30 Days to Understanding the Bible, by Max Anders; published by Thomas Nelson; 300 pages. Available from John Ritchie Ltd; price £8.50.
In 30 Days to Understanding the Bible, the author makes the proposition that if you are willing to devote just fifteen minutes of your time each day for thirty days, you can gain a foundational grasp of the Bible that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Max Anders has found that the key to meaningful Bible study is to understand the structure of the Bible: "If you want to learn architecture, you must first learn how buildings are put together…if you want to learn to understand the Bible, you must first learn how the Bible is put together".
30 Days to Understanding the Bible is divided into three relevant parts. Section 1: The Story of the Old Testament. Section 2: The Story of the New Testament. Section 3: The Ten Great Doctrines of the Bible.
In the first section, the author shows that the way to discovering the logical flow of the Old Testament is to identify that there are three different kinds of books. If you are unsure as to what these are, this book holds the key. The author then presents a panoramic view of the geography of the Old Testament, followed by a helpful consideration of the nine main eras found in the Old Testament. The first is the creation era and the rest will be revealed as you read the book!
The second section dealing with the New Testament follows a similar pattern of orderly progression. By the end of this series of studies you will have gained an indispensable appreciation of the core teachings of the Word of God, the geography of the Bible, and its key characters, places and events.
The third section provides a concise overview of the ten great doctrines of the Bible, namely: The Origin and Nature of the Scriptures, God, The Lord Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Angels, Man, Sin, Salvation, The Church, and Future Events.
Innovative charts, tables, review exercises and self-tests throughout the book encourage reader interaction. There is also a collection of images, maps and charts which are designed to be copied and used in electronic presentations, plus a 13-week plan providing everything you need to teach a small study group.
With this book, just think how much more you could know about the Bible this time next month!
AC
The Church, by R P Amos; published by Everyday Publications Inc; 126 pages. Available from John Ritchie Ltd; price £5.99.
The Church is sub-titled "A Discipleship Manual for the Body of Christ". The author in the Introduction emphasises that the 126-page paperback is written for all "who are serious about serving Him". He insists that a true servant cannot ignore Christ’s "true church", without detracting from the glory of the One who is Head of the Church. The Introduction also establishes the standpoint from which the author writes. He finds a parallel in Moses’ responsibility to make the tabernacle after the pattern God had shown him on the mountain, and finds in the New Testament "the blueprint or pattern for His church". He adds that "man’s modern ideas plus centuries of tradition" cannot be "more successful than God’s pattern".
The Church traces the history of the church from 50 days after Christ’s resurrection, that is from the day of Pentecost immediately after Christ’s death and resurrection. It identifies the point at which its period of testimony here will be ended as the Rapture; Amos describes it as the moment when "the church goes extra terrestrial"! He does note that the church’s connection with the earth is not finally ended at the Rapture, but that after the tribulation period the church will reign with Christ.
Amos distinguishes the true church from the counterfeit church. He also distinguishes it from the local assembly. He sets forth the truth of the local assembly with clarity, dealing with important, but unfashionable, matters such as assembly discipline, the distinctive roles of male and female, the exercise of gifts, and financial giving. Unapologetically he shows the Scriptures require the silence of women when the assembly meets, their head-covering and submission to the male leadership. Rightly he also shows the responsibilities upon the males to be "vocal" participators. Unlike many who write on these matters, he stresses that every saint, male or female should be exercised in self-examination before remembering the Lord on a Lord’s Day.
The Church sets out clearly many matters little taught today and will be of much help to those who carefully follow the teaching of the Scriptures upon which the author builds.
TW
