THIS IS THE LONGER, ONLINE VERSION

KINDRED
DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

SPIRIT
Spring/Summer 2011 Vol. 35 No. 1

Generation to Generation

Dallas Theological Seminary’s mission
is to glorify God by equipping godly
servant-leaders for the proclamation
of His Word and the building up
of the body of Christ worldwide.
KINDRED SPIRIT ®
Spring/Summer 2011
Vol. 35, No. 1
ISSN 1092–7492
© 2011. All rights reserved.
Published three times a year
by Dallas Theological Seminary
3909 Swiss Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75204
Dr. Mark L. Bailey, President
Dr. Mark M. Yarbrough, Vice President
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Keith D. Yates, Director of Creative Services
and Publications
Dr. Roy B. Zuck, Copy and
Theological Editor
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Front cover, Patrick Faricy
Back cover, Linda Tomczak
Sidebar, page 14, Camille Holland
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2 Dallas Theological Seminary
THIS IS THE LONGER, ONLINE VERSION
F r o m t h e P r e s i d e n t C ONTENTS
Spring/Summer 2011 VOL. 35, NO. 1
Generation
to Generation “One generation
4 Intergenerational Ministry
A DTS alumnus who was raised primarily by his
grandparents challenges the old to train the
Lately I’ve been hearing that sixty-five is the new forty. will commend
And there’s probably some truth to the observation, as younger, the young to receive wisdom, and
the young-at-heart are staying healthy longer. They’re churches to embrace intergenerational ministry.
less likely than their parents to walk with canes and more your works
inclined to keep dancing.
This issue of Kindred Spirit focuses on the aged and aging. It’s not just to another;
for them, it’s about them. In “Intergenerational Ministry” a pastor in Seattle Age with Vitality
challenges the old to mentor, the young to listen, and churches to embrace Some of our favorite senior saints—Drs. Hendricks,
they will tell Lightner, Merrill, Toussaint, and Zuck—share
6
intergenerational ministry. A professor surveys what the Bible has to say
about being old and growing old. A grad with a background in gerontology wisdom from the trenches with Kindred Spirit
draws on decades of experience with seniors to help all of us age well intern Kelly Stern.
spiritually. Long-time Dallas Seminary professors share wisdom gained of your
through decades of living well. And graphic designer Linda Tomczak once
again uses her creative gifts, this time to remind us that God cares for us in mighty acts”
our old age (back cover).
Seniors are living longer, working longer, and playing longer. They’re 8 “When People Live
to Be Very Old”
also more racially diverse than in the past. And they’re a great untapped (Psalm 145:4). What does the Bible say about the aged and
resource in our congregations. For more of what we know about them, see the
publication Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being.
aging? Quite a bit actually.
Their numbers are growing. In the U.S., where most of our graduates
minister, three years ago an estimated 39 million people were age 65 and over,
accounting for just over 13 percent of the total population. But by 2030, the
older population is expected to be twice as large as in 2000.
10 Are You Aging Well
Spiritually?
They are more educated. In 1965, 24 percent of the older population had No matter at what stage we find ourselves, we
graduated from high school, and only 5 percent had at least a bachelor’s can age well spiritually. A DTS graduate with a
degree. By 2008, 77 percent were high school graduates or more, and 21 background in gerontology tells how.
percent had a bachelor’s degree or more. (If you are a senior and you haven’t
been to seminary, maybe you should consider further education.)
They are prosperous. Most older people (especially in the West) are
enjoying greater prosperity than any previous generation. The proportion of Kindred Spirit Exclusive Online Section
older people in the high-income group has increased, and the number living
in poverty has decreased. The share of income from earnings has increased
20 Biblical
partly because more older people, especially women, continue to work past Justice
age 55. Finally, on average, net worth has increased almost 80 percent for Dr. Tony Evans offers his thoughts on biblical justice.
older Americans over the past 20 years.
22 Links
to short video profiles of senior members of the DTS faculty
All of this means that within the church we have a pool of mentors and and administration: Chaplain Bill Bryan, Dr. Howard “Prof” Hendricks,
outside we have a great mission field. Those of us coming up behind the aged Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, and Dr. Charles R. Swindoll.
can learn from them, avoiding their mistakes and drawing on their wisdom.
23 Resources
Job 12:12 states, “Wisdom is with aged men, with long life is understanding.”
Though the years can help to make us wise, the true source of wisdom
for Working with Seniors
for Christ-followers of any age is the fear of the Lord. Paul Rose Henness has compiled a list of links to secular organizations, such
reminded his protégé, Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down as the Alzheimer’s Association, that can help you serve seniors.
24 The
on you because you are young, but set an example for the
believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” Nicodemus Question
(1 Tim. 4:12). Walking in wisdom is the will of the Lord for In this article about reaching seniors with the gospel, Dr. Jeffrey Watson
both the older and younger followers of Christ. n (DMin, 1985) explores the question Nicodemus asked: “How can a man
be born when he is old?” (John 3:4).
—Dr. Mark L. Bailey
Click here to see how God’s call trumps an NFL offer for a
DTS student/former Dallas Cowboy.
Kindred Spirit 3
Intergenerational Ministry
A
s I look back over my life, I can see God’s hand preparing me to minister to seniors.
I can also see how God used many seniors to minister to me in my
formative years. My grandparents played a vital role in leading me to
Jesus Christ. I don’t think they knew they were discipling me, but that’s
exactly what God was doing through them. They were both prayer
warriors, and I had prayer with them every Sunday morning before
we ate breakfast and went to church. We would close family devotions
by quoting Scripture. I remember my grandmother quoting Matthew
28:19–20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
My grandparents had a profound impact on my life and how I view
ministry as intergenerational. Embracing age diversity is the very core
of my ministry. I learned from my grandparents that discipleship
is a way of life. It’s not just something we do at church; it makes up
4 Dallas Theological Seminary
the fabric of who we are and what we intentionally do
in relationship with each another. They have both gone
to be with the Lord now, but I take the lessons they
have taught me everywhere I go.
I grew up in an environment where words such as
“discipleship,” “mentoring,” and “spiritual formation”
were foreign. But the Spirit of God was still at work.
During my early years as a youth pastor I was
discipled by the elderly Rev. Nathaniel Irvin, who took
me under his ministerial wing and modeled what a
godly pastor is like. I went everywhere with him­—to
visit the sick, to conventions, funerals, and weddings.
I watched him minister to a whole community and
not just his congregation. I sat at his feet for ten years
by Aaron Williams
before I went to seminary. And I learned from him that
authentic ministry is intergenerational. He taught me
that the church is at its best when the young and the old
are integrated throughout the life of the congregation.
Seniors must remember what it was like to be young,
and the young must remember that they may one day
become seniors. Therefore we must be patient with
one another. If we have a contemporary service for the
young and a traditional service for seniors, we teach the
young and the old to be intolerant of one another. We
are bordering on ageism. The young and the old must
come side by side with each other and minister to the
glory of God together.
continued on page 13
Kindred Spirit 5
THIS IS THE LONGER, ONLINE VERSION

Age withVitality
by Kelly L. Stern

Dr. Roy B. Zuck, editor of Bibliotheca Sacra and senior professor emeritus of Bible Exposition
anything, it can
often be because
of hearing loss,
failing eyesight,
arthritic pain,
or something
very personal.

I
n the West, and particularly in North America, the wisdom of the aged often falls Like Perhaps even
on deaf ears; shabby sentiment fails to veil indifference. Even the church pursues the “next people of any the noise or
generation,” often to the extreme of excluding mature saints. age, seniors confusion of an

Dr. Eugene H. Merrill, distinguished professor of Old Testament Studies

This has not always been the way of things. The Law commanded, “Show respect for the appreciate event, or just
it when the plain weariness
elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:32). And that is still good advice.
young reach may not be an
We have much to learn from those who have gone before us, particularly if they have lived
out to them. affront, but
well. And on the DTS campus we are blessed with saints who have served the Lord faithfully for
Dr. Merrill simply a fact of
decades. Recently we polled some of them. A group of distinguished DTS professors participated in a loves to life.” He adds,
Kindred Spirit survey about aging, and below you will read about their responses. be around “Ageism is a
younger fact of modern
The Surprise of Aging serving the Lord with more opportunities than people, American life—
Aging creeps into one’s life on cats’ feet. I imagined.” especially our society has
Dr. Hendricks describes it as a “quiet, ill- those who for many years
defined blur that steals up on one with little The Right initiate celebrated youth.

Dr. Stanley D. Toussaint, senior professor emeritus of Bible Exposition

advance warning.” He adds, “My body refuses Junior getting to I try to ignore it
to cooperate with my mind, as if it were a Attitude know him. As if I am relegated
stranger. Mysterious little aches and odd Seniors are a seminary to the sidelines
moments of forgetfulness pop up. Birthdays earthlings, just student, Dr. or treated inappropriately. I believe the wisdom
become irrelevant. The surprise is that I no like everyone Hendricks of age allows us to understand and overlook the
longer seem to be quite the ‘me’ I have always else. Dr. Zuck was forever often pitiful immaturity that exists.”
known.” asks that changed Fortunately Dr. Toussaint cannot recall
Dr. Toussaint also registers surprise at the younger by his a time he has ever faced age discrimination. “I
how soon aging happened: “Younger people among us relationships have found the opposite,” he said. “Generally
begin to call you ‘older’ when you don’t “treat seniors with Dr. people have shown greater respect and deeper
expect it.” The as normal Dexter McClenny, Dr. John Mitchell, and Dr. appreciation.”

Dr. Robert P. Lightner, professor emeritus of Systematic Theology

calendar argues people, not Lewis Sperry Chafer, all seniors. “I look back on Dr. Merrill
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, distinguished professor of Christian Leadership

with Dr. Zuck like oddities my younger years when I spent time with an hasn’t faced
about his age. from Mars.” older pastor, Dr. Dexter McClenny,” Prof said. discrimination,
It “says I’m 79, Dr. Toussaint “[He] mentored me in some of the practical either. He
but I don’t feel continues aspects of shepherding a church. I was postulates, “I
it, and people the theme— privileged to be invited by Dr. John Mitchell of must not be old
say I don’t look “seniors want Oregon to go fishing up in Canada and revel in enough yet.” But
like it.” Except young people his endless reminiscences of his early days in then he adds,
for some aches to talk to them an itinerant ministry. My time with Dr. Chafer “My wife and
and pains, as they would when I was a student at Dallas Seminary is daughter will not
Dr. Merrill to a friend. a relationship that changed my life.” Prof allow me to work
doesn’t feel Seniors are not believes that “younger people can gain much on the roof or on
old either. “I aliens from from seasoned saints. Beyond the classroom a high ladder. I’m
feel like I have space.” As Dr. there is a vast amount to learn from older thinking of suing
always been Lightner reminds us, “Remember you too are people if one is willing to take initiative and be them for age
the same age!” aging.” Respect rather than fear was mentioned available.” discrimination.”
he exclaims. by several of the profs. They want their Prof reminds us to keep a few things
A pleasant suggestions taken seriously rather than written in mind as we cultivate relationships with our The Downside
surprise for off as out of date, as if they can’t or won’t learn elders. “Physical limitations do not necessarily Those who
Dr. Lightner anything new. Dr. Lightner adds, “Do not think signal mental deficiencies. Because our society are long-lived
has been that everything new is wrong; but do not think tends to marginalize elderly people, try to experience
“I have been everything new is better. Respect people and include them in appropriate activities, but be burned-out
able to keep their views even when you disagree with them.” mindful of limitations. When seniors opt out of
continued on page 14

Kindred Spirit 7
6 Dallas Theological Seminary

‘When People Live
to Be Very Old’
“I’ll take the senior discount,” I said half-jokingly, knowing the young
girl in the ticket booth would never give it to me. She didn’t flinch.
Without hesitation she handed it over. She really
thought I was at least fifty-five—and I was! I stared
in disbelief; my wife chuckled. A few months later,
a pastor asked me to help out in a senior’s ministry.
My heart sank. “Why would he ask me? Am I really
that old? Already?”
Why do we have such an aversion to growing
old? An old Beatles tune expresses it, “When I get
older losing my hair, many years from now … will
you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m
sixty-four?” Do we fear we will become insignificant,
no longer useful, no longer needed, and no longer
beautiful? Youth and beauty are two of the West’s
coveted idols. Even evangelicals worship at these
altars. This is hard to understand, because such
gods are cruel and unforgiving. We all grow old. “Age
is a state of mind,” we quip. But it is also a state of
body. The hard truth is, regardless of the number of
workouts endured, health food meals eaten, or Botox
injections received, eventually things no longer work
as smoothly or look as good as they once did. Adding
insult to injury, we can feel disheartened as we
acknowledge that we haven’t accomplished in our
lifetime as much as we had dreamed we would.
The Bible offers a few unflattering peeks into the
lives of the aged. Naomi had become sad, cynical,
and even bitter (Ruth 1:11–15, 20). Eli had become
“an old man and heavy” (1 Sam. 4:18). Samuel must
have felt the bite of age discrimination when his
fellow Israelites complained, “You are old … now
appoint a king to lead us” (8:5). The elders of Israel
must have felt slighted when Rehoboam rejected
their advice—probably in part because they were
older and their views seemed out of sync with the
times (1 Kings 12:6–15). The natural response is to
feel that the “good old days” were better, though
Solomon warns that such thoughts are unhelpful
(Eccles. 7:10). Contrary to many television ads,
Solomon warned that we cannot avoid the struggles
of growing old. Rather, he said the days of trouble
will come, and we will say, “I find no pleasure in
8 Dallas Theological Seminary
them.” Poetically he describes eyes that no longer
see clearly, hands that tremble, backs that stoop,
teeth that fall out, ears that don’t hear, and hair that
turns white—along with insomnia, various fears, and
difficulties in getting around (12:1–5). Moses was
painfully honest when he wrote, “We finish our years
with a moan” (Ps. 90:9).
Yet this is not the sum total of what the Bible
says about growing old. A few Old Testament writers
refer to it as living to “a good old age” (Gen. 15:15;
25:8; Judg. 8:32; 1 Chron. 29:28). Job’s friend Elihu
alluded to the honor that comes with age when he
remained silent because he was in the presence of
those older than himself (Job 32:4–9). Solomon even
described gray hair as a “splendor” (Prov. 20:29). In
the New Testament Jesus’ attitude toward the elderly
dispels any notion of a loss of dignity or worth. When
it came to generosity, He reserved his words of praise
for a poor (and I assume old) widow (Luke 21:1–4),
and He castigated those Pharisees who dishonored
their elderly parents by failing to care for them
(Matt. 15:4, 6). The apostle Paul viewed “long life on
the earth” as a blessing (Eph. 6:2–3). His frequent
reference to elders and widows in the Pastoral
Epistles suggests that in some ministry situations age
is even preferred over youth.
Abraham and Sarah are perhaps the greatest
example of God’s showing honor to the aged. They
were beyond their childbearing years when God
chose them to be the conduits of the promised
Messiah (Rom. 4:18–20; Heb. 11:11–12). Abraham
was one year short of a century when God called
him to greater holiness: “Walk before me and be
blameless” (Gen. 17:1). Age was not a factor in being
blessed by God (17:1, 15). Neither did it hinder God
from doing the miraculous (17:19, 24; 18:11–13). Nor
did age dissuade Him from revealing His sovereign
plans (18:17). Abraham was one hundred years old
and Sarah ninety when they became the parents
of Isaac, whose name means “laughter” (21:2–7).
What was worth laughing about? Was it not precisely
by Forrest Weiland
A few
Old Testament
writers refer to it
as living to
“a good old age.”
that God chose them in their old
age to be the means of blessing for
all nations? The situation was so
remarkable that it brought forth
laughter. But Abraham was even
older when his greatest test of faith
came (22:1). Issac was referred to as
a “boy,” a term also used to describe
Abraham’s servants (22:5). This can
refer to an age anywhere between
early childhood (Exod. 2:6) and
young manhood (1 Chron. 12:28). The
boy was at least old enough to carry
firewood, and some have suggested
he was as old as twenty (Gen. 22:6).
So if Isaac was in his mid-teens,
his father was nearly one hundred
fifteen! Even a few years later when
Abraham was “old and advanced
in years,” we see him instigating
a task that would have ultimate
significance in God’s plan. Perhaps
physically unable to travel, he sent
his servant on a mission to secure
a bride for Isaac (24:1). Abraham’s
last recorded deed was passing his
inheritance on to Isaac (25:5–6). Thus
there came the time when Abraham’s
service was vicarious in nature, the
Lord’s working through his son and
eventually his grandchildren.
God used others in their old age,
too. Daniel was in his eighties when
God entrusted to him some of the
continued on page 13
Kindred Spirit 9

Are You Aging
Well Spiritually?
It seems like yesterday I was driving around town in
my blue Mazda GLC jetting from one YMCA to another. For a
twentysomething who majored in gerontology and exercise
physiology in college, the job was a perfect fit. I got to hang out
with really cool older adults and challenge them toward wellness.
We called the program Prime Time 55+. Whether backpacking
in the Catskills, camping on Catalina Island, or participating in
routine YMCA fitness classes, these older adults realized life did
not have to plateau when they reached a certain age.
Since those days, I’ve tacked on an additional twenty
years in full-time ministry. And I’ve discovered that each of
us, no matter how old, has options on how we age—spiritually
speaking. Whether fifteen, twenty-five, fifty, or beyond, each of us
is aging at this very moment. The question is, Are we aging well
spiritually?
Over the years I’ve observed some pitfalls that
hinder us. These serve as warnings to stay fresh
and age well.
Fear
As we age, we become aware of more things
to fear: dying, losing a child, losing a
parent, being single, infertility, cancer,
another 9/11. Gradually we lose the
freedom and simple wonder that we had
as children. We see the atrocities that
life brings. Over time, if not attuned to
what Scripture tells us about fear, we can
10 Dallas Theological Seminary
by Nancy Barton Abbott
unknowingly live with a fearful heart. As we look at reality, we
must cling to God’s commands in Scripture that tell us, “Do not
fear for I am with you” (Isa. 41:10). If God is with us, why are we
living in fear? To age well we must give our fears to the Lord and
remember that He is Immanuel, God with us.
Relational Wounds
By the time a person reaches the mid-forties, he or she has
probably experienced hurt such as betrayal, slander, or gossip by
other believers. When pain occurs in relationships, our natural
tendency is to pull away. God’s Word commands us to “see to
it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root
grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Heb. 12:15). Bitter
roots can grow like uncontrollable weeds in our hearts and affect
our relationships. But we musn’t let them. We must practice
forgiveness and love others well, pouring ourselves into the next
generation.
Physical Issues
The West today might define “aging gracefully”
as maintaining physical beauty, staying
self-sufficient, and being physically active
and healthy. Is that possible? Not really.
Wrinkles are inevitable, no matter how
hard we try to hide them. We can’t count
on perfect health. We will age.
continued on page 12
Kindred Spirit 11
Fast Facts Eldercare
E
ldercare has always been a biblical priority, but
now we are talking more about it as people
live longer and have fewer babies. When elders
no longer feel they can live alone, their first choice
is almost always to live with family. Most American
seniors live with loved ones in private homes and
apartments, with only 5 percent needing the care of a
hospital, hospice, or nursing home. Families can gain
a sense of priority from the commandment: “Honor
your father and your mother so that you may live
long” (Exod. 20:12). Paul follows up with a warning:
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives...he has
denied the faith” (1 Tim. 5:8).
As was true in the first century (v. 16), the
typical eldercare family has a female “kin-keeper”
in the middle of its work; this caregiver is usually a
wife, daughter, niece, or daughter-in-law to the frail
elder. Her caregiving autumn typically stretches out
for about five years before the loved one requires
healthcare outside the home or goes on to his or her
heavenly home.
The Bible provides sound examples and
principles for family-based eldercare. These suggest
that under typical circumstances, the elder both
gives and receives care. Indeed, the wisest caregivers
practice good stewardship: the beautiful balance of
giving care and taking care. By preventing burnout,
the caregiver protects the elder from active and
passive forms of abuse.
In Genesis we read that Joseph and Asenath
were caregivers for Joseph’s father, Jacob, who lived
his last seventeen years in Egypt. One of Joseph’s
most commendable traits is that he spoke openly
with his father about his wishes and his impending
death. Today many avoid the subject, hoping to
protect the aged one, yet any conspiracy of silence
diminishes trust. Almost always, the dying person—
including the dying child—senses when the end is
near and wants the companionship that comes from
honesty.
An increasing number of families are drawing
on the services of counselors, such as pastors,
lawyers, and social workers, who help families
mediate disputes and alternatives for eldercare. (See
eldercaremediators.com.) This trend highlights the
need for skills in giving biblical counsel. n
Dr. Jeffrey Watson (DMin, 1985) holds a PhD in Health Education with a doctoral
certificate in Gerontology. He has served as a visiting professor for DTS’s DMin program in
Dallas and Guatemala City. This information is excerpted from Eldercare and the Christian
Family. You can read his article, “The Nicodemus Question,” on page 24 of this issue.
12 Dallas Theological Seminary
continued from page 11, Aging Spiritually
The body is a beautiful gift from the Lord, no matter
what shape it is in. As we age, we find we are unable to
do what we once did. Yet we can encourage, pray for, and
support those around us who find their bodies declining.
When we face our own physical issues, we must “not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly
we are being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).
Weariness
Often as people age, they develop a “been there, done that”
mentality that can lead to apathy. Their status on Facebook
could read “status quo.” As we age, we can grow weary of
so many things and even find our weariness acceptable.
God’s Word warns us to “Consider [Jesus], who endured
such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow
weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:3). God knew we would
need such an admonition to live life to completion. He
knows our tendency to lose heart when troubles come. So
don’t give in to weariness. Stay fully alive.
Attitude Issues
When was the last time you complained or grumbled?
Yet Philippians 2:14 tells us, “Do everything without
complaining or arguing.” Is it possible not to complain or
grumble?
While living in Chicago, I observed that we Chicagoans
had a problem with complaining about the weather. I
thought it was “a Midwest thing” until I moved back to
sultry Texas and once again heard the same fussing, only
at a different time of year. I realized that with help from the
Holy Spirit, I didn’t have to succumb to such a complaining
spirit. Through the power of the Spirit, we can be free of
complaining and grumbling about anything.
Too many older people become so negative that
their faces look like their spirits. They’re unpleasant to be
around. Over time, life will hand out plenty of challenges
that could lead to a complaining spirit. But how will we
respond when challenges come our way? What crummy
attitudes have gotten the best of us as we have grown
older? We can find out by checking in with a spouse or
close friend.
What kind of person do you want to be when you are
older? I’ll never forget Florence Travis. She celebrated her
one-hundredth birthday and radiated Christ at the nursing
home where I worked. One day, before I left the job, she
handed me a card with these words on it, “Draw near to
God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8, NASB). That
card became my marching orders for years to come. I’ll
never forget Florence’s words. I’ll never forget Florence. I
want to be like Florence when I’m her age: spiritually alive.
It is possible! n
Nancy Barton Abbott (MA/CE, 1990) has served in California,
Illinois, and Texas churches for the past twenty years. She
currently works as a speaker to single women with Intimate
Issues conferences.
continued from page 5, Intergenerational
Paul the senior told Timothy the younger, “Do not rebuke
an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.
continued from page 9, When People Live
most detailed prophecies in Scripture
(Dan. 10:1–12:13). Paul wrote Scripture
Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and aided in the reconciliation
and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity” (1 Tim. between Onesimus and Philemon
5:1–2). Churches in the twenty-first century would do well to when he characterized himself as
take to heart this admonition as it relates to intergenerational “Paul the aged” (Philem. 9). According
ministry. to tradition John the elder was quite
During a class on discipleship and mentoring I took old when he wrote the last book of
at DTS, I heard Prof Hendricks say something one day that the Bible. When Peter was younger,
resonated with my spirit: “Every Timothy needs a Paul and he failed miserably, but when he was
every Ruth needs a Naomi.” Prof Hendricks’s words that day older, Jesus purposed to use him in an
became a guiding principle for how I would carry out ministry. ultimate way (John 21:18). The terms
A young believer needs an older believer, someone seasoned “elder” and “widow” found throughout
in his or her spiritual walk to mentor and guide toward the Pastoral Epistles suggest that
spiritual maturity. We need someone to show us the spiritual the church benefits greatly from the
ropes of the Christian life. Paul told the Christians in Corinth service of those who have walked with
to “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Christ for decades.
Cor. 11:1). In other words we all need someone after whom
to model our Christian walk, someone who has walked with
Christ long enough to show us the way.
Those with years
During my years in seminary my wife, Michelle, and I
were fortunate to live and work at a retirement community.
of experience
God made clear to us the calling He had placed on our
lives to minister to the elderly. At this community I came to
walking with
believe in the importance of ministering to seniors. A woman
there named Prebble was about four-foot-five in stature, Christ possess
but she walked tall. She was ninety-three years old, and we
became close friends. I became her son and she became my a unique
mother. She would always say to me, “You’re going to make
a great preacher one of these days.” She encouraged me to qualification
teach a Bible study class at the retirement community every
Wednesday. She said she would be there to support me. I Growing old does present
agreed to teach the class, and attendance averaged about challenges. Certain opportunities
twenty seniors weekly. Prebble kept her word; she was there subside. But age is not a prelude to
every week until she was no longer able to come. Teaching fruitlessness or insignificance. Other
that class was one of the best decisions I ever made in ministry opportunities emerge. Without the
because the people ministered more to me than I did to them. pressures of work, when the drive
They shared wonderful stories and nuggets of wisdom with me for money or fame recede into the
and each other. background, we have more time for
God prepared my wife and me there to minister to a devotion and undivided service. One
of Solomon’s conclusions was “When
congregation in Seattle that is largely comprised of seniors.
Older saints are the lifeline of the Mount Zion Baptist Church people live to be very old, let them
family. Every Wednesday morning I teach a Bible study class rejoice in every day of life” (Eccles.
for seniors. We have a seniors ministry geared toward meeting 11:8, NLT). n
them at their specific points of need. We have a seniors
Sunday each year in which we celebrate their birthdays and Dr. Forrest Weiland (ThM, 1980; PhD, 2001) was a
accomplishments, both in the community and the church. church planter in Germany for thirteen years. He
And we have a retirement community of sixty apartment units currently serves as the North American coordinator
called McKinney Manor. Our seniors serve the church family for the Zaporozye Bible College and Seminary in
as a repository of wisdom, and we would be wise to listen. Ukraine, and is an adjunct professor
for Biola University and Bethel
Almost everything I learned about ministry, I learned from
seniors. n Seminary San Diego.
Rev. Aaron Williams (ThM, 2006) is senior pastor of Mount Zion
Baptist Church in Seattle, Washington.
Kindred Spirit 13
article continued from page 7, Vitality
bodies, broken hearts, and the burden of
time running out. For Dr. Toussaint, “physical
incapacity” has been his greatest difficulty. Dr.
Lightner agrees. He can’t get as much done,
as he’d like. “I get tired quickly, hear less, and
show age.” These physical changes are forced
and unwelcome. Dr. Hendricks observes,
“Many people try to live in denial, ever chasing
the elusive idea of youth. A realistic view of
one’s circumstances can be difficult. For me six
decades on the platform was second nature,
but [having] to come to terms with major
changes presents a significant shift in my daily
living. The inability to travel long distances
and to traverse rough terrain is like entering a
strange new world where I am unacquainted
with the language.”
The fight for Dr. Merrill is with the
clock—“the frustration of having so much left
to do and knowing I don’t have the time to do
it.” Time weighs heavily on Dr. Zuck as well, but
for different reasons. His most difficult aspect
of aging is “being without my wife who went to
heaven two years ago… I still miss her terribly.
Being without my wonderful sweetheart is the
toughest assignment the Lord has given me.”
The New Perspective
The old can become new in the world of
perception. In the lives of these professors
people are more important, possessions less so,
and priorities have shifted. Dr. Merrill says, “I
like younger people now more than ever. I see
myself in them and relate to their struggles and
disappointments.” Being more understanding
with young and old alike has become a priority
for Dr. Lightner. People have become more
important for Dr. Toussaint, too. He evaluates
his priorities differently, and says, “I think
much more often of death and anticipate
seeing the Lord Jesus.”
Dr. Zuck has also become more aware
that he won’t live forever. As for Dr. Hendricks,
“to put it in the words of the hymn, ‘the things
of earth grow strangely dim .…’ Material
possessions are even less attractive than when I
was younger. Eternity and its values loom more
importantly than ever. As a believer, I think
God is preparing me for my heavenly home.”
The Retirement Years?
The road does go ever on for servants in the
kingdom of God. In Dr. Lightner’s words, “As
I approached retirement age, I feared I would
not have as many opportunities to serve. The
14 Dallas Theological Seminary
fact is I have more than ever.” Dr. Zuck and
Dr. Hendricks both believe the concept of
retirement is an unbiblical one. Dr. Zuck says,
“I call this time in my life being ‘refocused,’ not
‘retired.’” According to Dr. Hendricks, “When
the elderly priests in Israel ‘retired’ from active
duty, they were mandated to coach and mentor
the young men coming up. As long as God gives
us life on earth, we have a mission to perform,
even if it calls for suffering under the care of
others.” Retirement is not on the horizon for
Dr. Merrill, who is “only 76,” but he points out
“the good thing about being an academician
is that I can quit the classroom without having
to quit thinking.” And as long as he is mentally
and physically able, Dr. Toussaint plans to
continue doing the work he loves.
Wisdom from the Trenches
So what words of wisdom do these elders
have for the aged and those who love them?
Dr. Zuck recommends, “Keep busy, and keep
in touch with the Lord.” Dr. Hendricks says,
“I have often said that as long as we live, we
must learn. When we stop learning, we stop
truly living. Our archenemy, the devil, loves to
trip up older people who feel they finally know
it all. Undoubtedly the wisest words come
from the apostle Paul. In our vernacular: Don’t
ever give up. Keep standing, keep spiritually
healthy, and keep your eyes on Jesus. Our
final performance review before the Father is
just ahead.” Dr. Lightner says, “Take one day
at a time. Keep busy as long as you can. Keep
involved. Do not sit, soak, and sour!” Dr. Merrill
suggests, “Recognize the wisdom you have
acquired just by getting older and maximize
it by helping those not so far along the road.”
Dr. Toussaint says, “Don’t say, ‘I am too old
for that.’ Keep active mentally and physically.
Think young and be sure to keep some younger
friends.” Then he quotes 2 Timothy 4:7–8: “I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store
for me the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on
that day—and not only to me, but also to all
who have longed for his appearing.” n
Kelly L. Stern is Operations Manager for the Dallas
Seminary Book Center. She is also a student in the DTS
Media Arts program and a Kindred Spirit intern. She loves
anything relating to West Africa and to early medieval
church history.
Leaving a Legacy
The Howard family has a long history of receiving from and giving to DTS.
Their story demonstrates that there is more than one way to leave a legacy.
F
or Louis and Rosemary Howard the quest for
a Bible-teaching church led to a long-standing
relationship with Dallas Seminary. More than
four decades ago the couple found a place where they
could grow spiritually along with their two children,
Randy and Teresa. As it happened, their pastors were
DTS graduates. The Howards’ Sunday school teacher
was now-president emeritus Dr. Don Campbell.
And DTS Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Bible
Exposition Dr. Dwight Pentecost (“Dr. P”) often led
Bible studies as a guest speaker.
Years later when Randy, who today serves on the
DTS board, bought a home in Colorado, it was “within
walking distance of Dr. P’s place.” Whenever the elder
Howards visited Colorado, they would have “long talks
on the porch with Dr. P.” Rosemary said, “It was really
through talking with him that we fell in love with DTS.
We had this very personal connection.”
The connection continued as the Howards met
DTS students at donor events. One group in particular
inspired them: international students training for the
pastorate. Rosemary said, “Professors would tell us of
young students who came to seminary with nothing, or
carrying only a suitcase.”
As Randy’s work as a vice president for Exxon
Mobil took him overseas on business, his parents
followed his travels. And in doing so they experienced
a growing awareness of the spiritual needs across the
world as well as the challenges for DTS’s international
students. But they also focused on ministry stateside.
About a decade ago Rosemary and Louis helped
plant a new church where they were among the oldest
founding members. Leaders encouraged everyone
to join intergenerational life groups, so the Howards
poured their lives into the young families in their group.
This experience combined with their own children’s
independence led Louis and Rosemary to formalize
their long-term giving plans.
Randy and his wife, Betty, had already met with
Foundation staff members, and they encouraged
Randy’s parents to do the same. “Betty and I didn’t need
them to leave us anything beyond the time and love
they had already invested. And the same was true for
my sister, Teresa, and her husband, Max. So my parents
thought, ‘If not to the kids, then to whom?’”
While they supported DTS through the usual
giving channels, the Howards wanted to do more.
“Dr. P encouraged us to do something lasting for the
Lord,” Rosemary said. “And DTS was the logical choice.
Our entire family talked it over and decided this was
what we all wanted.”
“Our parents included DTS in their wills, and it
was a good incentive for us,” Teresa said, referring to
herself and her husband.
As each couple met with representatives from the
Dallas Seminary Foundation, they found that the staff
listened to their desires and helped craft estate plans
designed for investment in ministries beyond each
couple’s own lifetimes. “The Foundation does such a
great job helping the nonfinancial person,” Teresa said.
“Everything was explained so well. It gave us comfort to
put plans in place.”
“What we’ve done seems minor,” Rosemary said.
“But our desire is mainly to help make it possible to
bring to the seminary more young people, particularly
those training to be pastors.”
When Louis passed away suddenly last year, the
family was thankful they had all expressed their wishes
to each other and formalized their desires. Teresa
said, “It gave us such a peace that we didn’t have to try
to figure out what my father would have wanted. We
knew.”
Because of their foresight, documents were already
in place to assure a legacy even beyond what Louis
invested in his wife, his children, their families, and the
many people he led to Christ and discipled.
Rosemary said, “Having the expert counsel of
the Dallas Seminary Foundation is a blessing I would
recommend to anyone.”
In 2 Corinthians Paul talks about how the Macedonian churches
generously participated in the “privilege of sharing in this service
to the saints” (2 Cor. 8:4). To learn about how you too can share in
“serving the saints,” contact Carrie Park, CPA and senior planned
giving officer, in the Dallas Seminary Foundation office at
214-841-3546, send a message to foundation@dsfplan.org,
or go to dts.edu/foundation.
Kindred Spirit 15
Campus NEWS New Resources
DTS Profs Provide Accessible Scholarship from the Seminary Family The Coming Oil Storm
Dr. Ron Rhodes (ThM, 1983; ThD,
Eight DTS professors and about a dozen
1986)
alumni have been handpicked to contribute In This Generation: Looking
to the forthcoming Evangelical Exegetical to the Past to Reach the Present
Commentary (EEC), a forty-four-volume Dr. Todd Ahrend (MA[BS], 2004)
commentary series. The EEC will be the
first major reference work ever produced The Topical Handbook of Bible
digitally before print. It has also generated Prophecy
interest among Bible students for its academic Dr. Ron Rhodes (ThM, 1983; ThD,
A Taste of the Classics: Mere 1986)
scholarship and distinctly evangelical The lounge in the Walvoord Student Center was Christianity, Pilgrim’s Progress,
perspective. It fulfills a need in the current refurbished over the winter break. The lounge The Brothers Karamazov,
generation of biblical scholarship by uncovering features contemporary furniture and has proven to The Imitation of Christ
the latest historical and linguistic insights not be a popular student gathering spot. Summarized by Dr. Kenneth Boa The Gift of Church
found in earlier evangelical commentaries, and (ThM, 1972) Dr. Jim Samra (ThM, 2001)
its publication by Logos Bible Software (known
for their integrated digital library) increases its Jews and the Gospel at the End
value for students of the Word. From the Center for Christian Leadership of History
2011 Wives of Men in Ministry Retreat Jim Congdon (ThM, 1976)
The following faculty members are involved
in the project: Putting God Back in the Holidays
Deuteronomy, Dr. Eugene Merrill Dr. Bill Thrasher (ThM, 1978; ThD,
Ezra and Nehemiah, Dr. Israel Loken 1982) and Penny Thrasher
The Nuts and Bolts
Psalms, Dr. Ronald Allen of Church Planting
Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, The Wives of Men in Ministry Retreat is Dr. Aubrey Malphurs (ThM,
Dr. Dorian Coover-Cox designed to encourage, refresh, and equip wives 1978; PhD, 1981)*
Matthew, Dr. David Lowery of men in vocational ministry. If that’s you,
Praying with the Kings: Prayers
John, Dr. W. Hall Harris we want to provide you with a chance to relax, from 1 and 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles
Galatians, Dr. Michael Burer be pampered, and connect with others. Enjoy Dr. Elmer Towns (ThM, 1958)
Hebrews, Dr. Buist Fanning nature, take a nap, or share coffee on the dock. Your Life in Rhythm
Take advantage of three days just for you. Bruce Miller (ThM, 1986)
In addition Dr. Harris will edit the volumes on Keynote Speaker: Shirley Bryan
the New Testament. Sunday, April 10–Tuesday, April 12, 2011
To find out more about the EEC and Pine Cove Conference Center in Tyler, Texas Reborn to Be Wild
to see a list of the contributors, visit For more information and to register visit Ed Underwood (ThM, 1985)
EvangelicalExegeticalCommentary.com. www.dts.edu/wivesretreat. New Wine: A Study of Transition
in the Book of Acts
Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost (ThM,
Travel with DTS 1941; ThD, 1956)*
Journeys of Paul Tracts:
Aegean Sea Cruise Why Does God
Led by Dr. Mark Bailey and Allow Tragedies?
Pastor Tom Nelson Stumbling Souls: Is Love Does God Exist?
Turkey and Greece Cruise: Enough? The Empty Grave READ
June 9–20, 2011 Chris Plekenpol (ThM, 2010) Dr. Roy Zuck an excerpt
Pre-tour Extension (ThM, 1957;
“Churches of Revelation” ThD, 1961)* from The Invitation
(Turkey): June 4–9, 2011 by
For more information The Ten Commandments: Ethics Greg Sidders
on these great trips, call for the Twenty-First Century
Andrea Hara at 214-841- Dr. Mark Rooker (ThM, 1978)
3720 or visit the DTS website
at www.dts.edu/travel.
For more resources go to www.dts.edu/books.
*Denotes DTS faculty member

16 Dallas Theological Seminary Kindred Spirit 17

THIS IS THE LONGER, ONLINE VERSION
Follow the
FACULTY
Taking the Word around the World
For a complete listing of faculty travel go to www.dts.edu/ks.
Southwest
Dr. Mark Bailey Apr 10
Grand Prairie Bible Church
Missions Conference,
Grand Prairie, Texas; May
29–Jun 3 Pine Cove Family
Camp, Tyler, Texas
Dr. John Hannah Jul 11–15
Teacher Training, Bible
Study Fellowship, San
Antonio, Texas
Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla
May 22 The Oaks Baptist
Church, Grand Prairie,
Texas
Dr. Robert Lightner
Mar 20 Hideaway Lake
Community Church,
Hideaway, Texas;
Mar 25–27Conference,
Cornerstone Bible Church,
Lubbock, Texas; Apr 10
Grace Bible Church, The
Woodlands, Texas; Apr
17Clifton Bible Church,
Clifton, Texas
Dr. Michael Pocock Jun
21–24 Impact 2011 Teen
Camp, Jan-Kay Ranch
Christian Camp, Detroit,
Texas; Aug 14, Faith Bible
Church, The Woodlands,
Texas
Dr. Ramesh Richard
May 27 Texoma Christian
School Graduation,
Sherman Bible Church,
Sherman, Texas; Jun 5–25,
Global Proclamation
Academy, Dallas
Theological Seminary,
Dallas, Texas; Jun 25
RREACH banquet, Dallas,
Texas
Dr. Daniel Wallace
Apr 9 Banquet, Center
for the Study of New
Testament Manuscripts,
Renaissance Hotel,
Richardson, Texas; Aug 15
Reasonable Faith Chapter,
Highland Park Baptist
Church, Dallas, Texas
NORTHEAST
Dr. Mark Bailey
Aug 14 Hawthorne Gospel
Church Summer Bible
Conference, Hawthorne,
18 Dallas Theological Seminary
New Jersey
Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla
May 13–15 Bible
Conference, Pittsford
Community Church,
Pittsford, New York
MIDWEST
Dr. Mark Bailey Apr 6
Cedarville University
Chapel, Cedarville, Ohio
Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla
Jul 1–3 North American
Conference, Church of
South India, Chicago,
Illinois
Dr. Robert Lightner
Jul 28–29 Leadership
Conference Quentin Road
Bible Baptist Church, Lake
Zurich, Illinois
Dr. Ramesh Richard
Jul 15–16 IICS Vision
Conference, Kansas City,
Kansas
Dr. Daniel Wallace Apr
15–17 Snoopy Seminar
on the Text of the New
Testament, Coon Rapids
Evangelical Free Church,
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
SOUTHEAST
Dr. Ronald Allen May 1,
Jul 17 Bayside Community
Church, Tampa, Florida
Dr. Robert Lightner May
9–13 Piedmont Baptist
Graduate School, Winston-
Salem, North Carolina
Dr. Steve Strauss Apr 3
Global Missions Sunday,
New Grace Church,
Jacksonville, Florida
Dr. Mark Yarbrough
Jun 27–Jul 1 The Cove,
Asheville, North Carolina
WEST
Dr. Ronald Allen Apr 21
Passover Seder, Warren
Community Fellowship,
Warren, Oregon; Jul 9–13
Family Conference Sunday
services, Cannon Beach
Conference Center,
Cannon Beach, Oregon; Jul
20–23 Western Seminary/
San Jose, Santa Clara,
Members of Dallas Theological Seminary’s full-time faculty
will minister at these locations in the months ahead.
California
Dr. Mark Bailey Jul 13–16
Cannon Beach Conference
Center, Cannon Beach,
Oregon; Jul 24–30 Mount
Hermon Conference
Center, Mount Hermon,
California
Dr. John Hannah June 18–
July 2 Institute of Biblical
Studies, Campus Crusade
for Christ, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins,
Colorado
Dr. Robert Lightner Apr
25–29 Veritas Evangelical
Seminary, Murrieta,
California
INTERNATIONAL
Dr. Ronald Allen May
20–June 10 Rolling Hills
(Tualatin, Oregon) Holy
Land Studies Tour Leader,
JORDAN and ISRAEL
Dr. Vic Anderson Jun 1–Jul
31 Summer Team Leader,
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA
Dr. Mark Bailey Jun 5–20
DTS Seven Churches
of Revelation Tour and
Journeys of Paul Cruise,
GREECE and TURKEY
Dr. Darrell Bock Apr 4–8
Bonn Bibelschule, Bonn,
GERMANY; Apr 14–15
Giessen Frei Akadamie,
Giessen, GERMANY; Apr
30–May 1 International
Community Church,
Munich, GERMANY;
May 21–26 European
Theologians’ Theological
Forum, Eger, HUNGARY;
May 27–30 Beit Sar Shalom
Messianic Conference,
Berlin, GERMANY; Jun
26–Jul 1 Enoch Conference,
Enoch Seminar, Milan,
ITALY; Aug 7–12 Lasaunne
Conference on Jewish
Evangelism, London,
England, UK
Dr. Joe Fantin Jul 4–8
International Society of
Biblical Literature Meeting,
King’s College, London, UK
Dr. Reg Grant Apr 17–24
Storm Book Tour, Beijing,
Shanghai CHINA; Jul
28–Aug 8 Teacher, Insight
for Living Mediterranean
Cruise, GREECE, ITALY,
TURKEY
Dr. John Hannah May
10–22, May 31–Jun 15 Tour
leader, ISRAEL; May 22–31
Tour leader, Reformation
Tour, EUROPE
Dr. Scott Horrell
May 16–28 Various
locations, INDIA; Jun
6–12 Children’s Relief
International Leaders
Conference, Beira/
Dondo, MOZAMBIQUE;
Jun 13–19 Center for
Leadership Development
and World Team, Maputo,
MOZAMBIQUE; Jun
20–23 Leaders Conference,
Lusaka, ZAMBIA; Jun
23–26 Leaders Conference,
Kitwe, ZAMBIA; Jun
28–Jun 30 Leaders
Conference, Gabarone,
BOTSWANA; Jun 30–Jul
2 Leaders Conference,
Maokatumo, BOTSWANA
Dr. Michael Pocock
May 30–Jun 3 Spiritual
Warfare Course, Seminario
Teológico Al-Andalus,
Sevilla, SPAIN
Dr. Ramesh Richard Apr
8–10 Various speaking
engagements, St.
Augustine, TRINIDAD;
May15–22 Global Missions
Convention, Melbourne,
AUSTRALIA
Dr. Steve Strauss Jun
24–Aug 1 Various speaking
engagements, Evangelical
Theological College,
International Evangelical
Church, and Ethiopian
Kale Hewyet Church,
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA
Dr. Mark Yarbrough Jun
5–20 DTS Seven Churches
of Revelation Tour and
Journeys of Paul Cruise,
GREECE and TURKEY
Greg Sidders (ThM, 1988)
The Invitation: The Not-
So-Simple Truth about
Following Jesus
F r o m t h e C H A N C E L L OR
Vision Fading,
Perspective Gaining
I
heard a comedian once say, “You know you are getting older when
your dreams are reruns, you sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it go-
ing, and when you sink your teeth into a juicy steak, they stay there.”
I am beginning to think that is true!
Time has a way of bringing poetic justice. Here’s what I mean: the
generation who used to say thirty was over the hill started turning sixty-
five when the firecrackers and fireworks marked the first minute of 2011.
According to the Pew Research Center, over the next two decades about
10,000 baby boomers per day will become “seniors.” That is 79 million
people. Our churches are now full of them, and if we are smart, we will
realize they are worth a fortune—and I am not talking about the silver in
their hair, the gold in their teeth, or the cash in their pockets.
While not everyone who ages becomes wiser, a person
who ages with Christ has much to offer their Facebooking,
While not every-
iPod-playing brothers and sisters in Christ. Because with age
can come wisdom. I know that because I am a step ahead
one who ages
of those baby boomers, and I know from experience that a
clearer perspective sometimes comes as a partner to fading becomes wiser,
eyesight. When I was younger, I went to battle for all sorts of
things. While they were good things, some of them were not a person who
worth the fight. Today with age and experience I evaluate
ages with Christ
such situations with greater clarity. I do not just have beliefs
now; I have convictions. And I would “die” more quickly for
has much to offer.
them because I know they are things worth dying for.
After five decades in ministry, I can think of things I wish
I had done sooner. I would have cared less about what people
thought or said and more what Scripture says. I would have focused
more on my family when they were young. I would have been more un-
derstanding and less demanding and told them earlier how much they
meant to me. I tell them often now, but I would have said it then more
frequently and with greater passion.
Age has a way of helping us see what is really important. The aging
among us have seen firsthand what does not last—political administra-
tions, job status, egos, power trips, and physical beauty. But we have
also seen what endures: The faithfulness of God, the Word of God, the
glory of God, faith, hope, and love.
Remember, a person who ages with Christ has much to offer. All
this I say for the benefit of you who are younger. But I have a word for
seniors, too: Your mind is not dead, keep developing it; your humor
is not over, keep enjoying it; your strength has not gone,
keep using it; your opportunities have not vanished, keep
pursuing them; the Ancient of Days is not dead, keep
seeking Him. n
—Dr. Charles R. Swindoll
Kindred Spirit 19
Kindred Spirit Exclusive Online Section

Biblical Justice
By Dr. Tony Evans (ThM, 1976; ThD, 1982)
justice provides society with a divine
frame of reference from which to operate.
Biblical justice is the equitable and
impartial application of the rule of God’s
moral law in society. Whether exercised
through economic, political, social, or
criminal justice, the one constant within
all four realms is the understanding and
application of God’s moral law within the
social realm.
Increasingly, concerted efforts are be-
ing made to address the ethical issues of
our day by the body of Christ; however, a
lack of continual and holistically applied
biblical justice is the underpinning for
the continuation of societal and familial
breakdowns as well as class and racial dis-
parities. Biblical justice, when carried out
correctly, naturally leads to the restoration
of race, gender, and class divisions.
The Book of Isaiah a glance into God’s
heart on this issue of justice. We read in
chapter 58 that the Israelites sought God’s
help and assistance—what we could call
His blessings. In fact it says, “Yet they seek
me day by day and delight to know My
gry, and bring the homeless poor into the Biblical justice,
house; when you see the naked, to cover
him; and not to hide yourself from your
when carried out
own flesh?” (vv. 5–7).
Essentially what God told the Israel-
correctly, naturally
ites, in my Tony Evans translation, is that
seeking Him, meeting together, having
leads to the
regular prayer meetings and the like was restoration of
not enough. Because in spite of all of that
and more, their relational actions revealed race, gender, and
a contradictory reality, which showed that
they were fasting as a means of argument class divisions.
while pursuing their own desires (v. 4).
The problem occurred in that their the-
ology never affected their sociology. The
thing they offered an “amen” to on Sunday
never got carried out on Monday. They
would “come to church” and sing about
love, but return to the world and withhold
that love. They would proclaim unity and
equality in the house of God, but fail to
practice that unity in the “global body of
Christ.” Thus, the missing component of
their ethical relational outworking within
their theology nullified their religious ac-
tivity.

S
ocial justice has become a
convoluted term meaning
different things to different
people. People often use
it as a catchphrase for
illegitimate forms of government that
promote the redistribution of wealth as
well as the collectivistic expansion of civil
government, which wrongly infringes on
the jurisdictions of God’s other covenantal
institutions (family and church). Such a
view of social justice both contradicts and
denies biblical justice since biblical justice
seeks to protect individual liberty while
promoting personal responsibility.
When addressing areas of justice,
I prefer to use the term biblical justice
rather than social justice, because biblical
ways” (v. 2). Not only did the Israelites
seek God, but they also fasted (v. 3) out of
a desire to experience the nearness of God
(v. 2). Basically they assembled, read their
Bibles, prayed, sang, humbled themselves,
and attended their small group studies. Yet
despite all of that, God did not respond to
their pleas to bless them, nor did He re-
spond to their requests for Him to execute
“just decisions” (v. 2) on their behalf. Start-
ing in verse 5, we read His reason why: “Is
it a fast like this which I choose, a day for
a man to humble himself? . . . Will you call
this a fast, even an acceptable day to the
LORD? Is this not the fast which I choose,
to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo
the bands of the yoke, and to let the op-
pressed go free and break every yoke? Is
it not to divide your bread with the hun-
The interesting thing about this pas-
sage was that the thing the Israelites
sought from God (“just decisions”) was
the very thing that He said they withheld
from others. Simply stated, the principle is:
Whatever you want God to do for you per-
sonally, you must be willing for Him to do
through you to others. God is not looking
for cul-de-sac Christians. He is looking for
Christians who are willing to be a conduit
of His blessing and justice to those in need.
We cannot say, “Lord, deliver me,” yet
refuse to be the deliverance for another
person in need. That is contradictory
Christianity. What we have often done in
the area of biblical justice is relegate it to
others while at the same time complain-
ing to God that He is not responding to our
needs. We have neglected to see that the
two are inextricably linked.
Also, while many of us do not directly
carry out overtly unjust actions against
others on a regular basis, the importance
of biblical justice has become diminished
in our minds. But the critical aspect to note
concerning biblical justice is the biblical
definition of sin. A sin is not only a wrong
action that is done, but a sin is also a right
action that remains undone (Jas. 4:17). The
question of biblical justice is not simply,
“Have I done anything wrong?” The ques-
tion is, “Have I done anything right?” It is
good that you do not hate your brother or
sister in need, but what are you doing to
show that you love him or her? Isaiah 58
reminds us that the foundation for biblical
continued on next page

20 Dallas Theological Seminary Kindred Spirit 21

Kindred Spirit Exclusive Online Section
Biblical justice
justice exists in the principle that our hori-
zontal relationships must accurately reflect
our vertical beliefs about God, or we will
limit God’s response to our needs as well.
James clearly tells us that “pure” re-
ligion is to “visit orphans and widows in
their distress” (1:27). Orphans and widows
represent the helpless and marginalized in
society, those who cannot defend or em-
power themselves. This prescription isn’t
about what we do against the needy and
the poor, it concerns what we do for them.
God says that He will do for us in re-
sponse to what we do for others. Biblical
justice is not a passive awareness of hu-
man needs, but rather an action taken
to execute God’s justice in the midst of
an unjust society. The church has been
uniquely positioned to defend and protect
the helpless in society, and until we func-
tion according to our calling, we will con-
tinue to seek God’s intervention in our own
lives only to hear His reply, “What have you
done for others in My name?”
Justice­—to prescribe
the right way
• God is just (Deut. 32:4).
• God is the ultimate lawgiver
(Jas. 4:12).
• God’s laws and judgments are just and
righteous (Psa. 19:7–9; 111:7–8).
• God’s statutes are to be applied
without partiality (Deut. 1:17;
Leviticus 19:15; Num. 15:16).
• God has a standard by which He
measures human conduct (Isa. 26:7).
• Government is to be God’s instrument
of divine justice by impartially
establishing, reflecting, and applying
His divine standards of justice in
society (Psa. 72:1–2, 4; 2 Sam. 8:15;
Deut. 4:7–8).
22 Dallas Theological Seminary
Videos
Click here to view short
video profiles of senior
members of the DTS faculty
and administration:
Chaplain Bill Bryan
Dr. Howard “Prof” Hendricks
Dr. Dwight Pentecost
Dr. Charles R. Swindoll.
Want to think further about
ministry to seniors?
Here are the resources Dr. Hendricks
recommends:
Anything by Ken Dychtwald,
including Age Wave: The
Challenges and Opportunities
of an Aging America
Henri Nouwen, Aging: the Fulfillment
of Life
Howard Eyrich and Judy Dabler, The
Art of Aging
Ken Johnson, Pursuing Life with a
Shepherd’s Heart
Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins,
The 36-Hour Day
Links
Resources for Working with Seniors
Compiled by Rose Henness (MACE, 2009)
National Institute on Aging www.nia.nih.gov
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the National Institutes of Health, was established
to provide leadership in research on aging, distribution of health education, and development of
programs relevant to aging. The NIA is the primary federal agency for research on Alzheimer’s disease.
National Council on Aging (NCOA) www.ncoa.org
The NCOA’s mission is to improve the lives of older Americans. Located in Washington, D.C., NCOA
includes over 3,000 members with a national network of more than 14,000 organizations and leaders
including senior centers, area agencies on aging, adult day service centers, faith-based service
organizations, employment services, consumer groups, and leaders from academia, business, and
labor.
Administration on Aging (AOA) www.aoa.gov
The Administration on Aging (AOA), an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
is one of the nation’s largest providers of home- and community-based care for older persons and
their caregivers. Created with the passage of the Older Americans Act (OAA), AOA is part of a federal,
state, tribal, and local partnership called the National Network on Aging which serves more than 7
million older adults and their caregivers.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) www.aarp.org
AARP “celebrates the attitude that age is just a number and life is what you make of it.” The
organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life throughout the aging process by providing
information, services, and advocacy for people aged 50 and over.
American Society on Aging (ASA) www.asaging.org
Established in 1954, the American Society on Aging focuses on a commitment to enhance the
knowledge and skills of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults and their
families. ASA offers widely respected conferences and training opportunities in the field of aging and
publications such as Aging Today and Generations.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Healthy Aging www.cdc.gov/aging/
This site provides links to various national organizations which support seniors.
Additional sites include:
Aging with Dignity www.agingwithdignity.org
Aging Parents and Elder Care www.aging-parents-and-
elder-care.com
United States Senate Special Committee on Aging www.aging.senate.gov
National Academy on an Aging Society www.agingsociety.org
The Grandparent Foundation www.grandparenting.org
Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org
National Center on Elder Abuse www.ncea.aoa.gov
Kindred Spirit 23
Kindred Spirit Exclusive Online Section
The Nicodemus Question
W
ith a curious frown, the great
silver-bearded attorney let
his question just float there,
suspended in the damp
night air.
How can anyone be born again when he
or she is old? Wasn’t the whole Industrial World
taught the undeniable axiom: “You can’t teach
an old dog new tricks”?
But Jesus rebutted that myth! Old dogs can
learn new tricks—and new truths— especially if
the old dogs are hungry, especially if the trainer
is playful but consistent, especially if the great
kennels of the world howl against such age-old
age prejudice.
In terms of ministry efforts, senior adults
could well be counted among the great, un-
24 Dallas Theological Seminary
How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4).
reached people groups of the world. But Je-
sus shows us a better way. He brings the fifth
commandment to life, touching even the way
mid-lifers spend their money (Exod. 20:12;
Mark 7:6-13). He even patterns church order on
sound intergenerational relationships (1 Tim.
5:1-25).
As the Wonderful Counselor (Isa. 9:6),
Jesus offered both sweet words and hard say-
ings to His nighttime visitor. Leaning to neither
extreme—to a truth-only brutality or a love-only
sentimentality—Jesus ministered a balanced
spirituality, “...speaking the truth in love” (Eph.
4:15).
A lesser man could have been unduly flat-
tered by the curiosity of the older man, par-
ticularly that of a folk icon sitting on the Jewish
Supreme Court. But in the end, Jesus drew the
elder Nicodemus onto the sojourner’s path.
In the two years following their providen-
tial heart-to-heart talk, Nicodemus moved from
being a beloved infidel (John 3:11) to being a
sincere seeker (John 7:50–51). Eventually he
inched open the door of trust and became a
secret believer (John 19:38–42). From the front
row of the jury box, Nicodemus would have
seen Jesus’ integrity sparkling like a diamond
against the black velvet of human corruption
(1 Pet. 2:21–23). Later in the sunrise of resur-
rection, a bolder faith must have dawned on
Nicodemus, since his old secret became a new
story in the Gospel of John.
In all likelihood Nicodemus did not come
to Jesus’ quarters, hoping to change religions.
Successful seniors rarely wake up, hoping to
replace their denominational banner by night-
fall. Unlike the adolescent, older adults are not
prone to think with hit-or-miss logic. While they
may think more cautiously than youth, seniors
also tend to think more accurately than youth.
But once they are committed, most are deeply
loyal: less likely to quit a job, a marriage, or a
belief.
Gallop polls tell us that older adults, when
compared to middle and younger adults, often
exhibit a growth in spirituality. With more flex-
ibility in their schedules, seniors often read
Scripture, pray, and think about the supernatu-
ral; nonetheless these changes may baffle the
simple observer who merely chronicles their
diminished attendance in formal worship ser-
vices.
Psychologists point out that the typical
older adult is on a quest for integrity versus
despair. Like great puzzle-makers, attentive se-
niors are trying to integrate—or link—the pieces
of their lives together as they reminisce. Without
ever seeing the picture on the box, they keep
trying to answer the question: “What has my life
meant?”
Gerontologists suggest that many seniors
feel pressured by their limitations and their
regrets. Thus they can become preoccupied
with their bodies, frequently monitoring how
their bodies look, feel, and function. They can
also become preoccupied with their work, using
their overt productivity to measure what they
are worth. They may even become preoccupied
with themselves, obsessing on who seems to
care about them and who apparently does not.
But by the grace of God, many older
adults have learned to transcend their bodies,
rejoicing that there is more to them than their
physical lives. Many have learned to transcend
their work, recognizing the intangible contri-
butions they have made—and are making—to
the people around them. And many have even
learned to transcend themselves, accepting that
there are many others worse off than they are,
people worthy of their concern. These tran-
scending men and women are following in the
footsteps of an imprisoned apostle who over-
came the temptation to be preoccupied with his
body (Philippians 1:20–21), his work (Phil. 1:7,
12–13), and his ego (Phil. 1:15, 17–18).
A modern Nicodemus came into my life
ten years ago. Having grown up in one religion,
By Dr. Jeffrey A. Watson (DMin, 1985)
Wendell followed his seventh-grade sweetheart
into another. But by the age of seventy-two,
these life-long lovers were dumbfounded.
Their denomination had gone beyond diatribes
against the Viet Nam War; now the denomina-
tion had ordained a practicing lesbian.
Rather than giving up on God and giving
in to cynicism, Wendell and Sylvia followed a
trusted friend into a Bible-centered church, a
church that gently told Wendell that he wasn’t
allowed to join officially. Sylvia had long ago
learned to rest in the good works of God, but
Wendell was resting in his own goodness. Like
the rich young ruler, Wendell needed to learn
that there were only two ways to heaven: perfect
obedience or perfect surrender (Luke 18:18–30).
Though the former is humanly impossible
(Rom. 3:23; James 2:10), the latter is divinely
possible (Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5).
Like the Nicodemus of old, this beloved
infidel would require at least two more years
to come to Christ after his doubts had set in.
Sylvia’s stroke led him to chisel yearning words
on their joint tombstone: “Together Forever.”
Then on the anniversary of her death, he begged
for answers: “Will God receive me? Am I good
enough yet?” Listening with a thief-on-the-cross
kind of simplicity, he heard the words of biblical
counsel: “Wendell, the question is not whether
He will receive you; the question is whether
you will receive Him. The Bible says, ‘Yet to all
who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of
God’ (John 1:12).” With tears of penitential relief
Wendell’s prayer touched off a party in heaven.
Last summer at the age of eighty-two, Wen-
dell’s body was laid beside that of his seventh-
grade sweetheart. His example taught us, as
did Nicodemus of old, that old age need not be
wintertime; indeed, it can be harvesttime.
Dr. Jeffrey Watson (DMin, 1985) holds a PhD in Health Education with a doctoral
certificate in Gerontology. He has served as a visiting professor for DTS’s DMin program in
Dallas and Guatemala City.
Kindred Spirit 25
This verse art was crafted by
DTS graphic designer Linda
Tomczak. You can view a
short video of Ms. Tomczak
telling her story at
www.dts.edu/profiles.

This painting was done

by DTS student
Camille Holland.

26 Dallas Theological Seminary