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This Week’s Book Notes

By Matthew Barrett

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God. By Timothy Keller with Katthy Keller. New York: Dutton, 2011.

Whether you are single or married, when November 1st comes you need to take a trip to your local bookstore, grab some coffee, and buy a copy of Keller’s new book, The Meaning of Marriage. Better yet, if you are married, buy the book and read it with your spouse. The Kellers bring years of marriage experience to the table and, more important still, biblical insight. The primary goal of the book “is to give both married and unmarried a vision for what marriage is according to the Bible.” We live in a culture where marriage is constantly under attack, that is, the biblical model for marriage. Even within many Christian circles the subject is abused as leaders fail to look at marriage biblically. Therefore, it is refreshing to see the Kellers answer the questions so many of us have about marriage, but from a biblical perspective.

Interpreting the Pauline Epistles. By Thomas R. Schreiner. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011.

If I am looking to better understand the apostle Paul, the first place I turn is to Thomas Schreiner. In my opinion Schreiner is the premier Pauline scholar of our day. And that is why if you have not read it already you will want to pick up the second edition of his book, Interpreting the Pauline Epistles. No seminary student should graduate before reading this book. And every pastor should have it on his shelf for regular consultation, if not for Schreiner’s method of diagramming alone. The advantage of this second edition is that English has now been added to the Greek diagrams. This should make the volume more reader-friendly, especially to those just learning Greek.

The Barber Who Wanted To Pray. By R. C. Sproul. Paintings by T. Lively Fluharty. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.

It is hard to put into words how much R. C. Sproul has influenced me. He is one of my heroes in the faith. What I love about Sproul is his ability to take difficult theological truths and put them into the language of the every-day layman. Honestly, I don’t know of anyone who does this as well as Sproul. He could be an academic, restricting himself to teaching at the best academic evangelical institutions of our day. He definitely has both the credentials and the expertise. He could be writing tomes on some of the most perplexing theological topics. Instead, Sproul has chosen (much like his hero, John Calvin did) to devote his life to the church, bringing theology into the pew. His sermons, lectures, and books (all available through Ligonier Ministries) have benefitted the church in countless ways. But Sproul’s ability to take theology and make it palatable for the layman is most evident in his ability to write children’s books. His most recent children’s book, The Barber Who Wanted To Pray, is no exception. If you know Sproul, it will come as no surprise that the book focuses around reformer Martin Luther. In a colorful way, Sproul tells the story of how Martin Luther came to write a book teaching his barber how to pray. I have read this book to my daughters already, and we will return to it again and again. Funny, Sproul writes the book to teach children how to pray who otherwise find prayer difficult. And yet, I have benefitted from Sproul’s lesson as well. Even adults need to learn how to pray. Even adults struggle with prayer, just as the Luther’s barber did

Matthew Barrett (Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the executive editor of Credo Magazine. Barrett has contributed book reviews and articles to various academic journals. He is married to Elizabeth and they have two daughters, Cassandra and Georgia. He is a member of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.

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