Book Review: Romans :A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written by Andrew David Naselli

To many Christians, Romans is the most popular book in the New Testament outside of the four gospels. There have been many Bible studies on this book as well as sermons. There also been numerous of commentaries that have been written on Romans including the most famous set of commentaries from Martyn Lloyd-Jones. 

Andrew David Naselli is the latest one to tackle Romans, but it is not an extensive commentary. The subtitle of the book says it was a concise guide meaning it was going to be short, sweet, and to the point, which is what Naselli has accomplished in his writing.

He begins by giving a brief introduction to Romans which is always good to have when studying a book of the Bible. He does outline Romans which gives a sneak peek into the chapters of the book which has does very well. You may have some theological difference with him depending on how you interpret Romans 9, which has been a hot topic for many Christians over the years. 

I will say this, Naselli, I believe, interprets Romans 7 very well when he says that Paul is a Christian struggling with indwelling sin. There are many that think Paul was writing from the point of view of a non-believer which makes no sense at all. If Paul did do that, then there are a lot of believers who make not think they were saved because of the indwelling sin that remains in them.

This book sets out what it is suppose to do and that is be a brief, simple commentary on the book of Romans which can be used for Bible study and/or sermon preparation. 

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for a review. 

Matthew Henry on The Mystery of Godliness

And by common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: 

He who was manifested in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16, LSB).

What is the mystery of godliness? It is Christ; and here are six things concerning Christ, which make up the mystery of godliness. 

[1.] That he is God manifest in the flesh: God was manifest in the flesh. This proves that he is God, the eternal Word, that was made flesh and was manifest in the flesh. When God was to be manifested to man he was pleased to manifest himself in the incarnation of his own Son: The Word was made flesh, John 1:14. 

[2.] He is justified in the Spirit. Whereas he was reproached as a sinner, and put to death as a malefactor, he was raised again by the Spirit, and so was justified from all the calumnies with which he was loaded. He was made sin for us, and was delivered for our offences; but, being raised again, he was justified in the Spirit; that is, it was made to appear that his sacrifice was accepted, and so he rose again for our justification, as he was delivered for our offences, Rom. 4:25. He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, 1 Pet. 3:18. 

[3.] He was seen of angels. They worshipped him (Heb. 1:6); they attended his incarnation, his temptation, his agony, his death, his resurrection, his ascension; this is much to his honour, and shows what a mighty interest he had in the upper world, that angels ministered to him, for he is the Lord of angels. 

[4.] He is preached unto the Gentiles. This is a great part of the mystery of godliness, that Christ was offered to the Gentiles a Redeemer and Saviour; that whereas, before, salvation was of the Jews, the partition-wall was now taken down, and the Gentiles were taken in. I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, Acts 13:47. 

[5.] That he was believed on in the world, so that he was not preached in vain. Many of the Gentiles welcomed the gospel which the Jews rejected. Who would have thought that the world, which lay in wickedness, would believe in the Son of God, would take him to be their Saviour who was himself crucified at Jerusalem? But, notwithstanding all the prejudices they laboured under, he was believed on, etc. 

[6.] He was received up into glory, in his ascension. This indeed was before he was believed on in the world; but it is put last, because it was the crown of his exaltation, and because it is not only his ascension that is meant, but his sitting at the right hand of God, where he ever lives, making intercession, and has all power, both in heaven and earth, and because, in the apostasy of which he treats in the following chapter, his remaining in heaven would be denied by those who pretend to bring him down on their altars in the consecrated wafers. Observe, First, He who was manifest in flesh was God, really and truly God, God by nature, and not only so by office, for this makes it to be a mystery. Secondly, God was manifest in flesh, real flesh. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, Heb. 2:14. And, what is more amazing, he was manifest in the flesh after all flesh had corrupted his way, though he himself was holy from the womb. Thirdly, Godliness is a mystery in all its parts and branches, from the beginning to the end, from Christ’s incarnation to his ascension. Fourthly, It being a great mystery, we should rather humbly adore it, and piously believe it, than curiously pry into it, or be too positive in our explications of it and determinations about it, further than the holy scriptures have revealed it to us.

Adapted from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

Around The Web-December 7, 2018

The True Israel of God by Burk Parsons

Pastors' Talk: On Hospitality and the Gospel (with Kent & Rosaria Butterfield)

5 Ways to Misuse a Commentary by Jay Sklar

Routine Bible Reading Can Change Your Life by Trevin Wax

Why it is Best for Christians to Celebrate Christmas by Stephen Kneal

Why Your Sermons Should Address Believers and Unbelievers from Joel Beeke

Todd Friel on 3 ways to deal with the Old Testament Law

Book Review: 1 Corinthians by Thomas R Schreiner

The book of 1 Corinthians has been the church's go-to guide when it comes to the holiness of the church. In this book, we see issues dealing with marriage, church discipline, and spiritual gifts. It also shows us that we use to be like those who live in the world and we have been bought with a price.

Thomas R Schreiner has written a commentary on 1 Corinthians that breaks down all the historical settings of the book and how it applies to Christians in modern times. He does go over the major theological issues of 1 Corinthians in the beginning of the commentary such as who God is, how salvation is received, and also the church. Schreiner also goes over Paul's relationship with the Corinthian church and why he wrote this letter to them. He spends about five chapters introducing us to 1 Corinthians before we get to the meat of the commentary, which is the text itself.

Schreiner goes through the text of 1 Corinthians and helps the reader understand the points that Paul is addressing. I have to confess that one of the reasons I was interested in this commentary is that Schreiner is one of the leading voices of cessationism, which is the belief that the apostolic gifts have ceased when the Biblical canon was closed. As he was addressing the gifts of 1 Corinthians, I did not see anything on cessation in this commentary unless I missed it somewhere or it was written in between the lines.

To review a commentary is very tricky. Cannot go over a great deal of length over the book, but I do have to say that Schreiner does handle 1 Corinthians very well and should be on every theologians bookshelf whether you agree with his conclusions or not.

Thanks InterVarsity Press for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus in John by Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg

Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of reviewing books in the "Christ-Centered Exposition" commentary series. I have enjoyed most of them while didn't really care for a few of them. I have also used them in my own personal study of the Bible.

This time around, I have the privilege of reviewing the brand new commentary in this series on the gospel of John. One of the reasons I am excited is one of the authors of this commentary is Matt Carter who is the teaching pastor at the Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Tx. I have reviewed a couple of his books in the past as well. He is joined by Josh Wreberg, who is the preaching pastor at Redeemer Community Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC.

This commentary, like all the others in this series, is geared towards those who are leading a small group or sermon preparation. I also feel this is a great commentary to be used as you are reading and/or studying the gospel of John. Carter and Wredberg do a great job making it simple and understandable for all who read it.

They do various portions of John in numerous chapters, without keeping one, yet they go over one entire chapter in one setting as well. I felt they took on John 3:16 and communicated how this is the gospel message and not getting stuff from God. When it comes to John 6, Carter and Wredberg do not back down from teaching on the doctrine of election.

I have heard teaching from John 15:1-17 that says the fruit Jesus was talking about was evangelism. Yes, we are commanded to evangelize, but that is not what this passage teaches. Carter and Wredberg says this passage is about spiritual fruit which we would also associate with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. They even took John 17, the true Lord's Prayer, and divided it into two chapters.

Of all the "Christ-Centered Exposition" commentaries, I have say this is one my favorite. I know I will be using it from time to time in my studies especially when I am teaching from the gospel of John.

Thanks B&H Publishing for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus In Acts

For the past couple of years, the B&H Publishing Group has released a series of commentaries called, "Christ-Centered Exposition." These commentaries are geared in not only assisting pastors in their sermon prep, but also for small group settings. These commentaries are like reading a book where there is teaching in them unlike some commentaries where they give the meaning of the verse and attempt to interpret it in its original context. Tony Merida, David Platt, and Danny Akin have been the editors of this series and have a great job gather authors seeking to make much of Jesus in this books by showing Christ in the pages of the Bible.

I recently received Exalting Jesus In Acts which was written by Tony Merida. One of the reasons I wanted to look this commentary over is our church just finished going through the book of Acts in Sunday School for our adults. Like all the commentaries in this series, each chapter is outlined as far as what that particular chapter will be looking at as well what verses it will be covering. Since Acts is such a big book in the Bible, the book itself is pretty lengthy even the chapters are not. This is probably one of the thickest commentaries from this series I have. Each chapter ends with some discussion questions which is good for small group settings and possible application points for a sermon.

I want to touch on a couple of particular verses in Acts the Merida comments on. The first being Acts 2:38-39, which says, "And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself" (The commentary mostly uses the Christian Standard Bible [CSB], but I will quoting from the English Standard Version [ESV]). This is one of the go-to passage for those who embrace Infant Baptist. I wish I could say that Merida did touch on that, but he went in the area of baptismal regeneration, which the belief that when you are baptized, you are saved, which was an interesting discussion, but I wished he would have addressed more on the Infant Baptism viewpoint.

The second one is Acts 8:39-40, which says, "And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea." This passages takes place right after Phillip shared Christ with the Ethiopian Eunuch and baptized him. You might be wondering why I wanted to look at this passage. My reason is a few years ago, I heard a preach say that the reason God took Phillip and zipped him from one place to another was to thank him for his service. You can imagine the confusion I had when I heard that. There is not many answers as to why Phillip was beamed like a Star Trek transporter by God to Azotus. Sadly, Merida does not go there nor did he give a theory as to why that happened. I guess this part of Acts will remain a mystery.

Despite my disappointment with the two passages I mentioned, this is an excellent commentary and highly recommend it.

Thanks B&H Publishing for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel

When people read the Old Testament, they can come away with a lot of interpretations, which some of them may not even be Biblical. Some will look at the Old Testament as God having anger issues and the New Testament shows how He worked them out. Okay, God had a temper tantrum. Don't think so. Another would be looking at the stories of the Old Testament as a way of gaining prosperity and wealth which is one of the devises used by the Prosperity Gospel preachers.

Many don't see the Old Testament as part of the gospel. Some many think because Jesus is not in the Old Testament, it does not apply to me. That is not the case. The Bible is a collection of books that tell one story. That story is how God came to redeem man from their wickedness by sending Jesus. All of the Bible points to Jesus Christ including the books of 1 & 2 Samuel.

J.D. Greear and Heath Thomas have come together to produce Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel, which is part of the "Christ-centered Exposition" series published by the B&H Publishing Group. In this latest edition of the series, Greear and Thomas look at 1 & 2 Samuel and how we can see Jesus in it.

Like all commentaries, there is an introduction to the book, or in this case books and explanations for the passages. In this commentary, we see Greear and Thomas taking what was inspired by the Holy Spirit and make it applicable to us in the 21st Century. There was one thing I was disappointed about in this commentary was how they treated the story of David and Goliath. We have heard sermons about facing the giants in our lives and other preachers have said we should not apply this story like that. There times the authors didn't, but toward the end of the chapter, it went in that direction.

Not my favorite from the "Christ-centered Exposition" series, but a good commentary to use for sermon preparation or Bible study.

Thanks B&H Publishing Group for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Christ All Sufficient by Brian G Hedges

Not too longer ago, my church recently went through the book of Colossians, which is one of the New Testament letters written by the Apostle Paul. The book has only four chapters like the book of Philippians and contains so much depth that is took 22 sermons to go through this book. Paul writes about many things in this short letter from the greatness of Jesus to the church's identity.

Many commentaries have been written on the book of Colossians while a few of them are link with a couple of other writings from the Apostle Paul. Brian G. Hedges has written a new commentary on Colossians which is dedicated to make much Jesus called, Christ All Sufficient. Like more commentaries, this one begins with an introduction to the book of Colossians and give a detailed outline as to what the letter is about.

Hedges goes through each chapter and verse of Colossians, not only to communicate the message of Paul's writing, but to help his readers apply the truths taught in each verse. This commentary does give historical background to each verse, but it does not go overboard as you were sitting in a seminary class. This commentary is more like listen to an expository sermon whether you in the worship center or on a podcast. As I was reading this commentary, I felt like I was reading Hedges' manuscript to sermons he has preached on Colossians.

I really enjoyed this commentary. I know when I read through Colossians again, I will consider reading this book along with it.

Thanks Shepherd Press for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus in Ecclesiastes

Reading the Old Testament can be a challenge. Sometimes people get lost in the detailed history it gives. Sometimes you read stories that are really exciting followed by other stories that you wonder, why did God put that in the Bible.

Another challenge in reading the Old Testament is seeing Jesus in it. All the Bible points to Jesus. After His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and showed them "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

Danny Akin and Jonathan Akin shows us the Christ-centered theme in the book of Ecclesiastes in their book, Exalting Jesus in Ecclesiastes, which is part of the "Christ-Centered Exposition" series. What the authors try to do is communicate how we can see Jesus in the book of Ecclesiastes. Lets take the first chapter for example. The title is "Everything is Meaningless without Jesus."

The authors take the first chapter and the last verses of the Ecclesiastes to show the reader how our lives in the here-and-now are meaningless without Christ as our Savior. The rest of the commentary shows us Christ and how we can apply Ecclesiastes in our daily walk. One of the key questions about Ecclesiastes is, did Solomon write it? That is still one of the great mysteries that we may never know, however, the authors did attributed the authorship of Ecclesiastes to Solomon.

I have read a few commentaries from the "Christ-Centered Exposition" series and have enjoyed everyone of them. I am delighted to recommend this one on Ecclesiastes to every believer.

Thank B&H Publishing for letting me review this book.

Reformed Expository Commentary Series

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a copy of Daniel Doriani's commentary on the book of James. I read that book from cover to cover and was amazed at how well it was written. I did not know then that this was part of the "Reformed Expository Commentary Series" and there were other books like the one on James.

Years later, picked up Dennis Johnson's commentary on Philippians and it was amazing. Westminster Bookstore has a sale going with this series which includes the latest commentary from Iain M. Duguid on The Song of Songs.

To understand more of what these commentaries are about, here is a short video:



This sale will be going on until June 14, so take advantage of it.

Click on this link to see what commentaries and specials are offered.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings by Tony Merida

When it comes to the Old Testament, there are some Christians that want to avoid it. Sometimes reading the Old Testament may feel like you are reading a history book where you are study the events you know and avoid the rest because it does not interest you. At times for me, reading the Old Testament can be depressing because you see a God who pursues His creation and they want nothing to with Him. Those who want to honor God fall short because of moral failures or they have been deceived.

The books of 1 & 2 Kings are two of those Old Testament books that can cause Christians to be depressed, of course, I am speaking from my own experience in reading the Old Testament. What we fail to see that is the Old Testament, including 1 & 2 Kings, point us to Jesus Christ. The gospel of Luke tells us that when Jesus began teaching the two men on the road to Emmaus, he began "with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

Tony Merida has taken the books of 1 & 2 Kings and show us how they point us to Christ. One of the main points is that Jesus is a better King than all of the kings in these two books. He also wrote that "Kings is about worship, the word, and weakness." In worship, we refer to the worship of God alone and not idols. In the word, God told His people how to love. Finally, weakness is about how every human king has limitations, which is why Jesus is a better King.

Merida takes each chapter and addresses what is happening the story of Kings. He also applies it to our modern living and takes us through the gospel. This commentary is part of a series of commentaries that are easy to read for those who are preparing a sermon or teaching a small group. You can even use them in your own personal Bible Study.

I must admit, a commentary on 1 & 2 Kings is not one I would pick up just for the fun of it, but I am happy to recommend this commentary and any others in this series.

Thanks B&H Publishing Group for letting me review this book.

Book Review: From The Pen of Pastor Paul by Daniel R Hyde

The books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians are two letters from the Apostle Paul that Christians look at in regards to eschatology (study of the end times). 1 Thessalonians 4 talks about the return of Christ where the church is gathered in the air after the trumpet call of God. 2 Thessalonians addresses the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) who declares himself to be God in the temple.

Yes, these books mentions all those things. Daniel R Hyde seeks for his readers to know there is more than just an eschatological overview in these books. In From The Pen of Pastor Paul, which is a commentary, although not an in-depth one, of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, we see the heart of Paul for the church he planted. We see Paul as a man of prayer for his church and a man who wants to preach the whole gospel to his church.

This book is a based on series of sermons Hyde preached on 1 & 2 Thessalonians, which, based on the written words, are good sermons and he attempts to unpack the text for his readers. Hyde writes about the fruit of gospel ministry, praise in the midst of persecution, and standing firm in the faith.

As I mentioned earlier, 1 & 2 Thessalonians are mostly looked at for eschatological reasons. Hyde does address the return of Christ, but he does not go into all the beliefs of Christ's return, but he does say what hope the return of Christ means for the believer. He does address the man of lawlessness and says what gives him the inspiration. Briefly, Hyde tackles the idea that this man is actually representing many instead of one, but he thinks there is only one Antichrist.

This is a good resource to have when studying 1 & 2 Thessalonians or having it as a reading companion if you are going through these books in your daily Bible reading.

Thanks EP Books for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Commentary on 1 Corinthians by Stephen Um

When you ask people what book of the Bibles looks like a page from the current culture. Most Christians would say 1 Corinthians. In fact, it is one of the Apostle Paul's most famous letters to the church during the New Testament time.

Many Christians get a lot of verses from 1 Corinthians to apply to their Christian walk. However, there a few Christians that will not read the entire book because of how uncomfortable some of the things Paul writes can be. The Apostle addresses church discipline, where Christians who are in churches that do not practice it, can dismiss it as judgmental. The book also addresses marriage which is a much needed topic in our culture.

Many commentaries have for 1 Corinthians has been written over the years. There have many sermon series on it as well. Stephen Um has taken upon himself the task to write on a commentary on Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church.

This commentary goes into great detail on why the book was written and even uses illustrations to make the point become clear. Um does not back away from the historical and cultural context that 1 Corinthians was written in. He does each issue that Paul addressed in his letter and what it means for the Christian today.

Um talks about unity within the church and how the gospel brings about that unity. He goes to talk about sexual sin, which seems to be one of the hot topics in today's church. Yes, he does address marriage and singleness as well idolatry and issues of worship within the church.

Reviewing a commentary is no easy task especially reading one. However, I really enjoyed reading Stephen Um's commentary on 1 Corinthians and highly recommend it to all pastors and teachers. If you are studying the Bible on your own or with a group of friends, this commentary on 1 Corinthians will be a helpful tool.

Thanks Crossway for letting me review this book.

My Journey Through 1 Peter

Earlier this summer, I decided to tackle the book of 1 Peter not for the purpose of sermon preparation or leading in a Bible study, but for my own edification and personal growth. After the Supreme Court's decision to legalize Gay Marriage, I felt 1 Peter became a very important book because it is addressed to those who are "elect exiles" (1 Peter 1:1). A couple of weeks ago, Tim Brister issued a challenge to memorize the entire book of 1 Peter in the same manner that a challenge was made to memorize Philippians, which I failed miserably, but by God's grace will strive for again.

Why should a Christian memorize scripture? First, God's word tell us not to let his word depart from our mouths and meditate on it (Joshua 1:8). Second, those who have been blessed by God, let His word be their delight (Psalm 1:1-2). Third, Jesus memorized scripture and used it quite a bit in His earthly ministry. For example, when tempted by the devil, he counteracted the temptation with scripture. Fourth, there will be a time when you won't have a Bible handy. You may have an app on your phone, but there could be no service. You could be on an airplane where cell phones are not allowed to used. You never know when or where you will not access to a Bible, so memorization is important. Finally, having scripture memorized will be good as you meditate on the goodness of God and remind yourself of the gospel.

This past Sunday, I started my journey to memorize 1 Peter which I know will be a challenge but at the same time will be rewarding. I will continue to study through 1 Peter even as I am memorizing it. I will also be revisiting places that I have already to remind myself of the things that I learned in my previous studies. I just found out that the ladies in our church are reading 1 Peter along with Jen Wilkin's book, Women of the Word, which my wife will be involved in. What a great opportunity for my wife and I to grow together as we read God's Word together.

If you wish to join me on this journey or if already have been, praise God. Let me give you a few resources which Tim has already given a couple, but I would like to share what I have been using in my study of 1 Peter.

Wayne Grudem's commentary on 1 Peter

R.C. Sproul's commentary on 1 Peter which also contains 2 Peter

Everyday Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, which a study of 1 Peter in the context of being a gospel community.

Greg Gilbert over at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, recently began a sermon series on 1 Peter. Here are the sermons in the series thus far:

Salvation 101

Be Who You Are

You Belong To God

Fear God, Honor the Emperor

John Piper released a couple teaching videos that covered 1 Peter 1:1-2, which says,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.


The first one is about the letter to the exiles followed by being known by God before we were born.

1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 1 // A Letter to Exiles from Desiring God on Vimeo.

1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 2 // Known by God Before You Were Born from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Book Review: Study Commentary on Acts by Guy Prentiss Waters

The books of Acts has been one of the most studied books in the Bible and quite possibly one of the most preached. I remember the pastor of the church where I had my first Youth Pastor position, preached from it almost every Sunday. Not expositionally but mostly topical and sometimes over the same passage he preached on months ago. Churches go to Acts to see how the Holy Spirit worked through the first century Christians to spread the gospel throughout the world.

Many commentaries have been written on Acts from various authors in various theological camps. Guy Prentiss Waters has taken on the task to write a commentary on Acts for the EP Study Commentary series. Waters is a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary and in teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

This commentary has a great basic introduction to the book of Acts. It talks about the date of the book, who wrote it, and anything else you find in a study Bible. This book is over 600 pages that goes through all of Acts verse by verse with points of application at the end of each chapter. One area I do have concern is when I pick up a commentary, the author usually uses a Bible translation then gives his interpretation of the passage. In this commentary, the scripture is based on the author's interpretation then he gives what the passage means. Not saying Waters was stirring the reader away from Biblical doctrine, but a commentary is suppose to help interpret the Bible not one's own interpretation of the Bible.

Overall, this commentary is excellent and will be very useful to anyone who is studying the book of Acts.

Thanks EP Books for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus in Galatians

B & H Publishing has produced a series of commentaries called, Christ-Centered Exposition. These commentaries are edited by David Platt, Tony Merida, and Daniel Akin who are highly respectable pastors and theologians. The purpose of this series is to get the reader to see Christ in every point of the Bible where they might have seen them before.

I decided to review Exalting Christ in Galatians because this is one of the books that convince Martin Luther that the gospel is not about works and Galatians is one of my favorite books of the Bible. This commentary is written by David Platt and Tony Merida. You can find which one wrote the chapters in the table of contents which is a good thing because it can get confusing at times when multiple authors write a book and not knowing who wrote what.

Each chapter goes over the main idea regarding the passages they are written about that break down topics they are discussing as well. You may think with a commentary, these chapters will be pretty long, but with Galatians they were not. Normally pastors and teachers would deal with commentaries but I think the editors have in mind for all believers to pick up these commentaries as they study the word of God without feeling they have been through a seminary class.

As you read these chapters, you feel like you are listening to a sermon and not a lecture. Each chapter is meant to, as the title says, exalt Christ. All chapters end with some questions to reflect as well as discuss if you are doing a Bible study.

If you are a pastor looking for a good commentary, pick this one up. If you are wanting to study the Bible for yourself and need a good commentary, pick this one up. In case you are wondering about cost, each commentary that is only $12.99, which is good if you are on a tight budget.

Thanks B & H Publishing for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Invitation to Philippians by Donald R Sunukjian

The Book of Philippians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Earlier this year, I decided to study for my own soul and found it very fulfilling. I had a few commentaries and study Bibles to assist me in my studies.

In having commentaries, you have many that take the book and break it down verse by verse while you have other that take a introductory approach to the book especially first time readers of the Bible. Donald R. Sunukjian has a series of commentaries entitled, "Biblical Preaching for the Contemporary Church." I have decided to review his commentary in the book of Philippians called, Invitations to Philippians.

Sunukjian does a great job writing about what Philippians is all about and goes through the entire book. However this commentary served more as a devotional rather than a commentary. Granted he uses illustrations to get the point across to his readers than goes to the Biblical text and teaches from them. The chapters are no relatively longer chapters but very easy to read which could be a plus for some pastors when reading commentaries.

While I will be going to this commentary from time to time in my study of Philippians whether personal or for church, I cannot say it will be the first commentary I pick up. When it says, Biblical Preaching for the Contemporary Church, it truly means a commentary for short sermons since that is what most contemporary churches do. There were some strengths to this commentary but also some weaknesses.

Thanks Weaver Book Company for letting me review this book.

Book Review: 1 Samuel for You by Tim Chester

It was about a year or two ago that I went through the book of 1 Samuel as part of my personal Bible reading. Everytime, I read the book, I kept thinking in my head that Jesus is a better king, which is true. Throughout the Old Testament, we see great kings who followed God with all their heart and some not-so great kings who were just as wicked and evil as the days of Noah.

Of course when studying the Old Testament, one must proceed with caution as to make it a moralistic study which has been the case for many Christians. 1 Samuel is a book that promises a king and even shows us that there is a greater and better King. Tim Chester deals with this writing in the Old Testament in his latest book, 1 Samuel for You. Just as in his previous book, Chester takes the entire book and breaks it down verse by verse where the reader can understand.

As mentioned earlier, there is a tendency to take the Old Testament scripture and turn it into some form of moralistic teaching. The most famous passage in 1 Samuel happens to be David vs. Goliath and it is always attributed to facing your giants. Chester points out the David vs. Goliath is not about that. Chester points to Jesus and shows Him as the true Adam who took down our true giant which is sin. At the end of the book, Chester points out, just as I concluded from my own personal study of 1 Samuel, that Jesus is the better king. He is the King for all people and just one nation. Unlike all the other kings in the Bible, Jesus is a King that will never fail His people.

Pastors and teachers will benefit from this book as they study the Bible. It will also be a benefit to all Christians so they can see that 1 Samuel is not about being a good leader or facing your giants, but points to Jesus as the true and better King.

Thanks Good Book Company for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Revelation by Alun Ebenezer

The book of Revelation has always been one of the most misunderstood books of the entire Bible. The reason for that is it is filled with images that the Apostle John's readers would understand back during the time it was written. Many scholars and Bible teachers can never seem to come to an agreement on Revelation that has even caused some divisions within the church. As one of my professors at college once said, "You get 10 guys talking about Revelation, you are going to get 10 different opinions."

For first time Bible readers, including new Christians, Revelation may not be that easy to study from. So the question is, is there some commentary or Bible study that brand new Christians can read that will help in their study of Revelation? Alun Ebenezer has offered a commentary for such an occasion. Ebenezer is a Deputy Headteacher of a school in Cardiff as well as a youth leader at Heath Evangelical Church in Cardiff.

The introduction of the book really does an excellent job in explain the purpose of Revelation. Ebenezer explains that Revelation is a book or hope for those who trust in Jesus and intended to comfort the church during that time in history. Ebenezer talks about how revelation can be interpreted and why is this book so important for Christians to know.

The rest of the book goes into Revelation verse-by-verse in seven divisions, which are:

The Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of the church

A throne and seven seals

Seven trumpets

The woman and the child persecuted by the dragon and his helpers

Seven bowls

The fall of Babylon

The great consummation

Each chapter is easy to read for everyone whether you a first time Bible reader or have been a Christian for years and can never fully understand Revelation. Some chapters will through the difference between the Law and the gospel which makes this commentary a gospel-centered approach on Revelation. I highly recommend this commentary to everyone especially if you are teaching young Christians on Revelation.

Thanks EP Books for allowing to review this book.