Understanding the World of Jesus; Book Review

            When reading the New Testament it can be difficult to understand everything that you read because we are some 2,000 years removed from the culture of the first century. Even passages we think we understand might not actually be saying what we imagine them to be saying. That's where background materials come in. Background materials help to explain the culture and historical setting like events and people so we better understand the New Testament.

            Usually doing background study involves looking in bible dictionaries and encyclopedias as well as commentaries and even technical journal articles. But all of that is time consuming and not everyone has access to all those resources. Enter "The World Of Jesus: Making Sense of the People and Places of Jesus' Day" By Dr. William H. Marty. This book is 185 pages full of information to help someone better understand the New Testament. Now let me say that this is not a exhaustive book, as if you couldn't tell from the amount of pages, but it is very well written and organized and it will help orient a person so that their reading and studying of the New Testament is much more fruitful.

            The book is made up of eight chapter with and Introduction and a Conclusion. There's also nice little glossary in the back for a quick definition on words and people you might not know (Always helpful).

            The introduction lays out the format of the book as well as a brief retelling of the events from Abraham to the end of the Old Testament. This was a great little summary to, again, orient us as we prepare to look at the periods surrounding the first century. Chapter 1 deals with the Persian Period and discusses the reason for the exile. It also discusses the Temple as well as the city of Jerusalem. Chapter 2 introduces us to Alexander the Great and the Hellenization (which was the historical spread of ancient Greek culture, including the language) of the Jewish people and others who were conquered by Alexander the Great. Chapter 3 covers the Maccabean revolt. Chapter 4 discusses the Hasmonean period. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with the Roman Period and Herod the Great. Chapter 7 deals with the early church period and finally chapter 8 details some of the different religious groups around in the first century like the Pharisees and Sadducees. And the conclusion is a wonderful recap of what was discussed in detail throughout the book.

            This book was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it to everyone. Whether you have access to all those background materials like dictionaries and such or weather you don't this book would make a wonderful addition to your library.

            I should say that the only thing that I didn't like about this book were the shaded pages that were scattered throughout the book. While they gave a lot of great information they interrupted the flow of the main text and I would have rather seen them at the end of the chapters or the information incorporated better into the body of the main text. But that's being nitpicky.

            You can buy it Here or Here

 

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers 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.”

 

Primer To Church History

"Timeless Witness" Written and compiled by Tony Lane is a 413 page survey of prominent people and/or writings from church history staring with Ignatius of Antioch (c. 115) and ending with Therese of Lisieux (1897). There are a total of 100 entries bring the reader up to 1897.

The author states the reason and scope of his writing on page 11.

In this collection I have only included works that I consider useful and profitable to read, rather than selecting works based on their importance. But That does not mean that I have narrowly restricted myself to those with whom I am in full agreement. The selection is 'catholic' in that it includes Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist and other authors. The inclusion of a work does not imply an endorsement of its entire contents but only the judgment that it is an important Christian classic that can be read with profit, even though it may need to be read with discernment.

               This was an absolute pleasure to read. Each person or writing is given a short introduction and then a short piece of their text is given. This is a great way to start understanding church history and those people who were major and minor influences throughout that history. If you're interested in learning about church history (and we all should be) then do yourself a favor by picking this book up and reading it. The entries are short only around 3 pages long but the information and the appreciation you'll  gain for church history is immeasurable.

 

You can buy a copy here

Poor Preaching and Its Cure

Book review of Why Johnny Can’t Preach

Why Johnny Can’t Preach is a wonderful little book discussing why ministers in our day and age “Can’t Preach” or at least can’t preach well.

The author discusses such things as the fact that we no longer write letters to each other where we take time to compose our thoughts and discuss the important and significant things. He also touches on the fact the people who talk on the telephone regularly tend to discuss the insignificant because silence on the phone is extremely awkward and so we tend to fill it up with things that don’t really matter.

The author also discusses how we no longer read texts carefully but instead scan them for information. Unlike years ago when people read poetry and read Shakespeare and read them slowly and carefully. These and other cultural shifts have affected the preaching of many ministers but the author doesn’t simply tell us the bad news he does off help and hope for the preacher. If we will choose to cultivate habits like reading good literature slowly and carful as well as writing letters and journal articles or even journaling then the preacher can grow and get better at preaching.

This really was an interesting and worthwhile read.

You can buy it here and here

Review of “What Every Christian Needs To Know About The Qur’an”

Review of “What Every Christian Needs To Know About The Qur’an” by James R. White.

            It’s been 10 days since the terrorist bombing in Boston Massachusetts and as many people know, the two men who perpetrated this crime are Muslims and for a lot of people just simply being a Muslim means you’re a terrorist.

We have flashbacks to 911 and other terrorist attacks preformed by Islamic fundamentalists but most Christians know little to nothing about Islam or the Qur’an. Many of us get our information on this subject from the news media which isn’t a very reliable source of accurate information.

So what are Christians to do? Well, there have been a few good books and resources for Christians but they’ve been few and far between, at least that’s been my experience, but James White has recently written a book that will certainly help in our understanding Islam.

            His new book is called “What Every Christian Needs To Know About The Qur’an” and is a scholarly, well balanced and truthful look at Muhammad, the Qur’an, and some of the important issues related to the Christian. The book is well organized and well written. There are tones of end notes which make it a treasure chest for deeper study. It even has a small glossary in the back along with a wonderful bibliography.

It should be noted this book isn’t intended to discuss everything you could ever want to know about the Qur’an as Mr. White clearly states “It is not my intention to write an exhaustive compendium of Qur’anic knowledge. Almost no one could, and certainly I could not, even if I wished to do so. My aims are far more focused and modest.” His aim is to deal with the major issues that relate to the Christian.

            Let me say plainly, the title is “What Every Christian Needs To Know About The Qur’an” not “An Idiots Guide To The Qur’an”. I read one review of the book that complained that it was “…so academic that it would be difficult for “every Christian” to follow.” Please understand this is information we NEED to know not some simplistic book on how to talk to a Muslim friend over a cup of coffee. We need to be called to a higher level as Christians not to a dumbing down. You can read this book! It’s not necessarily an easy read but you can read it.

             Let me mention two things that I learned from this book (there were many).

. 1) That the Qur’an is not the only authoritative source for the Muslim and that the Qur’an is not really a parallel to the Bible.

“…in the Christian mind it would be a mistake to make a direct connection to the role of the Bible, for the true parallel between the Qur’an and Christianity is to be found in Jesus Himself, the Word of God. As we will see, Muslims view the mechanism of ‘inspiration’ very differently and have another source of authority (hadith) that, at least in function, more closely parallels the Bible than does the Qur’an.” (Page 13)

2) The importance of and understanding of Tawhid. What is Tawhid and how does that idea govern the Muslim and why is that important to the Christian?

“Ask any sincere follower what defines Islam, and they will answer quickly. Tawhid, the glorious monotheistic truth, the heart of Islamic faith, is to the Muslim what the Trinity is to the Christian: the touchstone, the nonnegotiable, the definitional.” (Page 59)

In light of the times we live in I think this is a must read for every Christian. Again it’s not simplistic and it might take some time to read through it but you will be much better equipped to talk with Muslims and understand more accurately what the key issues that separate us are.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians and especially those who are preachers and teachers.

You can buy it Here

About the author: James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the author of more than twenty books, a professor, an accomplished debater, and an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church.

 

A Great little book on a big topic; Grief.

I just finished reading Grieving: Our Path Back to Peace by James White. What a great little book on a subject that is really hard to deal with. Most of us walk around never giving much thought to death and then one day our parents die or our sister or brother or our spouse and then we’re forced to deal with it.

            James White does a great job of giving us some help in times of grief. The book is only 87 pages long and while it doesn’t answer every question one might have on the subject of grief it does do a great job of providing some great insights and suggestions for going through the grieving process in a positive way.

            Well worth reading in fact even if you’re not going through the grieving possess right now I highly recommend you pick it up and read it.

 

You can buy it here or here

"Left Behind" Style Bible Study

 

A Rabbi looks at the last days by Jonathan Bernis is a 233page book that discusses eschatology or as the title simply and clearly says “the last days”.

The first half of the book deals with 6 reasons “we can know the last days are upon us”. The second half deals with “your role in ushering in God’s kingdom”.

Chapter 1 is mainly the authors account of his upbringing and his conversion story and at the end of this chapter he tells of a time when he heard someone speak about “the end times” and what that person said was false. He then goes on to show numerous false predictions by people throughout history who tried to predict “the end time” and the “rapture”. He says that “erroneous predictions have caused many to become disillusioned… In other words they have stopped looking for any signs of the Messiah’s return. And yet, He is coming, and I believe it will be very soon. In the pages ahead, I will tell you how I know.” Pg26

It seems that the author is about to do the very thing he just got done showing was wrong, that is saying the end is coming “very soon”. He may not set a date but this is still the same thing that Harold Camping and others have done. They say the end is near and then try to use the bible and modern events to prove this.

Chapter two starts the first of the six reasons “the last days are near”. The first reason is that “Satan is increasing his attacks on Jews”. The author discusses the Jewish people throughout history and says that the promise given to Abraham that whoever blesses Abraham will be blessed and whoever curses Abraham will be cursed applies today to the Jewish people. Page 35 he says “History shows that God has blessed those who have blessed the Jewish people, and he has cursed those who have cursed the Jewish people”.

The author even makes a starting claim that he even knows the thoughts of Satan on Page 36. Satan, the author tells us, thinks that by destroying the descendants of the seed promise (the Jewish people); the descendants of Abraham, he can keep Genesis 3:15 from coming true. The problem I have with that is Genesis 3:15 is already been fulfilled, Satan was crushed defeated when Christ was crucified and on the third day rose again. So, why would Satan, who is already defeated, be thinking that destroying the Jews today would stop Genesis 3:15 from being fulfilled? The author eventually goes on to tell us that Genesis 3:15 has a second part to it or a dual fulfillment.

The author goes on to say that “it is not possible therefore, to understand that last days without understanding Israel’s role in all this. Israel is central to the return of the Messiah, through both their promised return to their land and their recognition of Him as their promised Messiah. Yeshua will not return until his Jewish brothers cry out, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’ (Matthew23:39).”

On page 75 the author asks a question. He says “I agree, we are no longer under law. But what does this mean? Does it mean the law has been eradicated? Has the law been done away with, simply erased? Not at all. God has removed the law from our shoulders, from the external, and placed it in our hearts, we now have the power to keep God’s laws through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.”

It seems as if he wants to say that the Old Covenant laws are still binding on us today but we are empowered to fulfill them by the Spirit. It doesn’t appear that he see a different Covenant with a different law. That fact is that the Old Laws and covenant are fulfilled in Christ and now a new covenant and a new law with a new high priest is in affect today.

He does make a point, which I have never denied, on page 79. He says “Jews do not have to leave there ethnic heritage when they accept Yeshua.” That’s true just like an Irishman doesn’t have to leave their ethnic heritage when they become Christians or any other ethnic background.

It’s not about being Jewish or Greek, or Hispanic, or Irish it’s about following Jesus who transcends all of that, yes he was Jewish and born under the law but in Christ we found the reversal of the tower of Babel where the human family was first split into what we now see and know as ethnic and language groups. We see this reversal in the book of ACTS at Pentecost where the Spirit was poured out on the disciples and everyone heard them in their own language.

At the end of the day, this is nothing more than Left Behind style bible study. Nothing really worth reading.

Do yourself a favor and just skip this book.

If you must read it you can buy it here and here

 

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers/Chosen books 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.”

 

 

Heart of New Testament Doctrine

“Heart of New Testament Doctrine The Resurrection Volume I” by Gary R. Habermas is a 119 page discussion of the central theme of the New Testament; the resurrection of Jesus.

               I’ve always enjoyed Mr. Habermas’ lectures and other books but often his focus is on apologetics and can sometimes be a bit on the technical side. This book is not at all technical and isn’t meant to deal with the apologetic defense of the resurrection (it does touch on this subject a little) but is rather geared towards the practical side of the resurrection. What is the importance of Jesus’ resurrection for the Christian? How does that truth affect our daily living and what other doctrines of the Christian faith are connected to the resurrection? All these questions are dealt with and discussed in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

               The book also contains some helpful questions at the end of each chapter and also section for reflection. If you want to dig deeper into the subject each chapter has a section titled “Suggested Reading” as well as a list of some of Mr. Habermas’ books at the end of the book.

Very easy to read and accessible for anyone

Highly recommended

 

You can buy it Here or Here.

We Still Believe: REAL, RAW Christian Talk

I just wanted to make a quick post about an internet radio show called “We Still Believe: REAL, RAW Christian Talk”. The hosts (Jay and The Duke) tackle all kinds of issues related to Christianity. I will say that this isn’t your Grandma’s bible hour. The show is often provocative and always thought provoking. You will find that you don’t always agree with the hosts’ perspective (I often don’t) but again it always gets you thinking.

I myself have called in on a couple of occasions (Herei s one) and was even a guest on the show. They had me on to talk about my understanding of the book of Revelation. You can hear that show Here.

 Check it out sometime but be ready to hear different ideas.

The show is live every Sunday @ 8pm EDT (Click Here)
Also Check their Facebook page Here

A Preacher's Book Shelf

Sometimes it's interesting to see what other preachers have on their book shelves. I love to browse other ministers’ shelves looking to see what they have that I might borrow or buy. It also gives me suggestions on what my library might be lacking.
If I notice that a preacher has a lot of books on history that might remind me that I don't have any or maybe very few. I might then think about expanding my library and buy some good books on history. I also ask them what history books (or any other type) they really like and think are worth buying. I know I've had many books on my shelf that I found useful but also many that I found to be simply worthless.

So I thought I might post a link to my Logos Bible Software Book Shelf. Take a look around maybe you might get some ideas about what kind of books are lacking in your library or maybe you'll see something you want to buy or borrow from a friend (Logos Books can't be borrowed).

http://www.4-14.org.uk/?mylogosbooks=b1f8c4af421dd8c0a86f2b4c72926638

If you don’t have Logos Bible Software but would like to look into getting a library you can go here.

 

A Great New Curriculum on the Life of Abraham

I’ve never been a big fan of prepackaged bible studies. I choose rather to study the text and formulate my own studies BUT I recently had the opportunity to use a new curriculum that Logos Bible Software has put out on the life of Abraham and I was pleasantly surprised.

The series is called “Abraham: Following God’s Promise”. This is a new series designed to be used as a small group study. It comes with an electronic book and a leader’s guide as well as a set of videos that can be played in Logos Bible Software 5. You can purchase the book by itself or the complete church curriculum for pastors and leaders. The curriculum comes with a bunch of downloads that include videos, handouts and slides.

This series is also a part of a bigger series called “Studies in Faithful Living Patriarchs Collection: Complete Church Curriculum (3 vols.)”.

Each of the eight chapters in the book has six sections. 1) Setting the stage, 2) A closer look, 3) Throughout the Bible, 4) Beyond the Bible, 5) Application and 6) Further reading. There’s also a wonderful bibliography at the end.

Throughout the book you’ll find pictographs that help to highlight and explain the Biblical text. There are also study questions that you’re able to type your answers and thoughts in. I feel this is a marvelous new series; this is a great book and curriculum.

I really can’t emphasize enough the fact that this isn’t just another bible study; it contains background information and further reading so you can go deeper. Once you go through this series you will have a profound understanding of the text and Abraham’s life and if you wish you can move on to a more advanced level of study by reading those books found in the “Further reading” sections or in the bibliography.

I think the series is great and recommend people buy the book and church leaders look into the whole curriculum even if you don’t want to use the study exactly as it’s laid out it will definitely help you prepare a study on the life of Abraham.

You can buy the book Here and the curriculum Here

 

 

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from Logos Bible Software 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.”

 

Luke’s Theology

A review of the book “Luke and the people of God: A new look at Luke-Acts” by Jacob Jervell. This is a 207 page book containing 7 chapters discussing the theology of Luke. The book mainly focuses on the book of Acts but does reference the Gospel of Luke at times.

The author is convinced that the real audience that Luke is writing to are Jewish-Christians and at least one of the questions that Luke is trying to deal with has to do with Paul and his view of the law. Is Paul an apostate to the law and Judaism? He tries to show that Luke was writing to prove that “Jesus’ followers were strict adherents to the law of Moses…” (Page 16). He goes on to say that “Luke wrote Acts because he was forced to do so by a crisis in the church, precipitated by rumors and controversies focusing on Paul. The problem was Paul’s attitude towards the Mosaic Torah, the Jewish way of life, and Israel.” (Page 17).  The author also believes that Luke taught that Paul was just another “…Pharisee, faithful to the law…” (Page 169).

               One of the major problems with the book is that it’s liberal theology which means that the author separates Luke from the other New Testament writers and places them at odds with each other. For example he places Luke and Matthew at odds with each other when he mentions “Luke’s reworking of the account…” found in Matthew’s gospel. Jervell doesn’t hold to the inerrancy and cohesive nature of the scriptures.

I did like the discussion about “true Israel” being those who are Israelites that accept Jesus as the Messiah and the apostate Israelites as those who reject the Messiah. There are nuggets of insight and lots of things to contemplate but unless one is firmly grounded in the inerrancy of scripture and knows something about German liberal theology as well as concepts such as “redaction criticism”, and “source criticism” it would be better to stay away from this book. I think it would only confuse someone rather than help. Those that have at least a basic understanding of these kinds of liberal views may find some interesting things to ponder.

               In the end I believe this book is fairly technical and is only worth reading if you want to have a few interesting things to chew on. It would be much better to stick with solid conservative material in my opinion.

               You can buy it here

What are Deacons? A review of the book “The Deacon and His Work”

 

The Deacon and His Work by James D. Bales is 142 pages long. The focus of this work is on the qualifications and the work of deacons.

The book is broken up into nine chapters most of them take one or more of the qualifications and discusses what that qualification looks like and what it means. There is also a chapter on “deaconesses” and whether or not the church has an office of deaconesses as well as a chapter on how to go about selecting deacons. This chapter has helpful suggestions and cautions for those who are going to be appointing deacons.

               I found this work to be well written and balanced. The author takes time to define words and to even give other views that are not his own.

               This is certainly well worth reading in fact I read this book years ago for one of the classes I took at Sunset International Bible Institute and I just picked it up again to reread it. If you’re interested in the subject of deacons this should be one of the books you consult.

 

You can buy it here and here

Cover your nakedness

I came upon this passage in my daily reading today:

Exodus 20:26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

This was the last verse for today’s reading. What struck me was the phrase “your nakedness”. I wondered about this. In the beginning Adam and Eve were both naked and they had no shame yet after sin enters there is shame associated with nakedness as we find in this passage. I did a quick search on the phrase “your nakedness” in the ESV and found 8 occurrences of this phrase, all but one in the Old Testament. The one occurrence in the New Testament was found in Revelation 3:18.

               Every time this phrase is used it’s in the context of sin or a reminder of sin. Physical nudity is there but that seems to be a reminder of sin and the need of being covered. Why was it important that the priest not show his nakedness to the Lord? Because it’s the reminder of sin and rebellion. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden and he clothed them with animal skins to cover their nakedness; to cover their sin.

               God in Christ covers our nakedness; sin, in clothing us with the Lamb of God; Jesus.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

               God still does the clothing; God by the blood of Christ covers our nakedness.

Those are my ramblings for today.

 

A review of: "Real life, real miracles"

Real life, real miracles by James L. Garlow and Keith Wall

First the good:

Some books are difficult to read because they’re not written in a way that makes reading them easy. This book is not one of those, instead it’s very easy to read and the stories do keep your attention.

Now the not so good:   

The book is supposed to be a collection of, what the author calls real life “miracles”. Some of the stories are a bit graphic for my taste. Like the story of a man who was stabbed. The book goes into great graphic detail. Thankfully these kinds of stories are few.  Most of the stories range from the spectacular and hard to believe to the silly, like one story about a container of sour cream that never went empty even though each time they went to get some out, there was only enough for one portion. They would place the empty container back in the fridge and the next time they went to get sour cream it had enough for one more portion. God did this, we’re told in the book, because he cared for a little girl who got tired of eating potatoes. That story seems a bit silly and I don’t think God is working the miracle of the never ending container of sour cream. Some of the other stories discuss people going to a “church” service and going on stage to have a “pastor” lay his hands on them and pray over them and they’re instantly healed.

There are stories in the book that certainly show the hand of God but many of the stories are over the top and seem to be, if not total fabrications then embellished a bit, at least that’s the way it felt to me as I read the book.

               I don’t recommend this book at all. There are too many strange and silly stories that make me question the reliability of the details. Do yourself a favor and avoid this book.

 

 

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers 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.”

Keep going!

How are you doing on your daily Bible reading? I pray you're doing well but if something has happened and you’re not quite on track let me offer a few suggestions.

1.      Keep reading. Don’t let the fact that you have fallen behind upset you or keep you from reading God’s word, after all it’s not simply reading the Bible so you can say I finished in a year. Reading the Bible is a lifelong adventure and one that produces all kinds of wonderful fruit. So pick it up and keep going. Even if you didn’t start yet, start right now.

2.      Make a plan. Make a Bible reading plan that starts on Monday and ends on Friday. If you’re on track you can either take the weekend off or get ahead. This is also helpful because if you find you missed a day or two you can get caught up again over the weekend.  

3.      Read twice as much. Read two days worth every day. This will get you caught up or if you are caught up this will help you stay caught up even if you find yourself missing a day or two here or there. Pulse if you read two days worth everyday you’re going to finish before the year is up.

Let me offer a few more suggestions for those reading the Bible daily.

1.      Get a friend to read with you. If you and another person are reading daily you can encourage each other and you will have a lot to talk about when you meet up for coffee.

2.      Use a Bible software program. There’s a tone of Bible software out there and most of them have a feature that will help you read the scriptures daily. My choice is Logos Bible Software but there are others. Ask a friend what software they use or do a quick internet search.

 

3.      Remember why you’re reading the Bible. It has nothing to do with reading the Bible simply to say you’ve read the Bible (or at least it shouldn’t). You’re not reading just any book this is God’s word. You and I are hearing the voice of God as we read. We are getting to know the mind of Christ when we read the Bible and we are being renewed and transformed as we read the Bible.

I hope these suggestions have helped.

God richly bless you as you continue to hear God speak through his word.