Book Review: Worthy by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher

The issue of women in the church is one has taken the Evangelical world by storm. It seems that there are that say the church looks down on women while others say they exalt women to much. For the past year, there is have discussion about women preaching on Sunday morning or if the church can have women pastors. Another discussion is are they even allowed to teach a Sunday School class with men in their presence. I know these are very hot buttons that need to be discussed, but this post is not about that. I want to give my review on a book that is surely going to be the talk of the Christian Church for the next few months or years.

Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher have co-written a book together to address the value of women in the Kingdom of God simply titled, Worthy. I have to admit when I selected to review this book, I was nervous, in fact I am nervous right now writing this review. If I share my thoughts about this book in one way, I might be seen as bigot, who thinks women should remain in the kitchen. If I review this book another way. I might be viewed as one who compromised the Word of God and joined the feminist movement in the church. First of all, Fitzpatrick and Schumacher are not advocating any form of feminism in this book but simply wanting to celebrate the value and worth of women in the storyline of the Bible, which is something I appreciated that comment. As with every book review, I seek to be fair while holding to Biblical convictions and this book is no exception.

Before I go any further, I want to express my appreciation for the authors. I am sure many of you have read books from Elyse Fitzpatrick and have benefitted from them greatly. I know I have from the few I have read from her. To Eric, who has been a follower of mine of Twitter and vice versa. He is a songwriter who has written a couple of good songs that I have loved over the years. One of them is There Is No Sin That I Have Done, which is in a couple of playlists I have on Spotify and have sung it in corporate worship.

I do have points of agreement in this book, such that women are made in the image of God. Yes, Amen. There is not dispute about that as Genesis 1 tells us. Anyone who thinks women are not made in the image of God really do not know God nor the Bible. Women have been and can be used of God. Absolutely. We see that in Scripture and we see that in church history. When a sister in Christ talks with you, whether you are a pastor or not, she is not wanting to have sex with you. That is again absolutely true. Men need to stop looking on women as an object of desire. I think many believers, both men and women, will agree with that.

As I mentioned, this book wants to show the value of women, in the pages of the Bible from the fall to the church in the book of Acts. Fitzpatrick and Schumacher even addresses the value of women in the church today. I do truly believe that women can be used of God in the church today with the gifts He has given them. There are area of a church that women can be used by God according to the Bible, not the culture or our feelings. Yes, I agree that there are sinful perceptions that some may have towards women in the church, but we have misconceptions about men in the church as well. One of them is that women are more prone to deception then men. We are all prone to deception, which is why both men and women need to the Word of God as their sufficient standard for life and godliness.

Perhaps one of the earliest comments in the book that made me want to write this book off altogether was when the issue of the fall took a more approach to victimology than theology. Addressing the sin that Adam committed was not just eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, it was also abusing women. In Genesis 3 when God confronted Adam about his sin, he blamed Eve. Sinful people blame one another or their circumstances in why they sinned. Yet, the writers seem to point out this was abuse which turned from Exegesis into Eisegesis. Lets take this a step further, when Jesus was on the cross dying in our place, which Jesus took the blame for our sin, does that mean God abused Jesus? This is what liberal think when it comes to the cross and the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. They believe this was divine child abuse. This approach to the Fall is very concerning.

Further on in the book, the authors mentioned the worth of women in the church where the issue of women being silent in the church was addressed based on Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14:34. We see that Philip the Evangelist had four daughters who were unmarried and prophesying in the name of the Lord. The authors said that Paul, who visited his home in Acts 21, did not correct him about his four daughters. The authors were thinking that Luke, who wrote Acts, was boasting about what these four women were doing. I am not sure why the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to write that in the book of Acts nor do I care to speculate, but it seems there was, once again some Eisegesis in this. Granted, we are told that our sons and daughters were to be granted the gift of prophecy as told in the book of Joel, but I am not sure if Luke was boasting about this or just helping his reader, in this case Theophilus (Acts 1:1), identify who Philip was.

As I close with this review, I want to say this issue of women in the church is one that every Christian needs to take to heart. Yes, God has used and will continue to use women to accomplish his purposes. Women are using their gifts and talents to reach people for Christ. Women are leading other women in Bible study. I do not believe that Fitzpatrick nor Schumacher were calling for women to take their pastor's job. I do appreciate their commitment in writing about the value of women in the church and how God has used women in the past.

Again, I want to be fair so I will say this: while this book has some very good points I felt that some of them were a little stretched. While I appreciated that this book was not advocating feminism, there were times it was going into that direction. There were just too many inconstancies in the book.

Like any book a Christian reads, we need to have a Biblical worldview as we approach it. We must have an open Bible not an open mind. That is the approach that any believer must take when reading a book and Worthy is no exception.

Thanks Bethany House for allowing me to review this book.

Related Resource:

My review of Is The Bible Good For Women?

Book Review: Home by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Ever been homesick? It is not fun. If you are on vacation, you tend not to think about it because you know once you set foot into your house, reality sets in. Kids get homesick when they go to some form of a summer camp because it is not home where they are surrounded by the people they love and love them back.

For Christians, we know this world is not our home, at least the state the world is in right now. We long for a better world where there is no death, wars, diseases, and the aches & pains of an aging body. We long for a world where there is no more death and suffering. We long for a world where Jesus is worshipped everyday and nothing stops us. We long for a world where there is no sin. You could say that Christians are homesick.

Elyse Fitzpatrick has written a book to reminds us of our future place where we dwell with the Father, simply titled, Home. She writes, "Christians are the most consistently homesick people in the world because they know this world (as it is) isn't their true home." If you have read the Bible as long as I have or even longer, you know that one day Jesus will set everything right in the Father's timing.

Fitzpatrick writes this book as an encouragement and reminder for all Christians that this world is not our home and it will be made right one day. She reminds us that Jesus has gone a prepared a place for us and will come and get us when it is ready. She also takes us through what the Bible describes what Heaven will be like (she did not claim to have taken a trip there as if it was an out of body experience).

Fitzpatrick continues on by stating our tears are a reminder that we long for a home. God never intended for pain and suffering to come, however, due to the Fall, it did. She reminds us that Jesus one day will wipe away every tear and there will be no more pain. She goes on to say Jesus will return (as the Bible teaches) and make this world as God intended. She concludes the book, in the Appendix, by sharing with her readers how they can have eternal life by sharing a simple gospel message through her writings.

I remember a friend of mine, who leads worship for his church, say they are not many songs about Heaven. There are not many books about Heaven either. Sure there are ones about someone going there but a few of them have been proven false. Fitzpatrick book should serve as a reminder and encouragement for all believers that this world is not our home. Christians should look forward to the day where we can truly say, "I'm home."

Thanks Bethany House for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Idols of the Heart by Elyse M Fitzpatrick

John Calvin once said that the human heart is an idol factory and he is correct. We can make an idol out of anything and anyone. In fact, idolatry was the sin that started the Fall. When Adam and Eve looked at the fruit, they found it more appealing than God Himself.

Throughout the Bible, we see what idolatry has done to the people of God. It has caused political chaos and even turmoil in the church. We also see idolatry in our day and time especially this year when we are in a presidential election.

Elyse Fitzpatrick has written a book to help our fight the idols we have created called, Idols of the Heart. Fitzpatrick takes Biblical examples of people committing idolatry and the effect it has on them. She looks at the root of the problem. Where does idolatry come from? Yes, it does come from the heart, but it also comes from our lack of love for God. The only way for us to combat idolatry is to seek assistance from the Holy Spirit.

Fitzpatrick continues on to show her readers that God should be the One we long for. God is the One who our hearts adore, not something or someone who can do absolutely nothing for us. She also teaches how we can crush our idols and delight in God alone.

Fitzpatrick is a well-known Christian counselor that many pastors recommend her books to people. I am delighted to recommend this book to all Christians as well.

Thanks PRP Books for letting me review this book.

Book Review: Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson

Every parent feels unequipped to answer their kids' hard questions. They even feel terrified when they help with homework over things they have no idea what it is. As a parent, I sometimes find myself wondering would I have been able to get through school with all these things they teach my kids.

As a Christian parent, I know it is my primary duty to teach my children spiritual truths. I must admit they have asked me hard questions I had to do some research on. Some parents do not feel that way. They freak out when their kids ask them questions such as, "what is sin?," "why grandpa have to die?," or "why are my friend's parents getting a divorce?"

Mother and daughter team, Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson tackle how parents can answer their kids' hard questions in their book, Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions. This book deals with the questions of sin, divorce, natural disasters, and even who is Satan. Fitzpatrick and Thompson takes the questions kids will have and writes what the Bible says about those certain topics.

What I love about this book is that Fitzpatrick and Thompson even break down what should said about the topic in each chapter to different age groups. Let's face it, sometimes talking to child about sexual sin is more difficult than addressing this issue to a teenager. The last chapter of the book deals with the gospel. The gospel is be shared at all times in the home. Fitzpatrick and Thompson tell their readers that their kids need to trust in what Christ has done and not their good behavior. I love this book. I think every parent, whether you a one month old or a 10-year-old, should read this book. Children and Youth Pastors give this book to your parents.

Thanks Bethany House for letting me review this book.