I said in my first post in this series that I am not primarily interested in writing commentary lists for would-be scholars. The audience I have in mind are pastors and Bible teachers who are concerned about what these books mean and how their meaning can be brought to bear on contemporary living. The question I am concerned to answer is, “How will these people be most helped?” For this reason some will not agree with my recommendations. Most Christians …
Category: Bibliographies
There are many commentary booklists around nowadays. Some are very useful, others less so. This series of posts will contain my personal appraisals of Bible commentaries on individual books, beginning in the next installment with the Gospel of John. I have in view the God-called preacher, not the would-be scholar. For this reason my opinions will at times cross those of such luminaries as D.A. Carson and Craig A. Evans. I could not hold a candle to these men as …
This list of books is for those believers who wish to dig more deeply into their faith without getting bogged down in a load of footnotes and scholarly conjecture. Some of these works will make demands of the reader, but nothing is listed which will be beyond the average mature Christian reader. …
This booklist is meant to serve those believers who are either new to the faith or are not used to reading and may feel inhibited at the prospect of beginning to study or at a loss as to what pick up and read in a day when we are awash with Christian books. I should say immediately that there must be a willingness to read good books. We live in a day when many Christians are reluctant to take advice …
The Apologetics Study Bible, Ted Cabal, General Editor, Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishing, Hbk, 2007. At the risk of showing my age, I can remember a time when considering which Study Bible to purchase was an easy affair. One had only a few to choose from: Scofield, Thompson, Nave, and a few more. Well, those days are well and truly gone.What is one to make of the current situation?Options fill out the pages of Bible catalogs.Within the long lists of …
C.S. Lewis once said that if a book is worth reading it is worth reading slowly. Since coming upon his observation I have tried to follow his advice. Formerly, I tried to rush through books; commentaries, histories, theologies. And although I certainly learned a lot that way (speed-reading does work. One often can take in more than one thinks one can) I have to say that I am a true believer in the “Lewis method.” Sir Francis Bacon advised, “Read …
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY: We are in the midst of a general surge of interest in the writing of Systematic Theologies. I say “writing” since any examination of the state of the churches would indicate a lack of interest in the pursuit of Systematic Theology in general, perhaps unmatched in the whole history of the Church. Still, it is encouraging that a list such as this can be drawn up today. It is hard to place one’s finger on the single best …
