Leitourgia

The Gospel According to Paul  (Thomas Nelson, 2017) is an exciting exploration of Paul's version of the Gospel. Written by respected scholar and theologian John MacArthur, this book carefully analyzes some of Paul's most famous passages and interprets them to point to the heart of the Good News. In an age in which many are in need of hearing the Gospel, this book comes at no more opportune time. MacArthur gives clear answers to questions such as: What is the Gospel? How do we know we have it right? How should we spread it to the world? MacArthur is clear in his argument, biblical in his support, and this book serves as an excellent reference to laypeople and scholars alike. There is also an extensive index and four appendices giving an in-depth discussion to the theology of the atonement. One should be careful, however, to note that MacArthur's theology is not ecumenical; his Calvinist leanings definitely play out in his interpretation of soteriology. Nevertheless, The Go...

The Dawn of Christianity  (Thomas Nelson, 2017) by Robert J. Hutchinson. Weaving Scripture, tradition, and archaeology together, Hutchinson creates a tapestry that shows how a ragtag group of fishermen, soldiers, and prostitutes—led by a rabbi—changed the world. There are four parts to this book: The Road to Jerusalem, starting with Jesus' call to the disciples and ending with his burial, Alive, the beginning of the Church, The Beginning of Persecution, tracing historical events in Acts, and The Expansion of the Jesus Movement, ending with the Jerusalem Council. The book, written in narrative style, chronicles the beginning of the church from the life of Christ to the end of the New Testament. The cultural context provided in vivid detail by Hutchinson allows us to step into the shoes of the early disciples and gain a fuller picture of what the Christ meant to them. Furthermore, the book features maps and pictures of archaeological finds to enter into the story. An appendix with ...

The NIV Faithlife Study Bible.  published by Zondervan, is a rich study Bible filled with colorful notes, maps, and commentaries highlighting key insights of Scripture. The appeal of this Bible lies in its full-color infographics and map. The Bible also includes introductions to each book of the Bible and scholarly articles covering major biblical divisions and themes. Overall, I highly recommend this study Bible for an introductory or intermediate-level library. The font size of the Faithlife Study Bible is standard and legible for most people. The verses are written in an appealing serif font, while the study notes are in a sans serif font, creating great harmony and distinction, increasing legibility. The study notes at the bottom feature word studies, geography information, and much more to unlock the full meanings of a text. The Bible uses an appealing color scheme that is unique yet not distracting to the eye. The NIV Faithlife Study Bible is a welcome addition to the mod...

The KJV Word Study Bible  by Thomas Nelson is a powerful study Bible that outlines key words that, in the original Greek and Hebrew, are essential to "unlocking the meaning of the Bible." Additionally, the Bible features introductions to each book and full-color maps. My initial feelings toward this Bible are positive. The font size is very large and readable, and the boxes containing the word information are non-intrusive. The Bible features a Strong's index and concordance for those who want to use this Bible for more serious scholarly work. The leather cover seems durable, and the gold gilded edges are a nice touch. Overall, I would recommend this Bible to others. The choice of words are great introductions into basic word studies, but should not be seen as an exclusive resource for Biblical language scholars. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers < http://booklookbloggers.com > bo...

The NIV Bible for Teen Guys, published by Zondervan, is a devotional Bible targeted toward young men from the ages of 13 to 18. Offering daily devotional readings from authors such as Mark Batterson and Max Lucado, the goal of this Bible is to build faith, wisdom, and strength in a growing godly man. This is a great introductory Bible for a teenage guy. There is not much flash with it; the grey and yellow accent is a modern design that even picky teenagers can appreciate. The text size is average and readable, and the devotional readings are short yet rich. They contain biblical and theological truths while applying it to the teenage life - all without sounding condescending. The Bible also features short introductions to each book and highlights of the men of the Bible. The Bible highlights, in a light yellow box, a few key verses in each book, which is great for easily-distracted teens who want to be able to siphon important truths from a sea of words. The Bible is hardcover a...

The premise behind Steven Reider's Misconception  is simple: Christians neglect the reading of the Scriptures from its cultural-historical context, instead focusing on how it relates to contemporary culture. In short, easy-to read chapters, it covers topics such as the name of God, the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, Jesus' miracles, and even the Armor of God. Although I wish I could give this book a better review, I found it to be rather biased. The nature of the book itself is quite interesting - everyone should understand the original context of the Scriptures when reading; this itself is a sound hermeneutical practice. And I admit that there were some interesting "aha" moments I had when reading. But Reider's hermeneutic relies entirely on understanding the first-century significance and fails to appropriate God's Word to today. Reider also inserts some of his own commentary and interpretation, which fails to make this an impartial resource. There are...

Most Calvinists are very content with their beliefs until it comes to the “L” in TULIP – limited atonement. In fact, many Christians will call themselves four-point Calvinists , agreeing with everything but limited atonement. Limited atonement leads to the doctrine of predestination , the idea that God has chosen certain people from birth who will be saved and go to Heaven and those who will be damned to Hell. The reason this belief is unpopular is because it makes grace seem offensive, God exclusive, and the faith not about relationship but about who God loves most. Arminians and other opponents will be quick to point out that predestination appears to be against God’s loving nature. But predestination is not some random speculation or a cult theory, but rather, it is biblically-rooted. Throughout the Bible, God chooses certain people to fulfil His work – Abraham, Noah, Paul, Jeremiah, just to name a few. In the Reformed ordo salutis (order of salvation), election comes fir...