ISBN: 978-0-9831117-0-2
This book is intended for layman or average Christians. This is a lose style commentary on the letter of 1 Corinthians.
First let me give the positives.
The book is written in an easy to read style. It isn’t a highly technical commentary with original language references, lexical discussions, or Greek syntax. The book was written for the average Christian and seems like it may have been a series of sermons or bible studies that ended up as a book (this is simply my guess). The font size and the way the book was formatted were pleasing. I also liked that the book gives the biblical text that will be comment on. The text that was used was the King James Version and the New King James Version which can be a little hard to understand at times but I enjoy have the scriptures written out for easy references.
Now for the negatives.
The book is extremely surface level in its interaction with the biblical text and has no real depth to it. There isn’t any real meat to chew on. While I may not agree with an interpretation given by a particular commentary I do enjoy reading people who have differing views as long as they give me some reasons for their interpretation. Many times the book gives the scripture and then makes a surface level comment no longer than a sentence with nothing at all to sink your teeth into. Often you will find the same illustration, quote, or comment multiple times in different chapters which is fine in a sermon (repetition is often key) but in a book it’s redundant and get’s tiring.
At one point in the book we find a mistake. There is a reference to the Greek word for love (I think the only time a reference is given having to do with the original language) and the author says that the word AGAPAW and AGAPE are two different words and the word AGAPAW “…is not ‘God’s love’ as is sometimes mistaken.” (pg141) The problem is one of the words is a verb and the other is a noun but they are both from the same root. Also the word AGAPAW is used of God’s love for man in 1 Thessalonians 1:4. The word “loved” in this passage is the word AGAPAW.
In the end I can’t recommend this book because the theology and interpretation presented are (in my opinion) off base, because of the error with the original language, and because of the surface level comments.
You can buy it here or here
You can buy it here or here
Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
