Review: "Five Views on the New Testament Canon"

 

I have enjoyed reading books that show a variety of views on a subject.  In so doing, one can get a good understanding of what other views are on the subject – where they agree and where they disagree.  Five Views on the New Testament Canon edited by Stanley F. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird is a book of this type.

Five different authors present their argument for their understanding of the New Testament Canon.  This includes:  1. The conservative evangelical view – which argues the documents were written early, God-breathed, and self-confirming. 2. The progressive evangelical view – which argues that the canon is “wild and messy” and what matters is the Sprit’s use of the text.  3. The liberal protestant view – which argues from the historical critical perspective – which argues that the texts are contradictory, but what is important is what the text says to the reader today.  4. The Roman Catholic view – which argues that the Church closed the Canon at the Council of Trent, and the Church interprets the Canon.  5. The Orthodox view – which argues there is no codified Canon, and the texts are interpreted through the Church and tradition.

After this, each author is given the opportunity to respond to the other four authors.  This is followed by a name and a Scripture index.

This type of book is enlightening and instructive.  But I have come to have a problem with them:

The views are presented as being equally valid; there is no final stand for what is actually true.  And you may argue that such a conclusion is not made because this is merely a book explaining different views and showing the pros and cons of them.  If that is true, then what is this type of book for?  If there is no conclusion as to which is the correct view, how can one know the truth?  If you say that the reader can make up his or her mind, how can there be any certainty that the reader is able to biblically do so?

It is good to understand the views that are being held, but if the views contradict each other – they do here – and there is no one to conclude what is the true view – even with the variety of biblical positions – I am concerned that someone will embrace an unbiblical view.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "40 Questions on Prayer"

 

I have read several of Kregel’s “40 Questions” books, and, by and large, I have found them to be informative and useful.  I have just read 40 Questions on Prayer by Joseph C. Harrod – which no one should be surprised is on the topic of prayer.

Harrod begins by stating his bedrock definition of prayer comes from John Bunyan, “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or, according to the Word, for the good of the Church, with submission, in Faith, to the will of God” (19).  The answer to the questions are given with this definition in mind.

As with each volume, each chapter begins with a question followed by the answer and ends with a summary of the chapter and reflection questions which can be used for personal reflection or group discussion.

The book is divided into sections of question of general questions, prayer and theology, pray in the Scripture, prayer in practice, and prayer in historical context.

I found two sections to be especially strong and helpful – that on praying the Scripture – both to guide our expression and content of our prayers, and the history of the understanding of prayer and praying.  There seems to be a “chronological snobbery” – a C. S. Lewis put it – that continues on – the idea that what is said and taught and believed and seen as good today is where we ought to put most or all of our attention.  Harrod points out that there is much value in the historical studies of prayer.

One problem I had was his exegesis of Genesis where Harrod say that the three men who visited Abraham is a theophany of God as three men – that the Trinity temporarily appeared as men (198).  If for no other reason, the text says this is not the case – Genesis 18:33 says that the Lord – one of the three men – left.  Here is a Theophany. However the other two men were not members of the Trinity – Genesis 19:1 says that the other two men were angels.

Overall, this is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know more about prayer.  There are some areas where I wish there was some greater detail in some areas – but this isn’t an academic thesis.  The identity of the three men in Genesis 18 needs to be corrected.

Well worth buying.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Satan You Can't Have My Country"

 

One of the women from church lent me Satan You Can’t Have My Country: A Spiritual Warfare Guide to Save America by Mike Evans.

Evans loves America.  He loves Israel.  He loves Jesus.  He loves the Bible.  He understands the seriousness of sin and that it must be punished.  Apart from that, I had a lot of trouble with this book.

Evan’s states that it is the sin of our Christian nation that has causes God not to prosper us. Yet, to read the Bible is to see that though sin must be punished, there is not a one-to-one punishment in this life.

He argues that American is a chosen Christian nation (13).  The founding fathers worked from a Judeo-Christian perspective, but they don’t argue for a Christian theocracy.

He argues that American needs another Great Awakening, like the Second Great Awakening, in which Charles Finney played a great role (33).  However, Finney was not a Christian and denied the necessity of Jesus for salvation.

He argues that the Church is not spiritual Israel (42).  Paul says differently: Romans 9:6-7.

He argues that Isaiah 18 clearly prophesies that America is the nation on the West, so American is the parallel chosen nation to Israel (82).

He argues that God is not sovereign -- in the sense that God knows the beginning and the end, but the road between the two is build on the decisions of men (88).  However, if even one thing is not Absolutely Sovereignly in His control, then God is less than God, which is no God at all.

He argues for a pre-trib, pre-mill eschatology, which I disagree with, but simply state here. (93).

He says that Solomon was a reprobate (106).  This is something I have read argued elsewhere recently, but I don’t see the biblical support for this.

He argues that if we pray God will bless America (106). This is a problematic statement, and he does this throughout the book – quoting promises to Ancient Israel and sating that they apply to America and all Christians.  But Scripture has a context of time and place and person or people.

Each chapter ends with a prayer for America and other Scriptures to read.

The book ends with end notes.

In this brief sketch, you may get the idea that I did not like this book which is unfortunately true.  He is passionate and wants Christians to believe and pray and do good, but his explanation of the text – as well as his look at American history – is just wrong.  Pass this book by.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes"

 

Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes (A Background and Application Commentary) by Tremper Longman III is a new volume in a series of commentaries that seek to work from the fact that the Bible of the New Testament authors was the Old Testament, and, as they write, they write with the Old Testament Scripture, history, and symbols of what we call the Old Testament in mind.  Thus, it is difficult to understand the New Testament fully without seeing it “through Old Testament Eyes.”

This is a commentary I was specifically looking forward to and plan to work through diligently.  I am working on understanding the book of Revelation for myself – not based on theories that lack nay basis in Scripture – but by looking at how the authors of the time would have understood what John wrote.

As commentaries do, this commentary goes through the text of the Gospel and explains it – though not every verse.  The original languages are used sparsely, so this is not a barrier to ministers or teachers using this commentary.

In addition to the running commentary, there are shaded blocks of several types: “what the structure means,” “through Old Testament Eyes,” and “going deeper.” The first looks at significant structural issues that make a difference in interpreting the text, the second shows the connection of the texts between the testaments, and the third explores the issue or term in the text and invites personal reflection on what this means practically.

The commentary ends with a list of the locations of the three shaded types of blocks, of the abbreviations, of the three types of shaded blocks (as above), and a selected bibliography, endnotes, and a Scripture index.

 This commentary, and the others in the series should prove very useful for preachers and teachers to help them understand the fulness of the text better – especially as the two testaments relate to each other.  I certainly look forward to using this commentary – with others – to gai a better understanding of Revelation.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Berzerk 2"

 

I have finally returned to the anime series Berserk.

These volumes are paginated from back to front and right to left, as the original language version is.

The series is by Kentaro Miura.

Berserk 2

The story opens introducing the reader to Vargas former court physician who became a torturer and cannibal.  the Black Swordsman is looking for the Godhand.  The Count – badly maimed finds them, and they fight. It turns out the Count is dead, and he is possessed by a daemon.  The Count is decapitated but revies ad captures Puck.  Guts tries to kill him again without success and attacks his fortress bringing carnage.  Puck gets out in time to see Guts fight the daemon.

The pages are more drawings than words. The art is living and takes the reader through the story with understanding.

The volume is marked with a parental advisory for the violence of the story and art.

I am going to continue reading.                     

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Exodus"

 

Exodus by Leon Uris is a story of liberation -- a story of the founding of the nation of Israel after centuries of oppression in Egypt, under the Nazis, and even as the promises made to the Jews after World War II lay dormant.

Uris novelizes the history of the founding of Israel in an expansive and very real story – one the reader can join into – largely focused on the journey of Jews from Cyprus to Israel.  Although this is a novelization, the history that is told is accurate.

Uris writes, “Israel, the bridge between darkness and light” (589).

The final scene of the novel is the celebration of the Passover – a time of joy looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, but they receive horrible news.  Even so, they begin the Haggadah in which they remember that Israel – her people – “go[] forth in triumph from slavery into freedom” (599).

A novel of heartbreak and hope.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Rich Wounds"

 

Rich Wounds: the Countless Treasures of the Life, Death, and Triumph of Jesus by David Mathis is a devotional that will lead you into the consideration of Who Jesus is and what He has done – feeling the pain and the horror, the joy and the relief…   It can be used during Lent as a devotional to parallel the liturgical season, or anytime to be brought into that final week.

The title of the book comes from the hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” and fixes our eyes on the broken body of God through which we are saved.

There are thirty devotions in the book, and the book is divided into four sections.

In the first section, the devotions focus on “His Life.”  Titles include:  His habits. He slept, and He taught.

The second section looks at “His Death,” and the devotions as why the cross is wonderful, and why Jesus’ blood is precious, among others.

The third section is “His Triumph.”  “His Heart Beats.” “He is Exalted.” “He Sat Down.”

Finally, there is – specifically – “The Passion Week” Here Mathis walks the reader through major issues in the Passion week ending with, “The Triumph of Joy.’

Each devotion begins with a Scripture and ends with a prayer plus suggested additional Scripture reading.

Name and Scripture indices form the end of the book.

I’ve read and used good devotionals, but this is one of the best.  Mathis sticks to the text, brings the reader in through his writing, and strikes and the heart and the mind to bring the reader into the love of those rich wounds.

Highly recommended.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Moby Dick"

 

Moby Dick by Herman Melville is one of those books you have heard of – you know something about – but perhaps you have never read it.  I knew it began, “Call me Ishmael.”  It had to do with Captain Ahab chasing the White Whale, Moby Dick, who had stolen the captain’s leg.

But what is it about?  One thing to note is that it is difficult to understand Melville without some knowledge of the Bible and Shakespeare.  Even using a text with footnotes to draw your attention to the references – they serve as an unwelcome intrusion to the flow of the novel.  Beginning with the first sentence – who was Ishmael?  Does it matter that he is one of the two divisions of all of humanity biblically?

A major theme running through the book is that bad things happen – how ought we respond to them?  Whether losing limbs to the whale or serving under the maniacal Ahab, bad things happen, and they must be faced.  But how? 

Melville gives a number of options:

The minister says that there are bad things, but God will bring something better in the end.

Ishmael says that there are bad things and there’s nothing to do about it, so push ahead stoically.

The captain who lost two limbs says that there are bad things, but you have to be thankful for all the good things in your life.

Ahab says there are bad things, and he rages against the thought and that they should happen to him.

And then there’s the elephant in the room:  who or what is Moby Dick?

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "The Once and Future King"

 

The Once and Future King by T. H. White is actually the first four novels White wrote on King Arthur – the fifth being published separately as The Book of Merlin.

The first half of the Once and Future King is the best-known part of the series – in part due to Disney’s The Sword in the Stone.  The first half of the book deals with where Arthur came from, his training to be a king under the tutelage of Merlin, and the removal of the sword as the sign of his being the rightful king.

The second half of the book looks at the relationships among Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot – their three-way romance.  And it poses the question for the king of whether a king should be just or merciful.

White fleshes out the original Arthur stories and looks at what it really means to be a king – a ruler.  Serious questions are asked that current rulers (and those who elect them) should consider seriously.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Shane"

 

My father liked Westerns, but they never really appealed to me.  So, when the book club I am a part of said we were reading Shane by Jack Schaeffer, I thought “meh.”

Shane is one of the first Westerns written, and it is considered one of the best – if not the best.

Schaeffer portrays the struggle in the 1800’s between the cattle ranchers and the homesteaders over who will have the land.  These disputes led to much of the property laws we now have one the books.

Shane appears one day at a homesteader’s home.  The family consisted of Joe Starrett, his wife, Marion, and their son, Bob. Shane has a dark past which is never explained, but it comes forth as he defends the Starrett’s and as he encourages the best in them.  And that is the point of the story.

Schaeffer shows the family to be made up of three different people – not unequal, but different.  There is the father whose job is to earn a living and protect his family, there is the wife whose job is to care for the homestead, and there is the child who is to learn from and respect his parents and grown into the man he ought to be.

In a time of belief in gender fluidity, this is not a message that is well accepted, but this is how the country was made – how humans were made – and it was the accepted understanding until a short time ago.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Rembrandt is in the Wind"

 

A friend of mine took me to see sculptures in an outdoor setting.  There are painters I enjoy.  Musicians, writers, all types of artists.  With God as the Author of beauty, art will enhance and lift our lives – even if we have preferences with regards to art – and that’s ok.

Russ Ramsey has written a very helpful and encouraging book for those who love art and those who have little experience with art – specifically focusing on paintings and painters in Rembrandt is in the Wind:  Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith.

Ramsey tells the story of over a dozen painters in his book – the “big” names as well as some I have never heard of.  Ramsey shows that knowing the life of the artist helps the viewer to see the art.

Each chapter has a black and white painting, and in the middle of the book is a collection of full-color paintings.

As the title of the books suggests, all of life is connected to faith, and the understanding of Scripture.  Ramsey shows how each of the artists and their work reflect some aspect of the beauty of God – whether it be I sorrow or joy.

This book helped me to better understand Art – not the methodology of painting, but how to see it.

There is an epilogue in which Ramsey encourages and challenges the reader to “give yourself to a craft” (208).  There is no guarantee that your efforts will make you rich or famous, but you will “contribute beauty to this world” (208).  We are more than cogs in a machine, we are expressors of beauty that emanates from the Beautiful One.

The first appendix explains how best to visit a museum.  He includes what I found to be encouraging guidance to look around and go consider what you are attracted to – it is not necessary to go to each work one at a time.

The second appendix explains how to look t a work of art.

The third gives an overview of Western art from the Renaissance to the modern day.

Finally, there is a list of selected works and a section of endnotes.

This book is an excellent entrance into art, and it has taught and encouraged me to create beauty and to love other’s art.  It is also an excellent book for those well-acquainted with art and its beauty.  So, I have bought a copy for my friend.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "How to Be Poor"

 

Milo Yiannopoulos has called himself a “provocateur.” Without getting into a debate on his political views and the rhetoric of his speeches, one can acknowledge that he uses humor, the politics of the right, and an over-the-top persona in his appearances.

In recent years, Milo has fallen on hard times, largely due to his excessive spending and naiveté about the money he had and the people he considered friends.  In his book, How to Be Poor, he addresses these errors and gives advice that will help the reader avoid becoming poor.

He addresses seven issues:  eating the wrong foods and too much of them, using expensive transportation, having your hair done far too often, picking “friends” who only care about what they can get from you, using your body self-destructively, being paralyzed with shame, and turning away from Christianity.  These things, he argues, drove him into poverty.

He doesn’t just state what he did wrong, but he specifically goes through how to correct each of these issues, hopefully regaining a footing in life.  I leave the answers to these issues to your reading.

That being said, Milo makes good arguments for what he did wrong – and what we may have done wrong – and well as how to become a better person.  I recommend this book to you.  It doesn’t answer everything, but it does address some serious issues and will help you consider making positive changes in your life.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "The Qur'an and the Christian"

 

The Qur’an and the Christian:  An In-depth Look Into the Book of Islam for Followers of Jesus by Matthew Aaron Bennett is my latest read.

Bennett clearly and readably offers insight into the Qur’an – where it came from, what it claims, and what Christians ought to do with it.  Though he doesn’t say it until later in the book, let me state upfront that he recommends that Christians read the Qur’an to understand something of what his “neighbors” believe.

The book is divided into three sections:

In the first section, he explains how the Qur’an came to be and what believers in Islam understand to be its revelation and how it is to be used as a teaching instrument.

Next, he examines the teaching of the Qur’an and its relation ship to the texts of Judaism and Christianity.

Finally, he consider how a Christian might “use” the text of the Qur’an.  He explains and evaluates positive and problematic uses of the Qur’an in presenting the Gospel.

This is an excellent primer both on understanding how Muslims understand the Qur’an and how the Christian can engage with it and followers of Islam. (Thus the need to actually read the text and interact with it prior to talking with Muslims about it and its relationship to the writings of Judaism and Christianity.)

This is a book I would recommend reading more than once to get a handle on all that he is explaining – and it would be good to read along with reading the Qur’an.

I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Kerux Commentaries: Colossians and Philemon"

 

From The Kerux Commentary series: Colossians and Philemon:  A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching by Adam Copenhaver and Jeffery D. Arthurs – the first being an exegetic author and the second, a homiletics author.

This is the second commentary I have reviewed from this series – and these commentaries are full – making this a useful commentary for preachers, teachers, and seminary students. It can also be well used in Bible-study groups.

Each section begins with the exegetical idea, the theological focus, preaching ideas, and preaching pointers – each of these is given a fuller examination at the end of the commentary section. Then, the authors give the literary structure and themes of the text and then into the commentary proper. Throughout the commentary, there are boxes with questions and explanations about the text and the ideas in the text. Finally, they include a list of discussion questions.

As I said, these commentaries are jam-packed with useful information for preaching and teaching, and this is where I have difficulty with the commentary – not with all of the information given with the commentary, but with the format of the commentary.  I find it confusing. I would appreciate the work that must have gone into this commentary more if all the other information was not interspersed throughout the commentary.  I would rather have separate chapters with the information prior to the actual commentary.

This commentary and the series are certainly useful, though I found it confusing to use.

I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "The Biggest Story Bible Storybook"

 

The Biggest Story Bible Story by Kevin DeYoung and illustrated by Don Clark is what it says it is:  a big book of the major stories of the Bible – with an emphasis on how the Bible is one story.

DeYoung writes the Bible story on an older elementary school level, though younger children can understand it being read to them with some help. The illustrations by Clark are attractive and appropriate to the text.

The pros of this book are both showing that the Bible is, indeed, one story, and putting it on a language level that younger children can understand better than many translations of the Bible.

The caveats about this book – not necessarily cons – are: (For those who believe the Second Commandment forbids pictures of Jesus) there are pictures of Jesus. Second, this would be considered a paraphrase and errors are more likely in paraphrases than in translations. Third, and most importantly, if you use this book, also make sure that you read and introduce children to the actual text of the Bible – reading it to them, explaining it to them, and having them read it as early as possible. You, as the adult, can explain and answer questions about the actual text.

Thus, this can be a useful book – when used carefully.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Preaching Life-Changing Sermons"

 

Preaching Life-Changing Sermons:  Six Steps to Developing and Delivering Biblical Messages by Jesse L. Nelson was written to help those who don’t have seminary training (as Nelson didn’t when he began preaching at age fourteen), as a text for ministers to discuss, for use in seminaries, etc.  He states that he is writing from and is influences by black preaching tradition.

Nelson’s work is commendable in arguing that a sermon is to be developed through prayer and study, relying on the Holy Spirit, understanding the text in its grammatico-historical context, preaching what the text says, and addressing it with your congregation – its strengths and weakness – in mind.

It is helpful to understand where he is coming from – his influences – and he lists numerous preachers and their works throughout his book.

However, for a number of reasons, I cannot recommend this book:

Nelson argues that there is a lack of illustration and application in sermons – and he often uses stories about himself, his family, and friends. Although he says that the sermon – and applications – must be what the text says, not what the preacher wants it to say – I find todays preachers illustration and application heavy – taking away from the Gospel and the Glory of God.

Nelson conflates preaching though a book with preaching verses or sections of a book and/or a topical series.

And Nelson approvingly cites preachers with questionable doctrinal positions, such as Tony Evans.

For these reasons, it would be best to look to another book on preaching.

I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: A Tale of Two Cities

 

Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities in 1859.  The French Revolution began in 1789 – the storming of the Bastille plays a significant part of the novel.  The two cities of Dickens’ novel are London and Paris.  This novel is much more of a historical novel than so many of Dickens’ character-driven novels.  It concerns two revolutions – and a warning about revolution.

Dickens is not against revolution per se, but as he sees it, revolution with an eye towards establishing established rights – especially based on a religious foundation – will lead to progress; whereas revolution with an eye towards destroying those one disagrees with – especially based on an atheistic or “secular” – will lead to chaos.  Revolution can be good (in some sense), or it can be evil.

Dickens is looking back at past revolutions and warning his contemporaries that revolution is not neutral – as it unfolds, it has consequences towards one way or another.

I prefer Dickens’ character-driven novels, but the characters do work and make the point – the warning – that Dickens desires to get across.  Read and be warned.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals and other services

 

Many denominations have liturgies that they put forth for weddings, funerals, and other services. Sometimes these are mandated; sometimes they are one option. If you are of the latter group, you may be helped by A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals and other occasions (revised and updated edition) edited by Aubrey Malphurs, Keith Willhite, and Dennis Hillman.

As one would expect from the title, the first two – and major – sections of the book deal with weddings and funerals. Each presents a variety of contemporary liturgies, sample “messages,” and “helps” such as prayers and other “incidentals.”  The funeral section also includes perspectives on death and dying that may be helpful in counseling and service preparation.

The third section deals with other occasion, liturgies, and issues that may arise:  What if you use a bread machine to make the communion bread? How should Christmas be celebrated? There are sample “messages” for Mother’s Day and earth day, the installation of a minister, and the closing of a church, etc.

This book came out of the request from Dallas theological seminary from students and others to provide “fresh” liturgies (13).

The book contains a list of contributors, resources, and a Scripture index.

I have three responses to this book:

First, I am not against new liturgies, so long as they are biblical and appropriate to a worship service.

Second, in using this book, I would not neglect knowing older liturgies and understanding why they were written as they were.

And third, I would caution those who use this book not to simple preach the “messages” in the book. They are there for inspiration and guidance, not to be plagiarized.

That being said, this can be a helpful manual as ministers seek to preside at weddings, funerals, and other occasions.

I received this book for free from Kregel Academic in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

 

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain takes Huck from his adventures with Tom Sawyer and lets him loose on his own – largely accompanied by the escaped slave, Jim. In his adventures, he learns about being civilized – from Jim, the King, the Duke, the minister, and others. The truly civilized person is Jim – the others are false. Meeting up with Tom at the end of the novel, Huck expresses his thoughts on being civilized.

His thoughts in what it means to be civilized build through the book as the story carries him through his adventures – his conclusions are worth considering.

Twain uses the varying dialects of his South in writing the novel which takes a little getting use to.  Another point that makes this a controversial book for some is the persistent use of the “n-word.”

The latter of these observation leads one to ask the question of the novel:  should it be “banned”? Should it be “sanitized”? Or should it be left as it is as a challenge to understand what Huck means by the word and what the word meant in Twain’s time.

I think the latter is the appropriate choice.  However, reading the text and understanding the use of that word is different from speaking it and using it. That word has come to have a vile and disgusting meaning in our time – far beyond anything it ever meant before. I would argue that if the text is read aloud, the word should be substituted with “n-word,” and I would argue that the word itself should never be used by anyone of any race for any purpose – it is that charged and vile a word today.

I purchased the “Norton Critical Edition” of the novel for the original drawings and because of the explanatory notes and essays, critical essays, chronology, and selected bibliography. I have only scanned these thus far – I believe the primary source should be read and considered first before looked at any secondary sources.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Reprobation and God's Sovereignty

 

When I saw the title Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty: Recovering a Biblical Doctrine, by Peter Sammons, and I saw that John MacArthur wrote the forward, I knew this was a defense of the doctrine being biblical, and I hoped it would be good. I was not disappointed.

MacArthur writes: “to worship [God] as the one true sovereign God is to worship him for his glory revealed in heaven and his glory revealed in hell” (9).

In the first chapter, Sammons looks at Who God is – His Omnipotence, Holiness, and decrees.

Then he explains the God is Sovereign over damnation. And in the third chapter gives the reader a definition of reprobation: “Reprobation is defined as the eternal, unconditional decree of God for the non-elect. In this decree, he chooses to exclude the non-elect from his electing purposes of mercy and to hold them accountable to the strict standards of justice to display the glory of his righteous wrath” (47).

Sammons relies heavily on Romans 9 as he explains what this means and answers objections. The argument being – in part – that God does not merely elect some to salvation and allow the rest to their own devices, but God actively elects some to salvation and some to reprobation (72).

In chapter six, he argues that there is a distinction to be made between God causing people to sin – which He does not do – and God choosing some to salvation and some to reprobation apart from anything a person does or does not do – for, election and reprobation occur prior to the Creation.

He contrasts Hyper Calvinism with Calvinism (110) and defines the parts of reprobation (126-127).

A major assist in seeing that reprobation is biblical is to understand causality, compatibilism, and concurrence. In these, one sees that God often uses means to accomplish His purposes and God sometimes cooperates with the actions of a creature to accomplish what God would have done. In this, one can understand how God is not the author of sin. God does not force anyone to sin. Yet, sin occurs according to the Providential and Active Will of God (133ff). That is, humans have freedom according to their desires (135).

In chapter 11, he answers the objections of fatalism and reprobation limiting God’s Sovereignty. In chapter 12, he addresses the objections of reprobation demeaning God’s justice.

In chapters 13 and 14, he goes into detail explaining causality and how the understanding of causality is vital in understanding reprobation.

Then he turns to address human volition, will, responsibility, and theodicy. He follows this by looking at the idea of divine abandonment in the Scripture, hardening, and God’s use of personal and non-personal agency in affecting human volition.

The conclusion is a solid summary of the work, which is followed by charts outlining the types of restraints explored in the final chapters, followed by a Scripture index, a terms index, and a persons index.

This is a stunning, biblical, and God-glorifying book which I cannot recommend highly enough to anyone who wants to understand the biblical doctrine of reprobation and to address objections to it. This is the book I will recommend on the subject.

The one item that puzzled me was Sammons seems to indicate that there may be such a thing as an “age of accountability” (44). Perhaps I misunderstood that.

This is not an overbearing academic tome, but it is not something all congregants will be able to handle. Pastors, theologians, seminarians, and college students can and should read this and become aware of how to show that this doctrine is biblical and why it matters.

Excellent – highly, highly recommended.

[I received this book free from Kregel Academic in exchange for an honest review.]

Review: 1984

1984 by George Orwell. You’ve probably heard of it.  You may know the line, “Big Brother is watching you.”  I did, but I only just read the novel having joined an online book club. This was our book for January.

Winston Smith is a member of the Party, but he hates Big Brother. He must be careful about saying or even thinking that thought, but he does hate Big Brother and wants it taken down.

The three slogans of the Party are:

War is peace.

Freedom is slavery.

Ignorance is strength.

Orwell is portraying a totalitarian government.

First, to control the collective mind and keep them from turning on Big Brother, the nation must be constantly at war --- keeping the people’s eyes and hatred on the enemy.

Second, the state gets to control meaning and reality. Whatever the state says is the truth is fact, and anyone who argues against it will be punished. Even, as the example is given, that 2 + 2 = 5.

Third, the state controls history and rewrites it and obliterates inconvenient “facts” previously believed to bolster the positive image of the state.

The good of the collective is greater than the good of the individual and the state is best suited to control what the good is and feed it to the people.

Winston Smith attempts to find ways around the strictures and watchful eye of the state. In the end, he faces horrific torture and becomes a faithful part of the collective.

This dystopian novel is a warning to what can happen – it has happened in various places at various times to different degrees. While there is a sense of being part of our country, state, and town, we are individuals with individual rights that must be protected. The government is not to be allowed to put its authoritarian boot on our neck for what it believes to be good – ignoring our freedoms.

Watch out.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Day by Day with Jonathan Edwards

 

One of the devotional books I used for the past year was Day by Day with Jonathan Edwards, compiled and edited by Randall J. Peterson.

Each day has a text from the Bible (King James Version) and then a half to a full-page text from one of Edwards’ writings.

If you’ve never read Edwards, this would be an excellent introduction to disabuse you of the stereotype of Edwards as being pure hellfire and brimstone. Rather, he is a biblical scholar who believes both in the justice of God against those who never believe in His Son, Jesus, the Only Savior, and the grace of God that lovingly gifts salvation to all who believe through His Son, Jesus.

I was encouraged and challenged by Edwards’ reflections through the year, and I would recommend this as a yearly devotional to anyone looking for sound biblical reflection for each day.

At the end of the book, there is a listing of what text each quote comes from. While I am glad for that, it would be even more useful to have the title, edition, and page number listed for those of us who might want to read more around the text one the page. I would encourage that to be added in an update of the book.

You will grow in the knowledge and love of our Triune God using a devotional like this.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].