(sung to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas)
On the 8th & 9th days before Christmas, Bible Geek Gone Wild gave to me uhhh, some books…… (It’s starting to get difficult to come up with new verses….)
Welcome to days 8 & 9 of Bible Geek Gone Wild’s 12 Days Before Christmas. Since I’m getting this up so late in the day, I decided to combine days 8 & 9 together and offer a wider selection of prizes. Many thanks to Rosemary Parkinson at Concordia Publishing House, India Cannon at B & H Publishing Group, and Bible Geek Gone Wild’s shelf of fabulous prizes (AKA Shaun’s library) for providing the prizes for today’s contest. There will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner for today’s contest. The first place winner will receive:
Users will find this an excellent extension of the long-respected New American Commentary series.
Contributors include: David W. Bebbington, Joel R. Beeke, John Coffey, Timothy George, Crawford Gribben, Michael A. G. Haykin, Paul Helm, D. Bruce Hindmarsh, David Ceri Jones, Thomas S. Kidd, Timothy Larsen, Cameron A. MacKenzie, A. T. B. McGowan, D. Densil Morgan, Ashley Null, Ian J. Shaw, Kenneth J. Stewart, Douglas A. Sweeney, Garry J. Williams, and Brandon G. Withrow.
The story of Christian theology has often been divisive and disjointed.
Providing this companion volume to his earlier work The Story of Christian Theology, Roger E. Olson thematically traces the contours of Christian belief down through the ages, revealing a pattern of both unity and diversity. He finds a consensus of teaching that is both unitive and able to incorporate a faithful diversity when not forced into the molds of false either-or alternatives.
The mosaic that emerges from Olson’s work displays a mediating evangelical theology that is nonspeculative and irenic in spirit and tone. Specifically written with the nonspecialist in mind, Olson has masterfully sketched out the contours of Christian faith with simplicity while avoiding oversimplification.
The authors of this book have combined years of expertise and devotion to Scripture to provide a truly unique volume that sets forth concise, logical, practical guidelines for discovering the truth in God’s Word. Ten years after its initial publication, the authors now have thoroughly updated it in light of the latest scholarship.
“This is a remarkably comprehensive study of the whole area of biblical interpretation. Thoroughly evangelical, it also interacts with nonevangelical interpretational stances. No other volume available on biblical interpretation does so much so well.”- Douglas Stuart, Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
The 2nd place winner will receive:
Lewis forged a strong understanding of the value of education in life. What he proposed and illustrated in his writings and modeled in the classroom is a passion for education in the classical tradition and a commitment to truth in the context of the Christian faith. Lewis’s defense of objective truth and the kind of curriculum that would support such truth form the foundation of his thought.
Views on the purpose of education, model schools, and the Inner Ring also are explored along with the effectiveness of Lewis’s use of analogy and other techniques to shape both the heads and the hearts of his students. The analysis of Lewis’s educational philosophy and practice culminates in application of this philosophy and practice to current issues and challenges in modern education and modern Christian education: objective truth, pedagogy, curriculum, interdisciplinary thinking, the purpose of education, “head and heart,” and much more.
Augustine as Mentor is written for modern day pastors and spiritual leaders who want to mentor and equip other evangelical Christians based on proven principles in matters of the heart like integrity, humility, faithfulness, personal holiness, spiritual hunger, and service to others.
Author Ed Smither explains, “Augustine has something to offer modern ministers pursuing authenticity and longing to ‘preach what they practice.’ Through his thought, practice, success, and even failures, my hope is that today’s mentors will find hope, inspiration, and practical suggestions for how to mentor an emerging generation of spiritual leaders.”
Armed with this knowledge, Christians can communicate the truth of God’s Word to a world searching for truth and meaning.
Worldviews examines
* Buddhism
* Confucianism
* Hinduism
* Islam
* Tribalism
* Modernity
The third place winner will receive:
To Live With Christ translates a collection of Giertz’s classic devotions for those who want to explore their Christian faith and to connect God’s Word in their daily lives. The devotional readings embrace the church-year calendar, just as Giertz did, preparing you for Sunday worship service.
Each Christ-centered devotion includes a Bible reading, meditation, and a prayer. The collection points readers to the cross of Christ, offering the assurance of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness, helping them draw closer to their Lord.
Writing in a very accessible style, Barnett provides an informative, reliable chronology of the years immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion. Just as important, he presents the historical sources, biblical clues, and other telling evidence that we have for accurately documenting this crucial period of time. Looking more widely, Barnett also surveys world events during Christianity’s first twenty years and notes their impact on life in the early church.
The Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years is Volume 1 of a trilogy titled After Jesus. Volume 2 will be Paul, Missionary of Jesus, and Volume 3 will be Finding the Historical Christ.
Contest For Days 8 & 9
The objective for today’s contest is to write a short paragraph or two talking about your favorite theological topic and why you feel driven to study it, pursue it, write about it, & even teach about it. Please post your paragraph or two as a comment to this post. I will select a 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winner from the responses. The winners will be announced on Monday. Good luck!
Terms and Conditions
- This contest will be limited to residents of the 48 state continental United States.
- Contestants may submit one entry per contest per day.
- The winner or winners will be announced following the close of each contest.
- Prizes will be shipped within several days of the close of each contest.
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12 users responded in this post
I must say that grace is the topic I return to over and over. Coming from a legalistic background I have been amazed by the truth of the grace of God. To know that I can enjoy life and to know that I’m accepted by God because of Jesus and not because of myself is extremely liberating.
That same legalistic background was very discouraging. I return to grace, not only to remind myself that I’m accepted in Christ, but also to find fresh passion for God’s glory.
I study, preach, and teach grace so that God might receive the glory, that we (my churches and I) might be humbled, and that we all might be free.
It is no secret that my favorite theological topic is the doctrine of the Trinity. I’ve put so much time and effort into studying this doctrine because of the Trinity itself. What do I mean? Well, the doctrine of the Trinity is simply our way of articulating our experience with/faith in the Triune God himself. It is my firm conviction that I can’t speak about the gospel, salvation, or God without reference to the Trinity.
There was also something that caught my attention when I first became interested in Christian apologetics, and that was the fact that every non-Christian world religion as well as every so-called Christian cult either explicitly denied/rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, or affirmed it in a such a way to maintain the language while redefining the terms. I found this intriuging and it made me want to understand why there was such a strong anti-trinitarian concensus. My conclusion is that the doctrine of the Trinity is so strongly rejected by non-Christians because it is the distinctive Christian doctrine.
I have been driven in recent years to study the doctrine of the Fall, and the resulting depravity of mankind. Much of the error that is rampant in the professing church today springs from a deficient view of human sinfulness. It is my belief that the Christians don’t take the tasks of missions and evangelism seriously enough, because they don’t have a firm view of the utter catastrophe that the Fall was for humanity.
This of course affects every other area of doctrine, especially salvation. If one doesn’t understand sin, then how can one hope to understand the need for grace? As sin becomes more vile, then, grace becomes all the more precious.
THE POWER OF THE LIVING WORD OF GOD
WHEREVER it is spoken, it has been sent by God Himself and it will NOT return void! The Word of God is: transforming, instructional, preserving, delivering, healing, life giving, creative, light bringing, eternal. The light of the Living Word lives on EVEN IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS and the darkness can’t even comprehend how! Take note…get this Living Word in your heart and in your mouth…nothing will be able to withstand it and all the hosts of the army of GOD will stand behind it to perform it!
The topic I love to hear about, think about, read about, and preach about is Christian assurance. Every form of divine revelation is a means by which we may know more about God, who he is and what he has done. From beginning to end, the Bible presents God as wanting to be known by his people. This is a recurring theme in Exodus and Ezekiel. The prophets of old ministered the words of God so that his people (who lacked knowledge) might gain knowledge of him (for instance, see Hosea). The NT presents the incarnation of the Son of God, God’s final and definitive revelation (Heb. 1:2), so that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11). “This is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn. 17:3). John testifies in his Gospel as well as in his first epistle that he wrote that believers might know. And, many other passages could be referenced.
The doctrine of assurance was a key element in the preaching of the reformers. For example, I noticed yesterday when reading Calvin’s Prefatory Address to the King of France in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, that he emphasized this essential doctrine. He writes: “what more agreeable to faith than to feel assured that God is a propitious Father when Christ is acknowledged as a brother and propitiator, than confidently to expect all prosperity and gladness from Him, whose ineffable love towards us was that He ‘spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all’ (Rom. Viii. 32), than to trust in the sure hope of salvation and eternal life whenever Christ, in whom such treasures are hid, is conceived to have been given by the Father? Here the attack us, and loudly maintain that this sure confidence is not free from arrogance and presumption” (Institutes, trans. by Henry Beveridge, 6-7, emphasis mine). Later, he adds, “For this hope some of us are in bonds, some beaten with rods, some made a gazing-stock, some proscribed, some most cruelly tortured, some obliged to flee; we are all pressed with straits, loaded with dire execrations, lacerated by slanders, and treated with the greatest indignity” (7, emphasis mine). Again, he add, “But however they may sport with its uncertainty, had they to seal their own doctrine with their blood, and at the expense of life, it would be seen what value they put upon it. Very different is our confidence which is not appalled by the terrors of death, and therefore not even by the judgment-seat of God” (8, emphasis mine).
My favorite theological “topic” is Jesus. Before I started my blog I read numerous books on Jesus and the gospels. Most of them were library books that I couldn’t buy unfortunately. I read so many that I thought I should move on for a while and have gone from Romans through James. Later on I will get back to studying the One.
I’m much more interested in Him than I am Paul or any other apostle or person of the Bible. He is the image of the invisible God, giving us a glimpse of who God is. He is perfectly sane. We can look to Him and see what human character should be. He was perfectly obedient. He modeled prayer for us. His use of His own Word is fascinating to see and learn from. Every aspect of His life is fascinating, illuminating and comforting. Unlike other people of the Bible He is incarnate and is still living, interceding for us as our High Priest. I could go on and on.
I hope that isn’t too broad to be considered a topic. If it had to be narrowed down it would be the historical Jesus.
Jeff
I am strongly drawn to revelation and Scripture. In a world of so many competing values, it is imperative that Christians understand Scripture, how to study it, communicate and live their faith. Unfortunately many Christians neglect the many opportunities afforded them for deeper study, and instead they turn to Christian promise cards that take the Word out of context or TV preachers who preach prosperity and a toothless gospel. One of my driving passions is to see Christians actively engaging God’s Word, understanding its true meaning, and living it out in the world being faithful witnesses.
The unity of the Bible, both testaments, is my driving passion of late. Biblical theology or more specifically a redemptive historical approach to hermeneutics and indeed all of Scripture has led to my realizing that the Old Testament is all about Jesus Christ. Typologically and analogically, every story of the Bible foreshadows and points toward Christ. Seeing the splendor of the witness of Jesus throughout Scripture, enriches ones understanding of the Bible and presents various opportunities to love and worship Jesus Christ more.
Amen, Bob, looking into the scriptures both OT & NT, we see the reflection of our beloved savior in facets innumerable each inspiring a worshipful awe… And we are transformed!
Since the early days of my initiation into theological study, the cantus firmus behind all my endeavors — be they exegetical, historico-constructive, or practical — has been the relationship between Law and Gospel. One’s approach to the vexed issue of continuity (vs./and) discontinuity has clear implications for the broad range of theological subjects: I, for one, am well aware that my Christotelic hermeneutics rests squarely upon my understanding of how Law and Gospel relate to each other, and from there it spreads its influence to every nook and cranny of my thinking. To me, this is the centerpiece of Christian theology, as evidenced already in Romans and Galatians, and by centuries of exegetical and theological discussion on the issue, and as the centerpiece it commands my utmost attention in both study and teaching.
(Respectfully submitted for consideration to win the third place.
)
Soon coming up on 47 years of the practical practice of Christianity…I am daily amazed at the wonder of the interaction of God with man, on our level…
The marvelous words invented to describe it…priceless…*: )
I’ve been driven to study theology proper as of late. An understanding of the existence and attributes of God will shape all other doctrines. Your doctrine of revelation, soteriology, ecclesiology, and other doctrines are all directly related to your understanding of God. If eschatology is the capstone of theology then theology proper is the base for all theological construction.
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