How to Stay Christian in Seminary

January 30, 2014 by Andy Naselli

Seminary students (and professors) would be wise to read this new little 80-page book by two recent seminary students:

David Mathis and Jonathan Parnell. How to Stay Christian in Seminary. Wheaton: Crossway, 2014. 14-page PDF sample.

The authors are good men, and they write well.

Justin Taylor approached them with the idea for this book after their blog series for Desiring God. (My contribution: “Thank God for Gifted Professors and Students.”)

Re 3 Unusual Tips for Better Bible Reading

January 28, 2014 by Andy Naselli

Last week Desiring God’s blog published a little piece I wrote called “Three Tips for Better Bible Reading.” They’re not the sort of tips you’d expect.

Here are some supplementary thoughts:

In the article I advocate macro-reading. But this is not mutually exclusive with micro-reading. Both are invaluable. Both macro- and micro-reading should contribute to our hermeneutical spiral. On micro-reading, see especially Tom Schreiner’s “Tracing the Argument,” which revolutionized how I read Paul. I agree with Scott Hafemann that the best part about knowing the biblical languages is tracing the flow of the text’s argument. You can’t do that well at macro-reading speed. [Read more…] about Re 3 Unusual Tips for Better Bible Reading

The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived

January 23, 2014 by Andy Naselli

This book released this week:

Andreas J. Köstenberger and Justin Taylor. The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived. Wheaton: Crossway, 2014. 42-page PDF sample.

You may especially enjoy working through this book day by day during the Passion week (this year = April 13–20):

iGods: How Technology Shapes Us

January 21, 2014 by Andy Naselli

When I started reading this book last week, I thought that I would size it up and move on to another book within 10–20 minutes. Didn’t happen. It drew me in, and I ended up reading almost the whole thing:

Craig Detweiler. iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2013. 52-page PDF sample.

This book explains the history of the technology that so many of us use regularly: [Read more…] about iGods: How Technology Shapes Us

The Most Comprehensive Defense of the Gospels and Acts

January 16, 2014 by Andy Naselli

B&H recently released a new commentary series, and the first volume is an impressive 800 pages:

Howard, Jeremy Royal, ed. The Gospels and Acts. The Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2013.

This is the most comprehensive 1-volume defense of the Gospels and Acts. [Read more…] about The Most Comprehensive Defense of the Gospels and Acts

Does God Desire All to Be Saved? Are There Two Wills in God?

January 7, 2014 by Andy Naselli

I’ve probably read this essay slowly about a half-dozen times:

John Piper. “Are There Two Wills in God?” Pages 107–31 in Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace. Edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Bruce A. Ware. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

It’s an incredibly helpful guide.

I’ve even preached its essence a few times (e.g., in 2008: MP3 | outline).

So I’m delighted that Piper has expanded the essay into a short book: [Read more…] about Does God Desire All to Be Saved? Are There Two Wills in God?