Book Review: The Henry Morris Study Bible

Subtitled: Apologetics Commentary and Explanatory Notes from the 'Father of Modern Creationism,' this is an impressive work considering it was done by a lone man, the famed founder of the Institute for Creation Research. Morris does his best to provide a literal interpretation of the Bible, defending  young earth creationism, while using the King James Version of the Bible (contrary to the modern trend of using anything but the KJV).

The Index to Major Topics in Annotations is quite helpful and the 22 Appendices treat relevant apologetic issues like "Science and the Scriptures," "The Universal Flood," "Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies," and others. Students of the Bible and apologists will greatly benefit from reading and thinking through them.

The Bible has 2204 pages. Even then, the one complaint about this (and other Study Bibles) is the all too brief Concordance. The Bible one uses ends up being a constant companion and the one resource one turns to time and again. Not being able to find a verse one is looking for in the Concordance of a Study Bible is very frustrating.

I do recommend this Bible for anyone looking for a conservative source of Bible believing study notes. While the author does not share all my doctrinal convictions, his effort to be faithful to Scripture is noted.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from the publisher. The program does not require a positive review, only an honest one.

Book Review: The End by Mark Hitchcock

Book Review: The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days

I was somewhat excited when reading Hitchcock's introduction to his book in which he admits he would like this book to become the successor to J. Dwight Pentecost's classic Things to Come. So, I was hoping Hitchcock's would be a worthy replacement. Of course, I was expecting scholarly treatment of most eschatological issues. I was dissapointed because The End is really not a the level of Pentecost's treatment of pro and con views on various prophetic positions. Do not get me wrong, however. I read almost everything Hitchcock writes on the subject and he is a good author on eschatology. The End is written at the popular level and most Christians would benefit from reading it. For those that know about Bible prophecy this book will not cut it. This one is not Hitchcock's magnum opus, yet. An overview, it is. Complete, it is not. In no way could a prophecy student do without getting the older classic by Pentecost or even Walvoord's Every Prophecy of the Bible.

Hitchcock would do well to update Pentecost's Things to Come for a new generation as he has done with some of Walvoord's classics.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Tyndale House Publishers. The program does not require a positive review, only an honest one.

Book Review: Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day

Book Review: Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day

The book's title is quite ambitious. Trying to describe any religious movement or cult in about 15 minutes is an enormous challenge. Overall, I'd say Garry Morgan succeeds in giving an overview of each religion. Where more than 15 minutes were needed, he breaks up a religion in more than one chapter (e.g. Islam). I think he does that wisely. Some chapters spend too much time on side issues (or pet peeves?). In the end, more than 15 minutes are really needed to address some cults.

For anyone that has absolutely no background knowledge (or time for research) on a specific cult, the book will be helpful. Anyone that has been involved in apologetics for any amount of time will find the book too basic.

Each chapter reads like a fair introduction to a larger work on the movements addressed. It would be great for the author to develop each into a full-fledged book.

If you are not interested in investing too much time on learning what each religious cult teaches, this book will give you a sufficient overview. It is always recommended that you read more than one author's take, however, to overcome author's biases (and we all have them!). For a more thorough treatment on the subject, Walter Martin's updated Kingdom of the Cults is a must for every library.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from BethanyHouse. The program does not require a positive review, only an honest one.

Book Review: The Gospel According to Isaiah 53

Book Review: The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser

The book's subtitle: Encountering the Suffering Servan in Jewish and Christian Theology is an apt description of the journey one embarks on when delving into the pages of this book.
A great contribution to the scholarly investigation on the identity of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. As an apologist I often wished that the book was a little stronger in its affirmation of the Messiahship of Jesus, especially over against the Jewish claims to the contrary. However, since the book seeks to be a scholarly resource for the student, some of the polemics have to be toned down. For a stronger case for Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy I would recommend Michael L. Brown's series on Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus.

I do recommend this book, however, for its scholarly value. I usually try to read anything Bock writes about Jesus and this was a quite informative journey.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.