• Review

    Book Review: Authorized—the Use & Misuse of the King James Bible

    Every so often I try to write a brief book review on a book that interests me. Because I have written in some detail about the King James Version, I was sent Authorized: The Use & Misuse of the King James Bible, written by Mark Ward. Mark received his PhD in NT Interpretation at Bob Jones University, and currently works for Faithlife. He works in a variety of capacities, one of which is being an academic editor for Lexham Press. He also blogs at By Faith We Understand. Authorized is an interesting take on the KJV Only issue because it approaches the issue from an English language perspective. Most books that deal with the KJV deal with mistranslations or inadequate manuscript support. However, the approach in this book is to have a serious discussion about some of the problems of reading the KJV in English. Reading the KJV in English…

  • Review,  Theology

    An Important Primer on Dispensationalism

    Concerning dispensationalism, I have tried to set the record straight by blogging on Beliefs that DON’T Define Dispensationalism and beliefs which all dispensationalists hold to. In keeping with that theme, (and because I know it may be of interest to some), I want to write a brief review of a primer on dispensationalism by Dr. Mike Vlach, entitled Dispensationalism: Essential Beliefs and Common Myths. I have really enjoyed this work, and it was just updated this past March (the previous edition is dated 2008). The updated version includes some additional material, including a significant discussion on the differences between dispensationalism and covenant theology (Chapter 5). What follows is a brief review, and I hope it will be helpful. The biggest complement that I can give the book is that it is easy to read. Both times I read it (2012 and 2017) I read it through in one sitting. It…

  • Review,  Theology

    Book Review: Sons in the Son

    This month I had the opportunity to read Sons in the Son: The Riches and Reach of Adoption in Christ, by David B. Garner. I was first interested in the book because it covers a topic that I have not read much on, and it is a topic that is rarely addressed in depth—our adoption in Christ. About the Author David Garner got his ThM at DTS and his PhD at Westminster. He is now the Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster, and is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). One thing I really appreciate about Garner is his obvious desire to wed good scholarly work with the needs of the Church. He has accomplished this union in the welcome resource, Sons in the Son. Layout of the Book The first thing of note is that for a book on one topic (adoption), the book…

  • New Testament,  Review

    Book Review: The Synoptic Problem

    Recently I had the opportunity to read a new book published in 2016, The Synoptic Problem. The “Synoptic Problem” is a phrase used in NT studies to refer to the comparison of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and examine their relationship. This new book, edited by Stanley Porter and Bryan Dyer, gives an overview of four main views: the Two Source hypothesis, the Farrer hypothesis, the Two Gospel hypothesis, and the Orality and Memory hypothesis. Craig A. Evans writes to present the two source hypothesis, which teaches that Mark was the first gospel written, and Matthew and Luke were literarily dependent upon Mark. This hypothesis also teaches that where Matthew and Luke share the same details that are not mentioned in Mark, they are dependent upon another source, referred to as “Q.” Mark Goodacre writes to represent the Farrer hypothesis. This theory holds that Mark was the first gospel…

  • Review

    Book Review: The Temple and the Tabernacle

    I don’t ever remember learning about the Temple or Tabernacle while growing up. That is not to say it never happened, but if I did, it obviously was not done in a compelling or memorable way. Now, I can honestly say studying the Temple and Tabernacle is definitely something that gives me great joy and excitement. Thus, when I had the opportunity to read The Temple and the Tabernacle, by J. Daniel Hays, I was really excited! The book was published this year (2016) by Baker Books, and is quite impressive in its print quality. Normally I evaluate a book entirely on the basis of its content, but I have to say the quality of the print job (specifically the images within the book) is a step above the competition. This actually makes a big difference since Hays discusses details of the Temple and Tabernacle which are illustrated throughout the…

  • Church,  Review

    Book Review: Shattered Shepherds – Finding Hope in the Midst of Ministry Disaster

    Conflict is inevitable in life. Even for pastors and church leaders, difficulties are not absent. Some shepherds go through such terrible times in their ministries that it is akin to losing a loved one. For the most part there has been a lack of helpful resources for pastors who find themselves in such situations. Steve Swartz’ book Shattered Shepherds fills this gap. Drawing upon Scripture and his own painful experience, pastor Swartz deals with how a church leader ought to deal with the aftermath of a divisive and difficult situation in church. I was privileged to be able to go to seminary with Steve, and I am thankful for this new book which will help many pastors deal with painful issues that they have gone through. I definitely recommend it as a resource for church leaders who feel pained by others in the church. On the other hand, the book…

  • Biblical Languages,  Old Testament,  Review

    Book Review: Learn Biblical Hebrew

    Given my interest in teaching Old Testament subjects, I am always on the lookout for books with which to teach Hebrew. When I saw that John H. Dobson’s Learn Biblical Hebrew had been positively reviewed by Dr. Barrick (one of my own Hebrew teachers), I looked forward to the chance to look it over. There are many positives in the book. First, it is about as close to immersion as you can get through a book. From lesson one, the student is immersed in reading words and phrases. The student is given helpful pronunciation helps along the way. Although this may seem daunting, another help is access to audio pronunciation files at the book’s website. This allows the student to hear professional quality reading of Hebrew words and phrases to aid the pronunciation. Second, the book emphasizes reading the Hebrew Scripture instead of doing a workbook approach. Although workbooks can…

  • Christian Living,  Ethics,  Review

    Book Review: What is the Meaning of Sex?

    This weekend I decided to read a book which was recommended by Al Mohler and Russell Moore entitled, What is the Meaning of Sex, by Denny Burk, published by Crossway. I picked it up from the local library not really knowing much about Denny Burk. Denny Burk is a PhD graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and currently is a professor at Boyce College (the undergraduate program of SBTS). He is an associate pastor in Louisville, KY, and edits The Journal for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood. He also blogs at dennyburk.com. Burk divides the book into eight main sections, bordered by an introduction and conclusion. The outline of the chapters are as follows: Glorify God with Your Body Glorify God with Your Hermeneutic Glorify God with Your Marriage Glorify God with Your Conjugal Union Glorify God with Your Family Planning Glorify God with Your Gender Glorify God with Your Sexuality…