The Preacher’s
Library
A
Ministry Aid From:
Sola Scriptura
Ministries
Updated October
2002
This short resource is
meant to be an aid for the preacher of God's Word. It is
a suggested library from one who has been in the
ministry for some 30 years. May it be a blessing and
encouragement (and perhaps even a challenge) to you.
Please read the Introduction for more
explanation.
CONTENTS
Introduction
I. Works on the Whole
Bible
A. Overviews
B. One-Volume
Commentaries
C. Multi-Volume
Commentaries
II. The New
Testament
A. General
Works
B. The Gospels (and the Life
of Christ)
C. Works On Individual Books
Of The New Testament
III. The Old
Testament
A. General
Works
B. Works On Individual Books
Of The Old Testament
IV. General Reference
V. Language Helps
A. Hebrew
B. Greek
C. English
VI. History
A. Bible
History
B. Church
History
C. Secular
History
VII. Doctrine
A. General Works On Theology
And Doctrine
B. The Doctrine Of
God
C. The Doctrine Of The
Scriptures
D. The Doctrine Of The Holy
Spirit
E. The Doctrines Of
Grace
F. Prophecy
G. False
Doctrine
VIII. Other Vital Topics
A. Pastoral
Theology
B. The Christian
Life
C. Contemporary
Issues
D. Devotional
E. Apologetics
F. Biographies
G. Good
Preaching
IX. Computer Software
Introduction
Books are basic! Books are
the most important tools of ministry that the preacher
possesses. Without good books the preacher is like a
carpenter without hand tools--he can accomplish almost
nothing. Since the number one responsibility of the
preacher is to feed God's people and to equip them for
service (Eph. 4:12), he must have the right tools to do
so.
But what books should the
preacher have in his library? What books are going to be
the most useful? Some people will maintain that this is
all a matter of "taste," or that the matter is
completely relative to each man's opinion, approach, or
situation. We must disagree. There are good books and
there are bad books. There are books that are absolute
"musts" and there are books that should not be allowed
to take up space on the shelf. It is this subject with
which we will deal here.
A word of caution is in
order. What you are about to read here are my
suggestions based on almost 30 years of study and
experience in ministry, a ministry of expository
preaching and teaching with a view to the deeper growth
of Christians. No man's opinion can be taken as
authoritative, but humble suggestions should certainly
be considered by any servant of God.
Before we begin, may
we consider a few introductory thoughts. First,
the books discussed here are foundational; they are a
starting place. As your interests grow, so will your
library. This discussion will be useful to the student
who is beginning to build his library or even to the
more established preacher who perhaps needs to "weed
out" a few books and keep the ones that are the most
important. Second, just because a book is
mentioned here does not imply total agreement or
endorsement. Rather, it means that within that book is
much useful material. All books must be read with
discernment. Third, books are
an investment, not only spiritually but monetarily. Like
so many other things today, books are expensive, so do
not buy a book hastily. There are many discount,
mail-order book distributors today. A few of these
are:
1. Scripture Truth Book Company, http://www.scripturetruth.com/
2. Christian Book Distributors, http://www.christianbook.com/
3. Amazon http://www.amazon.com/
I pray that the following
suggestions will be of help to you. After each book
there is a letter (or letters) in parentheses; this
represents the publisher of that book, and a list of
publishers appears at the end of this page. May the Lord
bless your committed ministry.
Before we begin, I
would like to share my heart. One of my greatest burdens
is publishing. Publishing today is more about making
money than it is about carrying on
ministry. Because of that—and excuse me for being
blunt—most of what is published today is not worth the
paper and ink it took to print it. Most of it is not
rooted exclusively in Scripture but is rather experience
oriented. For these reasons, what you will find in this
list is good, solid material, and I am convinced that
this is what pastors should be reading, not the fluff
that is so common today. In many instances, it’s “the
old guys” who are the best, that is, pre-20th
Century and early 20th Century. This does
not mean that there are no
good authors today. On the contrary, there are several.
But these are far fewer in number than the
others.
One more comment. New to
this update of “The Preacher’s Library” is section “IX.
Computer Software.” There is now a lot of material
available on CD-ROM. Before you buy the hardcopy of any
title, you might want to find out if it’s on a CD
somewhere. Besides, it’s very likely that you’ll not
just get the one title you’re look for.
I. Works on the Whole
Bible
How important it is that
the preacher of God's Word have a "strategic" (over-all)
understanding of the Scriptures! In a lengthy exposition
of Ephesians, for example, each individual message must
be viewed in light of the whole letter and the whole
letter must likewise be understood in light of the rest
of Scripture.
A. Overviews
One of the most
useful books on the entire Bible is Explore The
Book by J. Sidlow Baxter (Z).
This book is not really a commentary; rather, in the
words of the author, it is a "basic and broadly
interpretive course." The wealth of this work is beyond
estimate. I must confess to a disagreement with Baxter's
presentation of the books of Acts and Revelation, as
well as his views of the Gap Theory and local flood in
Genesis, but overall these minor detractions from the
over-all value of this major achievement. Read it, enjoy
it, and use it. The big downside at this writing is how
ridiculously expensive it now is—$65 at Christian Book
Distributors!
Another
indispensable whole Bible reference is Wilmington’s
Guide to the Bible (T). This
1,000+ page reference is eight volumes in one: Bible
commentary, topical dictionary, archeological handbook,
OT and NT cross-reference guide, theological manual,
illustrated Bible encyclopedia, prayer fact-finder, and
textbook of Israel’s history.
A must have volume
is The Treasury of Scripture
Knowledge, which contains
500,000 Scripture references and parallel passages. As
R. A. Torrey writes in the Introduction, "There is no
other commentary on the Bible so helpful as the Bible
Itself."
Other useful
strategic works include: The Unfolding Drama Of
Redemption by W. Graham Scroggie (P&I), which
comes in three volumes, and Living Messages Of The
Books Of The Bible by G. Campbell Morgan (R). One
might also want to consider Morgan's Analyzed
Bible (R), and The Unfolding Message Of The
Bible (R).
B. One-Volume Commentaries
Most one-volume
commentaries are disappointing. An exception is The
Believer’s Bible Commentary (TN) by William
MacDonald, edited by Art Farstad. This is
hands-down the best one-volume commentary I have ever
seen. Another exception to this is The Bible
Knowledge Commentary, an exposition of the
Scriptures by the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary
and is edited by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck (V). There
is one volume on the Old Testament and one on the New.
They are good, and I recommend them, but I do wish that
they were not based on the New International Version
(NIV). Matthew Henry's commentary is also available in one-volume
editions, and should always be consulted. Don’t get an
abridged version.
C. Multi-volume Commentaries
In general, the best
commentaries and expositions are those that are on
specific books of the Bible. They are deeper and more
thorough. However, there are a few sets to
consider.
Calvin's
Commentaries (E) are absolutely priceless. The "old
guys" are hard to beat. Just back in print as of this
writing is the New Testament Commentary (B), the
12-volume set by William Hendrickson and Simon
Kistemaker. It’s the only complete commentary
written from the Reformed perspective. If you can afford
it, this is one to have. Lenski’s New
Testament Commentary (HEN) is another excellent
12-volume set. It comes from the Lutheran perspective,
but this doesn’t detract from its value if you aren’t
Lutheran. Expositions Of Holy Scripture (17
volumes) by Alexander Maclaren (B) contains some great
riches, although they require patience due to their lack
of verse divisions. The Pulpit Commentary (E),
quite frankly, should be purchased only if you find it
used and at a very reasonable price (never retail or
even wholesale). Its twenty-three volumes have some good
material, but some outdated and useless material as
well. Matthew Henry's Commentary (Mc) is, of
course, a classic and should always be consulted. As
mentioned earlier, it is now in some one-volume
editions. Harry Ironside's commentaries are worth
having. They will be a blessing in their devotional
thoughts, but most of them (especially those in the New
Testament) are not very deep in their content or
thorough in their exposition. I feel that Dr. Ironside
was stronger in the Old Testament, as some of my later
recommendations will show. The Expositor's Bible
Commentary (Z), edited by Frank Gaebelein, is good,
especially in its introductions to Bible books. It, too,
is unfortunately based on the NIV. The six-volume
Expositor’s Bible (E), edited by W. Robertson
Nicoll, is helpful if read with discernment. Like The
Pulpit Commentary, purchase it
only if you find it used and at a reasonable price. It’s
lack of verse division and wordiness make it a second
choice.
II. The New Testament
Many will agree that the
preaching and teaching of the New Testament is by far
the most important thing a preacher can do. Personally,
I have a particular passion for the doctrinal Epistles
of Paul, especially the books of Ephesians and Romans.
Surely, the Epistles, Paul's and other's, are the most
pertinent material for the church. For this reason our
discussion now turns to the New Testament.
A. General
Works.
A couple of
essential works are New Testament Introduction
(IV) by Donald Guthrie and The New Testament: An
Historical and Analytical Survey (E) by Merrill
Tenney. Another good work by Tenney is New Testament
Survey (E), and another good one by Guthrie is
New Testament Theology. There are many New
Testament survey books, but I think one of the best is
Jensen’s Survey of the New Testament by Irving Jensen (M).
A word is here in
order concerning William Barclay's Daily Study
Bible (W). These volumes give
some great historical information and good word studies,
but they are weak in their Theology.
May we also
interject a word about Warren Wiersbe's "Be... Series."
Each of these books is a short exposition of a New
Testament book, such as Be Rich (Ephesians),
Be Joyful (Philippians), etc. Every one of these
can and should be read and appreciated by preachers and
laymen alike. I especially appreciate his
straight-forward, no-nonsense approach to Revelation in
Be Victorious. He sticks with
the text and avoids getting fanciful and silly like many
other commentators do.
One other
thought—Personally, I like the Tyndale New Testament
Commentary series (E). Some of
these are better than others, but each is worth studying
when your are expositing a book of
Scripture.
B. The
Gospels (and the Life of Christ).
An indispensable
work here is G. Campbell Morgan's The Crises Of
Christ (R), not to mention Alfred Edersheim's
classic The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah
(E). Make sure you get Edersheim's book in an unabridged
version. You'll also want Morgan's exposition of the
Gospels (R). Other volumes of blessing include, The
Suffering Saviour (M) by F. W. Krummacher and The Seven
Sayings of The Saviour on the Cross (B)
by Arthur W. Pink. For studies on the parables, you
should acquire Morgan's The Parables and Metaphors of
Our Lord (R).
C.
Works On Individual Books Of The New
Testament.
In addition to the
following, you can sometimes buy individual books from
sets such as Calvin's Commentaries. You might
also be able to get individual books from Lenski’s
Commentaries, and the New Testament
Commentary mentioned earlier.
Matthew - I
think John MacArthur's four volumes (M) are hard to
beat. For studying the Sermon on the Mount, Martyn
Lloyd-Jones' Studies In The Sermon on the
Mount" (E) cannot be equaled. A.
W. Pink’s is good also.
Mark - The
best work here is E. Schuyler English's Studies in
the Gospel According to Mark
(OH).
Luke - The
best book on Luke is probably Frederic Godet's
commentary (Z).
John - I
strongly recommend three works here: John: The Gospel
of Belief (E) by Merrill Tenney; Exposition of
the Gospel of John (Z) by Arthur W. Pink; and The
Gospel of John (L) by A. C.
Gaebelein.
Acts - A. C.
Gaebelein's, The Acts of the Apostles, (L) in
spite of his view that Paul was at times out of God's
will in his later ministry. Of course, we also recommend
G. Campbell Morgan's commentary (R)
and his exposition of Acts 2, "Birth of the Church" (R).
Studies on Paul's life include: "Paul: Apostle of the
Heart Set Free" (E) by F. F. Bruce and "A Harmony of the
Life of St. Paul" (B) by Frank
Goodwin.
Romans - By
far, Charles Hodge's Romans (E) is an undisputed
classic and an absolute must. Other "must haves"
include: Robert Haldane (BOT), William Newell (M),
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (8 volumes covering chapters 1-9, but
be careful of his weakness on the Holy Spirit in chapter
8) (Z), Donald Grey Barnhouse (4 volumes) (E), and John
MacArthur (M). For an unequalled study of the doctrine
of sanctification in chapters 6-8, J. Sidlow Baxter's
trilogy (A New Call To Holiness, His Deeper
Work In Us" and Our High Calling) (Z) is marvelous.
I Corinthians
- The best commentaries I have seen on I Corinthians are
those by Charles Hodge (E), G. Campbell Morgan (R), John
MacArthur (M), and Leon Morris (E). I also enjoy reading
the insights of Gordon Clark (TR), as I’ll mention
elsewhere. He makes a wonderful comment, for example, on
13:10, which for some odd reason many interpreters today
want to deny is a clear reference to the completion of
Scripture.
II
Corinthians - The most helpful works here are those
by John MacArthur (M), G. Campbell Morgan (R), Charles
Hodge (E), and Handley C. G. Moule
(P&I).
Galatians -
John MacArthur's commentary (M) is an excellent good
choice here. Also helpful are those by Lehman Strauss
(L) and Merrill Tenney (E). For critical study, acquire
John Eadie's classic commentary (Z).
Ephesians -
This Epistle is my personal passion, so I will have to
contain myself in my recommendations (I have over fifty
in my library and still collecting). An absolute must
for serious study of Ephesians is Martyn Lloyd-Jones'
monumental eight-volume exposition (B). For critical
study, acquire John Eadie's classic commentary (Z).
Other good works include commentaries by John MacArthur
(M), Charles Hodge (B), both of which are excellent, F.
F. Bruce (R), Francis Foulkes (E), and Lehman Strauss
(L). As mentioned before, I also enjoy reading the
insights of Gordon Clark (TR). You might also enjoy
reading John Calvin’s Sermons on Ephesians (BOT).
Lenski’s commentary (mentioned earlier) is especially
useful as it debunks the modern view that Ephesians was
not addressed specifically to Ephesus (because the words
“at Ephesus” in 1:1 are not found in the so called
“older manuscripts”) and was therefore a “circular
letter.” Hendrickson also addresses this pretty well in
the New Testament Commentary
mentioned earlier.
Finally, for a
disgustingly liberal treatment, get the Word Biblical
Commentary by Andrew Lincoln
(WOR), which, among other things, denies Pauline
authorship. Frankly, that Word Publishing would even
publish this illustrates its lack of concern for the
truth.
Philippians -
Again, the classic works are the commentaries of John
Eadie (Z) and J. B. Lightfoot (Z). We would also
recommend John MacArthur (M) and The High Calling
(R) by J. H. Jowett. Other help will be found in the
works by Handley C. G. Moule (Z), A. T. Robertson (B),
and Gordon Clark
(TR).
Colossians and
Philemon - Once again, the classic works here are by
John Eadie (Z) and J. B. Lightfoot (Z). One will also
want the works by John MacArthur (M), Guy King
(M&S), W. H. Griffith Thomas (B), and Gordon Clark
(TR).
I and II
Thessalonians - The best volumes I know of here are
those by Leon Morris (E) and Gordon Clark
(TR).
Pastoral Epistles
- An excellent work on the pastorals is the one by
Donald Guthrie (E), as are the one's by John MacArthur
(M), Guy King (M&S), Homer Kent (M), and Gordon
Clark (TR).
Hebrews -
William Newell (M), as in all he ever did, is excellent
in Hebrews, and his commentary is a classic. Andrew
Murray is good for a devotional approach (R), as is W.
H. Griffith Thomas (E). Many consider the work of Philip
Edgcumbe Hughes the definitive work on Hebrews (E). John
MacArthur also has written an excellent work (M). I
might also add that A. W. Pink is very good and provides
the best arguments available for a Pauline authorship of
Hebrews.
James - I do
not think a better work has been done on James than that
of the three volumes by Spiros Zodhiates (The Word of
Faith, The Labor of Love, The Patience of
Hope) (AMG). I wish these studies had more outline
to them, but they are excellent. John MacArthur’s (M)
commentary is also excellent (though you might raise an
eyebrow at how he approaches 5:13-18). Warren Wiersbe's
Be Mature (V) is one of the best expositions in
his “Be Series."
Peter's
Epistles - W. H. Griffith Thomas is good here (E),
but the classic is that by Robert Leighton (K). One may
also want Edward Gordon Selwyn's commentary (M), and
Gordon Clark’s (TR).
John's
Epistles - I would highly recommend the commentary
by John R. W. Stott (E). Consider also the classics by
B. F. Westcott (E) and Robert Law (B). F. F. Bruce's and
Gordon Clark’s (TR) book should also be acquired
(R).
Jude - The
most helpful commentary for most preaching is S. Maxwell
Coder's (M). For those who really want to study (and who
doesn’t?), Thomas Manton's classic is "only" 376 pages
(BOT).
Revelation -
Frankly, I stay away from most contemporary books on the
book of Revelation; many of these get fanciful in their
interpretations and speculations; others get down right
ridiculous. Some companions to consider when studying
the Apocalypse are the commentaries of William Newell
(M), Lehman Strauss (L), John MacArthur (M), and
Wiersbe’s Be Victorious (V).
III. The Old Testament
A.
General Works.
For Old Testament
study the number one book to have in your library is,
Survey of Old Testament Introduction (M) by
Gleason Archer. You will also want The Theology of
the Older Testament (Z) by J. Barton Payne. I would
also advise acquiring a copy of Leon Wood's A Survey
of Israel's History (Z). Like the New Testament,
there are many Old Testament survey books, but I think
one of the best is Jensen’s Survey of the Old
Testament by Irving Jensen
(M).
B.
Works On Individual Books Of The Old
Testament.
Genesis - One
must be careful of his extremes in typology and of his
tendency to spiritualize, but Arthur W. Pink is very
good (M). An absolute must is Henry Morris' The
Genesis Record (B). A classic critical commentary is
the one by H. C. Leupold
(B).
Exodus - The
best commentaries here are those by Arthur W. Pink (M),
and John J. Davis (B). For studying the Ten
Commandments, I would recommend Thomas Watson (BOT), G.
Campbell Morgan (B), and Lehman Strauss
(L).
Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy - Harry Ironside's
Levitical Offerings (L) is good. Irving Jensen's
commentary on Numbers is also good (M). For serious
study of Deuteronomy, acquire P. C.
Craigie's commentary
(E).
Joshua, Judges,
and Ruth - Good studies of Joshua are those by Harry
Ironside (L), Arthur W. Pink (M), and W. Graham Scroggie
(P&I). Leon J. Wood's commentary is the one you want
on Judges (Z), and Leon Morris' (IV) is the one you'll
probably want on Ruth.
The Historical
Books - The number one tool here is A Harmony of
the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles (B) by
William Crockett. As in the general books above, we here
mention Leon Wood's A Survey of Israel's
History (Z).
Job - I doubt
that most preachers will need much more than the two
excellent volumes on Job in Albert Barnes' Notes on
the Old Testament, but get G. Campbell Morgan's
The Answers of Jesus to Job
(B) anyway!
Psalms - I
would recommend John Phillips (L), A. C. Gaebelein (L)
and A. F. Kirkpatrick (C). If you can acquire Spurgeon's
Treasury of David for a good price, do it, but
don't waste your time reading anything else but
Spurgeon's expositions. For individual Psalms, acquire
Psalms 119 (BOT) by Charles Bridges, Faith On
Trial (Ps. 73) by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (IV), and
Have Mercy Upon Me" (Ps. 51) (Ran) by Andrew
Murray. Also, for studying Psalm 23, buy John
Stevenson's exposition (Car) and Phillip Keller's A
Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23
(Z).
Proverbs - I
would recommend three commentaries here: Charles Bridges
(Z), Harry Ironside (L), and John Phillips (L) whose
two-volume work is loaded with
illustrations.
Ecclesiastes
- The best work on Ecclesiastes is probably H. C.
Leupold's (B), though the reader may disagree with the
author's view of authorship. David Allen Hubbard's
Beyond Futility (E) is
excellent.
Song of
Solomon - Recommended reading here are the works by
Watchman Nee (CLC), Harry Ironside (L), and Clarence
Mason’s Love Song
(M).
Isaiah - I
would highly recommend the two volumes on Isaiah in
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (B), as
well as W. E. Vine's little commentary (Z). The classic
work is Edward Young's three volumes (E). Get
Ironside, too.
Jeremiah and
Lamentations - Study G. Campbell Morgan (R) and
Harry Ironside (L).
Ezekiel and
Daniel - Harry Ironside is fairly good in both of
these (L), but Charles Lee Feinberg is best in Ezekial
(M), and John Walvoord (M) and Lehman Strauss (L) are
best in Daniel.
Minor
Prophets - Personally, I think Harry Ironside is
excellent in the Minor Prophets. G. Campbell Morgan
gives a good survey in Voices of the Twelve Hebrew
Prophets (B). On specific books I would recommend:
G. Campbell Morgan on Hosea (B) and Malachi (B); Roy Lee
Honeycutt on Amos (Br); Hugh Martin on Jonah (BOT);
Martyn-Lloyd Jones (From Fear To Faith) on
Habbakuk (IV)—Warren Wiersbe's From Worry To
Worship is also quite good (BTB); Thomas Moore on
Haggai (BOT); and David Baron on
Zechariah (ST).
IV. General Reference
No student of God's
Word should be without a good Bible dictionary and I
don't think you can do better than Unger's Bible
Dictionary (M). A Bible Handbook is also a wise
purchase. I would advise securing both Unger's Bible
Handbook (M) and Halley's Bible Handbook (Z). For
studying Bible geography, buy Baker's Bible Atlas
(B) by Charles Pfeiffer. And, of course, one must have
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.
For "secular"
reference, a good set of encyclopedias is not only good
for your children, but they are an invaluable tool to
any serious student. One might even want The Concise
Columbia Encyclopedia (Av) for
the desktop.
V. Language Helps
A. Hebrew
A must for Hebrew
study for the English reader is The Complete Word
Study Old Testament by Spiros Zodhiatus (AMG) and
the two-volume Theological Wordbook of the Old
Testament (M) by R. Laird Harris, Gleason Archer,
and Bruce Waltke. Another helpful volume is Nelson's
Expository Dictionary of the Old
Testament (TN) by Merrill Unger
and William White, Jr. Personally, I see little
necessity in anything deeper than these for most
students.
B. Greek
When it comes to the
Greek, I don't think it's necessary for a preacher to
have to be able to conjugate every verb from memory, but
neither do I feel that a man is really preaching if he
does not bring the Greek into it in one way or another.
I like Thayer's Greek - English Lexicon (HEN) by
Joseph Thayer. Another good one is by George
Abbott-Smith (Sc). I don't recommend the ten-volume
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (E)
edited by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich unless
one is going to do some REAL deep study. It is expensive
and contains more material than most students could ever
use. Most needs will be met by the excellent abridged
one-volume work by the same name (affectionately called
“Little Kittel"), abridged by Geoffrey Bromiley (E), by
the four volume New International Dictionary of New
Testament Theology (Z) edited by Colin Brown, as
well as both The Complete Word Study New
Testament and The Complete Word Study Dictionary:
New Testament (AMG) by Spiros
Zodhiates.
My favourite
"cheater" is The Analytical Greek Lexicon (Z) by
Robert Young, which lists every word in the Greek New
Testament and defines its form. A. T. Robertson's A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament" (Br) is a
classic. Simpler works include New Testament Greek
For Beginners (Mac) by J. Gresham Machen, and
Essentials of New Testament Greek (Br) by Ray
Summers. For word studies in English many like A. T.
Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Br), but I feel Kenneth Wuest's Word Studies in the
Greek New Testament (E) is
better, although his total reliance upon and defense of
the Critical Text readings gets
annoying.
As far as the Greek
New Testament, I recommend George Ricker Berry's
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament (B). It is
based on the Greek text of Stephens, 1550, which is
commonly called the Textus Receptus. Every Greek
word also has the Strong's number above it and Strong's
dictionary is in the back of the book. It also includes
Berry's lexicon and synonyms. For a textual apparatus, I
also recommend The Greek New Testament According to
the Majority Text by Arthur
Farstad and Zane Hodges. It not only provides the
apparatus for the Majority Text but also compares it
with the apparatus of the Critical
Text.
C. English
Yes, English!
Preachers should use proper English in speaking and
writing. Three volumes, which can often be found in a
set, are: The Elements of Grammar (Mac) by
Margaret Shertzer; The Elements of Style (Mac) by
William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White; and The Elements
of Editing" (Mac) by Arthur
Plotnik. Also acquire a good dictionary and a
thesaurus.
VI. History
A. Bible History
I think one of the
best works on Bible history is Elmer Mould's
Essentials of Bible History (RP). Bible
History by Alfred Edersheim (APA) is also excellent.
I would encourage every preacher to read (and take to
heart) Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons (L).
One will also need Manners and Customs of Bible
Lands (M) by Fred
Wight.
B. Church History
The definitive work
on Church history (shaded at times by Catholicism) is
Phillip Scaff's eight-volume History of the Christian
Church (E). Two more concise, and excellent, works
are Christianity Through The Centuries (Z) by
Earle Cairns, Great Leaders of the Christian
Church (M) by Elgin Moyer. I especially like
History of the Christian Church (Sc) by George
Park Fisher; while it’s long out of print, you might
find it used. Finally, Sketches from Church
History (BOT) by S. M. Houghton
is good overview, and an excellent textbook for high
school age.
An extremely handy
little volume is Elgin Moyer's Who Was Who in Church
History (KP). One will also greatly benefit from
Worldly Saints" a history of the Puritans (Z), by
Leland Ryken. Another handy volume is Handbook of
Denominations in the United States (A) by Frank
Mead. I would also recommend Fundamentalism and the
Word of God (E) by J. I. Packer, a realistic history
of Fundamentalism. I must also mentioned David Larsen’s
marvelous book, The Company of
Preachers (K), a history of
Biblical preaching from the Old Testament to the modern
era.
C. Secular History
A preacher should
know history! For American History, read Quest of a
Hemisphere (WI) by Donzella Cross Boyte and The
Oxford History of the American People (O) by Samuel
Eliot Morison. For World History, A History of
Civilization (2 volumes) by Brinton, Christopher,
and Wolff is thorough (PH). Most anything can be read,
if read with discernment. A case in point, Don’t Know
Much About History by Kenneth
Davis (Avon) is informative and entertaining but is
clearly revisionist history.
VII. Doctrine
To introduce this
section, Sola Scriptura Ministries and Grace Bible Church are thoroughly evangelical and embrace
historical Christianity. The works that follow bear
testimony to our theological position.
A. General Works On Theology And
Doctrine
I collect Theology
books, but I’ll try to be concise. The all time classic
is, of course, Calvin's Institutes, which should
be read by every preacher. Not only is this available in
two volumes (W), but in several abridged versions, the
best of which I think is from Baker Book House. Another
classic is Lewis Sperry Chafer's eight-volume
Systematic Theology" (Z), although some do not
agree with Chafer's extreme Dispensationalism. The
classic on the Covenant Theology side is Systematic
Theology by Charles Hodge, which
comes in three volumes (E) or an abridged one-volume
edition (B).
Other good works
include: Outlines of Theology" (BOT) by A. A.
Hodge, Christian Theology and Elemental
Theology" (Z) by Emery Bancroft; Systematic
Theology by Augustus Strong (JP); The Great
Doctrines of the Bible by William Evans (M);
Basic Theology (V) by Charles Ryrie; and
Lectures in Systematic Theology" (E) by Henry
Thiessen, one of my favorites. You can also now get John
Gill’s A Body of Doctrinal and Practical
Theology in hardcopy (The
Baptist Standard Bearer), but it’s expensive; you’re
much better off getting in on computer CD-ROM, which
we’ll look at in Section IX.
If finances allow
(save for it if necessary), get the mammoth three-volume
Institutes of Elenctic Theology (PR) by Francis
Turretin (1623-1687). As the flyleaf states, “As an
‘elenctic’ theology—which aims at affirming and
demonstrating the truth, in refutation of false
doctrine—the Institutes
contrasts Reformed understanding of Scripture with
conflicting theological perspectives, particularly,
Roman Catholic, Arminian, and Socinian.” Preachers would
do well to read and understand how evangelicals today
are compromising and even abandoning the truth on which
the Reformation was founded.
B. The Doctrine Of
God
To better know our
wonderful God, read: The Knowledge of the Holy
(HR) by A. W. Tozer and Majesty: The God You Should
Know (HLP) by J. Sidlow Baxter. There's a lot to
wade through, but reading Stephen Charnock's two-volume
work The Existence and Attributes of God (B) was
one of the greatest blessings I have ever received. Also
required reading is R. C. Sproul’s The Holiness of
God (T). For a good study of worship, read John
MacArthur’s The Ultimate Priority (M).
C. The Doctrine Of The Scriptures
A General
Introduction to the Bible" (M) by Norman Geisler and
William Nix is a must, as are Rene Pache's The
Inspiration and Authority of Scripture (M) and E. J.
Young’s Thy Word is Truth (BOT). The King
James Only Controversy (BHP) by James White and
The King James Version Debate (B) by D. A.
Carlson reflect the most widely held view of today on
the subject. For the other side, which we at Sola
Scriptura Ministries stand on, read and seriously
consider The
King James Version Defended by Edward
Hills (The Christian Research Press), The Ancient Text of the New
Testament (Premier) by Jakob van Bruggen,
Which Bible by David Otis Fuller (Grand Rapids
International Publications), Identity of the New
Testament Text (BFT) by Wilbur Pickering, and the
works of Dean John Burgon (BFT). Sola Scriptura
Ministries also offers several
titles on their CD-ROM software.
D. The Doctrine Of The Holy Spirit
The classics here
are by John Walvoord (Z) and John Owen (K). For a fair
treatment of the Charismatic movement, see John
MacArthur's The Charismatics.
E. The Doctrines Of Grace
The classic here for
many years is Arthur W. Pink’s The Sovereignty of
God (B). This is the original, unabridged version.
Banner of Truth Trust has published an edited version,
but in our opinion, it severely damages the work.
Another classic is,. The Reformed
Doctrine of Predestination (PR) by Loraine Boettner.
This is one of the most thorough discussions of the
Doctrines of Grace ever written. Another good work is The Five Points of
Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented by David N.
Steele and Curtis C. Thomas (PR). This book provides a
clear, concise overview of the Doctrines of Grace. Also
worth reading is God’s Sovereign
Grace by James R. White (Crowne
Publications). This is out of print, but if you can find
a copy, it is worth the effort. Personally, I wish the
author had not used the New International Version
throughout, but his presentation is clear and
understandable, although his chapter on the extent of
the atonement is weak.
F. Prophecy
The
Interpretation Of Prophecy (AP) by Paul Lee Tan is a
classic as is J. Dwight Pentecost's Things To
Come (DP). Other helpful books are: The Millenial
Kingdom (DP) by John Walvoord; What You Should
Know About The Rapture (M) by Charles Ryrie; and
Will Man Survive? (M) by J. Dwight Pentecost. To
answer a lot of misconceptions about the Rapture, read
When the Trumpet Sounds by Thomas Ice and Timothy
Demy (General Editors). As we mentioned in the book of
Revelation, avoid fanciful trends in prophetic
speculation like the plague (no pun intended). For a
Reformed approach to Eschatology, consider R. C.
Sproul’s The Last Days According to
Jesus (B).
G. False
Doctrine
For good exposés of
false doctrine and cults, read Cults, World
Religions, and You (V) by Kenneth Boa, Heresies
Exposed (L) by Wm. C. Irvine, and What the Cults
Believe by Irvine Robertson (M). For the best look
at Roman Catholicism, read Lorraine Boettner’s
classic (PR), as well as Far From Rome Near to
God, the testimony of 50 converted priest compiled
by Richard Bennett, a former Dominican (APA). You should
also get Heresies by Harold
O. J. Brown, an excellent work covering heresy and
orthodoxy in the history of the Church. This is a must
read in our day, as it is “a clarion call to
evangelicals to preserve ‘the faith once delivered to
the saints.’”
VIII. Other Vital
Topics
A. Pastoral Theology
Number one, read
Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Preaching and Preachers (Z),
and read it once a year to be reminded of what we
preachers are supposed to be doing. Also required is
Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students (Z).
B. The Christian Life
No matter what it
costs, acquire Going Deeper
(Z) by J. Sidlow Baxter and treasure
it.
C. Contemporary Issues
In light of the watering
down of the Gospel message that is going on today, I
highly recommend John MacArthur's The Gospel
According to Jesus, Faith Works, Reckless
Faith, Our Sufficiency In Christ (WOR), and
One Way. We would also recommend Rethinking
Our Priorities (Z) by J. Sidlow Baxter and A. W.
Tozer’s God Tells the Man Who Cares (CP).
Concerning Tozer, many of his other articles (which
became the content of most of his books) are challenging
concerning present issues. If you can find a copy, read
Biblical Principles (PRF) by various authors.
Also see the False
Doctrine
section.
D. Devotional
By far, the best
devotion book ever written (in my opinion) is Awake
My Heart (Z) by J. Sidlow Baxter. Other excellent
book is Strength for Today (CR) by John
MacArthur. Other good ones are Giant Steps (B), a
compilation by Warren Wiersbe, and of course the classic
Morning and Evening (Z) by
Spurgeon.
E. Apologetics
A classic here is
The Genesis Flood (B) by John Whitcomb and Henry
Morris. Another classic is Morris' Many Infallible
Proofs (Master Books). Other good works include:
Evidence That Demands a Verdict (CC) by Josh
McDowell; Reasons For Faith (B) by John Gerstner;
The Early Earth (B) and The World That
Perished (B) both by John Whitcomb; and Studies
In The Bible and Science (B) by Henry Morris. May we
also add, the best critique of the "Gap Theory" is
Weston Field's Unformed and Unfilled (PR). We
might also add that for a more presuppositional approach
to apologetics, read Gordon Clark’s Religion, Reason,
and Revelation and Three Types of Religious
Philosophy (TR), as well as Cornelius van Til’s
Christian Apologetics. For a comparison of both
schools of apologetics (Evidentialism and
Presuppositionalism), read Classical
Apologetics (AB) by R. C.
Sproul, John Gerstner, and Authur Lindsley (although I
disagree with their critique of Presuppositional
Apologetics).
F. Biographies
I must confess here
a certain apprehension to the reading of biographies.
There is no danger as long as they are not used as life
models. Don't read a man's biography and try to mimic
his life and ministry. Reading biographies, however,
certainly has its merits. For example, I gleaned much,
both positive and negative, from reading the biographies
of John Calvin, Martyn Lloyd Jones, Arthur W. Pink, and
Charles Spurgeon. In his books Walking With The
Giants (B) Listening To The Giants (B) Warren
Wiersbe sketches the lives of many of the great
preachers and authors of the past and includes balancing
comments where needed. Other short biographies are found
in "The Best Of" books mentioned in our next category. I
must also mentioned again David Larsen’s marvelous book,
The Company of Preachers (K),
a history of Biblical preaching from the Old Testament
to the modern era. I'll not mention any others; I leave
the matter to your own discernment.
G. Good Preaching
It would be
impossible to categorize all the following recommended
messages, but there is a lot of good preaching we should
read today. Baker Book House has a series of books
called The Best Of . . . In them you will read
the best of Harry Ironside, Arthur W. Pink, John Calvin,
Charles Spurgeon, Alexander Whyte, and others. I highly
recommend G. Campbell Morgan's Westminster Pulpit
(ST) and Spurgeon's The New Park Street Pulpit
(B); the wealth in both of these is absolutely
priceless. Most of Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ books (such as
his expositions of Ephesians and Romans) are transcribed
sermons, as are the expositional commentaries of James
Montgomery Boice.
IX. Computer
Software
New to this update of this
little list of books is computer software. As not only a
pastor but also as a computer consultant and journalist,
I have done much research into computer software.
Following is an article I wrote for Christian Computing
Magazine back in 1998 (with a few updates).
Serious Resources for Serious
Students
I hope no one minds, but I’m going to change hats
this month. As Technical Editor, I normally deal with
technical subjects. Having been in the ministry for 25
years, however, and having written a few books on
theological subjects along the way, I’m also a serious
student of God’s Word. Because of this, my library has
grown not only in number of volumes but in depth of
subject. With more and more resources now available on
CD, much of my library now fits in a single CD case
instead of several massive bookcases.
Many users are aware of the more well-known and
commonly used works included in most Bible study
products today, such as: Bible translations, Strong’s,
Easton’s, Vine’s, Matthew Henry, and so forth. My
purpose in this article, however, is to point out some
of the deeper works that are geared to the more serious
Bible student.
I do want to emphasize that CC-Mag recommends all
these products and others not mentioned. It in no way
wants to put any one above any others. Any one of these
will provide most any user the tools needed to do basic
and intermediate Bible study. Some products, however,
are better suited to deeper study, depending upon the
needs of each individual student. My intent here is
simply to lay a little foundation upon which each
student can then build by looking at many products and
comparing what they offer.
AGES SOFTWARE
For the serious Bible student, Ages Software
(800-297-4307) has, in my opinion, the best collection
of classic works of any other publisher. Personally, I
think their titles are an absolute must for serious
study. The Master
Christian Library Version 6, for
example, provides the Christian community with one of
the best classic resources ever published. Many of the
titles in this collection, in fact, are available
nowhere else.
Among other historical resources, it includes the
writings of Edersheim, Bang’s History of the
Methodist Church, the works of Josephus, the Decline and Fall of
the Roman Empire, and of course Schaff’s 8 volume History of the
Christian Church. Commentaries include Adam Clarke’s
classic commentary (6 volumes), and Jamieson, Faussett,
and Brown’s commentary (3 volumes), as well as
commentaries by Calvin, Hodge, and Haldane. I for one am
ecstatic that this collection now includes the first six
volumes of John Owen’s collected works. Also included
are the complete works of the Early Church Fathers (38
volumes), Jonathan Edwards (2 volumes), John Wesley (14
volumes), John Bunyan (9 volumes), James Arminius (3
volumes), and of course Calvin’s Institutes (2
volumes). And lest I forget, The International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia is
now a part of this invaluable
collection.
And there is still more. There are numerous other
works by Sir Robert Anderson, Charles Finney, William
Law, Martin Luther, Dwight Moody, and the beloved
Charles Spurgeon. This collection is, indeed, one of the
greatest gifts to the Church that has ever been given. I
can’t even imagine how much all this would be in
hardcopy! But it’s yours for a mere
$89.95.
Two other Ages’ titles are equally impressive.
The Reformation
History Library includes over 50 historical
resources. Just a few are: The
Reformation/Scotland (Knox), Miller’s Church
History, History of
Protestantism (Wylie), History of the
Ancient Christians (Perrin), History of
Baptists (Benedict), Church History
(Jones), Cloud of
Witnesses (Wilkinson), History of the
Reformation (Aubingne), and many
more.
Students of Reformation history and doctrine will
also want the John Calvin
Collection. I scorched one of the buttons on my
phone dialing the number when I saw this title. It
includes four biographies (including Beza’s The Life of
Calvin), the Institutes, Selected Works
(7 volumes), sermons, all 22 volumes
of Calvin’s
Commentaries, and
more.
Finally, are you ready for this? Ages also now
offers The C.H.
Spurgeon Collection. This is not just a couple
hundred of his sermons. This is almost everything
Spurgeon did. It includes all 63 volumes of his sermons,
the 7-volume The
Sword and the Trowel, and dozens
more for a mere $60.
As of this update,
there are also several other titles: The Arthur
Pink Collection, The Works of John
Owen, John Gill’s Exposition and other
Writings, and The Pulpit
Commentary. While I personally
don’t like the PDF approach, my advice still is to buy
ever title this company
releases.
THE ONLINE
BIBLE
John Gill (1697-1771) was without argument one of
the greatest theologians and expositors that has ever
lived. Tragically, few people have ever heard of Gill,
since his works contain information that can’t be found
except in ancient writings. Gill, who was a Baptist,
preached in the same pulpit as Charles Spurgeon but over
100 years before him, and Spurgeon often quoted him.
While some would dislike his extreme Calvinism, few, if
any, theological publications in the English language
deserve more repute than his two-volume, 1091 page, A Body of Doctrinal
Divinity. Even more significant, however, was Gill’s
10 million-word exposition of the Bible, which is the
most detailed exposition of the Scriptures ever written.
It has been said of Gill’s expositions that if you
disagree, you had better have very good reason and a lot
of proof. Gill’s works are now available for the
computer on CD-ROM in The Online Bible
(www.onlinebible.com). While it has many
other standard resources, as well as Robertson’s Word
Pictures and archeological and
creation science material, having Gill alone is more
than worth the price of the product.
Another nice feature of OLB is the ease with
which you can install selected titles onto your hard
disk, which cuts down on disk shuffle. With a big hard
drive, you can put a lot of resources on your computer
without having to access a CD.
LOGOS RESEARCH
Besides the many common titles on the market, the
Logos Library
System has many that the serious student will find
indispensable. For one, it includes Greek and Hebrew
Bibles not found elsewhere, including: Stephen’s Textus Receptus
(1550), Scrivener’s Textus Receptus
(1881), the Byzantine/Majority
Textform Greek New Testament, the Nestle Aland
26th Edition Greek NT with McReynold’s
English Interlinear, the Biblia Sacra
Vulgata, and the morphologically tagged editions of
the Biblia
Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Septuaginta. It
also includes An
Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (founded upon the
7th Edition of Liddel and Scott). A very
important work now on CD from Logos is The Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One
Volume (“Little Kittel”). Many students will also
want The
MacArthur Study Bible, The Bible Knowledge
Commentary from Dallas, the Wycliffe Bible
Encyclopedia, and MacArthur’s
commentaries.
I was also delighted when I saw back issues of
the Dallas Theological Seminary journal Bibliotheca Sacra
from 1955-1995 as well as one of my favorite
Theologies, Charles Hodge’s Systematic
Theology (3 volumes). Additionally, Logos provides a
plethora of other tools, including: Synonymns of the Old
Testament (Robert Baker), The Moody Handbook
of Theology (Paul Enns), Handbook of
Christian Apologetics (Peter Kreeft & Ronald
Tacelli), A
General Introduction to the Bible (Geisler &
Nix), The
Archeological Encyclopedia of the Holy
Land, and
more.
A nice touch is the inclusion of both Webster’s
Collegiate Dictionary (10th Edition) and
Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus. Like Online
Bible, Logos also makes it easy
to install selected titles on your hard
disk.
As of this update, I would
like to personally add that the big downside to Logos is
the price. It’s too bad that they price their material
at the same level as hardcopy books. The whole point of
e-publishing is that it’s supposed to be much
cheaper.
EPIPHANY
SOFTWARE
Unique to Bible Explorer
is the classic Theological Wordbook
of the Old Testament (TWOT). The serious student
will also appreciate the great history provided in William Barclay’s
New Testament Commentary.
PARSONS
TECHNOLOGY
Our friends at Parsons have also provided use
with some serious tools. One of my favorites is The Defender’s
Collection. This not only includes QuickVerse
itself and my favorite Study Bible, The Defender’s Study
Bible, but also six leading reference books on
Creationism (Biblical
Creationism, The Genesis
Record, The
Genesis Flood, Many Infallible
Proofs, The
Bible Has the Answer, and Science and the
Bible). Many students will also appreciate the
entire Hard
Sayings of the Bible book series that comes on a
single CD, The
InterVarsity NT Commentary, The Ryrie Study
Bible and The
Believer’s Study Bible that come with QuickVerse. And
lest I forget, Parsons has also given us the excellent
Greek Tutor
and Hebrew
Tutor.
As of this update, it’s
too bad that Parson’s also prices their material too
high. With the later versions, they also ruined the
product by making the whole thing into their STEP
approach. Version 4.0 was the fastest Bible product in
the world, and I still use it to this
day.
NAVPRESS
Of special note from NavPress is The Preacher’s
Outline and Sermon Bible (POSB).
This 14-volume commentary on the NT has been around in
hardcopy for several years, but is now available on CD.
It includes a verse-by-verse outline, practical
commentary, subject index, and Greek word studies. It is
fairly expensive, however.
ZONDERVAN
While I did not have time to review Zondervan
Reference Software, it provides at least resources that
should be of interest. One is the 12-volume Expositors Bible
Commentary. Another is one that I’m delighted about,
The New
International Dictionary of New Testament Theology,
which is still in beta. And students of Theology will
want Wayne Grudem’s Systematic
Theology.
THEOPHILOS BIBLE
SOFTWARE
Back in February 1998 Ed Hoffman did a review of
Theophilos Bible
Software, but much has
happened since then. The more I looked at this product,
the more impressed I became. This is a first rate
product that is no-strings-attached freeware. The free
version comes with the KJV, Easton’s, and Matthew Henry,
and you can download it right now from http://www.theophilos.sk. In my opinion, like the
Ages collection, this alone is one of the greatest gifts
that has been given to God’s people since this industry
began. It includes over 60 resources. The serious
student will like the Stephanus Textus Receptus, the
Jamieson, Faussett, Brown Commentary, Calvin’s
commentaries, the works of Josephus, and
others.
Of special interest, however, is the
Scribe utility. This
incredible tool enables you to take any ASCII text file
and create your own resource that can be used in
Theophilos. Use them yourself or pass them on to other
users of Theophilos. Electronic publishing simply does
not get any easier or more inexpensive than Scribe. Hey,
in my opinion again, this is what Bible software should
be all about.
The price of the CD will start at $39, $59 with
NASB unlock, and $79 with NASB and registration of
Scribe.
In summary, I want to repeat that all these
products, and others, are excellent for basic to
intermediate study. For deeper study, however, each
product has its unique strengths. My intent here was
simply to provide a starting point for the more serious
student. I pray I was successful. May God richly bless
your study.
Well, we could certainly go
further, but this list should suffice to get you going.
I sincerely pray that these suggestions will be of help
to my fellow preachers of God's Word. Dig deep, and
preach the Word!
I’d love to here from you. Drop me an
e-mail with your feedback on this list.
Dr. J. D. "Doc"
Watson
Pastor-Teacher
PUBLISHER'S
LIST
A - Abingdon
Press
AC - Academie
Books
AMG - American Mission To
The Greeks
AP - Assurance
Publishers
APA - Associated
Publishers and Authors
Av - Avon Books
B - Baker Book
House
BFT - The Bible for Today
(609-854-4452)
BHP - Bethany House
Publishers
BOT - Banner of Truth
Trust
BMH - Brethren Missionary
Herald
Br - Broadman
Press
BTB - Back to the Bible
Publishers
C - Cambridge
Press
Car - Carter
Publishing
CC - Campus Crusade for
Christ
CLC - Christian Literature
Crusade
CR – Crossway
Book
CP – Christian
Publications
DP - Dunham Publishing
Company
E - Eerdmans Publishing
Company
GRIP - Grand Rapids
International Publications
HEN -
Hendrickson
HH - Harvest House
Publishing
HLP - Here's Life
Publishers
HR - Harper and
Row
IV - Intervarsity
Press
JP - Judson
Press
K - Kregel
Publications
KP - Keats
Publishing
L - Loizeaux Brothers
Publishing
M - Moody Press
Mac - Macmillan
Publishing
Mc - McDonald
Publishing
M&S - Morgan and Scott
Publishing
O - Oxford University
Press
OH - Our Hope
Publishers
P&I - Pickering and
Inglis Publishing
PH - Prentice Hall
Publishing
RP - Ronald
Press
PR - Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing
PRF - Plymouth Rock
Foundation
R - Revell
Publishing
Ran - Randolph
Publishing
SGP - Sovereign Grace
Publishers
ST - Scripture Truth
Publishing Company
Sc - Scribner
Publishing
T - Tyndale House
Publishing
TN - Thomas Nelson
Publishers
TR - Trinity
Foundation
V - Victor
Books
W - Westminster
Press
WI - Western Islands
Publishing
WOR - Word
Publishing
Z - Zondervan
Publishing House
