October 29, 2016 at 2:01 pm | Posted in pastors, Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,

christ-all-sufficient

Book Review

Christ All Sufficient, An Exposition of Colossians by Brian G. Hedges

This is a new work, published in 2016 to add to the list of commentaries on Colossians. The author is the pastor of a local church and writes with that perspective in mind. As you read through the commentary you will see that this author is also a scholar.

Even though in the introduction Hedges claims that this is not a technical commentary, he says that he has benefited from the scholarship of others (pp. 15-16). He makes good use of endnotes and gives the reader a very good Selected Bibliography. The bibliography will give you an idea of some good commentaries to buy and use.

The outline will help students of Colossians as they study through the book. The theme of Christ being all sufficient for the believer is upheld throughout its pages. It is easy to read, understand and apply the truth from its pages.

Reading through the commentary you will find a textual approach with insight into the meaning of what is being said and how it applies. It’s almost as if you are reading his sermons on Colossians. That is a good thing.

Pastors will find this a good addition to their libraries because it will offer a practical balance to technical, scholarly works. I personally benefited from it and wish I had it in my library while I was preaching through the book of Colossians.

I received this book for free for review purposes from http://www.crossfocusedreviews.com and was not required to give a favorable review. I give the book four stars out of five. Buy a copy for yourself and buy one for your pastor.

Book Review

December 21, 2012 at 4:08 pm | Posted in Book Reviews | 2 Comments
Tags: , , ,

RUTH, From Bitter to Sweet by John Currid

This book arrived in a pdf form first and I slowly began going through it while waiting for the book to arrive. I make no apologies for being a book person. I use and like my Kindle and have read other books in pdf form on my laptop but there is nothing like holding a book in your hands. Plus I like to write, underline and high light in my books.

This book was published by EP Books (www.epbooks.org) and came to me from Cross Focused Media (www.crossfocusedmedia.com). When beginning a book I go to the table of contents and the bibliography first. The table of contents reveals that the study will be divided among thirteen chapters. The author sees five main sections to the book of Ruth.

Part 1: Setting the scene (1:1-5)

Part 2: Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-law (1:6-22)

Part 3: In the fields of Bethlehem (2:1-23)

Part 4: The scene at the threshing floor (3:1-18)

Part 5: Redemption (4:1-22)

The author’s breakdown of the book and outline are pretty good. I was looking forward to getting started. Now my personal complaint is that there is no bibliography and he uses end notes instead of footnotes. I prefer footnotes over endnotes anytime. I was surprised that there was no bibliography. Those are my personal preferences and do not take away from the book.

In each chapter the author takes some Scripture and explains its meaning. Then he closes the chapters with “Points to Ponder.” I like the way he does this. The Points to Ponder are pretty good and the reader will find some truth to apply in their lives.

Overall I liked this commentary. It would make a good gift for your pastor. I am passing it on to our Women’s Sunday School class teacher to look over. I have talked with her about it and asked her to consider using it in her class during the Spring Quarter of 2013. The thirteen chapters lend themselves to being used in a Sunday School class or small group. I would recommend it being used in either situation. Yes, I did ask for the book back when she is finished looking it over. It will go on my shelf for future use.

I received this book for free and was not asked for a favorable review.

Book Review: A Study Commentary on 1 Kings

November 30, 2012 at 2:53 pm | Posted in Book Reviews | 2 Comments
Tags: , , , , ,

A Study Commentary on 1 Kings by John A. Davies

The chance to review this book was quite appealing to me. For one, it was a commentary and they are not usually available to review. Second, it was on a book of the Old Testament that I have read many times and preached some sermons from. Third, I figured I would use it again in the future as I studied or prepared sermons and teaching lessons. So I was looking forward to receiving this commentary.

When I pick up a commentary for the first time I usually look at the table of contents and the bibliography first. Maybe I should say I look at them carefully. Everyone does not start there but that is where I start.

When glancing through the table of contents the reader will notice that every chapter of 1 Kings is covered by its own chapter of study in the commentary. The chapters are studied verse by verse. Definitions and explanations are given to help the student understand the Scripture. The chapters are broken into sections of Scripture. Each section ends with suggested ideas of application.

End notes are used and I am not a big fan of end notes. There are approximately 21 pages of end notes after 1 Kings 22 is covered. The author has certainly done his homework and the reader will benefit from it.

The second thing I look at when considering a study book is the bibliography. This bibliography is approximately 20 pages long. I was quite impressed by the breadth of the author’s research. I am not a scholar, but I am a pastor who is currently working on a doctorate and I appreciate the work that has gone into this volume. The author’s work will benefit the reader.

The following quote is from the preface. “While aimed primarily at pastors and students, the commentary should be of benefit to the general reader who wants to understand better the character of this portion of Scripture — its literary subtlety and surprising theological richness” (p. 9). I do believe this work would be of value to pastors and teachers. It will help them study 1 Kings and complement what may already be in their library.

I do not think the average person who attends church will even pick this book up and look at let alone read it. The subject and the 464 pages would probably frighten them. The only real criticism I have is that my review copy came in pdf form and not an actual book that I could put on my shelf. I do recommend this commentary to pastors and teachers. I received this book for free for review purposes without obligation to give a favorable review.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.