Review of Ordinary Means, Extraordinary Ends, edited by Camden Bucey
A rediscovery of the ordinary means of grace** is not only a needed correction to many of the excesses of our day, but it is also a key to the health and longevity of normal churches. Contrary to the ascension of parachurch ministries in the 1960s, the church is actually important and the Lord’s own designed vehicle to carry out his mission and the Great Commission.
In Ordinary Means, Extraordinary Ends (Reformed Forum, 2025), a series of essays and sermons on this topic, originally presented at conferences in 2024, are now available.
The first chapter, “To the Ends of the Earth” by Camden Bucey, details the history of the expansion of God’s kingdom. Surveying the brief epochs of the Abrahamic mission, the anticipation of the Messiah’s mission in the remainder of the OT, and the mission of the apostles, this chapter assures us of the “Guaranteed Future and End of Missions.” Its point is that the Lord of the church is carrying out his mission, which will lead to spreading the gospel through the church and bring an end to the necessity for missions when the “earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters under the seas.” Bucey notes that the enlargement in which God includes all nations reminds us “that God’s plan for salvation was always designed to encompass all nations, pointing to the fulfillment of this plant in Jesus Christ.” (p. 21)
James Cassidy charts out well how “Missions” is related to the gospel. Everything, he notes, that the church is called to do is “summarized in the biblical injunction to preach the word.” (p. 25) This fine essay takes much of its content from applications of the first chapter of Romans.
Next, Lane Tipton’s “The Kingdom of Power and the Great Commission” focuses on the classicus locus in Mt. 28:18. With a fine inclusion of Geehardus Vos’ thought on the spiritual kingdom of Christ, Tipton variously discusses the Kingship of Christ to the pactum salutis, to the official kingship of Christ, and to the unlimited dominion of Christ’s kingdom. Tipton calls the movement of the church toward the final reign as a “heavenization” movement for the church. Should the church place more emphasis on where she is heading instead of on the trajectories of this world, many believers would be blessed. Christ does this by his Word and Spirit, not as much as many evangelicals think by charisma and charm.
Editor Bucey offers a fine chapter on “Mission Imperative,” taken from Jesus’ final words in Matthew 28. The making of disciples is the goal of the church, argues Bucey—in contrast to transformational agendas, power dynamics, or popularity. The missional means are none other than the ordinary means of grace.
R. Carlton Wynne adds a superb chapter on one of the sacraments, baptism, which has been relegated to the bench for most evangelical superstars. As a masterclass in biblical theology, Wynne surveys the Old Testament foundation first, followed by NT applications. Wynne’s summary is that baptism signifies, summons, seals, sanctifies, sets apart, swears, and strengthens.” (88)
In the final chapters of this helpful and accessible book, James Cassidy expounds on the teaching ministry designed for the church from the Great Commission (asserting that preaching must be: (1) biblico-theological; (2) systematic; (3) and polemical), and Douglas Clawson articulates the power and presence of Christ with his church in all ages and to the end of the age. Such promise, as this work understands, is awarded to no other agency or structure.
The book concludes with an introduction to the Reformed Forum and their commitment to Global Theological Education.
**If readers are not familiar with this, it is taken from a phrase in the Westminster Larger Catechism (Q 153 ff), in which the definition is that God works primarily through the outward and ordinary means of grace, which are the Word, prayer, and the sacraments, to convey the benefits of Christ’s mediation. In our day, this revived emphasis protects the church from false hopes, sensationalism, revivalistic excesses, and gimmicks. For an introduction to this concept, one could listen to a fine sermon by Joel Kim at a recent Ligonier conference.