all of us!

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, Westminster Bookstore, ChristianBook.com, or direct from Reformation Heritage.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

Reformation Gems 3: William Greenhill on the Conversion of the Jews and Ezekiel’s Temple

Reformation Gems are excerpts from selections contained in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, a new commentary series from IVP which gathers the best Reformation-era comments on the text together all in one set. The volumes in this commentary series resurrect long-forgotten voices from the Reformation age and in so doing they recover the piety and vivacity of that era. I hope that by sharing some excerpts from this series, I will edify my readers and promote this important commentary series.
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Today’s selection comes from the Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Volume XII (Ezekiel, Daniel). In perusing the comments on Ezekiel, I was surprised to see quite a bit about the prophesied conversion of the Jews and their return to the Promised Land. Most of the comments in that vein came from William Greenhill or Matthew Meade (one of his fellow non-conformist ministers). While many today herald the formation of the modern nation of Israel in 1948 as evidence that God has kept this promise, most still hold to a future conversion of Jewish people to Christianity. Many Reformed theologians, amillennialists and the like, understand the return to the land to be fulfilled already historically, and ultimately that it points to Christ and the greater inheritance that His Church experiences. In this vein, see my “Understanding the Land Promise” series. But I found it insightful to see this same question wrestled with in the 1600s soon after the Reformation by Greenhill, Matthew Meade and others.

Here are some excerpts from Greenhill’s comments, as well as evidence that he wouldn’t quite fit the mold of a standard dispensationalist, when it comes to his thoughts on other aspects of Ezekiel’s prophecy. He takes a literal view of the land in some passages, and in others, he sees a spiritual fulfillment:

Literal interpretation of a future “conversion of the Jews” and “return to the land.”

Ezekiel 37:21-22
…The conversion of the Jews we may with warrant expect and pray for. God has promised to gather the children of Israel and to bring them to David their king, that is, Christ…. Seeing God has promised to do it, we may believe and pray for the same. (pg. 185)

Ezekiel 37:26-27
Some look on this promise of David to be king over the Jews as accomplished in the reign of Christ the Messiah when here on earth because he gave out his commands then and required obedience to them…. Others are of a different judgment and believe that this great promise made here to the two houses of Judah and Israel remains yet to be performed: (1) Because the two houses are not yet united into one…. (2) Because the Jews do not own Christ; neither one house nor the other do it; neither Judah nor Israel acknowledged Christ to be the Messiah…. (3) The Jews have been, and are still, under many kings and shepherds…. (4) They shall then walk in the ways of Christ, not the ways of Moses….

From Ezekiel 37:26-27 I shall only give you this observation that there are great and precious promises that concern the Jews, yet unperformed. The everlasting covenant of peace, Christ being their king and temple, with many others, the Jews expect the fulfilling of. And so may we, for God is faithful and will make good his word. (pg. 187)

Ezekiel 39:25-29
God hid his face seventy years from them in Babylon; and since their crucifying of Christ, he has hid it from them sixteen hundred years. But he has a time to let them see his face again, and never more to hide it from them. They shall have his favor, his counsel, his help and protection. They shall not be under severe judgments but enjoy sweet mercies. (pg. 193)

Spiritual interpretation of Ezekiel’s temple.

Ezekiel 41:1-7
“Of the signification of this temple.” Some make the court belonging to it to represent the world and the temple to represent heaven. It may be considered whether the porch does not point out the common professor of the faith, the temple, the true saints, who are temples of the Spirit, and the holy of holies, the saints in glory, the condition of those made perfect. The true representation of this temple, I take it, is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ; both his body natural and his body mystical, namely, the church. (pg. 207)

Ezekiel 45:1-6
Having laid down the platform and measures of the temple, he comes now to the division and measuring of the land, wherein things are dark, difficult and deep, not to be attempted by human strength but by the help of Christ’s Spirit, which makes dark things, light, difficult things easy and sounds the greatest depths.

…There was a distinction of the land of Canaan in Moses’ and Joshua’s days (Num 34, 35; Josh 13, 21). But this division differs much from the same, and when the Jews returned from Babylon, there was no such division made of the land. Had it been, Ezra or Nehemiah would have made mention of it. This division, therefore, is not to be understood literally but spiritually, and the completing of it to be looked for in the church of Christ, not in the Jewish state or temple. Here, then, seems to be a spiritual lotting, and bringing people out of Judaism and heathenism into the kingdom of Christ and fellowship of the gospel…. The work of grace, and bringing of people into the church, is free; nothing in people, or from people, procures it. (pg. 220)

Ezekiel 47:13-23
Having given you the literal sense of the words… now let us see what may be the spiritual sense of them. Indeed, according to the letter, they were not fulfilled after the return from Babylon, but mystically under the gospel they were.

1. Then here is held out to us the great extent and largeness of the church under Christ and the gospel. The land mentioned signifies the church’s state; and the bordering of it out, north, east, south, west, the extent of it into all parts. The Christian church is larger than the Jewish, that was shut up in one nation; now it reaches to all nations (Mt 28:19), neither Asia, Africa, Europe or America is excluded (Mt 24:14; Lk 24:47; Rev 15:4). The church under the gospel is universal and invisible.

2. Those who are subjects or members of this church are not hypocrites but Israelites. Those who were not Israelites, and true Israelites, were not to be in this church…. true Israelites, such as Nathaniel was (Jn 1:47); of Jews inwardly, such as are circumcised in heart and spirit (Rom 2:29); of such as are enrolled in heaven (Heb 12:23); of sealed ones (Rev 7), and these stood with the Lamb on Mount Zion (Rev 14:1). These made up the church and body of Christ. (pg. 227-228)

About the Reformation-era author: William Greenhill (1591-1671). English nonconformist clergyman. Greenhill attended and worked at Magdalen College. He ministered in the diocese of Norwich but soon left for London, where he preached at Stepney. Greenhill was a member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines and was appointed the parliament chaplain by the children of Charles I. Oliver Cromwell included him among the preachers who helped draw up the Savoy Declaration. Greenhill was evicted from his post following the Restoration, after which he pastored independently. Among Greenhill’s most significant contributions to church history was his Exposition of the Prophet of Ezekiel. (pg. 434-435)

Learn more about this commentary series at the Reformation Commentary page at IVPress.com, or check out this sampler (PDF). You can pick up a copy of Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Volume XII (Ezekiel, Daniel) at any of the following online retailers: Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Christianbook.com, Amazon, Barnes&Noble or direct from IVP. You may want to consider becoming a member with IVP and getting the entire series on a subscription discount of more than 40% per volume.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by IVP. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Music Mondays: “Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)” by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of worship all week long.

I haven’t highlighted any songs here for quite some time. I’ve long enjoyed this song, especially on Palm Sunday. We sang this yesterday at our church and so I thought I would highlight the song here today for my readers. May it help us meditate on the meaning of Passion week all week long.

Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)

by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche

Verse 1:
Praise is rising
Eyes are turning to You
We turn to You
Hope is stirring
Hearts are yearning for You
We long for You

Pre-Chorus:
‘Cause when we see You
We find strength to face the day
In Your presence
All our fears are washed away
Washed away

Chorus:
Hosanna hosanna
You are the God who saves us
Worthy of all our praises
Hosanna hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here Lord Jesus

Verse 2:
Hear the sound of
Hearts returning to You
We turn to You
In Your Kingdom
Broken lives are made new
You make us new

CCLI Song No. 4662491
© 2005, 2006 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music | Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

You can listen to the entire song by watching this video clip of a studio version of the song sung by Paul Baloche. Or you may be interested in this clip of a choral performance of the song. Paul Baloche tells the story behind the song here, on an mp3 interview, (which also includes the song after the interview).

The sheet music is also available online for free here: chord chart, lead sheet, or piano score. This link will take you to several versions of the song available for purchase from Amazon.com (you can get the CD or just the song).

Learn more about Paul Baloche and his music at leadworship.com, and be sure to also check out Benton Brown’s site as well: brentonbrown.com.

What about the Change?

I don’t post about songs as often as I used to around here. But today, driving in to work, this old song by Steven Curtis Chapman really struck me (as it has many times). This is a prayer that I have that my life wouldn’t just be about all the Christian knowledge I have and the Christian activities I do, but about the real change effected by God’s grace inside my heart.

Here’s a Youtube video clip with the song and some suggestive images for reflection. I didn’t create it and don’t necessarily endorse every message it sends, but the words of this song and the message effected by the pictures really is important. This isn’t just for Christian store junkies, either. Each subculture of Christianity is susceptible to their own version of the trinkets and kitsch that they substitute for real life change.

The lyrics to the first verse and chorus follow the video clip.

The Change

Well I got myself a T-shirt that says what I believe
I got letters on my bracelet to serve as my ID
I got the necklace and the key chain
And almost everything a good Christian needs, yeah
I got the little Bible magnets on my refrigerator door
And a welcome mat to bless you
before you walk across my floor
I got a Jesus bumper sticker
And the outline of a fish stuck on my car
And even though this stuff’s all well and good, yeah
I cannot help but ask myself …

What about the change
What about the difference
What about the grace
What about forgiveness
What about a life that’s showing
I’m undergoing the change, yeah
I’m undergoing the change