I just received Kregel’s new series on “40 Questions About . . .” Great series. Well formated. Incredibility usable. Highly recommended. This is the kind of stuff I like these days. Short chapters and to the point. So many books will bog you down in things you don’t need to know or are not really interested in by waxing eloquent about too many ancillary details. With these, you get straight to the point. I love it!
In a time when self-help books are pushing books with true content off the shelves, these books have more than a fighting chance of holding their own. One thing I really love is that each chapter concludes with discussion/reflections questions. Perfect for small groups studies.
40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert L. Plummer.
Questions included:
Were the ancient manuscripts of the Bible transmitted accurately?
Who determined what books would be included in the Bible?
Why is biblical interpretation important?
How has the Bible been interpreted throughout church history?
What are some general principles for interpreting the Bible? (Part 1 and 2)
How can I improve as an interpreter of the Bible?
Do all the commands of the Bible apply today?
40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law by Tomas R. Schreiner
Questions included:
What does the word law mean in the Scriptures?
Was the Mosaic covenant legalistic?
Does the OT teach that salvation is by works?
What does the expression “works of law” mean in Paul?
Is perfect obedience to the law mandatory for salvation?
Does Paul teach that the OT law is now abolished?
What does Paul mean by “righteousness of God”?
Does the Pauline teaching on justification contradict Jesus’ message?
Do James and Paul contradict one another on justification by works?
How should we understand the role of the law in Luke-Acts?
What is theonomy, or Christian reconstructionism, and how should it be evaluated
What role does the law have in preaching?
40 Questions About Elders and Deacons by Benjamin L. Merkle
(This would be a great work for all elders, those who are in the pastorate, and those who are starting a church)
Questions included:
Why is it important to have a biblical form of church government?
What are the various forms of church government?
Does the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 support Episcopalianism or Presbyterianism?
What New Testament evidence is there in support of congregationalism?
Are the offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and priest for today?
What is the background of the terms “elder” and “overseer”?
Does 1 Timothy 5:17 make a distinction between two types of elders?
What are the moral qualifications for an elder?
What does it mean that an elder must be “the husband of one wife”?
Must an elder be married and must his children be believers?
What are the reasons for affirming that women cannot be elders? (part 1 and 2)
How many elders should each congregation have?
3 replies to "40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible and More"
Michael,
We had Dr. Plummer in Woodward this past October to lecture on the book and preach in our annual meeting. It was a great time.
The links are up at http://www.labcwoodward.org/media.php?pageID=13&itemID=45
Look for the date 10-25-2010
John Elam
DOM NWBaptist Assoc.
Is this a joke? “What is theonomy, or Christian reconstructionism, and how should it be evaluated”…
This chapter isn’t worth reading if the author doesn’t know that theonomy is not synonymous with Christian Reconstructionism. The guy should do his research. This alone makes me suspect that the book is not worth my time.
Strictly speaking, theonomy simply means adherence to God’s laws. Does Plummer think Christians shouldn’t follow God’s laws?
Every time I see theonomy come up I think of the quote “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”