Bible Study

Zephaniah (ZECOT) by Jason Derouchie

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Here’s the best solo volume on Zephaniah that I’ve encountered and that’s coming from one who has always enjoyed Zephaniah. It’s a small book that packs a punch. The author did the spadework and gave us a gift here.

The style of the this series is a great match for Zephaniah. The Discourse Analysis that is this series’ niche was well done. In fact, as much as I love and have expectations for discussion on structure, this may be the rare volume that had too much. I’ll say this for sure, you won’t need a second book covering the structure of Zephaniah because this book thoroughly weighs all the scholarly perspectives on it. I can’t even say that I agreed with every conclusion on structure, but the options are so thoroughly laid out that the work is done and all you need to do is pick among the options. Kudos to a commentary that pulls that off.

Don’t think that other important topics, however, are overlooked. The introduction discusses authorship, date and occasion, genre, literary features, and audience all before structure is addressed. After structure, there’s some excellent discussion of theology. I thought the highlight was how the author explains Zephaniah anticipating Jesus and his mission. That is taking theology down the correct avenue for sure.

The commentary was strikingly full. Unlike some prolix works, this work does not run off on weird scholarly tangents. There’s much excellent exegesis, linguistics, and thorough discussion of structure, even in every individual passage. I don’t see how preachers or scholars could go wrong with this volume. For preachers, I don’t think the scholarship is so dry that you’ll be turned off at all. Every section ends with more helpful theology, and for all the trees, the forest is never lost sight of. For Zephaniah, this is the way to go.

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.

One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church by Guy Prentiss Waters

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The “We Believe” takes shape as a dandy series that taken together will finally make a major systematic theology contribution. Several of these type series are reformed in nature, as is this one, and we certainly aren’t lacking works from that perspective, but this is one to consider to cover that viewpoint. While I might disagree on points, I’ve found real help in each volume of this series.

That being said, this title is a bit more militantly reformed than others in the series. The doctrine of the Church is one that kind of forces you into a distinct lane, but did this scholarly work really need to quote a denominational source of the Presbyterian Church multiple times? Even if the author thought those sources were exquisitely worded, does it really encourage a broad readership? Perhaps, though, if you are a Presbyterian, you’ll want this title even more in the crowded field.

All of that being said, I’m not denigrating the work. Waters is a good writer who presents with clarity. You won’t misunderstood what he’s saying even if you disagree with it. I imagine him to be a good teacher. So many paragraphs are him discussing by listing items one, two, three, etc.

This systematic theology theme is run through the rubric of biblical theology here. It’s also moored to Covenant Theology. Not surprisingly then, he begins in Creation. I see the Church coming along later than that, but there are still connections worth pursuing even if I might not see them as strongly as him. I have the same reservations and enjoyments in his chapters on Abraham, Moses and the Prophets.

The work grew much more captivating in chapter 6 where we meet Jesus, the Eschatological Reconstitution of the Church. The next chapter on the Apostles returns to more expected fields for a work of this type. Part II encompassing chapters 8-13 is more traditional in its contents. Still, the parts touching on local churches especially holds to the Presbyterian mindset.

Chapter 14 felt like Bavinck to me as it addressed things like church and state as well as religious liberty. The Conclusion succeeds as a clear summary as 7 statement are winsomely made to reiterate the work.

I’ve explained a few things in this review to show that you might love this book more if you’re a Presbyterian than if you’re not. Still, it’s a book much worth having.

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.

1 Peter (TNTC) (Rev. Ed.) by Wayne Grudem

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Here a nice TNTC volume gets an update that will extend its usefulness for a long time to come. When I think of Wayne Grudem, I think Systematic Theology since that volume is perhaps as influential as any in print today. What he proves here is that he can run too in the commentary-writing world. He may have written a couple paragraphs in a systematic theology style in this book, but this a truly helpful commentary.

The 50-page Introduction is pretty full as this series goes. He is consistently conservative in his conclusions and I found myself agreeing with him at many points. More important to you, he explains how he arrives at those conclusions quite lucidly. For those who care, he interacts with scholarship well without letting that dominate. He also is not afraid to go against the grain where scholarship has gone amok. For example, he dispenses with the idea that 1 Peter is meant to be read as a baptismal sermon. As he effectively shows, baptism is hardly mentioned in Peter and then mostly in cursory way. How do scholars fall in these ditches?

Half way through the Introduction he transitions to theology and major themes. Don’t miss this section as that can be a great aid to understanding Peter. He works through twelve themes found in 1 Peter and you’d be hard pressed to disagree with his twelve.

If you are familiar with this series, you’ll find this a good representative of it. There are constraints on length, so it’s the type of work where every sentence counts. And here they did. Background, exegetical understanding, and a bit of theology pervade the writing on every passage. This is a fine commentary. 

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.

Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul by David deSilva

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This book is a fascinating resource. Its varied uses cover more territory than you’d ever imagine. It is so profusely illustrated that I’d love to take it on a trip to the sites of Paul. I can imagine reading it every evening as a precursor to the next day’s adventures. As nice as that is, it’s not a travel guide though, but a Bible study guide. Written in the order of Paul’s ministry, this book would be phenomenal to have at your side as you work through Paul’s itinerary.

It addresses what archaeology tells us about these sites, but that’s not the lead. Foremost it’s the biblical background that makes the book what it is. David deSilva is a scholar rather than an archaeologist. He’s quite an accomplished one at that. Most books of this type totally get immersed into archaeology at a level that is beyond what Bible students are looking for. Here the balance is perfect.

My only criticism is that he is a bit more critical in his scholarship in a few places than I’d prefer. You might add that a few maps would have helped. Its gorgeous content probably would have been appropriate for a hardback as well, but maybe the publishers anticipated that many might carry the book to these Bible sites. The pictures more than make up for any deficiencies and the text reads well too. I’d call this one a winner right out of the gate.

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.

The Christian Race by J.C. Ryle

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This is one of my favorite Ryle works of the many reprinted by Banner of Truth. It’s the most sermonic of any Ryle title, but the sermons are so incredibly penetrating.

Several of the sermons are old-fashioned gospel sermons. You know the kind—no fluff but so aimed directly at the heart. When you read them, you want to go preach one right away. One theme I always find in Ryle is his penchant to define true salvation. He’s apparently alarmed by false professions. The beauty of his preaching is that he doesn’t sink to legalism or even rank condemnation. The loving offer of salvation remains. In a few of these he even reminded me a bit of Spurgeon. There are sermons aimed more at Christians as well, but the Gospel is front and center still.

I thought perhaps I should mention my favorite of the volume. That became surprisingly difficult to produce, but there were two sermons on John 10:27, 28 that I finally chose. As a good sermon will do, those two sermons made me mesmerized by the text!

The book is, as expected, in that beautiful, quality hardback for which Banner is so well known. It’s a grand thing to see Ryle get revived so thoroughly for our day and this work is a perfect example of why.

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: A Commentary with a Global Perspective by Robert Shade

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Here’s a perfect book on Acts for Bible students. Whether you are doing personal study, preparing a Sunday School lesson, or are a busy pastor preparing a sermon, this book can be a help to you. It’s the perfect length to really give help while not being so massive as many modern commentaries are. Mr. Shade has academic credentials, but did not parade his learning. His years as a missionary add another dimension that is especially dynamic for a commentary on Acts.

His Introduction is not of extreme length but touches on many issues usually found in such a chapter. I found it easy to agree with him on many points. He is well read, but gets quickly to the heart of the matter. One feature of the work is that it comes from a dispensational perspective. That’s not going to dominate the commentary but in a few spots it will provide insights many modern works won’t give you.

The commentary proper is helpful. There are even a few pictures and maps to help illustrate the work. I warmly recommend this work.

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.

John (WBC) by Dorothy Lee

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Here’s an interesting book on the themes found in the beloved book of John. The themes covered are widely agreed upon among scholars, but they’re gathered here and presented in a well-written form.

The first chapter is an introduction such as might be found in a commentary. The next chapter starts turning more toward those themes as the theology of John is covered. The author believes that though Jesus is the central character, the center of John is God. I’ll at least say that Jesus speaks often of and to His Father in John. The spirituality of John is also highlighted and the famed “I AM” statements are discussed.

The balance of the book is six chapters on theological pairs. The first is “Word and Wisdom”. I must confess that I find that connection tenuous. It’s two great subjects, to be sure, but I’ve just never seen them interacting in John. Nevertheless, several scholars agree with Ms. Lee, so I might be missing something.

The next pair is life and light. Even in a casual reading of John these two jump off the page in John. She expertly guides us to see this line as working through the book. She makes some excellent points on blindness that I hadn’t thought of. After tracing through the Resurrection, she even uses the fire where Jesus was cooking for a troubled Peter.

I found the pair of Temple and glory keenly instructive. Over the last few years studying biblical theology I’ve noticed just how prevalent and encompassing the concept of Temple is. Next is witnessing and believing that is again apparent in John. Still, her discussion is not mundane and goes far beyond the obvious.

Birth/family and Law/Revelation round out the book. Again, I was sold on their significance in John.

This book gives you much to digest. Perhaps you’ll think a point occasionally stretched, but overall these are for the most part some of the great themes of John. It’s good enough that I’ll consult it going forward on any major studies of John.

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.

The Henry Morris Signature Collection

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Here is a set of books that would be an incredible resource for any student of the Bible or any Christian family. Henry Morris is a stalwart figure in Biblical Creationism and for all the literature produced in recent years in that field you’d be hard pressed to find anything that he hadn’t already said here. I think of him as the perfect marriage between science and childlike faith. He has the skills to go to the deepest levels of technical science while making himself clear to those of us who’ve thought little of it since our school days. He’s no slouch in theology either.

I first encountered Dr. Morris when I was a young Christian including some of these books. It’s been fun to drink from these waters again and to encounter some titles never seen before. There’s not a dud in the lot, but let me focus on four titles:

  1. The Biblical Basis for Science—This huge book is a semester class in itself. In fact, I wish every young person went through it. Here is where the depth of Dr. Morris’ ability shines forth. Many of the great scientific disciplines are covered to the point you’d have a grasp of them and yet it’s tied to theology just as deep. At one point he was discussing the Triunity of God as well as the Hypostatic Union. Can you image the value of young people having this exposure? For that matter, most adults need it too. If I only wanted one of his books, I’d likely pick this one.
  2. Scientific Creationism—This one takes an interesting track. Seven of its eight chapters pit two items, e.g. chaos or cosmos; accident or plan, to discuss Creation versus Evolution. The final lengthy chapter tackles some of the main issues in Creationism with Scriptural evidence.
  3. Many Infallible Proofs—Don’t miss this one. It takes Scriptural issues and uses science to help with its assessment. This one is also on its own track and is not a regurgitation of other books at all.
  4. The Beginning of the World—I loved this commentary on the earlier chapters of Genesis.

Don’t overlook the rest of the set. “Men of Science, Men of God” is a jewel of a little book that shows that all the gifted fathers of Science were avowed Bible believers. “Biblical Creationism” is actually designed like many modern works of Biblical theology. He traces the theme from Genesis to Revelation, which is a wonderful way to consider a subject at the macro level. “God and the Nations” takes a look at civilizations in biblical history and casts an eye toward prophecy. In “The Bible Has the Answer” Dr. Morris tackles a wide variety of difficult questions. This is likely one you will reference rather than read cover to cover.

Two of the titles would be helpful especially from an apologetics standpoint: “Defending the Faith” and “The Long War Against God”.

I would read “What Is Creation Science?” last not because it’s inferior, but because it’s the most technical. After you ingested the others, you would no doubt be ready for it.

These books are awesome. There is some overlap with a few of the titles, but the learning that could gleaned here is incalculable. I highly recommend them.

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.

Ezra and Nehemiah (TOTC) by Geert Lorein

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The TOTC series gives us a new work on Ezra and Nehemiah here. Geert Lorein is a unique choice for this volume as he previously wrote a commentary on these books in Dutch. While bringing us Dutch theologians used to be a thing, it’s been a while since I noticed one show up as a new commentary. Clearly, Lorein is up to the task.

Perhaps the oddest thing about the commentary is how the author switches back and forth from writing to a brand new Bible student to that then of a seasoned student. It doesn’t sink the book, but it is noticeable.

The Introduction is full for this series and concludes pretty conservatively. He digs quickly into the historical background. (It’s comical how much he didn’t like the publisher asking him to use miles rather than kilometers!). There are even occasional maps and charts that are quite helpful. He well describes the context like with, say, Xerxes. Additionally, he describes the relationship of Ezra and Nehemiah as most scholars today treat them as one work. There’s more information on the shape of the text than readers of this series would desire, but it’s here if you want it. His discussion of theology is good as far as it goes.

In this series it’s the commentary proper that most are after and it’s good. There’s around 180 pages of text for that task and so pastors can get some real help studying the passages. Getting context, comment and meaning on each section is a good design. Like Goldilocks of old the commentary section is pitched just right. For that reason, I can warmly recommend 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.

2 Samuel (EEC) by Harry Hoffner

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Hoffner continues his outstanding work begun in the volume on 1 Samuel with another mammoth 1000-page volume here. The same outstanding features and thoroughness can be found here too. For that matter, the entire Introduction is repeated here. That is handy because you wouldn’t have to walk to the shelf for the other volume for those introductory matters.

In addition to all I said in my review on the other volume, let me add a word about the depth of exegetical work given here. Of course it provides all any pastor would need on that score, but it will likely satisfy the most in-depth scholarly work at the academy as well. If you read Hebrew, you have it here. If you don’t, you can almost always follow the argument well.

Some might say the theology isn’t to the level of some volumes, but look carefully at the “commentary” section for each passage. Not only is it incredibly full, but there is theology embedded in that section if you are looking for it. You will find then that it’s pretty good too.

I’ve wanted this volume for years, so I applaud its release. Give this one a try. You’ll be glad you did!

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.