Journal of the GES – Spring 1996
The Shepherd of Hermas
“The Shepherd of Hermas,” in The Apostolic Fathers, 2:2-305. Translated by Kirsopp Lake. Cambridge, MA: The Loeb Classical Library, 1977. Cloth. If you hate free grace, forgiveness, and divine compassion, you’ll love “The Shepherd of Hermas,” here printed in Greek and English on facing pages. A more legalistic, works-oriented allegory would be hard to come
Rembrandt: Life of Christ
Rembrandt: Life of Christ. Nashville: Oliver Nelson, 1995. 136 pp. Cloth, $22.99. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) executed the pen and ink sketches, black ink etchings, and full-color paintings in this book. Except for a well-written two-page introduction, the text of this life of our Lord is selections from the New King James Gospels, which
The Evangelical Essential: What Must I Do to be Saved?
The Evangelical Essential: What Must I Do to be Saved? By Philip Janowsky. Graham, OR: Vision House Publishing, 1994. 132 pp. Cloth, $13.99. Here is a really refreshing and valuable little book by a minister in the United Methodist Church. Janowsky holds degrees from Houghton College (NY), the University of Kansas, and Ilift School of
Christianity’s Crisis in Evangelism: Going Where the People Are
Christianity’s Crisis in Evangelism: Going Where the People Are. By Linda Raney Wright. Graham, OR: Vision House Publishing, 1995. 185 pp. Cloth, $14.99. This is an intensely practical discussion of reaching the lost in our day, written by a woman who is obviously an active soul-winner herself. This author is concerned—rightly it appears—with what she
Help for the Small-Church Pastor
Help for the Small-Church Pastor. By Steve R. Bierly. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. 110 pp. Paper, $10.99. I really liked this book! As someone who has pastored two “small” churches now for almost 15 years, I read it thinking, “At last, someone in print who has walked in my moccasins!” At one level
Biblical Answers to Contemporary Issues
Biblical Answers to Contemporary Issues. By Charles C. Ryrie. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991. 134 pp. Paper, $7.99. Dr. Charles Ryrie, former professor of Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, has written scores of books over the years, and this small but extremely practical volume surely ranks among the most profitable. The book contains thirteen concise
Jesus as God: The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus
Jesus as God: The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus. By Murray J. Harris. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992. 379 pp. Cloth, $24.99. Murray Harris has made a valuable contribution to the study of the deity of our Lord, focusing on passages that use the word Theos in relation to Christ.
Jesus, Divine Messiah: The New Testament Witness
Jesus, Divine Messiah: The New Testament Witness. By Robert L. Reymond. P & R Publishing Company, 1990. 357 pp. Paper, $17.99. Christ asked His disciples this question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” And again, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:13, 15). This is the most
Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of the Preincarnate Christ
Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of the Preincarnate Christ By Ron Rhodes. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992. 299 pp. Paper, $13.99. Christ Before the Manger is a study about our Lord Jesus Christ in His preincarnate state. Using NT passages referring to Christ’s preexistence, Ron Rhodes paints a picture of Him
Jesus: His Life and Ministry
Jesus: His Life and Ministry. By Derek Prime. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995. 280 pp. Paper, $10.99. Written with the lay person in mind, this book gives an overview of our Lord’s life and ministry. Its best features are the many helpful tools the author has included which equip the reader to “dig deeper” on
The Condition For Salvation In John’s Gospel
CHARLES C. BING Pastor Burleson Bible Church Burleson, TX Biblically and historically, justification through faith in Jesus Christ (or salvation by grace through faith) has been the center of the Christian Gospel. Recently, Carl Henry called justification “a doctrine in crisis.”1 Indeed, not only the nature of justification is being challenged (imputed versus imparted righteousness)
A Hymn of Grace – “To God Be the Glory”
KEITH W. WARD Scientist U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pittsboro, North Carolina TO GOD BE THE GLORY To God be the glory, great things He hathdone; So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life, an atonement for sin, And opened the lifegate, that all may go in. O perfect
Post-evangelicalism Confronts the Postmodern Age: A Review of the Challenge of Postmodernism
In the cloistered halls of academia one of the newer buzz words is postmodernism. Postmodernism expresses the widely held view that modernity has somehow come to an end and that we have entered the postmodern age. Obviously there is a kind of pretentiousness to this perspective, but perhaps after all this concept is true. That
The Biblical Distinction Between Eternal Salvation And Eternal Rewards: A Key to Proper Exegesis
I. Introduction A number of books have been written recently which attempt to harmonize two NT themes: judgment according to one’s works and justification by faith. Sometimes the explanation given is hard to follow. Some authors seem to feel that justification is by faith apart from works and yet final salvation is by faith plus
Does Philippians 1:6 Guarantee Progressive Sanctification? Part 1
JOHN F. HART Professor of Bible Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL I. Introduction Like Psalm 23 or Prov 3:5-6, the simple promise of Phil 1:6 is claimed by many Christians for comfort and encouragement, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until
A Voice from the Past: Priest or Prophet
This article was first published as a pamphlet over ninety years ago with the subtitle “A Question for the Day” (London: J. F. Shaw & Co., ca. 1900). Dallas Theological Seminary reprinted the work in the January to March 1979 edition of its journal (Bibliotheca Sacra, 136:65). W. H. GRIFFITH THOMAS1 I. Introduction In
Grace in the Arts: An Evangelical Musical Genius: “J.S.B.: S.D.G.”
I. Prelude J.S.B. The initials “J.S.B.” are some of the greatest in all musical history, and certainly in the top two or three in great Christian music. The J is for Johann, German for John. The S is for Sebastian (pronounced ze-BAH-styahn), the name of a Roman soldier who became a martyr by being “darted”