The church is no longer cherished by society. This presents many challenges for Christians trying to confess Christ in an age that denies and opposes him and his people. However, this is nothing new, and the volume titled, “The Gates of Hell,” provides encouragement for Christians through Christ’s promise that “the gates of hell will not overpower” his church (Matthew 16:18). This book is a collection of sermons, essays, and articles written and delivered by elected leaders of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in connection with its 2016 convention. Covering topics like the religion of sex, the two kingdoms, missions, preaching, the sacrament, apologetics, and more, these leaders hope to provide confessional Lutherans with insight, advice, historical review, and scriptural confidence in the work of God through the church throughout the ages and still active today. 

Since the book is a collection of sermons and essays, it feels more like a series of mini-books with varying applications woven together by the thread of Matthew 16:18. The gravitational center of the book is the 2016 convention essay from Daniel Preus, which sets a good tone for the articles that follow it by focusing on the general need to confess our Christian faith and to do so in line with the Scriptures and with Jesus at the center. Subsequent articles develop this thought. 

The range of topics covered in the articles is surprisingly broad, yet all are thoughtfully chosen. They are, perhaps, also thoughtfully arranged: following the convention essay, the next article in the book tackles the great Goliath of our culture today. Scott Murray’s article, “The Religion of Sex,” does a fine job of getting to the selfish heart of this cultural religion, and he shows how the church can respond in a humble, Christ-focused way. From there, President Matthew Harrison contributes a review of Lutheran history and Luther’s view of church and government. John Wohlrabe’s article on society’s post-Constantinian view of the church gives an overview of “How did we get here?” in terms of the relationship between church and society. And Daniel Preus’s article titled “Defying the Devil in International Mission Work” provides an evaluation of the temptations and pitfalls affecting mission work. Preus is quite critical of modern Christian methods, and his article would provide good discussion for pastors and for pastor-led lay member discussion. It may be poorly named, though, as he did not mention the devil’s influence until the end, and almost as a side point.  

The gem of the entire book was saved, fittingly enough, for the end. Herbert Mueller’s article on defending the faith focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and his presentation of the evidence for and the importance of Jesus’ resurrection was well structured and well supported by Scripture and history. The applications he makes for the everyday life of a Christian and for apologetics in mission work provide proper focus and encouragement for pastors and lay members alike. 

Since the work encompasses seven separate articles written by different authors, it is not surprising that one finds a variety in style. There is repetition from article to article as each author explains and applies the words of Jesus to Peter in Matthew 16, and there is also overlap to some degree in the assessments of culture and especially in the sin at the heart of each issue. Some articles seem to be written in an admonishing tone, some as a review of history, and some with educational intent. Each article also includes study questions at the end for the reader’s review or for leading a discussion on the article. While helpful, the questions were sometimes written as if directed to pastors and sometimes as if directed to lay members, so some questions might need to be rephrased for use in particular settings.  

It is refreshing to read a confessional Lutheran book on the difficult issues affecting today’s culture. In a sea of opinions, it is comforting to hear fellow Lutherans confess the importance of the gospel, its power to save, and its sufficiency for mission work. The authors certainly made clear their love for the Scriptures and their Savior, while also displaying their intellectual gifts in addressing each topic. 

This book may not educate a pastor on anything he did not already know, but it does reinforce important missiological truths and thought-provoking applications, drawing upon the words of Christ to Peter in Matthew 16 and applying them in a modern American context. Some parts were a bit of a slog to get through, but, overall, it is a worthwhile read. It would make for an excellent study for pastors in regular circuit meetings, with manageable chapter lengths for monthly meetings and study questions already developed for most of the book.