The following review was submitted to me by Don Palmer, Sr. Pastor of Forest Brook Community Church, just east of Toronto, Canada. I am very grateful for Don's perspective and help with reviewing some of the books sent to us. I have already enjoyed discussing this review with Don. He represents a slightly different perspective on the issue of biblical manhood and womanhood than I do, but having the opportunity to discuss issues like this with brethren is in keeping with the aim of this website.

I hope that you have heard of this fairly new book and/or already own a copy. If not, I recommend it to you.

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Selvaggio, Anthony. A Proverbs Driven Life: Timeless Wisdom for Your Words, Work, Wealth, and Relationships. Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd Press, 2008. Paperback, 201 pp.

Preview Chapter 1 - Proverbs: For a Life of Wisdom

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Teaching from Proverbs that Points to Christ.

Many Christians today view guidance as something mysterious or even hidden. By way of contrast, however, God does not leave us to grope in the dark when it comes to knowing how to live as He intended us to live. He has given us his Word for our protection and instruction. But too many times we choose to follow our own wisdom. In A Proverbs Driven Life, Anthony Selvaggio explores what the Bible teaches regarding six common issues.

Part One: Foundations
A Proverbs driven Life values wise living and wise speech as essential and inseparable.

Part Two: Work
A Proverbs driven Life practices a faithful work ethic and faithful ethics at work.

Part Three: Wealth
A Proverbs driven Life understands the place and purpose of material wealth.

Part Four: Friends
A Proverbs driven Life knows that friendship is intended to be redemptive.

Part Five: Marriage
A Proverbs driven Life embraces marriage as the most significant of relationships and guards it jealously.

Part Six: Children
A Proverbs driven Life accepts the calling to raise children as a task delegated and directed by God.

Based on the title, one may expect that A Proverbs Driven Life teaches a person how to live his life and make decisions based on several specific proverbs that speak to his current dilemma. That is not what Selvaggio encourages. I will not go into the details of each chapter, but an understanding of the foundations of Selvaggio’s book will provide a general idea for the organization of each chapter. In "Foundations," Selvaggio explains that there is a right way and a wrong way to read Proverbs.

Proverbs is not a collection of simplistic formulas for guaranteed success. Nor is it intended as a means to back-test and explain difficulties or moral failures. Rather, Proverbs offers us future-oriented wisdom and guidance so we can make wise decisions and live in ways that please and exalt God…Perhaps the most common error when studying a proverb is to read into it more than it is actually saying. (p. 17)

To avoid reading too much into a proverb, Selvaggio suggests that the reader use basic logic, not read any proverb in isolation, do not put God on your timetable, and do make God the goal of your obedience. Finally, Selvaggio encourages believers to read God’s Word with a desire “to uncover the many connections to Christ” (p. 20). He marks four connections in Proverbs: Jesus lived wisdom, Jesus is wisdom, Jesus is the way of wisdom, and Jesus supplies wisdom.

In each chapter, Selvaggio employs the aforementioned principles as he teaches how our words, wealth, work, friendships, marriage, and parenting can become Proverbs driven for the glory of God. For each topic he references several relevant scriptures from both testaments. I appreciated this aspect of the book because Selvaggio pulled together scriptures that I had not considered side-by-side. Because he always relates the proverb back to Jesus, each chapter is intended to encourage and remind the reader of God’s abundant mercy and grace. I found it enlightening and fun to read.

Selvaggio points out early on that memorizing a few Proverbs for specific situations will not achieve the goal of living a life that pleases God. He writes,

Proverbs is not a reference book to pull off the shelf when you are stumped by life’s difficulties. It is not a set of pat answers to cookie-cutter challenges. Instead, it guides and empowers us to discover answers for ourselves by virtue of having gained wisdom through diligent application. (p. 24)

The practical points for applying wisdom to everyday life are invaluable for more reasons than just because they are right. Learning to walk according to the wisdom of God will result in deeper intimacy with God and eternal blessings. Indeed, “the end of wisdom is God himself.”

Because it is fun and easy to read, I think this is an ideal book to share with any young couples who have started to be parents or Christian believers who are relatively young in the faith. However, I can also recommend this book for anyone wishing to understand better how to read and apply biblical wisdom.

My only critique would be that is tends towards a very conservative view on husband-wife relationships, with a very strong sense of the man as the "head" and the wife as the "follower". The author is a Reformed Presbyterian pastor and hence quotes often from older Puritan writers. This can be okay to a point, if he balances it out with more modern authors. However, one thing the reader cannot complain about is he is very biblical and seeks to root all of his advice on texts of Scripture.

Don Palmer lives in Toronto, is the Sr. Pastor of Forest Brook Community Church, and is completing MDiv studies through Tyndale College & Seminary.

One of the fears I have had concerning investing in a digital library is what to do if my computer crashes. Would this mean that I would loose all of my investment? Would I have a hard time transferring my licenses from the dead computer to the new one? Would I have to wait for returned calls or emails from customer service?

Well a few months ago the mother board on my computer crashed. Thankfully it wasn't the hard drive, but, still, the new computer would not read the old hard drive. I found a way to transfer most of my files, but I've had to reinstall the extra programs I use. This evening I decided to go ahead and reinstall my Logos Bible Software (Scholar's Library) onto my new computer.

IT WAS A BREEZE!

Wow! I was told not to worry about this, and sure enough everything went smoothly. If I understand this correctly, the key was synchronizing my licenses with the Libronix server (Go to Tools > Account Management). Since I am an "existing user" I requested my Customer ID and Confirmation Number via email. An email arrived in my Inbox within seconds. Attached to the email were simple instructions and an update file. I downloaded the file per the instructions, clicked on the file to activate the Update software, and was ready to go in less than a minute. Fantastic!

The best part about reinstalling the software was that I chose to deselect many of the volumes I consider to be extraneous. Now I'll test it to see if paring down the library helps to increase some of the searching speed.

One set I'm keeping an eye on and would like to eventually add to my digital library is the following:

• The Essential IVP Reference Collection Version 3

Which other sets would you recommend for a digital library? I'm interested in volumes and/or collections that might be used often, are affordable, and that would be more useful in a digital library than taking up real estate on a bookshelf.

Keith Mathison of Ligonier Ministries has reviewed the three major Bible study software programs: BibleWorks, Logos, and Accordance. This morning Keith posted a summary and comparison of all three. What matters most when considering which of these three packages will be best for you is to consider the type of Bible study you do on a regular basis, the depth of that Bible study (devotional, for SS, for preaching, or for scholarly research), and how comfortable you are with doing your study on a computer (even PC or Mac).

I was given a copy of the Logos Scholar's Library, the smallest of the three Scholar's packages (compare them all here), in order to use and review, but I have hesitated to do so because of mixed feelings. I love the idea of a digital library and the possibilities of doing detailed searches, but after working at a computer all day long I find it difficult to sit and read via a computer screen in the evenings. Even with all of the search capabilities available, I love to sit in my library surrounded by real books, pulling them from the shelves, piling them up on my desks, thumbing through them, underlining and marking them up. The physical actions of handling them, turning their pages, and bookmarking them helps me to retain more of what I study. I realize that you can do similar tasks on the computer, but I find that the process of digging allows for more time to think and process information. Of course, a lot of this has to do with me and my circumstances, so I want to resist denigrating the value of the Logos Bible Study software. It truly is remarkable, and those willing to spend the time using this software will greatly benefit from it!

I have not used Bibleworks or Accordance, so I appreciated Keith's comments without being able to relate them to my own experience. On the other hand, I really appreciated his evaluation of Logos because it highlights some of my own concerns. Here are his comments:

LOGOS

Logos is strong in terms of the sheer number of resources it makes available. There are over 700 resources on the Scholar's Library Gold version that I reviewed. Logos is also the only program that currently has any kind of syntax search capability for the original languages. The Logos interface is one of the most intuitive of the three. It resembles a basic website interface. The amount and kind of resources is very helpful. To be able to do a search and see results in original language resources, commentaries, sermon illustration books, etc. is a strong point.

The main weakness of Logos is the cost. Even with the available discounts, the high price could be out of the reach of many pastors and seminary students who are trying to make ends meet. The other weakness of Logos is a byproduct of one of its strengths - namely the large number of resources. In the first place, most users will probably find a large number of these resources to be extraneous. Second, the large number of resources slows down searches - sometimes dramatically.

I heartily concur with the issue of cost as a weakness. With the rapid growth of digital readers and free research software online, the idea of re-purchasing digital copies of books I already own is difficult to swallow. The idea of purchasing new digital books at prices higher than printed copies is likewise difficult to justify (even though there are extra features included in the digital copies). It's the penny-pincher in me (along with the limited budget).

Most digital books are sold in packages which truly does allow for greater discounts, however, packages tend to be expensive. As opposed to purchasing books by the 10s of dollars, you have to consider purchasing packages by the 100s of dollars. The cumbersome nature of software packages along with the extraneous resources and slow search speeds is a disappointment. This is why I found the old Online Bible programs to be frustrating; they included a lot of resources that I never used, however their presence drastically slowed down the speed of the program.

Well, I probably should defer to the testimony of those who are far more experienced with these software packages than myself. I recommend to you the following reviews:

• Keith Mathison - BibleWorks
• Keith Mathison - Logos
• Keith Mathison - Accordance
• Andrew D. Naselli - Logos Scholar's Library Gold
• Andrew D. Naselli - PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC (three NT commentary series)
• Andrew D. Naselli - Anchor Yale Bible commentary series (84 vols.)
• 
  

Michael Bird's Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message (IVP, 2008) really is a helpful and enjoyable introduction to Paul. Bird is young, very well-read, articulate, and witty. This book is not intended to replace some of the larger and more scholarly works on Paul, but rather to introduce the beginner to the broad strokes of Paul's ministry, letters and theology.

This past weekend, as I was studying for a SS lesson introducing 2 Timothy, I picked up Introducing Paul once again and thumbed though it looking to see how he introduced this Pauline letter or to see if he dealt with Pauline ethic. I found that he does, indeed, write about Pauline ethics. This was found in chapter 9 which is titled "Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel: The Ethics of Paul" (pp. 134-60). Although he did not interact with the material in 2 Timothy as I had hoped (primarily because much of this can be dealt with in the larger letters), I found this chapter to be spiritually edifying. After reading this chapter and seeing the title to the final chapter, "Gospelizing 101: Paul's Spirituality," I couldn't resist reading on. I had to find out how he defined "gospelizing."

To my delight this chapter was worth every minute spent in it and every successive minute spent meditating upon its contents. This short chapter is packed and not a word is wasted. According to Bird, gospelization is "beginning to reflect in one's life the realities the gospel endeavours to create" (p. 162). What I appreciated most about this chapter is his introduction to the terms cruciformity and anastasity. Bird borrows cruciformity from M. J. Gorman (see also here and more recently here) and adds to it Paul's emphasis on new life, or as Bird terms it, anastasity. This emphasis accords perfectly with what I had been studying in 2 Timothy. Paul's final "trustworthy saying" begins,

If we have died with him, we will also live with him (italics mine).

Paul beautifully summarizes the gospel in terms of death and resurrection.

I wholeheartedly agree with Bird when he argues that not the cross alone, but the cross and the resurrection of Jesus are central to the gospel. Cruciformity is "to be shaped in accord with the cross of Christ" (p. 162) and anastasity is "to be made alive by the power of Christ's resurrection" (p. 166).

I've not had the opportunity to read Gorman's take on cruciformity, but since I was made aware of his books on this topic I have been very interested in learning more. The term is new and the truth is old, but the beauty of new categories is that they help us to reconsider old truths that may have become obscure to us. I have enjoyed meditating on these new terms! I recommend Bird's book on Paul and especially the use of these two excellent new terms.

This week, the mail delivered a few more interesting books from IVP Books. First was In the Beginning God: Creation, Culture, and the Spiritual Life by Marva J. Dawn(IVP, 2009) . Second, was Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional by Jim Belcher with a forward by Richard Mouw (IVP, 2009) . I've only briefly browsed these titles, so I am not ready to comment on them. However, a third book arrived today that I was thrilled to receive: How to Read Exodus by Tremper Longman III (IVP Academic, 2009) .

How to Read Exodus is the fourth in a series on interpretive strategies to reading the OT. A few years ago I found great help in Longman's How to Read the Psalms (IVP, 1988). I would love to see this volume revised and updated. Since this initial volume, Longman has written similar works on the books of Proverbs (2002) and Genesis (2005).

Longman is an excellent guide when it comes to responsible, evangelical scholarship, especially in the OT. To begin with, Longman's Old Testament Commentary Survey (4th ed. Baker Academic, 2007) is superb. His An Introduction to the Old Testament (2nd ed. Zondervan, 2006) also comes highly recommended and has enjoyed extensive use in evangelical seminaries. Beyond these volumes Longman has written excellent commentaries on various OT books such as Ecclesiastes (NICOT, 1997), Daniel (NIVAC, 1999), Song of Songs (NICOT, 2001), Proverbs (BCOTWP, 2006), Jeremiah & Lamentations (NIBC, 2008), and Psalms (EBC, rev. ed., 2008).

I've already begun to dig into How to Read Exodus and have been enjoying and benefiting from it. This small volume is divided into five parts with two useful appendices ("Who Wrote the Book of Exodus?" and "Commentaries on the Book of Exodus"). The five divisions are as follows:

1. Reading Exodus with a Strategy
2. Reading Exodus as Literature
3. Reading Exodus as History in its Historical Context
4. Reading Exodus as God's Story
5. Reading Exodus as a Christian

The book concludes with Author, Subject, and Scripture indices.

Take a peek inside and read chapter 1: Understanding the Book of "Departure."

I will admit that I have on occasion thought that living in the days of heroes of the past might be much preferred to living in these days. I recall telling this to someone who had been a great influence upon me with regard to reading the classic commentators and theologians. To my surprise, he frowned at my idea. His polite response opened my eyes to my foolishness. Douglas Sweeney, in Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word: A Model of Faith and Thought (IVP, 2009), offers similar advice that would have been a great help to me.

The task that faces those who would look to Edwards for help today is not to search for a time machine that we can use to live in his world, but to live in our world thoughtfully, appreciatively and lovingly, and to ask ourselves how we can apply his insights in our time. What can we do in our own world to draw attention tot he Word, enhance the ministries of the church and deepen faith in the things of God? What can be done to encourage Christians to pay attention to the divine, thinking biblically, theologically, about their daily lives? (p. 31)

I've only begun to dig into this book. So far, it has been excellent.

Check it out: Announcement & Endorsements.

Purchase:

The following review was submitted to me by Don Palmer, Sr. Pastor of Forest Brook Community Church, just east of Toronto, Canada. I am very grateful for Don's perspective and help with reviewing some of the books sent to us. I, too, have enjoyed and benefited from this book and commend his comments to you.

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Michael Haykin & Kenneth Stewart, eds. The Advent of Evangelicalism: Exploring Historical Continuities. Forward by Timothy George. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2008, Paperback 432 pp.

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At first glance Haykin and Stewart’s edited analytical essays on David Bebbington’s 1989 work, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1960s, is rather daunting. But moving into the various analyses from a selection of different scholars’ perspectives proved both profitable and interesting.

Now, some twenty years after publication, Bebbington’s work is considered a classic. His study and analysis of evangelical movement, thought and doctrine as influenced by Enlightenment philosophy is considered by some a “seminal study of great importance.” Because of the importance of Bebbington’s study a second look is worthwhile. Thus Haykin and Stewart’s edited volume is both timely and valuable. Every contributor goes to great lengths to examine various aspects of Bebbington’s thesis. Did evangelicalism begin in the mid-eighteenth century? Just how influential, if at all, were Enlightenment philosophers on Christian theology and practice? Can the evangelical movement truly be characterized by Bebbington’s “quadralateral” elements: biblicist, conversionist, cruciform, and activist?

These and other issues are brought to the forefront for analysis as each contributor examines one or more of the elements and attempts to answer the question: Did evangelicalism begin in the mid-eighteenth century and can it be typified by these four elements? The manner in which each contributor approached his topic proved interesting and fully worthwhile both from a historical standpoint but also from a theological perspective. Each contributor assists in bringing precision to Bebbington’s thesis, but, even more so, gives sharper focus to the time period and preceding factors.

To answer these questions and bring precision to the issue, The Advent of Evangelicalism is very nicely organized into four sections (it’s own “quadralateral” if you will): an Introduction, geographical/regional perspectives, an analysis of eras, and finally a doctrinal (or theological) analysis of evangelicalism. In each case the contributor is quite thorough, given the subject limitations, in his analysis providing copious quotations and bibliographical references. Thus, we’re given a broad viewpoint of the evangelical movement both synchronically and diachronically. This was very helpful in that the reader is given a better understanding of the evangelical movement not only in a particular country but also throughout time.

The main theme in Bebbington’s work was that Enlightenment thought and its philosophers heavily influenced evangelicals. Of particular interest was the contributor’s discussion on theological diversity and continuity within the period and their understanding of thought and theology as it related to the Enlightenment. This discussion was very beneficial to those of us who normally do not study the movement or evolution of theological thought from one century to another. Most helpful was the analysis of various denominational distinctions and how they may or may not have been influenced by enlightenment ideas. For example John Coffey notes that the differences were more a matter of “degree” and “even the politics of evangelicalism owed much to Puritanism.”

The Advent of Evangelicalism gives us a better understanding of ecclesiastical history not only during the 18th century but also of the time leading up to it. Examining the subject from a broader chronological perspective, regional differences, and theological standpoints was very beneficial. But, in another sense, the work is also comforting. The reader is given a better understanding that historically and theologically evangelicalism’s roots are not necessarily tainted with humanistic Enlightenment as we may be led to believe. Rather, the roots from which evangelicals are born are from sound theological thought emanating from centuries prior as the Holy Spirit worked in and through his Church in time and events.

Don Palmer lives in Toronto, is the Sr. Pastor of Forest Brook Community Church, and is completing MDiv studies through Tyndale College & Seminary.

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I've been reading through D.A. Carson's book, Showing the Spirit, as part of my preparation for a Sunday School series I'm teaching on 1 Corinthians 12-14. Carson is very helpful in this passage of Scripture, as he is in other passages he has addressed. The section at the end of his comments on 1 Corinthians 13:13 caught my eye, and I thought I'd share it.

Two centuries ago, Jonathan Edwards probed the question as to what makes the church like heaven. His answer: it is love. The church's manifestation in time of the glories that are yet to come is not accomplished in the gift of tongues, nor even in prophecy, giving, teaching. It is accomplished in love. One day all the charismatics who know the Lord and all the noncharismatics who know the Lord will have nothing to fight over; for the so-called charismatic gifts will have forever passed. At that point, both of these groups of believers will look back and thoughtfully contemplate the fact that what connects them with the world they have left behind is not the gift of tongues, nor animosity toward the gift of tongues, but the love they sometimes managed to display toward each other despite the gift of tongues. The greatest evidence that heaven has invaded our sphere, that the Spirit has been poured out upon us, that we are citizens of a kingdom not yet consummated, is Christian love.

(pp. 75-76)

This reminds me of what our Lord said in John 13:35—"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." It's easy to allow our gifts or learning to take center stage in our ministries, but the sine qua non is love. Without love we are nothing and our best efforts are meaningless noise. With love we can be a visible connection to eternity.

D.A. Carson. Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1987)

The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum and Charles L. Quarles (B&H Academic, August 2009) is now available for purchase at the Westminster Bookstore.






Other books by Dr. Köstenberger that come highly recommended are as follows:

John (BECNT) by Köstenberger, Andreas J. $31.49

Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John's Gospel (New Studies in Biblical Theology) (Paperback) by Köstenberger, Adreas & Scott R. Swain $14.52

Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission (New Studies in Biblical Theology Vol 11) (Paperback) by Köstenberger, Andreas $16.38

Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 by Köstenberger, Andreas J. $20.80

This week Crossway is highlighting Suffering and the Sovereignty of God edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor. The quotes below remind me of the maxim of Gregory of Nazianzus, "The unassumed is the unhealed."

Why does suffering exist? How does it advance the mission of the church? How does God’s grace enter suffering? What is the role of hope when things look utterly hopeless?

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God is written to the white-robed army of martyrs “…until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete.” Editors John Piper and Justin Taylor along with a number of contributors deal with the issue of human suffering as it relates to God’s sovereignty.

• Contents
• Excerpt: Introduction and Chapter 1 - 422K PDF
• Back Cover

Excerpts:

Here’s a taste of what you’ll find:

“But when God chooses to overcome our rebellion and Satan’s resistance, nothing can stop him. And when God overcomes him and us, we repent and Satan’s power is broken. Here it is in 2 Timothy 2:24-26.” (Piper, 28).

“The mystery of why God has ordained the evils he has is as deep as the mystery of the evils in our hearts. And just as only God can plumb the depths of our hearts, so only God knows how the hurts we do to each other and to ourselves figure into his loving cure of us who shelter ourselves under the blood and righteousness of his Son.” (Talbot, 77).

“In the life and death of Jesus Christ, suffering finds its ultimate purpose and ultimate explanation: suffering exists so God might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our suffering. Everything—everything—that Christ accomplished for us sinners he accomplished by suffering. Everything we will ever enjoy will come to us because of suffering.” (Piper, 87).

“If we are going to emulate our Savior, we have to identify with the people to whom we take his good news. I don’t advocate that we look for suffering; life brings enough on its own. But what I do advocate is that suffering is an important prerequisite to ministering to hurting people. Christ took on our likeness and subjected himself to the suffering that plagues us.” (Saint, 121).

“So often the initial reaction to painful suffering is Why me? If all that God promises only comes true, then why not me?” (Powlison, 172-173).

“Our fears, anger, doubts, and everything else we feel in our pain don’t make God nervous or uncomfortable with us. God still loves us, and he is still for us.” (Shramek, 189).

Geoffrey W. Bromiley, renowned church historian and historical theologian, and professor emeritus at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, passed away on Friday, August 7.

Most of you are familiar with Geoffrey Bromiley as the translator of Gerhard Kittel’s 10-volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament and editor of the 4-volume The International Bible Encyclopedia.

Fuller Theological Seminary announced this news here.

Ben Myers posted a very helpful note about the influence of Bromiley at Faith & Theology.

So far I have been privileged to give away 3 copies of The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum and Charles L. Quarles (B&H Academic, August 2009). The first was awarded to a friend who teaches a NT survey class who interacted with me on Facebook concerning my post: A Twofold Dynamic to Understanding the NT. The second was sent to a Baptist, preacher friend who has contributed greatly to my TheoSource bibliography project (see especially his bibliography of the works of G. Campbell Morgan: here and here). The third was given away this morning to Armenian Calvinist. Congratulations to all of you!

This, for me, has been the most exciting Giveaway made available here at TheoSource. This is a large and extremely useful volume. CCC contains 976 pages, weighs a little over 4 lbs., and sells for $45-$50 depending on which store you shop. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been anticipating this volume for a couple of years and my expectations have been exceeded. I have already benefited from reading and referencing this volume for sermon preparation. CCC's primary purpose is to be used as a textbook for colleges and seminaries, but it will reward Bible students of all types--from laypersons to pastors.



I still have a couple more copies to give away. Please visit and read the Giveaway post, follow the simple instructions, and leave a comment on that post (if you are reading this post on Facebook, please leave a comment here). This giveaway is open to anyone willing to discuss this volume. My primary criterion is interaction. If a handful of you begin to interact, I will draw a name using Random.org.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Mark and pastorlamusings. I will be sending out complimentary copies of CCC to these men for their participation in this book giveaway. Thank you very much! With that the giveaway comes to a CLOSE.

This evening I finished reading chapter three, "Two Evangelical Systems of Biblical Theology," in Larry Helyer's The Witness of Jesus, Paul and John: An Exploration in Biblical Theology (courtesy of IVP Academic). I recommend this chapter to those interested in an up-to-date, well-documented introduction, comparison, critique and evaluation of the two primary, Evangelical theological systems: Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology. For me, reading this chapter in a book on Biblical Theology rather than Eschatology makes the consideration of this subject far more interesting. I say this because every book on eschatology that I have read has been necessarily rooted in a particular theological system. Helyer has the advantage here of attempting to be as objective as possible. (Obviously, pure objectivity is an impossibility. However, Helyer does a fine job of weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each system.)

In this chapter, Helyer presents the history of the development of each system (beginning with Covenant Theology, the older of the two), compares and contrasts the two systems showing how debate and dialogue has benefited both, and concludes by critiquing the two systems suggesting a mediating approach.

Here is an outline of the chapter:

• History of Covenant Theology
• Distinctives of Covenant Theology
• Contemporary Covenant Theology
• Classical (Traditional) Dispensationalism: Its History
• Distinctives of Classical (Traditional) Dispensationalism
• Revised Dispensationalism
• Progressive Dispensationalism (1970s-Present)
• A Comparison of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism
• An Evaluation and Critique of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism

The chapter concludes with questions for further discussion and an excellent bibliography for further reading.

Here are a few statements that caught my attention:

Calvin's theology...is fundamentally structured not around the concept of covenant, but rather the Trinity. Covenant theology, or "federal theology," as it is sometimes called, is really a post-Calvin development. (Helyer's footnote here acknowledges that "some covenant theologians would take strong exception to this statement.") (p. 85)

This is a reminder that theology is never done in a vacuum. Ideas 'in the air' often find their way into theological discussion and systems. Consequently, biblical theologians must be vigilant lest alien ideas force biblical teaching into a straitjacket. (p. 88)

Within covenant theology there are at least three different eschatological stances, each of which is compatible with the overarching framework of covenant theology. (p. 91)

Dispensationalism is exclusively premillennial as dictated by its mode of biblical interpretation for prophecy and the dictum that Israel and the church are utterly distinct. (p. 108)

Robert Saucy correctly notes that one of the major factors in the modification of both systems has been the discipline of biblical theology. The way forward entails a better job of hearing the original authors and seeking to explicate their theological understandings, not imposing our own theological categories and schemes. Both systems have been guilty to some degree of doing precisely that. Surely this highlights the importance of becoming proficient in biblical theology and the prospect of more agreement among evangelicals in the future. There is, of course, no guarantee of unanimity--that remains for the new Jerusalem! (p. 113)

My misgivings about both classical systems arise from the conviction that neither produces a completely satisfactory biblical theology. (p. 113)

I love the sentiment of this last statement, but it seems to imply that systematic theology could ever produce a biblical theology. Isn't this anachronistic? Rather, and this is Helyer's point, a sound biblical theology will produce a greater balance within or between the systems.

Finally, Helyer concludes that for all the progress made between the two systems,

The real sticking point centers on the future of ethnic Israel. How one answers that question, however, should neither be accorded the status of a cardinal doctrine nor determine fellowship and cordiality. Both sides need to be less dogmatic about what God's future for the Jewish people might be. Dialogue must continue on this important issue. We still 'see in a mirror, dimly' (1 Cor 13:12). (p. 117)

What a vision!

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Author Bio - For twenty nine years Larry R. Helyer was professor of biblical studies at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Now retired, he continues to write on theological topics and serve as an adjunct professor in the United States and abroad. He is the author of Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period.

The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum and Charles L. Quarles (B&H Academic, August 2009). I would like to thank Jim Baird, VP of Marketing and Sales, for giving me the opportunity to announce, review, and giveaway this this excellent volume.

Andreas J. Köstenberger (Mag. et Dr. rer. soc. oec., Vienna University of Economics; M.Div., Columbia Biblical University; Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and director of Ph.D. Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He also serves as editor for the Journal of the Evanelical Theological Society (JETS). Books.

L. Scott Kellum (B.A., The University of Mississippi; M.Div., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of New Testament and Greek at SEBTS. Books.

Charles L. Quarles is vice president for Integration of Faith and Learning, professor of New Testament and Greek, and chairs the division of Christian Studies at Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana. Books: Buried Hope or Risen Savior, editor (2008); Passionate Conviction, contributor (2007); Midrash Criticism (1997).

ENDORSEMENT:
"Among the finest such studies of recent decades in classic matters of New Testament introduction. What sets it apart includes: (1) attention to theology and the history of interpretation; (2) extended presentation of the history of New Testament times and the rise of the canon; (3) appropriate rigor; (4) frequently creative layout features; and (5) conceptual clarity. Beyond an impressive digest of scholarship, it is an appeal to faithful appropriation of the New Testament's message."

--Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament and department chair, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL

The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (hereafter CCC) is one of the latest additions to the abundance of Introductions available to students of the NT. According to my research CCC is the third of four NT Introductions to be published this year in the US (a German translation of Carson and Moo [2nd ed.] will also be published in October in Germany). Since the turn of the millennium, there have now been well over 50 NT introductions published in English, German, French, and Italian.


GIVEAWAY:
I have recently acquired review copies of CCC, and I have a few to give away. I am still working through this volume reading and comparing it to a few other Introductions that I own and will post a review soon. This past week I contacted a few friends who have been teaching NT Introduction, and I posed a few questions to them about the textbooks they have used. Their comments were very useful and it has been a tremendous help having their concerns in mind as I have been evaluating the format and contents of CCC. I would also like to have your input as I finish evaluating this volume. In exchange, I am offering a free copy (or two) to the readers of this blog.

INSTRUCTIONS:
For a chance to receive a free copy of CCC, I would like to interact with you about CCC. Please respond to one (or more) of the following questions:

• Which NT Introduction(s) do you own and have used? What have you found to be the strengths or weaknesses of it (them)?
• If you teach (or have taught) NT Introduction, which Introduction(s) have you used? Which is your favorite? Why?
  
• What content or features would you like to see in a new NT Introduction?
  

Browse through this volume. Watch the three short videos posted on the B&H Academic website (here).

• What do you like about CCC?
• What would you like to know about CCC?
  
• What interview question(s) would you suggest for the authors?
• Do you reference NT Introductions in your sermon/Bible study preparation? Why or why not?
  

Related Posts:

• Introduction with Endorsements
• Announcement of Early Arrival
• Excerpt: A Twofold Dynamic to Understanding the NT
• Excerpt: The New Covenant Roots of the NT Canon
• New Testament Introduction Bibliography (I have been working hard over the past week to build a list of the titles and dates of as many NT Introductions as I can find. Please browse through this list. If you see any discrepancies or notice that I've missed a title, please email me. Thanks!)

UPDATE: Congratulations to Kerry, Brian, Mark and pastorlamusings. Each have been rewarded with a complimentary copy of CCC for their participation in this book giveaway. Thank you very much! With that the giveaway comes to a CLOSE. However, comments are still open.

Sinclair Ferguson: Infant Baptism View   - Read Bruce Ware's Believer's Baptism Response Bruce Ware: Believer's Baptism View   - Read Sinclair Ferguson's Infant Baptism Response Anthony Lane: Dual-Practice Baptism View See the Table of Contents $16.00    $4.99 (69% Off) Special Launch Price for Only 48 Hours! *Offer expires at 5 PM (EST) on Friday, August 7th.