Thoughts On Preaching by J. W. Alexander

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This book for preachers follows its own track. This isn’t a worked-out treatise, but really an assembled collection. That doesn’t detract from its impact, but it is organized a bit differently than many such books. I don’t know about you, but I am often up for a change of pace. And that is what we have here even if it is, as so many of the best books on preaching, from another time. I really feel the first section should have been the last as what follows that section is the more natural beginning of a book that would hook you.

The first section of around 100 pages is 166 almost paragraphs. None of them are particularly long and they seem to be things he jotted down over the course of years of preaching. It’s almost like following a journey where a man is growing and learning through years of practice. Considering the family that he is from, it was surprising that he occasionally warned of being too scholarly or bookish. Again, there were just many nuggets that simply does not usually show up in a book of this nature.

The next section is a collection of longer letters to young ministers. These thoughts are more developed, a bit longer, and very powerful. From there, we go into a section called the studies and discipline of the preacher, which is about a 20-page section, that really gives a lot of things to think about. I’m not sure I agree with everything he said, but it is worth considering. The next section is on the matter of preaching was also totally up-to-date and wonderful. His section on expository preaching was a bit rigid, but he makes a strong case. The final two sections before an appended article really give us a history of great preaching. I didn’t think I would get anything out of the French pulpit section, but it was very interesting. That additional article is on how Jesus Christ is the perfect example for any minister.

This is another worthy addition to the required reading list for preachers. As usual, Banner has given us a beautiful volume. I highly recommend this one. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Kingdom Apprenticeship by Keas Keasler

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I’ve been looking for a book just like this one. Dallas Willard is a writer who has impacted me in profound ways over the last few years. Though he has stretched me and made me wonder how I’d missed a few things, sometimes he strained my brain. I estimate that I was understanding him at about an 80% clip. That 80% changed my life, but I lamented the other 20%. Enter this book and I upped my percentage. I may still not be at 100%, but what a joy I found in the progress this book afforded me.

Just look at the picture on the cover. If that system worked for Mr. Willard, it only proves how far my capacity would be below his! (by the way my only criticisms of this book are that this cover should have been a picture inside the book and the fact that this wonderful book deserved being a nice hardcover). Again, I needed this book. Mr. Keasler did a fantastic job and I kind feel I owe a debt of gratitude to him.

The approach to exploring Willard was brilliant, comprehensive, and ideal. Now that I’ve seen the author’s approach I’m convinced there could be no way to exceed it. Chapter 2 is an effective biographical angle. It shows the uniqueness of Willard and how he found no compulsion to fit into any standard box. It wasn’t, though, a disagreeable persona, but just a man gifted to be a creative independent thinker. I came to understand how Willard’s philosophical background affected him and how his mentor was Edmund Husserl. I loved how the author also incorporated all of Willard’s recoded lectures and sermons to fully flesh out his portrait. He calls Willard’s 5 major books ( I’ve read and loved each of them) the pentalogy. Clearly, they carry the most weight.

From there it’s a theological treat. He constructs Willard’s thinking and then compares it to the most common Christian positions. It was these chapters that most enlightened me. It’s clear to me that Willard is orthodox, but his niche is reminding us of things Christ emphasized that we’ve somehow laid aside or at least obscured.

I guess every subject couldn’t be answered. I still don’t know which prophetic camp to put Willard in. I don’t blame the author for that omission, though, because I’m not sure Willard had a clear one.

If you’ve been blessed by Willard, you will love this book. If you’ve loved Willard but had a few struggles in understanding him fully, you will love it even more.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

2 Kings (PTW) by John Woodhouse

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Coming to this book without having used his 1 Kings or his volumes on Samuel, I came with less expectations than many other readers. I was impressed before I even finished the short Introduction. His ability to connect 2 Kings’ value to our day, his clear vision of the faithfulness of God’s Word, and the way he gallantly summarized the main introductory issues of the book in a few short paragraphs won me over in mere minutes. Here’s another thing I came to quickly see about this author – he is an incredibly well-read man. His Endnotes showed the depth he brings to bear in this work. As a case in point, look at his second end note.

As you keep working through the book, what you immediately notice is how nice the sermons are and how it is those Endnotes that provide you so much of what you get in a regular commentary. You will be making a serious mistake if you don’t keep a separate bookmark at the back to check those notes out.

The first sermon on “A Troubled World” really covers some more introductory ideas because it really links what, perhaps, should never have been separated – the books of 1 & 2 Kings. This idea of a troubled world, again, is one of his main focuses for modern application.

Now I just love Elijah and Elisha. Go read “Following Elijah” to see what a jewel we have here. His sermon on 2 Kings 2:16-18 using the Resurrection of Christ to open the passage was ingenious. I need not describe any other individual sermons because this is a consistently outstanding volume. 

These sermons are meaty. Don’t come here looking for catchy outlines because that is not at all what’s going on here. These are the kind of sermons that really wrestle with the text. You know the kind that gives you great help and then sets you free to do your own sermons. I’m convinced this book has been aimed at preachers. Look at the last index, the Index of Sermon Illustrations, if you have any doubts.

Doing this review is going to cost me some money! Now I’m going to go back and buy his other three volumes in the series.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Acts (Interpretation) by Matthew Skinner

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Here’s another early volume in what will be a completely revamped Interpretation Bible Commentary series. The Book of Acts, of course, provides its own excitement, but here’s a book that helps you catch elements of that excitement you might otherwise miss. Yes, this is a more critical commentary than people like me are going to widely use, but with a pile of more conservative ones on the desk I’m likely to pick up one like this one. What am I looking for? Some theology that other pile misses. For good measure I too hope it catches sizzling details in the story overlooked by others. This book easily meets those goals.

To have well written and provocative commentary you will subject yourself to some misfires. To think the story of Ananias and Sapphira and other such stories as some kind of gallows humor might be one example. To think one of the main points of Pentecost was to champion multiculturalism might be another. He even denigrated Stephen slightly, but in a way more than I’m used to seeing. But that’s a good case to show why I still found value in this commentary. There were those little details that caught his eye that others miss that was fascinating to me even in Stephen’s story.

Of its kind, this book stands out. Those who are of a more critical orientation will simply love it I would guess. For the rest of us, it’s not as critical as many volumes. It spoke winsomely of, say, salvation or the Resurrection at times. Most importantly, it can be captivating at pleasant intervals. Walk in knowing what to expect and you have a winner here.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Psalms 1-72 NAC) by Daniel Estes

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It took a few years, but we finally get the other half of Daniel Estes’ superb commentary on Psalms here. For that matter, this finishes the OT for the NAC, which is a feat few series can hold up to us. I think it’s classy that the publishers are allowing this series to be completed (there’s the final NT volume coming next year) even though the replacement CSC is underway.

Mr. Estes has taught Psalms in both the church and the academy. It shows. Though the greatest value of this commentary is later, the Introduction shines. I loved how he walked through how Psalms has been interpreted, particularly in more recent times. He creatively described the theology of Psalms in terms of “five basic worldview questions”.

From there, he launches into form, structure and setting. He well describes the more traditional genre classifications. I personally grow weary over commentators who keep coining new genres until there are so many than a genre conversation is meaningless, so I welcome his approach. On superscripts, he is a bit more agnostic than me, but you can decide for yourself when you read his explanation. Toward the end of the Introduction, he describes how he is going to handle each passage. That is a plus.

In the commentary proper he uses the same effective format as before. The commentary itself is outstanding.

Psalms is one of the most important books in the Bible and any serious pastor or Bible student will have multiple commentaries on it. Besides some of our beloved older commentaries and some other devotional ones, we must have these exegetical ones that really explain the text. This volume can truly stand as a giant beside Garrett (POTC—recently released), Ross (KEL), and Hamilton (EBTC). I wouldn’t be without any of them, but this equally valuable commentary is at least $10 cheaper per volume than any of them. For that reason and because it is truly equal to the others, you can safely start here if you are just embarking on building your library. In any event, this title simply must make its way to your shelves.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Job (CCF) by Michael Legaspi

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This series runs in a different lane and it’s one I enjoy traversing. Though we’re only a few volumes in, a few have already stood out to me. This design of focusing on Christian Formation strikes gold here in Job. Though that should have been obvious I guess, it hadn’t occurred to me. I see it now!

The Introduction got off to a bit of a shaky start for me in the section on “the Many Stories of Job”. At first I thought the author was highlighting inconsistencies though it turned out to be more of a history of interpretation. He was a bit too dogmatic at times about others getting it all wrong as well. Then, however, he got into the interpretation of Job and we stepped out of the shady part of the trail. Starting at page 15, I was fully engaged. Perhaps the author was a bit too mystic and Catholic, but he sure spoke to me.

There were observations a plenty that hadn’t occurred to me. His take on suffering in Job is a case in point. He did hold to a few critical positions, like Elihu’s speeches being a later addition, but mostly he kept them to himself. I imagine I like this commentary far better than had he produced a traditional one.

Each periscope gets a succinct explanation by him that consistently stays in the lane of theological observation and Christian formation. I would never make this my primary commentary on Job, but I’d sure be happy to always use it as a secondary one to dig a little more.

Replace the word “exegesis” with “fun” and you’ll get the idea of how this book struck me. Outside of the normal uses of a commentary, I am sure that some really could benefit by only using it to meditate on Christian formation. However you choose to use this commentary, I predict you are going to be pleased.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Owen Among the Theologians by Kapic & Kieser

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I’ve always enjoyed reading Kelly Kapic. I’ve also noticed that he’s always ready to talk about John Owen as often as possible. Probably, then, this title was inevitable. Though I wasn’t as familiar with Ty Kieser, he must live in Kapic’s usual domain. As for John Owen, though clearly a brilliant writer, I’m really not sure what has brought on the phenomenon of his fairly recent ascendancy in popularity. Whatever it is, it must be catching because I too was intrigued by this title.

The design of this book was quite novel for a theological title. It takes various (random ?) subjects and compares Owen’s take versus that of some other famous theologian. Sometimes the difference is substantial while at other times it is minute. What is consistent is the breadth of knowledge displayed in every comparison.

After an Introduction to Owen and particularly his themes of writing, the book dives into comparing Owen and Didymus the Blind on the subject of Inseparable Operations. It was one of the best in the book, but perhaps that’s because I’ve always been fascinated by that subject and once had to spend a lot of time studying it. Owen agreed far more than he sparred on this one.

The chapter comparing Owen with Macrina on Christian dying was warm and compelling. I enjoyed it more on a devotional level than other chapters in the book. The next chapter on Cain as the prototypical sinner again did not have wide divergences between Owen, and in this case Augustine, but was just enough to be great teaching.

The next chapter put Owen and Bernard of Clairvaux in dialog on the Song of Solomon. I love hearing these older writers talk about the Song because I tend to believe their approaches over modern writers. What modern scholarship has reduced the Song to is a sad thing in my opinion.

Next, when John Owen meets Thomas Aquinas on divine simplicity it seems more a splitting of hairs to me, but maybe that was my own shortcomings. From there, Owen and Luther on justification was exactly what you’d expect. The following chapter was like a powerful joint presentation between Owen and Calvin on the Ascension.

I would have preferred a different subject for the heavyweight comparison of Owen and Jonathan Edwards. Owen with Lemuel Haynes was the most unexpected of the book and was far better than I expected while the battle between Owen and Barth was more nuanced than I expected.

While this book will not appeal to everyone, it is rich fare for lovers of theology. Members of Owens’ fan club are likely to salivate over it too. Mark me down (even if the design is a bit far fetched) as really liking this book as well.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Joshua (CSC) by David Howard

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This fantastic commentary has here an update from its NAC iteration. I applaud Mr. Howard getting the nod to carry the commentary over into the CSC and extend its usefulness for decades to come.

In the introduction, I was at first fearing that there was going to be very little updating from the earlier edition. I think that was because some of the earlier topics were things he just fully still agreed with and saw no reason to expand. It was farther along that he tackled some new subjects beautifully. He had an elaborate section on ethics as there are many ethical questions in the text of Joshua. Further, he expanded explaining the archaeological evidence for the major sites found in Joshua. There’s a very telling section that described why the Israelites were attracted to the culture of Canaan too. That certainly is a worthy question and I agree with his conclusions.

He also broached the subject of the large numbers in Joshua and the rest of the Old Testament. Critics love to pound away on this subject. He concludes that it is best to comment on them as if they were accurate. I am prone to take them as is and believe them.

Modern political thinking has forced new subjects to be especially looked at in the biblical text. For example, to some people the book of Joshua reads like ugly imperialism. He writes magnanimously and in such a way that his careful laying out of the issues and options are its greatest strengths. You will leave the introduction with a firm grasp of all the issues and what is at stake in the book of Joshua. I must commend this introduction and its additions from the earlier edition.

The commentary proper is excellent. He is a wise evaluator of the issues all while fulfilling the exegete’s task. There is much help for the preacher or teacher here. I already thought the earlier edition was outstanding, and I can only say it’s even better now.

I am compelled to say that this is the best commentary for a pastor or teacher on Joshua that we have. It’s the balance of depth and good conservative conclusions that make me feel that way. The competitors of this volume are either those with less detail or those possessing some glaring defect in one category or the other; e.g., theology or historicity. If you can only have one commentary on Joshua, this is it. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Spurgeon’s Pastoral Wisdom by Geoffrey Chang (Books on Ministry #27)

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A new Spurgeon book! What could be better? I never tire of reading this marvelous preacher. Don’t let the thought of this being a collection of articles steer you away. Surgeon could not be dull if he tried. And though he ministered in the 1800s, his writing is always fresh and up-to-date. As I read through this book, I marveled at how many things never change. The London of the 1800s seems so different than the world you and I live in now, but ministry was and is still ministry.

The book is compiled by Geoffrey Chang. From what I have read, he has become quite the Spurgeon expert. In any event, the selections were perfect for a book on pastoral wisdom. I also appreciated how he organized the book as well as his writing very short but meaningful introductions to each section.

In part one that was articles on the Church, I so appreciated Spurgeon’s balance. He was a brave man who lived without the fear of man, but he could still be quite judicious in his use of discernment. For all I thought I knew about Spurgeon, I still learned many things here. I especially loved how he was always looking out for up-and-coming pastors or neglected pastors. Additionally, I loved how he never lost his zeal for revival.

Even though some of his more famous books gave great help on preaching, this book was full of wonderful counsel. He talked about sermon preparation, faithful preaching, and sermon delivery. I can’t think of a brighter light to guide us on this subject.

Strangely enough, I was even fascinated by the few articles he wrote on “Spurgeonism”. I hadn’t really thought much about how his fame must’ve been challenging to live with and keep your head on straight. From all appearances, it seems that he did.

The book was full of those pithy quotes that Spurgeon is so famous for. One that really stood out to me was how he once said that really being rich was not about having much, but having enough. How profound! And there were little phrases like this throughout.

Banner has given us its usual beautiful presentation of a book. The writings of Spurgeon are beautiful enough on their own. Can you tell that I love this book? 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Daniel (BECOT) by Stephen Cook

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This commentary is a trip. I’m not sure where we went, but it was quite a ride. Mr. Cook took a few curves too fast, but occasionally the scenery was spectacular. I know I saw the blue lights behind us on several occasions, but he would just smile and press the gas pedal a little harder. I’m sure he didn’t fully know where he was going either, but his outward confidence never wavered. I know it’s easy to be trite and say a commentary is different, but this one IS different. In fact, this is the very commentary that makes many others seem exactly alike.

Perhaps the aspect that makes this commentary unique is his views of how to process apocalyptic literature. Be sure to read his Preface as he lays it out. He also attacks approaches that moralize the stories of Daniel. Many do that and say to keep the Gospel primary, but that’s not exactly his angle. He has a very precise view of Wisdom. To my mind, his definition is not as different as the traditional one as he thinks. I liked how his views made him dig a bit deeper in places even if I couldn’t especially agree with him. His historical conclusions didn’t hold up for me either.

He is for sure an interesting writer. He quotes from so many unusual sources. I mean when was the last time Alice from her Wonderland was quoted in a commentary you were reading. Crazy? Yes. Interesting? Yes.

He also draws from unexpected disciplines. I saw philosophy and psychology often and several others. I kept expecting physics at any point.

Even if he travels in his own lanes, his work is well researched. There are footnotes galore throughout. I would not make this commentary my first choice on Daniel, but it is one that I will likely check going forward. If you are looking for a work that is captivating in new ways, I suspect this is the one for you.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.