A Gospel of Doubt: The Legacy of John MacArthur’s “The Gospel According to Jesus”
A Gospel of Doubt: The Legacy of John MacArthur’s “The Gospel According to Jesus.” By Robert N. Wilkin. Corinth, TX: Grace Evangelical Society. 305 pp. Paper, $22.00. John MacArthur wrote The Gospel According to Jesus (TGAJ) in 1988. It has been very well received in the evangelical world. A new edition was published in 2008. […]
“Jesus For You”- Gerhard Forde on Proclaiming the Promises of God
Shawn C. Lazar Associate Editor Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Corinth, TX I. INTRODUCTION It is no secret that Western society has become increasingly secular.1 The world has become disenchanted.2 The ancient cathedrals are empty. Many churches, especially mainstream ones, are slowly dying. And there are even calls to banish theology—once considered the queen […]
The Swedish Pietists: A Reader
The Swedish Pietists: A Reader. Edited and trans. by Mark Safstrom. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2015. 237 pp. Paper, $28.00 From the early 1880s to the beginnings of the 20th century, the Lutheran state churches in Scandinavia experienced a spiritual awakening comparable to those in America. Two of the most important leaders in that movement […]
Is Our Understanding of Baptism All Wet?
Brad Doskocil Board Member Grace Evangelical Society Long Beach, CA I. INTRODUCTION Recently, Bob Wilkin wrote a book that looked at how many words in the Bible are misunderstood.1 Perhaps another Bible word that is often misunderstood is baptism and its cognates: baptize and baptist. We will look at the use and meaning of this […]
Should Christians Fear Outer Darkness?
Should Christians Fear Outer Darkness? By Dennis Rokser, Tom Stegall, and Kurt Witzig. Duluth, MN: Grace Gospel Press, 2015. 503 pp. Paper, $19.95. Though the title suggests this book is about the expression the outer darkness—found only in Matt 8:12; 22:13; and 25:30—in reality the book more broadly discusses Should Christians Fear the Judgment Seat […]
Jesus’ Use of Spittle in Mark 8:22-26
Kenneth Yates Editor I. INTRODUCTION Recently, I read a thesis done in 1999 on Jesus’ use of spittle in the healing of the blind man in Mark 8:22-26. The author of the thesis is Sarah Bourgeois and it was completed at Dallas Theological Seminary.1 This healing in Mark is interesting for a couple of reasons. […]
Only One Way?: Reaffirming the Exclusive Truth Claims of Christianity
Only One Way?: Reaffirming the Exclusive Truth Claims of Christianity. Edited by Richard Phillips. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2006. 151 pp. Paper, $12.99. This book consists of six chapters by six different authors. All come from a Reformed background and the material in the book was originally presented at the 2005 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed […]
God’s Providence: He Cares for You
God’s Providence: He Cares for You. By Mark J. Lenz. Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2000. 146 pp. Paper, $14.50. In God’s Providence: He Cares for You, Mark J. Lenz explains the doctrine of providence in a way suitable for an Adult Bible Study class. The book is written in a personal style, with direct […]
The New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good
The New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good. By Maria Pally. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011. 268 pp. Paper, $20.00. Marcia Pally is a professor at New York University. In this book, she makes the case that there is a growing tendency among American evangelicals to move more toward the left in their […]
God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life
God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. By Gene Edward Veith. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002, 2011. 176 pages. Paper, $15.99. In God at Work, Gene Edward Veith introduces the Lutheran doctrine of vocation and thereby presents a different way of understanding the meaning and purpose of the Christian life. The term “vocation” […]