The Suffering and the Glory: Pastoral Ministry in Union with Christ

What is the meaning and purpose of suffering in the work of pastoral ministry? What hope do we have that preaching the gospel will make a lasting difference for Christ? In this lecture, Dr. Philip Ryken contends that the rich biblical doctrine of union with Christ provides a complete theological and practical context for understanding both tragedy and triumph in the ordinary work of the pastor. Through his thirteen years of preaching ministry at Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church, Dr. Ryken has experienced, as it were, both the cross and the empty tomb. The author of thirty Bible commentaries and other books on Christianity, culture, and the church, Dr. Ryken has a passion for the local church and for connecting people in ministry to the life-giving work of the crucified and risen Christ.

Biography

Philip Graham Ryken is the president of Wheaton College. Ryken earned a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and a doctorate in historical theology from the University of Oxford.  Dr. Ryken returned from England to join the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1995, preaching there until his appointment at Wheaton. President Ryken has published more than 30 books, including The Message of Salvation (InterVarsity 2001), Art for God’s Sake (P&R, 2006), Loving the Way Jesus Loves (Crossway, 2011), and expository commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Luke, and other books of the Bible.