The Assurance of Salvation: Biblical Hope for Our Struggles
The Assurance of Salvation: Biblical Hope for Our Struggles. By Robert A. Peterson. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019. 191 pp. Paper, $16.99. Robert Peterson was a Professor of Systematic Theology at Covenant Seminary for over twenty-five years. He has written or edited thirty books. There is much to like about this book. The tone is […]
The Hospitality Commands
The Hospitality Commands. By Alexander Strauch. Littleton, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1993. 64 pp. Paper, $6.99. What kinds of spiritual practices should Christians emphasize? In this short, but powerful, booklet, Alexander Strauch explores what the NT says about hospitality. Unlike popular spiritual disciplines that do not have clear Scriptural bases, Strauch shows that hospitality […]
Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World
Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World. By Andy Stanley. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018. 332 pp. Hardcover, $24.99. Normally when I review books, I am confident that I understand the author’s main point. In the case of Irresistible by Andy Stanley, I am confident I understand at least a few of […]
The Confession of the Centurion in Luke 23:47
Kenneth W. Yates Editor I. INTRODUCTION In the Gospel of Luke, Luke tells us that when the centurion at the cross of Christ saw Jesus die, “he glorified God, saying, ‘Certainly this was a righteous man’” (Luke 23:47, NKJV). Both Matthew and Mark say that the centurion proclaimed that Jesus was “the Son of God” […]
Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do About It
Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do About It. By David Zahl. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2019. 211 pp. Hardcover, $26.99. Every page of this book hit a nerve. David Zahl demonstrates how salvation by works has been rebranded and promoted by secular culture. To […]
Is the Concept of Repentance Found in John’s Gospel, and if so, What Difference Does It Make?
Robert N. Wilkin Executive Director Grace Evangelical Society Corinth, TX I. INTRODUCTION Over the past few years I have read articles and books by leading Evangelicals arguing that the concept of repentance is found in the Gospel of John. They have suggested it is a major error to conclude, as I and others have, that […]
The Created Cosmos: What the Bible Reveals About Astronomy
The Created Cosmos: What the Bible Reveals About Astronomy. By Danny R. Faulkner and Lee Anderson, Jr. Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Publishing, 2016. 352 pp. Hardcover, $19.99. As can be determined by the title, this book is heavy on apologetics. With degrees in physics and astronomy, Faulkner is a professor at the University of […]
The Whirlpool’s Deadly Trap: Disenfranchising Jesus
Zane C. Hodges1 I. INTRODUCTION In his famous epic poem the Odyssey, Homer describes Odysseus’ danger-filled return from the Trojan War to his home in Ithaca. Among the legion of dangers he faced was the whirlpool called Charybdis. Odysseus was warned that his ship must pass between two great rocks no farther apart than a […]
Gospel Assurance & Warnings
Gospel Assurance & Warnings. By Paul Washer. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2014. 252 pp. Paper, $20.00. Paul Washer has done lots of videos which are available online. He promotes a strong form of Lordship Salvation. This book has essentially the same title as a book I read years ago by Gerald Borchert (Assurance […]
“Abraham Rejoiced to See My Day and Saw It”: Jesus’ Take on Theophanies
Randy Rheaume1 Senior Pastor Stony Creek Church Utica, MI I. INTRODUCTION “Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad” (NET). Jesus’ intriguing words in John 8:56 have puzzled church fathers, scholars, and Bible readers of all kinds for centuries. Indeed, the crowd of Jesus’ original hearers was […]