My Year in Books 2019

Here’s just a few of the books I’ve consumed this year. Obviously I’m devouring much in the field of textual criticism. Loved every page I’ve read and I can recommend each book in the stack below. If your seeking to deepen your understanding of early Christianity, get a grasp on textual criticism, and comprehend how the Scriptures have been passed down to us today, any or all the works below are a serious place to begin.

What have you been reading this year?

Book Review: Christian Worldview by Herman Bavinck; Nathaniel Gray Sutanto; James Eglinton; Cory C. Brock.

Christian Worldview is the latest translated and published work of Herman Bavinck. Published by Crossway, this short tome is well written and well translated.  Written over 100 years ago, the issues Bavinck addressed then are still with us today. [Paid link]

In depth analysis, clear thinking, and logical conclusions permeate this work. Who are we, how do we see ourselves, and how do we see the world we live in are questions we all ask. Christianity, as the reader will see, is the only answer. 

In only 144 pages the author offers clear and concise analysis. Observe the table of contents

Acknowledgments 

Editors’ Introduction Herman Bavinck for the Twenty-First Century Preface to the Second Edition Introduction   

1   Thinking and Being   

2   Being and Becoming   

3   Becoming and Acting 

General Index 

Scripture Index    

As the translators observe

Worldview, for Bavinck, is neither apriorism nor a tenuous theory for separating public intellectuals into neat compartments. Rather, it is a controlling principle and posture that is first discovered when religion comes to bear on both science and wisdom (philosophy), discovering between them a unity— one which attempts to satisfy both head and heart.

From this premise, Bavinck builds.

From ancient times onward, humanity has pondered how the mind [geest]  in us can have consciousness of the things outside us and how the mind can know [kennen] them— in   other words, what is the origin, the essence, and the limit of human knowledge [kennis]?

From chapters 2 & 3:

The second problem solved in our worldview is that of being and becoming, of unity and multiplicity, of God and world. And for this, Christianity is also of fundamental significance.

The harmony of this worldview [wereldbeeld], however, is interrupted by the sharp contrasts to which we are introduced especially in relation to the third problem, that between becoming and acting [handelen]. Is there, in the stream of occurrences, still a place for personal, independent, and free acting? Can we on good grounds and in confidence continue to say, “I think, I will, I act,”...

As the reader will discover, there is a logical progression to Bavinck's thought and it is well done. His worldview is clearly delineated and and fully applicable to us today.

A possible drawback to this book is that the average reader will need to patient and work through the material presented. Dutch translated to English sometimes has it’s difficulties as not all words translate with their exact original and nuanced meaning. Some help is provided by the translators. Yet, I believe the determined and long suffering reader will benefit greatly.

 

All quoted material is from Herman Bavinck; Nathaniel Gray Sutanto; James Eglinton; Cory C. Brock. Christian Worldview (Kindle Locations 39-47, 1284-1287, 725-726, 340-343,139-141). Crossway.  [Paid link].

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: An Introduction to the Greek New Testament by Dirk Jongkind

I have a great interest in how we got our Bible. The history, the accuracy, doctrines associated with it and more. I find it all very fascinating and it’s all connected to my faith. In studying these issues, I have found that Christians can have every confidence in the Bibles they have today. Moreover, we can gain confidence as scholars continue to study and publish their works on the Scriptures. This is what we have with The Greek New Testament, Produced at TyndaleHouse, Cambridge and its introductory book, An Introduction to the Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge.

One need not know how to read ancient Greek to appreciate the work of Dirk Jongkind in An Introduction to the Greek New Testament. The work is a fascinating look behind the scenes as to the “how’s and why’s” of the production of The Greek New Testament.  Jongkind is an able scholar and clear writer. As an introductory work, it is not heavy or scholarly work. It is short and can be read in a few hours at most. Even if the reader has no desire to explore this field of study further, An Introduction to the Greek New Testament offers ample introductory information.

What can the reader expect? For a short book it contains a vast amount of information: Origins of early manuscripts; which manuscripts were used in The Greek New Testament and which were not and why not; manuscript designations, scribal habits (good & bad); how did the scribes copy the texts (their patterns and influences); important variants are addressed; how to use The Greek New Testament and much more. This monograph takes the reader on a fascinating, albeit short, journey into the world of the Greek New Testament and textual criticism.

If you know nothing about textual criticism or the Greek New Testament this is still a valuable read. If you have purchased or are considering purchasing The Greek New Testament, you need this book.

This is a great read and fully recommend it.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Reformed Systematic Theology Vol. 1 by Joel Beeke and Paul M. Smalley

In the world of Reformed Theology works on systematic theology abound. Many are simply outstanding and without equal. However, Joel Beeke and Paul M. Smalley have produced an outstanding work with Reformed Systematic Theology Vol. 1 which doesn’t fit the standard mold. Besides exploring deep theological doctrines, theology can and should speak to the heart.

"Today’s churches need theology that engages the head, heart, and hands. Too often, we have compartmentalized these aspects of life (as if we could cut ourselves into pieces). The result has been academics for the sake of academics, spiritual experience without roots deep in God’s Word, and superficial pragmatism that chases after the will-o’-the-wisp of short term results." (Pg. 18)

And this they have achieved. This was not written exclusively for the seminary student or scholar in mind, although both would benefit, but rather the common person who sits in the pew every week hungering for more. Our study of theology should never remain stagnate but should always produce doxology.

Academically this is a sound work. It delves deep into theological subjects without weighing the reader down with over-the-top language. "While we discuss very deep subjects, our treatment is not technical but accessible." Even a cursory reading will demonstrate this to the reader.

"Since we firmly believe that systematic theology must be grounded in Scripture, not only will you find thousands of proof texts here, but you often will find us exegeting, expounding, and applying key portions of Scripture that lie at the heart of each doctrine. For example, in chapter 51, we walk through Romans 9, showing what it teaches concerning the doctrines of election and reprobation. We trust that you will see by our example how important it is that systematic theology is grounded in exegetical and biblical theology." 

Additionally, and unlike other systematic works, study questions for the average Joe and also the advanced student are found at the end of each chapter. A psalm or hymn is also provided that can be sung in response to the lessons in learned in each chapter.

This is a vast work at 1000 pages plus, far too much to explore in this brief review, but perhaps a look at the contents will give you an idea of the depth of this work:

PART 1: PROLEGOMENA: INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY AND THE DOCTRINE OF REVELATION

Analytical Outline: Prolegomena

Section A: Introduction to Theology

1 What Is Theology? Part 1: An Academic Discipline

2 What Is Theology? Part 2: A Spiritual Discipline

3 Who Does Theology? Where? When?

4 Which Theology Do We Do? Part 1: Christian, Catholic, Evangelical

5 Which Theology Do We Do? Part 2: Reformed: Historical, Confessional, Theological, and Hermeneutical Perspectives

6 Which Theology Do We Do?

Part 3: Reformed: Polemical and Experiential Perspectives

7 Why Do We Do Theology?

8 How Do We Do Theology? Part 1: Spiritual Dynamics

9 How Do We Do Theology? Part 2: Academic Methods

Section B: The Doctrine of Revelation

10 Theological Fundamentals of Divine Revelation

11 General Revelation, Part 1: Biblical Teaching

12 General Revelation, Part 2: Philosophy and Science

13 General Revelation, Part 3: Natural Theology and Theistic Arguments

Excursus: Some Historical Perspective on Natural Theology and Theistic Proofs

14 Special Revelation: Biblical Teaching

15 Errors Regarding Special Revelation, Part 1: Romanism and Liberalism

16 Errors Regarding Special Revelation, Part 2: Liberalism’s Offspring

17 The Bible as the Word of God

18 The Properties of the Written Word, Part 1: Authority and Clarity

19 The Properties of the Written Word, Part 2: Necessity, Unity, and Efficacy

20 The Properties of the Written Word, Part 3: Inerrant Veracity

21 The Properties of the Written Word, Part 4: Objections to Inerrancy

22 The Properties of the Written Word, Part 5: Sufficiency 

23 The Cessation of Special Revelation, Part 1: Charismatic Continuationism

24 The Cessation of Special Revelation, Part 2: Prophecy Today

25 Applied Revelation for Practical Fruit

PART 2: THEOLOGY PROPER: THE DOCTRINE OF GOD

Analytical Outline: Theology Proper

Section A: The Doctrine of God’s Triune Glory

26 Introduction: The True Knowledge of God

27 Introduction to God’s Nature and Attributes, Part 1: Biblical Teaching

28 Introduction to God’s Nature and Attributes, Part 2: Theological Issues

29 The Name of “the Lord” (YHWH)

30 The Holiness of the Lord

31 Gods That Are Not God

32 God’s Spirituality

33 God’s Simplicity: “The Lord Our God Is One Lord”

34 God’s Infinity, Part 1: Incomprehensibility, Aseity, and Immensity

35 God’s Infinity, Part 2: Eternity: Infinity with Respect to Time

Excursus: Problems of Time and Eternity

36 God’s Immutability, Part 1: Biblical Teaching

37 God’s Immutability, Part 2: Theological Issues

38 God’s Knowledge, Part 1: Omniscience and Wisdom

39 God’s Knowledge, Part 2: Foreknowledge

40 God’s Sovereignty: An Introduction to Omnipotence

41 God’s Moral Excellence, Part 1: Goodness and Love

42 God’s Moral Excellence, Part 2: Truth and Righteousness

43 God’s Moral Excellence, Part 3: Jealousy, Impassibility, and Joy

44 God’s Moral Excellence, Part 4: Wrath and Compassion

45 The Trinity, Part 1: Biblical Teaching

46 The Trinity, Part 2: Historical Development

47 The Trinity, Part 3: Theological and Practical Considerations

Section B: The Doctrine of God’s Sovereign Purpose

48 The Decree of God: General Considerations

49 Predestination, Part 1: Election and Reprobation

50 Predestination, Part 2: Historical Development through Reformed Orthodoxy

51 Predestination, Part 3: Questions and Uses

52 God’s Providence, Part 1: Biblical Teaching

53 God’s Providence, Part 2: Problems and Applications

Section C: The Doctrine of Angels and Demons

54 The Holy Angels of God

55 Satan and the Demons

Bibliography

General Index

Scripture Index

And, dear reader, remember this is only volume 1!

As children of God with the desire placed within us by the Spirit, we can never learn enough about our Lord.  We spend our lifetimes seeking Him out and enjoying Him. Reformed Systematic Theology Vol. 1 is a wonderful place to start.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mere Calvinism by Jim Scott Orrick

Looking for a good read on Calvinism? Here it is, Mere Calvinism by Jim Scott Orrick.
From Amazon we read
There are so many misconceptions about Calvinism that it is safe to say that even most Christians do not truly know what it teaches. You may have grown up in a Reformed church, or you may have heard about Calvinism mostly in arguments. Either way, it may surprise you to know that this belief has huge, and very positive, implications for a believer's daily life!

Jim Orrick clears up misinformation about Calvinism and explains its basic yet profound ideas and teachings—using the Bible as the basis for everything he says.

Thank you Jim Scott Orrick for your incredible book Mere Calvinism. I have been looking for a book like this for  a long time, a book that lets me say, "I get it." Calvinism is difficult to explain and many Christian books are hard to follow because they get too technical. In  Orrick's book everything has  such clarity and is simplified for the reader. I feel as if I can't put this book down. It is so delightful and Orrick backs up every thing he writes about Calvinism with Scripture. If you ever wondered about Calvinism this is the book for you. - Jacqueline Lewison, Munroe Falls, Ohio 

Book Review: The Deacon by Cornelis Van Dam

Cornelis Van dam has blessed the Church with his book, The Deacon. Wonderfully written, easy to read, instructive, forceful, and Biblical, this work, I would suggest, is not just for deacons. Laymen may gain much insight into their duties and obligations in their local congregations and be able to do so with joy. 

Cornelis Van Dam is emeritus professor of Old Testament at Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario and has several years of pastoral ministry. His style in this work is easy to read with a well developed foundation. One penetrating point he makes clear and is repeated throughout the book is that the work of the deacon is that for those suffering may "remain in the joy of the Lord, free from all bondage (cf. Lev. 25:39-46)." This point is hammered home numerous times. Indeed, he writes very little about any other duties a deacon may have such as building care, etc. His entire thrust is to care for those who need it. It is difficult to disagree with him anywhere in this book.

What the reader gets

Table of Contents:
Preface
Introduction
Part 1 - The Old Testament Background
1. The Poor in Israel
2. Providing for the Poor
Part 2 - New Testament Times
3. Christ's Teaching on the Poor and Needy
4. Ministering to the Poor in Acts 6
5. The Office of Deacon
6. Female Deacon?
Part 3 - The Office of Deacon in the History of the Church
7. The Testimony of the Early Church and the Heritage of the Reformation
8. Women and the Diaconate 
Part 4 - The Current Functioning of the Office
9. The Official Position of the Deacon Today
10. Enabling and Prioritizing
11. The Diaconal Ministry within the Congregation
12. The Diaconal Ministry outside the Congregation
13. The Blessing of the Poor 
Questions for Study and Reflection
Resources for Further Study on Deacons

As you can see from the table of contents, Van Dam walks the reader through the history of Israel and the Church in the care of those who need it. This help is not restricted to monetary or material care, either. Diaconal ministry goes well beyond that.  Is there a place for female deacons? What was there place in the history of the church? What does the Bible have to say? Van Dam covers these controversial questions.

As a deacon myself, I have a few take-aways.  As Van Dam makes quite clear, deacons need to be involved in the lives of those who are entrusted to their care. One strategy is home visits. These visits are not like an elder visit although there may be some crossover. It is simply a matter getting to know those folks who may need diaconal help one day. Another take-away is keeping in mind that giving care to those in the congregation should never be limited to something such as monetary assistance. It is far greater than deciding who gets help paying their electric bill. Is there someone in the congregation who just lost a loved one, who just found out she has cancer, or who has a rebellious child. The list is endless and the deacons can help in so many ways. 

Yet another take-away is how all of this work does not and should not be limited to the deacons. Members of the congregation often have many skills that can lovingly assist others. These works of love and kindness should not be left up to the deacons alone.

I would suggest any deacon or layman would benefit from reading this book. It gets a 5 out of 5 stars from this deacon.

Watch or listen to an interview with Van Dam here to learn more.

Bible Review: ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition

I think I'm correct when I say that buying a Bible is a personal thing. Publishers seem to pump them out at a rapid pace. Its easy to get overwhelmed or perhaps underwhelmed at the quantity of choices. You look and look in catalogs or online often not knowing what you're even searching for. All you know is your searching for a Bible. Well, let's take a look at Crossway's new ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition Bible and see if its right for you.

No doubt, its a beautiful book. The artwork by  Dana Tanamachi is simply outstanding. Gorgeous to the eye, well bound, 9.0 point font, cream paper. It is just a delight. From Crossway's website we get the stats

• 9-point, Lexicon
• Black letter text
• 2-color printing
• 64 full-page, custom book opener illustrations
• 50 full-page verse illustrations
• 250+ hand-lettered margin verses
• 100+ other illustrations throughout
• Illustrated by Dana Tanamachi, whose work has been featured by Google, The Wall Street Journal, Random House, USPS, and Target
• Thick, cream-colored paper
• Wide margins
• Single-column, paragraph format
• Smyth-sewn binding

And from the introduction

We believe that the Word of God is a treasure to be read, memorized, internalized, and shared. The ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition was created to continue in this historic tradition of illuminated manuscripts. Our prayer is that the added ornamentation and illustrations will draw the reader's eyes to the beauty of the Word of God itself, stirring up affection for the Creator and inviting deep reflection on the narrative and truths of Scripture.

This is certainly a Bible where you can spend some time engaging with the artwork , perhaps doing more of your own in the wide margins, writing notes, or prayers.

Drawbacks? Maybe a few. I’m not an artsy kind of guy but one observation is the artwork seems that it would appeal more to a female demographic than to the male. Just my dos centavos. I'm also not inclined to believe that it is in the tradition of illuminated manuscripts except perhaps in a very modern sense. It certainly doesn't remind me of the Book of Kells or the Lindisfarne Gospels.  Again, just my two cents. 

Overall, its a lovely Bible. Well made and appealing to the eye.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Can We Trust The Gospels? by Peter J. Williams

If you’re anything like me, you find the study of textual criticism fascinating. But, most folks in the pews today do not. They instinctively or subconsciously trust the translators down through the centuries that the Bible they have is God’s Word. Moreover, they trust the Lord that He has given them His Word. And that’s OK. However, what about the man on the street who struggles with questions of the age, transmission, accuracy, and therefore the truthfulness of the Bible. Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams seeks to answer those questions and does so successfully.

I have personally encountered these objections from people who reject Christianity based almost solely on the rejection of Scripture and therefore they reject God. This is one area that we who accept Scripture as God’s Word must have a basic understanding in order to defend what we believe. I was drawn to this book as soon as I read the title.

At 160 pages, it is not an in depth study of the Gospels or their defense and was not intended to be so. This work offers a basic understanding for evidence to believe the Gospels are worth trusting. It is, however, also more than just a cursory walk through of the evidence. Each chapter is written to enable the reader to have confidence that what they are reading in their Gospels is not superfluous nonsense written long ago.

Chapter Titles

1 What Do Non-Christian Sources Say?

2 What Are the Four Gospels?

3 Did the Gospel Authors Know Their Stuff?

4 Undesigned Coincidences

5 Do We Have Jesus’s Actual Words?

6 Has the Text Changed?

7 What about Contradictions?

8 Who Would Make All This Up?

What stood out, among many, many things, is why we have four Gospels. What was the focus of each one? Why do they seemingly disagree at times (chapter 2 & 7)? How the Gospels authors were aware of people, places, names, and culture (chapter 3). Where the Four Gospels differ from the later non-canonical gospels and why. Contradictions – are they really contradictions (chapter 7)?  How it would be impossible for four independent authors, at different geographic locations, at different times within the first century, be able to relate the same accounts in the life of Jesus. Chapter 4 is uniquely interesting. It demonstrates how small details that may appear in one Gospel account but not in another Gospel, such as the feeding of the 5000, corroborate the accounts as accurate and true and impossible to coordinate between the independent authors if they were not true. Thus authenticating the accuracy of the individual accounts and the Gospels themselves.

This is a five-star work. Easy to read, easy to digest and easy to enjoy. Well worth your time and effort.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page. Thoughts and opinions are my own.