John Owen

John Owen was essentially a pastoral theologian, and in his best work, his pastoral concern and acute doctrinal instinct are inseparable. Of the Mortification of Sin is such a work. In this work--the substance of which is a series of addresses on Romans 8--Owen provides teaching in a vital but neglected aspect of Christianity. Owen takes up many of the questions that occur to every believer in the battle against sin. All of his direction is directly grounded in various Biblical passages. He provides keen exegesis and sound advice. This classic work has been reprinted countless times--a testimony to its lasting power Tim Perrine

John Owen, (born 1616, Stadhampton, Oxfordshire, Eng.--died Aug. 24, 1683, London), English Puritan minister, prolific writer, and controversialist. He was an advocate of Congregationalism and an aide to Oliver Cromwell, the lord protector of England (1653-58). Appointed rector of Fordham, Essex, in 1642, Owen was made vicar at nearby Coggeshall in 1646 after preaching a notable sermon before Parliament the same year. At Coggeshall he came out in favour of Congregational autonomy in church government. His frequent preaching before Parliament led to his attachment to Cromwell, whose policies against the monarchy Owen began to support. After the execution of King Charles I by Cromwell's partisans in January 1649, Owen accompanied Cromwell on his military ventures to Ireland and Scotland (1649-50). As chancellor of Oxford, Cromwell appointed Owen vice chancellor in 1652, a post he held until 1657. He was also dean of Christ Church Cathedral (1651-60) and was elected in 1654 to represent Oxford in Parliament, but he was later disqualified because of his clerical vocation. Reserved in his support of Cromwell, Owen opposed plans to offer the English crown to him and avoided participation in Cromwell's installation in the office of lord protector in 1653. Owen abandoned politics on the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when the House of Commons removed him from his position as Christ Church dean. Among his works are historical treatises on religion, several studies of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and defenses of Nonconformist, or Puritan, views. An edition of his Works, edited by W. H. Goold, comprises 24 volumes (1850-55). (britannica.com)

In A Brief Instruction in the Worship of God, which came to be known as The Independents' Catechism, Owen outlines the constitution and ordinances of a Christian Church, and explains the duties of office-bearers and members. Scarcely fifty questions, this short catechism gives insight into one of the greatest Puritan theologians and provides rich spiritual nourishment.

Communion with God, or in full, "Of communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost each person distinctly, in love, grace, and consolation; or, the saints' fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost unfolded", is John Owen's finest devotional treatise. This work expounds "the most glorious truth that believers may have distinct communion with the three persons Father, Son, and Spirit," and being addressed to the "Christian reader" is sim

John Owen (1616-1683), es considerado el m s grande te logo reformado de todos los tiempos, y Victoria sobre el pecado y la tentaci n es su libro m s representativo. Entre las caracter sticas de esta obra est n: - Una detallada exposici n del proceso de la tentaci n y el pecado en la vida del creyente.- Un an lisis teol gico de la guerra espiritual desde una perspectiva distintivamente puritana y reformada. - El rol fundamental del Esp ritu Santo en la santificaci n del creyente, as como la relaci n entre la mortificaci n del pecado, y nuestra comuni n con Dios. Sobre este libro se ha dicho: "Los m s grandes escritores cristianos son aquellos que proyectan m s poderosamente a sus lectores espirituales el conocimiento de Dios, de nosotros mismos, y de la gracia de nuestro Se or Jesucristo. Entre estos est n Agust n, Calvino, Edwards, y el puritano John Owen, quien deber a ser m s conocido de lo que es. Lleno de la teolog a devocional cl sica, la cual, como El Progreso del Peregrino de Bunyan, necesita ser le da vez tras vez para apropiarse correctamente de sus ense anzas. Tenemos en este tratado de Owen una compa a para toda la vida." J. I. Packer, Profesor de Teolog a, Regent College." Cuando tienes un volumen de Owen en tus manos te preguntas, " por que he pasado tanto tiempo leyendo cosas de mucha menor calidad?" Esto es cierto, y como el Dr. John Duncan dijo una vez, "si vas a leer esto, tienes que prepararte a ti mismo para el cuchillo". Pero ese cuchillo es el bistur de uno de los m s excelente cirujanos espirituales del alma en toda la historia de la Iglesia. Owen entendi , como muy pocos lo han hecho, la manera como el Evangelio nos renueva por completo." Sinclair Ferguson, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, S. C. Jaime D. Caballero (ed.), naci en Lima, Per . Th. M. Westminster Theological Seminary (PA, USA). Esta casado con Ellie, y actualmente reside en Irlanda donde sirve como misionero. John Owen (1616-1683), fue un te logo ingles, y l der del movimiento puritano. Es considerado como el m s importante te logo ingles de todos los tiempos.

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). These words, which Jesus spoke to his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, serve as the foundation for John Owen's treatise Of Temptation. Owen preached on the subject of temptation frequently during his many years of service as the dean and vice chancellor of Christ Church in Oxford--Of Temptation is the culmination of his discourses on the subject. In his treatise, Owen addresses the nature and power of temptation, the risk of entering into it, and the means of avoiding its danger. Owen defines temptation as anything with the ability to entice the Christian's mind or heart away from obedience to God and redirect it towards sin. Owen warns us that our power is not strong enough to protect us from temptation; rather, it is by God's power of preservation that we are saved. As Christians, we can guard ourselves against temptation in part by praying for God's power to help us resist it. His treatise teaches Christians how to recognize the threat of temptation and protect themselves against it.

The fact that some who profess to be Christians fall away from the faith has always been an obstacle to God’s people, but we are told in the Bible that those who God has called are saved forever. How then are we to understand the saints’ perseverance in the Christian life? How are we to view our lives in the light of God’s everlasting covenant and Christ’s completed work of salvation? What is our motivation to finish the race? John Owen’s work The Doctrine of the Saints’ Perseverance Explained and Confirmed was originally published in 1654 and this easier–to–read abridgement is still relevant to Christians today.