Talk Thru the Bible

Talk Thru the Bible
Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa
Nelson Reference & Electronic
Published in 2002
ISBN: 9780785212218

Review by Ryan Ho

First, a quick explanation: my goal for this book review blog is to examine and evaluate the latest books available in the Christian market, introducing new titles that may not yet have much exposure. Talk Thru the Bible can hardly be considered a new book. However, I am such a fan of this title that I absolutely must mention it here.

Wilkinson and Boa’s Talk Thru the Bible is a compilation of material from Talk Thru the Old Testament and Talk Thru the New Testament. In it, the authors study and summarize each book of the Bible with simple-to-read charts, illustrations, and outlines. Every chapter begins by introducing the book–issues such as author, date, setting, theme and purpose are all summarily examined. The chapter then outlines key words, verses, and chapters from the book–a helpful tool for grasping the message of the book. Next, the authors explain how the biblical book relates to Christ and to the rest of the Bible, features that I deeply appreciated and something that I found useful for connecting the text to ministry. The chapter next moves into a survey of the book, breaking the text into broad sections in order to help the reader understand the book’s flow. Finally, the chapter ends with a detailed outline of the book.

As students of the Bible, we have a tendency to delve extraordinarily deep into the Word, dissecting each individual chapter, verse, and word of the biblical text. Certainly there is a place for this sort of examination, and without such a concentrated evaluation we would overlook a great deal of truth. If that is our only method of Bible study, however, we can easily miss the main point of the biblical author. Talk Thru the Bible enables a Bible student to understand how those pieces fit together. When used in conjunction with other Bible tools, Talk Thru the Bible is an invaluable resource and, in my opinion, should have a place on the study shelf of every serious Bible student.

 

The Reason for God

The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism
Timothy Keller
Penguin Group
Published in 2008
ISBN: 9780525950493

Review by Mike Meiser

If you are looking for a book that will inform you on how to make a defense of your Christian faith to a secular world, look no further than Timothy Keller’s The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Mr. Keller’s book is the ultimate apologetic defense that will appeal to not only the scholar but also the layman. His writing style is clear and concise, and the way in which he presents information is easy to understand. However, even in light of its simplicity, it remains intellectually compelling.

Mr. Keller’s book is divided into two parts. The first part is concerned with showing why a secular worldview is as much if not more of a “leap of faith” as that of a religious one. He completes this task by debunking many of the most popular arguments against the conservative, Evangelical worldview. The arguments covered include such topics as Christianity’s exclusive nature, the problem of evil and suffering, God’s love vs. God’s wrath, religion and science, and the authority of the Scripture.

The second part of the book is concerned with making positive arguments for the validity of an Evangelical worldview. His arguments are of two sorts, historical and existential. These arguments range from Christianity’s explanatory superiority over other worldviews for making sense of our everyday experiences to the historical validity of the resurrection of Christ. I found his arguments to be quite compelling and encouraging to my faith.

I highly recommend The Reason for God to anyone who is interested in gaining a greater understanding of how to engage the contemporary, postmodern mind. It is very evident that Mr. Keller understands the present condition of the Western mind, and he has taken steps to engage that mind in an active dialogue. He understands that many of our arguments have become stale and outdated; however, Tim Keller has shown that one does not have to compromise traditional beliefs in order to appeal to modern minds.

 

 

An Old Testament Theology

An Old Testament Theology
Bruce Waltke
Zondervan Publishing Co.
Grand Rapids, MI
ISBN: 9780310218975

Review by Kevin Stern

In An Old Testament Theology, Bruce Waltke builds a method and model for doing Biblical theology. He divides the book into three parts: Introduction, which presents the method; Primary History, which discusses the historical narrative (Genesis-Nehemiah); and Other Writings, which includes prophecy, wisdom literature, and Ruth.

The introduction develops Waltke’s exegetical method of approaching his topic–God establishing his kingdom for the hallowing of his name. Within the first section, Waltke discusses hermeneutics, narrative, and literature, as well as his beginning assumption. This was as helpful as the core content itself. The remained of the work is a masterpiece of Biblical exposition. Each unit of material (e.g. The Gift of the Cosmos) is developed individually.

I began reading this book by dipping into individual sections as I needed information, but Waltke’s engaging writing left me always wanting to check out the next section. I finally gave in and began reading it cover to cover. The 1000+ pages seemed to sail by, giving me a new understanding of the Old Testament. Whether you use An Old Testament Theology as a reference tool or simply look to it for a good read, this book belongs in your library.

 

To the Jew First

To the Jew First
Edited by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser
Kregel Publications
Grand Rapids, MI
ISBN: 9780825436581

Review by Ryan Ho

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV).

To the Jew First is a comprehensive look at the biblical, theological, historical, and practical basis for Jewish evangelism. The book features a number of leading theologians from a range of theological views, including Dallas Theological Seminary’s Dr. Bock and Dr. Burns.

To the Jew First breaks itself down into three major sections. In Part One, “Bible,” the writers examine the meaning and application of the Bible in regard to Israel and Jewish evangelism. Part Two, “Theology,” engages the various issues regarding Israel’s future and Jewish evangelism from a variety of theological perspectives. In Part Three, “Mission,” the authors discuss the practical outworking of the theology discussed throughout the book in relation to Jewish missions in the new millennium.

If you have every wondered about the meaning of Paul’s phrase “to the Jew first” or longed to understand more about Jewish evangelism, then To the Jew First is a book worth checking out.

 

Archaeological Study Bible

NIV Archaeological Study Bible
Zondervan Publishing Co.
Grand Rapids, MI
ISBN: 9780310926054 (Hardcover)

Review by Ryan Ho

It’s not terribly difficult to find a Study Bible these days. New Study Bibles are published constantly, creating a wide selection on the market. Unfortunately, many of the newer Study Bibles only repeat what was said in the older ones, and it can be difficult to find a Study Bible with fresh material.

The Archaeological Study Bible, thankfully, is one of those fresh Bibles. A collaboration between Zondervan Publishing Company and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, this Study Bible is an absolutely excellent resource. If you are looking for something with new, interesting information, this is a Bible that you have to check out.

Translation-wise, the Archaeological Study Bible uses the ever-popular New International Version. The Bible itself is beautiful; every illustration and photograph is printed in full color, and the single-column format of the Bible makes it very, very readable. The Bible is filled with over 500 articles, covering five general categories: Archaeological Sites; Cultural and Historical Notes; Ancient Peoples, Lands and Rulers; The Reliability of the Bible; and Ancient Texts and Artifacts. There lots of other great features included as well, such as additional study notes on the bottom of each page, detailed book introductions, lots of charts and graphs, and side-column cross references. Overall, this Bible has a ton of useful and insightful information that will help clarify and explain much of what you are reading.

This Bible’s extra information won’t answer every question that exists, and it skips over a lot of issues that other Study Bibles deal extensively with (for a great example of a “typical” Study Bible, check out the Quest Study Bible). While I probably would never recommend this Bible to a new believer, this Bible is invaluable for those who have been in the church for some time and are seeking to deepen both their knowledge of the Bible and their relationship with the Lord. The Archaeological Study Bible is, in my opinion, a must-have for anyone serious about learning more about the culture and the context of the Bible.

 

Reader’s Greek and Hebrew Bibles

 

A Reader’s Greek New Testament Second Edition, ISBN: 9780310273783
A Reader’s Hebrew Bible, ISBN: 9780310269748
Zondervan Publishing Co.
Grand Rapids, MI

Review by Ryan Ho

As Th.M. students at Dallas Theological Seminary, we spend a lot of time working with the Greek and Hebrew languages. Because of that, we’re always looking for new tools and new texts that minimize our workload. Zondervan’s two new Bibles, A Reader’s Greek New Testament and A Reader’s Hebrew Bible, are two of the newest and most popular language texts available today.

A Reader’s Hebrew Bible includes the complete text of the Hebrew and Aramaic Bible using the Westminster Leningrad Codex (4.4). It includes footnoted glosses (derived from HALOT and BDB) of all Hebrew words occurring one hundred times or less, as well as stem-specific glosses for verb forms such as Qal, Piel, and Hiphil. Ketib/Qere readings are both noted in the text and differentiated appropriately.

Similarly, A Reader’s Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition, includes footnoted definitions of all Greek words occuring 30 times or less. The Bible includes a mini-lexicon of all words occurring more than 30 times as well as footnotes offering comparisons with UBS4.

As noted on both Bibles, the footnotes eliminate the need to look up definitions and therefore allow the user to read the Greek text more quickly and to focus on parsing and grammatical issues. Both Bibles feature a handsome Italian Duo-Tone binding. If you’re working with either the Greek or the Hebrew texts at all, you need to pick up these Bibles today!

 

 

Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation

Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation

Edited by William C. Placher
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Grand Rapids, MI
Published in 2005
ISBN: 978802829276

Review by Kelly Stern

What are you going to do with your degree? Wish you had a dollar for every time someone has asked you that question? Even first year students face it and if you’re a graduating student, the interrogation only intensifies. What do you want to do with your life? How will you serve God? Where will you go?

Some students seem to come to DTS with a sure-fire answer. They feel “called” to a specific ministry, people group and/or a geographic location. Whether this “calling” lasts the length of the program or is actualized or not, I envy the confidence of those words, “I feel called to …” Torn between wanting a “calling” yet not wanting the pressure of the possibility of the failure of it, I wonder at the reality of such “callings”. Does God usually speak to his children this way? If so, why haven’t all of us heard from Him so unequivocally. Is being “called” to do this or that just part of our Christian jargon or are some people genuinely “called?”

The budding church historian in me delighted to find a book that promised to address my questions. Callings edited by William C. Placher promised Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Imagine that! My discussions with present day saints has yet to shed much light on this issue for me but surely, the men and women from throughout the history of the church would enlighten me. From Ignatius of Antioch in the first century through Karl Barth in the twentieth, I would read about their “calling” from God.

Dr. Placher arranged his selections on vocation by era and included insightful introductions to each. In section one on the Early Church, Callings to a Christian Life, Placher included writings from well known early Christians such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian and Augustine in addition to the less familiar—Perpetua, Macrina, and Palladius. Section two on vocation in the Middle Ages, Called to Religious Life, presented another mix of men and women: John Cassian, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Mechtild of Magdeburg, Christine de Pisan, Joan of Arc and others. The third section focused on the idea of vocation after the Reformation through 1800, Every Work a Calling. Luther, Calvin, Loyola, Bunyan, Edwards and Wesley are represented here as well as Teresa of Avila, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz and the great poet, George Herbert. Placher concludes in section four with Christian Callings in a Post-Christian World. Kierkegaard, Newman, Dostoevsky, Bonhoeffer, Sayers, Merton, Barth and others speak to the issue of calling in these pages.

As I finished the last words of Barth on page 443, I realized I was no further on the road to knowing what should I do with my life. I had faced martyrdom with Perpetua, withdrawn to the desert with Antony, reasoned with Thomas Aquinas, led an army with Joan of Arc, seen God in His glorious creation with Jonathan Edwards and considered the cost of discipleship with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Along the way (somewhere in the Middle Ages probably), I stopped looking at what these amazing men and women of faith did for the Kingdom of God and began to reflect on why they did it. That shift in my mind and heart overflowed the well of my passion to be of service to God. In 2008, I can’t do what they did but I can share in their reason for doing it.

In the Early Church, men and women were called to the Christian life in the face of persecution and martyrdom. Perpetua, a young North African woman, still nursing a baby at her breast in prison, remained committed to her calling against the angry pleas of her father. She asked him if a vase could be called by any other name than what it was and he answered, no. Perpetua responded, “Well, so too I cannot be called anything other than what I am, a Christian.” Soon afterward, she died by the sword of a gladiator guided to her throat by her own hand.

When someone asks you what you are going to do after you finish at DTS, maybe you should answer them with why you want to do something for God.