The good name, the power of words to hurt or heal
The Good Name by Samuel T. Logan, Jr. encourages readers to see the dangers of “false witness” among Christians, especially when dealing with disagreements, which can cause damage to individuals, the church, and the good name of Jesus. By exploring what it means to be a true witness in the Bible and the Christian church, Logan emphasizes the power of words—both divine and human—and explains how our Christian responsibility is to honor others in truth and respect, especially when we disagree. This powerful book draws on Scripture and historical evidence of all the damage that verbal nastiness of Christians has done to the cause of Christ. Christians often disagree with one another and, because they are Christians, they tend to hold their beliefs very strongly. This sometimes leads us to speak harshly to and about one another. But the Bible has more to say about the way we speak than it does about almost anything else, and The Good Name examines how we may express our disagreements in a way that honors Jesus. Logan provides biblical wisdom and practical help through specific examples of how to talk to and about those with whom we disagree on “hot button issues,” such as abortion, evolution, same-sex marriage, the place of women in ministry leadership, and so on. While encouraging readers to honor the good name of Jesus and love their neighbors, Logan also explores how Christians have undermined the gospel throughout church history. But words have the power to heal, not just hurt, and this resource outlines how to be winsome and respectful in all conversations, especially disagreements.
Publisher: New Growth Press
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781645070283
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Samuel T. Logan, Jr., MDiv, PhD, has been International Director of the World Reformed Fellowship since 2005. He served at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1979–2007, and is now President Emeritus. He was also Visiting Fellow at Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1988–1989, and special counsel to the president at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, from 2007–2013. He is a minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Dr. Logan’s publications include The Preacher and Preaching, Sermons That Shaped America, Confronting Kingdom Challenges, and numerous articles on Jonathan Edwards.
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"We live in a culture of contempt, where slander and many other sins of speech damage reputations and destroy relationships. The Good Name deploys the surprisingly vast resources of the ninth commandment to confront this contemporary crisis in the way we communicate. Drawing on hard-won lessons from his own life and ministry—as well as the teaching of Scripture and traditions of Reformation theology—Dr. Samuel Logan gives practical guidance to help us learn the language of love and unleash the power of our words for good instead of evil." Philip Ryken, President, Wheaton College; member of the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals; author of more than thirty books; former senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia; former member of the board of trustees, Westminster Theological Seminary