ESV Gospel Transformation Bible

If you run in the T4G/TGC/Challies/Justin Taylor circles you have certainly heard about the "Gospel-Centered" hermeneutic. Crossway produced this study Bible to help us to be Gospel-Centered by showing us Christ in all of Scripture. Unlike some study Bibles, you've probably even heard of some of the contributors. There are men like Miles Van Pelt (Kings and Chronicles), Michael Horton (Joshua), Darrin Patrick (Zephaniah), Kevin DeYoung (Ephesians), and JD Greear (Titus) as well as women like Elyse Fitzpatrick (Esther). The contributors include a mixture of scholars and popular authors. All their contributions went through the editing of Brian Chapell and Dane Ortlund. I recognized about 2/3 of the names and they are all very solid, conservative evangelical voices.

The book itself is quite striking. The hardcover is black with red and black stitching in the Smyth-sewn binding.  The pastedowns and flyleaves are also a brilliant blood red. The Bible text is in the familiar Lexicon font, while the study notes are in Gotham. This gives it a fresh look from other study Bibles I've used. I rather liked it, despite the two-column format, which really can't be helped in a work like this. It really is a beautiful book. It also has the standard features you'd expect from an ESV such as maps in the back, the ESV reading plan, and even a topical index.

Of course, all this is meaningless if the content doesn't match the beauty of the book. To me, the biggest red flag when thinking about a "Gospel-Centered" hermeneutic comes in the story of the floating axe head in 2 Kings 6. There are some who say that the floating axe head reminds us of baptism while the stick Elisha used reminds us of the cross. The editors make a point in the introduction that they would not allow baseless allegories to dominate the notes, and they were true to their word. Nothing like that can be found in this story. Instead, the note I see is on 6:15-17, which is the story of Elisha's servant having his eyes opened to see the chariots of fire around the city. The note makes the point that we say that we would have more faith if we could just see like that, but then reminds us that we already have in the Incarnation of Christ. That is a wonderful way to apply this story.

But what about a book that seems less practical for living like Leviticus? Just about every page has a note and they deal with how the sacrifices in Leviticus point forward to the ultimate sacrifice Christ paid on the cross. The notes also emphasize the problem of sin, which is why we needed to have sacrifices. There is a note on 5:14-6:7 which connects the laws for guilt offerings with how Paul applies this to believers in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and Ephesians 1:7. There is a note on 13:1-14:57, which describes the laws about leprosy. This note reminds us of how Christ dealt with this impurity by simply touching the diseased person and making him clean. There are notes that discuss how the atoning sacrifices in Leviticus point us to the atonment that happened for believers at the cross. There are notes that show how the Israelites were to be different from the other nations just as Christians are to be different from unbelievers today. In short, these notes take what is often seen as an esoteric book and make it intensely practical for us today.

Anyone who has studied Hebrews probably already knows that Leviticus points us pretty clearly to Christ, but what about something harder like Proverbs? Take Proverbs 15:15 which reads, All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. I don't immediately see the gospel in this, but the note reminds me that the joy of Christ is ultimate and victorious. In other words, there may be real sorrow in this world, but the Christian has ultimate hope and joy in Christ. Again, this is a very solid, sane way of looking at this verse. I don't think it is a stretch at all to get that from this verse.

The New Testament notes are just as good. The note on Romans 9:19-24 reminds us of the comfort that we have in knowing that God is absolutely sovereign over our salvation, whether we fully understand how it all works or not. The note on Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us that "We were not strugglers in need of a helping hand or sinking swimmers in need of a raft; we were stone-cold dead--spiritually lifeless, without a religious pulse, without anything to please God. But he loves the loveless, gives life to the lifeless, and is merciful to those deserving no mercy." The note on Revelation 20:1-10 doesn't get into debates on the millenium, but stresses the need for the believer to remain vigilant. While I certainly didn't read every note, all the notes I did read were similarly excellent.

As you can see, the notes in this Bible are extremely practical for the believer without getting into the foolishness of "4 steps to a better marriage" that pervades so many pulpits today. Many may wonder how to make "Gospel-Centered" preaching relevant to the 21st century ear. I would recommend that they read through this bible to get their answer. In fact, I would recommend this bible to anyone who wants to have all of Scripture come alive for them.

The closest analogy I can think of is that this is like the Jesus Storybook Bible, but for grown-ups. I loved reading that bible to my kids when they were little because it edified me to see how all the familiar stories pointed to Christ. Go much deeper with that concept and you have the heart of the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible. I remember pre-ordering the ESV Study Bible and being thrilled when I got it. But since going to seminary I really don't use it that much because I can look in commentaries to go even deeper. This bible shines because it is more pastoral than it is scholarly. I think that I will refer to it many times in the future because of how well it feeds my heart.

Note - the publisher gave me a copy to review.

Kingdom Through Covenant

I attended a Dispensational seminary, but am not a Dispensationalist. I have some Covenantal leanings, but I remain firmly credobaptist. I have found that I have more in common with Presbyterians than most Baptists, but I keep seeing comments that "there is no such thing as a Reformed Baptist." Obviously, that is true, but I needed to have some name for what I believed.

I am extremely thankful for the book Kingdom Through Covenant. Gentry and Wellum wanted to use this book to propose a middle way between the two systems. They acknowledge the strength of both systems, but also point out some glaring weaknesses. Much of these problems center around the Abrahamic Covenant. They rightly point out that each system chooses which part they will take literally. The Dispensationalist focuses on the land promise to Abraham and the Covenantalist focuses on the genealogical promise. This book shows how both miss the mark in ignoring the whole promise.

The book is strongest in parts one and three, which were written by Wellum. Part one presents their thesis and hermenutic while part three summarizes how it all fits together based on all the exegesis done in part two. You really could get away with checking this book out from your local seminary library and reading just those parts. That would save you about 460 pages of very technical writing leaving you with about 250 very readable pages.

I would not recommend part two for anyone who does not know Hebrew. Although there is a lot of transliteration there is also a fair amount of straight Hebrew text. Obviously a book focused on exegesis is going to have to deal with the language, so be warned that this section is not for the casual reader. Be prepared for some tough sledding through this section. I saw in another review where someone wrote that the middle sections felt like disconnected papers. I suppose that is true to a degree, but that's also the nature of such academic work. Despite the difficulties, this part is essential for proving the authors' thesis. I believe that they accomplished their goal.

I particularly appreciated their point that the Dispensational distinction between conditional and unconditional covenants is an unnecessary one. It was also valuable to see how the physical promise of the land to Abraham has already been fulfilled, but that the promise is actually much bigger in how God is going to give the whole earth to Abraham's children. In other words, to get all excited about a strip of land in the Middle East is to miss the bigger promise. It is also encouraging to see them make some distinction between Israel and the church. The church is indeed a new thing that, unlike Israel, is composed entirely of believers.

I suppose I'm somewhat biased because I wanted to like this book. I finally have a book that describes what I have come to believe on my own. It is possible to be strongly Calvinistic in soteriology, but strongly Baptist when it comes to the ordinances and the composition of the church. I still find that I have more in common with Covenantal brothers than most Baptists, but I am glad to have this middle way. When you're not in a large camp it is comforting to know that you are not on your own.

Devotions on the Greek New Testament

Given the nature of this blog, I was excited when I saw that Zondervan published a scholarly version of what I had been trying to do. Devotions on the Greek New Testament is a collection of 52 short devotions each written about a passage in Greek. Unlike my blog, the contributors to this book are all scholars. What's refreshing is that not only are they scholars, but they also write from the perspective of a believer in Christ. Some names you might recognize include William D. Mounce, Scot McKnight, Craig L. Blomberg, Ben Witherington III, and Darrell L. Bock. There are others, but these are some of the more famous authors.

Each devotional begins with the Greek text. The author then keys in on something from the text to help the reader further understand the meaning. For example, in the passage on Ephesians 5:18-22 (be filled with the Spirit), David L. Matthewson emphasizes how the five adverbial participles modify πληροῦσθε. It doesn't necessarily come off as well in English, but this passage shows us that addressing one another in psalms and hymns, etc., is what being filled with the Spirit looks like. Matthewson bases this on the way the participles work together.

There are also devotionals that will look at the structure of a passage. For example, David M. Morgan illustrates the chiastic structure of Colossians 1:26-28 and explains how Paul's suffering relates to Christ's suffering. He then connects this to Epaphroditus' ministry described in Philippians 2:20 to show how this is normative for a Christian. He also connects this passage to the general message of Colossians to explain how this is part of bringing the gospel to the world. 

I did not read the whole book as I do want to use it as a devotional and didn't want to plow through it all right away. However, out of the dozen or so sections I did read what I found was solid exegesis based on the text. The whole point of studying Greek and Hebrew is to get closer to the text. This devotional will help you to do that.

Of course, this book is not for everyone. It does presuppose that you've had at least a year of Koine Greek. I would have found reading each passage difficult after only one year, but I could have muddled through most of them. Looking back, I wish I had a resource like this after I finished my first year of Greek. It feeds the brain by giving examples of good exegesis and it fills the soul with the Word of God. Anyone who can read Greek should own a copy of this book.

Note that I received a copy from the publisher for review. 

The Greener Grass Conspiracy

One of the great benefits of running a blog and following publishers' blogs is that you occasionally get a free title to review. In this case, I got a copy of the short Crossway piece The Greener Grass Conspiracy by Stephen Altrogge.If that name sounds familiar, it's because he authored Game Day for the Glory of God. He is a Sovereign Grace pastor, so that should help you understand where he comes from.

The book weighs in at a modest 139 pages, 10 of which are front matter. It is divided into twelve bite-sized chapters, plus a short introduction. This made it the perfect book to take to the beach since I could honestly say "just a minute" to my three-year old son while I finished a chapter and then went to play with him. Each chapter ends with questions that would be great for a small group discussion.

The overall thesis of this book is that with the Fall came a conspiracy to discontentment. This started when Adam and Eve were not content with God's good provision in their lives. They chose to seek something more when they ate of the fruit. Of course, it's tempting to look down on them in hindsight, but we are no better. We think that they had it completely made in that they simply had to work the garden and avoid a single tree. What could be easier?

Altrogge makes the point that as recipients of the grace of God through the cross of Christ we are just as blessed as they were, but just as discontented. He gives a lot of examples that should hit home with men and women. He deals with the obvious examples for men like status and sex, but for women he discusses relationships. As a man who reads almost exclusively male authors I tend not to notice how strongly biased the illustrations tend to be toward men. It really stood out that Altrogge reaches out to women as well.

The overall tone is conversational and pastoral. I get the sense that this book could easily be a series of conversations over coffee. All the chapters but one open with a very short story that illustrates the point of the chapter. He uses familiar illustrations quite liberally throughout and they keep each chapter flowing. This makes the book readily accessible to most Americans.

Make no mistake, this is a book directed squarely at middle to upper-middle class Americans. This is a book for those who are living in the suburbs and have no serious trials in life. This is a book that will rock some worlds. Altrogge makes that clear by contrasting the trials of the typical American's life with those of people who don't know where their next meals are coming from. And by "typical American" I mean that he uses examples from his own life so that you really connect with him as you realize that although he is a pastor he is just a regular guy too. As with any good gospel presentation, Altrogge describes the situation we're in, explains the problem, and then gives the solution to the problem.

The solution is found in the cross of Christ. What it comes down to is that if we are saved then we need to understand what we've been saved from. We also need to realize the hope that we live for. Our hope is not in more stuff. It is not in relationships. It is not in affirmation from supervisors. It is in the hope of our eternity with Christ that was bought at the cross. This focus will help us overcome the conspiracy because we will realize just how trivial most of our life's pursuits really are.

If you've read any John Piper this should not be a new concept to you. If you've gone a step further and read some of the Puritans then this should not be new either. Altrogge has done a great job of taking Puritan writings and distilled them into an easy, popular form. The endnotes cite writers like Jeremiah Burroughs, Thomas Watson, John Calvin, and John Piper. If you know these writers you will recognize their teachings, but if you don't then this is a fantastic way to be introduced to them.

However, if you have read a lot of Piper or the Puritans then you can probably skip this one as there will be little new in it for you. As a future pastor, I plan on keeping this book on my shelf as a gateway to those kinds of authors though. I would love it if everyone under my care read and appropriated Desiring God or The Pleasures of God, but I know that won't happen. This slim volume should serve as an easy, accessible way to help folks change their thinking about the centrality of the gospel in all we do. If they want more depth then I can turn them on to Piper. But for the guy who is living Ecclesiastes 1-11, this book will be a huge help.

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on Matthew

I was thrilled to be deemed worthy of receiving a copy of one of the new exegetical commentaries from Zondervan.  I got the one on Matthew.  My thesis is on the relationship between Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1, so I could use the resource anyway.  Plus, I'm always a sucker for free books.

My first impression is that this tome means business as it weighs in at 4.5 pounds.  Of course, Matthew is 28 chapters, so it takes some space to cover all of it.  The binding is outstanding.  I can open the book up to any page and it will stay open to that page.  This may not seem like a big deal until you try to type notes while reading.  It's a little thing that I've grown to appreciate with well-made books.  The paper has a nice thickness to it with very little ghosting.  The serif font used for the majority of the text is very readable, even in the footnotes.

The book begins with an introduction explaining issues of authorship, sources, Matthew's use of the OT, etc.   It also has an exegetical outline of the whole book, which is very handy if you plan on preaching through Matthew.  The rest of the book is broken up into 122 chapters that are subsets of this major outline.  It ends with a section on the theology of Matthew.

Each chapter begins with a paragraph on the literary context of the pericope, though chapters before major passages have an introduction to the whole section.  For example, at the start of Matthew 24 there is an introduction to the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:1-25:46.  After the literary context there is a chart showing where this passage falls in the major outline with a good use of bold type.  A few sentences describe the "main idea" for the passage, which is of course important if you plan to preach expository sermons.  Each section is translated into English, but what's really nice is how this is done.  The English translation is given in block outline form so you can follow the flow of the passage.  On the right are labels for each clause in each verse.  In a light shadow font are descriptions of each clause such as "Scene #1 setting" or "Objection" and then "Answer."  Naturally, these are all subject to debate, but they really provide a great help in determining how the pericope flows.

Next is a section on the structure and literary form of each passage and this is a paragraph or two.  Following that is an exegetical outline of the passage, which is yet another aid in preaching.  Basically, Osborne has done what my Greek teacher taught me to do.  I would still want to do this myself, but it is nice to have a scholar's work to check mine against.

After all these preliminaries are the meat of each chapter -- the explanation of the text.  The explanation starts with a brief introduction and then goes through each clause.  The clauses are presented with the English translation in bold type followed by the Greek in parenthesis.  The Greek font is extremely readable, which I have learned is not a given in books that print Greek text.  The text describing each clause also includes Greek in parenthesis where appropriate.  For example, the note on Matthew 3:13 begins with, "The 'then' (τότε) here shows that..."  This is very helpful in thinking through the issues in each clause.

The book is heavily footnoted.  It took a little digging for me to find the bibliography at the front of the book rather than the back.  I appreciate that the footnotes are in the full SBL text note style rather than Author-Date citations in the text.  This is superior to the system used in the Baker commentaries where it is more difficult to figure out each source for each citation.

The footnotes are my only real quibble with this resource.  The 1/2 inch margins make the text feel a bit crowded.  I cannot imagine how much the book would weigh with larger margins, so I understand why this had to be done.  As this book becomes a staple in seminary libraries students are going to have a tough time making photocopies of the pages they want because the thickness of the book creates a deep gutter and the small margins give little tolerance for error.  The good news is that text never disappears into the gutter when reading it.

I am not fond of the two-column format for the majority of the text.  Again, given the way this book is designed there would be a lot of line breaks as the author moved from clause to clause.  Nevertheless, the text ends up with too many hyphens for continued words.  A quick glance through the book shows that most pages have a footnote broken between the two columns.  Since this is not a book you're likely to curl up with in front of the fire, I don't think that this is a huge problem, but it is still a bit distracting.

Finally, each chapter ends with a section called "Theology in Application" where the author gives his opinion as to how one can apply what he just read.  Again, this is a great aid in preaching.

I am hardly a Matthean scholar, so I do not feel qualified to offer much criticism of the substance of the work.  I am working on a thesis regarding the connection between Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1, so naturally I went there first.  I found that Osborne presents the majority opinion, but also gives some information about other largely-held views.

Another passage I examined was Matthew 16:18-19.  Osborne presents the various ideas of what "the rock" was to which Jesus referred.  He explains a few views, but lands on the natural reading of Peter as "the rock," and also explains that is the majority view as well.  Again, Osborne lands on the majority view, but has good reasons to do so.

Finally, I took a look at some of his comments around the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24.  He lays out four views of how to interpret it from the classic dispensational view to reading it all as apocalyptic language.  None of his descriptions are exhaustive, but the descriptions and the footnotes combine to give the reader plenty to work on if he wants to do further research.

Overall, I am glad to have this in my library.  I look forward to when this is included with Logos as well.  I suspect that this is a commentary series that I will use quite heavily as I prepare NT sermons.  You will not be sorry if you purchase this.