Brock, Cory C. Orthodox Yet Modern: Herman Bavinck’s Use of Friedrich Schleiermacher Edinburg:...
theology
Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology – Expanded Edition (book review)
Berkhof, Louis Systematic Theology – Expanded Edition Edinburg: Banner of Truth Trust, first...
Commentaries on Ephesians: Kerux by Magee & Arthurs and Mentor Expository by Phillips (book review)
With this article, we are continuing our recurring series of reviews looking at notable...
Ore From the Puritans’ Mine (book review)
Dale W. Smith has obviously put a remarkable amount of work into compiling the best of Puritan writings in Ore From the Puritans’ Mine. This book will serve effectively as a scholarly resource, as personal devotional reading, or as material for family worship. Highly recommended.
Systematic Theology – 2nd Edition (book review)
Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology has rightly become a modern classic. Readers can benefit from this book as an introductory source. I also think the author would agree that his listed resources for further reading should be used as a springboard to lead into deeper waters.
Commentary on Ephesians: WBC by Lincoln (book review)
This important commentary on Ephesians comes to us from Andrew T. Walker as part of Zondervan’s Word Biblical Commentary series. Unfortunately, while Lincoln may be an accomplished scholar, his denial that the Apostle Paul actually wrote Ephesians affects the usefulness of this book for believing students of the Bible.
The Christian Teacher as Office Bearer (book review)
The Christian Teacher as Office Bearer does not present a simplistic “What Would Jesus Do?” way of “being like Jesus.” Joel Beeke gives readers a wonderfully biblical, theologically rich, and aspirational vision of what it means to reflect Christ to students.
Reading with the Grain of Scripture (book review)
Richard B. Hays’ Reading with the Grain of Scripture is a worthy contribution to the literature on properly interpreting the Bible and the historicity of the Christ that it points us to. Recommended.
Commentaries on Ephesians: EEC by Baugh and NICNT by Cohick (book review)
With this article, I am introducing what will be a recurring series of reviews looking at notable commentaries on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. I have been blessed to teach from Ephesians and hope these reviews will help readers to consider some of the many resources out there.
Therefore the Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology 1500–1700 (book review)
Donald Macleod’s beautiful new book, Therefore the Truth I Speak is an engaging look at Scottish theology that mines the past and brings it into the present.
The T&T Clark Handbook of Analytic Theology (book review)
The T&T Clark Handbook on Analytic Theology is a landmark resource from a team of authors hoping to bridge the gap between philosophy and theology.
Reformed Dogmatics Single Volume Edition by Geerhardus Vos (book review)
Geerhardus Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics is a must-have for aspiring theologians. The new Lexham Press single-volume edition of this important work is a great option for anyone who has been reluctant to pay for the previous five-volume set.
Reformed Systematic Theology – Vol 2: Man and Christ (book review)
Reformed Systematic Theology Vol. 2: Man and Christ effectively balances academic theological precision with devotional posture.
Covenant Theology and The Fulfillment of the Promises of God (book reviews)
In this article we review a pair of great books which look at the many variations of Covenant Theology.
Puritan Reformed Theology: Historical, Experiential, and Practical Studies for the Whole of Life (book review)
With Puritan Reformed Theology, Joel Beeke has given the church a handy collection of his writings commending and interacting with the best of Puritan theology.
Sermon Excerpt: An Evangelical Atheist?
Here is a quick sermon excerpt from our series in Ephesians. This comes from Ephesians 2:12 as we discussed what the Ephesians were like before their conversion. They were "without God." Sadly, many who claim to be Christians live the same way. Consider the following:...
Baptists and the Christian Tradition: Towards an Evangelical Baptist Catholicity (book review)
Baptists and the Christian Tradition offers ample material contributing to the conversation of what it means to be an evangelical, committed to the church catholic.
Rightly Understanding John 3:16 — Applications
In a previous post, I wrote a little on understanding John 3:16. In today's post, I'd like to walk through a few applications of understanding this verse rightly. There are negative applications for both the non-Calvinist and the Hyper-Calvinist. There are also...
Spurgeon – Tethered to the Cross and Lost Sermons – Vol. 4 (book reviews)
In this article, we will take a look at a pair of recent books on Charles Haddon Spurgeon. First up is Tethered to the Cross: The Life and Preaching of C.H. Spurgeon, followed by The Lost Sermons of C.H. Spurgeon – Vol. 4. Enjoy.
Full Stomach, Empty Heart: A Sermon Outline from Ruth 1, Part 1
In this post, we'll look at a sermon outline from the book of Ruth and focus on Elimelech’s decision to move his family to Moab. In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab,...
Biblical Doctrine and Biblical Theology (book reviews)
In this article, we have the privilege of offering you another double review. We will be looking Biblical Doctrine (a systematic theology, not a biblical theology), and Invitation to Biblical Theology (a how-to on biblical theology, not systematic theology). Confused yet? Don’t be. It will be ok. We can do this. Enjoy.
A Pair of Pauls: “Paul’s ‘Spirit of Adoption'” and “Paul’s ‘Works of the Law'” (book reviews)
In this article, we have the privilege of offering you a double review. We will be looking at a pair of recent books on the Apostle Paul. First up is “Paul’s ‘Spirit of Adoption’ In Its Roman Imperial Context”, followed by “Paul’s ‘Spirit of Adoption’ in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception.” Enjoy.
Reformed Ethics, vol. 1: Created, Fallen, and Converted Humanity (book review)
Reformed Ethics – Vol. 1 is the first in what will be an eventual 3 Volume set from one of the great rediscovered theologians of the past. Bavinck’s method for thinking through ethics is challenging and helpful. In many sections I found myself driven to worship the God who frees his people from the spirit of slavery, grants them his Spirit of Adoption, and frees them to obey Him out of gratitude.
Book Review — Bavinck – A Critical Biography
In Kingdom Through Covenant – 2nd Edition, Gentry and Wellum have given us a much needed updated to their seminal work on the biblical covenants. Whether one finds their arguments convincing or not, theologians who argue for or against covenant theology or dispensationalism will eventually have to consider the claims made by the authors.
Book Review — Kingdom Through Covenant – 2nd Edition
In Kingdom Through Covenant – 2nd Edition, Gentry and Wellum have given us a much needed updated to their seminal work on the biblical covenants. Whether one finds their arguments convincing or not, theologians who argue for or against covenant theology or dispensationalism will eventually have to consider the claims made by the authors.
Book Review — John Calvin: For a New Reformation
Love him or hate him, John Calvin remains “The Theologian” who is often dismissed, pigeonholed, or lionized without actually being read. In John Calvin: For a New Reformation, editors Derek Thomas and John Tweedale ask us to reconsider Calvin.
Book Review — Carl F.H. Henry – Architect of Evangelicalism and Basics of the Faith
Both Architect of Evangelicalism and Basics of the Faith are significant works, centering around the question of what it means to be an “evangelical.” In them, Henry has given us ample evidence that the best of the evangelical movement stands in the great tradition or orthodox Christianity, while also having much to say to the ultimate needs of modern man.
Book Review — BECNT – Romans: Second Edition
Thomas Schreiner’s updated edition of the BECNT – Romans is a must have resource on Paul’s much cherished and debated letter to the earliest followers of Christ.
Book Review — The Baptists – Vol 1: Beginnings in Britain
The Baptists – Vol 1: Beginnings in Britain is one of the must have works of Baptist history by one of the sharpest Baptist historians the church has been blessed with.
Book Review — Thriving in Grace: Twelve Ways the Puritans Fuel Spiritual Growth
Thriving in Grace is a worthy introduction to the riches that the Puritans have to offer. The authors have a contagious urgency to draw on the many practical helps from Puritan writings.
Book Review — Theoretical-Practical Theology, Vol 2: Faith in the Triune God
Like the proverbial Eskimo with 100 words for snow, Petrus van Mastricht was a theologian with countless ways to describe faith and the Triune God we are called to place our faith in.
Spurgeon: God is Good and God is Sovereign
God is good and sovereign! The following is taken from Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Sermon "A View of God's Glory". The section below was particularly edifying to me (the remaining words are all Spurgeon’s): "Do not be alarmed, my Friends, because I am going to preach...
Book Review — Divine Impassibility: Four Views
The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls takes its title from the Reformation era conviction that justification by faith is the dividing line between the biblical gospel and man-centered efforts to earn favor with God. Matthew Barrett serves as editor and co-author with several significant theologians. In the forward, D.A. Carson writes that nothing is more important than the subject of this massive volume (15). The book is organized into four parts, grouping the chapters by looking at justification according to what the Bible itself teaches, theological perspectives on the doctrine, church history, and pastoral practice.
Book Review — The Whole Christ
The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls takes its title from the Reformation era conviction that justification by faith is the dividing line between the biblical gospel and man-centered efforts to earn favor with God. Matthew Barrett serves as editor and co-author with several significant theologians. In the forward, D.A. Carson writes that nothing is more important than the subject of this massive volume (15). The book is organized into four parts, grouping the chapters by looking at justification according to what the Bible itself teaches, theological perspectives on the doctrine, church history, and pastoral practice.
God’s Unborable Holiness – Part 2
*The following is an adapted excerpt from Before the Throne: Reflections on God’s Holiness by Allen S. Nelson IV (2019). The Gospel of a Holy God The need of every human being is to be reconciled to their holy and good Creator whom they have sinned against, turned...
Book Review — The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls
The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls takes its title from the Reformation era conviction that justification by faith is the dividing line between the biblical gospel and man-centered efforts to earn favor with God. Matthew Barrett serves as editor and co-author with several significant theologians. In the forward, D.A. Carson writes that nothing is more important than the subject of this massive volume (15). The book is organized into four parts, grouping the chapters by looking at justification according to what the Bible itself teaches, theological perspectives on the doctrine, church history, and pastoral practice.
God’s Unborable Holiness – Part 1
*The following is an adapted excerpt from Before the Throne: Reflections on God’s Holiness by Allen S. Nelson IV (2019). No Room for Meh When it comes to responding to the holiness of God we have two options (See Isaiah 6:5 and Revelation 4:8). Woe is me or worthy...
The Star Naming God
I do not claim to be a scientist or mathematician, but I plan to dabble in both these disciplines a bit in this post. I want us to consider a verse in the Psalms about stars with mindblowing implications. The verse is Psalm 147:4 — He determines the number of the...