Concordances Books

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

Wayne Grudem

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 135 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Outstanding and Unsurpassed 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The title of my Review says it all, and since there are already over 130 Reviews, I will make this short. This is simply the best comprehensive modern systematic theology in one volume on the market I have seen in 40 years of ministry. Why? It covers charismatic, evangelical, historical, liturgical and every other angle theologically, is reader friendly, loaded with footnotes and references from every Christian persuasion, and yet not avoiding thorny and difficult topics usually only tackled by very independent writers. No wonder it has sold over a quarter of a million copies in such a short time.

Thank God 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This a fantastic book!,Imagine a book on Theology for everyman to enjoy,From the scholar to the layperson,everyone can enjoy understanding who God is.And this gentleman seems to write from a perspective of really loving God and people too,without any desire to impress anyone with his knowledge as Mr Grudem could easily do,This is a masterpiece and I cannot overemphasize how enjoyable and solid this hefty volume is,We need more men like this to break down these wonderful truths for us and yet they are still as meaty and can be as deep as you need to go with them,I thank my God for using Mr Grudem to bring this to us,all Glory to Him!!

Editorial Review:

This introductory textbook has several distinctive features: a strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine; clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum; and a contemporary approach.

The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life

Emmet Fox

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 78 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Sermon on the Mount--now passing its 65th birthday--remains a vital and provocative introduction to the ideas at the heart of Christian Science. At heart it means to be entirely practical, as the "Science" of the name would indicate. Denying any interest in theology (there is no theology in the Bible, Fox argues), the author instead suggests that what Jesus was after was results: "Jesus explains to us what the nature of God is, and what our own nature is; tells us the meaning of life and of death; shows us why we make mistakes; why we yield to temptation; why we become sick, and impoverished, and old; and, most important of all, he tells us how all these evils may be overcome, and how we may bring health, happiness, and true prosperity into our lives."

And the Spiritual Key? Fox puts it quite simply: "The Truth turns out to be nothing less than the amazing but undeniable fact that the whole outer world--whether it be the physical body, the common things of life, the winds and the rain, the clouds, the earth itself--is amenable to man's thought, and that he has dominion over it when he knows it." --Doug Thorpe

Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told

Joe Kovacs

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Shocked by the Bible sets the record straight with well-researched, controversial, myth-breaking assertions about what the Bible really does-and doesn't-say.

Myths and misconceptions about the Bible's content abound, and churchgoing Christians are often as confused as everyone else. Fed up with this lack of public knowledge, author Joe Kovacs has compiled some of the most crucial information for correcting people's faulty education on what the Bible really says. If readers have ever wondered about God, the Bible, or the meaning of life, and are just not satisfied with the answers they've received-or if they want to learn what the Bible really says on troubling questions-Shocked by the Bible is an essential resource for helping both Christians and non-Christians alike.

Kovacs says, "If people actually knew what is in their Bible-the nonstop sex and violence, the hilarious comedy, and the astounding facts their pastors never told them-they'd rush to crack it open and get the surprise of their lives."

Among the little-known facts Kovacs explores are:

• Jesus said NO ONE has gone to heaven except Himself
• The Bible never says Jesus died on a Friday or rose from the grave Sunday morning
• "Christmas" is not mentioned in the Bible
• "Easter" has vanished from the Bible
• God wanted to kill Moses
• "God the Father" is never mentioned in the Old Testament
• There weren't just two of every kind of animal aboard Noah's Ark
• The worst case of hemorrhoids in history is recorded in the Bible
• Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not Jews
• Jesus made personal appearances on Earth in the Old Testament
• The Bible tells you not to eat your dog or cat for dinner
• God ordered many of His own people to get divorced
• Elijah did not cheat death by riding a chariot to heaven
• And many more

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible

Scot McKnight

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good Book, but Missing Something 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Blue Parakeet is a book about a book, namely the Bible. ScotMcKnight challenges Christians to read the Bible as a story, not as a set of laws or morsels of blessings. McKnight feels that only by reading the Bible as a story can we grasp the truth that God is trying to impart to humanity. McKnight uses the metaphor of a blue parakeet in his backyard to illustrate his point. A blue parakeet once inhabited his backyard, causing the other birds to be at once terrified and curious. He says the Bible does the same thing; it is something that is often times what we don't want to hear, but we are captivated by it at the same time.


This book alternately thrilled and bored me. It never really hits its stride. The introductory chapter blew me away. McKnight asked controversial and thought-provoking questions, but never really got around to addressing them. A lot of the chapters are filled with theories and categorizing, which makes you feel like you're slogging through a textbook. But just when you are ready to give up on the book, McKnight injects life into the discussion, making you take a closer look at your own personal interpretation of the Bible, and whether it is right or wrong to even have an individual interpretation of the Bible.

If you are a student of the Bible, then you will probably like this book. But if you aren't a big fan of scholarly works of the Bible, stay away.

Editorial Review:

The Blue Parakeet is author Scot McKnight’s deeply reasoned, compelling statement of how to read the Bible in a new evangelical generation. In re-examining the Bible, McKnight provides an exciting “Third Way” that appeals to the millions in today’s church who long to be authentic Christians, but don’t consider themselves theologically conservative or liberal.

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on Old Testament quotations, allusions, and echoes that appear from Matthew through Revelation. College and seminary students, pastors, scholars, and interested lay readers will want to add this unique commentary to their reference libraries. Contributors Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) on Matthew Rikk E. Watts (Regent College) on Mark David W. Pao (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Eckhard J. Schnabel (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on Luke Andreas J. Köstenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) on John I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) on Acts Mark A. Seifrid (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on Romans Roy E. Ciampa (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Brian S. Rosner (Moore Theological College) on 1 Corinthians Peter Balla (Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Budapest) on 2 Corinthians Moisés Silva (author of Philippians in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) on Galatians and Philippians Frank S. Thielman (Beeson Divinity School) on Ephesians G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) on Colossians Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) on 1 and 2 Thessalonians Philip H. Towner (United Bible Societies) on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus George H. Guthrie (Union University) on Hebrews D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on the General Epistles G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) and Sean M. McDonough (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on Revelation

The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ

Lee Strobel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Disingenuous 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is the second Lee Strobel book I have read. It is clear, as many people have pointed out, that even though Lee presents himself as a seeker who is earnestly trying to find the truth, this is a facade.

As a thinking Christian, I have been troubled by many of the issues Lee brings up in his books. I have yet found no simple answers. Yes, research has shown that Mithras was basically an A.D. Religion. But other mystery religions are not so easily dismissed.

The fact that Lee interviews one side, and declares them the winner, is disingenuous to me. A true investigative journalist would interview both sides, and then decide. It is even clear from his "thoughts", as he is interviewing people, that he already has decided the outcome.

One specific example that irritates me: Was Isaiah 7:14 a messianic prophecy? "A young woman(virgin) will conceive and bring forth a son...". Anyone who has studied the context of this prophesy knows that this was specifically intended for the IMMEDIATE future. Not for Jesus born 700 years later. There's no way around this(unless you believe in dual prophecy). Michael Brown responds to the challenge by saying "No one knows what this prophecy exactly meant". Yet Lee Strobel accepts this explanation!!!! HUH?!! How in the world could you accept this explanation, if you were truly undecided. The only way is, you already have your mind made up.

Bottom line is, you can be for or against something. But please be upfront, and don't pretend to undecided, when in fact, you are not.

Editorial Review:

From college classrooms to bestselling books to the Internet, the historic picture of Jesus is under an intellectual onslaught. This fierce attack on the traditional portrait of Christ has confused spiritual seekers and created doubt among many Christians – but can these radical new claims and revisionist theories stand up to sober scrutiny?

The Gospel According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith?

John MacArthur

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 91 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

One of the most important books in the past 20 years 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.

I first read this book when it was published in 1988. It countered the easy believism, self-delusional evangelism pervasive in my then-independent Baptist circles and confirmed the serious gospel of God's grace. I read several of the one-star reviews, and they typically represent a gross misunderstanding of grace that provides comfort to Christians whose children made decisions and then departed from the faith in adulthood.

The Bible commands us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and speaks much about the pursuit of obedience as evidence of true faith. Obedience does not save, but the truly converted person will seek, however imperfectly, to obey his Lord. There is no salvation, only delusion, in a "gospel" which divorces obedience from faith. As the book of James aptly states, "Faith without works is dead."

Those who denounce MacArthur as mixing works with grace misrepresent the author. This is a serious book for those serious about following Christ. I would give it ten stars if that were an option.

Editorial Review:

What does Jesus mean when he says, “Follow me”?

Twenty years ago, pastor-teacher and bestselling author John MacArthur tackled that seemingly simple question—and wrote a book that has since taken its place among Christianity’s classics. This 20th Anniversary edition of MacArthur’s provocative book has been revised and contains one new chapter.

The Jewish Study Bible: featuring The Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Jewish Study Bible presents the center of gravity of the Scriptures where Jews experience it--in Torah. It offers readers the fruits of various schools of Jewish traditions of biblical exegesis (rabbinic, medieval, mystical, etc.) and provides them with a wealth of ancillary materials that aid in bringing the ancient text to life. The nearly forty contributors to the work represent the cream of Jewish biblical scholarship from the world over. No knowledge of Hebrew is required for one to make use of this unique volume.
The JSB uses The Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation, whose name is an acronym formed from the Hebrew initials of the three sections into which the Hebrew Bible is traditionally divided (Torah, Instruction; Nevi'im, Prophets; and Kethubim, Writings). A committee of esteemed biblical scholars and rabbis from the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism movements produced this modern translation, which dates from 1985.
Anyone interested in acquiring a fuller understanding of the riches of the Bible will profit from reading The Jewish Study Bible.

The New Testament and the People of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God)

N. T. Wright

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A great beginning to an excellent series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have just finished reading this book after coming across Wright's shorter work, The Challenge of Jesus" which I also highly recommend.
This book lays a good foundation for the ambitious project Wright is undertaking to explain Jesus, Paul and the New Testament.

The first section of the book explains the need for History, Theology and Literature to be interlinked. Wright explains that neither positivism nor phenomenalism are good ways of explaining the world. He argues for a new hermeneutic: the hermeneutic of Love. He also uses the term 'critical realism' to explain this.
In part two he goes deeper into the explanations of narrative and worldview with some very useful insights and ideas. Such as the reality of public and private spheres of knowledge, instead of the well worn objective/subjective split. He also discusses the enlightenment and its values and the necessity for different ideas in theology than pantheism and deism.
The third part of the book is a massive account of Judea and its people from the 100's BC to the 100's AD. It includes explanations of Jewish beliefs, hopes and worldviews. How their interpretive framework of the world operated.
The fourth portion of the book does the same for the early 1st century Christian movement. Wright critiques the different strands of Christianity and insists that Christianity of the first century was above all from a Jewish perspective and not, as Crossan and others postulate, a hellenistic movement that later became Jewish.
The final section sums up the entire book and sets the stage for the second book of the series, Jesus and the Victory of God. I promptly ordered that book as soon as I finished this first volume. It is very refreshing to see someone like Wright who is firmly rooted in history but can also sum up theology and narrative so well.

A definite must-read for any student of the bible and christianity. 5 stars all the way around.

The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order (NIV)

F. LaGard Smith

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Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The narrated Bible 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love reading this Bible, especially the gospels, it puts them into one story of Jesus.

You should have this among your Bibles 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

You haven't read your Bible until you've read it chronologically! When I began to do this, it began to give me a better understanding of the story line that we so easily miss...

Editorial Review:

The Narrated Bible, unique in concept and design, combines chronological accuracy, typographic innovation, and an easy–to–read format featuring the widely acclaimed NIV text. A beloved favorite—now with a new cover. The Narrated Bible is the only chronological presentation of God’s Word with devotional commentary to guide the reader, including—

• the laws of Moses presented together in one unified legal code arranged by subject
• the wisdom literature—including Proverbs—presented topically
• the four Gospels gathered together in one harmonious account
• Paul’s epistles integrated and presented within the historical record of Acts

Bible readers, ministers, students, and teachers will be delighted with this remarkable Bible.