Joel Beeke is a man with many hats. He is well-known as an author, conference speaker, pastor, and theological teacher. He is perhaps less well known as an employer. I caught up with him at a conference to seek his wisdom across a wide range of his spheres of Christian service.
1. As a conference speaker, how do you guard yourself against temptation while on the road?
First, I bring my dear wife Mary with me wherever I go. At my age, there is scarcely any trip far or near where I do not take her along – it is such a joy to serve the Lord together among his people in various countries.
The second rule I’ve followed throughout my life – and something that I strongly advise my theological students to practise – is that you avoid being alone with a woman other than your wife. If a woman asks for your counsel at a conference, for example, make sure that you are in a visible and public area. Even then, exercise caution and sobriety. If at all possible, have your wife join you for the impromptu counseling session; nearly every woman of good character would not mind, and would in fact greatly respect that.
Third, one of the best ways to guard against sexual temptation is to let everyone know that you love your wife like crazy. You could do so with an illustration at a conference, or you could mention her naturally (and frequently) in conversation. I love Mary with all my heart, so I like to tell people how wonderful she is – no matter where I am!
Fourth, if you have even the remotest feeling that a woman has dishonorable intentions, or makes you a bit uncomfortable with her demeanor, or is simply desiring to speak with you too often, then shut the door for any opportunities to interact. Do not give her any time or attention.
Usually, our problem is not that we fall into sin all of a sudden. Rather, we often take small steps or leave a little window open for our besetting sins; only then do we fall. The fall looks sudden to those looking from the outside, of course, but yielding to small temptations usually begins months or even years before indulging in a scandalous temptation. The smallest flirtation with a woman other than your wife is an abomination in the sight of God. It will damage your marriage, your ministry, and your soul, and it must be avoided like the plague. Put sexual sin to death at all costs (Matthew 18:9).
2. As an employer, how have you built a team around you at Reformation Heritage Books and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary?
By his grace, God has surrounded me with many godly and gifted people at both the bookstore and the seminary. In interviews, I look for highly qualified people with a heart for the mission of Christ’s kingdom. We are not looking for people to do a job; we are looking for people who see their work as a vocation – a calling and stewardship from the Lord himself. If a prospective employee cannot honestly say that they have a desire and burden for the mission, then I don’t hire them.
I also don’t hire someone if I sense any major character flaw from either their comments or their references. This is especially the case if someone seems to be proud or cantankerous, or if they seem to have a negative temperament. If I get any such indication, I simply don’t hire them. Prospective employees need to be team players who are dedicated to the mission and work to which the Lord has called them.
I also look for people who are diligent, and who are willing to go the extra mile because they feel a heart for the mission. Another question I always ask them is this: Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity? I also ask them all if they adhere to the standards of the Reformed tradition – either the Three Forms of Unity or the Westminster Standards.
I often hire people from our church – the Heritage Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids. I’ve often been advised against doing so, but I’ve never been burned so far. The Lord has blessed our church with many hardworking, dedicated, gifted, and cooperative people. I have brought many of them on board because they have a heart for the mission. But ultimately, it is, of course, God’s grace sending the right people at the right time with the right gifts for ministry.
3. As a minister in the Dutch Reformed tradition, what do you think is the greatest way that Dutch Reformed theology has enriched the wider church?
Like the Puritans, the pastors and theologians of the Dutch Reformation and post-Reformation era (particularly in the Nadere Reformatie movement) combined sound biblical doctrine with vital, robust, experiential piety. Historically, both pastors and people in the Dutch Reformed tradition tend to be dedicated, exemplary in zeal, and hard working. They are often serious, godly people who want to live all of their lives for the glory of God. The Dutch have been known to be precise theologians who are equally experiential. We long to taste and experience the doctrines we profess. Much the same could be said of godly Presbyterians as well.
The Dutch Reformed have been very good at establishing solid Christian schools with godly teachers. When a conservative Dutch Reformed church in the Netherlands or the United States is large enough for a school, many children and young people who attend the school stay in the church into their adult lives. The Dutch have a strong emphasis on the ‘three-legged stool’ of home, church, and school. Children who receive the same instruction at all three usually stay with the church. Although some who remain are unconverted, there are still many who are converted at a very young age and become stalwart sons and daughter in the church of Jesus Christ.
4. There is a dearth of men in Britain who are pursuing seminary training. As the founder of a Reformed seminary, why do you think that seminary training is so vital to the church?
God alone can make a minister, but ministers need more than gifts and the internal call of the Holy Spirit. My father was a carpenter. When I was a boy, he hired me for a few summers. He said, ‘Son, first I’m going to teach you how to use all the tools in my toolbox.’ An important part of seminary training is teaching men how to use the tools of ministry.
Above all, a called man must cultivate a godly, humble character and a life of intimate communion with God. He must know how to seamlessly combine his gifts and his graces on the intellectual, experiential, and practical levels. When he speaks, people should know intuitively that he is well qualified to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ. He should be biblical, well-spoken, and well-versed in doctrine. He should understand, love, experience, and practice the precious truths that he preaches.
Training is necessary for the whole man — for his head (intellectually), his heart (experientially), and his hands and feet (practically). The sermon is not over as soon as it has been preached. The sermon may be preached but has yet to be practiced. If a man has been trained well, he will consistently show Christ from every text and apply every text to the daily life of his people.
About once every century or so, a man appears on the scene who is a great preacher without seminary training: Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the 20th century, Charles Spurgeon in the 19th century, Daniel Rowland in the 18th century, and John Bunyan in the 17th century. But nearly all of the Puritans (except Bunyan) were trained in the liberal arts or divinity at university.
Of course, unbiblical training is worse than none at all, so a man must choose a seminary very soberly, prayerfully, and carefully. Seminaries do more harm than good if they don’t teach solid Biblical doctrine.
In our day, many people are quite educated and know what kinds of questions to ask. If we cannot answer the bulk of their questions, our ministries will founder. We need to know what we are talking about, and that takes the discipline of studying under godly men whose lives also impact their students.
I’m very grateful that at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary our students not only learn in the classroom; they also learn how to pursue godliness from the lifestyle of their professors. Plus, iron sharpens iron among the students who often engage in practical and experiential conversation as well as deep friendship.
5. As an author, if only one of your books could survive, which one would it be and why?
I suppose that it would be the longest of my works – Reformed Systematic Theology. Through this four-volume work, co-authored with Paul Smalley, I have left my legacy of teaching from the past three decades. I grapple with all the doctrines of the Bible there.
If I could throw in a shorter volume to the pile, it would be Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology that Paul Smalley and I have just completed (set to be published by Crossway in 2025). We cut out about 85 per cent of the content (reducing the four-volumes to a single volume of eight hundred pages) and simplified the language to an 11th grade level. We hope that in God’s timing it will be translated into a number of languages. Our goal is for this single-volume systematic theology be an on-ramp to biblical Reformed doctrine for those seeking to grow in their understanding of God’s Word.
6. As a pastor, how would you counsel a church member who doesn’t feel that he or she has much to offer?
First, pray. We need prayer warriors who hold up the hands of their ministers, as it were (Exodus 17:12). Second, be hospitable. Greet visitors at church; welcome all kinds of people into your home; take meals to the sick. Third, evangelise. Share the gospel with those around you to the best of your ability. Tell them what Christ means to you. Fourth, use your gifts. Ask your pastor what ministry could use some help in the church. Most churches have a variety of ministries. Can you visit elderly people? Ask, ‘Lord, what would you have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6). Fifth, invite people to church. Invite your family, friends, and neighbours.
7. As a father and grandfather, how in this confused age can parents raise boys to be men and girls to be women?
First and foremost, study the Word of God. Study Scripture so that you can model godliness in the home, church, workplace, and society. Study Scripture with your children and grandchildren. I have the joy of teaching doctrine to my two granddaughters every other week; it is one of the sweetest times of my life. Spend time with each of your children and grandchildren one on one. God’s Word is full of instruction for children, men, and women (note especially the book of Proverbs and Titus 2:1-8).
Second, protect their minds. Have zero tolerance in your home for any influence – whether unbelieving friends or ungodly entertainment (music, movies, literature) – which glamorises unbiblical ideas about marriage, family, sexuality, or gender.
Third, surround your children with godly examples. Above all, be a godly example of a father and grandfather (or mother and grandmother) to your children and grandchildren. Share with them your own spiritual experiences – how you were convicted of sin, brought to Christ, and desire to live a life of gratitude and service for his glory, the salvation of the lost, and the maturation of the saints.
Fourth, read good books with your children. Read exciting and inspiring stories about godly men and women in the past (for example, we have a variety of children’s books about heroes of the faith at Reformation Heritage Books).
Fifth, instruct your children. Raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Do not leave their discipleship to school, peers, or pop culture. Explain why the world’s ideas about family, marriage, sexuality, and gender are wicked — at an age-appropriate level. Model such a godly marriage and family that they would think anything short of that is not only wicked but also foolish.
Sixth, teach your children and grandchildren biblical manhood and womanhood. Study especially Ephesians 5:21–6:4 for the roles of men, women, and children in the home. Teach your sons to work hard (beginning at school), pursue purity, respect women (starting with their mothers, grandmothers, and sisters), and respect authority (starting with their fathers). Teach your daughters to submit to their parents, pursue modesty, and learn home skills. By preparing your children for stable marriages, you are showing love to their future spouses and ultimately to future generations in church and society. To do so is glorifying to the Lord.
Finally, and most importantly of all, engage in daily family worship with them, which involves not only praying, reading Scripture, and singing the psalms and classic hymns with them, as the Bible commands, but also instructing them in the major points they need to learn from each day’s Scripture reading (Joshua 24:15b; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Psalm 78:1-8). Get the Family Worship Bible Guide which summarises those major points for each chapter and then asks a question or two, and draw your whole family into discussing the answers. With the help of this Bible guide, you will experience that you will soon speak with your children about nearly every subject under the sun because the Bible speaks about every subject. Daily devotions in family worship is the primary foundation for raising God-fearing children, with the blessing of the Holy Spirit. You may fail in other places, but don’t fail here.
8. As a publisher, what plans do you have for Reformation Heritage Books?
One of our main visions is to bring the riches of the Puritans and their biblical, experiential, practical literature to the church and the world. With several new highly qualified leaders, we are entering a new season to extend the timeless teachings of the Puritans to a global audience, aiming, by the Spirit’s grace, to grow Reformation Heritage Books as a trusted and highly effective ministry for Puritan expansion worldwide, even considerably more than has been accomplished in the last thirty years, serving the maturation of the saints, the salvation of the lost, and the glory of God.
First, our Puritan Treasures for Today series, which makes the Puritans eminently readable to church members, including teenagers, stands at the leading edge of this vision. These skillfully and carefully edited and curated works will be translated into 20+ languages, making them the primary global conduit for introducing the riches of Puritan thought to whole new audiences and generations. Our aim is clear: to bring the best of Puritan theology to the most people with the fewest barriers.
Second, we are preparing to build ThePuritans.com, a first-rate online platform that will serve as the paramount global hub for Puritan literature — a digital beacon shining the Reformed experiential emphasis and the brilliance of Puritan thought into lives around the world. By God’s grace, this platform will become the definitive destination for pastors, scholars, and lay Christians to engage deeply with the Puritans, offering unparalleled access free of charge to their timeless teachings in one accessible and innovative space.
We are also committed to continue offering the most excellent Reformed and experiential books from other publishers around the world. In fact, by carefully refining our selection to include only the most reliable titles, we aim to ensure that RHB remains a steadfast and trusted guide for all your book needs, offering only sound literature.
Together, through these efforts in print and online, and God helping us, we hope to achieve what once seemed impossible: reaching millions worldwide with the life-changing teachings of the Puritans and ensuring that their profound and thoroughly Reformed legacy continues to shape the church for generations to come. Please pray that God will guide our efforts, that in ten years RHB will have made Puritan resources accessible to many millions worldwide — in print, online, and in many languages.
Since these large visions are primarily donation-driven rather than revenue-driven, we are looking for prayer-partners and donors to come alongside us to support this worthy cause. If you feel led to assist us in bringing Puritan writings to the world, please visit our website at heritagebooks.org. For additional questions, please contact David Woollin (david.woollin@rhb.org). Above all, pray for us; your prayers are coveted and treasured.
