As one studies any book of the Bible, it is always beneficial to include knowledge of the background information of that book. It will always enhance the understanding and appreciation. And, if that book is part of the New Testament, it is highly advantageous to understand how the Old Testament might have influenced the writing of that book. It is also vital to understand that background information can include a wide range of subject areas. This is the point at which Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes is so valuable. This volume explores one aspect of the background information field – the r ..read more

It is seldom that we at The Christian Book Review Blog present books from outside the realm of academic publishing. However, when requested to review Keon Lindsay’s latest, Have You Heard from God Lately: 30 Messages from Heaven to You, we readily accepted. Lindsay is not a biblical scholar in the purest sense. Yet, he has well-respected academic credentials. He is simply a man who loves the Lord, studies the Scriptures with great determination and purpose, and likes to write about what God has taught him. One can easily tell that this book follows that pattern. First a word of reassurance. D ..read more

What is Bible Translation? Do we even think about it when we pick up our Bible and begin to read? Do we even realize how much care and effort has been put into the translation that we hold in our hands? The bottom line is that the translation which we rely on should be reliable. And the way that we get that reliability and confidence is to have knowledge of the translation process. That is exactly what what 40 Questions About Bible Translation does. The book is authored by Mark L. Strauss, PhD, Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary. The list of his scholarly works is voluminous. These ..read more

In many ways, the Apostle Paul is an enigmatic character found in the pages of the New Testament. Almost every Christian knows that his missionary endeavors can be found in the book of Acts and that he wrote approximately half of the New Testament and that he traveled much of the known world to spread the Gospel. Unfortunately, most Christians know only these basic facts about Paul. They know little about his background, the details of his writings and his theology. To the rescue comes 40 Questions About the Apostle Paul. In a most dedicated effort to relieve some of the ambiguity concerning ..read more

How one interprets the Bible determines one’s theology. This cannot be denied. Errant interpretation can quickly lead to an eternity separated from God. And, sadly, most Christians have limited skill in Bible interpretation. Methods of interpretation for most believers encompass a wide spectrum with little consistency. That is why this book, 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, is so vital for every Christian. The volume, now in its second edition, is written by Robert L. Plummer, PhD. Plummer teaches at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is the second edition to which more ..read more

What is your knowledge of the Old Testament? Do you have a grasp on the basics of each of the thirty-nine books included in approximately three-quarters of the Bible? If you are a little light on your facts and principles, here is the perfect book: Exploring the Old Testament Book by Book: An Expository Survey. The volume is part of the John Phillips Commentary Series published by Kregel Academic & Professional, a division of Kregel Publications. There are thirty-six in the series (my count), each one dealing with a book of the Bible or an aspect of Scripture. There are no frivolous volum ..read more

It would not be an exaggeration to state that most Christians have little knowledge concerning how their Bibles came to be. They faithfully accept that the sixty-six books they find in their Bibles are just how they should be. But the question they should be asking is this: How did the Bible come to contain sixty-six books and not 64 or 67 or 70? Or, in the case of our current examination, how did the New Testament in particular wind up with twenty-seven books? That is the question that the authors tackle in 40 Questions About the Text and Canon of the New Testament. This volume is another in ..read more

Have you ever contemplated whether or not God has emotions? Well, whether or not you have, the fact of the matter is He does. And quite a few of them when you do the research. And, that is what this book is all about – a study of the emotions of God and how the believer can relate to those emotions. The book is titled The Emotions of God: Making Sense of a God Who Hates, Weeps, and Loves. (Yes, that’s a mouthful.) It is authored by David T. Lamb (Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford), the Allan A. MacRae Professor of Old Testament and dean of faculty at Missio Seminary (formerly Biblica ..read more

I would surmise it to be a reliable estimation that a small percentage of Christians have much knowledge of the historical books of the Old Testament, in this case specifically 1&2 Kings. And, further, I would feel safe to say that few preachers have ventured into these books for a series of Sunday sermons. This is where the Kerux Commentaries, published by Kregel Ministry, become most valuable. These are commentaries specifically designed and written for preachers and teachers. The one here is 1 & 2 Kings: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. These commentaries do not ge ..read more

What, another book about prayer?! There have been hundreds (perhaps thousands) of books published on the topic of prayer, some classics, some not so much. How is your prayer life? How much do you know about prayer? Do you have questions about prayer? If these are questions you have, a most worthwhile volume has arrived. It’s one you don’t want to miss. Kregel Academic has just published another volume in its 40 Questions series. 40 Questions about Prayer may be the most practical one yet. It is chock-full of down-to-earth questions and answers on the subject of prayer. While other volumes wit ..read more