About the Guest(s):
Michael Beck is an insightful pastor and venerable thinker with a deep interest in Meredith Klein. Originally from South Africa, Beck moved to New Zealand in 2005 to plant Gracenet Community Church and has been serving as its pastor since. With an academic background that includes a PhD focused on the work of Meredith Klein, Michael Beck has contributed significantly to the understanding and accessibility of biblical theology within the Reformed tradition. Besides his pastoral work, he also teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Grace Theological College and hosts the podcast "Two-Age Sojourner," which centers on biblical and systematic theology with a clinionian perspective.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Renewal Cast, Coalt Robinson engages in a compelling conversation with Michael Beck, pastor and noted thinker who has extensively studied Meredith Klein, a pivotal figure in biblical and theological scholarship. Beck shares his insightful views on why Klein's work remains highly relevant for understanding Christ's relationship with culture and our roles within it.
The discussion opens with Beck recounting his church-planting experiences in New Zealand and how it led him to Klein's theology. He emphasizes that Klein's perspective on the sacred-secular divide and covenant theology has profound implications for church missions and individual Christians in a secular society. The academic rigor and theological depth of Beck's PhD dissertation-turned-book, "Covenant Lord and Cultic Boundary," serve as a backdrop for the entire conversation.
Key Takeaways:
Michael Beck's experience in church planting in New Zealand confronted him with secularism, leading him to Meredith Klein's work on covenant theology and Christ-culture relationships.
Beck's book "Covenant Lord and Cultic Boundary" critically examines the church's role in society, inspired by Klein's thoughts on the sacred-secular divide.
Klein's legacy is multifaceted, ranging from Old Testament scholarship to his significant development of Gerhardus Vos's biblical theology.
Essential to Beck's thesis is the interplay between active obedience in justification and its impact on the church's cultural engagement.
The Transformationalism movement in church planting is critiqued for potentially overburdening churches with cultural ambitions at the expense of gospel-centric mission.
Notable Quotes:
"The question before us was just, okay, well, what do we do with the culture? How do you plan a church? How are you supposed to live in this culture faithfully?" - Michael Beck
"What Klein shows is that [covenant theology] is going to matter." - Michael Beck
"Adam failed, Israel failed. I mean, I hate to break it to you, but we're not going to make it. We need Jesus." - Michael Beck
"The church has something to say, and there are all these temptations to kind of move in different directions." - Michael Beck
"I just want to come to church and hear the gospel and just be fed by word and sacrament." - Michael Beck
Resources:
Michael Beck's book
Meredith Klein's academic contributions.
Church planting networks like Acts 29.
Books by Michael Horton: "Where in the World is the Church?", "The Gospel Commission", and "Ordinary".
Michael Beck's own podcast "Two-Age Sojourner".
Be sure to tune in to the full episode of Renewal Cast to engage with the rich theological insights Michael Beck offers based on his study of Meredith Klein. As you explore the transformative power of God's word, continue to renew your mind with us and discover a clearer vision of Jesus. Stay with us for more episodes filled with profound discussions on biblical and theological topics.