Why Johnny Can't Preach: Review of T. David Gordon

Book Review: The Septuagint: What It Is and Why It Matters by Gregory Lanier and William A. Ross

If your latest field of study, like mine, is New Testament textual criticism you'll likely come across references to the The Septuagint. Like many Christians I had this rather amorphous idea of what it is. It finally came to the point that I had to investigate what it is and where it came from and why it is important. This is where The Septuagint: What It Is and Why It Matters by Lanier and Ross comes in.

The authors do a fine job of revealing what it is, where it came from and why it mattered in history and still does today. Written in clear language for the layman it proved to be a concise introduction to The Septuagint. 

Broken down into to two parts, the work explains the history and development of The Septuagint and in part two, why it still matters today. There are many misconceptions about it and that are laid out clearly by the authors. Definitions are frequent allowing the reader to better understand the text. I would even suggest heading directly to the appendix that answers many key questions and will allow the reader a head start comprehending the subject matter.

A quick look at the table of contents is revealing

Part 1 What Is the Septuagint? 

1 What (If Anything) Is the So-Called Septuagint? 

2 Who and Where Did the Greek Old Testament Come From? 

3 How Was the Greek Old Testament Translated? 

4 How Did the Greek Old Testament Develop? 

Part 2 Why Does It Matter?

(William A. Ross; Greg Lanier. The Septuagint (Kindle Locations 108-115). Crossway. )

Would I recommend this book? Most assuredly! It is instructive and an eye opener. The reader will be pleased with this excellent starting point in this field.

Click below to learn more about the authors. 

William A. Ross  and Greg Lanier

Crossway has graciously provided a copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own. There are paid links on this page.

 

Want to go further? Check out Edmon Gallagher's book, Translation of the Seventy: History, Reception, and Contemporary Uses of the Septuagint.

 

Book Review: Recovering the Lost Art of Reading by Leland Ryken & Glenda Faye Mathes

A book about reading is an intriguing idea to me so I jumped at the chance to read and review Recovering the Lost Art of Reading.  This work was a bit of an eye opener for me as I normally read for informational purposes. Authors Leland Ryken and Glenda Faye Mathes enlighten the reader to the benefits and indeed the necessity of reading literary works, including the Bible, for the beauty and enjoyment of reading.

As each chapter unfolds the authors take the reader deeper into the beauty, wonder, necessity, and appreciation of literary books and they return to their theme, found in the title, Recovering the Lost art of Reading often. As the volume suggests, and where I would agree, reading is an art and it is dying art. As can be seen from the table of contents below, Recovering the Lost art of Reading is comprehensive.

Introduction: Welcome to the Conversation 

Part 1 Reading Is a Lost Art  

1 Is Reading Lost?  

2 What Have We Lost?  

3 Why Consider Reading an Art?

Part 2 Reading Literature  

4   What Is Literature?   

5   Why Does Literature Matter?   

6   What Does Literature Offer? 

7   Reading Stories: Tell Me a Story   

8   Reading Poems: Songs of the   Soul   

9   Reading Novels: Come Away with Me 

10   Reading Fantasy: A Far Journey 

11   Reading Children’s Books: Once Upon a Time 

12   Reading Creative Nonfiction: To Tell the Truth 

13   Reading the Bible as Literature: Words of Delight 

Part 3 Recovering the Art of Reading 

14   Recovery through Discovery 

15   Truth in Literature 

16   The Moral Vision in Literature 17   

Beauty in Literature 

18   Discovering Literary Excellence 

19   Freedom to Read 

20   Reading Good Books 

21   Calling and Creativity 

22   Literature and the Spiritual Life: Over and Above

(Leland Ryken; Glenda Faye Mathes. Recovering the Lost Art of Reading (Kindle Location 86). Crossway.)

I benefited most from the authors take on reading the Bible as literature (chapter 13).  Something where I am often amiss. I didn't agree with everything but found it most helpful.

I found this book enlightening and useful as I'm primarily an informational reader and usually leave my fiction intake to quality movies and TV programs. Nevertheless, I found this a quality read and recommend to all, especially those oriented to fiction.

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

 

Commentary Review: ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians Volume 10

There are a myriad of commentaries on the market today. For the layman or pastor one must do their research to find those that employ sound exegesis, excellent theology, and readability. Crossway's new commentary series has them all. Volume 10 of the series, ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians, is enjoyable, instructive, and pastoral.

Contributions include Robert W. Yarbrough (Romans), Andrew David Naselli (1 Corinthians), Dane Ortlund (2 Corinthians), and Frank Thielman (Galatians), all well known names in their field. Each author has an engaging style that is easily readable yet scholarly.

Each book begins with an introduction and every passage studied has a section overview, section outline, comment section, and response. This commentary is fully engaging and helpful.

This would be an outstanding addition to any library. Its usefulness cannot be overstated for teachers, preachers, and layman.  ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians can be purchased at Amazon or at WTS Books.

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

Book Review - Galatians: Freedom through God’s Grace by Phillip J. Long

I have always found commentaries useful. My eyes light up when I come across a new commentary especially by an author I respect. Such was the case with Phil Long’s new commentary, Galatians:Freedom through God’s Grace, published by Wipf & Stock.

Commentaries come in all types but can often be broken down into two types. Those that are technical (exegetical and expositional) which are often scholarly, go deep into historical data, will often have Greek translations of specific words or variants, and more that will aid in an in-depth study for pastors and teachers. Long’s commentary falls in the other category which is more devotional. It contains little of the above but is rich with material for the laymen although may still be utilized by pastors and teachers.

Long breaks down his commentary into convenient chunks for personal or group study. Each chapter concludes with helpful study questions. The writing is not technical in the least which again, makes it ideal for personal study. Long’s goal is to emphasize Paul’s overall point in the letter and he does it well.

At 156 pages this is not a difficult read. A good suggestion would be to study along with the author in each section as he has them laid out. To give the reader an idea what to expect, below is the table of contents:

1 Introducing Galatians | 1

2 One Gospel | 9

3 Paul and Judaism | 17

4 Paul and the Apostles | 27

5 The Antioch Incident | 37

6 Crucified with Christ | 48

7 Law and Faith | 60

8 Law and Promise | 72

9 Being Children of God | 84

10 Stop Acting Like a Slave | 91

11 Sarah and Hagar | 101

12 Freedom in Christ | 110

13 Life in the Spirit | 119

14 Doing Good to All | 135

15 Bearing the Marks of Jesus | 145

Bibliography | 155

Highlights? Yes! There are too many to mention in this brief review but I found that throughout the work Long’s emphasis on Paul’s point is worth noting, such as what we find on page 132:

Paul argues throughout the letter the Gentiles are not converting to Judaism and they are therefore not under the Mosaic covenant. But Paul does not release Gentiles from all moral responsibility.

Also worth noting is Long’s explanation of each Fruit of the Spirit.

This is a 5-star work. I benefited greatly from the author’s insights. Galatians: Freedom through God’s Grace would be an excellent study for any men’s study, women’s study, adult Sunday School class or personal study. I highly recommend it.

Wipf & Stock has provided a complimentary copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.

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.

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.