Resist Tyrants, Obey God

Jacob has written a comprehensive biographical account of the life and ministry of John Knox and establishes the Biblical foundation for his resistance to tyranny. The rich heritage of Scotland is built upon the courage and conviction of men like Knox and this book is both an engaging narrative which also provides much needed pastoral challenges for the church today.

Jacob Tanner delivers the compelling story of a pivotal figure in Christian history, and he does so in a way that engages the reader on several levels. There is clearly the compelling saga of the fiery Scotsman who famously cried “Give me Scotland, or I die!” Yet there is also the humble portrait of a mostly-forgotten gravesite (parking space 23) where that Reformer was unceremoniously laid to rest. Jacob Tanner weaves these various threads of Knox’s story together to consistently point the reader to the portrait of a fallible man in a pivotal time, and the glorious ways that God used that Reformer for the kingdom. This read will not only engage and challenge the reader—it will lead to a greater and deeper worship of Christ.

Jacob Tanner is a true gift to the church. In Resist Tyrants, Obey God, he skillfully bridges the rich history of our Reformed heritage with the pressing challenges of today. I am emboldened after reading this work and sadly must agree wholeheartedly that there are “too few men like [Knox] today.” May the Lord raise up more gifted, godly, and Christ-adoring men like this Scottish Reformer—those given to both fervent prayer and fiery passion; men possessing a pastoral heart, unyielding commitment to sound doctrine, and unwavering boldness in their faith; men willing to live for God’s glory at any cost. This, of course, includes standing firmly upon the truth even when that truth contradicts the very leaders of one’s nation. Lord, grant us the grace to stop “placing so much attention and emphasis on being careful to please the world” and raise up more dangerous men like John Knox!

When the author writes of Knox, “Yet these three things—his courageous and open defiance of tyrants, his obedience to God, and his unwavering commitment to Scripture and the lordship of Christ—make him one of the most important historical figures for modern Christians to study and learn from, even if they find occasional points of disagreement with his theology, speech, or actions,” he gives a succinct and inviting summary of his book. Much later in the book, when Tanner writes of us, “When we determine within our hearts that our standard is God’s Word and that nothing can cause us to defy God’s Word, all the secularism in the world cannot shift our perspectives,” he distills the driving force of Knox while he recommends the way a Christian should live in this world. The sections on prayer, preaching, and culture-shaping reach deeply into the truth of God and the Christian conscience to prompt a more consistent, faithful, and courageous God-shaped discipleship in a world that will ever seek to smother the light of truth with its godless darkness.