Barrett’s Book Notes: Bonhoeffer, The Pastor’s Family, and Acts

Stephen J. Nichols. Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life: From the Cross, For the World. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013.

There are few historians I enjoy more than Stephen Nichols. His books are written in such a way that the lay person, with little knowledge of church history, is drawn into the story. His most recent release is on the life and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, certainly one of the most important Christian figures of the 20^th century. Here is a very helpful video where Justin Taylor (co-editor of this series, Theologians on the Christian Life) talks with Nichols:
 

Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life from Crossway on Vimeo.
 

Brian and Cara Croft. The Pastor’s Family: Shepherding Your Family through the Challenges of Pastoral Ministry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.

One pastor whose blog is worth checking on a weekly basis is Brian Croft’s, especially if you are a pastor yourself. Croft is Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Brian is the founder of Practical Shepherding, a non-profit organization committed to equipping pastors all over the world in the practical matters of pastoral ministry. Croft has authored a new book with his wife Cara on the importance of shepherding one’s family in the midst of church ministry. A little about Cara: She homeschools their four children and disciples the ladies of Auburndale Baptist Church. Thabiti and Kristie Anyabwile have written the foreword to this new book. Here is the description:

Featuring insights from the perspective of both a pastor and his wife—The Pastor’s Family identifies the complicated burdens and expectations ministry brings to the life of a family. Brian and Cara Croft identify the unique challenges that pastors face as husbands and fathers. They also discuss the difficulties and joys of being a pastor’s wife and offer practical advice on raising children in a ministry family. In addition to addressing the challenges of marriage and raising children, they also highlight the joys of serving together as a family and the unique opportunities pastors have to train their children and lead their families. With discussion questions for use by couples and pastoral reading groups, this book is ideal for pastors and their spouses, pastoral ministry students and their wives, as well as elders, deacons, and others who wish to remain faithful to the care of their families while diligently fulfilling their calling in ministry. The Pastor’s Family equips pastors with time-tested wisdom to address the tension of family and congregational dynamics while persevering in their calling.

R. C. Sproul. Acts. St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013.

One of the things I love about Sproul is how well he models the sixteenth-century Reformers. Not only is he a theologian, but a theologian who writes commentaries! His recent commentary on Acts comes out of his sermons at St. Andrews. If you are a pastor, this is a very helpful resource to recommend to your people. Check out a sample of the book here.

David Murray. Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament. Thomas Nelson, 2013.

It has been a while since I have seen a book on Christ in the Old Testament. Murray’s new book, however, takes a look at this very important issue, looking specifically at how different parts of the Old Testament point to Christ. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and blogs at HeadHeartHand. Here is the breakdown of Murray’s work:

The son trudges uphill, bearing wood for his own sacrifice; his father has decided to give him up to death. What biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or Christ’s passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence. Christ is present in the story of Abraham and Isaac. In fact, he is present on every page of the Old Testament.

Christians seem to have forgotten that the Old Testament has everything to do with Jesus Christ. In Jesus on Every Page, David Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Dr. Murray’s ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament unveil the face of Christ in the creation, the law, the psalms, the prophets, and the proverbs.

Recognizing Jesus in the full breadth of Scripture is important for every Christian. Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page provides an accessible guide to the increasingly popular subject of Jesus in the Old Testament books. Have your own Road to Emmaus experience and know the Old Testament for what it truly is: full of Jesus.

And Sinclair Ferguson has a glowing recommendation of the book as well:

With deceptive ease Dr. David Murray brings his readers on to the Road to Emmaus for a few hours of conversation about Jesus and the Old Testament. With an enviable grace and simplicity he teaches us how to read the Old Testament as Christians. –Sinclair B. Ferguson, Redeemer Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas.

Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University (OPS), as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. He is the author of The Grace of Godliness: An Introduction to Doctrine and Piety in the Canons of Dort, Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration, as well as the coeditor of Four Views on the Historical Adam (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology), and Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy. He is the author of several other forthcoming books, which you can read about at matthewmbarrett.com.