Month: February 2024

The Letter to the Hebrews by Grindheim

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He did it. He had big shoes to fill, but he replaced the Hebrews volume in this much-beloved series. He had big words to live up to as well. After I had almost finished the Introduction and was becoming impressed with Sigurd Grindheim, who I had never heard of, I turned back to D.A. Carson’s Editor’s Preface and read the high praise of “lucid brevity” among other things and found he lived up to that too. High expectations I found had been met and exceeded.

What makes this a winning commentary? First, it’s the breath. It’s noticeably impressive. It would take a far better man than me to think of something about Hebrews that he hadn’t fully surveyed. Second, it’s the writing style. Complex things sound simple without an ounce of superficiality. Third, it’s the sparkling theology that can keep the big picture in focus. If you force me to find a flaw, occasionally he led you right to the end before you could figure exactly where he stood, but even that criticism is a stretch.

The Introduction is thorough in its coverage, brilliant in its synthesis and thoughtful in its conclusions. I’m shocked I would say this, but his discussion of authorship and date was riveting. Scholars en masse have rejected the idea of a Pauline authorship, but his fair and balanced presentation led me to believe it’s not as unreasonable as you would think. That is not his conclusion, but that shows the magnanimity of his writing. Audience and occasion are well related while Structure is presented with the most reasonableness possible. I’m forced to agree with it. Rhetoric, an unavoidable issue in Hebrews, is evenly portrayed. Reception gets a deep turn, but as you will see, the doctrinal battles of the church must stop by the door of Hebrews. His discussion of theology kind of suggests theme as much as theology and is winsome all around.

From there, the commentary had little chance of failing. Everything you need for exegesis is neatly packaged, but then, and here’s the neat part, you are left with the essence as well. Commentaries served up from this recipe will gladly find me feasting at its table.

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.

Life in the Son (NSBT) by Clive Bowsher

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Fascinating! Whether he’s teasing out or trumpeting loudly, Clive Bowsher makes John’s take on participation or union with Christ come alive. So successful is his presentation that at its end you find it as essential to the overarching understanding of Christianity. How were we not always talking about it? Why was John shelved while Paul was paraded when they should have been walking the streets of our minds arm in arm?

As much as I love this series, and it is a treasure, I wonder if this volume had better been served in a more popular setting. Unfortunately, mostly theological junkies read this series (count me in that peculiar group) and the subject here needs a larger circle. For the record, many Christians could markedly grow were they to read this series, yet platitudes and self-confidence growth hormones are the trending proclivities of palettes today.

Mr. Bowsher knew who would read this book too. That, strangely enough, is my only criticism of the book, though it is an exceedingly minor one. At times, it seemed that Mr. Bowsher wrote for Mr. D.A. Carson instead of me. Or maybe those grading his dissertation. Still, that was only a little speed bump on the way to the goodies.

I’m not going to rehash this book as you just need to read it. When you do, settle in and enjoy the ride to learning the phrase “in-one-another”. Watch him connect the idea to the interrelatedness of our Triune God. Then watch yourself brought into it. The vistas on that scenic route will take your breath away if you’ll use the pull-offs and take the long look.

On the technical side, he will work in turn through key passages in both John’s Gospel and his First Epistle to carefully construct his premise. All the necessary undergirding, too, is there and built soundly.

I guess I don’t have to summarize that I highly recommend this book as surely you intuited that already.

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.