It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I’ve been a little busy. One book I’m reading now is From Heaven He Came and Sought Her, which is a gigantic book (700+) pages on the perspective of Definite (Limited) Atonement. I requested it because it is a complete survey over different aspects of the meaning of Definite Atonement, and I would like to know more on both sides of the issue. So, because of my want to understand both sides, I am anticipating Perspectives on the Extent of the Atonement: Three Views when it comes out in 2014.+
Kings Lynn
In other news, I found a few books when I went over to Kings Lynn. I was able to find Tim Keller’s The Reason For God, John Stott’s The Message of the Sermon on the Mount and his Understanding the Bible, Leon Morris’ Luke by the Tyndale commentary series, G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy (all for free).+
Reviews
As if that wasn’t enough, I contacted a number of publishers requesting for physical book reviews, to which, surprisingly enough, many of them happily accepted my requests!
Christian Focus
The Way of the Righteous in the Muck of Life – Dale Ralph Davis
Dale Ralph Davis has a number of good commentaries [Focus on the Bible, and Tyndale] under his belt (Joshua-Judges-Samuel-Kings, and Daniel) while remaining practical, applicational, and sarcastically witty. Here he shows the truth for right living and delight as children of God. The psalmist saw the wickedness of an anti-God world, and not by reading books. He experienced it personally! But he sets his sights on the “glorious rule of the Messiah, to whom the whole world belongs…The righteous rely on God, and the Psalms teach us how.”
1&2 Thessalonians (Focus on the Bible series) – Richard Mayhue
In the Thessalonian epistles we see the church in its earliest of times. Paul’s letters were written to encourage and assure the Thessalonian Christians in their persecution and bewilderment. Written from a premillennial perspective, Mayhue shows how Paul dealt with confusion over Christ’s return, the evil and wickedness that will continuously arise in the days to come, and how to live a God-centered life.
Wipf & Stock
Hope of Glory – David deSilva
“How did these [New Testament] texts help the early Christians set their hearts on gaining honor and self-respect before God, and withstand society’s pressure to return to its values? How may those who share commitment to Jesus support one another so as to offset society’s erosion of their commitment? What is the source of the believer’s honor, and how can he or she preserve it intact?”
Canon Press
House For My Name – Peter Leithart
The best stories subtly weave themes and characters and symbols into one final picture. This Old Testament survey reveals the rich weave that makes Scripture the Story of stories.
Baker Publishing
The Cross and Christian Ministry – D. A. Carson
The cross was Paul’s center of ministry. What is your’s? The cross that is so sanitized for us today was especially grotesque and abhorrent to those living in the first century. It was the symbol of evil, torture, and shame. It is this realistic view of the cross that should call us to Christian ministry and compel us to share the Good News of Christ’s triumph over death. In his book, Carson confronts the issues of factionalism, servant-leadership, and the source of knowledge in order to help Christian leaders learn principles for cross-centered worship.
Good Book UK
Is God Anti-Gay? – Sam Allberry
Is God homophobic? What do we say and how do we relate to to both Christians and non Christians who experience same-sex attraction? Sam Allberry, a UK who himself struggles with same-sex attraction, wants to help confused Christians understand what God has said about these questions in the scriptures, and how to better understand Christ’s heart in the midst of this hot topic.
Reformed Baptist Academic Press
Better Than the Beginning – Richard Barcellos
This book seeks to take the reader from the original creation to its intended goal: the new creation. Creation is seen to be for the Son of God to bring glory to the triune God in bringing many sons to glory. What Adam failed to do the Lord Jesus Christ does.
Alban Books
1 John Epistle – Coombes
For such a small book in the New Testament, many find 1 John to be an enigma. Is there a relationship between the First Epistle of John and the Gospel of John? Should we care? This book proposes a structuring for 1 John based on the patterns and repetitions of the Gospel of John to suggest how the author relied on the Johannine tradition in its rereading of the Gospel. This contributes to the discussion about the nature of the Johannine community and those who left it.
IVP UK
A Mouth Full of Fire – Andrew Shead
What does this weeping prophet tell us about God’s holy word? How is the power of the word of God made manifest? The prophet’s major contribution emerges from Shead’s careful differentiation of ‘word’ and ‘words’. What does that mean? I don’t have much of an idea, except that in Jeremiah’s doctrine of the word of God, a we will see a convincing anticipation of one who is called the Word of God, Jesus, the One who is to come.
Indeed, ‘the word of the Lord’ is arguably the main character, and this book serves as a discussion on Jeremiah and the doctrine of the word of God. Shead sates that “a prophet is made by God into a word-shaped person” showing that you cannot really separate the messenger from the message.
Paul and the Law – Brian Rosner
‘For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God’ (1 Cor. 7:19).
Linked to Paul’s view of the law is his teaching concerning salvation history, Israel, the church, anthropology, ethics, and eschatology. Understanding Paul’s view of the law is critical to the study of the New Testament because it touches on the perennial question of the relationship between the grace of God in the gift of salvation and the demand of God in the call for holy living. Misunderstanding can lead to distortions of one or both.
Brian Rosner argues that Paul undertakes a re-evaluation of the Law of Moses, where it is repudiation as law-covenant and replacement something greater, but is also re-appropriated as prophecy (with reference to the gospel) and as wisdom (for Christian living).
The Temple and the Church’s Mission – G. K. Beale
‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth … And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem … And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.”‘ (Revelation 21:1-3, ESV).
In this comprehensive study, Gregory Beale argues that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the end-time reality that God’s presence, formerly limited to the Holy of Holies, was to be extended throughout the whole cosmos. Hence, John’s vision in Revelation 21 is best understood as picturing the new heavens and earth as the eschatological temple. Professor Beale’s stimulating exposition traces the theme of the tabernacle and temple along the Bible’s story-line, also illuminating many texts and closely related themes.
Whew! Talk about a load! As you can see I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Now, I just have to read them….and come home and still have a life.
I will post more about the individual books soon. I just wanted to thank the publishers again for these free review copes and to let you the reader/scanner know what will be coming up soon-ish.
Classroom Time
In the meantime, I had the privilege here at Calvary Chapel Bible College York to teach Acts 18:1-22 in the Acts class, with plans to teach James 4:11-17 this Friday. It’s fun because teaching is what I would like to do one day, but it’s definitely work trying to study and make sure my notes are clear, presentable, and on point. It’s a great experience to be able to practice what I enjoy doing. Let’s hope for the best.
spoiledmilks 